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New ED Cinema custom 9 channel build: Finally pulled the trigger

8K views 122 replies 25 participants last post by  ChopShop1 
#1 ·
Well, I finally made a decision. After about a week of talking with Alex and Brett and Elemental Designs, I have pulled the trigger on a new setup. Back around the first of the year, I decided to take advantage of Vanns sale on Energy. Once I really evaluated my room and my goals, I realized that this system wasn't quite going to make it.


Backround: I am blessed enough to have the opportunity to be building a new home. One of the biggest things to me in the build was a media area. Well, as things would go, I decided to give up the major part of the basement to my daughter for a game room/multi purpose room for her and her friends. This left me with a lot of thinking to do in regard to how to feed my need for home theater
Back around the first of the year, I decided to take advantage of the Vanns sale on energy speakers. Buyers remose set in as soon as I started trying to decide what subs to use. The room that I get to use for media after giving up the basement is huge. It is 20x28 with almost 14ft high vaulted ceilings...needles to say, I need some serious output to reach reference levels. This started my search for a new setup, which led me to JTR, ED, and a few others, My selection was somewhat limited based on form factor. This room will be used for fight night, big games, movies, cocktail hour, etc..so while WAF wasn't a factor, my appeal factor was. I really wanted something that would "blend" as much as possible in the room and look nice (not fine furniture nice, but good audio equip nice). At the end of the day, the attention I received from Alex and Brett at ED, as well as the reviews and advise of others (MK, Nezff with his new setup) made my decision for me.


So now for the fun part...What we(myself and the guys at ED) finally decided on is as follows:

1.Two ED(c) towers, upgraded and containing two 12s

2.An ED(c) center, upraded with two 12s

3.For rear and side surrounds, ED(c) 12s, upgraded and with custom enclosures to fit decor

4. Height speakers will also be ED(c) 12s, upgraded and with custom enclosures to meet optimum specs for height speaker placement relative to my room and seating position.

5. SUBS!!! I think a good bank for the buck sub that will meet my needs, and save me a few$$$, is the A7-450.....2 of them!!!


Needless to say, I am psyched like a little kid. As time goes on, I will update with pics of the build(room) along with preliminary designs,pics,etc for ED. A big thanks to James(MKtheater) for taking the time to go back and forth with me and listen to my tastes and goals and budget. Stay tuned....
 
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#27 ·

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



****!! I'm feeling the pressure now, I sure hope you like them!!


I just saw your thread for the first time just now as I've been sitting here listening to music for 2 hours straight. No fatigue at all, these speakers sound so good. My only issue with them is a lack of sleep!!



Now that I have the cinema 12 center I listen almost 100% of the time to pro-logic II music. I haven't missed my Maggies for a single second. The combo of the eD's along with my new dual Submersives are the best audio decisions I've ever made.


All this said, I've always thought that speaker preference is so individual, so I am a bit nervous!!


You are going to have a killer setup, I do recommend thinking about Submersives for your subs if you can afford it (since you might want 4 in that space!!). They are worth every penny.

Stock settings for pl2 music? Like dimension and width?
 
#28 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by carp /forum/post/21824022


****!! I'm feeling the pressure now, I sure hope you like them!!


I just saw your thread for the first time just now as I've been sitting here listening to music for 2 hours straight. No fatigue at all, these speakers sound so good. My only issue with them is a lack of sleep!!



Now that I have the cinema 12 center I listen almost 100% of the time to pro-logic II music. I haven't missed my Maggies for a single second. The combo of the eD's along with my new dual Submersives are the best audio decisions I've ever made.


All this said, I've always thought that speaker preference is so individual, so I am a bit nervous!!


You are going to have a killer setup, I do recommend thinking about Submersives for your subs if you can afford it (since you might want 4 in that space!!). They are worth every penny.


Hahahaha...no need to be nervous. Everyone that I have spoken to who has experience with these, and knows my goals thinks they are the ones for me. I auditioned every "high end" speaker I could...Triad, PSB, Revel, B&W, Def Tech, Klipsch THX, Paradigm studios,etc. The PSB synchrony had the right sound, but not the impact...The Triad had a nice smooth sound, but not the impact. The Klipsch THX had the impact, but no finese or warmth. The Paradigms certainly had some impact, but my notes tell me they were a bit "thin" sounding for my taste. I have taken the notes I took when auditioning each and compared to the reviews of others on the ED(c) lineup. From what I can tell, these will be the happy medium for me...crazy output capability, without sacrificing listenability, warmth or low volume performance. Once mine are finished and set up properly, anyone near or willing to travel to the CT area is more than welcome to get a listen if you are interested in these speakers.
 
#30 ·
I usually listen to movies when I try something out, but I listened to music strictly with just the towers, and then just towers and subs.


