Definitive Technology Mythos Series Thread - Page 166

Hi Ken, we sell lots of XTR 60's, and the powered CS 8060 HD will match up well. Remember that you can control the level of the center channel, to get it blended with the L&R. On the one hand, the CS 8060 HD has much more horsepower, but on the other, you aren't going to run it wide open either. Enjoy the combination, and let us know how it sounds when you get it set up OK? Best, Joe

Hello Goldenboy, Fanta is right that the CS 8060 HD is a great center, and that it will work well in your system. it's a powered subwoofer in the sense that it is an amplified bass driver, but it won't fill the room with so much bass that you get overwhelmed. That's what I would do. Dialog will sound great! The ProCenter 2000 is a great product, but you can't beat a powered center for bringing some more realism to the party. Regarding the Gem or Gem XL upgrade, the Gem XL is noticeably better. But if you can only do one or the other budget-wise, I would take care of the center channel first, then replace the surrounds later, as the center will make a bigger difference. Enjoy! Best, Joe

Hello,
I have had a Def Tech Mythos 3 for about 3 years and have really loved it.
Last week I turned on the surround receiver and hearing nothing I turned up the sound using the remote.
Still nothing, I looked at the remote and hit the button to change the input.
That changed everything and it blasted me out of my chair!
I immediately hit the volume down button but it is a gradual slow response to lower volume .
Anyway I didn't notice anything terribly wrong in the movie I watched, "Men in Black III", but when I used the system today for the NFL game, the commentators voices sounded clipped, a little muddy, and unclear.
Questions!
Would I have blown the tweeter, a driver, both drivers or one or both of the bass radiators?
How can I tell? By close visual inspection? Putting my ear up to each speaker or what?
Can I replace a part myself? Where can I get part numbers? Where can I get parts?

Any help would be very much appreciated.
Alex

Well I did some testing today and everything sounded good so I guess it was just the feed from Direct TV's NFLTicket.
What a relief.

Hello Alex, if everything sounded good today, that's good news. One simple test of this sort of thing: swap the left main speaker with the right one. If the problem moves from left to right, your speaker is likely the issue. If the problem stays on the left, then most likely the amp, or speaker wire, or whatever source (DVD player etc) is likely at fault. But it sounds like you have no issue so that is great.
BTW you can always contact our ace customer service team at info@definitivetech.com, or by phone at 800-228-7148. Chet, Adam and TJ are good at walking you through these issues. Happy listening! Best, Joe

Joe
I am building a 5.1 surround system with Mythos Two LR and Mythos Three C channels.

My rear speakers need to be ceiling mounted and will be right above the listening area for movies.  What is the best matching round Definitive speakers for this setup?

Thanks

I would go with the Gems

That Newegg deal is looking tasty-- but it expires today, and I haven't done near enough homework to pull the trigger. A couple of answers from this forum would go a long way in helping me.

Option 1: Mythos Twos for L/R and Mythos Three for C -- total pre-tax cost, $630
Option 2: Mythos Eights for all of L/R/C -- total pre-tax cost, $1080

Obviously the more expensive option is going to be somewhat better-- but how much better would you guys say it is?

Use is going to be in a small living room (open concept floor plan). 100% movies and TV-- music is in another room. As of now, I plan to get some dipole surrounds to be mounted into my ceiling, and probably an HSU sub. The whole kit will likely be driven off a Denon 2113. (I haven't bought anything yet, so all of those choices are fluid.)

Thanks in advance!

I ran a pair of 2's and my 3 as my LCR for a couple years until I could relocate my 1's to L and R. I have to say the 2's held their own in this configuration and at the $630 price for all 3 it's a steal. Haven't heard the 8's so can't comment there but would be surprised if they're worth almost double.

I love my eight center and want to replace my surrounds with eights if I had the room

I've been running 8s as L/C/R and a pair of Gem XLs for about 3 years now. They've been great hooked up to a Denon 3311 with dual SVS subs.

I'm planning on getting STs for the L/R this summer.

The 8s have been great in my setup.

Glad to hear it, Crazy. Have you guys seen the Sound Cylinder yet? If you own a tablet or other Bluetooth enabled device, and play music and / or movies on it... you'll want one of these. http://www.definitivetech.com/products/sound-cylinder. Enjoy - best, Joe

Hmm..that's cool Joe...now I'm wondering what else the big D. Is working on...

