Cambridge SoundWorks HT setups - Page 10

I recently got a pair of T500's as the mains, MC500 as the center, and four s300's for the surrounds. I had both amps sent in on the T500's (lousy initial amp design, which they have changed to a slightly redesigned board) and just got them back. However, as it turns out, one of the drivers was blown after I had turned on one of the speakers with the bad amp, which for a second pumped out maximum volume bass. I am in the process of seeing if CSW will send me a new driver, but I don't know what will happen. Anyway, I am thinking about getting a sub because I don't know if the T500's have enough bass for a movie with tons of bass and explosions. I can get a P1000 off craigslist for under $300, but I was wondering what people think about the bass of this sub and whether it has sufficient bass (how well does it perform uner 30 hz) and will add to my setup. Is it worth the money? Assuming I get both T500's working again, will I have enough bass with these or should I get a sub? (The room is 24x24 with a vaulted ceiling)?

I've always read about people having to tame the T500s because they have too much bass, and that was my experience when I heard them at the store, but it's been a while. The T300s had a ton of bass too from what I remember. I think the T500 should be plenty though a P1000 for $300 is a very good deal.

I run a pair of P-1000s behind my seats, along with a pair of LFM-1EXs at the front of my theater for the really low stuff. The P-1000s are very good as mid-bass modules, and can reach fairly low with some EQ, but they are limited to around 25hz or so. That said, they can deliver a nice HT experience, but they can't dig as deep as my Outlaws. Together they all work just fine! I wouldn't hesitate to add one to a pair of T-500s, which can get a bit tubby when run full range (owned a pair of T-500s once).

I own a pair of the T500s which I used to run with a P-1000 and they did very well together. Whether it will be enough bass for you is hard to say. I ended up selling the P1000 and getting dual MFW-15s with MC500s across the front. I have the T500s in another room.

Thank you for your replies.
@boulderdashcci:
You could be right, it is just that I only have one of the subs on the T500s working, so I can't get as accurate a gauge as to how much the towers could output if they are both working. I am still waiting for a reply back from CSW. If they can't send me out a new part, I think I will definitely have to get a new sub.

@floridapoolboy:
One thing I was thinking of doing was running the Tower's full range with a crossover and then have a sub handle the real bass. The goal with this is to have full sound out of the mains, but also having a sub pack in the real punch. How does the performance of the P1000 compare to the T500 in the low end (25-45 Hz)? Is it worth getting a sub that like the LFM-1EX for the really low end or will the P1000 do a sufficient job? I think if it handles 25hz it should be fine- how much lower do the LFM-1EXs go? The main reason I want the bass is so in movies like Avatar I can feel the plans landing and explosions erupting all around. So basically will the T500s suffice if both subs work, or should I get a sub and limit the T500s bass response to higher to not get the 'tubby' sound? And if I get a sub, will the P1000 be ok or is the extra bass of a slightly higher end sub (I would have to get it for a good deal $) be better?

@FoSheezy:
Why did you end up selling the P1000? What did you think of the bass response? Any thoughts on the T500 bass versus the P1000 in terms of performance?

Sorry about the long post, but I am just trying to get info from a wide range of sources so I have a sweet HT setup

This is what I did. I ran the T500s full range and had the MFWs handle the low stuff. I was very happy with the combo. I ended up moving the towers out of the room because I got a larger screen and could no longer accomodate the floor standing speakers. I dont think I will ever sell the T500s though. They are awesome ran as full range.


The p1000 has a really nice tight clean sound, but it just didnt hit really hard and didnt get those really low frequencies. The p1000 would satisfy many, especially if you have never heard a sub that digs super deep. My room is a loft open to the downstairs so I needed something more than the P1000 could provide. But I did really like the P1000 and was sad to see it go. I wish I could have kept it around but I needed the funds.

The T500 bass is good but I would say not enough to stand on their own. But again for some it may be plenty. I like a little more punch and a little more rumble. For music they are good full range speakers.

The combination of the T500s set as LARGE and the P1000 with good placement may be all you need. I was happy with that combo for a long time.

I have the p1005 and there is plenty of bass for me, but I live in a small apartment. :^/

I currently have MC300s for my L-C-R. I've been using them happily for about 6 years. I am now upgrading other parts of my HT--new sub, receiver, TV. I assumed that it is also time to upgrade my speakers.

Since I upgraded my receiver, I was able to calibrate using Audyssey (functionality that my old receiver lacked). I have done some critical listening and I am still impressed at how good the old MC300s sound. I'm wondering how much better my system would sound if I upgraded to something newer and more expensive.

I'm just not sure what (if anything) I am missing. To my ear, they don't appear to be lacking in mids or treble.I could spend $1500 on a new front sound stage and be blown away by the difference or it's possible that it might not sound significantly better. I can stand in a showroom to hear some others but of course don't know how that will translate to my room. Don't know if I need to trial some ID speakers?

So those of you who had CSW MC300s and upgraded, how much did you spend, what did you get, and was it worth it? Did you notice a significant improvement? I'm looking to learn from your experience.

