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Basic Speaker Setup FAQ

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#1 · (Edited)
Basic Speaker FAQ

This speaker FAQ is intended to answer some of the basic questions about speakers and putting together a home audio setup.

See post #2 for rules before posting in this thread. This is NOT a recommendations or technical assistance thread. If you need help, you will want to start your own thread in the AVS Speaker forum, providing the information in item #1 below.

1) I need help with picking out an HT or stereo setup. What kind of information should I provide?

When creating a new thread in the Speaker forum for help with recommendations for an audio setup, be sure to include

1) Your budget.
2) Your listening interests: movies/gaming/music--and whether or not any of those are your primary concern.
3) Your existing audio equipment (make/models) if any. Include comments about what you hope to improve upon.
4) The size of your room. Please also mention if there are adjacent open areas and how big they are (important for subwoofer choice).
5) Any placement restrictions.
6) Any aesthetic or size concerns.
7) Any equipment you are already considering (or would not consider).
8) Any particular audio sonic signatures you know you prefer (e.g., you are a basshead, you have a preference for bright treble, etc.)

If you are seeking help with configuring or troubleshooting an existing setup, be sure to give the make/model for your entire setup and try to describe the problem with good detail.

Once you have given good, detailed information for what you need help with, provide a title for your post that helps people to understand what you are looking for.

2) I have speaker make/model X. What center channel goes with my speakers?

For best SQ, it is important for your front soundstage to timbre match, which gives you a smooth transition as sound pans from left to right (and vice versa) and may help with dialogue clarity.

Because of this, the optimum choice is the exact same speaker as your front left and right. The center channel designed by manufacturers is the next best option, but it is a slight compromise over using the exact same speaker. The reason that many people go with manufacturer designed center channels is that they cannot accommodate a vertically placed speaker as a center channel, and many speakers cannot be turned on their side (they are not designed to disperse sound properly that way).

It is possible that other speakers in the same speaker model line will work well, too, because the tweeter is often the same/similar and the tonal signature of the drivers are as well.

Using a mismatched center channel from a different manufacturer--or a different speaker model line by the same manufacturer--may work worse than no center at all, and it is next to impossible to predict what speaker from another manufacturer would work well.

To find out if other center channels from the same manufacturer might work well with your front left and right, look for an owners thread on AVS for that manufacturer and ask for recommendations.

3) How do I place my speakers in my room?

Placement can have a significant impact on both speaker and subwoofer performance. The following links are a good place to start for learning more:
http://www.audioholics.com/home-the...-setup-tips-for-upgraded-home-theater-systems
http://www.audioholics.com/home-theater-connection/home-theater-speaker-layout-an-essential-guide
http://www.audioholics.com/subwoofer-setup/easy-subwoofer-placement

4) Why are people telling me to go with larger bookshelves instead of satellite speakers?

Small satellites have tiny drivers (e.g. 3”) that lack the dynamics for filling a large room with sound in comparison to larger driver bookshelves (e.g. 5.5” or 6”). The tweeters may also be smaller as well or more limited in overall sound output, also limiting dynamics.

Small satellites also need a higher crossover with a sub. Consequently the bass may become more localizable--you can tell the bass is coming from the sub. And you may need a more resolving subwoofer since the sub has to handle more midbass; the lower quality of a budget entry level sub that sounds OK with a lower crossover when used with bookshelves or towers may call attention to its flaws more with small satellites.

5) What is the advantage of towers/floorstanding speakers over bookshelf/monitor size?

Towers can typically provide deeper bass extension over bookshelves. However, if you are buying a good subwoofer (and you should), this advantage is often negated because you can crossover your speakers at around 80hz.

Towers will typically offer better dynamics and overall power handling than bookshelves in the same speaker manufacturer model line. However, for the difference in price, you may be able to find a better quality speaker from another speaker model line which offers similar benefits to the tower in terms of dynamics and power handling.

6) I have speaker make/model X. What surround speakers should I get?

Since the surround channels are usually only used for effects sounds and ambient noise, it is generally thought to be less important that they have tonal match to the front stage speakers. To put it another way, it is important to keep all the front stage speakers matching for a good sound, but one can have somewhat different surround speakers without nearly as much penalty. However, this is not a completely universally accepted idea, and there is some debate on the importance of matching surrounds. With the expansion from five to seven channel surround sound in lossless codecs and the recent announcement of Dolby Atmos for home systems, the surround channels do seem to be gaining greater importance, so it may be more beneficial to use matching speakers in future surround sound setups, especially if one is using direct-radiating (monopole) speakers for surround speakers.

