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Athena owners thread. - Page 66

post #1951 of 2466
11/20/08 at 9:39am
Two things:
Removing the WS-100 cover, be careful not to bend it. Work it off gently down the sides so you do not bend it. I use a finger nail to just get the edge of one side at the top and start working down. However, I have 2 sets and two of them are darn hard to remove.

Second thing: If your not going to use the WS-60 (ws-100 bad idea as stated reasons above) honesty give a good look at the LS-50 (LS-100 for your projection application) however there is something a big more magical about the LS center. It has a spatial quality that does not exists in the AS, point 5 or WS line. I was blown away when I heard it. I have a large collection of Athena stuff....all but the micro series and I am using WS-100, P4100, 4 WS-15 and LS-50 center. The spatial quality gives it a very wide virtual pattern, clear as heck (clearer than the WS-60 to me) and I found that the voices appear to come not from a speaker, but from the person speaking. The speaker disappears completely.
I like the LS centers I recently received the LS-500 and am looking for a pair of LS-100 bookshelves.
I can easily say that the entire line of Athena differs from each other and has a specific application, however the mix of WS and LS in the right combo, is pure magic.
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Gear mentioned in this thread:

post #1952 of 2466
11/27/08 at 12:46pm
They probably haven't been discussed here for a while, but my AS-F1's are way too harsh/bright/sibilant (whatever you want to call it). They're powered by a Harman Kardon AVR130 connected via 48khz PCM to an Audigy 2 ZS Sound Card. I've had them for a few years now used mainly as a 2 channel stereo setup/oversized PC Speakers. They sure do sound better than 2" tall speakers for games.

Anyway, I probably don't listen to them as much as I should because they're overly sibilant. Anything with S, T, Ch, etc... in it pierces my ears, and seems to overpower the mids/highs. I improved it somewhat by turning the treble way down (probably to 20%)on the receiver. Because of the 5hz-130khz bandwidth on this receiver, the music still sounds open, and airy, but the sibilance is killing my ears. Instruments, especially guitar, sound phenomenal on these. That said, i tend to find acoustic versions of my favorite rock songs because they dont turn out as harsh the processed alternative rock version.

Otherwise these speakers sound really good. I have them angled away from me, outward rather than inward to my seating position, to reduce the effect. I know this is probably screwing up the imaging.

Has anyone successfully and without much fabrication replaced the "teteron dome" tweeters with something silk or textile dome? Maybe something from partsexpress that will pop right in? (wishful thinking)

Also if I do improve their sound, would the .2 series be somewhat voice matched with this series? Some day I may want to use these as part of a theater. I don't see the original series anywhere any more.
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post #1953 of 2466
12/3/08 at 2:07pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by cam94z28 View Post

They probably haven't been discussed here for a while, but my AS-F1's are way too harsh/bright/sibilant (whatever you want to call it). They're powered by a Harman Kardon AVR130 connected via 48khz PCM to an Audigy 2 ZS Sound Card. I've had them for a few years now used mainly as a 2 channel stereo setup/oversized PC Speakers. They sure do sound better than 2" tall speakers for games.
.........where any more.

Nice receiver, but not knowing how the Audigy details and knowing that with a bright receiver (HK is not according to most)...instead of trying to change out tweeter, just sell and buy something else. you love the sound of the speaker, but then again you want to replace 50% of it. Is the sound too bright with the HK receiver alone...radio...not piping in music from a PC? If that is ok with you, save them off for a great theater setup. There are still deals to be had for the AS series stuff so you could round out the complete set for around $300 more.
I tried running PC games audio output once to a set of MTX via soundblaster Live and they sounded horrible (ok, worse than usual)There just must be something within the PC - Audio stuff that is specialized to present good sound through 2 inch speakers.
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post #1954 of 2466
12/3/08 at 2:14pm
Hmm, I've got an HK 325 receiver with F1 speakers are they sound great, but I'm not using a PC and a sound card. I'm using a Onkyo CD changer for music or a Pioneer DVD player for movies.
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post #1955 of 2466
12/5/08 at 4:28am
Quote:
Originally Posted by vincolo1 View Post

Nice receiver, but not knowing how the Audigy details and knowing that with a bright receiver (HK is not according to most)...instead of trying to change out tweeter, just sell and buy something else. you love the sound of the speaker, but then again you want to replace 50% of it. Is the sound too bright with the HK receiver alone...radio...not piping in music from a PC? If that is ok with you, save them off for a great theater setup. There are still deals to be had for the AS series stuff so you could round out the complete set for around $300 more.
I tried running PC games audio output once to a set of MTX via soundblaster Live and they sounded horrible (ok, worse than usual)There just must be something within the PC - Audio stuff that is specialized to present good sound through 2 inch speakers.

