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Post by red5ive on Jun 6, 2022 12:45:03 GMT -5
So I have somewhat limited space and am looking at the Airmotiv T-Zero+ or T1+ towers and C2+ center, or possibly even the B1+. I'm torn on what to do. At most I could squeeze in the T1+, but it might not be optimal placement due to space limitations. I'm leaning toward the T-Zero+ (which I'll run with a sub full time), but I've read that the B1+ is still an excellent option with a sub.
My room/listening area is 16' x 15' with 9' ceilings, but it's an open floor plan and the room is open on one side to the rest of the downstairs which is roughly 1900 sq/ft (and roughly the same upstairs). I have an Emotiva RPA-2 for my mains, and a channel from my gen 1 XPA-5 drives the center. I'm also planning to add the Airmotiv surrounds and Atmos speakers.
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Post by Boomzilla on Jun 6, 2022 20:46:09 GMT -5
To sub or not to sub - that is the question. With a sub, your choices expand. If you go bookshelf speakers, you have to buy stands. With stands, you don’t save money or space over towers. I’d say T1+ with a sub is a hard to beat choice.
Boomzilla
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Post by red5ive on Jun 7, 2022 1:16:55 GMT -5
To sub or not to sub - that is the question. With a sub, your choices expand. If you go bookshelf speakers, you have to buy stands. With stands, you don’t save money or space over towers. I’d say T1+ with a sub is a hard to beat choice. Boomzilla Thanks, I do already have stands. I'm really wondering how much of a gap there is in performance between the B1+ and the T-Zero+, or would it be a wash? If they're closer in performance and if there aren't any big concerns with the B1+ at higher volume (like compression) then I think I'd be happy with the B1+ (I don't listen to anything at ear-bleed levels). If shipping costs weren't so high these days, it would be a no brainer, and I'd just buy 'em and try 'em. |
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Post by Boomzilla on Jun 7, 2022 6:06:32 GMT -5
To sub or not to sub - that is the question. With a sub, your choices expand. If you go bookshelf speakers, you have to buy stands. With stands, you don’t save money or space over towers. I’d say T1+ with a sub is a hard to beat choice. Boomzilla Thanks, I do already have stands. I'm really wondering how much of a gap there is in performance between the B1+ and the T-Zero+, or would it be a wash? If they're closer in performance and if there aren't any big concerns with the B1+ at higher volume (like compression) then I think I'd be happy with the B1+ (I don't listen to anything at ear-bleed levels). If shipping costs weren't so high these days, it would be a no brainer, and I'd just buy 'em and try 'em. Makes sense to me. I'm using stand-mount speakers myself. |
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Post by drtrey3 on Jun 7, 2022 8:35:03 GMT -5
Just for fun I put my B1 speakers on top of my T2s and plugged them in. No sub, I was shocked by how little I missed the bass. I DID miss it, but not like I thought I would. That tweeter is a gem.
Trey
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Post by creimes on Jun 7, 2022 9:36:56 GMT -5
My own findings over the years I have found that going back and forth from bookshelf speakers to tower speakers the towers I owned had a more full sound, maybe the towers being a three way with more drivers ?? but that was my findings in my room and/or rooms, I myself will always go with towers over a bookshelf on a stand, but that's just me  I went from T1's to my current Chane 753 and it was for me a great upgrade, the T1 are fantastic speakers as well but the 753 are larger and considered full range and have a bigger dynamic range which I really enjoy. Chad
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Post by red5ive on Jun 7, 2022 10:40:39 GMT -5
Just for fun I put my B1 speakers on top of my T2s and plugged them in. No sub, I was shocked by how little I missed the bass. I DID miss it, but not like I thought I would. That tweeter is a gem. Trey So this makes me want to try the B1+... My own findings over the years I have found that going back and forth from bookshelf speakers to tower speakers the towers I owned had a more full sound, maybe the towers being a three way with more drivers ?? but that was my findings in my room and/or rooms, I myself will always go with towers over a bookshelf on a stand, but that's just me I went from T1's to my current Chane 753 and it was for me a great upgrade, the T1 are fantastic speakers as well but the 753 are larger and considered full range and have a bigger dynamic range which I really enjoy. Chad ... and then I read this lol. That's exactly my concern since I'm coming from towers (Rocket 850 sigs). I think I might just suck it up and keep 'em and deal with a crowded front stage as I really don't want to give up these speakers. Sigh... |
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Post by marcl on Jun 7, 2022 10:54:25 GMT -5
