A couple of newbie questions. (1 Viewer)

[Nicko]

Hi,

Great forum, I've been reading up for a little while and decided to join.

I am looking to build up a system. It will be used pretty much equally for music and movies, probably more so for music though.

I guess I have a few questions, first off...is there much difference between subs intergrated into floorstanders (i.e infinity interludes ) and seperate subs?

Second question, is it really worth purchasing a 7.1 reciever when there aren't any movies out yet with 7.1?

Thanks in advance for any replies.

 

[Jonny K]

Well I'm kinda a newbie too, but I can comment on the sub question. From what I understand, you'll definatly want a seperate subwoofer. For starters, I don't think an integrated sub will be able to hit the really low notes nicely. Second, you'll have an LFE (low frequency effects) output for a subwoofer on your receiver. This channel is made just for a sub, and the ".1" audio channel from DVD will be sent here. But if your sub is integrated into your main speakers, how will you hear the LFE channel? You'll need a seperate sub.

(but I'm just a noob, so I'm not completely sure)


Jonny K.

 

[Nicko]

Sounds right to me! Thanks for the info...I was kinda leaning the way of a seperate sub...specially after reading people on these forums rave on SVS subs, and after checking their prices I think that's the way I'll go.

 

[Jon_Welker]

Jonny,

I somewhat agree with you, except for one case in point in which I happen to own. I bought some NHT T5's a few months ago, where the M5 speaker sits on top of a B5 12" sub bass module. You get 2 12" subs powered by an accompanying NHT amp and crossover. The 2 units screw together to form the T5. These are kind of like integrated subs, but much, much better. If you stop and think about it, I have 2 12" subs powered by a dedicated amp. The subs will go down to 26 Hz real nice and real tight. I would put them up against a lot of single stand alone subs on the market. They sound great, and are somewhat intgrated into the front floorstanding speaker. Also, some people may argue this, but I personally feel that it's better having highs, mids, and lows all coming from the same place instead of your lows coming from a corner or some place else.

 

[Ted Lee]

i'd call this personal preference...more than anything else.

imo, you have more flexibility with a standalone sub. you can really fine-tune placement of it to acheive the best bass response.

also, if you really want really stellar sub performance, very few (if any) built in subs will do it. (although jon's nht speakers can go to 26 - that's very respctable.)

as with all audio gear, i definitely recommend you go to some b&m stores and listen for yourself.

Also, some people may argue this, but I personally feel that it's better having highs, mids, and lows all coming from the same place instead of your lows coming from a corner or some place else.

this would be a good test for you...see if you can localize where the bass is coming from...that may influence your decision.

 

[JamesHl]

As to the 7.1 receiver question, it's really a personal preference thing. I personally feel that if you can really control your environment it might make a difference, but for most people 5.1 or 6.1 would be the way to go.

 

[Jon_Welker]

Ted,

My T5's can and do give stellar sub performance. I've heard some of the great Velodyne, Paradigm, Def Tech, Boston subs out there, and my NHT's will run with them no problem. Haven't heard one of these SVS deals yet, so can't make any comparisons there. Also, keep in mind, the lower a sub will go does not equal better sub performance. I'm not trying to agitate anything here, just trying to get some respect where respect is due. I do not mean to offend in any way.

 

[Ted Lee]

no worries jon.

 

[Yee-Ming]

I do wonder, though, with these integrated sub jobs, does cancellation become an issue?

Setting up 2 subs is more difficult than a single, since the two subs can be placed such that the soundwaves from one cancel the output of the other, leading to less, not more, volume. So wouldn't the same thing arise with two main speakers that have integrated subs? And since these two have to be placed within certain defined areas (since they are the front pair), you'd have less leeway in moving them about to achieve a better "mix", as compared to moving 2 dedicated subs around.

Just my $0.02's worth.

 

[Jon_Welker]

Yee,

You bring up a good point. First, let me say this, the NHT T5's are not some integrated sub job. Take a look at NHT's website, they are part of the Evolution speaker system. The M5 satellite monitors sit on top of the B5 bass module, forming the T5 tower. When set up this way, you have a few different options to compensate for their placement. First is a boundary switch on each T5 (M5 part) which takes into account the speakers being near large obstacles and walls. Second, the X1 crossover that comes with the T5 setup allows you to tweak the bass levels to your specific room. There are 5 front panel controls that one can use to do this, such as a Master Gain control and a Boundary control. Third, you are able to position the B5 modules either firing out or in, depending on what works best for your room.

Now if you still want to place your subs somewhere else, then you can opt for the U1 subwoofer, which contains 2 12" subs. So, in short, no, there is no cancellation.

 

[Ernest Yee]

I'll give this a shot:

Floorstanders v Separate Sub
- I would go the separate sub route as well - if you get a quality sub like an SVS there would be no way for a floorstander to meet that price performance especially while integrating it into that Floorstanding unit.
I can't speak for those NHTs but I wouldn't doubt it if they perform well, they are NHTs after all.

7.1
Most people that start out usually go the 5.1 unless they have a lot of money to blow at the beginning. I believe the advantage of this is that when you feel the need to upgrade, you can then simply move the current mains into the rear and get better performing mains.