How do you like your Athena setup? What's your room size, receiver, sub, speakers that you are using and what is your usage percentage (movies/music). Are you planning on upgrating anytime soon? If so, why and what is your upgrade path? What speakers have you owned prior? How would your rate your setup on a scale of 1 to 5? Feel free to include coments on individual components, things you like or dislike.


My very modest setup (but I like it ;) ):

Room: 12x12
Receiver: Pioneer VSX-D811S
Sub: Acoustic Research PR808
Speakers: Point 5 MKII
Usage: 50/50 Music/movies
Upgrade path: Putting together an all black Point 5 system
Owned prior: Polk, Cambridge SoundWorks, Klipsch, Nht
Scale of 1 to 5: 4 /5

Good thread idea, heres my setup

Speakers:
AS-F1.2's
AS-C1.2
AS-R1.2's
AS-P4000

Receiver:
VSX-1015

Room: 10x13

Usage: 40% movies, 40% hd broadcast, 10% music

Old Setup: Had some seperate sony speakers large bookshelfs, center, and bookshelf surrounds all connected to a yamaha HTR-5630

Upgrade?: I have no plans on upgrading anytime soon, and when I do it will be in a different room and will be in the API family (most likely energy connoiser's for the living room).

Scale: 4.5/5 I was expecting them to be great because I heard the original AS
series so very well, the AS II's are just as good, very crisp in the mid and high end, the floors and sub go very well together as well for the lower stuff, very nice all around, very happy Athena customer.

My Setup:

Harman Kardon AVR-430 receiver
AS-F1's
AS-C1
Micra surrounds
No sub right now...

I've had this setup for about 8 months, and I love it. The sound is crisp and detailed, and very dynamic. I do want to upgrade the surrounds to the B1's, or even the R1's. In a couple of months, I will be adding an SVS PB10 to the system. Before this, I used to have a Polk RTi setup which was good, but I think the Athenas are better when it comes to detail and dynamics. I was extremely lucky when I bought these, too. The Athenas only cost me $230, and I found the HK 430 for only $375 brand new.

As for the room, it's 16 by 12. It sucks because I've got a huge glass sliding door on one side, and other opens up into the kitchen. I plan on adding some acoustic paneling on the back wall, and replacing the blinds over the glass with curtains.

I use the system mainly for movies. Probably about 80% for movies, 20% for music. My DVD player plays DVD Audio discs, but I've never taken advantage of it. When I do, though, I'm sure the percentage will change lol.

There isn't anything I don't like about the system. Especially for what I paid. My wife and I hardly go to the movies anymore. 5/5...

pioneer 1015tx
4x s.5
1x c.5
1x p.5 (subwoofeR)

my question is this: should i be setting speakers to large or small? if small, what should the crossover point be?

the p.5 has a switch which disables the crossover setting on the subwoofer and instead uses a preset crossover that is supposed to match the s.5. i'm currently using this.

have found the speakers a little underwhelming, especially for music. need to set speakers to small to get the subwoofer to jump in, otherwise the s.5 just doesn't cut it.

grimani, set them to small and crossover @ 80hz either in your reciever or on the sub itself.

Denon 1705
AS-B1s L/R
AS-C1 Center
AS-IC8 surround ceiling surrounds
KLH Sub

The sound is really clear and dynamic. I am very happy with the Athena sound. Although I did start with a point 5 setup. I lived with it for a week or so then I returned it to BB. (I had gotten it for $149 - a good deal) The point 5s were just too weak in the low mids/high bass. The area they were lacking was just above where a sub would help. I found the B1s and C1 at the same BB 6 months later for $100 (w/30% off coupon). I broke the speakers in slowly and I really like the very realistic sound they produce. There is real, hard edged bass, but it's not at all boomy so I can see why some wouldn't like Athenas.

My speakers are also set to small.

Main:

Pioneer VSX-1015TX
2 x Athena AS-F1
1 x Athena AS-C1
4 x Athena AS-B1
SVS CS-Ultra Sub

Computer:

Onkyo TX-SR503
Athena Point5 5.1
JBL E250P Sub

Speakers:
AS-F2.2's
AS-C1
AS-B1

Subwoofer:
BIC Acoustec H100 (12")

Receiver:
Pioneer VSX-1015

Room: 12x19

Usage: 99.5% movies/hd broadcast/SD, 0.5% music

Old Setup: Panasonic TH50PX50 (TV speakers)

Upgrade?: I love my setup now. I was originally a little disappointed w/ the performance at low level but it appears that it was related to my auto setup setting my center channel to -9.5db. When i moved it up about 2db it sounded a lot better.

Scale: 4.5/5 I love this setup! The best part is that i avoided any sort of buyers remorse by only spending $600 shipped for the complete set of Athenas. Watching movies is a whole new experience! Its like i'm watching movies "on edge" now - sudden changes in volume, explosions, scary movies, etc... have a much more dramatic effect on me. I just added the sub last week and it has enhanced the experience to a whole new level.

The only complaint I have now is that i've been spending so much time on this forum trying to figure out what to buy that now i'm a little bored b/c I have a complete setup....

I'm only 17 and slowly buildin my athena setup. i have a f1 as the main, c1 center, b1 as surrounds, running with a hk av235. Sounds great for the money, it's mainly for music, about 70% music and 30% movies. I'm saving up fora good sub

Speakers:
2 AS-B1
1 AS-C1
2 AS-R1

Sub:
Velodyne CHT-12

Receiver:
Yamaha 5740

DVDA/SACD:
Yamaha C750

Room:
14x17

Usage:
40% Movies 60% Hi-rez Music

I love my setup! Crossover is set to 80Hz and blends perfectly with my sub. No need to upgrade now, I'm working on getting a new TV at the moment. Music sounds amazing, such crisp sound.
4.5/5
Only reason I'm not giving myself a 5/5 is that I still am considering getting F2's, for more of a full range for music listening.

Until recently I was an Athena owner. I had:
AS-F2 fronts
AS-B2 center
AS-R1 surrounds

Driven by a Pioneer VSX-1014tx in a medium size room (25X12) with a SVS PB12/2 sub. Useage is 75% TV, 15% DVD and 15% music.

I would rate the system as 3.75/5.00. I would rate the system higher if Athena had an improved center channel (I'm part of the group that has issues with the AS-C1). The AS-F2s, AS-B2s and AS-R1s are all great speakers.

I recently switched to Ascend speakers for something new (got a nice deal on a used set) but I would not hesitate to buy Athena again for a second system. (By the way, I still have three AS-R1s for sale if anyone is interested......)

For the price I paid for them, I love my Athena's.

I use AS-B2's for fronts on DIY stands
I use AS-R1's as side surrounds, wall mounted
I use AS-B1's as rears on DIY stands
I use an AS-C1 as a center on a DIY stand
I have a Velodyne CHT 10 sub
Yamaha RX-V1400 reciever

We use this for 95% movies and TV , 5% music

My room is 11 x19 with 7 foot ceilings, front projection is the display

I too am a recent Athena to Ascend upgrader. I still have actually...

2xAS-B1 mains
1xAS-C1 center
2xAS-R1 surrounds

An SVS-PB10 rounds out the speaker system. The Athenas were mated to Anthem AVM20 preamp and PVA5 amp.

I got the Athenas mainly because they were soo cheap and had pretty good reviews. I paid less than $350 for all the speakers listed above. Considering the build and sound quality the Athena package represents a tremendous value.

I've owned mostly Paradigm speakers previously including Mini Monitor, Reference Studio and Reference Active. Also have a Klipsch Reference surround system. I have so many speakers I don't know what to do with them all. I also had some Dynaudios briefly before the Athenas and Ascends.

I recently replaced the old Sony speakers with the Athena Point 5. Still using the old Receiver and Sub. The Athenas sound really great after the break-in period (I don’t know if it’s because I was using the low-end Sony package HT before) Looking for a < $200 sub and <$300 receiver. Any suggestions ?

The Sony receiver claims to be 80w/channel RMS. But it sounds a lot underpowered. I had to crank up the volume above 80% to get some decent volume (It was same with the old sony speakers as well) I was wondering if it would still be the case even with a 100 wpc receiver

Athena Point 5
Receiver - Sony STR K740P (80x5)
Sub 50W Sony (SA-WMSP2)
Room size is 12 x 21 ft (basement – no complaints from neighbors)

Thanks

I just put this system together (except sub) so the only upgrade soon is a new subwoofer. Here's the specs

Room: 20x12
Receiver: Pioneer VSX-1015
Sub: Cambridge Soundworks BassCube 8
Speakers:
F: WS-100
C: WS-15
R/S: 4 x WS-15
Usage: 95 movies/5 music
Upgrade path: 10 or 12 inch powered sub
Owned prior: Cambridge SoundWorks
Scale of 1 to 5: 4

I haven't read much good about the WS series, but I really like how they sound, the sub takes care of all the lows and some of the mids and the WAF is huge!

Kera:

I'd suggest browsing the Amps forum for suggestions on a receiver and check out the Subwoofers forum for suggestions on an inexpensive sub. Use the "Search this Forum" feature if you can't find any relevant threads on the first page.

Deon AVR 1602
AS-F2 mains
AS-F1 surrounds
AS-C1 center
Mirage Omni S10 sub

Amazing sound.

Micra6
Onkyo TX-SR502 receiver
Panasonic CT-34WX54 monitor
JVC XV-NA77SL DVD player

Smaller than what you guys have, but terrific sound. The room is only about 15x15, so didn't really need anything bigger. I'm about 50/50 for movies/music and I'm very happy with the choice. Not sure if I will (or need to) upgrade.

I have a Athena setup as well:
Mains: AS-F2
Center: AS-C1
Surrounds: AS-B2
Subwoofer: AS-P4000
powered by an old Marantz SR6200.

I've been trying to tweak the bass in my system but not sure what I'm supposed to do with the xover settings.

At the moment I have the F2's set to Large in my receiver and the F2 setting on the sub. I tried seeing if there was a difference between large/small for the F2's using my SPL meter. I found on small I had almost no bass at 40hz, but on large I had -10db @ 40hz but still not like 50hz or 30hz. Down to 25hz and I hear nothing. I'm mainly curious about 40Hz I would think I should get decent reponse there, I'm considering buying a HSU VTF3 if I can sell my Athena sub.

AS-F1 Fronts x2
AS-C1 Centre x1
S5 Surrounds x4
P5 Sub
HK AVR-430 Receiver

Usage:
75% movies
25% music

Great set-up I am very happy with the sound quality from an essentially budget priced system.

I'm running three F1s across the front (nothing like a real center) and R2s in back. Here's a pic of my last setup with F2's at L/R. Subs are a dual 15" IB or dual SVS PB12 Ultras...whatever happen to be hooked up. JVC RXFS10 receiver and Denon 2900 or Oppo 971 DVD players.


http://home.comcast.net/~jgilvey/IMG_0381.JPG

I'm running three F1s across the front (nothing like a real center) and R2s in back.

I would imagine your sound is very seamless. Sounds great I'll bet!

AS-F1's up front
AS-C1 center
AS-B2's for surrounds
HSU VTF3-MKII subwoofer

Here's a question for ya... I've been considering replacing my B2's with R1.2's for the rear surrounds. Does the bi-pole design make much difference?

H/K 235
Pioneer DV-578A (DVD/DVDA/SACD)
Mains: AS-F1 x 2
Center: AS-C1
Rear: AS-B1 x 2
Surround: Micras x 2

60% TV / 20% DVD / 20% Music

Future upgrades: Outlaw ICBM and subwoofer (HSU or SVS)...just have to finish the basement first

I pieced the entire system together on a budget of just over $600 and am extremely pleased with it. I am planning on eventually using it with a front projector. I would rate it 5 out of 5, but only because cost the most important factor.

Owned prior: Bose 201, Cerwin Vega towers, Sherwood HTIB

Room: 12x13
Receiver: Onkyo 494
Sub: DIY Adire DPL12 w/250W amp
Mains: AS-B1
Center: AS-C1
Surrounds: AS-R1
Usage: 50% xbox, 30% movies, 20% HDTV

I'm really happy with this system, so I don't plan on upgrading anything, especially since I have a relatively small room.

Rating: 4.25/5

H/K AVR-325
Mains: AS-F1 x 2
Center: AS-C1
Rear: AS-B1 x 2
Surround: Energy Take satellites
Subwoofer: Dayton 10"

TV/Sat: Logic 7 or PLII
Radio: 5 channel stereo
DVD: 7.1 DD-EX or DTS-ES
CD: 2 channel stereo

Love the flexibility of the HK receivers. Probably overkill for my bedroom but I had a Take 5 system just sitting there, so why not use them for surrounds. I usually listen to CD's with just the main speakers on.

I have athena point 5s (mk II), a denon avr 1905, dayton 12" sub (currently with blown driver, but hopefully a new one on the way) and oppo digitial dvd player.

A QUESTION:

Can anyone tell me why athena would recommend running the point 5 speakers as "large"? AFAIK running at large means none of the bass passed to the L,R,C,S channels would be crossed to the sub (at least on my receiver). the sats are only rated down to 80hz (tom noussaine's tests showed they roll off sharply below 100hz) so why wouldn't i set to small and cross-over at 80 to 100hz? I guess I could run LFE+MAIN but i don't see the point in unnecessarily duplicating bass.

I believe Athena printed that in the Point 5 manual since not all owners would be combining a subwoofer with that particular system. If you do have a subwoofer, there is no reason to run them full-range as they cannot play much below 100Hz.

AS-B1 Fronts x2
AS-C1 Centre x1
AS-B1 Surrounds x2
Dayton 10" Subwoofer
Pioneer 1014TX Receiver

Usage:
90% movies
10% music

I believe Athena printed that in the Point 5 manual since not all owners would be combining a subwoofer with that particular system.

sounds crazy. the point 5s are gutless without a sub.

