Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion Home Theater lighting and speaker enclosures

I picked up the summer issue of a magazine called "Home Entertainment and Design" the other day. It was focussed primarily on the looks of HT systems, rather than performance, but I did see some really cool looking stuff and got some ideas I might try.

Questions:

-What is the purpose of having that subtle backlighting/uplighting around and behind the screen?
-Do you leave that stuff on while watching a movie, or what?
-If I had a pro do a built-in ent. unit in my media niche (or did it myself) and put my M60s in screened enclosures, how much is that going to degrade their sound?
-How big would those enclosures need to be to give adequate breathing room?
-Anybody ever heard a sub playing from a screened enclosure?
-How much vertical clearance do QS8s top and bottom firing drivers need?
-Using M2s or M3s as rear surrounds in 6.1 or 7.1, is it necessary to provide some space behind them to allow breathing room for their ports?

I got some more but I reckon that's enough for now. Many thanks people.

I think the soft backlighting is supposed to improve perceived black levels.

I'm interested in the nature of BigWill's questions too. While I don't want to "step on his thread", I'd like to take the liberty of adding a similar question of my own.

My RPTV is a Mitsubishi 55" tabletop model (yeah, really). It has a really skinny "top" because it is tapered on the back. Consequently, I can't put a center channel on top without doing something overly creative. The set sits on a custom cabinet that includes space for components and an open niche in the center (under the TV) in which my current center channel sits.

The problems are that I've basically got a speaker sitting inside a wood box (diffraction and resonance horrors, no doubt - try to contain the willies if you can). And that it is only about 20" wide - to narrow to accommodate a VP150.

I'd appreciate comments about whether I am dithering unnecessarily and suggestions for any mitigating measures I might take to improve the current situation. Foam? Concrete? Stuff the surrounding and back areas with something? Hang the speaker from the inside of the "box"?

Why not buy a small speaker stand and put the center on that in front of the tv. You could have it permanent or just tuck away the center in the cabinet and put the stand in a closet or something when you dont want it there.

- What is the purpose of having that subtle backlighting/uplighting around and behind the screen?

Jason got it right, and it’s often called “bias lighting.”


- Do you leave that stuff on while watching a movie, or what?

I played around with some bias lighting when I hung our beloved 120” screen, but eventually concluded that it did not make a significant difference in our setup.


- If I had a pro do a built-in ent. unit in my media niche (or did it myself) and put my M60s in screened enclosures, how much is that going to degrade their sound?

I would say: To the extent that you won’t like the M60’s very much anymore.


- Anybody ever heard a sub playing from a screened enclosure?

As long as the enclosure is located where the sub works well for the room in the first place, I believe enclosing it won’t have too much adverse effects for bass frequencies.


- How much vertical clearance do QS8s top and bottom firing drivers need?

If it were me, I would give at least 6-8” but it might not be very critical.


- Using M2s or M3s as rear surrounds in 6.1 or 7.1, is it necessary to provide some space behind them to allow breathing room for their ports?

Definitely, even if the speakers are or front-ported or sealed. The larger the clearance behind the better they sound. I would say 3-4” absolute minimum.

Thank you, Sushi. No enclosure for the M60s in your opinion (mine too I think), lighting is moot (especially since I don't yet have a projector of any type), and the QS8s need at least 4" or so.

To go 6.1 (with dual rears), or 7.1, I would need to do an asymetrical speaker set up.

More questions:

-QS8s would be better used as sides rather than rears, if I had only one pair, correct?
-Would QS4s as rears be superior to conventional bookshelves in an asymetrical set up (hybrid tweeters vs 1" tweeters).
-How seriously should I take the Denon manuals suggestion to not place speakers further than 16' away?
-Can the non-ported VP100 be used as a rear surround? side surround? (that would be ideal due to room constrictions - one on top of the mantle and the other under the overhanging bar in the kitchen).
-In the above scenario the QS8s would be rear surrounds. From what I've heard about 6.1 and 7.1, this would be a waste, no?

Thanks again, people.

