Official BIC Venturi Thread - Page 2

In my den I am running two pair of Bic 1530s along with a Bic V-1520 sub. The sound from this setup is nothing short of awe inspiring. The Highs and mids are well pronounced and the lows are deep and tight.

I can easily rock my entire apartment at only 40% power with my older onkyo tx-nr1000 receiver. I really love this setup. Even watching the history channel is like being in a movie theater every night.

I would definately hang onto the sub because there is just no way you would ever be able to get anywhere near as good LFE from towers. Since your particular sub is downfiring, you should have more placement options. nd, to the contrary, I think you will find that six speakers are the way to.

Good luck and keep up posted,
Steve

Thanks for the input. Just met w/my installer. He thinks this set-up is way too much for the space. He's suggesting either a 5.1 satellite system or a good soundbar w/added subwoofer. Part of the problem is the room. The tv needs to be mounted on a swivel in the corner. The main seating area is at the other end of the room. The tv will be pulled out (on the swivel wall mount) to watch. So it will be at a roughly 75 degree angle (in the corner) to the viewing area. The problem is that there is no good options for where to put the front three speakers so that they are in the correct position when the tv is pulled out/being viewed. I'm looking for brackets that will allow me to attach the front three speakers to the tv/mount, so that the center channel is centered below and the LF and RF are on the sides of the tv (and are thus in the "correct" position to the screen by default, however it is positioned). But I think this would require satellite speakers since the brackets won't likely accommodate bookshelf-sized speakers. Not to mention that speakers that big hanging off the tv might look a bit funny.

Anyway, I'm still learning about all this so not sure yet what I'll do. Would be interested in opinions.

I just ordered a V1020, I'm eager to see how it sounds.

Same here! It is getting paired with a set of Polk Monitor 40's for a 2.1 setup. They should be here today but UPS sucks.

Does anyone know if the DV32CLR is a significant step up from the stock speaker that came with my Onkyo HT-500 HTiB? I don't know if I have the room for the DV52CLR.

Although I have the DV62CLR-S for my center and have listened to the DV32CLR, I am still certain it would better than the Onkyo. I am almost finished with my Onkyo HTIB speaker upgrade.

My second pair of DV62si's arrived today that I will be using for my rear surrounds. The first pair were mounted at sides of main listening couch on walls. Wife will be gone all day tomorrow which will allow me to take my time ceiling mounting these speakers just right.

Lastly and within a couple of weeks, I intend to have two DV62CLR-S's installed for my front L/R's to go with my existing one already in use as my center. I know I was back & forth on whether to go this route or the DV64 towers. In the end, I just thought it best to go with all DV62CLR-S's since the have dual ports versus mixing in the DV64 towers which are sealed and have passive radiators. Just thinking about best possible imaging.

Now, I'm sure that after changing out final two surrounds tomorrow and re-running Audyssey, the universal crossover will once again be automatically set to 150. I wonder if it will hurt anything for me to go ahead and change crossover setting to 80 in spite of Audyssey's setting of 150 ? All speakers will have been changed out except for the two mains. So is there anything to really worry about except just maybe how the mains sound?

Sounds like a nice setup. Set the crossover to 80 if you want. If you don't like the audyssy set up then change it to your preference. You can always switch it back.

Thanks. My wife's plans changed so she will not be gone after all. I still may try swapping speakers out anyway in "nonchalant" manner and hope for the best. I just do not want to hear "you're not putting up those big things are you?".

Whether I swap them out or not this weekend, I will go ahead and try crossover setting at 80.

I just received my V1020 yesterday (which amazon shipped upside down, anyone know if that could potentially damage the unit?). I'm pairing it with Energy Take 5 Classics, and so far am very pleased with the sound. Still tweaking the volume setting as it seems to be boomy at times, and then too thin when turned down a little... trying to find that sweetspot.

