Phorm
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A question about the RP 150M. This is rear ported but has a keyhole bracket. Why would Klipsch include a keyhole bracket if it should not be mounted against a wall?
Speakers are designed to be installed in a variety of different manners. Sure in a perfect world we could have our surrounds directly at listening height to the direct left and right of our heads, but in the real world we are limited by where walls are, window and door placement, what significant others find appealing visually, the desire to protect our speakers from kids bumping into them, furniture placement limits etc. etc.
So I'd argue in many if not most cases people mount their surrounds up higher than they should and perhaps further back than is ideal. This requires some type of a speaker mount to position and direct the speaker at the proper angle - and many of these mounts fasten to the keyhole mount. This allows airspace between the back of the speaker and the wall due to the bracket itself - and would allow more than enough airspace.
Also I'm going to be the minority here but if you found a set of R-14S surrounds for $50 I would have snatched it up right away. I just bought a set of them myself and am very pleased. The only negative is due to their unique shape mounting is more difficult. I'm still trying to figure out my permanent solution, but in my case they will need to be angled forward towards the listener which means the back edge will stick away from the wall quite a bit. These don't have rear ports but if they did there would be plenty of room (although one might argue the sound would be reflected the wrong direction - thus I really didn't want something with a rear port in the first place).
I've used a variety of surround speakers over the years including small satellites, small bookshelf speakers, and in-ceiling designs. These are the most substantial and are capable of more than enough sound for my purposes. If you can find a good deal on some (I just found a new set for half price from hhgregg) I wouldn't hold back.
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Well after a lot of consideration I ended up going with the RP-440C. I was looking out for the RP-450C but wasn't able to find one at a price I felt was a good value. I found a great deal on an open-box RP-440C that I really couldn't pass up since it was only $50 more than the R-25C. It might be a tad overkill for my needs, but I doubt I'll have any regrets about going with an upgraded center.
It has shipped to me but I haven't received it yet. Looking forward to getting it setup and testing everything out as a complete system. Within the next two weeks I'll make my final decision on a projector (I'm checking for sales and deals daily) and on my receiver. Leaning towards an Onkyo TX-NR646 but not fully committed yet.
Thanks for all of the advice and suggestions.
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A lot to think about - but you have all helped me and I appreciate it.
I do like the sound from my R-28F towers. They are a nice step up to what I've been using the past few years. However I know in the scope of things they are considered lower end and yet I'm completely satisfied. Perhaps I could match the center and be happy - I can always upgrade down the road.
I'll probably just start watching pricing and if I see a deal on a good center it will help make the decision for me. I'll also check CL and see about used, but in my area I don't have much luck since I don't live in a major metro area. You never know though... can't hurt to browse.
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not sure I follow your thought on not using the lens memory. I have a fixed screen. When I watch tv there are bars on the side. Not often cause I don't watch more than an occasional football game downstairs. But for movies which 85% are 2.35 my projector zooms out and utilizes the whole screen. Has nothing to do with fixed frame or not. And also most who do dedicated rooms do black ceilings so black is what you will find on more professional models. Notice once you go past the Epson 50330 to the 6030 it's black
I know a lot of people get those screens that have adjustable masks because they don't want to see any bars so that is what I was thinking of. However you make a great point in that with a 2.35:1 screen the bars will be on the sides for most TV or game content while movies will take advantage of the full screen. Perhaps I need to give the Panasonic some additional consideration because being able to hit a button to zoom content to take advantage of the full screen size would be nice. Originally I had assumed I'd just go with a 16:9 screen and live with some black bars at the top and bottom for movies, but there is a lot to be said for the 2.35 format to get the biggest image for films as possible while using black bars on the side (where they are less distracting) for television content.
Interesting point about the color of the projectors - I hadn't thought of that but it makes sense. Of course I won't be painting my ceiling black anytime soon (that would be a tough sell to the Misses) so it probably doesn't matter for me but interesting either way!
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Does anyone have any experience with "Silver Ticket" brand? They have some very good prices on Amazon with free shipping.