ANOTHER QUESTION:

the c.5 center channel has the same frequency response ratings as the AS-C1 (but less power handling). IMO the c.5 is a fantastic match to the s.5s (possibly even too much) but i can see why people might complain about the AS-C1 relative to the AS-B1, F1 or B2.

if i were to purchase some AS-B1s for mains would i need to get the AS-C1 or could i stick with a c.5? my living room is pretty small so i don't need extra power handling, i just want the flexibility of 7.1 and nicer sounding 2.1

I don't see why you couldn't keep the C.5, but know that the frequency response of the AS-C1 is better than the C.5, despite what Athena printed in the Point 5 manual. The C1 has a bigger cabinet and 5.25" drivers instead of 4". The C.5 will not match the AS-B1s in regards to appearance because the B1s are not glossy black, and the grill design of the Point 5 series is quite different.

yeah... the point 5s are pretty ugly with the silver/black/grey combo

so if the AS-C1 does produce more bass, what is the issue most people have with it? (would it be any worse than just using an AS-B1 as center?)

Most of the "complaints" come from AS-F2 owners. Those towers can handle more power than the C1 and are ideally matched to a larger center speaker. Some have speculated that Athena should make an AS-C2 center speaker with 6.5" woofers instead of 5.25".

Yeah, the C1 is good for the other Audition speakers, but cant keep up with the AS-F2s.

My system includes
1 Kenwood Sovereign VR-5900
1 HSU STF-2
4 AS-F2s
1 Custom AS-F2 center channel

Downstairs Living Room:

2 x F-1
1 x C-1
2 x B-1
2 x R-1
AS-P6000
Onkyo 602

Upstairs Bed Room:

Micra 6
Panny xr-55

Will freely admit to being an Athena fanboy.

I am seriously considering the AS-B1s L/R and AS-C1 Center. I currently have a JBL sub, JBL N24's for the rears and DCM floor speakers with a 10" woofers. To make things worse, I have an Infinity center channel. I am worried I will miss the bass from the DCM speakers. I know I am preaching to the choir in this forum, but I need some Athena love. Let me know if you think this would be the way to go.

Agreed with all said, and of course just an addition I love my C1.2, I think it handles vocals very well.

and will have a 7.1 system with 6 s.5s, 1 c.5 and a Yamaha yst-sw315 sub all powered by a pioneer vsx-915. My question is whether anyone has hung their s.5s from the ceiling and whether they were hung upside down? Is there any disadvantage to hanging them upside down? Any info would be helpful. Thanks

AS-F2 x 2
AS-C1
AS-B2 x 2 Side Surrounds
AS-B1 x 2 Rear Surrounds
Onkyo 702

I'm quite pleased with my set up, I wish all of this came in under $1000 like many of you in the US, but with F2s at $600 on sale, the total was closer to $1300.

I really like my gear, I would have to come into a *LOT* of money for me to upgrade.

My biggest improvement that I could make would be to get a new room :D

Front: ASB-1
Center: ASC-1
Rear: ASR-1
Sub: Velodyne VX-10
Receiver: Pioneer VSX-815-S
Display: Samsung HC-4351W

Love it all!

Right now I've got the following:

Onkyo HT-R510 Receiver
Infocus X1 Projector

4 x AS-F1 (front and rear L&R)
2 x AS-C1 (front and rear centers)
1 x AS-P400 Sub

It was a huge upgrade from my Yamaha & KLH bookshelf speakers. Definately worth it. Next up is possibly upgrading the sub. That's quite a bit down the road though.

Room dimensions are 19' x 11.5' - The athenas fill the room with PLENTY of sound. Great sound on good action or suspense movies.

I'd say music is about 40%. Movies 30%. 30% HD and SD TV or videogames.

I currently have this setup:

12X21 In my basement

Yamaha RX-V640 -soon to be upgraded
Center- AS-C1
Main- AS-F2x2
Rear- AS-F1x2
Center Rear- AS-R1
Sub- AS-P400
Samsung HL-R6164W Display

60% movies and 40%music
I love them and they work great!! :)

3 x AS-B2s > LF, C, RF
2 x AS-R1s > LS, RS
2 x AS-B1s > LB, RB

David 300 12" Sub

Room: 12' x 21'-ish

Receiver: Panasonic SA-XR50 (Unfortunately xover min is 100hz but still sounds very good)

Display Stuff: Benq PB6100 Projector/90" DIY Screen, HTPC/SageTV

I had an AS-C1 but thought it sounded too different (ie. I disliked it severely) from the B1s and B2s and had to get rid of it; IMHO, the B2/B1 is a 'better' speaker then the C1, and the B2 and B1 are pretty close (some prefer the B1, some the B2, yet some prefer the C1 over the bookshelves). YMMV

I'm very happy with them (except the C1), especially for the price I paid. I use them 85% for home theater. I currently have no desire to upgrade them. No regrets.

AS-F2 x2
AS-C1
AS-R1 x2
KLH subwoofer
Room size: 15x15
Yamaha HTR-5790
Uses: 70% games, 30% Movies/music/HD broadcasts

Subwoofer is the only thing that is lacking but I got it for next to nothing and it works very well. My reciever could use more component inputs but that can wait I guess.... Xbox360, PS3, Revolution....

I love this setup. I was going between JBL and Klipsch speakers but I definitely fell in love with the Athenas, especially for the price, nothing comes close.

I currently have Athena AS-F1s with an AS-P400 sub and a pair of WS-15s for ambiance in my living room (stereo only.) I also have much more expensive Def Tech speakers in my theater room. If I were starting over I would use Athena in there also, because I love them that much.

Great responses.

Athena speakers really are a bargain. I like my Point 5's a lot especially at the price I paid for them ($130.00 including shipping on Audiogon....don't be jealous :p ). The S.5's are a great speaker, perfect size and they are very good for 2 channel music listening. Everytime I get an onset of upgrade-itis I just go to my living room and pop in a CD and relax until the feeling passes.

If I upgrade anything now, it'll be my receiver. Though I keep finding myself on audioadvisor a lot looking at the AS-B1's. Oh, well.

Type, did you get your .5's from a guy called phoniex, or something like that? I can't remember the exact name. If so, I almost went for those .5's. He was willing to sell them to me for only $120 shipped, but I decided to pass on them for the Micra's. The Micras were amazing little speakers. I ended up returning them to Best Buy and getting the bigger Auditions. The Athenas are probably the best speakers I've owned, or at least some of the best, especially for the price. I'm still giddy about the fact that I got my setup(F1's, C1's, Micra's) for only $235. I'm without a sub at the moment, but will probably opt for the SVS PB10, or the Outlaw LF1(?).

Type, did you get your .5's from a guy called phoniex, or something like that? I can't remember the exact name. If so, I almost went for those .5's. He was willing to sell them to me for only $120 shipped, but I decided to pass on them for the Micra's. The Micras were amazing little speakers. I ended up returning them to Best Buy and getting the bigger Auditions. The Athenas are probably the best speakers I've owned, or at least some of the best, especially for the price. I'm still giddy about the fact that I got my setup(F1's, C1's, Micra's) for only $235. I'm without a sub at the moment, but will probably opt for the SVS PB10, or the Outlaw LF1(?).

Yeah, I think that was the guy.....small world. I got a good deal....you got an AMAZING deal.

BTW, why not get the AS-P400, it's only $220.00 including shipping on amazon?

I'm one of those guys quite unhappy with my AS-C1. It can't keep up with the AS-F2s. Has anyone been satisfied with replacing the C1? I don't have room to use another F2 as a center speaker. Quite satisfied with the F2's for music. The weak point of my HT is the C1.

Would like to hear about experiences of replacing the C1 with another one, though they may not be timber matched.

MY HT: 70% movies, 30% music (Room size 17X15)

HK DPR1005
AS-F2
AS-C1
2x AS-B1
2x AS-R1
SVS PB-10

DT-300 Projector
Sony DVPNS70H Upconverting DVD Player
RokuLabs M500

In the end, I may get an Athena sub. After getting 3 of the Crown XLS202's, I highly doubt the wife is going to let me spend $400(+) on a sub. Not to mention the new display I'm getting. I've never really heard the 400, but the sub that came with the Micra system was one powerful bastard. It's almost rediculous that a sub that small and inexpensive could be so good.

SRoy, while I love the sound of my C1, you're right about it not being able to keep up with the larger mains. When I really push my system, the C1 starts to faulter before my F1's. What I wouldn't mind doing when I get a bigger place is modding an AS-F2 for center speaker use. Tqlla went in this direction with his F2, and the results are hugely impressive:
AS-F2 Center (http://gallery.avsforum.com/showphoto.php/photo/11906/size/big/si/athena)

Not THAT's a center speaker lol. When I have a larger room and front projector, that'll be my new center. I just wish he'd get back to me on how to do it lol.

I'm one of those guys quite unhappy with my AS-C1. It can't keep up with the AS-F2s. Has anyone been satisfied with replacing the C1? I don't have room to use another F2 as a center speaker. Quite satisfied with the F2's for music. The weak point of my HT is the C1.

Do you have room for a B1 or B2? That'd be your best bet over another MTM center.

Not THAT's a center speaker lol. When I have a larger room and front projector, that'll be my new center.
One of the big advantages of front-projection is you don't have to mess with sideways centers and off-axis issues...you can use the same speaker you do for the mains.

AS-F2 x2
Dayton 12"
Panasonic XA-SR55

I'm very happy with my setup, it's the first "real" sound system I've owned. I just got the Dayton sub yesterday and it really helps fill out music. Will have to try some movies today!

Will add a center and surrounds at some point in the future. I've blown too much money on this new habit as-is. ;)

I've seen some complaints about the C1 center matching with the AS-B@ L/R fronts..are there any other Athena centers that would match better with the B@s?

Get a B2, and place it horizontially. The "Athena" logo can be turned to match your fronts.

I just set mine up temporarily last night to test it out, the room isn't painted or furnished yet. I thought it sounded absolutely incredible both on movies, and the DVD Audio discs I tested (I always thought DVD Audio and SACD were completely unnecessary until I heard them on this setup).

The best part though is that now my dad is jealous because my < $1000 system, that he kept telling me I'd get what I paid for, sounds better than his ~ $1700 Bose system (Yamaha RX-V2300 & Bose AM10 bought a few years ago).

BTW: Has anyone used the brackets that come with the Point 5s to hang the rear surrounds from the ceiling, obviously I'll need to attach the brackets to the joists, but has anyone tried this, or know of a reason it won't work.

Athena B1s Front L/R
Athena Pt 5 Center, Surround L/R, Rear L/R
Mirage Omni S10
Pioneer 1015

Would it make any sense to use 3 AS-B1's across the front?

Everyone loves their B1's but hates the C series speakers....

Would it make any sense to use 3 AS-B1's across the front?

Everyone loves their B1's but hates the C series speakers....


Not everyone.........I love my B1 fronts with the C1 center. I have never heard F2's with a C1 so cannot comment on that combination, but for me the B1's blend perfectly with the C1.

Athena Point 5 Mk II speakers with P300 Sub
Onkyo TX-SR600

Sounds good to me. But I have not heard too many high end systems. Most of my friends have a Bose or Onkyo HTIB or Yamaha low end gear. My system kicks their collective butts.

The AS-C1 being a poor speaker is a pretty common misconception.

The AS-C1 is a good center channel. It just cant keep up with the AS-F2. Its good for any other audition speakers.

Would it make any sense to use 3 AS-B1's across the front?

If you can...absolutely.

I don't think the C1 is bad compared to other center channels...I just think that MTM centers are compromised speakers in general. If you have to use one for aesthetics/placement, so be it...that's why they exist, to put on a TV. But a speaker not compromised for size/placement, preferably identical, is better. This is more critical off-axis. If you're always in the middle, it's not as much of an issue...but a center channel exists to anchor dialogue for off-axis listeners/viewers.

I have the AS-C1 with F1 fronts in one room and with B2 fronts in another. They both sound fine to me. And considering I got the second C1 open box for under $50 out the door, it sounds VERY good!

Room 1
AS-F1 Fronts
AS-C1 Center
AS-B1 Rear
Dayton 10"

Room 2
AS-B2 Fronts
AS-C1 Center
JBL rears (may get B1's before Christmas)
Sony SAWM-40 modded sub

Nice systems! Yeah, the C1 is not bad as dedicated centers go, especially for movies and not too far off-center...it's just not optimal. I recently made a much bigger 2.35:1 screen for my room (~ 7' wide) and went back to a C1 from an F1 for height reasons...with the increased screen height I didn't want people craning their heads. The viewing couch is as wide as the screen so no one's too far off-axis. While the difference is noticeable and something of a detriment for MC music, it's ok for movies, and the presence peak it seems to have can help dialogue be heard over explosions, etc. I guess I'll leave it this way, as the system is being used far more for movies than music.
I'm also thinking of picking up a pair of B1's to use as side surrounds and moving my R1's to the back in a 7.1 setup.

Below is the current front stage with F1's, I covered the C1 and its cinderblock stand in black fabric to hide it under the screen.

http://home.comcast.net/~tgilvey/IMG_0611.JPG

To me, the C1 sounded different then the B1s/2s, on axis, same material, etc. I was really happy with the sound of the B2s, but the C1 was different to me....dialogue sounded nasally to my ears, and since the center is doing dialogue for so much of the movie, I could not tolerate it. I used the speaker as much as possible to hope for break in, but it didn't change at all in the month I had it (maybe another few months!?!?). I much preferred the paradigm cc-150 I had over the C1.

Anyway, 3 B2s up front and I'm happy.

Yeah, no argument here, the C1 does sound different. I don't find in nasally so much as a little "crisp".

Right now for my 5.1 using 2 pairs of ASB1's and ASC1. I would like opinions on using ASR1's for surrounds instead of ASB1's. Room size is 15x15 and couch up agains't back wall. Thanks

You might prefer the R1s as surrounds as the couch is against a wall.

But you also have a reasonably wide room, to get the B1s away from the listeners a little.

It's difficult to say: the R1s are easier to mount, aren't rear ported (they are sealed), and aren't nearly as big and obtrusive; and obviously give a less directional sound. But you already have the B1s so I can't say if it's worth spending more money unless you went to 7.1 (which may have little benefit up against the back wall anyway).

What made my decision easy was their small size and diffuse sound, since my room is only about 11' wide, and I have two rows.

