Monitor AUdio SIlver SFX and SLCR

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  • vasia
    Member
    • May 2004
    • 32

    Monitor AUdio SIlver SFX and SLCR

    Hi,
    I am looking to finish my HT set up. I already have MA S8s and Marantz SR8300 and I was looking to get MA SFX and SLCR. Alternatively, I have read people getting Axiom speakers instead of MA due to very similar soundsignature. Looking at the specs for MA speakers, power handling of SFX is only listed as 100 Watts (RMS) and SLCR is 120 Watt (RMS). DOes it mean that my SR8300, which outputs 120 Watts per channel, can damage surrounds? Also, does it mean that they would play much less loud than Axiom QS8 with 400 Watt power handling?
    Most importantly, I have heard very few reviews of these speakers, unlike rave reviews of S6/S8. Can somebody comment on how they compare to Axiom or other centers/surrounds?
  • John Styrnol
    Member
    • Nov 2002
    • 40

    #2
    I have a MA Silver 10i Center for sale that would match up well with the S8s. Look in the Pawn Shop section.
    John

    My Home Theater
    My Home Page

    Comment

    • vasia
      Member
      • May 2004
      • 32

      #3
      John,
      Thank you for the suggestion, but I need to get warm beech color.

      Comment

      • vasia
        Member
        • May 2004
        • 32

        #4
        I am strongly considering getting SLCR, but I am not sure at all about surrounds. Here are the specs of SFX:
        Frequency Response +/- 3dB 60Hz - 30KHz
        Sensitivity (1W@1M) 89dB
        Nominal Impedance(Ohms) 8
        Power Handling RMS(W) 100
        Drive Unit complement 1 x 6” C-CAM® Bass mid-range 2 x 25mm Gold Dome C-CAM® tweeter
        Bass Alignment Sealed Box
        External Dimensions mm (inch) 285H x 290W x 130D
        (11 1/4" x 11 1/2” x 5 1/8”)
        Weight 4Kg / 8 1/2lb
        Finishes Black with Black Grill, White with White Grill

        and here are the specs of QS8:
        Max Amp Power 400 Watts
        Min Amp Power 10 Watts
        Freq Resp+/-3dB (Hz) 95-22K
        Freq Resp +3dB/ -9dB (Hz) 65-22K
        SPL in Room 1w/1m 95 dB
        Anechoic SPL 1w/1m 91 dB
        Impedance 6 Ohms
        Woofer Dual 5.25"
        Tweeter Dual 1"
        Dimens. (in.)(HxWxD) 8.25x11x6
        Weight 11lbs per

        Pricewise, if I opted for SLCR, both packages will be about the same, but power handling by SFX is really concerning. Should I opt for Axiom instead?

        Comment

        • JonMarsh
          Mad Max Moderator
          • Aug 2000
          • 15259

          #5
          Power handling with speakers is one of the sort of gray area topics.

          Note that in one case, they're trying to give a single maximum power handling number; in the other, it's a range of usable amplifier power.

          Because you can have a crest factor in movies or music that's easily 20 dB higher than the average, it's quite possible to be using 20 watts average playing fairly loud, with short term peaks seeing 200W.

          Power handlign is NOT the same thing as sensitivity; sensitivity is how loud they'll play at 1 meter for a 2.82 VRMS input (which is 1 watt at 8 ohms, but 2 watts at 4 ohms).

          Five inch drivers are usually less senstive than 6-5" mid woofers, because of smaller Sd (cone area). The SFX is pretty sensitive if it hits a true 89 dB. This is a spec that many manufacturer's "fudge" at; it should be the anechoic response, and sometimes they pad it though with a bit of room gain.

          The QS8 is rated "in room" at 91 dB/1 watt, (see what I mean?) which is a bit on the high side of what I would expect- but certainly neither is low efficiency. With 10 watts average, you should be able to hit in the neighborhood of 100 dB at 1 meter. With a 100 watt per channel amp, this should leave reasonable reserve for peaks above that, unless you have a rather large room. This should be fine unless you like ear bleed levels; if you do, you should be looking at larger speakers than these roughly 10 lb. babies.

