Sigberg Audio Saranna Active Floor-Standing Loudspeakers With Cardioid Bass!

[Sigberg Audio]

I also see the title here says the speaker has "cardioid bass", that's a bit imprecise, just so no one thinks we're making stuff up.

We're not calling this speaker cardioid explicitly, but rather "with controlled directivity". Also, the dispersion is traditional below 200hz or so due to the fact that the rear facing bass drivers do not have any cardioid ports.

If you measure the coax alone, the side ports are actually effective all the way down in the deep bass, but that is negated by the bass drivers below around 200hz. But below that frequency the same problem is solved (or at least improved) in another way by having the rear facing bass drivers and port that couple to the nearest boundary, and are also spread vertically.

 

[TLS Guy]

I checked a current Denon now, it supports both redistributing LFE to the mains and also adjusting the level.

View attachment 72881

I have an 1 month or so old Marantz 7706 AVP. You can not send the LFE to a speakers other than subs. You can only direct the bass from other speakers to a sub and not the mains. I think this is pretty usual practice. I had not heard of an AVR or AVP previously that could direct the LFE to a speaker other than a sub.

In any event, what makes active speakers so attractive is the ability to perform tasks that passive ones can't. This allows for innovative ways to improve overall performance.

The fact that my full range main speakers can handle the LFE with ease and also one of the bass drivers offload the mids from BSC is a huge advantage. In addition this allows BSC to be made variable and set to room and speaker position. Five of the speakers in this system have variable BSC, although the side surrounds only have two settings. The ability to do this is why I don't need Audyssey, Dirac and programs of that ilk. It allows for perfect integration of the sub signals.

This is all not difficult to engineer with active speakers and really sets them apart.

So, I would strongly encourage to experiment along these lines. You will be surprised how these techniques substantially improve results over conventional passive speakers. I have a certainty you could enhance the advantages of your speakers being active, along these lines.

 

[lovinthehd]

I have an 1 month or so old Marantz 7706 AVP. You can not send the LFE to a speakers other than subs. You can only direct the bass from other speakers to a sub and not the mains. I think this is pretty usual practice. I had not heard of an AVR or AVP previously that could direct the LFE to a speaker other than a sub.

In any event, what makes active speakers so attractive is the ability to perform tasks that passive ones can't. This allows for innovative ways to improve overall performance.

The fact that my full range main speakers can handle the LFE with ease and also one of the bass drivers offload the mids from BSC is a huge advantage. In addition this allows BSC to be made variable and set to room and speaker position. Five of the speakers in this system have variable BSC, although the side surrounds only have two settings. The ability to do this is why I don't need Audyssey, Dirac and programs of that ilk. It allows for perfect integration of the sub signals.

This is all not difficult to engineer with active speakers and really sets them apart.

So, I would strongly encourage to experiment along these lines. You will be surprised how these techniques substantially improve results over conventional passive speakers. I have a certainty you could enhance the advantages of your speakers being active, along these lines.

FWIW I looked at the Denon 3800, 6800 and A1H manuals, all provide for an adjustment of LFE sent thru full range speakers. I assume the 4800 would, too. The 7706 reads like my 4700, tho...doesn't have that feature.

 

[Sigberg Audio]

We will not be implementing this feature, so I think we can move on from this. Happy to discuss other aspects of the speaker though.