Speakers 101

[mainman]

Guys, I have a question.

I bought speaker wire and speakers.

I need to cut away the plastic of the wire so I can put in the the speaker terminals. The receiver terminals are banana plug, I havent checked to speaker terminals so dont know what terminals they are.

Anyway, how many centimeters/inches of the surrounding plastic must I cut away from the speaker wire's?

[texas1824]

Would it be preferable to use floor speakers, with a larger frequency range on the bass end, as the front speakers with bookshelf as rear? Or would it be better to have 4 identical bookshelf speakers with the same range?

[Beta Man]

Originally Posted by texas1824

Would it be preferable to use floor speakers, with a larger frequency range on the bass end, as the front speakers with bookshelf as rear? Or would it be better to have 4 identical bookshelf speakers with the same range?

Floorstanders for fronts if you can swing it.

[Beta Man]

Originally Posted by mainman

Guys, I have a question.

I bought speaker wire and speakers.

I need to cut away the plastic of the wire so I can put in the the speaker terminals. The receiver terminals are banana plug, I havent checked to speaker terminals so dont know what terminals they are.

Anyway, how many centimeters/inches of the surrounding plastic must I cut away from the speaker wire's?

1/2 inch or so.....

[jomari]

Originally Posted by Beta Man

Floorstanders for fronts if you can swing it.

heck if you have the space floorstanders for all of the speakers.

interesting enough, i recommend 'some' people to go with bookshelves all around if ever its 1. in the budget, 2. space permits so. 3. if they are using it also for hi def material (primarily SACD or dvd-audio)...since the floorstanders will not 'use' its lower frequencies since you would re-direct that to the sub via crossover settings...

[texas1824]

Originally Posted by jomari

heck if you have the space floorstanders for all of the speakers.

interesting enough, i recommend 'some' people to go with bookshelves all around if ever its 1. in the budget, 2. space permits so. 3. if they are using it also for hi def material (primarily SACD or dvd-audio)...since the floorstanders will not 'use' its lower frequencies since you would re-direct that to the sub via crossover settings...

I guess what I'm wondering is, since I have a 5.1 system with a subwoofer, then isn't the additional bass ability from the floorstander superfluous? Would the sound be better if front, rear, and center had similar frequency ranges?

[kingofgrills]

The more clean bass you can get from your floorstanders, the better a sub will fit seamlessly into the system, especially where music is concerned.

One common potential fault with sub / satellite setups is to actually have an audible drop or dead spot in midrange output. Basically the area above a sub's comfort zone but below the drop off range from the sub. This is more common with smaller satellites than larger bookshelf or stand mounters. Plus, with 2 channel music, having tower speakers up front sound much better.

If space is a consideration and you can't utilize towers up front, try getting a decent sized bookshelf speaker for the fronts and surrounds. You can't really fool physics when it comes to sound quality. A really good standmounted budget speaker that gets overlooked is Monitor Audio's BR2. It works incredibly well for both music and movie applications, and it sounds like it costs a lot more than it does.

[jomari]

as mentioned by kingofgrills, its the capacity that your speaker drivers can give you, the bigger the better they say back then, but, i tend to disagree considering how some of the speakers are built nowadays. heck id even say that some 10inc subwoofers can actually perform significantly 'cleaner' than a 12inch...

anyhow, the best way to compare it is having a great driver from a bookshelf compared to a satellite speaker. the sound is definitely different considering whats 'driving' it...

[darkblueme]

This question is a little off-topic, but... what happens if you have a 7.1 speaker set-up and you listen to a 5.1 audio source? Will the extra 2 speakers be silent?

Just curious.

[crackinhedz]

depends on your receiver (listening modes). Some can matrix into 7.1, or just leave the back channels silent.

[darkblueme]

Originally Posted by crackinhedz

depends on your receiver (listening modes). Some can matrix into 7.1, or just leave the back channels silent.

So the back channels would be silent? Hmmm... I have an Onkyo 805. Right now I have a great 5.1 set-up, but I'm considering upgrading to 7.1. Do you have any idea what an Onkyo 805 can do?

Thanks, by the way.

[crackinhedz]

the 805 can matrix 5.1 audio into 7.1 so all the speakers will be in use.

[jomari]

crackinheadz,

heres another article to post here for reference, regarding lobing issues...

http://www.soundstage.com/gettingtec...ical200312.htm

you may want to include this in your article in your op

[petenad]

Originally Posted by jomari

crackinheadz,

heres another article to post here for reference, regarding lobing issues...

http://www.soundstage.com/gettingtec...ical200312.htm

you may want to include this in your article in your op

Very interesting stuff thanks for the finds Crackin and Jomari!

[cravnsn]

It occurs to me that of all the equipment that goes into making sound & music, speakers are the most subjective. I see a lot of posts asking “are these good speakers?” That’s a question that only the individual listener can decide.

The other part of the chain that is not always taken into account is the recording itself. What was the environment? What kind of mic was used, where was it placed? What about the mixing, effects, engineering…so many factors can make or break a recording.

Yes, good electronics and cables make a difference in quality, but nothing more so than speakers. I would advise anyone making a serious venture first go to a high end shop. Listen to what a difference high quality can make. When it comes time to make a purchase, see if a shop will allow you to take home a floor demo model for an in home demo. The speakers will probably already be broken in (very important) and you can get a real world idea how they will sound with your equipment and in your room. If not, try to listen to a lot of different speakers, from as many manufacturers as possible. A good return policy is important too. It’s always a good idea to get some opinions from other people, but you should not allow anyone to make the decision for you. Trust your own ears, and your wallet.

[prerich]

Originally Posted by cravnsn

It occurs to me that of all the equipment that goes into making sound & music, speakers are the most subjective. I see a lot of posts asking “are these good speakers?” That’s a question that only the individual listener can decide.

The other part of the chain that is not always taken into account is the recording itself. What was the environment? What kind of mic was used, where was it placed? What about the mixing, effects, engineering…so many factors can make or break a recording.

Yes, good electronics and cables make a difference in quality, but nothing more so than speakers. I would advise anyone making a serious venture first go to a high end shop. Listen to what a difference high quality can make. When it comes time to make a purchase, see if a shop will allow you to take home a floor demo model for an in home demo. The speakers will probably already be broken in (very important) and you can get a real world idea how they will sound with your equipment and in your room. If not, try to listen to a lot of different speakers, from as many manufacturers as possible. A good return policy is important too. It’s always a good idea to get some opinions from other people, but you should not allow anyone to make the decision for you. Trust your own ears, and your wallet.

+ 10000

[jomari]

great point cravnmsn, but id also want to indicate one aspect of the home theater that a LOT of people disregard.

the acoustic treatments

this is a definitive topic, and to be quite honest, a very large and very subjective matter.

for a superb system to function properly, we also have to consider how well the room environment interacts with the speakers.
is the room
lively?
dead?
has too many standing waves?
deadspots?

in my opinion, my priorities when building a HT room (dedicated or not)
- speakers
- reciever/pre/pro
- acoustics
- power filtration
- source - media player
- display unit

these are my priorities when building a good HT room.

[g--man]

Originally Posted by crackinhedz

rich, I think you're trying to read way too much into it.

Its a basic explanation...not precise, and maybe not to your liking or preference.


but your oppinion is appreciated.

have you ever bought Energy brand speakers? What is your opinion of The Energy Take Classic setup?

[tehLeetsauce]

i just got a energy take classic system paired with an onkyo 605, and to me it sounds great, i have a small living room, and this system makes my house shake, im sure my neighbors arent too happy.

[Russell2nr]

great read!