Hello 
I'm looking to build myself a home theatre system. I already on a powered sub so for the moment don't need to make the .1
The system will only be used for HT, a stereo pair for music will come later. I will also purchase a receiver once the speakers are complete.
I like the simplicity of fullrange speakers for example the CSS drivers. Im pretty flexable with the size and type of cabinet. Construction is ok but designing from scratch is beyond me at the moment
The budget would extend to around $800 Aussie $ for drivers.
Does anyone have any suggestions of available designs out there using the above (or similar) drivers (bearing in mind Parts express postage is frightful to Aus). Will fullrangers work ok for HT?
Thanks very much!
I'm looking to build myself a home theatre system. I already on a powered sub so for the moment don't need to make the .1
The system will only be used for HT, a stereo pair for music will come later. I will also purchase a receiver once the speakers are complete.
I like the simplicity of fullrange speakers for example the CSS drivers. Im pretty flexable with the size and type of cabinet. Construction is ok but designing from scratch is beyond me at the moment
The budget would extend to around $800 Aussie $ for drivers.
Does anyone have any suggestions of available designs out there using the above (or similar) drivers (bearing in mind Parts express postage is frightful to Aus). Will fullrangers work ok for HT?
Thanks very much!
would the following match up? (all borrowed from http://www.planet10-hifi.com/ )
MiniOnken Centre & Rear's
MiniOnken floorstander L + R
MiniOnken Centre & Rear's
MiniOnken floorstander L + R
looking into this more...
http://www.adireaudio.com/Files/DDRDipoleDesign.pdf
The design below should allow me to use these for both my home theatre and stereo listening, anyone have any comments on these?
http://www.adireaudio.com/Files/DDRDipoleDesign.pdf
The design below should allow me to use these for both my home theatre and stereo listening, anyone have any comments on these?
Hi,
have you considered using wideband speakers for all five channels.
Then your sub can be dedicated to sub only duty and the speakers will play all the bass in the correct positions.
Some systems take the sub out of circuit if you tell the decoder that wideband speakers are in use. To overcome this you need to take a summing output from two or more channels and send this to a sub low pass filter.
Overall, I think this gives a better performance and I think THX and DTS recommend this set up.
have you considered using wideband speakers for all five channels.
Then your sub can be dedicated to sub only duty and the speakers will play all the bass in the correct positions.
Some systems take the sub out of circuit if you tell the decoder that wideband speakers are in use. To overcome this you need to take a summing output from two or more channels and send this to a sub low pass filter.
Overall, I think this gives a better performance and I think THX and DTS recommend this set up.
Hi Robwells,
my info is secondhand.
Can you confirm what THX does if all speakers are set to large?
What happens with any of the coding systems if just one speaker is set to small? Does it matter which speaker is set to small?
I've read and re-read my Cyrus instructions and I cannot fathom out the logic.
Now back to my earlier suggestion, is performance better if all speakers are wide band, any comments?
I don't have any limited bandwidth speakers to make a comparison and certainly don't intend wasting money on acquiring some.
my info is secondhand.
Can you confirm what THX does if all speakers are set to large?
What happens with any of the coding systems if just one speaker is set to small? Does it matter which speaker is set to small?
I've read and re-read my Cyrus instructions and I cannot fathom out the logic.
Now back to my earlier suggestion, is performance better if all speakers are wide band, any comments?
I don't have any limited bandwidth speakers to make a comparison and certainly don't intend wasting money on acquiring some.
With my reciever I can set speakers to large or small, but if I have added a sub, it will still limit all speakers to a HPF, unless I specify it not to. So when I added a sub, my speakers could still play the LFs.
I run my fronts full range and my rear are limited (set as small). My rears are WR125s. After listening I figured that setting them to "small" was best. Since they are surrounds they don't get many low frequencies anyway, and the FR125s and WR125s don't like trying to play low notes, I've often encountered cone slap when I run them too low.
My reciever is a cheap Denon, so wilco's may have more capabilities than mine, but I can adjust all HP and LP filters. For sub out and "small" speakers the filters are variable.
Josh
I run my fronts full range and my rear are limited (set as small). My rears are WR125s. After listening I figured that setting them to "small" was best. Since they are surrounds they don't get many low frequencies anyway, and the FR125s and WR125s don't like trying to play low notes, I've often encountered cone slap when I run them too low.
My reciever is a cheap Denon, so wilco's may have more capabilities than mine, but I can adjust all HP and LP filters. For sub out and "small" speakers the filters are variable.
Josh
Hi Andrew,
If you look at thx as a system, rather than bits and pieces it all clicks into place. My processor (lexicon dc-2) has a thx speaker setting, which sets all speakers to small, xo at 80hz. Thats the thx standard for speakers. If you buy a thx set of speakers, they will be designed to work with these settings.
Check out the kef thx package from the late 90's - I use the dipole surrounds.
http://www.kef.com/history/1990_2/thx/thx_intro.asp
All the speakers are rated around 70 - 90Hz and up.
As far as if you overide the speaker settings, well I'm guessing the 'thx' processing will still be done - re-eq'ing of the fronts, 'de-correllation' of the rears, but the bass management will not be 'thx' it will be whatever you set it to.
