Question Monitor Audio Gold FX Owners...

dasherdiablo1

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I have just installed a pair of Gold FX's for my surrounds. I have installed them at 2.1m ish high (to the centre) and they are 2.2m away from the listening point and about 0.3m behind.

They have a few settings and I want to make sure I have set them up correctly because I don't think they sound as good as they should.

They are paired with PL200's and PLC150, a REL T7i sub and a pair of B&W M1's for the front high level channels.

Thanks in advance
 
Do you have them in bi or di pole configuration?
 
I have listened to them in both and now realise it was my AV receiver so reset it to factor settings and started again.

I think I prefer bipole as it sounds softer and harder to detect where the sound is coming from whereas dipole sounds very specific and I can pinpoint the speaker location with my eyes closed.
 
I can't remember which was which now, but if you look at the manual it tells you which of the option is best to choose. However, based on your findings i suspect it should be bipoles, since not being able to isolate the sound is the aim.
 
Bi-pole for rear mounting and di-pole for side mounting. Thats what most peope base it on.

I'm getting some GSFX soon but will more than likely use di pole as its a more dispersed sound than mono. Mine are rear mounted.
 
If i remember correctly, MA bases it on 5.1 or 7.1

I think if you have 5.1, you use di-pole no matter where the speakers are, but if you do 7.1 then you change depending on rear or sides.

However, its been ages since i looked at the manual.
 
MA say bi-pole on a 5.1 and all speakers to di-pole in a 7.1.

I wouldnt worry to much on which setting, choose which sounds the best to you.
 
One day i will replace my GRFX for some GSFX with the switches at the front, too much hassle to experiment currently.
 
One day i will replace my GRFX for some GSFX with the switches at the front, too much hassle to experiment currently.

A pair of GRFX just sold on ebay for £205 inc postage which is a steal, they still fetch good money so at least you will do well when you sell yours. (If thats your plan)

GSFX's are hard to find now, I had to trawl the internet for weeks before I found a pair in the colour i was after (Oak).
 
Yeah the same problem i had with the GRFX, in the end i gave up and brought a pair of SFX to create the 7.1. I guess people just don't change rear speakers very often.
 
I have never compared directly, but I can honestly not tell any difference in practice.

I do however have a less than ideal setup. My sofa is hard against the back wall, and i have my golds on the sides, about 1.5-2m from my head and the silvers above the chair, so effectively just behind my head, just.
 
I just realized that even though I have gold 200 and wanted the GOLD FX to match as surrounds they are not true BIPOLE-only MONOpole or DIpole which I don’t want since the surrounds are gonna be close to the side seats and will be distracting in MONOpole because closeness. Does anyone know if MA have true BIpoles as surrounds or do people just use different companies for side surround BIpoles?
 
Remember the Gold FX are hybrid dipole - that is they still use a forward facing 6.5" speaker to fill out the gap that would otherwise be left with pure dipole.
 
Remember the Gold FX are hybrid dipole - that is they still use a forward facing 6.5" speaker to fill out the gap that would otherwise be left with pure dipole.

I don’t get what you mean-you can see from looking at the speaker that in dipole mode it shoots out to the side and when in the monopole (direct mode) it uses the front firing speakers straight on...

Dipole is not good for Atmos. I wish they used a true BIPOLE surround speaker but I have to go with a difinitive technology side surround bipole to match up with my GOLD 200 towers, GOLD C350 centre and 4 CT265IDC Atmos ceiling...

Wish I coulda got MA bipole surrounds...
 
From the brochure "In dipole mode the FX uses two pairs of side firing 4” C-CAM bass/mid drivers and 25mm C-CAM gold-dome tweeters, combined with the tailored output from the front-firing bass/mid driver to provide wonderfully diffuse yet tonally precise surround effects."
Being that most phase cancellation on dipole speakers happens in the low frequencies (which are handled in this case by the single front facing 6.5) these will provide a fairly similar audio dispersion pattern to the bipole speakers. Of course Dolby say monopole is preferred for their modern Atmon/TrueHD audio codecs - however the FX can do this as well.
 
