Optimal sound card/audio setup w Z-5500 Logitech sound system

[pio]

4 hours ago, Storm-Chaser said:

@pioneerisloud

 

Do you think I can get away with re-using the small z5500 speakers with my new receiver / subwoofer? They seem to be very powerful and crisp and have almost no distortion even when cranked. 

 

 

Yes you CAN use your old speakers.  They're not as good as you think they are, I promise.....(no offense meant).  BUT....they will work fine, yes.  With an exception.  You NEED a crossover on them.  One other small exception, 4 ohm speakers MAY cause amplifier damage to the receiver, use at your own risk.  I dunno if those are 4ohm or 8ohm satellite speakers, but its just a general warning.  I've personally used 4ohm loads in the past on Yamaha, Pioneer, and Onkyo units without a catastrophic failure.  Doesn't mean its safe, but it IS doable.  Those speakers are small enough and low power enough, I'm 99.9% sure they'll be fine anyway.

Your receiver MAY have a crossover built in.  If so, use this and set the speakers to "small" (if a choice between small and large), and if possible, probably around 120-150Hz crossover frequency.  Down as low as 100 should be fine with cautious listening.  Modern receivers can do that.  Older ones will not.  So it'll depend on the receiver.  Yes, this is perfectly fine to do and leave it that way without the below added in.  It'll be fine, just don't play them loudly without the crossover turned on.  Bass WILL destroy those speakers very quickly.

 

If the receiver DOES NOT have built in high pass crossovers (small function for speakers), then you'll need bass blockers, which I'd add in there anyway just because you don't want to blow the satellites with bass.  With these speakers, I would bass block them.  Others, I wouldn't.  What the resistance is of the speakers will determine which bass blockers you need.
 

8ohm 100Hz:

100 Hz High Pass 8 Ohm Crossover

WWW.PARTS-EXPRESS.COM

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100 Hz High Pass 8 Ohm Crossover. Part Number: 266-462 by Parts Express.

4ohm 100Hz:

100 Hz High Pass 4 Ohm Crossover

WWW.PARTS-EXPRESS.COM

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100 Hz High Pass 4 Ohm Crossover. Part Number: 266-460 by Parts Express.

Buy whichever of those you need for your speakers, one per speaker.  These plug in between the receiver and the speaker, and will cut all frequency below 100Hz to the speaker (bass).  You CAN also re-use the really large capacitors in computer PSU's.  You can google a capacitance chart for bass blockers to get an idea what frequency your particular capacitors will cut if you happen to have spare PSU's laying around you can gut.  If I recall correctly, they were somewhere around like 100Hz at 8ohm and 150Hz at 4ohm ISH the last time I used a set of PSU caps as bass blockers.  Your miles may vary.  Capacitors you just run on the positive wire to the speaker in series, and that's it.

Edited June 3, 2022 by pioneerisloud

[Storm-Chaser]

Okay, so how does this look? At least all my speakers will match lol

 

Klipsch *NEVER USED* Reference Theater Dolby Atmos Surround Speaker Set (PAIR)

WWW.EBAY.COM

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It’s a perfectly matched set up that virtually disappears. HIGH FREQUENCY DRIVER 1" Aluminum LTS Tweeter Mated to a 90x90 Tractrix® Horn. LOW FREQUENCY DRIVER 5.25" Spun-Copper IMG...

 

Center Speaker:

NICE! Klipsch RCS-CEN Reference Cinema Center Speaker FROM 5.1.4 Dolby Atmos

WWW.EBAY.COM

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SPEAKER ONLY, NO OTHER ACCESSORIES.

 

 

Will this be sufficient for my setup?

[pio]

10 hours ago, Storm-Chaser said:

Okay, so how does this look? At least all my speakers will match lol

 

Klipsch *NEVER USED* Reference Theater Dolby Atmos Surround Speaker Set (PAIR)

WWW.EBAY.COM

---

It’s a perfectly matched set up that virtually disappears. HIGH FREQUENCY DRIVER 1" Aluminum LTS Tweeter Mated to a 90x90 Tractrix® Horn. LOW FREQUENCY DRIVER 5.25" Spun-Copper IMG...

 

Center Speaker:

NICE! Klipsch RCS-CEN Reference Cinema Center Speaker FROM 5.1.4 Dolby Atmos

WWW.EBAY.COM

---

SPEAKER ONLY, NO OTHER ACCESSORIES.