You are wise to question whether auditions of showroom speakers will necessarily provide the selfsame sound experience in one's own listening environment. A myriad circumstances will affect how speakers sound in one locale or another.

We are so pleased with these CSW speakers that we had our newest trio of L-R-C MC300IWs installed on Wednesday. While we waited for the new speakers, we were using inexpensive Infinity computer speakers. In spite of the small Infinitys, they were a clear improvement over the built-in Sony LCD TV speakers. We added a CSW P205 subwoofer to the MC300IWs and are overjoyed with the magnificent sound. Because we have surround sound in our lower level family room, we have no need for it in this part of the house. The Infinity pair are back with the iMac where they should be.

We used 12 gauge Belden 5000UE cable from Blue Jeans Cable to connect the speakers in wall. To improve sound quality fiberglas batting was installed in the cavity between the wall studs behind the speakers. The wiring connects to a speaker wall plate. Cables terminated with banana plugs connect from the wall plate to the left and right speaker terminals of a Yamaha RX-V367 AV receiver. The center speaker connect has banana plugs on one end only; the other end is simply stripped wire for connection to the receiver's center speaker spring clips.

Since 2004 we have been using L-C-R MC300IWs with four S300 surrounds in our main AV location in the family room elsewhere in the house and have felt absolutely no inclination to upgrade. One CSW P1000 provides stentorian bass for that room. Our Pioneer VSX-84TXSi drives that 7.1 system.

Reproduction of brass instrument attack is one of several characteristics I listen for in speaker systems. I also listen for high frequency extension in order for good reproduction of cymbals, brushes, piccolo, snare drum. The MC300IWs, like its MC300 counterpart, accomplishes this quite well. One could of course undergo financial hemorrhage to gain relatively minuscule increments of audio improvement. For me and my wife we hear no compelling need to do so.

What you have is going to be fine. If you want to upgrade your sound, I would suggest a pair of B & Ws, but you need to get the floor standing sets, none of the small stuff.

I used to have a set of Ensemble IIIs and upgraded to the P1005 with MC305s L-C-R it's a nice upgrade and they sound great. I doubt I will ever upgrade, unless a speaker get damaged.

Oh mannn t500s on ebay... http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...m=220627113407 :^( I wish I had to money to get these. :^/

The MC300s are really good. After using them for a few years I changed to m80s with a mc400 center primarily because I wanted a speaker that was closer to full range as my main speakers. It was different, and like the mc300s very good. There were things I liked about both set ups. Recently I let myself get into a buy, sell, trade spree and ended up changing my front channel set up to a pair of m&k s100b and s125c center. The first change of speaker brand in nearly 20 years. The changes I've made have been at minimal cost. I've been lucky to find deals , auctions etc that allowed me to change the sound of the system, The pair Of CSW newton p500 subs will be replaced with p1000s. And for now the s300 surrounds will remain. Seems that there's a bit of m&k mania going on that is dramatically effecting the cost of their famed ss-150thx surrounds on the used market.

If the prices stay where they are, then I'd probably just hunt down a pair of the original cambridge soundworks surrounds which Coincidentally had met thx certification ( the company decided not to pay the licensing fee that would enable them to put the logo on the product. It would have increased the cost of the speaker significantly. However there is an old catalog which has "the surround" (which is a tri-pole speaker just as the m&k model is), on the front cover with a visible THX logo on the grill of the speaker. It's an awesome speaker that is a worth picking up. Only the original MDF version not the ABS kind with the bi pole di pole switch.


Oddly enough I had sold my pair of surrounds a few months ago before I had any notion of changing my L/C/R channels. So to upgrade or not? Tough call. I let cost dictate the changes I make. I've been happy with the CSW speakers I've owned and only changed when it the cost was minimal. That's how I've justified it.

I walked in to my P1005 by accident last night and hurt my leg. it's a heavy sub...

I received an e-mail today that the Model 6 speakers are on sale for $99 per pair. I wish I had a need for some, that seems like a great deal!

yeah, it does. :^) I wonder if they would sound better then the MC305s? :^) Hmmm..... Maybe I could give them to someone as a gift :^D

For music they'd probably be better, but in a surround system they wouldn't do as well I don't think. If you're looking to upgrade, watching ebay for the M55s or M85s (although they have a slightly smaller tweeter) would be the way to go. It's a shame they stopped making these, they're great speakers.

OK, I couldn't resist! I bought a pair of Model 6 speakers, I'll be giving them the full evaluation against my SCS-01s in my TV room, and my Emotiva 8.3s in my HT. I'm a big fan of Henry Kloss, and I've owned many CSW speakers over the years, starting with the original Ensemble set back in the 80s. I'm curious as to how these will stack up to more modern designs, but I'm pretty sure I'll like them, they have the same tweeter as my old Ensembles!

I'm heard that the Model 6s sold now have a different crossover circuit then the one originally made, there is an article somewhere about this....

http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/arc.../t-128236.html
http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/sho...d.php?t=237725

so if you don't like it too much, you might need to modify them...

So are there any CSW speaker fans left out there or has everyone moved on to other brands and models? I'm partly guilty myself, I recently scavenged together an M&K system, but I have some CSW gear that are in my collection of speakers I'm not getting rid of .... yet! ( if ever).

