jmdore

Very interesting to say the least. Very helpful as well. Thank you.

If distortion is the second most important priority to PWK, then why is it generally not listed on speaker spec sheets (even for Klipsch)?<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /> Given the 125W RMS/ 500W Peak, 8 Ohm specs of the RF-62, what minimum specs do you recommend an amplifier have that would be used with this speaker? In looking at the KS-525-THX specs, the power handling is rated at 100W max continuous (400w peak). Is this presentation consistent with the forgoing (125W/500W) or different? If different, how so? - Segue - The KA-1000-THX has the following specs: FTC Rated Power: 500W into 8 ohms, 1000W into 4 ohms, 20Hz-1kHz @ <1.5% THD / Dynamic Power*: 2050W into 8 ohms, 3025W into 4 ohms @ 5% THD / *Dynamic power indicates the actual power this amplifier w (the "w" is not a typo on my part as it is taken from the web page, yet seems akin to a dangling particible). The Outlaw 2200 M-Block has the following specs: Power Output: 200 watts @ 8 ohms, 20 Hz - 20 kHz, <0.05% THD; 300 watts @ 4 ohms, 20 Hz - 20 kHz, <0.05%, Power Consumption: 600 watts maximum/<3 watts standby. The 1000 has a direct/inverse relationship (proof 500x8 = 1000x4) with respect to the power rating, whereas the 2200 does not (which seems to be more common). Is this good, bad or a non-factor (please try to explain)? How do the dynamic power and max power correlate, if at all? In addition, is the ratio of the dynamic and/or max power to the rated power (i.e. 2050/500 or 4.1) of any significance?

Thanks in part to input from these forums I have just taken a major step forward with my Klipsch dominated 7.1 HT (a bit of a different path than in an earlier thread):<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /> 1) I just picked up a pristine Bell Klipsch (1980) as a function of a WTB ad on Audiogon (motivated to place the ad by this forum) to use as a center channel between my Khorns (1981s, original owner) all original equipment. 2) Yesterday I ordered (new) 4 KS-525-THXs (2 pairs) for use as side and rear surrounds, 2 KW-120-THX subs and a KA-1000-THX amp for the subs should be here in the next couple of weeks. As I am now preparing to move forward with electronics, what if any of the following should be requirements? 1) HDMI? 2) 1080P? 3) Balanced audio connections? 4) TXX Ultra 2 certification (yes, I realize that this is simply a stringent standard, and that not all products qualify and that many fine products, i.e. McIntosh, do not seek it)? 5) In addition, given that the Khorns, Belle and KS-525 all have power handling capabilities of 100w max continues and 400w peak, what should I target as the power capabilities of the related amp(s)? 6) Are there additional critical criteria that should apply (DTS-ES and THX-EX presumably are a given)? As there are so many choices out there, Ive listed some that have good reviews and/or multiple positive comments from various forums. Im shooting for the $3k (+/-) range, but am willing to go a bit higher (some below will clearly exceed this threshold). B&K Reference 50 S2 B&K Reference 200.7S2 Emotiva DMC1 Emotiva MPS-1 Outlaw 990 Outlaw 7700 Outlaw 2200 (7 units setting aside price, what are the pros/cons of monoblocks versus the single multi-channel 7700 unit?) Rotel RSP-1098 Rotel RMB-1077 Sherwood P-965 Sherwood A-965 Sunfire TGP-5 Sunfire TGA 7200 To the extent that people have time to comment or make suggestions, it would be appreciated. Im simply looking for a general direction at this point and am willing to post detail findings later if there is interest.

To paint an image - I'll call the walls A, B, C and D. A and C are 165", while B and D are 208". A has a 98" wide, 24" deep inset - centered between walls B and D. Therefore the length of the room effectively becomes 232" when measured from A to C by a line centered between B and D. Note that I tried to maximize room dimensions in part due to placement of stairs adjacent to the room, support poles for the structure above, access to the electric and low-voltage panels... The door (opted for 48 double doors) placement had to be on B, near A. I placed 7" (48" deep) risers running the width of the room (165") 136" from A and again 184" from A, and installed 4 (closer row) and 5 (deeper row) stadium style seats on each of the risers. Viewing distance for the closer seats will be ~170" from A, while the second row is ~218" (leaving the heads ~14 inches from D).<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /> While this second row would be used by friends of my kids (therefore I am less concerned about their experience), I am nonetheless concerned about the rear speaker placement and selection (likely place ~2 above the heads, and inclined to go with the WDST KS 525s vs the direct firing Heresy or 650/525 LCR THXs). In addition, I plan on acoustical treatments, but thought it premature to do so until everything else is determined and installed. That said, I am still open to surround and rear speaker suggestions. Note also that I considered placing the Khorns on the long wall (and knew it would likely be better for sound), but ultimately went in the other direction - may have been a mistake, but... due to the door placement (limited choice due to load bearing supports), if I had placed the khorns on the long wall, I would have had to forgo the risers, or at least changed the seating configuration dramatically such that the seating likely would have been quite awkward. Interesting that you prefer the Belle in this setup to the LaScala (I or II). FYI Im the guy from <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" />Naperville.

