Seeking HTM1D Advice

[RebelMan]

After I replaced my 803S I found the HTM3S unbearable to listen to along side the towering Marlan headed 800D so I was forced to sell it. I desperately wanted to keep it but no amount of tweaking could appreciably circumvent the prevailing tonal smearing across the obverse sound field.

The 800D midrange presentation was airy and free to express the information occurring on screen in a seamless and enveloping way. On the other hand, the HTM3S’ only purpose, it seemed, was to interfere with this presentation by calling immediate attention to itself as if it were inflicted with nasal congestion. I found the disparate anomaly too distracting to continue in the fashion I had my system setup and therefore the HTM3S was evacuated.

For the time being, I have been using a surrogate phantom center until I procure and integrate an HTM1D. In preparation for that time I would like some input from the people here that own or have used the HTM1D in their system or another environment.

1.) Given your exposure to the HTM1D, your entertainment habits, e.g. the way you listen whether it be on or off axis, and assuming you have experimented with a phantom center, would you reconsider (change your mind) pairing up a dedicated center of this caliber and magnitude to your 802D/801D/800D if you could do it all over again?

2.) Again, given your entertainment habits, e.g. the portion of time you have actually spent listening to the HTM1D, have you found it worthy of the expense and the trouble it took to implement?

3.) How did you move the ackward and massive speaker into optimal position?

4.) Do you use the enclosed reversible spike kit? If so why or if not why not?

5.) What supports the speaker when the spike kit is eschewed?

6.) Do you angle the speaker towards the listening area?

7.) Is it configured LARGE or SMALL in your setup?

8.) What is your seated proximity to the HTM1D?

9.) Are there WAF issues in your home?

Thanks

[sg2]

Hi,

While slightly off topic, I have added an HTM2D to my 802D setup.

The "airy and enveloping" nature of the 802D soundstage is not disrupted by the HTM2D, which blends nicely into it (same tweeter, same medium even if not in marlan head, and more or less same woofers even if slightly smaller). I know what you mean by "bad blending" since before going with the HTM2D, I was using a Triangle center speaker along with my 802D's, and it did not blend well at all, you could immediately tell, as was the case with your HTM3).

In between the Triangle center and the HTM2D, I was using "phantom center". While this of course will not cause any "blending" problem at all... well in fact it blends all too well, because most of the times you loose a lot of "pinpoint accuracy" of the center channel information, and also, I don't know if that is a property of my AVR, but I often found that the dialogues tend to be under-level and less intelligible as compared to when going through a real center speaker. While this is not too much of a problem for well-mastered movies, I found that many movies unfortunately do not fall into that category...

The HTM2D is configured as large, and in many films this can be heard, since the voice channel actually carries some bass information (typically in male voices or in some center channel surround sound) ; last movie I watched was Blade Runner, which shows exactly this.

The HTM2D is set "horizontal", with tweeters exactly at the same height as the 802D's ones (which also happens to be just slightly above ear level), horizontally centered. This certainly also participates into a "good blending".

I don't use spikes (an idiophile invention imho), the HTM2D is laying on my wood furniture on top of the provided 4 little silicon dampers, and the 802D's lay on the ground on top of teflon pads which nicely replaced the roller casters (which would have destroyed my delicate floor for sure), as can be seen on http://s.guillard.free.fr/802D_ptfe_feet/

I am seating approx. 4 meters away from the 802D/HTM2D/802D line.

There are WAF constraints here, and I would say that while a nice rosenut HTM2D was an easy sold addition to the rosenut 802D's, I think it would have been much more problematic to WAF an HTM1D, even more so as I myself find it totally ugly...


BTW MrDoggy has more or less the same speaker setup as mine.

Hope this helps,
Regards,
--
Stéphane

[jack d]

1.) Given your exposure to the HTM1D, your entertainment habits, e.g. the way you listen whether it be on or off axis, and assuming you have experimented with a phantom center, would you reconsider (change your mind) pairing up a dedicated center of this caliber and magnitude to your 802D/801D/800D if you could do it all over again?

I never experimented with a phantom center but I have absolutely no regrets and would purchase the HTM1D all over again to go with my 802Ds.

2.) Again, given your entertainment habits, e.g. the portion of time you have actually spent listening to the HTM1D, have you found it worthy of the expense and the trouble it took to implement?

Yes. It's the closest you can get to having three matching speakers across the front with the 800/801/802D left and rights when you have a non-retractable screen for TV/Movies.

3.) How did you move the ackward and massive speaker into optimal position?

I had the delivery guys take it out of the box and set it up pretty much where I needed it (they weren't happy but they knew that it was part of the deal). I can move it as much as I need to if I'm doing cable work or something else like that. It's not easy but doable. When I got the stand for it (see below) I had to get someone to help me lift it partially so I could slide the stand under it.

4.) Do you use the enclosed reversible spike kit? If so why or if not why not?

Yes I use it to angle the HTM1D toward the listening position.

5.) What supports the speaker when the spike kit is eschewed?

Well I use the spikes but you could just set it on the floor without them if you wished. I have the speaker sitting on a special platform made by Mapleshade records.

6.) Do you angle the speaker towards the listening area?

Yes

7.) Is it configured LARGE or SMALL in your setup?

Well I have to configure it as SMALL. I have a Meridian processor and, the way the Meridian bass management works, if I want to use the SW when listening to stereo music I have to do it this way. Meridian has a DSP called "trifield" that distributes the two channels into the center and rears as well as left/right (I know, heresy for many). So with the center as SMALL it distributes LF to the SW. I find it to be much better than direct stereo mode and by default use this setting for music now.

