[ctviggen]

And, if so, do you like them?

I'm using these:

http://emotiva.com/erd1.shtm

I put together my room and finally got all the kinks out (including two shorted channels).  I'm running a 7 channel system, with the Emotiva's set up as they recommend (left/right dipole for the speakers at the side of the room, and left/right bipole for the rear surrounds). 

You can see one of the surrounds here (the black speaker on the wall in line with the couch):





The other two speakers are here:




The front looks like this (one day, I'll have a wood valence to match the woodwork and cover the screen; those blackout shades cover a sliding glass door):





I used to run a 5.1 set up with direct radiating speakers (Mirage or Linn).  I've only listened to a few DVDs/Blurays for this system, but I'm having trouble liking this sound.  The sound on the sides and rear is very diffuse, so diffuse that it's like the sound isn't there (although if you go up to speakers, you can hear tons of sound coming from them, but going to the back/front/sides of the room and not "into" the room). 

Is this something I'm going to learn to like?  Anyone have a similar system or use bi/dipoles and learned to like them after a while?

[zybar]

Bob,

I use similar speakers (Swan Diva R1's) for the two side surrounds in a 7.1 setup.  While they do a good job in that capacity, I definitely prefer my direct radiating Salk SongTowers as the rear channels.

That said, when the material is mixed to allow it, it wasn't always a very diffuse sound when I using two pairs of R1's (similar to what you are doing with the Emotiva speakers).  When there started to be enough Blu-ray concert content and more info going to rear channels in movies, I splurged and bought another pair of SongTowers so that I could have a total of five.   

Are you sure that everything is properly calibrated and setup in your receiver or processor?  One "wrong" setting can mess things up.

George

[ajzepp]

CTViggen, couldn't you at least have picked up your girlfriend's/wife's panties off the floor before you took that first shot? 

[Phil A]

Yes - in the secondary basement system I have old PSBs and I have them connected to a passive PSB sub.  In the picture you can see the right surround and if you look at the counter with the pole you can see the sub.

[Bob in St. Louis]

I love mine! 

I made a set of rear surrounds from 1.5" thick veneered MDF using Hawthorne Audio 10" coaxials. I set the drivers aiming vertical with a slight tilt forward. The sound bounces off the ceiling and "washes' down over the seating area. The bottom of the "cabinet" is wide open, yet covered with decorative foam, so the coaxial sounds can still exit out of the bottom.

Here's a few pics:

[Dan Driscoll]

I was using Paradigm ADP-370s until very recently and liked them quite a bit. I still would be using them, except I had a pair of Fried Beta Sigs that needed a home. The 370's are nice, but the Betas are in a whole other class.

[WGH]

I'm still using the surrounds I built in May, 1995, way back in the days of 4 channel surround sound VHS tapes before DVD players appeared. Madisound sold a Vifa surround kit for $262 that included 4 M13SG09-16 5" mid-range drivers and 4 D27TG05 tweeters, crossover and all the parts except the wood.

The original design called for each side to be wired in opposite phase for a diffuse sound that worked best with VHS surround, now everything is wired the same for a little more directionality. They still work great for movies.





Wayne