commercial theater speakers and home speakers

S

scottyg

Junior Audioholic
I am going to upgrade my home theater package again this year and was wondering if I should try some commercial speakers ? My room is 20 x 18 and currently have the klipsch rb-82 fronts, rc-62 center and rb-81 rears with a yammy rx-v2600.....anyway I went to the movies last night and noticed they used jbl 8330a's and 8340a's which are actually pretty cheap.....would there be a downfall or a reason why I should not use commercial audio ? Wouldn't it sound closer to real theater sound ?
Thanks
 
B

bandit

Audioholic
I've looked at doing the very thing you mention... A couple of things scared me off though - one was the size of these speakers. When I put a tape measure up on the wall and realized how much real estate they would take it seemed like they would be somewhat overbearing in my setup. The other thing that I didnt like was their limited frequency response... I think they desgined to play LOUD more than anything. If you do end up going this route though - let me know how it works out for you.

Bandit.:cool:
 
AVRat

AVRat

Audioholic Ninja
Was there something about the commercial theater sound you preferred? Most people prefer a properly set up HT over most commercial theaters. Is your room dedicated? If so then it may benefit from acoustic room treatments if none exist already. The Klipsches can be harsh in untreated rooms but they are very efficient so output should not be an issue. Did you mean RF-82?
 
S

scottyg

Junior Audioholic
I did mean rf-82's and I just wanted to make my home theater as close as to the real deal as possible. I am going to do room treatments and as you mentioned.....the klipsch speakers are ear piercing when sword fights or other sharp surround noises are present......I imagine this will become alot more tolerable once I place treatments in the right spots.....any more advice or downfalls you know of ?? do you think these commercial jbl speakers are meant for loud play and a huge venue....last but not least are they quality speakers ?
thanks
scott
 
mtrycrafts

mtrycrafts

Seriously, I have no life.
I am going to upgrade my home theater package again this year and was wondering if I should try some commercial speakers ? My room is 20 x 18 and currently have the klipsch rb-82 fronts, rc-62 center and rb-81 rears with a yammy rx-v2600.....anyway I went to the movies last night and noticed they used jbl 8330a's and 8340a's which are actually pretty cheap.....would there be a downfall or a reason why I should not use commercial audio ? Wouldn't it sound closer to real theater sound ?
Thanks
Theater sound is based on the theater's acoustics and size. I am not sure you will reproduce that at home.
But, Google had one on sale for $100 that is a cheap experiment:D
And, as was posted about size, why not get the dimensions, make a cardboard box of that size and shape and see how you will like two or more back there:D

ps, as to loud play, that jbl has normal sensitivity and poser handling, nothing spectacular. But, theaters are calibrated to a spec that is a bit louder because it is a dead space. At home, more reverberations, less volume will do and when the jbl is level matched, it will be as loud as the other speakers. If your Klipsch are harsh, tone controls are used to tame them. Room treatment will help as well.
 
F

fmw

Audioholic Ninja
I'm not familiar with the units to which you refer but I can tell you that the pro audio world has different kinds of speakers for different applications. There are PA or sound reinforcement speakers, instrument speakers, recording monitors. Each are designed with different goals in mind.

Generally, if you choose recording monitors you will get the equivalent of a home bookshelf speaker but with a less attractive enclosure. You can couple these with a subwoofer and get sound that competes with most things in the home audio field.

Most PA speakers are designed to play loud and handle a lot of power. They can be simple for things like amplifying a sermon in a church or sophisticated like those in the theater. The good ones with fairly flat frequency response are pricey ($3000 to $4000) apiece. The simple ones can be pretty cheap (less 10% of those numbers.) Generally, unless you spend a good deal of money, these speakers won't compete sonically with consumer speakers. The good ones, however, are very good indeed. Obviously they sound like what you hear at the theater.

Instrument speakers usually have limited frequency response designed to limit their output to the frequency range of the instrument in question. You want to stay away from these.

I have experience with all of these. My first stereo speakers (yes I once upgraded from mono to stereo,) were theater speakers that I bought back in the 1960's. They were made by Altec Lansing and were called (fittingly enough) Voice of the Theater and arrived with flat black painted enclosures. I later added walnut veneer and grille cloth to them.

At the moment I use Tannoy near field recording monitors for the surround speakers in my home theater. They do a wonderful job in that application. I use JBL recording monitors in my project recording studio for mastering. They don't sound quite as nice as the Tannoys but they don't need to.

My electronic keyboards have instrument speakers designed to cover just the frequencies needed for the keyboards. They have brands like Roland and Alesis - brands you wouldn't see in the home entertainment business. To make a long story short, pro audio speakers can work wonders in a home theater if you choose them properly. They can do a very poor job if you don't.
 
