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Thread: Surround help

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jul 2012
    Location
    Phoenix, AZ
    Posts
    22

    Default Upgrade help

    Current setup:
    Ascend tower and horizon for front stage, NrT. HTM-200 for surrounds. I have an Onkyo 818 avr, Sony 70" led TV and Sony blu-ray. I am mostly a movie guy.

    I am thinking about doing some upgrading and think the surrounds might be my best bet right now. I am looking at the Sierra-1 with NrT upgrade for surrounds. Is this overkill or should I go with the 170's for surround duty or maybe keep my 200's? Thoughts?

    I am also playing with the idea of dolby atmos and projector setup but this will be at least a year and a lot of convincing on the wife to rip the ceiling open.

    Thanks for any input!
    Tony


    Edit: changed title
    Last edited by atcjeep; 11-17-2014 at 03:40 PM.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Aug 2003
    Location
    Manhattan Beach, California
    Posts
    7,032

    Default Re: Upgrade help

    IMO, if you are mainly home theater, you probably won't get you money's worth upgrading to 170's or Sierras. The HTM-200's are also easier to mount.

    What sub(s) do you currently have?
    -curtis

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Aug 2014
    Location
    Pocatello, ID
    Posts
    112

    Default Re: Upgrade help

    I put together a 120" projector setup for about $1000 using a BenQ projector and Elite CineWhite screen. I am very happy with it, though I just have wires running up the wall.


    I have never used HTM-200's, but I understand that most Ascend users do not use Sierras for surrounds.
    I use Sierra 2's for surrounds (currently as mains while I await the Sierra Towers shipment).

    Most older 5.1 movies add only diffuse sound (background crickets, etc. that aren't supposed to sound like they are coming from a particular direction) for movies, as was (is?) recommended by THX, which also recommended out-of-phase dipole speakers for surrounds. For these movies, I don't know that the speaker matters all that much, though this is only my opinion.

    I have noticed that many more current movies add quite a lot of directional audio on surrounds. An action movie might have a helicopter coming up from the rear left and start the sound on the rear surround and slowly pan it to the front-left surround. Gunfire, voice, engine sounds, etc. are also often put on surround channels.
    The more audio gets added to surrounds, the more important the speaker is. The problem in this case is, by my understanding, the '200 and '170 are both excellent speakers.
    My suggestion based on my limited knowledge of the products involved and limited experience is to buy the Sierras for surrounds if you can afford them, because it can only improve the sound quality, perhaps inaudibly.

    If you end up building an Atmos system, however, that many Sierras can get pretty expensive.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Jul 2012
    Location
    Phoenix, AZ
    Posts
    22

    Default Re: Upgrade help

    I have a Rythmik FV15HP.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Jul 2012
    Location
    Phoenix, AZ
    Posts
    22

    Default Re: Surround help

    Anyone move from the 200s to either 170s or Sierra-1s for surrounds? Was the change noticeable and worth the upgrade? Thanks!

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Mar 2011
    Location
    NW Pennsylvania
    Posts
    696

    Default Re: Surround help

    I went from 200's to Sierra-1s. I definitely noticed a difference, especially with multi-channel music. Even though I have Sierra-2s up front, the Sierra-1s are a much better match. One challenge though is getting them (at least) a few inches away from walls and corners.
    Last edited by natetg57; 11-27-2014 at 10:08 AM.
    Nate

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Aug 2003
    Location
    Manhattan Beach, California
    Posts
    7,032

    Default Re: Surround help

    I went from 170s to 200s for mounting and aesthetic purposes. I was pleasantly surprised. I don't notice much difference if any at all.

    My my mains are Sierra-1s.
    -curtis

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