Snell type C

[GoldenSlinky]

So after years of trying to sell two Snell Type C speakers my mother decided they were my new housewarming gift. That said, I have approximately 0 experience with speaker and a/v equipment but I'm technically minded. Does anyone here have any kind of specs on these? I'm trying to set up a 5.1 system in my living room and I'd like the two type c's to be the front speakers for it. I'm assuming here that I need at least basic specs to select a receiver and the rest of the system but I'm not really sure. Any help is appreciated, in particular specifics on these.

So far all i know about them is that they were designed in '83.

PLEASE educate me.

All info I have on these speakers:

SN8145
Snell Acoustics
Type C Loudspeakers

 

[Adam]

Welcome to the forum!

Check out this site that has specs for a number of Snell loudspeakers. Just scroll down to the row for "Type C". Great info there. Power handling, frequency response, etc. I think that probably has a lot of what you'll want.

I came across that site, among others, from doing a Google search for "Snell Acoustics Type C". I only mention that because there was other info that you might find useful if you do that search.

You can also contact Snell directly using the info at the link here (I recommend using the "Technical questions" e-mail address).

Those sure look like some nice speakers. Great score!

Adam

 

[mazersteven]

In 1983, Peter Snell designed two new models to round out the Snell Line-up, the Type C and the Type K. These would be the last speakers designed by Peter Snell. On September 20, 1984, Peter Snell died in the factory from a heart attack.


Also ask here

http://audiokarma.org/

 

[Seth=L]

Ehem, budget?

 

[GoldenSlinky]

Thanks for the quick replies

As far as budget is concerned I think around a $600-$800 max and maybe building from there as needed if there is a large quality gap around that range. My roommate just bought a (large) HDTV and I'd like to contribute with something worthwhile.

I'm definately open to guidance on the subject though, so long as I dont end up building someone's dream home theater that I dont need

 

[Adam]

Do you already have any other A/V equipment, such as a DVD player, PS3, etc.?

You can put together a system for under $800, and you may get several suggestions here to get you started on your search. With your budget, I'd normally recommend a budget A/V receiver such as the Onkyo 506 that sells for under $200 on sale. Onkyo's 500-series receivers have gotten good reviews for the past few years. Your speakers have an impedance (and I'm guessing that's nominal) of 4 ohms, which is below the general guideline for the 506. However, the 506 manual just says that the amplifier's protection circuit might activate if you play speakers with an impedance below 6 ohms at elevated volumes for an extended time. So, hopefully you would be okay - but it is something to consider.

Matching the rear speakers to those Snell's isn't critical, and you could even go with some fairly inexpensive rears to start with just to get some sound back there. However, it would be best for your center channel to match them. I'd suggest contacting Snell to inquire about that. They might be able to help you out, but they might just point you towards their line of center channels. You can always run the surround sound with a "phantom" center, which just means that your front speakers mimic the center channel.

As for a sub, there are a lot of options out there. A brand that I've never heard, but have seen a number of recommendations for on this forum in your price range, is Dayton. Partsexpress.com sells those subs. I'm guessing that you'll be looking in the $200-$300 range for a sub, once you get a receiver, speakers, and cables. Speaking of cables, you don't need expensive ones - just browse around this forum for some ideas...or ask here if you want.

If you also need a DVD player, that will cut into your budget by around $100.

Adam

 

[GoldenSlinky]

Thanks for the help.

Once I go get everything how do/should they all fit together (in the physical sense of the room)? Aside from the obvious placements (front and rear) where should the sub be? Does all this equipment connect via the receiver?

Also, what is the general perception of wireless? I dont think I like the idea of replacing batteries a lot but I like the idea of cables snaking up the walls in my apartment less.

 

[Adam]

No problem!

For how to situate, connect, and calibrate the system - I recommend checking out some of the articles on the Audioholics main site. If you go to the main homepage (audioholics.com), there is a menu bar near the top of the page. The "Tips & Tricks" menu pulls down and gives a number of options (that include what you were asking about), and each of those options opens up to a page with articles. That's probably a better start than having us try to explain the generalities up front. We'll be more than happy to help you out with any questions, though.

