Right! lmao. Sitting here like "well if I move the TV this way, add some taller stands, I can probably fit these nicely... wait I dont need new speakers"
That bump from 100-200 hz reflects that it was designed as a center channel. It sounds like exactly what I need. But I have no budget for my system atm. Good video.
I've have these in my living room since they had that intro sale. I wanted to put my B1+ back on my desk. It costs a lot to ship to Hawaii, so these were a nice option. I already had the C1+, so they match up pretty well. Couldn't be happier with them as a modest system. Glad you got a video up of them to help spread the word for this config.
The skinny tower is my favorite design for aesthetic and practical reasons because I place speakers at least 3 feet from the wall. Pioneer SP-FS52's now. They simply are far less likely to get knocked over vs a bookshelf speaker on a stand. Additionally the mass of a tower just seem right to me. Announcing firmly, I'm a serious speaker, without being imposing. But these still need a stand, instantly making them tip over prone. On the other hand no mini tower ever makes a best of list that I can remember.
I used a couple center speakers as fronts for a while. They were PSB alphas and it worked out great while i was building new fronts. I think it is brilliant that Emotiva did that with the tweeter. Good job.
I purchased a couple Emotiva towers based upon your recommendation, as well as the recommendations of others such as Andrew Robinson, and am pleased with them. I watch several of these equipment review channels, (coffee in hand!), and enjoy the content. Some of the messaging is contradictory, however. Sometimes, the reviewer mentions how essential it is for the driver "acoustic centers" to be as close together as possible. In other situations, the enclosures are tallish towers and the drivers end up being miles apart. Things to ponder....
I have always thought that my Emotiva C1+ center channel had better sound than the T-Zero towers I have. I mentioned my finding to Emotiva over a year ago and that I wanted to get a second C1+ to use them as a stereo pair or 3 for the LCR up front. See what Randy has in his hands today. Awesome! Now I want, but can't have these. Dang it, just dang it! Thanks for the review Randy!
OK, Mr. CheapAudioMan. You have convinced me to give these speakers a try in 2.0 mode. I checked their website and they do give you a 30 day no hassle return policy if you don't like them, less shipping costs back. If they don't blow me I'm sending the back!
There have been a few LCR's that had "switchable" tweeters in them. But Mordaunt-Short made an in-wall speaker 20-25 years ago that had a plug in the crossover that could be moved to a different spot changing it from a 2 1/2-way horizontal center speaker to a 2-way vertical mount L/R speaker. Brilliant! I'm using three MB Quart Vera centers as L/C/R. Sounds fantastic! Happy Holidays!
Quick update for you... I got a pair of those Piegas on sale a while back. ... all of a sudden (?) They sound fantastic! ....Does this mean they had to "break in" or is it more likely that I did something I didn't know I was doing in the Wiim app? (I was trying not to wake the neighbors with my sub at night, watching Marvel movies!) ...Either way, I'm suddenly getting really good sound from those Piegas! Thanks bro!
"Break In"/"Burn in" is not a thing, I *promise* you. There has been absolutely zero hard evidence of it, and plenty of hard evidence against it; DMS recently did a wonderful demonstration, if you don't believe me. What's far more likely is that you changed a setting on your Wiim app, like you mentioned, and another factor can be what's sometimes called "brain burn in", where your brain gets used to how different audio equipment sounds and it just kinda clicks into sounding 'right' after a while. It's great that you're enjoying what you got, just please don't attribute it to a myth that's been disproven over and over again, as that could easily lead to you missing out on the return window on a product you don't like and will never like, hoping it'll just get better over time.
Finally pulled the trigger on the WIIM ultra and the emotiva integrated amp. All credit cheapaudioman. Now I just have to decide what to do with my cheap 20 year old klipsch speakers
I've been telling people to use 2 center channel speakers as standmounts on their sides for a couple years...make it a 2.2 with stereo subwoofers...killer
@RennieAsh the shape is not always right. But it definitely opens up possibilities for people looking for large bookshelf speakers and standmount..in a 2.2 is the better option for this setup. The port tuned a little higher on centers. .
Apparently B &W s centre channel speakers were very successful as a stereo pair! The late great Paul Messenger experimented with the LCR6s2, said they were a great setup!
I'm sure these are decent but I originally started with a whole Emotiva setup but when I wanted to upgrade, most items I wanted to purchase were out of stock. Fast forward. My new system are now all products from Harman Luxury Audio Your loss Emotiva.
Listened to this video and "Why So Serious" (great track by the way) on the Quad S2 bookshelf speakers I have in my nearfield system in the study. That very deep rhythmic section you mentioned was readily apparent. The specs say the S2s go from 48 to 22Khz, BTW. They also handle the bass on Terje Isungset's "Fading Sun" well, and that may be even lower. The S2's are great speakers for their price -- the speakers in my main system in the lounge need a subwoofer for me to hear such low notes as clearly.
I have the 2012 def tech studio monitors sm 65, d apolito array, it has good crossovers and capacitors. It's a left and right speaker that's like a center also. 450 each back then.
Anyone know if he’s done a review on Wharfdale Diamond 9.1 budget speakers? I bought some to use whilst I decide on a better pair (under £500) but I’m loving them, but then again I have no comparison 😐
The 9.x series is epic value. I use a pair of 9.0's all the time at my PC. The 12.3 might be a good floorstander for under 500. And the Evo 4.2 is regularly under 600 pounds in UK - I have the 4.3's, they're just lurvly.
@@peterlarkin762tengo los Evo 4.3, y como bien dices suenan genial. Los tengo conectados a mi amplificador Marantz 40n y es increíble lo bien que suenan. Les tengo un subwoofer Monitor audio silver W12 y graves increíbles.
@@Osuna.. Monitor Audio are also a fantastic brand. I used MA RX6 before the Evo 4.3. That 40N is one great amplifier, they are under rated in power, 100watts into 4ohm but sounds like more! I find the Evo's have a really enjoyable musical character, but at the same time very transparent and you can hear differences in electronic devices. Evo series is still amazing value for money. The designer Peter Comeau is one of the best in the business. I use them with a diy amp (150w lateral mosfet) and diy preamp, Denafrips ares 2 and some turntables.
