AVS Forum banner

Suggestions for 18" Subs and Top Notch Center Channel

2K views 58 replies 12 participants last post by  golffnutt 
#1 ·
OK, I want to try my hand at building 2 each 18" subs and 1 each center channel speaker that is as clear (voices) as any movie theater speaker. I have the flagship receiver from Onkyo, about 6 years old now, (TX-NR5009 $2995) which has great amps and I still have to turn the volume way up to hear voices and then it is too loud from all the other speakers and yes I have the speakers calibrated using Radio Shack Sound Meter. I have a hearing deficiency and need a really good center channel speaker. My speakers now are all PSB in my 7.2 system. Room size is 17' x 17' x 18' (vaulted ceiling). I know the ceiling is not good but my Home Theater is my family room so I have to live with it. I have a projector with a 120" wide screen.

I need your recommendations for the subs and center channel speaker. My budget is $500 per speaker or $1500. Hopefully I can build some top notch subs and a great center channel speaker for that price. Right now I am using 2 each 12" subs from M&K. When it comes to the LFE sound they really get boomy, loose and blurry, not tight and fast like a movie theater. I will need really good directions and pictures on how to build these as I have never done this before but I am pretty good at woodworking as long as I have good directions. I will also need specific model numbers and hopefully links to where I can buy everything. Thanks for all your help, I know you won't let me down with good suggestions. You have always been gracious with your time and knowledge in the past and I am sure you won't let me down with your suggestions. Have a wonderful evening to everyone.
 
See less See more
#2 ·
I think the diy sound group 1099 would be a good choice for a center. It is very sensitive, should get plenty loud, and depending on the finish you choose can be done under you budget.

I will let someone better versed in diy subs to chime in on that.

Out of curiosity what psb speaker do you have for for a center? I have a alpha c1 Center and had a similar problem hearing voices. It took me a while to figure out that I had to angle the speaker up a bit. The c1 seems to have poor vertical off axis performance.

Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk
 
#5 ·
Thank you for the reply and advice. I have the PSB Image Center Speaker. Fairly old, probably 8-9 years old, something like that but in new like condition. I've owned all my PSB speakers for about 7-8 years.
 
#3 ·
A few questions

How large can your center channel be and is it behind a screen or about/below the screen? Horizontal or vertical orientation is very important to know. You M&K subs, are they ported or sealed and are you overdriving them trying to get more SPL? Are you running your system at reference at your seat and how far back do you sit from the speakers?

Since you are open to DIY, there are kits available that have everything you need to build a speaker. This also includes flatpacks to glue/clamp the enclosures together and you can have other people build the crossovers for you if needed.

So let us know the size of the speaker, your SPL requirements and your listening position with your AVR. I'm sure the forum members can find something that will work for you. Throw in what requirements you need to EQ the center to get the response you desire, some severe EQ requirements will really stress a consumer speaker midrange so that would effect the recommendation.

Good luck!
 
#7 ·
Thanks so much for your reply. I will try to get some pics up today. Let me try to answer some of the questions you have but I may not be able to answer all of them just due to my lack of knowledge as compared to most of you guys on this forum.

The center channel (Horizontal Configuration) is located under the projector screen and out from the wall about 18". From bottom of screen frame to floor is 20" so I have to keep the center channel speaker and stand 20" or lower. I have the PSB Image center now, has 4.5" woofers (2) and .75" tweeter (1). Nice speaker but I need much better so I can hear the voices better without blasting the other speakers.

On the subs there are 3 settings on the back of each, volume which is set at reference, low pass filter which is set at 40, and phase which goes from 0-180 which I have set at 0. They are I assume sealed not ported as I do not see a round or any other type of hole in them which I think ported subs have right?

I sit back 12' back from screen (have to allow room for recliners to not hit the wall) as I said which is 120" wide 9 (viewing area). Room dimensions, 17' L x 17' W x 18' ceiling which starts out vaulted then flattens out at the top to an open area at the top of the stairs.

