mfk

Good to know, I'm buying the upgrade kit tomorrow.

Colin, I use an old $250 AMD Duron processor in the kitchen, using Fedora Core 8, the darn thing works like a charm, although the documentation to install wireless cards is less than good, but it works. What it comes down to is eliminating some of the buffer sizes in the kernel so ndiswrpper would build and then making sure you have all the drivers you need in a directory where ndiswrapper can get to them. For my big kahuna I have a Dell Dimension E 521 with an AMD X2 4800+, with a 2.0 Ghz FSB, so it is a fast machine, 2 GB of RAM and Fedora Core 4 make it totally rock. There is no real reason to use windoze unless there is a specific application requiring windoze. Even then you can look to codeweavers.com for running most MSFT apps. My graphics card, a PNY using the Nvidia 8500 GeForce chipset and 512 MB of RAM should give me plenty of room, but alas, under windoze, it is neverr enough. When I first bought this monster, it had Windoze Media edition, I got a free upgrade to Vista, which was really bad, I have seen Vista "Ultimate" (64 Bit) take up to 100% of my dual core cpu...the OS is a total pig. At that point I decided to go to Fedora Core 4 which had some really kick *** ripping libraries on it. It was after scoring a 4.9 on the Vista scale after getting the new graphics card that I gave up. Linux is easier to configure, Firefox is Firefox and OpenOffice does all I need, including making perfect .ppt and .doc format files. Linux cuts itself a lot of swap space, usually double physical RAM but the kernel is so small as is the window manager that going to swap is very rare, Linux, with it's small kernel is way faster, Linux started as minix, a multiuser, multitasking real time OS. The windoze kernel was designed as a single user multitasking system, the Linux kernel was designed as a multiuser multitasking operating system. The replacement of what ended up as an XP pro machine is now a Fedora Core 4 machine running the Open Darwin interface (like OS X) and all really does well. Granted I have a heck of alot of horsepower, but this machine will broadcast class D. I have been working with Linux as my personal OS since the early 1990's and have had nothing but great performance, yea, there is a little more tweaking involved once in a while, but the performance has been great. Fedora detects my soundcard, a PCI-X card and my tv card. These kinds of tweaks are not available to Windoze users, as windoze architechture is closed. Personally, yea, I prefer Linux, I have friends that swear by OS X and I know tons of Windoze lovers, whatever you choose, pick your poison and learn all you can. I can actually read Linux Kernel code at this point and make kernal mods...something that can't be done in Windoze. I picked, compiled and installed my own interface, an OS X like interface (Open Darwin) although I do like Gnome...I like the fact that I can pick my interface. As far as multitasking, I have been able to do that since the days of the PII.

Same with Windoze/Firefox and Linux/Firefox

Personally, I was faced with a similar conundrum, I have two Heresy II's (vintage 1990) with new woofers and BEC crossover networks and a pair of 5 year old Heresy II's, so I put one of the older ones in as the center channel, set my receiver for 3 speaker mode, but truthfully, in two speaker cinematic mode, things still work well. The Center was icing on the cake. The horns work and play well with other horns, so I figured that an HII center channel would sonically match my fronts....now for the subwoofer. I did have an entire R?-52 (RF-52's and an RC-52) system with the RW-10D, but the horns are just more sonically pleasing with me. Now I just have to find a good match for a subwoofer. Maybe Shinall...who knows ? Any advice would be appreciated.

Personally I'm waiting for a burner that I can install in one of my computers, HD or Blu-Ray, don't really care which one. ATAPI or SATA, I don't care, I just want it to fit in a drive bay. I saw one blu-ray burner for $450, that was a bit much, think I'll wait for the war to settle.

I just did an A/B between my crites crossover/woofer HII's (vintage 1986) and my 2000 HII's...the crites equipped stuff definetly sparkle more.

I grew up in North County, moved East for college and stayed here, but in case you were wondering, I did grow up in Carlsbad, CA

I was running the R?-52 system for a while(RF-52's, RC-52) including an RW-10D, gave me plenty of bottom end, which is kind of cool, the LFE out on my receiver really paid for itself.

Research, we don't need no stinkin' research...those 301's just plain suck ! Clearely we either have a Midwesterner/Westerner who has never been to a quality or even half quality audio store, or some dumb *** North Easterner who just loves that Bose crap. As an North Eastern Transplant I see them all the time. Yep, born in the West and came east...guess I'm a dumb *** North Easterner to. Funny thing though, you look at the price of Bose on ebay, and unless I am mistaken, they always seem to be very uniform and controlled in pricing, almost like a strange marketing force is behind them. Bose started out of MIT, meaning not a whole lot, Klipsch started out of Stanford, not meaning a whole lot either, except that both were bright men, the MIT (Amar G. Bose) guy probably dropped too much acid. Wouldn't it be a hoot if we broke into Amar's house and found Klipsh Heritage/In wall stuff...wonder if he listens to his own garbage ?

Rolo, go with it...although I am a heritage lover, the RF-?3 is a truly spectacular model line, so I would go with the one you enjoy best, it's your Euros you're laying out. Go with what you like.

