Building a Reserve System.
Options
Hell all,
I know there is already a Reserve Thread but I wanted to talk about building a system.
As I'm in the market checking different speakers , for some reason this line really caught my eye.
I watched all the videos and read over the spec's. The only thing I'm little uncomfortable with compared to everything else I'm considering is the Vinyl finishes.
So IF the finish is executable to me, I like all 3 color options especially the White , I've been thinking about designing a system. I currently run a 5.2.2 Atmos system with Def Tech and want something different. I want to get away from Powered Towers as in my room using subwoofers in the left and right location isn't the best place for bass. I have 2 stand alone Subs placed very well in my room and get very even smooth bass.
I plan on using my dual subs and my Atmos speakers I currently have. I'm also going to add 2 more Atmos speakers so I can have Top Middle and Front Heights. This will give me a 5.2.4 system.
So let's talk about some possible builds.
SYSTEM 1
I really like the idea of wall mounting all floor level speakers. The R350 is this build should be badass.
MAINS - R350 hung on wall Tweeter center of TV height.
CENTER - R350 Mounted directly above TV to avoid First order reflections off the Salamander cabinet top. If I mounted the Center below , I would have to treat the top of the cabinet, The wife decorates the top of the cabinet so that's not going to work.
SURROUNDS - R350's mounted to 72 inches to the Tweeters. They will also e 90 Degrees off to the sides of my seating area. Where my Mythos 10's currently live.
SYSTEM 2
Going Bookshelf speakers as Mains piss me off. The reason isn't the bookshelf design it's the stupid stands you need to buy to use them properly. Getting them at the right height and getting stands that are very sturdy and help with the Decor. So far I can't find a pair of stands I like. I would want a pair of stands that would compliment the Bookshelf speakers. Look as good as the hold them.
I'd also prefer Polk to make some stand options and make the bookshelf speakers with threads on the bottom so you can bolt them to the stands.
MAINS - R200 on Sands ( if I can ever find a pair I like )
CENTER - R400 ( sitting on top of my Salamander stand slightly angled up to avoid First order reflections off the wood top and to get the tweeter to ear height on sonic delivery )
SURROUNDS - R350 Mounted just like SYSTEM 1
SYSTEM 3
Yes Floor standing speakers AGAIN , not really what I really want to do but finding stands sucks. I'm even in the business and can't find anything I like at all so far except Monitor Audio makes very nice stands for their speaker and look awesome BUT going with the Reserve speakers and using floor standing takes away the madness of finding suitable stands YES I'm very picky.
MAINS - R500 or R600. Both speakers are intriguing. I think either would work out very well. I like them a lot but only due to not getting bookshelf , which is what I really want to give a serious rub.
CENTER - R400 ( on the Salamander just like SYSTEM 2
SURROUNDS - R350 Mounted just like SYSTEM 1.
So IF I like the Reserve series enough to pull the trigger on a system, I'm not really sure what system I will go with. I'm leaning the strongest in SYSTEM 2 build but the stands are killing me. I hate all of them as they all look generic. Polk should really offer stands of different heights or come with different poles that you can change out to make them the height you need them to be .
All builds are a strong consideration but I would love to hear them and make decisions.
Colors most likely will be White but I'm not out on the other 2 colors.
I know there is already a Reserve Thread but I wanted to talk about building a system.
As I'm in the market checking different speakers , for some reason this line really caught my eye.
I watched all the videos and read over the spec's. The only thing I'm little uncomfortable with compared to everything else I'm considering is the Vinyl finishes.
So IF the finish is executable to me, I like all 3 color options especially the White , I've been thinking about designing a system. I currently run a 5.2.2 Atmos system with Def Tech and want something different. I want to get away from Powered Towers as in my room using subwoofers in the left and right location isn't the best place for bass. I have 2 stand alone Subs placed very well in my room and get very even smooth bass.
I plan on using my dual subs and my Atmos speakers I currently have. I'm also going to add 2 more Atmos speakers so I can have Top Middle and Front Heights. This will give me a 5.2.4 system.
So let's talk about some possible builds.
SYSTEM 1
I really like the idea of wall mounting all floor level speakers. The R350 is this build should be badass.
