eD Owner's Thread - Page 7

How much did the subs jump up in price?

There's an ED sub thread... check it out.

I was just wondering if the tower speakers were able to be bi-amped?

I can find the info anywhere here or on eD's website, nor can I find any backside pics.

I'm going to be running an onkyo 605 reciever and don't think 80 watts will be enough to push them well enough. Any opinions?

They only have one pair of binding posts on the back. I've never biamped, so I'm not a good person to talk about it. I know Biamping is a cult following though. Many think it means nothing, and feel those that think it does is just justifying it to themselves. Those that like it really feel it adds to the overall quality of the sound. Shoot eD an email through their website. They'd be the best to ask.

These are 6 Ohms. Check to see what your Power Rating is for 6 Ohm on your receiver, it will be higher than at 8 Ohms. FYI: Those power ratings mean little to NOTHING. There is no industry standard on how to measure the power rating from the speakers, and anytime real world tests are accomplished, no receiver outputs what they claim. Harmon Kardon receivers are known for making GREAT amps, but even at high prices, their power ratings are MUCH LOWER than other competitors. Doesn't mean they can't power good speakers. It means they are efficient. Your Onkoy 605 will work just fine. Please don't get yourself hung up on a Power Rating Number.

First off I don't want to know "Which is better" I'm looking more for a qualitative description.

I've been looking at the eD speakers for a while and I've pretty much settled on:
L/R: 6t6 Towers
Center: 6t6 mtm
surrounds: using the Bose 301s that I got for half price when I was in school
Sub: A3-300 (maybe an A2-300 or A3-250)

After reading a couple threads about the best speaker setup on a budget I've been starting to question if it's worth the 3x mark up in price I'd be taking over some of the "good" budget systems. The brand that appears to pop up the most for good low cost solutions is Polk Audio.

My dad has a pair of Paradigms (about as old as me) for his fronts, then Polks for the rest of his setup (not sure of the models he bought them a couple years ago at CC). I've seen some recommendations for configurations that would only set me back 350-500 bucks (Polk R50s, Polk CSi25 center,and Velodyne VX-10 sub). I don't really mind spending the extra money if I'm going to enjoy the eD speakers a lot more, but unfortunately I can't really listen to the eD speakers in the store as they are mail order only. Can anyone give a qualitative description of the difference in experience I'd have with the eD set?

Polk makes some good speakers, but from what I've read, unless you get the higher end Polk speakers, they sound like "budget" speakers. I have not heard the R50s myself. I have tried the following speakers in my room, with my Receiver: Infinity RS-5 Towers, CC-3 Center; JM Labs Chorus Series (can't remember the model number, they are my friend's) and the Ascend 340SEs. The cost of the Infinity RS-5 Towers new was $500 a pair as the new line was coming in, and that was HALF PRICE of what they were when they were the new line. I didn't like them at all, but had them for 7 years until I sold them for eD. My friend's JM Labs sound GREAT. I love them. Very mellow and laid back. Unfortunately, the place near me that sold them went out of business. My other friend brought his recent purchase of the Ascends 340SEs to my house. I liked them as well. I ordered the eD speakers because you can ship them back for a refund (you are out shipping), they were cheaper than Ascends and most other BRAND speakers in their size, and the reviews were overwhelmingly good. I'm glad I tried them out as I love them. I like them better than the Ascends in my room. I found the Ascends to be a little more on the HARSH side than I like, but didn't realize it until after I tried out eD. I know this doesn't directly answer your question regarding Polk. I've heard that unless you purchase the higher end polk, the rest sound like "Budget Speakers"...whatever that really means. I can tell you, the eD I have sound as good as my buddy's JM Labs speakers that he paid a lot more for.

Ok thanks for the reply. Especially since I was basically looking for an excuse to spend the money after reading some of the budget threads where people said how good the polks sounded for the money (and considering the eDs are a blind buy).

Ok guys -- after a lot of reading -- I am about to jump on the eD bandwagon (errr ... waiting list). Here is my setup:

TV: Samsung HL-S6188w (61" 1080p DLP)
A/V: Denon 2807 (110w/ch -- 5.1 -- I use it as a two room as it drives my outdoor pool speakers as well, so no 7.1)
Sources: Dish Vip622 HD-DVR, Tosh HD-A2, Wii, Xbox 360.

Current speaks:
Fronts: Klipsch SF-1s (budget, entry level line)
Center: Klipsch SC-1
Rears: B&W SOLIDs (already hard mounted -- not planning changing these right now)
Sub: Klipsch SW10 (10" driver - 150w powered)

This is my main living room setup -- the room is about 28 x 26 with a vaulted ceiling that is 10' tall at its lowest and close to 30' at its highest.

