Help with HT set up

William Lemmerhirt

William Lemmerhirt

Audioholic Overlord
I'm going to assume that's a compliment, and say thank you !
Indeed it is.
One of my favorite bands in the world is a fun little one known as TOOL. That’s the name their long awaited current album. I’m guessing you know that, or your name is highly coincidental lol.
 
}Fear_Inoculum{

}Fear_Inoculum{

Senior Audioholic
Indeed it is.
One of my favorite bands in the world is a fun little one known as TOOL. That’s the name their long awaited current album. I’m guessing you know that, or your name is highly coincidental lol.
;)

I've had my 'Maynard' playlist on Spotify pretty much on constant repeat since November. APC is a great band as well. My son and I were watching the movie 'Constatine' the other night, and I hadn't watched it in a long time and didn't realize that the APC song 'Passive' was in it.

Cheers
 
}Fear_Inoculum{

}Fear_Inoculum{

Senior Audioholic
Small update.

Since I've decided to go with Paradigm speakers for the whole set up, I decided that also getting a Paradigm subwoofer would be a good idea.

Took me a while to pull the trigger, but I went to the only place in town that carries Paradigm, and looked at/listened to the speakers. Very nice. I ended up purchasing the X12 subwoofer today. They had to order it in, as they had none in stock. The sales guy there gave me 150$ off of retail as well.

I also took a look at the 200B 'bookshelf' speakers. They're ginormous. Way too big (IMO) to mount properly and use as rear/side surround speakers. I'm probably going to go with the 100s for rears/side surround.

As an interesting side note, he told me today that Paradigm is canceling the Prestige series and replacing it. He said they're (as in the store I bought from) probably going to be blowing out the rest of their stock once that happens.
 
William Lemmerhirt

William Lemmerhirt

Audioholic Overlord
Small update.

Since I've decided to go with Paradigm speakers for the whole set up, I decided that also getting a Paradigm subwoofer would be a good idea.

Took me a while to pull the trigger, but I went to the only place in town that carries Paradigm, and looked at/listened to the speakers. Very nice. I ended up purchasing the X12 subwoofer today. They had to order it in, as they had none in stock. The sales guy there gave me 150$ off of retail as well.

I also took a look at the 200B 'bookshelf' speakers. They're ginormous. Way too big (IMO) to mount properly and use as rear/side surround speakers. I'm probably going to go with the 100s for rears/side surround.

As an interesting side note, he told me today that Paradigm is canceling the Prestige series and replacing it. He said they're (as in the store I bought from) probably going to be blowing out the rest of their stock once that happens.
Well that’s exciting! I don’t believe in matching speakers to subs really, but the defiance series seems a worthy inclusion.
Also, fwiw, those 200’s are only 18lbs. I would just get em. I I used these JBL’s for a long time. They were 38lbs iirc. Yep. That’s an 8” woofer too.
 
Kingnoob

Kingnoob

Audioholic Samurai
How much was the sub? It’s pretty decent one . How expensive was total set up ?
Paradigms look nice I’ve never heard them before . definitely nicer then what I’m using !!!
Big surrounds rock even if you can’t mount them. They make heavy mounts for speakers 20-50 pounds somewhere .
How did you even find a audio store ? They don’t exist here anymore .
 
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}Fear_Inoculum{

}Fear_Inoculum{

Senior Audioholic
How much was the sub? It’s pretty decent one . How expensive was total set up ?
Paradigms look nice I’ve never heard them before . definitely nicer then what I’m using !!!
Big surrounds rock even if you can’t mount them. They make heavy mounts for speakers 20-50 pounds somewhere .
How did you even find a audio store ? They don’t exist here anymore .
Retail the sub was 1650$, got it for 1499$. (That's Canadian pesos by the way). The other 2 subs I'd been contemplating were the SVS PB 2000, and the Monoprice Monolith THX 12. Both were in the 1300$ range, though that was the sale price on the Monolith (down from 1700$).

I decided that I wanted to spend my money locally, and buy from a Canadian manufacturer. Yes, I paid a little more than buying the other subs online, but personal customer service and supporting a local company is worth it to me IMO.

I haven't bought anything else yet, that was the first piece of the puzzle. I'll be upgrading everything else over the next year or so as time, and budget allow.

It's not so much the weight of the surrounds, more the dimensions. They're just huge, and I'm not sure they'll work in the space I have, nor the places I want to mount them. I was mulling over some ideas about how to make them work last night. I'll see what I can come up with between now and when I'm ready to purchase them.

