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Definitive Technology Mythos Series Thread - Page 109

post #3241 of 5215
10/24/10 at 11:13am
The reason I would want the 8060HD instead of a 9 or 10 is size restrictions. Ordered a E7002 from Standout Designs (should arrive in a couple of weeks) Wanted to put the center speaker in the top drawer to have a nice clean look. Seems the Mythos 9 and the 10 are too long. 8060 should fit just fine.
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Gear mentioned in this thread:

post #3242 of 5215
10/24/10 at 9:35pm
Yosh7, that sounds like an awesome setup. The basement area I use for my system is small so the STS towers, 8 Center, 4 Gems and SC Reference is more then enough. Atleast for now. LOL. The center is being driver with a Carver M 1.0t mkII bridged and the L/R fronts with a Carver M 1.0 mkII opt 002. If you haven't seen or heard them check out this site. http://carvermk2.com/m10tmkII/m10tmkII.htm
As far as the reviews you find on the site, I have to say I was skeptical until I got my hands on one of the mkII amps. They are all they are said to be. I thought I had a new pair of fronts and center. As far as the Mythos One's, they are sold along with a Three Center. Just waiting for the buyer to bring the $'s. Then it's off to the store again for the STS Towers.
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post #3243 of 5215
10/27/10 at 9:04pm
After a brief venture looking at the DT Cinema 800 and 1000 series, I came to the conclusoin those were not going to give the bigger sound I was used to (had a Denon 3300 and Klipsch reference setup a couple years back). Now I'm in a new house with a larger living area that we are also setting up as our main media room. Got the 50" panny plasma, HTPC w/hdmi video/7.1ch on that wire too. I just ordered a Denon 3311ci ($812 from electronics-expo - w/"GOAV" code) and now shopping around for DT speakers.

I'm looking at 2xSTS/1xNine/4xGems, hoping this will be near optimal for both music and cinema. I like to feel the movies hit with impact, but tight without distorting or needless rumble. However we sort of agreed to try limiting the "big ugly sub", by going with the STSs. I suspect after getting this all setup, when she's not looking I'll venture to drop in a sub in the back area. Wanting to keep this setup music friendly too! I'll be honest and say I did like running my old Klipsch setup in 5ch stereo :/

The livingroom area is 15'x23'x12' vaulted ceiling. There is an additional 14'x25' dining and kitchen area attached off the side of the living room. The TV & fronts are on one side wall of the livingroom and seating is facing that side wall too. Main sofa is some 10' back of the TV. There is a large open area behind the seating, which leaves the back surrounds some 12' behind the seating... so I wanted a 7ch config to better fill out the sides (keeping all the sound stuff in the living area and not locating any in the dining or kitchen).

I'd like to get a matching set of speakers (ie: all Mythos), however with the vaulted ceiling going from 9' up to 12' I'm not sure the Gems are the right way to go (I intend to mount the surrounds up at the 9' wall/ceiling transition and and point them downward) with the top port bouncing sound off the slanted ceiling. Then, the Nine center might be a bit weak for this big area.

Whatcha think?

---

Probably use this guide to setup the Denon with 7.2ch out using the dual LFEs
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showt...4#post18043724

Also, I'm wavering between getting the Nine or Ten... read the many posts here, but there is nothing definitive (pun) on the topic... just "it depends on what you want". Well obviously I want the optimal setup Does the Ten really match up well with the STS (smaller mids) and does the Nine have enough depth of lower range sound (hence the Ten consideration)?
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post #3244 of 5215
10/29/10 at 5:38pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by coolplazma View Post

After a brief venture looking at the DT Cinema 800 and 1000 series, I came to the conclusoin those were not going to give the bigger sound I was used to (had a Denon 3300 and Klipsch reference setup a couple years back). Now I'm in a new house with a larger living area that we are also setting up as our main media room. Got the 50" panny plasma, HTPC w/hdmi video/7.1ch on that wire too. I just ordered a Denon 3311ci ($812 from electronics-expo - w/"GOAV" code) and now shopping around for DT speakers.