The Klipsch speaks are all from my first A/V system (purchased in 1999 when I purchased my first DVD player -- for $400 ) when I had an apartment, and they will be relegated to the basement gaming room along with the 360.

I am planning on ordering the following:

Fronts: A6-6T6- Towers
Center: A6-6T6-MTM
Sub: A3-300 or A5-350 (can't decide - need help)

What are people's thoughts on the sub. Is the A5 worth the extra $$$?? I was trying to keep the cost about $1000 (with the A3 it will be about $950 with the A5, closer to $1100). The A5 puts me over slightly. I am not looking to melt my ears or shatter the subfloor (or -- more likely -- impart a lot of vibration to my HD-A2 and other equipment as it is playing). But Alex @ eD (who I spoke to on the phone) suggested that a room the size of mine needs more base than the A3-300 can deliver. To me 300w and a 12" driver sounds huge compared to what I have now. This review of the older A5-300 (which sounds a lot like the current A3-300) makes it seem like the A3 will deliver a lot of bass.

http://www.hometheatersound.com/equi...igns_a5300.htm

Anyone what to offer any opinions? Anyone have experience with the two different subs?

My main use is HT, some music (played off Sirius or Ipod) and gaming.

Thanks!!

I replaced my old polk RT35's and CS245 with 3 6T6 MTMs and the difference is substantial. I'm using the Polk R50s as surrounds (I initially bought them to replace the RT35's as mains, but found they underperformed.) I plan to buy some 6T6 towers for my birthday and move the MTMs to the surrounds.

Dude, that room is HUGE!!!!!!!! Will take a very large subwoofer to push the air in a space that big. You could probably even go bigger than the A5-350, but with budget in mind, if it won't break your bank, I say go for the A5-350. My room is only 13x19x7.5 and I went with the A5-350 due to the overhead I'd have. This one is a no brainer (again, given that you can still afford your bills and groceries) to go with the A5-350 in your room, compared to the others listed.

One of the benefits of selling my condo in SoCal and buying in Nashville, TN.

Thanks for the input.

I bought my first HT system of note yesterday (1/2). Onkyo 705 is on order to arrive on 1/7. I paired that with the speaker setup below. Thanks to those who replied to my main thread about the eD speakers. FedEx is getting some of the order here tomorrow (1/4), faster than expected. I'll be waiting a while for the rest.

1 x A6 - 6T6 - Tower Pair $425.00 for L/R Fronts (Backorder)
1 x A6 - 6T6 - MTM Single $165.75 Center (Shipped)
1 x A6 - 6T6 - MTM Pair $310.25 L/R Sides (Shipped)
1 x A3 - 5TC - Bookshelf Pair $127.50 L/R Rears (Backorder)
1 x A5 - 350 Subwoofer $552.50 (6-8 week wait per Alex. Got the 550w amp (+$65) & Hourglass feet (+$12))
1 x 24" Speaker Stands (Pair) $45.00 for Sides (Backorder I think)
1 x Black Wall Mounts (Pair) $30.00 for Rears (Shipped)
Total = $1,674.30 shipped

This is going into a room about 20'Lx20'Wx15'H with hardwood floors. Based on everyone's experience, what do you think? 85% movies/15% music.

Also, I bought the following for cables. Like the speakers, probably overkill but I really don't know much about audio stuff...but I'm learning quickly.

Blue Jeans Cable:
1 x 300 feet of Belden 5000UE Speaker Cable, Unterminated - $171
16 x Banana Plugs, gold-plated, pair - $3.50/pair
1 x 20 foot BJC LC-1 Subwoofer Cable - $33.50
Total = $273 shipped

Any thoughts or advice? Thanks in advance!

Very nice. I sold my house in Baltimore, MD but missed the big boom by 1 year, and moved back home to WV. Had I stayed in Baltimore one more year and then sold, I could have paid cash for my house in WV and still had some left over. Oh well, hind sight is always 20/20.

First off, what a great first HT system!!! Congrats. I don't mean to sound like the plague, trying to bring you down, but your room will be less than optimal for sound quality. First off, your Length and Width are divisible by each other, and the height of the ceiling will also play a factor as they are still somewhat divisible. This means you'll have a great deal of room modes to deal with in your room. These room modes will cause increasing volumes in some places, and horrible nulls in other places. Add to that your hardwood floor, for reflection, and you will not be gaining what you should from the speakers (not just eD, but any speaker). Now, I'm not one to preach spending thousands upon thousands of dollars to treat a room, but there are some things you could do. A nice big area rug would help out quite a bit. Not sure if the wife will let you, but some absorption at the first reflection points and some bass traps would bring the sound back in check. Please don't think I'm being negative as you have a great setup. I just wanted to offer some guidance on ways to gain the benefit of this incredible system. I once had a room 16x16x8 and it was horrible. Had to constantly turn the volume up and down because of "Collisions" due to the room modes, horrible reflections, etc.

