Search results

Even the Polk Monitor 50s that I used to own had satisfactory bass extension without a sub, and their -3dB point was a full 17Hz higher than that of the 350s and F1s. (The problem with them was that the DiApollito array confined the imaging to a plane, there was almost no vertical movement.)

I have listened to a sub crossed at 60Hz with the mains turned off. It only became active for a couple of seconds every few minutes, and the sound it made then is something whose absence I would not find noticeable. Since both of my stereo pairs extend well below 60Hz, I consider a sub to be...

I will never seriously consider a sub as an option again. For me, stereo=2.0.

My Mirages are in mint condition, so I would not risk destroying their resale value by modifying them (especially with my nonexistent woodworking skills.) In any event, I can't see how putting additional bracing in an existing cabinet could work. After all, internal cabinet volume is part of...

Interesting that you consider that a "minimum" standard when it looks like extreme overkill to me. It is also far more that you will find in the majority of speakers out there, very expensive ones included. It is a really good thing that most of us are nowhere near as demanding as you are, since...

If I were a DIY kind of guy, I might try reinforcing them. I have had one apart, though, and they do have pretty good cross-bracing. The new F1.2s are fully 12 lb (per speaker) lighter, so they can't be as good. I would still love to hear something with an essentially identical design but...

Apparently Athena has dealt with these problems and found solutions, because there are no midrange issues that I can hear. Imaging is excellent by monopole standards, though not spectacular like the Mirage imaging. Here is a link:http://www.athenaspeakers.com/modelASF1.htm (I have found other...

The only reason that separates exist is because they are supposed to sound better. If this is not the case, why would anyone buy them?:confused:

It really surprises me to see Klipsch as somebody's "dream" speakers. The Klipsch's I have heard, I wouldn't take for free (unless it was to sell them and buy something else.) I find them painfully bright.

I may have typed 150 by mistake, but it is the 350s that I have. I am going to give them another chance tonight, but I merely set the F1s aside instead of putting them in the storage closet so that I can switch back quickly. I think it is the F1s that I will end up with, but I need to be sure...

It is frustrating because there are a lot of things I really like about the Mirages (which are brand new), but I find myself preferring the Athenas overall (which I have had a long time, though they have been stored at my folk's until last weekend.) Bass is the primary reason.

I don't think it is an amp issue. My Carver CM-1090 is pretty darn robust. As I mentioned, the simplest explanation could be cabinet volume (since the consensus seems to be that it is not driver size.)

On paper, my Mirages with dual 5.5" woofers have the same bass response as the Athenas, and it is true that any bass note I hear on one I can hear just as easily on the other. The difference is what I call "effortlessness". You can get powerful bass from a bassoon if you blow it hard and use...

It may be mid bass punch that I like also, but I am not good enough at identifying specific frequency ranges to be sure. The Athenas are only rated to 40 Hz -3dB, but a bass guitar has plenty of "snap" and drums really kick, which I enjoy. MY HT is separate, with completely different speakers...

I like having plain 2.0, two speakers no sub. I can't say why, I just do. Since I prefer the speakers with one 8" woofer each to those I have tried with two 5.5" woofers each, I merely thought that even larger woofers might sound good to me (perhaps better than dual 8", in fact.)

I have heard and/or owned several speakers with dual 5.5" woofers. On paper, this gives them the same (or close) total cone area as a single 8" woofer. My Athena F1s, however, which use a single 8" woofer, have more satisfying bass to my ears. Does this seem like it could be true in general, or...

Ok, so you can get a full-featured multichannel prepro+amp for less than an equivalent receiver. My original question, however, had to do with 2-channel. As far as I know, you cannot get a good, modest-powered preamp+amp for less than (or the same as) an equivalent 2-channel integrated.

The Def Techs that I own (BP8B and 10B) have a lot going for them, including exceptionally extended and powerful bass, but it is not the cleanest/tightest bass around. In fact, it is a tad muddy. Don't know how the 450s compare in that regard.

LOL, Brandy!:D I had forgotten that one. It was on the radio almost as much as Stairway to Heaven when I was a teen.

As I said, when I get the new CDP, it will go on top. Meanwhile, my amp has been on top of my current CD changer for some time with no ill effects (weighs around 25 lb.) If anything, it improves the sound by making the CDP very stable.