Up And Running

[metal83]

I finally got my system up and running last night.

Fronts RTi10's
Center CSiA4
Rears RTiA1's
Sub (undecided)
Receiver Pioneer Elite 92
TV Samsung LN52A650

All i can say is WOW!!!
I dont think i can ever go back to regular tv speakers ever again. This is truely amazing. Now i just need to get a sub and throw it into the mix.

[danger boy]

very nice.. good work.. I bet it does sound really incredible. :)

hey have you calibrated the speaker levels with your Pioneer Elite receiver yet? that's really important for proper speaker level and sound effects.

enjoy!

[engtaz]

Congrats. where's the sub?

engtaz

[maximillian]

First system? Welcome to club Polk.

[cfrizz]

Congrats, enjoy.

[metal83]

very nice.. good work.. I bet it does sound really incredible. :)

hey have you calibrated the speaker levels with your Pioneer Elite receiver yet? that's really important for proper speaker level and sound effects.

enjoy!

I did the auto calibration (MCACC). I havent attempted to do it manually because i really dont know where to begin. This is still foreign to me:o. I'm sure i can get it sounding much better tho if i can figure out the proper speaker levels.

[metal83]

Congrats. where's the sub?

engtaz

I'm still trying to pick one out, easier said than done for me:o.

[metal83]

Congrats, enjoy.

First system? Welcome to club Polk.

Thanks:)
Yep, this is my very first system. I've never even had an HTIB, all though i am very glad i didnt go the HTIB route.

Only kind of system i have had is a car audio system years ago. I actually still have the subs and amp from that sitting in my storage room. 2 JL audio subs in a box, along with an Alpine AMP.

[maximillian]

Thanks:)
Yep, this is my very first system. I've never even had an HTIB, all though i am very glad i didnt go the HTIB route.

I never had a HTIB either. I am glad I jumped into separates. My system double duties HT and music. HTIB would do music poorly. Your RTi10's will do nicely with 2-channel music too. You may become addicted to good sounding music with those.

[engtaz]

I don't care for auto cal. If you get a chance to pickup a SPL meter, it will dial in your system to perfection.

Congrats again and welcome,
engtaz

[mike_dani]

I don't care for auto cal. If you get a chance to pickup a SPL meter, it will dial in your system to perfection.

Congrats again and welcome,
engtaz

So I am also new and just fired up my new system, RC85I's Font and Rear and a LCI-I center, powered by an Onkyo 705 reciever.

How do you set up with a SPL meter to dial it in to Perfection?

[metal83]

I don't care for auto cal. If you get a chance to pickup a SPL meter, it will dial in your system to perfection.

Congrats again and welcome,
engtaz

How difficult is it to use an SPL meter, considering i am still very new at all of this?

[treitz3]

Enjoy it for a while. One can get burnt out quickly when everything is to be conquered in a matter of moments in one's life. Sit back and enjoy what you have for a while. In the meantime, learn.

BTW, welcome to the wonderful world of audio. I say the things I say so you won't be broke by next week. ;)

[metal83]

Enjoy it for a while. One can get burnt out quickly when everything is to be conquered in a matter of moments in one's life. Sit back and enjoy what you have for a while. In the meantime, learn.

BTW, welcome to the wonderful world of audio. I say the things I say so you won't be broke by next week. ;)

LOL Very good advice, it costs enough just to get everything going as it is. All though i still need to shell out some $ for a sub. But i will definetly just try to enjoy it for a while and learn as i go:).

[maximillian]

Calibrating with a SPL. Check out the many links in louthewiz's post in this thread:

http://www.polkaudio.com/forums/show...pressure+meter

I think you basically set the output of all speakers equal to 90db (on the meter) with the volume set to 0db in C weighting.

[metal83]

When i did the MCACC auto calibration, it really did seem to do a good job as far as i can tell. It even got my speaker distances pretty much exactly how far away they are.

One thing i was wondering though, is it set my fronts L+R to Large, and it also set my center channel to Large. Is this because i dont have a sub yet?