Tony - Thanks. This is exactly the kind of criticism I'm looking for. I know the room is far from optimal, but it's the only acceptable room I have right now. Plus I have an open doorway into the kitchen, a closed doorway into the garage, and French doors leading to a patio, so my room setup is all diagonal and will make for poor speaker placements. That said, I still can't wait for the toys. It's a huge upgrade from my Panasonic HTiB from 2000.

"...some absorption at the first reflection points and some bass traps" Can you provide any practical examples? I cannot visualize what you're saying. We do have a large area rug in the center of the room which should help a little, and couches and other stuff scattered around the room so there will be some noise absorption. Should I put small rugs under the speakers, especially the sub? Again, thanks for any help/direction.

Congrats man, you're going to love it! I'm running the same thing, minus the smaller 5TC's, and pushing mine with my Onkyo 805 and it's amazing.

Tom

I've got a system ordered. What kind of receiver should I outfit it with? An onkyo 805 for example costs at least as much as the spearks no? Is that the right ratio?

I ordered my system as well...now receiver shopping.

Onkyo 705
Onkyo 805
Sony 3300ES ($599 at Vanns.com)

The system I went with:
A6-6T6 Towers
A6-6T6 Center
A6-5T5 Surrounds
A5-350 Subwoofer

I went to the SonyStyle store and messed around with the GUI on the 3300ES...pretty intuitive. I have yet to see Onkyo's GUI. Guess I'll roll down to Fry's to try it out.

One thing I wish CNET would write about is the sound quality (using a reference 5.1 system, maybe the Kef 3005 since they adore it).

How do the eD speakers measure up to the higher end brands? Pardigm, B&W, etc....I have an A3-300 on order and have been thinking of saving up for some paradigms to upgrade my current speakers (Athena micra 6 set).

Tony I asked for help on another forum, but did not get any replies. Since you've used a room similar is size to one I'm considering, perhaps you can shed some light on this issue.

I too went with 6T6's F/C/L, 5T5 surrounds, and the A5-350 (550w)


Help me pick a room.

Room One is 16*16*8
-Can be completely enclosed
-Wall with TV has a Glass door on one corner
-Right wall has french doors (more glass)
-Back wall has bay windows (more glass)

Room two is 16*11*8
-This room has two openings with no doors
-first opening has stardard size door opening on the corner (TV wall)
-second opening is twice the size of a stardard door (rear left)
-The back wall would have two windows.

Either room will get some accoustic treatment, but will not be fully padded!

Which would you pick?

My buddy actually has that Athena set and I have a eD setup. 6T6 towers, 6T6 center and 5TC rears. I don't have a whole lot of listening on his Athena set, both are setups are fairly new. I can say that my eD setup is more laid back than his Athena set. Overall, I just prefer the sound stage from the eD's over the Athena's. It just sounds more natural to me on my eD setup. I think it would be a nice improvement, but honestly, probably not a big enough one if you are talking a full 5.1 setup over $1000. If you can make some money selling the Athena set, that would be much better.

There is a sticky thread on the "Dedicated Theater" thread for Acoustic Treatments. However, everyone recommends people to go there, yet the "gurus" don't like the thread because it's full of bad information. However, it's also full of GREAT and HELPFUL information. Because it contains so much bad information, it's hard for me to recommend it to someone just starting out.

To keep it simple, First Reflection points are the areas where sound from your speaker bounce off parallel walls, back to your ear. What happens is that you are first hearing direct radiated sounds from your speakers, directly to your ears. Also, sound is bouncing off your walls, back to your ears, which interferes with the direct radiating sounds from your speakers. This is a big reason people are always turning their volume WAY up to hear dialogue, then way down during actions scenes. The dialogue is less intelligible and the action scenes become too noisy due to the reflections.

