di/bi pole rears - will it help me?

[mike c]

hey guys, seeing my rear speakers and seating position ...
do you think di/bi poles will suit me better? (for the rears, not surrounds)

whats the difference again between BI and DI pole?

here's what I have now:
http://www.infinitysystems.com/homeaudio/product_detail.aspx?prod=BETA10BKS&series=BET&cat=BFS

here's what I'm looking at:
http://www.infinitysystems.com/homeaudio/product_detail.aspx?prod=BETAES250BK&series=BET&cat=SAS

 

[no. 5]

whats the difference again between BI and DI pole?

BIpole: both sets of drivers are in phase with each other
DIpole: driver sets are out of phase with each other

 

[jcPanny]

Surround speakers

For your room, I think you would be better off with a 5.1 system with the surround speakers on stands on each side of the couch. Dipoles would not work because they need to be mounted on the side walls, which you don't have. If you must mount speakers on the back wall, consider something like the Axiom QS4/8 speaker. The woofers figheer up and down.

Also, I have hear of some people placing bookshelf speakers behind the couch firing up at the ceiling for the surround or rear channels.

 

[no. 5]

Also, I have hear of some people placing bookshelf speakers behind the couch firing up at the ceiling for the surround or rear channels.

I setup a freinds system that way, it creates a great defused soundfield, plus it's cool to hear things and not see where the sound is coming from
definitely worth a try

 

[zildjian]

I think some sort of curround speaker position change would help your system, with the direct radiators front facing like that and as high as they are, you'll get more reflection off the front wall from them than anything. I think the best idea acoustically was what was mentioned above, get stands and put the speakers on either side of the couch preferably a few feet away as much as you can, and put them just above ear level, or at least closer to than your current surround speaker set up.

As far as bipolars go, I just use 2 bipolar surround speakers (def tech BPVX's), and they do a great job for full freq. surround duties & mostly make up for not having 4 surround speakers. I'll go w/ 4 surrounds in the HT someday, but I'm not in any rush w/ the lack of 7 channel material out there right now and I probably listen to 2 channel now more than anything.

 

[mike c]

I plan on addressing the front facing surrounds by treating the wall right in front of them.

but the question is, will replacing the direct radiating REAR (not surrounds) result in better rear surround effect?

 

[Sheep]

I plan on addressing the front facing surrounds by treating the wall right in front of them.

but the question is, will replacing the direct radiating REAR (not surrounds) result in better rear surround effect?

Is it possible to rearrange your entire setup for the towers and TV are against a short wall? That would be the most logical setup... fire the fronts down the long wall.

SheepStar

 

[mike c]

nope. HT for this room was an afterthought, I thought I'd use my old satellites.

I wish I had planned for the long side arrangement, would have been easier to setup the surrounds too.

 

[Sheep]

nope. HT for this room was an afterthought, I thought I'd use my old satellites.

I wish I had planned for the long side arrangement, would have been easier to setup the surrounds too.

....yeaaaahh.... ....

SheepStar

 

[jcPanny]

Surround speakers

Mike,
Direct radiating speakers are designed to point at the listener. None of your surround speakers do this with their current mounting.

If you treat the front wall to prevent reflections then you will be getting basically no sound from the rear surround speakers, so you might as well disconnect them. There is not much software with more than 5.1 channels anyway.

 

[mike c]

during my decision phase with these speakers, I specifically remember the POLK website "how-tos" directing me to point those speakers straight out instead of at me.

http://www.polkaudio.com/education/article.php?id=15

 

[Sheep]

during my decision phase with these speakers, I specifically remember the POLK website "how-tos" directing me to point those speakers straight out instead of at me.

Only if the speaker is within 2 feet above your head, and no less then 4 feet behind. Yours are a foot behind, and 4 feet above.

SheepStar