I tried to buy a set of XB2s but they were sold out. After watching your video I ordered a pair of the XC1s rather than wait. I also ordered the A2m to drive them. Now i need a preamp with BT.
$800/pr right now though. 😕 Puts them up there with a pair of Wharfedale EVO 4.2s, Paradigm SE 6000F towers, Monitor Audio Bronze 200s. Q Acoustics 3050i are about $200 more. Tough budget/market area at this price range. So many different monitors to consider.
You have to add them to the cart first and then the code "HOLIDAY20" should be automatically applied. If not, enter it manually. 20% Off. I was confused at first too.
Thanks for the review! Now you bring up an interesting point. Why not do a "best of" center channel speakers review? My system doubles as a home theater and a stereo music system. The one weakness is the center channel speaker. But to have a true center channel, it has to fit a limited space horizontally and handle dialog cleanly and crisply like a champ. My current speaker isn't cutting it. Any suggestions or comparisons?
I never would have considered using a center speaker for a 2 channel system. The fact that they allow you to rotate the tweeter, BRILLIANT!! And the price. WOW! Not sure I’m ready to swap them out with my Forte II’s yet. But for that price point I’m very interested in hearing them.
Just bought an Emotiva BasX TA1 on sale as per your rec...and I love it! Gonna pair them up with a set of Triangle BOREA BR03 speakers based on reviews I saw elsewhere. Keep up the great work, Randy!
I just added the BasX TA1 to my Emotiva Airmotiv XB2 speakers and that is a good combination (especially when both were bought on sale). Real happy with both.
Dark Knight recommendation is spot on. Listed with my nearfield set up. I have a very oversized and over powered sub for just such music, did not stain in the least.
Hey Randy, I like the channel, and I think you’re very good at what you do. But it does seem to me that the range of speakers that you review is quite limited - Emotiva being the main one, plus Elac and a few others. Wouldn’t mind seeing reviews of other inexpensive brands. Just a thought. Keep up the good work!
I think it comes down to a lot of factors. For the form factor of these and the price point, they are very good sounding speakers. Can you spend a bunch of money and get ones that sound better than these. Yes. But can you fit them in your space or afford them... maybe not. Not to mention if you get sent literally hundreds of speakers, amps, dacs, etc. Over time it is going to be hard to say this one is ok, that one is great. They are all going to have their strong points for certain scenarios. And if you made your living making youtube videos why would you not have an affiliate link? He could do the flip side and review every speaker and say "they sound good" and then you would be posting "It seems like every speaker you review 'sounds good' and there is an affiliate link"
@@thomasj2797 Another factor is, hi-fi has never sounded as good and been as affordable as it is today so for very little money you can actually get decent sound so if someone like Randy comes across as a total fanboy of the industry overall I can see why
I think I've outgrown my T-Zeros, but from what I remember, Emotiva always has a huge sale beginning in mid December. I may pick up the T ones if they're priced right. I'm still waiting on them to drop their outdoor patio speakers below 299.00.
Check out the JBL Studio 500 series, which despite having "studio" in the name, are really home audio speakers. The JBL Studio 570, 580, 590, and smaller 530 are all great for how cheap they are. The studio 520 is a center channel and the studio 550/560 are subwoofers. They are a huge bang for the buck sleepers.
Skip the 520c for a Center, it is a joke at best when mated with the Studio 5 towers. If you want a low profile Center, the JBL Studio 6 series has 2 that are more capable and will match up well. If you are willing to go with a more square form factor, build 123Toids Cinema 6 speaker. It is cleaner and has higher output than any of the JBL Studio Centers. I use it in my setup with 590's in front and 580's for surrounds and it really does a great job carring the bulk of information in movies. Have a good sub since it is modeled after a THX design that is meant to cover 80Hz and above.
@@jgsabato Honestly, I just mentioned the 520 and 550/560 for continuity if someone wanted a matched surround system. The whole 500 line is relatively unknown. The 570, 580, or 590 are just great on their own as a cheap stereo pair, especially if you can find them used. I've heard way more expensive JBL's that don't sound as good.
@@jgsabatoTBH, I think I’m going with something like the Polk ES30 center & a pair of their ES50 towers. For context, I have a pair of entry level Sony tower speakers that I actually think sound good to me but their center channel has 4” drivers and it had problems with male vocals, making it sound boomy. I can replace my front sound stage for only $700 with the current Black Friday discounts. I was going to go with the SVS prime center & get their towers later but I think 🤔 they’re kind of ugly looking 👀 😆
I have the JBL Studio 530's paired with a sub for my desktop system and they sound great. I picked them up for $300 a few years ago from JBL and I'm having a hard time justifying upgrading them to anything, including these at double the price of what I paid. Are these speakers twice as good? Probably not and I get the whole more money thing and diminishing returns in audio or anything for that matter.
Out of curiosity, how would this system - wiim ultra, gishelli lab dac and nice power amp compare to your recommended or similar home theater receiver (pioneer lx305)? I've ALWAYS wanted to know, there are probably enough people that could go either way, but haven't because they don't know how big of a difference there may be. I mostly listen to 2.1 on my receiver.
since it's a center, I'm guessing the cabinet is probably not tuned very low? maybe a downside for 2.0 usage if you're not running a sub (also very small woofers), but with a sub it looks pretty cool. I'd still rather just get their towers. but for HT with a sub, it could be cool, it's nice to have matching L/C/R. good price.
