Should I set my speakers to large or small?

[ChrisJam]

I'm a home theater newbie, as some of you might have noticed by my first two threads asking subwoofer setting advice and center speaker advice. Since that post, I've rounded out my system with surrounds and a center. Here's what I have

--Yamaha HRT-5280 amp (equivalent to RX-V800)

--Eosone RSF-200 bookshelf mains (48-20,000 Hz)

--Yamaha YST-SW315 sub (20-160 Hz)

--Polk CS1 center (55-25,000 Hz; hasn't arrived yet)

--Polk R15 surrounds (60-24,000 Hz; just got these Saturday, used, and haven't had a chance to set them up)


I'd been thinking of getting a used Eosone 300 center, but for the price I was willing to pay for it, I found a deal on a brand new Polk CS1 for $99. I figured that the Polk would be a close enough match for my Eosone bookshelf mains. (Polk was behind the short-lived Eosone company and helped with the design. The CS1's woofers are the same size as the Eosone's.) I heard one with a friend, and liked the sound it reproduced with rock music, classical music, and DVD movie dialogue. (I also listened to an Infinity Primus C25 and it didn't come close to matching the Polk.) The Polk's bass response goes lower than the Eosone's--55 Hz vs. 90 Hz.

Now that I have this system and now that I've done more research on audio specs and now that I've gotten good advice from this forum's members in my other threads, I have another question, please.

My Eosone mains always did well when I played a music CD. (I realize they're not super-quality speakers, but I like them and they have good timbre. I'll probably keep them as my mains for anothe 2-3 years.) Where they got in trouble was with movies on DVD. Crashes and explosions and other super-low tones made them--I don't know the right term--bottom out, or click, or crackle. You probably know what I mean. Getting my sub fixed that. When I got my sub, I switched my mains from large to small on my amp.

But now that I know a little more about how 5.1 sound is mixed, I wonder if I should put them back to large. If the extra-low 5.1 rumbles are sent directly to the .1 channel, does that mean that my mains will continue to work well set to large, thus moving their low response from 90 Hz (my amp's LFE cut-off) to close to their spec's bottom of 48 Hz? In other words, will they go low, but not so low that they bottom-out or crackle if set to the large setting?

What about the Polk center that I have coming that goes down to 55 Hz? Should I keep it large or small? (My amp has a 5-band equalizer built in for the center channel.)

The R15 surrounds are small speakers. When I got them I assumed I'd set them to small--a no-brainer, I thought. But if the sub gets all the lowest tones from the .1 channel, can I get better sound from the 5.1 system by setting them to large, since they go to 60 Hz?

I read one audiophile's opinion that setting all speakers to small and using a sub for everything from 80-90 Hz and below was the way to go, assuming the mains weren't HUGE with terrific bass response. Then again, I've read that some people mix and match the large/small settings. What would you experienced people recommend for each of my speakers?

Thanks,
Chris

 

[jcPanny]

Speaker settings

Your mains are definately not full range. I would set them to SMALL with a sub crossover of 80 Hz or 100 Hz to match your other speakers.
If you set the mains to LARGE, you will be missing the <50 Hz info that is part of the Main audio track. If they are set to SMALL this info will go to the sub. Your receiver might also have a setting for BOTH (mains and sub) that might be worth a try.

 

[j_garcia]

Set them to small.

 

[chaos24]

everybody before me are right ...set them to small my friend..jcPANNY hit it right on the button

 

[bryantm3]

i have some polk RTi8s, and i've always been advised to set them to small, but i'm not powering them too much (something like 90 watts), but if i amped them really well, like 200 watts, could they give me the full range?

 

[MDS]

i have some polk RTi8s, and i've always been advised to set them to small, but i'm not powering them too much (something like 90 watts), but if i amped them really well, like 200 watts, could they give me the full range?

The amount of power you feed the speakers cannot change the frequency response of those speakers. They will just be able to reproduce the frequencies they are capable of reproducing much louder.

 

[bryantm3]

they go down to 30 Hz, lower than my subwoofer! i thought the bass response was better with increased ampification.

 

[Sheep]

they go down to 30 Hz, lower than my subwoofer! i thought the bass response was better with increased ampification.

Large speakers are required to hit 20Hz.

If they go lower then your subwoofer (NOT on paper, in REAL LIFE) then using them as large is justified.

BTW, why bother with a sub that can't go lower then the mains?

