The Mighty Thor

[Charles]

Originally Posted by trponhunter

Charles, I assume you are running the MAXX's full range and just adding the sub below them? If so, what is the crossover frequency and slope?

No, I thought long and hard about how to interface the Thor and the Maxxes. My natural inclination was to run the Maxxes full range but then I read the OM, something everyone should do but I wonder how many actually do it? At first the recommndation is to run Wilson speakers like the Maxxes full range. But when you really dig into the OM on the Controller the suggestion is to run the HP/LP, so I thought what the heck, I'll try it. The OM pointedly states that particular attention had been paid to the quality of the HP filter. So I am runnning the Maxxes through the HP filter set at 30 Hz with a 6db roll off and the Thor through the LP set at 30 Hz with roll off at 18 db. Phase is set to 90 and volume is set at ten o'clock. It was all so simple. I'll have more to say on this later on, but let me say now my sound is fantastic. I cant explain why the Maxxes sound so much better this way than by themselves. It runs against everthing I thought I knew about audio. It took about 5-6 hours for the Controller to break in but then the hardness went completely away leaving spectacular sound in the wake. Also watching the watt meters of the 601 with normal music, they are never on zero but always between .6 and 6 watts. I thought they'd be on zero most of the time. Amazing what you find out with professional grade equipment. The watt/hold feature of Mac amps is truly an invaluable feature to monitor wattage expenditure in a complex system such as mine. And no I didn't just plop Thor down. He'd get mad at me if I did that. Just so happens it's where I would have placed him if I'd had 15 other locations to choose from, 18" from the back wall exactly between the Maxxes and bisecting their depth. The lowboy configuration is greatly preferable to upright. It's the reason I bought the Thor. The perfect location was the only location. How lucky can you get? So I had to try, I simply had to

[Pider]

Originally Posted by C220MC275

Wow !
this thing is huuuuge !
Take care to your ears !

Can't wait to hear how Debussy sounds on those. Soft flutes in a woodland ....

.... via phone

[trponhunter]

Charles, I would try running the Maxx's full range also - leave the subs crossed just the way they are. The Maxx's will be more transparent without the crossover, ( no matter how good of an analogue crossover someone makes, it's never as see through as without it) and the Maxx's most likely begin to roll off pretty quickly in the room anyway by 30hz. Try it - see what you think - there's no guarantee either way -but my inclination would be to run them full range and add the woofers- I bet it will be more transparent.
Also, since most speakers start rolling off pretty quickly below 40 or 30hz in room (that's why people are starting to use woofers with Alexandria's) ,adding the woofer allows you to drive the extreme low end and fill in for the room roll off (or speaker roll off - or the combination)- this opens up the acoustical space and even has an effect on the midrange and the top end.

[Masterlu]

Originally Posted by trponhunter

Charles, I would try running the Maxx's full range also - leave the subs crossed just the way they are. The Maxx's will be more transparent without the crossover, ( no matter how good of an analogue crossover someone makes, it's never as see through as without it) and the Maxx's most likely begin to roll off pretty quickly in the room anyway by 30hz. Try it - see what you think - there's no guarantee either way -but my inclination would be to run them full range and add the woofers- I bet it will be more transparent.
Also, since most speakers start rolling off pretty quickly below 40 or 30hz in room (that's why people are starting to use woofers with Alexandria's) ,adding the woofer allows you to drive the extreme low end and fill in for the room roll off (or speaker roll off - or the combination)- this opens up the acoustical space and even has an effect on the midrange and the top end.

I like where your heads at.

[Charles]

Originally Posted by trponhunter

Charles, I would try running the Maxx's full range also - leave the subs crossed just the way they are. The Maxx's will be more transparent without the crossover, ( no matter how good of an analogue crossover someone makes, it's never as see through as without it) and the Maxx's most likely begin to roll off pretty quickly in the room anyway by 30hz. Try it - see what you think - there's no guarantee either way -but my inclination would be to run them full range and add the woofers- I bet it will be more transparent.
Also, since most speakers start rolling off pretty quickly below 40 or 30hz in room (that's why people are starting to use woofers with Alexandria's) ,adding the woofer allows you to drive the extreme low end and fill in for the room roll off (or speaker roll off - or the combination)- this opens up the acoustical space and even has an effect on the midrange and the top end.

tropn, I hear you. Something is going on here I don't understand. I've never had equipment like this so I'm just going to enjoy for awhile. The Maxxes are much faster, more dynamic, more detailed and the notes start and stop much faster, not a little. Everything is better from the treble on down through the midrange with no penalty whatsoever, very strange and mystifying, really.

[trponhunter]

i beleive you Charles - and my assumption is it will get better still when you run try the Maxx's full range with the sub

[Charles]

Originally Posted by trponhunter

i beleive you Charles - and my assumption is it will get better still when you run try the Maxx's full range with the sub

tropon, it's quite amazing that I can hear the sub on regular bass and the difference is not subtle. It's not more bass but better bass, much better. I've never heard bass like this, it's not intrusive or dominating at all. It's the transient response of it and the transient response and clarity of the whole system has been substantially increased, very mystifying and completely unexpected. It's just audio, not life or death, but I'm more than a little confused. I thought the results of what I was doing would be completely predictable. I really expected the Thor to deliver the low frequency goods and it has. But the rest of the results have disorientated me. I thought I'd say ok so much for the HP/LP configuration now let's move on to how the rational part of me tells me must be reality. When you read the OM Dave Wilson recommends using the HP/LP configuration, no question about it. Maybe he knows something I don't. Any way I aint changin nothin just yet. This is going to take a lot of listening.

[metaphacts]

Originally Posted by trponhunter

Charles, I would try running the Maxx's full range also - leave the subs crossed just the way they are. The Maxx's will be more transparent without the crossover, ( no matter how good of an analogue crossover someone makes, it's never as see through as without it) and the Maxx's most likely begin to roll off pretty quickly in the room anyway by 30hz. Try it - see what you think - there's no guarantee either way -but my inclination would be to run them full range and add the woofers- I bet it will be more transparent.
Also, since most speakers start rolling off pretty quickly below 40 or 30hz in room (that's why people are starting to use woofers with Alexandria's) ,adding the woofer allows you to drive the extreme low end and fill in for the room roll off (or speaker roll off - or the combination)- this opens up the acoustical space and even has an effect on the midrange and the top end.

Who is this guy?

[metaphacts]

Originally Posted by Charles

Maybe he knows something I don't. Any way I aint changin nothin just yet. This is going to take a lot of listening.

"It is the future you see."

[BlueChiaro]

I just had to bring one of Charles' pictures into this thread:



Congrats, Charles...enjoy!