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My Speaker Evolution

107.72.178.101
Posted on November 8, 2020 at 17:11:56
catbert242000@yahoo.com
Audiophile

Posts: 268
Location: Puerto Rico
Joined: April 17, 2006









My speaker evolution in this hobby has been a winding path. Having limited finances was a limitation (like most of us) in my progress through various levels of audio speaker quality. The speakers I had started with years ago, cheap no name large box speakers that were pretty poor if truth be told.

Through the years, various garage sales and thrift shops produced a few upgrades or the opportunity to try something different for not too much dough.

Over time, I tried many different speakers, ESS, Pioneer, JBL, various Tower types, etc. I finally picked up some Klipsch speakers, they were good - that set off a chain reaction to keep seeking bigger and better in the Klipsch line - going from bookshelf types, Hereshy, Forte, others and finally the Cornwalls -- I then thought I had "arrived" in the promised land -- until the day of the yard sale that had a large old speaker(no label ) that I bought for $5 and brought home. We hooked it up and WOW - this thing outperformed my Cornwalls. After some disassembly and research, I learned it was an old Altec Valencia, cabinet was beat up, but the speakers were perfect and it sounded fantastic!

Thus, my quest began for more Altec components. From ebay and other sources, picked up more 811 horns, drivers and 416 speakers, some needed to be rebuilt. I built new walnut speaker cabinets and built xo's, and completed my front speakers.

Had a leftover 811 horn & driver, so what to do? - built a large center speaker cabinet and added a couple 12" JBL"s for the HT center.

Thats where things stand for now. (happy with Altec's) I have had very limited opportunity to hear other quality speakers in person. The last in store experience I had with high end gear, a chance to listen to the only speakers that sounded better than my Altecs - a pair of Wilsons the size of a small fridge and a price tag north of 20G's (this was many years ago)

So, I remain open to the next level in speaker experience, if that ever happens, don't have any thing in mind, but we will see.

photo of the HT stereo cabinets & speakers

 

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Sweet center channel!, posted on November 8, 2020 at 19:43:51
Rod M
Web Geek

Posts: 16244
Location: So. California
Joined: March 1, 1999
Contributor
  Since: March 1, 1999
 I'm jealous.

My 19s do awfully good without one, but I miss having one. It does make a difference.

My other system is JBL and it's sweet as well. But, they're different in beautiful ways with each having unique characteristics that make them lovable.

My only question is the TV. I like mine higher so I can see it over the coffee table when I fall asleep in the couch. Have you ever tried the center under the TV? A shelf above the TV could then hold more music.




-Rod

 

RE: Sweet center channel!, posted on November 9, 2020 at 05:13:17
catbert242000@yahoo.com
Audiophile

Posts: 268
Location: Puerto Rico
Joined: April 17, 2006
 Rod,

no, I haven't - I guess I could try the speaker below the TV, and yes, that would give me another shelf to use. It may be a good idea!

I find the center speaker makes a more natural presentation for TV and movies with voice coming from the center.

Since I don't have rear channel speakers set up at this time (the present room is kinda small for rear speakers) it has only three speakers. The AVR has several surround modes, music, movie, game, Dolby Virtual surround speaker wide (don't know what this is), auto select and two channel.

My main problem is the room - but I can't do anything about that.

 

RE: Sweet center channel!, posted on November 9, 2020 at 07:23:31
claudej1@aol.com
Audiophile

Posts: 817
Location: Detroit
Joined: August 17, 2007
 My main problem is the room - but I can't do anything about that.>>

It's everyone's "main problem" and you CAN do something about it to a point.

 

RE: Sweet center channel!, posted on November 9, 2020 at 08:56:28
Bill Fitzmaurice
Industry Professional

Posts: 5371
Location: New England
Joined: October 20, 2002
 You'll find having the screen up above the center channel works much better, both visually and aurally. TVs never should have been placed low, but back when all we had was CRT high placement wasn't a viable option. Rears make a huge difference, even in small rooms. The content in rears isn't loud and doesn't go low, so they don't need to be large. My L/R line array mains have eight 4" drivers each, my center has six 4" drivers, but the rears are fine with only one 4" each.

 

RE: Sweet center channel!, posted on November 9, 2020 at 11:31:41
catbert242000@yahoo.com
Audiophile

Posts: 268
Location: Puerto Rico
Joined: April 17, 2006

"It's everyone's "main problem" and you CAN do something about it to a point."


Well,...I am certainly open to suggestions on improving the room. The house is constructed entirely of concrete (life in the tropics) . - floors, walls and ceiling. So it is very reflective of sound I'm guessing. We have normal furnishings, but nothing designed for sound deadening/absorption. While the room is larger, the listening (living room) area is 12' deep x 16' wide.

I would like to add my rear channel speakers high on the back wall (small Klipsch) for HT, but running the wires will be a challenge, no way to hide or run the wires out of sight. It would require a surface wire mount, running along the ceiling and around a doorframe, maybe under some type of tape or other way to hide the wire?? Don't know what would be best way??

If you have suggestions, let me know.



 

RE: Sweet center channel!, posted on November 10, 2020 at 17:36:06
Rod M
Web Geek

Posts: 16244
Location: So. California
Joined: March 1, 1999
Contributor
  Since: March 1, 1999
 A center does localize the dialogue better. My current setup does facilitate a center or typical surround speakers due to a short wall on one side. Since I had a good handy man that could fix drywall and match the texture along with pulling wires into the attic, I put in a pair of Energy 8" ceiling speakers with a coaxial tweeter.

While the rear channels don't do much most of the time, it does fill the room a bit more for the big music tracks and of course handles that planes overhead and ricocheting bullets.

I do miss the home theater room that we built in our last house. The center channel was a pair of Straight 8s behind a mico-perf screen.






-Rod

 

RE: Sweet center channel!, posted on November 10, 2020 at 17:41:39
Rod M
Web Geek

Posts: 16244
Location: So. California
Joined: March 1, 1999
Contributor
  Since: March 1, 1999
 That's tough. I find that if you toe in the mains, you can avoid a lot of the side wall reflections. A carpet on the floor helps and you could hang a tapestry or rug on the back wall and even hide some sound panels behind it.

Running wires would be a challenge. With a large rug on the floor, you could just hide the wires under it. There is flat wire that would work.

-Rod

 

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