If one intends to eventually upgrade to Dolby Atmos, then direct radiating is the appropriate choice since it is required for Dolby Atmos implementation. Otherwise, to learn more about whether bipole, dipole, or direct radiating (monopole) speakers are best for your needs, consult this lengthy discussion on AVS and read A Guide to Bipolar, Dipolar, & Direct-Radiating Monopole Surround Speakers Part I & Part II. If all that reading seems overwhelming, then going with a direct radiating speaker certainly works well as a default choice.

7) Will biwiring my speakers to my AVR improve the sound quality?

Many people confuse biamping with biwiring. Biamping can certainly improve sound quality, but it requires active crossovers which passive speakers typically are not setup to use.

Biwiring offers no sound quality advantage. Speaker manufacturers provide biwire terminals on passive speakers and AVR manufacturers offer biwiring capability because some audiophiles believe the myth that it does.

8) What kind of speaker wire and what gauge speaker wire do I need?

The gauge speaker wire you need is based upon the impedance of your speakers and the length of the wire runs. Consult the table on this page (scroll down). You could certainly go with a lower # gauge (thicker copper wire) than what the table suggests.

Any oxygen free 100% copper speaker wire will work well. You do not need to buy expensive speaker cables. Banana plugs can be convenient for hooking up your speakers if they work with your speaker terminals and receiver, but they are not necessary for good sound quality.

Search the forum, and you’ll find recommended speaker wire and banana plugs. Generally there is no need to create a new thread just to find that out.

9) Should I buy expensive cables?

No. Scientific evidence does not support the benefit of expensive cables. For example, there are $10 audio interconnects that should perform as well as $100 ones.

Search the forum, and you’ll find recommended cables. Generally there is no need to create a new thread just to find that out.

10) How do I choose a subwoofer to match my speakers?

Subwoofer choice is at first dependent on the volume area of your room--including any open areas--and your listening volume. Too little sub and your sub will struggle (or be unable) to keep up with your speakers, and you might overdrive it. As subwoofers get closer to their maximum volume, they also tend to have more distortion. Now if you are using it nearfield for a computer setup (approximately 3 ft away), then subwoofer performance based on the room size is not a concern.

You need to consider the low end frequency extension capability of the sub. For music, a good general guide is that you want extension down to 30hz. However, movies have deeper bass extension where a lot of special effects content is. Many AVS members feel that solid low 20hz (or lower) extension is a big plus for a good subwoofer for HT usage

A sub is a big driver, in a big, heavy enclosure (box), and it has an amp. It is expensive to ship. So most AVS members feel there are significant price/performance benefits on spending more on a sub than most people new to home audio realize: quality and performance does improve quite a bit with a higher budget. When choosing a subwoofer, there are also Internet direct vendors that offer much better price/performance values than traditional speaker company subs that you can buy at a store.

There are still other considerations regarding subwoofer choice. Subwoofer recommendations and questions are best addressed in the AVS subwoofer forum, and you can learn about the different Internet direct vendors, as well as current online deals for entry levels subs. Be sure to read this post instructing you on what information to provide before seeking advice: http://www.avsforum.com/t/989316/want-advice-on-what-sub-to-purchase-please-read-this-before-posting

11) I have questions about different characteristics of speaker design and their specifications.

See this AVS Forum feature article written by Mark Henniger, aka user imagic: 12 Things to Consider when Shopping for Speakers . It will answer a lot of additional questions you might come up with in trying to choose speakers.

My question has not been answered here. What do I do?

If your question pertains to some particular aspect of how to select audio equipment or what to buy, try googling what you are looking for with "AVS" as a keyword. That's the easiest way to find things on the website.

Otherwise, start your own thread :)
 
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#2 · (Edited)
Goal

My hope is that we could build a Speaker FAQ that could be referenced instead of having to answer some of the same questions over and over again. Maybe it could end up a sticky.

Please make suggestions for improving the existing FAQ by posting below.

Please suggest additional Q&A answer pairings. Provide the text you would like to see. If I think a new FAQ seems too controversial, I'll invite comment from others. Otherwise, I'll add it to the list of FAQs in the first post.

