A Guide to Bipolar, Dipolar, & Direct-Radiating Monopole Surround Speakers (PART I)

[tommyboy81]

got to bring back up my bi-dipole choice.

For bi-pole in the back wall, they'll be 1.5ft to the left and right of me. 2 to 3ft up.

Or di-pole on side wall. about 5.5ft to the left and right. same height but no back wall for the left speaker.

[Johan1981]

Originally Posted by tommyboy81

got to bring back up my bi-dipole choice.

For bi-pole in the back wall, they'll be 1.5ft to the left and right of me. 2 to 3ft up.

Or di-pole on side wall. about 5.5ft to the left and right. same height but no back wall for the left speaker.

[/URL]

I just bought some bi-/dipole speakers and am glad I did, that way you can experiment and considering you are sitting pretty close to the speakers bi-/dipole normally is the better option. I am very glad I went for it! Now running at dipole as well, while at first I thought I would be going with bipole, so that was a very nice choice as well, buying switchable speakers.

[soundwave628]

My small attic media room should be finished being built soon. I purchased some Polk FxiA4s for surround purposes because my monitor 60s wont fit. my couch will be atleast a foot away from back wall(which angles up to ceiling at about 48in) and I was planning to mount the Polks there. I also have an old pair of small onkyo speakers that came with an HTIB though. Would it be worth wall mounting the Polks to the sides of the couch and then putting the bookshelves on the wall as rears making 7.1? I will try and listen before anything becomes permanent just throwing some ideas around now.

I guess I could potentially stick my Monitor 60s behind couch but they would be right on the wall and are far deeper than the onkyos or even Polk FxiAs. How close is too close for a monopole rear speaker? Both to the wall and listeners.
Thanks

[Duck1962]

Hello Everyone!
I'm a new member and first post. I still have after all years my D/T BP2000's as well as the matching center and surrounds.

My question is about the BP 2000's. For the most part still sound good. But Ive lost the sub in one speaker. Refurbish or replace? If I choose repair wheres the best place to get this done? Factory refurbish?

Is a refurbish worth the time and money? I was looking at a forum. It may have even this been this one not quite sure. A member had done the refurbish himself. And was thrilled with results.

Sorry to say I don't have the experience or tools to this project. I would welcome all input. Please shoot your ideas and thoughts my way. Thanks

[Emulous Trigger]

Attached is a very rough sketch of my room. The sides are two feet from the outside listening position and two feet above. Sides are 6 feet away from rears which are at the same height. Entire room is acoustically treated, if that makes a diiference.


Are the sides too close to the outside positions to use directs? Should I be using bipoles for all four surround channels? Should the mains be moved to beside the left and right walls to closely match the alignment of the sides and rears?


Thank you!

[saqr]

thank you. Very informative

[Yungheat]

I currently have a 5.1 setup and I have Polk monitor 30,s as my surrounds would I benefit in sound quality getting a bipolar,monopole or dipolar speakers I've been reading up on all 3 but I'm still a little confused

[Dwayne]

Originally Posted by Yungheat

I currently have a 5.1 setup and I have Polk monitor 30,s as my surrounds would I benefit in sound quality getting a bipolar,monopole or dipolar speakers I've been reading up on all 3 but I'm still a little confused

I'm certainly no expert on these type's of surround's, but year's ago I purchased a pair of Bose 901 speaker's, which were set up almost exactly as these speaker's you are speaking of. The Bose 901 had an array of smaller driver's, each slightly angled in certain direction's (Bose called them direct reflecting) which too me sounded okay if you were very close to them. I used them as my front/main's at that time, but they just did not produce the sound that normal speaker's did. I only know one person who used these type of speaker's as surround's (Def-Tech's), and they sounded good, if sitting in back near them. When setting up close to near the front/main's, I could hardly hear the surround activity. If your room is not very big and rear space is limited, then I can understand wanting these type's of speaker's. Many people love these model's and I'm certainly not trying to take anything away from them at all. Personally I have room so I use tower speaker's as my surround's, so if you can, I suggest with going for the standard speaker design, and go as big as your space will allow. That's just me .

[FIshda]

this is perfect, well done good sir.

so ill be moving in a new place in a few months and planning on upgrading to atmos. would bipole speakers(as surround) placed at the back wall be suitable for atmos setup?

to consider
back wall is the only option if im going to use bipole speakers.

LP would be 4ft away from the back wall.

thanks in advance.