Here are the questions you had which I do not have the expertise to answer. Please explain and I will answer to the best of my ability:
1) "So let us know the size of the speaker (center)"? I think I could get by with 6-8" woofers. Subs - 18".
2) SPL requirements? I haven't a clue what this is. I do know on the subs I would like to get down to 17 or 18hz for tight, fast LFE sound of movies, does this sound right?
3) My listening position is dead center of the screen, 12' back. The AV equipment rack is back right corner of the room. Hope all this helps. Let me know if you need anything else. Thanks so much for trying to help me.
 
#4 ·
I have hearing problems also. I've had 2 surgeries without success.

What center do you have?

Have you measured response?

Can you post a picture of your front setup?

From my experience when you have problems with voices, it's usually a result of a null in the vocal range. I don't want to see you spend a lot of $ on new speakers to only have similar results due to placement/interactions.

As a side note/example, my Dad had the exact same complaint. His center was pushed back on the table under his LCD. Once I moved it up to the edge, his problems went away.
 
#6 ·
I will try to get pics up sometime today. Thanks so much for your reply, look forward to your comments once pics are posted. By the way what do you mean when you said, "Have you measured response"? I don't pretend to know everything about this equipment so bare with me if I have to ask what may be simple knowledge to some but not to me. Thanks.
 
#12 ·
have you tried adjusting the center speaker output? maybe pump it up 5 or 6 decibel?
 
#13 ·
Yes I did that and it seemed like I would not hear some of the low level sounds from the Front left and right speakers, such as low level birds chirping and the like. Thanks for that suggestion though.
 
#18 ·
So your center channel uses two 4.5 " midwoofers and a 3/4" tweeter at a distance of 12 feet?

You can hear the voices from the mains so I would assume they are much larger speakers with greater efficiency.

Your subs are crossed at 40Hz and you are having a problem with bass boom etc.

Just a stab in the dark, your system uses the auto EQ and auto setup with no adjustments by you after it was done?

That bass boom might be caused by your mains, not the subs since the subs are crossed so low. First thing, I would raise the crossover to at least 60 Hz or even 80Hz since you are running two subs. This will take the load off the AVR and the mains. If you are pushing the center channel down to 40Hz it will beat those little drivers hard which does not do anything for clarity. Try changing the crossover to 80Hz first to take the load off your little center channel.

I have a few friends that have hearing damage, they come to my garage system so I EQ it to what they like. Luckily, my garage speakers are vertical line arrays so the 20 midranges and 48 dome tweeters in each speaker can handle massive EQ and power levels. The differences in EQ at 1.5 KHz can be +6dB to +10dB and the tweeter lines at 15KHz are +3dB to +10dB. :eek: The subwoofer bass levels are all cut as they say it is too loud/boomy etc. They all can hear bass very well so "flat" is considered overpowering because they have problems with mids and highs. I generally cut the bass -6dB so the EQ is petty wild.

To THEM the arrays sound amazing! To me, they sound like... screaming highs, brutal midrange and very week bass. Running the system flat, they claim they can't hear the vocals/speech, the bass is way too boomy and the highs are muted.

The auto EQ assumes you want flat response, if you have hearing damage in the midrange/highs it will calibrate to weak vocals/speech and muted highs with overpowering bass. Throw in that your center is very small, it has to handle bass and will distort wildly with 40 to 60Hz bass frequencies and it is not very efficient--and you are 12 feet away.

Since changing the settings is free, change your crossover frequency to 80Hz and make sure that all your speakers are crossed there or higher. This might solve your bass boom problem and take the load off the center. Go into the settings and boost your EQ in the 300 to 1 KHz range or bump up the signal +3dB or both and listen to it. The auto EQ will get you close to flat but the final settings for the center are so you can clearly hear voices and the auto fuction does not have your hearing rest results.

As far as getting a new center, I would put that at #1 priority. At the distance you listen, the fact you have an AVR and most likely will boost the EQ to get the vocal clarity you require for you--you need some stout midrange and treble drivers to handle it. A +6dB boost is FOUR times the average power going to the mid so getting a speaker that is really efficient will cut the power required from your receiver and can handle more severe EQ.