Ambiance Oak,

Soundworks system (DC powered) in the RED Marlboro branded Carry bag ( I took the marlboro logo off the bag though).

"The Surround" ( the original UNofficial Tri-pole/THX Surround speaker in the MDF cabinet), which I recently RE-Acquired.

I'll more than likely reacquire a Model 88 Radio ( sold 2 of them earlier this year), and I'll keep my eyes open for an EXO-1 crossover.

So technically, I'm still a fan and supporter of the ORIGINAL Henry Kloss era, CSW. The current company is a frail skeleton of what was once a great "MADE IN THE USA" speaker company that changed the way speaker systems were sold.

I'm still a big fan! :^) They are the only speakers I buy. :^D I have a collections of CWS speakers not is use, but will never sell them :^)

I have given some to my brother for his TV 2.1 setup from ensemble IIIs.
I have a 2.1 ensemble IVs in the bedroom.
Home theater is 3.1 MC305s and P1005 Sub, great combination and sounds really really good. :^)))))
Also gave my brother a DTT 2200 PC speakers and other brother my PC works set, really love the PC Works set.

I also have some creative PC speakers Inspire ones, but eh.

CWS will always be my supplier and recommended speaker when I need a new set. :^)

Im still running my three MC500s for LCR and four S300s for surrounds and rears. Still very happy with them. About 6 months ago, I was wondering if there was anything better out there for a reasonable price. I looked at Energy, Polk, Klipsch, Paradigm, and a couple others. End result, I stayed with the CSW setup. From the demos and shopping I just didnt see any benifit in replacing the CSWs. Its too bad they stopped making the larger speakers. I have pair of T500s in another room and I must say they are my favorite. I love the full sound they provide.

I'm still a big fan. I just upgraded an older Movieworks set up from 96' (still using the huge powered sub that came with it) and though the fronts and rears are still operational I wanted something that looked a little more up to date so went with the MC305s for the fronts and though I have the older Sub to carry the real low end stuff I've mixed one of their P205 subs to kick out and fill in some real solid mid range and 4 of their s205s for surround. I simply couldn't be more pleased with the sound this arrangement puts out and certainly glad I didn't move away from the line.

Nice glad you really like the MC305s. I think they are great, but watch out around 80Hz. one of my speaker went due to low frequencies. I set the crossover to 100Hz to be safe. I have a P1005 for the Sub and it's great, too bad they don't make them any more.

Glad you like the 205s. I was thinking of getting them for the rear, but I think matching mc305s is the best option.

The newton series is pretty solid overall. With the mc500 being my favorite sleeper product. Those rival M&K's top of the line thx satellites, the tower 1 and 2 are favorites from the mid point in CSW history. But its the original ensemble, the SURROUND. ( thx "un"certified ) tripole , the Ambiance ( oak), the EXO-1 crossover ( which I finally got my hands on) The model 11 ( it sounds better than the model 12 to my ears ), and of course the model 88 radio that are my true favorites of all the csw products.

Those were the HITS , the misses are: the ensemble 3, powered sub 2, plastic ensembles ( all of them). Model 10 satellites, powered sub 3, center channel 3, all of the ABS versions of the original line including the surrounds with the giant rocker switches. Pc works, and there are a bunch more. But why dwell on the negatives, when there were some great ones that are truly awesome sounding speakers.

No matter what I own today, I'm still a fan of quite a few CSW products.

I thought about the MC305s but I'm still a fan of the Dipole option the 205s provide. I have a fairly small theater room and I think a direct firing 305 would be too overbearing in a room my size.

Hmm, maybe. I don't mind the sound being direct. Oh they are on sale I think, but were sold out last time I checked!.

Anyone here using CSW speakers in a setup with front heights? Which model are you using?

You mean like PLIIz 9.2? I am not. Currently at 3.1. I would just get matching set if not the the MC305s yo!

I'm with you, I recommend them all the time. There's just that run of models that I tell folks to avoid like the plague. Newton series is stellar, as well as the classics. There are a few CSW Land mines that should be avoided though.

I finally got my hands on that EXO-1 crossover and also picked up another set of Ambiance ( in grey nextel paint- which is worn to death but the speakers sound GREAT - The paint gets all gummy after a couple of decades. eeek).

I bought the Ambiance super cheap with plans on refurbishing the cabinets and doing them up in a cool color. Ensembles like the ambiance sound best with gobs of clean amplification (The ambiance are getting some Aragon 4004 MK II loving for the moment).

There's a set of original (MDF) ensembles for sale locally really cheap. I plan on picking them up to play with. I Always wanted to hear them bi-amped. with a pair of proper stereo amps and have a 2 NAD 22200 PE's to try it out with. The 4 piece ensemble was the first system CSW made and is totally underrated in my opinion.

No idea why people are getting rid of perfectly good functioning and sounding speakers. but thats ok , if they didn't I wouldn't have the opportunity to "play" with them. Most of them are being sold for the cost of a couple of 6 packs.

Nice. I don't have the money for separate amps, so I'm still working with integrated amps. One day...