Movie theater speakers?

[TheNew007]

Hi folks. I used to go to the movies alot before I purchased my new house and I'm wondering, will the Ascends CMT-340SE(L/C/R) + 170 (rear) + some sub give me the kind of sound quality someone might get at a movie theater? Also, what kind of subwoofer should I get? My range is $500-600 but Ill be willing to pay more if it's worth it.

[debo]

I have the same setup you are looking to buy and IMO my HT sounds alot better than the theaters I go to. Check out HSU for a sub.

[drewface]

i don't have a sub yet but most of the time i feel i prefer my ascend setup to the theatre. i think a lot of it has to do with the comfort of the seating and the ability to customize the sound the way you want to (volume, balance, etc). plus being able to "go to the movies" in your underwear is always a plus!

[Quinn]

My wife has been known to tell me after a movie out, "I can't wait to hear that at home."

[Grayson73]

Check out the Outlaw LFM-1 Plus, on sale for $499.

http://www.outlawaudio.com/products/lfm1plus.html

[audibleconnoisseur]

Look at the HSU VTF-2 MK 3 (2.3) also for $499. That would be a hell of a battle. Looks like they improved the LFM-1 and the stats on the HSU 2.3 are about the same. Good luck, both will do you well I am sure. I own the 2.3 and really apprecaite it! http://www.hsuresearch.com/products/vtf-2-mk3.html

[Dread Pirate Robert]

I agree with everyone that you can get better sound quality at home--even significantly better given the quality of Ascend speakers and the relative lack thereof at the typical multiplex. Where home theaters typically fall short is bass output, and it looks like you have a pretty realistic idea of how much you'll need to spend in order to get a comparable experience. The $500 subs already mentioned are amazing values at this price point, but $600, for example, can still buy you substantially greater output, so we'll need to know the dimensions of your room, whether it's open or closed, and a description of how loud you wish to listen to movies and/or music.

[TheNew007]

thanks guys for your inputs. my room dimensions are 24'(L)x 13'(W)x8'(H) which is nearly 2500 sqft. Right now I'm leaning towards the HSU VTF-2 MK3 (I wont be able to get the outlaw before the sale expires) but wondering if I should get the the av123 MFM-15 or the VTF-3 MK3 for only $100 more. Is tere a noticiable difference between a 250w sub and a 350w one? What about the cone size?

[Sammy]

Your room is just about as big as mine. I'm not sure if you're into building things, but I chose to go with the Rythmik Audio 15" sub. I had the opportunity to hear it and was absolutely blown away by the performance. All in all my kit (including MDF) cost $600 to build. The 12" kits are at a lower price point. http://www.rythmicaudio.com

I would also like to add that room acoustics will make a huge difference in sound. My room is a dedicated theater with wall treatments and bass traps. I wasn't able to take measurements on before and after, but the difference is quite amazing. Treating your first reflection points will make a big difference as well.

[Dread Pirate Robert]

thanks guys for your inputs. my room dimensions are 24'(L)x 13'(W)x8'(H) which is nearly 2500 sqft. Right now I'm leaning towards the HSU VTF-2 MK3 (I wont be able to get the outlaw before the sale expires) but wondering if I should get the the av123 MFM-15 or the VTF-3 MK3 for only $100 more.

That's a good-sized room for HT, and while the VTF-2 MK3 should do fine at the volume levels at which most people listen to movies, since you were willing from the get-go to spend a bit more, I say definitely go for the VTF-3 MK3! :) I just realized that it's on sale right now for $70 off the regular price, otherwise I'd suggest the SVS PB12. As for the MFW-15, not much is known about it as of yet.


Is tere a noticiable difference between a 250w sub and a 350w one?

There can be when you're playing a bass-intensive scene at fairly high volume levels, especially at the lowest frequencies. The difference would not be enormous, based on wattage alone, but it should be noticeable given nominal parameters in a room of that size. However, it should be noted that the comparison in this case is not entirely fair because the VTF-3 MK3 has a 20% larger cabinet (and possibly a better driver?), which gives it more capability down low even at equal power.


What about the cone size?

Cone size certainly makes a difference, as you can't get around basic physics, but even if we only considered output capability at very low frequencies, a single number never tells the whole story, of course.

[ravingndrooling]

Buy the most bass that you can safely afford! I have never, ever heard of someone complaining of too much bass. My room is 24X13X8 with a large 6' wide doorway on one of the long walls, so pretty leaky if you will. I started with an SVS Ultra and thought that was plenty...Then I got really crazy and bought a twin and a Velo SMS to control them....Things got just out of hand at that point. I didn't know what I was missing until the second Ultra came home. Both Hsu and Outlaw make fine products, so no problem there. I much prefer 2 over a single, it rounds things out across the whole room. Where 1 sub was reaching its upper limits in very bass heavy scenes, 2 is just effortless and never even came close to being strained. Bottom line is its your money, buy what you can safely afford and if its not enough, buy another one. :D

[dallas]

Your room is just about as big as mine. I'm not sure if you're into building things, but I chose to go with the Rythmik Audio 15" sub. I had the opportunity to hear it and was absolutely blown away by the performance. All in all my kit (including MDF) cost $600 to build. The 12" kits are at a lower price point. http://www.rythmicaudio.com

I would also like to add that room acoustics will make a huge difference in sound. My room is a dedicated theater with wall treatments and bass traps. I wasn't able to take measurements on before and after, but the difference is quite amazing. Treating your first reflection points will make a big difference as well.

I always wanted to see a comparison between the rythmik's kits and the better units from SVS and HSU.

