20-39 PCi concerns... (1 Viewer)

[inazuma]

I'm thinking of getting one of these nice puppies... But I have some concerns that hopefully someone can help me out with. My HT room is about 12 ft x 12 ft (it's actually a bit more rectangular, but HT section is pretty much in the 12x12 area.

I've got a full Infinity speaker setup -- RS-5's for the fronts, RS-3's for the rears, CC-3 for the center, and a BU-2 for the sub.

Because of the room setup, I will be placing the SVS in the front, behind the left front speaker. And it will be really close to that RS-5... like maybe not even an inch.

Questions are:
1) Would the placement behind the RS-5 be ok? I know it's probably not "optimal" but will it be ok?

2) Is it ok that it will be virtually touching the RS-5? Or should it not be close to any speakers?

3) The height of the SVS will be roughly the same height of the RS-5. Good/bad? Should I opt for the 25-31 instead since it's shorter?

4) Should I keep the BU-2 around as well? Or take it out of the room? Receiver's a Kenwood VR-2090, which has only 1 sub out anyway (I think) so it may not even be an option?

5) Lastly, since my room is 12x12, is this sub overkill? Should I just stick with the BU-2?

Oh and does anyone know when the summer sale is going to end?

Thanks much.

 

[ColinM]

1) You never know till you try. It pays to try different placements and be patient.

2) As long as they don't touch, you're golden.

3) If it's just about looks, it's up to you. The size / height won't affect the sound quality of either speaker.

4) Ditch it.

5) The HT "area" is the actual cubic foot volume of the room you're in, including any openings into other rooms. How loud do you listen? I never ran out of gas with the 20-39 in 3000cu ft+, so you'll likely be OK. You can never have too much sub, you can always turn it down. If you run out of sub, though, then what?

 

[BobAlbano]

You can never have too much of a good thing. I have a dual 20-39cs+ package in a 12x12 room. The bass in there is incredible to say the least. Go for the 20-39! You won't need the extra db or 2 in that room however the extra extension will be worth it.

 

[Arron H]

Or you could go with a 25-31PCi tuned to 22Hz and pick up an extra 1/6th octave of extension. You would give up a few Db overall output above 25Hz.

 

[Ned]

You'll probably disavow all knowledge of the old Infinity sub when you hear/feel the SVS.

Your concerns above shouldn't be a problem for any of them. You probably don't want the sub touching one of the speakers though. Even an inch clearance is enough. The sub height relative to other speakers is irrelevant. Just pick the SVS that best suits your desires.

25-31 most output, little more chest thump, less low rumble
20-39 jack of all trades, good output and rumble
16-46 least output, probably better for deep bass music use

Personally I would avoid the 16-46 unless the plan was to have dual units at some point.

 

[Chris James]

Hi Ned. Just to avoid confusing anyone, the 16-46PCi has enough output to satisfy most people. Comparing a 20-39 to a 16-46 would not be that much of a difference, only in the sub 20Hz range. The output of a 25-31 to a 16-46 would be a little more noticable. But, overall, any of the three PCi series would be plenty of output.

 

[Dustin B]

What are the actual room dimensions, not what you've mapped off as HT space? The sub doesn't care, it will fill it all :p)

Also I can't seem to find any details on the RS5. Does it have a port on the rear. That is my only concern with placing the SVS that close to it. If it does you'd want to leave 3" or more between them.

 

[Jeff Kohn]

I agree the only issue would be if the SVS were blocking a rear port on your speaker, because I would think you want to have more than 1" clearance for the port. But if your speakers are not rear-ported you should be OK.

 

[inazuma]

This is a rough sketch of the room. The little "/" is a door. The 12x12 area is on the right. My guess is the left side is roughly 9x6 or something like that. Note where I'd like to put the SVS. I've been looking at other people's setups and this may seem fine.
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My only real concern now is the proximity of the SVS to my front left speaker. Dustin, Yes, the RS-5 does indeed have a port on the back. How relevant is that? I'm not sure I'll have 3 inches to give between the SVS and the RS-5.
Also, it's been suggested that I ditch my BU-2. Just wondering... Are there any drawbacks to hooking up two different subs into the same system? I know I'll just have to experiment and listen for what sounds best, but thought I'd ask.
Thanks everyone... This is definitely helping. Much appreciated.

 

[Dustin B]

If the tower is tuned well below where you will be crossing it over to the sub with your receiver then it likely won't be much of an issue (port doesn't do a lot until you get close to the tuning point). None the less, the rule of thumb is you should have at least a port diameter to the nearest surface. So measure the ports diameter and I'd recommend that much space as the minimum. Something too close to the port will impede it's air flow and hamper the performance of the speaker (at frequencies near the tuning point).

As for the two subs, personally I'd just ditch the BU. Won't sound as good and doesn't go as low, so it will only make any real addition in headroom above 30hz or so. Although what you think is all that really matters, so try it both ways and see what you think.