I'm a relative newcomer to the forum, started a couple of threads (Khorns in a HT vs the Ultra2s, HT Guidance...) for which the responses were infrmative and helpful, and even was potentially "blasphemous" (perpas ignorant is a better charaterizaion at that point) by suggesting in one thread that I look for a single Belle for use as a center channel in a HT setup. That said (please help): 1) I am the original owner of Khorns (WO, year is W =~1982?) and "can't" part with them (all original, never upgraded). 2) I have come accross a pair of Belle's (WL, year is T=~1979) in NJ (I'm near Chicago) for $1,600 (blanket wrapped, not boxed or crated) delivered to me (presumably (from pictures) all original AA crossovers, K77, K55V - woofer unkown: same as my Khorns). From pictures, they appear to be in pretty good shape (edge veneer on one side of one speaker likely needs to be replaced, edge veneer near one corner looks like it has a ~1" light scrape on the edge). 3) Don't know the seller (not orginal owner) though the email dialogue has been friendly and straightforward - noting that NJ is a long ride... Is this a fair price? Any suggestions how to get greater comfort (we have not yet discussed the mechanics of payment). Note that I posted a wanted ad in Audiogon as per the suggestion in another thread here (yes it is still running), and the prospective seller responded to the ad. 4) Even if I get comfort with the above, is the Belle the best way to go for a center channel? Is it practical to place 2 side by side (I don't have room elsewhere for the 2nd Belle) and use both as centers (room is ~165" wide - the Khorns are in the corners; Belles effectively would be recessed into the wall and would not be in the direct sound path of the Khorns)? 5) Should I otherwise look at a La Scalla or a La Scalla II? Which of the three (including the Belle) is the best timbre match? 6) As I complete the speaker setup (7.1 is the goal) would the Ultra2 selections (4 KS or 2 KL and 2 KS) for sides and rears be a mismatch (I must hang speaker on the wall - so cornwalls are out, and heresy's may prove too bulky as well)? 7) In the alternative, should I skip the Belle, the La Scalla, the La Scalla II, and go with an RC-64 and RS-62's for the surrounds and rears (or RC-7 and RS-7 if I can find used at a decent price? 8) Will the Ultra2 subs with the KA amp work well with the Heritage? 9) Is it completely crazy to think in terms of the Ultra2 system down the road in addition to the Khorns and Belle/La Scalla (looking at the history, seems like PWK personally had a 3 channel stereo setup)? I'm all over the map as to what I want to do and what I should do - but I've caught the bug. While I am not in a rush per se, I would like to make signficant progress before the end of the year (though I may have to do it piecemeal over time relative to my initial intentions). BTW - I've been to Best Buy, Tweeter, Barretts, Sounds Deluxe, Audio Consultants and the Little Guys over the last 2 weeks. While the last 4 all have credible set-ups, the Little Guys are the only ones that had either the Hertitage line (setup primarily for stereo) and the Ultra2s (setup in a HT) in separate rooms. Wow - it was like a Klipsh nirvana - both sounded great. At this point though, which set up do you guys think is best primarily for movies? Looking forward to some input.

Good idea - I just placed an ad at audiogon. A pair is cuurently listed there, but he price seems a bit high (though they appear to be pristine) and the location is not good for me (Chicagloland) to audition...

Even though I do not know you personally, I have a tremendous amount of respect for your comments and opinions expressed through this forum (I am a relative newcomer). As I am interested in a single Belle, I would be willing to pay for both (I'd defer to you for determining a fair price) and hold one here in Chicagoland (I'd pick them both up) and/or consider delivering it to you - assuming you are actually looking for only one Belle. In a subsequent post, they may not be Belle's, but let's keep out fingers crossed. Pictures would help.