Well, I finally purchased my Athena's. 6 S.5's and a C.5. I will pick up the low model Hsu sub soon. The receiver is a Harman Kardon 240. Setup sounds awesome and you can't argue with the price. I can't tell you how much fun it was to blast out during the break-in period. I called off work for three days and ran night and day. My Christmas gift to myself this year is an H31 projector to round the set up out.

Only took my 2 years to decide...ha.

Right now I have the ASB1's I am using as surrounds up against side of couch (long counch) pointed at each other. I have the room to put them about 3 feet from sides of couch closer to walls, would this be more beneficial. I had them about 3 feet above ear level but just moved them so tweeter is about 18 inches from ear level and like that better.

Been reading a bit about complaints about ASC1, especially when you are off axis and lobing effects. I don't think any of the 3 seats on my couch are much off axis and I am happy with the ASC1. Anyone had any problems?

That led me to thinking about DSP modes. Would like to know what most people use for tv, etc. For shows like CNN (mostly talking) I am leaning towards "all channels" or PLII Music (where dialogue is also sent to fronts) vs. using PLII Movie. For TV movies, using PLII movie and I do like PLII Music for cd's, music channels.

hey all.. im looking for some stand/mount options for B1's.. thanks!

Omnimount Cosmic series

wow those look nice! thanks for the reply...

Well I just ordered four AS-B1's and a AS-C1 for my brother's new house. He was gonna get a RCA HTiB that included speakers, dvd player, and reciever for $300 but I think these will be A LOT better. At home, I have a 2.1 setup with a pair of Adire Audio KIT51's and a DIY AA Atlas 12" woofer.

Omnimount Cosmic series

I second that. Looks good with my B-1's.

Anybody directly compare the F2 to the F2.2 yet in terms of sound quality? I have 2 F2s as my fronts, and want to get two more for my surrounds. I'm having trouble finding them at a decent price, so I would really like to know the F2.2s sound the same as the F2s.

Anybody directly compare the F2 to the F2.2 yet in terms of sound quality? I have 2 F2s as my fronts, and want to get two more for my surrounds. I'm having trouble finding them at a decent price, so I would really like to know the F2.2s sound the same as the F2s.

Audio Advisor has the F2.2's for $400/pair + shipping.

http://audioadvisor.com/store/productdetail.asp?sku=ATHASF2%2E2&product_name=F2%2E2%20Speakers%20Black,%20Pair

Audio Advisor has the F2.2's for $400/pair + shipping.

http://audioadvisor.com/store/productdetail.asp?sku=ATHASF2%2E2&product_name=F2%2E2%20Speakers%20Black,%20Pair
I'm aware of AudioAdvisor. That's where I got my original pair of F2s for $359. Are the F2.2s better or worse than the F2s?

Everything I have read, including from Athena, is that the speaker components are identical in both the F2 and F2.2 (as well as the F1 and F1.2). The only material difference is in the cabinet construction. The F2.2 (and F1.2) cabinet is constructed of cheaper, lighter materials, as evidenced by the reduced weight (see below). The change was made to reduce the final cost of the new model so that it is comparable to the previous model.

AS-F2: 51 lbs each
AS-F2.2: 44 lbs each (-7 lbs)

AS-F1: 41 lbs each
AS-F1.2: 29 lbs each (-11 lbs!)


web
---------
4 - AS-F1s (still new, sealed in the box, looking for a pair of F2s)
4 - AS-B2s (fronts and sides)
1 - AS-C1
2 - AS-B1s (rear surrounds)
1 - AS-P400 (thinking about a SVS Ultra :D)
powered by a Harmon/Kardon AVR-635

I have discovered an interesting psychological phenomenon connected with Athena.
Because A) they are incredibly affordable, B) they are sold in a big-box store instead of a " high end" store, and C) they are a fairly new company, I keep expecting them not to sound as good as they do. My mind keeps calling them "cheap" or "entry level".
When I can get past all that and hear how they really sound, however, I am reminded that they are simply some of the finest sounding speakers available, period.

4- AS-B1 $99.99 PER PAIR
1- AS-C1 $79.99
1- AS-P4000 $179.99

1- Yamaha HTR-5560

Can't complain

One of my friends ordered two pairs of AS-B1s, an AS-C1, and a SVS PB10 this past weekend after hearing my surround setup. He'll probably be driving them with either an Onkyo or Pioneer amp in his apartment.

I don't imagine Audio Advisor has a whole lot of the B1s or C1s left.

I just want some damn original F2s for $350/pair, or to know for a FACT from a credible magazine that the F2.2s are equal to the F2s.

Well I get paid tomorrow so going to throw the switch on my new speakers. Can you see any downside in a 5.1 setup having B1's up front and WS-15's in the rear. Athena emailed and said that it would be a good match. I like having smaller rear speakers that can be mounted easy. How many of you guys use your rears for music as well?

Whole setup will be

Pioneer VSX-815 (From GF for Christmas)
C1 center
B1's front
WS-15's rear
Dayton 12 (Ordered, comes in next month.)

In my smallish living room:

Athena Point 5 Mk II (S.5 x4, C.5 x1)
Wharfdale WH-2 (additional surrounds for 7.1)
Hsu VTF-2 MK2 sub
Yamaha RX-V657 AV Receiver

Usage: 90% movies/tv, 10% music

In my smallish living room:

Athena Point 5 Mk II (S.5 x4, C.5 x1)
Wharfdale WH-2 (additional surrounds for 7.1)
Hsu VTF-2 MK2 sub
Yamaha RX-V657 AV Receiver

Usage: 90% movies/tv, 10% music


Another Pointer, cool!

Well I get paid tomorrow so going to throw the switch on my new speakers. Can you see any downside in a 5.1 setup having B1's up front and WS-15's in the rear. Athena emailed and said that it would be a good match. I like having smaller rear speakers that can be mounted easy. How many of you guys use your rears for music as well?

I was actually considering using these for rears as well. I'm waiting for my B1/C1/XR55 to be delivered. I already have the Dayton 10". Still debating what to do for rears. Let us know what you decide to do.

pioneer elite 54tx
L and R- F2
C- asc1
rears- b1
sub- svs pb10
room- 16x14

system sounds awesome. The center I feel is lacking, but not enough to weigh the system down, it does the job, but perhaps not the way I would have wished. Been thinking about swapping the b1s for r1s.

I was actually considering using these for rears as well. I'm waiting for my B1/C1/XR55 to be delivered. I already have the Dayton 10". Still debating what to do for rears. Let us know what you decide to do.

I can't decide. I ordered the C1 today because Audio Advisor said they were running low on those. They said they are running the sale till they are gone (including the B1's) so if anyone is thinking about buying there better get on it soon.

I'm not getting the receiver until Christmas so I'm going to think about my fronts and rears a little more. I love the look of the WS-15's though I just haven't heard much about the sound of them. Anyone else have them that can say anything?

Hey, I see a lot of people in this thread have pioneer receivers. I'm assuming they work well with athena speakers. Do you think the entry level pioneer vsx515 would be a good match with the point 5's or is it underpowered?

Thanks

Just wondering what the B1 owners set their fronts to on their receiver (Large or Small). I plan on setting them small for now unless everyone thinks they perform better Large for movies.

Thanks

Oh and Bookkilla I ended up ordering the S.5's for the rears.

Just wondering what the B1 owners set their fronts to on their receiver (Large or Small). I plan on setting them small for now unless everyone thinks they perform better Large for movies.

Thanks

Oh and Bookkilla I ended up ordering the S.5's for the rears.

I would try both settings and see which one sounds best. It seems like Small would be the best, but I'm sure others will say large.

I just got my B1's/C1 yesterday. I think I'm gonna use inwalls for my rears.

Yea it took me a long time to figure out which speaker to get for the rears. I was going over the B1's, S.5's and the WS-15's for days. I finally clicked checkout on the S.5's but I had to be drunk to do it. LOL I'm just glad I finally made up my mind. I think I made the best decision. They come with brackets and they are the best match for the B1's if you want something smaller in the back.

I got my center today. I was happy to see it was larger than I thought it was going to be, very heavy and had a feel of being well built.

Just wondering what the B1 owners set their fronts to on their receiver (Large or Small). I plan on setting them small for now unless everyone thinks they perform better Large for movies.
The correct setting is "small". I set my F1's to "small", also.

Well that's really only true if you have a powered subwoofer in your system.

Well that's really only true if you have a powered subwoofer in your system.
Correct, of course.

When I first bought my Athena F1s and P400, they were so cheap that I thought of them as strictly entry-level, and always assumed that I would upgrade to something better when I had enough $. Now that I have had them a while, I am not sure that there is anything better, or at least not without spending a huge amount.
Some people suggest auditioning other speakers in a store, but that does not tell me much since store acoustics are different than my apartment, and they are usually using different electronics as well.

I really did like the look of these speakers and while I've not heard the B1s, I have heard Athena's excellent Micra 6 system and all I can say is WOW!!!!

I can now truly post in this thread as I dropped the hammer on 3 pairs of these on Thursday morning from Audio Advisor (they actually shipped today:P)

When I first bought my Athena F1s and P400, they were so cheap that I thought of them as strictly entry-level, and always assumed that I would upgrade to something better when I had enough $. Now that I have had them a while, I am not sure that there is anything better, or at least not without spending a huge amount.

I bought B1s and the C1 and I thought they'd hold me over until I could afford something really good. The first day I thought they sounded thin so I did the "break-in" as suggested for a couple of days. I know this idea is pretty roundly poo-pooed but everyone who hears my set-up thinks it is the cleanest they've heard. Of course people are being nice and all, but each time I do a movie I've seen before I am very pleased with all the new things I hear in soundtracks. They are very clear speakers. And the lack of boom in the bass is very nice. The bass they reproduce is surprisingly strong. I'll bet F1s are really nice.
I don't think we'll be upgrading anytime soon. Not the sound anyway. Now when they come out with a 720P DLP projector for around 1k I'll be doing some serious considering. :D

I just set up an Athena Point 5 speaker set at my parent's house today. Receiver is an XR55 and sub is a Dayton 12". So far, I'm a little disappointed. I wasn't expecting alot for $189 shipped, but based on some rave reviews on this forum, I was definitely expecting more. I asked in a thread a few weeks ago about how they compare to Polk R15s because I have a pair and a set of 4 of these plus a center would be comparable in price. Well, so far I'd say that the R15s sound much better. Hopefully the Athenas have some magical break-in. My father was impressed but his standards are slightly above none. ;)

Mark

Minjin,

You did set up the Point 5's as small speakers in the XR55 setup, right? The Athena manual mistakenly tells you to set them as large speakers. Also a good place to start on the crossover is 100 Hz. I felt that 80 Hz was a little too low and 120 sent a little more than I would have liked to the subwoofer.

Minjin,

You did set up the Point 5's as small speakers in the XR55 setup, right? The Athena manual mistakenly tells you to set them as large speakers. Also a good place to start on the crossover is 100 Hz. I felt that 80 Hz was a little too low and 120 sent a little more than I would have liked to the subwoofer.

Yep, small. And I was trying out with 80hz because thats what I used with my R15s and I had heard someone say that the Point 5s can play that low. I'll try out 100hz to see if it sounds any better. Thanks.

Mark

i have 4x B1's, a C1 and velodyne DPS-10 running off an XR-55. so far, i'm not impressed. i set the speakers to small, rec. x-over to 80 and sub x-over to 200. it seems like the XR-55 is underpowering the speakers. to me, it just sounds like i have my t.v speakers on really loud. if it wasn't for the sub and surrounds, it'll seem like my t.v. volume is turned up really loud.

should i fiddle with the settings more? i've been breaking them in by playing music and watching movies for the past 2 weeks going up to med. volume for about 4hrs/day. should i just wait till they're fully broken in before i go looking for other speakers or receiver?

when i was at fry's, a pair of polk monitor 40's running off a denon 486 sounded WAY WAY better than my current set-up.

Cetainly you wouldn't be trying to listen to a stereo source in surround mode, would you??

Yep, small. And I was trying out with 80hz because thats what I used with my R15s and I had heard someone say that the Point 5s can play that low. I'll try out 100hz to see if it sounds any better. Thanks.

Mark

Thought you guys might be interested in an update. Went back over to my parents' house today to do some adjusting and finalize what other cables I need to buy. Yesterday, I was very rushed and I slapped it all together with whatever I had handy just so they could use it for last night's party. I stopped off at Home Depot on the way to get a spool of 16 gauge RCA speaker wire. When I got there, I immediately changed the filter to 100hz and it sounded different but I'm not sure if it got at all better. Next, I started to rewire the speakers with the better stuff that I had brought with me. It wasn't until I put the two next to each other that I realized just how TINY the wire I had used was. Both wires in their conductors were about the size of ONE of the 16 gauge wires. :eek:

I also pulled the tv a little out of the corner and tried to get the speakers as lined up as possible (the tv is in one corner and the sectional is in the opposite corner of the room). I think the center was too far away previously. When I fired it up, it did sound a little better. Most importantly, I noticed that I didn't need anywhere near as much volume as I did yesterday. Around -25 vs -37. So, I guess I was getting a little bit of attenuation. ;)

I'm definitely more pleased now. I'll be heading back there a few more times to make adjustments. The fronts still aren't on stands. Instead, they're sitting on top of some Fisher floor standers (with 15in drivers) from the 80s about halfway back with the rear outer corner nearly touching the wall. This probably isn't ideal, is it? I also need to finalize surround locations. I'll have to make up a drawing and ask for suggestions in the theory forum.

Mark

I thought I'd chime in here.

I have Athena's for my upstairs system:

2x AS-B2.2's for fronts
1x C.5 for center
2x .5 for rears
2x ASP-300 sub's

They are running of a Marantz SR5300 receiver and an Anthem MCA 2 powering the fronts.

Overall I think for the rediculously low price the Athena's are tough to beat.

I also have the remaining 2x .5's as rears for my downstairs system right now (which consists of 2x Energy C-5's, 1x Energy CC-1 and 1x SVS PB12 plus/2 running of a VSX-1015 and an Anthem MCA 3 powering the fronts).

