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Danley SH-50/SH-60 for dedicated Home Theater

127K views 751 replies 93 participants last post by  mahandave 
#1 ·
Hello!


Right now I am considering going with either Danley's SH-50 or SH-60 as FCR for a pretty high end home theater setup.


My upcoming dedicated room will be about 22'x19'x12'. I have been using 5x Genelec 1037Cs for the past couple of years. Before that I made my experiences with horn speakers: Klipschhorn, THX ULTRA 2, JBLs and even Avantgarde Acoustics at some point. I generally like the sound signature of horn speakers.


Lately I bought a Seaton Catalyst 12C to benchmark it against the Genelecs - you can read about it over here: http://www.seaton-sound-forum.com/post?id=4897368


In short: I am not quite satisfied with the relative performance of the Catalyst versus the Genelecs - despite its much greater dynamic headroom.


So I am thinking about going back to my first love - horn speakers. And that's were Danley enters the picture...


I would appreciate it to get some advice on the following points:


- I am considering the SH-50 or the SH-60. Both will work in my setup and the ~12 feet listening distance. I noticed that the driver/component configuration is different (6x4" versus 4x5"). I take it the SH-60 is the more recent design. What are the differences between those two regarding "sound quality" (other than the different dispersion)?


- Both speaker come in a passive and active version. The active uses IcePower moduls with DSP crossovers just like the Seaton Catalyst does (they use the same OEM for the amps). My question is: Would the version with passive crossovers together with a decent external amp (I am thinking about the MC2 MC 1250) give me "better sound quality" compared to the powered version? I guess the tri-amplified Class D amp with digital crossovers has its advantages but I don't like the concept of going through additional A/D-D/A steps.


I take it Tom Danley himself uses the passive version together with external amps. Is SQ the reason for that? (Note: I don't have any amps right now that I could simply use - so the question is whether to buy the "turn key active version" or the passive one with appropriate amps).


- Are there any European Danley dealers listening?


I am looking forward to any advice! Thanks.


- Walter
 
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#629 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by Marri /forum/post/21731212


Am about planning to get the JTR Triple 12 LCR , already have 2X Triple 8 !


Could any of you guys who've made the upgrade from JTR please , pm me... if u wish to refrain you views publicly..

I'd really appreciate knowing the difference or would love to know your recommendations or ratings between the two interns of clarity , sound stage , effortlessness , impact , separation , lower noise floor , vocals , overall mid range etc (Most of which I believe the JTR's do amazingly but if the Danley's take everything a level further then , wow)

I do admit the JTR's may lack in the bass department if that's your thing but on the most part it doesn't bother me..

Also to buy Danley , only way is to contact them right , these SH50's aren't readily available or listed else where right ?



My Dream would actually be to beat the local cinema here , these swines have awesome speakers , using JBL's , the mids and the effortlessness between explosions , music and vocals , balanced smoothness all at the same time clearly distinguishable is what I want to compete with or beat in my own small way.. ;P

I know I need a really awesome amp to be able to achieve that but speaker wise , I wish to be on the right path incase if I am not already !

But again if the Danley's aren't really of a higher league vs JTR's , I could quiet actually go all JTR instead of paying huge amounts for the Danley..

I love my JTR T8's but I have to be realistic and believe that there might be more options out there..


In other words...

The kind of sound I want , I think I'm in most ways confused about then sure..

But while watching movies , I want my entire front wall to sound like a giant speaker without adding fatigue , I want the mids to be easily distinguishable..


I want to feel like captain kirk inside the starship enterprise cockpit.. while under attack for better or worse..

If my english isn't clear enough , sorry for that..


thanks alot in advance.. wish you all the best..

You can contact the rep in your area to see what is available in your area

http://www.danleysoundlabs.com/wheretobuy.html


A quick listen between the different cabinets you are talking about would quickly revel the differences.


There are reasons the Danley is more expensive.
 
#631 ·
I'm running 3 Danley SH100s as LCRs and 2 dts10s (with Atlantic Tech system 350thx surrounds) and it sounds unbe-freaking-lievable!!(lol). Previously had Atl Tech sys 350thx LCRs with 2-SVS 20-39 subs, and the difference in clarity, dynamics, soundstage, presence, imaging and 'you are there-ness' is night and day. Would never go back; looking to get some used Danley Sh-minis (x4) for surroundsto replace my current surrounds.
 
