Radmanna

Yes, and thanks Dennie. Here's the link you provided, which I think folks are still contributing to: < http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?t=236911 >. Perhaps we can all continue to add their recommendations to good sounding SACD (single layer stereo preferably) recordings? I've noticed that one SACD vendor will mention multi-channel SACD, when referring to surround sound. I've noticed that another vendor will mention 5.1 SACD, when referring to surround sound. But neither of these vendors mention whether their surround sound recordings will play normally on a two-channel system. So, I am still not clear ... on whether my office room's Marantz SA-8001 (and living room's Marantz SA-8003) SACD player ... with L/R Heresy III stereo speakers ... can playback surround sound recordings? Another question: Let's say that your SACD player that you bought for a two channel system can playback a surround sound recording through a two channel system. Does the listener have to adjust their SACD player ... or any of the other hi fi components ... between listening to stereo SACD disks and listening to surround sound SACD disks? Or are all SACD players automatically set up, to be able to playback either a stereo recording or a surround sound recording, without having to adjust any of the settings on their hi fi components?

I'll not be using the fireplace to burn wood, not even the Bose 1-2-3 home theater system that's currently hooked up to our television. There is a strong probability that the bottom of the 52" widescreen TV will only be about 18 inches (or less) above the top perimeter of the fireplace chamber. Because the fireplace is now redundant, this is what got me considering the subwoofer in the fireplace chamber. Sooo, if I had a down-driven sub, then half of the sound wave would travel away from the listening area, hit the fireplace masonry in the back, and bounce toward the listening area? Would the scatter soundwave from the fireplace masonry ... provide constructive or destructive interference ... with the primary soundwaves from the front of the down-driven sub? Orrrr, if I had a front-driven sub ... don't they all have rear-ports? If they have a rear port, wouldn't the rear-ward sound waves hit the fireplace masonry and bounce toward the listening area? It would appear that there would be some change to the quality of the bass, if placing it in a chamber made of masonry. But I just don't have the experience to know if the change would be good or bad. Anybody have experience with placing their sub ... or a center speaker for that matter ... inside the fireplace chamber (that is not burning wood)?

I have an SACD player and two speakers (plus a subwoofer) for two channel stereo. I am reviewing available SACD recordings to buy. I would rather buy only single layer SACD Stereo recordings, with the assumption that their sound quality would be better than a hybrid SACD Stereo recording. I'll buy hybrid SACD Stereo recordings, just based on the limited single layer SACD Stereo recordings that are availabile. There is also a lot of multi-channel recordings that are available as both single layer SACD recordings and hybid SACD recordings. 1. Is it possible to re-route the playback of these multi-channel recordings, through your two channel stereo system? 2. Would the quality of the sound on these multi-channel recordings be not-so-good when played on a two channel system? 3. Would the quality of multi-channel ... single layer SACD recordings ... be not-worth-buying for a two-channel SACD system? 4. Would the quality of multi-channel ... hybrid SACD recordings ... be an effective means of torture when played on a two-channel SACD system? Steve

Hello. First question: Any recommendations (websites for example) on where to buy SACD recordings? Also: From what I've observed, there appears to be about thirty times more hybrid SACD recordings than there are single layer recordings. This will apparently make finding single layer SACD recordings pretty difficult. Second question: I have a Marantz SA-8001 SACD player. For this player, and with Heresy III speakers, how much difference in sound quality is there, between single layer SACD recordings and hybrid SACD recordings? Steve

"Kipsch subs roasting in an open fire ..." Wait a minute, it's not Christmas yet !! Hello. I'm setting up a pair of Heresy III speakers to be at either corner of an 18 foot wall, for both high fidelity stereo music and also for two channel home theater. There is a fireplace at the center of this 18 foot wall. The wife is paranoid of finding her cats dancing on lit firewood, so I'll be mounting our widescreen TV above the redundant fireplace. There will be no center speaker. Just the L/R Heresy III speakers and a sub. Although apparently not necessary to have the sub in the center of the L/R speakers for your two channel system, I would prefer my sub to be in the center. Has anyone tried placing their sub inside the fireplace? On the one hand, I want to think that having a sub in the fireplace would help to direct the bass in a 2 pi geometry, and possibly adding more depth to the sound wave from the sub? On the other hand, I've read in this forum where having your sub sitting on concrete (i.e., a concrete floor such as in a basement) lessens the "bass through the floor" sensation. Another question, is whether a front-drive or a down-drive sub would sound better inside the chamber area of a fireplace? Your input and experience on these questions would be appreciated. Thanks Steve

