can u use tower speakers for surround sound speakers (1 Viewer)

[kirtis_mcleskey]

?????


Would you say that $220 is too much for a tower speaker,

the subwoofers on the oens im looking at are really thick, kidn of made from a rubbery substance, looks like they could handle volume

 

[GrahamT]

Welcome to the HTF Kirtis,
Yes if they are Sonus Faber, NO if they Dogg Digital. It all depends on what they are. Tell us what they are. Typically towers with subs are powered, you are probably refering to the woofers. You can use towers for surrounds but they aren't usually ideal because they are too low but that depends on the room.

 

[kirtis_mcleskey]

they are cerwin vega , the subwoofer is 12 in. from sears. tell me what you think

all i can say is go to sears.com and look them up becasue this forum wont le tme post a link

 

[Shane Morales]

Nope. I speak from experience. I bought tower speakers to use as rears when I setup my HT and I discovered over time that I didn't really hear anything going on "back there". The surround sound experience just wasn't there. The tower speakers just weren't high enough.

So I bought bookshelf speakers and hung them from the ceiling; those are the new surrounds. MUCH better now, world of difference. I just did the swap and install today, too.

Don't use towers for surrounds. Get real surround speakers or bookshelf speakers that you can put high up and to the sides. It will be much better.

 

[kirtis_mcleskey]

yeah , i have smaller speakers for my surround , cant really hear thelm becasuse of my front tower speakers drowning them out, but its not as big of a problem as my center speaker, I know I want a big tower speaker for my center speaker, I DOTN like center speakers, so im just going to buy a tower speaker for my center speaker, i like the way it sounds cause i un hooked my right speaker and put my center speaker into it and I loved the sound that came out of it

 

[GrahamT]

What kind of towers are you using, maybe we can suggest a comparible quality center channel. Unfortunately, most are of poor quality. I went through four until I found one that I liked. As for not hearing the surrounds you can adjust the time delay and volume seperately to better match the other speakers.

 

[kirtis_mcleskey]

I can hear my surround sound fine, its just that there is probably bass there im not hearing becasue they are smaller speakers, my main problem is my center speaker, Would there be a problem using a tower speaker as my center speaker .

The reason I think I would like this is becasue I have just unhooked my front right speaker again and I hooked my center speaker wires into it and I really like the sound that comes out of it alot better !!! I just dont like center speakers, they are big enough , and with a tower speaker I will have a 12 in woofer and two other speakers into it

 

[ChrisWiggles]

First:

You have to calibrate. The surrounds are supposed to be very ambient, you shouldn't hear them much at all in movies, they shouldn't draw attention to themselves except in action sequences with hard panning.

And Cerwin Vegas aren't very good speakers. Nor are any from sears for that matter.

Lastly, if you have a subwoofer, it shouldn't matter that ANY of your speakers are small, or don't have strong bass capabilities.

 

[kirtis_mcleskey]

um actually it does matter to me , becasue i want more bass than what i have

 

[James Buhler]

During a recent upgrade (pics to come soon)I switched from a pair of JBL n-24's wall mounted high above my seating position to a pair of Polk towers for the surrounds. (I have Polk Front and Centre speakers as well) I am quite pleased with the change in sound. The surround channels are still there when necessary and not as "in your face" as the wall mounted JBL's. The surround effects seem much more abmient and better imaged than with the old setup. i.e., every surround effect doesn't seem to be coming straight from the surround speakers, now the sounds come from every point behind our seating position!

While this not be true for every scenario, I would highly recommned using towers for rear surrounds.

J.

 

[kirtis_mcleskey]

ok but can you use a tower speaker for a center speaker, I like the sound better, i mean will this hurt my reciever or anything ? because if not im going to go to sears and get that speaker and if im not happy withi t , Ill take it back

 

[Garrett Lundy]

Yes, you can use "tower" speakers all the way around. Some people will tell you that this is the proper set-up for listening to multi-channel SACD and DVDA.

