[gps]

I am putting a 7.1 Def Tech speaker config in my home theater. According to THX , the rears should be direct reflecting not bipolor. Which speakers should I use? I am planning on using 2002's for the fronts. a 2500 for center, BPX's for sides. Thanks for your help!

 

[pmf]

Before Bob can get to it let me chime in.


How 'bout those bookshelf size Powered Monitors or the floor standing non-bipolar ProTowers?


PF

 

[bob23_60201]

If you go with the PowerMonitor series, you will probably want to look at the PowerMonitor700 which has matching drivers with the bp2002TL/clr2500/clr2002 (w/ respect to the center channel speaker, try out both the clr2500 and clr2002 at home and go with what works best for you). Other direct radiating options with matching drivers would be the StudioMonitor350 and the ProMonitor100.


Feel free to email Def Tech: [email protected]

 

[SiliGoose]

I'd say forget what THX recommends and do what you like.


I use BP-30 towers for my surrounds and am very pleased. Bipoles all around is perfect for HT. Ambiance out the wazoo!

 

[bob23_60201]

Using the bipolar towers would probably work very well. If you try them out in the rear, just make sure to give them some room to breathe (keep about two or three feet of space in between the back of the speaker and the wall).

 

[Joe Cole]

I am using Def bpx(top of the line 5 years ago) for the center rear. I was unaware that THX says that this is a no no. It works great for me and like the siligoose says:ambiance in abundance. On EX and DTS ES films my room sounds like the theater, with much better bass.


I would like to try direct speakers just to hear the difference.

 

[Tony]

Right now I am using BP2002tl on the front, Pro 100 monitors for the sides and BP2006tl for the rears. The sound is awesome and the bass has to be felt to be believed.

 

[John H]

Quote:

I'd say forget what THX recommends and do what you like.

For some time I have used BPVX sides and rears. These have been used in a 5.1 setup.


I recently replaced my Parasound AVC-2500 with a Pioneer VSX-49TX for pre/pro use. In my opinion bipolars work very well for THX Ultra2/EX/ES etc...


John

 

[Somniplex]

GPS:


I'd recommend you set up your system and try out a couple types of speakers to see what sounds best to you! As I'm sure you know, the newer rear/side surround Def Tech's bipolar design radiates forward (rather than front/rear like an older set I have). I personally wouldn't be concerned about the direct-reflecting THX recommendation.


In my primary HT, I use:


BP2000TL for L/R

CLR3000 Center

BP2006TL Sides

and

BP2X for rears (coupled with a sep sub).


Great sound! I would have gone for larger rears, but the high shelf I had for placement barely fits the BP2X's. They do a decent job still.


If I had a more open area for placement of the rears, I would opt for another set of BP2006TL's. IMO they are more cost effective and better sounding than some of the smaller powered options sucn as BPVX/P and new Power Monitors.

 

[Burke Strickland]

When I first set up my 5.1 system, I started with a couple of small direct radiating wall mounted rear surrounds and found them lacking -- just not enough "horsepower" when the program material called for real activity in the surrounds and woefully out of balance with the rest of the system. Since I already had Def Tech BP-2000s right and left front and C/L/S 2000 center, I went with Def Tech BP-20 towers in the rear, since, at the time, they were the equivalent of the BP-2000s without the "internal powered subwoofers" (which I ended up disabling anyway in favor of a stand-alone Velodyne FSR-18 subwoofer for smoother, deeper, more authoritative and musical bass.)


I have found the BP-20s to be excellent performers in their surround role. After trying a number of different locations in the room, I have them positioned sideways along the back wall, each about a third of the distance across, which yields a very widely dispersed, seamless surround field. (The BP-20 was replaced in the Def Tech line with the BP-30. (If I were starting over with another Def Tech system, I'd put BP-30s all around with a separate subwoofer.)


Bottom line, bipolar tower surrounds work just fine despite what THX or Dolby might recommend.


Good luck!


Burke

 

[SiliGoose]

I agree, Burke: If I could do my system over again I'd dump my BP2000tl mains (even though I like them a lot) and go with a second set of BP-30's. I strongly feel the BP-30 is Definitive's best speaker. Too bad few people ever experience it due to dealers not ordering the model.


Good to see so many DefTech owners on what I consider the "higher-end" of these forums.

 

[gps]

Thanks to all for responding to my original post! New question, If I do use say floor standing towers as the rears, Will they sound as effective as a wall mounted speaker that would be mounted higher.? Obviously with some cinema chairs I don't want the sound of the rears just hitting the back of these chairs. Is there or should there be a way to get these floor standing def tech's up a little higher?