Hello. I need to buy a good AV rack, before I start gathering my hi fi electronics, so that I have a place to put them before buying my living room (2 channel) home theater system. The rack would be for the electronics needed for a music system, as well as equipment for watching dvd videos. At a minimum, the rack would be for: (1) Tuner (2) Integrated Amplifier (3) SACD Player (4) Turntable (5) DVD player, to watch movie recordings. In an ideal world, I would like an AV rack made of sturdy wood, because the sum of the above pieces would weight quite a bit. In an ideal universe, I would love a pine AV rack, to match the decor of my house. Could the forum please recommend some websites, or places near Livonia MI, where I could check out Hif-Fi (and home theater equipment) rack, for the above pieces of my music system that I'll be getting? Also, the floor space will be tight, where the Hi Fi storage rack would need to be at. I may need to place the hi fi rack on top of a 36" high buffet (made of thick pine-boards). .Any advice, on how to navigate to great websites that deal with AV racks, would be greatly appreciatred. Steve

Hello. I have a Marantz sound system and Klipsch speakers, purchased in 2008 and still in boxes. Here's the package: (1) ST-7001 Tuner. (2) PM-7001 Integrated Amplifier. (3) SA8001 SA-CD player. (4) A pair of Heresy III for stereo output. I've googled the primary SA-CD types of disks, which follow: (1) Hybrid SA-CD disks, that can be used with regular CD and SA-CD players. (2) Single Layer SA-CD disks, that can only be played on an SA-CD player. (3) Dual Layer SA-CD disks, that can only be played on an SA-CD player ... but I think ... is designed to record longer playing times than a Single Layer SA-CD disk. My 2001 Grand Marquis (yes, I'm a card-toting member of AARP, with a V-8 engine) does not have a CD-player, but my next vehicle will. It would be nice to be able to play all my CD disks inside my car. However, I would give priority on buying only single layer SA-CD disks if their sound quality is significantly better than hybrid SA-CD disks. Two questions please: 1. With the home sound system and speaker output I've listed above ... will there be a significant difference in music quality ... between hybrid SA-CD disks and single layer SA-CD disks? 2. Most (or all?) SA-CD players have "backward technology" ... meaning they can also play regular CDs. If I want to buy some of my favorite recordings that I can play in my car ... what would be a high quality CD disk format that could be played in the car ... and also sound really good on an SA-CD home player? Steve

Thanks for the information so far, folks. I am now seeing that there also turf wars from within some of the major CD formats, which helps to muddy the water, as far as selecting formats. I googled "SACD", and one of my first hits was < http://www.sa-cd.net/home >. On their SACD website, they go into the different categories of SACD disks. Their FAQ page helps to give clarification about the different SACD versions, and here is a link to their FAQ: < http://www.sa-cd.net/faq >. Looking forward to further comments about choosing among the different CD format players, as listed in my OP, so we can compare apples to oranges, and also as described by SACD's FAQ, so we can compare apples to apples. Thanks again, and appreciate any feedback about the newer technology CD players. - Steve

Hello. So I recently subscribed to Music Direct Soundbyte, when googling for good recording sources. And it appears I'm way behind the power-curve, because I don't know the difference between the various CD formats that this company (and others) offers. For example, I see formats listed as SACD, HDCD, Gold CD, K2, and XRCD. I researched CD players over a year ago, and I bought an SACD player. I chose this format player, because I read of how SACD has better sound quality over conventional CD players (two years ago). I had reservations about buying an SACD player in 2008, because there was discussion about SACD falling out of favor for one reason or another. I want to remember one reason being availability of SACD recordings, and possibly also because of unit cost of SACD recordings, but I honestly can't remember. I have yet to listen to my SACD player, but I do know it will sound good with SACD recordings. Anyway, as far as the other formats listed above, I have no clue about them. Four questions, please: 1. Is the SACD format as popular now as it was two years ago? 2. Of the current CD formats that are being produced, such as the ones I listed above, which one(s) is the most popular and why? 3. Is there an easy way, such as navigating to particular websites, to become familiar with the different CD formats? 4. You need a specific SACD player, in order to get the most out of SACD recordings. Do you also need to buy a specific CD player if you want to get the most out of the other CD formats ... or can today's non-SACD CD players accommodate all the non-SACD CD recordings? I'm hoping to arrange the purchase of a home theater system for my living room, to include a CD player for music listening, but I'm at a loss on whether one type of CD player will be unable to play all the various types of CD formats. Your advise and your answers to the above four questions would be appreciated. Also of use, would be advice on how to bone up on the new CD format technologies. Steve