I did a lot of research which included the following recommendation: http://thewirecutter.com/reviews/best-projector-screen/ and decided to go with Silver Ticket. I found a dirt-cheap price on Amazon with free shipping. Hopefully I'll like it but it appears to be a good choice (especially for the money) based on reviews I've seen. One thing I've noticed with Amazon is that prices can vary quite a bit from time-to-time. This particular scren fluctuated in price by as much as 50% over just a few weeks.
Thanks for that link - great writeup. I found it very informative and it helped support my decision process. I had been comparing the Silver Ticket with the Monoprice screens so this was a nice objective comparison.
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I am firmly in the "bigger is better" camp for center speakers. Ninety percent of your dialog will come through the center, and dialog is 90% of TV and movies. Get the best quality center speaker you can afford.
I've heard this expressed a few times - spend the money on the center because that is what will matter more than anything. So maybe going with the larger more expensive option would be best. I just didn't want to risk overpowering everything else because if I have to adjust everything to tone down the center to prevent it from overpowering everything else, am I really taking advantage of the "extra" sound it is capable of? Sort of liking burning 93 octane premium fuel in a Chevy Cavalier.... probably not worth it!
Thanks for the reply - more to think about.
I have R28Fs, and also some R15Ms and a R10SW for a sub in a 7.1 setup.
I first had the R-25C, then purchased a RP-250C instead.
The R-25C is the matching center to that series, a slight downgrade from the RP series. It matches perfectly to the 28Fs.
The reason I upgraded was that the RP250C has a titanium tweeter (which doesn't perfectly match) but the sound is better, and the frequency range is better - it goes much lower to around 62hz. So even if crossing over at 80 it has more room to perform.
From what I've learned (which is still limited), the 440C in woofer surface area actually will match up similarly to the R25C or RP250C (4-4" woofers are about equivalent to 2 - 5-1/4" woofers). The 450C on the other hand has 4 of the 5-1/4" woofers, so you have 2x the surface area there.
So my 2c - the R and RP series are close enough that you could get either the R25C, the RP250C, or the RP450C and be very happy. It's really a matter of cost and what you want/need. To me, for an extra $30 I got the RP series and in 2 minutes I heard the difference.
So my 2c again is either RP250C or the RP450C. Both use titanium tweeters. To match perfectly your existing system the R25C is built for it but the build is not as nice. It's a slippery slope though to open the door to the RP series....
Agreed it is a slippery slope to some degree. I know there is always better but perhaps for my ears it won't really matter. For the last few years I've just relied upon the speakers in my televisions while all of my equipment sat on shelves in a storage room so anything will be a step up from where I am now. It is just hard trying to determine if the increased cost of the RP series is worth it. I don't claim to be an audiophile but I do have a background in electronics and I do have a preference for quality, crisp sound. I bought my towers, sub, and center all on various sales so perhaps I just need to be patient and see what comes my way for a center speaker. I'm willing to pay more for a higher end center, but can I justify two and a half times more? That is the question.
The larger ones will have more beef on things like concert blu rays. I can get my RC-64ii jumping pretty good with some kick drums. Two 5's would be a big step down on things like that.
But, many people like the smaller centers with two woofers better on things like voices, claiming it sounds more natural. There are likely less lobing issues, you don't have two different crossover points, and some recordings with unnatural male voice boominess may be tamed a little.
I believe the majority of my usage would be movies so primarily dialogue. I have a few concert Blu-Rays but don't crank them up that much so for me it is more about clarity and not being distracted by poor audio quality. I've used a few of those "home theater in a box" type systems where the center sounds like a lone tweeter with nothing to fill in the gaps - I don't want to risk that this time around. I also don't want to get carried away if there is a high probability I won't take advantage of a much more powerful center. I've heard some of the larger ones require a lot more power so that factors in to what receiver I go with too.... there goes the snowball effect.
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Oddly enough, the Panasonic PT-AE8000U is one of the two projectors to end up on my short list. The other is the Epson Home Cinema 5030UB. The prices between the two are fairly close although the Epson tends to go on sale every month or two for $300 off and at times also offers a rebate for a free spare lamp.
