Locating Presence Speakers

[edbj]

How critical is the location of presence speakers?

My receiver (Yammie RX-V2500) user's manual tells me to locate the presence speakers between 1 - 3 feet outside the front speakers, about 6 feet high, and pointing slightly inward.

This is difficult for me because of my room's physical design.

It is possible, however, for me to locate the presence speakers behind or slightly inside and above the main speakers. Will this compromise degrade DSP performance, or is it a reasonable compromise?

Additionally, I can locate the presence speakers about 1 foot outside the fronts, but they'll point inward about 45°. How will this configuration work?

Which, if either, of the two alternatives will achieve maximum listening pleasure?

 

[Buckeyefan 1]

How critical is the location of presence speakers?

My receiver (Yammie RX-V2500) user's manual tells me to locate the presence speakers between 1 - 3 feet outside the front speakers, about 6 feet high, and pointing slightly inward.

This is difficult for me because of my room's physical design.

It is possible, however, for me to locate the presence speakers behind or slightly inside and above the main speakers. Will this compromise degrade DSP performance, or is it a reasonable compromise?

Additionally, I can locate the presence speakers about 1 foot outside the fronts, but they'll point inward about 45°. How will this configuration work?

Which, if either, of the two alternatives will achieve maximum listening pleasure?

Maximum listening pleasure will only be attained if you allow Privateer's fat whores on your lap while you listen to some Donnie Iris tunes.

JK Privateer. I'm still laughing over your comment the other day. I've never really heard, or been able to appreciate "presence speakers." I assumed it was a Yammy thing, and that it was basically taking a 7.1 setup and moving the rear centers to the front. I'm sure I'm way off, but can someone who ownes a Yamaha receiver with presence speakers explain where this sound is generated (matrix or true discrete) and if they can play these while also listening to 7.1 surround? Is it an audio only tool, or can it be used with 5.1 or 7.1 surround?

 

[Audioholics]

It's actually a DSP-enabled stereo pair of channels that takes information from the left and right front channels, processes it and uses it to create a much larger, wider soundstage. It has nothing to do with 7.1 or rear channels.

Locating the speakers up high is a must, outside is preferred. Locating them up high and inside would more or less defeat the purpose somewhat, but perhaps you can at the least, locate them directly above your main speakers 6-7 feet in the air. At that point I'd experiment with toeing in your main speakers slightly while keeping the presence speakers angled straight out (but tilted downward towards the listening position.)

The goal is to achieve a wider soundstage during movies and such when you enable Yamaha Cinema DSP modes. Mount them high and as far apart as you can, then experiment and see what you come up with.

 

[edbj]

Thanks, Clint, for the reply and info.

I can install them behind the mains and up as high as I want -- certainly 6 - 7 feet presents no problem.

Thanks again.

 

[James_Stewart]

What receivers have this option? This is the first I've heard of presence speakers.

 

[T2T]

What receivers have this option? This is the first I've heard of presence speakers.

It's a feature only with Yamaha receivers. I know the Yamaha HTR-5760/5860 features the presence speaker connectivity - and then the models that go up from there have it, too: HTR-5790/5890, RX-V650/657, 750/757, 1400/1500, 2400, 2500, etc.

 

[Doug917]

edbj,

I have my presence speakers just outside my fronts and about 6' high as you can see in the picture. Mine aren't quite a foot out but the expanded image still comes across fine. I find these speakers really enhance the front and front/side soundfields. I also use the dialog lift function and it really helps anchor the sound to the proper place on the 92" screen I use. If you gave me the choice between presence or surround back speakers, which is essentially the case with this receiver, I would take the presence unless the source material is encoded with surround back channels.

 

[GeorgeM]

I was somewhat skeptical about using presence speakers but Clint DeBoer had mentioned in posts in the past that they were a worthwhile feature in a surround system. So I bought a couple of Definitive Technology Mythos Gems (with pedestals) to fulfill this need and placed them about one-foot behind and 30 inches to the side of the mains (DefTech Mythos One's).

The Myth Ones are 48" in height and the Gems are 41" (on stands) so this placed them below the mains (duh!). I left them in this position for about a week and they sounded pretty good. I then raised them to about 71" and it was even better.

I don't think presence speakers will 'knock-your-socks-off' the first time you use them but they definitely add a another dimension (maybe 'presence' is the better word) to your listening environment.

I agree with Doug on the trade-off for presence vs surround back; there just does not seem to me much activity generated from those back speakers from most programs. I think some well-placed surround sides seem to fill the void left by exercising the presence option on the receiver over the use of the backs.

System config: Mythos One's (main), Three (center), Gems (presence), Deftech DR-7's (surround side), Deftech C-1's (surround back), and my 800 pound gorilla that smoothly eradicates mice, termites, and other uninvited varmints from the premises: an SVS PB-12 plus 2. Rcv'r: Yam RXV-2400.

-GeorgeM

...I think I'm going to have to watch my 'Undertow' DVD again; ohhhh, my poor foot! I hope I won't need medical attention .

 

[edbj]

I ended up placing a pair of Klipsch RSX-4 presence speakers about 5' above and 1' behind my Klipsch RF-5's. I also added a Klipsch RCX-4 as a back surround.

With the GUI, it's simple to switch between the presence and back surround when it's warranted.

I'm very impressed with what the presence speakers added to my listening experience. I'm also using the lift feature to virtually center the dialog tomy 55" screen.

I'm glad I asked the question.