The guy that liked the +10dB boost at 1.5KHz and +3dB boost at 15KHz asked me what speakers to use for his 400 watt per channel amp :eek: He is in a large room and likes to listen at about 100dB (to his ears) I told him that PA drivers are in his future to handle the hammering of the mids with EQ and the available power from his amp. He will visit in a month and I'll float the DIY SG 1299 tuned to 33Hz with dual 12" drivers, stout 6.5" dual mids and the big horn. It will handle the wild EQ he likes without distortion and has enough output capability to be more than he will ever need.

When I asked about how large the center channel can be--the DIY SG centers are very large compared to what you are used to. The Fusion 8 Center is 27" wide and 10" tall and that is their smaller centers. The 1099 three-way would be over 3 feet wide and around 12.5 inches tall and a little over a foot deep. The 1099 is known to have outstanding midrange clarity and output and would easily give you movie theater levels of volume and clarity with your AVR. It is a big speaker though, if you decide to go that way make a mock up with cardboard first. You can get the 1099 kit, the flatpack for a clamp and glue session to build the cabinet and pre-made crossover boards for under $500.

As far as subs go, I would fix the center first, raise your crossover and move them around a bit to get the best sound you can from them and the entire system. Once the last factor is just bass volume and low frequencies--it will be much easier to spec the right gear for your requirements. Off the top of my head, two full Martys (12 cubic feet!) tuned to 18 Hz with the Dayton UM18 could get you there. If that is too large, you can go sealed and get SpeakerPower plate amps that have the UM18 EQ built in...costs ya some bucks but is an option.

Hope I helped more than I confused you..good luck!
 
#25 ·
Actually its two 4" woofers and one 1" tweeter I have found out. Yes PSB does make a center with larger woofers (7") like my mains but it is $2000 and even if I could afford it I can't see paying $2000 for one center channel speaker that is why I thought about the DIY method.

"you can go into the settings and boost those frequencies in the center channel to boost vocal SPL while leaving the bass and treble alone. Try it out, maybe bump up those bands around 3dB to start and you'll notice the voices are easier to understand."
How do I do this? I know how to find the EQ but how do I know which ones affect just the center channel?

"Sub bass is another rabbit hole--things will get crazy quickly. You are running two 12" sealed subs and want two 18" ported subs--now things get interesting! Should you mix sealed and ported subs....weeeeelllll....that depends!"
I don't intend on using my sealed M&K subs once I build the two 18" subs.

As I said in the the reply above to BassThatHz I can't afford to start all over with my speakers and replace all 7 speakers plus my 2 subs. I am quite pleased with all speakers except the center and the 2 subs.

Thanks again for the detailed reply and the sharing of your expertise it is greatly appreciated 18Hurts. Have a great weekend.
 
#19 ·
18hurts thanks so much for the detailed reply and info. I must tell you however you lost me a few times. Please bare with my below questions.

1) "Just a stab in the dark, your system uses the auto EQ and auto setup with no adjustments by you after it was done?" My Onkyo TX-NR5009 uses Audyssey Room Correction. Only change I made was to raise center speaker by 4dB.

2) Will raise crossover to 80 Hz in subs per your recommendation and let you know how they sound.

3) "Go into the settings and boost your EQ in the 300 to 1 KHz range or bump up the signal +3dB or both and listen to it." What is the 300 you refer to? Have already bumped up signal +4dB.

4) "I'll float the DIY SG 1299". Is this a speaker kit?

5) Which center kit are you recommending for me, Fusion 8, 1099, 1299, etc. I think all 3 will fit under my screen?

6) Price on website for 1099 is $380 for kit and $63 for the flatpack, is this all I need to 100% build the speaker, other than paint of course? Is there any soldering involved, never soldered anything.

7) On your sub recommendation of 12 cubic feet could you give me approximately box measurements? Would the smaller sealed box give me movie like bass as well as the ported box?

