I have found bliss...

[jplinville]

I finally got around to mounting my Polk Audio RM101 surround speakers at what I think is the proper height, roughly a foot higher than ear level from my listening point. I also raised my LF/RF speakers about 4 inches, putting the highs and mids at eye level to where I sit. I don't have a sub, just the CV speakers. While waiting to sell a few things to finance a properly matched center channel speaker, I wired my two older KEF K120's together, connected them to the center output, and placed them directly under the television.

After doing so, I ran the system's set-up again with the microphone literally sitting on a tripod, on top of my head. I know, it sounds odd, but it worked!

I now have a system where I can't hear where the sound is coming from any one point, because I'm fully enveloped in it. I've heard bullets whizzing by my head on each side, heard a knife thrown on my left side, and a monkey scream on my right.

I'm currently watching "The Rundown", starring Dwayne Johnson, and have had to turn the bass down twice, because my windows rattled.

Yeah, I know there's systems much better than mine on this board, systems with more power than mine, etc., but mine was mostly financed by selling items I already owned in my house...so I haven't had to put out any cash from my wallet other than speaker wire.

I'm a happy camper.

 

[jinjuku]

I've been razzed about recommending Cerwin Vega before but they certainly fill in a niche and rumbling HT is one of them.

Kudos on your setup and more importantly your enjoyment of it. I've seen plenty of expensive systems poorly implemented.

 

[jplinville]

I lusted for CV speakers back in the early 1990's. I know these aren't of the same quality as those that were built back then, but they still have that punch of bass I fell in love with. My only wish would be that they highs were crisper on their own, without the addition of the other speakers.

Perhaps one day I'll fall into a pair of the older 15" woofer CV speakers...until then, these do the job quite well.

 

[bikemig]

Cool post. It's fun setting up an av system and then tweaking it so it sound great.

 

[fmw]

Good job. That's what it is all about.

 

[KEW]

Yeah, I know there's systems much better than mine on this board, systems with more power than mine, etc.

The cool thing is knowing your "inferior" system sounds better than many of them because you took the time to properly set yours up!

 

[jplinville]

I know many here probably look down their noses at what I have, but what I have I got honestly. 28 years in a trade that has left me disabled has also allowed me to purchase things in the past that I no longer need...things I am able to trade or sell for what I need.

In time, the center channel will be timbre matched to the mains, and I'll probably use the KEF for front height...whenever I can get my hands on a proper amp for it.

I do have this to say for this system...I have much, much less invested in this than the system I had in the early 1990's, and this system sounds 100X better and more more realistic.

 

[Alex2507]

I know many here probably look down their noses at what I have ...

That's not really the case with most guys on this site. Being able to enjoy a system has more to do with the person than the system. Welcome to the site.

 

[jplinville]

That's not really the case with most guys on this site. Being able to enjoy a system has more to do with the person than the system. Welcome to the site.

Perhaps I misspoke. However, judging by the opinions I've read on reviews of different speakers and the like, I don't think I'm too far off. Maybe most of those comments were made by those of the younger generation that think higher price equals higher quality...when all too often the opposite is true.

You're right about it being about the person, though. Due to my choice of profession through the years, my hearing has suffered in of the higher frequencies. That being what it is, what sounds good to me may not sound right to others.

 

[jplinville]

Took the little bit of my tax money and just ordered the CV VE-5C center channel speaker. This should equalize all the sounds, since all speakers should now be timbre matched, right? Let's hope so...

I have plans to hook up the KEF K-120's to my old Kenwood 50 in the basement gun shop...I'm tired of horrible sound down there. I'm hoping to locate a pair of old Utah Heritage speakers soon for the gun shop...Dad had those hooked up to his 80U, and sounded great when I was a kid.

 

[afterlife2]

Congrats now...Pictures Pictures Pictures!

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

Yeah, I know there's systems much better than mine on this board.

"Better" is such a relative term and is predicated only by our own personal preference.

But such as the laws of nature, peer pressure is inevitable, and upgrade-fever will spread like a contagion through your veins.

Leave now if you can............... Oh, no, it may already be too late.

 

[jplinville]

I just checked my email, and was surprised to see that after ordering it this morning, they sent an email saying I'd have it tomorrow! Now I'm even more stoked about this. We have a new couch and love seat coming in tomorrow morning, and the new speaker coming in just in time to be able to watch a good movie tomorrow evening. I'm hoping that adding the new furniture won't change the sound quality to the negative...same with the new center speaker. I'm thinking that the new furniture should absorb more sound, making the sound richer than it is now...let's keep hoping!

I'm not into taking pictures of my set-up, because my house is decorated in a style that most would look down on..."Early American Garage Sale". LOL

As for the fever of upgrading, I have a different hobby that takes up most of my play money...firearms. With the cost of ammo and inability to find it at times, I have less play money than before.

 

[ARES24]

Careful, never underestimate upgrade fever. It's sneaky!

 

[jplinville]

I know, I know...Never say never. I'm actually dreaming of the time my BD player kicks the bucket, and I can get one that takes less real estate on the stand. I saw some newer ones last weekend, LG brand I think it was, that smaller than my DirecTV box. I also checked pricing on a new video card for the computer so I can integrate it into the system completely, instead of only using it to store music to listen to.

 

[jplinville]

Ok, the new center arrived today, as did a new sofa and love seat...which have really changed the acoustics of the room. Since the new furniture is taller, I'm going to have to build taller platforms for the two front speakers...the mids and highs don't hit me like they were. I'm going to have to build them at least 6 inches high, the current ones are 3 inches off the floor.

Once I hooked up the new center, arranged the furniture and got in my proper seating, I plugged up the microphone and ran the system. The result was horrid...I began to really doubt my purchase. After about an hour or so of thinking, I changed the setting on the stereo for the center to a small speaker. I had apparently neglected to change it.

Now, the sound is almost perfect again. Once I raise the two fronts, I think everything will fall back into perfection.