Originally Posted by
SileasResearch
Glad to see this thread here about the Performance Series. I used to work at Harman (Balboa in Northridge) and have a bunch of the Performance Series speakers.
Specifically:
•PT800 - Total of 9
•PS1400 - Total of 2 (and yeah, the amps are pulled out - smoked, and using QSC MX1500A to drive the subs now)
•PC600 (unused, see comment below)
I used to use the PC600, but discussions with the designer (Greg Timbers) changed that. His preference was either PT800s all the way around or PC600s all the way around, but not mixed.
Another note, the auto-power off feature in the PS1400 amps was something he didn't like, but was marketing driven for reduced standby power consumption.
All of this is off my main topic, however. I am in a new house with a dedicated theater room which I am just starting to work on. It's not a big room (13' x 17') and doesn't have enough wall height for me to have my 133'" screen with the PT800s as Left, Center, and Right at the same height (stacked on PS1400s, C on custom stand). So, I am going to take the plunge into an acoustically transparent screen (microperf, probably, same size 133") and will put the three PT800s behind the screen.
Having spent a fair amount of time installing professional theaters and small screening rooms, the behind screen baffle is a very standard construction. Given that, I assumed that this was pretty normal for home theater as well. Nevertheless, some digging at AVSForum left me wondering a bit about all this. It seems like a fair amount of FUD, but I figured I'd check over here to see if anyone had experience with screen baffles and the PT800s.
Punchline, has anyone tried this with their PT800s, and did you baffle to the edge of the face (narrower part) or to the sides (widest part)? How far from the back of the screen did you the hard face of the PT800s? Did you leave the grills on or off?
I'd be happy to share what I can about Harman, but I left 5 years ago, and was only there a few years (my startup was Harman acquired), so my info will be pretty stale. Plus, I was focused on consumer automotive. If you have a Drive & Play 2, I can tell you every detail.
Thanks!