Monitor Audio Owners Thread - Page 268

Originally Posted by tekjunkie28

Anyone here have any experience with monitors rx6's and denon and onkyo receivers sounding on them?

Originally Posted by tekjunkie28

Can a monitor speaker dealer loose there license for selling speakers at lower than MSRP? I think my dealer is still trying to fill there customers with junk.

Originally Posted by mtrot

I just put a set of Monitor 9i in a two channel system in my bedroom, and I heard one sharp pop in the right channel. The volume was really not all that loud at the time. I am hoping it was not the receiver amp clipping, as they are not supposed to present that hard of a load for an amp. The receiver is a Yamaha RX-V1800, which is rated for 130 watt/channel into 8 ohms and two channels. I am using the receiver's Bi-amp feature to connect to the two sets of terminals on the speakers.

Has anybody had any clipping problems with the 9i and receivers? One of the reasons I went with the 9i was that they were 8 ohm rated, as well as having sensitivity of 91 dB. Hoping I am not going to have to purchase a separate amp.

Originally Posted by tkh

I'm running RX6s with an Onkyo 808 bi-amped within the receiver. I think it sounds great. To my ears, for most music and all movies, they sound pretty darn good. One thing is for sure - the better the music source the better the sound. Some ipod songs sound rough, but only due to the quality of recording. I want to invest in a nice cd player and cables next. Even on my cheap dvd player, cds sound awesome coming through the RX6s. It could only get better with a nice player and connections I believe. Not sure super audio is worth the price with the limited selection of discs (correct me if wrong).

Originally Posted by HAMP568

Un bi-amp and see what happens. You do know that once you use more then two channels of the amp in the AVR that 130watts/channel starts to drop. Yet with 91db, I don't see a problem and it shouldn't have one. I don't know anything about the 9i's, I'm just giving you an idea until someone with better knowledge steps in.

Originally Posted by mtrot

Yes, I knew that, or at least I have known it in the past, but didn't really think about that in this case. I think I do now remember reviews of the RX-V1800 which indicated that when driving more than two channels, the watts/channel drop off a good bit.

I will try that and see how the overall sound compares. I may also try using a separate amp for either the HF or LF terminals.

Originally Posted by WhiteCrow

Hello Everybody,
Am running the RX8's with a Harman Kardon AVR3600 (85 wpc) for more than a year and have always wanted to try other AVR's with more power as the speakers can easily handle 200 wpc. Last night I got a chance to run them with a Yamaha RX-2065 (130 wpc) (which my friend purchased from Best Buy, open box, for $300) and felt that there was a marginal increase in resolution and a slightly tighter bass.

1. If I increase the wpc to 250, would there be a definite improvement with the sound? (I do understand that a high end receiver/amp with a lesser wattage would give a better sound but still asking with respect to moderately priced mainstream brands like HK, Denon, Yamaha etc.)

2. Should I go with any other brand of AVR (which has a different sound signature that suits the RX8's) with more power (~130 wpc) or just add a power amplifier (~250 wpc) to the HK AVR3600?

My usage is 60% Music and 40% Movies and am open to used/refurbished/open box products. My budget is ~$500 now but if a higher expenditure (up to $1000-$1500) justifies the sound quality, am willing to wait until I can afford it. Please throw in all your suggestions.

Thanks

Originally Posted by swolfcg

I'll post this here as well, in hope that maybe someone can give me some insight on my issue. I received the CS1 this week and it seems a bit pitchy to me. A little high on the treble. The output seems alright, I just think it sounds a bit harsh. I adjusted the treble and bass, but it still seems harsh.

My question is, does the CS2 has this same issue or are my ears just too sensitive? Again, I don't have an issue with the amount it's outputting, just what is coming out. For reference, I am running 2 60s in the front and a older Sony Sub/Receiver for now.

I don't mind buying the CS2 and spending the $$$ to ship the CS1 back, but not if the deepness is about the same. Is the CS2 richer sounding?

TIA
Steph

Originally Posted by MitchPope

No, this is for http://www.monitoraudiousa.com; try here: http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=618137

Originally Posted by WhiteCrow

Hello Everybody,
Am running the RX8's with a Harman Kardon AVR3600 (85 wpc) for more than a year and have always wanted to try other AVR's with more power as the speakers can easily handle 200 wpc. Last night I got a chance to run them with a Yamaha RX-2065 (130 wpc) (which my friend purchased from Best Buy, open box, for $300) and felt that there was a marginal increase in resolution and a slightly tighter bass.

1. If I increase the wpc to 250, would there be a definite improvement with the sound? (I do understand that a high end receiver/amp with a lesser wattage would give a better sound but still asking with respect to moderately priced mainstream brands like HK, Denon, Yamaha etc.)

2. Should I go with any other brand of AVR (which has a different sound signature that suits the RX8's) with more power (~130 wpc) or just add a power amplifier (~250 wpc) to the HK AVR3600?

My usage is 60% Music and 40% Movies and am open to used/refurbished/open box products. My budget is ~$500 now but if a higher expenditure (up to $1000-$1500) justifies the sound quality, am willing to wait until I can afford it. Please throw in all your suggestions.

Thanks

Originally Posted by blumonk

I finally purchased a pair of RXFX and was wondering what most people kept the surround mode to (dipole/bipole).
I'm running a 5.1 system and I installed the RXFX to the sides of my seating arrangements and I prefer the sound in dipole mode (quick test with Saving Private Ryan & Kill Bill 1), but I noticed the MA manual suggests bipole mode. Just wondering how the mass has theirs setup.
Thanks

Dipole speakers are designed to have a null area in front of them and the listener is intended to sit within that null for the proper ambient effect. When you sit in the null area, you will get a diffuse sound that is more appropriate for surround speakers. Bipole speakers, on the other hand, have no null area, and are much more flexible in their placement. They can be installed on the side walls or on the back wall with excellent results.