Thanks again for your help and have a great weekend.
 
#20 ·
change the crossover int he receiver also to keep the receiver from sending those signals to the speakers
if 80 seems clearer, maybe try 120 for another comparison

edit: i would set the sub at its max crossover and actually let the receiver handle what goes where
 
#23 ·
I will give this a try. Thanks for the info. Glad you included the comment on setting the crossover on the sub to "max" and to 80Hz internally on the AVR only. I would have set both to 80 if you hadn't replied. Thank you.
 
#21 ·
The 1099 and 1299 are both good choices. With a few hundred watts going into them they can easily further damage your hearing, as they are capable of about 15db above cinema levels in most homes.

I suppose you could use crimps. It would be faster and easier, so long as you get a good bite.


Soldering is not difficult, all you have to do is heat the solder so that it melts onto the wires that you have attached together.

You'll probably want to upgrade your Left and Right to 1099's and your surrounds to Fusion-8's as well, otherwise your existing speakers won't have a chance of keeping up with the SEOS's.
The SEOS-based speakers go about 10 times louder than pretty much anything you'll find at BestBuy or your local HiFi shop.

I have 16 subwoofers and 55kW, and the SEOS's can keep up with that... (especially true when using digital crossovers.)
They are no joke! If you give them 3-400watts RMS and play heavy metal, they will literally blow your head clean off. :)
 
#22 ·
BassThatHz thank you for the reply and info but let me set the records straight on a few things. I have PSB speakers which are very nice speakers not found and not compared to speakers found at Best Buy or your local Hi-Fi shop as you suggest.

Also the 1099's and 1299's, I am sure, are not the only center channel speakers I should consider. I am sure other folks will have other recommendations as this post becomes older.

I am sure there are center channel speakers that will give me very clear voice response that will mate with my other PSB speakers very well. I do not have 3 or 4 thousand dollars to replace every single speaker in my HT just because I need a better center channel speaker. Also I do not want cinema speakers as my Front Left and Right Speakers as I listen to music a lot in true stereo (60/40, movies to music) on my system. I don't think the 1099"s or the 1299's would be optimal for music since they are really built for HT performance.

Like I said, I appreciate your reply but please read my first post so that you know what kind of speakers I have before you start comparing them to the less inferior brands at Best Buy and other retailers. I don't think Paul Barton would agree with you comparing his speakers to those found at BestBuy, and if you don't know who he is then you should, he the designer, owner, etc. of PSB Speakers.

If the 1099s and 1299s won't mate with my other speakers then they aren't for me, just that simple. Thanks again for your reply and also the lesson on soldering.
 
#24 ·
Golf,

I know the feeling to match centers to mains--had that issue about 6 years ago and had to build my own center channel from the ground up--got close! On paper a 2.5 way center laying on it's side should not match a 3-way but for movies, it was never an issue. Switched my mains to 2 ways with a horn and will change my center to a 3-way horizontal with a screaming 30mm done tweeter--this is going to be a fun build over the winter. In theory, my latest creation should give me 94dB at one watt so no problems with theater level speech/vocals/center with a AVR.

Does PSB make a horizontal center channel with the same capabilities as your mains? If they do, then I'd get one of those. The issue is when there is not. You have to remember that your mains are made for music, center channels purpose in life is clarity, output and dispersion for human speech.

The truth is a center channel laying on it's side does not sound the same as the mains standing vertical--even if its from the same company (unless a concentric, coaxial, full range, BMS concentric horn or Synergy Horn) If you have to use a horizontal center, realize it is a compromise but in reality--when using all your brain power to watch a movie, follow the story line and process sound coming from everywhere--your brain won't mind.

Will a horn loaded 2 or 3 way horizontal center mesh perfectly with PSBs? No, that won't happen--but does it matter? The easy answer is it will bother you and game over. That is the easy answer, it is not the correct answer. It all depends! Sometimes the right answer is to use more efficient speakers for LCR and the expensive speakers for music. Some people use Mackie C200 PA speakers at $199 each for HT use--others use Behringer B215 XL speakers ($239 each) and love them.