 

[Paul McPherson]

I just had to resurrect this old thread. I am adding two rear speakers to my current 5.1 Def Tech set-up:


BP2002, C/L/R/2002, and BP2X.


My dilemma is that I have a floor to ceiling window in the rear of my HT and therefore, need something that can be ceiling mounted and directed toward my listening position. I noticed Bob's ProCinema 100 recommendation. Sounds like two of those would work great, sense they can be ceiling mounted.


Anybody have ProCinema 100 speakers (or ProCinema 80's) as rear centers?

 

[iraweiss]

I don't have a 7.1 setup (yet) but am using Pro Cinema 80's for the sides in a DefTech setup. As long as the bass is all directed toward the subs or mains (I forgot what you are using for your Front and center) the small speakers are hangable (I have the DefTech brackets) and sound fine.


I hear all sorts of background ship noises on Enterprise and other Star Trek programs through these speakers to great effect.


Good Luck!

 

[Greg Stamm]

Hopefully, some one hear can help,


I'm looking for surround speakers for both the side and rear. Has anyone compared the Def. Tech. surround speakers (BP2X, etc. - not towers, need wall mount) to the Axiom Quadpolars (QS-4, QS-8)?


Not sure what to get - please help. Pros and Cons of each.


Thanks,

Greg

 

[Paul McPherson]

Greg,


When I was doing my searches on the forum, I ran across a thread where someone used BP2X's for back AND rear and said they loved it. However, it will be interesting to see if someone with that setup can commentt on how it compared to the Axioms. Good luck.

 

[Frank F]

Greg,


I am using BPX side surrounds and promonitor 100's for the rear. They sound good to my ears but are a compromise because of limited space. What are you using for front and center? I have Def Tech all around. You may want to match your front and center with the same brand for the side and rear.


Frank

 

[Ed Csoltko]

I agree with Burke and SiliGoose. Go with what ever sounds good to you and have fun.


I have enjoyed my DefTechs for many years. I have four BP30s (FL, FR, RL, & RR), two BPVXs (SL & SR), CLR2000 (FC), and CLR1000 (RC). For subs I have two passive 12" subs (Kenwood THX-X1s), and a Mirage BPS400 (2x12" bipoler subs / 400W amp). This setup gives me a pseudo 8.3 system which many AVS members will disagree with, but I like what I hear and have many options to play with. I also interchange my front DefTechs and subs with my Thiel 3.6s for SACD playback.


So go with what you like and break the rules, it's your system.

 

[Greg Stamm]

Thanks for the advice.


For the L/C/R I'm using ACI Sapphire III LE's. ACI doesn't make a dipole or bipole surround speaker - they do make the Encore, a kit speaker, but that's not for me. The Sapphire's are neutral to slightly warm sounding - a little laid back.


I'm not sure if the Def Techs or the Axioms will provide a better sonic match to the Sapphires, but I don't think it is all that important. For instance, I'm currently using Infinity SM-110 floor standing speakers for my surround channels (sides only - don't have rears yet). These speakers are 10 db more sensistive than the Sapphires and much brighter sounding too (actually, quite agressive sounding at times). I don't really notice a difference in large scale pans. If you have ever seen Super Speedway (Mario/Micheal Andretti documentary), there are many pans that circle you as the race car circles the track. I don't notice timbre or pitch changes as the car transistions between the 2 types of speakers.


What I'm mainly concerned about between the Def. Techs and The Axioms is envelopment. Which speaker provides the greatest sense of space? I, know the Def. Techs fire front to back along the wall, while the Axioms pretty much fire up and down (floor to ceiling). One thing going for the Def. Techs is their bass response.


Oh, by the way, the Sapphires are noted for their 2-channel abilities - they are quite good for home theater, too.


Any more opinions or comments?


Thanks,

Greg

 

[Greg H]

I thought I'd add my 2 cents to this very interesting post. I am a big Def Tech fan, having bought BP-10's for my front, BP-6's for my rears and a C-1 almost 10 years ago to get into our hobby. I've since bought BPX's. As we all do, I upgraded over time and my main system now consists of Aerials in the front and the BP-6's as rears. (Another system has BP-8's that I traded the BP-10's with my best friend for and the BPX's as rears.)


I also love the Aerials and think they are "better" than the Def Tech's. However, now that i want to go to 7.1, I am looking for an additional pair of Def Tech's, probably BPX's for the sides. One reason is that used Aerial surrounds cost $2k, but also because I'v been happy with the Def Tech's.


Like me, I see that Greg Stamm has different speakers in his system. Has anyone had any problems with mixing speaker brands?


Greg