Really enjoying some well recorded Steely Dan. None of that flat stuff from the 1970s, sorry, 70s recordings are mostly like dry toast, bland. Now the album Two Against Nature has some really great tracks and is well mastered and actually has amplitude. I tried to play Aja, but even when really turning it up it still was sounding thin and sterile.
The S15s really shine on the tracks Negative Girl and West of Hollywood.
True, I left about 6 months ago to start my own design consulting business. It was just time to do the next thing, though the next few releases will still have my influence on them and I stay in close touch with the design team I built.
True, I left about 6 months ago to start my own design consulting business. It was just time to do the next thing, though the next few releases will still have my influence on them and I stay in close touch with the design team I built.
Cool, thanks for the update.
Yes your team and you did a great job with the Signatures.
When I was a kid my parents told me to turn it down. Now I'm an adult and my kids tell me to turn it down.
Family Room:
Samsung UN75RU710DFXZA,
Denon AVR-X4400H, Emotiva XPA3 GEN3
Oppo BDP-93,Sony UBP-X800BM, WD Live HUB.
Main: Polk Signature S60
Center: Polk CSi-A6
Front High/Rear High In-Ceiling Polk 80F/X RT
Surrounds: Polk S15
Sub: HSU VTF3-MK5
Bed Room;
Sony KDF-E42A10,
Marantz SR5010, BDP-S270
Main: Polk Signature S20
Center: Polk Signature S35
Rear: Polk R15
Sub: HSU STF-2
Working Warehouse;
Sony 2100ES AVR, Sony DVP-NS3100ES for disc
2 Polk RTi4 about 15' up the wall Advent Prodigy
Old sony 12" Sub
Mini tower PC with 400GB of music
"A doctrine fostered by a delusional, illogical minority and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a t-u-r-d by the clean end."
Or if your not interested in paying more for stands than the speaker that rest on them, Sanus Steel foundations, while not the end-all-be-all, will do an admiral job.
what the heck do I put these bigass S20s on? Like what stands have a 12"x9" plate?
make your own. not hard and can be done for less than $40 depending on wood used.
If you're in SoCal I will make them for you. I do have a couple of designs I've been wanting to try out.
When I was a kid my parents told me to turn it down. Now I'm an adult and my kids tell me to turn it down.
Family Room:
Samsung UN75RU710DFXZA,
Denon AVR-X4400H, Emotiva XPA3 GEN3
Oppo BDP-93,Sony UBP-X800BM, WD Live HUB.
Main: Polk Signature S60
Center: Polk CSi-A6
Front High/Rear High In-Ceiling Polk 80F/X RT
Surrounds: Polk S15
Sub: HSU VTF3-MK5
Bed Room;
Sony KDF-E42A10,
Marantz SR5010, BDP-S270
Main: Polk Signature S20
Center: Polk Signature S35
Rear: Polk R15
Sub: HSU STF-2
Working Warehouse;
Sony 2100ES AVR, Sony DVP-NS3100ES for disc
2 Polk RTi4 about 15' up the wall Advent Prodigy
Old sony 12" Sub
Mini tower PC with 400GB of music
Stands are as important as the speaker that rests on them. The ability to mass load them is extremely important.
Political Correctness'.........defined
"A doctrine fostered by a delusional, illogical minority and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a t-u-r-d by the clean end."
Stands are as important as the speaker that rests on them. The ability to mass load them is extremely important.
Absolutely true, though not worth breaking the bank for the S20. For instance, Sonner Audio went through several revisions with Sound Anchor to get the 'right' stand for their Allegro Unum. They even went so far as to find the best size and shape of the spikes to place between stands and speakers because that small detail can drastically change the sound.
Well thanks guy's I didn't know that about stands.
So now I might have to make the same design and try different woods. Oak, birch and Pine. Bummer I have two blanket chest to build this weekend or I might have given a try on some stands.
When I was a kid my parents told me to turn it down. Now I'm an adult and my kids tell me to turn it down.
Family Room:
Samsung UN75RU710DFXZA,
Denon AVR-X4400H, Emotiva XPA3 GEN3
Oppo BDP-93,Sony UBP-X800BM, WD Live HUB.