 

 

Will this be sufficient for my setup?

Those are Dolby Atmos satellite speakers.  Yes, they'll work, but you'll be looking for a Dolby Atmos receiver to properly utilize those.  It doesn't matter if they match the subwoofer as they're going to be working completely different frequencies.  But yes, those will work, and those will certainly work better than the Logitechs.  Klipsch does make regular bookshelf speakers in their reference line up as well.  Personally I'd go for those unless you're specifically looking for Atmos surround sound.

[Storm-Chaser]

Okay so after spending all night on eBay and amazon I think I have arrived at a good point here.

 

This is the receiver I want:

Yamaha RX-V665 7.2 Channel Home Theater AV Receiver (no remote)

WWW.EBAY.COM

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<p dir="ltr" style="margin-top:0; margin-bottom:0;">Fully tested and ready to go </p> <br> <p dir="ltr" style="margin-top:0; margin-bottom:0;">No remote </p> <br> <p dir="ltr" style="margin-top:0...

Please let me know the best way to connect this to my computer... I am assuming HDMI via the GPU for audio only?

 

Also it does have support for up to two mono powered subwoofers, what does this mean and am I okay with the 12" woofer you linked above? What else do I need, other than the reciever here in terms of cords. The logitech z5500 speakers are 8ohms and should work no problem with this reciever from what I can gather. 

 

Thank you!

 

[Storm-Chaser]

Or this one?

 

Yamaha RX-V765 7.1 Channel Natural Sound Home Theater AV HDMI Stereo Receiver

WWW.EBAY.COM

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In perfect working order. Powers on and outputs sound. Audio output is excellent and very strong. Display is bright. LOUD powerful system!

 

[Storm-Chaser]

Okay, sorry about all the questions. Things are coming together now. 

I have pulled the trigger on this Yamaha A/V receiver, which should have plenty of power and some left over if I want to add on some more bookshelf speakers or a second subwoofer.

 

Yamaha RX-V863 7.2 Ch Natural Sound AV HDMI Receiver - 400w W/ Remote Bundle

WWW.EBAY.COM

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Yamaha RX-V863 7.2 Channel Natural Sound AV HDMI Home Theater Stereo Receiver.

 

In researching this device it appears to have a crossover functionality that should allow me to configure properly for my z5500 speakers. It has two sub outputs and HDMI. Is that the best way to connect to my computer? using an HDMI cable? Or just use a 3.5mm AUX audio jack? 

[Storm-Chaser]

This should round out the home theater install.

Anything I am forgetting here? Any other cables required? How about improvements, should I pick something else up to compliment the new receiver? 

 

 

 

This is the a/v receiver I picked:

 

 

[Storm-Chaser]

 

 

Do I have all my bases covered? LOL not leaving anything to chance on this one. 

[pio]

Looks good.  I think you went a LITTLE overboard on cables, but that's okay lol.  HDMI from the GPU into the receiver is fine, it'll provide surround sound just fine (or stereo).  A digital signal is a digital signal, so the receiver is handling the DAC part of the equation here.  That's a good thing, receivers are really good at converting digital to analogue.  

 

A subwoofer pre-out signal is just a signal.  You CAN use an RCA Y splitter on a subwoofer pre-out to get 2 of them.  So that's not a concern.

 

Honestly, the only real change I'd have made was dropping those HDMI converters.  You don't really need them if the receiver has HDMI inputs.  There's other ways that would've worked as well if it didn't like a USB DAC.  But yes, that will all work together fine.

 

Don't forget speaker wire!  

 

[Storm-Chaser]

4 hours ago, pioneerisloud said:

Honestly, the only real change I'd have made was dropping those HDMI converters.  You don't really need them if the receiver has HDMI inputs.  There's other ways that would've worked as well if it didn't like a USB DAC.  But yes, that will all work together fine.

Yes I get this, I just wanted to stock up on those to experiment a little bit and see what I can pull off in terms of connectively with older equipment. Its overkill, for sure. But I'm really all about redundancy. Don't you just hate when you have everything you need to complete a project but you are missing ONE cable?

 

As for the speaker wire, everything I need is right here next to me from the z5500 system

 

Here are the specs on the z5500 satellite speakers.

