# boston acoustics vrx



## geo22 (Sep 5, 2015)

They can be set up as direct-radiating or diffuse-field surrounds
i am a newbie can anyone tell me anything about these methods of setting up these speakers
what are the advantages and disadvantages


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## AudiocRaver (Jun 6, 2012)

No doubt you will get different answers. Here is mine.

Diffused might seem like a good choice for surrounds. Until there is a voice or a sound or an instrument (in a 5.1 music mix) that is mixed to a surround speaker and then instead of a clear, precisely-located sound source, it will sound like a big, general blob. With the direct radiating setup, it is more likely - depending on setup and room and other factors - to sound like it is coming from a point in space. Having experienced both, I choose the precision imaging choice of the direct radiating setting.


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## Wayne A. Pflughaupt (Apr 13, 2006)

As AudiocRaver indicated, lots of variables.

Traditionally diffuse surround speakers (more commonly known as dipole or bipole) have been recommended for symmetrical, rectangular rooms where there was some distance between the viewing position and the back wall. The idea was that they would reflect the sound off the front and back walls, giving a diffuse and non-localized soundfield at the viewing position. However, these speakers, AFAIK don’t work as well in other situations, such as rooms where the viewing position is against the back wall, or in rooms with non-symmetrical construction.

Like AudiocRaver, I also prefer direct-radiating rear speakers (aka monopole), as long as they can be located at least 7-10 ft. away from the viewing position (at least from a movie-soundtrack perspective - I don’t do any multi-channel music listening). On top of that, I prefer them to be mounted above the viewing position. Nothing is more distracting than direct-radiating rear speakers sitting at ear level and only 2 ft away.

Regards, 
Wayne


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## willis7469 (Jan 31, 2014)

+Wayne and +Wayne. 
I also prefer direct radiators.


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## Lumen (May 17, 2014)

If you move a lot, they'd be a good choice for the different rooms you'll use.


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