[Pletch]

Hi all....first time poster here.

I took the plunge last weekend and ordered a complete 5.1 ACI system for the new front projection home theater setup I am working on in my basement.  My selection included Sapphires in Black Oak, Emeralds in Black Oak for surrounds, Arch-Black Protege center, and an Arch-Black Maestro subwoofer along with Atlantis & Sound-anchor stands, Atlantis equipment rack, and R-DES system.  

This is my first real foray into the world of higher end audio but I figured I can't go wrong with ACI (despite never having personally heard an ACI setup) in light of the complimentary reviews on the forums. The speakers will be powered with a Rotel RMB-1075 amplifier and a yet unselected surround processor (Rotel RSP-1068 or Anthem AVM-30 or ????). Any suggestions you guys might have on the processor are appreciated.  In the meantime, I will be using the pre-outs on my Onkyo receiver to feed the amp.  

I now anxiously await the arrival of the UPS truck. It will be funny watching the expression on the face of the UPS guy as he gets to carry all of these heavy packages up to the house  

I'll post my impressions when I have had some time to listen to the new setup.

[Marbles]

Welcome Pletch....

I'm sorry you CAN'T join the club....now if you lived in Bloomington, then we would welcome you with open arms...  

Oh OK, since you now have the best BB coach in Indiana (at least for a day or two more) with the worst hair...we will let you join  

[brj]

Football coach is pretty good too... even if what looked like a stellar team at the start of the season imploded half way through the year.  (Not that I can complain... I suffered through the last couple of years of the Colletto era when you cheered just for getting positive yardage!)

Anyway, steering this thread back on the original track... good luck with the new system!  Give it a chance to break in, but please let us all know what you think!

As for the pre-pro choice, I've heard good things about the AVM-30 and its built-in upgradability is a nice plus.  I heard it once, but it was just out of the box and in a system I'm unfamiliar with.  For more useful feedback, you might want to tell us whether your primary interest is audio or home theater.  Many pre-pros are better at one than the other...

[Pletch]

We do have some good coaches here at Purdue.  It's sad to see Keady retire but I think he has lost his edge.  I hope the new basketball coach can get the basketball program turned around but he has a long road to travel.  

Regarding selection of the surround processor, I would say my application is 70% HT / 30 % Music.  Of course, if the musicality of this new system really impresses me, I suppose this could shift some.  I guess I should have also mentioned that the limit of my budget is <$3000 street price.

[KJ]

Go Boilers!  Sorry Marbles.    I was at Keady's last conference game this past weekend.  Despite the beating, it was nice to see him get three standing ovations at the game.

As to the pre/pros, I have heard thirdhand of some quality issues with the Rotel.  Hopefully, some others with direct experience can chime in (jimmyp58 might be able to provide some insight).  I'm not sure how much of an improvement the AVM30 is over the AVM20, but the AVM20 was a nice sounding unit for the price at the time.

-KJ

[Eric]

Welcome to the forums and congratulations on a wonderful purchase!!!

[JackStraw]

Regarding selection of the surround processor, I would say my application is 70% HT / 30 % Music.  Of course, if the musicality of this new system really impresses me, I suppose this could shift some.

Ok I'll go out on a limb -- I imagine that it will. Welcome to AC and enjoy the new system.

[Mike Dzurko]

Hey, we're happy to have you . . . and it's almost Miller time

DO keep an eye on the UPS guy . . . . we've had a few instances lately where  they simply shove the boxes off the back of the truck to fall into the street.  

Have a great weekend!

[budyog]

I also welcome you to the ACI club and the AC club!

We can't wait to hear how happy you are with your decision.

Hey Mike,
 There is never a Miller Time. Puch! with the fine speakers you build, there a way better drinks that are called beer than that stuff called Miller! You must get out more.  

[Pletch]

Hello again everyone.

