RichardP

It seems about three weeks ago someone else was asking the same thing, and I suggested using any of the smaller KG x.5 models (2.5, 3.5, 4.5), turned on their side. The 2.5V is the only video-shielded model, obviously designed as a center, and is horizontally symmetrical (2 woofers on either side of the tweeter). But unless you have a CRT type TV, the lack of shielding in those other models won't affect the TV. Depending on the exact placement, they might not even affect a CRT TV. You can also install the bucking magnets on the woofer of the nonshielded models fairly easily. The only problem is that you don't see the KG x.5 series for sale on Ebay and other usual sites as often as the KG x.2 series. Depending on your budget, I might even try any model from the x.2 series, as most can be had for less than $200/pr.

Are you sure that your speaker level settings on your receiver are correct? The way to set such levels with accuracy is to use a sound pressure level (SPL) meter, about $40 at Radio Shack, which will show the relative volume settings of each speaker. Your receiver should have, under some setup menu, options for setting the levels using a built in pink noise generator (produces a SSSSHHHHH tone in each speaker individually in sequence). You want each speaker to produce the same output level of that tone. Perhaps your center is just not set high enough (or it may require setting the L and R speakers lower, to match the center). My apologies if you have already done this.

Just exactly how do you think retailers decide which products get shelf space? It's consumer demand!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Retailers will only stock product that maximizes their sales. What you are witnessing is the perfect example of market demand at work and how these forces determine which products are awarded such valuable shelf space. HD-DVD has been getting destroyed both in sales ### and $$$, and it was only a matter of time before retailers reallocated their shelf space accordingly. The customer HAS SPOKEN, and what you're seeing is the retail response to those demands. If, in fact, Blue Ray sales (discs and players) have far surpassed that of HDDVD, then the end user consumer was partly responsible. If there was no real sales difference, then the studios and retailers were responsible. I think the studios, by selecting one format, strongly influenced sales. For most end user consumers, the two formats were essentially undifferentiated (technically), and only the availability of movies in a specific format (determined by the studios) was a basis for choosing one format over another. Maybe Walmart just saw the writing on the wall, and made a decision.

I just saw this too. Not exactly the consumer or end user that decides on what gets adopted, as it seemed to be with VHS-Beta, it's the retailer. Or in this case, the largest retailer in the world. Walmart: the 500-lb gorilla. In one sense, they may have just eliminated several years of indecision and waffling in one fell swoop.

66% Dixie. Some validity there, I was born in NC, worked/lived in Kansas, Tennessee, Louisiana, now in Oklahoma.

Quote: "For bonus points, name the girl who comforted Fawn Liebowitz's date..." I believe it was "Shelly Dubinsky" (and I didn't even cheat by looking it up on IMDB) As far as the rejects in the initial fraternity rush scene, I can' recall their names, but the second time they are introduced, Marmalard introduces him as "Jugless," instead of Jugdish. Probably a flubbed line that they left in.

Don't forget skinny-skiing. Seriously, I do a little nature photography with my Nikon D200, and some crude woodworking.

Flounder (in Dexter Lake Club, attempting to make conversation with mean-looking African-American guy): "So, what school to you go to?"

Stork: "Well, what are we s'posed to do, ya mo-ron!?"

Sorry to hear about the limited choices and difficulty finding the proper center on the used market. Obviously, the Heresy and THX 650 are available new from your dealer. However, they were not made to go with the CF-3 at all, so they may or may not work well. Threads about the Epic series do not seem to come up on this forum very often, so there may not be anyone able to comment on your exact situation. See if your dealer will let you audition both with the option of returning them if they don't sound right. Another speaker from the CF line makes a perfect center, if you can find one and if your available space allows it. You can post a WTB (wanted to buy:) ad on this site and on Audiogon.com. That's about all I can recommend other than waiting, waiting, waiting for the right center to become available. Hopefully, someone else may have more information.

I set up my friend with exactly the same system, 5.5s with 2.2V center, and it sounds awfully good. Depending on your space, it might work to use a KG 4.5 on its side as a center, as it also has the same tweeter in a Tractrix horn (that is the important element to match). The only problem is that the tweeter would not be in the midpoint of the speaker when placed horizontally. Also, the KG x.5 series doesn't seem all that common on the usual used speaker sites, compared to the KG x.2 series.

You said you were drawn to the Pioneer receiver. Jacksonbart jokingly likened it to how people were drawn to Devil's Tower, in the movie Close Encounters. I continued the joke by suggesting that you made a Pioneer out of mashed potatoes, as Richard Dreyfuss made the Devil's Tower out of same.

From all the other TV coverage of her antics/foibles, it seems that there are always 20-50 paparazzi lurking at her house and following her everywhere she goes (Taco Bell, etc.), and they have caused traffic accidents before. They use police scanners to know when an ambulance or police are called to celebs' homes, then descend upon the victim like army ants, hungry rats, and other vermin.