I like streaming, my building is wired by Verizon FIOS and I really do get some bandwidth because we are a switched network, not broadcast like comcast. Far as the copy protection goes, total bull, people should be allowed to make an archival copy of a movie, and copy protection is like safe sex w/a stranger, it doesn't really exist. If the MPAA wants to enforce copyright laws, pop the little scumbag street vendors, just to send a message. and tell China the their MFN trade status will be revoked if they don't do something. Those guys want to be treated to our marketplace and get our technology, they should play fair, let the yuan float as opposed to keeping it artificially low (sorry, I digressed, China will probably be my son's war) Hypothetically speaking, I haven't yet met a DVD I couldn't copy, usually right on to my HD, for convenience and one backup copy for when the original goes sideways...in theory. Whatever format they choose, or stream, it'll be ok with me as long as the DRM relflects a sane policy.

Cool, I prefer the adobe version, both opened fine for me and I use OpenOffice, not M$ Office.

Nope, they are in a semi circle position, I am set for four speakers, I use either the DSP cinematic effects or 2 ch Enhanced modes, it is an impressive wall of sound. . I really need a sub woofer and maybe another HII for a center channel, but then again there will be furniture issues, all of my HII's have the optional risers, and I'm not hanging 38 lbs boxes on the wall, I own this place and don't want to make a mess of it. All comes in time.

I hear ya on that, if clipping causes distortion, why not have more headroom in your amp, I run a receiver w/105 watts/channel x 5 channels, I never really get the volume past the -30 db mark, but hey that's me. In my little soundroom/almost man cave, which is 12 x 8, so my real listening position is about 7' from center. I have only gone to -10 db once, it got painfull. A real mancave has a hanging heavy bag. I have enough room to do the Wu solo form, that's about it.

Ebay sucks...go with craigslist.org any day. I had my ebay account hijacked once, they charge a bloody fortune for commision, along with their co-conspirator pay-me-pal, I got goosed every time I sold something on ebay. Totally not worth it. I have got more stuff I need from here, craigslist and amazon than ebay at a better price.

ASIO drivers are built into all of the Creative Soundblaster X-Fi products, which will do 24 bit/96 Khz, the problem may be that your preamp/receiver may not be able to handle more than 24 bit/44.1Khz, I had this problem with my new Yamaha RX-V661, so I had to slow down to 44.1Khz, at 96Khz, my receiver acted as a straight pipe, none of the cool DSP stuff the receiver has to offer, although the creativce software suite isn't half bad. Far as media servers go, I have a linux box (Fedora Core 4) running samba 2.1, and I have no problem with anything that recognizes the SMB/CIFS (Windoze) file system and because I use a real server OS, I have 1.25 TB of storage. The windoze clients in the house have no problem with any media file. Far as pirating goes...no comment. There is one program VLC, videolan client, available on the net with fantastic streaming capabilities and Class D broadcasting capabilities. This program was created by a French tech school and has every codec in the world, not to mention that it will play DVD formated ditectories on an HD, unlike WMP and lesser mortals.

Y'all were pretty much on the money, 4 on the floor, and I'll spring for a sub as the Heresy II rolls off at 57 Hz. A fifth Heresy II, not a bad idea, in a 12 x 8 room, it may be a bit much, but hey, this is my penance for trying to get the R*-52 series to do the work of a pair of HII's. So far four is good, maybe a 5.1 will be better, I'd just better find a new stand for my tv.

Bob, I'm already one of your customers, your work is beautiful. Pulling out the old crossovers and putting your crossovers in was a pleasure... I may need pair of crossovers for my new HII's soon. That or I'll get the HIII conversion kits. Just got a hold of a pair of 2001 HII's...they are beautiful. The RF*-52 stuff was really good, guess I'm just used to the Heritage sound.

Colin, thanks...seems to be the most thorough use of resources.

Thanks for the suggestions, I think I may go with all four on the floor, and I can set up my receiver (Yamaha RX-V661) for all kinds of DSP modes. I have thought of a sub for the heavy lifting. I have also thought of going one HII Center channel, because I can do cinematic DSP modes, but I can set for center channel and subwoofer as well as all four. I have all kinds of trick modes, but I am looking for the one most effective. It doesn't sound like my Cinematic DSP modes create a virtual center channel. Good thing about the HII's is that they are small enough, I could use all four as fronts in a 2 channel mode, setting all four speakers live and using the DSP chip to create my special effects for Cinematic stuff. Having all four running would give me some real power and maybe with an RPW-10 or an RW-10D (just sold one as part of my R*-52 system. My listening room is 12 x 8 with my listening position around 6' - 7' from the TV. I hate making decisions...The only thing that makes all four on the floor is the fact that the HII is too large go go on top of my TV. Under the R*-52/RW-10d, the center channel was specific and easy to mount, the engineers had made the decision for me. Heck, maybe I'll convert the newer pair to HIII's....a thought.

I have 4 HII's all w/risers...now I would like to figure out whether I should go with just four HII's on the floor as a four speaker system or two HII fronts and one HII set up as a center channel. Thanks folks

What is the best way to hook up two pair of HII's for Home Theater, I have a Yamaha RX-V661 receiver (I know [:#] DSP processor) that allows for multiple theater modes. If both pair didn't have floor stands I'd make one a center channel.

Y'know, the HI had an elegant plate for the crossover, and the HII, all of a sudden puts the crossover on the back of the input terminal, it may have saved a couple of buck in production, but please tell me there is another answer.

02 Outback Wagon....a total lack of imagination

I think MSI is still Taiwan, but labor...who knows...the Taiwanese have always been happy to exploit cheap labor, which is why we have two battle groups in the South China Sea, just in case China gets unruly.