Increased amplification helps the bass output. Some call it the response, but the correct term is output. RTi10s and 12s need more power to drive the woofers in them (around 300 if possible). A 90w/ch receiver can't drive them to any useable volume levels. They're just too insensitive.

SheepStar

 

[MDS]

Increased amplification helps the bass output. Some call it the response, but the correct term is output.

Let's not mix apples and oranges here. 'Output' would refer to the SPL the speaker produces and yes since woofers require more power to reach higher SPL's for lower frequencies, more power will help the output. If a speaker is rated 50 Hz - 20 kHz, it won't reproduce frequencies lower than 50 Hz effectively, no matter how much power you feed it.

 

[Sheep]

Let's not mix apples and oranges here. 'Output' would refer to the SPL the speaker produces and yes since woofers require more power to reach higher SPL's for lower frequencies, more power will help the output. If a speaker is rated 50 Hz - 20 kHz, it won't reproduce frequencies lower than 50 Hz effectively, no matter how much power you feed it.

Lets not forget how to read here.

I never said more power equals lower response. I said some say giving more power helps the bass response, but the word they should be using is output, not response.

SheepStar

 

[mtrycrafts]

If a speaker is rated 50 Hz - 20 kHz, it won't reproduce frequencies lower than 50 Hz effectively, no matter how much power you feed it.

And, we need to remember that just because it is rated to 50Hz, doesn't mean it will output 50Hz at high SPL levels, only that the cone will vibrate and a meter will register it Usable? Another question.

 

[ChrisJam]

[snip] If you set the mains to LARGE, you will be missing the <50 Hz info that is part of the Main audio track. If they are set to SMALL this info will go to the sub. Your receiver might also have a setting for BOTH (mains and sub) that might be worth a try.

Sorry, I should have mentioned that. My amp does have a setting for BOTH.

 

[bryantm3]

my sub only goes down to 35 Hz.

 

[MDS]

Lets not forget how to read here.

I never said more power equals lower response. I said some say giving more power helps the bass response, but the word they should be using is output, not response.

SheepStar

Agreed. Reading is fundamental. Here was the actual question to which I said that more power won't change the frequency response:

i have some polk RTi8s, and i've always been advised to set them to small, but i'm not powering them too much (something like 90 watts), but if i amped them really well, like 200 watts, could they give me the full range?

Full range meaning 20 Hz - 20 kHz. The answer is no of course.

 

[bryantm3]

well, what i meant was will they give me a better bass response?
they go from 30 Hz to 27000 kHz, that's almost full range on the lower end, and beyond full range on the other end.
like i've said, my subwoofer is pretty weak, it only goes down to 35 Hz.

 

[Sheep]

Agreed. Reading is fundamental. Here was the actual question to which I said that more power won't change the frequency response:

i have some polk RTi8s, and i've always been advised to set them to small, but i'm not powering them too much (something like 90 watts), but if i amped them really well, like 200 watts, could they give me the full range?

Full range meaning 20 Hz - 20 kHz. The answer is no of course.

That's all fine and dandy, but why did you quote me then?

SheepStar

 

[chaos24]

i have some polk RTi8s, and i've always been advised to set them to small, but i'm not powering them too much (something like 90 watts), but if i amped them really well, like 200 watts, could they give me the full range?

if you are really putting 90 watts into your RTi8's, thats still not enough power to really let them open up...if your 90 watts is coming off of a a/v reciever then your really looking at 45 to 50 real watts...and the distortion at high volumes is sure to kill your speakers. if you can put 200 real watts(a seperate amp) your speakers will come to life. underpowering your speakers is not a good thing. my reciever is rated at 130 watts...probably 90, 95 real watts, but when i hooked up my adcoms.....WOW....they came to life...just remember, its better to have more clean power than not enough...amplifier clipping and distortion will wreak havok on your speakers...just my 2cents

 

[mtrycrafts]

well, what i meant was will they give me a better bass response?
they go from 30 Hz to 27000 kHz, that's almost full range on the lower end, and beyond full range on the other end.
like i've said, my subwoofer is pretty weak, it only goes down to 35 Hz.

Well, that is the spec. But, knowing the max spl with no more than 10% distortion, a standard level for sub testing, at 30Hz needs to be known. I seriously doubt it will be much at the low end, no matter how much power you use. It has limits and physical limits as well.