HELP! Need high power handling center options...

[poutanen]

That's why I mentioned if building a horizontal center to have the tweeter, midrange aligned vertically, with the mid-bass to the side, if you don't have enough room to build it in total vertical alignment.

About the mid-bass driver size, I built a horizontal center using two of the same 8" drivers, as there was no smaller driver that matched.
The 8" drivers were to the sides, with the tweeter, midrange stacked

Yeah, the mains only use a woofer and a tweeter (2-way) so I'm not sure if I'd want to introduce a 3-way centre channel. If I'm going to construct one, I want to use the same drivers, crossover, etc and maybe just make the box a more suitable layout for a centre channel.

I'm still thinking the RC-64 will work fine for now, it's horn loaded, and a high sensativity, so at least that part of it will match the mains.

 

[poutanen]

Hey, I read through most of this thread and it sounds like you are still wanting to keep those mains in your system. I'm not trying to sound crytical b/c I know you've gotten some criticism already, but those mains were not designed for home/living room use. They look like something a local DJ would be using. If your intended purpose is for home use, then you should integrate products that were designed for that. You'll be alot happier in the end. Just trying to help.

Don't get me wrong, I appreciate the input, but I've used both, heard both (ranging from HTIB to fancy boutique speakers) and I've decided to use pro-audio for my amps and speakers.

The response from my mains is pretty flat, not quite as flat as a boutique speaker but I'd say better than the average HTIB.

A lot of people seem to have pre-conceived notions of how these mains sound. Have any of you HEARD a Yamaha S115V properly powered? I use it for everything, watching TV, music, movies... you'd probably **** if you heard them.

Pro audio is designed to be:
-rugged
-large dynamic range
-relatively flat response

HT is designed to be:
-pretty (nothing wrong with that)
-decent dynamic range (but less than pro)
-more flat response than pro

Obviously these are generalizations, but the main difference to me is the need for extreme SPLs with pro, and the desire for extremely flat response with HT/boutique.

I can understand that flat is best, one of my favorite speakers is the Yamaha S55 studio monitor, because of it's flat response. However the peaks in my mains response are small enough to be for the most part corrected by the parametric-eq in my receiver.

Maybe I'm being stubborn, but I'm pretty happy with this stuff. Also it's more affordable than maybe people think.

My Yamaha S115V mains (used) cost me $600/pair
Yamaha S118 subs (used) cost me $500/pair
Yamaha S55 surrounds (used) cost me $200/pair

So for $1300 + $200 for each A500 amp, +$800 for the Yamaha P7000s that I'll be getting, that's $2300 for a dynamic range that'll kill almost anything. My peak SPL before was 116 dB, I should be over that with the new sub amp. Listening at 80-100 dB, my system is barely running, and there is no harshness from speakers straining to produce the full spectrum...

/end rant

 

[DD66000]

Are you suggesting that that pair of Yamaha's he's using in that room is an ideal choice, given the many options for HT applications? I wasn't trying to argue over this point. Just offering a little advice, that's all. Much of the pro audio gear is not designed for a living room type of environment. There are just more cost effective ways of producing good sound quality these days.

Did I use the word "ideal"? Its different strokes for different folks.
If he likes the sound of his Yamahas and he builds a matching center, he's good to go. On the other hand, if he decides to not build a center, then, yes, he's better off buying a complete new, matching set of speakers.

But never use the word "ideal" when talking about speakers. What you may call ideal, I might call junk, or vice versa. Plus, there is no ideal speaker.

None of the pro audio speakers are designed for home use, but they still can, are used for HT and music and most for less money. Pro amps, for instants, sell for a lot less money than most consumer amps.

 

[Soundman]

Don't get me wrong, I appreciate the input, but I've used both, heard both (ranging from HTIB to fancy boutique speakers) and I've decided to use pro-audio for my amps and speakers.

The response from my mains is pretty flat, not quite as flat as a boutique speaker but I'd say better than the average HTIB.

A lot of people seem to have pre-conceived notions of how these mains sound. Have any of you HEARD a Yamaha S115V properly powered? I use it for everything, watching TV, music, movies... you'd probably **** if you heard them.