#632 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by MovieMike /forum/post/21732951


I'm running 3 Danley SH100s as LCRs and 2 dts10s (with Atlantic Tech system 350thx surrounds) and it sounds unbe-freaking-lievable!!(lol). Previously had Atl Tech sys 350thx LCRs with 2-SVS 20-39 subs, and the difference in clarity, dynamics, soundstage, presence, imaging and 'you are there-ness' is night and day. Would never go back; looking to get some used Danley Sh-minis (x4) for surroundsto replace my current surrounds.

I bo9ught my mini's used and love them They are not very small for a bookshelf. If you cannot wall mount (like myself) stand them up on their side like a conventional bookshelf speaker. They have no problems keeping up with my SH-100 center and SM-60s.




forin
 
#633 ·
Hi Jim,


I don't think I'd put mine on a stand like these; they just don't seem to have enough Top/Base Plate surface area for my 'personal' taste:


Top Plate Dimensions: 12" W x 8" D

Base Plate Dimensions: 10 3/4" W x 11 3/4" D


Larry



Quote:
Originally Posted by jdubs /forum/post/21727067


Guys, what about speaker stands for the SH50? I was thinking of something like this:

http://www.wayfair.com/VTI-RF-Series...FC-VI1048.html


-Jim
 
#634 ·
There are a few of us here that have upgraded from JTR gear.


JTR was my first experience with high sensitivity speakers and after a couple weeks of dedicated listening sessions I realized this was the experience I sought.


I kept my JTR gear for ~3 years and really enjoyed every minute with the product; I only changed them out because 3 years is an eternity in this hobby, and I wanted the SH-50 product to begin with.


IMHO; everything the JTR product does, the SH-50 does on a grander scale with more authority and precision.


With the SH-50 there are no poor seat selections in one's HT; for subs and screen maybe, but not with the mains. The sweet-spot is literally the whole front row. I have the cabinets toed-in so that the outside cabinet walls are parallel with (up against as best I can manage) the room walls.


No matter what seat you are in the SH-50 provides the same presentation. You can pace from one side of the room to the other and the image never changes.


I'm very pleased with the Danley product, and wish I would have went with them first, but after spending $12k on mains I'm likely not going to state otherwise:)


I'm running mine full range and boosting 'a little' down into the 40s; I'm also running a SH-69 as the center - talk about getting the center channel right!!!


Larry


Quote:
Originally Posted by Marri /forum/post/21731212


Am about planning to get the JTR Triple 12 LCR , already have 2X Triple 8 !


Could any of you guys who've made the upgrade from JTR please , pm me... if u wish to refrain you views publicly..

I'd really appreciate knowing the difference or would love to know your recommendations or ratings between the two interns of clarity , sound stage , effortlessness , impact , separation , lower noise floor , vocals , overall mid range etc (Most of which I believe the JTR's do amazingly but if the Danley's take everything a level further then , wow)

I do admit the JTR's may lack in the bass department if that's your thing but on the most part it doesn't bother me..

Also to buy Danley , only way is to contact them right , these SH50's aren't readily available or listed else where right ?



My Dream would actually be to beat the local cinema here , these swines have awesome speakers , using JBL's , the mids and the effortlessness between explosions , music and vocals , balanced smoothness all at the same time clearly distinguishable is what I want to compete with or beat in my own small way.. ;P

I know I need a really awesome amp to be able to achieve that but speaker wise , I wish to be on the right path incase if I am not already !

But again if the Danley's aren't really of a higher league vs JTR's , I could quiet actually go all JTR instead of paying huge amounts for the Danley..

I love my JTR T8's but I have to be realistic and believe that there might be more options out there..


In other words...

The kind of sound I want , I think I'm in most ways confused about then sure..

But while watching movies , I want my entire front wall to sound like a giant speaker without adding fatigue , I want the mids to be easily distinguishable..


I want to feel like captain kirk inside the starship enterprise cockpit.. while under attack for better or worse..

If my english isn't clear enough , sorry for that..


thanks alot in advance.. wish you all the best..
 
#635 ·
I had a chance to demo an SH 50 for a couple of days with some music and movies and was pleasantly impressed with the presentation. In comparison I am coming from 2010 JTR Triple 12's. Both speakers were played in the same room but not at the same time, so a direct A/B comparison could not be made.


I would like to stay away from superlatives that would describe the sound of the two speakers. Both are outstanding for both music and movies, obviously depending on material, room, EQ and taste....the decision to go with either company could not be a wrong one.


Both present clarity and dynamics that would make for a very enjoyable evening of either music or movies. What I did notice with the Danley was the presence of the midband and the characteristic of it, in particular. To me the Danley sounded "quick" and "snappy", something I like in audio.


Which one would I pick.....price no object, the Danley. Even though I enjoyed the SH 50's sound, the JTR is not far behind. It does much of what the Danley does but for less. Keep in mind the difference between the two, two me, was not night and day, but rather slight.


Iam looking into a Danley setup thanks to the demo.
 
#638 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by 04FLHRCI /forum/post/21736139


There are a few of us here that have upgraded from JTR gear.


JTR was my first experience with high sensitivity speakers and after a couple weeks of dedicated listening sessions I realized this was the experience I sought.


I kept my JTR gear for ~3 years and really enjoyed every minute with the product; I only changed them out because 3 years is an eternity in this hobby, and I wanted the SH-50 product to begin with.


IMHO; everything the JTR product does, the SH-50 does on a grander scale with more authority and precision.


With the SH-50 there are no poor seat selections in one's HT; for subs and screen maybe, but not with the mains. The sweet-spot is literally the whole front row. I have the cabinets toed-in so that the outside cabinet walls are parallel with (up against as best I can manage) the room walls.


No matter what seat you are in the SH-50 provides the same presentation. You can pace from one side of the room to the other and the image never changes.


I'm very pleased with the Danley product, and wish I would have went with them first, but after spending $12k on mains I'm likely not going to state otherwise:)


I'm running mine full range and boosting 'a little' down into the 40s; I'm also running a SH-69 as the center - talk about getting the center channel right!!!


Larry

congrats. I too have 2 sh50 and a sh69 for center. I also have 4 sh100 for surrounds. I love mine.
 
#639 ·
I am finally picking up a pair of SH-50's tomorrow to try out. I have been curious about these speakers for years. I currently have Yamaha DSR 112's in my theater room. Previously I have had Magnepan 3.6's, Klipsch RF-82's and Energy Veritas 2.4i's.


Looking forward to giving the SH-50's a go.
 
#640 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by chrapladm /forum/post/21983050


I am still curious of the sound of the SH100's. I know they are only an 8 so I have always been very skeptical. I figure if I ever get some Danleys I will go with the 60M or maybe 60F. Either way at least you got to hear them. I wont get that chance.

I have Sh100s as LCR and I can assure you they sound great. Much larger sounding than their 8" coaxial might lead one to think. The coaxial sits in a decent sized horn which helps the sound project (and the B&C driver is no slouch). I continue to be mightily impressed and have no desire to upgrade. I do however look forward to hearing more of their line-up.
 
#641 ·
So I picked up the SH-50's, and brought them home. I screwed up on my measuring, and they do not fit between my screen and sidewalls.


I hooked them up and listened to them for several hours, and they are truly a wonderful speaker.


Unfortunately I have to sell them, and have listed them here in the classified section.
 
#642 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by bukiwhitey /forum/post/22014819


So I picked up the SH-50's, and brought them home. I screwed up on my measuring, and they do not fit between my screen and sidewalls.


I hooked them up and listened to them for several hours, and they are truly a wonderful speaker.


Unfortunately I have to sell them, and have listed them here in the classified section.

Man, I'm sorry, that sucks!
Even though they don't fit, what were your brief impressions relative to your previous speakers?


Do you think you might try the SH-69 or SM-60F?
 
#643 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by vraxoin /forum/post/22015861


Man, I'm sorry, that sucks!
Even though they don't fit, what were your brief impressions relative to your previous speakers?


Do you think you might try the SH-69 or SM-60F?

The 60F should fit, I am only a few inches off now.


They are a very revealing speaker, which I like. Most similar to Magnepan in that regard. However unlike Magnepan, they have unlimited headroom. It is also pretty cool how the sound has a much, much, bigger sweet spot, you do not have to be dead center.


They are very efficient, I ran them off an onkyo AVR, and an Emotiva 2 channel amp. Either way they sounded great, more low end control and oomph with the Emotiva. I could easily run them off the Onkyo in my system, and cross them over to the subs at 60-80hz.


Also like the Maggies, they absolutely disappear in the room. The room fills with sound, and you cannot locate it from the boxes.
 
#644 ·
Would like some help in making a decision. Coming from JTR Triple 12's.