Vincolo1,
I'm using SPDIF (Digital) output from the Audigy 2, and it's supposed to have very good audio quality. The only thing currently better is probably the X-Fi series. I had a Technics/JVC 5 Disc Tray changer that I used to have hooked up over toslink. As far as I can remember they were still very bright. Radio is somewhere around 64kbps voice quality, so I doubt i would notice the brightness, even if it is there. I don't really notice it playing games on my xbox360 over toslink, or on PC games for that matter, but most games I play (FPS, etc...) are more about bass and ambient sound effects.

I would replace them, but I don't want to relive the days where I kept buying and returning speakers because I just wasn't happy. At the time the Athenas satisfied me enough to keep them. I also doubt I can find anything worthwhile in the price range I ended up getting the F1's for. They were dirt cheap clearance at Best Buy, and I think I paid less than $200 for the pair.

The only thing I can stand as far as locally sourced speakers are some of the Polk Audio line that CC sells. They have a more mellow silk dome tweeter, but don't deliver the bottom end of my F1's. The over hyped Klipsch line that BB sells just sound off to me. Maybe I'm not used to the horn design, but the $480/ea pricetag doesn't help either. I've come to the conclusion that I will probably need a dual 8" tower in most other brands in order to match the bass output of the F1's. ATM I'm just using them as 2 channel towers, so I don't want to buy a bass shy pair of speakers (Polk) and suffer until I get a sub. Any ideas/suggestions?
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post #1956 of 2466
12/8/08 at 1:49pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by cam94z28 View Post

Vincolo1,
I'm using SPDIF I'm just using them as 2 channel towers, so I don't want to buy a bass shy pair of speakers (Polk) and suffer until I get a sub. Any ideas/suggestions?

Well , you hit the nail on the head with your reviews of Klip and Polk. The horn design doesn't fit most people...they just say it sounds great cause the BB guy said so. Most rooms are too small for REAL horns.
Anyway, back to topic. There is a trick a friend used to disperse the high end a bit. He had to leave the grills on the speakers but put a little foil tape on the back of the grill just in front of the tweeter. With the black grill you never knew. He made a cone out of his tape to try and get the direct reflecting feel...it sounded just fine either way. But that could be just what you need to disperse the piercing highs...redirect them...or even try a bit of heavier fabric behind the grill that will tone it down. Granted I am just providing ways to cut down on the harshness for this case alone. I did some searching and your not the first to replace the tweeter...there are a set of F1's on craigslist with the change out....he is throwing in the orig one too.
Try that out and see if that helps. I can't really recommend any other speaker to you as I am completely loaded with Athena speakers. I own three complete lines to date. AS, WS and LS....
I should post a review of the three in contrast.They are all very different beasts.
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post #1957 of 2466
12/8/08 at 2:18pm
Quote:


I should post a review of the three in contrast.They are all very different beasts.

I'd definitely like to hear a contrast between the AS and LS series as I own all the speakers in the AS series! Will be eagerly awaiting your post.
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post #1958 of 2466
12/8/08 at 11:52pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by vincolo1 View Post

Well , you hit the nail on the head with your reviews of Klip and Polk. The horn design doesn't fit most people...they just say it sounds great cause the BB guy said so. Most rooms are too small for REAL horns.
Anyway, back to topic. There is a trick a friend used to disperse the high end a bit. He had to leave the grills on the speakers but put a little foil tape on the back of the grill just in front of the tweeter. With the black grill you never knew. He made a cone out of his tape to try and get the direct reflecting feel...it sounded just fine either way. But that could be just what you need to disperse the piercing highs...redirect them...or even try a bit of heavier fabric behind the grill that will tone it down. Granted I am just providing ways to cut down on the harshness for this case alone. I did some searching and your not the first to replace the tweeter...there are a set of F1's on craigslist with the change out....he is throwing in the orig one too.
Try that out and see if that helps. I can't really recommend any other speaker to you as I am completely loaded with Athena speakers. I own three complete lines to date. AS, WS and LS....
I should post a review of the three in contrast.They are all very different beasts.

