[Emuc64]

Re: Loudness and clarity

This is one reason responders have tried to gently push you towards expanding your budget a little. Often lack of clarity is caused by lack of speaker quality. Turning up the volume doesn't bring clarity, it just makes bad sound louder.

SVS is having a great sale on their bookshelf speakers. A 5.0 set is $200 off, at just $399. Throw in a PB-10 NSD and for $800 you'll have a great sound 5.1 system. That will leave you enough to buy a nice receiver.

I have Ascends and an SVS PB-12 NSD. The Ascends are great, but would bust your budget. I've measured my PB-12 NSD in my home theater and it's flat from 17-80hz. It will literally shake the walls even at moderate volume!

Hello,

I see what you're saying. Thanks for the encouragement but for now, I think I'll be happy with my setup. Money's a wee bit tight, so a $1200 spree is just right for my current situation. That said, I'll always keep my eyes and ears open towards spending a bit more for the next HT purchase/upgrade.

Thanks,
H

 

[Emuc64]

It actually is factual from a mechanical perspective.

http://www.audioholics.com/education/loudspeaker-basics/speaker-break-in-fact-or-fiction is good overview.

Manufacturers include this so people won't return their speakers. The first few weeks are the adjustment period to new speaker's defects. :crying: But there aren't perfect speakers(B&W 802's get close)
so it's to expected.

Hi,

Thanks for the link. I'm not sure how much of it I'll understand (especially this late at night), but I've got it bookmarked.

Honestly though, I never thought that speaker break-in would be such a contested subject. I figured if something moves around, there's going to be wear and if there's wear then there'd have to be a break in period, right? Like sneakers? Good thing there's tests that can be done and measured in a mechanical sense.

Thanks,
H

 

[Emuc64]

Hello,
At least on my Onkyo, press Channel Select and the level + button to raise the level after choosing Center Channel (each speaker including subwoofer shows up)
Cheers,
JJ

Hello,

Thanks for the tip. It was like that on my old Onkyo HTiB, but that one kept the settings if it was ever adjusted. I'll have to check it out on my new system once everything is set up. SOOO many buttons! :gulp:

I'll ask again if I can't figure it out or it doesn't work. But for now, it's a start.

Thanks,
H

 

[Emuc64]

Hi,

A quick update! My speakers came in and I hooked them up last night and briefly tested them a little. My parents are actually visiting me and they said they liked the warmness of the sound. Must be the bass coming from the bookshelves.

I just have the receiver and speakers currently. I'm using the old speaker wires that came with my other system. Today I had more time to play. Played some music CDs, a few snippets of movies, and demoed a game or two. I must say... I REALLY like them. If they sound better as time goes on, it's just icing on the cake. It's perfect for my current needs.

I can't wait to get the rest of my stuff! The subwoofer comes in tomorrow and all of my cables are scheduled to come in -ack- Monday. At least I can temporarily hook everything up to test it and enjoy it too.

Well, back to some more tests!

H

 

[Jungle Jack]

Hello,
I am so happy for you. The Subwoofer is going to add a huge dimension and is a very quality transducer. Enjoy.
Cheers,
JJ

 

[Jon Liu]

Congrats! Now just sit back and enjoy!

 

[lsiberian]

Hi,

Thanks for the link. I'm not sure how much of it I'll understand (especially this late at night), but I've got it bookmarked.

Honestly though, I never thought that speaker break-in would be such a contested subject. I figured if something moves around, there's going to be wear and if there's wear then there'd have to be a break in period, right? Like sneakers? Good thing there's tests that can be done and measured in a mechanical sense.

Thanks,
H

Well new shoes are actually preferred by many athletes so I'm not sure about the shoe thing either. :neener:

 

[Emuc64]

Well new shoes are actually preferred by many athletes so I'm not sure about the shoe thing either. :neener:

Hi,

Interesting. I'd never heard of that before. Well, in my opinion, athletes are a different kind of folk than Average Joes. I was always taught and have heard from everyone who I've encountered, that broken in shoes always feel better than new ones. Maybe that's why some people are hesitant to give up old sneakers? ... What were we talking about again? I suppose in the end, "broken-in things are better" only apply to those who think they do.

H

 

[Jungle Jack]

Hello,
Professional Athletes have shoes which are custom made to their exact foot. At least the big timers do.

 

[Emuc64]

Hello,
Professional Athletes have shoes which are custom made to their exact foot. At least the big timers do.

Hi,

Hm... well that explains it. Does this hold true for people who have speakers and subwoofers custom made as well? Assuming they believe in things being broken-in sounding different, would they prefer only "new" custom built sound equipment?

H

 

[Jungle Jack]

Hello,
Some companies do test and operate components prior to shipping to make sure they measure and operate as they are designed to. Bryston, who makes legendary amplifiers, provides a set of measurements for every particular amplifier they ship out.
Cheers,
JJ

 

[Emuc64]

Hi All,

Another question has come up. Does anyone have suggestions for inexpensive (~$30 for a pair) speaker stands? I need a pair for the mini-bookshelf surrounds (Energy C-50) that weigh close to 7 lbs each.

What should I look for when researching it? Are speaker stands for bookshelves universal?

There aren't any kids or pets. The stands would be on carpet. The stands do not have to hide the wires, but it would be a bonus.

Thanks,
H

 

[Emuc64]

Hello,

Please disregard the last post about speaker stands. I just purchased some from StudioTech.com. I've never heard of the company, but hopefully they're alright. There's not a listing for them on BBB.org, but that also means there haven't been complaints. I think that most people tend to complain more than compliment.

Anyways, I bought 2 sets of their "SW-30 s". 30" speaker stands made of medium density fiberboard, some wire management, carpet spikes, and rubber spikes for hardwood floors. $20 for a pair shipped. The only caveat is that the cheap ones are silver and the black ones are regular price at $69. I could always paint them a different color if silver bothers my significant other.

I'll report back on the stands after I receive them.

H

 

[Lordoftherings]

Hello,

Many thanks to (in order of appearance) Jungle Jack, tonyvdb, selden, salvasol, lsiberian, and TonyG. Thanks to all of your input, advice, and time spent on replying, I've managed to put in the order for my new system. It's no $50,000 home theater system, but I think you've all helped me get something much better than a HTiB.

Onkyo SR707 - $477
Outlaw LFM-1 Plus - $467
5x Energy C-50 - $222.50
===========================================
Total Out the Door (incl. shipping, taxes, etc.) - $1166.50

Yes, kept it under my original $1200 budget!! Whew! :sweat:

Now, I'm excited to get everything in. I'm sure I'll have more questions as I go along. But I wanted to give a quick thanks to everyone who chimed in.:clap:

Sincerely,
H

:yeahthat: Lol, excellent man. :T

* And as a Bonus for you, Audyssey Setup Guide: http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showpost.php?p=14456895&postcount=5701