I guess you could say I'm keeping it all in the API familly (except of course for electronics) :D

i have 4x B1's, a C1 and velodyne DPS-10 running off an XR-55. so far, i'm not impressed. i set the speakers to small, rec. x-over to 80 and sub x-over to 200. it seems like the XR-55 is underpowering the speakers. to me, it just sounds like i have my t.v speakers on really loud. if it wasn't for the sub and surrounds, it'll seem like my t.v. volume is turned up really loud.

should i fiddle with the settings more? i've been breaking them in by playing music and watching movies for the past 2 weeks going up to med. volume for about 4hrs/day. should i just wait till they're fully broken in before i go looking for other speakers or receiver?

when i was at fry's, a pair of polk monitor 40's running off a denon 486 sounded WAY WAY better than my current set-up.

Have you spent much time balancing the sub with the speakers? It almost sounds like your sub volume might be a little low.

i have 4x B1's, a C1 and velodyne DPS-10 running off an XR-55. so far, i'm not impressed. i set the speakers to small, rec. x-over to 80 and sub x-over to 200. it seems like the XR-55 is underpowering the speakers. to me, it just sounds like i have my t.v speakers on really loud. if it wasn't for the sub and surrounds, it'll seem like my t.v. volume is turned up really loud.

should i fiddle with the settings more? i've been breaking them in by playing music and watching movies for the past 2 weeks going up to med. volume for about 4hrs/day. should i just wait till they're fully broken in before i go looking for other speakers or receiver?

when i was at fry's, a pair of polk monitor 40's running off a denon 486 sounded WAY WAY better than my current set-up.


Try setting your sub crossover to 80hz as well. I'm not familiar with that velodyne but it may be overiding your receiver's 80hz setting and so your sub is reproducing everything 200hz and under. The B1's should sound a hell of a lot better than your tv. Good luck.

Try setting your sub crossover to 80hz as well. I'm not familiar with that velodyne but it may be overiding your receiver's 80hz setting and so your sub is reproducing everything 200hz and under. The B1's should sound a hell of a lot better than your tv. Good luck.

if he does not have a dedicated "crossover bypass/LFE input" on his sub or he can't disable the sub crossover, then putting the sub xover at its max (probably 200hz) and feeding it the 80hz crossed over LFE output from his receiver is the best way to do it.

Putting the sub crossover at 80hz is going to double the crossover at 80hz (really bad).

do the B1's come with mounts?

do the B1's come with mounts?

No the S.5's do.

the port on the b1 is on the back and that needs to breath so I dont think you can mount them on the wall.

I have 4 AS-F2s and an AS-C1. My receiver and sub are some old Onkyo ones that came in a HTiB. Should I set the sub crossover at 120hz, 100hz, or 80hz?

the port on the b1 is on the back and that needs to breath so I dont think you can mount them on the wall.

Same could be said of the ports on the .5 speakers. You will still want at least a couple inches of clearance and it won't sound quite the same as freestanding, but it will still work.

I have 4 AS-F2s and an AS-C1. My receiver and sub are some old Onkyo ones that came in a HTiB. Should I set the sub crossover at 120hz, 100hz, or 80hz?

80 Hz. If your receiver has a good bit of power (might not, as it is from a HTIB) you might want to try running the F2's in large mode and the C1 in small mode and see if you get a nicer sound for bass with the F2s helping out the Onkyo subwoofer. If you enable Onkyo's double bass feature the F2s will get a full-range signal plus the bass from those channels will be fed to the subwoofer as well.

I don't think my Onkyo receiver has a double bass feature. I also don't think I can specify the center speakers size. It's either all or none.

Oh ok I was going by my Onkyo 503 features. I guess the ones they bundle don't have as much customization ability.

Hi,

Maybe someone can help me out with the same or worse dilema in picking speakers. I just started putting together a HT system currently i have not much but ...

Tv - Panasonic Tc-32lx50 - Flat screen
Sa-xr55k
Existing Bose Accoustimass - 5
Just bought Athena C1

After reading a lot of msgs on this forum and recommendation on the athena ..I picked up the C1 and panny Sa-xr55k as first of my purchases. I am currently using my existing Bose Am-5 as front left and rear( but I have them lin the back located next to the sitting area). I am debating on what to purchase next as front speakers or rear speakers to get a decent sound. I like to keep on using my existing bose untill i get all the speakers for HT if it is possible..

i am looking at the following combo's right now: I currently don't have a subwoofer since I am using the bose am-5 and its subwoofer to fill the void..i am hoping to get a SVS in the future..way in the future..

can somone tell me which one's would serve my purpose best right now i want to keep the bose as part of the Ht and where should I use the bose right now ..as fronts or rears or sorround..and if I selecting the correct speakers for the right location..

Athena - AS-B2.2 for front speakers.
AThena - As-c1 as center
Athena - As-b1 for rears or sorrund.


Infinity - 160 for front
infinity - 150 rear
infinity - 140 sorrund

Polk - rti4 or monitor series for front
polk - monitor series for back

I would appreciate it if someone can guide me on what set up would be worth going with without upgrading for a while..I listen to music - 50 %/DVD 50%

also can i use the athena c1 even if I go with other speaker makes ???

thanks

If you just bought the Athena C1 and like it, keep buying Athena for the rest of your system. You really need to stay within the same product line across the front soundstage. Its called timbre matching and provides a smooth sound across the front. So if you have the C1 center get B1 or B2 fronts. You can get the B1's for $99 at Audio Advisor whereas the B2.2 will cost you $220 or more. For the $120 difference in price, you won't notice much difference in sound. In fact that same $120 would buy you a Dayton 10" or 12" sub with free shipping. If you get a pair of B1's and a sub, you'll be well on your way to a very good system.

You can then use the Bose for your surround and surround back speakers. I'm not quite sure how to hook them up because everything goes thru that Acoustimass module. I'm sure someone else can help you with that. Eventually I'd recommend you sell the Bose setup and get some more Athenas for your system. Bose hold their value very well so you should be able sell them for a nice price.

Are the B1s on Amazon a pair or just one speaker.

They are for a pair...also check Audioadvisor.com who seems to be the real retailer of B1 at amazon
http://www.audioadvisor.com/store/mfglisting.asp?hdnMfg=Athena+Technologies&MFGID=218

Per pair. An absolute steal at that price!

I just received my two B1's for the front left and right, and my C1 for the center. I am running .5's for the rear surround and I have a Dayton 10" sub. I have the panny xr55.

I have been listening to some music with all the speakers set to large and the sub turned off. It sounds awesome!! I thought I would just listen to it like this for about 50 hours or so so they will all break in.

My question to everyone is below...

1. Why shouldn't I just leave my front left and right B1's and my C1 set to large BUT turn the sub on. I have the crossover set to 100 on the receiver and the subs crossover is turned all the way up (disabling it).

I originally had the .5's as my front left and right and the C.5 as my center. I had these set to small and the sub set up as above. It sounded good, but I just wanted to be able to turn it up more and listen to it more loudly, so I got the B1's and the C1.

I guess I just think the B1's and the C1 sound so great even without the sub, then why would I want to eliminate the B1's and the C1's ability to put out some bass and set them to small??

I guess after the rambling above, my question is WHY do you all set your B1's to small when you have a subwoofer? Have you tried setting them to large along with your sub?? Did it sound worse?? :confused:

Thanks! :)

I guess after the rambling above, my question is WHY do you all set your B1's to small when you have a subwoofer? Have you tried setting them to large along with your sub?? Did it sound worse?? :confused:

Thanks! :)

Because they are incapable of producing sounds below 60hz. See here: http://www.athenaspeakers.com/modelASB1specs.htm

As wonderful as they are, they are not full-range speakers. Any information below that you are simply not hearing and losing.

Set all speakers to small and set the xover on the receiver to 60 or 80. Let the subwoofer handle the bass, that's what it's for! Your mains should be set to large only if you don't have a sub.

FYI, I have F-1's which are rated down to 40hz and still have them set to small and x'd at 60hz.

1. Why shouldn't I just leave my front left and right B1's and my C1 set to large BUT turn the sub on. I have the crossover set to 100 on the receiver and the subs crossover is turned all the way up (disabling it).

I originally had the .5's as my front left and right and the C.5 as my center. I had these set to small and the sub set up as above. It sounded good, but I just wanted to be able to turn it up more and listen to it more loudly, so I got the B1's and the C1.

I guess I just think the B1's and the C1 sound so great even without the sub, then why would I want to eliminate the B1's and the C1's ability to put out some bass and set them to small??

I guess after the rambling above, my question is WHY do you all set your B1's to small when you have a subwoofer? Have you tried setting them to large along with your sub?? Did it sound worse?? :confused:

Thanks! :)

I agree with you. I use the "small" setting as I found that it sounded just a little bit cleaner when I was listening to a soundtrack that had huge demands. My receiver is a Denon 1705 and perhaps it isn't strong enough. Even with my present setup I have forgotten to turn on the sub at times ( a wall switch) and my B1s still put out a good amount of low bass. They don't have boomy bass at all.

Setting the fronts to "small" allows all bass signals to go to the sub. When set to "large" only the .1 channel goes to the sub. (Your receiver may be different)

The panny you have probably has plenty of power in reserve for the B1s. If I were you I would find the most demanding music/movie passage you can and do some A/B testing. You might want another pair of ears there to confirm your findings.

BTW: I still go back and forth with this. I do run my B1s and C1 in "large" sometimes.

Also, I did find that the B1s, C1 did sound better after "breaking-in". Many call this a "placebo-type effect, and it may be, but it is free for the trying.

Enjoy those speakers. I'm going down now to watch a film (and listen to our excellent Athenas :D )

BTW: It may also be that it is better to let the sub handle low frequencies alone and remove all chances of there being any phase interaction problems.

My AS-P400 sub has the ideal crossover settings for each AS series speaker marked on it. For the B1s this is 65hz and for the F1s it is 48hz. Most HT recievers have neither of these settings available, thoug some have 60hz which is pretty close. (In my case, I am using my F1s in a stereo-only setup and do not need LFE input, so I use speaker level connections and the sub's own crossover. This gives utterly seamless integration between the speakers and sub.)

Hey guys,

I don't think I've seen anyone here with the SCT series speakers.... in particular the S3. Does any of you have these and if so, are they wicked awesome???

What do you think of three of these as fronts?.... pretty seemless and dynamic?

I just got my point 5 system yesterday and I think they sound great. I also have an Onkyo 602 receiver and I just use my Samsung DVD player to play CDs right now (I'm still in the process of building).

Compared to the speakers I had before, these are incredible. Frankly compared to alot of my friends speakers these are incredible. But they definitely need a sub. I figured I would be happy with them without a sub for a while but I don't think that's going to happen.

I feel like such a dumb-a$$... anyway, i figured out the "problem." it had nothing to do with my settings nor the equipment. i simply did NOT use a digital connection from DVD player to receiver. once i made the digi connection (coax) the speakers magically sounded REALLY GOOD!!! now, i'm real happy with the set-up! great price and great sound!

now, i'm wondering if i should get 2 extra speakers so that i can have a 7.1 instead of 5.1 setup.

thanks for trying to help me out guys.

Well I bought a pair of AS-B1s and a AS-C1, and while I haven't had a chance to try them out yet, I'm thinking I might have to return the C1. I somewhat stupidly assumed it would be about the same size as the B1's, so I hadn't even looked at the dimensions till after I bought it. It's just too big, I have no place to put it. A flat screen TV prevents the most obvious placement on top of the TV, putting it on the stand blocks a few inches of the TV, and the shelves underneath aren't quite tall enough to hold it.

While I know the center is the most important speaker for movies, yada yada, I'm probably going to have to go smaller, I don't have much choice. I was planning on using some of the Micra speakers for sattelites (again, for space) anyway, would the Micra's center speaker work decently with the B1's? Do they sell that seperately? Any other suggestions, either from Athena or other manufacturers?

Do you already own the Micras? If not, try the Point 5 instead. They're slightly bigger than the Micras and come with mounting brackets. They use the same tweeter as the B1's so timbre matching would better than the Micras. The Point 5 C.5 center is quite a bit smaller than the C1.

Plus if you already have the sub, the Point 5 system is about $100 less. Then you could have B1's as mains, C.5 as center and the Point 5 satellites as your surround and surround back speakers.

Well I bought a pair of AS-B1s and a AS-C1, and while I haven't had a chance to try them out yet, I'm thinking I might have to return the C1. I somewhat stupidly assumed it would be about the same size as the B1's, so I hadn't even looked at the dimensions till after I bought it. It's just too big, I have no place to put it. A flat screen TV prevents the most obvious placement on top of the TV, putting it on the stand blocks a few inches of the TV, and the shelves underneath aren't quite tall enough to hold it.

While I know the center is the most important speaker for movies, yada yada, I'm probably going to have to go smaller, I don't have much choice. I was planning on using some of the Micra speakers for sattelites (again, for space) anyway, would the Micra's center speaker work decently with the B1's? Do they sell that seperately? Any other suggestions, either from Athena or other manufacturers?
You could try using a WS-60 (I think that is the one for center use.) It has the same tweeter as the AS series, so it should be fairly well timbre-matched. Just be sure to set it to "small".

My question is about the Athena WS speakers, I see a lot of info about the B1, C1 etc., but not much about the WS-60, -100, and -15, just some references to them not being that good. I listened to them at the store with the p4000 sub and thought it sounded good. I'm leaning towards buying them and a Yamaha 5850 rec. Any thoughts, good or bad? I think the WS-60, 2 WS-100, 2WS-15, AS-P4000 and the receiver will run about $1300. Is there a better setup for similar cash? I have a 65 in Mitsubishi HD and will use this mostly for HD TV, some DVDs, some music.

load_warrior - The WS series is geared towards people with Plasma displays and flat screens with space issues. The cabinets are very thin so I don't expect them to get as full of a sound as the other lines but I could be wrong.

I finally got all my stuff hooked up after I got my VSX-815 for Christmas. B1's front, C1's center and .5's rear. They sound really good for the price. Bass is tight but their isn't a whole lot of it. You will need a sub for sure with these speakers for HT. I'm use to lots of bass with 2 12's in my car so I guess I'm a little bias.

Anyway well worth the money for people who don't want to spend all their money on HT but want it to sound like it. I hope the Dayton 12" can give me what I want on the bass end.

