Home audio & video forum: Mixing Speakers

If you like the speaker, you might think about add more Polk speakers. John

First call Onkyo and tell them what model speaker you own they will tell you what speakers you need for the rest of the system. O had a mixed speaker system and there was no sirround effect at all you could hear sound coming from each speakeres but no sirround at all good luck stewee

my personal vote would be sub. Although that does happen to depend on personal tastes, size of your room, even neighbors, etc. IMO, the fronts are often not much more than surround speakers that just happen to be in front (HT considerations only, not music).

So, yes, Id reverse order to sub then fronts, then whatever else. budget?

whats wrong with floorstanding?

bookshelves + stands are usually the same price! Why wouldnt you want the most likely improved midbass response and reduced compression? for the same money... (at least what I imagine at price point you will look at). Just curious.

I have bookshelves for surrounds, but for a very specific reason: to obtain "proper" height of tweeters.

$600. I can't decide how to split that for you. How big is your room? (volume and is it open?). Then, what is the system used for? Like... 80%HT 10%games 10% music? I will say one thing, once you have "solid" bass in your system.... you will be spoiled rotten. You will never go back. 50/50 split on sub/speakers is not a bad idea, but I personally would get the best sub possible, and eek out the fronts, used or whatever. (assuming HT primarily. my system is also for 2-ch and my mains cost as much as all the other audio equipment combined).

Yes, a better sub will help your overall system, and how it blends. But, then again, all of it matters. Placement of sub, and placement of listener position are paramount. (Living rooms are guaranteed to provide plenty of issues with humps/nulls).

Don't worry about the rear speakers. In fact, erase them from your mind for now. They will come naturally. Don't even bother to even think about them, till you get the sub and/or fronts.

Well, I think you usually get more speaker by getting floorstandings than bookshelves+stands at the entry level price point. (Obvious reasons on both counts). But your response makes me wonder about even just placement for bookshelves. Yes, they are called "bookshelves", but actual bookshelf placement is normally quite a compromise. All speakers like some space on all sides.

OK, so in a nutshell, I like floorstanding. But, what I am saying is that no matter what you get, think about good placement (as I already touched upon with the center channel). Hope this helps.

If you want more help, better explanation, diagrams, pictures of your setup and room might be in order....

You definitely want your layout symmetrical, especially in the front. Get the front left/right speakers to be the same distance from center if you can, put them most of the the way to the corners of the room, at or just above ear level (going by the tweeters). You want your center speaker to be as close to the TV screen as possible--either right under it or right on top of it. Surrounds should be on the side walls, slightly behind and above your ears. Rear surrounds go on the back wall, possibly in the corners, again slightly above your ears. Surrounds and rear surrounds can be mounted up high if necessary, just make sure you angle them down and do it symmetrically. To position the sub, if possible, put the sub at your listening position and then walk around while playing something bass-heavy, listen for where it sounds best, and put the sub there. Oddly enough it usually works to do it backwards like that. If that doesn't work for you or depending what type of sub you have, put it in the corner or follow the sub's manual, and then experiment by ear from there. Avoid resonant spaces like under a desk.

exactly the opposite of what you wrote Cosrocs.

A lot of audio specs are baloney, or at the least only as a ballpark figure. Power ratings for speakers included. It also depends on if the specs are more influenced by marketing team than the engineers.

The speakers do not have to match in power, nor impedance.

The most important aspect in matching IS size or volume of the speakers.

At least according to Dolby and DTS.


volcomnick, Ill get back to thread later today, working right now, though I don't know how much more I have to add.

Flatworm, Id love to try Audyssey. Yours is the entry level version, right? Not the MultiEQ version? Id love to try their top of the line Sound Equalizer, but thats $2,000....

First off, you won't harm anything by mixing the speakers, although you won't achieve the sound that you may otherwise get if you were to have matched speakers. You got off to a good start with Polk, I would look into getting the sattelite speakers that will match that particular center speaker.

NO PROBLEMO! Hook up the speakers and use the Audyssey system to balance them.

(I really should read things all the way to the end, don't you think?)