Statements and newbie to building

[rick844]

Inam embarking intona new world for me. I would like to ask you folks a few questions before I start buying the materials and speakers for the statements build. If you have the time to provide your feedback to these questions, I would greatly appreciate it.*

1. I mostly use my speakers for home theater, so I am trying to upgrade my towers from the existing polk rti 10s I currently have. Since I cannot hear the statements, I have to ask a silly question. Would these statements sound significantly better than the polls? I assume they will simply due to the better quality drivers, but I want to be sure.

2. These statements use a ribbon tweeter, and my center does not. My center is a MTM I bought from parts express which has a standard tweeter. Can I mix these or can I simply replace the tweeter in my center to match the towers?

3. If the answer to number 2 is no, and I would have to replace the center, is there a center to match the towers?*

4. The link to the statements is quite old, is there a newer DIY setup that is a better solution or are the statements still the best option?

Thanks in advance. I really appreciate you taking the time to read and respond. Much appreciated.

[JonMarsh]

Answering your first question fairly and accurately depends partly on factors out of our control. The Statements do have some specific requirements for placement away from the wall to perform their best- are you prepared to do that? The Statements are designed first and foremost as High Fidelity speakers for music- and they are built to a performance target, not a cost target, as commercial speakers are. I can only suggest comparing reviews of both, but as long as you are willing to setup the Statements properly, I doubt you’ll be disappointed, assuming good gear driving them.

As to “best option”, that is a very open question- and you didn’t mention a cost limit either. I don’t have Statements but I think Curt’s design represents very good value for the dollar, and coming from the Polks, as long as you set them up correctly, I think you would be quite happy with them. There are many DIY designs from years back that are still being built because they represent a high level of performance from the drivers and components available at that price point.

For example, it would not be a reasonable thing to compare the Statements with the Wavecor Ardents, IMO, as the latter use drivers typically associated with speakers that retail for $30K a pair. And HT is probably not the environment that for most would justify the lower distortion and increased linearity- OTOH, a good music system has led meany people to build them, and are quite happy with the results.

It just all depends on what you need, what your expectations are, and what you can afford in materials and time. Only you can make that call.

In HT applications, the main duty for centers is dialog; the mains do a lot of the heavy lifting on music. I wouldn’t worry about the difference in tweeter type, as long as the frequency response of your center channel is fairly neutral and flat. Refer to the specifications for the Daytons you have to confirm.

[Jim Holtz]

LOL! What Jon said. That was a perfect response.

I also responded to your PM answering your questions.

Jim

[rick844]

Thanks Jim and John. My ability to place the towers away from the wall is flexible. Budget is less than 2k. I am willing to learn and buy tooling needed to manufacture. I do realize some of my questions are subjective, but I am also trying to avoid spending 2k on speakers that won't perform as well as off the shelf rti 10s or even rti a9s. It's good to hear that these will perform well, but you hit on a point I wanted to clarify. Are the statements a good choice for home theater, or is there a better more recent choice? Also, I have an outlaw audio 5 channel amp providing 125 true ways per channel so based on the recommended 100 watts for these, it think I would be ok. I also have a rather large ported 15 inch subwoofer so low frequency is not needed, but I am looking for more full midrange and impressive but not screechy highs.

[Jim Holtz]

Thanks Jim and John. My ability to place the towers away from the wall is flexible. Budget is less than 2k. I am willing to learn and buy tooling needed to manufacture. I do realize some of my questions are subjective, but I am also trying to avoid spending 2k on speakers that won't perform as well as off the shelf rti 10s or even rti a9s. It's good to hear that these will perform well, but you hit on a point I wanted to clarify. Are the statements a good choice for home theater, or is there a better more recent choice? Also, I have an outlaw audio 5 channel amp providing 125 true ways per channel so based on the recommended 100 watts for these, it think I would be ok. I also have a rather large ported 15 inch subwoofer so low frequency is not needed, but I am looking for more full midrange and impressive but not screechy highs.

I've had a philosophy for many years that home theater speakers are easy to create (think Bose home theaters in a box systems) but music speakers are hard. We all know what different instruments should sound like but what is an explosion or racing car supposed to sound like? I've found over the last several decades that a well done dynamic speaker designed for music will also excel for home theater. I'll also repeat that the center channel is the most important in a HT system.

That said, your Outlaw amp will not have a problem driving any of the designs Curt and I have created. The surround processor is also very important. That is where clarity, separation and decoding of the signal will heavily influence what you hear.

The Statements (both 1 & 2 ) and the Anthology's are all excellent for music and home theater. The Antholoy's have more forgiving mids for poorly recorded music but are equal for home theater use. The Statements and Bordeaux were specifically designed to excel in music reproduction without breaking the bank.

I haven't heard many of the current home theater favorites so I can't comment.

HTH

Jim

[rick844]

Thanks again. I will do more thinking but I also want to ensure my center is up to the task as you pointed out. I will post up some info on the center and see what you guys think before I decide on the towers. More info coming soon.