MAINS - R350 hung on wall Tweeter center of TV height.
CENTER - R350 Mounted directly above TV to avoid First order reflections off the Salamander cabinet top. If I mounted the Center below , I would have to treat the top of the cabinet, The wife decorates the top of the cabinet so that's not going to work.
SURROUNDS - R350's mounted to 72 inches to the Tweeters. They will also e 90 Degrees off to the sides of my seating area. Where my Mythos 10's currently live.
SYSTEM 2
Going Bookshelf speakers as Mains piss me off. The reason isn't the bookshelf design it's the stupid stands you need to buy to use them properly. Getting them at the right height and getting stands that are very sturdy and help with the Decor. So far I can't find a pair of stands I like. I would want a pair of stands that would compliment the Bookshelf speakers. Look as good as the hold them.
I'd also prefer Polk to make some stand options and make the bookshelf speakers with threads on the bottom so you can bolt them to the stands.
MAINS - R200 on Sands ( if I can ever find a pair I like )
CENTER - R400 ( sitting on top of my Salamander stand slightly angled up to avoid First order reflections off the wood top and to get the tweeter to ear height on sonic delivery )
SURROUNDS - R350 Mounted just like SYSTEM 1
SYSTEM 3
Yes Floor standing speakers AGAIN , not really what I really want to do but finding stands sucks. I'm even in the business and can't find anything I like at all so far except Monitor Audio makes very nice stands for their speaker and look awesome BUT going with the Reserve speakers and using floor standing takes away the madness of finding suitable stands YES I'm very picky.
MAINS - R500 or R600. Both speakers are intriguing. I think either would work out very well. I like them a lot but only due to not getting bookshelf , which is what I really want to give a serious rub.
CENTER - R400 ( on the Salamander just like SYSTEM 2
SURROUNDS - R350 Mounted just like SYSTEM 1.
So IF I like the Reserve series enough to pull the trigger on a system, I'm not really sure what system I will go with. I'm leaning the strongest in SYSTEM 2 build but the stands are killing me. I hate all of them as they all look generic. Polk should really offer stands of different heights or come with different poles that you can change out to make them the height you need them to be .
All builds are a strong consideration but I would love to hear them and make decisions.
Colors most likely will be White but I'm not out on the other 2 colors.
Dan
My personal quest is to save to world of bad audio, one thread at a time.
My personal quest is to save to world of bad audio, one thread at a time.
Comments
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Interesting read, I’ll be awaiting more. Very intriguing!
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All 3-4 builds would all be ran in Small 80hz setup with Subwoofers crossed over at 120hz to complete the LFE channel plus be responsible for recreating Low end frequencies. This does 2 things 1 it allows all speakers in the system to be slightly clearer then when they try to recreate low end frequencies and 2 properly placing the Waves lengths in the room for maximum coverage and stable low end.Dan
My personal quest is to save to world of bad audio, one thread at a time. -
Is this strictly movies?Speakers: Polk Lsim, ATC SCM19 v2, NHT SuperzeroSpeaker Cables: DH Labs, Transparent, Wireworld, Canare, Monster: Beer budget, Bose ears
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I love your options as its the same stuff i think about
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If your room ain't too large, i'd love option 1. Especially using them with mounts that will allow you to angle them directly towards the listener. As for mounting center above tv, my only worry is it comes out too high and far from subs for such a small-driver speaker. I'd try to find a way to place them below the tv possibly angled towards listener or worse to worse, on the av console if you got one (still angled up towards listener). As for crossover point, i'd probably prefer slightly higher cutoff like 100hz (and even experiment with 120hz) as they are relatively small drivers and i wouldnt want to strain them or limit their output with too low a cutoff. Just ensure to run multiple subs (atleast 2 on either of the front corners and hopefully even more with the help of minidsp even). That way you won't even notice the higher speaker cutoff.
Option 2 is probably your best bang for the buck system but like you, i hate the idea of spending on stands and taking up floorspace. Partner with a few good subs and this would be killer without breaking the bank.
Option 3 ain't bad either. For home theater given decent size room, i'd probably go with the R500 towers and spend extra on better/more subs. I normally cutoff between 80 to 100 anyway and pretty sure the R500 will work just as well in that range.
