[vince32837]

1) What do you guys think of running 4.1's as main and the rears?

as opposed to the 2.1's in the rear? Am I wasting money can you tell the difference or just stick to the 2.1's in the rear.


2) Diva Center channel C3 speaker is pretty expensive. How does it compare to a Polk 400 series center which is no slouch??


thanks Vince

 

[PSchweitzer]

Use the 4.1 in the rears if you listen to SACD, DVD-A or 5 channel music, other wise the 2.1 are fine - but keep in mind you need to purchase stands if you get the 2.1's


It is important to make sure the speakers in a HT system match closely in sound quality, etc. so it is better to get the entire speaker set including the C3. Plus everyone wants a matching speaker set that looks great too.

 

[zooplancton]

as of this weekend i will be employing the diva 6.1's for fronts & rears! -(mainly music set up)....

so i would think that stepping into the 4.1's for the rears would be a great idea.


i would also keep the synergy going with the diva center. they are matched, and aethstetically, they go with the other speakers.

i think swans or rather *mark* makes a good enough speaker, you won't have to worry about your center.

what you should be worrying about is if you have enough amp "umph" to give your divas the power they really want.

---sure they will perform under a flashlight watt, but the better power they get, the better they sound. --(like any speaker).


go for the 4.1's all the way around. and get the c3 center. if your bummed, return it. although i highly doubt you'll be bummed.

-brandon

 

[vince32837]

Wow you guys are quick I get out of meeting responses already!

Hey zooplancton, 6.1's all the way around sounds like a serious set-up!


If I were to do the Divas it would be all the way around. I mentioned the polk center because my present set-up is Polk RT-12 fronts, 200 series center, and rear bookshelf polks on pretty nice stands. I caught a break on the stands a high-end store went out of business I picked up nice looking stands fro $40 total.


$64,000 question is- With my audio habits being 90% hometheater/10% stereo will my Yamaha 2092 receiver pumping out 100 watt./ch X5 show a "wow" difference with Diva 4.1/2.1/c3 over my 5 year old Polks? or do I need external amp to really make those Divas shine?


(near future I will probably pick up SVS or Hsu sub)


thanks guys,


Vince

 

[farscape66]

The Diva center channel is well worth it. It is the best sounding center I have heard. You won't regret it!!! I use the 4.1's as fronts. I personally believe the R3's are great side channels, as for rears it would depend on your room.

 

[h8red]

a bit off topic but....farscape have you noticed any timbre matching problems with your swans and the axiom surrounds?

 

[Sean Parque]

Vince, 4.1 front and rear is a really nice combo. I own 6.1 + 2.1 in the rear but I have heard 6.1s all the way around and noticed the difference with movies and DVD-As. In the end, all the proposed combos sound great and I imagine that you would like any of them.

 

[phyre3]

The Polk center seems too cool sounding to me to be a good match with the Diva's so I'd also recommend the Diva center.

 

[bareyb]

I matched front and rears in my new system (went with all 6.1's). My reasoning is that they would match the fronts the best since they were the same speaker. Pretty hard to argue with that logic eh?


I also have noticed over the years that more and more discrete material is being sent to the rears with each new generation of Dolby. DVD-A is another consideration. I'd get the best rears you can afford. With the pkg. deals that av123 makes I wouldn't be surprised if you couldn't get the center channel thrown in for free or at least with a substantial savings. I agree with the others. Do yourself a favor and talk to Russell or Steve. They are the dealmasters. I got a screamin' deal on my full set and subwoofer (Hsu VTF-3). If you do indeed need a better sub, now is the time to do it. They have both of the Hsu models available, which are one of the best "bang for the buck" subs on the market today. The bigger the package, the more they will knock off. I'm sure they will leave you with a big smile on your mug. They have a way of making fans out of buyers there.

 

[GoldenTiger]

Is the $1299 price on ********** for all six speakers including the subwoofer??

 

[Sean Parque]

$1299 is the price for a pair of 6.1s if purchased alone.


$1898 gets you the 6.1s, C3 and R3s. This works out to getting the $499 center for free.


The VTF-3 is $849 alone but I believe a deal can also be had on that one if you order Divas with it.


I hope that helps.



Sean

 

[Greg Br]

The C3 center channel is the highlight of the package to me, I am very impressed, and I do have the new one as well.

 

[vince32837]

I emailed Steve at **********, he said that if I order two pairs of 4.1's he will throw in the center! Now Sean brings up an interesting point, throw in a deal on a Hsu sub. I don't have a sub in my system now but from reading all the SVS and Hsu threads it appears I'm missing some bass??


thanks guys,

Vince

 

[GoldenTiger]

So $1898 gets me: Two front 6.1's, a center channel, two side channels, and two rears? I am a newbie, I need to know exactly what it is. The acronyms and models don't help me much, unfortunately =(. Thanks for the input... and may I say "HOLY F'ing Poop!" to the price... heh. I have the budget, but my god!!