[Jim Holtz]

Thanks again. I will do more thinking but I also want to ensure my center is up to the task as you pointed out. I will post up some info on the center and see what you guys think before I decide on the towers. More info coming soon.

My suggestion is to build the center 1st since your focus is HT.

Jim

[rick844]

Thanks. I'm thinking my center is good though. It was a kit I built using Dayton audio speakers from parts Express.

[Seattle]

Thanks. I'm thinking my center is good though. It was a kit I built using Dayton audio speakers from parts Express.

I can't speak for the Dayton MTM but I have built one of Jim & Curt's designed speakers and read almost every build thread for their designs - you tend to read every build thread for every design once you really dive into DIY. I think you're underestimating the value of a center and the difference between a Statements center vs. an MTM and highly recommend revisiting the idea of focus on a new center.
.

http://speakerdesignworks.com/Statements_Center_Channel.html

[rick844]

https://www.parts-express.com/dayton-audio-rs722ck-speaker-kit-cherry--302-972

This is my center channel. Please take a look and let me know if you think I need to replace my existing before moving on to the towers. Again, I appreciate the help.

[rick844]

So, I cant fit the height of this center into my entertainment center. I have the width room, but not the height. Is there another option?

[rick844]

If not, could I upgrade my drivers in my existing cabinet to make for a better center if the ones already loaded won't work?

[rick844]

So, I think I just popped my left tower. Looks like it's time to move thinks along

[Jim Holtz]

So, I cant fit the height of this center into my entertainment center. I have the width room, but not the height. Is there another option?

Can you show us a picture of your current setup so we can see how your center fits? Also, how tall can you go?

Jim

[rick844]

25 wide by 9 high. I will try to upload photos

[rick844]

Photos

[rick844]

Photo

[rick844]

Receiver is Yamaha rxa 2070

[rick844]

Photos

[rick844]

The giant box on the left is a 15 inch ported sub with more than 800 watts, so I dont need sub. I just like to feel the bullets punch into the chest

[Jim Holtz]

25 wide by 9 high. I will try to upload photos

Sorry, the Statements II center is too large and simply can't be reduced in height enough to fit your space.

Jim

[Jim Holtz]

Problem number two is the center is inset into an entertainment center. Unless it's specifically designed with an on wall crossover, it's not sounding as designed.

Jim

[rick844]

So, back to the towers cause my center at the moment is what I feel sounds the best. It sounds like I should take a swing at the anthologys. I cannot pull the towers 18 inches off the wall which was the requirement for the statements, correct?

[Jim Holtz]

So, back to the towers cause my center at the moment is what I feel sounds the best. It sounds like I should take a swing at the anthologys. I cannot pull the towers 18 inches off the wall which was the requirement for the statements, correct?

The Anthology's are also an open back mid design and need 18" clearance to sound as designed. They will work with as little as 12" clearance but the sound stage starts to "flatten" and they sound like a conventional closed back speaker.

Jim

[rick844]

I can get as much as 14 inches off the wall. Also, are there any photos of the back on these? Cant tell by the drawings if the midrange ports exit the enclosure via the PVC tubes

[rick844]

Also, how do you run the wires to the drivers? Do you cut small holes in the tubs?

[rick844]

Disregard my last two questions. I found a few threads on here where others have built these. I have enough ammo to get started.

Question on the crossovers. Never built any before. I know there are specific things to be aware of before doing so. I am going to do a search, but if anyone has a good walkthrough of how to do the anthology crossovers, I would appreciate it.

[Jim Holtz]

I can get as much as 14 inches off the wall. Also, are there any photos of the back on these? Cant tell by the drawings if the midrange ports exit the enclosure via the PVC tubes

Yes, it's a straight shot out the back of the mid tunnels. I'll try to get a picture later today and add it to this post.

Jim

[Jim Holtz]

Disregard my last two questions. I found a few threads on here where others have built these. I have enough ammo to get started.

Question on the crossovers. Never built any before. I know there are specific things to be aware of before doing so. I am going to do a search, but if anyone has a good walk through of how to do the anthology crossovers, I would appreciate it.

The simplest method is to buy the parts kit from Meniscus and add the option for them to assemble the crossovers for you. https://meniscusaudio.com/product-ca.../speaker-kits/ Their prices are the same as what you'd pay elsewhere and its a one click shipping experience with everything you need except a cabinet. They will customize to your specs. Just for clarity, Curt and I don't get anything out of this. It just makes it simple for builders to get what they need.

BTW, I drill two 1/8" holes in each mid tube about in the middle for wiring. Choose the hole size based on the diameter of the wire you're using.

Jim

[rick844]

Awesome info, thanks Jim. Will do that for sure.

[rick844]

They give you two options for capacitors. Different costs, so are the more expensive ones required or worth the added cost?

[Jim Holtz]

They give you two options for capacitors. Different costs, so are the more expensive ones required or worth the added cost?