Main: Polk Signature S60
Center: Polk CSi-A6
Front High/Rear High In-Ceiling Polk 80F/X RT
Surrounds: Polk S15
Sub: HSU VTF3-MK5
Bed Room;
Sony KDF-E42A10,
Marantz SR5010, BDP-S270
Main: Polk Signature S20
Center: Polk Signature S35
Rear: Polk R15
Sub: HSU STF-2
Working Warehouse;
Sony 2100ES AVR, Sony DVP-NS3100ES for disc
2 Polk RTi4 about 15' up the wall Advent Prodigy
Old sony 12" Sub
Mini tower PC with 400GB of music
Well thanks guy's I didn't know that about stands.
So now I might have to make the same design and try different woods. Oak, birch and Pine. Bummer I have two blanket chest to build this weekend or I might have given a try on some stands.
Resonance is the enemy. Expect each stand to impart a sound similar to the wood itself - soft woods will sound softer, hard woods will sound harder. Lead shot and sand is often used because it absorbs resonances, making the material of the stand less of an issue. This topic directly relates to my thread a few years ago about the difference a plinth underneath a component or your speakers makes in sound quality. Knocking on the wood will give you an idea of what sound to expect as well.
I would use that information to guide you into a stand you want instead of just throwing different types of wood together to see what happens. HDF is probably the best material for a stand when it comes to material available at the local hardware store, but I don't think they make the boards thick enough to make it an easy process. MDF is the go-to.
Cool thanks @DSkip, I always thought the sand and shot were for just weight.
I have some leftover Baltic Birch and some Birch 1" dowels. I know the BB use to be used in speaker cabinets something about the multiply. might try a top and bottom plate with the BB use 3 dowels at 3'.
Now I want to give this a try... errr blanket chest are for profit so I have to get them done.
When I was a kid my parents told me to turn it down. Now I'm an adult and my kids tell me to turn it down.
Family Room:
Samsung UN75RU710DFXZA,
Denon AVR-X4400H, Emotiva XPA3 GEN3
Oppo BDP-93,Sony UBP-X800BM, WD Live HUB.
Main: Polk Signature S60
Center: Polk CSi-A6
Front High/Rear High In-Ceiling Polk 80F/X RT
Surrounds: Polk S15
Sub: HSU VTF3-MK5
Bed Room;
Sony KDF-E42A10,
Marantz SR5010, BDP-S270
Main: Polk Signature S20
Center: Polk Signature S35
Rear: Polk R15
Sub: HSU STF-2
Working Warehouse;
Sony 2100ES AVR, Sony DVP-NS3100ES for disc
2 Polk RTi4 about 15' up the wall Advent Prodigy
Old sony 12" Sub
Mini tower PC with 400GB of music
Just purchase Polk s60 towers. Running a paradigm cc290 center channel. Am thinking about either the s30 or s35 center. Would this be a upgrade sideways move or just a better move in general to have all timber matched. Never had a matching center with towers so unsure. Was running energy cf 50 towers before the polls thanks
That's a pretty decent center. Although most would actually say to timber match, I'd probably play with the paradigm to see if you can be happy with it.
Yes full 3 way center and running it all through a dennon avrx 3300 so the receiver has done a pretty good job setting it all up. Not unhappy with it but just not sure if a timber matched center would be better
Welcome First timer! If you like how it sounds then keep it. None of the speakers in my system match, but all together they sound terrific. Unless Polk came out with a Signature CC that can match my Boston VR920, it is staying right where it is.
If your ears can't pick up the different timbres of the speakers, then sit back and enjoy what you have.
Marantz AV-7705 PrePro, Classé 5 ch. 200wpc Amp, Oppo 103 BluRay, Rotel RCD-1072 CDP, Sony Bravia KDL-40R510C TV, Polk S60 Main Speakers, Boston VR-920 Center Channel, SVS NSD-12 SB12 Subwoofer, Polk DSW 400 Subwoofer, Polk FXi-3 Surround Speakers
Good Afternoon!