i am building my dream speaker. i love the plastic called delrin. the piano i invented was built also in that selflubricant material. i copied the idea from the best seller hawaiian pedal steel player basil henriques, who builds sliders made of delrin, a material similar to teflon and to nylon. this is very expensive. it has been a bill of 290 european coins. and the thickness is just 3 milimeters. it will be 50 centimeters (20") and with shape of triangle, because the microphone maker called ehrlund demostrated with triangle glass of water that when you pour a drop, the waves are destroyed against the corners sooner than the waves at a normal glass, reason why their mics can listen to the next sound with less vibration contamination of the previous sound, and that is the equivalent in music to the hertzs refreshing rate at televisions, the quality, the realism. i do own one of their mics, called EHR-E. it has been proven on a video featuring Sting's drummer Edward Copeland, where this brand sounds more realistic than the more famous Neumann, which sucks in the comparison. i will use heat inserts for screws in plastic because this special in theory of room acoustics you don't want parallel walls because the waves bounces back and forth, similar to how parallel mirror with a spark generates laser. and same happens at speaker cabinets. most are simply rectangular boxes my speaker cabinet is similar to the shape of canadian tent but turn 90 degrees, so it is 2 equilateral triangles as floor and ceiling, then 3 identical squares instead of rectangles. i am going to use tang band w8 1808, tang band w3 871sc, bowers and wilkins lcr6s2 which are a pair of central speakers used as stereo, B&W dm600s3 which are smaller size but also the yellow kevlar from their best era, without the tweeter, dayton amt mini 8 ribbon tweeter, sem 4ohm 18 w (the most realistic drivers from my 200 drivers collection from televisions found in the garbage), and eastech subwoofers i am considering adding switch to turn on and off some of the speakers depending my mood, and there will be drivers in all the 3 sides, because the experience in my attick is that it sounds better if i add speakers facing to the back. i am a musician at home studio, but also i consume movies as a stereo home threatre and music as a audiophile. music is music. i don't want the boring flat frequency response of mastering engineers but i don't want the reverb of audiophiles either, i want the best of both worlds. i could just built the boxes with pine at zero cost, but i want the best. i am considering also adding volume and tone knobs, since i have a background experience of electric guitar luthier. total material is 2 meters x 1 meter of delrin. 29" x 78"
sounds fun! might i suggest making a prototype first before going all in? it seems like you may have theorized yourself into over engineering something that could can be as simple as open back or square design. its much easier to produce and create bracing for a square design and takes almost no thought for open back and they both sound amazing. If I were you i wouldnt try to fix whats not broken. you will end up spending lots of money and time that could have been used on getting premier cones and using building material that is more affordable and will get you better sound than that thin stuff. good luck i hope you enjoy your adventure!
@dontpanic1982 nice a try but you won't stop me from making a triangle speaker cabinet that runs in circles to your rectangle investment. i've been asking to all those youtubers of Acoustic Treatment how does it sounds like A-frame ( triangle) wooden cabinet. and i received no reply whatsoever. they play dumb. there is a rectangle conspiracy. they claim that everyone must use rectangle because they only have calculations of sounds for rectangles. and they quit thinking at tgat point. yeah, the test has been conducted, i already explained, by ehrlund. both at a triangle glass of water then drop and watch the waves at surface how they stop moving sooner because of the 60° angles. also hitting a metal. triangles has shorter sound, and this means that the sound you hear has less distortion from the previous milisecond, so the equivalent of higher resolution as the improvent in image 1080p vs 480p. i am not going to do bracing whatsoever. i have tiny stainless screws, inserts females that will be heat with soldering tip, then i will do some sort of dices to join the corners. i am considering using dimarzio stereo miniswitches to turn on/off each of the 3 sides. i only found one video in the entire youtube showing a triangle shaped speaker cabinet. even hard to find on internet this simple shape, because most the drawings of equilateral triangle poligon has RECTANGLES instead of squares as if a canadian tent was long for a nba player. and my 2 triangles are the floor and the ceiling. most the drawings are the opposite. it is super different. i will actually build a camping tent this shape so i will be able to stand up, the ceiling has the same height throughout. i would like to build two houses this shape too. and empty. people don't get it. all the A-frames has only the tall part in the middle, and that is not using properly the space. and they always adds a second floor, and that ruins the antisound effect of the triangle. i will probably add inside the speakers the acoustic foam that i already have Chovacoustic and in the core activated carbon, which is the only known substance that absorbs the lower than 50 Hertzs, invented by Acoustic Fields, Dennis Fouley. as a ex guitar player i am also considering adding volume and tone knobs to the speakers. i do have measurement mics as to share the frequency response. i built a cardboard box with same volume of water than normal shape box, fill it with any sounding device including the telephone. it sounds better at the triangle. i've never seen before a equilateral triangle cardboard box, ever, until i built it myself. the 3 is very important in music. 2=3 in rhythm. you can play 3/4 vs 4/4 and they match after a while. that is 75 bpm vs 100bpm. in nature the cells sometimes divides in 3. i found one nut that doesn't have 2 sides but 3. people are squared minded.
While liking Emotiva speakers a lot (for a European), I feel that the current range is too wide and overlapping. Given that the one show here adds a second bass driver to an existing model but seems to use the same crossover and therefore cannot go to the magic 40 Hz I do not see the point. Were it to be tuned lower it might make sense but 2 x 13.5 cm does not behave like a single 10 inch because physics doesn't work that way. Further, unless identical woofers are in their own chambers there can be a cancellation problem which gives warmth but as the cost of clarity and oomph. Cabinets can partly mitigate some of this slight blurring but not thin walled ones like these. Thicker would increase the weight and price. The SE 8 sub with the two driver model might be a better bet. Just looking over Emotiva's range, I feel that prices are a shade too high for what the brand aspires to. Home theater and music uses are not quite the same and perhaps the company should explore the difference.
Or a pair of these in the extended cab section of your truck since they are 4 Ohm? What a great midsize speaker for smaller living rooms or bedrooms. The possibilities are endless. With Emotiva quality.
I wonder is it budget edifier speaker such a mr4 any good ? Why u never mention any of edifier speaker ? In my country every body just talk about it i wonder how is it compare to the others that u were review please help me. Im about to buy elac debut 3.0 but edifier just came out with new planar driver speaker so tempting with in simillar price to elac 😢
@@soundguy71.Oh, how about Emotiva? They make some pretty decent amps - I’m running a BasX A7 in my small Atmos 7.1.4 rig (Onkyo RZ740 as processor, and powering heights) - works like a charm. Of course, you could always DIY something with ICEpower or Hypex modules.
@@soundguy71. To your first question, yeah, that sounds like a decent enough deal on the price. How many of the RZ50’s 9 channels of power are you using, and how large is the room? If not yet fully ensconced in multichannel HT system, or in a smaller space, you could very well have all the power you need while you’re breaking in the speakers and your ears🤭. From what I’ve gleaned from several reviews of the R700s, you’d want a hearty 100 wpc, which the RZ50 can deliver into 2, but if you’re running more than that, then maybe look at Emotiva, Monoprice, etc.