• Satellites:
  Left/Right: 62 watts RMS x 2 (into 8 ohms, @ 1khz, @ 10% THD)
  Center: 69 watts RMS (into 8 ohms, @ 1kHz, @ 10% THD)
  Rear Left & Right: 62 watts RMS x 2 (into 8 ohms, @ 1kHz, @ 10% THD)
• Total Peak power: 1010 watts

So as far as I can tell, this Yamaha A/V receiver can pump 110w per channel. So in this case I would be overpowering the speakers a little bit, is this going to be okay?

 

Total Satellite speakers RMS power *

317 W

 

Edited June 5, 2022 by Storm-Chaser

[pio]

1 hour ago, Storm-Chaser said:

Yes I get this, I just wanted to stock up on those to experiment a little bit and see what I can pull off in terms of connectively with older equipment. Its overkill, for sure. But I'm really all about redundancy. Don't you just hate when you have everything you need to complete a project but you are missing ONE cable?

 

As for the speaker wire, everything I need is right here next to me from the z5500 system

 

Here are the specs on the z5500 satellite speakers.

• Satellites:
  Left/Right: 62 watts RMS x 2 (into 8 ohms, @ 1khz, @ 10% THD)
  Center: 69 watts RMS (into 8 ohms, @ 1kHz, @ 10% THD)
  Rear Left & Right: 62 watts RMS x 2 (into 8 ohms, @ 1kHz, @ 10% THD)
• Total Peak power: 1010 watts

So as far as I can tell, this Yamaha A/V receiver can pump 110w per channel. So in this case I would be overpowering the speakers a little bit, is this going to be okay?

 

Total Satellite speakers RMS power *

317 W

 

Those specifications are considering the factory Logitech crossover system as well.  You'll be using your own, and set it to "small" and as high as you comfortably can for those speakers.  I said 120-150Hz, but if you can handle losing more, go up to 250Hz if you can.  The more bass you block from them, the better they're going to perform as they're so tiny.  This will be under the speaker setup menu on the receiver somewhere.  And yes, they'll be fine.  You're going to be missing a bunch of mid bass in the 120-250Hz range, I sure wouldn't ask the subwoofer to go that high.  Have the subwoofer set to go up to around 120Hz in your case, normally I suggest much lower but the small speakers will need the extra help.  Remember, GAIN IS NOT A VOLUME CONTROL on your subwoofer amp.   If you're unsure, try about 1/4-1/2 way up that's usually a decent starting point.  More, you'll risk clipping at high volume.  If you want that missing mid-bass, you'll need bigger front speakers, something that can handle bass frequencies as well.  

And now comes the best part.  This is going to blow you away already.  But if you want more sub bass.....add another exact model sub again later and put in opposite corners of the room.  If you want more mid bass (or midrange, or perhaps cleaner treble), just get new front speakers (and center if surround is important).  Want better surround effects?  Well...you get it.

Edited June 5, 2022 by pioneerisloud

[Storm-Chaser]

20 hours ago, pioneerisloud said:

Remember, GAIN IS NOT A VOLUME CONTROL on your subwoofer amp.   If you're unsure, try about 1/4-1/2 way up that's usually a decent starting point.  More, you'll risk clipping at high volume. 

So that being said, can I insert one of these devices between the a/v receiver and the subwoofer to in fact get control of volume of the subwoofer as well? I just like to be able to tune the sub on the fly depending on what music I am listening too. Is this a 100% drop in part?? Would this be considered a pre-amp?

 

subwoofer volume control

Edited June 6, 2022 by Storm-Chaser

[pio]

31 minutes ago, Storm-Chaser said:

So that being said, can I insert one of these devices between the a/v receiver and the subwoofer to in fact get control of volume of the subwoofer as well? I just like to be able to tune the sub on the fly depending on what music I am listening too. Is this a 100% drop in part?? Would this be considered a pre-amp?

 

subwoofer volume control

There "should" be a subwoofer level control on the receiver's settings.  Start at +0 for your tuning (don't give it any positive numbers).  That + your subwoofer gain knob on the back being no more than about 1/2 way up, and volume being up loud on the reciever (usually between 1/2 and 3/4), that SHOULD give you full power to the subwoofer.  Once you've found your "full power" to the subwoofer spot in your volume and gains, leave it.  Don't EVER go above that point unless you are 110% sure its safe.  From there, yes you can tune it DOWN in your settings on the receiver.  No need for a seperate volume control.