First post here. Read through all 24 pages of the "Polk Signature Series Official Discussion." While scouring this and other online sources, I have this listed in my shopping list thus far (7.1 system):
Polk Signature S60 or S55 American HiFi Home Theater Tower Speaker (Pair, Black)
Denon AVRX4400H 9.2 Channel Full 4K Ultra HD Network AV Receiver with HEOS black
Polk Audio Signature S15 or S10 American HiFi Home Theater Compact Bookshelf Speaker (2 x Pair)
Polk Audio Signature S30 American HiFi Home Theater Center Speaker
SVS PB12-NSD Black Ash 12-inch 400 Watt Powered Subwoofer
The room is a 14' x 24'
See attached for the setup of the room. Everything should be within an inch or so of being spot on as far as measurements are concerned. The speakers in the drawing are sized to the S30, S60, S15 & SVS PB12-NSD.
This will be used 75% movies and 25% music.
With your experience
S55 or S60 fronts?
S10 or S15 side and rears?
With the window placement, can I still just mount the side speakers on the wall or will I need a mount that will angle them down?
There is about 12 feet from the rear speakers to the listening position. With the doorway in the back or the room, will I need to angle these speakers down?
Without doing a sub crawl, considering the sub is spatially correct, where would you suggest I set it? Currently, in between the shelves and sub is a furnace grate I don't want to block off.
What other info can I supply?
In your opinion, will I be happy?
What accessories should I look for? (mounting equipment and such)
What else should I be considering as I have no idea what to expect
Think I would try the sub in the back of the room, corner placement, the 2 longer walls.
The surrounds will probably need to be angled downwards a little, best guess 10-15 degrees.
Fairly long distance from the rear wall, would go with the larger speaker.
Front mains, again the larger speaker. Probably want to move them about 2 feet out from the sides of the stand, if room permits and picture is to scale.
You will definitely want to look into surge protection/ power conditioning.
If those are hard wood floors, it will be a nightmare, especially if that's also a leather couch, room treatments will help.
Front mains, again the larger speaker. Probably want to move them about 2 feet out from the sides of the stand, if room permits and picture is to scale.
Picture is 100% to scale. The room will be tight. So you are saying the S60s for the fronts?
You will definitely want to look into surge protection/ power conditioning.
If those are hard wood floors, it will be a nightmare, especially if that's also a leather couch, room treatments will help.
Recommendations for surge protection/ power conditioning? Yes, they are hardwood Floors. With an area rug in front of the couch and behind the couch.
I don't have first hand experience with wireless kits, but they seem reliable.
You don't need to mount speakers to lumber, there are many wall mounts that tilt out there.
There are a lot of companies that deal with power conditioning/surge protection. The price range is huge, couple hundred to thousands of dollars.ersonally have a Panamax MR 4300, but as I've upgraded my system, I'll be upgrading the protection.
Hard surfaces create echoes, for an example. Just means the sound waves are bouncing all over the place, a creating acoustical chaos. Throw 7 speakers into the mix, and now it's really fun. So you need to tame reflections.
Area rugs, fabric covered furniture, and drapes help, a lot. There are also acoustic panels designed to for the purpose. After calming reflections there are nulls, voids, and standing waves. Speaker interaction with the room acoustics affects all of them. Reflections are most noticeable so address them first. Books are written on this stuff, but it all comes down to trial and error, for the most part.
I would go with the S55 and S15 setup, a 7.1 with an AVR is going to be asking a lot from it. Try the speakers without the lumber or add on mount and see how you like it. maybe add a 2nd sub. make the house shake.
When I was a kid my parents told me to turn it down. Now I'm an adult and my kids tell me to turn it down.
Family Room:
Samsung UN75RU710DFXZA,
Denon AVR-X4400H, Emotiva XPA3 GEN3
Oppo BDP-93,Sony UBP-X800BM, WD Live HUB.
Main: Polk Signature S60
Center: Polk CSi-A6
Front High/Rear High In-Ceiling Polk 80F/X RT
Surrounds: Polk S15
Sub: HSU VTF3-MK5
Bed Room;
Sony KDF-E42A10,
Marantz SR5010, BDP-S270
Main: Polk Signature S20
Center: Polk Signature S35
Rear: Polk R15
Sub: HSU STF-2
Working Warehouse;
Sony 2100ES AVR, Sony DVP-NS3100ES for disc
2 Polk RTi4 about 15' up the wall Advent Prodigy
Old sony 12" Sub
Mini tower PC with 400GB of music
I like your username! Makes me want to go smoke a Fuente short story!
