Speaker Question

[yourstruly]

I recently got a full set of Onkyo home theater speakers for free. However, I don't really want to have full surround sound, so I'm only using the two front speakers and the subwoofer.

Here is the setup in question:
Onkyo HT-L970 6.1-channel component DVD home theater system at Crutchfield.com

Except I'm using an old Onkyo SR TX-506 hand-me-down receiver.

My question is, am I going to get the full frequency range without using the center and surround speakers? They front speakers have tweeter, midrange, and sub has well, sub, so I should have the whole range right?

[Alai]

Your main's driver sizes are: dual 3-1/8" midrange drivers and 1" dome tweeter (taken from the description). That's only slightly larger than the Audioengine A2 drivers. Rofl. That's just sad. You're probably missing alot of lower midrange to bass Hz and dB. I guess, technically with the sub, you got all the frequency range covered. Except your sub probably doesn't go below 30Hz at -3dB, if I had to guess.

But for free speakers, they will do, I suppose.

[yourstruly]

I'm not using these for surround sound speakers, they're actually for my laptop at work. I have a much better set for my TV and stereo system.

Laptop->DAC->Receiver->Speakers.

I think my question should be, would it make any difference in terms of frequency range if I added the center/surround or would it not matter because they are basically the same drivers as the front?

[NightOwl]

Adding the center channel won't make much difference. Try to position the sub between the two front speakers (doesn't have to be at the same height). With speakers that small, the crossover point of the sub is going to be high and its output will influence phasing and imaging.

[mellows]

I'd imagine you'd want to turn down the subwoofer's output - it's designed to go with five or six satellites and you're only using two. I'm sure you'd have far too much bass otherwise. Apart from that, it seems that all the satellites are the same? So it should make no difference on that front...

[Bones13]

You are making a 2.1 system, which is used by many here. Certainly there are better, and worse systems than this for near field desktop enjoyment.

As to adding the center channel speaker, or the rear speakers to this system for listening to stereo music : If you put any of the other speakers on to the system, and enable them in the system set up, you are enabling Mr. Dolby Decoder to muck about with your music. If you can get the system to send the low stuff to the subwoffer, and the medium and high stuff to the 2 satellites, you will get the cleanest sound. If you have the manual, check to see if it has settings for the stereo 2.1 playback you are looking for in stereo system for your desktop.

[iriverdude]

That system is not full range, not by a long shot. No specs but probably 45-200hz for the sub, and 200-??khz for the sats.