          My only other question would be their low frequency reach and your planned LFE crossover frequency. If you want seemless bass transistions, you should plan on your speakers having LF extension to roughly 1 octave below the crossover point, otherwise the speaker addes additional roll off and phase shift to the acoutic transfer function, and you wind up with a bit of a hole. Alas, this is all to common with surrounds and center channel speakers as actually implemented. I prefer "mains" all around for that reason.


          Happy listening, and best regards,

          Jon
          the AudioWorx
          Natalie P
          M8ta
          Modula Neo DCC
          Modula MT XE
          Modula Xtreme
          Isiris
          Wavecor Ardent

          SMJ
          Minerva Monitor
          Calliope
          Ardent D

          In Development...
          Isiris Mk II updates- in final test stage!
          Obi-Wan
          Saint-Saëns Symphonique/AKA SMJ-40
          Modula PWB
          Calliope CC Supreme
          Natalie P Ultra
          Natalie P Supreme
          Janus BP1 Sub


          Resistance is not futile, it is Volts divided by Amperes...
          Just ask Mr. Ohm....

          Comment

          • vasia
            Member
            • May 2004
            • 32

            #6
            Hi John,
            THanks a lot for your reply! You are really kiling me with it, though. It is so great and deatailed, but I have no idea what it really means, since most of it is absolutely beyond my understanding of the subject. So, let me try to figure it out. Based on sensitivity, both speakers should play similarly in terms of loundness. Your concern is how low they can go in terms of bass to avoid roll off, creating a hole between the sub and the bottom of the speaker range. I think that would point to SFX as a hands down favorite. Marantz has a very poor bass management. It has only THX setting for small/large, not actual frequency. I read somewhere that it is 80 Hz, which I guess leaves a hole for QS8. Is that correct?
            Another question is whether 100 Watt power handling posses a danger for Sfx itself, since Marantz can output 120 Watt/channel? Can that damage the speaker?

            Comment

            • JonMarsh
              Mad Max Moderator
              • Aug 2000
              • 15259

              #7
              Originally posted by vasia
              Hi John,
              THanks a lot for your reply! You are really kiling me with it, though. It is so great and deatailed, but I have no idea what it really means, since most of it is absolutely beyond my understanding of the subject. So, let me try to figure it out. Based on sensitivity, both speakers should play similarly in terms of loundness. Your concern is how low they can go in terms of bass to avoid roll off, creating a hole between the sub and the bottom of the speaker range. I think that would point to SFX as a hands down favorite. Marantz has a very poor bass management. It has only THX setting for small/large, not actual frequency. I read somewhere that it is 80 Hz, which I guess leaves a hole for QS8. Is that correct?
              Another question is whether 100 Watt power handling posses a danger for Sfx itself, since Marantz can output 120 Watt/channel? Can that damage the speaker?

              The match in power between the Marantz and the SFX is fine- between 100 and 120 watts (which is really the peak power you're going to use) there's less than 1 dB difference. Also, with all channels driven, your Marantz may not put out full power (though it's pretty chunky, so I could be wrong), and the power rating is for 6 ohms, not 8, so it will be a bit lower, anyway.

              Really, this should be a good match up all around.

              BTW, though I build my own speakers, I do like the Monitor Audio's as commercial speakers go; they were one of the pioneers in metal cone technology.




              Best regards,

              Jon
              the AudioWorx
              Natalie P
              M8ta
              Modula Neo DCC
              Modula MT XE
              Modula Xtreme
              Isiris
              Wavecor Ardent

              SMJ
              Minerva Monitor
              Calliope
              Ardent D

              In Development...
              Isiris Mk II updates- in final test stage!
              Obi-Wan
              Saint-Saëns Symphonique/AKA SMJ-40
              Modula PWB
              Calliope CC Supreme
              Natalie P Ultra
              Natalie P Supreme
              Janus BP1 Sub


              Resistance is not futile, it is Volts divided by Amperes...
              Just ask Mr. Ohm....

              Comment

              • vasia
                Member
                • May 2004
                • 32

                #8
                John,
                Thank you for the comments. Sounds good to me.

                Comment

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