Thanks for input, Olorin. So, if I have it correctly ... conventional receivers (or processors) are not constructed for just 3.1 ... but 5.1 systems can be routed entirely through just a pair of front speakers and center speaker (and also a subwoofer for the .1). Is this possibly how the Klipsch 3.1 system was configured? To better understand, let's say I want to commit to just a 2.1 setup. Then I don't need to buy a receiver or processer that can separate television sound through five channels (four corners of the room + center speaker). I would just need a two channel processor. Are the top end processors for two channel systems just as good (sound-wise) as five channel systems? Is there a significant difference in cost between a two channel processor and a five channel processor? The above questions would be helpful, if for example, I first set my H3's as a 2.1 system,and later decide I want to re-route a five channel system via two main speakers and center speaker. Or for another example, if I first set my H3's as a 2.1 system, and am satisfied with the sound. Steve

Thanks for your response, Inventor. I apparently have made in incorrect assumption about having a receiver or process that could tri-channel movie audios into three separate (and forward of listener) speakers: So there is no such animal as a three-channel (i.e., Front-Left & Front-Center & Front-Right) home theater setup? After reading your understanding that three-channel systems do not exist, I did two Googles as follows: (a) I first did a Google of < "Home Theater", 3.1 >. There are currently home theater packages (Sony for example) that are available, but these are sets of three small bookshelf speakers, and the advertisements of these 3.1 packages do not provide a description of whether or not sound is funneled as a two channel or three channel setup. ( I next did a Google of < Klipsch, 3.1 > and found the following Klipsch advertisement, which I'm providing below in Italics: START: KSB-3.1 Bookshelf Speaker: < http://www.klipsch.com/na-en/products/ksb-3-1-details/ > ... You have selected a discontinued product. The two-way Synergy Series KSB-3.1 bookshelf loudspeaker was first introduced in 1997 and manufactured by Klipsch until 1999. While no longer in production, KSB-3.1 model loudspeakers are still owned and listened to by Klipsch fans around the world as part of two-channel audio and home theater surround sound systems. To connect with other people who are passionate about audio and interested in Klipsch products, visit one the several areas on our open forum bulletin board. STOP A photo of the KSB-3.1 setup shows a pair of large bookshelf speakers, a center speaker, and a good-sized subwoofer. I'm curious why Klispch discontinued their 3.1 setup, and possibly it was to simply keep up with the current surround sound preference for 5.1 systems. So, please answer four Home Theater questions, because apparently I'm suited for setting up a two channel home theater system: 1. If I get a pair of Heresy III speakers, and place them in the left & right corners of my 18 foot south wall, what benefits are there in getting a center speaker, if I am just using a receiver that is providing a two channel separation of Home Theater audio sound? In other words, wouldn't a center speaker be redundant for a two channel Home Theater setup that is comprised of a pair of (excellant) speakers and one subwoofer? 2. Another question: A primary reason for choosing at least two Heresy III speakers (and one subwoofer) for my living room, is to enjoy two channel stereo music from high fidelity formats such as SACD. So, if I just had a 2.1 home theater setup ... with an H3 speaker at the Left & Right corner of my 18 foot south wall ... and with me sitting ten feet in front of the center of these two H3 speakers ... would there be good home theater quality with just a pair of (excellant) speakers and one subwoofer? In other words, would the H3 speakers being about 15 feet apart ... and being played in a two channel format ... be able to make up for the lack of a center speaker? 3. With a 2.1 home theater setup ... would the sound from the talking actors be perceived as originating from the center of the Left and Right speakers? 4. Would I at least be able to get good stereo effects from televsion movies, with just a 2.1 home theater system that is comprised of a pair of H3 speakers and a good subwoofer? Steve