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jcPanny

jcPanny

Audioholic Ninja
Klipsch THX speakers

For an upgrade from your current Klipsch reference setup to make it closer to a high end theater experience, check out the Klipsch THX line of speakers. They should be much easier to install and integrate into your HT than speakers designed for a larger commercial application.
http://www.klipsch.com/products/details/thx-ultra2.aspx
 
AVRat

AVRat

Audioholic Ninja
Maybe the Klipsch sound isn't for you, you may prefer something more neutral or laid back. Do you have a sub, I don't see any mention in previous posts? Room treatments will help no matter which speakers you settle on.
 
ParadigmDawg

ParadigmDawg

Audioholic Overlord
I have yet to hear a movie theater that sounded as good as my HT. I bet with room treatments and a good sub you will find the same holds true.
 
S

scottyg

Junior Audioholic
I think I am just going to invest into a rsw-10d subwoofer...and two or three rb-81's or maybe go with another rc-62 for the rear center ? which would be the best application ?
 
F

FguerraG

Junior Audioholic
I have yet to hear a movie theater that sounded as good as my HT. I bet with room treatments and a good sub you will find the same holds true.
That is true , once you apply the correct combination of treatments & equipment most theaters will become obsolete.
 
anamorphic96

anamorphic96

Audioholic General
Being Klipsch is installed in over 60% percent of new movie theaters I would say stick with Klipsch. Commercial cinema speakers including the surrounds are not designed for home use. Most of the surrounds have crossovers designed for cinema applications and are designed to be EQ'd around the Academy curve and to compensate for the screen in front of them.

You might get away with the older 8330 which had a crossover switch to compensate for different application because the 8330 would sometimes get used in non cinema applications. But the new version does not and is biased towards commercial cinema applications.

JBL used to be the industry leader in commercial cinema but not anymore. Klipsch in the past 6-7 years has surpassed them in a big way.

Regal, Krikorian, Malco, Harkins and many other cinema chains use Klipsch exclusively in all new theatres and have been for many years now.
 
grizzlyman

grizzlyman

Audioholic Intern
Commercial Speakers

I'm going to try commercial speakers in my home theater and I'll tell you guys how it works out for me.
 
TLS Guy

TLS Guy

Seriously, I have no life.
I am going to upgrade my home theater package again this year and was wondering if I should try some commercial speakers ? My room is 20 x 18 and currently have the klipsch rb-82 fronts, rc-62 center and rb-81 rears with a yammy rx-v2600.....anyway I went to the movies last night and noticed they used jbl 8330a's and 8340a's which are actually pretty cheap.....would there be a downfall or a reason why I should not use commercial audio ? Wouldn't it sound closer to real theater sound ?
Thanks
I have to say that the sound of the majority of theaters I have been in has never been worthy of emulation.

If you choose gear from manufacturers like JBL you will get closer the the cinema sound though.

You could commission a set of these.

http://www.alteclansing.com/index.php?file=north_product_detail&iproduct_id=105

You won't get more authentic than that!
 
Warpdrv

Warpdrv

Audioholic Ninja
Also, don't jump the gun on that subwoofer, where you can find far better subs out there for the money... I have that sub RSW 10 and I'll tell you, I would rather give it to someone then to ever use it again in my house...

To me its a 1 note fart box...

Take your time and do some research and don't be in a hurry.... there are alot of amazing deals and products out there that will certainly give excellent performance for a resonable price... thats what we are all about here... Helping you find what your after.
 
Soundman

Soundman

Audioholic Field Marshall
Honestly, I've never heard any commercial theatres that actually sounded good, except maybe an Imax. I wouldn't recommend getting commercial speakers for HT applications. Commercial speakers sound loud b/c of the volume they need to attain to fill the space, but they don't have that refined sound that other HT speakers offer. There are just too many great HT speakers out there to consider commercial speakers. It's just my opinion, but I wouldn't recommend going that route. :)
 
Tomorrow

Tomorrow

Audioholic Ninja
I'll add my voice to others who suggest that you use speakers designed for home use. "Good" theater speakers are built with a purpose somewhat different from home loudspeakers. The designs and specs will show it. Decent consumer series speakers from JBL or Klipsch will give you that style of theater sound you crave, only IMHO do it better in your home than will anything near them in price that is designed for commercial cinemas. I find most modestly priced home systems sound much better than anything I've heard at a movie theater. (I have not been to an IMAX, but that will change soon...eh AverageJoe?! :))

Also, Warpdrive gave you a good recommendation on the sub. Think Hsu or SVS at a minimum for quality bass reproduction. To me, the subwoofer is the icing on the cake. It's the speaker that provides the visceral experience you want in an immersive movie. Don't skimp on it.

Good luck with your system and enjoy the hunt.
 
treejohnny

treejohnny

Junior Audioholic
I have the same receiver as you. Did you set up with the microphone ? You can fine tune each individual speaker with th EQ as well. Our receiver only puts out 130watts and your mains can handle 150watts rms, I was wondering if that might be part of the problem. Next would be when you get a sub you can set your other speakers to small and let the sub do what it is supposed to, free up the main speakers from the lower frequency's.
 

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