Dipole Versus Floor Standing in Surround

[20Glove]

Hello all.

As usual I am here looking for advice.

I have a chance to purchase one of two pairs of speakers.

I have a sapphire speaker set for (80% home theatre/TV/Game and 20% music/stereo/SACD/Multichannel). Out of that 20% music I listen to about 25% SACD/Multichannel and 75% stereo where rear speakers do not matter.

My question is that since I am wanting a more HT focused system should I buy a pair of Dipoles (Midrange in the middle and two tweeters angled on each side of the midrange) or a pair of tower speakers.

I am looking for a GREAT 7.1 channel system. Currently I have 2 floor standing towers for front R/L, a Center, and (currently) have Dipoles as my back speakers.

Now I am wondering if I should go with a pair of towers for my back speakers and move my dipoles to surround back or if I should go the route of another pair of Dipoles for a total of 4 dipole as my back and surround back.

What are the positives and negatives of 4 dipoles in the rear?

What are the positives and negatives of 1 pair of towers as backs and 1 pair of Dipoles as my surround back?

By the way all the speakers I am looking at are rated the same wattage and frequency and all have the same size midrange and tweeters.

Let me know as I have to pull the trigger on one of these two deals by tomorrow.

Thank you for your time.

 

[codexp3]

What's the room size?

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

I vote for towers all the way!

Go towers go!

 

[Exit]

I think the purpose of dipoles is to make the sound seem like it is comming across a whole side wall simulating the multiple speakers in a theater. Your backwall is probably not so wide as your sidewall. If you are putting two speakers back there I don't think you want the sound to be difuse. I would go with a conventional speaker design to direct the backwall sound forward into the listening area. I wouldn't spend the money for towers as that is a waste of expensive speakers for a surround application. A surround speaker does not put out much sound and doesn't have to be top notch to be effective. They say sound out of the surrounds can be full range, but I have never heard that in the years I have been listening. If you believe the surrounds have to be full range, then you should make sure the surrounds go low enough in bass to match your subwoofer crossover point seemlessly. If you use an 80 Hz crossover, then it would be desireable that the surrounds go down to 70 Hz or maybe 10 or 20 Hz lower considering the rolloff at the crossover isn't vertical but still goes down a little more frequency range for example. That sort of dictates the quality of speaker you need and pricing. I think you can get buy nicely with the smallest speakers that meet your bass crossover requirements. Just my 2 cents worth.

 

[Audioholics]

You've indicated a strong leaning towards home theater, so I vote for dipoles for the Surrounds and direct-radiating for the Surround Backs... but I add a heavy qualification that I'd like to know your room size before getting too dogmatic.

 

[20Glove]

You've indicated a strong leaning towards home theater, so I vote for dipoles for the Surrounds and direct-radiating for the Surround Backs... but I add a heavy qualification that I'd like to know your room size before getting too dogmatic.

The room size that this WILL be in when we finally move will be, as I called the guy today, is 20' by 16'. It is a very large room. The guy that I shop with at my local store told me to go with Dipoles in a 7.1 system and make sure the Side surrounds are halfway between the front speakers and the back wall and put them about 12-14" below the ceiling and put the second set of Dipoles same height 12-14" from ceiling and approximately 5' from the corner but make sure they are at least 5' apart (he said think of it in thirds... split the wall into thirds... put the speakers to the most inside part of the third and leave the middle third open)... said that will have movie theatre type sound. Also said it will not sound very good in multi channel music mode.

So what does everyone think... is he close to correct?

Thanks.

 

[Warpdrv]

My take......
I lean towards Clints idea... direct radiating in the rear... bipole/dipole on the side...

I find this to be one of the best posts I have ever read on surround thoughts, by Paul Scarpelli of Triad Speakers...

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=11019926#post11019926

then read the entire thread...

Sums it up pretty well... hhehehehe

 

[3db]

My take......
I lean towards Clints idea... direct radiating in the rear... bipole/dipole on the side...

I find this to be one of the best posts I have ever read on surround thoughts, by Paul Scarpelli of Triad Speakers...

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=11019926#post11019926

then read the entire thread...

Sums it up pretty well... hhehehehe

Yup I second Clint's post on that. Clint's idea also works better should you choose to play with multichannel audio. You don't want dipoles in the back for multichannel audio.

 

[Audioholics]

make sure the Side surrounds are halfway between the front speakers and the back wall and put them about 12-14" below the ceiling and put the second set of Dipoles same height 12-14" from ceiling and approximately 5' from the corner but make sure they are at least 5' apart

I'm not sure I understand this. Hopefully he's not telling you to utilize two sets of dipole side surrounds in a room that size.

You want the null (centerline) of the dipole speakers positioned at the primary listening position. Typically this is the second row if you have two rows of seats, but not if your second row is near or against the back wall. I also place more emphasis on how far above the seated listening position the speaker is, rather than how far down from the ceiling it is.

 

[20Glove]

I'm not sure I understand this. Hopefully he's not telling you to utilize two sets of dipole side surrounds in a room that size.

You want the null (centerline) of the dipole speakers positioned at the primary listening position. Typically this is the second row if you have two rows of seats, but not if your second row is near or against the back wall. I also place more emphasis on how far above the seated listening position the speaker is, rather than how far down from the ceiling it is.

Ok Clint, he told me at the store... that I would do 2 dipoles to the side of the viewing area... one on one wall and one on another... then 2 dipoles on the back wall directly behind the viewing area.

He said it would match perfect and he had told me that the surround sound would just be all around me and would sound perfect if set up correctly in a room that size. I will not have have a second row by the way... just one row of either a sectional couch or 4 theatre type seats. But only one row of seating for sure.

Ok, did I just waste some money?

Let me know.

 

[20Glove]

Thanks!

Yup I second Clint's post on that. Clint's idea also works better should you choose to play with multichannel audio. You don't want dipoles in the back for multichannel audio.

Ok, had a chance to read the posts and reviews. It seems that some people preferred dual dipoles, some one set of Dipole and one set of monopole, and some preferred 2 sets of monopoles.

I am planning on really running these speakers more so as my Home Theatre speakers and doing most of my movie watching with these speakers. I purchases these now so I am kind of stuck and I will not know if I like them until I run them and see.

I am going to play most of my multichannel music on my new (hopefully) system 2 pairs of Infinity IL 40 towers as my Front L, Front R, Back Surround L, Back Surround R, a pair of IL 10 book shelf speakers as my side surrounds, IL36C center channel, IL100 Subwoofer. I already own one pair of IL40's that I got cheap on Craigslist... and now I am looking to complete the set for $600 (IL100 Sub, IL36C Center, 2 pairs of IL40's, and 1 pair of IL10's + Onkyo 575X receiver, and 100 feet of 12 gauge monster cable)... I was only looking for the Center channel and IL10's and cheapest I could find with shipping for these were $290.... so I figured $310 more I get a Receiver, speaker wire, 2 towers and a subwoofer.... to me that is something I just cannot pass up!

So more multichannel on Infinity monopole and more movies on sapphire system with 2 sets of Dipole speakers.

I will have to see and I will report back on how this sounds.

Hopefully good. I have a feeling that when I get all the infinity speakers here I may be listening more to those than I think.

I did not want 2 7.1 systems or a system as large as the Infinity but $600 for all that I just cannot pass up because the sound on these speakers are AMAZING!