Surround speaker height?
January 31, 2008
Should I place my surround speakers, a pair of dipoles from
Paradigm, at ear height or above? They will be about six feet from the back of my head and
slightly to the sides.
Tim
In my experience, dipole surrounds usually sound best
placed well above the listeners’ ears. Their design is such that you are typically
listening to them off the tweeter/midrange axis anyway. The sonic goal of a dipole is to
have a more diffuse, non-localizable sound. Placing them above your head helps them to
disappear as a source of sound. This type of placement is especially important if the two
speakers are not equidistant to the listener, or if they are closer to the listening
position than ideal.
Large center-channel speaker?
January 24, 2008
I have some fairly large main speakers -- older PSB Stratus
Golds. I want to add a center-channel speaker for home theater and would like to get
something as small as possible. I’m sticking with PSB, but want to know whether I
need one of their larger models or whether a smaller one will do.
Robert
Go larger, and here’s why: First, your Stratus
Golds are large speakers that are capable of excellent dynamics and full-range sound.
Having owned them for years, you’re used to the scale of sound they provide;
therefore moving to something considerably smaller and less capable for the center-channel
speaker would likely lead to disappointment. Second, there is a lot of information
dedicated to the center-channel speaker in today’s film soundtracks. You need a
speaker capable of good dynamic range and decent bass -- this will make integrating it in
with a subwoofer that much easier. Lastly, if you decide not to get a subwoofer, you’ll
definitely need the center speaker to play as low in frequency as possible. So definitely
go big for the center, as it could make or break your home theater.
Speakers and a PC
January 21, 2008
I recently got my hands on a set of old stereo speakers
that are all connected using spring clips. Is it possible to connect these speakers to a
PC? Would I need an adapter, and can I even get one?
Andrew
You can use the speakers with your PC but you will need
an amplifier to drive them. Your PC alone won’t power a set of passive loudspeakers.
It might be less expensive to buy a set of powered speakers that are designed for use with
your computer. One other idea is to purchase a used amplifier form somewhere like eBay,
which might make your proposition a cost-effective one.
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