Quote Originally Posted by nightflier
I thought I would reopen this thread. I've had some more time to tweak things some more and found out some interesting things:

- They sound best when set to Large. I know this sounds counter-intuitive, especially since they only go down to 60Hz., but somehow the blend with the sub sounds better that way. Of course it could also be that I'm doing a really bad job of configuring the sub (a very real possibility).
The culprit here is sometimes the filter the processor uses on the speakers/sub. The slopes are often to shallow (2nd order, even 3rd order is insufficient IMO) and assymetrical - I see 2nd order filters on the HP side, 3rd and 4th order on the LP). Sometimes it's quite a challenge to get the range between 60-120 Hz to jive right.

- The Outlaw has several space-enhancing modes that widen and/or deepen the sound field. At first I turned all that off, but after doing some testing, I actually like the sound when the system sounds so much larger than the tiny room it's installed in. But I have to do more testing.
I'm a big advocate of "good" DSP's for movies. When done right they aren't destructive at all, and just enhance the experience. A lot of movie tracks just don't reproduce the same way in home theaters as they do in movie theaters. DSP's are a nice option.
For music, they're fun every now and then I guess, but I rarely find any I like better than no processing.

- Someone had mentioned that these speakers could sound bright. That is true, and with the Adcom amp, that's even more true. But in thinking about live performances that I've been to recently, this character may actually be more accurate to the live sound. Maybe I've been so spoiled by warm smooth sound that I've forgotten that the live stuff is actually brighter than what I typically listen to. I'm taming that with the Outlaw amp. I'm also experimenting with some home-made sound-wave absorbing options like hanging canvas artwork in strategic locations around the room and hanging curtains along both side walls. Once the LCD TV is in place, I'll also put a rug on the floor in front of the TV.
Well you're not alone here - what the old guard of audiophiles often call cold, analytical, bright, etc is exactly what I hear whenever I see a concert, go to a jazz bar, etc. Live performances are, well, lively and anything but warm. Problem is the harshness of bad recordings can be rather unpleasant on neutral/bright sounding gear, warm equipment is more forgiving. You choose your compromise.
Warmth might be a pleasant sound to some people. To me it's anything but real. I associate "warm" with "unnatural" restrained. There's no right or wrong of course - maybe my hearing is more or less sensitive to certain frequency ranges. I have tin ears according to one SET loving friend of mine.

I think a lot of it is conditioning too. When you get into this hobby you basically are told what amps/brands are good and bad - there's a lot of warm sounding gear that continues to be popular. I believe at least some of this is attributable to the distortion induced warmth a lot tube amps exhibited. There was a real backlash on SS gear at first by some people despite ruler flat measurements - it sounded relatively bright and cold, and wasn't what people were used to. You're fortunate to have enough gear to try and find the right combo for your preferences.