 

However if you REALLY want one of those, yes it'll work.  Set it to maximum, and the rest of the settings as I mentioned above.  And then yes, once you're set and you know where "maximum volume / gain" is at, then yes, you can use a car bass knob to turn the subwoofer down safely.  If you're going that route, look for the Scosche knobs.  This one in particular (below linked).  There's LOTS of knobs on the market, the Scosche ones are generally known to be reliable and cheap.  I cannot say the same about the other one, but I've heard lots of horror stories on cheap knobs.

 

https://www.amazon.com/Scosche-RLC-Remote-Level-Control/dp/B002EEP3WA/ref=sr_1_4?keywords=scosche+bass+knob&qid=1654487171&sr=8-4

 

And yes, that's for a stereo signal.  In your situation you'll just use either both red plugs or both white plugs.  It won't matter, just make sure you use the same color.  Subwoofer pre-outs are mono (one channel).  Car bass knobs are usually stereo.  No big deal, no it won't hurt anything.

Edited June 6, 2022 by pioneerisloud

[Storm-Chaser]

Subwoofer showed up today... it's a beast that's for sure.

 

I was able to hook it up and use the HDMI audio extractor to get a 3.5mm output source on the computer side. Used my 3.5mm to RCA cable / adapter from there to go to the subwoofer (or I could use the RCA wire with no adapter since the HDMI extractor has that RCA output as well)

 

Overall, I am very impressed with the build quality, performance and finish of this subwoofer. 

 

I have been experimenting with gain and frequency crossover controls on the back of the subwoofer. Seems like it might be optimal to have both about 3/4 to end of range, which is a good compromise. 

 

But I will be happy when the receiver shows up tomorrow. That way I should be able to crank the sub up a little more, I'd prefer it to hit a little harder b/c it's not matching the 10" subwoofer that was part of the original z5500 hardware yet. But still in front. The floor shakes under your feet a little more than the z5500.  

 

I am keeping this on the back burner for now, but eventually I want to get a new subwoofer speaker for that bad z5500 subwoofer enclosure as well. Perhaps I can hack it and run it as a second subwoofer on my new sound system. 

 

 

[Storm-Chaser]

It sounds SOOO good with the new receiver! To bad I cant crank it up at the moment, but later when everyone leaves I will see how it sounds at a little higher volume level.
 

I will post pictures later!

 

-The new subwoofer is sounding MUCH better after moving it to under my desk. For some reason it's the right shape to resonate those low tones very well. And I have one more subwoofer to add, which is going to be the z5500 subwoofer when I repair it. So that will be one 12 inch sub and one 10 inch sub, but the repair will be on hold for a couple weeks.

 

I have the crossover set to 120hz and assigned "small" to all of the z5500 speakers and it's really working great as is, plus I set the frequency crossover all the way up on the subwoofer so it bridges that gap a little bit. though I have a lot of tuning left to do. And still need to familiarize myself with the remote. The gain on the subwoofer is just above half way.

 

I set it up with HDMI originally, but the HDMI output was sending a slightly blurry signal to my monitor, so I plugged the GPU HDMI port coming from the PC itself into the HDMI input port on the audio extractor, let the hdmi out go to my monitor and used the optical port from the HDMI extractor to go to my yamaha receiver for sound. So I still have digital input, and now the monitor doesn't turn off if I have to turn the receiver off for some reason. So the little box has proved to be a good investment already. 

 

Unit looks to be in very good condition with almost no wear and tear.

 

I can still connect more speakers if I want, and I will definitely do that when I add the 2nd subwoofer... I'm off to the races, lol.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[pio]

No dude, don't connect the 10".  Use the 12" Klipsch.  If you need more bass, move it around your room or buy a second same sub.  Seriously.  10" and 12" are going to operate at different frequencies, and all you'll do is add certain frequencies that will be boosted way too much, and some will be void and non existant when you mix sizes of subs.

Be very careful with your gain knob.  3/4 is awful high when you're using a receiver.  It absolutely DOES depend on the receiver and its subwoofer pre-out signal too though.  Some setups, the sub should be at 1/4 gain knob, and some....yes, could be at 3/4.  It just depends on the sub pre-out on the receiver, and how strong of a signal it really is.  If you start SPLITTING that pre-out signal to other subwoofers, yes....the gain will have to be turned up a little bit to compensate for the loss in signal since its split.