The 300 to 1 KHz are numbers that tell you what frequency range you are adjusting--you can go into the settings and boost those frequencies in the center channel to boost vocal SPL while leaving the bass and treble alone. Try it out, maybe bump up those bands around 3dB to start and you'll notice the voices are easier to understand.

The reason people are recommending the 1099 is it is durable enough to handle crazy EQ, won't distort at full power from an AVR, you will give up before it will when it comes to output, uses high quality components and just works. The secret sauce is the drivers used are the same ones used in PA systems used in churches, musical theater, actual theaters and arena sound. They take those drivers, make custom crossovers with filters in them to smooth the response of the PA drivers and get them flat. PA speakers are always used with extensive EQ and measurements, home speakers are not done that way so generally done in the passive crossovers. Other outstanding speakers that use PA drivers are JTR, Seaton Sound, Danley Sound Labs, PSA Audio and others.

The 1299 is a 3-way speaker from DIY Sound Group that uses two 12" woofers, two 6.5" midranges and a giant horn tweeter. A great option for very high output in very large rooms when using high powered amplifiers. It would be overkill for your uses...but always an option.

Sub bass is another rabbit hole--things will get crazy quickly. You are running two 12" sealed subs and want two 18" ported subs--now things get interesting! Should you mix sealed and ported subs....weeeeelllll....that depends!

Hopefully our advice does not see you switching to a sound bar or headphones... ;)
 
#26 ·
OK guys I need additional recommendations if you would please. Thank you.
 
#27 ·
Out of curiosity, what model psb are you trying to match upto here?
I use1099 speakers and can say they are very detailed.. Almost to a fault..
Of all the center channels I've used and heard my 1099 is the clearest and most intelligible at all levels.. Followed closely by some jtr speakers i used to own.
 
#28 ·
I think you've been given the best recommendations possible already, from people way more knowledgeable than myself.

nobody compared your PSB's to Best buy speakers. The reference was that speakers like the 1099 and the 1299 were 10x better , and for less $$. Neither I, nor anyone else has put down your PSB's. Except you, by stating your center isn't providing you with enough dialogue clarity

The bit about needing to replace the rest of your speakers, is that they wouldn't be able to keep up. Either of the 1x99's , and probably anything else on the diysg.com page will not match up with your existing speakers. They will far surpass them. So maybe "they aren't for you".

Look at it from a different perspective. Movies have music in them. Speakers built for demanding home theater environments must be able to play the music well, plus everything else you'll find in the 'theater experience'. Music, with some rare exceptions, is not as demanding, and can be reproduced by 'less capable' speakers. The exceptions would be music that has very low frequency content. Pipe organs, dubstep, and some classical / orchestral music primarily. Having subwoofers capable of producing these low notes takes the burden off the speakers anyway, allowing them to better reproduce the frequencies above where subs trail off.

this is all IMO, and YMMV. I hope you find what you're seeking.

Joseph
 
#29 ·
I think you've been given the best recommendations possible already, from people way more knowledgeable than myself.

nobody compared your PSB's to Best buy speakers. The reference was that speakers like the 1099 and the 1299 were 10x better , and for less $$. Neither I, nor anyone else has put down your PSB's. Except you, by stating your center isn't providing you with enough dialogue clarity

The bit about needing to replace the rest of your speakers, is that they wouldn't be able to keep up. Either of the 1x99's , and probably anything else on the diysg.com page will not match up with your existing speakers. They will far surpass them. So maybe "they aren't for you".

Look at it from a different perspective. Movies have music in them. Speakers built for demanding home theater environments must be able to play the music well, plus everything else you'll find in the 'theater experience'. Music, with some rare exceptions, is not as demanding, and can be reproduced by 'less capable' speakers. The exceptions would be music that has very low frequency content. Pipe organs, dubstep, and some classical / orchestral music primarily. Having subwoofers capable of producing these low notes takes the burden off the speakers anyway, allowing them to better reproduce the frequencies above where subs trail off.

this is all IMO, and YMMV. I hope you find what you're seeking.

