# Percussive violence and sonic bliss



## dguarnaccia (Jul 17, 2008)

Hi all, I wanted to share my experiences with the Chase Home Theater products. I have 4 sho10s as surrounds to my Gedlee Abbeys and Nathan (center) and and 18.2 and 18.T. I started with the beta 18.2 in 2010, and recently added a second 18.2 to help me smooth out the frequency response. I also picked up the Sho10's because I wanted to see how they would compare to the Earl Geddes fabulous speakers. If they came close, I would use them as surrounds, as Earl's speakers, while amazing, cost an small fortune and take 2-4 months to have built. (in fact, you can't get them made from him anymore, he outsources builds completely now)

Sho10's have arrived and I set them up. Since I'm still waiting on mounting hardware, I set them up on some homemade stands next to the Abbeys for some quick listening impressions. 

Here is a shot of the original 18.2 I bought a few years ago. It was one of the first to be built. Love it's meaty looks: 












The Sho10's arrived save and sound by pallet












Got them all setup next to the Abbeys for some quick first impressions




















After listening to them for quite some time, I'm still amazed by their impressive detail. Lots of subtle detail comes through, particularly with accoustic guitar and jazz. They don't paint quite the holographic image that the Abbeys do yet, but they come close to the Abbeys. The Sho's are also 1/5 of the price, so I don't expect this to be apples to apples, but the detail is very solid. Much better than the Rockets that the Abbeys replaced. 

Couple of shots of them on the walls:



















As to the second 18.T, wow!

I tossed in Tron Legacy one morning after it arrived and scared myself half to death from the opening fireworks sound from the Disney intro. That's right, the opening screen with the Disney castle. I though someone has light off fireworks in the house. 

Tron was rediculous, I know that, but I think I might have ruptures my spleen some of the scenes. Just so much concussion going on now. I had the AVR at -20, which was my normal movie watching volume. I had to dial back the subs a bit more even, with all that crazy displacement going on. 

Having 2 pairs of 18's really did balance out the bass response across the seats as well. Overall, this is a game changer for me. 1 was good, but this is so far beyond good. It brings a little of visceral involvement I have only heard in the highest end listening rooms at audio shops.


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## dguarnaccia (Jul 17, 2008)

Of course, no review would be complete without some measurements. I typically use XTZ, because I can seem to make REW work well for me. 

Here is the current room response:










I'm going to be starting on a new theater build as we move to a new house, and I'll start a new home theater thread shortly for Mancave 3.0...


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## spurdarren (Jan 11, 2012)

Nice write up. It is fun when you add a second sub to the mix. I am interested in how the Chase speakers sound but I am very partial to my Klipsch setup.


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## dguarnaccia (Jul 17, 2008)

I havent' heard the Klipse in years, but I've never been happy with their forward sounds (some would say bright) but it's been 10 years, so can't say if they are still that way. The Sho10's are very neutral. Very similar to the Geddes speakers that way. I've always been a fan of speakers like Paradigm Studios, and these have that similar transparent sound to them, but with the awesome dynamics of a high effeciency speaker design, horn, etc. 

I think MKTheater has put the Sho10's up agaist some Klipses, perhaps he can comment on them here.


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## dguarnaccia (Jul 17, 2008)

Any yea, with that second Sub, wow! I know it's only a 6 DB boost, but man, does that add a visceral element to the game. I feel like I'm getting an ab workout from the pounding. I've had Vedodynes and MFW15's, and I've never felt this sort of impact before. The full pressurization of the zoom from this kind of sheer diplacement. I even shut down all my buttkickers and am selling them, because they can't shake the Berklines like the subs do. The entire room shudders when there is a good LFE scene.


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## sbdman (Dec 21, 2008)

Just the fact that you could put the SHO-10s in the same sentence with the Abbeys tells me I made the right decision. And, I love the metal grills - giving a hint of the drivers without looking too raw.

You do have me intrigued about doubling up on the subs - very, very tempting. But, with my bassaphobic better half, think I need carefully weigh that option. If I could hide it, I'd do it in a second.

Awesome setup - very nice home theater!


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## dguarnaccia (Jul 17, 2008)

The Abbeys are better, but that aren't twice as good. They are perhaps 10% better. Of course in the hobby, you pay more and more for incrementally less and less. But it's subtle nuaces that make the Abbeys better. A slightly deeper and wider soundstage, and bit more precision on separing out difference instruments in the sound field. 

I was after the best possible speaker mains under 10k, and settled on the front stage which cost today around 8200 (2 abbeys and 1 Nathan). For the same investment I could have had a 7 way sho10 system from chase with 4 18.2s! Sometimes I wonder which way I should have gone, but I'm happy with how everything sounds, and I just love the sho10's on surround duty. In crowded scenes with a lot going on, you can hear every bit of detail. Like the opening battle scene of Master and Commander, when the grapshot is slamming into the ship. You can hear every impact and tinkle of falling wood. Normal tweeter based speakers just can't deliver that sort of dynamics from my experience.


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## MUCHO (Aug 26, 2006)

Nice set up!

I'm curious ... how are those surrounds secured to the wall? Looks a little precarious? I'm sure you know what you're doing but with those two subs pounding away your walls are surely vibrating a bit...


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## dguarnaccia (Jul 17, 2008)

Thanks. The mounts are actually LCD TV mounts rated to 60 pounds. Here is a link to them on Amazon
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000SDXZT2/ref=oh_o01_s00_i00_details They are screwed into the back of the speakers with 4 heavy screws and anchored into the studs in the wall. If they haven't fallen off yet, they aren't going anywhere 

In the next interation of the mancave, I plan to place the speakers inside column and anchored inside those behind GOM but that'll be a few months before I get there.


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## MUCHO (Aug 26, 2006)

Nice. I used a similar set up and opted for sub optimal placement so I could make sure they were attached into the studs.

Enjoy! I'm sure your neighbors don't! :yikes:


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## dguarnaccia (Jul 17, 2008)

It's surprisingly quiet outside. My house backs to a roadway behind me, a sidewalk on one side and my other side neighbors are about 40 feet away so they don't get much sound transmission. Even with a movie like Saving Private Ryan at 100+ db hasn't ever bugged them. 

I also had to move them over a bit more than I really wanted to get to a studd. We are moving up to 20 acres in a few months where I'll get to build Mancave 3.0. I've started a new thead in the construction forum if you are curious.


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