[jaysonbarnett]

hey metal you want to set that center to small so it will reroute the bass to the rti10's.then when you get your sub you might want to set the rti10's to small for the same reason) I am sure someone will beg to differ on that subject but i feel sending all the LFE sigaal to the sub will save some much needed power to the rest of your system (plus you want the sub since its powered to do all the work). Set all the crossovers to 80 and the sub to 100 and you should ve fine.Other than that you have a great system. I thought you were close to getting the epik knight or something. I have the caliber and love it ( mines on order but have my friends caliber). It blends in really well with my rti8's. I cant remember i think i asked you but if you live in the san francisco bay area you can come listen to the caliber and i have a velodyne dls5000. Just hit me up
later jason barnett

[Erik Tracy]

When i did the MCACC auto calibration, it really did seem to do a good job as far as i can tell. It even got my speaker distances pretty much exactly how far away they are.

One thing i was wondering though, is it set my fronts L+R to Large, and it also set my center channel to Large. Is this because i dont have a sub yet?

I would think that the RTI10s are "large", wouldn't you? ;)

When I ran YPAO from my Yamaha RX-V1800 it set my RTI4s and CSI3 as "large" as well (guess that speaks to the quality of the RTI4s, eh?).

At the time I ran YPAO had my PSW303 sub hooked up via the LFE output from the AVR - so I don't think that your Pioneer set your mains and center as "large" just because you don't have a sub...yet.

And +1 treitz's advice - enjoy the fact you've got sound coming from your system and are happy with the quality.

Seems like these days you almost need to go to technical training or have a degree of some sort for HT setup!!

Take your time - get to know your system and then start tweaking....careful though - it could become an obsESSSSIONNNN!!!!! :D

[jaysonbarnett]

I would think that the RTI10s are "large", wouldn't you?

IMO i had the 10's with my onkyo 805 and it could not power them right without another amp that is why i say to reroute all bass to the sub.
I also agree with everyone else just enjoy what you have for now you have your whole life to tweak systems.
P.S. i would set the center to small though

[metal83]

hey metal you want to set that center to small so it will reroute the bass to the rti10's.then when you get your sub you might want to set the rti10's to small for the same reason) I am sure someone will beg to differ on that subject but i feel sending all the LFE sigaal to the sub will save some much needed power to the rest of your system (plus you want the sub since its powered to do all the work). Set all the crossovers to 80 and the sub to 100 and you should ve fine.Other than that you have a great system. I thought you were close to getting the epik knight or something. I have the caliber and love it ( mines on order but have my friends caliber). It blends in really well with my rti8's. I cant remember i think i asked you but if you live in the san francisco bay area you can come listen to the caliber and i have a velodyne dls5000. Just hit me up
later jason barnett

Oh wow thats really cool of you to offer to let me listen to your system. Unfortunately i'm across the country in New Hampshire, that would be quite a trip lol. But seriously thank you for offering that, thats wicked cool of you:).
I actually really havent decided what sub i want. I have been thinking HSU, the STF-2, since i'm in an apt, not sure though.

[metal83]

I would think that the RTI10s are "large", wouldn't you? ;)

When I ran YPAO from my Yamaha RX-V1800 it set my RTI4s and CSI3 as "large" as well (guess that speaks to the quality of the RTI4s, eh?).

At the time I ran YPAO had my PSW303 sub hooked up via the LFE output from the AVR - so I don't think that your Pioneer set your mains and center as "large" just because you don't have a sub...yet.

And +1 treitz's advice - enjoy the fact you've got sound coming from your system and are happy with the quality.

Seems like these days you almost need to go to technical training or have a degree of some sort for HT setup!!

Take your time - get to know your system and then start tweaking....careful though - it could become an obsESSSSIONNNN!!!!! :D

I can definetly see how this can become an obsession, i feel a slight hint of it already lol.

[metal83]

IMO i had the 10's with my onkyo 805 and it could not power them right without another amp that is why i say to reroute all bass to the sub.
I also agree with everyone else just enjoy what you have for now you have your whole life to tweak systems.
P.S. i would set the center to small though

Well i'll try setting my center to small and see how it sounds. Also, i just noticed MCACC set my surrounds (RTiA1's) to large, i am assuming those should be small as well:o.