Pro audio is designed to be:
-rugged
-large dynamic range
-relatively flat response

HT is designed to be:
-pretty (nothing wrong with that)
-decent dynamic range (but less than pro)
-more flat response than pro

Obviously these are generalizations, but the main difference to me is the need for extreme SPLs with pro, and the desire for extremely flat response with HT/boutique.

I can understand that flat is best, one of my favorite speakers is the Yamaha S55 studio monitor, because of it's flat response. However the peaks in my mains response are small enough to be for the most part corrected by the parametric-eq in my receiver.

Maybe I'm being stubborn, but I'm pretty happy with this stuff. Also it's more affordable than maybe people think.

My Yamaha S115V mains (used) cost me $600/pair
Yamaha S118 subs (used) cost me $500/pair
Yamaha S55 surrounds (used) cost me $200/pair

So for $1300 + $200 for each A500 amp, +$800 for the Yamaha P7000s that I'll be getting, that's $2300 for a dynamic range that'll kill almost anything. My peak SPL before was 116 dB, I should be over that with the new sub amp. Listening at 80-100 dB, my system is barely running, and there is no harshness from speakers straining to produce the full spectrum...

/end rant

I see your point. If you're happy with it, that's what really matters. You're the one who has to live with it, not us. I'll be honest, I haven't actually heard that model, so I really shouldn't judge should I. I have heard many Yamaha products though and haven't really been impressed. But again, every product is different, so can't really go by that.
As far as SPL's go, many HT speakers these days can obtain very high SPL's. And looking at the pic of your room, it didn't look like it would take alot to fill that room. So, what kind of SPL's are you trying to produce? Are you trying to damage your ears on purpose?

I just wondered if you were sacrificing higher fidelity for a few more SPL's. On that note, have you heard any HT subs lately???? OH MY.......I was pretty blown away when i first heard my Ultra! Oh well, different people like different things. Whatever makes you happy is what matters.

 

[Soundman]

Did I use the word "ideal"? Its different strokes for different folks.
If he likes the sound of his Yamahas and he builds a matching center, he's good to go. On the other hand, if he decides to not build a center, then, yes, he's better off buying a complete new, matching set of speakers.

But never use the word "ideal" when talking about speakers. What you may call ideal, I might call junk, or vice versa. Plus, there is no ideal speaker.

None of the pro audio speakers are designed for home use, but they still can, are used for HT and music and most for less money. Pro amps, for instants, sell for a lot less money than most consumer amps.

Point taken. I guess what you're describing is a matter of taste. Most people would maybe put something like that in their garage but not in their living room, and most people would pay a little more to have something a little more aesthetically pleasing.........mainly because most of us have wives that would never let us put something that ugly in our living rooms. That's grounds for divorce you know.
Seriously, like I said to him, he's the one who has to live with it, so if he's happy with it, i suppose that's what matters.

 

[poutanen]

I see your point. If you're happy with it, that's what really matters. You're the one who has to live with it, not us. I'll be honest, I haven't actually heard that model, so I really shouldn't judge should I. I have heard many Yamaha products though and haven't really been impressed. But again, every product is different, so can't really go by that.
As far as SPL's go, many HT speakers these days can obtain very high SPL's. And looking at the pic of your room, it didn't look like it would take alot to fill that room. So, what kind of SPL's are you trying to produce? Are you trying to damage your ears on purpose?

I just wondered if you were sacrificing higher fidelity for a few more SPL's. On that note, have you heard any HT subs lately???? OH MY.......I was pretty blown away when i first heard my Ultra! Oh well, different people like different things. Whatever makes you happy is what matters.

Thanks dude, actually I have moved out of that house, and am buying a place. I was only renting that house for a year, and I already had my pro-audio stuff from my old house (much bigger HT in the basement)... I want the new place to have as large a HT room as possible.

Also, I have no wife, so I bought the ugly stuff now so any girl that I bring home will already know that she has to live with the monsters in the living room! LOL

I just looked at a house tonight with a big unfinished basement, and I'm getting good thoughts when I think about that room...

The other thing I like to do is crank the stereo and run around and be a jackass, so I will say there's a little bit of a horsepower/SPL bragging thing, maybe just a WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE bit of that crept into my mind when buying pro stuff. Just maybe.