Advantages of Bipole Speakers

• The bipolar speakers are wired in phase and push out more air, resulting in a bit more bass.
• Bipolar speakers can be used as the main speakers.
• This design allows a bipolar speaker to provide the best of both worlds: a direct-speaker's clarity and focus, and a dipole's spaciousness.
• Bipolar speakers work in roughly the same way as direct-radiating speakers. They feature two sets of drivers pointed in different directions and wired in-phase, both pushing and pulling air at the same time. That gets sound moving toward the walls, ceiling, furniture, etc., introducing more sonic energy in more directions than you would with a direct-radiating speaker. In other words, you will got more sound coming at you from more directions. However, most of the sound is coming from the speakers themselves.
• Bipolar surround speakers use speaker drivers aimed towards the front and back of the room to achieve a diffuse sound-field like that created by the multiple surround speakers in movie theaters.
• Your room's acoustics will affect these designs more than conventional direct-radiating speakers.

Disadvantages of Bipole Speakers

• Bipolar speakers are affected by your room's acoustics more than conventional direct-radiating speakers. You are at the mercy of the room. Some may actually like this effect, but it is less accurate.
• Some argue that the midrange response of bipolar speakers are not as good, particularly as the main speakers. It is probably more suitable for surrounds.
• Bipole speakers do not have the sound-field of the dipole (not as open sounding).

Advantages of Dipole Speakers

• Dipolar create a more open space of sound without the listener being able to pinpoint the source of the sound.
• Unlike bipolar speakers, the drivers in dipoles aren't moving in and out at the same time. One driver pushes air while the other pulls. So when the dipoles are placed properly, at 90° from the screen, directly to the left and right of the listener, they create a null zonean area in which the sound coming from each speaker effectively cancels itself out, usually in the off-axis middle area facing the listener. The sound coming straight toward the listener's ears is effectively dampened, and instead the listener hears virtually nothing but reflections from the room boundaries. So instead of perceiving sounds as coming from the speaker itself, the result is a diffuse sound-field.
• This design offers a more diffuse, spacious sound than a direct-radiating model. This is what surround speakers should do, after all. They are intended to reproduce ambient effects.
• Dipolar models are favored for THX-certified designs specifically because of their diffuse sound, which more accurately resembles what you would hear in a real movie theater.
• According to Dolby Laboratories: Surround speaker placement, room acoustics, and personal preference are as important as the speakers' radiating characteristic. These factors vary greatly, so Dolby Laboratories cannot recommend a particular speaker for home theater use.
• Dipoles are a closer match to the surround speaker arrays found in movie theaters.
• Ambience and envelopment are the goals of surround speakers, not the 3D holographic rear stereo images. Dipoles do a better job at envelopment due to the sound being directed away from the listener. Having the forward and backwards firing sounds out-of-phase makes the speaker harder to pinpoint.
• Dipoles have a bigger surround sweet spot than direct radiating surrounds have.

Disadvantages of Dipole Speakers

• Dipoles are said to provide the most room filling ambient effect, but sacrifice a little bass as the drivers are wired out of phase.
• Some critics claim that dipolar speakers were invented in the old analog and matrixed surround sound days. Nowadays, most digital surround audio codecs are discrete with five or more channels. The diffuse sound-field of dipole speakers destroy this advantage.
• Others claim that dipoles were originally designed to create a diffuse sound-field in rooms that were acoustically treated to duplicate the effect of multiple direct radiating speakers in commercial theaters. However, even in many high-end home theaters, they do not treat the rooms that much. So the advantage of dipoles is limited.

Originally Posted by blumonk

Thanks HAMP568. So would you personally, still be using dipole mode if you had a 5.1 setup?
The info was great.

Originally Posted by blumonk

Darnit, I almost forgot
Congrats on getting the RXFX's, they are a perfect match timbre wise to the front stage for the other RX's


Thank you for your help. I'll retest both modes to see which one I truly like.
As for my entire MA setup, buying the RXFX, RX Center and RX6's was money well spent.

Originally Posted by rxb2138

Hi,

Can someone suggest a TV Stand that has a dedicated spot for a center channel that will accommodate a RX Centre?

I am finding that most compartments are not wide enough.

Thanks!

Originally Posted by dboff01

I bought this last year. It just fits my RS center channel top-to-bottom and has room to spare side-to-side.

Before I found it, I was considering building my own modeled after the Standout Designs Horizon N702 which was perfect for a large center speaker but well out of my budget.

Originally Posted by dboff01

I bought this last year. It just fits my RS center channel top-to-bottom and has room to spare side-to-side.

Before I found it, I was considering building my own modeled after the Standout Designs Horizon N702 which was perfect for a large center speaker but well out of my budget.

Originally Posted by VMat

I'm planning to set up a 5.1 HT with a pair of BX2's and a BX-Centre for my front channels, in a small room, with the couch very close to the back wall. Does it make any sense to get BX2's for side surrounds as well, or should I pick some BX1's and save some money (and a bit of space)? My intuition says either one will give me good results, but since they have different driver and - especially - port configurations, I'm wondering if anyone has a strong reason to pick one over the other.

Thanks,

VMat

Originally Posted by HAMP568

Check out the BRFX's for your surrounds. Those would be much better

Originally Posted by RAKs_

I was wondering if there is any vertical space to tilt the center speaker up?