However, my question is this, as you know this is a downfiring sub with a side port. With the sub aligned with my fronts and center, what direction should the port be facing? Into the room? Towards the wall? or sideways? Also, any recommendations as far as placement go? I have the option of placing the sub outside of the left front next to open space (dining room/kitchen), outside the right front which is closer to a wall of windows, or inside the right front slightly behind the tv stand and bookshelves holding the right front.

I'm a little hesitant to put it TOO far to the right because I'm a little scared my cat won't ever use his litter box (which is in that corner of the room), he wasn't too thrilled with the new sub last night... but I really think it needs to be on the right side away from the large open space.

Thoughts?

I also recently got a v1020, I'm running mine with 2 SVS sbs01's for music. The setup can definitely sound excellent, but takes some time to find the sweet spot for volume, crossover, and placement. I have found that switching from Dolby Pro Logic to Digital 5.1 improves the tightness and response (I'm using a Pro-Logic equipped 5.1 receiver in stereo so I'm not sure what I'm supposed to use) but there are passages where it sounds too resonant, especially higher freqs. I usually listen to vinyl, so it may just be resonating the tone arm, which I don't have a solution for, except buying a non-crappy-particleboard entertainment center, would that help? Drums always sound great, it's basslines that sometimes get me running to adjust settings. They can linger and sometimes lack attack. Are these things that can be fixed? Would the 1220 be an improvement in this area? Working towards a degree in Recording Arts has made my ear quite particular.

I'm not nearly as picky for movies and haven't been disappointed at all with its performance in that area in my ~1000 cuft room. I usually listen to music at 3, so there's plenty of headroom I can grab to pump out LFE's.

All in all, I can't imagine a sub under $150 performing better. It's serving its purpose and will still make a great bedroom sub once I upgrade to the HSU VTF2 MK3 (4?) in a couple years. This is a perfectly acceptable sub for small rooms and budgets that will do the job well enough until you've saved enough to get your dream sub. I doubt you'd get more for your money in terms of music listening until you hit $500. I could be wrong, though. I'm still new.

Let me see if I've got this straight:

You bought a set of BIC speakers from K-Mart online and got free shipping. After you received them and opened them up, you found the same speakers for less money from another retailer. So you bought a second pair from the other retailer, and returned them to K-Mart as if that was the pair you had initially purchased from K-Mart. Your local K-Mart mistakenly refunded you more than you had actually paid.

Is this correct?

Hey guys,

I have a BIC V1020 Sub, and it is my understanding that this model is not magnetically shielded. I was thinking of placing it next to my hdtv, but I'm concerned about damaging my tv.

My TV is a Sony KDF-E50A10, which is a 50" rear projection LCD. Is this something I should be concerned about?

No magnetic shielding is needed for RPTV, LCD, and Plasma. You're good to go. No worries.

It's a great sub, btw. I've had mine for about a month and love it.

I did finally get the pair of DV62si's for rear surrounds mounted to ceiling the other day. I was worried for nothing. The ceiling drywall is plenty strong enough. But, it is all the mounting brackets can do to hold speaker angle without slipping. If they do fail to hold position, I will simply use small turnbuckles & screw in eyes for extra support. So far though, it is working just fine.

The only speakers left to change out are the two L/R's. I did receive one DV62CLR-S last week but, will probably wait on the other one so I can install both at same time. In anticipation, I did fill speaker stands with sand for added stability and to help dampen any unwanted resonance. And I will be using "Industrial" grade velcro pads that I bought at local hardware store for securement of speakers to stands.

Crossover is now set to 80 and I can hear big difference! More and fuller sound coming from all four surrounds and I don't even have TrueHD or DTS Master yet.

Also on my platter is buying a Denon AVR 790 and a Pioneer BDP-230 blu ray player. And then lastly, a secong BIC F12 sub.

Any pics and info on the mounts you used? Just curious on how others have been able to mount this pretty hefty speaker on the ceiling.

