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StarsFan4Life

Golden Member
May 28, 2008
1,199
0
0
Originally posted by: Tiamat
Originally posted by: StarsFan4Life
Originally posted by: StarsFan4Life
Good grief. I found the PC250 and a pair of P142's for $217 shipped from www.us-appliance.com. Anyone ever heard of them?

Tiamat....what about this? The PC250 is much better than Logitech Z-5500's center channel speaker, right? Same goes for the P142's as rear compared to the Z-5500's ?

Perhaps I shall rephrase what I said earlier,

Get the PC350 or don't bother buying a center channel at all.

Why spend another $100 on this? I just want to justify the costs...

Will the PC350 match better with my P362'S?

In no way am I trying to argue with you or doubt your opinion. I just have to justify the cost to the Mrs...
 

Tiamat

Lifer
Nov 25, 2003
14,068
5
71
Originally posted by: StarsFan4Life
Originally posted by: Tiamat
Originally posted by: StarsFan4Life
Originally posted by: StarsFan4Life
Good grief. I found the PC250 and a pair of P142's for $217 shipped from www.us-appliance.com. Anyone ever heard of them?

Tiamat....what about this? The PC250 is much better than Logitech Z-5500's center channel speaker, right? Same goes for the P142's as rear compared to the Z-5500's ?

Perhaps I shall rephrase what I said earlier,

Get the PC350 or don't bother buying a center channel at all.

Why spend another $100 on this? I just want to justify the costs...

Will the PC350 match better with my P362'S?


Let me try this again...

Your P362 are WMTW design
The PC350 is a WMTMW design
The PC250 is a MTM design

The PC350 is a better match for your P362. The best match for the P362 is another P362 in the center vertically oriented.

MTM designs in a horizontal arrangement suffer from terrible lobing. This makes dialog hard to understand for people that are not dead center. MTM designs like this are the antithesis of what a center channel is supposed to be. The center channel needs to make dialog intelligible for a wide horizontal angle to satisfy as many viewers as possible. The MTM design is no better than having no center channel at all, and is worse for people who are off center than no center channel at all.

Horizontal lobing comes because you have two mono sources producing the same sound that are offset from each other less than 1/2 wavelength of the crossover frequency. The two mono sources interfere with each other across the entire frequency spectrum in different magnitudes at different frequencies.

Are their exceptions? Perhaps, but certainly not in your price range and certainly wouldn't be something I would recommend for any price range. An expensive band-aid on a poor engineering design is just expensive garbage. Do it once, do it right. - now thats something your Mrs. would understand :)



Think of it this way. You and your SO are in a loveseat watching a movie and both of you dont understand the dialog at all. Pretty bullshit ain't it? It is very possible for both of you to sit in the nulls of the lobes at the same time and it will be worth less than not having a center channel speaker hooked up at all.

Would you rather waste 100$ or spend 200$?

In home theater, you gotta get your front stage right. Everything falls into place after that. If the front stage is weak, your whole experience will be weak. If the surround speakers are weak, the front stage will keep you enticed if you did well on the front stage.
 

StarsFan4Life

Golden Member
May 28, 2008
1,199
0
0
Originally posted by: Tiamat
Originally posted by: StarsFan4Life
Originally posted by: Tiamat
Originally posted by: StarsFan4Life
Originally posted by: StarsFan4Life
Good grief. I found the PC250 and a pair of P142's for $217 shipped from www.us-appliance.com. Anyone ever heard of them?

Tiamat....what about this? The PC250 is much better than Logitech Z-5500's center channel speaker, right? Same goes for the P142's as rear compared to the Z-5500's ?

Perhaps I shall rephrase what I said earlier,

Get the PC350 or don't bother buying a center channel at all.

Why spend another $100 on this? I just want to justify the costs...

Will the PC350 match better with my P362'S?


Let me try this again...

Your P362 are WMTW design
The PC350 is a WMTMW design
The PC250 is a MTM design

The PC350 is a better match for your P362. The best match for the P362 is another P362 in the center vertically oriented.

MTM designs in a horizontal arrangement suffer from terrible lobing. This makes dialog hard to understand for people that are not dead center. MTM designs like this are the antithesis of what a center channel is supposed to be. The center channel needs to make dialog intelligible for a wide horizontal angle to satisfy as many viewers as possible. The MTM design is no better than having no center channel at all, and is worse for people who are off center than no center channel at all.