[Sammy]

Dallas-

The Rythmik sub kits are second to none. I had the opportunity to listen to the SVS and Rythmik side by side and the sound was pretty equal. We didn't have measurements, but I could tell a slight difference with the Rythmik. Not enough for me to go to SVS.

Someone on the AVS forum did some comparisons between the SVS and Rythmik not to long ago.

[muzz]

Your room is just about as big as mine. I'm not sure if you're into building things, but I chose to go with the Rythmik Audio 15" sub. I had the opportunity to hear it and was absolutely blown away by the performance. All in all my kit (including MDF) cost $600 to build. The 12" kits are at a lower price point. http://www.rythmicaudio.com

I would also like to add that room acoustics will make a huge difference in sound. My room is a dedicated theater with wall treatments and bass traps. I wasn't able to take measurements on before and after, but the difference is quite amazing. Treating your first reflection points will make a big difference as well.

Thats what I'm building as well, I WAS going to go with the 12", but decided to just do the 15".

I take you really like it?

[ebh]

Your room is just about as big as mine. I'm not sure if you're into building things, but I chose to go with the Rythmik Audio 15" sub. I had the opportunity to hear it and was absolutely blown away by the performance. All in all my kit (including MDF) cost $600 to build. The 12" kits are at a lower price point. http://www.rythmicaudio.com

I would also like to add that room acoustics will make a huge difference in sound. My room is a dedicated theater with wall treatments and bass traps. I wasn't able to take measurements on before and after, but the difference is quite amazing. Treating your first reflection points will make a big difference as well.

sammy, are you crossing over at 60hz or 80hz? the reason i ask is that brian at rythmik has mentioned on avs that he thinks the 15" sounds better with a 60hz xover. but he may just be really picky.

i plan on building one of the kits in september. the extra output of the 15" is desirable, but my receiver only crosses over at 80hz, and besides, i don't think the 170s ought to be crossed lower than that. so still trying to decide on 15" or 12". i guess i could always do a 2x12" or 2 separate 12"s, but then we start to run into WAF issues...

[muzz]

sammy, are you crossing over at 60hz or 80hz? the reason i ask is that brian at rythmik has mentioned on avs that he thinks the 15" sounds better with a 60hz xover. but he may just be really picky.

i plan on building one of the kits in september. the extra output of the 15" is desirable, but my receiver only crosses over at 80hz, and besides, i don't think the 170s ought to be crossed lower than that. so still trying to decide on 15" or 12". i guess i could always do a 2x12" or 2 separate 12"s, but then we start to run into WAF issues...

If I were you, I'd call Brian.

I talked to him on the phone, he seems like a decent guy, and he will tell ya exactly what he thinks.
His "qoutes" are good, but giving him YOUR situation and expectations will help him give ya good advice.

BTW, one thing about Brian is......
He WON'T try and sell ya something that he doesn't think you need.

Give him the specs, and your expectations, and he'll answer truthfully.

[Dread Pirate Robert]

Buy the most bass that you can safely afford! I have never, ever heard of someone complaining of too much bass.

What about neighbors? :( My cat isn't too crazy about bass, either--when it gets to be too much for her, she "curses" (anyone who owns a cat should know what I mean) and leaves the room in a huff. :p

Other than those examples, your advice should definitely be heeded. Having more than enough capability can also mean superior bass reproduction, because as with everything else, quantity is not the sole consideration.


My room is 24X13X8 with a large 6' wide doorway on one of the long walls, so pretty leaky if you will. I started with an SVS Ultra and thought that was plenty...Then I got really crazy and bought a twin and a Velo SMS to control them....Things got just out of hand at that point. I didn't know what I was missing until the second Ultra came home. Both Hsu and Outlaw make fine products, so no problem there.

I'm not sure how big of a deal this would be for most people, but a continuously variable phase control can often be helpful in a multi-subwoofer system, and none of the current Hsu or Outlaw subs have this feature, while all current SVS subs do. I've even found it useful in my single-subwoofer system--dialed that nasty cancellation notch at the crossover frequency right out of existence while my receiver's distance controls stood by and watched helplessly. :)


I much prefer 2 over a single, it rounds things out across the whole room. Where 1 sub was reaching its upper limits in very bass heavy scenes, 2 is just effortless and never even came close to being strained.

And when properly placed and phased in different locations, two subs can also fill in most every hole in your bass frequency response due to room effects (I don't have any at the primary seat--lucky me--but from what I've seen, most people do).


Bottom line is its your money, buy what you can safely afford and if its not enough, buy another one. :D

Well, everyone has to draw the line somewhere, and maybe getting just "enough with some margin" now will help enable "double your listening pleasure" later. ;) Don't let the rest of us tell you how to spend your money, though--these are only descriptions of various scenarios, and everybody is different. :)

[MrTomasulo]

What kind of receiver are you using?

[Sammy]

Thats what I'm building as well, I WAS going to go with the 12", but decided to just do the 15".

I think the 15" is the way to go if you have the room. The footprint isn't that large so it should fit well in most rooms.


sammy, are you crossing over at 60hz or 80hz? the reason i ask is that brian at rythmik has mentioned on avs that he thinks the 15" sounds better with a 60hz xover. but he may just be really picky.

I'm running the 12db version @ 80hz right now and it works great. I don't have my Ascends yet, but the sub sounds spot on with music, gaming and movies.


i guess i could always do a 2x12" or 2 separate 12"s, but then we start to run into WAF issues...

I asked Brian about this and he recommended that I go with 1 15" to start and then add another if I felt I needed it. At this point I don't plan on adding a second 15". The room is pre-wired to accept 4 subs if needed (2 front / 2 back), but it pounds loud enough for me atm.