Tried to answer some of your questions in bold below. Disclaimer, my answers are opinionated and not necessarily fact.
Edit: Just re-read your original post and see that you have selected quite a beefy Denon. You could probably get away with using the built in amplification on it.
S55 or S60 fronts? S55 if you're planning on using the AVR's built in amplification, S60 if you're going for a dedicated external amplifier.
S10 or S15 side and rears? S10 is adequate.
With the window placement, can I still just mount the side speakers on the wall or will I need a mount that will angle them down? Don't need to angle them down, but carefully consider the height, you don't want to mount them too high.
There is about 12 feet from the rear speakers to the listening position. With the doorway in the back or the room, will I need to angle these speakers down? Again angle should not matter, more important would be mounting height. The Audessey automatic calibration will boost them as necessary due to the increased distance to the listening position.
Without doing a sub crawl, considering the sub is spatially correct, where would you suggest I set it? Currently, in between the shelves and sub is a furnace grate I don't want to block off. I'd put it directly into the left corner if possible where the bookcase currently is.
What other info can I supply? How loudly do you like to watch movies and listen to music?
In your opinion, will I be happy? See above. If you like to watch at "reference" levels like what you experience when going to the local movie theather, I would recommend getting an AVR with preouts and running dedicated outboard amplification for each channel.
What accessories should I look for? (mounting equipment and such) Should be plenty of universal brackets available on Crutchfield.
What else should I be considering as I have no idea what to expect Bringing the front towers away from the wall and allowing them to have some breathing room from the rear wall, and from each other will make them sound better. Try to get the center channel as close to ear level as possible, as arguably it is the most important and heaviest used speaker in a HT environment.
"Electronic music is human sound adapting to indulge technology, and for some, it feels like the signature sound of energy. New and abstract sounds over hypnotic rhythms can conjure vast soundscapes for escape, pleasure, and transcendence."
Comments
The S15s really shine on the tracks Negative Girl and West of Hollywood.
True, I left about 6 months ago to start my own design consulting business. It was just time to do the next thing, though the next few releases will still have my influence on them and I stay in close touch with the design team I built.
Chief Design Officer
Cool, thanks for the update.
Yes your team and you did a great job with the Signatures.
Family Room:
Samsung UN75RU710DFXZA,
Denon AVR-X4400H, Emotiva XPA3 GEN3
Oppo BDP-93,Sony UBP-X800BM, WD Live HUB.
Main: Polk Signature S60
Center: Polk CSi-A6
Front High/Rear High In-Ceiling Polk 80F/X RT
Surrounds: Polk S15
Sub: HSU VTF3-MK5
Bed Room;
Sony KDF-E42A10,
Marantz SR5010, BDP-S270
Main: Polk Signature S20
Center: Polk Signature S35
Rear: Polk R15
Sub: HSU STF-2
Working Warehouse;
Sony 2100ES AVR, Sony DVP-NS3100ES for disc
2 Polk RTi4 about 15' up the wall Advent Prodigy
Old sony 12" Sub
Mini tower PC with 400GB of music
what the heck do I put these bigass S20s on? Like what stands have a 12"x9" plate?
http://www.skylanstands.com/stands.htm
So will these folks, https://www.liedtke-metalldesign.eu/epages/64011114.mobile/de_DE/?ObjectPath=/Shops/64011114/Categories/"Liedtke-Metalldesign+Lautsprecherständer"
"A doctrine fostered by a delusional, illogical minority and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a t-u-r-d by the clean end."
make your own. not hard and can be done for less than $40 depending on wood used.
If you're in SoCal I will make them for you. I do have a couple of designs I've been wanting to try out.
Family Room:
Samsung UN75RU710DFXZA,
Denon AVR-X4400H, Emotiva XPA3 GEN3
Oppo BDP-93,Sony UBP-X800BM, WD Live HUB.