Hello. Playing with an idea of centering my TV above the fireplace. The fireplace is centered on an 18 foot south wall. There is a good probability that the left & right Heresy III speakers will be 36 inches above the floor. However, having these speakers at this height, will limit my options on how to center my television above the fireplace, as well as the center speaker (in front of and above the fireplace). Questions please: 1. I believe one gentleman indicated that your L/C/R speakers should be horizontally aligned, but that the center speaker could be above or below the L/R axis by one foot. So one question, is how much above or below the line between the L/R speakers can the center speaker be, without reducing the theater quality? 2. I am working on finding a geometry that will allow me to have a Heresy III speaker as the center speaker, so that I have three H3 speakers in a 3.1 setup. However, the geometry is easier to work with, if the center speaker is shorter than the H3 speaker. I have heard negative comments about combining Heritage speakers with Reference speakers. So a second question, how well would an RC center speaker work with L/R H3 speakers? 3. If it is too encumbersome to have three H3 speakers in a L/C/R 3.1 setup, and because of apparent negative comments about combining Heritage speakers with Reference speakers, a third question: What would be a good Klipsch center speaker, that would complement L/R Heresy III speakers in a 3.1 setup? The south wall is 18 feet wide, the couch where we would be watching TV is 10 feet in front of the south wall. We would always prefer to keep the volume low ... for both television home theater ... and for music being played as two channel stereo (with a subwoofer) with the Heresy III speakers.

Thanks very much, Chris. Your snapshots help to illustrate the potential for a 5.1 setup in my living room in the future. Due to size and volume constraints, the addtion of a rearward L/R would also be H3 speakers. Those rearwards would probably be placed on the floor, on the H3's riser slants, at about the 4:00 and 8:00 position from our couch's center. It's hard to judge, but are your surrounds at the immediate left & right of the living room couch you and your wife sit at, and are you still able to appreciate surround sound with rearward speakers at the 3:00 and 9:00 position from your couch's center? I simply assumed that rearward (surround sound) speakers had to be behind the listener, to obtain the surround sound perspective, but apparently this assumption is not correct? Also, the main reason I committed to not using our fireplace ... if mounting our home theater in front of and above the fireplace ... was the concern of heat damage to speakers and TV. Our fireplace is a wood burner, and I've yet to use the fireplace. So I don't know how much the flames can fluctuate, and I don't know how hot it would be above the fireplace mantelpiece. BTW, the height of the flat top of our mantelpiece is 46". It is apparent that it's becoming more common to mount home theaters in front of and beyond existing (wood burning?) fireplaces. Are there newer technologies out there, that provide a TV-protective mantelpiece ... that would further lessen the impact of fluctuating heat rising above the mantelpiece ... for the express purpose of protecting TV's mounted above fireplaces? How would I find those companies that specialize in TV-protective mantelpieces ... and that anchoring device you use to stabilize the center H3 directly in front of the fireplace? Thanks again, Chris, for your patience and information.

Regarding your setup, and quoting the smaller of the Bullwinkly-Rocky partnership: "Hokey Smokes". Could you please provide a checklist of your speakers shown in your recent photos, so I can see them at a glance, and indicate what function (and location in room) each speaker is doing? This would include the L/R/C, the subs, the kitchen sink, the surrounds, etc. The HOA would probably put me in the stockade if I had such a setup, but it will help me appreciate how you've set your system up. They have outlawed public flogging in Michigan, haven't they? Could you please provide photos of your surrounds, perhaps with a part of the couch in those pictures, to orient where you have the surrounds? Also, could you provide a close up of your center speaker, and the stand that it is on? How close is the center speaker to your firewall? And I have to ask: Do you keep your television mounted above the fireplace in the wintertime ... and watch the TV while burning firewood ... while the television is mounted above the mantelpiece as shown in your recent photos????