Does the rear port affect the distance from the wall? Being designed as a center speaker one would think that it should be able to be placed beneath the tv and against the wall. Thanks for sharing Randy - Get Well Soon!!!
@@thethibtube ya any rear ported speaker needs space behind it. My center is in cabinet just below tv with open back I covered with black fabric. Center has an isolated cradle to angle drivers at ears.
I flipped my bookshelves sideways and my center channel vertical, and now I'm hearing things I've never heard before. I just can't see the damn TV now.
I don’t get it. I have Randy a $5 Super Thanks and asked him a question. I received a notification he liked it but my question has been deleted and I would like to know why.
i wanted to buy pair Focal theva speakers and everybody of forum told me that it will be stupid.But they have same drivers in some expencive stereo speakers,but at 5 times price.
Usually center channels are voiced completely differently than mains as centers do mostly dialogue duty. Maybe this is some strange exception, but this is an unexpected claim
One thing one would perhaps wish for is that it got deeper than 50hz, that's what I see is the downside of many center speakers For the price it should do 30hz
Having the mtm design vertically is good but the biggest issue is the midrange combing across itself you can really hear the top and bottom midrange trading off with eachother when you sit down & stand up.. having the Midrange and the tweeter present the main presence axis and having the woofers straddle that instead of the midrange on either side of the tweeter is a little less noticable.
Anyone else here speaker static/clipping during the jingle onto the next chapter..!? Randy are you testing our ears, are my speakers going bad or is this just me....!?
Who's actually going to damage their speakers because they're testing a particular song? Unless there is a 4 year-old that has control of the volume and does not know what they're doing. Very strange comment?!
it looks like cheap mass produced speaker. if people are using cheap components i bet you dont get the same "punch" . would be good to see a review where you use different tier amps. maybe test it with a affordable Yamaha or Sony integrated theater amp thats more realistic to what a person would be using with a 600 set of speakers.
Randy, you need glasses that fit your face, I have seen you push your glasses back up to the bridge of your nose dozens of times so you wouldn't have to be constantly doing that if your glasses fit properly
You can turn it off. Go into the settings located to the right of the CC button at the bottom right of the video. Go to audio and select English and that should solve the problem.
@@coolwheelz5190 I'm pretty sure it was a RUclips bug/glitch. I wasn't experiencing the issue on other videos at the time. This one isn't doing the language swap thing now, and I haven't changed any settings.
I don't need a new pair of speakers, I don't need a new pair of speakers, I don't need a new pair of speakers. Well, maybe...LOL!
😂 Get out of my head!
"Resistance is futile"
You probably need a new pair of speakers if you thought about it this much.
I need a new pair of speakers but now I'm wondering if I should be considering manscaping
Right! lmao. Sitting here like "well if I move the TV this way, add some taller stands, I can probably fit these nicely... wait I dont need new speakers"
That bump from 100-200 hz reflects that it was designed as a center channel. It sounds like exactly what I need. But I have no budget for my system atm. Good video.
Finally a Major-Breakthrough for Loudspeakers !
New Treble Clef Audio TCA-M Active Loudspeakers !
I rotated my tweeter once. 'took a month to heal.
I've have these in my living room since they had that intro sale. I wanted to put my B1+ back on my desk. It costs a lot to ship to Hawaii, so these were a nice option. I already had the C1+, so they match up pretty well. Couldn't be happier with them as a modest system. Glad you got a video up of them to help spread the word for this config.
wow! that is a long way to ship for sure!
The skinny tower is my favorite design for aesthetic and practical reasons because I place speakers at least 3 feet from the wall. Pioneer SP-FS52's now. They simply are far less likely to get knocked over vs a bookshelf speaker on a stand. Additionally the mass of a tower just seem right to me. Announcing firmly, I'm a serious speaker, without being imposing. But these still need a stand, instantly making them tip over prone. On the other hand no mini tower ever makes a best of list that I can remember.
If you watched the Emotiva video introducing all the new speakers, they go into detail about using these and the bigger guys as book shelfs.
I used a couple center speakers as fronts for a while. They were PSB alphas and it worked out great while i was building new fronts. I think it is brilliant that Emotiva did that with the tweeter. Good job.
I purchased a couple Emotiva towers based upon your recommendation, as well as the recommendations of others such as Andrew Robinson, and am pleased with them.
I watch several of these equipment review channels, (coffee in hand!), and enjoy the content.
Some of the messaging is contradictory, however. Sometimes, the reviewer mentions how essential it is for the driver "acoustic centers" to be as close together as possible. In other situations, the enclosures are tallish towers and the drivers end up being miles apart.
Things to ponder....
I've been running centerspeakers for years as my bed layer. It sounds awesome
I have always thought that my Emotiva C1+ center channel had better sound than the T-Zero towers I have. I mentioned my finding to Emotiva over a year ago and that I wanted to get a second C1+ to use them as a stereo pair or 3 for the LCR up front. See what Randy has in his hands today. Awesome! Now I want, but can't have these. Dang it, just dang it!
Thanks for the review Randy!
OK, Mr. CheapAudioMan. You have convinced me to give these speakers a try in 2.0 mode. I checked their website and they do give you a 30 day no hassle return policy if you don't like them, less shipping costs back. If they don't blow me I'm sending the back!
let us know, how it works out then.
I don't think they'll blow you but they might cook you breakfast.
@@maximumbruhlevels2441 LOL!
I think they charge return shipping though
You're expecting a lot from a speaker.
Allways amusing listening to Randy!
"Caramel," often sweet, buttery, and slightly nutty. Okay...
There have been a few LCR's that had "switchable" tweeters in them. But Mordaunt-Short made an in-wall speaker 20-25 years ago that had a plug in the crossover that could be moved to a different spot changing it from a 2 1/2-way horizontal center speaker to a 2-way vertical mount L/R speaker. Brilliant! I'm using three MB Quart Vera centers as L/C/R. Sounds fantastic! Happy Holidays!
Quick update for you... I got a pair of those Piegas on sale a while back. ... all of a sudden (?) They sound fantastic!
