Do all your speakers hooked up to your receaver have to be all the same.

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DeltaX_basic

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#1 DeltaX_basic
Member since 2003 • 206 Posts

Im thinking replacing the front speakers for my receaver for better one's. Would the performance mix with the others making it sound worse.

hope this makes any sence to you peaple.

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kraken2109

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#2 kraken2109
Member since 2009 • 13271 Posts

Of course they don't have to be the same, but aim to have your front L/R the same and you're rear L/R the same of course.

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Apathetic_Prick

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#3 Apathetic_Prick
Member since 2003 • 4789 Posts

No, but it helps. Even moreso if you're dropping a grand or more. Do some reasearch and see which "good" brands are compatible and how they may need to be positioned so that the sound isn't messed up. Further, you need to ensure that impedence is the same as your amp, and that the amperage of the speakers matches your amp as well. If you haven't done your homework, you won't be ready to upgrade.

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kraken2109

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#4 kraken2109
Member since 2009 • 13271 Posts

No, but it helps. Even moreso if you're dropping a grand or more. Do some reasearch and see which "good" brands are compatible and how they may need to be positioned so that the sound isn't messed up. Further, you need to ensure that impedence is the same as your amp, and that the amperage of the speakers matches your amp as well. If you haven't done your homework, you won't be ready to upgrade.

Apathetic_Prick
Most receivers (like my Denon) will do 6-16 ohms happily, and 4ohm speakers won't do any damage.
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Bozanimal

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#5 Bozanimal
Member since 2003 • 2500 Posts
Your concern is for what is called speaker timbre. In layman's terms, it's the unique voice of each speaker. When you have speakers that are mismatched, even high-quality speakers, they can sound out of place; they don't "blend" as well. In general it is strongly recommended that - in a surround sound system - you use speakers with matched drivers. It is especially important to match the front left, right, and center. In fact, the center channel is the most important speaker in a home theater system. Note also that models change every year, so if you buy a pair of speakers and want to get a matching center channel one or two years later, there are no guarantees that a matching center will still be available. All that said, if you're just looking for great speakers to listen to music, by all means go ahead and enjoy your new speakers! Happy gaming, Boz
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Apathetic_Prick

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#6 Apathetic_Prick
Member since 2003 • 4789 Posts

[QUOTE="Apathetic_Prick"]

No, but it helps. Even moreso if you're dropping a grand or more. Do some reasearch and see which "good" brands are compatible and how they may need to be positioned so that the sound isn't messed up. Further, you need to ensure that impedence is the same as your amp, and that the amperage of the speakers matches your amp as well. If you haven't done your homework, you won't be ready to upgrade.

kraken2109

Most receivers (like my Denon) will do 6-16 ohms happily, and 4ohm speakers won't do any damage.

I wasn't just referring to impedence, THD or wattage. The dude above you (and below me at this point) mentioned what I was referring to, but didn't know the term for - which is timbre. Well, I did, but I forgot it because i haven't used it in like four years. The speaker timbre is what makes certain pairs incompatible with each other, which is why it's better to go online in forums and ask "so these speakers work well with these speakers".

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Mozelleple112

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#7 Mozelleple112
Member since 2011 • 11293 Posts

Nope. But people tend to match speaker brands to get the same sound signature all the way through, but the difference isn't that severe.

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deactivated-59b71619573a1

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#8 deactivated-59b71619573a1
Member since 2007 • 38222 Posts

To a person with no audio experience you won't notice a huge difference in the different speakers if they fall within the same sort of range and output but once you get used to audio and how it sounds they might sound off or unbalanced. Usually you can mix and match pretty well but always match you 2 fronts and 2 back to each other. the centre can be better to really bring forward vocal audio and the sub can be different again as long as it doesn't over power everything. But for the best experience it's usually best to keep everything the same

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Mozelleple112

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#9 Mozelleple112
Member since 2011 • 11293 Posts

To a person with no audio experience you won't notice a huge difference in the different speakers if they fall within the same sort of range and output but once you get used to audio and how it sounds they might sound off or unbalanced. Usually you can mix and match pretty well but always match you 2 fronts and 2 back to each other. the centre can be better to really bring forward vocal audio and the sub can be different again as long as it doesn't over power everything. But for the best experience it's usually best to keep everything the same

seanmcloughlin
I did read some where that it is indeed the centre channel that makes or breaks a home cinema.
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Apathetic_Prick

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#10 Apathetic_Prick
Member since 2003 • 4789 Posts

[QUOTE="seanmcloughlin"]

To a person with no audio experience you won't notice a huge difference in the different speakers if they fall within the same sort of range and output but once you get used to audio and how it sounds they might sound off or unbalanced. Usually you can mix and match pretty well but always match you 2 fronts and 2 back to each other. the centre can be better to really bring forward vocal audio and the sub can be different again as long as it doesn't over power everything. But for the best experience it's usually best to keep everything the same

Mozelleple112

I did read some where that it is indeed the centre channel that makes or breaks a home cinema.

That and subwoofer frequency and positioning.

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Mozelleple112

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#11 Mozelleple112
Member since 2011 • 11293 Posts

[QUOTE="Mozelleple112"][QUOTE="seanmcloughlin"]

To a person with no audio experience you won't notice a huge difference in the different speakers if they fall within the same sort of range and output but once you get used to audio and how it sounds they might sound off or unbalanced. Usually you can mix and match pretty well but always match you 2 fronts and 2 back to each other. the centre can be better to really bring forward vocal audio and the sub can be different again as long as it doesn't over power everything. But for the best experience it's usually best to keep everything the same

Apathetic_Prick

I did read some where that it is indeed the centre channel that makes or breaks a home cinema.