Rules for Posting

This is not a recommendation thread. If you need recommendations for speakers and or audio equipment, start your own thread.

This thread is not for arguing about whether or not you agree with the answers to these FAQs if you have opinions that are not supported by science and that are not commonly shared by AVS members (e.g., buying expensive cables).

If you need clarification of something described above, feel free to ask. Maybe someone will help. If you have questions about other things regarding speakers and audio setups, you should research the forum and maybe start your own thread. In other words, don't see this as a general catch all thread for asking any question.
 
#3 · (Edited)
Along the lines of questions regarding the best center channel, here is something I see a lot:

I have speaker make/model X. What surround speakers should I get?

Since the surround channels are usually only used for effects sounds and ambient noise, it is generally thought to be less important that they have tonal match to the front stage speakers. To put it another way, it is important to keep all the front stage speakers matching for a good sound, but one can have somewhat different surround speakers without nearly as much penalty. However, this is not a completely universally accepted idea, and there is some debate on the importance of matching surrounds. With the expansion from five to seven channel surround sound in lossless codecs and the recent announcement of Dolby Atmos for home systems, the surround channels do seem to be gaining greater importance, so it may be more beneficial to use matching speakers in future surround sound setups, especially if one is using direct-radiating (monopole) speakers for surround speakers.

That brings us to the question, "what type of surround speaker is the best?", which is a lengthy discussion in itself, so we will not try to answer that here. Professional Cinema Atmos systems require monopole surrounds, and since Atmos allows for much more discrete sound imaging, direct-radiating monopole speakers would seem to be the most appropriate surround speaker type for home Atmos systems much like their commercial cinema counterparts.
 
#8 ·
Along the lines of questions regarding the best center channel, here is something I see a lot:

I have speaker make/model X. What surround speakers should I get?

Since the surround channels are usually only used for effects sounds and ambient noise, it is generally thought to be less important that they have tonal match to the front stage speakers. To put it another way, it is important to keep all the front stage speakers matching for a good sound, but one can have somewhat different surround speakers without nearly as much penalty. However, this is not a completely universally accepted idea, and there is some debate on the importance of matching surrounds. With the expansion from five to seven channel surround sound in lossless codecs and the recent announcement of Dolby Atmos for home systems, the surround channels do seem to be gaining greater importance, so it may be more beneficial to use matching speakers in future surround sound setups, especially if one is using direct-radiating (monopole) speakers for surround speakers.

That brings us to the question, "what type of surround speaker is the best?", which is a lengthy discussion in itself, so we will not try to answer that here. Professional Cinema Atmos systems require monopole surrounds, and since Atmos allows for much more discrete sound imaging, direct-radiating monopole speakers would seem to be the most appropriate surround speaker type for home systems as well as professional cinemas.
This is great!

But I'm wondering if it's good to imply just because Atmos uses monopole that monopole is necessarily better? Maybe instead of the last paragraph it's better just to leave it at something like "If one intends to eventually upgrade to Dolby Atmos, then direct radiating is the appropriate choice since it is required for Dolby Atmos implementation. Otherwise, to learn more about whether bipole, dipole, or direct radiating is best for your needs, consult this lengthy discussion on AVS and read A Guide to Bipolar, Dipolar, & Direct-Radiating Monopole Surround Speakers Part I & Part II"

What do you think?




In other words, leave it open for considering bipole and dipole since not everyone agrees that direct radiating works better.
 
#4 ·
I was wondering what to do about a same manufacture centre speaker as the one they make been given bad reviews and am using a cube centre. Should I try a different manufacturer centre speaker or should I use a same manufacturers bookshelf speaker?
 
#5 ·
The best practice is to pick out the speakers for your front soundstage based upon all three being a good choice and a good match. If you are trying to find a work around for that having already bought the left/right, the best you can do is see if there is an owners thread here for the brand and see if anyone has found a work around for your particular speakers. Otherwise, the only solution for a good soundstage would seem to be to get different speakers.
 
#6 ·
Fantastic post, this needs to be a sticky!
 
#11 ·
If you want to write it up. I am happy to maintain the main FAQ, provide feedback on suggestions, and even do copy editing (if necessary). But I'm not volunteering to write them all :)

Could be good to have a Q&A like that. What about a more general, "How do I compare wattage, sensitivity, and impedance ratings between speakers?" That way the whole issue of the difficulty of doing so could be addressed at once?
 