....Does this mean they had to "break in" or is it more likely that I did something I didn't know I was doing in the Wiim app? (I was trying not to wake the neighbors with my sub at night, watching Marvel movies!)
...Either way, I'm suddenly getting really good sound from those Piegas! Thanks bro!
Probably break in. Thanks so much for the super thanks!!!
"Break In"/"Burn in" is not a thing, I *promise* you. There has been absolutely zero hard evidence of it, and plenty of hard evidence against it; DMS recently did a wonderful demonstration, if you don't believe me. What's far more likely is that you changed a setting on your Wiim app, like you mentioned, and another factor can be what's sometimes called "brain burn in", where your brain gets used to how different audio equipment sounds and it just kinda clicks into sounding 'right' after a while.
It's great that you're enjoying what you got, just please don't attribute it to a myth that's been disproven over and over again, as that could easily lead to you missing out on the return window on a product you don't like and will never like, hoping it'll just get better over time.
@@Avruthlelbh check out Toid DIYs theille
Small measurements on a new woofer vs the same woofer that had been playing for hundreds of hours.
I have been using two centers as my rears, instead of book shelf’s in my 5.1.2 home theater for a few years now and love the sound.
Finally pulled the trigger on the WIIM ultra and the emotiva integrated amp. All credit cheapaudioman. Now I just have to decide what to do with my cheap 20 year old klipsch speakers
I've been telling people to use 2 center channel speakers as standmounts on their sides for a couple years...make it a 2.2 with stereo subwoofers...killer
Works in some cases if the design lets it do that, and also the sound profile. It won't always work out well
@RennieAsh the shape is not always right. But it definitely opens up possibilities for people looking for large bookshelf speakers and standmount..in a 2.2 is the better option for this setup. The port tuned a little higher on centers. .
Apparently B &W s centre channel speakers were very successful as a stereo pair! The late great Paul Messenger experimented with the LCR6s2, said they were a great setup!
i disagree. just dont even bother with center speakers, go stereo and get a the best two speakers you can afford.
@dontpanic1982 buying 2 center channel speakers is stereo...it just opens up the options in large bookshelf speakers.
I'm sure these are decent but I originally started with a whole Emotiva setup but when I wanted to upgrade, most items I wanted to purchase were out of stock.
Fast forward. My new system are now all products from Harman Luxury Audio Your loss Emotiva.
Listened to this video and "Why So Serious" (great track by the way) on the Quad S2 bookshelf speakers I have in my nearfield system in the study. That very deep rhythmic section you mentioned was readily apparent. The specs say the S2s go from 48 to 22Khz, BTW. They also handle the bass on Terje Isungset's "Fading Sun" well, and that may be even lower. The S2's are great speakers for their price -- the speakers in my main system in the lounge need a subwoofer for me to hear such low notes as clearly.
Good stuff. Gave me early days of cheap audioman production. 👍j
I have the 2012 def tech studio monitors sm 65, d apolito array, it has good crossovers and capacitors. It's a left and right speaker that's like a center also. 450 each back then.
Stop the Translator. In my Language the Title is something like "The Best TALKER is laying down flat infront of your Nose"
Man kann es abschalten... ich hoffe, es bleibt dann auch aus. 😂 You can switch it off. Let's hope, it stays disabled!
@@LosEblos Realy? I can only switch the audio back to english (but only for the current video). Where can you turn of the title translation?
@@j.w.9561 No, not really, and you're right. Additionally, the audio language setting returns to wrong mode. :-(
I agree, please stop the auto language switch! It's soo annoying...
Agree as well, I can easily understand you and the automatic translation is weird to say the least, and moreover the voice is FEMININE!
Anyone know if he’s done a review on Wharfdale Diamond 9.1 budget speakers?
I bought some to use whilst I decide on a better pair (under £500) but I’m loving them, but then again I have no comparison 😐
The 9.x series is epic value. I use a pair of 9.0's all the time at my PC. The 12.3 might be a good floorstander for under 500. And the Evo 4.2 is regularly under 600 pounds in UK - I have the 4.3's, they're just lurvly.
@@peterlarkin762tengo los Evo 4.3, y como bien dices suenan genial.
Los tengo conectados a mi amplificador Marantz 40n y es increíble lo bien que suenan. Les tengo un subwoofer Monitor audio silver W12 y graves increíbles.
@@Osuna.. Monitor Audio are also a fantastic brand. I used MA RX6 before the Evo 4.3. That 40N is one great amplifier, they are under rated in power, 100watts into 4ohm but sounds like more! I find the Evo's have a really enjoyable musical character, but at the same time very transparent and you can hear differences in electronic devices. Evo series is still amazing value for money. The designer Peter Comeau is one of the best in the business. I use them with a diy amp (150w lateral mosfet) and diy preamp, Denafrips ares 2 and some turntables.
I tried to buy a set of XB2s but they were sold out. After watching your video I ordered a pair of the XC1s rather than wait. I also ordered the A2m to drive them. Now i need a preamp with BT.
$800/pr right now though. 😕 Puts them up there with a pair of Wharfedale EVO 4.2s, Paradigm SE 6000F towers, Monitor Audio Bronze 200s. Q Acoustics 3050i are about $200 more. Tough budget/market area at this price range. So many different monitors to consider.
You have to add them to the cart first and then the code "HOLIDAY20" should be automatically applied. If not, enter it manually. 20% Off.
I was confused at first too.
That turning, tweakable tweeter looks terrific. Tanks for twelling us about it!
Dude! So cwose!
"Twurning," "wooks terwiffic," " twanks, " and "abowt!" 😂
@ashemoski Suffering succotash, sucxactly!
Emotiva xt3 or Polk R700s? Im in need of help....! Which is better or sounds better.. can only buy one pair....
Thanks for the review! Now you bring up an interesting point. Why not do a "best of" center channel speakers review? My system doubles as a home theater and a stereo music system. The one weakness is the center channel speaker. But to have a true center channel, it has to fit a limited space horizontally and handle dialog cleanly and crisply like a champ. My current speaker isn't cutting it. Any suggestions or comparisons?
I never would have considered using a center speaker for a 2 channel system. The fact that they allow you to rotate the tweeter, BRILLIANT!! And the price. WOW! Not sure I’m ready to swap them out with my Forte II’s yet. But for that price point I’m very interested in hearing them.