(My vote is Option 1 with. Should be a great sounding setup for a small to mid size room while looking really nice and clean and not taking any precious floorspace to boot) -
For bookshelfs for HT system, you could also consider using wall-mounts such as the Pinpoint AM41.
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Dan
My personal quest is to save to world of bad audio, one thread at a time. -
I currently have a Mythos 10 center mounted above my Sony Z9D. It works excellent and it's crossed over at 80hz. It has 2 5 1/4 drivers plus 2 Raidators.TopperDude wrote: »I love your options as its the same stuff i think about.
If your room ain't too large, i'd love option 1. Especially using them with mounts that will allow you to angle them directly towards the listener. As for mounting center above tv, my only worry is it comes out too high and far from subs for such a small-driver speaker. I'd try to find a way to place them below the tv possibly angled towards listener or worse to worse, on the av console if you got one (still angled up towards listener). As for crossover point, i'd probably prefer slightly higher cutoff like 100hz (and even experiment with 120hz) as they are relatively small drivers and i wouldnt want to strain them or limit their output with too low a cutoff. Just ensure to run multiple subs (atleast 2 on either of the front corners and hopefully even more with the help of minidsp even). That way you won't even notice the higher speaker cutoff.
Option 2 is probably your best bang for the buck system but like you, i hate the idea of spending on stands and taking up floorspace. Partner with a few good subs and this would be killer without breaking the bank.
Option 3 ain't bad either. For home theater given decent size room, i'd probably go with the R500 towers and spend extra on better/more subs. I normally cutoff between 80 to 100 anyway and pretty sure the R500 will work just as well in that range.
(My vote is Option 1 with. Should be a great sounding setup for a small to mid size room while looking really nice and clean and not taking any precious floorspace to boot)
Dan
My personal quest is to save to world of bad audio, one thread at a time. -
I'll have to check them out. Thanks man.TopperDude wrote: »For bookshelfs for HT system, you could also consider using wall-mounts such as the Pinpoint AM41.
Dan
My personal quest is to save to world of bad audio, one thread at a time. -
They look functional but I hate them. They don't look that nice. They look like they should be mounted in a bar next to a 4:3 Sony TV.TopperDude wrote: »For bookshelfs for HT system, you could also consider using wall-mounts such as the Pinpoint AM41.
Dan
My personal quest is to save to world of bad audio, one thread at a time. -
SYSTEM 2
Going Bookshelf speakers as Mains piss me off. The reason isn't the bookshelf design it's the stupid stands you need to buy to use them properly. Getting them at the right height and getting stands that are very sturdy and help with the Decor. So far I can't find a pair of stands I like. I would want a pair of stands that would compliment the Bookshelf speakers. Look as good as the hold them.
I'd also prefer Polk to make some stand options and make the bookshelf speakers with threads on the bottom so you can bolt them to the stands.
I remember when I found a set of LSiM703 for $500 back in 2018, it was one of the lowest prices I'd seen at the time. Then when it came down to finding stands that matched the gread deal I found and aesthetics of the LSiM line I was coming up short. Nothing unique and different at a decent price. I was starting to feel the same as you and wondered if tower speakers made more sense if one did not plan to actually sit the bookshelf speakers on a bookshelf but on the open floor!
I went on a mad search for stands and I found so many designs that I like that were made overseas but not offered in the USA. One of the unique ones that I likes that is offered here is the Usher Mini-X stand but the price is up there. https://www.usheraudio.com.tw/portfolio-item/mini-x-stand/
I then looked at the Skylan design and found it an interesting contrast to all of the steel stands out there. They use polymer extrusion legs, thick MDF plates, padded with neoprene de-coupling. I'm the DIY type and was set on making my own set using the same concept. I actually went to my local Lowes and purchased some heavily discounted, composite deck posts for the job. I ended up selling the 703's before I ever finished the stand build. I moved on to the idea of building a DIY speaker kit like the massive Statement II (that I've yet to build....) Anyway, here's one design I found interesting at the time.