Horizontal lobing comes because you have two mono sources producing the same sound that are offset from each other less than 1/2 wavelength of the crossover frequency. The two mono sources interfere with each other across the entire frequency spectrum in different magnitudes at different frequencies.

Are their exceptions? Perhaps, but certainly not in your price range and certainly wouldn't be something I would recommend for any price range. An expensive band-aid on a poor engineering design is just expensive garbage. Do it once, do it right.

I just looked at the measurements of the PC350:

Product Dimensions: 23 x 26 x 14 inches ; 31 pounds

VS

PC250:

Product Dimensions: 18 x 8 x 9 D inches

The PC350 is much to large for where I am placing it (on top of a DirecTV HD receiver). I have to go with the PC250.

Now, do you recommend the P142's as replacements to the Logitech Z-5500 satellites for the rear?
 

Tiamat

Lifer
Nov 25, 2003
14,068
5
71
Originally posted by: StarsFan4Life
I just looked at the measurements of the PC350:

Product Dimensions: 23 x 26 x 14 inches ; 31 pounds

VS

PC250:

Product Dimensions: 18 x 8 x 9 D inches

The PC350 is much to large for where I am placing it (on top of a DirecTV HD receiver). I have to go with the PC250.

Now, do you recommend the P142's as replacements to the Logitech Z-5500 satellites for the rear?

Well, your compromises are defeating the purpose of asking for my opinion. I am afraid I cannot help you anymore.

Good luck on your build. Just realize the more compromises you take on, the more compromised your sound quality is going to be.

With all the compromises in your situation, I would rather just have stereo (no center, no surrounds) and spend all the money on a nice subwoofer to give a good foundation to your experience. A healthy 2.1 system will completely swamp a mediocre 5.1 system any day.

With your floorstanding speakers and a 400-500$ subwoofer, you will be smiling like a little child getting candy. Setting up your compromised surround system on the other hand will be MEH. Its up to you. Everyone has their compromises and everyone has to make their own decisions.

Analogies are crappy, but I'm gonna try anyways: If you go to the doctor and ask for treatment for your illness but tell him that you cannot take medicine through needles, nasal, anal, skin, eye, orally; the doc doesn't have much he can do even though he may be very experienced and very smart...

of course I am nowhere near a doctor or as knowledgeable as one, but I hope you understand the conundrum.
 

StarsFan4Life

Golden Member
May 28, 2008
1,199
0
0
Originally posted by: Tiamat
Originally posted by: StarsFan4Life
I just looked at the measurements of the PC350:

Product Dimensions: 23 x 26 x 14 inches ; 31 pounds

VS

PC250:

Product Dimensions: 18 x 8 x 9 D inches

The PC350 is much to large for where I am placing it (on top of a DirecTV HD receiver). I have to go with the PC250.

Now, do you recommend the P142's as replacements to the Logitech Z-5500 satellites for the rear?

Well, your compromises are defeating the purpose of asking for my opinion. I am afraid I cannot help you anymore.

Good luck on your build. Just realize the more compromises you take on, the more compromised your sound quality is going to be.

With all the compromises in your situation, I would rather just have stereo (no center, no surrounds) and spend all the money on a nice subwoofer to give a good foundation to your experience. A healthy 2.1 system will completely swamp a mediocre 5.1 system any day.

With your floorstanding speakers and a 400-500$ subwoofer, you will be smiling like a little child getting candy. Setting up your compromised surround system on the other hand will be MEH. Its up to you. Everyone has their compromises and everyone has to make their own decisions.

Analogies are crappy, but I'm gonna try anyways: If you go to the doctor and ask for treatment for your illness but tell him that you cannot take medicine through needles, nasal, anal, skin, eye, orally; the doc doesn't have much he can do even though he may be very experienced and very smart...

of course I am nowhere near a doctor or as knowledgeable as one, but I hope you understand the conundrum.


So the PC250 is just a $100 POS?

I have also asked about 4 times on the P142's, what do you think about those?