Just bought an Emotiva BasX TA1 on sale as per your rec...and I love it! Gonna pair them up with a set of Triangle BOREA BR03 speakers based on reviews I saw elsewhere. Keep up the great work, Randy!
I just added the BasX TA1 to my Emotiva Airmotiv XB2 speakers and that is a good combination (especially when both were bought on sale). Real happy with both.
Dark Knight recommendation is spot on. Listed with my nearfield set up. I have a very oversized and over powered sub for just such music, did not stain in the least.
Hey Randy, I like the channel, and I think you’re very good at what you do. But it does seem to me that the range of speakers that you review is quite limited - Emotiva being the main one, plus Elac and a few others. Wouldn’t mind seeing reviews of other inexpensive brands. Just a thought. Keep up the good work!
I went ahead and ordered a pair to replace a pair of Elac debut 2.0’s
So this is basically the XT1 with one less woofer for $200 less?
If the visual not an issue what about running a pair horizontally on solid steel tall tripod monitor stands w/o adjusting the tweeter
Don't the RSL center also play well as stereo speakers too?
@cheapaudioman How do these stack up against the Arendal 1723 Monitor S? trying to to decide...
It’s kind of like every single speaker you review now is the best speaker you’ve ever heard with some sort of affiliate link
I think it comes down to a lot of factors. For the form factor of these and the price point, they are very good sounding speakers. Can you spend a bunch of money and get ones that sound better than these. Yes. But can you fit them in your space or afford them... maybe not.
Not to mention if you get sent literally hundreds of speakers, amps, dacs, etc. Over time it is going to be hard to say this one is ok, that one is great. They are all going to have their strong points for certain scenarios. And if you made your living making youtube videos why would you not have an affiliate link?
He could do the flip side and review every speaker and say "they sound good" and then you would be posting "It seems like every speaker you review 'sounds good' and there is an affiliate link"
@@thomasj2797 Another factor is, hi-fi has never sounded as good and been as affordable as it is today so for very little money you can actually get decent sound so if someone like Randy comes across as a total fanboy of the industry overall I can see why
Emotiva has always been amazing bang for buck so it fits his channel perfectly. And he’s always recommended emotiva since the start of his channel.
Welcome back to being cheap audio man, not epic- sales -going- on-guy, I love learning new ways to do old stuff cheaply and effectively
😂😂😂
I think I've outgrown my T-Zeros, but from what I remember, Emotiva always has a huge sale beginning in mid December. I may pick up the T ones if they're priced right. I'm still waiting on them to drop their outdoor patio speakers below 299.00.
Love the sponsor promo! And the product does what it promises.
At 6:01. That’s what she said!!
Check out the JBL Studio 500 series, which despite having "studio" in the name, are really home audio speakers. The JBL Studio 570, 580, 590, and smaller 530 are all great for how cheap they are. The studio 520 is a center channel and the studio 550/560 are subwoofers. They are a huge bang for the buck sleepers.
They don’t make the 520c anymore correct? I’m considering a used one right now
Skip the 520c for a Center, it is a joke at best when mated with the Studio 5 towers.
If you want a low profile Center, the JBL Studio 6 series has 2 that are more capable and will match up well.
If you are willing to go with a more square form factor, build 123Toids Cinema 6 speaker. It is cleaner and has higher output than any of the JBL Studio Centers.
I use it in my setup with 590's in front and 580's for surrounds and it really does a great job carring the bulk of information in movies. Have a good sub since it is modeled after a THX design that is meant to cover 80Hz and above.
@@jgsabato Honestly, I just mentioned the 520 and 550/560 for continuity if someone wanted a matched surround system. The whole 500 line is relatively unknown. The 570, 580, or 590 are just great on their own as a cheap stereo pair, especially if you can find them used. I've heard way more expensive JBL's that don't sound as good.
@@jgsabatoTBH, I think I’m going with something like the Polk ES30 center & a pair of their ES50 towers. For context, I have a pair of entry level Sony tower speakers that I actually think sound good to me but their center channel has 4” drivers and it had problems with male vocals, making it sound boomy. I can replace my front sound stage for only $700 with the current Black Friday discounts. I was going to go with the SVS prime center & get their towers later but I think 🤔 they’re kind of ugly looking 👀 😆
I have the JBL Studio 530's paired with a sub for my desktop system and they sound great. I picked them up for $300 a few years ago from JBL and I'm having a hard time justifying upgrading them to anything, including these at double the price of what I paid. Are these speakers twice as good? Probably not and I get the whole more money thing and diminishing returns in audio or anything for that matter.
Out of curiosity, how would this system - wiim ultra, gishelli lab dac and nice power amp compare to your recommended or similar home theater receiver (pioneer lx305)? I've ALWAYS wanted to know, there are probably enough people that could go either way, but haven't because they don't know how big of a difference there may be. I mostly listen to 2.1 on my receiver.
since it's a center, I'm guessing the cabinet is probably not tuned very low? maybe a downside for 2.0 usage if you're not running a sub (also very small woofers), but with a sub it looks pretty cool. I'd still rather just get their towers. but for HT with a sub, it could be cool, it's nice to have matching L/C/R. good price.
I use two XC2's for my desktop setup, using MR1 to drive them
i am building my dream speaker. i love the plastic called delrin. the piano i invented was built also in that selflubricant material. i copied the idea from the best seller hawaiian pedal steel player basil henriques, who builds sliders made of delrin, a material similar to teflon and to nylon. this is very expensive. it has been a bill of 290 european coins. and the thickness is just 3 milimeters. it will be 50 centimeters (20") and with shape of triangle, because the microphone maker called ehrlund demostrated with triangle glass of water that when you pour a drop, the waves are destroyed against the corners sooner than the waves at a normal glass, reason why their mics can listen to the next sound with less vibration contamination of the previous sound, and that is the equivalent in music to the hertzs refreshing rate at televisions, the quality, the realism. i do own one of their mics, called EHR-E. it has been proven on a video featuring Sting's drummer Edward Copeland, where this brand sounds more realistic than the more famous Neumann, which sucks in the comparison.
