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Orb Speakers Official Thread

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#1 ·
I am starting this thread for my friend Awjeez who is awaiting delivery of Orbs.

Any Orb owners out there? Post your opinions and advice!
 
#127 ·
What about the SUPER 8 sub?


People say it's a "good match." But, where does it struggle? When to you look at it and frown? I saw one reporter/editor review that said the 8 couldn't handle "the tap scene" in Finding Nemo. This is the scence where the dentist's neice came to visit and started tapping on the glass of the fish tank.
 
#129 ·
I love my Orbs, but they sure aren't full range speakers -- even how well the the Super 8 stands up..


IMO, Orbs are for people that want to trade space for really great sounding speakers. It is a trade off and don't kid yourself if you think otherwise.


I really miss my old Polks and MK sub, but I have so much more room and the Orbs sound good enough. and they even surprise me sometimes.. And let me down other times..


-b
 
#130 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by cokecan /forum/post/0


I love my Orbs, but they sure aren't full range speakers -- even how well the the Super 8 stands up..


IMO, Orbs are for people that want to trade space for really great sounding speakers. It is a trade off and don't kid yourself if you think otherwise.


I really miss my old Polks and MK sub, but I have so much more room and the Orbs sound good enough. and they even surprise me sometimes.. And let me down other times..


-b


When it comes to speakers, I haven't seen physics escaped yet. Size does matter. That said. There are those than can make the most out of small. A well made 8" sub can sound better, even deeper than a mediocre 10" sub. Though I haven't come across and 8 that I can feel in my chest. The Orb sats, though I have not heard them, likely can not compete with a nice 6.5" mid and seperate tweet. Even so, I think i am willing to try them without ever having heard them, as size is important for my living room. I've heard was Bose has to offer in "small," and it was sort of okay. Most of the comparison reviews I've seen say the Orbs are quite a bit better, so they should suit my living room well. My biggest concern is the whether the sub is adequate for the living room (16' x 18' x 9" I think ) which open to the breakfast area and kitchen (halfwall seperation). I'm not looking to rock the house with it, I just hate the sound of a struggling subwoofer.
 
#131 ·
I don't think the Super Eight struggles except in the most unusual circumstances. It's a beast, considering it's size. I have my volume set to 1/3 and it is a lot of bass and no bottoming out, etc. I think the Super Eight is DEFINITELY part of the reason Orb has been so successful. The satellites sound and look great, but the sub is tight, deep and accurate and really sets itself apart from the subs in most other small/medium systems.
 
#132 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by StuartLittle /forum/post/0


I don't think the Super Eight struggles except in the most unusual circumstances. It's a beast, considering it's size. I have my volume set to 1/3 and it is a lot of bass and no bottoming out, etc. I think the Super Eight is DEFINITELY part of the reason Orb has been so successful. The satellites sound and look great, but the sub is tight, deep and accurate and really sets itself apart from the subs in most other small/medium systems.

I own two complete 5.1 Mod 2 systems and I have to agree with what your saying here 100 percent (especially with regards to the sub)...
 
#133 ·
It's official.... I hate all of you for making me spend that much money on some sound balls that I have never seen or heard in person. Just made an order for a Mod2. Two of the speakers with go in the game room, the rest (People's Chioce setup) will go in the living room. So now I have a Onyko TX-SR674 for the theatre room and no speakers and I have speakers for the living room and no receiver/amp. Now I need to find a receiver for the orbs that's $400 or less. No HDMI switching needed. Any suggestions?
 
#135 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by gasrc /forum/post/0


My biggest concern is the whether the sub is adequate for the living room (16' x 18' x 9" I think ) which open to the breakfast area and kitchen (halfwall seperation). I'm not looking to rock the house with it, I just hate the sound of a struggling subwoofer.

My living room is about the same size. It also opens to the kitchen and breakfast area. The Super8 has no problems filling my room with deep, tight bass. You should be OK too.
 
