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Danley SH-95s

post #1 of 79
Thread Starter 
Full disclosure - I own a home theater installation business that is now a Danley dealer. That being said, I am also a dealer for Klipsch as well as many other brands.

I put the SH-95s in my theater (non-dedicated, but acoustically treated room) in the same place as where the JTR Triple 8s (and before that, the Klipsch THX Ultra 2 system) used to be. That is, the left and right SH-95s are vertical on each side of my 106" screen and the center is horizontal below the screen. The SH-95s use a 90x55 degree dispersion angle synergy horn. This works out well for the left and right SH-95s because the 55 degree dispersion angle is wide enough to cover my seating area 14 feet back and I don't spray sound down the walls. The ceiling is treated with a 4" thick "acoustic cloud" that is suspended half-way between the speakers and the listening position that absorbs the first reflections there from the 90 degree dispersion in that orientation. I also have 4" panels on the center of the back wall (35' long room) in addition to corner bass traps. I am powering them with Crown XTi2000 amps. A Denon 3806 is the processor, but Audyssey is not being used right now. I did a quick level check after swapping out the speakers and had to turn the SH-95s level down a couple of dB to match. This was expected as the sensitivity of the SH-95s is 97dB and the Triple 8s are 95dB.

Okay, okay, so how do they sound already!?! In a word: WOW. I put in some music and immediately noticed how relaxed and crystal clear the sound was. It is hard to describe something that sounds so natural as to seem to not be there. They just get out of the way and let the artist come through. If you close your eyes you are at the concert. The speakers didn't seem to care how loud I wanted to go. They never sounded compressed and best of all they maintained their clarity and dynamics even at extreme volumes. These speakers sound much larger than the boxes they are in. They also have a frightening amount of bass for their size. Don't let the fact that they have "just" two 8" drivers producing the bass fool you. Keep in mind what Danley has done with "just" two 8" drivers in their TH-SPUD. These sound like they have a 15" driver in them.

I put in the "Best of DVD Demo" disk, turned it up LOUD and went to the Phil Collins concert. When Phil begins singing, the hair on the back of my neck stood up and a HUGE smile appeared across my face! Now this is what high end audio sounds like: Front row seats at the concert. After that I put in some other very familiar DVD scenes. During the pod race in Star Wars Episode 1 I felt like I was at the mixing board at Skywalker Sound listening to what makes up all the engine and other sounds used here. The detail was stunning. I have listened to the soundtracks for the movies Gladiator and Titanic many times on many speaker systems and with headphones. I thought I had heard every detail in this music, but I was wrong. The combination of HUGE dynamic range and crystal clarity, made me hear things I haven't heard before. Everyone says this about new speakers, but I have had such great speaker systems as the Klipsch THX Ultra 2 system, and the JTRs, and I was still amazed at what I had been missing. These soundtracks have a surprising amount of bass at times and the SH-95 were awesome in this respect. After 2 hours of music and movie demos I had a smile plastered to my face. These are the best speakers I have EVER heard. I can't wait till I can get more time to just sit and listen. More people really need to hear Danley speakers. If you are in Northern CA and want a demo, PM me.
post #2 of 79
Inphase, would you say the 95s are a big step up over the trip8s, or just a marginal increase? I moved from a M&K s-150 setup to the trip8s, but haven't been able to listen to the trip8s in an HT scenario...just music so far.
post #3 of 79
Quote:
Originally Posted by InPhase View Post

Full disclosure - I own a home theater installation business that is now a Danley dealer. That being said, I am also a dealer for Klipsch as well as many other brands.

I put the SH-95s in my theater (non-dedicated, but acoustically treated room) in the same place as where the JTR Triple 8s (and before that, the Klipsch THX Ultra 2 system) used to be. That is, the left and right SH-95s are vertical on each side of my 106" screen and the center is horizontal below the screen. The SH-95s use a 90x55 degree dispersion angle synergy horn. This works out well for the left and right SH-95s because the 55 degree dispersion angle is wide enough to cover my seating area 14 feet back and I don't spray sound down the walls. The ceiling is treated with a 4" thick "acoustic cloud" that is suspended half-way between the speakers and the listening position that absorbs the first reflections there from the 90 degree dispersion in that orientation. I also have 4" panels on the center of the back wall (35' long room) in addition to corner bass traps. I am powering them with Crown XTi2000 amps. A Denon 3806 is the processor, but Audyssey is not being used right now. I did a quick level check after swapping out the speakers and had to turn the SH-95s level down a couple of dB to match. This was expected as the sensitivity of the SH-95s is 97dB and the Triple 8s are 95dB.

