# Matching Speakers to Surrounds



## devicente (Jun 28, 2007)

I just purchased a pair of Emotiva ERD-1's surrounds. Is it important that they match the rest of my speakers? Any one notice an issue with blending from the front stage to the surround?

I just read in a book called Get Better Sound that they should match just for that reason.

What is you experence?

Thanks

Steve


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## Jungle Jack (Jul 28, 2009)

devicente said:


> I just purchased a pair of Emotiva ERD-1's surrounds. Is it important that they match the rest of my speakers? Any one notice an issue with blending from the front stage to the surround?
> 
> I just read in a book called Get Better Sound that they should match just for that reason.
> 
> ...


Steve,
This is one of those things that are up for debate. Personally, I do think it to be ideal to use identical tweeters on all Speakers, but I do think it is especially important to match the Fronts and Center Channel.

Surrounds are definitely not as essential to match, but I will say the best HT's I have heard use identical tweeters or in the case of Electrostatic Speakers or Planar, identical Panels or Ribbons.
Cheers,
JJ


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## fitzwaddle (Aug 25, 2010)

For multi-channel music, its more important than for strictly HT.


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## eugovector (Sep 4, 2006)

For multichannel music, 5 identical speakers would be preferred. 

For movies, there really is little information coming out of the surround channels compared to the fronts and centers, and what does come out is usually effects and reverberation that are of a different timbre than the front channels anyway.

All that adds up to: matching speakers would be nice, but it's certainly not critical.


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## tonyvdb (Sep 5, 2007)

I agree with Marshall, Ideally in a perfect world and in a perfect room matching speakers all around is best but as we all know nothing is perfect (well except me maybe :dumbcrazy The fronts are by far more important than the surround channels. But even in my case my center is not even the same brand but works really well. all my other channels are matching.


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## devicente (Jun 28, 2007)

Well I did a comparison with the new speakers (surround speakers) to the old ones (matching bookshelves). What I discovered is that the old ones did not have as full of a sound field but the dynamics were so brighter and cleaner. Lesson learned. I'm going to send the new ones back.


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## eugovector (Sep 4, 2006)

What were the old surround speakers? What are your front speakers? What was your motivation for purchasing the emotivas?

Also, keep in mind the Emotiva's are bipole/dipole, so they need to be setup poroperly in a room with a design that will work for them. Also, by nature, they will have a more diffuse sound.


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## devicente (Jun 28, 2007)

eugovector said:


> What were the old surround speakers? What are your front speakers? What was your motivation for purchasing the emotivas?
> 
> Also, keep in mind the Emotiva's are bipole/dipole, so they need to be setup poroperly in a room with a design that will work for them. Also, by nature, they will have a more diffuse sound.


I have 3 Speakercraft Monitor Three LCR's an 2 Monitor 3's for surrounds. 

I wanted to try the bipole/dipole because I've heard all kinds of rants and raves with them. I really did enjoy them! But my wife and I enjoyed the clarity better from the speakercraft speakers.

If I ever choose to upgrade again, I'll replace them all.


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## Owen Bartley (Oct 18, 2006)

If you have the means, replacing all your speakers at once to the same brand/series/drivers would be the ideal situation, whether you prefer dipole, bipole, or direct. 

In the end, as long as it sounds good to you that's what matters, although I really would try to at least match up the centre stage as closely as possible. If I ever get around to finishing our basement, I plan (although this changes frequently) to have 3 identical front speakers, and probably just go with some modest well-placed in-walls for surrounds. They tend to be much less critical for me personally.


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