pretzelb

Just went to Tweeter looking for a DVD and saw a deal on speakers. Apparently this store is getting rid of Klipsh because of some deal with a nearby Ultimate Electronics store. So they have an RC3 (I assume it's an RC3-II) for $235. I was thinking of upgrading the old center in my signature - which never seemed to be able to hang with my Heresey 2's. I did a quick search online and I found prices from $400 to $230 so I'm confused if it's a good deal. My real problem is the Heresey's are too powerful for most everything. Since I already have the RS3's I thought this might be a good step if it's a good deal.

Apologies ahead of time to members and forum moderators if this has been done to death already or if it's too non-Klipsh specific. Just curious which DVD's everyone finds the best for doing a HT demo. With a few days left for shopping, we might get good ideas for last minute gifts. I don't have an extensive collection but I was actually surprised that my favorite is The Patriot. Seems to have a lot of side to side and front to back effects that are clear and distinct. Perhaps it's because there are lots of scenes where you hear isolated canons or rifle shots being fired instead of just massive amounts of explosions or millions of automatic rounds that you find in modern movies. -M ------------------ Fronts - Heresy II Center - KSFC5 Sub - Paridigm PDR10(?) Surround - ???

T-Man I agree that the placement of the speaker can make the SS hard to hear. My local Tweeter did the same thing and put them too far back, too high, and on the back wall. I found another place that had them on the side wall instead of the back wall and it seemed to make a big difference. Thanks for the info. You and MangumMan make some valid arguments for the direct speakers, and I did find the SB2's to be pretty sweet. Dang this stuff can drive you nuts!!! I wish I researched this board first to plan this out better. ------------------ Fronts - Heresy II Center - KSFC5 Sub - Paridigm PDR10(?) Surround - ???

PhilH Sorry, I should have created a sig first with my setup in it. Here's the info Fronts - Heresy II Center - KSFC5 Sub - Paridigm PDR10(?) Surround - SS1 After reading all that I've read in this forum, I think I've screwed up almost every purchase. I built this system over 3 years and have gone by the salesman recommendation in most cases, and budget in others. To be fair, it's very hard to listen to this stuff when you don't have it in the store. That's why I yearn for the simplicity of owning a series that is still being sold. I could at least hear the complete system then make purchases over time. I hear what you're saying on the RS7 but I find it difficult to swallow that price. The RS3 seemed a bit high also, especially considering how little data goes to the surrounds. I can see how spending a lot on center and sub (and fronts of course) would be important. I guess part of me is frugal (aka cheap) and the other part realizes that I am not as intense about this as many in this forum. Plus, I don't have a dedicated media room so I have a hard time shelling out a lot on premium equipment that may be wasted by room layout. I might see if the dealer has the RS3 to demo but their 3 day return policy makes it a rush job and the price tag still seems high. Perhaps I should have stuck with the SB2's ... Thanks for the info!!! -M ------------------ Fronts - Heresy II Center - KSFC5 Sub - Paridigm PDR10(?) Surround - ???

Just wondering if the Heresy II's match up better with the Reference or Synergy series? I just purchased some SS1 for surrounds and they seem nice but I wonder if the RS3 would be better. The salesmen will always tell me that Reference is a better match but I'm not sure I fully trust that opinion. I did some research but didn't find a post asking this specific question. Let me say that Belle, LaScala, Klipshorns or more Heresy's are not an option I would consider. While these may technically be the best solution, they are not an option for me because of price and/or size. I was seriously considering getting rid of the Heresy's because of all my matching problems. But after reading all the posts on them it seems I have a very valuable set of speakers that are held in high opinion. Perhaps they're wasted on my poor ears I decided to try and keep going forward with them but it's getting to be a pain trying to figure out what is the best solution. I envy the people who own something from the Synergy or Reference line and only need to save money for their next purchase -M