#136 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by gasrc /forum/post/0


It's official.... I hate all of you for making me spend that much money on some sound balls that I have never seen or heard in person. Just made an order for a Mod2. Two of the speakers with go in the game room, the rest (People's Chioce setup) will go in the living room. So now I have a Onyko TX-SR674 for the theatre room and no speakers and I have speakers for the living room and no receiver/amp. Now I need to find a receiver for the orbs that's $400 or less. No HDMI switching needed. Any suggestions?

I am very happy with the Pioneer VSX-1016. I bought it online for $385.
 
#138 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by hdmi4ever /forum/post/0


I'm going to recommend the Orbs for my aunt's place. She's buying a big HDTV soon and expects to get some not-too-big speakers later.


However, are you guys really saying that the 4 Ohm of the Mod2 isn't a problem for ordinary 8 Ohm A/V receivers?

None whatsoever......
 
#139 ·
This isn't too serious by any means, but I certainly wouldn't mind getting some more space back if I could do so without any quality loss. A quality gain would be a great bonus. I've been aware of these Orbs for a while and I'm intruiged. On the surface of it, my reaction to these is skeptical. "Too good to be true."




EDIT: This is fortunate. I have a friend of mine who is going to be buying a People's Choice setup for his apartment. It'll be interesting to see what these things can do.
 
#140 ·
A couple Orb questions for owners...


Forget HT for a minute. How are these (say a 5.1 Mod1 and Super 8) for music? I have a small living room in a condo. I was going to do a bookshelf and sub system for good HT but also really good music, but the tall bookshelfers on stands just looks to 'old school' and like monitors or something in my living room. I thought I could live with them aesthetic wise but not so sure now. I love the looks of the Orbs but wonder how they will suffer with music.


I listen to jazz (modern, old, smooth), fusion, blues, modern rock. I guess maybe 50/50 HT and music.


As I said my living room is small (12x10) but opens on one side to a kitchen making it 10 x 20 or so. So My difficulty is that I need a sub with the sats to get full sound, but I live in a condo so I can't be disturbing the neighbours.


I used to use an old original Paradigm Cinema sat/sub system which was great for HT but seemed thin for music and I'm wondering if the Orbs do better in that area.


I guess I want something discrete and aesthetically nice for my condo that still sounds great for music (and HT).


Thanks for any input.


Oh yeah does anyone know the details of the 'major brand' sub they offer for a slight price reduction instead of the Super 8? They say it's good for apartment and small room dwellers that don't need the volume of the Super 8. No details given though (other than 8" and some dimensions).
 
#141 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by ZZen /forum/post/0


A couple Orb questions for owners...

Oh yeah does anyone know the details of the 'major brand' sub they offer for a slight price reduction instead of the Super 8? They say it's good for apartment and small room dwellers that don't need the volume of the Super 8. No details given though (other than 8" and some dimensions).

I don't know anything about it, but would really recommend asking Orb directly, either by phone or e-mail. Before getting my People's Choice system, I e-mailed them at least 4 times, and Ethan responded the same day every time with detailed answers. BTW, with the opening to your other room, you may want at least the output of the Super 8.

Bryan
 
#143 ·
I'm looking to pick up a set of small 5.1 speakers for our new living room (essentially Broadcast TV and Kids movies), they will be wall mounted so the Orb wall plates are 100% perfect for my application.


Keep in mind that there will be a dedicated HT room, not a built-out room, but a room with a nicer TV/Speaker setup) compared to the downstairs.


You can see in this shot the wall plates for the existing wiring and placement (TV will go in the same spot as the one in the image. NOTE: this isn't my furniture or my TV
.


The room is very open, the Kitchen, Dining Room, Breakfast Nook are all open to this room, so the sound would travel and I wouldn't mind it to be big enough to fill out the adjacent areas for musical interludes!


Are Orbs the right choice for this space? While WAF plays a role (cost), the look isn't that big of a deal - I would prefer to keep them wall mounted due to the children and wouldn't mind not having big black boxes with new holes/mounting options (hence the Orb wall plates being perfect).

 
#144 ·
Tim...


Are you in Southern California, Orb has a Demo facility in Sherman Oaks (San Fernando Valley) you could listen to them in person. Also remember that they offer a 30 day in home trial with only 9 dollar return shipping.


