Would you consider adding speakers of a different color to your setup

[Ash]

Hello everyone,

I'm in the situation where I can get two nice HTM7 (cherrywood color) for a discount (almost 38% discount), wanted to add them as back surround. Now my system is already has two different colors. The N805 and HTM2 are black and the 705 is walnut brown (dark brown) also got them at a discount.

Buying the HTM7 would mean having three different colours in my system. Do you it's worth it?


Thanks

[misterdoggy]

What the heck...... You've already started with different colors. The more important thing to consider is the 705's are different speakers. Why not older N805's rather which would match better.

[weijst]

Excuse me Ash, but why ask us? Isn't this something only you can decide? To ask for opinions on sound experience is one thing. Asking advice on esthetics (IMO, nothing is more subjective) is another...

[Amarkus1]

My 802's are Cherry, the rest are Black. I think the setup looks OK. But then again I am probably bias.

[Ash]

weijst,

Your right. It is kind of silly. Anyway I decided not to get them.

[Ash]

misterdoggy,

I will only put 805 for surround when I get something like N802 for the mains. Furhthermore, I do not buy second hand equipment. Therefore, I think the 705 are sufficeint for now.

[chinets]

When I had my 703F and 704R ( Both Ash Black) I had my center as a HTM1 ( cherry), and as the center speaker was In my rack above the T.V. you could not see the cherry colour.However, if you have it visable then asthetically it would clash. I would not worry so much about the center speaker with different colours ,but I would not like to have my Front or Rear speakers with different colours. Now that I have upgraded to N803F and N804 R and Sub ASW 850, I bought them all in Cherry to match the center that I already had in that colour.
Now if you are not married and don't care what colour you have and you are buying second hand then I would by the Kick Ass system you want in any colour and go for it. More Bang for the Buck, and when you have some drinks and listen to The heavens calling you with the System of your dreams you will not even once think about colours except that you are In Nirvana. To me that is better than matching colours if it does not bother you. Good Luck !!!!

[Ash]

chinets,

Lovely answer. Thanks alot for you comment. It really makes a person feel much better when he receives a reply such as this.

I have just got a new DS7 (black ash) to be placed as back surrounds. Haven't tried them yet.

That sounds like a great system you got, and I love the cherry colour.

Thanks alot

[weijst]

Ash, got DS7's have you? I'm really curious as to what your experiences will be. Would you be so kind as to compare them with the 705's you already have and a general comment about combining a Nautilus frontchannels with 700 series back channels?
I'm still wondering wether I should get matching N805's, SCM1's, 705's or DS7... (black ash ofcourse )

[Ian D]

Ash
I would also like to hear your views on the 705 DS7 comparison particularly with referance to movie listening dipole DS7 vs 705 for the surrounds ?

[Ash]

weijst,

I think that the 705 makes a great surround speaker. They are the closest speakers to the N805 performance, however, the price is more freindly. I think (in my situation) it will be a bit too much to put 805 for surround. When I compared the N805 with the 705, I noticed that although there were differences in performance, the 705 had the same sound flavour as the N805. The 705 were a bit brighter in the highs, and the lows on the 805 were better, in general the sound of 805 is sweeter. However, for the surround position I think that they are great when combined with 805 and HTM2, since they are similar in sound, and I'm not very skeptical when it comes to the surrounds. I wouldn'd ask more from surrounds.

[Ash]

IanD & weijst,

I did not try the DS7 yet. As I only have a 5.1 amp right now, so I did not hook them up. I will try to compare them against each other sometime this week. Sorry about that, it a busy week for me.

I'll keep you updated.

[chinets]

Ash,
Good Luck on your system and as I said before if the colour does not bother you then go for it. The sound is what really counts at the end of the day. Please keep me posted on how your set up sounds after you are all hooked up. Good Luck with your system and I love the N805!!! Have a great weekend.

[Ash]

chinets,

Thanks again. I will definately keep you updated. You have a nice weekend as well. :T

[Ash]

IanD & weijst,

I was able to hook up the DS7 today and test it. The DS7 is a lovely "Surround" speaker.

