To have THX sound, does everything have to be THX Cert.?

[dantheman1425]

I was thinking about getting the Onkyo TX-SR702 and I was wondering does the DVD player and Individual speakers (or speaker system) all have to pass THX Select Certification to reproduce the sound as intended? I don't have a big budget and I was thinking about getting a Bose speaker system but I started looking at the THX website and started wondering if everything has to be THX Cert. Thanks

[Neal_C]

I wouldn't worry to much about having everything THX certified. Many, many products are good enough to pass THX specs, but companies choose not to pay the undoubtedly huge fee to slap the THX label on their products.

As for the Bose, I would seriously consider spending your money on different speakers. For the price you will pay for Bose speakers, you can definitely do better with other brands.

Those little Bose cubes, which cost several hundred dollars, are made with $15 parts.

[Shane Martin]

but companies choose not to pay the undoubtedly huge fee to slap the THX label on their products.

It has already been established(atleast at AVS) that THX adds very little to the cost of the item. The problem is when THX comes in and evaluates your stuff and you don't pass, you need to comply with their results. Retrofitting your factory and such is the real big cost.

With regards to THX speakers: They are only designed to play 80hz and then be setup with a good subwoofer which the Bose doesnt' have. Their Sub isn't a sub. The speakers also have to be designed to have a certain dispersion pattern. To be honest I've never liked THX speakers especially for music. For HT, They would do fine.

If you go to THX Ultra 2 then the sub needs to be able to play down to 20hz with authority. Select is a bit easier.

As far as receivers go, THX is a nice feature for soundtracks that are a bit bright. They take the edge off a bit. Most receivers that arent' THX have a re eq feature so THX is really not needed.

I would agree with Neal that I would avoid Bose all together. They are vastly overpriced for what you get and the sub isn't a sub.

[Gordon Moore]

But why stop at the equipment? If the room doesn't meet THX specs what's the point of certifying the equipment. Something to think about. You need a good idea of how big your room is to ensure that you pick the right spec to fill that space. Even then, without optimal room dimensions, shape and acoustical treatment....THX can only certify that the equipment will meet spec in the lab. Once you get it all home and plug it in your room could be highly reflective or really dead: it might play loud, with authority and sound like crap (too bright, too dull etc...).

Don't get too hung up on THX certified or not. Feel free to mix and match and hopefully be able to demo it all at home to measure real world tests....the most important one....how it sounds to you at home.

3rd party certification has it's place....bench specs are important as a true equalizer and it gives you a certain amount of confidence in purchase....but it isn't the last word on quality....not by a long shot.

[Andrew Pratt]

I don't have a big budget and I was thinking about getting a Bose speaker system

Please audition other brands before buying Bose. Simply put there's far better speakers for far less money and not all of them are any larger then their tiny cubes

Please give this link here a read

[dantheman1425]

Where is a good place online to look at speaker systems? I was using my crutchfield magazine. I wanted to get a 7.1 system. Should I buy the speakers from different manufacturers or all from the same company? Thanks for the replies.

[Andrew Pratt]

They should be from the same manufacturer...ideally from the same line.

For online systems try axiom

[dantheman1425]

Aperion

What do you think about Aperion Audio ?

[whoaru99]

My brother got Aperion powered towers, some surrounds and center channel. I listened to them and I thought they sounded pretty good although he and I both thought the center channel speaker seemed not to blend too well with the fronts. He kept all the Aperions except the center and went back to his NHT center channel. Sorry I don't remember the specific models.

I have confidence that he had all the levels set correctly as he is an audio engineer and quite precise in these areas.

[Shane Martin]

Av123 has the Rockets which are nice. For subs I'm more keen to SVS.

If you buy in a local store then Paradigm, Mirage, Phase Technology, Polk, Klipsch, B&W all come to mind. There are many more.

[dantheman1425]

Range

So Shane, THX speakers only go down to 80hz? What about the sub? I've decided I want THX certified speakers only, but I'm still looking for brands. I think I may have found the receiver I want its Pioneer VSX-56TXi . But I can't find the hookup in the back for the sub? Sorry for all the multiple questions. Thanks

[David Meek]

Dan, looking at the enlarged photo of the back of the receiver, the subwoofer outs (L&R) are in the column of connections just to the left of the lowest set of component outs.

[PewterTA]

My opinion, you are truly limiting yourself if you buy THX cert. speakers. I have yet to hear ones that sound super good with music. They do sound good with HT use, but often lack a huge amount for musical reproduction. I prefer a speaker that will do music very well along with HT. If you ever listen to music through an M&K system (not picking on them, just the first THX cert. speakers that came to mind that I've heard), when listening to music, it's very "blah" and unfulfilling experience. Now for HT they do really well.

Then when you look at speakers that aren't THX certified, like B&W, Martin Logan, Onix Rockets, etc, etc (this list is FAR FAR bigger than the amount that are certified by THX)...these ones do wonders for listening to music and just as good, if not better than the like wise THX certified ones.

Now there is the downside of not being THX certified and that's where most of BOSE speakers comes into play. Where they don't sound good for music, nor HT use... So you do have to be careful when picking speakers. But through the help of forums like this, you can easily steer clear of those.

I just see no need to really give up one side of audio listening (music) for having a little emblem on the speaker that says, "THX."

Now I might sound like I'm against THX, I'm not at all. Heck, my two amps are THX certified...but my pre-processor isn't, nor is my speakers... And to me, for the price I've paid, I have yet to find a HT/Music setup that rivals it. I know there's a lot better for much more money...but it's all out of my price range.

Just my $.02

-Dan

[dantheman1425]

Connection

Dan, looking at the enlarged photo of the back of the receiver, the subwoofer outs (L&R) are in the column of connections just to the left of the lowest set of component outs.

I haven't bought a receiver since like 96 so I'm a little behind the times, but it doesn't look like the sub connectors are high quality like the other ones all the way on the right. And are the ones on the right (under the fan) called banana connectors? Thanks

[Andrew Pratt]

the subwoofer connection is going to be an RCA type not a 5 way binding post like speakers use. The reason for this is that the subwoofer has its own built in amp so you're just going to run a high level (line level) signal to it vs an amplified signal that you'll send to the rest of the speakers. As the previous posters have said THX speakers typically sound good only for movies...and even then I've not being that impressed.

[Neal_C]

I haven't bought a receiver since like 96 so I'm a little behind the times, but it doesn't look like the sub connectors are high quality like the other ones all the way on the right. And are the ones on the right (under the fan) called banana connectors? Thanks

Dan,

The connectors under the fan on the right are 5 way binding posts and give you multiple options for hooking up your speaker wire, such as a banana plug. A banana plug fits on the end of the speaker wire. It basically gives you an easy way to hook up and unhook your speaker wire from the receiver and speaker because all you do is plug it in, like an rca cable basically.

You have two subwoofer connections on the Pioneer...the first one is the pre-out, and it is in the section labeled "pre-out" and the subwoofer connection is surrounded by a white box. A pre-out is used to run an rca cable from the receiver to a powered sub.

The other subwoofer connection is in the multi-channel input section. It would be used if you wanted to run analog cables from your dvd player for multi-channel use for things like SACD and DVD-audio.

[Shane Martin]

So Shane, THX speakers only go down to 80hz? What about the sub? I've decided I want THX certified speakers only, but I'm still looking for brands.

IIRC there are like 3/4 brands tops. Not a good idea IMHO. M&K is the most popular. Atlantic Technology is another. I would not buy a THX certified sub. Most of them are vastly overpriced and the SVS will outdo them for less money. I personally don't care for the M&K's or the AT's.

[whoaru99]

Dan, about the 80 Hz, this is mainly about the crossover point from the main/center/surround speakers to the subwoofer as defined by the THX standard. Most THX certified speakers probably will go lower than 80 Hz if allowed to do so, but then the setup would not meet the THX standards if a different crossover point is selected. This crossover point is normally managed by settings in the receiver/processor.

[Lex]

First, there's no such thing as a "thx sound" other than the processing mode THX on your equipment.

THX certification doesn't guarantee a certain sound so much as it guarantees the equipment meets certain qualifications, as well as the fact a licensing fee was paid on the gear. That's not to say non-thx gear won't sound equally as good if not better.

As far as where to get gear, why not check with our sponsor Next Level below...instead of AV123 which so far has chosen not to support HTGuide.

Lex

[Andrew Pratt]

First, there's no such thing as a "thx sound" other than the processing mode THX on your equipment.

That's not entirely true with respect to speakers as they are designed with very specific dispersion patterns (ie. very limited) and are designed to roll off fast to a subwoofer that's crossed in at 80 Hz. Its the limited dispersion pattern that makes them so dull for music.

[Lex]

Andrew, while there may be specifications, the sound can still vary from speaker to speaker, so I stand by what I said- There is no THX SOUND. There are THX specs.

[Andrew Pratt]

But that's like saying there's no "british" sound or "canadian" sounding speakers...yet they all sound slightly different but the basics are the same.

[dantheman1425]

5.1?

Is this Pioneer that I've been looking at 5.1? I want to get 7.1 and just start off with 5.1 speakers because of the cost. ThanksPioneer 56Txi

[Neal_C]

That receiver is 7.1. It has 7 amp channels and a pre-out for a powered sub.