That and subwoofer frequency and positioning.

I was always under the impression that the front channels were the most important upon watching a movie, but that is simply a myth/false. A lot of people think like me because with music, the front channels are the most important and in most cases you're better of going stereo for music (let's face it.. 9999 out of 10,000 times!) Not quite sure that I agree with Steve Guttenberg and those who say its the centre.. all though the centre channel is responsible for all vocals during the movie... I guess if you're a night time viewer with out headphones but for me it is as you say.. the sub woofer that makes or breaks a home theater. If a dinosaur walks by, I want my room to shake as if a 50 ton dinosaur was right out side of my house. if a building collapses, I want my room to feel like it has too. etc..
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deactivated-59b71619573a1

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#12 deactivated-59b71619573a1
Member since 2007 • 38222 Posts

[QUOTE="seanmcloughlin"]

To a person with no audio experience you won't notice a huge difference in the different speakers if they fall within the same sort of range and output but once you get used to audio and how it sounds they might sound off or unbalanced. Usually you can mix and match pretty well but always match you 2 fronts and 2 back to each other. the centre can be better to really bring forward vocal audio and the sub can be different again as long as it doesn't over power everything. But for the best experience it's usually best to keep everything the same

Mozelleple112

I did read some where that it is indeed the centre channel that makes or breaks a home cinema.

For movies the centre channel is the most vital part to the whole setup. It carries all the vocal audio and without it everything gets lost or muddy. Your two fronts are really important if you want to listen to music and then your sub is equal to that if not more important. but more got to do with where and how you have it placed along with what it's outputting freq. wise. If it's off even a little it can wash out everything and become a mess of muddy boomy bass which sounds awful. The surrounds aren't all that important really as they carry very little and only add ambience so if you need to skimp on speakers this is where you do it.

For gaming though it's all a bit different because some games encode differently and place things differently in the mix. Like in cutscenes the vocals all come from the centre but in the game world if characters talk it's usually localised respective of where the camera is and so surrounds come into play a LOT more in games.

You have to prioritise what you will be using them for most. Or you can splash and just get outrageous speakers all round :P

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deactivated-59b71619573a1

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#13 deactivated-59b71619573a1
Member since 2007 • 38222 Posts

[QUOTE="Apathetic_Prick"]

[QUOTE="Mozelleple112"] I did read some where that it is indeed the centre channel that makes or breaks a home cinema. Mozelleple112

That and subwoofer frequency and positioning.

I was always under the impression that the front channels were the most important upon watching a movie, but that is simply a myth/false. A lot of people think like me because with music, the front channels are the most important and in most cases you're better of going stereo for music (let's face it.. 9999 out of 10,000 times!) Not quite sure that I agree with Steve Guttenberg and those who say its the centre.. all though the centre channel is responsible for all vocals during the movie... I guess if you're a night time viewer with out headphones but for me it is as you say.. the sub woofer that makes or breaks a home theater. If a dinosaur walks by, I want my room to shake as if a 50 ton dinosaur was right out side of my house. if a building collapses, I want my room to feel like it has too. etc..

That depends on personal preference though. I was like that and had my old woofer turned up a lot but after a while of testing I set it halfway and re did all my calibrations and I realised that a laid back bass sounds a LOT tighter and responds much better in movies. It compliments the other speakers rather than be the main focus. You don't want a deep bass noise to happen and think "Wow that sounds awesome coming from the woofer" because that means it's distracting and not blending. You should feel it and hear it but just enough that it doesn't draw your attention

A rule of thumb for woofers is find the level you like with it and turn it down ever so slightly. So if halfway sounds good to you then go a tiny bit more down. This is supposed to yield the best results for your personal tastes and I agree with it

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Mozelleple112

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#14 Mozelleple112
Member since 2011 • 11293 Posts

[QUOTE="Mozelleple112"][QUOTE="Apathetic_Prick"]

That and subwoofer frequency and positioning.

seanmcloughlin

I was always under the impression that the front channels were the most important upon watching a movie, but that is simply a myth/false. A lot of people think like me because with music, the front channels are the most important and in most cases you're better of going stereo for music (let's face it.. 9999 out of 10,000 times!) Not quite sure that I agree with Steve Guttenberg and those who say its the centre.. all though the centre channel is responsible for all vocals during the movie... I guess if you're a night time viewer with out headphones but for me it is as you say.. the sub woofer that makes or breaks a home theater. If a dinosaur walks by, I want my room to shake as if a 50 ton dinosaur was right out side of my house. if a building collapses, I want my room to feel like it has too. etc..

That depends on personal preference though. I was like that and had my old woofer turned up a lot but after a while of testing I set it halfway and re did all my calibrations and I realised that a laid back bass sounds a LOT tighter and responds much better in movies. It compliments the other speakers rather than be the main focus. You don't want a deep bass noise to happen and think "Wow that sounds awesome coming from the woofer" because that means it's distracting and not blending. You should feel it and hear it but just enough that it doesn't draw your attention

A rule of thumb for woofers is find the level you like with it and turn it down ever so slightly. So if halfway sounds good to you then go a tiny bit more down. This is supposed to yield the best results for your personal tastes and I agree with it

Also, a good cinema is one where you have no idea where the subwoofer is placed (unless it is visible)