7.1 surrounds: active Mackie HR624 vs passive M&K SS200 MKII

[HTLiker]

Please, help me to choose surround speakers for 7.1 installation.

I’ve decided to build HT using active monitors. So I’ve got L&R fronts – Mackie HR824 and I’ve decided to buy 4 surrounds – Mackie HR624.

I was disappointed by my friend who told me that surround speakers in 7.1 should be di-polar. I’ve spend some time to find one that fit my budget – M&K SS200 MKII (or SS150).

Could you compare Mackie HR624 vs M&K SS200 MKII as surrounds.
Maybe anybody heard the installsation.

I’ve got a receiver – Marantz SR9300 that have 7ch 160W 6om. Will it fit to M&K SS speakers that have 4om impedance.

Please help me to make right decision!!!

[armyscout43]

surround speakers using dj speakers?

:M I don't know about your set up...MACKIE'S ARE GREAT MANUFACTURERS
OF PROFESSIONAL LOUDSPEAKERS FOR DJ AND COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS.
MIGHT BE A BIT TOO LOUD AND UNBALANCE FOR A HOME THEATER SET UP.
IMAGING WISE, NOT A GOOD CHOICE OR EFFECTS WISE..YOU DO NEED TO USE EITHER DIPOLAR OR BIPOLAR DESIGNS OR OMNIDIRECTIONAL WHICH IS EVEN BETTER LIKE OHM'S, ELAC, ANTHONY GALLOS, OPTIMUS OR RCA LINEAUM designs or MBL/GERMAN PHYSIKS...higher end companies...or duevel...don't recommend those..since you are in a budget and not high end.
AFFORDABLE BIPOLARS ARE WHARFEDALES, BIC, FLUANCE, infinity as an example...
IF LOUDNESS OR POWER IS WHAT MAKES YOU HAPPY, USING ALL MACKIE'S ARE FINE...but if imaging, effects and dimensionality is what you are after,
You might want to rethink your choice of design, equipment and placement!

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[armyscout43]

receiver selection

:roll: regarding IMPEDANCE MATCHING..
YOU NEED THE CHECK THE SPECIFICATIONS ON YOUR MANUAL OR BACK OF YOUR RECIEVER IF IT HAS A SELECTOR SWITCH ON THE TRANSFORMER FOR SPEAKER LOAD...

IF YOUR AMPLIFER STAGE ONLY OUTPUTS A LOAD OF 8 OHMS, AND YOU HAVE A 4 OHM SPEAKER, YOU WILL DAMAGE YOUR AMPLIFER, PRIMARILY THE TRANSISTORS IN THE AMPLIFIER STAGE, BECAUSE THE CURRENTS GOING THRU YOUR SPEAKERS ARE BEING REDUCED...IT IS AN IMPEDANCE MISMATCH AND WILL REDUCE THE SOUND PRESSURE ON THE DIAPHRAM OF THE SPEAKER CREATING A WEAK SIGNAL. IT WILL SOUND AS IF THE SPEAKER IS HARDLY MOVING AND VERY WEAK IN SIGNAL...you will lose significant bass response and your amplifer will be overdriven sounding more like a 10 watt per channel amp then a 160 watt amp...
damage will occur on either of the transmitting and receiving end eventually.
The way to remedy this is to add an additional amp if you have preouts on your receiver.
That is the problem with PIONEER HT RECEIVERS IS IT'S NOT SPEAKER FRIENDLY TO MOST HIGH END SPEAKERS USING 4 OHM LOADS, BUT THEY HAVE PREOUTS SO YOU CAN ADD ADDITIONAL AMPS THAT CAN SWITCH FROM 8 OHMS TO 4 OHMS TO DRIVE THE 4 OHM LOAD...

ALWAYS MATCH YOUR LOAD FROM AMP/RECEIEVER TO SPEAKERS...
load mismatches will cause damage to either a transistor/diod on an amplifier stage of a receiver/amp or a voicecoil in a speaker.

[HTLiker]

armyscout43, thank you for comprehensive replies!

Regarding polarity (mono, bi, di).
I’ve listened installations of both types couple days ago. What I think: direct radiation speakers make sound “more clearer”, but dipoles make sound more surrounding (or enveloped) and smoother. Also I’ve found an article http://www.hometheatermag.com/loudsp.../25/index.html that agrees with my opinion.

So I suppose that direct radiation speakers preferred for music (DVD Audio) and dipoles for cinema. Music has higher priority in my choice, so I’d prefer Mackie.

You have a great experience in HT, so you’ve set up (or at least listen) many HT based on professional loudspeakers probably. Could you describe you opinion about achieved results.

What do you mean: “MIGHT BE A BIT TOO LOUD AND UNBALANCE FOR A HOME THEATER SET UP”. Are they have flay frequency response only when volume is high or something other?