The place I went to has been open for the last 52 years. I was looking up Paradigm dealers in Canada, and they were the local retailer. They have a very good local reputation, and have obviously been doing something right to have stayed independent and open for so many years. The sales guy told me the same family has owned it since day one.
 
William Lemmerhirt

William Lemmerhirt

Audioholic Overlord
I think it’s commendable to buy local and to support your home land(not sure why but that was in a Russian accent in my head lol). I think you’ll be very happy.

As for the surrounds, I might have asked about room size first...
 
}Fear_Inoculum{

}Fear_Inoculum{

Senior Audioholic
I think it’s commendable to buy local and to support your home land(not sure why but that was in a Russian accent in my head lol). I think you’ll be very happy.

As for the surrounds, I might have asked about room size first...
Approximately 10.5' × 18.5' × 7.5'

I have two largish 3 seater theatre recliners, with staged seating. Mounting the 2 rears probably won't be a problem, it's the 2 side speakers that are going to be an issue with the dimensions of the 200B.

I'm a carpenter by trade though, so I have a few ideas on how to possibly get around that. We'll see. It's going to be a bit before I buy those speakers anyway, so I've got some time to think about it and plan.

Looking at the specs of the 100B vs the 200B, there isn't much difference in performance from what I can see.
 
Pogre

Pogre

Audioholic Slumlord
Now I see what brought you here! Some great choices so far. Did you only get 1 sub tho? I'd recommend dual if you get 12s for sure.

I think Bill and I are Tool's head cheerleaders here at Audioholics. They've been my favorite band since the 90s!
 
}Fear_Inoculum{

}Fear_Inoculum{

Senior Audioholic
Now I see what brought you here! Some great choices so far. Did you only get 1 sub tho? I'd recommend dual if you get 12s for sure.

I think Bill and I are Tool's head cheerleaders here at Audioholics. They've been my favorite band since the 90s!
1 so far. I'll get a 2nd one down the road. I want to replace the 3 front speakers first. Time and budget. I could easily go 'finance' all of it now, but I hate doing that, so I'll save up and buy the pieces I need/want.

And I've been a TOOL fan for a long time as well. Sadly, I've never seen them live despite the fact I've seen about ~200 other bands live (including STP and RaTM before they hit the big time). They've only ever come to the city I live in once, back in 2006 (?) and it was in a smallish arena (6500 capacity) and sold out in minutes. One day.........
 
Pogre

Pogre

Audioholic Slumlord
1 so far. I'll get a 2nd one down the road. I want to replace the 3 front speakers first. Time and budget. I could easily go 'finance' all of it now, but I hate doing that, so I'll save up and buy the pieces I need/want.

And I've been a TOOL fan for a long time as well. Sadly, I've never seen them live despite the fact I've seen about ~200 other bands live (including STP and RaTM before they hit the big time). They've only ever come to the city I live in once, back in 2006 (?) and it was in a smallish arena (6500 capacity) and sold out in minutes. One day.........
Totally understand the budgeting. As long as it's in the cards I think you're on a great trajectory. The Paradigm Premiers reviewed really well here and look like great speakers.
 
Kingnoob

Kingnoob

Audioholic Samurai
Now I see what brought you here! Some great choices so far. Did you only get 1 sub tho? I'd recommend dual if you get 12s for sure.

I think Bill and I are Tool's head cheerleaders here at Audioholics. They've been my favorite band since the 90s!
I only have old Klipch icons , paradigms a higher end model what’s the sound difference are they smoother ? Flatter
What did he pay for one sub ?$900 US dollars? What’s the exchange rate ?
Wonder how much more the 15” is.
 
}Fear_Inoculum{

}Fear_Inoculum{

Senior Audioholic
I only have old Klipch icons , paradigms a higher end model what’s the sound difference are they smoother ? Flatter
What did he pay for one sub ?$900 US dollars? What’s the exchange rate ?
Wonder how much more the 15” is.
I don't know the answer to your questions about the sound difference, but the exchange rate is about ~78% to the US dollar. So with taxes in, the total was 1680$ Canadian, or about 1310$ US.

The retail on the 15" is 200$ Canadian (plus sales tax of 12% =224$) or about 160$ US more (174$ w/tax).

I figure 2 x12" will be more than enough for the size of the room (about 1450 cubic feet total volume). My wife thinks 1 will be more than enough lol.
 