I am in the process of updating my home theater and want to move away from my current AVR to a separates setup. To start I want to get an amplifier to send signal out, via preouts, from my AVR. I am running Definitive Technology Mythos ST up front with Mythos 10 center and Gem XL's in the rear. Anyone out there with experience with tha above listed amps? Any feedback on what may be a better setup? I am eventually going to upgrade to a dedicated processor. Had my eye on the new Marantz AV 8801. Thanks!

Hey Josh, I am glad you like it. I see you're from Columbus. I am a college football fan from Chicago, and I sure wish the Bucks were in a bowl this year. What an amazing turnaround in Urban's first year. Best, Joe

I run separates and to want to move to ST Towers from my STS. You didn't mention what power amp you are looking at. You can choose any power amp to use the preouts from your Denon. There are a few members here that are running separates and even using a Receiver preouts to feed a separate power amp. What I will tell you is choose the power amp wisely and go for a quality unit, not just a power rating. Keep in mind although the ST Towers are very efficient under powering them can damage them. Buy a power amp that is rated at or higher than the rating on the ST's. Many people not knowing will crank their system so loud they start sounding distorted. That's the point where you can damage the speakers. A power amp rated higher than the speakers rating will let you crank it a little louder without the distortion, but there is a risk there too but not as great as using an under powered amp. You have to find the limit when using a power amp rated higher than the speaker rating. Best to use an in line fuse to be safe.

Real life examples of what I mentioned:
1. Just two days ago a friend of mine called and said he had a new receiver and speakers he received for Christmas. He said it was sounding great and he cranked it up to see what it would do. I know how he will just turn the volume to max, so I knew what was coming next. He said one of the speakers didn't sound right any longer and was going to send it back for warranty repair. I reminded him that I told him before that distortion kills. He said yeah, now he knows for sure.

2. I use separates and the power amp I use to drive my STS fronts is rated at 380 rms per channel and another that's 350 rms per channel for the center's (one center is an 8 and the other is a 10. Yes I use 2 centers). I was really cranking one day and it was loud and still clean, no distortion at all. I realized that my Mythos 8 didn't have any highs any longer. I had fried the tweeter or crossover in the 8 (listening to Michael Jackson "Childhood" ). Although most companies will honor the warranty and make repairs at no cost, they really could say it was because of abuse and charge you. I have an idea where the safe limit is now for my system and don't go beyond that point.

Now if you never play your system extrememly loud to the point of distortion a lower rated output power amp will work find for you so don't kill your pocket. If you have questions on power outputs check for an older post and you will find info here on that too. Just keep in mind you have to double the power output before your ears can hear a difference in volume level.

Sound Cylinder looks really cool!

I wonder if any local stores like Best Buy would have them? I'd love to listen to them.

Hey Joe...yes it irks me that the bucks are not in a bowl game this year but I'm sure we will kick butt this year.....hope you had a great holiday and wish ya the best in this new year...hope definitive has more suprises this year too...

Take care,
Josh

I have that exact same setup currently, plus Seaton Submersive HP sub. I had previously powered with a Denon 3808ci and it sounded great and clean. I to then go an itch for pre/pro and I bought a new AV7005 + Emotive XPA-5 and found a good deal on an AS-EQ1 processor to get the XT32 and it all sounds awesome. The XT32 tammed my very open room which I don't have a lot of wifee options to move things around.

I just purchased a mini USB mic for REW and going to see how my room 'looks' to see if I can make any minor movement tweaks to better improve the sound.

I think you would love the Marantz 8801. I am considering it, but I don't need it. I must resist

These speakers are very efficient, so you don't need hordes of power, but it always better to have it. I have cranked mine and they sounded great.

You will love the sound, Fanta. It won't be shipping until next month most likely - but I have heard it against competitively priced devices, and it's a stone winner. Best, Joe

I promised myself I wouldn't comment on this, to avoid the whole "separates vs. AVR" argument. But my $0.02:

FWIW, I had an identical setup as yours until I upgraded my center from a Mythos 10 to a CS-8080HD, with speakers hooked up first to a Pioneer SC-57 and later a Denon 4311, and never had problems driving these speakers.

Both the Pioneer and Denon current equivalents (a Pioneer SC-67/68, and Denon's 4520) provide approximately 140-150 watts for up to 9 channels. Unless you're planning on adding additional speakers, or driving your current 5.1 system at beyond reference loudness for long periods of time, I'm not sure if adding an external amp is worth the effort. IMO you'd be better off investing in a higher-end flagship AVR for the $2500 or so you'd spend on the Marantz pre-pro. You can always add external two channel (or greater) amp to power your mains if you decide to add more front heights/wide speakers.

Personally I'd get the Denon 4520, as you can have assignable amps (not sure if the Pioneer allows that), and you retain the Audyssey XT32 & Sub EQ capability that the Marantz you were looking at has.