Another idea I had was to make the Mini-X design using the Skylan concept for the stand. The plan was to bend and stack 1/4 sheets to get the wave design. Here's a similar design:
In the end, unless one wants to spend $600-$2000 on custom stands made by others, DIY is the only way to come up with something unique...like this design here: https://www.facebook.com/Markleinc/posts/custom-maple-and-walnut-speaker-stands-made-specifically-for-linn-katan-speakers/2784280411649007/
Nevertheless, there are many nice looking stands (some a little unique)in a white finish in the $200-$400 price range.
1) https://www.wharfedaleusa.com/products/st-3-speaker-stands?variant=32534117089359
2) https://www.crutchfield.com/S-OhikNdtgllK/p_345STD10WH/Dynaudio-Stand-10-White-Satin.html?XVINQ=GLX&awkw=430039244061&awat=pla&awnw=g&awcr=259878968529&awdv=c&awug=9016182&gclid=CjwKCAjw3pWDBhB3EiwAV1c5rMS0NGAHR7-GSfPuByEicaBxp2Yf7cL6iSY4F_mmGcTibOTNVGtytRoCfyMQAvD_BwE
3) https://img.canuckaudiomart.com/uploads/large/2181411-4b4a1727-kef-ls50-wireless-speakers-gloss-white-finish-with-optional-matching-stand-and-inert-filler.jpg
4) https://www.qacoustics.com/q-acoustics-concept-20-speaker-stands-pair.html
5) https://www.amazon.com/Speaker-Stands-Professional-Bookshelf-Furniture/dp/B0861LLQ3W/ref=sr_1_1?c=ts&dchild=1&keywords=Speaker+Stands&qid=1617282906&refinements=p_n_feature_twenty_browse-bin:3254100011&s=furniture&sr=1-1&ts_id=509308
6) https://www.amazon.com/Speaker-Stands-Lifting-Surround-Bookshelf/dp/B084RG7S3S/ref=sr_1_2?c=ts&dchild=1&keywords=Speaker+Stands&qid=1617282906&refinements=p_n_feature_twenty_browse-bin:3254100011&s=furniture&sr=1-2&ts_id=509308
7) https://www.amazon.com/Speaker-Stands-Professional-Subwoofer-Furniture/dp/B0863JR2V8/ref=sr_1_3?c=ts&dchild=1&keywords=Speaker+Stands&qid=1617282906&refinements=p_n_feature_twenty_browse-bin:3254100011&s=furniture&sr=1-3&ts_id=509308
8) https://www.amazon.com/Speaker-Stands-Universal-Sand-Filled-Surround/dp/B08FTBZW9R/ref=sr_1_6?c=ts&dchild=1&keywords=Speaker+Stands&qid=1617282906&refinements=p_n_feature_twenty_browse-bin:3254100011&s=furniture&sr=1-6&ts_id=509308
9) https://www.amazon.com/BXYXJ-Speaker-Stands-Adjustable-Surround/dp/B08HLCD6G9/ref=sr_1_9?c=ts&dchild=1&keywords=Speaker+Stands&qid=1617282906&refinements=p_n_feature_twenty_browse-bin:3254100011&s=furniture&sr=1-9&ts_id=509308
10) https://www.amazon.com/Speaker-Painted-Surround-Theater-Adjustable/dp/B082PK395S/ref=sr_1_21?c=ts&dchild=1&keywords=Speaker+Stands&qid=1617282906&refinements=p_n_feature_twenty_browse-bin:3254100011&s=furniture&sr=1-21&ts_id=509308
11) https://www.crutchfield.com/S-nZOLhr0iOQT/p_991S2STNDW/KEF-S2-Mineral-White.html
12) https://www.electronicsforless.ca/norstone-stylum-1-premium-metal-19-7-speaker-stand-pair-norsty1wt-white-8939.html
Post edited by WLDock on2.2 Office Setup | LG 29UB55 21:9 UltraWide | HP Probook 630 G8 | Dell Latitude | Cabasse Stream Amp 100 | Boston Acoustics VS 240 | AUDIORAX Desk Stands | Mirage Omni S8 sub1 | Mirage Omni S8 Sub2 -
Thank you so much for posting them. These are way nicer than anything I have seen so far. I want to really give Bookshelf speakers a go.Dan
My personal quest is to save to world of bad audio, one thread at a time. -
go for it and give us your thoughts