[jaysonbarnett]

Hey metal no problem and when i first got my polks i had a grin on my face for about a month. It was and still is so cool, and i now can watch all those chick flicks(with girlfriend) because the sound is so much better:). ENjoy

[metal83]

Hey metal no problem and when i first got my polks i had a grin on my face for about a month. It was and still is so cool, and i now can watch all those chick flicks(with girlfriend) because the sound is so much better:). ENjoy

Thanks. Ahhh yes, i think the chick flicks my gf likes will be a bit more tolerable now lol. Oh and by the way, i set my center and my surrounds to small and so far it seems to sound better.

EDIT: I was also wondering how loud i could crank these speakers using my Pioneer Elite 92, without causing damage? I currently have it on -30db, so i was just wondering how much louder i can safely go.

[jaysonbarnett]

Well i'll try setting my center to small and see how it sounds. Also, i just noticed MCACC set my surrounds (RTiA1's) to large, i am assuming those should be small as well.

To set a speaker to large means there is at least a 6.5 inch speaker(s) in the box so if it is smaller than 6.5 inch then it should be set to small. all that means is it will send bass elsewhere ( a surround should not be playing 50 hrtz stuff anyway).
Yes set the rears to small as well and the rti10's to large until you get a sub and even then you might want the 10's to stay large.

[Erik Tracy]

To set a speaker to large means there is at least a 6.5 inch speaker(s) in the box so if it is smaller than 6.5 inch then it should be set to small. all that means is it will send bass elsewhere ( a surround should not be playing 50 hrtz stuff anyway).
Yes set the rears to small as well and the rti10's to large until you get a sub and even then you might want the 10's to stay large.

"Sound" advice! ;)

Even after getting a sub, I'd also leave the RTI10s as large - otherwise what would be the point in getting high quality towers only to set them to 'small'?

[jaysonbarnett]

EDIT: I was also wondering how loud i could crank these speakers using my Pioneer Elite 92, without causing damage? I currently have it on -30db, so i was just wondering how much louder i can safely go.

That is tough to say but the rule of thumb is if it sounds like the receiver is working to hard or distorting then turn it down. Music is less likely to blow speakers but movies is were problems come in. People crank it up to hear the dialogue and they have the volume to to -1 or 0 and a car crashes and thier is to much dynamic sound (peaks) are coming out of the speakers which could blow the tweaters(but you have 5 year warranties with polk anyway). Turn it up and enjoy you can go louder than -30 for sure. I watch movies at -10 and for music sometimes -5 You know what do not worry about that because you will know if your speakers are straining. This system is new but over time you will have it figured out.

[metal83]

That is tough to say but the rule of thumb is if it sounds like the receiver is working to hard or distorting then turn it down. Music is less likely to blow speakers but movies is were problems come in. People crank it up to hear the dialogue and they have the volume to to -1 or 0 and a car crashes and thier is to much dynamic sound (peaks) are coming out of the speakers which could blow the tweaters(but you have 5 year warranties with polk anyway). Turn it up and enjoy you can go louder than -30 for sure. I watch movies at -10 and for music sometimes -5 You know what do not worry about that because you will know if your speakers are straining. This system is new but over time you will have it figured out.

Thank you so much for all your help, and to everyone else as well. Its a shame that i have to leave for work soon, all i can think about is my new HT system lol. Luckily i have a 5 day weekend coming up starting thursday, plenty of time to mess around with the system, sweeeet!! :D

[jaysonbarnett]

No problem man enjoy if you have anymore questions PM later

[Grimster74]

Basically the reason your front speakers were set to large were they are capable of playing down to 40Hz, has nothing to do with not having a sub. In my opinion, I would leave the settings the way they are until you do get a subwoofer, once you get the sub, then set your crossover to 80Hz. (this is just a good starting point and for what it's worth, THX standard) and set the front speakers to small. When this is done, anything below your crossover setting, whatever you choose will be sent to the subwoofer.

Rob