Main: Polk Signature S60
Center: Polk CSi-A6
Front High/Rear High In-Ceiling Polk 80F/X RT
Surrounds: Polk S15
Sub: HSU VTF3-MK5
Bed Room;
Sony KDF-E42A10,
Marantz SR5010, BDP-S270
Main: Polk Signature S20
Center: Polk Signature S35
Rear: Polk R15
Sub: HSU STF-2
Working Warehouse;
Sony 2100ES AVR, Sony DVP-NS3100ES for disc
2 Polk RTi4 about 15' up the wall Advent Prodigy
Old sony 12" Sub
Mini tower PC with 400GB of music
"A doctrine fostered by a delusional, illogical minority and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a t-u-r-d by the clean end."
Absolutely true, though not worth breaking the bank for the S20. For instance, Sonner Audio went through several revisions with Sound Anchor to get the 'right' stand for their Allegro Unum. They even went so far as to find the best size and shape of the spikes to place between stands and speakers because that small detail can drastically change the sound.
So now I might have to make the same design and try different woods. Oak, birch and Pine. Bummer I have two blanket chest to build this weekend or I might have given a try on some stands.
Family Room:
Samsung UN75RU710DFXZA,
Denon AVR-X4400H, Emotiva XPA3 GEN3
Oppo BDP-93,Sony UBP-X800BM, WD Live HUB.
Main: Polk Signature S60
Center: Polk CSi-A6
Front High/Rear High In-Ceiling Polk 80F/X RT
Surrounds: Polk S15
Sub: HSU VTF3-MK5
Bed Room;
Sony KDF-E42A10,
Marantz SR5010, BDP-S270
Main: Polk Signature S20
Center: Polk Signature S35
Rear: Polk R15
Sub: HSU STF-2
Working Warehouse;
Sony 2100ES AVR, Sony DVP-NS3100ES for disc
2 Polk RTi4 about 15' up the wall Advent Prodigy
Old sony 12" Sub
Mini tower PC with 400GB of music
Resonance is the enemy. Expect each stand to impart a sound similar to the wood itself - soft woods will sound softer, hard woods will sound harder. Lead shot and sand is often used because it absorbs resonances, making the material of the stand less of an issue. This topic directly relates to my thread a few years ago about the difference a plinth underneath a component or your speakers makes in sound quality. Knocking on the wood will give you an idea of what sound to expect as well.
I would use that information to guide you into a stand you want instead of just throwing different types of wood together to see what happens. HDF is probably the best material for a stand when it comes to material available at the local hardware store, but I don't think they make the boards thick enough to make it an easy process. MDF is the go-to.
I have some leftover Baltic Birch and some Birch 1" dowels. I know the BB use to be used in speaker cabinets something about the multiply. might try a top and bottom plate with the BB use 3 dowels at 3'.
Now I want to give this a try... errr blanket chest are for profit so I have to get them done.
Family Room:
Samsung UN75RU710DFXZA,
Denon AVR-X4400H, Emotiva XPA3 GEN3
Oppo BDP-93,Sony UBP-X800BM, WD Live HUB.
Main: Polk Signature S60
Center: Polk CSi-A6
Front High/Rear High In-Ceiling Polk 80F/X RT
Surrounds: Polk S15
Sub: HSU VTF3-MK5
Bed Room;
Sony KDF-E42A10,
Marantz SR5010, BDP-S270
Main: Polk Signature S20
Center: Polk Signature S35
Rear: Polk R15
Sub: HSU STF-2
Working Warehouse;
Sony 2100ES AVR, Sony DVP-NS3100ES for disc
2 Polk RTi4 about 15' up the wall Advent Prodigy
Old sony 12" Sub
Mini tower PC with 400GB of music
I'm new here polk sorry bad english.
wanted to know opinion about S20 + HK3490 setting for movies on PC.
