805S - Large or Small?

[EastCoaster]

In tweaking my system, I'm finding out that I prefer to set my four 805S's and HTM4 to "Large" instead of "Small", and send the bass to both the 805's and my ASW825...

Now, I don't listen to music or watch movies at extraordinarily high volumes, but I do like it loud-ish... Is there any chance of damaging the speakers? I mean, they aren't full range, so typically shouldn't be set to "Large".. What do you think?

[misterdoggy]

Do you have a Sub ?

[Music4Life]

Do you have a Sub ?

Isn't ASW825 a sub?

[misterdoggy]

sorry didn't see that. I would go small and send the bass info to the ASW, most who own 805's have a sub and run it that way.

[misterdoggy]

There is also the possibility to run the left and right output from the preamp/processor to the ASW and then to the Amp to include the base information as part of the setup and then use large, but I am not exactly sure how people set the Sub in this configuration. You lose the possibility of having the 5.1 or LFE.

[chinets]

set the speakers to small as you have a wonderful Sub that ASW 825, and set the speakers In your pre to Max ,so that you squeeze all the bass from those 805 puppies as they are bass shy!!! The max for your SUB replicates the bass of full 3 way speakers, so if you have it on Max ,your subs will give you all the Info you would have lost without the low frequency and that is especially good for Surround DVD-A Music and HT.
Good Luck,
Cheers

[dknightd]

I don't think it will hurt your 805 to run them full range if you like the sound of them better that way. (perhaps if you send loud explosions to them they might not like it, but certainly music is no problem)

[Karma]

HI,
I have my 805S's set for large which means they get the full power of the bass. This can be potentially damaging given the excesses of HT bass. So be a little careful with the volume control. I think they are pretty rugged and I've not had any problems doing it your way. I do like the sound better when set to large.

BTW, I have dual ASW800 subs in this system. Awesome bass, may I say.

Sparky

[EastCoaster]

sorry didn't see that. I would go small and send the bass info to the ASW, most who own 805's have a sub and run it that way.

Thanks Misterdoggy - that's the way I understand most people are doing it, but to be honest, I do like how the 805S sound in "Large"! My concern was doing any damage to them over the long haul...

[EastCoaster]

set the speakers to small as you have a wonderful Sub that ASW 825, and set the speakers In your pre to Max ,so that you squeeze all the bass from those 805 puppies as they are bass shy!!! The max for your SUB replicates the bass of full 3 way speakers, so if you have it on Max ,your subs will give you all the Info you would have lost without the low frequency and that is especially good for Surround DVD-A Music and HT.
Good Luck,
Cheers

Thanks Chinets - the 805S do sound better in "Large"!

[EastCoaster]

I don't think it will hurt your 805 to run them full range if you like the sound of them better that way. (perhaps if you send loud explosions to them they might not like it, but certainly music is no problem)

Excellent - that's what I was hoping to hear! Thanks.

[EastCoaster]

HI,
I have my 805S's set for large which means they get the full power of the bass. This can be potentially damaging given the excesses of HT bass. So be a little careful with the volume control. I think they are pretty rugged and I've not had any problems doing it your way. I do like the sound better when set to large.

BTW, I have dual ASW800 subs in this system. Awesome bass, may I say.

Sparky

Hi Sparky - well that seals it for me! You probably know more about these 805S than people who sell them! I think I'm going to try and listen to them on "Large" for music, and then switch the memory pre-set to "Small" if I'm wathing an aggressive movie with loud explosions or car chases, etc. I just love these bookshelf speakers!

[Aldo]

If I had to make the call, I never put my 805's to large, becuase they are no large, that way you are also putting that driver to reproduce more frequencies making them less efficient in the frequencies they are intended to repoduce!
If you have a sub, and THAT sub, I don't see your problem!
Remember these: If you intend to change the processor each time you switch form a movie to stereo, one day you are going to forget it, and it is very likely you will blow your 805's!