I'm looking at 2xSTS/1xNine/4xGems, hoping this will be near optimal for both music and cinema. I like to feel the movies hit with impact, but tight without distorting or needless rumble. However we sort of agreed to try limiting the "big ugly sub", by going with the STSs. I suspect after getting this all setup, when she's not looking I'll venture to drop in a sub in the back area. Wanting to keep this setup music friendly too! I'll be honest and say I did like running my old Klipsch setup in 5ch stereo :/

The livingroom area is 15'x23'x12' vaulted ceiling. There is an additional 14'x25' dining and kitchen area attached off the side of the living room. The TV & fronts are on one side wall of the livingroom and seating is facing that side wall too. Main sofa is some 10' back of the TV. There is a large open area behind the seating, which leaves the back surrounds some 12' behind the seating... so I wanted a 7ch config to better fill out the sides (keeping all the sound stuff in the living area and not locating any in the dining or kitchen).

I'd like to get a matching set of speakers (ie: all Mythos), however with the vaulted ceiling going from 9' up to 12' I'm not sure the Gems are the right way to go (I intend to mount the surrounds up at the 9' wall/ceiling transition and and point them downward) with the top port bouncing sound off the slanted ceiling. Then, the Nine center might be a bit weak for this big area.

Whatcha think?

---

Probably use this guide to setup the Denon with 7.2ch out using the dual LFEs
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showt...4#post18043724

Also, I'm wavering between getting the Nine or Ten... read the many posts here, but there is nothing definitive (pun) on the topic... just "it depends on what you want". Well obviously I want the optimal setup Does the Ten really match up well with the STS (smaller mids) and does the Nine have enough depth of lower range sound (hence the Ten consideration)?

DefTech rep I contacted stated the new 8060HD center speaker would be a better match for the STS speakers. On a side note, I clicked on the link in your post and after reading through it realized there is a separate LFE track with movies (didn't know that but Im sure most if not all of you on here did) and there would be a benefit using/connecting LFE with the ST and STS speakers. When I inquired about this with Definitive Technology they stated....

"Thanks for the follow up. The sound quality produced by the STS towers would be the same whether you use the LFE cable or not. The only difference is the level of control on your receiver. If you connect a separate LFE cable to the towers, you can control the volume and crossover frequency of the STS towers from the receiver's remote control."

So it seems to me they do not find any difference with using speaker wire or the LFE option. This is pretty new to me (just started my audio journey) so Im off to reading more about LFE.
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post #3245 of 5215
10/29/10 at 6:50pm
Yes I read a previous post about the 8060HD, but my preference is to stay within the Mythos line. Well, I hit the EASY button and called DefTech earlier too, just to confirm if they thought the voicing of the Ten would mesh well with the STS... answer yes. I had some concern about the Ten's midrange size being bigger than those on the STS, but I wanted a broader sound than the Nine.

I am in the process of ordering these Mythos for my 7.2 config:
2xSTS/1xTen/4xGemXL

About the LFE, I figure with a good amp/receiver, maybe it's better to rely on this component to output clean, descrete channels. I'm not 100% convinced "regular" [whatever gauge] speaker wire would handle the fullbandwidth signal as well as a good quality shielded dedicated LFE cable does. Can anybody shed some light on this?

Later maybe drop an addnl SVS12 sub in the back if the STS do not provide enough kick during cinema nights. Speaking of sub location, how effect efficient is it to put a sub in another room just behind the STS/TV area (on the other side of the wall there is a closet)?
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post #3246 of 5215
10/30/10 at 2:32am
Quote:
Originally Posted by coolplazma View Post

Yes I read a previous post about the 8060HD, but my preference is to stay within the Mythos line. Well, I hit the EASY button and called DefTech earlier too, just to confirm if they thought the voicing of the Ten would mesh well with the STS... answer yes. I had some concern about the Ten's midrange size being bigger than those on the STS, but I wanted a broader sound than the Nine.

I am in the process of ordering these Mythos for my 7.2 config:
2xSTS/1xTen/4xGemXL

About the LFE, I figure with a good amp/receiver, maybe it's better to rely on this component to output clean, descrete channels. I'm not 100% convinced "regular" [whatever gauge] speaker wire would handle the fullbandwidth signal as well as a good quality shielded dedicated LFE cable does. Can anybody shed some light on this?

Later maybe drop an addnl SVS12 sub in the back if the STS do not provide enough kick during cinema nights. Speaking of sub location, how effect efficient is it to put a sub in another room just behind the STS/TV area (on the other side of the wall there is a closet)?

If you can find xtra money also buy Mythos 10 for the sides and better the same for the back.I have this set up with Mythoe ST and it is fantastic.If you are going to buy a sub the EPIC EMPIRE is great too use in this system and run it through your LFE in processor to LFE in sub.This sub has great mid and low bass slam for music and movies.The cables from BLUE JEAN CABLES for subwoofer are great and all their cables are top notch.If you buy the EPIC EMPIRE sub my location is in back of room and run my ST full with just speaker wire and the sub through the LFE from processor.This system is fantastic for music and movies [BluRay] and the speakers use all the same drivers which makes for great sound!!!
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post #3247 of 5215
10/30/10 at 9:42am
Quote:
Originally Posted by coolplazma View Post

Yes I read a previous post about the 8060HD, but my preference is to stay within the Mythos line. Well, I hit the EASY button and called DefTech earlier too, just to confirm if they thought the voicing of the Ten would mesh well with the STS... answer yes. I had some concern about the Ten's midrange size being bigger than those on the STS, but I wanted a broader sound than the Nine.

I am in the process of ordering these Mythos for my 7.2 config:
2xSTS/1xTen/4xGemXL

About the LFE, I figure with a good amp/receiver, maybe it's better to rely on this component to output clean, descrete channels. I'm not 100% convinced "regular" [whatever gauge] speaker wire would handle the fullbandwidth signal as well as a good quality shielded dedicated LFE cable does. Can anybody shed some light on this?

Later maybe drop an addnl SVS12 sub in the back if the STS do not provide enough kick during cinema nights. Speaking of sub location, how effect efficient is it to put a sub in another room just behind the STS/TV area (on the other side of the wall there is a closet)?

There are tons of posts on your LFE question on the regular Definitive Technology Thread. I think most would agree to just use regular speaker wire and set your STS to "large" or "full range" on your receiver. If you don't have a sub, set sub to "no" and then the receiver will automatically send the lfe signal to the "full rnage" or "large" speakers. The beauty of having speakers with built-in subs is that Definitive has done all the work of crossing or blending their speakers with the subs. Why trust the receiver to do a better job than the speaker?

The best alternative is to have a separate or multiple separate subs (I have 2), and just send the lfe to the subs. I have regular speaker wire running to my ST's up front and they are set to full range.

Either way, this setup is more simple, and takes the crossover guesswork out of the equation for music.

I use Blue Jeans Beldon 10 guage wire with the pre-soddered banana plugs - Excellent wire for the price. I used to have super high end audioquest wire and I notice no quality loss or difference with the Beldon's. In the end most any speaker wire will handle the full range signal required without the separate lfe connection. I hope this helps....and if you have time, go back and read some of the posts on the definitive thread. Those guys over there have spent lots of time on this subject.
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post #3248 of 5215
10/30/10 at 3:00pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by yosh7 View Post

The best alternative is to have a separate or multiple separate subs (I have 2), and just send the lfe to the subs. I have regular speaker wire running to my ST's up front and they are set to full range.

Either way, this setup is more simple, and takes the crossover guesswork out of the equation for music.

I use Blue Jeans Beldon 10 guage wire with the pre-soddered banana plugs - Excellent wire for the price. I used to have super high end audioquest wire and I notice no quality loss or difference with the Beldon's. In the end most any speaker wire will handle the full range signal required without the separate lfe connection. I hope this helps....and if you have time, go back and read some of the posts on the definitive thread. Those guys over there have spent lots of time on this subject.