Bigwill, any type of speaker can be used in any configuration for surround speakers.
I had the opportunity to try out M22s vs. QS8s as surround in both the side and behind positions.
The link to my thoughts on this can be found here in this old post.
I have yet to place my VP150 in the rear as my siixth channel but it has been done as well by others.
The suggestions for surrounds are usually placing them first (one pair) on the wall, to the sides, slightly forward and above.
As for the back rears, i would say slightly above but potentially angled if they are direct radiating as opposed to the multidirectional style.
I personally feel the multidirectional speakers are WAY easier to place but certainly direct speakers can be equally as effective with some tweaking.
Using all VP100s for side and rear surrounds actually sounds quite interesting.

Chess has covered much already; I will just add a couple of points...

-Would QS4s as rears be superior to conventional bookshelves in an asymetrical set up (hybrid tweeters vs 1" tweeters).

Regardless of the tweeter driver, the QS surrounds (thanks to its quad-pole configuration) are more forgiving on less-than-ideal placements than directs.


-How seriously should I take the Denon manuals suggestion to not place speakers further than 16' away?

I have no idea why Denon specifically recommends that way. I wouldn't care anyway.


-Can the non-ported VP100 be used as a rear surround? side surround? (that would be ideal due to room constrictions - one on top of the mantle and the other under the overhanging bar in the kitchen).

You can certainly do that, but as the side surrounds, I believe that the QS's will do better job in general, especially in reproducing ambience.

Thanks, guys. I was hoping to hear from both of you. Kinda drunk now.

Hey Will - in which delightful nectar are you inbibing this evening? Personally, I was highly satisfied by the Full Sail Amber Ale I just finished. I'm a big fan of regional craft breweries.

Feeling a little dehydrated this morning, but last night we visited our local brewpub - The Main Street Brewery in Corona. Very small operation (I think he has a 5 barrel setup), and some of his specialty brews are odd tasting, but good quality and consistency with the standard offerings.

Oh, and that Full Sail is a good beer. Lots of excellent small breweries in N.Cal. We have a few down here. One that absolutely is a must try is the Stone Brewing Co. in the San Diego area. Their pale ale is absolutely perfect - at least the last time I tried it, it was. Might be able to find it in your neck of the woods.

I have sisters in Sandy Eggo and Temecula and have had some Stone beers in bottles. I thought they were fine, but not remarkable. We don't get them up here. I have no doubt that the draught versions are superior

I really enjoyed the times I've been to Karl Strauss operations - excellent, clean beers with character. Traditional German styles are much more difficult (and expensive) to produce than British ales. I also had a couple of transcendent experiences at the San Marcos brewery. Finally, I fondly recall a bottle of Cream Ale from a brewery in Riverside that was clean and luscious - a practically perfect beer (at least for that day!).

If you see any Deschutes beers in your local store and have not had a chance to try them, by all means do so - those guys in Bend can really nail a style, and the consistency of the bottled product (at least here) is spectacular.

I love the Hefe-Weizen microbrewed at my local Humperdinks pub. A real Bavarian style.

Btw, why do those AV interior magazines always emphasize how to "hide" the speakers and AV gears, rather than how to truly incorporate them into the decor design?

tom, while in sandy a few years ago, had an opportunity to visit one of karl's pubs, and do have to agree about tasty beers. after a sampler a buddy and i chose our favorites, and enjoyed. but, what blew us away, in your fine state where one cannot even fart in public, there was beer to go. now we're not talking a 12 oz or 16 oz bottles, they were jugs. here is mass, we can burp, fart, smoke in some places, but have not seen beer to go like there. maybe it's heading east as you folks are the "trend setters"."

Dan - I was in Boston (and also parts west) a couple times 5-6 years ago. What struck me was the lack of "samplers" even at craft breweries. Somebody explained to me that it was illegal to have more than one beverage in front of you at the same time. Baffling. The draught gallons-to-go at Strauss are nice, but make me tend to drink a bit too much.

