Need speakers to compliment Klipschorns for 5:1

[meagain]

Hardhead - I agree. Surround is a great thing. And more & more cd's are going to be recorded in 5:1 which from the taste I got from it - is outstanding and would be utterly amazing with the right system. I verbally committed to a pair of LaScalas (3 years older than my khorns) so I think they'll be 'right'. I think we're going to end up moving them around between using them as mains in another room and 5:1. I hope I get them! I'm getting pretty excited about it.

I agree Belles are beautiful speakers. But sooo expensive on the used market.

EDIT: Can anyone tell me how one hooks up ONE speaker as a rear when the receiver has 2 ports? (scratching head).

[Hardhead]

meagain--

To make a single rear speaker play the signal from two rear channels is easy. You do it the same way you derive a summed center channel from a left and right speaker. (Sound familiar?)

If you can go back into the forum archives to 2001,a poster called ragjr on January 19th asked how to derive a center channel. Al Klappenberger, among others, responded and told how to do it. He even furnished a picture of his circuit. The picture shows how easy it is. You'll need a small plastic mixing box, 5 female RCA jacks, 2 resistors, and a couple of inches of wire. I don't have a digital camera, or I'd take a picture of my circuit. Any time anyone on this forum asks about deriving a 3rd channel, lots of folks who haven't done it or heard it pop up and say how it doesn't/can't work, but it can and it does. The first time I heard it was at the Klipsch listening room in Hope, and a year later I had one for myself.

I put a switch in the mixer box between the preamp and the center channel amp in my system so I can switch the input to the center speaker amp so the center speaker can play a derived center channel signal on stereo music or a discreet center channel signal on 5.1 music or DVD's. You may want to consider having your center speaker do double duty, since it works very well.

I have to say that, although combining both rear channels into one rear channel can be done, I don't think it should be done. There's a BIG sonic difference in putting 3 speakers where there normally are 2 (deriving a center channel is a great idea) versus putting only 1 speaker where there should be 2 (combining left rear and right rear into 1 rear channel is, in my opinion, not a good idea). It's the sonic equivalent of cutting 2 legs off one side of a table and putting one of the legs in the middle. You'll have a sonic tripod. Sounds that should come from the left rear and/or right rear shouldn't come from the middle rear.

Let us know if you can't find the forum materials on deriving a 3rd channel.

[m8o]

" Seriously, why bother? If you are listening to music then 2-channel is fine (perhaps supplemented with an additive center). When you go beyond that, then you are in the world of gimmicks and effects." PT, for 2.0 sources, three words: seven "channel" stereo gimmicky? yes. the right kind o' gimmicky? oh yes, 'specially for parties. [<)]

[~] Tell me about it! I'd like to add, I beg anyone to listen to the Steely Dan Two Against Nature DVD on a top knotch 5.1 system and not be totally enthrawled by it. Gimmicky? Nea.

I read this thread with great interest as I'm bidding on a set of La Scalas and Heresy II speakers now. The thinking was I'd buy a new single Heresy III for the center. (for speakers I have M&K S-150 THX w/2 subs now for the HT setup, and customized Martin Logan Sequel II for the 2-channel system upstairs).

However I was kind of hoping to be outbid on the Heresy set due to the size. [???] My HT room has the perfect soffit running down each side to mount side speakers on, under or in ; right now one set of surround speakers are mounted on it, and it's not enough. So I was hoping to read about a 'smaller' Klipsch speaker that matches the timbre of the La Scala, and mount 3 to 4 sets on or in the soffit, both on the side and under it ... so should I infer from the participants on this thread that no Klipsch surround speakers but other speakers in the Heritage line will match timbre to La Scalas?

[Griffinator]

so should I infer from the participants on this thread that no Klipsch surround speakers but other speakers in the Heritage line will match timbre to La Scalas?

Correct. No other Klipsch speakers will match timbre to La's or

K-horns. It's a completely different animal, from a pure timbre

perspective. Personally, I don't think Heresy's match timbre with the

big boys either. K's, La's, Belles, and Corns all have the distinctive

tone that no other speaker in the Klipsch lineup can match.

[m8o]

so should I infer from the participants on this thread that no Klipsch surround speakers but other speakers in the Heritage line will match timbre to La Scalas?

Correct. No other Klipsch speakers will match timbre to La's or K-horns. It's a completely different animal, from a pure timbre perspective. Personally, I don't think Heresy's match timbre with the big boys either. K's, La's, Belles, and Corns all have the distinctive tone that no other speaker in the Klipsch lineup can match.

Thanx very much. Just what this neophite needed.

Ok, so I gotta make sure I win both auctions ; for the La Scala and Heresy. I heard what you say, but the Corns will be too big plus expensive right now. ...now if I can only beg the other bidder to stop bidding... it's already cost me a few hundred dollars... []