Hello. Planning on a 3.1 system, using three H3's as the L/R/C speakers. It is preferred to have the speakers elevated about three feet above the floor, to the left and right of the TV. The elevation is preferred, so as to have the sound traveling level ... from living room and over furniture ... and through the adjacent kitchen. Sound quality would not be as good in the kitchen area, if the H3's were on the living room floor. I don't know if the word "buffet" is a Northern term (I'm from Arkansas), but I purchased two "buffets" which are designed to complement dining rooms. The buffets each have several drawers, and have two open shelves in the bottom center of each buffet. These buffets are made of thick pine slabs, and the table-like top of each buffet is solid pine wood that is 1.75 inches thick. The buffets are each five feet wide, three feet high, and 19" deep. I would like the speakers to be level, and not pointing upward. Would the thick pine slabs of these buffets provide a good resonance-base for the Heresy III speakers, if I take the slant riser base off the bottom of the speakers? Also, each buffet is 19" deep. The H3 speaker is 13.25" deep. To have maximum sound quality (i.e., no blockage of sound waves), would it make a difference if the speakers had its back edge aligned with the back edge of the buffet ... versus ... if the speakers had its front edge aligned with the front edge of the buffet? Steve

Thanks, Chris, for the rear-shots of your sound room. With the exception that I'm planning on much smaller L/R speakers, you've already set up what I've been thinking about for the last few days. I kind of plan on playing cards at our kitchen table, which is behind our TV viewing area like yours is, so I just want quality speakers pointing from the South wall and towards the living room couch and kitchen. Correct me if I'm wrong, but is your setup a 3.0 sound system? I see no speakers behind the couch, and I see no subwoofer in front of the couch. I see two huge Left & Right speakers and a Heresy center speaker. Is your sound system a basic 3.0 (Left-Center-Right only) setup?

Actually, I'm now making my plans aound the Heresy speakers, which would require less maintenance-input from me than the Cornwalls, regarding the sunlight. I would like to see the H3's on display, and not covered with a cloth like I was considering. So, it really wouldn't be a bad idea to rotate the L/R H3's annually. Are there recommended wood preservatives that I could perhaps apply to the chassis of the (walnut finish) Heresy speakers, a few times a year, to minimize sun fade and to bring out the walnut finish of the speakers?

Hello. The listening area for my 3.1 sound sytem would be my living room which is about 18 feet wide by 12 feet deep. The L & R Heresy III speakers would be at the corners of the 18 foot wall. My couch would be the listening point, which is about 10 feet in front of the center Heresy III speaker. Behind the couch is the kitchen. The kitchen is about 10 feet wide and 12 feet deep. There is no wall between the living room and kitchen. The three Heresy III speakers would be played at conservative volumes, and never played loud. From what I've Googled, the Sub-10 would provide adequate bass capacity and good quality. I've also Googled that the Sub-12 apparently has more bass capacity and better quality than the Sub-10. Do any of you have experience with both the Sub-10 and Sub-12, and can you comment on whether the Sub-12 has better quality than the Sub-10? Based on my listening area, and based on using three Heresy III speakers for a 3.1 system, would the Sub-12 be too much bass capacity? Steve

Chris, I'm surprised on the number of items you have sitting on top of your Klipschorns. My first experience with Klipsch speakers was with a pair of Cornwalls, while watching Charles Heston in "Earthquake". The volume setting was low during Earthquake, and the only (non-breakable) item on one speaker was a small but heavy metal dish that danced (vibrated) along the surface of the Cornwall. Do you tend to listen at low volumes with those big speakers? I ask about the volume, because while my South (sound) wall of a 3.1 system is fairly thick, my east wall (faces my back yard and other back yards) is about 80 percent glass. Having Heresy III speakers at the L-C-R positions of a 3.1 sound system will be more than I need, because the (living room & kitchen) east wall has two glass doors and a large kitchen window .... which are open a lot when Michigan weather is between 60 and 80 degrees. As far as subwoofers, because of the HOA Gestapo (Home Owners Association) and the lack of an East wall, I probably would not get a sub that has a driver bigger than 10-12 inches. Oh, and then there is the wife ... and her three cats that "don't need loud music" ... that would limit the power of my subwoofer. What if: (1) I mount my 52" widescreen TV below the mantlepiece that is 46 inches high. (2) I mount the center Heresy III speaker about 48 inches above the floor. (3) My Left & Right Heresy III speakers (15 feet apart) are siting on pine buffets, so that the L & R speakers are 36 inches above the floor. (4) Would the center speaker sound goofy if it were above the TV and also higher than the L & R speakers by 14 inches?