Thanks, I might try your idea. Thicker fabric will probably work better than trying to reflect the sound, in my tiny room.

Do you have the link to that craigslist post? If it includes pictures, I'd like to see what he did to swap them out. I love silk and textile domes. Teteron is some sort of hybrid material. A french high-end company called Niles Audio also uses teteron dome tweets, so maybe it's a design issue? I just did some reading, and teteron is a synthetic polyester fiber. It should sound similar to silk, but obviously doesn't. I even found teteron jackets for sale :P

I would also like to see your comparison of the three. I'm not sure about the LS, but the only series listed on their site that doesn't use teteron tweeters is the Micra series.

The tweeters in the F1's, screw into the baffle, and into the center of the plate they're mounted to. I don't think it would be very hard to find a tweeter with 4 mounting holes, and similar dimensions. I was thinking a pair similar to the ones below might be a direct replacement. I will yank them out and take measurement, but there might be some hope.

Vifa D27TG-05 1" Silk Dome Tweeter

I think these would sound phenomenal. but I'm not good with measurements. I can't figure out from the .pdf specs how far apart the screw holes are.
Tang Band 25-1719S 1" Ceramic Dome Tweeter
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post #1959 of 2466
12/11/08 at 10:48am
I bought the Athena AS 5.1 surround system several years ago from Audio Advisor which included: two AS B2s, two AS B1s, and a AS C1 center which gave me fantastic sound from my DVD movies. That is, until I bought a new Blu-ray player on Black Friday, the Sony BDP-S350. I was so blown away by the 5.1 sound from DTS-HD MA 5.1 that I decided to upgrade my system to a 7.1 for DTS-HD MA 7.1 mainly. I was going to buy another pair of AS B2s or B1s for back surrounds for perhaps $100/pr or less on eBay. Then I saw Audio Advisor's clearance sale for the LS-300 towers to use as better fronts. The low end response of those towers (~30 HZ f3) would definitely be what I need to get realistic theater like sound from Blu-ray discs.

However, here's my dilemma. The LS series are aluminum dome tweeters as opposed to the AS series Teteron dome tweeters. So if I add a pair of LS 300s to the front to replace the B2s that are there now and use those as surrounds, would that mismatch L/R fronts aluminum tweeters with the Teteron center tweeter? I mean, would that cause a timbre mismatch that I could hear or dislike? Still, I thought perhaps I wouldn't mind that for the low end bass response of the LS 300s.

The alternative is to pay almost $100 more and buy a pair of AS-F1.2 tower speakers which have Teteron tweeters also on a clearance sale at Audio Advisor. I just did a price check and the total came to $316.02, compared to paying just over $200 for a pair of LS 300s. I am not sure I want to pay more to get timbre matching and not gain that much more in bass response (~40 HZ f3) since the B2s bass response is 50 HZ f3. Unless the F1.2s can extend to 30 HZ or lower, I see no point in purchasing the F1.2s instead of the LS 300 other than to gain timbre matching. Really if I can't use the LS 300s, my best bet might just be to find someone selling an old pair of B2s which I really like anyway.

So, to help me make my decision, I would appreciate any advice you have to offer for expanding my 5.1 Athena AS system to 7.1

My current system:

2 - AS-B2
2 - AS-B1
1 - AS-C1
1 - AS-P400
Yamaha 1800
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post #1960 of 2466
12/11/08 at 10:57am
Obviously the F1 would be the better match. I have those speakers and love them. Can't say I've heard the LS speakers since they're only available online.