Decided to put most of the big ugly AV components (Receiver, HTPC, DVD) in another room's cabinet and use a IR extender to control all that stuff. Keeping the DirectTV HDDVR box at the TV and running 35ft Toslink/optic and HDMI 1.4a back to the receiver. I'm currently sitting on a 200ft of 14awg wire from Monoprice (http://www.monoprice.com/products/pr...seq=1&format=2) I was going to use for the 4xSurrounds @ 50ft/ea. Still need to decide on the gauge for the fronts, but probably the same stuff in 12awg.
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post #3249 of 5215
11/2/10 at 7:23am
Hi guys,

I'm about to be a new DefTech owner, I have somewhat narrowed down what I want.

The receiver its a pioneer vsx 1120 and the space is small and its a living room so I need them to be pretty (which all the mythos line is)

front L C R XTR 50 or the new XTR 40, they will arrive in 20 days to Panama so I can test them if I don't like the XTR line I will go with the Mythos 2

Rear Mythos one ( good choice?)

subwoofer Rythmik or a supercube (which one is a better choice) I can't test a rythmik but everyone seems to love it.

Is the XTR line that good or I get the Mythos 2 ?

What about buying at bajawaverunner @ ebay it is safe ?

Any advise for a good 5.1 in a small room?

Thanks in advance guys
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post #3250 of 5215
11/2/10 at 12:14pm
leviathan18,
I'm planning on buying from bajawaverunner myself. I contacted Def Tech and they told me that he works for the company and does sell products refurbished by Def Tech. He himself told me that all the products he sells are damaged in shipping and are reboxed after being inspected. The caveat is there is no warranty other than the 90 day exchange period.
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post #3251 of 5215
11/2/10 at 12:53pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by redterminator View Post

leviathan18,
I'm planning on buying from bajawaverunner myself. I contacted Def Tech and they told me that he works for the company and does sell products refurbished by Def Tech. He himself told me that all the products he sells are damaged in shipping and are reboxed after being inspected. The caveat is there is no warranty other than the 90 day exchange period.

but are cosmetic blemishes or hardware damage?
are they inspected and fixed or they sell them damaged?
and the last question how bad are they damaged ?

I'm used to no warranty as I usually buy abroad and I only plan to get part of the speakers with bajawaverunner
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post #3252 of 5215
11/2/10 at 1:36pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by leviathan18 View Post

but are cosmetic blemishes or hardware damage?
are they inspected and fixed or they sell them damaged?
and the last question how bad are they damaged ?

I'm used to no warranty as I usually buy abroad and I only plan to get part of the speakers with bajawaverunner

Here is his explanation:
"All of our "refurbished speakers" are speakers that had their cartons damaged in shipping. Each speaker is fully inspected and re-packed. If they are not up to par they are scraped and used for service parts. Def Tech will not let us sell these speakers as new since the factory seal has been broken."
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post #3253 of 5215
11/2/10 at 1:54pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by redterminator View Post

Here is his explanation:
"All of our "refurbished speakers" are speakers that had their cartons damaged in shipping. Each speaker is fully inspected and re-packed. If they are not up to par they are scraped and used for service parts. Def Tech will not let us sell these speakers as new since the factory seal has been broken."

Is that on the Ebay site or an email he sent you?
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post #3254 of 5215
11/2/10 at 2:50pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by alma321 View Post

Is that on the Ebay site or an email he sent you?

This is from an email response to my question. Feel to contact him, he's very quick to respond.

By the way, anyone have any experience with invoking a warranty on an item like this? What's the expected failure percentage? Since there's a built in amp, is it more likely to fail within a shorter timespan?
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post #3255 of 5215
11/2/10 at 2:57pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by redterminator View Post

This is from an email response to my question. Feel to contact him, he's very quick to respond.

He is not very responsive through the eBay contact interface. Responses are very erratic, sometimes a week between. I've asked to speak directly but no response to that either. If anybody has more contact info for him, please PM me with it. Thanks.

