How important is it to have all your speakers match? I have a Def Tech center c/l/r 2500, axioms m80 towers , two AR pr1212 subs, two Paradigm AMS-300 inwall surrounds, and two AR sc2 centers for my rears and an H/K 525. Nothing is hooked up yet (waiting to finish addition). I purchesed everthing at different times, and got great deals ( I think. ) What possible problems will I encounter ? Does anybody us mix match speakers with any success ?
timn8ter
Posted on
First off, you'll have to tweak the levels on your receiver to compensate for the different sensitivities of the speakers, which isn't that difficult. It helps to have a test disk (Avia) and a SPL meter. After that, it depends. If the front 3 have different timbres you'll notice it during movies as the action moves from side to side. The same may happen if you have sounds that move around to the various channels that should be similar but are sounding different due to the different tonal qualities of the drivers. Usually having different surrounds isn't as critical as the front 3. For the subs it probably won't matter. I'm sure you'll be crossing them over at 100Hz or lower. At those levels timbre isn't really an issue.
Thanks Timn8ter. My reciever comes with a EZset remote controll, which should automatically set output levels for optimum performance. If this works, do I still need a test disc or SPL meter ?
timn8ter
Posted on
The Avia test disk also allows you to test for speaker phasing and helps you adjust the settings on your TV too. It's a very handy tool to have. You have some nice equipment, might as well try to get the most out of it.