Sub/receiver/front tower speaker set-up advice

 

Bronze Member
Username: Marcuslee842

Chicago, IL U.S.A.

Post Number: 16
Registered: Mar-05
I posted this thread in the speaker forum, but no one replied so hopefully I get a little feedback here.I recently had 6 Sony bookshelf speakers (50hz-50khz) and a Sony center channel (85hz-50khz) in my 7.1 setup, now I just purchased two Sony MF750H tower speakers (32hz-50khz) for the front L and R channels (that should arrive by friday). What is the best setup option? I have so many. If it's any help my receiver is a 110w x 7 Pioneer 1014tx-k and my sub is a 1000 watt YSTSW 1500 I also have a extra 200 watt RCA sub that has line and speaker inputs and RCA receiver that's 100w x 5 40hz-80khz with a 5.1 channel input that are not connected and sitting in a corner. Should I:

1. Keep all speakers to the "small" setting just like with the bookshelves?

2. Set the tower speakers to "large" and bookshelves to "small" or "large"?

3. Replace the center speaker with one of the extra bookshelves since they have a lower frequency response and set all speakers to large.

4. Set tower speakers to "large" and bookshelves to small and sub to "plus"

These are only my ideas; I'm open to anyone else's. Also I was thinking of running the surround back pre output signal to the RCA receiver an add the two spare bookshelves to the back of the room between the surround and surround back channels with a slight delay for added envelopment. Is this a good idea? why or why not? I am open to criticism.
 

Silver Member
Username: Kano

Post Number: 392
Registered: Oct-04
http://www.polkaudio.com/home/faqad/advice.php?article=bassmanage
 

Bronze Member
Username: Marcuslee842

Chicago, IL U.S.A.

Post Number: 21
Registered: Mar-05
Thanks, but I have read that article before and understand it however, my situation is a little more advanced. I am not trying to learn how how to intergrate/tweak a sub woofer, I am triyng to see what setting would let each speaker in my home theater reach it's highest potential. That's why I posted the frequencies, so people would know exactly what I was talking about. Thanks again your post was greatly appreicated.
 

Silver Member
Username: Paul_ohstbucks

Post Number: 237
Registered: Jan-05
Marcus,

The only way you will find your answer is through experimentation.

Set everything to small and run it through it's paces, including experimenting with adjusting the crossover level.

Then to the same with the fronts set to large, and pick the setting that sounds the best. There is no best answer based on arbitrary specs. Specs are way overrated anyway, and you need to just experiment and let your ears be the judge.
 

Silver Member
Username: Kano

Post Number: 396
Registered: Oct-04
I find I like the fronts set to large when listening at high volumes, since they can hit the bass notes with enough power. If listening at lower levels I set the crossovers to 80 Hz all around since the sub gives better bass response at lower levels.
 

Bronze Member
Username: Marcuslee842

Chicago, IL U.S.A.

Post Number: 22
Registered: Mar-05
Thanks Paul and Kano for the input, I figured experimentation would be the way to go but I wasn't sure. Now that I have heard it from you guys I will let my ears be the judge. I can't wait for my speakers to arrive so I can start trying different setups. One more thing, what are your thoughts on me running the surround back pre outs to the RCA reciever. This really would only be used during music playback unless it sounds good with movies.
 

Bronze Member
Username: Marcuslee842

Chicago, IL U.S.A.

Post Number: 27
Registered: Mar-05
I am still waiting for my towers, but I think my intial setup is going to be: towers set to large, center and surround bookshelves set to small, reciever with a 80hz crossover setting, and change my subs crossover to 50hz and below. I know about the double crossover effect people talk about but I have never heard distortion and I have been using the sub out for years. Well the yamaha has a LFE input but the RCA does not, but I still have never heard a problem by using a double crossover configuration. Even when I compared it to the speaker in setting.
 

Bronze Member
Username: Marcuslee842

Chicago, IL U.S.A.

Post Number: 36
Registered: Mar-05
My Sony towers are amazing! For $170 who knew you could get such nice speakers. My settings are Fronts: Large, Center, surround, and Surround Back: Small. Sub: "Yes" not "Plus". The Towers had much more bass than what I had anticipated. Also I thought that if I set the towers to large, matrixed surround modes (pro logic IIx, DTS Neo6, etc) would bypass the sub and all bass info would be sent to the large speakers unless the sub setting was set to "plus" I was wrong, very wrong in fact the receiver did the best possible thing, since all speakers are the SS-H series Sony's except the Yamaha sub, any bass info that is sent to the small Sony speakers (below 80hz) is sent to the towers however the really deep bass is sent to the sub. Which in my situation means the sub is now playing the role of a true sub, not playing anything over what seems like 40hz (unless it an LFE signal), which in return eases the load on the sub since it's not trying to cover for seven speakers! My sub has never sounded so smooth! In return the towers take over the small speakers bass and makes it sound better because they are aimed directly at the listeners and not originating in a corner like it once was with the Sub. And maybe I'm wrong but it seems like 4 8-inch woofers handle light to deep bass from 7 speakers better than 1 12-inch sub. Also maybe someone can help me out with this. I know the towers are more expensive than the bookshelves of course, but the towers' sound so much better than the bookshelves even though (as far as I can tell) they have the exact same drivers. I'm not talking about bass I'm talking about midrange and treble as well. Movies and music sound completely different on these than the bookshelves. For instance in The Fast and the Furious a movie I seen a thousand times on my many different home theater set-ups I heard sounds I have never heard before like turbo's whistling and hissing in the background of screen, or on Finding Nemo water and sand effects that weren't apparent with the bookshelves. I'm thinking these speakers have much better crossovers than the bookshelves, but why is the sound so much stronger and clearer? I don't know of this has anything to do with it since the differences are so small but there is a sensitivity difference: Center 88db Bookshelves: 89db Towers 90db. I love these speakers but I just can't help wondering why they sound like they are more expensive than what they are. The bookshelves (350H's) got pretty good reviews but the Towers (750's) all had excellent reviews so I know it just isn't just me. It's just weird because all of the drivers look the exactly the same except for the extra woofer. Oh, well there's nothing left to do but grab my Logitech Force Pro wheel and pop in Gran Turismo 4 for some laps (and great racing sounds)! Congrats to Sony for making a great speaker!

P.S. I know I'm late and Sony has a whole other series of speakers!
 

Unregistered guest
I just moved my RCA reciever/dvd/vhs player like 5 ft from it's original location and simply plugged everything is as it was previously now the sound is echoing and I can barely hear the sound. In fact I tried to watch a DVD and I could hear the Music on te DVD but not the actors voices. WHAT HAPPENED TO MY SYSTEM???
 

Silver Member
Username: Kano

Post Number: 420
Registered: Oct-04
You unplugged your centre channel.
 

Bronze Member
Username: Marcuslee842

Chicago, IL U.S.A.

Post Number: 46
Registered: Mar-05
Has anyone had this same experience with any other speakers?
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