|   Center Channel with mismatched speakers? | Cassidy
Dec 10, 2002 9:12 AM | | I don't have the $$ to fork over for a new music/HT system so I'm looking for some advice as to how to integrate my existing components for music/HT
--I have a pair of older B&Os that I will keep up front
--I have an older pair of Boston Acoustic bookshelfs that will move to the back
--I have to purchase a digital receiver (thinking Marantz or Denon)
--I need a center channel
I know from the forums that mix and match on surround sound is not ideal, but no $$ to start over so I'm going with what I've got.
Finally, I have run wire to other rooms and have bookshelf speakers in those rooms. How can I best alter volume in different rooms from one receiver?
Would appreciate any and all comments on how I can pull this together and get the best sound possible. |
| re: Center Channel with mismatched speakers? | midfiman
Dec 10, 2002 9:21 AM | | I think you'd be better off using the Bostons upfront and the Bos in the back. This way, you can find a center that matches the Bostons fairly easily most likely. Then, when finances allow, you can move the old bostons to the back and get nice new bostons for front duty.
The most cost efficient way of getting sound into other rooms is to use a speaker selector box (radio shack, about $30-$40). The only downside of that method is you can't control volume of each set of speakers you run off of it. |
| Midfiman--why not have larger ones up front? | Cassidy
Dec 10, 2002 1:23 PM | | I'm certainly no genius when it comes to surround sound, bu t I thought the idea was to put your larger floor standing speakers up front and bookshelfs in back.
Thanks for the input. |
| Midfiman--why not have larger ones up front? | Ray from RI
Dec 10, 2002 1:48 PM | | The reason of midfiman is that it's probably easier to find a matching center to the Boston than the B&O. It's pretty impotant to match the timbre of the three front channels in a HT setup.
-Ray |
| Ray's right... | midfiman
Dec 10, 2002 2:39 PM | | I only suggested it because it will be hard to find a matching center for the BOs.
In your case, larger speakers might be better upfront. But as soon as you get a sub, it doesn't matter as much because it will take care of most of the deeper bass work. |
| re: Center Channel with mismatched speakers? | Bobby Blacklight
Dec 10, 2002 12:53 PM | | Infinity used to offer a 2 centers that had adjustable levels control. The cc-3 had midrange and trebel the cc-2 had treble only. If you can see if any of the current centers can do this. It can make it much easier to try to timber match it to your mains.
"Finally, I have run wire to other rooms and have bookshelf speakers in those rooms. How can I best alter volume in different rooms from one receiver?"
You can by volume controls L-Pads to install in the line to the other room. |
| re: Center Channel with mismatched speakers? | Woochifer
Dec 10, 2002 4:11 PM | | Another option is to go without a center speaker altogether. Any surround receiver will downmix the signals intended for the center speaker between the L/R mains. When I tried my system out with a mismatched speaker in the middle, it sounded completely out of whack. The center speaker does help anchor the dialog solidly in the middle, but if the center speaker does not match the mains, it will draw attention to itself. In this case, you're better off with no center speaker than a grossly mismatched one.
Depending on how much older your Bostons are, it might be easier to find a matching center for those speakers than for B&Os.
As far as going with multiroom goes, receivers with this function typically give you either a preout that connects to an amplifer in the others, where you control the volume locally, or a multizone amplifier on the receiver itself where you can control the levels for the main room and second room independently. For the latter feature, you're looking at midlevel receivers at a minimum, like the Denon AVR-3803. |
| You've got to give Bose a mark in the "win" column for this... | jeskibuff
Dec 11, 2002 4:23 AM | | ....because their radio-frequency remote controlled units allow you to change the volume of speakers in another room from that room. Infrared controls don't do it. Still, not enough reason to buy a Bose system. I believe there are infrared repeaters on the market, though. You put the receiver part in the second room, shoot your infrared remote at it and it transmits the signal via radio frequencies to a unit that beams the infrared signal at your equipment, as if you were there. Anyone know a good place to find these? I see PartsExpress has one, but it looks like an awkward setup. http://www.partsexpress.com/Tech/182-310.html
AudioAdvisor has this one from Niles Audio for $199, but it appears that the receivers connect via wires to the transmitter. http://www.audioadvisor.com/store/productdetail.asp?sku=NIFG00772 |
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