What sub are you using? A good sub can make up for the low frequencies you'd be missing from bookshelf speakers.
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post #1961 of 2466
12/11/08 at 11:08am
I could not find the craigslist post. I was searching the whole country and found the altered F2 I believe in Arizona...I don't see it any longer....
But the tweeter you first linked to looks like a winner. That is what that guy did was replace it with silk....sorry I can't find it....
I'll post a review later. Its not going to be one of those deep reviews with tonal qualities, wave patterns and such...just a simple guy's view of each....but there are BIG differences.
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post #1962 of 2466
12/11/08 at 11:29am
My subwoofer is the AS-P400. Actually the F1.2s have better low end response than that sub. The sub does ok with B2s of course but adding the F1.2s and setting them to large would give me more bass than I now have. Wouldn't you agree?
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post #1963 of 2466
12/11/08 at 11:48am
Quote:
Originally Posted by afrogt View Post

Obviously the F1 would be the better match. I have those speakers and love them. Can't say I've heard the LS speakers since they're only available online.

What sub are you using? A good sub can make up for the low frequencies you'd be missing from bookshelf speakers.

Hey a little secret before you buy anything from Audio Advisor. They do not offer free shipping for clearance or demo....HOWEVER...go to Amazon, search for Athena speakers and they will come up from AAdvisor...guess what....Amazon offers free shipping....get them at list price no shipping charge.
Oh and buy the F1 and keep your set intact. I've tried mixing and honestly it just sounds off. Almost like its not full enough...missing an ingredient, not as rich for some reason. You are wasting the spacial quality of the LS series and insulting the pure punch, theater stage presence of the AS line.
I know this sounds like I am starting my review already so I will .....but the AS line is like sitting in an Auditorium at a rock concert...the music moves your bones and almost feels alive. You know the music is coming from the stage and you hear every piece of it, perfect clarity.
The LS series resembles the concerto band shell....acoustically perfect, spacial and the music seems to flow from all directions...close your eyes and you disappear in a shower of music. The speakers disappear in your home...honestly close your eyes and try and pinpoint one...its hard.
OK, the WS line: Form over function indeed. Perfect for the theater setup, however no single WS speaker can suffice on its own. Each speaker is indeed a part of the larger system and a larger system is should always be. WS does not carry the theater stage power of the AS, nor the spacial image of the LS. It is however VERY detailed for voice and theater. Along with an AS subwoofer....I have not found a better matched, more responsive HT set. As far as music, it fills a room with kind of a mix between AS...but not as solid and LS, no where near as spacial.
WS is the all around triathlon athlete - competent in all things, master of none.
AS is the cyclist - speed, power, agility and longevity.
LS is the swimmer - smooth, flowing beauty, but great power and presence.

If you like the old school big ass speaker (15 inch woofer type) screaming highs, all in one pounding (no sub needed) system...go with AS

If you like ambient filling music...solid bass (maybe a sub for theater), smooth accurate highs (they can scream also)....get LS

If you like style (not that the others are ugly by any means...quite the opposite)...ok style to match your Plasma...and your looking for a champion (got to have a sub) that can handle your multi purpose room, wife friendly small foot print, but still impress your friends....get WS.

I have never heard the Micro line. I do have a few pieces of the .5 line and what I have heard sounds good...nice and clear, but much as the WS line or a stand alone B1 or B2 or C1..your going to get your bass from subs. So the clarity is important. I guess Athena never made a bad speaker in my opinion.
Does this help or do I need to go further...?
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post #1964 of 2466
12/11/08 at 11:51am
You should definitely get a fuller sound with the F1 than with the B2. I have B2's in another room and the F1 is much better to me.

I'm not that big on the AS-400 sub though. For home theater you might want to look at something like the BIC H100 or equivalent. The AS-400 doesn't go deep enough despite its published frequency response.
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post #1965 of 2466
12/11/08 at 1:45pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by vincolo1 View Post

Hey a little secret before you buy anything from Audio Advisor. They do not offer free shipping for clearance or demo....HOWEVER...go to Amazon, search for Athena speakers and they will come up from AAdvisor...guess what....Amazon offers free shipping....get them at list price no shipping charge.
Oh and buy the F1 and keep your set intact. I've tried mixing and honestly it just sounds off. Almost like its not full enough...missing an ingredient, not as rich for some reason. You are wasting the spacial quality of the LS series and insulting the pure punch, theater stage presence of the AS line.
I know this sounds like I am starting my review already so I will .....but the AS line is like sitting in an Auditorium at a rock concert...the music moves your bones and almost feels alive. You know the music is coming from the stage and you hear every piece of it, perfect clarity.
The LS series resembles the concerto band shell....acoustically perfect, spacial and the music seems to flow from all directions...close your eyes and you disappear in a shower of music. The speakers disappear in your home...honestly close your eyes and try and pinpoint one...its hard.
OK, the WS line: Form over function indeed. Perfect for the theater setup, however no single WS speaker can suffice on its own. Each speaker is indeed a part of the larger system and a larger system is should always be. WS does not carry the theater stage power of the AS, nor the spacial image of the LS. It is however VERY detailed for voice and theater. Along with an AS subwoofer....I have not found a better matched, more responsive HT set. As far as music, it fills a room with kind of a mix between AS...but not as solid and LS, no where near as spacial.
WS is the all around triathlon athlete - competent in all things, master of none.
AS is the cyclist - speed, power, agility and longevity.
LS is the swimmer - smooth, flowing beauty, but great power and presence.

If you like the old school big ass speaker (15 inch woofer type) screaming highs, all in one pounding (no sub needed) system...go with AS

If you like ambient filling music...solid bass (maybe a sub for theater), smooth accurate highs (they can scream also)....get LS

If you like style (not that the others are ugly by any means...quite the opposite)...ok style to match your Plasma...and your looking for a champion (got to have a sub) that can handle your multi purpose room, wife friendly small foot print, but still impress your friends....get WS.

I have never heard the Micro line. I do have a few pieces of the .5 line and what I have heard sounds good...nice and clear, but much as the WS line or a stand alone B1 or B2 or C1..your going to get your bass from subs. So the clarity is important. I guess Athena never made a bad speaker in my opinion.
Does this help or do I need to go further...?

Unfortunately, Amazon doesn't list any F1.2s for sale. They can order used F2.2s from a 3rd party dealer. The cheapest pair listed were $380/pr with the shipping included.

Thanks for the review on how the Audition Series compares with the new Athena products. Ok, I will forget about mismatching with the LS 300.

However, I will get the F1.2 but it's going to be from AudioAdvisor unless I can find it somewhere else cheaper. I want new speakers though. The AS speakers need to be broken in. When I buy used, I don't know until I get them if they were broken in right or not.

You know it's a rotten shame that Athena ditched a good speaker series and replaced it with something like the LS line. Well, speakers are like cars I guess. They keep changing the style, but still only get you from point A to point B just like the old ones did. The old ones are still around too. In this case, old is better IMHO.
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post #1966 of 2466
12/11/08 at 2:00pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by afrogt View Post

You should definitely get a fuller sound with the F1 than with the B2. I have B2's in another room and the F1 is much better to me.

I'm not that big on the AS-400 sub though. For home theater you might want to look at something like the BIC H100 or equivalent. The AS-400 doesn't go deep enough despite its published frequency response.

Thanks for the advice. I am going to get the F1.2s.

Yes, I noticed the bass shyness of the P400 sub. In fact, although I run the B2s as small in my AVR speaker setup, I set the crossover to 40 HZ. When I do that I notice I get more bass. I have used a DVD that has audio spectrum covered in test tones. I can actually hear the B2s down to 30 HZ, with 35 HZ definitely filling the room. The B2s have almost as good bass response as the P400. After setting the 40 HZ crossover, the P400 hasn't been bottoming out as much on demanding bass in movies. If the B2s are that good, I can imagine how much better the F1.2s will be. In fact, I plan on running the F1.2s as large and set the Yamaha bass out to both (sub and fronts). Yes, that sub sure nees some help. Someday I will replace it.
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post #1967 of 2466
12/11/08 at 2:28pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by vincolo1 View Post