Thank you
Desktop rig: LSi7, Polk 110sub, Dayens Ampino amp, W4S DAC/pre, Sonos, JRiver
Gear on standby: Melody 101 tube pre, Unison Research Simply Italy Integrated
Gone to new homes: (Matt Polk's)Threshold Stasis SA12e monoblocks, Pass XA30.5 amp, Usher MD2 speakers, Dynaudio C4 platinum speakers, Modwright LS100 (voltz), Simaudio 780D DAC
If you come across an open box Signature series at a brick and mortar store, then I'd consider testing it out for a possible return...IMHO
Desktop rig: LSi7, Polk 110sub, Dayens Ampino amp, W4S DAC/pre, Sonos, JRiver
Gear on standby: Melody 101 tube pre, Unison Research Simply Italy Integrated
Gone to new homes: (Matt Polk's)Threshold Stasis SA12e monoblocks, Pass XA30.5 amp, Usher MD2 speakers, Dynaudio C4 platinum speakers, Modwright LS100 (voltz), Simaudio 780D DAC
If your ears can't pick up the different timbres of the speakers, then sit back and enjoy what you have.
First post here. Read through all 24 pages of the "Polk Signature Series Official Discussion." While scouring this and other online sources, I have this listed in my shopping list thus far (7.1 system):
The room is a 14' x 24'
See attached for the setup of the room. Everything should be within an inch or so of being spot on as far as measurements are concerned. The speakers in the drawing are sized to the S30, S60, S15 & SVS PB12-NSD.
This will be used 75% movies and 25% music.
With your experience
Thanks in advance,
Russ
Welcome aboard! I suck at HT but others with more insight will chime in.
Russ
Resident Hoarder
I agree that’s a good thing.
The surrounds will probably need to be angled downwards a little, best guess 10-15 degrees.
Fairly long distance from the rear wall, would go with the larger speaker.
Front mains, again the larger speaker. Probably want to move them about 2 feet out from the sides of the stand, if room permits and picture is to scale.
You will definitely want to look into surge protection/ power conditioning.
If those are hard wood floors, it will be a nightmare, especially if that's also a leather couch, room treatments will help.
That should start the conversation.
Do the wireless kits work pretty well for this? If so, recommendations?
I can make some angled lumber to do that if that id what I need to do.
Looking like the consensus is the S15s on the side and the back
Picture is 100% to scale. The room will be tight. So you are saying the S60s for the fronts?
Recommendations for surge protection/ power conditioning? Yes, they are hardwood Floors. With an area rug in front of the couch and behind the couch.
Why a nightmare? Pardon my ignorance!
Room treatments?
You don't need to mount speakers to lumber, there are many wall mounts that tilt out there.
There are a lot of companies that deal with power conditioning/surge protection. The price range is huge, couple hundred to thousands of dollars.ersonally have a Panamax MR 4300, but as I've upgraded my system, I'll be upgrading the protection.
Hard surfaces create echoes, for an example. Just means the sound waves are bouncing all over the place, a creating acoustical chaos. Throw 7 speakers into the mix, and now it's really fun. So you need to tame reflections.
Area rugs, fabric covered furniture, and drapes help, a lot. There are also acoustic panels designed to for the purpose. After calming reflections there are nulls, voids, and standing waves. Speaker interaction with the room acoustics affects all of them. Reflections are most noticeable so address them first. Books are written on this stuff, but it all comes down to trial and error, for the most part.
I would go with the S55 and S15 setup, a 7.1 with an AVR is going to be asking a lot from it. Try the speakers without the lumber or add on mount and see how you like it. maybe add a 2nd sub. make the house shake.
Family Room:
Samsung UN75RU710DFXZA,
Denon AVR-X4400H, Emotiva XPA3 GEN3
Oppo BDP-93,Sony UBP-X800BM, WD Live HUB.
Main: Polk Signature S60
Center: Polk CSi-A6
Front High/Rear High In-Ceiling Polk 80F/X RT
Surrounds: Polk S15
Sub: HSU VTF3-MK5
Bed Room;
Sony KDF-E42A10,
Marantz SR5010, BDP-S270
Main: Polk Signature S20
Center: Polk Signature S35
Rear: Polk R15
Sub: HSU STF-2
Working Warehouse;
Sony 2100ES AVR, Sony DVP-NS3100ES for disc
2 Polk RTi4 about 15' up the wall Advent Prodigy
Old sony 12" Sub
Mini tower PC with 400GB of music
Tried to answer some of your questions in bold below. Disclaimer, my answers are opinionated and not necessarily fact.
Edit: Just re-read your original post and see that you have selected quite a beefy Denon. You could probably get away with using the built in amplification on it.