 

The easiest way to set your gains and stuff is by ear.  So if you think you can handle listening VERY carefully, do it.  Crank your system as loud as it can go before it starts sounding funny WITHOUT the subwoofer.  With the crossovers turned ON for the speakers of course (small / 120-150Hz+ if you can choose frequency).  Once it starts sounding funny, fuzzy, crackly, that's a good sign you're either clipping or overpowering your speakers.  Overpowering is usually a popping sound.  Clipping is usually going to sound like fuzzy bass, or hissy treble.  If you're hearing EITHER of those, turn it down.  Maximum volume should sound EXACTLY the same as a super low volume......just louder.  Crackling / hissing / fuzzy / popping sounds are bad.  This whole process could take a few different songs, and some seriously careful listening.

 

Once you have the maximum volume sorted out on the receiver, then you turn the gain up on the sub.  Keep the volume itself cranked.  Crossover, as I said, in YOUR case around 120Hz or so on the dial.  And then you slowly, SLOWLY turn the gain up on the subwoofer until it too, starts popping or getting fuzzy sounding.  You MIGHT need your ear inches away from the actual driver itself to hear it as subwoofers are VERY difficult to hear distortion from.  Even if its just a little teeny tiny bit, it WILL damage the speaker from heat.  Be warned, this could damage your hearing being inches from a subwoofer.  Some say it won't, some say it will.  So do it with caution.  

Once you've found your maximum levels, make note of those and don't EVER pass them combined.

 

The gain knob on a subwoofer, is ONLY there to match the subwoofer output signal on the amplifier so you have full power at the sub.  Your volume control is your volume.  If you need more, then you need more power or more subwoofers.  But again, you need to consider that different sizes and different enclosures WILL act differently, and they will interfere with each other's sound.

Edited June 11, 2022 by pioneerisloud

[Storm-Chaser]

The new receiver has a mic input that allows the unit to auto sense the speaker configuration and tune it (the speaker configuration) appropriately. Now, I only have it set on manual, since the original mic for optimization wasn't part of the deal on ebay. I'm definitely going to pick one up, just curious if you think I can use any mic for this or if there is some intrinsic value in using the OEM mic that is the original part of the tuning for this a/v receiver? Anything else I should know about manual vs auto speaker setup? From what I gather, I should get better sound with the auto setup to let the unit discover for itself the optimal location and placement and db level of each speaker. Right now it's just a manual configuration for my speaker setup, which still can do with plenty of tuning (though it sounds righteous as is.) 

 

I will pick up another identical 12" sub next month. I already have an extra 16' feet of subwoofer cable so I should be able to find an ideal location for the second sub in this room. 

 

But, that doesn't mean my plans for the z5500 system are dashed to pieces! lol I figure that some day I can revitalize the entire system, just for kicks of course. 

 

I know I will have better sound without doing this but I am just curious what results I can get if I put a new (OEM logitech) speaker in the sub box and then purchase a matching set of z5500 small speakers to run the entire old system in parallel with the entire new a/v system. I can then run a 3.5mm audio cable from the hdmi extractor to the restored z5500 system and run that in tandem. So that will be TEN small speakers and three subwoofers (two 12" and ONE 10"). I know more speakers does not equal better sound, however, I think it would be a fun covid experiment, allowing for more crossover between the speakers and the subs and perhaps allow one system to augment the other for fine tuning. I guess if this curiosity experiment totally fails my expectations I can always sell the old/restored z5500 for a couple hundred bones on eBay or something. We will see. Then again, if the second sub makes me happy I might just forgot this thought entirely. lol

 

BUT this does not mean I will be disregarding your advice about the logitech speakers not being up to top notch quality and I can do better with better more powerful bookshelf speakers. I know you are right and I will most definitely do that as well. I will get same brand speakers at least for Left, right and something more powerful for center to match the subwoofer(s) and perhaps leave two logitechs for rear surround sound, ....at least for now. 

Edited June 13, 2022 by Storm-Chaser

[pio]

I'll put it this way mate, I just picked up an OLD set (2001 date on them) of Polk Audio 2.1 PC speakers.  They're "junk" too, like I say about Logitech.  There absolutely IS a use for your old set, absolutely.....if you can repair them as is, cheap enough.  I just wouldn't put them in with a set of actual nice speakers and subs though, just not worth it there.  Nor is it really worth putting hundreds into the z5500 set, when you can look for a used working set.

 

By all means, enjoy the z5500's for what they are.  And that's exactly it, you need to accept them for what they are, and not what you think they could become (in this particular instance).  They're just not worth putting the effort, time, or money into.  But that might just mean saving them for a "man cave" or a secondary PC build or something in the future.  Definitely don't lose them, they're a staple in PC gaming history.  They're just not that great.   

