soundog Posted April 29, 2002 Share Posted April 29, 2002 Here's the review I posted on Audio Asylum: I have a home theater system of Klipsch Heritage speakers with matching speaker components. The Klipschorns go down about 35 Hz but start rolling off around 40Hz. The LaScalas go down to 45Hz but start rolling off around 55Hz. The bass is incredibly clean and undistorted. Both speakers are extremely realistic due to their dramatic dynamic range and clarity due to the rapid speed of recovery (been termed as hair trigger dynamics). The center channel array of speaker components (same as others but with an Altec 511B wide dispersion horn coupled to the Klipsch mid range driver) in a custom made floor to ceiling TV monitor stand. Klipsch LH10s and a JBL Pro 4038 bass tower as well as a KSW15 used only for movie LFEs complete the set up. The bass management on my SACD player was limited, hence the ICBM. Like all Outlaw products it is of very high quality at a very low price due to direct internet only distribution. After a little experimentation I sent a full range signal to each Klipschorn / LH10 combo including the cut off bass from other speakers. I set it for 120Hz for the center speakers which probably due to being part of the monitor stand tended to muddy up the great bass from the Khorns more than slightly. The LaScalas side surrounds (2 stacked and angled like two giant Bose cubes) were set at 60Hz and the rear LaScallas (one in each corner receiving matrix rear info derived by my 6.1 outstanding Outlaw 1050 receiver from side surround content) sounded best at 80Hz due either to their corner placement, the matrixing or close proximity to the JBL bass tower which got the .1 content. The ICBM has controls to adjust the levels of LFE and subwoofer (redirected) content from all the speakers. While the setting for the center seems too high (bass gets directional above 80Hz} it is not because the bass below 120Hz is redirected to the two Khorn/LH-10 combos and separated (another ICBM feature) between left and right origin with the center divided equally between the two. So, no problem, it seems to come from the center. Cant do that with many digital processing receivers and preamps (can with 1050!} but none I know of can do it with an analog signal from an SACD or DVD audio player. The ICBM can plus other options! The ICBM does not add any noise whatsoever! The sound quality of the SACD portion of my system is nothing short of spectacular and breathtaking. I am using, in my opinion) some of the finest full range speakers ever made, yet each has a different bass redistribution point due to a number of different factors. The ICBM allowed me to optimize this setup. If you want SACD multichannel sound of the highest quality, I believe in most cases that you have to have the Outlaw ICBM. ------------------ Soundog's HT Systems Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
forresthump Posted April 29, 2002 Share Posted April 29, 2002 Dog sound more like crowing about your great stereo than informing anybody about the bass manager box. LOL They dont think youre a stuck up or anything there do they? LOL And you got that JBL Woofer cabinet. LOL ------------------ go forth & hump the world Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdm56 Posted April 29, 2002 Share Posted April 29, 2002 It just perturbs me that something like the Outlaw ICBM should even be needed. That is one incredibly stupid way to launch a new format--put out players with no digital outputs, and in the case of SACD, there is no way to process a DSD bitstream anyway (yet). And I would be real hesitant to buy into the whole analog out setup early on, for fear they will eventually come out with players that do output a multi-channel digital signal, thereby rendering your new gear obsolete, or at least outdated. ------------------ JDM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soundog Posted April 30, 2002 Author Share Posted April 30, 2002 Jim- You have a good point, shared by may. I think this is why these exciting new format are going so slowly out of the starting gate. I just love to expweriment with new things. The DSD is converted to analog inside the player, I beleive. DSD recordings certainly sound better than older remasters transfered to the SACD regular and multichannel. I would not replace any of my regular CDs that I process through Perpetual Technologies P1A & P3A which via a series of digital processing tricks make CDs sound almost as good as SACDs. They end up sending an analog signal to the direct inputs of my receiver. Nothing wrong with good analog signals as many vinyl and tube enthusiasrs will attest to However, SACD especially good DSD multichannel recordings sound breathtaking. I'm pretty sure it has a future but I can understand your and others caution. I got hooked by an inexpensive Sony CE775 that I really thought I would try out and end up returning. I ended up having it modified (I'll post my experience with that growing populaity of mods as another topic). Humper- Yes I,m proud of my Heritage full range speakers all of which I picked up at a mere fraction of their new cost. About $3000 for 2 Khorns and 6 Scalas. New retail list will be at least $15,000 I bet! A top quality system at a budget price. Same is true of my Outlaw 1050 ($499. on the net), the LH-10s ($400 and change each off of ubid) and the great JBL bass tower ($219. delivered)which gives a solid, clean and very dramatic punch to LFEs! The PT devices are a different matter but since I have over 1000 CDs in computer controled changers the CDs cost me about $2. each (works great with 17 cent copies, too!} to keep from replacing with SACDs. All I could report on was how the ICBM worked with my full range system. I'm not sure how it will work with other HT system but would love to find out from anyone who would like to share. I do hope, however, they describe their system and their settings. Otherwise I won't understand completly what their experience is. It is very customary, even with professional reviews to describe the equiptment involved. What if I tried it with Bose cubes and reported it wasn't worth a damn but didn't mention the cubes? I did leave out a full description of my modified 775 which I will post. ------------------ Soundog's HT Systems Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jobman Posted April 30, 2002 Share Posted April 30, 2002 Soundog: I don't remember ever seeing a post where you had pictures of your system. I would love to see the stacked La Scala's. Do you have your subs connected directy to the Outlaw ICBM, or still to the Khorns? jobman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soundog Posted April 30, 2002 Author Share Posted April 30, 2002 I'm really not into photography so I have been trying to get a friend at work over who is to do some shots. I just finished the Curling season and finally had my first weekend and nights free in a long time. The LH10s are hooked up in parallel to the Khorns but are set at a 40Hz crossover, redirected sound from each respective side and a divided center redirected sound are sent along with each right and left signal by the ICBM to the Khorn LH10 combos, I use the JBL bass tower for the .1 channel. ------------------ Soundog's HT Systems Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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