If you were using them primarily for music, I'd recommend the Clarity caps. I don't think you'd be able to hear any difference for home theater use. No disrespect meant, just different applications and sources. Again, your center is the number one speaker in a home theater system. There's nothing wrong with the center you have but a W-M/T-W center will improve dispersion and broaden the prime seating area. 3-ways typically have more clarity and dynamics too.

My $0.02 worth...

Jim

[rick844]

Thanks Jim. I'm afraid there aren't any center channel options that will accommodate my entertainment center. I just got it and it was expensive so I can't justify changing it in the near future. If you have a suggestion for a center that would fit the window of my entertainment center, I'm all ears. Last night the 4k movie 13 hours put a hurtin on my left tower and now it sounds as though one of the woofers is damaged. So, no matter what i do with the center, the towers are getting changed. They are over 12 years old.

[Jim Holtz]

Thanks Jim. I'm afraid there aren't any center channel options that will accommodate my entertainment center. I just got it and it was expensive so I can't justify changing it in the near future. If you have a suggestion for a center that would fit the window of my entertainment center, I'm all ears. Last night the 4k movie 13 hours put a hurtin on my left tower and now it sounds as though one of the woofers is damaged. So, no matter what i do with the center, the towers are getting changed. They are over 12 years old.

Yep, I'm done extolling the virtues of 3-way centers.

Now I'm curious if you have an active crossover for the mains/sub. The Anthology's will cross very nicely around 50 Hz.

Jim

[rick844]

My receiver I believe handles that. The sub is fed the lfe signal which goes through a crown xls 1002 pro audio amp bridged mono.

[rick844]

I did however find a few three way centers that would fit, but the were not diy.

https://www.crutchfield.com/p_946PCTRBA/SVS-Prime-Center-Premium-Black-Ash.html?tp=189

[cochinada]

I don't know why Zaph site is down as it's been a while since I last visited it but you might want to take a look at these:

http://www.htguide.com/forum/showthread.php?35747-Zaph-ZDT3-5-Center-Channel-build

http://www.htguide.com/forum/showthread.php?29416-Zaph-s-ZDT3-adapted-to-a-sealed-center-channel-build-pics-and-notes

http://www.htguide.com/forum/showthread.php?42717-Zaph-ZD3C-Center-Channel-is-well-underway

http://www.troelsgravesen.dk/CENTER-641.htm

There was also a sealed version of the ZD3C that perhaps might fit in your closed space:

http://www.htguide.com/forum/showthread.php?42717-Zaph-ZD3C-Center-Channel-is-well-underway

The option you posted has the plus of being a 3way design although I don't know anything about it, namely what drives it uses, etc.

[rick844]

Awesome, thanks. I'll take a look.

[Jim Holtz]

I just remembered Rick Craig's center channel designs that he offered as DIY. Friends of mine use the 35CC design and have been very pleased with it. Rick also offered the crossover in an in-wall variation for exactly your type of situation. http://www.selahaudio.com/legacy#/centerchannels

The plus side is, you could use your cabinet and woofers with a new baffle. Rick would supply the rest of the parts and assembled crossover.

I've listened to this center and it sounds excellent with wide dispersion.

Jim

[Zvu]

I don't know why Zaph site is down as it's been a while since I last visited it.....

Zaph's site works fine for me.

[rick844]

Wow Jim, even better. Thanks. I will definitely look into this.

I just remembered Rick Craig's center channel designs that he offered as DIY. Friends of mine use the 35CC design and have been very pleased with it. Rick also offered the crossover in an in-wall variation for exactly your type of situation. http://www.selahaudio.com/legacy#/centerchannels

The plus side is, you could use your cabinet and woofers with a new baffle. Rick would supply the rest of the parts and assembled crossover.

I've listened to this center and it sounds excellent with wide dispersion.

Jim

[rick844]

I just emailed Rick to what about getting the conversion parts. Thanks again!

I just remembered Rick Craig's center channel designs that he offered as DIY. Friends of mine use the 35CC design and have been very pleased with it. Rick also offered the crossover in an in-wall variation for exactly your type of situation. http://www.selahaudio.com/legacy#/centerchannels

The plus side is, you could use your cabinet and woofers with a new baffle. Rick would supply the rest of the parts and assembled crossover.

I've listened to this center and it sounds excellent with wide dispersion.

Jim

[cochinada]

Zaph's site works fine for me.

It was down a couple of hours ago. Now I can also open it.

[rick844]

Thank you. I have not been able to find a build BOM, cut list , or dimension drawings for the zalph zd3 or the 3.5. I see the builds where people did them, but I can't seem to find the info. I also went to zalphs site and all I see is the 3.5 towers. Any links to the needed info?

[cochinada]

It's a bit hidden actually as it is on the ZDT3.5 page:

http://www.zaphaudio.com/ZDT3.5.html

Search for ""ZD3C" Center Channel Option" and you'll find both the sealed and the vented enclosure.