I figure with the boccu bucks saved, if I need to send something in for repair I'll still be way ahead of the MSRP prices which all the auth dealers are bound to. Anybody ever find a way to get these on 45% off otherwise?
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post #3256 of 5215
11/2/10 at 3:35pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by redterminator View Post

Here is his explanation:
"All of our "refurbished speakers" are speakers that had their cartons damaged in shipping. Each speaker is fully inspected and re-packed. If they are not up to par they are scraped and used for service parts. Def Tech will not let us sell these speakers as new since the factory seal has been broken."

sorry for the ignorant question, what you mean with the cartons ?

the actual cone of the speaker or the box...
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post #3257 of 5215
11/2/10 at 7:01pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by leviathan18 View Post

sorry for the ignorant question, what you mean with the cartons ?

the actual cone of the speaker or the box...

boxes are for speakers. cartons are for eggs
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post #3258 of 5215
11/2/10 at 8:12pm
forgot to say I live in Panama and English is not my first language and so times I'm obtuse and I don't get what people says xD

Besides the thing with the ebay seller, what you people think about the XTR line up, it's worth the wait for a test or I settle with mythos 2 mythos 3 and mythos 1 for the 5.1 ?

or maybe you guys have a better idea?
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post #3259 of 5215
11/3/10 at 7:09pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by leviathan18 View Post
forgot to say I live in Panama and English is not my first language and so times I'm obtuse and I don't get what people says xD

Besides the thing with the ebay seller, what you people think about the XTR line up, it's worth the wait for a test or I settle with mythos 2 mythos 3 and mythos 1 for the 5.1 ?

or maybe you guys have a better idea?
It all depends if aesthetics or sound is your primary objective. Bigger speaker cabinet, bigger mid-range drivers = better range, better lows, and more room filling sound. I would personally put the mythos 1's up front, Use a mythos 8 for a center and the mythos 2's for surround. This will give you the best sound. Now if flat speakers are a must - then go with the xtr's.

The issue will be subwoofer localization, even if you get the best sub ever. The reviews don't say that this is an issue, but the reality is that if you have speakers that don't go much below 120hz, the sub is going to have to do a ton of work in the mid-range and it may be tough to blend. Putting larger speakers in the front (the work horses) and the smaller ones in the back (surrounds/ambiance and sometimes music) would provide the best sound. The Mythos 1's are rated to go much lower (rated down to 20 hz) and will just blend much better with your sub. Putting the mythos 1's in back and the 2's or xtr's up front just wouldn't be my first option. I personally think the floor standing mythos speakers look great and would definitely fit even in a small room as they have a very small footprint.

Now don't get me wrong, the xtr's look great and serve that purpose well, but to know that you could get the mythos 1's for the same money - I would definitely put my money in the 1's and get a speaker with a broader range. Even the mythos 2's would provide a fuller sound for less $$ - they just don't provide the bling bling look.

And yes - get a good sub - even in a small room. In my opinion, you can never have too much sub. The Supercubes are fine. If you have the space and cash, the SC 1 or SC Reference would be great choices. SVS is another great brand for the money and would trounce most of the SC series save the reference. If space is a big issue, consider an in-wall supercube.

I hope these OPINIONS help. In the end, the best option is to audition your speakers. If you can't, pure physics and specifications tell you that the xtr's just aren't going to be able to give you the same sound/$ as a pair of mythos 1's.

Now if you are really crazy (like me) spring for the ST's! Now that is a hot looking speaker with no compromises!

Good luck!
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post #3260 of 5215
11/4/10 at 3:49am
Quote:
Originally Posted by redterminator View Post

leviathan18,
I'm planning on buying from bajawaverunner myself. I contacted Def Tech and they told me that he works for the company and does sell products refurbished by Def Tech. He himself told me that all the products he sells are damaged in shipping and are reboxed after being inspected. The caveat is there is no warranty other than the 90 day exchange period.

The store is legit. They are the refurb center for DEI products e.g. DefTech, Polk, Orion, Viper, Clifford, etc. The warehouse and headquarters are just north of San Diego (Vista, Ca.) You can pick up locally but I don't think they ship overseas.
I received 5 mythos (8s x3 & XLs x2) that are mint condition in appearance and function.
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post #3261 of 5215
11/5/10 at 8:31am
Quote:
Originally Posted by yosh7 View Post

There are tons of posts on your LFE question on the regular Definitive Technology Thread. I think most would agree to just use regular speaker wire and set your STS to "large" or "full range" on your receiver. If you don't have a sub, set sub to "no" and then the receiver will automatically send the lfe signal to the "full rnage" or "large" speakers. The beauty of having speakers with built-in subs is that Definitive has done all the work of crossing or blending their speakers with the subs. Why trust the receiver to do a better job than the speaker?

