Paradigm Help!!

[aeh10]

Hello! Well I am just beginning my quest for the ultimate Home Theater and I have already obtained my receiver as well as my two mains. My brain will be Denon's AVR 2807 and for my two mains I have 2 Paradigm Monitor 7v.4's. My plan is to get the ADP370's for surrounds, two mini monitors for backs and a CC 270 for my center channel. For my sub I have decided to go with the SVS 20-39PCi. Does this sound like a reasonable 7.1 setup. I will be using the system mostly for playing videos and gaming, some music. Any help would be awesome, thanks for helping the newbie!!!!

[Woochifer]

I would suggest that you try out the Mini Monitors as your surround speakers first. There's a lot of difference of opinion on whether or not to go with dipolar surround speakers, and you might like the directionality of direct firing surround speakers better. Also, if you have your sofa pushed against the back wall, I would recommend staying with a 5.1 speaker setup because you don't have enough room behind the listening position for a 7.1 setup to sound right. The reference speaker alignments that you should start with are shown below (ignore the placement of the subwoofer, there's no universally used reference position for subs). Once you have the speakers in this alignment, then you can adjust them to your preferences and any issues that the room presents.

http://www.axiomaudio.com/global/images/diagrams/dolby_digital_pro_logic2.jpg

http://www.axiomaudio.com/archives/images/dolby_pro_logic2x.jpg


Another note on your center speaker. If you have enough space up front, you should consider going with three Monitor 7s across the front. This would give you the best voice matching and create the most seamless imaging effect along the front soundstage. The horizontal center speaker was created at a time when most TVs were bulky CRT-based boxes. With wall-mounted flat panels increasingly used, you now at least have the option of using three identical speakers in your setup.

With the subwoofer, the SVS is a well regarded choice, so you should be safe with that. The caveat to using that sub would be if you have a smallish room (under ~300 square feet), in which case it might overwhelm the room. For small rooms, you might want to try a sealed sub. This would include models from Rocket, Acoustic Visions, B&W, Atlantic Technology, and Martin Logan.

The room boundaries will reinforce the low frequencies, and this effect gets more pronounced as the wall dimensions get smaller. This will also create wave interactions that result in unevenness in the bass response. With a smaller room, the reinforcement effect works better with the rolloff characteristics of a sealed sub, while it might create an overwhelming boomy sound with a ported sub.

In either case, you should read up on how to properly place and setup a subwoofer. The setup can make a critical difference between satisfying bass, and a low drone that just gives you a headache. Also consider going with a parametric equalizer to correct for room induced problems, which exist in most rooms. There have been plenty of threads on this forum about the Behringer Feedback Destroyer in particular because it's so ridiculously inexpensive (available for about $100) for the improvement that it makes. Do a search if you're interested.

[aeh10]

Well you provided me with loads of valuable information. I will probably still go with with ADP's as I have listened to both and I love the overall effect of them over the mini monitors. Unfortunately I will be using JVC's 70" DILA as my monitor and it affords me no room to use three monitor 7's, so knowing that is the CC-270 still an ok center channel? I think I have enough room for both 7.1 surround as well as for the SVS sub. My family room dimensions are 21 x 20 so i should be set to go there. I will also look into the Behringer Feedback destroyer! Again thank you for all your help.

[kexodusc]

The only thing I can add to Wooch's excellent advice is IF you can't use a 3rd Monitor 7 as a center channel, don't bother with the CC-270, go with the 370, which is a much closer match to the rest of the speakers you'd be using. I would make this your priority over the ADP-370's and Mini Monitors...your center channel will be used a lot more, and the sounds it does emit will be more "important" and subject to more critical listening than the surround cues.

I'll second the excellent addition the Behringer Feedback Destroyer is to a system - put it this way - you wouldn't own a speaker with a frequency response of +/- 12 dB. So why would you compromise your standards for your subwoofer?

[axelsrd]

I have Monitor 7 V.3 for fronts, CC370 Center and Mini monitors for rears and a Velodyne sub running through a Yamaha RX-v2500 receiver and I love my system. I agree with kexodusc...go with the 370 instead of the 270 for your center.

[aeh10]

I heard that the cc-370 would be a better timbre match and your advice is greatly appreciated. Thanks again all for your help!!!

[wgriel]

Without a doubt, go with the cc-370 if you can only accomodate a horizontal center speaker. You will find the 270 pretty weak compared to your monitor 7's and that's a situation you don't want.

I've gone the other direction with my home theater (which is largely composed of "leftover" speakers from old purchases). I have Paradigm Phantoms for L&R and Atoms for surrounds - instead of the 270 I have the 370 as my center, and even though it doesn't "match" the Phantoms as well as the 270 the additional clarity is worth it.

Another thing you might consider if you can accomodate it: what about a mini-monitor as a center? I bet it would work better than the cc-370.

Bill