 

StarsFan4Life

Golden Member
May 28, 2008
1,199
0
0
OK. Would it be ok to put the PC350 under my Sony receiver and DirecTV HD receiver - meaning it would be about 2" from the ground? If so, I will pull the plug on the PC350. Also, what about the rear?
 

Tiamat

Lifer
Nov 25, 2003
14,068
5
71
Originally posted by: StarsFan4Life
Originally posted by: Tiamat
Originally posted by: StarsFan4Life
I just looked at the measurements of the PC350:

Product Dimensions: 23 x 26 x 14 inches ; 31 pounds

VS

PC250:

Product Dimensions: 18 x 8 x 9 D inches

The PC350 is much to large for where I am placing it (on top of a DirecTV HD receiver). I have to go with the PC250.

Now, do you recommend the P142's as replacements to the Logitech Z-5500 satellites for the rear?

Well, your compromises are defeating the purpose of asking for my opinion. I am afraid I cannot help you anymore.

Good luck on your build. Just realize the more compromises you take on, the more compromised your sound quality is going to be.

With all the compromises in your situation, I would rather just have stereo (no center, no surrounds) and spend all the money on a nice subwoofer to give a good foundation to your experience. A healthy 2.1 system will completely swamp a mediocre 5.1 system any day.

With your floorstanding speakers and a 400-500$ subwoofer, you will be smiling like a little child getting candy. Setting up your compromised surround system on the other hand will be MEH. Its up to you. Everyone has their compromises and everyone has to make their own decisions.

Analogies are crappy, but I'm gonna try anyways: If you go to the doctor and ask for treatment for your illness but tell him that you cannot take medicine through needles, nasal, anal, skin, eye, orally; the doc doesn't have much he can do even though he may be very experienced and very smart...

of course I am nowhere near a doctor or as knowledgeable as one, but I hope you understand the conundrum.


So the PC250 is just a $100 POS?

I have also asked about 4 times on the P142's, what do you think about those?

I have given you my opinion based on the compromises you presented. Don't bother with surround or center, put the money into a good subwoofer and stick with a solid 2.1 system.

This means that I feel the PC250 is not worth spending money on because it is a compromised design that is only good if you are directly infront of the speaker 0 degrees off axis. Otherwise, no-center is BETTER.

This also means that I do not feel it is worth you spending money on surround speakers like the P142 when it means compromising on a good subwoofer.


One last time: GET A GOOD $400-800 SUBWOOFER AND BE HAPPY. I cannot highlight my opinion anymore than I have already. If you want to do things a different way, you have every right to. A great mid-entry level subwoofer is the SVS PB-10, Epic valor or knight, Elemental designs A3-300 or A5-350.

 

StarsFan4Life

Golden Member
May 28, 2008
1,199
0
0
I can respect your opinion. I am just trying to build my home theater from the ground up and want to do it right. Again, I will ask:

Would it be ok to put the PC350 under my Sony receiver and DirecTV HD receiver - meaning it would be about 2" from the ground? If so, I will pull the plug on the PC350.
 

Tiamat

Lifer
Nov 25, 2003
14,068
5
71
Originally posted by: StarsFan4Life
I can respect your opinion. I am just trying to build my home theater from the ground up and want to do it right. Again, I will ask:

Would it be ok to put the PC350 under my Sony receiver and DirecTV HD receiver - meaning it would be about 2" from the ground? If so, I will pull the plug on the PC350.

I sent you a PM. Check your inbox. I have outlined the pros and cons of different center channel speakers.


Oh, and don't have a coffee table blocking the sound from any of the speakers. If you do have a coffee table blocking the sound from the center, don't bother with a center channel speaker on/near the floor until you can get a better furniture setup.

 

StarsFan4Life

Golden Member
May 28, 2008
1,199
0
0
Originally posted by: Tiamat
Originally posted by: StarsFan4Life
This is my tv stand for my 50":

http://www.circuitcity.com/ssm...m/ccd/productDetail.do

As you can see, its hard to place a 24" center channel anywhere.

Place it where the TV is and wall mount the TV above it. Not hard at all!

-- And you get the best location for the center channel speaker! Win-Win


Edit: Have you checked your personal message inbox?

This TV is a 50" LCD DLP.......how the hell can I mount it?
 

StarsFan4Life

Golden Member
May 28, 2008
1,199
0
0
So did I do "OK" on getting the P362's? Was this a good start?

