2. home-theater
  3. 1010430285

Soliloquy bad for HT?

I just bought a demo Soliloquy C3 center to use with my 5.3 mains. I went with Soliloquy because I think they're great for music. I love the 5.3s. But the C3 center just does not seem to match right, which is odd since it uses the exact same drivers, same box (although shortened a little), etc.

Scenes seem to pan ok, but voice just does not sound the same as the 5.3, IMO. I don't even think it's close.

Has anyone else had any experience with Soliloquy in HT? Maybe I don't have it set up just right.
gunbunny
rhythmace4218
53 posts
 
bbroussard, the 5.3's from what I understand from soliloquy is the only speaker in the line that has the tweeter wired out of phase. These were designed by Dennis Had of Cary. If there is a significant matching problem this could have something to do with it. Check with Soliloquy.
avguygeorge
2,300 posts
 
I have heard from a reliable source that tweeter is a $10 item--check it out.
How about using the tv's speaker for the center speaker. My Pioneer allows for this. There are binding posts on the back of the set
kenai
5 posts
 
I use a C3 with 6.3s for HT and I think Soliloquys are very good. I use an 8' Kimber Bifocal XL cable on the C3 and it sounds great.

I do want to mention an experience I had with the C3 though. When I first got the 6.3s and the C3 I had a Pioneer Elite VSX 49TX Amp. Everything sounded great (especially after 500 hrs of break in) but something happened. At a certain moderate to high volume level (not too loud though) the amp would suddenly shut it self off. This would occur consistently at the same spot in several DVD movies. It turned out that it was at a certain high frequency (ie: the clang of a chain). It drove me crazy! I messed with everything in the system for 2 weeks...changing cables, switching speakers 1 at a time, playing the same spot in the DVD over and over... I finally realized that the C3 was causing the shutdown each time. (I suspected a bad crossover) I returned the C3 to Soliloquy who replaced it within 2 days at no charge! (Their customer service is great by the way). UNFORTUNATELY...the replacement did the same thing. I brought the C3 to a local Sound Advice store and had them hook it up to their switchable system. Turned out the the C3 worked fine at any volume on every amp EXCEPT the Pioneer Elite VSX 49TX Amp and the next one down, the VSX 47TX. It shut both of those amps down at the same spot in the CD (this time I used an ELP tune "From the Beginning" at #26)! Less expensive Pioneer Elite amps did not shut down. I ended up returning the 49TX and going with B&K Ref 30 preamp and 7270 amp. Now everything sounds great. No shutdown either. I pass this info along just in case anyone else tries to use the C3 with either of these two Pioneer amps.

Good luck. Ken
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