Out of all the gear that's listed in my profile I get more oohs and aahs from my Orbs than anything else I own. I get tons of "I can't believe those little speakers sound that good". I'm not at all affiliated with Orb but sometimes I wish I was, I'm sure I'm personally responsible for at least 30 people buying them after hearing mine...Good Luck
 
#145 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by Russdawg /forum/post/0


Tim...


Are you in Southern California, Orb has a Demo facility in Sherman Oaks (San Fernando Valley) you could listen to them in person. Also remember that they offer a 30 day in home trial with only 9 dollar return shipping.


Out of all the gear that's listed in my profile I get more oohs and aahs from my Orbs than anything else I own. I get tons of "I can't believe those little speakers sound that good". I'm not at all affiliated with Orb but sometimes I wish I was, I'm sure I'm personally responsible for at least 30 people buying them after hearing mine...Good Luck

I'm out of Cali now, I should have check out the Demo facility as I lived in Woodland Hills, very close by SO.


I'm hovering over the order button as they seem to fit the my needs, my biggest concern is the 'will they do it for me factor soundwise (knowing full well that I'm doing bigger and better things with my upstairs room).


I also need a receiver - something I don't want to spend too much money on as I don't need much more than basic component switching and 5.1 (at a reasonable, possibly re-furbished price point). Would you consider the Orbs a bright or warm sound? Has your sub held up? I'm an SVS owner and have consider mizing and matching a bit (also looking at their speakers).
 
#146 ·
Has anyone wall mounted a Mod2 with the Orb MultiPlate Adjustable Wall/Ceiling/Side/Rear Mount sold on the site? I'm seriously considering these due to this ease of installation and form factor...also, I'm really curious if anyone has had first hand experience with both Orbs and the SVS SB series?
 
#147 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by Tim Hess /forum/post/0


I'm out of Cali now, I should have check out the Demo facility as I lived in Woodland Hills, very close by SO.


I'm hovering over the order button as they seem to fit the my needs, my biggest concern is the 'will they do it for me factor soundwise (knowing full well that I'm doing bigger and better things with my upstairs room).


I also need a receiver - something I don't want to spend too much money on as I don't need much more than basic component switching and 5.1 (at a reasonable, possibly re-furbished price point). Would you consider the Orbs a bright or warm sound? Has your sub held up? I'm an SVS owner and have consider mizing and matching a bit (also looking at their speakers).

I power my Orbs with a Arcam AVR 350 receiver and I would describe the sound of them with this receiver as 1/2 notch above neutral...tad bright (if that makes any sense), also my subs works great (I'm running two of them).


One other thing don't worry about your larger equipment I run all the stuff that's in my signature profile in my main room but still love the lil Orbs very much. There great for what they are.
 
#148 ·
Tim,

I own both the svs sbs-01 speaker package (in my HT) and the orbs which are in the family room due to size. Both are extremely good speakers and serve their purpose well but if size and WAF isnt the main concern the sbs will smoke the orbs. There is just more overall detail and no harshness at loud volumes compared to the orbs. For HT the sbs are a big step above the orbs, however the orbs do close the gap in 2 channel (especially if you use the mod 2's) because you can listen at a variety of levels where with the sbs you seem to need more power and volume to make them really sing.

Although for some reason the orbs can be better in a family room situation with people always in motion, multiple seating positions and jumping around - because they seem to hold their sound dispersion well (though the downside is there seems to be no real sweet spot), i've even had my daughter turn the left channel sideways and barely noticed a drop off in sound(must be something about the circle enclosure).

Finally I use the 20-39pci with the sbs and let me tell you the super 8 is not even close to this league for clean power, seamless blending and extension - it really shines above for music and movies.


Let me know if there is anything else you need to know


Thanks

Greg
 
#150 ·
Thanks Meno, unionmade -


I have the 20-39pci+ (powered) for my main setup - if I went with the SVS speakers I am concerned that the 10 that ships with it might be too small for the room and the 12 that can be had for a mere $150 (the box twin of my PC) might be too large (in more ways than one).


I'm starting to think the orbs might be out due to the sub for the space, and the SVS in due to the size of the sub - but I really like the idea of easily mounting the orbs onto the junction boxes already in place....
 
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