You can set the speakers to large or small, but not individually. ie, left and right can be either large or small, not left large, right small. Centre can be either, side surrounds either, and rear surrounds either. (I also have a choice between dipole and 'normal' on the sides)
FWIW I don't use the thx on my processor. Just plain old DD or DTS.
Theres more info in the manual to the dc-2. Big file though.
http://www.lexicon.com/Products/details.asp?ID=7
I tried using a rear sub for the surrounds once, but thought it sounded worse than just redirecting to the front subs. Never had big full range speakers to try for surrounds. Not many full range speakers go below 40Hz though, so you could be losing an octave of info.
You can still set your rears to small to try the other way. Maybe rig up a line level highpass on each rear channel to add in a 2nd order 80Hz highpass. (if you use a seperate processor / power amps)
I have a 40Hz xo option on my processor that could work well with bigger speakers - used to use it with 2 10" per side on the mains. Worked very well.
http://www.ultimateavmag.com/howto/805bass/index1.html
m&k speaker review also mentions the thx speakers' 80Hz roll off.
http://www.hometheatermag.com/loudspeakers/30/
Cheers,
Rob
If you look at thx as a system, rather than bits and pieces it all clicks into place. My processor (lexicon dc-2) has a thx speaker setting, which sets all speakers to small, xo at 80hz. Thats the thx standard for speakers. If you buy a thx set of speakers, they will be designed to work with these settings.
Check out the kef thx package from the late 90's - I use the dipole surrounds.
http://www.kef.com/history/1990_2/thx/thx_intro.asp
All the speakers are rated around 70 - 90Hz and up.
As far as if you overide the speaker settings, well I'm guessing the 'thx' processing will still be done - re-eq'ing of the fronts, 'de-correllation' of the rears, but the bass management will not be 'thx' it will be whatever you set it to.
You can set the speakers to large or small, but not individually. ie, left and right can be either large or small, not left large, right small. Centre can be either, side surrounds either, and rear surrounds either. (I also have a choice between dipole and 'normal' on the sides)
FWIW I don't use the thx on my processor. Just plain old DD or DTS.
Theres more info in the manual to the dc-2. Big file though.
http://www.lexicon.com/Products/details.asp?ID=7
I tried using a rear sub for the surrounds once, but thought it sounded worse than just redirecting to the front subs. Never had big full range speakers to try for surrounds. Not many full range speakers go below 40Hz though, so you could be losing an octave of info.
You can still set your rears to small to try the other way. Maybe rig up a line level highpass on each rear channel to add in a 2nd order 80Hz highpass. (if you use a seperate processor / power amps)
I have a 40Hz xo option on my processor that could work well with bigger speakers - used to use it with 2 10" per side on the mains. Worked very well.
http://www.ultimateavmag.com/howto/805bass/index1.html
m&k speaker review also mentions the thx speakers' 80Hz roll off.
http://www.hometheatermag.com/loudspeakers/30/
Cheers,
Rob
As i said ill buy the amp to suit my requirments after building the speakers.
someone asked would i like to listen to it loud. The best way to describe the level i want is my current listening is at max ~30WRMS and this isnt nearly enough for the right type of movie with all the boys round!
my concern is if i were to go with the CSS drivers will they be loud enough*?
i like the look of the extremis based system because of the power handling and the ability to use these as my stereo pair as well.
I can build the rest of the system slowly to avoid greif from the little lady starting with the L & R extremis and use exisiting speakers to fill the voids as i build the whole system up.
*sound quality is also very important
someone asked would i like to listen to it loud. The best way to describe the level i want is my current listening is at max ~30WRMS and this isnt nearly enough for the right type of movie with all the boys round!
my concern is if i were to go with the CSS drivers will they be loud enough*?
i like the look of the extremis based system because of the power handling and the ability to use these as my stereo pair as well.
I can build the rest of the system slowly to avoid greif from the little lady starting with the L & R extremis and use exisiting speakers to fill the voids as i build the whole system up.
*sound quality is also very important
Hi,
Normal volume to me is:- imagine having a conversation (without raising your voice) with the actors. If they are speaking at the same volume as you would to a person next to you then the reproduction is at a normal level. This method relies on the producer suiting the dynamic range for quieter and louder moments.
Below that is quiet listening and above that is too loud for the special effects (that truck crashing through the wall). Ocassionally the quieter moments need a slightly raised volume control to allow intelligibility, but that could be excessive background noise or my old ears.
Music is a whole different ball game. Louder always seems to be more emotional.
Robwells,
thanks for that THX thing.
Normal volume to me is:- imagine having a conversation (without raising your voice) with the actors. If they are speaking at the same volume as you would to a person next to you then the reproduction is at a normal level. This method relies on the producer suiting the dynamic range for quieter and louder moments.
Below that is quiet listening and above that is too loud for the special effects (that truck crashing through the wall). Ocassionally the quieter moments need a slightly raised volume control to allow intelligibility, but that could be excessive background noise or my old ears.
Music is a whole different ball game. Louder always seems to be more emotional.
Robwells,
thanks for that THX thing.
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