As far as the microphone thing goes, I'd probably just want an original mic just because.  There absolutely can be a difference in the microphones from other manufacturers.  There might not be too.  I haven't used enough of them to say one way or the other.  Others might know that one better than I.  Is there a difference in microphones generically?  Yes.  Is there a difference between setup mics on receivers?  I don't know.

EDIT:
For speakers, you want fronts and center to match.  Surrounds can be different, but should also match.  Subwoofer, it doesn't matter so long as it digs lower than your fronts do.  Klipsh does make good speakers, but so does many many other companies.  Pioneer, Sony, Dayton, Polk Audio, Klipsh, and these aren't even starting to dig into the lesser known name brands.  So long as your fronts can dig down to at least 60Hz or so, and so long as your fronts and center match at the very least (same series, they usually have matching centers for your fronts)....you'll be fine.  As far as picking what speakers, that's going to depend ENTIRELY upon what type of sound signature you're looking for exactly.  Wanting something a little brighter sounding?  Polk or Klipsh.  More natural sounding?  Try some Pioneers or Sony's (I think Yamaha was relatively neutral sounding too last listen I had).  Want something budget but with a superb kick to it?  Go for Daytons.  It really depends on exactly how you want them to sound, as each speaker manufacturer (to some degree) is going to sound a little different than others due to enclosure build differences, tweeter differences, crossover differences inside, poly-fill in the enclosure or not, etc, etc.  When doing a surround setup, you have your "front stage" and you have your "rear stage" (and side / above stages too for higher levels of surround).  You want each "stage" to sound the same, so when something zooms from one side to the other, it doesn't change as it travels the room.

Edited June 13, 2022 by pioneerisloud

[Storm-Chaser]

On 13/06/2022 at 01:11, pioneerisloud said:

I'll put it this way mate, I just picked up an OLD set (2001 date on them) of Polk Audio 2.1 PC speakers.  They're "junk" too, like I say about Logitech.  There absolutely IS a use for your old set, absolutely.....if you can repair them as is, cheap enough.  I just wouldn't put them in with a set of actual nice speakers and subs though, just not worth it there.  Nor is it really worth putting hundreds into the z5500 set, when you can look for a used working set.

 

By all means, enjoy the z5500's for what they are.  And that's exactly it, you need to accept them for what they are, and not what you think they could become (in this particular instance).  They're just not worth putting the effort, time, or money into.  But that might just mean saving them for a "man cave" or a secondary PC build or something in the future.  Definitely don't lose them, they're a staple in PC gaming history.  They're just not that great.   

As far as the microphone thing goes, I'd probably just want an original mic just because.  There absolutely can be a difference in the microphones from other manufacturers.  There might not be too.  I haven't used enough of them to say one way or the other.  Others might know that one better than I.  Is there a difference in microphones generically?  Yes.  Is there a difference between setup mics on receivers?  I don't know.

EDIT:
For speakers, you want fronts and center to match.  Surrounds can be different, but should also match.  Subwoofer, it doesn't matter so long as it digs lower than your fronts do.  Klipsh does make good speakers, but so does many many other companies.  Pioneer, Sony, Dayton, Polk Audio, Klipsh, and these aren't even starting to dig into the lesser known name brands.  So long as your fronts can dig down to at least 60Hz or so, and so long as your fronts and center match at the very least (same series, they usually have matching centers for your fronts)....you'll be fine.  As far as picking what speakers, that's going to depend ENTIRELY upon what type of sound signature you're looking for exactly.  Wanting something a little brighter sounding?  Polk or Klipsh.  More natural sounding?  Try some Pioneers or Sony's (I think Yamaha was relatively neutral sounding too last listen I had).  Want something budget but with a superb kick to it?  Go for Daytons.  It really depends on exactly how you want them to sound, as each speaker manufacturer (to some degree) is going to sound a little different than others due to enclosure build differences, tweeter differences, crossover differences inside, poly-fill in the enclosure or not, etc, etc.  When doing a surround setup, you have your "front stage" and you have your "rear stage" (and side / above stages too for higher levels of surround).  You want each "stage" to sound the same, so when something zooms from one side to the other, it doesn't change as it travels the room.

Thank you for all your help thus far. Really, You've helped me out from start to finish. will keep you updated as to my progress.

