New Speakers in the House, Soliloquy 5.3

[chrisa]

Though I've met some of you guys, I don't often post here, but I'm pretty excited about purchasing a really beautiful pair of rosewood Soliloquy 5.3i speakers in perfect shape. My other main speakers are the Soliloquy 5.0 monitors which use the same drivers and sound wonderful.

My thought is to build a 2nd system for variety. My thinking is to use the dual outputs of my Audio Electronics AE-3 Mk II preamp to drive the two systems (of course not at the same time!). I have a Monarchy SM-70 Pro that sounds great on the monitors, but is a little bass light. I'm thinking it may be perfect for the larger 5.3's.

Other amps that I've accumulated are an Audio Refinement Multi-3 (125 w/ch) and an Audio Refinement Complete integrated that sounds excellent by itself, but has a good bloom with the tube pre-amp in front of it.

What I don't really have a plan for is how to set up two sets of speakers in the same room. Side by side I suppose, but my guess is imaging will suffer.

Chris
 

[Carlman]

Actuated platforms... Have a toggle switch so that 1 system rises from the floor as the other descends. 
Or, put the 2nd system in another room.. could be fun, you never know.
Side-by-side is going to make it easier to share sources if needed and other conveniences.  Plus, it's the only way you can analyze what the new system is doing in comparison to the old one.
Moving one pair of speakers forward and backward will minimize the imaging issues... (but so will moving the speakers.)  When I do this kind of thing, I put the speaker baffles on an even plane and have them about a foot apart.  I don't think it's a huge deal but you can hear a slight difference than if there were no other speakers in the room.
-C

[miklorsmith]

 

Good one Carl.

Very cool!  If you find a manufacturer you like, that's great.  Any safe(er) haven in this hobby is a comfort.  On the speaker placement, you never know - the two pairs may have different needs for bass and imaging and they may both find their happy places in different, um, places.

I've heard that some times having multiple pairs of speakers in a room can be troublesome because deactivated speakers essentially become passive radiators in the room and can create odd distortion artifacts.  Could "off" speakers do some bass trapping?  Anyway I really don't know anything more about this like what circumstances must be present or even if it's a significant problem.  I'm just raising it in case somebody knows the real deal.

It couldn't be that bad I guess - every speaker showroom demos with "off" speakers in the room.

[chrisa]

I'd love to have two rooms...course the wife tells me how lucky I am to have even one...Its all I can do to fend off her decorating attempts.  I have no idea how Rich can get away with what he does with his family room.

Chris

[bpape]

It takes a LONG time being married to wear them down 

....  and you have to have a real sweetheart to start with.  You're on your way - at least you have a dedicated space to do as you please.  Possession is 9/10 of the law

Bryan

[richidoo]

Persistance makes miracles.

Actually I don't have any treatment in the room now Chris, I'm giving her a breather. The next round will be a bit of a change. 

Hey Chris, congrats on the new speaks! I hope to hear them sometime. They look awesome. How they sound?? Compared to the smaller ones? You might find that moving them to the side is the best solution for multiple pairs in the same room. It is a pain, but they're not too heavy. Good exercise too!


from Soliloquy website :
"5.3i Floorstanding Tower
The Soliloquy Model 5.3i redefines superior sound reproduction as the new reference standard of high performance, high value loudspeaker design. Elegance, balance, and exceptional quality are the hallmark of the model 5.3i. From the deep articulate bass to the delicate texture of the treble, the model 5.3i delivers clear sonic images in an expansive sound stage.

Freq. Response: 30Hz–20kHz
Sensitivity: 90db
Nominal Impedance: 8 ohms
Phase: ± 45 degrees, 20Hz–20kHz
Xover (2nd order): 2.4kHz 18db per octave
Power Handling: 10–250 watts
Dimensions: 7.5" W X 38" H X 11" D
Weight: 80 lbs." 

[chrisa]

The new 'speaks are finally in the system (I recently returned from a week and a half out west). Sol Samet made a housecall today to finish a modification to my Monarchy and I'm now running that little Class A amp.  Its sounding really good. Fluid and fleshed out and imaging well. I'm very pleased.

We also hooked up Sol's latest iteration of his I-60 solid state integrated. It handled the Soliloquys with alot of authority and could really play loud. Listenability was also excellent.

Chris

[richidoo]

I heard the I60 just the night before. Lots of fun!! It gets better and better every time! Glad you got the Monarchy working for you too.

Congrats on the new speakers Chris! Now we can have a G2G at your house!