Oh and by the way the VSX-815 is a great receiver. I have never heard the Panasonic everyone recommends but this thing seems to clearly have WAY more features than that one for the same price. Plenty of power and great setup features like being able to set equalizer settings for every speaker independently if you like. It even comes with a mic that you place where you would sit during a move and runs test tones to set distance and EQ for they setup. It was spot on with the distances but I didn't care for the EQ settings it made so I adjusted them. All in all great bang for your buck.

So, I've done a lot of research to start a HT from scratch. I don't necessarily have a budget, but would like to do it for as little as possible to get a decent sounding system.

I currently own an older HK a/v receiver and an older pair of beautiful sounding Canton speakers.... but I doubt the Timbre would match with the Athenas so I will probably just try to sell them on ebay or put them into another room.

So my question is, can someone summarize the different line of speakers that are sold by Athena? I want to have them mounted against the wall so I am thinking the B1 or B2s won’t work very well as they’re ported in the rear.

Which is better, the micras or the .5's ? I will probably be buying the Panny xr55 or xr70 receiver

Movies 50% music 50%, the room is 15x10, with 10 foot ceilings, and open on one side leading to a 15x15 dining room. I will also buy a high quality (PSB or Mirage) subwoofer to pair with whatever speakers we get. I want smaller speakers, if possible but I don’t want to sacrifice the midrange. Also, can someone suggest a good center channel – or maybe I should just get 3 of the same for the center L and R?

I really like my Athena's; in fact I have a pair of every single speaker in the original Audition Series - got them for a steal when they were discontinuing them.

The F-2's were too big for my 19 X 19 living room but the F-1 fit right in; I expermited with using the B1's & B2's for surrounds and ended up going with 3 AS-R1's. I was running them with a Yamaha 1500 and was using their PS-400 subwoofer.

In the past I have had blose, Yamaha and JBLs. I just upgraded my living room setup to Energy Connoiser's, 5 of their C-C3 3-way 5 driver LCR speakers and also upgraded my power to Outlaw 970 / 7125 separates and a Hsu VTF-3 MKII. I love the API sound and this setup surpasses my wildest dreams; I am in the process of locating a Denon SACD / DVD-A player and then will see how that sounds on 5 identical speakers.

I tried using the AS-C1 for this as it is also a "LCR" type of speaker that was designed to be placed on it's side or upright but this speaker just did not have the power to fill the room like I needed. My Athena's are now in my bedroom setup and also in a spare room 2-channel setup and I could not be happier.

Just got my 5 points put in yesterday. Have them hooked up to a panny xr55 and a Sony SA-WM250 sub. Being my first setup i don't have much to base it on but i love it.

Would it be terrible to place the AS-B1 directly against a wall, or on a speaker mount that places it very near the wall? I understand they are ported in the back and am curious to know if anyone has had experience with this, or knows how much distance there needs to be between the wall and the back of the speaker?

As for subwoofers, can anyone reccomend a sub? I understand a lot of people aren't matching the AS-P300/400 subs with their speakers. I really appreciate good bass response and tight bass - will the P300/400 give me that, or should I buy a more expensive active sub from PSB or Mirage or equivilent?

Thanks for the advice...

Would it be terrible to place the AS-B1 directly against a wall, or on a speaker mount that places it very near the wall? I understand they are ported in the back and am curious to know if anyone has had experience with this, or knows how much distance there needs to be between the wall and the back of the speaker?

As for subwoofers, can anyone reccomend a sub? I understand a lot of people aren't matching the AS-P300/400 subs with their speakers. I really appreciate good bass response and tight bass - will the P300/400 give me that, or should I buy a more expensive active sub from PSB or Mirage or equivilent?

Thanks for the advice...
I would not put it so close to the wall that it prevents air from flowing out. A few inches should be good enough.
As for the sub, Athena subs are every bit as good a value as their speakers. I have the P-400 in my stereo and the P-4000 in my HT and they are both great.

Hey all,
I received my b1/c1 combo today. Even though i have not got to hear them yet they look to be very well built and have an excellent look to them. I cant wait to get my panny xr55 and get everything setup...

Well, like my signature states:

HK 335 7.1

2 F2.2's for the front
1 C1.2 for the front center
2 Pointe 5 satellites for the side surrounds
2 B2.2's for the rear surrounds
1 MKIII Titanic 12" sub

ROOM: 35x18, 9-foot ceilings and 2 hallway openings into room.

The sub was pulled for lack of performance. I will be upgrading the 15" MKIII and then maybe one more later on in 2006 to supplement.

The Athenas are truly amazing. I have only had these for a short time but have definitely pushed these to the boundaries. I have played movies up to +5db volume and they were clear and POWERFUL all the way up. They play music the way it was meant to be played...and aren't even broken in yet. The main reason I am sending the 12" back to PE is that it fails when compared to the performance of the Athenas. I have friends with BOSE systems that are truly envious of my powerful sound. I looked for quite a while on this site reading reviews and am truly happy I decided on the Athenas. I bought them all from audioadvisor.com and so far would never go back...

I am a newbie to the audio world and am trying to build a 6.1 system <$1000 to pair with my 72" InFocus front projection home theater. My room dementions are ~ 15x15. I have some basic questions about setup.

1) I am considering the F2 series speakers but wonder if it will overwhelm my room and should I go with the F1 that is reccommended by Athena's Website.

2) For surround speakers how do the point 5's, ws-15, r-1's compare. Can I put r-1's on all 3 back channels or would you suggest something else. I would like them to be wall mountable.

3) I am considering panasonic xr-55 vs pioneer VSX-1015TX. Which pairs better with the speakers for home theater sound.

4) I hear alot of people pair the dayton subs with their system. Will a 12" overpower my room with F2's? Should I go for a 10" instead?

Thanks.

If you are using this mostly for movies, I would just go with AS-B1s or B2s up front, R1s for all surrounds and put the money you saved on the fronts towards the best subwoofer you can fit into your budget.

i've recently upgraded from an onkyo HTIB to:

H/K AVR 235
AS B1 x 2
AS C1 x 1

and i love the improvement...these speakers are truly amazing, considering what they are being sold for.

what you guys recommend for the surrounds? i don't have the space for another pair of B1's, so i'm trying to decide on a pair of point 5's or R1's. seeing the onkyo surrounds there now is making me angry :eek:

thanks for any input

I have a question for you Athena speaker owners. I am very new to this whole HT thing but recently spent some time researching this and other sites and I went out and bought a little system. I purchased an Hitachi 51" F510, a Pioneer VSX-815, Denon 2910 and the Athena Micra 6 speakers. Now I dont actually get to hook this up until the wife and I move into our new home in February but was already thinking I may need some towers to go with it judging from the posts here. My room is 12X18.

I was considering the F2's(Ebay $270), F2.2's(audio advisor $399) or some Polk M20's(circuit city $180). I was wondering about the polks because I was worried about drowning out my center channel with the bigger Athena's. Should I even consider adding to the Micra's or are they to small to add towers?

Thoughts? Suggestions?

Thanks in advance.

If your receiver has the ability to switch between an A and B set of speakers I would use the Micras for movies and then switch over to the towers for 2-channel music listening. If you try to blend the F2s with the Micras for movies you will probably want to upgrade the center channel as well.

what you guys recommend for the surrounds? i don't have the space for another pair of B1's, so i'm trying to decide on a pair of point 5's or R1's. seeing the onkyo surrounds there now is making me angry :eek:

thanks for any input

I would go for the pair of R1s for surround duty. I have the Point 5s and they sound good for small speakers but they will stick out further from the wall than the R1 will. Note that you won't get quite as good of bass response with the R1s as the B1s, but that's because the cabinet size is a lot smaller.

If your receiver has the ability to switch between an A and B set of speakers I would use the Micras for movies and then switch over to the towers for 2-channel music listening. If you try to blend the F2s with the Micras for movies you will probably want to upgrade the center channel as well.

Thanks. I may get the towers for 2-channel as you suggested and perhaps next year for Christmas we will upgrade our center channel. Just curious, would something like the AS-C1 center work well? Would my Micras be sufficient as surrounds for the 7.1 with this se-up? Also, when listening in 5.1 and 6.1 would the rear speakers of a 7.1 system be mute or simply put out the same surround as other surrounds?

Probably silly questions for all of you but not for me. Really appreciate the input !!

Question for my fellow Athena owners, what would be the optimal crossover setting on my Onkyo receiver (not in my sig but I have a Dayton 10" sub and I already have the crossover on the sub turned all the way up...).

I have the Onkyo 602 and the point 5 system and a Dayton sub. for my speakers, the freq range for the surround speakers drops down to 80 and the center drops down to 60 (I didn't check to see what the range was for your set)...a couple people on here suggested that I set it to 100 on my receiver. Enough so that the sub kicks in before the speakers drop off

I have the Onkyo 602 and the point 5 system and a Dayton sub. for my speakers, the freq range for the surround speakers drops down to 80 and the center drops down to 60 (I didn't check to see what the range was for your set)...a couple people on here suggested that I set it to 100 on my receiver. Enough so that the sub kicks in before the speakers drop off

I have the same surround speakers so I'll try 100. Thanks

I got Athena Micra 6 and Panny XR55, and want to make a 7.1 system in a 12x12 HT room. Would the AS-B1 be a good choice to add as front speakers to the Micra 6, keeping the micra center, sub and use the micra sats as rear surrounds? Is there a noticeable difference between the B1 and B2 since the B2 has a slightly bigger woofer?

Those may be too different to properly intergrate. My suggestion would be to buy the B1s and a C1, use the 4 surrounds(as 7.1) and sell your center

will the C1 center mix well with the micras or will there be a big tonal difference....thus allowing me to add bigger speakers as the fronts b1s, b2s, or possibly f1s...the floor speakers are probably a little much, but will the others be ok or exellent? love to hear a few thoughts


jay

I just added an AS-P400 subwoofer to my bedroom Point 5 setup today (found one still new in the box at a Florida Best Buy). I really like the sound of this sub even compared to the JBL E250 I was using before. Tighter and more punch even though the amplifier is less powerful and the driver is smaller. Frequency response seems to be about the same. My primary usage for this room is music so I think it's going to stick around.

To anybody else out there that might have the Point 5s and the AS-P400, what crossover are you using on your receiver? I've got mine set at 100Hz right now but I notice some distortion in the satellite speakers on some bass-heavy movie passages. Wondering if I should bump up to 120.

I need inwall speakers. Does anyone have any experience with the Athena inwalls?

Got the Athena Point 5s :) . They're awesome for the price, $165 shipped. Paired for now with an htib receiver, planning to get an Onkyo TX-SR503 later. Going to build a 15" Dayton DVC DIY sub in a few weeks.

I have discovered an interesting "problem" with Athenas. If you are a gadget-hound like me, and you like to upgrade often, you will find that there is nothing to upgrade to once you have Athenas (except more or larger Athenas) without spending a lot more money.

I have discovered an interesting "problem" with Athenas. If you are a gadget-hound like me, and you like to upgrade often, you will find that there is nothing to upgrade to once you have Athenas (except more or larger Athenas) without spending a lot more money.
What exactly makes athenas different from other speakers w.r.to upgrade?

I have coming to me a pair of f2.2s, and 2 pairs of B1s (will only use 3 of them, but since I scored both sets for $170 shipped, I thought what the hell). Now I need a receiver, and I was wondering if any of you could help.

This process has been painstaking, so I desperate for your help.

Here are my choices so far:

HK 235
Pioneer 815
Panny xr55

Out of those 3 (all relatively close in price), what do you think is my best bet, or are there others I should be looking at?...I will be adding a small sub at some point, just not sure which yet (hoping partsexpress gets the dayton back in stock for $99, or am going to try to score an athena any model from ebay).

What exactly makes athenas different from other speakers w.r.to upgrade?
The best tweeter this side of B&W Nautilus, with clear, extended highs. Excellent octave to octave tonal balance. Wide dispersion with a well-defined soundstage. A complete lack of midrange anomalies such as chestiness or nasality. The ability to reproduce timbre distinctly, to the point of being able to distinguish between closely related instruments. Bass that is not only deep and powerful, but fast and detailed as well. Impressive dynamic range. High sensitivity. Musically involving.

I have coming to me a pair of f2.2s, and 2 pairs of B1s (will only use 3 of them, but since I scored both sets for $170 shipped, I thought what the hell). Now I need a receiver, and I was wondering if any of you could help.

This process has been painstaking, so I desperate for your help.

Here are my choices so far:

HK 235
Pioneer 815
Panny xr55

Out of those 3 (all relatively close in price), what do you think is my best bet, or are there others I should be looking at?...I will be adding a small sub at some point, just not sure which yet (hoping partsexpress gets the dayton back in stock for $99, or am going to try to score an athena any model from ebay).

I have the 815 and I love it. Some say that Pioneer is a warm receiver and people also say that the Athena's are bright. With the combination the it sounds perfect to me. I was looking at all of those receivers and I picked the Pioneer because it has the most features and had very good ratings.

I have never heard any of the other ones though.

http://www.audioholics.com/productreviews/avhardware/PioneerVSX-815ReceiverReview1.php

Also some people are saying that the Athena's lack in the bass department. I thought the same thing after I purchased them. All it took was raising the bass end on the EQ a little more and it sounded great. I just have the B1's and C1's running full right now until my sub comes in but they were hitting hard after that during movie soundtracks.

thanks sightseeker, I am still pondering but I am going to check out the reviews that you linked.

I made a slight change to my system, or should I say I gave myself more options. I sort of went on a buying frenzy so here is what I am receiving now:
pair of F2.2s
2 pairs of B1s
pair of R1s
athena 400sub (all for $650, not too bad if I dont say so myself) Just need that receiver.
Here is what I was thinking since I have all of these speakers and only want a 5.1 setup in my basement...I was going to use the Fs for fronts, a B for center, and the Rs for rears, with the sub tacked on. Then, since I have 3 Bs left, I was going to set them up in my very small spare bedroom, or I was going to run the other 3 upstairs into my sitting room/living room, but I would like to run them from the basement receiver...anyone know of a receiver that has this multiroom/different source function.? I think the HK 330 has it, but I am not sure...very open to suggestions but do not want to break the bank. I spent 650 so far, so if i can find something around $300, I will stay under budget (which by the way started at $400, and thanks to my new addiction, I have capped at $1000 - without wire and cables, those my fiance agreed to buy).

please help...thanks.

timmer45,

Some Onkyo stereo recievers have multi-room capability, though I am not sure if their HT units have this feature. My Onkyo reciever has good "synergy" with my Athenas, for an excellent combined sound.