Sushi - It's rare to find a true, Bavarian Hefeweizen. The American palate (and wallet) does not seem to respond favorably to that lovely, rich, clovey Weiheinstephan yeast strain. I love it. I don't much favor the dumbed-down american wheat beers (like Widmer).

Craft beer overall was more fun for me 10-15 years ago; many small breweries have succumbed to market forces by making more mainstream beers or literally selling out. But it is a great blessing to have good beer widely available.

Are any of you (especially our Canadian friends) familiar with the beers of Unibroue? They make fantastic, Belgian-style beer in Quebec. Just great. Love their Fin du Monde ("The end of the world") - strong, spicy, rich, effervescent. I should probably start a beer thread somewhere more appropriate....

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Somebody explained to me that it was illegal to have more than one beverage in front of you at the same time.

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Wow... Does that mean that, in Boston, you cannot have glasses of white and red wines simultaneously in front of you in, say, a fully formal French dinner setup? What a bizarre ordinance.

I've tried Fin Du Monde. If I remember correctly it came in a larger bottle and was like 8 or 9%?
It was pretty good. Definatly not for those who don't only like the 'light' beer taste.

That's great news.. My brother-n-law lives in Bend.. We go up there once or twice a year.. I've seen those Deschutes in the markets around town, but never seemed to be in the mood to pick some up.. I'll definitely give it a go next time I'm in town..

Masa, things are apparently tough in Massachusetts, but you may be safe with the two glasses of wine. Maybe the real problem is mentioned in this summary at #31, but also note #s 27 and 38.

Susi, I agree.. This has always amazed me.. The such and such mag will have all this hot info on the latest and greatest speaker, amp, et all.. Followed by a how-to "Place your gear JUST so" or you will not get the best possible sound.. Only to find add after add of fancy furniture to place all said gear, thereby defeating all we just learned ?
Is there really a happy medium ? A common ground (60 cycle not withstanding) we can all stand on ?

Well since everyone is hijacking and now llnking, i would recommend you peruse these two webpages:

Unusual liquor laws in the US
(I personally enjoyed #8, 9, 21, 22 and of course, for the biology enthusiasts, #29 and 30).

CBC on Canadians and alcohol consumed annually

I second that Deschutes recommendation. Black Butte Porter used to be my favorite beer -- so much so that I actually made a side-trip to Bend, Oregon to visit the brewery on a road trip.

My favorite these days is Fat Tire Ale by New Belguim Brewing Co. in Fort Collins, Colorado. It used to be very hard to find in California until recently. Now I can get it at Whole Foods and Costco.

Incidentally, with both Black Butte and Fat Tire, I prefer bottled to draught.

Fat Tire is my least favorite New Belgium brew. Try the excellent Trippel Ale or my personal favorite Biere de Mars Ale. Their website is http://www.newbelgium.com/

Sounds like there are some knowledgeable drinkers that also own Axiom speakers. I would have expected more Pabst Blue Ribbon guys than Belgian ale fanatics on this site (Axiom speakers being so value oriented). I heard alot of subjective claims from you guys about one beer being better than another. What was your methodology? Was it a blind test? Were they the same temperature?
Seriously though, it is nice to know that I'm not the only boozehound on this board. And don't even begin to think that I'm some dweeb from LA that thinks George Killians is an import. I love Belgian Dubbel (even a La Trappe will do nicely), but as long as it isn't corn or rice mixed with 6-row I'm easily satisfied.

And one other thing. What's up with Canada trying to make all these different beers that were originally from other countries? They ruined Harp.

Its more about quality than quantity now.

it may be time to replace those pictures of dogs, personal shots etc. with a graphic of your favorite brew, or vintage; if you can decide on only one. but, how would one decide, in stereo or prologic mode?
did axiom hire that mystery person to craft the new Aximus, hand crafted brew? if they can ship speakers so quickly, a two day wait for an exceptional libation is not out of the question. do we need a beer/wine thread?

Oi, don't forget hard liquor!

Quality is very imortant. Particularly when you are going to indulge in quantity.

