Summits vs Vantages and Descent i - LAST CALL

[Rich]

Are your Summits sitting on the short 14' wall so you have 19' front to back?

Correct.

I am concerned that if I went with the Summits, 15' front to back is too close. I would only be able to keep the panels out 3' or so from the back wall, sitting about 8' from the panels, leaving 4' behind me. Ceiling 11' high. Thoughts on the room size and speaker position?

I think it will work the way you want to do it, but it will not necessarily be ideal. Some room treatments may help, particularly some absorption behind your seating position since the rear wall is so close, and maybe absorption or diffusion behind the speakers themselves. Jason's spikes may help as well.

 

[Ron]

Ron, First off, welcome ! I like your speaker choices, for I have the same.

I thought I would respond for the point you made about being happy without using your DD-15 in the "2 channel music mix". I can tell you without reservation that if your happy now, integrate that DD-15 for that is what it was intended for !! With it's built - in SMS system it has all the capabilities to take your Vantage's to a new "Lower" level !! Once you have done it you will realize how much better the bottom two octaves have become !!

I tried to intergrate the DD-15 with music. I just cannot get the sound I am looking for. I had my installer try. He suggested a Rel or Martin Logan Sub he would have no problem intergrating. Is any one else having this problem? Should I get a second sub? Should I find someone else with more experience with setting up the Velodyne DD 15. The sound just did not seem to match in my opinion. How many of you are having this problem? HT sounds great with this Sub.

 

[music again]

Final decision has been made . . .

One final option to consider, as if you need more choices, is to upgrade your amp. I used to have a Hafler but, with all due respect, it is really outdated. Maybe your dealer can let you borrow a newer amp for a test drive with your current setup so you can hear what this scenario may sound like.

Having said all the above, the Summit is an incredible speaker that, if you decide to purchase, you will never look back.

Good luck.

GG

First of all I want to thank everyone who responded here. This was a tough decision, but one that I will live with . . . for now.

I am going to keep the Vantage/Descent i combination. :music:

Seeing that for now my room is only 15 feet front to back, my eventual need for a sub for HT, the added estimated $2,500 - $2,800 cost of upgrading, not to mention the pain I would put my dealer through . . I think it's the right move for me. Although it would be nice to have the Summits, I am quite satisfied with the sound of the Vantages and Descent i combo.

There are pros and cons, as members have pointed out on this thread, and others. Gordon is correct that my 1980's Hafler equipment is not up to speed with today's technology. I'm saving my pennies and for now am researching power amps, pre amps and HT processors. There's still the 100 hour beak in period, proper placement from walls, toe in, spikes, panel angle, room sonics, etc., etc., etc., to keep me occupied for sometime to come. I believe that I have a long way to go before I out grow the Vantages!

I'm sure to be posting more questions in the future. I really enjoy this forum. Lot's of great information/interaction, not to mention the great sense of humor had by MANY members. On more than a few occasions I have busted out laughing at the computer. An enjoyable experience for sure. That's what this is all about for me. An escape from the work world, meeting new people, and that trip to sonic heavan, when late at night, in the dark a big grin comes to my face, because I've just heard a word I've never heard before on a CD that I've played hundreds of times, or a room shaking low note, or a vocalist like Linds Ronstadt hits one of those notes that is sooo sweet, and you swear she is in the room with you! Ok, you get the picture!

JM

 

[Beakman]

Glad to hear you are willing to work with those Vantages and sub. Just wait until they break in, you'll be amazed! So much so that you may not want to use the sub except for video.
One of the things that made for such a long tweeking of my system is that I am on the road more than at home, but on the last R&R, I had my stuff dialed in the way I expected it to sound when I first bought the equipment.
When I make it home this go-round I will make a good attempt to document and photograph what I have done with my system for posting on this board. I think it may be a valuable reference point for those with small rooms and/or have just begun installing their speakers and equipment.

 

[kcl]

I'm sure you'll be very happy with the decision. There's no question the Vantages and Descent combo is an excellent combination. In particular, I think you'll love what you get when you move to a more HT-capable system.

 

[music again]

When I make it home this go-round I will make a good attempt to document and photograph what I have done with my system for posting on this board. I think it may be a valuable reference point for those with small rooms and/or have just begun installing their speakers and equipment.

Beakman,

Thanks for the reply.

I look forward to your updated photos and write up. One of the best rewards of this forum is seeing everyone's systems and getting ideas to impliment in your own system! I've now got 46 hours on the Vantages, and 23 hours on the Descent i. They are sounding more and more open each listen.

JM

 

[music again]

Ht

I'm sure you'll be very happy with the decision. There's no question the Vantages and Descent combo is an excellent combination. In particular, I think you'll love what you get when you move to a more HT-capable system.

Ken,

Yes the combo does sound great. The ONLY downside is that I have to adjust the sub's level based on the CD that's playing. No big deal, but I would guess with the Summits alone, you probably would not have to do that. I could be wrong though. Still, it's worth the extra effort and I agree with you that for HT it will sound awesome.

I only have an old Hafler DH-110 preamp with the sub plugged into the recording out RCA's. No LFE on this old thing. I noticed when I play a movie, there is not a lot of hard core sub action at all, as it must just be picking up low level stuff. No 5.1 here for now. However, when I am playing the TV, and a commercial for a movie comes on, the bass/sub have alot more oomph! I can only imagine what that ".1' on a processor would do!

The highest level I had the sub on was 6, while playing "You Give Love a Bad Name" by Bon Jovi. (That was the night we took our 12 year old to the American Idol concert in town. I can't believe I admitted that in "public". We were probably half deaf from the concert.) About 1/2 way through the song we heard a loud crash on the other side of the room, about 20 feet away. The sub had vibrated an egg shaped wooded object off the plate shelf and onto a copper tray! Scared the heck out of us. I have since added the spikes to the sub and not only has it tightened up the bass, but the floor vibrates a lot less! I can't wait for that .1 in my system someday!

JM

 

[jk319]

Congrats JM!

After all the hand-wringing, it seems you've come to the proper solution. And all that hand-wringing just means you should be that much more sure about your decision. Having a great sub will make you smile BIG when the HT is setup.

After you get the sub dialed in, Im not sure why you would need to play with it. Fwiw, different recordings simply have much more pronounced bass than others. But, to please your own ears per recording, many pre/pro's have a sub volume control on the remote. A convenience that Summit owners do not have.

Imo, a good subwoofer should "disappear" in music listening anyhow...

Anyways, happy listening! :music: