A change of Surround Speakers

-

My original side surround speakers were an excellent PSB 10S Bipoles. But due to a structural issue, I originally had them mounted high up on a shelf, about 2.2m above the floor and about 4 feet above my listening position. This resulted in an uneven sound experience and the Audyssey compensated by turning up my left surround much louder than my right. Furthermore, i could not get the enveloping effect I was used to with my old setup, as the speakers were near the ceiling, and a little recessed on the Ikea shelf. Now you may think that it was no big deal, but it resulted in a rather unsatisfactory ambience and it was hard to feel the surround experience I had created before.

So I decided on a few options:
a - bring them down and drill a hole into them and mounted them underneath the old shelf in an underslung fashion. 
b- I also researched into the Monitor Audio options, since I was already using them for the front speakers. This seemed to be the better option for a few reasons.

One the drivers of the new RX series were more similar to my older GS series, allowing for a more seamless integration. The RX FX speakers also had a switch which allowed them to be either bipole or dipole. 
There was a pair of mounting lugs behind, which allowed the speakers to be mounted almost flush with the side walls without a shelf or a bracket. And this suited my narrow long room better. There is a whole debate on the dipole / bipole issue, and here is a link to a good article on the matter: (http://forum.blu-ray.com/showthread.php?t=170720).

Of note is that you use the Dipole mode in a way such that you sit in the null zone between the two tweeters, to give a very diffuse sound and I found this to be more ideal since my sitting position was almost exactly between the two side surrounds.

Some specs and info on the MA RXFX:

It's widely understood that the sound of surround TVs cannot compete with the excitement of a properly designed and equalised home theatre system. But great sound comes at the expense of living space…until now. The wall-hugging RX-FX surround speaker reconciles the problem by providing a convincing, enveloping timbre-consistent surround sound that places you on the edge of your seat and at the heart of the action. Discreet enough to be flush-mounted on side or rear walls, the RX-FX design will blend with the system and your décor so completely you'll wonder why you ever thought of compromise. It's also immensely flexible sonically, offering direct or diffuse sound effects at the flick of a switch.

  • Flush to wall placement, with recessed termination.
  • Drivers match with other Rx loudspeakers for consistent timbre and consistency.
  • Dual di-pole/ bi-pole modes easily selected by switch operation.
  • New C-CAM® tweeter design with damped rear chamber, providing improved clarity and wider operating range to make better use of HD audio formats
  • Single 6" C-CAM® bass/mid-range driver incorporating RST® technology, for better damping and improved mid-range clarity.
  • Selected premium quality wood veneers or high gloss piano finishes.
  • Acoustically matched with all other Rx speakers for excellent imaging and consistency of timbre in surround applications.


Specification

ItemValue
System Format: 2 Way
Frequency Response: 60Hz - 35kHz
Sensitivity (1W@1M): 89dB
Nominal Impedance: 6 Ohms
Maximum SPL (dBA): 111.8
Power Handling (RMS): 80W
Recommended Amplifier Requirements (RMS): 10-80W
Bass Alignment: Sealed Cabinet
Tweeter Crossover Frequency: 2.1kHz
Drive Unit Complement: 1 x 6" RST® Bass/Mid driver.
2 x 1" (25mm) C-CAM® gold dome tweeters
Product External Dimensions:
(H x W x D)		  250 x 300 x 120 mm
(9 13/16 x 11 13/16 x 4 3/4 inch)
Individual Weight: 4.69 Kg (10.38 lb)


I found that the experience with these speakers in the dipole mode, sited about 75 cm above my listening position was pretty good and I then swopped the PSB bipoles to the rear back position. This was also an improvement as the rear backs were in a less than ideal or Dolby dictated position and still allowed for a good spread of the sound in the rear soundstage. 


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

KEF LS 50 Meta review and comparison with the LS50

-
Image
The original KEF LS50 was one of those landmark speakers, a pocket rocket which performed at a much higher level than what it’s price tag might indicate. The original LS50 has been widely reviewed, and is well regarded by audiophiles everywhere.  However it does have some bite in the treble and lacks some deep bass, and works better for music which does not go too deep or with a sub to reinforce the bass. But what it does have is fabulous imaging, which allows you to how off great soundstaging, depth, and definition. If you are into details, you’ll love them. The coaxial design is also wonderful for those who sit a bit off axis. The construction is a marvel in itself and with a modern design, a beautiful gloss finish and a quality build. No wonder it’s loved by music lovers the world over. Now recently KEF has introduced the new KEF Meta. This is an updated version of the original and whilst it can look deceivingly the same, there are significant differences. First a link to the offici
Read more

Dynaudio Heritage Special Speaker Review

-
Image
Dynaudio is a company that has been in the speaker business for more than forty years and prides itself on making most of its components in house, especially the drivers and most of the cabinetry. Through the years they have developed many beloved components for their top end products and have also distilled them down to the masses whenever they launch a special edition. So they have adopted a similar format and take some of their finest drivers, an Esotar 3 tweeter and a woofer derived from the Evidence range and placed them into a more traditional walnut veneer speaker for us to sample.  Thus the Heritage Special (HS) was born. The catch ? Well there are two.. firstly it’s by no means cheap, even though it uses choice components. Second there are only 2500 pairs so if you’re waiting to get one, don’t ! And that’s the sum of my review if you may. If you’re a Dynaudio afficiando, just plonk down the deposit that had planned for the annual summer holiday and get this instead. Now reader
Read more

Haiku fan review II - Mounting a Fan and Using more than one Fan

-
Image
A long long time ago, you had but a handful of choice of fans, and well, they mostly looked the same. The luxury fan market was almost non existent and then Haiku came along and all that changed. My original review is linked here:  Haiku fan review - how to choose a fan Since then, things have moved on and now we are into the fourth generation of the Haiku fan, or fifth if you count the more budget orientated version as well.  Well let's mention what is still present first. The cool, sleek design is still here. And you get both composite ABS blades, as well as bamboo options. It is still a DC motor, with the attendant energy savings, and the silent motor. But most importantly for most buyers, it still looks good. So what is new?  The size options have increased, from 52", 60" and now 84". You still get the option of a longer stalk for higher ceilings, but the longer mount  which extends from 40 to 70 cm comes with a rather bulbous base, instead of the mo
Read more