Should I Keep the Linaeums?

[mrbasic]

Hello, All

This is my first post as a member on your great site.

My question lies with my little HT setup's speakers.
When Radio Shack was switching over to RCA from Optimus (2001?), I picked up a pair each of the LX5 and LX-88 Linaeum speakers for 50 bucks, all told. These were intended for a four channel stereo setup, but I ended up getting a Yamaha RX-V495 instead of an RX-495 (typo on ebay!:).
Fast Foreward-Last week, I added a YST-SW012 sub (What a difference) and now I've got the itch to get the surrounds that are designed and matched for my other Yammy stuff. (Ns-Ap2600.) I would have to sell the linaeums to get the Yammy surrounds. (Yes, I really care about sound, but we're doing the total money makeover.)

-What do you fellas think? Thanks

 

[jamie2112]

How much is your budget?

 

[mrbasic]

Well...

My budget is what I can get on ebay for the linaeums.

 

[Pyrrho]

Listen to the speakers you have. Do you like them? If possible, go to an audio shop in your area that sells the speakers you are considering. Do you like them more or less than the speakers you already have? That will give you the best answer to your question. If it were me, I would probably keep what you have, as I doubt you will do better than them for the price you are likely to get selling them, particularly after considering selling fees and so forth. Of course, if people got into a crazy bidding war over your speakers, then things would be different, but I don't expect that that will happen.


Also, surrounds do not need to match the fronts, and a pair of the speakers you now have should be good in that role. Of course, if you use one for the front center, then you won't have a pair of them for surround use.

 

[Midcow2]

Sorry

My budget is what I can get on ebay for the linaeums.

ARRRG you don't have a budget then LOL because if your bought them for $50you will more than likely get less when you sell them, speakers usually don't appreciate.

Good Luck!

MidCow2

I have good ideas in the $100 range and oteher good ideas in the $200 range but that is way over your current budget.

 

[m_vanmeter]

recent "bay of e" completed auctions show RS LX5 speaker pairs selling for $40 to $70 depending on condition. There are buyers who get them just to strip out the lineaum tweeters for reuse in other DIY speaker projects.

I know it was not the "norm" for Radio Shack, but the little LX5 lineaum speakers were quite good, and really come into their own when paired with a good subwoofer.

I even wired up a conference room at work with LX5's and a sub for a/v presentations and folks are quite amazed that the speakers are old rat-shack bookshelves, but the lineaum tweeters make all the difference. It is a shame a patent dispute killed the lineaum's off, they are completely opposite of traditional, very directional, cone tweeters.

 

[mrbasic]

80 Dollars

I can get the Ns-Ap2600 set (2+2+center) for 80 dollars to my door. The four "linaei" should bring just about that. I have to admit I like the idea of everything matching and knowing that the sub and surrounds were "made for each other". aka voice matched, the surrounds frequency range meets right at the sub's cutoff of 90hz.

 

[m_vanmeter]

compared to what you have, I think you will be sadly disappointed in the $80 Yamaha "wonder" system. That will be the classic example of getting what you pay for.

 

[Pyrrho]

I can get the Ns-Ap2600 set (2+2+center) for 80 dollars to my door. The four "linaei" should bring just about that. I have to admit I like the idea of everything matching and knowing that the sub and surrounds were "made for each other". aka voice matched, the surrounds frequency range meets right at the sub's cutoff of 90hz.

Subwoofers are not "voice matched" to the mains. They are reproducing different frequencies, so they always sound different from the main speakers. So there is zero need to get a "matching" subwoofer for the main speakers. It just needs to go high enough so that there won't be a gap in frequencies between it and the main speakers. Normally, if people go astray here, it is that they don't get main speakers that can go low enough, as it is not a good idea to have the subwoofer reproduce very high frequencies.

Also, although it is a very good idea to have matching speakers across the front (because when a sound pans across the front three channels, it is good if it has the same tonal quality while being reproduced by the different front speakers), it is far less important for the rears to match the front. Simply put, you do not hear as well things that are behind you as things in front (which explains why, even in the dark, in order to listen to something carefully, one turns to face it; people who are blind from birth also turn to face things when they want to listen intently, because one's ears are aimed for forward listening), so the rear speakers matter less. Also, typically, the types of sounds recorded for the rear channels are "ambience", whereas the main sounds, such as the dialog, may come from any of the front speakers, as, for example, if a person is on the far right of the screen, they may be speaking from the right channel speaker.

My advice is to keep what you have, and in the future, if you can afford it, try to pick up another speaker like what you have for completing the 5 channels. And whenever you have money for it later, add a subwoofer; I recommend SVS, if you can ever afford one.

 

[WmAx]

That omni tweeter is giving you much better, more enveloping surround effect as compared to a normal surround speaker. Go ahead and get the 'matching' surrounds. You will have only a SQ decrease, assuming the LX-5 are working right, and are not distorting.

-Chris

 

[mrbasic]

Thanks, Guys.

Okay.

I will hang on to the LX-5 and L-X88 speakers.

Maybe I can try some of the mods suggested on the web.

I think I had "get something different-itis". Which works a whole lot better when you have $$$ (or even $)

 

[m_vanmeter]

good call !

give your existing speakers a fair chance and test them out for a period. If later "upgradeits" gets you again, you will have a good basis to compare the new speakers against.......and a better budget