I just finished upgrading my entire sound system in the family room with BICs. After moving (bigger house, smaller family room - about half the size), I couldn't use my Athena speakers anymore. There simply wasn't enough room for two floor standers. So, I had to mount the (don't laugh, they're pretty durable, being indoor/outdoor speakers that are almost 16 years old) Bose 101 speakers on the ceilings and walls of my new family room. These speakers were in a 6.1 setup in my bedroom before I moved. The Athena system was then split up (floor standers on my newly acquired Fisher 400, and the rest went to my new bedroom for a 5.1 setup), and I've been mourning the loss of good audio in the family room ever since.

I was shopping for bookshelf speakers with a good "bang for the buck" ratio and stumbled upon some reviews of the BIC DV62CLS and DV62si speakers. I'm using Pinpoint AM40 mounts for the bookshelf speakers and a Sanus component shelf (kinda like a "Y" sticking out of the wall) for the center. I fully expected them to be "brighter" than my Athenas from what I've read, but I also expected my Marantz would tame them using Audyssey.

It appears that Amazon had the best deals for these (free shipping). At those prices, I splurged for a 7.1 setup.

I'm quite happy with the sound. I also just got into Blu Ray with a PS3. As I was watching a preview of Lord of War, I was surprised to hear a "Cha-Ching"... like from a cash register every time a round was fired through the AK-47, when Nic Cage was describing how lucrative his chosen profession was. I don't think I ever even heard that subtlety before as distinct and separate from the other sounds. Between my new-to-me receiver (SR6003 vs a Pioneer VSX-1015TX) and the new speakers I'm now happy as a clam.

tk

I will try to get some pics up soon. I did learn that in choosing speaker mounts for big, heavy speakers, it is best to take whatever weight rating is listed for mount and figure twice that amount just to be safe. It is not so much the actual supporting strength but, the ability of the bracket to be able to hold speaker at proper angle without slipping. I just happened to find a good string pair of used brackets on Ebay and I never was able to find any kind of manufacturer of model number anywhere on the brackets.

I would just do a search (on Ebay or Amazon) and go from there. It may take quite a while to weed through them but, you will eventually find some.

This past Saturday night, some of the inlaws wanted my wife and I to join them for a night at the local theater. But, when we got there it was so very crowded that I suggested going to Hastings, renting something and going back to my house. Well, even Hastings was crowded so I just grabbed first thing that caught my eye which was Angels And Demons. During one scene, some pigeons were startled and suddenly flew away which came from one of the surround back speakers. It was so funny when everyone turned around to look because it sounded just like the pigeons were right there in the room with us. Another scene there was a helicopter slowly hovering around a building. Everyone was amazed by how good it sounded while the sound moved all the way around the room from one speaker to another.

I know all of that is no big deal but, this was their first experience with any kind of home theater. Even so, I am extremely proud of how great these BIC speakers perform; no matter the price!

Hopefully within a month, I will have a new Denon receiver which will handle Dolby-TrueHD and DTS-HD Master as well as have Audessey MultiEQ versus just the Audessey 2EQ that I have now. Plus, I just added a Refurb. Panasonic BD35 bluray player last night. I am expecting my surround system to sound even better! Oh, I also ordered a URC-R50 remote control which should be here this week.

Ah, the fun never stops during this on-going adventure called "home theater".

I own a DV62CLRS center channel and I was looking at buying a pair for use as front left and right speakers. After doing some searching I've noticed a difference from the speaker I own and the ones listed on the web. My speaker is about 25" wide by almost 12" deep where as the dimensions on the web are 20" wide by 10" deep. Have they changed the specs on this speaker since I bought mine?

Are you sure you have the 62CLRS, not the 62CLR? Because the new version is the 62CLRS. As you've noticed, it's slimmer overall. I believe it also has 6.5" woofers instead of the older, smaller 6" woofers of the 62CLR

I ordered a pair and it even says "New slim Shape" on the side of the box. The one I have now does have 6.5" woofers, the cabinet is just a lot bigger. I believe I've had it for close to 13 years. Hope the new ones play nicely. Thanks for the reply ShaunD.