Again, there is MUCH more to acoustics, so I'm keeping this simple (partly because only the die hard hobbiests go all out treating their rooms for RT-60, Reflections, Bass Traps, etc. The simplest thing you can do is to Absorb those reflections at the First Reflection point. There are other reflections, but the First Reflections are those that bounce off ONE boundary, and back to your ear. Those are the crucial ones because the volume level of the first reflection point is loud enough to interfere with the other sounds. Sound works just like light. Angles of Incident, etc. from physics. The easiest way to do this without taking measurements (although there is a free program on the Dedicated Theater thread that will calculate them for you with room measurements), is to use the "Mirror Trick". Have someone Run a mirror down the left side wall. You sit at the listening position(s). Anywhere you see a reflection of your left, right and center speaker, you add treatment to the wall. The cheapest and most effective is using Rigid Fiberglass, such as Owens Corning OC703. You can build a frame with wood, instert the Rigid Fiberglass, then wrap it with fabric, such as Felt. Being that you are in a room in the house used for other purposes, this may not be doable for you. With your furniture, couches, etc, it will help some. You can even hang heavy Curtains over windows to add some more absorption.

Here is a pic of one of my side walls with some acoustic treatments. They look kind of blah right now. I still have some work to do.

The 16x11x8 will give you issues at 6 Frequencies from 282Hz down to 70Hz. The 16x16x8 will produce twice as many Frequency issues as the other room (12 of them) from 282Hz down to 30Hz, with 12 bad spots opposed to only 6 on the 16x11x8. Based on the Calculator at www.componentacoustics.com, it doesn't like the measurements of either room because you have at least two boundaries divisible by each other. Length and height. However, if you are planning on adding Treatments, all that can be overcome. Your biggest issue will be to add First Reflection Absorption Panels and Bass Traps in the corners....if that's doable in your room. Just remember, it takes a LOT of money and time to build the room to where it sounds perfect, which none of us have. Even the gurus that spend $250K for a room have GREAT sounding rooms, but it's not perfect. Do what you can with the resources you have and just enjoy the sound. I think I'd rather have a bigger room 16x16x8 than such a narrow room at 11'. I'm not by any means great with the acoustics. I've just read a lot, and have a general understanding, but I don't know enough to know what to offer in terms of "types" of treatments for given room modes, etc. I just know the basics.

You may want to go to the Dedicated Theater Thread and start a post with your two room options and see what some of the Acoustic guys think and offer. Just remember.....on that thread, you'll get a LOT of folks telling you to knock down walls, or do this or that....etc. Just make it clear what you are willing to do and ask they help you with that.

Awesome Tony, thanks. I'll take a look around on that thread. My 3 6T6 MTMs are on the truck out for delivery now so I'm eager to get them in my hands.

I just place my order:

L/R: A6-6T6 towers (Back Ordered till February 11)
Center: A6-6T6 MTM
Sub: A3-300 w/Speaker upgrade

The wait doesn't really bother me too much. I figure I've been looking at speakers since I first started building my system back in September so another month is hardly that big of an issue.

I have a pair of Bose 301's that I'm moving to the surrounds. I figure with their back firing they should almost be sort of like dipole speakers. I also have a pair of smaller Wharfedale bookshelves I could use, but I'm probably going to keep those in my bedroom for music due to size limitations. I was wondering if anyone had opinions about placement of the 301s. They are supposed to be place in room corners to allow the back firing port to create a larger soundstage by reflecting off the side walls. My plan is to move the Left front speaker to the surround left position and right front to surround right. I was going have them face maybe 30 degrees toward center rather than directly at the listener to allow reflections off of the rear wall.

You may regret asking that question about Bose speakers on AVS, you might hear something like, "The best placement is in your garbage can!"
added: I don't necessarily agree with that sentiment, BTW. I'm just trying to be funny...

Yeah I'm well aware of that attitude. I got the speakers in college for half off because they gave my college a discount. I figured 150 bucks for a pair of 301s wasn't so bad. I think they sound "decent" even though I'm sure the 6t6 towers are going to kill them for only about 100 buck more than the 301's list price.

I figured I would toss an update in here for everybody.

I LOVE THEM. I've listened to all my music, movies, sports, tv, etc, over these speakers and they are AMAZING! Everybody who listens to them agree's. I've been using them for about a month now, with my Onkyo 805 and really can't say enough about them!

AND, my sub (A5-350) is awaiting paint now!

Tom

Nice to hear, Potent68. I only have my 6T6 MTMs (x3) and they sound great. I'm still waiting for my 6T6 towers and 5TC bookshelves (due 2/11), and A5-350 w/LT550 (8 weeks!).

I couldn't agree more. The Towers and Center are amazing. No regrets buying these speakers.

However, I did cancel my A5-350 Order. I've already waited 5 weeks, and they said it would be another 3 - 5 weeks. I ordered an SVS PB12-NSD yesterday. Per Ed at SVS, they now have a new amplifier and they are sending to Craiglist to do a new review of the PB12-NSD with the new amp.