i will use heat inserts for screws in plastic because this special
in theory of room acoustics you don't want parallel walls because the waves bounces back and forth, similar to how parallel mirror with a spark generates laser. and same happens at speaker cabinets. most are simply rectangular boxes
my speaker cabinet is similar to the shape of canadian tent but turn 90 degrees, so it is 2 equilateral triangles as floor and ceiling, then 3 identical squares instead of rectangles.
i am going to use tang band w8 1808, tang band w3 871sc, bowers and wilkins lcr6s2 which are a pair of central speakers used as stereo, B&W dm600s3 which are smaller size but also the yellow kevlar from their best era, without the tweeter, dayton amt mini 8 ribbon tweeter, sem 4ohm 18 w (the most realistic drivers from my 200 drivers collection from televisions found in the garbage), and eastech subwoofers
i am considering adding switch to turn on and off some of the speakers depending my mood, and there will be drivers in all the 3 sides, because the experience in my attick is that it sounds better if i add speakers facing to the back.
i am a musician at home studio, but also i consume movies as a stereo home threatre and music as a audiophile. music is music. i don't want the boring flat frequency response of mastering engineers but i don't want the reverb of audiophiles either, i want the best of both worlds.
i could just built the boxes with pine at zero cost, but i want the best. i am considering also adding volume and tone knobs, since i have a background experience of electric guitar luthier.
total material is 2 meters x 1 meter of delrin. 29" x 78"
sounds fun! might i suggest making a prototype first before going all in? it seems like you may have theorized yourself into over engineering something that could can be as simple as open back or square design. its much easier to produce and create bracing for a square design and takes almost no thought for open back and they both sound amazing. If I were you i wouldnt try to fix whats not broken. you will end up spending lots of money and time that could have been used on getting premier cones and using building material that is more affordable and will get you better sound than that thin stuff. good luck i hope you enjoy your adventure!
@dontpanic1982 nice a try but you won't stop me from making a triangle speaker cabinet that runs in circles to your rectangle investment.
i've been asking to all those youtubers of Acoustic Treatment how does it sounds like A-frame ( triangle) wooden cabinet. and i received no reply whatsoever. they play dumb. there is a rectangle conspiracy. they claim that everyone must use rectangle because they only have calculations of sounds for rectangles. and they quit thinking at tgat point.
yeah, the test has been conducted, i already explained, by ehrlund. both at a triangle glass of water then drop and watch the waves at surface how they stop moving sooner because of the 60° angles. also hitting a metal. triangles has shorter sound, and this means that the sound you hear has less distortion from the previous milisecond, so the equivalent of higher resolution as the improvent in image 1080p vs 480p.
i am not going to do bracing whatsoever. i have tiny stainless screws, inserts females that will be heat with soldering tip, then i will do some sort of dices to join the corners.
i am considering using dimarzio stereo miniswitches to turn on/off each of the 3 sides.
i only found one video in the entire youtube showing a triangle shaped speaker cabinet.
even hard to find on internet this simple shape, because most the drawings of equilateral triangle poligon has RECTANGLES instead of squares as if a canadian tent was long for a nba player.
and my 2 triangles are the floor and the ceiling. most the drawings are the opposite. it is super different. i will actually build a camping tent this shape so i will be able to stand up, the ceiling has the same height throughout. i would like to build two houses this shape too. and empty. people don't get it. all the A-frames has only the tall part in the middle, and that is not using properly the space. and they always adds a second floor, and that ruins the antisound effect of the triangle.
i will probably add inside the speakers the acoustic foam that i already have Chovacoustic and in the core activated carbon, which is the only known substance that absorbs the lower than 50 Hertzs, invented by Acoustic Fields, Dennis Fouley.
as a ex guitar player i am also considering adding volume and tone knobs to the speakers.
i do have measurement mics as to share the frequency response.
i built a cardboard box with same volume of water than normal shape box, fill it with any sounding device including the telephone. it sounds better at the triangle. i've never seen before a equilateral triangle cardboard box, ever, until i built it myself.
the 3 is very important in music. 2=3 in rhythm. you can play 3/4 vs 4/4 and they match after a while. that is 75 bpm vs 100bpm.
in nature the cells sometimes divides in 3. i found one nut that doesn't have 2 sides but 3.
people are squared minded.
@dontpanic1982 triangle drums are also hard to find.
I have that same sinus crud happening as well, feel better dude.😊
While liking Emotiva speakers a lot (for a European), I feel that the current range is too wide and overlapping.
Given that the one show here adds a second bass driver to an existing model but seems to use the same crossover and therefore cannot go to the magic 40 Hz I do not see the point.
Were it to be tuned lower it might make sense but 2 x 13.5 cm does not behave like a single 10 inch because physics doesn't work that way.
Further, unless identical woofers are in their own chambers there can be a cancellation problem which gives warmth but as the cost of clarity and oomph. Cabinets can partly mitigate some of this slight blurring but not thin walled ones like these. Thicker would increase the weight and price. The SE 8 sub with the two driver model might be a better bet.
Just looking over Emotiva's range, I feel that prices are a shade too high for what the brand aspires to. Home theater and music uses are not quite the same and perhaps the company should explore the difference.
Or a pair of these in the extended cab section of your truck since they are 4 Ohm? What a great midsize speaker for smaller living rooms or bedrooms. The possibilities are endless. With Emotiva quality.
Howdy, and good morning to the viewers!
Great review/idea...!!! Who would've thought... and the price is right...!!!
I wonder is it budget edifier speaker such a mr4 any good ? Why u never mention any of edifier speaker ? In my country every body just talk about it i wonder how is it compare to the others that u were review please help me. Im about to buy elac debut 3.0 but edifier just came out with new planar driver speaker so tempting with in simillar price to elac 😢
Randy, help I jumped in and bought the Rz-50 and the Polk R700! Tell me I'm not wrong. $1000 rz50, $1600 r-700 pair. That's a good deal?
It's a good deal. Those speakers need the power to perform but will reward you with great sound.
@BobbyTwoTimes will the RZ 50 be good enough, and can you recommend a amp I could pick up to use with the RZ -50 to help power my R700'd?