Okay, okay, so how do they sound already!?! In a word: WOW. I put in some music and immediately noticed how relaxed and crystal clear the sound was. It is hard to describe something that sounds so natural as to seem to not be there. They just get out of the way and let the artist come through. If you close your eyes you are at the concert. The speakers didn't seem to care how loud I wanted to go. They never sounded compressed and best of all they maintained their clarity and dynamics even at extreme volumes. These speakers sound much larger than the boxes they are in. They also have a frightening amount of bass for their size. Don't let the fact that they have "just" two 8" drivers producing the bass fool you. Keep in mind what Danley has done with "just" two 8" drivers in their TH-SPUD. These sound like they have a 15" driver in them.

I put in the "Best of DVD Demo" disk, turned it up LOUD and went to the Phil Collins concert. When Phil begins singing, the hair on the back of my neck stood up and a HUGE smile appeared across my face! Now this is what high end audio sounds like: Front row seats at the concert. After that I put in some other very familiar DVD scenes. During the pod race in Star Wars Episode 1 I felt like I was at the mixing board at Skywalker Sound listening to what makes up all the engine and other sounds used here. The detail was stunning. I have listened to the soundtracks for the movies Gladiator and Titanic many times on many speaker systems and with headphones. I thought I had heard every detail in this music, but I was wrong. The combination of HUGE dynamic range and crystal clarity, made me hear things I haven't heard before. Everyone says this about new speakers, but I have had such great speaker systems as the Klipsch THX Ultra 2 system, and the JTRs, and I was still amazed at what I had been missing. These soundtracks have a surprising amount of bass at times and the SH-95 were awesome in this respect. After 2 hours of music and movie demos I had a smile plastered to my face. These are the best speakers I have EVER heard. I can't wait till I can get more time to just sit and listen. More people really need to hear Danley speakers. If you are in Northern CA and want a demo, PM me.

Thanks for the nice writeup Brian, so when are you bringing them over? Now that you have piqued my interest, a comparo with the Triple 12LF's is in order ... don't you think?
post #4 of 79
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by KevinH View Post

Inphase, would you say the 95s are a big step up over the trip8s, or just a marginal increase? I moved from a M&K s-150 setup to the trip8s, but haven't been able to listen to the trip8s in an HT scenario...just music so far.

I would definitely say they are a BIG step up from the T8s. But they should be if you consider that they are 2.5 times the price of the T8s.

Edit to clarify: The Danleys are MUCH clearer, more transparent (they disappear), more dynamic, play louder and the T8 ain't no slouch.
post #5 of 79
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by RMK! View Post

Thanks for the nice writeup Brian, so when are you bringing them over? Now that you have piqued my interest, a comparo with the Triple 12LF's is in order ... don't you think?

I probably could bring them by this weekend. Remember that they use a Speakon connector. I'll PM you. I am very curious about this comparison and believe the sound quality nod will go to the Danleys.
post #6 of 79
Thanks Inphase...sounds like a heck of a speaker. Yeah I didn't know they cost that much...a little rich for my blood. So they are in the ballpark of the 100Bs pricewise?


Quote:
Originally Posted by InPhase View Post

I would definitely say they are a BIG step up from the T8s. But they should be if you consider that they are 2.5 times the price of the T8s.

Edit to clarify: The Danleys are MUCH clearer, more transparent (they disappear), more dynamic, play louder and the T8 ain't no slouch.
post #7 of 79
Quote:
Originally Posted by KevinH View Post

Thanks Inphase...sounds like a heck of a speaker. Yeah I didn't know they cost that much...a little rich for my blood. So they are in the ballpark of the 100Bs pricewise?

i believe the "list" for the 100b is around 3k and the 95's are round 2500, both passive versions
post #8 of 79
Quote:
Originally Posted by KevinH View Post

Thanks Inphase...sounds like a heck of a speaker. Yeah I didn't know they cost that much...a little rich for my blood. So they are in the ballpark of the 100Bs pricewise?

