lne937s

I just wanted to put in that I am not a Klipsch fan blind to the rest of the world. I do and have owned Klipsch speakers and believe them to be among the best speakers for large rooms, especially for the money. I am currently looking for new speakers to go in a very small room/apartment in Brooklyn, and I just can't seem to convince myself that 90X60 horns are ideal for this situation. Having listened to my previous RF3s close up in a small room, it seems like a square peg/round hole problem, the wrong application. I am currently also considering other speakers, like Magnepans and various near field studio monitors. I just wish they were more sensitive, for detail and reduced load on my amp rather than loudness. But Bose? Even if you like the basic archetecture (small speakers, cones and domes) there are better speakers out there. Especially for the price.

I just wondered

I can't find a display button on the outside. you have to unscrew a panel to get to the resizing and advanced convergence controls, so it may be hidden somewhere in the chassis? I have no Idea how to find it

This is really just a video question. I recently got a used Sony 1020Q1 crt video projector. After taking off the cover, resizing the screen, and setting the focus and convergence, I decided to put in some video. out poped a perfectly focused, sharp picture- upside down and backwards. Evidently the projector was used for rear projection, hanging from the ceiling. How do I reset the projector for tabletop use? I read that 1020Q1 can be used for this application, I just need to know how. I do not have the remote (a completely seperate unit that is optional), but I would't think it is necessary for this type of setup. Please, someone tell me that there is some hidden switch hiding somewhere.

I realize that the center channel has most of the dialog, but that just goes to the front left & right when none is present. My problem is that of verticle placement. if I put the center above the screen 100" (over 8 feet diagonally) screen- it sounds like the sound is coming from above the screen unless I am sitting perfectly upright (personally like to realx when I watch movies). center channels are great for movie theaters (they are behind the screen) or smaller televisions, but I find the imaging really poor in my instance. The "phantom center" or stereo imaging concept is based on the fact that people have two ears. The combination of sounds entering your head from each side is what creates the placement of the sound. Also, placing the speaker close to the screen (which I have to do because of room constraints) and pointing them slightly toward the center will make the l/r front channels mix better. According to a friend of mine who set up IMAX theaters, the best way to diagram imaging is to draw a line between the tweeters of each speaker(the frequency range of the human voice <"s" "sh" "th" and "t"> that best determines placement is about 7000 Hz). The mix of speakers will place the sound along that line. Vertical placement is less important than horizontal because our ears are onof the sides of our head , but if it is extreme, as in my case, it will be very noticable- even with phase adjustments. Placement and orientation of the person's head other than perfectly straight and center will make vertical placement more important. It is less important for rear channels, simce our ears face forward, but placing them higher than the listener's head works well for the application. Dispersion angle, driver size, and sound projection will also change the importance of placement. (THX certification measures these factors for each application- they do more than rate frequency response) . Horns have a relatively narrow dispersion angle (60X90= triax) when compared with domes (180), deep projection, and a fairly small driver (1 inch dome). These factors make them great for large rooms where the sound has room to spread out and pinpoint imaging, but make placement more crucial with for home theater and concentrate too much sound in a small room that does not let them disperse enough. This is why the "horns" in ProMedia have such a broad dispersion angle while horns in professional audio for large rooms where the driver is far away from the audience have narrow angle horns. I used and loved Klipsch previously after much research precisely because they worked well with my previous large listening room. However circumstances have changed. The Maggies are being considered because they have large driver area (4ftX 14" magneplanar). Since the driver area is flat, sound waves from the front are projected perpendicular from the font and are dispersed by the wall at the back. I think they might work well in my current, extreemly small room. I do not think 60X90 horns will have room for the soundwaves to disperse enough to make them the ideal driver. While they are great for many applications, alot of emphasis is placed on center channels to sell more speakers. If I remember correctly, some surround systems do not even use a descrete center channel (THX ES?). The blowse system's only real advancement is in the use of reflected sound to create the rear channel. I wanted to know if there is anything I am missing anything else. Please don't be afraid of giving me scientific information rather than owners's manual tid bits. Also, please no square peg/round hole solutions- my life is complecated enough. thanks to everyone for all of your comments so far Larry

I am currently using JBL sat2 and basswave sub because they were the only speakers I could fit in my car when I moved. They really don't sound that bad in my small room, but I plan on upgrading soon, which is why I posted this. I have a good solid state amp that can give almost any speaker too much power for my small apartment. I have had good luck with Klipsch in the past, but I've been contemplating other types of speakers with different kinds of dispersion, projection. Sensitivity is not absolutely important now since my amp will power almost anything to intolerable levels. however, I do want dynamic speakers. Any suggestions? I've been looking at Magnepan's which have really low sensitivity compared to Klipsch, but the wall of sound should go well with the wall of video. And the physics involved fascinate me. I would buy them just for the sake of experimentation, but my budget requires useable speakers. Am not sure if horns, which sounded great in my last room, will sound good here. I am worried about round peg in a square hole problems. I wish that Klipsch made speakers with modular components for home audio that could easily have different lenses put on the horns and different configurations for different environments. I think a D'Appollito(spelling?) configuration with forward firing ports would be ideal for wall mounting on either side of the screen. How's that for a suggestion of future home audio products- modular component speakers. Yes, they might take more intellegence and dedication than the average bo$e buyer is willing to put in, but Klipsch obviously has above average base of buyers. Pro-audio typically uses different components for an ideal match to the environment, why should home audio have to compromise. You could even use a fairly simple computer program to show the ideal configuration and parameters for each room. I'm a little off subject now, but I tought I'd put this out there. thanks Larry

I have been using video projectors for the past couple of years. Using a 100 inch image presents problems. While movie theaters have their center channel behind an "audio transparent screen" I do not have that luxury. I am puting a screen in my small apartment and do not have the space or money for speakers placed behind such a screen. In my last ht setup, found the problem that unless you are sitting perfectly perpindicular to the screen that the audion seems to come from above or below the image instead of from it. In stereo the on screen audio seemed more natural. I kind of fixed the problem in that instance by building the center from RF3 woofers putting horns on both the top and bottom of the screen, but that required a lot of adjustments and I had phase problems outside of the sweetspot. It was by no means perfect, but it was an improvement. This approach is not an option for my new setup. Size, price, simplicity, and flexible seating positions are priorities. I am planning on just using the front channels, placed fairly close to the screen (which takes up most of the wall)and bolted to the walls. I this sounds much better than the center at the top or bottom. The mix of the sound from the two speakers makes the sound seem like it is coming from some point in between them (aka stereo imaging). And I have a good amp with seperate amplifier circuits for two channels. I think I would get better sound for my money on two great speakers than three medeocre ones for the same price. Is there something I'm missing? Does the center channel serve some purpose I am not thinking of? Larry

I just went to a United Artist's theater last night that had Kilpsch speakers. UA is huge on the east coast. THX speaker certification also sets parameters for vertical and horizintal dispersion angles and projection. THX has different parameters for different applications. just my 2 cents.

I love lite beer to- usually on hot days, eating barbecue- it quenches thirst, doesn't cover up the barbecue, isn't sweet like soda or flavorless like water. I also like regular beer- if you haven't tried it, Brooklyn brewing company has some great products. Back to speakers... even though people have different tastes, there are good and bad quality and value speakers. Just like there are good and bad quality lite and reg beers ( I can't stop thinking about beer). Anyway, for reflected sound- there are some decent di and bipole speakers out there as well as some small sat speakers. You could use Klipsch rear channel speakers for fronts if you don't like pinpoint imaging. Perhaps the real issue is philosophical and too complex for a speaker forum. People seem to follow blindly. Why do people do things that are irrational aren't in their best interest. Adam Smith's concept has a fatal flaw in that people aren't rational and they often do things that go along with the crowd rather than promoting their own interests. Reading Nietzsche (slowly and accurately- not the popular misinterpretations and reinterpretations - try Walter Kaufmann translation and read the footnotes) can make you realize all the ways that herd mentality affects our world. ... but maybe it's better just to drink beer and listen to great music!?! Larry

I looked at the maggies and am intrigued. I have always wanted to listen to planar speakers but they are usually prohibitively expensive. do they really play down to 50hz? I really like horn speakers, but I am having a hard time finding horns with the dispersion/ projection parameters I am looking for in preassembled speakers. I have learned from my pro audio friends that matching speakers to room parameters is really important and that great speakers may not perform well in some environments. I like building, but i really do not have the facilities to do so now (although I've always wanted to work with moulding carbon fiber and have found some relatively inexpensive!?!) I would like to listen to some maggies first before i buy anything. Thank You to everyone for their suggestions Larry

The rf3's are not an option. The extreemely heavy rebox was necessary because of damaged original enclosures. The individual enclosures for each component came from a suggestion from a friend who does pro audio for theaters. The sererate boxes for each component, including a box for the crossover and asymetrical tripple cross braced cabinet for each woofer, do work, but shipping the pair (about 200 lbs) here would cost as much as new speakers. They are also now much to large and I told my brother he could have them. I RB5's have rear firing bass ports- making wall mounting very difficult. I had already considered them but ruled them out for this reason. I am looking for speakers with forward firing bass ports like Klipsch movie theater speakers, but with shallower projection, wider dispersion angle, and smaller size.

I actually work in advertising, although not related to audio. My frustration came about after looking at their ads while skimming through magazines looking for ideas. On the one hand I am impressed with the power and abilities of my profession, but, on the other, I am disapointed with the people who just seem to follow like sheep. I would like to think that I am helping to promote awareness of my product and not misleading people. I would also like to think that people would take the initiative to make informed decisions, and people would be able to process that information to form a decision. Maybe I'm being to optimistic? Should advertisers have to take into account the herd mentality of their audience? Do I have to adjust my message for the lowest common denominator?