Thanks for the replies. I got the SS1 and put them on some stands and I think they do a much better job of providing an "effect" than the SB2's. I can notice a loss in power or omph when it comes to bass in some cases. But on some of the true digital DVD's (like Toy Story 1&2, Bugs Life) I get much clearer effect of being (for lack of better word) surrounded by the sound. I angled my SB2's toward the wall to diffuse the effect but they still seemed to fire right in my ear. I do like the SB2's so it will be tough for me to take them back. It concerns me slightly that THX is leaving dipole for recommendation but I'm not so into this that I plan to follow along. I think my other problem is the Heresy II's I keep using. It's just a long drawn out process trying to match things with them I often think it would be better to scrap them and get an entire Synergy or Reference line. Now I wonder if the RS3's would match better (maybe another post). After reviewing some posts here (I'm not here much) it seems like a common characteristic is we all like to tinker and are never satisified with the our setups. -M

Lone Palm Thanks for the info. Are the Eagles and Steely Dan items DVD or just CD's. I'm assuming DVD's but haven't seen such a thing. Guess I'm always just looking at the movies and not noticing concernts. -M

PhilH I would probably put the SS on stands to the side of the couch. I don't think I could get away with mounting them on the wall. -M

Anyone have actual experience with trying bookshelves AND actual surrounds for their surround speakers? I'm curious which works better and under what conditions. I have a few days left to return my SB2's that are currently being used as surround. I may try and get some SS1's and test them out quickly to see if there is a difference (should have done this from the start). I think the big drawback for my setup is the room layout. It has 3.25 walls, 12+ foot ceilings, and the couch is against the back wall opposite the TV. I have a feeling that the room works against me in a lot of ways. Anyway, if someone has experience with trying both options and would like to share, I'd be interested to know what worked and why you think it was better than the other solution. -M

I've seen and heard some reference to getting surround music out of your system but can't figure out what is meant by this. I recently added some SB2's to my system to be used for surround sound and have only tested them with movies, because I thought that the surround channel was only really used by DVD's. My Yamaha 995 has some effects that seem to incorporate the surrounds for music but at a very limited amount. Now I'm wondering if I'm missing out on something. Is there a setting on my receiver to better utilize the SB2's for music? Do you people refer to special music DVDs (like a concert) when they talk about surround music? Should I trade the bookshelfs back in and get true surround speakers to get better surround effects? If it matters, I have the SB2's pointed toward the back wall (where the couch sits against) to reflect the sound. This makes the sound fuller IMHO. Matt

Thanks for the quick replies! KHog I wonder about my ksf-c5 because it seems that there are times where I push the volume up to hear voices and then quickly crank it down when an action scene starts. I tried to use my Yamaha receiver (995r?) to push the Heresy II's down 10db but I didn't like it. I should try to boost the ksf-c5 but the Yamaha controls always give me a headache so I end up giving up. PhilH I hadn't tried the test of something going from left to right with my front setup. I usually just concentrate on how well the voices blend with the rest of the sound. I need to find a DVD to test the side to side stuff. Other Notes I didn't test the SS speakers when reviewing the sb2's. I automatically dismissed the idea because I don't have 4 full walls (more like 3.25 walls). Maybe I should reconsider and listen to the SS speakers? Is 3.25 walls enough or do SS speakers need a good multimedia room setup? What do you look for when testing a SS? I really liked the sb2 sound, but I'm guessing that testing SS speakers involves listening to how well the sound is distributed. Sigh. I should have just saved and saved and bought it all at once.

I'm thinking of finishing my home theater setup with some SB2 bookshelf speakers as my rears to go with my Heresy II, KSFC5 center, and Paridigm sub. I think a pair of reference speakers might match better but it seems like the rear channel is only used marginally with home theater so it doesn't have to be a total match. Here's a few thoughts / questions ; 1) My family room is almost completely open on one side so I lean towards a bookshelf. Should I instead lean back to a Synergy surround speaker like the SS5? I do have a 2 foot section of a wall that makes a corner on the open sided wall. 2) If I'm only concerned with movies, should I worry so much about matching the Heresy II's with my surround? 3) Won't bookshelf speakers do a good job at surround? Or, would I need the speakers specifically made for surround? 4) I think I messed up with the KSFC5 and realize it may not be a great match for the Heresy II. Lastly, let me say that I have nowhere near the knowledge, or probably the ear that most of you do. I found the SB2's to be a very nice pair of speakers on their own merit. I've had the Heresy II's for a long while and just keep them with my configuration. Also, as you probably guessed, I don't have a media room but just a family room that is hardly the perfect area for accoutics. Any feedback would be appreciated. Matt