He made this out of mashed potatoes:

Well, hey, a woman won large $ by suing McDonalds because she spilled their hot coffee in her lap. It's hard to predict, or understand, those crazy court decisions.[*-)]

I think there is no better illustration of the power of advertising. Bose has convinced the masses that its technology is superior to all others. If they spend $57 million put ads in 400+ magazines, a lot of people are going to be persuaded. In addition to the major magazines, they put ads in places like Parade (the newspaper insert), and even my rural electric company's monthly publication. This blanket coverage is combined with aggressive litigation to prevent any other company's use of terminology remotely similar to theirs (as does Monster). For example, Bose successfully sued a company QSC who wanted to label a product "PowerWave." The courts decided that Bose Acoustic Wave was already an established "name," and ruled that PowerWave was an infringement. In other words, they don't play nice. I googled "Bose advertising budget" and found the financial info below from an older CNET article/interview with a Bose spokesperson. Clearly, their ad budget will have increased from 1999. Surely most other audio/HT companies' ad budgets are a fraction of Bose's. BOSE CORPORATION Headquarters: Framingham, Massachusetts Total annual revenues: $950 million (estimated) Major brands: Bose audio products including music systems and speakers for the home, office and auto. Total ad dollars spend in magazines, 1999: $53.2 million AD PAGES AND SPENDING BY BOSE IN MAGAZINES IN THE DIRECT-RESPONSE CATEGORY Ad Pages Ad Dollars 1991 64 $1,524,557 1992 63 2,597,016 1993 79 3,659,929 1994 218 3,659,929 1995 223 10,911,393 1996 199 11,457,138 1997 360 34,091,440 1998 451 52,727,004 1999 320 45,767,140 SOURCE: PUBLISHER'S INFORMATION BUREAU

The best center match for Heresys is another Heresy. No other dedicated center speaker was made which was intended to match the Heresy tweeter and midrange, where timbre match is important. Timbre is the "voice" quality of a speaker, and you don't want dramatically different speakers across the front L-C-R soundstage, because a sound, either in a movie or musical recording, intended to move across from left to right, would change in quality as it "passes" through the different center speaker zone. If space limitations precludes another Heresy, there may be other speakers which use similar (though none identical) tweeter and midrange. I am sure there are persons on this forum who have something other than a Heresy for a center between two Heresys, and hopefully they will contribute their ideas.

Quote: "When I watch movies the volume stays moderate kind of like the movie theatres, enough to feel the sub but when someone is talking they aren't screaming at you. Now when I want to jam I want my sub to keep up. My reciever is not very strong 75 watts per channel, when I get to 25 on the volume knob the sub is no where to be found..." This may be an unnecessary question, and should not be taken as insulting to a stage sound guy, but it happened to me once. You don't have the sub connected to your receiver's Tape Out or Line Out jacks, rather than the LFE jack, do you? Output jacks other than the LFE will send a fixed level signal to the sub which will not vary according to the receiver's volume level. Turning the receiver speaker volume up will make the mains louder, but not the sub, which would produce the effect you describe ("leaving the sub behind"). Just a thought.

If you want to stay with Klipsch, then the Sub-12 might fit the bill. They can be found at big box stores. Subs do not have to match the brand of speakers in a sonic sense, however, and there are many, many sub brands to choose from. I think most people here would recommend buying the most sub you can afford, even if a smaller sub seems like a better deal dollarwise.

I don't have a player recommendation, but your phrase "...a hateful Toshiba carrousel..." made me LOL.[] I do recommend, however, that once you have found a good one, take the old ones you mentioned out to the nearest field, along with a baseball bat, and recreate the fax machine scene from the movie Office Space. Could be a very cathartic experience, from the sounds of it.

If you are set on replacing the Heresys with Forte/Chorus, I think you will find that about half of all those who have gotten to listen extensively to both like one, and half likes the other. There is not a huge difference (some might say only a minuscule difference), so either will be fabulous. Surprisingly, the smaller Forte has a bit lower bass extension than the Chorus, but with your sub, that won't make a difference. Backing up a bit, why do you want to change your front Heresys? There are quite a few people who have all-Heresy home theaters, and five matching speakers can't be beat in a HT. You don't mention a center speaker. Another Heresy will be a lot (and I mean A LOT) easier to find and use as a center, as opposed to the rare Academy, which is the only dedicated center for the Quartet-Forte-Chorus line (unless you plan on using another Q-F-C as a center). Let us know more about your setup, what you feel is lacking, what your room constraints are, etc.

They all should be well "timbre-matched" to each other due to the same or similar midrange and tweeter. The larger models will be able to produce deeper bass, and may be more sensitive, i.e., louder with the same input wattage. An all KG home theater will sound extremely good.

Apparently you have never perused the Personals section of Craigslist. You can post ads showing your body parts and what you are willing to do with them.[:S]

Coincidentally, last night I was perusing various sites in search of info on outdoor speakers to use in my unheated garage for the rare occasions when I might work in it for a few hours. On the AVSForum site, I found a thread in which several posters recommended these speakers: http://www.htd.com/outdoor-speaker/Q65-Outdoor-Speakers They are certainly not audiophile, or even main home system grade speakers, but appear to work for those people in their outdoor applications. The price is quite good as well, and the company seems to be the friendly kind with quick shipping, 5 yr guarantee, and easy return policies.

No, only people who get their TV service via over-the-air antennas will need to have a digital tuner or a converter box. DirecTV, Dish, and all cable customers will continue to get their television service just as before. Those companies transform any channel feeds they receive into their own transmission format, then send it to your house into the DTV receiver or cable box. In other words, they are doing the transforming of the digital signal into the signal your TV receives. Now, of course cable and satellite providers can send you high-def channels, which you pay extra for, but receiving them does not use your TV's tuner; you do need a high-def TV for those HD channels.