I instantly loved the cinemas mainly because they were not "bright" like my Klipsch were. I am very very pleased in making my decision. I unhooked the klipsch and never hooked them back up. I sold just about everthing in about a week.


My initial plan was to get double 12 mains, double 10 center, and single 12 surrounds. After hearing the ones that were made to be surrounds, I was in love. They can get very loud. No need in the extra 12 considering I have the subs I have for the lower end. I ended up going with my original design(height etc..) on the rest of the speakers that Alex and I came up with. I ended up going with the cinema 12 shrunk down in height to fit in my stand. Should be receiving this stuff next week.
 
#31 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by pokekevin /forum/post/21824031


Stock settings for pl2 music? Like dimension and width?

Dimension yes, width I go back and forth between 3,4, and 5.


After taking some measurements in my room I discovered why PLII sounds better. I have a big dip at 125 hz in stereo and the dip disappears when the center is on.
 
#32 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by ChopShop1 /forum/post/21824622


Hahahaha...no need to be nervous. Everyone that I have spoken to who has experience with these, and knows my goals thinks they are the ones for me. I auditioned every "high end" speaker I could...Triad, PSB, Revel, B&W, Def Tech, Klipsch THX, Paradigm studios,etc. The PSB synchrony had the right sound, but not the impact...The Triad had a nice smooth sound, but not the impact. The Klipsch THX had the impact, but no finese or warmth. The Paradigms certainly had some impact, but my notes tell me they were a bit "thin" sounding for my taste. I have taken the notes I took when auditioning each and compared to the reviews of others on the ED(c) lineup. From what I can tell, these will be the happy medium for me...crazy output capability, without sacrificing listenability, warmth or low volume performance. Once mine are finished and set up properly, anyone near or willing to travel to the CT area is more than welcome to get a listen if you are interested in these speakers.

Gotcha. I too think these are the speakers that will fit your tastes, but there is only one way to know for sure! I'm looking forward to your impressions. The only weakness IMO with these speakers would be for those people that like a low crossover with their sub (lower than 80). I like crossing at 100 (sometimes even higher for music) so it doesn't matter for me at all.


What will the extension be with having 2 12"s in each speaker?
 
#33 ·
Also, when I said you might need 4 Submersives I didn't want to give the impression that they lack output. In fact now that I'm using pgrm 2 on the submersives I feel that they have every bit as much output as my dual Captivators (however the Caps were only powered with a /behringer ep4000) had. The SPL meter backs that up. The difference is they sound much tighter and extend lower and sound better at all volumes, it's even obvious at low volumes. I'm so glad I made the sub switch.


If you are set on the eD's I'll shut up, but I'm so impressed with the Submersives that I had to let you know.
 
#34 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by carp /forum/post/21824794


Gotcha. I too think these are the speakers that will fit your tastes, but there is only one way to know for sure! I'm looking forward to your impressions. The only weakness IMO with these speakers would be for those people that like a low crossover with their sub (lower than 80). I like crossing at 100 (sometimes even higher for music) so it doesn't matter for me at all.


What will the extension be with having 2 12"s in each speaker?

From the disscusions that I have had with Alex and Brett, these should be perfect for 80hz xover with the dual 12s


I liked hearing your impressions of the subms and caps. I am not dead set on anything for subs yet. I do love how ED has treated me so far, and for that I have been highly considering their subs. I have also been told by many to look at some other options that may perform better, but cost a little more. I would really like my sub setup to be able to run flat (for the most part) from low teens on up to xover point. The problem with this is the size of my room and the amount of output I am seeking. All this combined is making my sub decision pretty tough.
 
#35 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by ChopShop1 /forum/post/21825752


From the disscusions that I have had with Alex and Brett, these should be perfect for 80hz xover with the dual 12s


I liked hearing your impressions of the subms and caps. I am not dead set on anything for subs yet. I do love how ED has treated me so far, and for that I have been highly considering their subs. I have also been told by many to look at some other options that may perform better, but cost a little more. I would really like my sub setup to be able to run flat (for the most part) from low teens on up to xover point. The problem with this is the size of my room and the amount of output I am seeking. All this combined is making my sub decision pretty tough.

Sealed Cap 2's (the new one with 2 18 inch drivers) might be perfect for you. If you are buying duals I bet Jeff would give you a good deal, you should call and see what kind of price you could get.


I know what you mean about eD treating you well, Alex was great to me too.
 
#37 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by carp /forum/post/21826580


Sealed Cap 2's (the new one with 2 18 inch drivers) might be perfect for you. If you are buying duals I bet Jeff would give you a good deal, you should call and see what kind of price you could get.


I know what you mean about eD treating you well, Alex was great to me too.

Hmmmm...I need to take a closer look at those too. I have no idea what the price or specs are.?.? Anyone have any links to threads??