100B's are $3K a piece (passive) and 95's are $2500 a piece (passive). 100B's are a much more potent speaker on the bottom end, which makes sense when you look at the driver composition with four 8's per cabinet...but for most folks, the 95 is a lot easier to deal with size wise...though if they are going to be out in the open, 100B's are a bit easier to deal with, particularly if you get them in a nice finish (which IS available on all Danley Labs products...to whit...



Active SH-100B's in Tigerwood.

Also, if you are considering building a theater around Danley, consider going active. The difference between the Danley passive and active is night and day. Yes it is more bucks, but you'll have to buy amps no matter what.

Between JTR and Danley, I'd definitely give the nod to Danley if you are comparing size to size (I'm a dealer for both). The closer match will be the Triple 12LF which is a pretty formidable loudspeaker for the $$ and still a heck of a buy. Side by side, the Danley is still a better product, but the JTR is no slouch.
post #9 of 79
Great review Inphase, my only problem is that(like you said) the Danley's are much more expensive and should be better for the price. A better comparison would be the Triple 8 vs the SH-mini(I think the SH-100 is still more expensive than the triple 8).
post #10 of 79
Quote:
Originally Posted by InPhase View Post

I probably could bring them by this weekend. Remember that they use a Speakon connector. I'll PM you. I am very curious about this comparison and believe the sound quality nod will go to the Danleys.

I'm looking forward to the comparison. How about posting some photos?
post #11 of 79
Quote:
Originally Posted by RMK! View Post

I'm looking forward to the comparison. How about posting some photos?

RMK, regarding the Spuds, I assume there is plenty enough low frequency output(30Hz and below) that you are completely content with the Spuds for movies? Did you say you had a 15Hz hi pass set on them with the SMS? They seem so comparable to the DTS20 in sensitivity, response range and output capability that I'm leaning towards a pair of Spuds instead of a pair of DTS20s. They seem so similar that I would much rather deal with the smaller size of the Spuds. Having heard neither, I can't speak to the quality of bass from both units. I'm sure they are similar. Have you heard a DTS20 for comparison and how big is your room again?
post #12 of 79
Quote:
Originally Posted by KevinH View Post

RMK, regarding the Spuds, I assume there is plenty enough low frequency output(30Hz and below) that you are completely content with the Spuds for movies? Did you say you had a 15Hz hi pass set on them with the SMS? They seem so comparable to the DTS20 in sensitivity, response range and output capability that I'm leaning towards a pair of Spuds instead of a pair of DTS20s. They seem so similar that I would much rather deal with the smaller size of the Spuds. Having heard neither, I can't speak to the quality of bass from both units. I'm sure they are similar. Have you heard a DTS20 for comparison and how big is your room again?

Kevin,

We should probably be discussing this on the SPUD Thread but I'm sure Brian doesn't mind..

Yes I am using the 15hz HP on the SMS-1 and since I moved the horn exits to the corners I am getting amazing and very clean bass across all the low frequencies. The THSPUDS are outstanding for HT and music.

I would also be inclined to get the dual SPUDS . I really like my front wall location but let me tell you, two under a riser is the prescription for an Acoustic Massage.

I have heard the DTS20 but only for one short demo. It sounded very good but the size was a bit much.
post #13 of 79
Quote:
Originally Posted by RMK! View Post

Kevin,

We should probably be discussing this on the SPUD Thread but I'm sure Brian doesn't mind..

Yes I am using the 15hz HP on the SMS-1 and since I moved the horn exits to the corners I am getting amazing and very clean bass across all the low frequencies. The THSPUDS are outstanding for HT and music.

I would also be inclined to get the dual SPUDS . I really like my front wall location but let me tell you, two under a riser is the prescription for an Acoustic Massage.

I have heard the DTS20 but only for one short demo. It sounded very good but the size was a bit much.

