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Help With Surround/Rear Speakers for Terrible Room

post #1 of 11
1/15/13 at 7:55am
Thread Starter 
Hi Everyone. I have been upgrading my living room the last couple of months. Up front have Energy CF-30's and CC-5 (CC-10 would not fit and wife not approved for size) with a BIC PL-200. After research I bought Atlantic Technology dipole/bipole for rears. I cannot hang anything from the sides with the open plan below and cannot hang them any lower. The couch is about 8 feet from back wall. I am not happy with the bipole/dipole sound, I think there is too much open space and they are echoing I have switched them left and right, dipole and bipole and either they make a big echo chamber sound or I have to turn them way up and can barely tell they are there. Not really getting very good immersion and I understand with this room that is an issue no matter what. I cannot add room treatments or anything like that. I have a pair of Polk TSI100 that I have also tried and they sound much better but wife hates how far they stick out from the wall.

I'm looking for recommendations for replacing the AT's. So far I have come down to these: Need to stay under $200.

Polk OWM3- Mainly for aesthetics
Polk OWM5
Polk T15
Energy Take Sat (can still be found)
Energy CR-10 (expensive and still Bipole but different config)

I'm just looking for a recommendation or any other help. You guys are always great and I trust what you tell me.

Thanks,
Randy

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post #2 of 11
1/15/13 at 8:59am
I think that bipolar speakers are a mistake in your room.

They seldom work well for most people; very tricky to place for good acoustic results (as you seem to have discovered...lol).

I suggest you get a pair of white Cambridge MIN-11 speakers and tilt them downward somewhat.

They are very small and should do the job unless you are trying to blow the doors off.
Edited by commsysman - 1/15/13 at 9:06am
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post #3 of 11
1/15/13 at 9:04am
I would suggest a pair of direct ratiating in-wall speakers. Should be wife approved and sound better than bi/dipole. Your sound will be comming from behind you rather than beside, BUT we all have to make compromises and this is your compromise.
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post #4 of 11
1/15/13 at 9:13am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by commsysman View Post

I think that bipolar speakers are a mistake in your room.

They seldom work well for most people; very tricky to place for good acoustic results.

That's why I posted this. Originally they were recommended as surrounds when they had to placed on a back wall ran as bipolar. I think I am not getting enough reflection and the sound is just floating off. Then I found a post that said for larger rooms with the speakers high and far back they should be direct radiating. Which would you suggest of those listed?
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post #5 of 11
1/15/13 at 9:15am
Thread Starter 
Thanks, she actually likes the black speakers and does not want in-wall. Weird she is.
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post #6 of 11
1/15/13 at 10:27am
Actually, what usually happens is that you get all sorts of reflections and cancellations with bipolar radiators which cause nulls in some places.

Better to have the speaker directly aimed directly at the listening area, I think.
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post #7 of 11
1/15/13 at 10:44am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by commsysman View Post

Actually, what usually happens is that you get all sorts of reflections and cancellations with bipolar radiators which cause nulls in some places.

Better to have the speaker directly aimed directly at the listening area, I think.


Yes, that's what I have found out.
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post #8 of 11
1/15/13 at 5:32pm
Thread Starter 
Bumpity
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post #9 of 11
1/15/13 at 5:46pm
I have bi/di poles too. I liked them when they were to the left and right of my seating position in my first house. I hated them when they were behind me in my second house. just didn't sound right. in my next house I'll have them to my side again and will ultimately end up with a 7.1 setup. My next room will be a bit odd due to 4' knee walls, so I may end up not liking the poles again and opt for direct radiating. I hope I do like them though. I don't want to be able to locate the speakers which is what I worry about with direct radiators.
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post #10 of 11
1/15/13 at 5:56pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Quote:
Originally Posted by BentZero View Post

I have bi/di poles too. I liked them when they were to the left and right of my seating position in my first house. I hated them when they were behind me in my second house. just didn't sound right. in my next house I'll have them to my side again and will ultimately end up with a 7.1 setup. My next room will be a bit odd due to 4' knee walls, so I may end up not liking the poles again and opt for direct radiating. I hope I do like them though. I don't want to be able to locate the speakers which is what I worry about with direct radiators.

Completely know what you mean. I have a room downstairs that some day I want to make a dedicated theater and my dipoles will be great in there. But for now they just don't sound right.
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post #11 of 11
1/16/13 at 6:07am
^^^ Everybody likes something different which is why most of this is subjective. So if you like bi/dipoles then great go for it. But bi/dipoles were better suited for the DD/DTS 5.1 days, now with Blu-ray and HD 7.1 sound there are discrete sounds put in each channel which are intended to be localizable. But if you like a more ambient or diffuse sound field there is nothing wrong with bi/dipoles. But I would only recommend to use them beside you and put direct radiators behind you for a 7.1 setup.
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