Why do people buy Bose? They try to make crappy quality components sound halfway decent with compensating circuitry. Their "engineering" principals are rediculous. Who though that resonant (boomy) bass from a 4" woofer sounds good? (maybe to some highschool kid who likes the sound of their car's trunk rattling) And the Wave radio isn't even stereo. They promote that reflected waves are a good thing. Their speakers have no imaging. They don't post the numbers for their speakers. (ever think they might be trying to hide something?) Their speakers are not efficient at all, have no low bass, boomy upper base, no high frequency, and poor imaging. Their speakers sound like cheap internal TV speakers. Granted they do have WAF and a huge advertising budget, but how can people really be dumb enough to think of them as high-end speakers? And there are other trendy styled, small speakers on the marker to satisfy WAF- Klipsch even makes them. On top of everyting else, Bose is pretty expensive. the general public frustrates me, Larry This message has been edited by lne937s on 05-04-2002 at 05:48 PM

I used the radio shack stuff and it worked well- my balance knob is still staticy, but I never use it anyway. While I had the cover off I noticed something in the amp, which I just bought this week- it has seperate amplifier circuits for each side! when i powered it up i was amazed by how good it sounded. I bought it because they were a matched set, looked great, were 70's, and they were cheap- I had no idea what was inside. The amp is from MCS-modular component systems, which was made in japan and sold through JC Penny. I was kind of scared when I found out it was a store brand, but it sounds great. Does anyone know anything about MCS? Who manufactured it? Oh, my Hitachi was an SR-80?. It is in Missouri and I can't remember the last #. Thankyou to everyone Larry

I just want to say that the < 200 square feet are more than just my listening room, they are my whole apartment. To deang, I would have to fit my bed and a couple bookcases in that space. On the other half of the room I have my computer desk, wardrobe and loveseat. The whole room is about 11 by 16. NY apartments are unbelievably small and expensive. This apartment is actually significantly larger than my last apartment that was little more than a closet: $750/month= 9ft X 9ft- including closet space. It is even more expensive in Manhattan. I reboxed my rf3's into seperate 3/4 MDF, heavily braced enclosures for each of the drivers. I think this made them sound much better, but it also made them larger and amazingly heavy- about 100lbs per side. Since I moved everything I own in a Mustang convertible- taking them with me was impossible in addition to the fact that I have nowhere to put them. I need speakers that I can listen to from about 1 meter away. I also need speakers I can mount on or close to the wall. I would like to wall mount so that they don't fire into my furniture or take up floor space, and I have 12ft ceilings. I am currently using a '70's MCS tuner and amp. I know who sold these- but the amp has completely seperate amplifier circuits for each side and I am impressed with the sound. I think it sounds better than any of the amps and receivers I have tried with my current speakers, including techniques, sony es, hitachi, and jvc. I haven't tried the tube route yet, but I think I have enough expensive hobbies for my current budget. I am currently using a stereo JBL sub/sat system that has fairly large d'appolito(spelling?) style sats compared to most of the systems on the market. The dome tweeters are in an indentation that kind of reminds me of promedia. They sound pretty good for I just wanted to know about something better. I am familiar with heresy's, but I think that even these might be too big and brite for my tight quarters. Maybe - some ideas on simple speakers I can build thanks for all your input Larry

I recently moved to Brooklyn NY from Springfield, MO. My current apartment is less than 200 sq ft and I really don't have room for big speakers. I also need to find some speakers that are designed to be listened to fairly close up. I have RF3s in MO and loved them in my previous large apartment, but I think that the dispersion angle and brightness would not be ideal for the small space I linve in now. I want something like a near field monitor, any recommendations?

Thanks I'll try the radio shack spray first since there is one near work. Any ideas about UV meters, could they just be dirty? I know they don't make any difference in the sound, but I'd like to have them work anyway? thankyou Larry

I want to start off by satying that I love late 70's solid state amps. They have heavy duty electrical components, real power (why did my 1977 hitachi G-class rated at less than half the power of my 2000 JVC blow it out of the water- bottoming out my previous RF3's @ half power), and they look better. But I have a problem, some of the switches and dials on an amp I just bought are dirty and make scratching sounds when I move them or sometimes even cut out. How do I clean them? Should I take them completely apart and put them back together? Should I spray some WD40 in them to clean them? How should I lubricate them? also one of my vu meters isn't working-any easy way to fix it? thanks Larry

I was reading about the dielectric corrosion between raw carbon fiber (or graphite) and aluminum caused by the lower resistance of the carbon and started thinking. Graphite has been used for spark plug wires (which carry tens of thousands of volts) for decades because it has lower resistance so why isn't it used for speaker cable or does someone? It isn't as flexible as copper, but who ties their cable in knots? You would probably want to use crimp on gold plated interconnects, but most people do this anyway. It is more expensive than copper, but with people paying hundreds of dollars for a few feet of high end copper cable, I'm sure it would be competitive. I know that speaker wire does not make that much difference, but if you are going to spend hundreds of dollars, why not get the best? just instigating