#16 ·
It might be worthwhile to explain what the impedance and sensitivity are in a general sense, and how that relates to speaker performance. But yes a lot of measurements are inflated or presented in an advantageous manner.
 
#19 ·
Bump. This is too important not to keep it on the first page :).
 
#21 ·
Thanks!

Now I hope that people join together to work on any other FAQ items we need. :)
 
#24 · (Edited)
Perhaps I missed it, but some comments along the lines of:

a. Every speaker has it's own sonic signature, even ones that measure similarly. Perhaps the general characteristics of various tweeter designs (can of worms here). Horns vs fabric dome vs metal dome vs folded ribbons, vs etc ....

b. Something suggesting STRONGLY, that no one can make the decision for you, you have to let your own ears make the decision. Perhaps a primer on how to conduct listening tests at the dealer and how to listen (what to listen for) and not get swayed by the salesperson.

c. Lists of recommended components within certain price ranges, especially useful for subs, I would think, as the same ones get recommended over and over. Could be expanded to cover satellite speakers, bookshelf, floor standing, all within certain budget categories. Could expand into a nice draw for the site, eventually. "AVS Recommends"

d. a list of the cheaters ... a recent look into satellite speakers I did for one poster led me to finding out that a speaker's rated response is OFTEN lied about and the real measured response (-3dB) is often very different than the stated response curve (Def Tech is a major culprit, as is Klipsch with sensitivity ratings). I knew this was happening, but had no idea it went to such lengths. EXPOSE THE CHEATERS !!!

e. Positives and negatives of in-wall / in-ceiling speakers ... trade-offs, both sound-wise and $-wise.

Perhaps you could change the thread title to something more arresting, something along these lines: NEWBIES, READ THIS FAQ BEFORE POSTING. Lastly, kudos to you for doing this. It was a kernel of a thought in my head a month or so ago (prompted by the same repetition you are attempting to address) but I didn't act on it. Glory goes to those who ACT !
 
#25 ·
I bought the a360 speakers to go with the A25 I'm going to use as a centre. I found a great thread on here about bass management that helped loads. Would something like that along with a rough guide to speaker crossovers be something you would prehaps broach the subject on?

I found the above subject very hard to understand tbh
 
#26 ·
Hello old thread - thought I would repost something from another forum as maybe people have some ideas/critiques/suggestions to improve the overall sound I am getting from my mismatched setup....

I have a pair of Infinity Alpha 50's (90dB sensitivity) that I am using for my fronts. I was looking into upgrading these speakers as they are almost 15 years old but in order to get speakers in todays market that are comparable to what the infinity's were when I bought them, it appears I am looking at dropping close to 3K - but I am always open to suggestions if anyone has them. I have mismatched center (klipsch icon series) that I have been using for 3.1 and a couple of Polk bookshelf speakers (think they are Ti100s?) that I have not hooked up but could potentially use for surround speakers to make a 5.1 setup. I bought the center before I did enough research to understand the importance of matching them with the fronts.

I have investigated and gotten advice from AVS members on where to find a matching center for my infinity's and I have had my eye on some Rti A9's in which case I would need to buy a new center to match up with. My sub is decent but certainly lacks room fill from what I can hear (Klipsch sw350) so I am definitely in the realm of "spend money to get a matching front 3 - but not quite willing to drop enough money to truly upgrade my sound"

I did listen to some monitor audio silver's (6's and 10's) at a local hi fi store but the room setup and lack of sub made it hard to identify the quality of sound. I have heard a lot about Klipsch speakrs having great efficiency and being the best speakers for the price point but I am not a big fan of the horn tweeter for some reason.

I have definitely thrown some money at my current setup by upgrading my denon avr791 to the marantz sr5009 (kind of wish i had waited for the 6009 oh well) and added a ud7007 as I am starting to venture into downloading/listening to higher quality music like HD Tracks and didnt want to play CDs Blu Ray from my ps3 anymore. side note - analog from the UD7007 to my sr5009 sounds better than HDMI thus far even when playing a DVD. nice?

I can run audyssey and tweak my setup over and over but I think I have gotten it fairly optimized for my unfortunate room limiting listening area. Audyssey sets my fronts to 40 and center to 80-90 most times but I have usually changed the fronts to 60 to send more low to the sub. Setting the crossover (especially for music) at 80 doesn't sound as good though I have noticed. I am aiming and will be doing some trial and error this weekend to try and getter a wider "sweet spot" but have yet to achieve a good acoustical setup speaker placement wise in my room given its constraints.

