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Good deal on surround speakers?

I would look around for some Klipsch to match your other speakers. The timbre differences between the Def Tech and the Klipsch will result in less than optimal sound. In fact, Def Tech are quite different making this effect even more pronounced.

John
 
the sensitivity levels on your horns would be higher than these, therefore might drown them in the background. :happy-smileygiantred:

seriously tho, if they are for surrounds, as long as they are what you need and dont mind driving them a bit harder (to match the sensitivity levels of your horns), then go for it.
 
I just have a hard saying "go for it" when we have preached and preached the validity of timbre matching speakers on this forum (for very solid reasons BTW), in both its current and past forms. Def Techs and Klipsch are not close timbre matches and I don't think this will be a good match.

John
 
yromj said:
I just have a hard saying "go for it" when we have preached and preached the validity of timbre matching speakers on this forum (for very solid reasons BTW), in both its current and past forms. Def Techs and Klipsch are not close timbre matches and I don't think this will be a good match.

John
Click to expand...

Very true john, I guess that's why as much as we try to get our setup to match as identical as possible, its also difficult considering the other variables we cant really control. location, time, budget are a few. Nufan would be considering klipsch firsthand if that was the case.

anyways, im not saying its perfect, I mentioned the sensitivity issue, and what was said about how it would sound was mentioned earlier too.

IF it can wait, you can also try to save up that money and put it towards buying speakers that would match and fit more in a long term sense.
 
yromj said:
the validity of timbre matching speakers on this forum (for very solid reasons BTW)
John
Click to expand...
Certainly a logical viewpoint and desirable, but not essential IMO. Matched surround speakers will not sound the same anyway due to the locations in the room not being acoustically the same as the front speakers. I'd guess that any speaker of a comparable quality and similar voicing (bright, warm, whatever) would be difficult to distinguish from the fronts, especially given the content of surround signals in movies. Without a slow pan of constant unchanging sound from speaker to speaker, how would you ever notice a small voice difference? And how often does that happen in a movie?

To put it another way, if you stand at one end of a room and listen to the voice of a person next to you as he walks to the other end of the room, doesn't the sound change a little? Again, a difference in the acoustical characteristics of the room. In the real world, isn't it natural for the sound to change gradually as a car drives past you or a plane flies over head? And when HT sound moves from surround speakers to the front, isn't it a gradual changing blend as one speaker gets louder and the other softer?

This would be an interesting experiment. Much more interesting that A/B blind testing of amps.
 
Orbison said:
yromj said:
the validity of timbre matching speakers on this forum (for very solid reasons BTW)
John
Click to expand...
Certainly a logical viewpoint and desirable, but not essential IMO. Matched surround speakers will not sound the same anyway due to the locations in the room not being acoustically the same as the front speakers. I'd guess that any speaker of a comparable quality and similar voicing (bright, warm, whatever) would be difficult to distinguish from the fronts, especially given the content of surround signals in movies. Without a slow pan of constant unchanging sound from speaker to speaker, how would you ever notice a small voice difference? And how often does that happen in a movie?

To put it another way, if you stand at one end of a room and listen to the voice of a person next to you as he walks to the other end of the room, doesn't the sound change a little? Again, a difference in the acoustical characteristics of the room. In the real world, isn't it natural for the sound to change gradually as a car drives past you or a plane flies over head? And when HT sound moves from surround speakers to the front, isn't it a gradual changing blend as one speaker gets louder and the other softer?

This would be an interesting experiment. Much more interesting that A/B blind testing of amps.
Click to expand...

Having actually participated in and run real world blind tests on matching surround speaker timber, I have to wholeheartedly disagree with the very premise of this response in every possible way.

Yes, acoustics play a big role in the sound of a speaker, but acoustics will not make a Klipsch speaker not sound like a Klipsch speaker or a Tannoy speaker not sound like a Tannoy speaker, and so on.