I wanted to report back with some very positive impressions of my ACI system.  After inspecting to ensure all the boxes arrived in good condition with no visible indications of shipping company abuse, I got everything unpacked and placed in their respective locations in my basement home theater.  The basement room is roughly 25’ long x 15’ wide x 8.5’ high but the theater layout is limited to the front two-thirds of the long dimension.  Additionally, my future 92” wide front projection screen must be offset and will be centered approximately 5.5’ from the left wall.  This places the left main closer to a wall than the right main which has a very minor affect on the stereo imaging (I hope to alleviate this problem in the future with some acoustical treatment).  The mains reside on 24” stands and flank the ends of the screen about 2.5’ out from the front wall with a slight toe-in.  The Protégé center channel is also about 2.5’ out from the front wall and rests on a sound anchor center channel stand at the maximum 18” height.  The Maestro sits about 6” out from the front wall between the left main and the center channel.  This location seemed to produce a relatively smooth bass response. Finally, the Emerald rear channels are located about 5’ behind the primary listening position out alongside the side walls.  

My impressions thus far are limited to stereo listening on the Sapphire / Maestro combination and 5.1 channel use on several of my favorite DVD movies.  For surround processor duties, I decided on a Sherwood-Newcastle P-965. A Rotel 5-channel RMB-1075 provides amplification.  Eventually, I plan to add a two-channel amplifier and two Emerald on-walls to complete a 7.1 system.

Two-Channel Listening
Even without much break-in, I was immediately taken aback by the quality of sound emanating from the 25th Edition Sapphires and the Maestro subwoofer.  The imaging, tonal-balance, and clarity of the monitors are top-notch and I haven’t found any music (outside of really poor recordings) that I don’t enjoy on them.  Even my wife, who usually focuses more on the lyrical content of music rather than the quality of reproduction, commented on the ability of the Sapphires to disappear and present the music as if you are in the room with the artists.  After properly adjusting the phase and sub level, the Maestro subwoofer integrates exceptionally well.  The sub is very musical and reproduces complex bass lines effortlessly yet it retains the ability to really hit hard and pressurize the room when called upon.  Perhaps it is psychological, but it seems the Maestro is able to maintain better balance with the mains at low listening volumes when compared to other subwoofers I have used/heard in the past (the bass does not recess as much at low volumes with the Maestro).  

5.1 Channel Listening
For evaluation of 5.1 channel capabilities, I spent time with several of my favorite DVDs (e.g. LOTR extended editions) and did a fair amount of television watching.  For movies, the system is excellent at enveloping the viewer in the soundtrack.  The Maestro provides powerful impact in those lower octaves and can really shake the couch.  The tonal match between the different speaker models is very good and the Emeralds are excellent for surround duty.  The one small reservation I had with the setup was a sense that the Protégé didn’t integrate as seamlessly with the Sapphires as I had hoped it would.  The Protégé also seemed to have a hint of ‘boxyness’ to the sound it produced.  For these reasons, I have decided to trade in the Protégé for an Essence.  In retrospect, it is possible that I didn’t give the Protégé a completely fair shake as I think the height difference between the Sapphires and the center channel was affecting the imaging and integration.  I am not sure if the Essence will be more accommodating of placement but I have the option of building a small riser to raise the center another 8-12” if necessary.  It is too bad Sound Anchors doesn’t have a taller center channel stand.  In the end, the center channel plays such an important role in the reproduction of dialogue that I am not sure I would be satisfied second-guessing whether I should have gotten the Essence.  I’ll report back after I receive it and have sufficient listening time.


In summary, I am extremely satisfied with the ACI system.  I would recommend the company to anyone in the market for a two-channel or home theater system.  Initially, I became aware of ACI when investigating sealed subwoofers on the Audio Video Science Forum. I did some additional research into the company and found nothing but positive reviews for all of their speaker systems. I also figured a company that has been around for 25 years that sells only direct and yet doesn’t advertise must be doing something right.  I am glad I took the plunge.  I also must add that it surprises me that ACI doesn’t get more press on the other big home theater forums.   When I get my setup finished, I would be happy to demo for anyone that is interested in the West Lafayette, IN area.

[Eric]

Great review! Thanks for the report!!

[Harry P]

Pletch, nice writeup! I think the good times are just starting to roll for you. Wait till you get some hours on and play with subwoofer settings and such. Before you shell out the extra dough for the Essence you might want to try raising the Protege a bit more, maybe something under the stand and also tip the front of the Protege up to aim it more at your ears. The higher closer I got to aiming my Protege at my ears, the better it sounded, even an extra couple of degrees improved it. Have a blast!

[Mike Dzurko]

Pletch:

Excellent writeup, thorough, thoughtful . . . you've done a wonderful job!  Thanks from all of us at ACI . . . enjoy!