Oh man..$3k each!!! I won't be able to swing two of those unless he cut me a rediculous deal. Still though, has anyone used one yet??
 
#38 ·
Yeah, 3 grand is steep, but think of it like this. I've heard a sealed Cap and a Submersive head to head and the output was pretty much the same. So 2 cap sealed 2's would = 4 submersives so now 6 grand looks like a great deal compared to 8 grand for 4 Submersives. Now, I think the Sumbersives have a slightly better sound quality, but it's close and others thought the opposite.
 
#40 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by carp /forum/post/21827305


Yeah, 3 grand is steep, but think of it like this. I've heard a sealed Cap and a Submersive head to head and the output was pretty much the same. So 2 cap sealed 2's would = 4 submersives so now 6 grand looks like a great deal compared to 8 grand for 4 Submersives. Now, I think the Sumbersives have a slightly better sound quality, but it's close and others thought the opposite.

I know, and I bet the CapS2 are amazing, but compared to the cost of two A7-450 subs, they are double the price. I wonder if the difference is sq, extension and output is enough to justify double the price??
 
#41 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by omegaslast /forum/post/21828004


Weird that eD is not building center channels with two smaller 6"-8" drivers beneath the horn. Having a 12" woofer off to the side introduces a lot of center to center spacing and lobing issues as a result. Its not optimal at all really

I understand your concern, but have faith in the guys at ED. As stated earlier, it does mean more time to implement the correct components and build a crossover network that will work well, but that is why I am paying a little more. A lot of the most acclaimed designs have seperation near the same as these and work very well because of the correct implementation of components..JBL cinema series speakers come to mind. I was also told by Ed that if the design did not turn out to be optimum, that we would re visit once testing was done and explore another design.
 
#42 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by ChopShop1 /forum/post/21828550


I know, and I bet the CapS2 are amazing, but compared to the cost of two A7-450 subs, they are double the price. I wonder if the difference is sq, extension and output is enough to justify double the price??

Oh, ok. I thought you were set on sealed since you wanted really low extension. That's why I keep bringing up the Submersive and Cap Sealed.


When it comes to ported the 2 biggest output subs I have heard are the Cap and the SVS Ultra. The Cap (even the passive version) stomps all over the Ultra, but I have no idea how either would compare to the A7-450. I would love to hear a comparison. Hell, I'd love to hear any eD sub, it's one of the few ID subs that I haven't been lucky enough to hear in the past year or so.


For me the difference in sound quality alone is enough to justify price of the Submersive, but that's just personal preference.
 
#43 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by carp /forum/post/21829597


Oh, ok. I thought you were set on sealed since you wanted really low extension. That's why I keep bringing up the Submersive and Cap Sealed.


When it comes to ported the 2 biggest output subs I have heard are the Cap and the SVS Ultra. The Cap (even the passive version) stomps all over the Ultra, but I have no idea how either would compare to the A7-450. I would love to hear a comparison. Hell, I'd love to hear any eD sub, it's one of the few ID subs that I haven't been lucky enough to hear in the past year or so.


For me the difference in sound quality alone is enough to justify price of the Submersive, but that's just personal preference.

I'm kind of in the same boat. I haven't been able to hear any of the available subs..cap, subm, ed, ultra,etc...you name, and I haven't heard it



From what I gather, the output of the A7-450 is insane, and If I can have two for just a little more than the price of one cap, well that makes life a little easier. I am also going to contact Alex today and ask about a custom build of something like the A7-900 was, but do duals.
 
#50 ·
I don't think I can say for sure which sound better because this is going by audio memory but the Cap1000 was a great sounding sub. I had duals and the bass was great. I had the same driver that was in the A7-900 in both ported and sealed DIY sonos. I would have to give the sound quality to the Cap1000(sounds just like the Cap with less output). Better for music but for movies I am not sure which I like better. I know I built 4 ported monsters that moved some serious air and tuned to 13.4 hz to boot. They would beat the Cap1000's for spl for sure(same X-max per driver or similar). The Caps are smaller. Then there is the VS 18.1 as well which I never heard. Since you are crossing these over at 80hz I would get whatever went the lowest or had the lowest tune to cover as much bandwidth as possible but that is just me. CHT also has a TC sounds ported 15 coming out!
 
#51 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by carp /forum/post/21830503


ah... very nice. In that case custom a7-900's it is!!!

Yesssss!!! That is all the encouragement I needed



Seriously though, I am about to call Alex now and see whats up with a couple of these.


MK, thanks as always for your impressions of each. Much appreciated, and I agree that with an 80hz xover, I will go with the option that can go the lowest(within reason, anything that hits low teens with significant output is great). I am willing to give up usable 10hz output in exchange for insane output at all levels above that.
 
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