The problem with tower speakers is that they are usually not tall enough! This can be overcome by constructing a dias or riser for the speaker to stand on, rising it to the proper height. Luckily concrete is cheap!

The other problem for HT usage is the screen or monitor. You'll have to find some compromise as to how you'll have both a tower center channel speaker and have a screen at eye level.

 

[kirtis_mcleskey]

ok thanks for replying , I think I will go buy that speaker at sears I saw and see if I like it , Im going to ask them that if I dont like the sound that comes out of it , if I can bring it back.

Im really getting everythign the way I want it now,
I mean , I dont have the most expensive set up , so Im sure that it doesnt have the most quality, but I have two tower speakers, and since th ey are so loud im currently using the little right and left speakers for center speakers as well, lol

THe only thing I really need to improve on now is my subwoofer


My subwoofer is a 6 inch speaker that came with my system from wal mart, I saw some big su bwoofers at sears that were made of liek a thick rubber, it looked like they could ahndl bass, to hear the one I have now , you have to really turn the volumne on the back of it up , which makes it rattle like crazy , Can you get subwoofers that can be heard over the towerspeakers i have, some of the oens at sears were 200 watts. i think and they were about $200 , or a little more I cant' remember , I just know that I need something to produce louder bass , as now everythign is louder and the bass dont conme through to the ear on the one I have now

please post ideas lol

 

[GrahamT]

If you like your system then that is all that matters. Most of us here aren't as concerned with volume as we with quality. Also keep in mind that high volumes over time WILL damage your ears. Thick rubber is not indication of anything other than a maybe a high Vas.

 

[kirtis_mcleskey]

what is a vas , yea i know about ear piercing, im wanting good quality , and ive got good quality sound ,its just that I like big sound, Im not talkign rock and roll volumne here that imw anting, im just wanting to sound a little more like a theater


about my subwoofer problem though, can it be fixed by getting a larger subwoofer, im a new guy , so i dont know where to buy my subwoofers, but they have a 150 watt 12 inch subwoofer at sears.???


I have never looked at systems before on cars ect. but I saw a guy looking at subwofoers for cars when i was in sears and he was testing them out , and he had this one one that had that rubberery outter covering around the spear and that thing was producing bass, see, there is parts on movies like lord of the rings where the bass is supposssed to be loud and my subwoofer wont make it loud

 

[GrahamT]

If you want loud, deep bass like a movie theater you are gonna have to look for something other than Sears subs. Try www.svsubwoofers.com or HSU or Paradigm, Velodyne etc.

 

[ChrisWiggles]

I don't want to sound mean or anything, but I *really* think you need to get out of sears for audio equipment. That stuff is pretty cheap, and just loud, if that. IMO, it sounds like you need to go experience some higher-end stuff (NOT necessarily higher-priced). I'd try to find a paradigm dealer, as they make GREAT entry-level stuff, and also make nice subs. Their dealers are not the chain-store type places like BB, etc either. I also recommend SVS, but I think you need to find a real audio dealer, and go take a listen.

Finding good quality sound is not about *big loud* speakers. That can be done cheaply, and IMO, poorly by sears-quality stuff like cerwin vega. Small, great-sounding bookshelves matched with something like an SVS is jawdropping on movies. You also may need to move away from "boomy" unnatural bass, which is something you may be quite used to (unfortunately).

Good luck

 

[kirtis_mcleskey]

ive heard that sears isnt the best , but there is honestly no other place around me that has self powered subs , unless its on the interenet and I dont want to have to send it back through mail if i dont like the way it sounds

 

[kirtis_mcleskey]

im also only looking to spend around $200 or $250 , can i get a good deep subwoofer for that ?

 

[ChrisWiggles]

Doubtful, unless you go with a DIY sub, or something from the net. I think the dayton from parts express is pretty decent at that price.