Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: amp/speaker recomendations?

This is topic amp/speaker recomendations? in forum Film Handlers' Forum at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

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Posted by Richard B. Perrine (Member # 409) on 05-11-2009, 09:30 AM:

We're looking at re-opening a closed theater. auditoriums are about 300 seats or less.
It needs sound systems....What speaker makes/models and amplifiers do you prefer for digital sound?

Posted by Monte L Fullmer (Member # 2797) on 05-11-2009, 12:24 PM:

Go QSC

Posted by Tony Bandiera Jr (Member # 2365) on 05-11-2009, 03:59 PM:

Monte has it..QSC's stuff is awesome and not all that costly. Their stage speakers are super great sounding (I haven't had a chance to try their surrounds out yet) and the DCM/DCA Monitor amp combo is hard to beat for ease of wiring and operation. Note that the new DCM-10 will allow you to use passive crossovers in your stage speakers if you don't want to Bi-amp or tri-amp right out of the box.

Posted by David Stambaugh (Member # 1102) on 05-11-2009, 07:02 PM:

But... Klipsch is the market leader!

quote:
One out of two new theaters [Regal] use Klipsch professional audio speakers to deliver today’s powerful and detailed movie soundtracks

I'm just messin' with ya. [Razz]

Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 05-11-2009, 08:40 PM:

Oh god, for a minute there I thought you were being serious David!

Klipsch = [puke]

Posted by Scott Norwood (Member # 30) on 05-11-2009, 10:52 PM:

"They made my guitar go in a straight line for miles and sound like it was coming out of a telephone."

- Steve Miller on Klipshorns

(I don't have an opinion on the sound quality; I just liked that quote. Most of my movie-watching has been in houses with JBL, Altec, or Electro-Voice speakers.)

Posted by Sam King (Member # 4029) on 05-13-2009, 11:40 PM:

EV, halfway to EVIL! Have lots of spares ready! HAHAHAHA We love our JBL speakers and have a love/hate relationship with our Ashley amps, the sound is great, but they often require replacement mods.

Posted by Sam D. Chavez (Member # 1841) on 05-13-2009, 11:53 PM:

I believe it's ASHLY, no E.

Posted by Steve Guttag (Member # 268) on 05-14-2009, 05:29 AM:

More like just "ASH" as in what they leave speakers in.

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 05-14-2009, 08:25 AM:

quote: Steve Guttag
More like just "ASH" as in what they leave speakers in.

And how! The level pots and crapo switches they use in them also suck big time!!

Mark

Posted by Tony Bandiera Jr (Member # 2365) on 05-15-2009, 01:35 AM:

How about pain in the ASH..

Posted by Jim Cassedy (Member # 4115) on 05-16-2009, 10:15 AM:

I actually like my Ashlys. They've performed well for me from
a sound output standpoint. I also like the front panel LED
bar graphs, which let me see at a glance that everything
"appears" to be functioning properly. But I suppose there are
other amps that have that feature too.

quote:
The level pots and crapo switches they use in them also suck big time!!

On the other hand, I can't deny that I haven't had occasional
trouble with the pots on the input modules. I don't know why
Ashly didn't spend a few more bucks and use better ones or
ones that are sealed.

Other than actually changing the pots, a good spray with a
good sealer/protective contact lubricant, such as Cramolin,
(the good stuff- before they changed to the new wimpy
enviromentally safe formula) seems to more or less solve
the problem "permanantly", since after doing that I've
never had any further problems with the pots being noisy
or crapping out all together.

Posted by Gordon McLeod (Member # 33) on 05-16-2009, 10:25 AM:

Other than the amount of heat some of the older ones generate we have had very good luck over all with the Ashleys we have in service

Posted by Louis Bornwasser (Member # 3063) on 05-16-2009, 04:30 PM:

Ashly input modules are not too bad. The crossover modules did have bad switches and pots. We have hard wired enough of them to fill a shoebox with old parts.

I am running 550 new XR-1 crossovers to replace many in service. Will work with JBL 4575, 4670, and the combo unit we used with National Amusements. 700Hz crossover. These are not adjustable so other speakers will not be right. Louis

Posted by Bob Koch (Member # 1062) on 05-16-2009, 05:46 PM:

Even though I`m 87 years old and don`t go out after dark, it seems some things never change,according to these posts;Klipsch is still crap.

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 05-16-2009, 06:51 PM:

Bob... Thats really hilarious!!! And here I thought you'd be recommending Western Electric amps and speakers.....

Posted by Dick Prather (Member # 1136) on 05-16-2009, 08:30 PM:

Mark,
I think Bob was a RCA man???and a box of 2A3's.
Dick

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 05-17-2009, 12:05 AM:

Dick,

I believe you're right! I actually have an RCA amp here at home that he installed at a location in Wyoming back in the 40's! Geez, I'm not sure Wyoming even had roads yet back in the 40s! He probably got there by Wagon Train...

Mark

Posted by Eric Robinson (Member # 2966) on 05-17-2009, 07:33 PM:

Just curious...what is the most noticeable, measurable flaw with Klipsh speakers?

Posted by Monte L Fullmer (Member # 2797) on 05-17-2009, 10:58 PM:

Yes, Bob was with RCA for he had a comment in one of his earlier posts of a region that he used to service that I came from and began in this field and we had a good email discussion on this region-on one of the theatres that I used to work at.

Posted by Fred Georges (Member # 505) on 05-18-2009, 12:53 PM:

"Just curious...what is the most noticeable, measurable flaw with Klipsh speakers?"

Lobing, Path length anamolies. I have heard them sound superb as well as Bloody awful. Depends who the chef on duty is I suppose. I spent an evening with Paul w. Klipsch about 25 years ago & gained a lot of insight into the design choices He made. 1st. The Cinema stuff, while maybe using a piece or two of Klipsch designed stuff was NOT designed directly by Him. His Home Hi-Fi speakers were never meant for Cinema work & sound pretty lousey doing it. Klipsch was a cold blooded scientist By that, I mean, He believed his test gear & not so much His hearing. As a matter of fact He couldn't hear well at all! "Too many Colt 45s' going off by My head" He said (Klipsch was an Olympic level Marksmen & Munitions expert). We talked about "Other" manufacturers products & if their were any He admired. "ALTEC LANSING"!! Came the booming reply. Me too Mr.Klipsch..Me too. [beer]