Is this the thread about exploding Ford Pintos?

Thanks Chris. I am most impressed with the picture of your sound system, and interestingly, how it is all centered around the television mounted above your fireplace. The front wall of your (surround sound?) setup is what I've been thinking about doing in a single wall, 3.1 sound setup. I'm still flipping a coin on whether I want to mount my 52" widescreen television above the mantlepiece (as your setup is), or below the mantlepiece. The top of my mantlepiece is 46 " high. Mounting our TV above the mantlepiece, would place the center of the television relatively high above our couch, because the couch is only 10 feet away from our south (sound) wall. More than likely, the viewing aspect would be more comfortable for our necks, by mounting the TV below the current 46" mantlepiece ... or above a replacement mantlepiece that would be about 14 inches below the original mantlepiece. I'll first try the TV underneath the current mantlepiece, as a cheaper option. I'd like to see other pictures of your setup, if it is a surround sound system, but apparently your profile only has one picture of one wall of equipment. I would appreciate it you could share more pictures in a personal message, if this is possible to do, and if it's okay with you. Please let me know, in a personal message if you like. Steve

Hello. My main listening area would be where I am facing a wall ten feet in front of me, where the center speaker and sub would be located. The Left and Right speaker would each be about eight feet on either side of the center speaker. Are there room specifications that would dictate when to use a front cone sub or a down cone sub? Would a down cone be better suited than a front cone, for my listening area? Also, an interesting question: The television will be mounted above the room's fireplace, since I choose not to use the fireplace. For either space-saving reasons ... or for sound enhancement reasons ... has anyone positioned their subwoofer inside the fireplace? If so, could you provide comments? Steve

Apparently, some Klipsch subs have a built-in, steep-slope (24dB/octave) low-pass crossover is continuously adjustable from 40 to 120 Hz. And, some do not. For those subs that do continuously adjust from a 40 to 120 Hz range ... is this done automatically, and so is constantly variable ... or is this done manually and remiains at the Hz setting until changed again by the operator? What is the benefit of having a variable crossover, and if there are benefits to having an adustable crossover, then why don't all Klipsch subs have this capability? Steve

Hello. We have a large rectangular area, with half the area being a living room space, and the other half being the kitchen. There is no wall between the living room and kitchen. I do not want surround sound, and want a 3.1 system with one sub and three Heresy IIIs. The south wall where the tv will be, is 18 feet wide, so the left & right speakers will be about 15 feet apart. The majority of our listening pleasure, for both music CDs (and SACDs) and television, will be from a couch where our ears would be about 10 feet from the south wall. Our ears would be one corner of a triangle, and the other two corners would be the Left & Right speakers. And, our ears would be about 10 feet from both the television and the sub. First question about the sub: I understand that when viewing television with 3.1 sound, the sub would be engaged. But what about listening to music (without the television)? Would just the left & right Heresy III speaker be playing the music ... and would the center H3 & sub NOT be playing the music? Second question: Most of the time, we would only be about 10 from the television (centered between L & R speakers) and the sub and the center speaker. The Left & Right speakers would each be maybe 12-13 feet from our ears. Based on close proximity to the sub and three H3 speakers, and based on preventing bass boom from being heard outside of my house, does this mean I do not need a lot of Boom from the bass? Third question: If I were to keep my subwoofer-budget in the $400 to $600 range, what would be your Klipsch subwoofer recommendation ... that would go well with three Heresy III speakers in a 3.1 sound system ... and ensure that excess BOOM doesn't stir my neighbors into bringing torches & pitchforks to my front door? The neighber-part would be important, because often our living room windows & glass doors would be open while listening to television or music. Thanks, Steve

Thanks again. For subwoofer, the priority is more on sound quality and much less on sound volume. Neither the Heresy III speakers nor the subwoofer would ever be played loud. Usually our lving room & kitchen windows and glass door exits are kept open. But even if the windows are all shut, 90 percent of the east living room wall is simply plate glass from floor to ceiling. Volume is definitely not a priority. Would the requirement of always using low volume, help to make a better recommendation for a subwoofer, to work in concert with Heresy III speakers in a 3.1 sound system?