Absolutely right RMK. Doh! Completely spaced in which thread I was in. Apologies Brian Well the Spuds are first on my list. Thought I would have had my house sold and into a new one. We listed about 2 weeks before the economy really took a dive. Grrrr! Anywhoo, hopefully it won't be long before I can set up the full HT again, purchase the Spuds and start enjoying my Trip8s. Miss it terribly!
post #14 of 79
Thread Starter 
Okay, I believe I'm going to take the SH-95s to fugueness's place on Sunday for a comparison to the Catalysts. It should be fun! If anyone is interested in hearing these amazing speakers, please PM me for details.
post #15 of 79
Thread Starter 
I don't mind the thread jack, as long as we are discussing Danley speakers!
post #16 of 79
Thread Starter 
Btw, I have heard both the DTS-20 and the SPUDs. I would say that they are more similiar than different (as long as you are not sitting on the SPUD). Both have excellent sound quality. So get whatever fits your room better. If you use the SPUD as a platform be prepared for an uber buttkicker experience. Some like this effect and others don't. Danley has updated their website to include information on the SPUD. Click on the Tapped Horn comparison chart link to see the numbers:
http://www.danleysoundlabs.com/tappe...omparisons.asp
post #17 of 79
I don't think I'm much interested in the tactile Spud experience. I will have a 2nd row of seating but it will be a traditional riser. There will be some experimentation but I imagine they'll end up somewhere in the front. I also have an SMS to tweak the response. Hope I get to hear a full Danley HT spread some day!
post #18 of 79
Quote:


InPhase;15984685]If you use the SPUD as a platform be prepared for an uber buttkicker experience. Some like this effect and others don't.

Quote:
Originally Posted by KevinH View Post

I don't think I'm much interested in the tactile Spud experience. I will have a 2nd row of seating but it will be a traditional riser. There will be some experimentation but I imagine they'll end up somewhere in the front. I also have an SMS to tweak the response. Hope I get to hear a full Danley HT spread some day!

To be fair, when I had the big bean bag chair on top of the SPUD I was running it level matched with other speakers. It would be very easy to back off the LFE a tick or two and still have very impactful bass. At lower SPL’s, this might be a very good thing. As happy as I am with their current front wall location, I intend to give this riser/platform concept another go but with the HT chairs on carpet on top of the dual SPUD’s.
post #19 of 79
I'll be interested to hear how that works out RMK
post #20 of 79
Quote:
Originally Posted by InPhase View Post

Okay, I believe I'm going to take the SH-95s to fugueness's place on Sunday for a comparison to the Catalysts. It should be fun! If anyone is interested in hearing these amazing speakers, please PM me for details.

I am more than a little anxious to hear this comparison. Hopefully we will get several takes on this here and in Peter's Catalyst Thread.

Wish I could have been there.
post #21 of 79


post #22 of 79
Is it me or do the Danley speakers look nice, I love that look of horn with compression driver.
post #23 of 79
So, how did they compare?
post #24 of 79
Come on guys. Audio memory is notoriously poor and it's been over 24 hours. Not looking for a full blown review, just some subjectives would be fine.
post #25 of 79
Thread Starter 
I have been very busy so I haven't been able to post my impressions. I want to thank fugueness for opening his home up to fellow AVSers and letting others come listen to speakers that we otherwise might never get to hear.

First off: the nice pictures that fugueness took really make the SH-95s look bigger (or conversely make the Catalysts look smaller) than they are. The Catalysts are more than twice the size of the SH-95s. Remember when you look at these photos, that the SH-95s are several inches in front of the Catalysts. Those photos look like an optical illusion to me.

The Catalysts are fantastic speakers. The have all the output one should need in any domestic theater. They are huge and they sound huge. In his book Sound Reproduction, Floyd Toole discusses the generally positive impressions of listeners to a large Apparent Source Width (ASW). Not absorbing the first reflection points and hitting the walls with sound that is a good approximation of the on-axis response allows this to happen. Since the Catalysts apparently have great off-axis behavior they present a BIG sound. For music they are just like sitting in front of a full orchestra. The detail was as good as I have heard. They have the power to frighten you with their dynamics and never sounding strained in the process. We were listening above the level that I would usually consider comfortable for most of my movie watching and the Catalysts were just coasting along. The Catalysts can comfortably be crossed-over in the 50-60Hz range (probably lower in a smaller room) to provide more impact in the midbass. We did try crossing them over at 100Hz to match the Danleys, and it did seem to clean up the midbass a little. I'm sure this is all setup and room related though.

