Matching IC's, How big a deal is it?

[EndersShadow]

I am still trying to track down one more MIT EXp1 for my 5 channel HT setup, but assuming I cant here is what I want to know:

How big a deal is it if I use EXp1's for my fronts and a set of EXp2's (still availible from MIT) for my surrounds?

[pearsall001]

Not a big deal at all, I wouldn't loose any sleep over it.

[thsmith]

Agree, in that configuration.

[BlueFox]

Oh man. We are talking about the end of civilization as we know it!!! Please do not do that.

[EndersShadow]

Not a big deal at all, I wouldn't loose any sleep over it.

Agree, in that configuration.

Good to know. I am still in the hunt for a single EXp1, but if it doesnt pan out I will just get 2 sets of EXp2's (one for the surrounds one for my laserdisc player)....

[nooshinjohn]

Doing so will bring about the Mayan Apocalypse!

If you do it, at least history has someone to balme it on now...

[EndersShadow]

Doing so will bring about the Mayan Apocalypse!

If you do it, at least history has someone to balme it on now...

And his name starts with a "O".... and ends with the nickname of a state......

[decal]

Life is too short to worry about matching ICs.

[Toolfan66]

I'm using MIT S1's and S3's in my rig with great results..

[mdaudioguy]

Personally, I find audible differences due to subtle changes in gear essentially impossible to detect with HT soundtracks. Since my HT rig is dual-purpose, and I only have a pair of "better" quality ICs (Audioquest), they're used for the mains. The center and surrounds get Blue Jeans Belden. I can't hear any anomalies in HT tracks.

Two-channel music sources are a different story. Don't mismatch those ICs!

[PrazVT]

Personally, I find audible differences due to subtle changes in gear essentially impossible to detect with HT soundtracks. Since my HT rig is dual-purpose, and I only have a pair of "better" quality ICs (Audioquest), they're used for the mains. The center and surrounds get Blue Jeans Belden. I can't hear any anomalies in HT tracks.

Two-channel music sources are a different story. Don't mismatch those ICs!

I agree - it's harder to make any qualitative observations when listening to HT / 5.1 content. I added Shotgun S3s for the mains and CVT 2 ICs for the DAC -> Pre chain at first. So right now, all my pre -> amp ICs are still Signal Analog 2s. Now that I know there isn't anything audibly wonky going on by mixing ICs, I have another pair of CVT 2 ICs on the way to at least complete the chain for the Q900s. Hopefully iit makes a difference for 2 ch music..

[BlueFox]

I sure do not have any problem hearing differences in my HT. When I upgraded the speaker wire to Mapleshade wire, it was audible. When I upgraded my ICs to MIT, it was audible. When I upgraded my center, it was audible. Each time, a new level of clearness was apparent. Leaves rustling in the wind, footsteps, glass breaking, birds chirping. All those things are good benchmarks for audio improvements.

For a reference I use Master and Commander at the start with the boat creaking and swaying in the ocean. Then there is Terminator 3 with the arrival of the terminatrix and her bare feet walking on the sidewalk, the birds chirping during the cemetery shootout, and the chase scene with Arnold on the bike, and then the firetruck. Lots of good sound effects throughout that scene.

[PrazVT]

Sorry - what I really meant was ... I don't feel that my center sounds out of place with my mains b/c they are using different speaker wire or ICs. I'd love to fill out the rest of my HT w/ MIT cables and ICs ..but for me it's just cost prohibitive.

Otherwise, I agree with your general assessment. Better components, better SQ.

[tonyb]

Life is too short to worry about matching ICs.

Yep....now matching socks, thats way more important.

[pearsall001]

Man oh man, do some of these guys not proof read their comments before they post...too funny.

[tonyb]

Yeah man, but not that big a deal. I've sure done my share and it usually resulted in the ol' double face palm when you discovered it was too late to edit.

[EndersShadow]

So I think I will go ahead and get a EXp2 set for my surrounds. That leaves me with 3 EXp1's for my front stage and EXp2's for my surround.

Now I just need to get EXp2 speaker wire so I can be all MIT as recommended by them.

This is a dual purpose rig and I will be listening to music through it so I would prefer everything be as close as possible. If not the same model, at least the same brand.

Right now I am rocking a Signal Cable Analog 2 for my center and I can hear a slight difference between it and my front l/r.

Once I get my HT setup complete with EXp IC's and wire I think thats as far down the rabbit hole as I want to go for my HT for now.

I already have Audioquest CV-4 38 dbs cables I am running for the highs on my fronts that will move to my 2 channel rig (or get sold if they aren't long enough)

[heiney9]

It is a big deal if you care about consistency. That being said the most important connections to be the same are source and speaker cables. I run all MIT Shotgun's except where I have the Dared pre-amp hooked up to the HT bypass where I use (2) identical pairs of Signal Cable Analog II's. I felt that would be a good compromise since my source to pre and pre to amp and amp to speakers already used the same MIT cables.

H9

[EndersShadow]

It is a big deal if you care about consistency.

I agree but since I am not even running full MIT for my speaker cables either I think it will be better to at least be all MIT EXp even if 2 of the speakers only have 2 articulation poles instead of 3.

Still working on sourcing 5 EXp2 speaker cables as well.

Worst case I hope to get my front stage with EXp1 IC and EXp2 Speaker wire and my surrounds with EXp2 and then either Audioquest FLX 14/4 or Monoprice wire (depends on what budget I have left over)

[Joe08867]

I would worry more about the speaker connection than the interconnects. That said all of mine match.

So, Nanny Nanny, Poo Poo, You Smell Like, Doo Doo.

[EndersShadow]

So, Nanny Nanny, Poo Poo, You Smell Like, Doo Doo.

Its Ok I spray myself each morning with Febreze so you would never know

[Joe08867]

Nice, Sorry bout that, saw a rerun of Tosh.0 last night and he said it. Made me laugh pretty hard.

[codyc1ark]

You'll blow up your rig and meltdown your town if your IC's don't match.... I would have thought you knew this...


Really tho, I'm running the exp1s for l/r and 2's for everything else, it's fine.

[polkfarmboy]

Well I have saved the day as I will give up my exp1 ic and an exp2 10 footer. I would not sleep if my MIT's were not all matching and the same articulation. I have some MIT being vandalized by a gaming rig right now

[EndersShadow]

Well I have saved the day as I will give up my exp1 ic and an exp2 10 footer. I would not sleep if my MIT's were not all matching and the same articulation. I have some MIT being vandalized by a gaming rig right now

LOL.... thanks, ps responded to your PM. You've got some time before I need em