Mostly for movies grunt. However I do like watching concert videos and therefore, I perfer 2 ch or 2.2.
I don’t even buy a concert video if it’s not in surround sound any more. Most of the BD video and even a few of the multi-channel DVD ones are far superior to anything 2.0 or 2.1.
I was thinking the EP800 in a verticle position up front and below the centre channel. However couldn't quite see how this would be better than a single, given the duo's are so close together. Basically how is it much different than the EP600, besides volumn and power.
Each step up the subwoofer chain will give you more SPL at a given frequency especially at the lowest frequency. If you want deeper bass you generally want a bigger more powerful subwoofer. If you want flatter in room bass response (usually more important IMO) then multiple subwoofers may help with that but only if placed to do so. IMO two subs placed close together aren’t going to give you much more than a +3dB boost in SPL. Two subs up front placed with the mains may give you better stereo response from your subwoofers but only if you run an external crossover and send the deep bass and lower midbass meant for the mains to each subwoofer respectively (costly for little gain IMO if running M80s).
That is good to know that having duo subs EP500's are best one up front and one rear.
Opposing placement is a generalization. Every room is unique and the best way to find optimal placement is by experimenting.
So, one up front and one out of phase in the rear is better than two upfront as in SirQuack theatre pics ?
If both subwoofers are not in phase they will sound terrible. Also dual subwoofer placement is much easier to manage with a receiver capable of .2 with discrete distance and SPL settings for each sub.
How far from the side walls would the M80's work best, acoustically treated walls and what is the best seperation between te two. I was thinking 10 - 11 ft and me being 10 - 11 ft away. Therefore a 100" +- screen would be great.
How far is room/seating dependent. The general rule is to have at least 3 feet to prevent certain frequencies from having interference from their counterparts reflected off the wall. This could certainly be mitigated by treatments but some sound reflected off the walls is good for expanding the front soundstage. Only experimentation will tell.
I hung my screen so that it’s above my M80s so I’d have freedom to move them around w/o worrying about blocking the screen. However, I have really big chairs so I can easily see over them. a dual riser for both the front and back row would take care of that, but you’d also need to have a high enough ceiling to accommodate the width of the screen you want.
So, if I went with a 102" screen, which is 9ft and allowed 6" to the M80's this would put me at 12ft to the outter edges of the M80's. and about 10ft from centre stage. if I but up a EP500 on either side that makes the rm 15 ft wide and no spacing between subs and walls.
Not allowing for spacing between the subs and walls is a bad move. They may sound great there or they may sound like crap but if you leave yourself no other options. . . . Just as much if not more importance to overall sound quality is subwoofer placement. If you are looking for the best possible sound then be prepared to place the subwoofers darn near anywhere since you won’t now their optimal location until you use them.
The odds that you will be able to get the “best possible” sound out of your system, and also have an esthetically pleasing look when it comes to subwoofer, placement is unlikely. You may get lucky you may not. You’ll just have to decide which is more important to you in the end.
I am still trying to figure out if M80's or bookshelfs are best for movies yet. lol So , I may end up with two systems in one rm yet
Bookshelf speakers are usually easier to place in relation to walls but for the absolute best HT experience I would get the M80s/VP180 unless you have a fairly small room.
Also don’t get too hung up on the equilateral triangle between your mains and sweet spot. Like all the other factors I’ve mentioned and you’ve likely read about it’s just one of many variable. Having your mains closer to each other than the distance to your seating but with proper side wall reflections could very well sound better than having and equilateral triangle and give you a more even front soundstage. Experimenting with speaker placement is the only way to optimize your sound. Following the general guidelines you read about is a good starting point but It’s a good idea to give yourself some wiggle room.
oh, one more thought Grunt ...
the THX means nothing to me really, I just loved the sound of the M&K's so thought I would try them out for theatre.
Not quite sure I like the drop off at 80hz. I am getting an idea of there sound and capibilites now with out a sub as my sub amp is toast. But will hopefully have my sub soon.
I didn’t make any reference to “THX certification” if you are referring to the screen distance calculator I only linked to that to give you a starting point from which to decide on a screen size in relation to your seating distance. Some people like either a bigger or smaller screen but I find the THX recommendation gives the best results in filling your field of vision w/o being so big you have to turn your head to follow on screen action.