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From the brochure "In dipole mode the FX uses two pairs of side firing 4” C-CAM bass/mid drivers and 25mm C-CAM gold-dome tweeters, combined with the tailored output from the front-firing bass/mid driver to provide wonderfully diffuse yet tonally precise surround effects."
Being that most phase cancellation on dipole speakers happens in the low frequencies (which are handled in this case by the single front facing 6.5) these will provide a fairly similar audio dispersion pattern to the bipole speakers. Of course Dolby say monopole is preferred for their modern Atmon/TrueHD audio codecs - however the FX can do this as well.

It doesn’t change the fact that it’s DIPOLE-not very good for Atmos-it’s not a bipole even if you think that explanation for bipole is similar-it’s is not.

Would be great if MA made a true BIPOLE surround
 
The MA Silver FX are bipole.
 
The MA Silver FX are bipole.

They are “bipole” the same way the Gold are “bipole”-which is to say, they aren’t. The solver design is the same as gold with different tweeters. Even ask Monitor Audio reps-they are ACTUALLY monopole and dipole-NOT Bipole...
 
It doesn’t change the fact that it’s DIPOLE-not very good for Atmos-it’s not a bipole even if you think that explanation for bipole is similar-it’s is not.

Would be great if MA made a true BIPOLE surround

I'm not sure what Atmos has got to do with the configuration of rear/side surrounds.

What Atmos speakers do you have?
 
I'm not sure what Atmos has got to do with the configuration of rear/side surrounds.

What Atmos speakers do you have?

The CT265IDCx4

I am open to getting a MA monopole in wall surround even though both sides will be close (1-2 feet) from the side sitting positions of sectional and will have localization effect because of close proximity.

That way I can match the gold ribbons and timbre from
My Gold 200 and Gold C350 centre

There is so many options-in a small room do I need to get a two way or 3 way surround if it is also close to listener.

Also, is an 8 inch driver overkill for surrounds if I’m only getting a Gold 200 towers which themselves only have 5.5 inch drivers?
 
The CT265IDCx4

I am open to getting a MA monopole in wall surround even though both sides will be close (1-2 feet) from the side sitting positions of sectional and will have localization effect because of close proximity.

That way I can match the gold ribbons and timbre from
My Gold 200 and Gold C350 centre

There is so many options-in a small room do I need to get a two way or 3 way surround if it is also close to listener.

Also, is an 8 inch driver overkill for surrounds if I’m only getting a Gold 200 towers which themselves only have 5.5 inch drivers?

Ahhh so its timbre matching your speakers with your atmos and main front speakers.

My GSFX sit very close to side walls and seem to work ok in both di-pole and mono. Unless you have a very large room I think there will always be some restrictions.

Go for the ones that suit your fronts.
 
Ahhh so its timbre matching your speakers with your atmos and main front speakers.

My GSFX sit very close to side walls and seem to work ok in both di-pole and mono. Unless you have a very large room I think there will always be some restrictions.

Go for the ones that suit your fronts.

Because I have an opening on one side of the room where the left surround speaker goes I was wondering if it’s possible to mount the one surround speaker on wall and use a shelf or stand for the second one where there is no wall...does anyone have experience with either this configuration or using any FX speaker (s) on a shelf or stand??

Also, Is there other options for monitor surrounds on stands if I go that way with both other than over paying for a bookshelf front speaker repurposed for a side speaker?
 
I have listened to them in both and now realise it was my AV receiver so reset it to factor settings and started again.

I think I prefer bipole as it sounds softer and harder to detect where the sound is coming from whereas dipole sounds very specific and I can pinpoint the speaker location with my eyes closed.

That’s odd because dipole was chosen by THX for the very purpose of not being able to pinpoint their placement.
 
Because I have an opening on one side of the room where the left surround speaker goes I was wondering if it’s possible to mount the one surround speaker on wall and use a shelf or stand for the second one where there is no wall...does anyone have experience with either this configuration or using any FX speaker (s) on a shelf or stand??

Also, Is there other options for monitor surrounds on stands if I go that way with both other than over paying for a bookshelf front speaker repurposed for a side speaker?

If you have an opening it may be best to use bookshelf speakers on a stand. I think FX speakers on a stand would look very odd IMO.

Or you could go for ceiling speakers for your surrounds.
 

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