Using your mental exercise... if another person is standing next to you speaking then moves to the other end of the room, they still sound like that person and not someone completely different.

The 3D-like effect of having surround speakers is most impressive when all the speakers sound exactly the same to the listener. This is very well known and is supported not only by the experiences of the members of this forum, there are tons of studies proving it.

In this case the question isn't, "should the speakers match?" The question is whether having mis-matched surround speakers is worse than not having surround speakers at all?

Personally, I would wait until I could find an equally affordable pair of matching speakers - I could even add to the funds to buy them over time and potentially get better matching front speakers and use the old front speakers for rears. But that's me. I prefer the sound be as ideal as perfect from my main stereo speakers than spend time and money on effects speakers in the rear. But that is my own preference and I am sure there are plenty here who do not share my preferences.

So, Nufan, what is more important to you? Having anything at all in the rear or waiting until you can find a more perfect option for the rears? There will be an advantageously audible difference if you get matching speakers.
 
I agree wholeheartedly with Flint regarding the importance (and noticeability) of matched (or not) speakers.

To that I would add an important - but rarely practiced or achieved - element: matched spacing / positioning. I realize that almost everyone runs into practical considerations that prevent them from achieving this, but it does not downplay the significance. I've posted at length about the sonic benefit of having the front centre speaker's acoustic centre match that of the front speakers (ie be the same height, and equi-distant from each). The same can be said about the surround speakers.

I know that most end up placing the centre speaker lower, and the surrounds higher, than the front L/R speakers, and that in most instances this will sound good, or even very good, but I also know that that it sounds even better when they are all aligned and properly spaced.

So to return to the original post, I suggest that you take Flint's advice about matching, but also, if possible, consider how (where) you will be placing whatever surrounds you do get in order to have them align physically as much as possible with your other speakers.

A few random related observations: this is why, IMO, some very inexpensive 5.1 combo systems can sound so relatively (and sometimes surprisingly) good. Five identical mini-speakers on five identical stands (with a sub in support), properly spaced in the room, can hit way above their weight. The Energy TAKE systems come to mind as a good example.

In my main HT, I mostly practice what I'm preaching. But I too run into practical limitations: my rear surrounds do not match because in that room I simply can't fit the same speakers as I'm using across the front and on the sides. But if I could, I would (and I have the other speakers in storage just in case I ever get the chance :) )

Jeff
 
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00158 ... 1R00E2EUMR

These are the ones I was looking at first. We have a very large window behind our couch and speakers on stands would be obstructive. I just have to check if I can runt the wires for in ceiling speakers first. Since they will have to be run in the "attic" (crawl space) and down an insulated wall behind the tv to a jack.
 
Studies are not always what they're cracked up to be. Case in point: the climate change/global warming debate.

Although speaker matching is desirable as I stated, I still believe it's not the end of the world if someone can't do that.

So maybe I used a bad example about a person walking around a room. Sue me.
 
None of this stuff can be categorized as being worthy of "end of the world" status. This is merely a really fulfilling hobby.

that said, I am convinced your theory on the auditory and mental perception lack of importance of having surround speakers which match the front as perfectly as possible is flat out wrong and I feel I can prove it to you a hundred times over.
 
I don't think an apology is needed and I don't think the thread has been hijacked. The entire discussion - including Orb's participation - is germane to the OP and all the advice/suggestions given. Nufan will need as much info as possible to make the best decision for himself and that will come from all voices.
 
Well I say phooey on all these guys and their technical nonsense. Suspend the rules and do what you want.

I have been using Def Tech BP2X (Bipolar) surrounds with my Klipsch front 3 for years with very good results in my system upstairs. I like them, I enjoy them, no one ever complained and I have been quite happy with this setup for years.

Does it sound as good as the system in the basement with all matching Paradigm Studio stuff? NO!

But it sounds way better than average and I would bet many of these guys would agree if they were sitting here watching Tears of the Sun with me right now.
 
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