Hey a little secret before you buy anything from Audio Advisor. They do not offer free shipping for clearance or demo....HOWEVER...go to Amazon, search for Athena speakers and they will come up from AAdvisor...guess what....Amazon offers free shipping....get them at list price no shipping charge.
Oh and buy the F1 and keep your set intact. I've tried mixing and honestly it just sounds off. Almost like its not full enough...missing an ingredient, not as rich for some reason. You are wasting the spacial quality of the LS series and insulting the pure punch, theater stage presence of the AS line.
I know this sounds like I am starting my review already so I will .....but the AS line is like sitting in an Auditorium at a rock concert...the music moves your bones and almost feels alive. You know the music is coming from the stage and you hear every piece of it, perfect clarity.
The LS series resembles the concerto band shell....acoustically perfect, spacial and the music seems to flow from all directions...close your eyes and you disappear in a shower of music. The speakers disappear in your home...honestly close your eyes and try and pinpoint one...its hard.
OK, the WS line: Form over function indeed. Perfect for the theater setup, however no single WS speaker can suffice on its own. Each speaker is indeed a part of the larger system and a larger system is should always be. WS does not carry the theater stage power of the AS, nor the spacial image of the LS. It is however VERY detailed for voice and theater. Along with an AS subwoofer....I have not found a better matched, more responsive HT set. As far as music, it fills a room with kind of a mix between AS...but not as solid and LS, no where near as spacial.
WS is the all around triathlon athlete - competent in all things, master of none.
AS is the cyclist - speed, power, agility and longevity.
LS is the swimmer - smooth, flowing beauty, but great power and presence.

If you like the old school big ass speaker (15 inch woofer type) screaming highs, all in one pounding (no sub needed) system...go with AS

If you like ambient filling music...solid bass (maybe a sub for theater), smooth accurate highs (they can scream also)....get LS

This confirms what I could have expected.

Your AS vs LS comparison is similar to the Athena AS vs Energy C-series comparison. Energy speakers are smoother and more well rounded, while the Athena AS is more punchy. And since the newer Athena LS and Energy C series use the same drivers, I'd expect them to sound the same, just with different enclosures.

Definitely a different sound from the original Athena AS speakers which I own.

Thanks for the quick review.

I knew about buying Athena thru Amazon instead of Audio Advisor to save on shipping. Unfortunately many of the items from Audio Advisor are not available thru Amazon. I paid more for shipping on speaker stands than the item actually cost. But it was such a great deal I couldn't find anything comparable.
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post #1968 of 2466
12/12/08 at 12:46pm
AS-P6000 does anyone have one of these....know where I can get one.
I am running all AS-P4100 and AS-P4000 .....same sub really.
But I am curious about the P6000 and is it that much better than the P4's?
I realized that I am over working it in my main theater room, but it works well as the room configuration lends to a very punchy response, however what am I missing...not having the P6?
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post #1969 of 2466
12/12/08 at 2:27pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by vincolo1 View Post

AS-P6000 does anyone have one of these....know where I can get one.
I am running all AS-P4100 and AS-P4000 .....same sub really.
But I am curious about the P6000 and is it that much better than the P4's?
I realized that I am over working it in my main theater room, but it works well as the room configuration lends to a very punchy response, however what am I missing...not having the P6?

No longer manufactured and not easy to find. The sub works well but the AMP dies as soon as the warrantee expires. I replaced the AMP for $120 since I hate to throw away the unit. It has a 12 inch woof. I suggest get another brand. Velodyne has a 10 in sub that Vann's sells fo $179 shipped. http://www.vanns.com/shop/servlet/it...velodyne-vx-10
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post #1970 of 2466
12/13/08 at 3:50pm
I have an ASP6000 sub that I purchased in early 2006. Worked great for awhile, but now, nothing. The one year warranty is expired.

Usually keep it on 'auto' which shows a red light till a signal is received, then it turns to green and we are in business. I used to keep the volume (on sub) at about '4' which was enough, but had to eventually turn it up to '10' to even hear it.

Now, the light always stays red, unless I switch it from 'auto' to 'on', but regardless, there is no sound.

What do you think? Amp go out...or something else? Anyway to test?