[Storm-Chaser]

Here are some pics. Please forgive my potato phone.

In the first couple pics you can see my monitor resting directly upon the top of the a/v receiver. This is only temporary. Im going to have some shims under the monitor so that it will still be able to vent (especially required for high volume)

 

I also have the z5500 control panel, my intent is to attempt to replace the volume knob and mechanism. The Yamaha a/v receiver for the rx863 is very heavy and has too much pull. Consequently, it takes a few seconds to get the volume down.

 

Not sure if this is possible but I will take a look. I know the knobs are identical in diameter (1.5") now it all depends on the connection. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited June 19, 2022 by Storm-Chaser

[Storm-Chaser]

Speakers can really fly high when you release them from the chains of Logitech garbage and all of its 10% distortion.

 

In a way Im glad the unit didn't come with a mic because it afforded me the opportunity to tune manual first. Now I am getting the hang of it. here is a quick video its pretty loud so you may want to turn your speakers down. I  have the sub really dialed in now as well. but there is always more tuning to do.

 

 

 

 

 

[Storm-Chaser]

So I put this system through it's paces yesterday... sometimes sustaining almost 90% volume for multiple songs in a row (neighbors now love me). my eardrums hate me! lol

 

Anyway, it was flawless in playback but it was getting pretty hot, despite a small breeze at the time. I don't want things to get too crispy, if possible. looking inside I can see the pathetic passive heatsink and I am going to assume we can do a lot better here. 

 

Do you know how often it is for people to do cooling system mods like this? Are there any other internal mods I can do?

[pio]

2 hours ago, Storm-Chaser said:

So I put this system through it's paces yesterday... sometimes sustaining almost 90% volume for multiple songs in a row (neighbors now love me). my eardrums hate me! lol

 

Anyway, it was flawless in playback but it was getting pretty hot, despite a small breeze at the time. I don't want things to get too crispy, if possible. looking inside I can see the pathetic passive heatsink and I am going to assume we can do a lot better here. 

 

Do you know how often it is for people to do cooling system mods like this? Are there any other internal mods I can do?

What's getting hot?  The receiver or the sub amplifier / subwoofer?

 

If its the receiver.....well, that's going to get a little warm.  They just do that.  Sure, you could mod a fan or something in there if you want, but its not going to matter.  Amplifiers get hot.  It's normal.  Especially when you're using them at high volume like that.

 

If its the subwoofer, the subwoofer shouldn't be getting hot at all.  The sub AMP might get a little warm, but the passive heatsink on the back should be sufficient.

 

The key thing here is that you're not damaging anything with high volumes.  THAT is what we're trying to avoid, by keeping it as clean sounding as possible.  If it starts sounding abnormal at high volume (different than it does at low volume in ANY way), that's a sign to turn it down.

 

The subwoofer, hopefully should be set to a fairly high crossover frequency to help out.  The speakers should be set to "small" with a relatively high crossover point as well.  If so, you shouldn't be having too terribly many more issues.  Once you upgrade your speakers, you can play with the crossovers a little and turn the crossovers down some.  In a perfect scenario, your subwoofer should ONLY be doing the lower octaves (20-80Hz or so at the highest), with your regular speakers picking up everything 80 and up roughly (depending on speakers).  It's "generally" not good to have your crossover on the sub set as high as I'm telling you to (120-150), but honestly its not going to actually hurt anything at all so long as its still sounding clean.  With the subwoofer at 80Hz and lower, it'll just blend in and "disappear" into the room.  With it set to 80 or higher, you'll be able to pin point WHERE in the room the subwoofer is at.  That's why its good to have bigger fronts / center.....so the sub can "disappear" and just be heard / felt.  You can play with lowering the crossovers NOW if you want to, just to see what it does, but do so VERY carefully and at a lower volume so you don't damage the speakers with bass.  The idea with crossovers, is that you want your subwoofer to pick up at the frequencies that your fronts and center drop out at, but without over driving your fronts and centers to the point they can't handle the bass.  The Logitechs really can't handle bass as they're so small, hence why I suggested a high crossover.

 

Otherwise, it sounds like everything is operating as it should be.   

[Storm-Chaser]

delete

 

 

 

 

Edited June 29, 2022 by Storm-Chaser

[Storm-Chaser]

New center speaker for my computer audio system. What do you thinkg? @pioneerisloud

 

 

Specs:

Edited July 3, 2022 by Storm-Chaser