My 815 Pioneer can use the extra surround channel for a set of stereo speakers in another room. I'm not sure if you can change the source of the music from what the rest is though. There is a setting in the menu to use that channel for the 7.1 surrounds, to bi-amp them, or to use them as the extra room set....or nothing.

You can go on Pioneerelectronics.com and read the manual to check and see.

thanks sightseeker, I am still pondering but I am going to check out the reviews that you linked.

I made a slight change to my system, or should I say I gave myself more options. I sort of went on a buying frenzy so here is what I am receiving now:
pair of F2.2s
2 pairs of B1s
pair of R1s
athena 400sub (all for $650, not too bad if I dont say so myself) Just need that receiver.
Here is what I was thinking since I have all of these speakers and only want a 5.1 setup in my basement...I was going to use the Fs for fronts, a B for center, and the Rs for rears, with the sub tacked on. Then, since I have 3 Bs left, I was going to set them up in my very small spare bedroom, or I was going to run the other 3 upstairs into my sitting room/living room, but I would like to run them from the basement receiver...anyone know of a receiver that has this multiroom/different source function.? I think the HK 330 has it, but I am not sure...very open to suggestions but do not want to break the bank. I spent 650 so far, so if i can find something around $300, I will stay under budget (which by the way started at $400, and thanks to my new addiction, I have capped at $1000 - without wire and cables, those my fiance agreed to buy).

please help...thanks.

Hi Timmer45,

You should like that setup. I have the P400 with the B1/C1 combo up front and am very happy with it. Some have dissed the P400 but I find it perfect for my room. And at $100 it was a steal compared to it's normal price.

Eventually I'm adding three more B1's for the rear if I can find them at a reasonable price. The B1.1 that is.

Enjoy!

Hi Timmer45,

You should like that setup. I have the P400 with the B1/C1 combo up front and am very happy with it. Some have dissed the P400 but I find it perfect for my room. And at $100 it was a steal compared to it's normal price.

Eventually I'm adding three more B1's for the rear if I can find them at a reasonable price. The B1.1 that is.

Enjoy!


georgemoe, what receiver are you using, that is the dilemma I am having right now...I like the fact that the xr55 is digital, but it may be too bright so I am leaning toward the 815 (due to its setup feature and its left over speaker channels being able to be used in a seperate room as a seperate system, but same source...If the xr55 can do this as well, I may reconsider)(or any other out there for that matter...

I think that the reason my Onkyo reciever works especially with my Athena speakers is that it has a warm sound which counteracts the tendency of the Athenas to sound a bit bright. You should get a warm-sounding amp.

with the speakers I have and utilizing a 7.1 setup, what should go where...

I am using F2.2s for the front, an AS-C for the center, and then I have my dilemma...I have a pair of Rs and a pair of Bs, which should I use for the side surrounds and which should I use for the rears. I was thinking using the Bs for sides, and mounting the Rs on the celing about 2-3 feet behind my viewing/listening area. but something is telling me to place the Rs as the sides and the Bs as rears...what do you think?

also, I think I decided on the yamaha 5760 for a receiver simply due to budget concerns (I can grab one for about $190 shipped).

We can go round and round on this one. I use the R's as rears and the B's as sides.

timmer45,

Some Onkyo stereo recievers have multi-room capability, though I am not sure if their HT units have this feature. My Onkyo reciever has good "synergy" with my Athenas, for an excellent combined sound.


pull, which onkyo receiver are you using? i had an onkyo 530 (really just a rebadged 503) with my athenas, then switched to an H/K 235 and there seemed to be a difference. they sounded less sharp, more rich and fuller. i don't know if it was a break-in thing (if such a thing exists) or a consequence of switching receivers. i'd like to get your thoughts if possible. :)

I'm a new Athena owner: got some point 5s for use as surrounds.

Someone said they were an awesome value for $165, I got mine for $30 ($15 each) from a local best buy. One was open boxed with one scratch, other was in perfect shape, new in the box. I was floored.

Someone said they were an awesome value for $165, I got mine for $30 ($15 each) from a local best buy. One was open boxed with one scratch, other was in perfect shape, new in the box. I was floored.

I think he was refering to the entire set of point 5s, but you definitely got a great deal. I have seen the entire set at many places for roughly $200, so I would say anything under that is a decent deal. Nice pickup.

pull, which onkyo receiver are you using? i had an onkyo 530 (really just a rebadged 503) with my athenas, then switched to an H/K 235 and there seemed to be a difference. they sounded less sharp, more rich and fuller. i don't know if it was a break-in thing (if such a thing exists) or a consequence of switching receivers. i'd like to get your thoughts if possible. :)
I am using the TX8011, which is stereo-only (I have surround sound in a different room, and am using Yamaha in there with Def Tech speakers.) I cannot comment on HK as I have never heard any of their stuff.

I'm a new Athena owner: got some point 5s for use as surrounds.

Someone said they were an awesome value for $165, I got mine for $30 ($15 each) from a local best buy. One was open boxed with one scratch, other was in perfect shape, new in the box. I was floored.

Bah you suck :p . I'm trying to find the point 5s for surround duty on the cheap, since I really don't want to spend $165 for the pair. Amazon has them for 50 bucks each but they only have ONE in stock. grr. May have a look again at the nearest BB and see if they have em. I doubt it but it can't hurt to check.

Oh, and I love the B1s and C1 that I have atm for my 3.1 setup. Look really sharp too :).

try ebay...i snagged a silver/black S.5 pair for $89.95 + S/H (brand new). just have to have some patience.

Bah you suck :p . I'm trying to find the point 5s for surround duty on the cheap, since I really don't want to spend $165 for the pair. Amazon has them for 50 bucks each but they only have ONE in stock. grr. May have a look again at the nearest BB and see if they have em. I doubt it but it can't hurt to check.

Oh, and I love the B1s and C1 that I have atm for my 3.1 setup. Look really sharp too :).

Are you talking about this?

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/stores/offering/list/-/B0002H4YPS/all/ref=dp_olp_2/102-0522389-8009746?%5Fencoding=UTF8

There is one seller but I'm sure they have more than 1 pair.

Are you talking about this?

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/stores/offering/list/-/B0002H4YPS/all/ref=dp_olp_2/102-0522389-8009746?%5Fencoding=UTF8

There is one seller but I'm sure they have more than 1 pair.

Doh should have been more specific about which s.5s on Amazon. The ones that I want to get are these:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0009IK1AM/sr=1-19/qid=1137780349/ref=sr_1_19/102-6884811-3880908?%5Fencoding=UTF8

Just need one pair. I saw the black pair on Amazon but I really don't like the all black color. Just doesn't sit well with me. Thanks for trying to help though.

try ebay...i snagged a silver/black S.5 pair for $89.95 + S/H (brand new). just have to have some patience.

Yea I have been looking on Ebay too incase a pair pops up relatively cheap. Oh well, the search goes on.

Doh should have been more specific about which s.5s on Amazon. The ones that I want to get are these:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0009IK1AM/sr=1-19/qid=1137780349/ref=sr_1_19/102-6884811-3880908?%5Fencoding=UTF8

Just need one pair. I saw the black pair on Amazon but I really don't like the all black color. Just doesn't sit well with me. Thanks for trying to help though.


Yea some people don't like the piano but I gave them a shot and love them. The look really classy. I got the ones with the dull black fronts though. I wish my B1's were like that but they sit up near the TV and the TV is silver and black so it's a perfect match.

ebay has a few of the .5s that you guys are looking for, but they are not exactly budget cheap...I found a pair for $130 or you can buy singles at $60 a pop...the seller is named athomeproducts (he also has the set of point 5s for $200, just in case anyone here is in drastic need for these).

I picked up most of my gear thru audiogon and videogon (F2.2s for $200 a pair, P400 sub for $125, C1 for $60, Rs for $90 a pair) and I bought my pair of B1s from ebay for $80 shipped. I hope I did okay, this is my first system and I am hoping for the best. I also picked up a yamaha 6660 5 disc dvd/cd for $100 thru audiogon and a yamaha 5760 receiver for roughly $200 via audiogon as well (most of it wasnt listed, but thru contact with a guy, which led to another, and so on, I think I did okay). patience is a virtue when it comes to bargain hunting with this stuff. I cant wait to set everything up...now it is a matter of toying around with it and seeing which configuration sounds the best, which will also be a first for me, so it should be interesting.

Question for my fellow Athena owner's, I currently have a 5.1 setup and am thinking about getting a couple more .5's to make it 7.1.

Can anyone comment on if it is really worth it to go to 7.1?

FYI - my HT use is about 95% movies.

I recently added two more Athenas to my system to got from 7.1 to 5.1. While it is more than a subtle difference it is not a huge difference. To me it is hard to explain what the difference is but it is there and I definitely prefer the 7.1 setup. I think it depends on your room. If you have say 4-5ft or more behind you to place the back surround and can put the other surrounds directly to the side I would do it.

I recently added two more Athenas to my system to got from 7.1 to 5.1. While it is more than a subtle difference it is not a huge difference. To me it is hard to explain what the difference is but it is there and I definitely prefer the 7.1 setup. I think it depends on your room. If you have say 4-5ft or more behind you to place the back surround and can put the other surrounds directly to the side I would do it.

I would have about 4 feet behind me. I don't know if it is just hype but the ASA feature on my receiver looks intriging:

"Advanced Speaker Array (ASA)
ASA is a proprietary THX technology which processes the
sound fed to 2 side and 2 back surround speakers to provide
the optimal surround sound experience. When you set up
your home theater system using all eight speaker outputs
(Left, Center, Right, Surround Right, Surround Back Right,
Surround Back Left, Surround Left and Subwoofer) placing
the two Surround Back speakers close together facing the
front of the room as shown in the diagram will provide the
largest sweet spot. If for practical reasons you have to place
the Surround Back speakers apart, you will need to go THX
Audio Set-up screen and choose the setting that most
closely corresponds to the speaker spacing, which will reoptimize
the surround sound-field.
ASA is used in three new modes; THX Select2 Cinema, THX
MusicMode and THX Games Mode"

Here is a link to a thread discussing THX 7.1 speaker placement.

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=627608

I don't have a THX receiver and have my back surrounds about 5ft apart. I don't think many people around here agree with placing them next to each other even though THX recommends it.

I'm a little late to the party, but I'm a very happy Athena owner. I purchased my setup back in August and really have been very impressed by it, considering how much I paid all told.

My setup is as follows..


Receiver: Pioneer 1015TX
Center: AS-C1.2
Front: AS-F2.2 x 2
Surrounds: AS-R1.2
Sub: SVS PBISD12/2


Having read the comments in this thread, I must agree in regard to my center channel not being able to keep up w/ my fronts. But it was easy to compensate for with the level, and all is well. I've got upgraditis, and may end up putting together an Axiom setup... we'll see though. :D

I would love to pick up a pair of AS-R1's but they seem to be about impossible to find. Anyone know where you can get these?

I received 4 AS-B1's and 1 AS-C1 for Christmas--my first surround sound setup. I also got an Onkyo 803 receiver. Now, though, I've got a problem with speaker placement.

The AS-B1 surround speakers are too large for finding a good placement in the room. The back wall is a wall of shelving, but the Athena speakers are too tall to set upright on the shelves. Would I be sacrificing anything if I laid them sideways?

I am trying to decide which way would be the best bang for the buck....I will be going to a 7.1 setup and need to add 2 speakers.

Does the floor models give much better sound quality? I have a fairly small room and a decent sounding sub (at least to me), so would getting a couple of the F1's give much more over the B1's than more bass and more power?

My other option is to get a couple of R/1's for the sides (due to the wife factor, placing the .5's on the side won't work because they stick out too far, lol).

My other option is to get a couple of R/1's for the sides (due to the wife factor, placing the .5's on the side won't work because they stick out too far, lol).

I just bought a pair of R1s, and they are much bigger than the .5s, so it is my guess that if your wife doesnt like the look of the .5s, forget about the Rs, they are much bigger. I am having the same issue with the fiance, she hates the size of the setup I have (all athena, she wanted me to go with the micras, and instead I went with 2 f2.2s, 2 B1s, 2 R1s and a C with a P400 sub...she is going to have to deal with it though...or should I say I am going to have to deal with it...depends on perspective.)

I just bought a pair of R1s, and they are much bigger than the .5s, so it is my guess that if your wife doesnt like the look of the .5s, forget about the Rs, they are much bigger. I am having the same issue with the fiance, she hates the size of the setup I have (all athena, she wanted me to go with the micras, and instead I went with 2 f2.2s, 2 B1s, 2 R1s and a C with a P400 sub...she is going to have to deal with it though...or should I say I am going to have to deal with it...depends on perspective.)

It is not really the size of the .5 that is the problem, it is more the bracket and how far the speaker sticks out from the wall. It looks like the R1 would be a bit more pleasent to look at and stick out less.

It appears that the R1 can be "hung" flat against the wall, correct?

It appears that the R1 can be "hung" flat against the wall, correct?

That is correct...and they have a bracket built-in for hanging on the wall.

oh, i wasnt aware that the point 5s stuck out so far with the bracket. the Rs can be mounted, like chas said. also, they have a little rubber stopper that can be removed in order to angle it a bit downward (granted it doesnt do a whole lot, but it can help a bit).

Probably a dumb question but...do these have black covers on them?
Every picture I have seen is without a cover.

Yes the R1s come with a black cover just like the rest of the Audition series.

Well, I'm now the proud owner of some .5's. My main setup is Mirage Omni 260's, Omni CC, Omni FX's and a Paradigm PS12. After finding out that the same company makes both brands (energy as well), I decided to give them a try. I needed to replace my old setup in the master bedroom. All I can say is that I was shocked at how nice the .5's sound for their meager $200 price tag. A tad bright, but extremely detailed. While I love my Mirages for music, I find the center channel lacking alot in deep tones for movies. Just not a warm sound for movies. I'm left wondering what their floor standers would sound like in comparison to my Mirages. Any comments from those who have demoed both?