Any help is appreciated....
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post #1971 of 2466
12/15/08 at 9:26am
I picked up a P4100 from someone that was dead also. Fuse was blown....but that would mean no lights.....So sounds to me like the amp itself is toast. The crossover is a part of that assembly so unless your handy with a voltage tester and can fix board components.....its over. You could order a replacement amp/crossover....there are some listed on ebay I believe. Search Athena in electronics and they list a large number of parts. Also check with Athena...they do respond via email for parts. I am in the process of getting a new ws-60 grill cover from them.
Good luck getting it apart as Athena only gives minimum room for work to be done. the speaker wires going to the sub are tight and just long enough to allow about an three inches of extension for the power board to separate from the box. In other words, I could not get my hand inside to disconnect the wires from the sub so I could remove the whole panel...that was on the 4100 so hopefully the P6 has more room to work.
I am also looking at a Dayton sub for the basement. This is going to go with the LS series in the basement....bass is already good, but I want to reach down into the lower areas more.
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post #1972 of 2466
12/15/08 at 10:27am
Quote:
Originally Posted by vincolo1 View Post

I picked up a P4100 from someone that was dead also. Fuse was blown....but that would mean no lights.....So sounds to me like the amp itself is toast. The crossover is a part of that assembly so unless your handy with a voltage tester and can fix board components.....its over. You could order a replacement amp/crossover....there are some listed on ebay I believe. Search Athena in electronics and they list a large number of parts. Also check with Athena...they do respond via email for parts. I am in the process of getting a new ws-60 grill cover from them.
Good luck getting it apart as Athena only gives minimum room for work to be done. the speaker wires going to the sub are tight and just long enough to allow about an three inches of extension for the power board to separate from the box. In other words, I could not get my hand inside to disconnect the wires from the sub so I could remove the whole panel...that was on the 4100 so hopefully the P6 has more room to work.
I am also looking at a Dayton sub for the basement. This is going to go with the LS series in the basement....bass is already good, but I want to reach down into the lower areas more.

Thank you. That is what I have suspected. Too bad really...the sub sounded fantastic when it was working. I'll check for parts, but I read that just the amp is ~$200. I assume the crossover is extra.

As to replacement, I'm leaning toward the ED A2-300. Have read good things about them.
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post #1973 of 2466
12/15/08 at 12:57pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by DavidParker View Post

Thank you. That is what I have suspected. Too bad really...the sub sounded fantastic when it was working. I'll check for parts, but I read that just the amp is ~$200. I assume the crossover is extra.

As to replacement, I'm leaning toward the ED A2-300. Have read good things about them.

The amp and x-over is one unit. You get a 1 year warrantee when u get it from Athena. Only 30 or 90 days from parts suppliers.
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post #1974 of 2466
12/15/08 at 6:21pm
Ok, I was looking for the AS F1 or AS F2. Found AS F1.2 at Audio Advisor but they only had 1 in stock after placing my order. Amazon has the AS F2 used for 299.99/pr which in my opinion is ridiculously high for a used pair when they used to cost 400.00/pr new.

So, I have ordered two Energy C300 from Futureshop for $99.00 ea! I know it won't be timbre matched with the rest of my Audition Series speakers. But Energy's are a notch higher in SQ. So, I plan on next getting the CC 100 or CC 50 center from Energy. In the mean time the AS C1 center will just have to do.

Eventually I will replace all my Athena AS speakers with the Energy C series.
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post #1975 of 2466
12/16/08 at 4:57am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Star Hawk View Post

Ok, I was looking for the AS F1 or AS F2. Found AS F1.2 at Audio Advisor but they only had 1 in stock after placing my order. Amazon has the AS F2 used for 299.99/pr which in my opinion is ridiculously high for a used pair when they used to cost 400.00/pr new.

So, I have ordered two Energy C300 from Futureshop for $99.00 ea! I know it won't be timbre matched with the rest of my Audition Series speakers. But Energy's are a notch higher in SQ. So, I plan on next getting the CC 100 or CC 50 center from Energy. In the mean time the AS C1 center will just have to do.

Eventually I will replace all my Athena AS speakers with the Energy C series.

Would you mind comparing them with your AS series speakers when you get them? Specifically whether the highs are smoother (less bright). I've always known Energy to make great speakers, but never seen them this cheap. The specs claim they also have a frequency response equivalent to the AS-F1's with a smaller woofer. Aluminum tweets can sound good if properly crossed over.