Just for fun I put my B1 speakers on top of my T2s and plugged them in. No sub, I was shocked by how little I missed the bass. I DID miss it, but not like I thought I would. That tweeter is a gem. Trey So this makes me want to try the B1+... My own findings over the years I have found that going back and forth from bookshelf speakers to tower speakers the towers I owned had a more full sound, maybe the towers being a three way with more drivers ?? but that was my findings in my room and/or rooms, I myself will always go with towers over a bookshelf on a stand, but that's just me  I went from T1's to my current Chane 753 and it was for me a great upgrade, the T1 are fantastic speakers as well but the 753 are larger and considered full range and have a bigger dynamic range which I really enjoy. Chad ... and then I read this lol. That's exactly my concern since I'm coming from towers (Rocket 850 sigs). I think I might just suck it up and keep 'em and deal with a crowded front stage as I really don't want to give up these speakers. Sigh... I use the B1+ for my rear surrounds. Here's the Dirac measurement (i.e. as they play in the room, no EQ) for the two speakers. They're mounted on brackets on the wall about 6' above the floor. Impressively smooth above 1500Hz and quite amazing extension down to 30Hz. No subs involved.  |
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Post by creimes on Jun 7, 2022 12:48:54 GMT -5
Just for fun I put my B1 speakers on top of my T2s and plugged them in. No sub, I was shocked by how little I missed the bass. I DID miss it, but not like I thought I would. That tweeter is a gem. Trey So this makes me want to try the B1+... My own findings over the years I have found that going back and forth from bookshelf speakers to tower speakers the towers I owned had a more full sound, maybe the towers being a three way with more drivers ?? but that was my findings in my room and/or rooms, I myself will always go with towers over a bookshelf on a stand, but that's just me I went from T1's to my current Chane 753 and it was for me a great upgrade, the T1 are fantastic speakers as well but the 753 are larger and considered full range and have a bigger dynamic range which I really enjoy. Chad ... and then I read this lol. That's exactly my concern since I'm coming from towers (Rocket 850 sigs). I think I might just suck it up and keep 'em and deal with a crowded front stage as I really don't want to give up these speakers. Sigh... One of the Bookshelf sized speakers I owned were the Airmotiv 6S, my room has a 40hz peak, before I installed my 4 bass traps but haven't had a way to measure since, that being said the 6S had decent output in that 40hz area, I found going back to towers(The T1) had a more fuller sound from top to bottom if that makes sense haha, with the 6S even though they sounded great as well, they were missing the mid/midbass I had with my then Chane A5rx-c and Emotiva T1 towers. YMMV and you could always try the B1 to get your own findings, can one really have to many speakers   I'm still waiting for my last 700 series from Chane to ship, it will ship on a pallet so I told Jon to add a pair of A1.5 to the shipment, since shipping cost will not change I thought why not, my daughter is gonna be 12 this year so I was thinking to do those and a Arylic A50+ for a little setup for her for music. www.chanemusiccinema.com/chane-a1-5.html
www.arylic.com/products/arylic-a50-wifi-bluetooth-multiroom-full-digital-hifi-amplifier-with-airplay-dlna-multiroom-controlChad |
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Post by red5ive on Jun 7, 2022 13:29:38 GMT -5
So this makes me want to try the B1+... ... and then I read this lol. That's exactly my concern since I'm coming from towers (Rocket 850 sigs). I think I might just suck it up and keep 'em and deal with a crowded front stage as I really don't want to give up these speakers. Sigh... I use the B1+ for my rear surrounds. Here's the Dirac measurement (i.e. as they play in the room, no EQ) for the two speakers. They're mounted on brackets on the wall about 6' above the floor. Impressively smooth above 1500Hz and quite amazing extension down to 30Hz. No subs involved. <button disabled="" class="c-attachment-insert--linked o-btn--sm">Attachment Deleted</button> And yet another case to make me want to try the B1+... So this makes me want to try the B1+... ... and then I read this lol. That's exactly my concern since I'm coming from towers (Rocket 850 sigs). I think I might just suck it up and keep 'em and deal with a crowded front stage as I really don't want to give up these speakers. Sigh... One of the Bookshelf sized speakers I owned were the Airmotiv 6S, my room has a 40hz peak, before I installed my 4 bass traps but haven't had a way to measure since, that being said the 6S had decent output in that 40hz area, I found going back to towers(The T1) had a more fuller sound from top to bottom if that makes sense haha, with the 6S even though they sounded great as well, they were missing the mid/midbass I had with my then Chane A5rx-c and Emotiva T1 towers. YMMV and you could always try the B1 to get your own findings, can one really have to many speakers   I'm still waiting for my last 700 series from Chane to ship, it will ship on a pallet so I told Jon to add a pair of A1.5 to the shipment, since shipping cost will not change I thought why not, my daughter is gonna be 12 this year so I was thinking to do those and a Arylic A50+ for a little setup for her for music. www.chanemusiccinema.com/chane-a1-5.html
www.arylic.com/products/arylic-a50-wifi-bluetooth-multiroom-full-digital-hifi-amplifier-with-airplay-dlna-multiroom-controlChad The mid-bass is another big concern of mine as that's where my current towers shine as the "mid-bass slam" is what they're known for. If there were an easy way for me to confirm that the B1+ and the T0+ could be competitive in the mid-bass as their bigg(er) brother, then the decision would be easy for me as then I'd just use my sub(s) to take care of everything below that. I'd really hate to have to spend an extra $1k in return shipping or whatever it's going to be to buy all 3 (B1+, T0+, T1+) just to try them all out and keep which work best. Maybe a round-trip ticket to Franklin, TN is the solution lol.