Joseph
Eh..saying music isn't as demanding as movies is more personal preference based on your preferred listening levels.

If you narrowed music down to a specific genre, then sure I could agree, but then I could say the same about a movie genre. Comedy movies are much less demanding on lower frequencies. As Jazz or Elevator music is much less demanding to dubstep/electronic based music.

Your paragraph also focused on bass because it isn't as typical to listen to Jazz as "reference" levels, but since the OP seems to be using subs, that's a pretty mute point.

Anything can be EQed to the same level. Its just the speakers with higher sensitivity won't demand as much power, etc.
The way I understood the OP's issue was that the center was lacking clarity.
 
#30 ·
OK, I get it now

2 Grand for a center channel is a bit much--you want to use it just for movies and could use outstanding clarity with unlimited to what your ears could stand output from an AVR.

Going with two new ported 18" subs and leaving out the sealed 12's, that will make it easier to get the sound quality you prefer without acoustic gymnastics by attempting to mix them together. It can be done, but is the juice worth the squeeze?

To be honest, it is really hard for anyone to give an exact answer for a proper center to match your PSBs. The question of does it matter can be done with minimal issues.

The 1099 is very large, very clean and very efficient with it's focus on very clear midrange from those midranges it uses. They try to get voices to sound like natural voices and give theater level sound levels with lower power without straining your AVR.

I own a pair of Infinity Overture 1 speakers with a 1" dome tweeter with waveguide, two 4" mids and an 8" active woofer. Replaced them a few months back with Fusion 10's which have a horn loaded compression driver tweeter and a 10" midwoofer. The tweeter/horn and midwoofer are used in the 1099. Does the Infinity sound like the Fusion 10?

For the most part, yes it does. My Infinity is a soft dome but uses a waveguide to direct the sound wider but limit the vertical dispersion to prevent floor/ceiling bounce. The large horn in the Fusion 10's does the same--they have similar response that way. They both have extended highs and at lower volume levels sound similar. At higher sound levels and sharp peaks during movies, the Fusion 10 justs gets louder without strain or distortion. At that point, the Infinity sounds strained if that makes any sense.

The Infinities sounded great with music and I use a subwoofer with it. My issue was the little guy would struggle with the huge dynamics of movies, gun fire, special effects and such would mildly distort at the peaks. Thee Fusion 10's require 4 times less power to have the same output as the Infinities. The Fusion 10's can handle far greater power so they have very low distortion at full power from an AVR--my ears give up before the AVR will.

At a budget of $500 for a very efficient, very clear and it must be a horizontal center creates very slim pickins in the speaker market. The BIC FH6 at $137, the BIC Accoustech PL28ii at $199 and a few Klipsch models is basically it. Most centers are small, not very efficient and shiny at that price point. It is tough finding a center over 92dB at one watt and if you do, it will use horn loaded tweeters to focus the sound at you and boost efficiency. Horns are different than domes, it could be better or worse than domes depending on your tastes.

As far as $500 for a horizontal center, the best clarity/output for your buck is the Fusion 8 Center and 1099 from DIY Sound Group. The 1099 is favored over the Fusion 8 Center for better mid-bass punch and that last "something" in speech clarity and intelligibility. 3-ways centers are not very common, a really efficient 3-way center is a grand total of one... the 1099. Much easier to choose with only one choice! :)

As far as EQ adjustments with your receiver, they all are a little different so time to hit that thick user manual. You are running the very expensive Onkyo so I'm sure it has that function and 100 other functions to keep your blood pressure up. When messing with the EQ, it is best to do small adjustments and get a hang of what your receivers capabilities are.

