I just picked up a set of Polk audio FX300i's at a sweet price on open box buy. Unfortunately they didnt come with a manual.
They have a switch on the rear that toggles bipole/dipole. Can someone tell me what these settings are and which I should choose?
Hawk
Posted on
What?!?:
You have stumbled upon one of the great raging debates among audio enthusiasts--which is the best for rear surrounds: directional, dipole or bipole? Quite a few people have weighed in on the best way to create realistic sound in the rear and I have seen real nasty arguments erupt on line about this issue.
Directional speakers are just like mains--they have one set of drivers that throw the sound forward because they are conventional speakers.
Bipole speakers, by contrast, have two sets of drivers firing in opposite directions and in phase with one another. That is, the signal from one set of drivers is identical to the signal emanating from the other set of drivers. By throwing the signal to each side, bipoles provide a more diffuse soundfield in the rear than conventional speakers.
Dipoles are similar to bipoles in that they have two sets of drivers firing in opposite directions. However, the two sets of drivers are in reverse phase, causing a cancellation of sound waves in front of the speaker. This ostensibly enhances the diffuse nature of the rear soundfield.
Now, you have asked which one you should choose. NO WAY, fella! This one ranks up there with whether choice in speaker wire enhances the sound--I will not touch it. You have chosen your rear speakers, so a conventional rear speaker is out of the question. That leaves bipole or dipole? This is one you should experiment with to see which kind of soundfield you prefer. Both have their adherents, and I would never suggest one is better than another. Just different ways of solving the same problem. The correct solution is in the ears of the beholder.
So, good luck and enjoy! Try the speaker switch both ways to see which one you like best. It will educate you and give you the best sound for your situation. BTW, congrats on your purchase--experimenting with those little gems should be fun.
Cheers!
Say What?!?
Posted on
Thx for the input Hawk. At least now I know a little about what exactly the switch does, which is more than I could say before, LOL.
I'll play around with them a little, and see what I like.
Anonymous
Posted on
so right in front of the speaker, between the 2 woofers, their is isnt any sound? But what about from the other speakers in the room? Dont they make it so their is sound right in front of the speakers?
Hawk
Posted on
Anon:
I am not suggesting that there is a total void of sound in front of a dipole speaker, you would definitely hear the sound from the other speakers. However, the theory is that if you were sitting right in front of a dipole, by having the two sets of drivers cancel each other out you eliminate the over emphasis of that channel to the listener by being seated directly in front of that speaker. You would hear the sound, but only as the reflected sound off of the side boundary walls, thus making it sound farther away (which is what you want from a rear surround speaker, in most cases).