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Post by red5ive on Jun 7, 2022 18:08:04 GMT -5
So I have a follow-up question that maybe the experts here can help answer. I've never had bookshelves as mains, in which case regarding the mid-bass thing, if I get the B1+, why couldn't I just set a higher cross-over point (and re-calibrate) and let the subs handle it? Wouldn't that compensate for the lack of "fuller" sound from bookshelves that otherwise full-range or 3-way towers can produce?
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Post by creimes on Jun 7, 2022 23:37:36 GMT -5
So I have a follow-up question that maybe the experts here can help answer. I've never had bookshelves as mains, in which case regarding the mid-bass thing, if I get the B1+, why couldn't I just set a higher cross-over point (and re-calibrate) and let the subs handle it? Wouldn't that compensate for the lack of "fuller" sound from bookshelves that otherwise full-range or 3-way towers can produce? I'm not sure if your room may be the same, for me I found bookshelf speakers lacking but others may not as it could be somewhat room dependent ?? Some others should chime in as well as I'm sure many others have much more experience than I  Chad |
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Post by brutiarti on Jun 8, 2022 7:31:29 GMT -5
I have the B1+ on a computer setup in my office. They are really good but I wouldn’t consider for mains in a room. I will get the T0 +subs or the T1s w/o subs for a small/medium room.
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Post by red5ive on Jun 12, 2022 15:05:32 GMT -5
So I haven't made a decision yet. Yesterday I auditioned the B&W 603 Anniversary Edition (the larger bookshelf and the tower), and also the Elac Debut Reference DBR62. I was floored by both, and really love the Elac all around that I almost made the purchase. The Elac DBR2 is an excellent speaker, even for a bookshelf, and have imo earned the Reference moniker.
But I held back and am still wondering about the Airmotiv B1+ or T1+. Does anyone have any experience with the above models and the Airmotiv?
I realize it's all subjective and the best advice is for me to audition in my own setup, but nevertheless I'd welcome feedback if anyone has any. And if it helps, I listen to mostly rock, alternative rock, folk rock, and blues rock, which is why I think I loved the Elac so much, which tend to be a little laid back.
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Post by Soup on Jun 12, 2022 15:27:21 GMT -5
Have u considered looking at Totem Acoustics speakers?
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Post by creimes on Jun 12, 2022 18:48:03 GMT -5
If you like something that is a good thing, none of us can tell you what you will like, the best thing to do if you can is listen to a bunch of speakers, of course direct online ones you cannot though, I really really love my Chane 700 series but I haven't heard every speaker out there either, there are so many brands and lines now it can be tough. Monitor Audio is another great brand IMO and the build quality is amazing as well.
If it is any constellation I prefer my Chane 700 series over my previous T1's but that's just me an may not be you or someone else, are we being difficult yet haha.
Chad
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Post by red5ive on Jun 13, 2022 15:09:40 GMT -5
Yep, I thought I stated that.
Elac it is.
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Post by red5ive on Jul 13, 2022 20:21:07 GMT -5
Well it has been a bit of a journey since I started this thread. I had tried out the Elac Reference DBR2, and wasn't crazy about them in my setup. They were a bit dry and maybe too laid back. At the same time, I picked up the B&W 606 Anniversary, and I was floored. I've always loved B&W speakers, but I'd never tried a pair in my setup. Well, curiosity got the best of me and I ended up trying the 706 S2 bookshelves, which I loved more. And then I got even curiouser and decided to try the B&W 705 S2 with the external tweeter. I loved the 705s even more, so I went ahead and also picked up the HTM71 center. It has been pure bliss listening to music and watching movies the last few weeks. And I never thought I'd say it, but I'm not missing my Rocket 850s and Bigfoot center, which I've had for 13 years now. A month ago I would have said there's no way I'd replace the Rockets, but here I am "downgrading" to bookshelves with absolutely zero complaints and a huge grin on my face every time I power up my system.
But I never did try out the Arimotiv. Somewhere in the back of my mind I'm wondering how a pair of $250 Airmotiv B1+ might measure up to the $3k 705s...
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Post by squirrel010 on Jun 16, 2023 8:51:36 GMT -5
But I never did try out the Arimotiv. Somewhere in the back of my mind I'm wondering how a pair of $250 Airmotiv B1+ might measure up to the $3k 705s... Not as well as the $3000 705s I assure you. |
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Post by leonski on Jun 30, 2023 0:35:57 GMT -5
I see too much of this.....a small room....Just over 2000 cubic feet and the goal is some multi-channel system.
ME? If I had 2000$ or maybe up to 3000$ for JUST speakers? Buy the best near or full-range type you could find. BY LISTENING TEST.
A good stereo amp? And a good stereo preamp? If speakers are $$$ bookshelf types? Maybe a sub crossed at below 80hz....
Depending on other things? Maybe a good DAC or some other way to interface TV sound to the stereo. Leave the TV speakers OFF.....
In this case? Less is a lot MORE.
I'd be curious about what the OP ended up doing......now a year and a couple weeks past. Personally? I'd avoid 90% of all the HT gear I see out there.
My TV room with a good (not over the top, for sure) Stereo, is quite satisfying, even on music oriented programming, singing shows or just listing to music while
working around the house.....
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