Hey,

I found this thread while speaker shopping online. I've been doing speaker research for a little over a month now. I love the sound of polypropylene woofers but never liked the sound of that material on tweeters. Can someone tell me what the tweeters sound like on these Venturi speakers, namely the DV62CLR-S for the L-C-R & DV62si for the surrounds.

Alot of factors go into how speakers will sound like in any given installation. Your room size/shape/acoustics, how close/far the speakers are mounted to the wall/ceiling/corners, what kind of receiver/amp, and even what movie/cd/dvd you will be playing.

For me, I use the DV62CLRS for a center, and DV62si all around (2 mains and 4 surrounds) powered by a Marantz SR6003. All the speakers except #6 and #7 are aimed to the main listening position. I have curtains directly behind the main listening position and quite frankly, the speakers (along with a JL Audio sub) is overkill for the size of my room. My wife even noticed how much cleaner and detailed my new setup is compared to the old one. A good movie to test how realistic sounds are is Watchmen. My wife fell asleep before the movie started and when the Comedian's door was kicked in (first scene), she jumped up thinking one of the kids fell out of bed upstairs. Also, when the Comedian was thrown out of his window, the sound of the glass is very realistic.

Much of this new found realism could be due to my Marantz SR6003, which replaced my Pioneer VSX-1015TX (noticed much better discrete sounds just with the receiver change). I like details, so the BIC's sound really good to me. For music... let's just say, I have a dedicated music set up in the living room using a pair of Athena floor standers connected to a tube powered Fisher 400 and a Denon c635 cd player.

I'm very happy with my new setup and my speakers are fully stock from Amazon (no crossover mods). They do need alot of break-in before they start to sound good. We're talking about like running them 8 hours a day for at least a week. Then you gotta remember to re-do Audessey setup after and check if there are any changes.

tk

The tweeters in the DV-62si speakers are smallish and really kick out most of their output in the 10k range. The woofers do most of the work and are responsible for not only bass but the midrange too. The tweeters mainly just provide brilliance and do so with a vengence. In the stock configuration the tweeters are like an ice pick in the ear. If properly controlled they can be really clear.

Hmm. I plan on buying a Pioneer receiver with MCACC. I liked how my younger brother's sounded. My older brother's Denon with Audyssey sounded really flat and lifeless but when Audyssey was switched off, the quality was MUCH better with better clarity, depth and imaging. I remember the tonality of the Audyssey was good and but the imaging was way too "laid back" and "dead" sounding for my taste. MCACC by comparison sounded open, with nice tonality and didn't over-do the adjustments. I wish MCACC had more EQ bands though and I wish Audyssey had more manual control for user-specific fine tuning.

My other possible choice was the Aperion 5c center channel but it's pricey and uses a single 5 with a passive radiator (which will work in my condo rental but when I eventually get a big house, a 5-inch driver/5-inch passive radiator and 86db sensitivity just won't cut it on midbass). The BIC speakers seem to give more versatility and are MUCH less expensive at the same time. I can't ignore these are a front running candidate. I just want to hear them in person before buying. It's frustrating not to have more local showroom floors with speaker audition capability of many models.

Depending on where you get them, you can always return them (minus shipping) if you don't like them.

They really sound alot better than I expected for HT. Not so much for music on my Marantz, but I do have a pair of DV62si attached to another Fisher 400 upstairs and at relatively normal listening volumes (2), they're starting to sound good (break in).

Then again, I don't play any instrumental stuff, just oldies and 80's music to help put the baby to bed.