The best alternative is to have a separate or multiple separate subs (I have 2), and just send the lfe to the subs. I have regular speaker wire running to my ST's up front and they are set to full range.

Either way, this setup is more simple, and takes the crossover guesswork out of the equation for music.

I use Blue Jeans Beldon 10 guage wire with the pre-soddered banana plugs - Excellent wire for the price. I used to have super high end audioquest wire and I notice no quality loss or difference with the Beldon's. In the end most any speaker wire will handle the full range signal required without the separate lfe connection. I hope this helps....and if you have time, go back and read some of the posts on the definitive thread. Those guys over there have spent lots of time on this subject.

I just placed an order for 2xSTS/1xTen/4xGemXL. I couldn't justify larger surrounds in our main living area... we're trying to avoid that garish speaker warehouse look that is so prevalent in the HT photo area. Only the speakers and wall mounted TV will be seen in the main living area, the other AV components will be hidden in a closet behind the TV.

Got the Denon 3311ci sitting and waiting for the speakers. This will be my first 7.2 setup (I figure all the Blueray, 3D, HD audio high bandwidth stuff coming out now could finally justify a 7.2 config).

I was hoping to use a combination of the STS in full-range (2 active subs there) plus likely adding an additional moderately (<$500) priced 3rd sub in the back area. My preference would have been to wire the STS as LARGE full-range fronts with just speaker wire, then use LFE for the back external sub... but from what has been mentioned earlier it seems I'll need to use LFE for all subs in order to fully utilize all 3. Is this correct?

How much bass do your ST(S) produce if you set your receiver to sub=no and only use speaker wire?
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post #3262 of 5215
11/5/10 at 10:19am
Quote:
Originally Posted by coolplazma View Post
I just placed an order for 2xSTS/1xTen/4xGemXL. I couldn't justify larger surrounds in our main living area... we're trying to avoid that garish speaker warehouse look that is so prevalent in the HT photo area. Only the speakers and wall mounted TV will be seen in the main living area, the other AV components will be hidden in a closet behind the TV.

I was hoping to use a combination of the STS in full-range (2 active subs there) plus likely adding an additional moderately (<$500) priced 3rd sub in the back area. My preference would have been to wire the STS as LARGE full-range fronts with just speaker wire, then use LFE for the back external sub... but from what has been mentioned earlier it seems I'll need to use LFE for all subs in order to fully utilize all 3. Is this correct?

How much bass do your ST(S) produce if you set your receiver to sub=no and only use speaker wire?
Congrats on your new system!

Yes, if you want to use all three as subs you should connect LFE to all. However, consider the following:

1. If you had just the STSs and no sub, and you only used speaker wire for the STSs, your receiver would automatically set them to Large/Full Range and send them the full range signal for the L/R channels, plus the LFE channel, plus the low frequency data from all the other channels that was below the crossovers of the other channels.

2. If you had just the STSs and no sub, but you wired them with both speaker wire and the LFE cable, the result would be the same as above except that you'll be able to calibrate the level of the LFE channel separately.

3. If you had the STSs plus an additional external sub, had the STSs set to Large, the receiver set to "LFE", used only speaker wire for the STSs, and the LFE cable only for the external sub, your receiver would only send the full range signal for the L/R channels to the STSs . The LFE channel, plus the low frequency data from all the other channels that was below the crossovers of the other channels would go to the external sub.

If the STSs were set to small, the low frequency data below their crossovers would also go to the external sub.

I suppose if you set the receiver to "LFE+Main" you could in theory send the LFE channel and crossovers to the STSs as well, but it seems like this would get messy.

4. If you had the same scenario as #3, but ran the LFE cable to both the STSs and the external sub, you'd get the LFE channel and crossover data coming out of all three. I imagine this would require tweaking all the subs to balance them out though. It might be easier to just run the STSs as full range L/R channels and get a kick ass external sub for the LFE channel.