The reason I thought a integrated amp or power amp would benefit my setup is for stereo playback through CD or AIFF/other? files via the UD7007 or from the receiver as my understanding (perhaps mistaken) was that a higher throughput (wrong term?) would provide a better sound at lower volumes.

I do like loud music but I am more interested in getting the best sound I can from my system for music and occasionally movies/football.

I am not sure there is even a question in here but if anyone has suggestions/tips for this newbie to improve my setup either with additional components or speaker/sub upgrade OR simply getting all the settings right for playback of various sources I would love to hear them.

Thanks for your patience as I am trying to take in a lot and make sense of it all
 
#27 ·
Hello old thread - thought I would repost something from another forum as maybe people have some ideas/critiques/suggestions to improve the overall sound I am getting from my mismatched setup....
I'm sure you could get a lot of help. But you will want to start your own thread. This thread is for discussing how to improve the Speaker FAQ, and it will be easier for people to help you if you have your own dedicated thread :)
 
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#28 ·
I’m not sure if this is the right thread please advise if it is not.


I would like to run two speakers off of the same line. They are rated 8 ohms 50w to 100w rms and the receiver is rated 100w rms. Would this work and if so how would I attach them, would it be two wires off of the same pole?


It is the center channel and I have an extra speaker.


Thanks
 
#29 ·
Does your receiver not have a left, center, right channel?
 
#31 ·
Just installed my 6.5" Monoprice right and lefts last night. Due to a weight bearing stud, I am not able to install my center channel where it needs to go. Now I need to decide what the next step is:


-I heard that other manufactures Centers may not sound right. Any suggestions what might sound okay with these Right and Left speakers? Would prefer something as low profile as possible but realize I can't have it all...


-Can I install the Center Channel vertically? Not sure I want to simply for the sake of looks, but wasn't sure if it had an effect on the SQ.
 
#34 ·
Just installed my 6.5" Monoprice right and lefts last night. Due to a weight bearing stud, I am not able to install my center channel where it needs to go. Now I need to decide what the next step is:


-I heard that other manufactures Centers may not sound right. Any suggestions what might sound okay with these Right and Left speakers? Would prefer something as low profile as possible but realize I can't have it all...
Did you read item #2 in the first post of the FAQ? :confused:


Can I install the Center Channel vertically? Not sure I want to simply for the sake of looks, but wasn't sure if it had an effect on the SQ.
It may not disperse properly. You could buy another of your left and right.
 
#36 ·
Hey cel great write up! I didn't even realize you started this thread till now lol. Anyway it was very interesting and helpful. Great info and thanks for posting it!!
 
#37 ·
Thanks :)

Hopefully people needing help will read that first post.
 
This post has been deleted
#38 ·
Best to start your own thread (see the first two posts in the Speaker FAQ) :)
 
#42 ·
#43 ·
I have ordered an Edifier s330d speaker. It has a coaxial connection, optical spdif, rca connections, aux connection. Which connection gives the best sound quality? I believe it is the optical. My other question is, I have my pc, my xbox and a bluray player all connected to my tv via their own hdmi cables. The tv has an rca out and what looks like an optical spdif out. If I connect to the speaker via the spdif out of the tv, would that be the same as connecting directly from my pc to the subwoofer box? As far as quality is concernet, seeing how the computer is connected via hdmi, as it is converted within the tv, does it keep it's integrity normally or no? Also, the speakers are connected via speaker cables. Doesn't that lower the quality anyway? Is there any point of using something of better quality like an optical cable when it is downgraded as it goes to the speaker anyway? I appreciate your help.
 
#46 ·
Yes. You have to strip the end of the copper wire to use the banana clips.
 
#48 · (Edited)
The builder ran the cables without labeling them. The speakers are hung up on the wall and connected. Can I use a AAA battery at the other end to test out which one is which using the pop sound method described in the video below. I don't want to damage the speakers :rolleyes:

Can we do this via a multi-meter also? Can I set it to ohms setting and hook up one end of wires to the multi-meter (at the other end, speaker is already installed).

Also, I have a yamaha 3040 and I'm reading the manual right now to see how I can use the AVR to determine which wire is for which speaker.

 
#49 ·
Best to start a thread of your own (see the first post in this thread). :)
 
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