Well, I made the leap and bought a couple AS-R1.2 (after a nice argument with the wife, lol). I hope 7.1 is worth it!

And continuing with the theme of the previous two posts I finally found the S.5s that I've been looking for. Bought them new at Best Buy for 30 dollars each. 60 bucks doesn't seem too bad I say :D. Got them connected and all I have to say is :eek: when watching the SAM scene in Behind Enemy Lines.

I had a question about the mounts that come with the athena point 5 speakers. Do these mounts allow you to angle the speakers down and to the side or do they only allow you to mount straight out from the wall?

Also, how far out from the wall do they sit?

It'd be great if someone could take a picture from the side of their mounted speaker but I'd appreciate any details anyone could provide regarding the mounts.
Its hard to get an idea of the size of these speakers from the pictures on the sites of retailers.

you can angle the speakers up & down or left & right. the speakers sit about 4 -5" off the wall. you'll need drywall anchors to mount them, as the speakers are pretty heavy for their size. the brackets are very sturdy...a really good design that anyone can put together in just a few minutes.

Like many here, I came into this forum with the intention of buying a HTIB and was quickly convinced I could do much better.

Finally received all my new stuff and hooked it all up last night for the first time. Family watched War of the Worlds and we were literally laughing and squealing out loud at the sound experience. Thanks to everyone for helping me choose Athenas. I am very impressed. We have a large room (24' X 20' with high ceilings) and these things fill it nicely...the subwoofer is fantastic.

One speaker (an F1.2) arrived with one of the plastic grill sockets broken off. It's not visible so I'm not too concerned. I have emailed BestPriceAudioVideo.com asking for a replacement grill, but no response yet.

One question regarding "break-in". Paperwork says 80-100 hours...is this just to get the best sound, or is there a possiblity of damaging the speakers if dialed up before that time? We never went above -18db last night...but I do have a 15 year old boy...so I figured I better ask...

Oh, and also...I have the F1.2 (front L&Rs) set as "large" and all the others set as "small". Crossover values are set at 40 for the F1.2 and 60 for the C1.2 and B1.2 which is the spec low range for each. They are the values my receiver manual suggested but I am interrested in everyone's input. I also have the sub crossover adjustment set on the back of the AS-P6000 to the "F1.2" position. I appreciate any advice.

Thanks!

Like many others I recently bought B1.2s and C1.2 for my home theater and am extremely happy with its performance. I have a question regarding the B1.2 - Can they be bi-wired/amped? I heard it will prov

proud owner of Athena WS series :D

tried the WS100 at best buy, and loved the clarity

got my WS100's and P4000 setup, waiting to setup the WS60 and WS15 over the weekend

ok fellow athena owners...I need some help here. I have a handful of speakers and now I need to set up two systems. What I plan to do is list everything that I have and then hear your advice on what the best way to set up the systems are. I need one main system for my basement rec room/home theater (used for 75% movies and 25% music) and another system for either my living room or my bedroom. My rec room is small, only about 11x10 (that is my theater area, the entire room is about 11x20)(the other portion is filled with a pool table, bar and dart board). I am leaning toward putting the other system in the living room, which is 11x16.

So here is what I am working with:
4 B1s
2 R1s
2 F2.2s
1 C1
1 P400 sub
Yamaha 5760 receiver
Pioneer 455 receiver (this is quite old, and obviously the weak link...it will be replaced as soon as some funds come in, probably in a few months)

This is what I was thinking...
Option 1 - rec room system using the yamaha receiver, the 4 B1s, C1 and P400. Then the other system would be whats left over, with the need to add a center channel at some point.
Option 2 (this one the wife likes better since the big speakers would be out of the living room and in the basement)- rec room yamaha with F2.2s, C1, and R1s with or without sub (per your advice), and the Bs as a 4 speaker system with or without the sub in the living room (could either add another B or a C for a center later on). Neither of these systems will ever be blasting, mainly casual use for music and movies. For option 2, I was thinking maybe the F2s with 3 Bs as a possibility as well...

Please help...I need it!!! Once I make this decision, then I will need some advice as to settings (small vs. large, crossover...this stuff is extremely foreign to me). I am looking for a way to balance these two systems out, however the basement system will get the most use. Logical thinking tells me to seperate the towers and the sub for better bass balance, but then again I am new so my logic may not be so logical after all.

thanks in advance.

I like option two. Leave the subwoofer with the four B1s and run the F2s, C1, and R1s together. If you do things this way you can set the F2s as large speakers, the C1 and R1s as small with a crossover of 80 Hz, and the subwoofer turned off so the bass is redirected to the F2s. In the living/bed room you can run the B1s with a crossover of 80 Hz and have the redirected bass go to the subwoofer (if the Pioneer 455 has bass management).

I recently upgraded my athena micra 6 setup (now a 7.1 system w/ all micras) with the AS-P4000 sub. The sound, while definitely low, is almost too low without any noticeable punch, just a lot of distortion in most movie sequences (it basically just rumbles). Music sounds fine but it could be better in the higher low frequencies (like around 120Hz). Movies seem to just playback the really low frequencies without much middle ground. First off, is this normal for the sub and smaller setup?

Second, I was wondering what would be the best way to smooth out this problem given my relatively small room setting (about 120 sq ft.) I'm pretty sure that the easy solution would be to get two of the audition B1s for the front so the sub can better match the playback levels. If i do, should i also get an upgraded center as well? A number of people have told me to work on adjusting the crossover on the sub (some say turn all the way up, others say turn down to match the speakers (micras = 100Hz). I can't seem to get the bass to blend nearly as well as the M225 sub it came with (which makes sense). Any help would be fantastic.

Are you using the bass management on the receiver? Turn your sub xovr to the highest setting and set the receiver at 80, 100, and 120hz and see if that helps. Set all speakers to small.

right, tried raising the frequency, some things sound really nice and crisp, others such as large bass punch effects just rumble a lot along the floor with not much connection. Many battle scenes such as in ROTK with the elephants dont even sound like the footprints are connecting at all, with just real low frequencies following them up. My room is quite small but i dont see that as too much of a problem. I think the crossover being too high is causing the sub to overwhelm the bass on the micras fronts without much blending taking place. The only conclusion i can draw is that the room needs the middle range bass from satellites that will deliver such as the audition B1's and their center component.

I have the B1's front C1 center and .5's rear with the Dayton. I'm in a larger room and they kick really well. I just checked and the frequency respose on the micras is 100Hz so you shouldn't go any lower than that. Maybe 120. Those are smaller speakers so your not going to get as much output from them. The sub should be able to handle it though. Try setting the xovr at 120 and moving the sub around. Try moving it closer to you as well.

It almost sounds like you have the xovr on the sub turned all the way down. Are you sure it's set at it's highest? It should be about 180Hz or so not 40Hz.

thanks jeremy...

anyone else have any comments (see my last post)?

Anybody have any input on my earlier post?

Finally received all my new stuff and hooked it all up last night for the first time. Family watched War of the Worlds and we were literally laughing and squealing out loud at the sound experience. Thanks to everyone for helping me choose Athenas. I am very impressed. We have a large room (24' X 20' with high ceilings) and these things fill it nicely...the subwoofer is fantastic.

One speaker (an F1.2) arrived with one of the plastic grill sockets broken off. It's not visible so I'm not too concerned. I have emailed BestPriceAudioVideo.com asking for a replacement grill, but no response yet.

One question regarding "break-in". Paperwork says 80-100 hours...is this just to get the best sound, or is there a possiblity of damaging the speakers if dialed up before that time? We never went above -18db last night...but I do have a 15 year old boy...so I figured I better ask...

Oh, and also...I have the F1.2 (front L&Rs) set as "large" and all the others set as "small". Crossover values are set at 40 for the F1.2 and 60 for the C1.2 and B1.2 which is the spec low range for each. They are the values my receiver manual suggested but I am interrested in everyone's input. I also have the sub crossover adjustment set on the back of the AS-P6000 to the "F1.2" position. I appreciate any advice.

Thanks!

Oh, and also...I have the F1.2 (front L&Rs) set as "large" and all the others set as "small". Crossover values are set at 40 for the F1.2 and 60 for the C1.2 and B1.2 which is the spec low range for each. They are the values my receiver manual suggested but I am interrested in everyone's input. I also have the sub crossover adjustment set on the back of the AS-P6000 to the "F1.2" position. I appreciate any advice.

Thanks!

I'd still set the fronts as small. Even though they may be rated low they can't do it with authority. When you do that no bass from the front channels are getting sent to the Sub only LFE and whatever is getting sent to the front and rears. Try setting them at 40Hz as well and give it another shot. What receiver do you have? I wish I could set the crossover for each speaker like that.

I'd still set the fronts as small. Even though they may be rated low they can't do it with authority. When you do that no bass from the front channels are getting sent to the Sub only LFE and whatever is getting sent to the front and rears. Try setting them at 40Hz as well and give it another shot. What receiver do you have? I wish I could set the crossover for each speaker like that.

Thanks for the advice. What does "LFE" stand for?

Are you suggesting I set the B1.2s for 40Hz crossover or the F1.2s at 40 but with a small setting? I am easily confused. :rolleyes:

My receiver is a new HK AVR 240. Very impressive feature set (even A/V sync delay) for the price. ($350)

Also, I had to put my center on the bottom shelf of my TV stand which puts it just above the carpeted floor. Would it be better to get an omnimount shelf and put it on top of the TV?

Thanks for any help.

Low Frequency Effects. It's the .1 in the lineup. It has it's own channel that the others don't get. What happens is if you don't turn your fronts to small all of the bass goes to those speakers and nothing to the sub except LFE. Since WOTW has lots of LFE you didn't notice. Other movies you are going to wonder where the all the lower bass went because it's trying to send it to the speakers but they can't do it.

The F1 Athena's are rated to 40hz. If the movie plays bass that is below that the speaker can't play it and the sub wont get it unless you have it going to the sub. The only way to do that is to set the speakers to small and the sub will be sent everything below the xover point.

There is one more way and that is to set the fronts to Large and use the Plus setting on the receiver which sends full range to the fronts and everything below the xover to the sub. That is not recommended due to the speakers and the sub canceling each other out.

I’d try all small and 60Hz. I wouldn’t set it at the limit of the Fronts because they will start to lose DB’s closer to it’s range limit. Also the B1's stop at 60Hz.

Edit - In summary set all speakers to small crossing over everything at 60Hz or 80Hz. They really shouldn't call the setting Small and Large because that isn't really the point of the setting.

Low Frequency Effects. It's the .1 in the lineup. It has it's own channel that the others don't get. What happens is if you don't turn your fronts to small all of the bass goes to those speakers and nothing to the sub except LFE. Since WOTW has lots of LFE you didn't notice. Other movies you are going to wonder where the all the lower bass went because it's trying to send it to the speakers but they can't do it.

The F1 Athena's are rated to 40hz. If the movie plays bass that is below that the speaker can't play it and the sub wont get it unless you have it going to the sub. The only way to do that is to set the speakers to small and the sub will be sent everything below the xover point.

There is one more way and that is to set the fronts to Large and use the Plus setting on the receiver which sends full range to the fronts and everything below the xover to the sub. That is not recommended due to the speakers and the sub canceling each other out.

I’d try all small and 60Hz. I wouldn’t set it at the limit of the Fronts because they will start to lose DB’s closer to it’s range limit. Also the B1's stop at 60Hz.

Edit - In summary set all speakers to small crossing over everything at 60Hz or 80Hz.

Wow! That is great help! Thank you!

I will play with it some more. Do you have any input on the "break-in" issue?

Wow! That is great help! Thank you!

I will play with it some more. Do you have any input on the "break-in" issue?


They told me to break in my sportbike but you know sometimes you just have to give it some gas. :D

Do you have any input on the "break-in" issue?

I purchased the B1/C1 combo and a Mirage S10 sub right after Christmas. Each recommended a 50 hour break-in period. Not knowing if this was necessary, I figured it couldn't hurt and went ahead and did it anyway.

After the 50 hours, I really could not tell much difference and, at the time, was not exactly liking the sound I was getting from the combo of them and my HK 635 (very bright with a muddy mid-range). Long story short, I decided to give them a couple more weeks before I made any permanent decisions on them and I'm glad I waited. Maybe they needed a few more hours to break in, but all of a sudden they just opened up. They now seem less bright and the mid-range is much less muddy. Not sure what happened, but I'm definitely an Athena fan now (and I now believe in the "theory" of break-in). YMMV.

quick setup question for you guys...

in a 5.1 setup, should the surrounds be setup for rear surrounds, or side surrounds? does it depend on the room configuration? or is it simply preference? also, I did not receive any other opinions on my possible system setups other than jeremy's (thanks again)...is it safe to assume that everyone else agrees with him?

quick setup question for you guys...

in a 5.1 setup, should the surrounds be setup for rear surrounds, or side surrounds? does it depend on the room configuration? or is it simply preference? also, I did not receive any other opinions on my possible system setups other than jeremy's (thanks again)...is it safe to assume that everyone else agrees with him?

Side. Rear is for the 6 and 7.

I have the B1's front C1 center and .5's rear with the Dayton. I'm in a larger room and they kick really well. I just checked and the frequency respose on the micras is 100Hz so you shouldn't go any lower than that. Maybe 120. Those are smaller speakers so your not going to get as much output from them. The sub should be able to handle it though. Try setting the xovr at 120 and moving the sub around. Try moving it closer to you as well.

It almost sounds like you have the xovr on the sub turned all the way down. Are you sure it's set at it's highest? It should be about 180Hz or so not 40Hz.