The SH-95s I have already described in an earlier post and frankly my impression of this speaker has only gone up after hearing them head to head with the Catalyst. What surprised me the most was how similar they sounded, dynamics and all. During our movie demos, I was able to distinguish dialog a bit better when there was a lot going on on the screen with the SH-95s. I believe that the dispersion pattern of the SH-95 accounts for this (I.E. keeping sound off of the walls). The image size was not as big as the Catalysts but IMO the SH-95s might have been slightly more focused (clear) in the sweet spot. If we were sitting farther from the SH-95s (which would allow some more room interaction) I think they would sound more similar here. As was to be expected the Catalyst pulls away from the SH-95 in the lower midbass at loud volumes. Please note that Danley says that the SH-95s could stand some slight EQ here and we did not add any. I also want to point out that the Danleys were out in to the room and the Catalysts were mostly near the wall. The midbass may be lifted more than enough by a either baffle mounting the SH-95s or just getting them near a wall. In my theater, I have the left and right SH-95 fairly close to the side walls and do not notice any midbass missing.

If you are considering either of the speakers, you had better have a sub or subs that can keep up. These speakers are capable of far more clean output than most are used to. The catalysts can help out your sub by providing lots more energy down low. The Danleys are more "monitor" like and will require a sub that can play very cleanly and very loudly to at least around 90-100Hz.
post #26 of 79
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by MKtheater View Post

Is it me or do the Danley speakers look nice, I love that look of horn with compression driver.

I agree with this. I think they look very interesting and not at all like a "normal" speaker. I had some friends over this past weekend and was asked, "What are those?" I just grined and said, "Have a seat here and let me show you". I put on some music and they were amazed.
post #27 of 79
Hi Brian,

I appreciate your taking the time to give your impressions. I'm looking forward to Peter's as well which I assume will be in the Catalysts Thread ...
post #28 of 79
Many thanks to Inphase for bringing by the SH-95's. The SH-95 is a serious contender, packing dynamics, clarity, and narrow dispersion (effectively taking most rooms out of the equation) into a relatively small, versatile, portable box. Treble clarity and voice separation were fantastic, although acoustics instruments (guitar, violin, piano) sounded overly bright with unnatural decay, not unlike other horns I've owned and heard. Perhaps some EQ could help smooth it out. Voices and dialogue were excellent. However, male voices in particular benefited from the extra midbass range on the Catalysts and sounded more natural on them.

The SH-95 sound stage was no match for the Catalysts' enveloping "wall of sound", partly by design and partly due to size and power (3x). My surrounds are set 2-3dB hot compared to the Catalyst mains just so they can be audible and create a palpable surround field. With the SH-95's in place, the surrounds were overwhelming, calling a bit too much attention to themselves. The Catalysts also rendered a smoother response across the listening area (not to mention off-axis), likely a result of the coaxial design working in concert with the DSP, which mitigates any smearing in time over the frequency range (phase shift) compared to a passive speaker; or, as Inphase observes, the large ASW. The dispersion on the Catalysts is controlled, but not narrow.

With DSP, EQ, and proper placement (it wasn't ideal in this situation), I'm sure the SH-95's could sound even better. The Catalysts could also benefit from some EQ and placement tweaks (when are you dropping by, Mark? )

For now, the Catalysts remain for me the smoothest, most refined implementation of "pro audio for HT". They were roughly 8dB more efficient than the SH-95's.

It wasn't really a fair fight, but the SH-95's held their own. Bring on the SH-50's! Or a SH-50/95 designed specifically for HT!
post #29 of 79
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mike Hedden View Post

Please clarify, wherein this 8dB efficiency is, I assume you are talking about below 100Hz as physics dictates a front loaded design such as the Catalyst with a high mid coaxial driver not having the benefit of a horn cannot have 8dB of sensitivity over a design that is entirely horn loaded.

Mike, that's based solely on the levels in the pre/pro, which may have been skewed by the amps and their configuration: Crown/passive vs ICE/active?
post #30 of 79
Sorry i missed this demo due to a family gathering.

I will be in on the next one for sure, Peter..
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