The STS's bass is good but not earth shaking. If your room is small-medium size you might be ok with just the STSs. If you room is large, or you want really hard hitting bass, you'll probably want an additional sub.

I still think the the purpose of the subs in the ST(S)s was more about creating a full range speaker than eliminating the need for a sub, but it was probably easier to market "you don't need a sub" than "you get a full range speaker", but what do I know...
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post #3263 of 5215
11/5/10 at 2:53pm
My room area is pretty big (15ft W x 23ft L x 9-12ft H), plus another 15ft x 30ft adjoining. I'm pretty sure one sub won't cut it for me, especially in cinema effects.

Likely STS Large+LFE plus the external sub will be the choice. I guess I'll try using the STS "speaker wire only"/no sub as the benchmark, then try to balance out the LFE setup to sound the same as far as the STS go.

Funny looking in the Denon 3311ci manual. Although this receiver is marketed everywhere as a 7.2, the manual only shows a max of 7.1 and says zip about using 2 LFE/subs although there are 2 LFE ports. I anticipate running the front/STS off of 1 split LFE and the back external from the other LFE.
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post #3264 of 5215
11/5/10 at 5:09pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by coolplazma View Post

My room area is pretty big (15ft W x 23ft L x 9-12ft H), plus another 15ft x 30ft adjoining. I'm pretty sure one sub won't cut it for me, especially in cinema effects.

Likely STS Large+LFE plus the external sub will be the choice. I guess I'll try using the STS "speaker wire only"/no sub as the benchmark, then try to balance out the LFE setup to sound the same as far as the STS go.

Funny looking in the Denon 3311ci manual. Although this receiver is marketed everywhere as a 7.2, the manual only shows a max of 7.1 and says zip about using 2 LFE/subs although there are 2 LFE ports. I anticipate running the front/STS off of 1 split LFE and the back external from the other LFE.

Congratulations on a great setup! All of these options and tweaking make this a great hobby. Yes, you do have lots of options. Based upon your room size, I would guess your going to want a sub to enhance the low end along with your STS's. Adding multiple subs will slightly increase volume/output, but the true benefit of multiple subs is the ability to smooth out the low range to avoid "boomy" or "boomless" areas in your room. I would worry less about having more than one sub, and worry more about getting a good, quality sub that can go low enough to FEEL the impact.

I am a fan of just using plain speaker wire for your full range speakers.

Now, if I were you, I would save my money for a kickin' sub to go with your STS's. They are great speakers and it would be an injustice to get a sub that didn't go as low or lower than the STS's. For such a big room and for a great system, I would want a great sub. You don't have to have everything at one time. Or you could get a mid-range sub and upgrade later. Or go subless and then add a goon one down the road. Take a good look at SVS or the Definitive Supercube Reference or Trinity. I started out with just one sub and recently added a second. You could really get by with one good sub, it just may take some time to find the best spot for it. I, too, like having my subs away from the front of the room. Most of placement depends on your room environment.

Either way, make it simple and just use plain speaker wire and when you decide on your sub - connect it to the lfe. If you want your STS's to handle all of the low range along with the sub, then set the Denon to LFE + main like the above poster suggested. I do this and it sounds great for movies! However, for music, there is nothing like Pure Direct mode. Just let your 2 front speakers shine - you will be impressed with how accurate they are.

These are just my opinions. Have fun tinkering and do what sounds best to your ears and your wallet!

Good luck.
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post #3265 of 5215
11/7/10 at 5:26pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by coolplazma View Post

My room area is pretty big (15ft W x 23ft L x 9-12ft H), plus another 15ft x 30ft adjoining. I'm pretty sure one sub won't cut it for me, especially in cinema effects.

Likely STS Large+LFE plus the external sub will be the choice. I guess I'll try using the STS "speaker wire only"/no sub as the benchmark, then try to balance out the LFE setup to sound the same as far as the STS go.

Funny looking in the Denon 3311ci manual. Although this receiver is marketed everywhere as a 7.2, the manual only shows a max of 7.1 and says zip about using 2 LFE/subs although there are 2 LFE ports. I anticipate running the front/STS off of 1 split LFE and the back external from the other LFE.

