Athena owners thread.

[type456]

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

[SSJLaletas]

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.

[mskeezer]

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...

[grimani]

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.

[pittdog1]

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

[Cyrano]

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.

[jvgillow]

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

[ice1874193]

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....

[Cambochink]

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

[lunat1c]

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.

[chas_w]

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......)

[biglyle]

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

[Ron Alcasid]

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.

[kera]

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

[robd1438]

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!

[jvgillow]

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.

[abracadabra]

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

Amazing sound.

[troublefan]

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.

[stoked]

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.

[Version]

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.

[Jack Gilvey]

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.

[Cyrano]

Originally Posted by Jack Gilvey

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!

[UnknownShadow]

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?

[watskooo]

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

[Shark Bait]

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

[afrogt]

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.

[cripes]

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.

[jvgillow]

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.

[bitpoh]

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

Usage:
90% movies
10% music

[cripes]

Originally Posted by jvgillow

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