I currently am running a Yamaha RX-V871. It can definitely get a little distorted as I dial the volume knob up. I'm not exactly the dial it to 11 kinda guy, but some music and movies definitely deserve a little push from time to time. The spec rating is 110 w/ch 2 speakers driven at 8ohm. The ST towers are rated at 350w, the Mythos 10 at 300w and the Gem XL's at 200w. I was originally considering Emotiva in the form of the XPA 5, then the XPR-5. I have great reviews about the XPA-5 and I have read not so great things about the XPA-5. What tipped the scales away from Emotiva was that there are a bunch of them for sale used. If they are so great, then why are there so many used ones for sale? I steered away from the XPR-5 simply because I do not care to install a dedicated 20 amp service for the sole purpose of an amp. So my deeper research led me to the Anthem A5 new vs Proceed Amp 5 used vs EAD Powermaster 1000 used. It was while I was debating these choices that I stumbled upon the Wyred 4 sound MC-5. I have read nothing but great things about these amps. They are highly efficient and significantly lighter...albeit significantly more expensive. I am, however, very interested in the ICE amps technology. My travels through the Def Tech forums have revealed that a number of fellow enthusiasts prefer the sound of the Pioneer ICE amp based AVR's with their Def Tech systems. The front 3 channels output at 500w and the rear channels at 250w. I figure this would give me plenty of overhead as eluded to by Maddmaster. Again, I am not the type to push my speakers to the point of damage, but I want to ensure I have enough power. So this is the evolution of my decision to go with Wyred 4 Sound MC-5. As for the Marantz AV 8801, I have heard great things about how smooth the sound is as well as amazing separation. I have enjoyed my Yamaha for the time I've had it, but I'm very much looking forward to stepping up my game to provide solid performance pieces to my amazing Def Tech system. I have also considered eventually upgrading my center to the CS 8080 HD as sdrucker has. Thanks for all the awesome feedback guys! It's always fun to hear everybody's experiences/opinions with separates vs dedicated AVR's.

Separates vs. AVR's will always be a debate. My quick answer; A good AVR gives you the advantage of everything in one unit and it takes less space. Today's flagship AVR's can go head to head with a lot of separate systems so don't rule out the AVR. The disadvantage is if you need to send your AVR away for repairs you are dead in the water until it gets back unless you have some old spare equipment laying around. Separates give you work arounds if one piece fails and needs to be sent away. The other advantage is a Pre/Pro Amp doesn't have to share it's power supply with the power amp section like the AVR does.

That's my intent with going with separates. I want to deliver pure power to my speakers via external amp without having to sacrifice any power to processing. My current AVR is by no means a slouch, but I want to increase the dynamics available in my speakers. I have plenty of room to spare in my entertainment center for an external amp so space , or lack thereof, is the least of my concerns. Worst case scenario is if I don't feel like it's not the right choice for me, I can return it. Part of my love of this hobby is the ability to try new things and the ability to mix and match what works best. If I had the dough to do AB testing with all the front runners in both the separates and AVR departments, I would in a minute. I think we all would. I, like most everyday enthusiasts, don't have an endless bankroll to fund this addiction Oh the thinks we could think

Yes it is very addicting chasing that ultimate sound delight. I have 4 separate power amps in my system.

I just bought some Mythos Two for LR and a Mythos Three center for a new wall mount setup I am putting together.
When they came I was surprised to find that the drivers were not 4.5 Inch as shown in the Def Tech specs but only 3 inch.
And I see folks in this thread talking about these speakers as having 4.5 drivers.

What am I missing?

How are you making your measurement. They are measured edge to edge not the cone size.

Now that I actually measure the things, and don't rely on my notoriously lousy eyeballing I see the cones are
about 3.5 inches which means the edge to edge is no doubt 4.5 inches. Thanks for the reply.

BTW, I really like the sound from these "old" Mythos. Great sound for the buck so to speak.

Anyone feels mythos 10 is lacking lot of inbetweens as a good center channel?
I have a Mythos ST for fronts, Gem XL's for back, and promonitors as rear surround, and mythos 10 as center. I love my fronts, surround and rear, but i feel the center could be better. I hear rave reviews about Paradigm Studio CC-690.
Anyone used Studio CC-690 with their Mythos ST? will it go togather?

I am currently running 2 martin logan motion 4's for l/r and a martin logan motion 8 center.I was looking into the def tech mythos 2 for l and r and a mythos 3 center for 670 dollars.Would these be a significant upgrade to what I have now?