At the end of the day, just remember this is supposed to be FUN! You have really nice mains, going for the best horizontal center for clarity at the 500 dollar price point makes sense to me. But then again, I'm a little weird and hang out at audio forums...speaker audio jibber-jabber and build speakers as a hobby. Maybe I should take up drinking...cheaper in the long run.

Good luck and have a great weekend.
 
#32 ·
Thanks 18Hurts for that detailed and informative reply. Let's just think about a possibly that I might do here and let me see what your suggestions would be.

Let's say I went with the 1099's across the front, LCR, assuming you think the L & R would give me the kind of sound I am looking for in music as well as movies. Remember in my post above, I use my system 60/40 movies over music.

What would be your speaker recommendations for the L&R Front Height speakers, 2 side surrounds, and 2 back surrounds, and 2 Atmos speakers? Remember my room is 17Wx17Lx18H (vaulted ceiling which flatens out at 18' upstairs. I am probably going to buy the Denon X6200 amp should there is such a good deal on it right now. Would also like your suggestion for 2 each 18" ported DIY subs to replace my 12" M&K sealed subs. Thanks again for your help.
 
#31 ·
I dont agree that "anything can be EQ'd to the same level" . You can only go so far with EQ when you are comparing a speaker with 2 four inch mids and a 3/4 inch tweeter, to a speaker with 2 10 inch woofs, 2 5 inch mids, and a horn loaded 1 inch compression driver.

The way I took the original post, was that he wasn't happy with what he had, wanted better, had a budget of $500, was willing to DIY (he posted in this section of the forum), and wasn't a master woodworker. Based on that, I feel DIYSG offers the best options. Complete kits, available CNC flat packs, and the option of professionally assembled crossovers, while staying very close to his stated budget, truly has no comparison to the retail offerings available.

IMO, the OP seemed rather defensive when suggestions were made that seemed to portray his existing speakers in a less-than-favorable way, although his very premise behind posting did that, in the first place. After asking for, and getting good suggestions, it seemed to me that he didn't care for them, and found negatives about them, where none existed.

I'm not trying to be argumentative at all. My posts are IMO only, and I don't claim that everyone should agree, or that I am anywhere near an 'expert'. The OP asked a question, and didn't like the answers. That's fair. I only tried to point out that the answers given, that he didn't like, were valid .

Joseph
 
#33 ·
WLHungDude thank you for your post. First of all I wasn't defensive or did not intend to be when one of the repliers did in fact compare my PSB speakers to the quality of those found in Best Buy.

I never said the suggestions were not valid, although I only received one speaker suggestion, SG1099. I find it hard to believe that this is the only speaker in the whole of USA that meets the criteria of what I am looking for. I only want more options. I never had anything negative to say about the SG1099's as you suggest.

If you can't add something positive to my original post with suggestions then I would appreciate your not just quoting things negative that aren't true about my posts. Go back and read them and I think you will see what I am saying. Where are YOUR recommendations that I originally ask for? I am not a negative person and do not care for people who are. Seems to me that a couple you here on this forum won't to jump on me for no reason. If you don't like what I say then don't reply, that's all, don't reply by putting words in my mouth or saying I said things that I did not say.
 
#37 · (Edited)
@golffnutt where are you located? There may be someone close to you with some of the diysg offerings that would be willing to demo them for you.

I love the sound of the 1099's for music. I like that they're sort of in your face. I've heard some psb speakers and they were a little too "mellow" for my tastes plus the fact they simply couldn't give the sound levels I like to listen at.
Some of the big box store speakers are actually quite respectable and very good speakers.. ie-- polk flagship lsi and lsim series. I've had first hand experience with both of these and the 1099's are on another level.. For my preferences of course.

The 1099 has been suggested because it's one of the "few" horizontal designs. If you could fit a vertical center your options would multiply.
 