Actually, the crossover is at its highest (120) which is where most of the boomy sound occurs. I haven't tried moving the AS-P4000 many places but from listening to its feedback, i can definitely telll that it can't or doesn't want to blend at the higher frequencies (around 100/120) of the micras. By moving the dial down it sounds less boomy, but only the really low stuff comes through which makes sense and thus leaves a frequency gap the micras cannot make up for. I guess the room could be too small to perceive such deep bass but i did watch a blueman group DVD and the audio quality was excellent especially with the deep punches the sub delivered. I just think that more of the higher end bass needs to be present in order for the sub to really perform as it wants to, meaning at ridiculously low levels which is why the audition series might be needed to fill in. Someone did mention an SLP meter to help configure the bass but i just don't think there are that many settings on the xr-55 that i haven't already played with without success.

Front: Athena SCT series P3S3 combo-----set at large
surround sound :AS R1--------set at small ( xover 100)
Black surround: AS B1--------set at small ( xover 80 )
subwoofer: D-Box David302 ( set at LFE)
Receiver: HK335
Room: 15X25

Just received two set Athena SCT series P3 S3 today.
SCT is a old athena model. The first set of Athena speaker system back to year 2000.
P3 is a power subwoofer
S3 is a 3 way speaker
Combine them together you get the full range tower speaker from 20Hz to 20khz

The sound from P3S3 is so good and more than I expected.
Before I use ASB1 as front main speakers. They are clear, crisp detailed, and very dynamic
But with the P3S3 combo you get more bining from high to low frequency. More round sound.
Some people may complain the ASB1 is good at high tone and lose in mid tone and low tone.
But I find the PSS3 had filled all the holes in mid tone and low tone.

Anyone have SCT series may want to share somemore.

Hello Athena Owners, I am purchasing a point 5 system and MAY get two B1's for the mains. My living room is just under 400 square feet and opens to the staircase. I am wondering if the P4000 or P6000 would suit me better. I am worried that the P4000 will be underpowered and the P6000 will be overpowered. FYI I am running these on an Onkyo 503. Any thoughts?

I would think that either sub would work for you in that setup. However, if you get the B1s, you should consider the C1 for the center as well. You want your LCR to be matched as closely as possible.

If I purchased the C1, it would be at a later date, but I have considered that. I think I am going to start with the Point 5's and a sub, then move on from there.

I noticed the sell the old SCT stuff on the Athena website for decent prices.

http://www.audioprods.com/clearance_athena/?currency=USD

Anyone have good comment on SCT speakers ?????

A couple of SCT reviews.

http://www.ecoustics.com/avrev/athena/

http://www.hometheatermag.com/loudspeakers/18/

Onkyo HT-R520 Receiver
AS-B1.2 x 2 Front L/R
AS-B1.2 x 2 Rear L/R
AS-C1 Center
AS-R1 Rear Center
AS-P4000 Sub

Quick question on the crossover points for athena speakers + AS-P4000 sub. The sub includes its own crossover device that allows you to custom blend the athena speakers with a pre-set level on the sub. Since I now have a pair of B1s and C1 center, this level would be 70Hz on the sub. However, everyone here strongly recommends just using the AV receiver (xr-55) as bass management with a filter of 80. My question is with the mains set to small (good for allowing the whole bass signal to pass uninterrupted to the sub) wouldn't i lose something out of the fronts if i bypass the subs filter (recommended to either disable or turn all the way up)? Shouldn't i try to filter at 70 instead of 80 to get a better bass level out of my mains? I think this could only be done if i set the mains to large but that would cause distortion with very low frequencies.

I just got my WS-100's to go with my .5s and pio 815. I am very pleased

I just thought that I'd throw my name in here now that I'm a proud owner of Athena speakers. I recently upgraded my speakers from the ones included in the Yamaha YHT-755. Here is my current setup:

Center - AS-C1.2
Fronts - AS-B2.2
Rear Center - AS-R1.2
Left and Right Surrounds - AS-1.2
Subwoofer - Dayton 10"
Receiver - Yamaha HTR 5740 (the same one included in the YHT-755)

I've had my Athena speakers for about a week now and I'm very impressed. The speakers have good bass and great clarity; a huge upgrade from my HTIB speakers. Heavy Metal (Superbit version with DTS) and Batman Returns (2 disc Special Edition with DTS) never sounded so good. The speakers were well worth the $604 that I paid for them. I'm thinking of upgrading my receiver soon to either the HTR 5990 or the RX-V 2600. Bumping up from a 600 watt receiver to a 900+ watt receiver should help improve the sound even more; plus the extra audio and video hooks up will help. I couldn't be more pleased with my Athena speakers purchase.

I'm thinking of upgrading my receiver soon to either the HTR 5990 or the RX-V 2600. Bumping up from a 600 watt receiver to a 900+ watt receiver should help improve the sound even more; plus the extra audio and video hooks up will help. I couldn't be more pleased with my Athena speakers purchase.

sounds like a nice setup. if you're thinking of upgrading your receiver, i'd recommend looking at some that have a reputation to be "warm" - pioneer, H/K, or marantz to name a few. my situation was similar to yours...i started with an onkyo HTIB, and ended up with an athena setup (B1x2, C1, S.5x2). they sounded so much better than those crappy onkyo speakers. i then jumped on a chance to grab a refurbished H/K AVR 235, and the sound improved even more. the brightness of was tamed down noticeably.

Okay, I have my Athenas, waiting for the new sofas and the new piece of furniture for the plasma to come in so that I can get everything hooked up. Right now this is what I currently have:

HK AVR-435
4 AS B1-2
1 AS C1
P4000 SUB

My room is 13x13. We've decided on the plasma piece. It's 36 inches high. The center channel will fit below at 30 inches. Here is my dilemma. The B1s will not fit on the console so they have to go on the sides of it, on the floors. My wife is adamantly opposed to speaker stands so I have to make do without. Should I go ahead and buy F1s or will the B1s be okay on the ground. Also, I am going with 5.1 unless I do go with the F1s, then it will be 7.1. For 5.1 where do I put the speakers? Directly to the side of my seating area facing the center of the room, facing me, behind me? Not sure where they should go. Can they be forward or behind the seating area or do they need to be right at the side. ALso, if I go 7.1 the rears could only possibly be 2 feet behind the seating area, maybe 3. Again, for sides and rears these have to go on the floor. How compromised will my sound be? Thanks for all the help

Don't put the B1s on the ground. You will be too far off-axis and the sound quality will suffer. There are other options besides plain speaker stands, but I would use this as an opportunity to get the F1s :D

Do you guys think that a Pioneer Elite VSX-72TXV would be over kill for my setup? I really like the watt output and the audio/video hookups of the receiver; it would be an ideal receiver for at least the next 5 years. I was leaning towards another Yamaha receiver, but it seems that most folks here prefer to use Pioneer with the speakers. I looked at some H/K and Marantz receivers online, but neither company had a single receiver in the $800-1200 price range that interested me.

Do you guys think that a Pioneer Elite VSX-72TXV would be over kill for my setup? I really like the watt output and the audio/video hookups of the receiver; it would be an ideal receiver for at least the next 5 years. I was leaning towards another Yamaha receiver, but it seems that most folks here prefer to use Pioneer with the speakers. I looked at some H/K and Marantz receivers online, but neither company had a single receiver in the $800-1200 price range that interested me.

I personally don't like to spend large sums on my receiver, as that's the one part of my audio setup that will be obsolete the quickest. Having said that, the Elite series certainly enjoys a good rep in these parts...

Okay, I have my Athenas, waiting for the new sofas and the new piece of furniture for the plasma to come in so that I can get everything hooked up. Right now this is what I currently have:

HK AVR-435
4 AS B1-2
1 AS C1
P4000 SUB

My room is 13x13. We've decided on the plasma piece. It's 36 inches high. The center channel will fit below at 30 inches. Here is my dilemma. The B1s will not fit on the console so they have to go on the sides of it, on the floors. My wife is adamantly opposed to speaker stands so I have to make do without. Should I go ahead and buy F1s or will the B1s be okay on the ground. Also, I am going with 5.1 unless I do go with the F1s, then it will be 7.1. For 5.1 where do I put the speakers? Directly to the side of my seating area facing the center of the room, facing me, behind me? Not sure where they should go. Can they be forward or behind the seating area or do they need to be right at the side. ALso, if I go 7.1 the rears could only possibly be 2 feet behind the seating area, maybe 3. Again, for sides and rears these have to go on the floor. How compromised will my sound be? Thanks for all the help

http://www.dolby.com/images/consumer/home_entertainment/room_d1.gif

http://www.dolby.com/consumer/home_entertainment/roomlayout.html

Is the WAF is hell-bent against stands, definitely go with floorstanders.

Okay, I have my Athenas, waiting for the new sofas and the new piece of furniture for the plasma to come in so that I can get everything hooked up. Right now this is what I currently have:

HK AVR-435
4 AS B1-2
1 AS C1
P4000 SUB

My room is 13x13. We've decided on the plasma piece. It's 36 inches high. The center channel will fit below at 30 inches. Here is my dilemma. The B1s will not fit on the console so they have to go on the sides of it, on the floors. My wife is adamantly opposed to speaker stands so I have to make do without. Should I go ahead and buy F1s or will the B1s be okay on the ground. Also, I am going with 5.1 unless I do go with the F1s, then it will be 7.1. For 5.1 where do I put the speakers? Directly to the side of my seating area facing the center of the room, facing me, behind me? Not sure where they should go. Can they be forward or behind the seating area or do they need to be right at the side. ALso, if I go 7.1 the rears could only possibly be 2 feet behind the seating area, maybe 3. Again, for sides and rears these have to go on the floor. How compromised will my sound be? Thanks for all the help

I have this setup - except w/ micra surrounds (4) - and think that it's an absolutely wicked combination of sound dynamics. I'm sure you'll love the deep bass the sub puts out especially for those scenes from WOTW and anything else for that matter. Make sure you balance the sub position right b/c with mine it took a while to find a spot in the room that would disperse the long slams of bass evenly (not next to an opening like a closet in my case). Also, room size might be an issue since i couldn't see the AS-P4000 having quite the same effect in a larger setting.

The floor might be an unusual setting for a speaker like the B1 (I have mine way up w/ the surrounds at ear level) floorstanders, sure, but for surrounds? That's probably why i went with the smaller micras (from a leftover system) however, i'm sure you could add furniture later that would accommodate. As for the 7.1 question, mine are fairly close as well, though much smaller, but since they are only for direcitonal references in most cases, I don't mind. Still, the floor probably is the wrong place for any speaker unless you can get them at ear level. It would be a real shame to waste such sound potential with poor placement, maybe your wife will come around when she hears the lightning strikes from WOTW. Maybe...

Thanks in advance for the answers....

I have the following:

HK335
F2.2
C1.2
B2.2
.5
Titanic MKIII 15"

I bought this setup on recommendations from this forum and have no regrets. I have not hooked up the B2.2 or the Pointe 5's yet. I am just running the F2.2's the sub, and the center for now and it already rocks the house...especially for the $$$.

For my 7.1 system, where would you place the pointe 5's and the B2.2's?? Back of the room or the side surrounds facing inward, which set of speakers would be best in which spot??? I assumed the b2.2 in the rear facing forward and the pointe 5's facing in from the sides. Correct??/

Thanks again.

Hi I thought this would be better then starting a thread, can anybody tell me if the C1 has black and red caps on the binding posts? I was cleaning and moving things and when I looked at the C1 I noticed that there weren't any tops on them. I've looked and can't seem to find them either.

Thanks.

Do you mean the little plastic plugs that go into the binding post hole? Then yes, there are supposed to be a red and black one that came with the speaker. If they fell out or you lost them it's not a big deal, they don't add to the sound quality or anything like that ;)

Well I figured as much but it was more of a ‘did I buy it like that (it has been a year so I have been forgetful of it) or did they in fact fall out? - Ah the mysteries of life.

Does the center channel included with the athena point5 speakers have a mount as well?
If a mount isn't included does it have the holes on the back so that it can be mounted to the wall?

No the point 5 center is not designed to be wall-mounted. If you want to put it on the wall you will need to buy a shelf to put under it, or one of those wall mounts that clamps the speaker from the top/bottom or sides.

I'd like some feedback, which receiver would make a better match with an F2.2 Audition series system, Yammie 2600 or the Pio 74? I've heard that Yammie's have a tendency to be bright, whereas the Pio emphasizes the midrange and upper bass a little more. I'm not sure about the characteristics of the F2.2's, but, I know from the reviews and from what I've read here, they are highly regarded.

I'm installing a 7.1 setup and in my plan I was supposed to took 2 AS-R1 for Left and Right surround and two AS-B1 for rear.
I have ordered last week my two AS-R1 on Athena Factory Clearance center Web site (Pay 225 CAN for a pair). After that i have visisted my local FuturShop this week-end to buy two AS-B1 speaker for rear channel and I have seen a cleanup sale for AS-R1 at only 29$ CAN each for Open Box, only 2 remaining!. I have decided to took a chance on it because AS-B1 was 229$ CAN (58$ CAN for two AS-R1) and the difference was really important.

Just curious if someone have tried this particular setup before me and if it sounds well?
I will received my 2 last AS-R1 in the following days and I will do some testing...

Where did you guys get these sweet deals on the speakers? Looking at the authorized sellers from Athena's site I am unable to find any good prices. I am looking to start with a center channel and replace my old klipsch system over the coming months.

thanks

Most people get them from Amazon.com or audioadvisor.com. You might want to check at the local Best Buy store also. They usually have open box ones for really cheap prices(I got a pair of open box AS F1s for $220)
BTW, center channel speaker is probably the one weak sibling among the Athenas. Many in the forum seem to think that the C1 is not as great as the B1 or F1 or F2. I don't know much about the C1 because I still use the lower end C5 for center channel..

Hi

Is there any difference between the old Athena AS and the new one?

Did anyone of you heard both of them?

Hi

Is there any difference between the old Athena AS and the new one?

Did anyone of you heard both of them?
I have not had a chance to compare the new F1.2's with my original F1's (cannot find them in stock at a B&M), but I have noticed that the .2's are a few pounds lighter, which could make them more prone to cabinet vibrations. This holds throughout the AS.2 line.

Just thought that I'd let everyone know that I finally upgraded my receiver to a Denon AVR-3806. The sound sounds more natural now; although it is unfair to compare the Yamaha HTR-5740 to the 3806. All and all, I am one happy Athena owner now. I never realized how much sound could improve DVD viewing.