Surround speakers

[superman180]

I am looking at upgrading my surround speakers and I wanted some opinions on what to choose. I am looking at direct radiating speakers for the rear, this is what I am currently using, or would a dipole type speaker make more sense for a smaller listening area?

 

[Jason Coleman]

It really depends on what type of sound you prefer andwhat your primary usage will be. For multichannel music, I'd recommend going with a direct-radiating type speaker for its accuracy and placement. For a primarily HT system, I'd suggest a dipole/bipole design for the diffuse surround effect. FWIW, I'm using Paradigm dipoles in a mostly 2-channel music setup, but they do an excellent job with HT and I'm very happy with their multichannel performance. I prefer the wider diffused sound of the dipoles over monopoles. Again, it's a matter of which sound you like and what you'll be using them for. If you haven't heard dipoles/bipoles, I'd suggest giving them a listen.

Jason

 

[Zarg]

FWIW, I'm very pleased with the diffused sound of my Axiom QS8's. It's a four driver design, with 2 tweeters and 2 mids firing at opposite sides of the square. So I get sound radiating from the ceiling and from the side walls, as well as directly downwards toward my listening space. After hearing my set, a professional HT installer told me he was getting his own pair.