#40 ·
I'm in Chattanooga, TN. I agree with you the PSB's are a little mellow and I too could use just a little bit more "in your face" sound than the PSB's offer. Thanks for your comments. I am definitely leaning toward to 1099's across the front left, right, and center. Now I just need suggestions for 2 front height speakers, 2 side surrounds, 2 back surrounds, 2 atmos speakers as I am going to go ahead and upgrade the receiver to the Denon X6200 with atmos, 2 DIY 18" subs, ported I guess. This will give me a nice 11.2.2 system which the X6200 supports. I would just have to add 1 2 channel amp which I could use my existing 5009 Onkyo receiver for the extra 2 channel amp. Thanks for your replies and help, it is greatly appreciated.
 
#42 ·
Based on everyone's suggestions I will probably go with the 1099's for the front left, right, and center channels. For the time being I will keep my PSB T55's for 2 channel music only if I don't like the 1099's for music. I am going to upgrade the receiver to the Denon X6200 with atmos for an 11.2.2 system. I know I will need to add a 2 channel amp to the system as the X6200 only has 9 amps but will process 11 channels. Now I just need DIY speaker recommendations on 2 each front height speakers, 2 side surrounds, 2 back surrounds, 2 atmos speakers, and 2 DIY 18" subs (ported I guess?).

All suggestions welcomed, thank you.
 
#43 ·
I use 8 volt6 speakers for my surrounds and atmos. They are also very drtailed and dynamic so they match very well with the 1099's.
I do sometimes think "what if" in regards to the larger volt speakers. But once a mock up is built for the volt 8 or 10... THEY ARE HUGE.. And I don't have that kind of space on my ceiling or walls.
 
#44 ·
Are they on the same site as the 1099's?
 
#45 ·
Yes.
 
#46 ·
Will definitely check them out.
 
#49 ·
I don't use front height or wides. I only use the 11 channels of processing. No upmixing.
If you have the room for the larger volt speakers then I would definitely recommend them.
As far as placing speakers on top of each other for atmos, I'm not sure it would work.. I was a non-believer in atmos until I heard it set up properly in a home setting. The movie theaters here had convinced me it was a gimmick. I think you may be underwhelmed with an improper setup. I could be wrong of course too.
 
#50 ·
Thanks Fatty. I may have to forgo atmos due to my ceiling configuration. I just don't know how I could do it and hide the wiring.
 
#51 ·
Personally, I might make the wiring visable but put some very nice techflex or something on it. There's plenty of options out there for msking things aesthetically pleasing.

Make it a feature piece somehow.. Depends how crafty you are. Get the wife involved, it amazes me at some of the design ideas my better half comes up with when I ask her.
 
#52 ·
Golf, with controlled directivity mains like the 1099s, I wouldn't bother with wides. I don't think anybody has mentioned it yet but the 1099s will likely work best with a lot of toe in towards the main listening position. Note that I don't own a set of 1099 or have even heard them, but I have been designing and building controlled directivity speakers for a long time. Here is the manual for the Legacy V speakers; ignore all the set up info and just read the last 6-8 pages for the reasons why.

As for subs, depending upon the space, full Martys. With a good pro amp (pref with DSP) to drive them.
 
#53 ·
Hi A9X-308 and thanks so much for the reply and links. I found the info in the Legacy V manual to be very interesting to say the least.

When you mentioned, "preferably with DSP". Pardon my ignorance, but what is DSP and what specific amp, brand and model number would you recommend with the monty sub? Also where would I buy (internet address please) the materials, driver, crossover parts, cabinet, and anything else I need, etc to build this sub? Thanks again for your help on this, I really appreciate your time and expertise.

Any suggestion where and how to install 4 atmos speakers in my room which has an 18' vaulted open ceiling. Really don't see how I could hide the wiring from the ceiling to my AV rack?
 
#54 ·
check out the marty faq page. tons of info in there. most people go with the inuke 6000dsp because its cheap and has dsp built in or you could go with a separate amp and a minidsp 2x4 for the sound processing. there are alot of different subs that work in a marty, its really up to your budget
 
#55 ·
Thanks kbclamper, will do.
 
#58 ·
Happy to be of assistance. Ask away if I can assist further, especially with technical or design aspects.
 
#59 ·
Will do thank you.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top