}Fear_Inoculum{

}Fear_Inoculum{

Senior Audioholic
Also, 2 things that pushed me to get the Paradigm:

1) wholly manufacturered in Canada. Whereas the SVS is made in China.

2) you can use an app to control the sub, whereas the Monolith doesn't have that option.
 
Kingnoob

Kingnoob

Audioholic Samurai
I don't know the answer to your questions about the sound difference, but the exchange rate is about ~78% to the US dollar. So with taxes in, the total was 1680$ Canadian, or about 1310$ US.

The retail on the 15" is 200$ Canadian (plus sales tax of 12% =224$) or about 160$ US more (174$ w/tax).
Wonder why there so pricey similar to rel subs.
Wow those are pricey subs , 15” lot better value . Maybe wait til it’s on sale ...
they get good ratings tho
A ton better then my jamo , probably not as good as my diy 15” .
Compact subs cost a lot tho , rhythmic looks likely a brand I may try someday or hsu . Do Psa and jtr ship to Canada ?
 
Kingnoob

Kingnoob

Audioholic Samurai
Also, 2 things that pushed me to get the Paradigm:

1) wholly manufacturered in Canada. Whereas the SVS is made in China.

2) you can use an app to control the sub, whereas the Monolith doesn't have that option.
I’m sure you made right choice !! I can’t find a job can’t afford that expensive gear ⚙...
Those speakers are far superior to what I’m using .
More reliable then monolith for sure , double the price ? Or what
Expensive but a quality sub , light years better then my jamo tho it only cost me $50 as part of a 5.1 and amp deal . Amp was later damaged I think but I’ll try it for a movie soon and see .
Diy sub too loud and big to move downstairs.
 

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}Fear_Inoculum{

}Fear_Inoculum{

Senior Audioholic
A few quick questions:

1) How low should I have my surround sound speakers? Ear height? Higher?

2) Should my surround sound speakers be angled down towards the listeners?

3) How far from the wall should my surround sound speakers sit for optimal performance?

Thanks in advance.

Cheers,

}Fear_Inoculum{
 
S

shadyJ

Speaker of the House
Staff member
A few quick questions:

1) How low should I have my surround sound speakers? Ear height? Higher?

2) Should my surround sound speakers be angled down towards the listeners?

3) How far from the wall should my surround sound speakers sit for optimal performance?

Thanks in advance.

Cheers,

}Fear_Inoculum{
1.) your surround height depends on the kind of surround system you are setting up. If you are going for 5.1 or 7.1, I would have them mounted higher up on the wall. If you are going for an Atmos system, mount them at ear height

2.) Your surround speakers should be aimed at the listeners. This is true for most speakers: aim the tweeter at the ears of the listener.

3.) The distance your surround should be set from the wall depends on the speaker design. If it's a regular bookshelf speaker, you should give it some space away from the wall. A foot or so should be sufficient to eliminate most diffraction effects and odd boundary gain. If it is an on-wall speaker, obviously it should be mounted on the wall.
 
}Fear_Inoculum{

}Fear_Inoculum{

Senior Audioholic
1.) your surround height depends on the kind of surround system you are setting up. If you are going for 5.1 or 7.1, I would have them mounted higher up on the wall. If you are going for an Atmos system, mount them at ear height

2.) Your surround speakers should be aimed at the listeners. This is true for most speakers: aim the tweeter at the ears of the listener.

3.) The distance your surround should be set from the wall depends on the speaker design. If it's a regular bookshelf speaker, you should give it some space away from the wall. A foot or so should be sufficient to eliminate most diffraction effects and odd boundary gain. If it is an on-wall speaker, obviously it should be mounted on the wall.
Awesome, thanks for the advice.

It's going to be a 7.1 for now, with a 9.2 setup in the not too distant future.

Regular bookshelf speakers. Now I just have to figure out how to mount them where I want them, and 1' from the wall.

Screenshot_20210304-024522_Samsung Internet.jpg


My room basically looks like this. Door is at the back on the right side. There are no in ceiling speakers, and the A/V equipment is at the back left of the room. The subwoofer is also at the back for now, until I get a 2nd one.
 
S

shadyJ

Speaker of the House
Staff member
Regular bookshelf speakers. Now I just have to figure out how to mount them where I want them, and 1' from the wall.
You can put the speakers closer to the wall than 1'. You simply said 'optimal,' and it is optimal to give these types of speakers stand-off distances from nearby surfaces, however, these speakers are still very usable if placed closer to a wall. Not optimal, but they can still sound good.
 

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