I've looked into wireless for my own system. The main issue is that those systems are susceptible to interference from phones, microwaves, and wireless networks. Some claim that they aren't, but customer reviews would indicate otherwise. If you find a good system, I'd like to know about it because I'd like one. You can definitely buy ones that don't run off of batteries and that just plug into a wall outlet.

There are some pretty good options for running cables up a wall and/or along baseboards. Flat cables and cable covers (like this for example, and I think that you can get them at home stores like Home Depot) come to mind. There are a number of threads on this forum that cover those topics, and others here can chip in with their experience.

 

[GoldenSlinky]

ok so i've done a little more research now and I think i've started to fine tune what I want, at least from a receiver point of view, but I have a few questions. I'm going to be setting up a 5.1 system for a few reasons (space and cost being two) and I want to have 2 HDMI ins (3 is a plus for expandability) and 1 HDMI out, which seems to be the limiter for these systems.

I thought I had found a system that fits this in the Sony HT-SS2300, but after looking at a picture of the back I'm thinking it wont work with my Snell fronts.

The Onkyo was a good suggestion but I havent found one in 5.1.

So now, with a little more education, I'm back to square one in my search and I'm looking for suggestions again.

As a side note, if i were to buy a complete system, could i use that systems "fronts" as my rear sound? I cant imagine why they wouldnt but I wanted to ask people who knew more before I tried something like that.

 

[Adam]

Welcome back! Ahhh, researching a new system. Fun, isn't it?

I thought I had found a system that fits this in the Sony HT-SS2300, but after looking at a picture of the back I'm thinking it wont work with my Snell fronts.

Most of those home theaters in a box (HTIB) are pretty limited on their expandability and connections. I know of at least one Onkyo complete system that is really pretty good with that. It's the Onkyo HT-S5100.

The Onkyo was a good suggestion but I havent found one in 5.1.

Regarding the Onkyo 506, and 7.1 receivers in general, you can run those as 5.1. You can set up in the receiver's menu that you don't have the surround back channels hooked up, and presto...5.1. Very easy to set up. I would guess that a lot (if not most) people that buy that receiver only run five speakers off of it. So, don't worry about that part.

As a side note, if i were to buy a complete system, could i use that systems "fronts" as my rear sound?

That will depend on the system and how flexible it is with connections.

 

[GoldenSlinky]

Is the passthrough a problem? I've been staying away from those systems but mostly because i thought they didnt process HD sound. Is that true?

If i can get decent sound quality out of that system it would be great, from a picture i will post after this (when i have the 5 posts) it looks like its really modifiable as well.

I've looked around for tradeoffs on passthrough but i havent even been able to figure out what the alternative is!

 

[GoldenSlinky]

the image as promised:
picture

 

[Adam]

If a receiver has HDMI passthrough, then it is what you think - the receiver does NOT process the audio over the HDMI...it simply passes it on. However, you can connect a source to the receiver using a different digital audio connection (optical or coax). If you really want to process audio over HDMI, then you're looking at receivers that are around $350 and higher. That capability will get cheaper every year, but that's about the price point at this time.

Something to keep in mind is that your Snell speakers have a nominal impedance of 4 ohms. You'll want to read the manual for any system that you are considering (almost always available on the manufacturers' websites) to check if that will be a problem. The image that you provided specifically mentions 8-16 ohm speakers on the back panel (that's the HT-S5100, right?). Some lower end receivers will have trouble with 4-ohm speakers. I discussed the Onkyo 506 in a previous post regarding that.

 

[GoldenSlinky]

yeah i think 2 extra optical cables (DVR and PS3) are worth the money i'd save on getting passthrough.

I'd forgotten about the 506 because of the 7.1 but now that you say I can just set it to 5.1 that solves a lot of problems, and I'm assuming that I'd have to do something really stupid (especially in an apartment complex) to make the 4 ohms a problem for this receiver.

Next items on my shopping list are 2 rears and a mid. I'm assuming I can do without a sub?

 

[Adam]

You certainly can do without a sub, although one would be nice. If you haven't, you might want to check out the Daytons that I mentioned earlier.

Monoprice.com sells some nice optical cables for cheap. I personally like the look of these (and they come in different lengths).