--------------------

$1299 is the price for a pair of 6.1s if purchased alone.


$1898 gets you the 6.1s, C3 and R3s. This works out to getting the $499 center for free.


The VTF-3 is $849 alone but I believe a deal can also be had on that one if you order Divas with it.


I hope that helps.

 

[GoldenTiger]

Ok, just read a bit...


Are the 4.1's really that much different than the 6.1's??


If I wanted a setup like this:


X=speaker

P=person

.= Filling to keep text aligned


............X

X.....SCREEN....X

.........................

X.....PPPPP......X

.........................

X.....................X



That would be a 7.1 setup, right? Two fronts, one center, two sides, two rears?


What would it cost for me to get a setup with the C3 center, 6.1's up front, R3 for the sides, and 4.1 for the rear (or 5.1)? What about 4.1's or 5.1's upfront?? I want a good system, but I am *NOT* an audiophile. I do want it to be like a movie theatre, though. I am a newbie... please speak to me in easy terms and explain everything . I'm planning on getting an LCD-based projector (maybe a DLP, depending on what I think of it). Would .5-1x viewing distance be OK for that?


What is an R3? Is that a PAIR of side speakers on **********? Do they need stands?


Well, thanks a lot guys! Look forward to your advice!

 

[goodconsumer]

Yes it is 7.1 system IF you include a subwoofer. The .1 in x.1 (ex 5.1, 6.1, and 7.1) denotes a speaker that is used to reproduce LFE (Low Frequency Effects). Because the subwoofer does not reproduce the full range of sound (like high freq.) and only low freq, it is less then a full channel (i.e. .1 of a channel).


If you are looking for how much a 7.1 setup would cost, call av123. They are the source for Divas. Any prices quoted here are subject to change, right? The site does have some speaker packages, but a 7.1 system isn't one of them (therefore call to see what they can do).


4.1 vs 5.1 upfront. That's up to you. Listen to them and if you can't hear a difference the cheaper one might be the way to go.


LCD viewing distance... there is a site that does calculations for you... don't recall it right now.


R3. The R3 is a dipole (or was it bipole). Anyways it has two sets of drivers in each speaker. One pointing toward the front and one pointing toward the rear. Optimal placement of the R3 is so you are in it's NULL area. i.e the speaker is facing you, but the actual drivers are pointed in front and behind you. This helps to make the speakers difficult to locate (great for environmental sounds like rain). R3's are a great option for side placement.


The rears should be monopole speakers (any of the other diva's AFAIK will work).


For di/bi/mono-pole placement, most people seem to agree that di/bi-poles are great for side and monopoles are great for rears. If you are only going to have a 5.1 system that is used for mainly HT, then di/bipoles are the way to go for the rears. For music only, monopoles for the rears. The R3's don't really need stands... they are made with a bracket to attach them to the wall.


Goodnight...

 

[Gluegun]

A question..... has anyone ever thought of putting together a 6 channel home theater and multichannel music system with 2.1's all around?


I just thought of that. It'd sure LOOK neato.... how would using an identical center channel speaker instead of one made for the center change things? Would 6 exactly-the-same speakers, all pointed at the sweet spot, work in that sort of setup?


And, most importantly, Why am I asking these questions when I don't think that me, or anyone else, could possibly benefit very much from using a combo like this? I'm not in the market for buying these speakers! Is it morbid curiosity? Is it because I have nothing better to do? Hmm....

 

[Chris Sharp]

Quote:

The Diva center channel is well worth it. It is the best sounding center I have heard.

I'm a newbie and was just wondering do you all use the center when listening to music or is it primarily for hometheater use?


Thanks,


Chris Sharp

 

[goodconsumer]

Gluegun,


My _opinion_: use the 2.1's all around except use the R3 for the side and C3 for the center. R3 use should be obvious, and C3... cause it "fits" better. I don't know any reason why you couldn't use the 2.1 for the center, but it'd be in the way for most people. And it was an interesting question, definately not morbid.


Chris Sharp,

No need for the center for music, just hometheater (or dvd-a or sacd, though I haven't looked into that much). Music is usally recorded as two channels. Let the right and left channel do the imaging of the sound stage for you. A good set will make it seem like you are using a center!

 

[bigwally]

Quote:

Originally posted by Chris Sharp I'm a newbie and was just wondering do you all use the center when listening to music or is it primarily for hometheater use? Thanks, Chris Sharp

If one has the speakers and placement maximized for it I think multichannel music sounds great. I use my system mainly for music and even with plain old 5 channel stereo I prefer it to 2ch listening. The catch is that the speakers and their configuration have to be maximized for it. I find the ITU recommended configuration is great if you can pull it off in your room, however if there's much deviation from it I'd rather listen to 2ch music. (I don't use the "height" channels or the subwoofer placement shown.)


Some love their music this way and some hate it. It's another one of those taste issues