Your forgetting the other part of the Axiom board. It's not just value based, it's more of a bang for the buck nature. The greatest quality at a low price. We'd all have HTIB if we only cared about value

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I heard alot of subjective claims from you guys about one beer being better than another. What was your methodology? Was it a blind test? Were they the same temperature?

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Will, don't you play innocent with me; anybody who knows La Trappe and 6-row knows better than to try to sucker somebody into a "quality" discussion

My comments (and I think most other folks in this particular venue) obviously stem from the good old subjective personal satisfaction index. However, as with most enjoyable things, a person can take beer drinking to its clinical extreme and suck the joy right out of it. Check out the Beer Judge Certification Program Beer Style Guidelines.

I passed my BJCP exam about ten years ago and have judged in dozens of homebrew competitions. It's grueling, but somebody's got to do it. It represents a surprisingly rigorous field of study if you have the time. Blind tastings can be fun, but mostly I just drink what I like, which tends to American dark beers. Support your local brewmaster.

I've got to agree with Dave - New Belgium makes some spectacular beers, of which Fat Tire is the cash cow. But that's great, because it allows them to indulge the collective brewery muse and make some boutique beers with more limited commercial viability for the beergeeks. Best thing about Fat Tire is that it is widely available in draught, so you can get a really good beer at places (like Safeco Field) where you might otherwise be reduced to lesser beer just for the sake of having one.

But pmbuko, while I'd agree that Fat Tire and Black Butte are excellent examples of flavorful, consistent, bottled beers, I can't agree that they are better than the draught versions. Maybe your local pub needs to clean their lines or sell more of that product. Bottled beer is dead. Draught beer is alive. The vast majority of bottled beer is either pasteurized or has the yumminess filtered out of it so that it does not degrade due to the unpredictability of handling. Those beers that are on the lees (include live yeast in the bottle) are still subject to being light struck, nonrefrigerated or other horrors before you get them. Finally, I find that draught beer is healthier for me (many fewer headaches), which I attribute to the B vitamins in the yeast.

Bottles are great for portability and flexibility. Other than that, it's a fresh-food-vs.-canned-food issue to me.

My wife just shakes her head that I've hijacked a speaker thread into a beer thread. Obviously, I can't help myself.

I suspected you were a home brewer. Can't seem to find the time to brew anymore, but I was doing all grain beers in 10-12 gallon batches for many years.

I suppose I was trying to sucker you into a discussion about quality in beer. IMHO, if it's an all malt beer (or fitting for the beer style), balanced (or fitting for the beer style), and free from defects, the argument about quality is specious. Though Becks is mass produced, it would be difficult to say it is of inferior quality to an expensive Belgian ale. Liquor is another story, however.

I thought being a brewmaster at a microbrewery would be a dream job, but maybe that of beer judge would be better. How's it pay?

Isn't a keg just a bigger bottle?

Most of the time draft beer is filtered product with C02 for carbonation. When my friend went form bottling to kegging his homebrews I didn't notice any difference in taste. The bubbles were a little bigger, maybe. Granted, his beer was still unfiltered - "alive".

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The vast majority of bottled beer is either pasteurized or has the yumminess filtered out of it

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There is a microbrewery in southern Ontario called Creemore Springs. They make a bottled, unpasteurized, lager which comes in half litre, screw top bottles although they recently introduced the usual 341mL twist offs.
The water comes from an actual groundwater spring and is trucked to the brewery every hour.
It is truly a fresh tasting beer.

You know, hyping the new bottle's "French curve neck" won't win it any fans in the US...

Yes and French's mustard 'obviously' coming from France also received the wrath of misguided individuals.
What are people thinking these days?

Sacrificing quality product over a name or title. That's just terrible torture to the tastebuds.

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What are people thinking these days?

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Thinking isn't permitted anymore than atheists can be considered patriots.

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Sacrificing quality product over a name or title. That's just terrible torture to the tastebuds.

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It will however be a convenient means by which I'll be able to identify those worthy of my death camps once I attain power.