Not all of us have the luxury of spending $500+ on a sub woofer, as much as I would like to. I was thinking in the sub $200 range. Most subs are better than the Z-5500's, right?
 

Tiamat

Lifer
Nov 25, 2003
14,068
5
71
Originally posted by: StarsFan4Life
So did I do "OK" on getting the P362's? Was this a good start?

Not all of us have the luxury of spending $500+ on a sub woofer, as much as I would like to. I was thinking in the sub $200 range. Most subs are better than the Z-5500's, right?

by not buying surround speakers or a center, the 400$ would have been there...

Sorry about the DLP, i didn't catch that.

Entertainment centers don't happen to be all that great for speaker setup. Sorry, but its true.
 

StarsFan4Life

Golden Member
May 28, 2008
1,199
0
0
Originally posted by: Tiamat
Originally posted by: StarsFan4Life
So did I do "OK" on getting the P362's? Was this a good start?

Not all of us have the luxury of spending $500+ on a sub woofer, as much as I would like to. I was thinking in the sub $200 range. Most subs are better than the Z-5500's, right?

by not buying surround speakers or a center, the 400$ would have been there...

Sorry about the DLP, i didn't catch that.

Entertainment centers don't happen to be all that great for speaker setup. Sorry, but its true.

Meh! I am so dang confused on what to purchase next!
 

Tiamat

Lifer
Nov 25, 2003
14,068
5
71
Originally posted by: StarsFan4Life
Originally posted by: Tiamat
Originally posted by: StarsFan4Life
So did I do "OK" on getting the P362's? Was this a good start?

Not all of us have the luxury of spending $500+ on a sub woofer, as much as I would like to. I was thinking in the sub $200 range. Most subs are better than the Z-5500's, right?

by not buying surround speakers or a center, the 400$ would have been there...

Sorry about the DLP, i didn't catch that.

Entertainment centers don't happen to be all that great for speaker setup. Sorry, but its true.

Meh! I am so dang confused on what to purchase next!

It is because you are taking this so damn fast. You need to chill and slow down and get educated. I will help as much as I can. You seriously need to take a chill pill and take things one at a time. We can continue this via PM.
 

YOyoYOhowsDAjello

Moderator<br>A/V & Home Theater<br>Elite member
Aug 6, 2001
31,205
45
91
A sub in the $200 range is not likely going to be a big enough jump in quality to justify the upgrade from the z-5500 sub. Unless you're going to get a significant upgrade (like the ones Tiamat mentioned), then I would recommend just hooking up the z-5500 sub temporarily. If you need help hooking that up, we can help you pick out the correct adapters.

I suggested keeping the logitech satellites for surrounds because any money you spent on surrounds now would be better spent directed towards a better center channel or a better sub. The front three speakers and subwoofer are FAR more important than your surround speakers. $100 more into the center budget or subwoofer budget is going to give you a much better overall experience than the change you'd get upgrading from the logitech speakers to the matching bookshelf speakers.

Look up the "upgrade path" section of the sticky thread. Rather than buying a whole system right now and getting okay products, I believe it would be a better idea to concentrate on the most essential items and concentrate your funds on them to really get a solid foundation to your system.
 

YOyoYOhowsDAjello

Moderator<br>A/V & Home Theater<br>Elite member
Aug 6, 2001
31,205
45
91
Of course it's not to scale so I have no idea how things would actually line up :p
 

Tiamat

Lifer
Nov 25, 2003
14,068
5
71
Originally posted by: StarsFan4Life
I should have a $350 giftcard coming today to CircuitCity. What do you guys recommend from here in terms of a subwoofer:


http://www.circuitcity.com/ssm.../ccd/sitewidesearch.do

I can't recommend any of the subwoofers that circuit city offers. They just are not competitive price/performance wise with the internet direct subwoofers I suggested earlier. Save the gift card and don't waste it on a subwoofer that really wont be enough of an upgrade to satisfy the size of your room.

At this point, unless you build your own subwoofer, you will not be able to purchase a subwoofer for less than 500$ that will barely be able to output deep bass frequencies in your huge room.

But, as a alluded to in our PMs, this is still the least of your worries. Getting the proper room setup should be at the forefront of your concerns. Hey, at least it doesn't cost any money!