@@soundguy71.Oh, how about Emotiva? They make some pretty decent amps - I’m running a BasX A7 in my small Atmos 7.1.4 rig (Onkyo RZ740 as processor, and powering heights) - works like a charm.
Of course, you could always DIY something with ICEpower or Hypex modules.
@fonkenful I've been looking around, think I'll check market place, bet some nice gear will be popping up, soon.😅
@@soundguy71. To your first question, yeah, that sounds like a decent enough deal on the price. How many of the RZ50’s 9 channels of power are you using, and how large is the room? If not yet fully ensconced in multichannel HT system, or in a smaller space, you could very well have all the power you need while you’re breaking in the speakers and your ears🤭. From what I’ve gleaned from several reviews of the R700s, you’d want a hearty 100 wpc, which the RZ50 can deliver into 2, but if you’re running more than that, then maybe look at Emotiva, Monoprice, etc.
any explanation on the 4 wire inputs ?? send me a link thanks i think ill buy one thanks you mention by-amping ?
Haha I womderwd how well this would work when I first saw these. I didnt even know they were "LCR" rated...COOL DUDE!!!!!
Wonder if you could do that with othe Emotiva centre speakers? Im sure they make something bigger and better than this
How about five of these in a 5.1 setup. Timbre matched right out of the box !
Does the rear port affect the distance from the wall? Being designed as a center speaker one would think that it should be able to be placed beneath the tv and against the wall.
Thanks for sharing Randy - Get Well Soon!!!
@@thethibtube ya any rear ported speaker needs space behind it. My center is in cabinet just below tv with open back I covered with black fabric. Center has an isolated cradle to angle drivers at ears.
have already seen this with a round tweeter
I flipped my bookshelves sideways and my center channel vertical, and now I'm hearing things I've never heard before. I just can't see the damn TV now.
Would the basx A2m work well with these?
I don’t get it. I have Randy a $5 Super Thanks and asked him a question. I received a notification he liked it but my question has been deleted and I would like to know why.
Emotiva is a lesser known, but excellent speaker brand.
I’m puzzled as to why on their one website they have extremely low review ratings on their own speakers.
The best "Body Shaver" was discontinued in 2005.
It was the Remington ES-1000
Thank you Randy
i wanted to buy pair Focal theva speakers and everybody of forum told me that it will be stupid.But they have same drivers in some expencive stereo speakers,but at 5 times price.
Usually center channels are voiced completely differently than mains as centers do mostly dialogue duty. Maybe this is some strange exception, but this is an unexpected claim
Good day speaker people 🤙🏼
6:01 That's what she said
One thing one would perhaps wish for is that it got deeper than 50hz, that's what I see is the downside of many center speakers
For the price it should do 30hz
just add a small sub - you have some excellent value ones over in USA - Klipsh ? 🔊
@@andrewbrazier9664 Might as well get speakers which already go lower..
@@Hirnlego999 Likely cost more for a decent pair ?
Depends on where you live. For the approx price in Europe a buyer can get Canton GLE90, and I bet it sounds bigger and deeper
The best xxxxx... Again... 😂😂😂😂😂 At this point, just rename to Best Audioman.
Love the Sevendust shirt
Emotive has a horrible web sight. I can’t figure out how to navigate it.
I mean... Klispch Heresys are used as centers all the time, especially for movies/dialogue.
But….. why not just buy the tower speakers?…….
Size and price are different, that seems enough reason
By the time you put it on a stand it’s a similar foot print to a floor stander. Price difference wouldn’t be enough for the average Person to do that.
Having the mtm design vertically is good but the biggest issue is the midrange combing across itself you can really hear the top and bottom midrange trading off with eachother when you sit down & stand up.. having the Midrange and the tweeter present the main presence axis and having the woofers straddle that instead of the midrange on either side of the tweeter is a little less noticable.
Video review starts at 4:40 😂🎉
Do you have a garage full of stereo equipment. To fulfill the frequency of your videos?
😂😂
Mr Cheap your volume is a bit on the low side.🤪
Real Nice after the read out ad, then youtube does it's ads. =/
When translating the title of a video into german goes horribly wrong.
Title of next video "game changer" 🙄
Anyone else here speaker static/clipping during the jingle onto the next chapter..!? Randy are you testing our ears, are my speakers going bad or is this just me....!?
6:00 If you're not good at finding the hole, you're screwed in more ways than one.😁
For a couple hundred more you could get XT1s.
Thumbs up not for the review, for the sponsor pitch. Appears awkward but funny.
Warning: The "Why So Serious" song can surprise you with its levels of bass. Don't allow it to surprise you by hurting your speakers.
Hurt your speakers? You might want to try Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture and if you have ANY volume you can just kiss your speakers goodbye
@@carewser Which part ? I am looking for a big differential blip on my spectrum anaylizer .
@@27b-6Buttle not all versions use cannons but those that do i'm sure have cooked more speakers than any song in history
Who's actually going to damage their speakers because they're testing a particular song? Unless there is a 4 year-old that has control of the volume and does not know what they're doing. Very strange comment?!
I listened to this by the way and yeah it does include some deep bass but again nothing like the 1812 Overture with those almost ridiculous cannons
it looks like cheap mass produced speaker. if people are using cheap components i bet you dont get the same "punch" . would be good to see a review where you use different tier amps. maybe test it with a affordable Yamaha or Sony integrated theater amp thats more realistic to what a person would be using with a 600 set of speakers.
I wish I had skipped ahead
freakin hilarious loved the commercial
All Promo talking sh👎t,
Next
Maybe Klipsch was onto something with the heresy?
Randy, you need glasses that fit your face, I have seen you push your glasses back up to the bridge of your nose dozens of times so you wouldn't have to be constantly doing that if your glasses fit properly
I care!
Finding the hole always is a problem for some men
RUclips seems to be delivering your audio in a different language than normal. It definitely isn't your voice I am hearing at least. lol
You can turn it off. Go into the settings located to the right of the CC button at the bottom right of the video. Go to audio and select English and that should solve the problem.
@@coolwheelz5190 I'm pretty sure it was a RUclips bug/glitch. I wasn't experiencing the issue on other videos at the time. This one isn't doing the language swap thing now, and I haven't changed any settings.
Down stairs? More like the basement and it has not seen the light of day for years, sadly.