Dipole Vs. Conventional (1 Viewer)

[Brian AM]

I'm sure this argument has been around since the begining of time but..... In the interest of someday being able to actually take advantage of Multi-channel sound (ie DVD-A & SACD), I am planning on my next speaker purchase consisting of full-range conventional speakers for my surrounds.

My question is what will I be giving up (considering that past widsom has placed dipoles as the optimum surround for home theater) by using a full-range direct speaker configuration?

What do you guys think? Is the future of multi-channel full-range sound going to make dipole surrounds obsolete? and are manufacturers already phasing them out of their upcoming product lines?

 

[StephenL]

Use both types if you can. Dipoles are generally the best surround speakers for movies. Direct radiating speakers are generally best for multichannel audio. Here are some options:

1. Use dipoles for left and right surround and direct radiating for back surround and multichannel audio.

2. Use a receiver that has connections for two pairs of left and right surround speakers and the ability to switch between them depending on the program material. (e.g. Denon)

3. Use speakers that can be switched between monopole and dipole operation. (e.g. M&K Surround-250 MKII Tripole)

There is a good article about dipole vs. direct in the February/March 2002 issue of Sound & Vision.

 

[Tom Brennan]

Stephen---I've only seen one dipolar speaker system that wasn't also a direct-radiator. Any speaker in which the diaphragm acts directly on the air in the room is a direct-radiator whether it be monopolar, dipolar, bipolar, omni or whatever. Horns and bandpass boxes are examples of indirect-radiators; with horns the diaphragm is coupled to the room air by the intervening loaded column of air in the horn, with bandpass boxes the radiation to the room is by means of the vent and not the driver.

 

[MarkO]

I felt the article in S&V could have been a bit more accurate in comparing the two diffrent speaker types. Monopolesles and Dipoles need completly diferent parking spaces to get the full benifit of each design. They chose to simply use a speaker that could switch between monopole/dipole,and never bothered to try any further possition options.