The problem here is not that the 805's are not capable of reproduce nice bass, the problem is with the extremely, exagereted bass movies have! not only in the LFE chanel but also on the mains!

[ZX10 Guy]

I'd set them to small if I were you. Granted the speakers will have a natural fall off of bass response the lower you go, I wouldn't risk the added distortion or the increased heat problems that will result from pushing that small mid/bass driver. Use the sub for what it does best which is to handle the deep low end bass. By eliminating the 805S from having to produce these bass frequencies you gain efficiencies in the overall sound. This is similar to bi-amping as the amplifier doesn't have to waste energy trying to drive the mid/bass driver to produce those low frequencies. You will gain increases in dB headroom and improvements in lowered distortion. If you have the option on your receiver/processor to tweak the cross over frequency, I would do that to help gain a bit more "fullness" in the lower mid bass before handing it off to the sub.

[Aldo]

I agree!

[chinets]

EastCoaster,
I'm glad you are happy now with all the Info.
Good Luck, Keep us posted , as we are keen to see what you opted!!
Cheers

[Karma]

HI East,
I note that all those who advocate "small" do not have 805S's.

I would ask a favor from you. As one of the experiments I have run to improve the interface between the sub and the 805S's (and the center and surrounds) I inserted the foam plugs into the ports. I like the results. Could you try this and report on your impressions?

Sparky

[ZX10 Guy]

HI East,
I note that all those who advocate "small" do not have 805S's.

I would ask a favor from you. As one of the experiments I have run to improve the interface between the sub and the 805S's (and the center and surrounds) I inserted the foam plugs into the ports. I like the results. Could you try this and report on your impressions?

Sparky

On the contrary. I have a set of N805s that I use an HGS12 sub with. The amp is fed via the high pass outputs of the HGS. The results are more than satisfactory for the bass extension and output I want. Granted the N805 isn't exactly the same as the 805S but they're pretty darn close for this discussion.

[misterdoggy]

HI East,
I note that all those who advocate "small" do not have 805S's.

I would ask a favor from you. As one of the experiments I have run to improve the interface between the sub and the 805S's (and the center and surrounds) I inserted the foam plugs into the ports. I like the results. Could you try this and report on your impressions?

Sparky

Hey Sparky,

I NEVER offer advice unless I have had first hand personal experience.

This is a rule I never break. I have always said, offer your personal experiences and not what you have read or heard.

I have had a pair of 805s' and used them for a few months months.

Set to SMALL with a ASW825

[Karma]

HI ZX and doggy,
Sorry. I didn't see that on your profile. Doggy, I'm with you on your experience policy.

Sparky

Edited to Add: Oh, I get it. It's not on your profile. Still, I'm sorry.

[misterdoggy]

HI ZX and doggy,
Sorry. I didn't see that on your profile. Doggy, I'm with you on your experience policy.

Sparky

Edited to Add: Oh, I get it. It's not on your profile. Still, I'm sorry.

It was on "past" profile info which has since been upgratis :T

[JudyLou]

In tweaking my system, I'm finding out that I prefer to set my four 805S's and HTM4 to "Large" instead of "Small", and send the bass to both the 805's and my ASW825...

Now, I don't listen to music or watch movies at extraordinarily high volumes, but I do like it loud-ish... Is there any chance of damaging the speakers? I mean, they aren't full range, so typically shouldn't be set to "Large".. What do you think?

Hi there
You don’t mention what you are driving your 805’s with – that’s very important. Also in bass management, what is your cut-off frequency? That will determine how musical and matched your 805’s are with your sub. If you get the proper cut-of you will listen to it small all the time and also not risk damaging them.
Lourens

[ZX10 Guy]

HI ZX and doggy,
Sorry. I didn't see that on your profile. Doggy, I'm with you on your experience policy.

Sparky

Edited to Add: Oh, I get it. It's not on your profile. Still, I'm sorry.

