Previous Thread
Next Thread
Print Thread
Rate Thread
What surrounds for college kid?
#4841 08/13/02 10:54 PM
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 5
regular
OP Offline
regular
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 5
My daughter is off to college and I am putting together a system for her. Right now she is in a small studio apartment with a slight loft and ledge above the couch where she will watch tv. Of course like any young person, she will probably move a lot in the years to come so each location will have a different listening arrangement. I will probably get her the M3's with a 100 center for the front. Should I get her directs or quad poles for the rear given that she will move a lot?

Re: What surrounds for college kid?
#4842 08/14/02 12:09 AM
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 5,745
Likes: 17
axiomite
Offline
axiomite
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 5,745
Likes: 17
Surprisingly i think this is an easy choice.
Not only do the QSx outperform the direct speaker style for surround usage (at least in ease of placement, not quality of sound), but they are also much smaller than one would expect them to be.
picture of the QS8 sitting on the M22ti
Unless your daughter wants to take the time to setup a proper surround area or specifically wants 2 full sets of direct speakers, i would say the QSx would do the job admirably and compactly with its small size.
Besides that, they have an atypical aesthetic factor to wow her new college friends.

Last edited by chesseroo; 08/14/02 12:15 AM.

"Those who preach the myths of audio are ignorant of truth."
Re: What surrounds for college kid?
#4843 08/14/02 01:30 AM
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 3,270
connoisseur
Offline
connoisseur
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 3,270
Hi,
Excellent advice, chesseroo, and I liked the widescreen aspect ratio of the picture you posted of the QS8s on top of the M22ti's. That's wider than 16:9. Maybe 2:35:1 (Lawrence of Arabia).

Regards,


Alan Lofft,
Axiom Resident Expert (Retired)
Re: What surrounds for college kid?
#4844 08/14/02 02:57 AM
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 5
regular
OP Offline
regular
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 5
So Cheeseroo, are you saying that they don't necessarily have to be to the side of the listening spot and up a few feet? Can they just be above and behind on the ledge?

Re: What surrounds for college kid?
#4845 08/14/02 03:38 AM
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 5,745
Likes: 17
axiomite
Offline
axiomite
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 5,745
Likes: 17
Alan has found that the location beside the listener, above and slightly forward has the best sound.
I've found that right next to the listener (out a couple of feet) and up a foot or so is best for me. However, i have also tried them directly behind my couch sitting at the couch ends which is about a half foot above my ears and the surround effect is still very good, just different.

If you play around with the speaker placement a little bit once you order it and before your daughter goes away, you will find that with the quadpole design, the sound is dispersed up, down and angled to left and rights. In almost any placement, you will get a diffuse sound and 'surround effect'.
The QSx really works well in this regard and if the position of the surround speakers will be limited as you seem to suggest, then i would recommend nothing BUT the QSx design over the direct speakers.
link to my M22 vs QS8 review in the forums

In any event, your daughter should be thrilled. These really are great quality speakers to be bringing to college. I only wish i had the foresight to know about better audio before i spent a good chunk of my own cash on a low end Technics system ten years ago.


"Those who preach the myths of audio are ignorant of truth."
Re: What surrounds for college kid?
#4846 08/14/02 03:42 AM
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 5,745
Likes: 17
axiomite
Offline
axiomite
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 5,745
Likes: 17
If you liked that picture, chek out the truly roomwide screen composite while looking forward.
chek out the 'basement panorama' jpg

When is your widescreen Axiom setup going to appear on the Axiom Wall o Fame?


"Those who preach the myths of audio are ignorant of truth."
Re: What surrounds for college kid?
#4847 08/14/02 01:57 PM
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 3,270
connoisseur
Offline
connoisseur
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 3,270
Hi,

Just a small correction about what I've said: either slightly forward or slightly to the rear of the listening position (Dolby Labs actually says up to 20 degrees forward or to the rrear of an imaginary line drawn through the listening area). And higher above the listener's ears is usually better--2 to 3 feet works really well in my room, but every room is different and do experiment with placement.

I've heard QS4s placed way up high on a wire shelf behind the listening area in a big loft in Brooklyn, and they sounded terrific.

Regards,


Alan Lofft,
Axiom Resident Expert (Retired)

Moderated by  alan, Amie, Andrew, axiomadmin, Brent, Debbie, Ian, Jc 

Link Copied to Clipboard

Need Help Graphic

Forum Statistics
Forums16
Topics24,940
Posts442,457
Members15,616
Most Online2,082
Jan 22nd, 2020
Top Posters
Ken.C 18,044
pmbuko 16,441
SirQuack 13,840
CV 12,077
MarkSJohnson 11,458
Who's Online Now
0 members (), 136 guests, and 1 robot.
Key: Admin, Global Mod, Mod
Newsletter Signup
Powered by UBB.threads™ PHP Forum Software 7.7.4