111db Posted April 3, 2001 Share Posted April 3, 2001 I have a much-loved pair of Fortes for which I am buying some new electronics, and I am torn between getting a stereo receiver or a 5.1 receiver. Most of my listening (and my top priority)is CDs and vinyl, but it would be nice to play DVDs in 5.0 surround sound (I don't want to add a subwoofer: the Fortes' bass is just too sweet to mess with). Will 5.1 HT receivers let me play in 5.0 without loss of bass due to smaller speakers for the surrounds (high quality homebuilts; 42hz cutoff), and also let me play 2-channel recordings through the two Fortes only? Or am I better off with an analog stereo receiver and "mere" 2.0 sound from DVDs? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HT_Andy Posted April 3, 2001 Share Posted April 3, 2001 I have a Yamaha RXV-596 a/v receiver. It will do everything you want (bass management, 2-channel, 5.0, 5.1). It also has external decoder inputs in case you want to upgrade to something like DVD Audio someday (its awesome btw). They're relatively cheap - Soundtrack occasionally has them on sale for around $450, cheaper if you do a little surfing. It was recommended to me by someone who actually knows something about electronics. Don't give up on the sub. I felt the same way originally, but it does help both 2 and 5 channel music and movies. I set the volume & frequency both fairly low. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jhawk92 Posted April 13, 2001 Share Posted April 13, 2001 111- I have a pair of the Forte IIs and had them as the L/R mains of my Pro-Logic HT for 6 years and love(d) them dearly. As I was on the path to upgrading to 5.1, I did a bunch of auditioning/research and finally decided on a sub, Paradigm PW2200. I have to say, it makes the Fortes even better. I leave them as "large" and the sub compliments them nicely. My Denon AVR4800/POA5200 system brings out the speakers in all their glory, whether 5.1 (THX-EX) for movies, 5-(7)channel music, or straight 2-ch stereo. Why limit yourself to only a couple speakers when you can have great sound "surrounding" you. Good luck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
orthj Posted April 13, 2001 Share Posted April 13, 2001 jhawk92. Wow. I am near to buying the PW2200 myself. I've only heard it in the store and not with the Forte IIs that I own. My one concern was that the the pass on the sub only goes down to '50' - I am afraid that this will pollute the sweetness of the Forte IIs from 50 down to mid 30s...How do you have your PW2200 set-up and which finish did you get? This isn't that important but I haven't seen the dark cherry or rosewood in person (I am buying the sub over the web)... Thanks! J. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
orthj Posted April 13, 2001 Share Posted April 13, 2001 jhawk92. Wow. I am near to buying the PW2200 myself. I've only heard it in the store and not with the Forte IIs that I own. My one concern was that the the pass on the sub only goes down to '50' - I am afraid that this will pollute the sweetness of the Forte IIs from 50 down to mid 30s...How do you have your PW2200 set-up and which finish did you get? This isn't that important but I haven't seen the dark cherry or rosewood in person (I am buying the sub over the web)... Thanks! J. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
111db Posted April 16, 2001 Author Share Posted April 16, 2001 Just checking in to say thanks for the help. I'm going 5.1 (Onkyo) but I remain skeptical about the superiority of a separate subwoofer even if it extends the system response down to 20Hz. Julian Hirsch's Stereo Review test of the original Forte logged by far the lowest (in 1986) bass distortion ever measured by him, and still state-of-the-art today. The possibility of phase cancellations when crossing over to a sub at a low frequency seems high. I am afraid I might lose (low distortion, flat response) more than I gain (1/2 octave bass). I know this is an awfully conservative outlook, but with 2ch music as my top priority I think it is justified. I might change my tune if I start viewing movies a lot. Thanks again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boa12 Posted April 16, 2001 Share Posted April 16, 2001 111, u may also try auditioning (if you can find one) a velodyne hgs line sub. they really put an emphasis on low distortion w/ their hgs(high gain servo) tech & all. cost a pretty penny though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnA Posted April 16, 2001 Share Posted April 16, 2001 111 dB, A sub is required for 5.1. With most electronics you can set the .1 (LFE) output to subwoofer or LFE only. With LFE only, the sub will get only the special effects and will not interfer with your Fortes. The problem with this is on some movies the LFE signal is infrequent enough the sub will automatically power down. John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jhawk92 Posted April 17, 2001 Share Posted April 17, 2001 orthj- PW2200 is a great unit. I don't remember exactly where I have the unit set at, so I'll check at home tonight and let you know. I got the black finish; didn't know there were other finishes, but I don't mind, since the sub is tucked away behind a sofa and end table. If you get it, an easy way to find a location for the sub is to place the sub where your listening position is, then walk around and find a sweet spot. It works. John is correct about the LFE being sporadic on some movies. My PW2200 has both settings; "always on" and "on with signal." Since I have the low freqs going to both the sub and the mains (set to "large") I don't run into the problem of missing out on an explosion if the sub were to power off. I think it does that after 10-15 min of no signal. But, you should be able to tweak the sub so that is doesn't cancel out the thump of the Fortes. I never thought a sub would help, but I am a believer! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
orthj Posted April 17, 2001 Share Posted April 17, 2001 I think I'll get the pw2200 in black. I have never thought that a sub would help that much either (since the Forte II does such a nice job), but I think a sub like the 2200 will be a nice addition. I once owned an M&K MX 90 and was running it with Quartets and it was nice-but the 2200 is MUCH better than the MX90 was...So, I think I'll go for it! Any other hints about the 2200? And, what did you get it for? J. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
orthj Posted April 17, 2001 Share Posted April 17, 2001 I think I'll get the pw2200 in black. I have never thought that a sub would help that much either (since the Forte II does such a nice job), but I think a sub like the 2200 will be a nice addition. I once owned an M&K MX 90 and was running it with Quartets and it was nice-but the 2200 is MUCH better than the MX90 was...So, I think I'll go for it! Any other hints about the 2200? And, what did you get it for? J. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jhawk92 Posted April 24, 2001 Share Posted April 24, 2001 orthj- Sorry for the slow response. Yes, you will love the PW2200. I picked mine up for about $800 when I lived in CA last year. If you go to Paradigm's website, they have a dealer locator. As far as hints...it is nice to have a second person around so they can work the phase & crossover settings while you sit in the sweet spot and can judge what is best. That way you can tell as it happens, rather than listening, getting up, tweaking, sitting back down, listening. For me, that also included jumping over the sofa as the sub found itself tucked behind an end table/love seat combo. Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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