I think as mentioned by others here, volume is key for these budget speakers. There is definitely a volume sweet spot. Go under it, and you lose clarity. Go over it, and it'll feel like someone is scratching on a chalkboard. My normal listening level is anywhere from -40 to -30 with the family and -20 to -16 alone. I've gone to 0 and although the speakers are not self destructing, it doesn't sound good.

The DV62cls center is very clear. I mean, better than my Athena AS-C1 that is currently connected to my bedroom HT (Pioneer VSX-811s with Athenas).

It took me quite a while to get used to the Audyssey sound. At first, I thought I was going tone deaf (seemed to have zapped away the bass). Then after recalibrating and getting used to what it does, I realized what I was missing all this time... details. The bass definitely kicks in, it's just not running on overdrive all the time. It's just different (in a pleasant kind of way) than on my Pioneers (811s, 1015tx). For some movies (dramas/suspense that are heavy in dialog) it's no fun to hear only the highs and lows. Audyssey gives me back a balanced mid soundtrack (flat).

Good luck deciding. Half the fun of what we do is picking out the equipment.

tk

I'm looking to upgrade my HT speakers. I just got a 82", I have a den that is 25'x22' and I have Pioneer A/V receiver that is THX and rated at 125w RMS 20-20k x7. Right now I have Cerwin Vega D5 3-way w/12" woofer (these are about 20yrs old) front L+R , Advent Cinema center, 4x JBL 2500 2 ways for the side and rear surround and a Klipsch sw12 sub. It's been fine but, now I'm starting to think maybe my setup could sound better. I was thinking about getting a pair of PL-89 for front L+R and PL-28 for center. I'm keeping my sub and I'm on the fence on what to get for the sides and rear surrounds. PL-66 , PL-64, or just keep what I have since often much isn't sent to the sides and rears. OR do you think this setup would be overkill and the BIC DV speakers would be better. Thanks for any input.

I don't think the BIC's have enough oomph for your big room (20 x 25). Then again, I could be wrong. Mine are installed in a relatively small room, and I'm satisfied with them.

tk

Okay,

I have ordered '3' BIC DV62CLR-S speakers and they will go as my L-C-R front array and all will be mounted vertically. I plan to set them up like this:



My subwoofer is a Cambridge Soundworks PSW-1 model. My rear channel speakers are going to be a pair of Optimus LX-5 II speakers which have the dipole Linaeum Poly-film tweeter.

My entire system will be made up of polypropylene-based driver material from the Sub to the LCR to the Surrounds. Even though these speakers are not from the same manufacturer, I believe they will match up well based on how people describe the sound for the DV62CLRS & LX-5's (ie, slightly boomy bass, airy highs). The dipole tweeter on the LX-5's I hope will accomplish a "room filling" sound that I'm shooting for with the surrounds.

I want to duplicate a THX quality setup and I hope my research has helped me pull it off. I admit the surround speakers don't have quite the SPL output that the THX standard requires but in my small room and with their 6-foot distance from the listening position, I bet they will come close enough to pass. The front channels I've read really have some strong SPL capability, so I'm thinking at 7-feet away they will have enough output and dynamics to come close if not duplicate the THX ultra SPL with a decent receiver. Of course this is "if" the reviews are true about the supposed generous dynamic output.

I will be buying a Pioneer receiver. I am very likely going to buy the VSX-9040txh or VSX-21txh model receiver for around $525 with a possibility of buying the VSX-919AHK receiver if I can find it for $325 or less.

My TV is set to arrive on Friday and it's the LG 55LH90 LED LCD with local dimming. I think my theater has the potential to absolutely ROCK!

I will take pictures so that this thread won't be so lonely looking. More people with these speakers should be posting in here. I hope these speakers are as good as many are saying they are in reviews.

Will the DV62CLRS speaker work well as a LEFT/RIGHT 2-channel music speaker when on 24-inch stands? I plan on getting the tweeter up to ear-height on those for stereo music listening.

I hope I pulled the trigger on a good set of speakers. I'm pretty picky.