8.) What is your seated proximity to the HTM1D?

8 feet.

9.) Are there WAF issues in your home?

No. My significant other actually likes the way the speakers, including the HTM1D, look but maybe she's unusual; I don't know if other owners have had to enter into special negotiations

[sikoniko]

<Jedi Mind control> just upgrade already! </Jedi Mind control>

[DeepEndX]

1) Horrible without the center for HT purposes. Added value for Multi SACD Surround or DVD audio. I will definitely purchase the HTM1D over and over again to match my 800D.

2) Without a doubt, YEEESS!

3) I had a few friends over to help me move the speaker around. It is quite heavy and fun.

4) I use the spike kit to angle it towards the listening position.

5) I recommend that you use the spike kit. It is just like why people spike up their speakers. You can also adjust the spikes to angle the speaker towards the listener

6) I do.

7) It is configured Large on my Denon. For HT purposes, the HTM1D blends right in, however, for multichannel listening, there is a difference between my 800D and HTM1D due to different separates. I usually listen to 2 channel when I listen to music.

8) 15 feet

9) I have three girlfriends and they get along just fine. Pair of 800D's and HTM1D!

RH

[Race Car Driver]

Sooo jealous of the HTM1 owners

To bad they didnt make it in the "Nautilus line"
Id be moer compelled to get one. a 1D with two N802s just doesnt seem right to me


I have a question to the 1D owners.

What are you powering it with?

[Aldo]

Sooo jealous of the HTM1 owners

To bad they didnt make it in the "Nautilus line"
Id be moer compelled to get one. a 1D with two N802s just doesnt seem right to me


I have a question to the 1D owners.

What are you powering it with?

(1) MC501 McIntosh monoblock!

I had 2 N800 and the HTM1D and it sounded great!

[jack d]

I have a question to the 1D owners.

What are you powering it with?

Mac MC501. In fact I've got the 501s driving my L/R and surrounds as well.

[Aldo]

1.) Given your exposure to the HTM1D, your entertainment habits, e.g. the way you listen whether it be on or off axis, and assuming you have experimented with a phantom center, would you reconsider (change your mind) pairing up a dedicated center of this caliber and magnitude to your 802D/801D/800D if you could do it all over again? 

The HTM1D was one of the best decitions I ever made, YES!

2.) Again, given your entertainment habits, e.g. the portion of time you have actually spent listening to the HTM1D, have you found it worthy of the expense and the trouble it took to implement? 

Shure YES! :B

3.) How did you move the ackward and massive speaker into optimal position? 

Myself alone, and 6 weeks for back theraphy :E

4.) Do you use the enclosed reversible spike kit?  If so why or if not why not? 

It is absolutely necessary, I think it's very important to tilt the HTM1D up.

5.) What supports the speaker when the spike kit is eschewed? 

Nothing, and it is very hard to lift it because it is very flat at the edges of the bottom.

6.) Do you angle the speaker towards the listening area? 

Yes!

7.) Is it configured LARGE or SMALL in your setup? 

Large.

8.) What is your seated proximity to the HTM1D? 

10ft

9.) Are there WAF issues in your home? 

NO

Thanks[/QUOTE]

[hmpart]

1.) Given your exposure to the HTM1D, your entertainment habits, e.g. the way you listen whether it be on or off axis, and assuming you have experimented with a phantom center, would you reconsider (change your mind) pairing up a dedicated center of this caliber and magnitude to your 802D/801D/800D if you could do it all over again?


I have the 800D's and had them for a good 6 months before adding the HTM1D. I would do it again in a heart beat.

2.) Again, given your entertainment habits, e.g. the portion of time you have actually spent listening to the HTM1D, have you found it worthy of the expense and the trouble it took to implement?

Absolutely.

3.) How did you move the ackward and massive speaker into optimal position?

My dealer was a big help.

4.) Do you use the enclosed reversible spike kit? If so why or if not why not?

No, because it sits on a brick floor.

5.) What supports the speaker when the spike kit is eschewed?


N/A

6.) Do you angle the speaker towards the listening area?

It is angled up at typical listener seating levels.

7.) Is it configured LARGE or SMALL in your setup?

Large. I have turned down the sub's output in this configuration and crossover set at 50Hz on my Classe SSP-600. To my ears it sounds better.......modestly less muddy in the mid to low base.

8.) What is your seated proximity to the HTM1D?

14.5 feet

9.) Are there WAF issues in your home?

It took 6 months to get her to agree. The dealer who I have been working with for at least 15 years agreed to take it out if she hated it.......she didn't and we are both living happily ever after......I think.

Best

[RebelMan]

Thanks for the feedback everyone. I didn't realize or expect such overwhelming satisfaction from HTM1D owners. I know there are a few others out there that have them but haven't chimed in. I would like to hear from those folks too. I don't want to assume the ole' addage that if you don't have anything nice to say then don't.

Can some one clarify that the HTM1D does not have the option to use little rubber or plastic feet on the bottom surface? I am thinking about not using the reversable spikes if I don't have too. Does the angeled postion make a world of difference for those that are using it that way?

When I first saw the HTM1D I thought it looked to (put it nicely) not so good, but that is starting to change. Was that how it was for the rest of you too at first or was it love at first sight?

[Gump]

Sounds like Mrs. RebelMan's due for some new jewlery... :B

[RebelMan]

Heh heh, she wants a new car instead.