Not a problem. I haven't bothered to put anything in my profile. I'm using the N805s in a 2 channel setup in my family room.

[EastCoaster]

EastCoaster,
I'm glad you are happy now with all the Info.
Good Luck, Keep us posted , as we are keen to see what you opted!!
Cheers

Hi Chinets - definitely - thanks for the help!

[EastCoaster]

HI East,
I note that all those who advocate "small" do not have 805S's.

I would ask a favor from you. As one of the experiments I have run to improve the interface between the sub and the 805S's (and the center and surrounds) I inserted the foam plugs into the ports. I like the results. Could you try this and report on your impressions?

Sparky

Hi Sparky - yes I can definitely do that.. I'll dig them out of storage - it will be a couple of days. Won't this reduce the bass response?

[EastCoaster]

Hi there
You don’t mention what you are driving your 805’s with – that’s very important. Also in bass management, what is your cut-off frequency? That will determine how musical and matched your 805’s are with your sub. If you get the proper cut-of you will listen to it small all the time and also not risk damaging them.
Lourens

Hi Lourens - I'm currently making do with a Yamaha RX-V2700 (it's a 7.1 receiver, 140 WPC), but looking to upgrade to seperates (Anthem, Arcam, or Rotel). The current cut-off is 80, although I've gone as low as 40. With my receiver, if all my 805s are set to "Large", I've got to send the bass to both speakers and sub (otherwise, I get no LFE).

[JudyLou]

Hi EastCoaster

Select all your speakers as small and start playing with the cut-of - increase it to 100, 120, 150. Listen to how it sound and when you get the best result.
Lourens

[EastCoaster]

Hi EastCoaster

Select all your speakers as small and start playing with the cut-of - increase it to 100, 120, 150. Listen to how it sound and when you get the best result.
Lourens

Done that... :T I'm liking it more when they are set on "Large"... But I know, I need to be careful not to blow them on a freakishly loud DVD!

[dmccombs]

Eastcoaster,

Did you try the cutoff at 50 or 60hz? I have tried this with other similar speakers, with good results. I would be curious to hear how this works with the 805S.

Regards,
Darrell

[Blindamood]

I cross over my 805S fronts and HTM4S center (as well as CDM 1NT surrounds) all at 80Hz. I do this on my processor, as well as on my universal player for 5.1 music. For me, in my space, this achieves the best sound quality, mixed with the deep extension of my ASW 850 sub.

I don't have the references handy (and certainly do not want to start a debate), but there was a lot of research that went into the THX standard of setting crossovers to 80Hz (even for floorstanding speakers that you may consider to be 'large').

Of course, none of that matters if it doesn't sound right to you...!

[RebelMan]

In tweaking my system, I'm finding out that I prefer to set my four 805S's and HTM4 to "Large" instead of "Small", and send the bass to both the 805's and my ASW825...

Now, I don't listen to music or watch movies at extraordinarily high volumes, but I do like it loud-ish... Is there any chance of damaging the speakers? I mean, they aren't full range, so typically shouldn't be set to "Large".. What do you think?

It is generally considered best practice to redirect all low bass to an available subwoofer. However, the likelyhood that you will damage your "LARGE" speakers is slim, assuming your amplifier(s) are up to the task. Each speaker you add to the system is going to provide another 3dB of SPL putting less strain on the system overall. But while it is more prudent to assign low bass duties to the subwoofer, the results are not always favorable. I have utlilized my speakers both ways (SMALL and/or LARGE) in my system and in some cases I will prefer one setup over the other.

Having said that, there is serious potential for speaker damage when no subwoofer is used and the speakers are set to LARGE. Most if not all processors will redirect LFE (sub bass) to all speakers set to LARGE in systems minus a subwoofer which can pose certain risks. Under these conditions, all speakers should be set to SMALL with low crossover points unless "full-range" monitors are employed with sufficient amplification.