I have been looking for a cheap, decently bassy replacement for my overly bright as-f1's. These may be it. Any idea if they're available locally in the US. I don't happen to be in canada.
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post #1976 of 2466
12/16/08 at 7:23am
Quote:
Originally Posted by cam94z28 View Post

Would you mind comparing them with your AS series speakers when you get them? Specifically whether the highs are smoother (less bright). I've always known Energy to make great speakers, but never seen them this cheap. The specs claim they also have a frequency response equivalent to the AS-F1's with a smaller woofer. Aluminum tweets can sound good if properly crossed over.

I have been looking for a cheap, decently bassy replacement for my overly bright as-f1's. These may be it. Any idea if they're available locally in the US. I don't happen to be in canada.

The Energy C-300 and Athena LS-300 are essentially the same speaker in different cabinets. Both use the same 6.5" composite Fiberglass cone woofer and 1" aluminum dome tweeter. So they would both give you the smooth sound you're looking for. Not bright like the Athena AS-F1 with the Teteron tweeter which I own and really enjoy. Both can be found for decent pricing in the US.

http://www.audioadvisor.com/prodinfo.asp?number=ATLS300

http://www.audioadvisor.com/prodinfo.asp?number=ENC300

p.s. if you buy the LS300 from Amazon site instead of Audio Advisor, you get free shipping.
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post #1977 of 2466
12/16/08 at 8:51am
Originally Posted by cam94z28:
"Would you mind comparing them with your AS series speakers when you get them? Specifically whether the highs are smoother (less bright). I've always known Energy to make great speakers, but never seen them this cheap. The specs claim they also have a frequency response equivalent to the AS-F1's with a smaller woofer. Aluminum tweets can sound good if properly crossed over.

I have been looking for a cheap, decently bassy replacement for my overly bright as-f1's. These may be it. Any idea if they're available locally in the US. I don't happen to be in canada."


Ok, I will do that.

Unfortunately they only ship within Canada which is no problem for me. Only thing was that the piano black finish was the one sale.

However, Audio Advisor has the C300s, with the much nicer cherry cabinets, for $129.99 which is still an excellent price. So in the end I ended up ordering from them because I like the cherry color better than piano black. The AS F1.2s were going to be $66.08 shipping. The C300s weigh a few pounds more. So figuring in $70 for shipping, that came to only about $329 for two shipped. Which isn't a bad deal since the C300s retail at $275 each. That's getting two for less than the price of one.

The C300's like the AS-F1s need a 50 - 100 hour break-in period according to my cousin in BC who has the C300s. I will report on how they sound compared to the AS series before and after.

When the Energy CC100 comes down to the 100 - 150 price range, then I will replace the AS-C1. But I'll wait until I listen to how well the C300s blend in with the AS-C1 before I do.
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post #1978 of 2466
12/16/08 at 11:24am
Quote:
Originally Posted by afrogt View Post

C300[/url]

p.s. if you buy the LS300 from Amazon site instead of Audio Advisor, you get free shipping.

Audio Advisor also gives free shipping on speakers. However, neither Amazon nor Audio Advisor give you free shipping on items marked for clearance, demo price reduction, etc.
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post #1979 of 2466
12/16/08 at 11:31am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Star Hawk View Post

Audio Advisor also gives free shipping on speakers. However, neither Amazon nor Audio Advisor give you free shipping on items marked for clearance, demo price reduction, etc.

Not true....I just ordered a pair of LS-100B bookshelves for the garage due to arrive tomorrow...$99 clear....no shipping from Amazon and they were in the clearance section of AA.
I am about to order another set of LS-500's for a relative...no shipping on those either.
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post #1980 of 2466
12/16/08 at 11:33am
Quote:


Star Hawk
Audio Advisor also gives free shipping on speakers. However, neither Amazon nor Audio Advisor give you free shipping on items marked for clearance, demo price reduction, etc.

Look again at the LS300 on Amazon. its clearly says $0.00 for shipping from Audio Advisor. That's $88 shipped for one speaker. Great deal!

http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listi...9455925&sr=8-1
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