Dave Hahn
Premium
I just finished upgrading my entire home theater. The last step was to give up my beloved, (but very large) Acoustic Research speakers for small bookshelves and a sub.
The Acoustic Research speakers were:
Mains: AR 312 HO – 44” x 10 ½” x 22” Tower Speakers: 1” Aerofoam Dome Tweeter, Dual 5 1/4” Midrange Drivers, 12” Long Throw Woofer . Frequency Response: 30Hz – 20KHz +/- 2 db. Sensitivity: 97 db @ 2.83 Volts/Meter. Nominal Impedance: 8 Ohms. Power Rating: 25 – 250 Watts RMS.
Center Channel: CS 25 HO: 8” x 19” x 7” Center Speaker: 1” Aerofoam Dome Tweeter, Dual 5 1/4” Midrange Drivers. Frequency Response: 80Hz – 20KHz +/- 2 db. Sensitivity: 94 db @ 2.83 Volts/Meter. Nominal Impedance: 8 Ohms. Power Rating: 25 – 200 Watts RMS.
Rears: AR 308 HO - 19” x 8” x 12” Bookshelf Speakers: 1” Aerofoam Dome Tweeter, 5 1/4” Midrange Driver. 8” Long Throw Woofer. Frequency Response: 40Hz – 20KHz +/- 2 db. Sensitivity: 92 db @ 2.83 Volts/Meter. Nominal Impedance: 8 Ohms. Power Rating: 25 – 200 Watts RMS.
The new speakers, Onix ELT LRS's are:
Mains:
* LRS Satellites - 2-Way, 2-Driver, rear-ported enclosure.
* Drivers: custom 5.25" long-throw aluminum cone woofers, hybrid silk-suspended alloy dome tweeter
* Crossover Point: 3.8 kHz
* Frequency Response: 65 Hz to 20 KHz (± 3 dB)
* Impedance: 8 Ohms nominal
* Efficiency: 89 dB (@ 1 watt / 1 meter)
* Power Rating: 25-150 Watts power handling
* Dimensions: 11.5" H x 6.75" D x 7.5” W
Center:
* System: 3-Way, 4-Driver, rear-ported enclosure.
* Drivers: custom 5.25" long-throw aluminum cone woofers, custom 2.5” paper composite midrange, hybrid silk-suspended alloy dome tweeter.
* Frequency Response: 60 Hz to 20 KHz (± 3 dB)
* Impedance: 6 Ohms nominal.
* Efficiency: 87 dB (@ 1 watt / 1 meter)
* Power Rating: 25-150 Watts
* Dimensions: 7.75" H x 6.75" D x 20” W
The sub is the new SVS PB10-ISD
I'm driving them with a Denon AVR 2805.
I have to say I don't like the new speaker upgrade. I know that the new speakers need to "break in." I also know that small bookshelf speakers aren't going to deliver like my old towers, especially because the book shelf's lack a mid-range driver. I even realize that any other brand of speaker is going to sound different from Acoustic Research.
That being said, I was expecting better. The speakers are fine for home theater, they aren't very good at all for music. I don't have very good language for this, but they sound a little "muddied" and I think I'm getting the "fish bowl effect." On top of that, the auto-EQ set-up on the Denon 2805 really brought out the best in my AR's. The Onix ELT's sound much better with the EQ set to OFF.
Am I expecting too much? Will anything in this price range, ($100 to $150 per speaker), match the sound I was getting from my AR's, or is this common and unavoidable?
Thanks,
Dave
The Acoustic Research speakers were:
Mains: AR 312 HO – 44” x 10 ½” x 22” Tower Speakers: 1” Aerofoam Dome Tweeter, Dual 5 1/4” Midrange Drivers, 12” Long Throw Woofer . Frequency Response: 30Hz – 20KHz +/- 2 db. Sensitivity: 97 db @ 2.83 Volts/Meter. Nominal Impedance: 8 Ohms. Power Rating: 25 – 250 Watts RMS.
Center Channel: CS 25 HO: 8” x 19” x 7” Center Speaker: 1” Aerofoam Dome Tweeter, Dual 5 1/4” Midrange Drivers. Frequency Response: 80Hz – 20KHz +/- 2 db. Sensitivity: 94 db @ 2.83 Volts/Meter. Nominal Impedance: 8 Ohms. Power Rating: 25 – 200 Watts RMS.
Rears: AR 308 HO - 19” x 8” x 12” Bookshelf Speakers: 1” Aerofoam Dome Tweeter, 5 1/4” Midrange Driver. 8” Long Throw Woofer. Frequency Response: 40Hz – 20KHz +/- 2 db. Sensitivity: 92 db @ 2.83 Volts/Meter. Nominal Impedance: 8 Ohms. Power Rating: 25 – 200 Watts RMS.
The new speakers, Onix ELT LRS's are:
Mains:
* LRS Satellites - 2-Way, 2-Driver, rear-ported enclosure.
* Drivers: custom 5.25" long-throw aluminum cone woofers, hybrid silk-suspended alloy dome tweeter
* Crossover Point: 3.8 kHz
* Frequency Response: 65 Hz to 20 KHz (± 3 dB)
* Impedance: 8 Ohms nominal
* Efficiency: 89 dB (@ 1 watt / 1 meter)
* Power Rating: 25-150 Watts power handling
* Dimensions: 11.5" H x 6.75" D x 7.5” W
Center:
* System: 3-Way, 4-Driver, rear-ported enclosure.
* Drivers: custom 5.25" long-throw aluminum cone woofers, custom 2.5” paper composite midrange, hybrid silk-suspended alloy dome tweeter.
* Frequency Response: 60 Hz to 20 KHz (± 3 dB)
* Impedance: 6 Ohms nominal.
* Efficiency: 87 dB (@ 1 watt / 1 meter)
* Power Rating: 25-150 Watts
* Dimensions: 7.75" H x 6.75" D x 20” W
The sub is the new SVS PB10-ISD
I'm driving them with a Denon AVR 2805.
I have to say I don't like the new speaker upgrade. I know that the new speakers need to "break in." I also know that small bookshelf speakers aren't going to deliver like my old towers, especially because the book shelf's lack a mid-range driver. I even realize that any other brand of speaker is going to sound different from Acoustic Research.
That being said, I was expecting better. The speakers are fine for home theater, they aren't very good at all for music. I don't have very good language for this, but they sound a little "muddied" and I think I'm getting the "fish bowl effect." On top of that, the auto-EQ set-up on the Denon 2805 really brought out the best in my AR's. The Onix ELT's sound much better with the EQ set to OFF.
Am I expecting too much? Will anything in this price range, ($100 to $150 per speaker), match the sound I was getting from my AR's, or is this common and unavoidable?
Thanks,
Dave