I have a chance at either purchasing the SH or SM line from Danley. I have heard the SH 50 and enjoyed the "midbass" very much. Looking at possibly saving a little bit of money by going with the SM line, which I have not heard. But DO NOT want to sacrifice the punch the 50 had.


Sub wise I will have 4-6 (18) inch woofs in the room.


What am I giving up by purchasing the SM line over the SH line.
 
#646 ·
I know they have a dealer in UK. You can probably find out from danleysoundlabs.com
 
#647 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by loloo  /t/1311387/danley-sh-50-sh-60-for-dedicated-home-theater/630#post_22337155


Hello Folks,

I just joined after reading these fantastic reviews for the Danley speakers.. Where could I audition them? I live in France, any place in Europe would be great..

I presently own Linkwitz Orions speakers.

Cheers

Lo
Those Orion's are really great two channel speakers. The Danleys will be quite different in presentation.
 
#648 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by bodhisafa  /t/1311387/danley-sh-50-sh-60-for-dedicated-home-theater/630#post_22082268


Would like some help in making a decision. Coming from JTR Triple 12's.



I have a chance at either purchasing the SH or SM line from Danley. I have heard the SH 50 and enjoyed the "midbass" very much. Looking at possibly saving a little bit of money by going with the SM line, which I have not heard. But DO NOT want to sacrifice the punch the 50 had.



Sub wise I will have 4-6 (18) inch woofs in the room.



What am I giving up by purchasing the SM line over the SH line.

The obvious differences are the price and the size.


The basic difference between the SH and SM lines are that the SH products (for the most part) have the horn made of 18mm (3/4") 13 ply baltic birch. The Sm line uses a molded horn.


However this horn is not your normal thin horn so often found. It is very thick and dense-so it does not "ring" then you thump it. More like a dull thud.


The reason for the molded horn is that to do these designs in wood would be very expensive and complicated and next to impossible to do with wood on some models.


Performance wise-the SH cabinets that would typically be used in the home (SH50-60-69) have more low freq extension and have greater sensitivity and power capacity (for greater output).


In most situations-either the SH or the SM will have more than enough output. Remember that these cabinets are designed for large rooms-many times larger than a typical home listening room.


Tonality wise- the SH products sound a bit "warmer" than the SM-mainly due to the extra low freq extension.


The SM's have a bit more "sizzle" way up high-due to the smalle lighterr HF diaphragm.


If midbass impact is one of the driving forces/decisions then the SH50-60-69 will definatlly outrun the Sm's-but the SM's are no slouch.


Yes the drivers are only 8" (except the SM80), but when they are loaded on a horn-they have more "get up" and the drivers are not your typical home theatre types.


Hope this helps.
 
#649 ·
I've read this thread (and others) from beginning to end but I've a few questions:

  1. I keep reading about the SH-100 speaker but it is not listed on the Danley website - is it still available?
  2. Would the Canadian dealer be able to demo a full 7.1 SH-50, SH-69, SH-100 speaker system?
  3. Can I assume that Danley still has their demo in operation for demos?


There is just too much money involved here to proceed with a purchase without first auditioning these speakers.


BTW, I live just outside of Toronto Ontario.


Thanks in advance.


Cheers!

-- Bill --
 
#650 ·
1) The SH-100 was renamed SM-100.

2) You will have to call and ask.

3) What? "their demo in operation for demos?" You mean, does the main Danley facility do demo's for people that ask? If so, then yes.
 
#651 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by loloo  /t/1311387/danley-sh-50-sh-60-for-dedicated-home-theater/630#post_22337155


Hello Folks,

I just joined after reading these fantastic reviews for the Danley speakers.. Where could I audition them? I live in France, any place in Europe would be great..

I presently own Linkwitz Orions speakers.

Cheers

Lo

Could this be the place?

http://www.gearsourceeurope.com/catalog/browse/brand/danley-sound-labs/page/1/rows/10/shoppingstyle/stock/sortby/listings_lastmodified%7Cdesc
 
#652 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by flyng_fool  /t/1311387/danley-sh-50-sh-60-for-dedicated-home-theater/630#post_22339926


Those Orion's are really great two channel speakers. The Danleys will be quite different in presentation.

for sure, but I really would like to compare.. The Orions are stellar on properly done acoustical recording, for all others, there must be better out there.. Also, they are seriously SPL limited.
 
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