Being a surround speaker, it has a design that is different than the 705. This design is not ideal acoustically, because it is supposed to be wall mounted. Furthermore, each speaker has three drivers, the main 6.5" main driver and two other smaller drivers on each side. Obviously the 705 has better cabinet than the DS7. This is one factor that indicates the superiority of the 705.

I have listened to the DS7 in dipole mode (watching Star Wars 2). I guess, I'm not the type that likes dipole. I felt that the sound coming from the surrounds (in dipole) had a kind of ambience feeling to it, thus I only felt that they were supporting the "front main speakers" and are not being as separate channels. The sound was also not exiting when I compared it to "monopole mode" or the 705. I guess, you should listen to this speaker in dipole mode, and decide if you like this effect. If you don't, then you have two idle drivers on each speaker, which you have paid extra money to have, also those drivers are squeezed into one small box (which will have some effect the sound).

I think that the 705 overall has better sound. I would only recommend getting DS7 over the 705, if you like dipole sound, or if you are really tight on space in your room (because the DS7 are more convenient).

The DS7 suites me fine, as I bought them for the surround back position. I needed speakers that could be fitted on the wall and would suite the 705 I have back there. I don't think that I will use the dipole mode so much, maybe when I'm bored and need a change.

I hope that this helps,

[weijst]

Hi Ash,

Thank you for sharing your findings with us. Would you say the ambience feeling you experienced, when using the DS7's in dipole mode, is comparable with the change in sound (coming from one speaker) when one switches from for instance 5ch stereo to a surround mode such as "HALL" or "ARENA"? Less impact, a more flat/nasal sound?

Having red your experience, I question the DS7's superiority over the DS6 S3 (600 serie dipole surround speaker) as many of the 700 serie's traits (reinforced cabinet / external tweeter) are absent in the DS7. Especially considering the fact the DS7 are twice as expensive...

[Ian D]

Ash
Thanks for your views very interesting, just one question how wide is your room and does anyone sit off centre when watching movies.?
Owning a pair of wall mounted DS7's I always use them in dipole for movies, as in monopole a chair is very near the left rear and in dipole the effect is better. I also like the ambience feel you describe, makes my room feel bigger, more cinema like :-)

In SACD, DVDA, Music DVD's, I agree monopole rules....

Weijst - having previously owned the DS6's I concur 100%. the DS7's are not worth the expense from the DS6's.

[Ash]

weijst,

I would like to first say that the experience I got from the DS7 is not from an optimal set up. Due to room restrictions, I had to place them on the side tables next to my couch (a little bit below ear level) with the main drivers facing me, and my amp is crappy.

Regarding your question, if you mean by "hall & arena" that the surrounds give an echo-ish sound, then the answer is that they don't.

Most of the time (while using Dolby Digital), the sound did not seem as if the surrounds were independent channels with sounds that is distinct from the other speakers. Instead they sounded like listening to a movie with only stereo sound while using Dolby Pro-logic mode, however, the sound is not directed at you. Actually, the sound was not directed anywhere, its just there giving an atmosphere for the sound and complementing the front speakers, sometimes, I thought that there was no sound coming from them, but when I checked, there was!

Furthermore, the sound also loses some of it’s body when in dipole. The tweeter does not work and you would get less impact with a flatter sound.

I think you should have a listen to those speaker and see if you like the sound. It is hard to describe the sound coming from them, especially when they are improperly placed.

[Ash]

Ian D,
The room is quite wide. I have a three seat couch in front of the TV. The couch has a wall in the back of it, with no space between them. Therefore, I have two 705 on each side of the couch (two feet away, in each side), the speakers are mounted on a stand that is standard B&W height.

I tried a few positions, one of them was to have the speakers facing the couch. The sound was overwhelming, as you said, somebody would be sitting close to them. Therefore, now I have them facing 45 degrees to the front (still some what facing the couch, but not directly), this gave a better sound, that won't hurt anyone.

I’m planning to move my HT to another room where I will have some space behind the seating location. I will place the DS7 behind the seat in a 7.1 set-up. I will keep the 705 as side surrounds.