Their here........... Got my STS Towers today to replace the Mythos One's. I straight wired them instead of going the LFE route. I left my Supercube Reference connected to the LFE output alone. Right now I have to say they made a difference smoothing out the bass in my room. The down side is I miss the wider sound stage imaging and brightness of the One's in comparision. Maybe that will change as the STS Towers break in over the next several weeks. They seem to have a milder sound/tone. The best benefit I have found so far is listening to SACD using them. In that respect they blow the One's away. How do you like yours so far?
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post #3266 of 5215
11/7/10 at 6:20pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Maddmaster View Post

Their here........... Got my STS Towers today to replace the Mythos One's. I straight wired them instead of going the LFE route. I left my Supercube Reference connected to the LFE output alone. Right now I have to say they made a difference smoothing out the bass in my room. The down side is I miss the wider sound stage imaging and brightness of the One's in comparision. Maybe that will change as the STS Towers break in over the next several weeks. They seem to have a milder sound/tone. The best benefit I have found so far is listening to SACD using them. In that respect they blow the One's away. How do you like yours so far?

A word of advice is to carefully fine tune the volume on each STS, the distance settings in the AVR and placement in relation to room boundaries. After playing with these some you should be able to exceed the soundstage, detail and bass compared to your old One's. The manual from Def Tech is pretty woeful in details on how to set these up beyond "setting the volume to 1 o'clock" and playing with toe in.

Congrat's on the new speakers, they are pretty darn good ones once they are dialed in.
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post #3267 of 5215
11/7/10 at 7:54pm
Thanks Snowman. Distance is still the same as the One's since I put them in the same place. I figured I will have to play with them awhile to get dialed in. I will keep everyone posted. They have seemed to improved a little since I have had them playing to break them in.
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post #3268 of 5215
11/8/10 at 5:01am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Maddmaster View Post

Their here........... Got my STS Towers today to replace the Mythos One's. I straight wired them instead of going the LFE route. I left my Supercube Reference connected to the LFE output alone. Right now I have to say they made a difference smoothing out the bass in my room. The down side is I miss the wider sound stage imaging and brightness of the One's in comparision. Maybe that will change as the STS Towers break in over the next several weeks. They seem to have a milder sound/tone. The best benefit I have found so far is listening to SACD using them. In that respect they blow the One's away. How do you like yours so far?

Congratulations! You are going to love your STS's.

Don't forget, the ST/STS line uses the newer generation Definitive tweeter. In my opinion, the new one is a tad smoother and more laid back as you have described, but I would classify this as less bright and more accurate. This sounded much better to my ears than the last generation tweeter. Another consideration - your new STS may need more breathing room than your one's. Your one's could be close to a back wall, etc., but remember to have your STS's AT LEAST a foot or more from your back wall and a good 7 to 8 (or more) feet apart. Another consideration- you may need to run audessey again to help with speaker levels and/or utilize a SPL meter to dial them in. The SPL meter really made a huge difference in my setup as audessey tends to leave the L/R a little laid back with the speaker level settings. Once all is tweaked and broken in, I think you will find your speakers a huge upgrade over the one's (especially for music). Enjoy!
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post #3269 of 5215
11/8/10 at 5:04am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Snowmanick View Post

A word of advice is to carefully fine tune the volume on each STS, the distance settings in the AVR and placement in relation to room boundaries. After playing with these some you should be able to exceed the soundstage, detail and bass compared to your old One's. The manual from Def Tech is pretty woeful in details on how to set these up beyond "setting the volume to 1 o'clock" and playing with toe in.

Congrat's on the new speakers, they are pretty darn good ones once they are dialed in.

Yes - toe in = brighter/tighter image
Straight facing = warmer/slightly more spread image

I like mine slightly toed in. Amazing imaging!
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post #3270 of 5215
11/8/10 at 8:31am
Question - Can you get too much speaker for a room? I'm looking at the ST's in a room that measures 15' x 20' to replaxce my Totem Staffs. Just got to upgrade!! I'm afraid if I settled for the STS's, I'd always be second-guessing myself. Thanks,
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