I am looking for a Belle to use as a center channel. If you are interested in one also and are will to split the pair and coordinate shipment of 1 to Chicago... please let me know. Thanks

I know this post is a bit dated, but as I am in Chicagoland... and am interested in a Belle for use as a center channel. If these have not sold, I would be interested in one - and could take 2 as I am sure there are others out there who would be interested in taking the second one. Thanks

While he may have been moving (or have moved), I noticed that he last visited this site on 8/14. At that point there were at 3 (?) of us interested... with no subsequnet replies. Hmmm....

Great comments. I reached out a short while ago on the Denon in the other thread.

In a related thread (http://forums.klipsch.com/forums/thread/950910.aspx) it was suggested that I check to see if this is still available. Please advise as I am quite interested, Thanks

I saw the thread previously and was concerned over the lack of HDMI, while recognizing that the component video input up to 720p and 1080i is available. With this is mind, will I be unable to reap the benefits of an HD-DVD or Blu-ray 1080P DVD player? Should I skip the player for now, and stick with my current Panasonic upscaling player (I am not at home at the moment and don't know the model number, but know that it upscales standard DVD's to 720P) and further rely on the Sony VPL50-VW50 (or VW60) to upscale to 1080P? I am a little apprehensive about reyling on multiple upscaling algorithyms/technologies working in concert with one another. The Denon appears to be a good value at that price. I could use this as a stepping stone, and should (when?) I go to separates down the road, the Denon could be used to drive the in-ceiling speakers (Speakercraft) on my first floor, as well as my back yard (wired, but no speakers planned until next Summer). Thoughts? Separately, while I have a dedicated home theater room, and intended to use it entirely for this purpose, if I have a bunch of people over and want to run a high def broadcast (such as the superbowl) in the room, what else will I need to do from an equipment perspective? I currently use Comcast analog cable, but I pick up the high def (limited number of channels) signal through my Olevia even though the specs indicate that the tuner is for NTSC/ATSC and not for QAM.

Just for clarity, I was seeking to spend ~$2,500 to $3,000 for the AVR or the preamp and amps. The mid/lower end Denon was not on my radar screen. Went to Best Buy (had to pick up a laptop in for repair) Barrett's, Tweeter and Sounds Deluxe today (all in the Aurora/Naperville, IL area - Audio Consultants in Hinsdale is also on the list to visit, as is another Klipsch dealer in the area, but they are not open on Sundays), and searched online for reviews and recommendations. As there is so much out there, it will take some time. However, it is disappointing that Barrets did not carry the Ultra's despite what the Klipsch website indicaites. In addition, it seems that as models are about to change over, much of what was suggested could not be seen (new Denon for example) nor heard. The Anthem preamp (~$4500) and amps (~$1800), no firm quote for either, seemed quite nice (the gennum? video scaler when used with the VPL-VW50 looked fantastic - better than the upscaled 1080p within the VW50). The preamp is a bit high for my target investment though. BTW, I was told that the VW50 will be replaced by the VW60 ~October for the same price, with yet even better contrast. The following all appear to approach the $3k range: Sherwood (P-965, A-965, HSB-600), Outlaw (990, 7700 or 990, 2200), and Emotiva (DMC-1, MMC-1, LMC-1). Outlaw does not appear to have HDMI, and the Sherwood seems to have less power on a comparative basis. Outlaw and Emotiva only sell on-line, so this would require a leap of faith (though they do have 30 day evaluation periods). Emotiva is also related to AV123 (speakers) - though I am not familiar with these and am predisposed to the Klipsch THX Ultra2's, I figure this factoid might at least generate some feed back from those in the know. Any and all meaningful comments on the above would be appreciated.

I am about to commit to 3 KL-650's, 1 KA-1000, 2 KW-120's, and 4 KS-525's (for the rear and the L and R surrounds) for a home theater (mostly movies). If I were to budget ~$2500 - $3500 for related electronics (exlcuding the TV/Projector/Screen/DVD player) what are the recommendations (budget is $2500-$3500, HDMI/1080P/7.1 configuration)? Should I go with a higher quality, fully intergrated (amp/preamp...) AV receiver or separate amp(s?) and preamp... (specfic brand/model recommendations would be preferred if possible)? Or should I just go with a mid-level AVR for now, and upgrade down the road when the budget might be a bit higher? Note - separate from the budget above, I am looking at the Sony VPL-VW50 front projector with either a DaLite or Stewart screen in the near term, along with a Blu-ray or HDDVD player later.