A friend of mine has the Panasonic so I have seen it in action. The picture quality was excellent. I have also seen the Epson in a showroom and the picture quality was also excellent. Without seeing them side by side it is difficult (perhaps impossible) to state one is better than the other.
The one feature the Panasonic seems to have is the lens memory, so if this is something you would use often that is probably a huge selling point. The Epson however is supposed to have darker blacks and better 3D picture quality. It is difficult to say whether you would notice the difference because again unless you see them side by side in the same room under the exact same lighting conditions and the same screen this may not even be noticeable.
For me, I'm not sure I would ever use the lens memory feature. I plan to buy a fixed frame screen and if a few films have small black bars then I will deal with it but I don't believe I want to have to deal with a screen that I have to adjust based upon what I'm watching. Also, and I know this is petty - I just like the looks of the Epson a lot more. I like the symmetry and I like the white case which would blend into the ceiling a bit better.
That said, I still have a tough time deciding between the two. It may come down to which one is on sale when I decide to pull the trigger because the specs and performance are so close that price may end up being the determining factor.
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I am building a new home theater and in the process of purchasing all of the necessary speakers and other associated hardware. I already have two R-28F towers for my main front speakers, and I have two R-14S surround speakers. My subwoofer is the R-10SW although I do have a second Martin Logan 10" sub I could use if I find it necessary.
The room is wired for 5.1 so for the time being I am starting there but I may pull some new wires to upgrade to a 7.1/7.2 setup in the future. The receiver I have is an older Onkyo TX-SR507 which I fully acknowledge is underpowered but I will be replacing that soon and it will be moved into a secondary location (separate topic down the road).
The room is currently setup with a 46" LCD but a projector will be coming soon (deciding which to buy). Screen size will be approximately 120" and the room size is 31'D x 20'W however primary viewing/listening position is approximately 15' from the front wall with the surround locations being approximately 19' from the front wall. The remaining space behind is used for a gaming area so it doesn't really factor into the proper "listening area". I mention dimensions so it is clear this is a larger space which helped explain why I opted to go for larger tower speakers as opposed to small wall mounted or in-wall options.
The current issue I have is that I need a proper center channel to finish out the system. My two top options right now are the R-25C or the RP-440C. Because this room will primarily be used for watching television and movies as well as some gaming with perhaps less than 5% of the time devoted to music, I know I need to invest in a good center. From what I can find, the R-25C is the matching center for my towers and has dual 5.25" woofers. It is rated at 100W. The RP-440C on the other hand has four 4"woofers and can handle 150W, so it seems as if this would be capable of delivering a larger more robust sound. There is also the RP-450C which is the version with four 5.25" woofers which in theory is capable of even more although I suspect that may be a bit overkill for my needs.
Does anyone have experience with these centers to know what would be ideal? Obviously the R-25C is less expensive which would be appreciated however if I am really doing a disservice to myself by not stepping up to the RP-440C or even the RP-450C then I'm open to suggestions. I hear a lot about "timbre matching" which suggests I should probably stick with the smaller R-25C but (with no disrespect to anyone here) a lot of what i have read elsewhere makes me think people just toss out phrases like "timbre matching" without bothering to actually listen to the speakers or they simply repeat what they heard elsewhere and consider it fact. I assume any good receiver is capable of balancing speakers to the point the typical listener would be more than satisfied, so I just want to ensure I have enough speaker to fill the room and ensure I'm drawn into the movie/game rather than being distracted by substandard audio.
Any and all opinions welcome.
TL;DR option - Need help picking a center. Top picks are R-25C and RP-440C. Already have R-28F towers, R-14S surrounds, and R-10SW sub.
How's TIDAL now?
in 2-Channel Home Audio
Posted
Yes but you get the guy three rows ahead of you coughing, the woman to your left digging into her purse to silence her vibrating phone, and the guy behind you who insists on tapping his foot like he is a reincarnated rabbit!
Point being... there are distractions no matter how we listen to music. I know there are some purists who claim vinyl is just the only option because it is faithful to the original recording and I know there are people who claim a digital music file is more true to the original. I doubt you can convince them otherwise regardless because people have preferences. I say let people enjoy the music how they wish - I don't really care although I freely admit I will offer an opinion if someone asks.