AVI Neutron Five 2.1 PC based setup

[steve_1979]

http://i1239.photobucket.com/albums/ff512/steve__1979/SP_A0361.jpg

http://i1239.photobucket.com/albums/ff512/steve__1979/SP_A0360.jpg

http://i1239.photobucket.com/albums/ff512/steve__1979/SP_A0364.jpg

This is my AVI Neutron Five 2.1 system which I've had for about a month now and I absolutely love it. It's an 'all in one' system that includes a DAC, 3 x 100watt amplifiers, Neutron V passive speakers and a high quality 10" sub. I bought it direct from AVI for just £900 and for that price the quality is just astounding. I've heard quite a few seperates systems in hifi shops and this beats anything for under a grand by a mile and it even sounds better than most systems that cost £2000 or more!

They sound very natural and uncoloured like studio monitors - but just because they don't add any of their own 'character' to the sound doesn't mean that they're boring because they aren't. They're very dynamic and detailed and will pefectly convey any emotion that's been recorded in a song, they just won't add any extra emotion of their own.

I use them for near-field use at my computer and they have a great stereo image although this does improve slightly when setup for mid-field listening. The way the sub intergrates so smoothly is amazing too. It never sounds directional, it just extends the lower frequencies of the stereo speakers and adds weight but without any of the 'boom' that you normally get with subs. It just sounds tight and tuneful with music unlike most other subs which have clearly been designed to be loud and boomy with movies.

Looks wise they're pretty basic but are very smart and well finnished. The build quality is exellent and I like the shiny piano black finnish which looks good and expensive.

Overall, it's an absolutely amazing system which I'm very happy with. I no longer have that itch to upgrade and I expect I'll be enjoying this system for many years to come.

[Reid Malenfant]

Hi Steve, nice post & an interesting looking little sub ;) Would you mind popping into the welcome area & saying hello please, a bit about your musical tastes would be good to :) If this isn't your main setup then what is?

Thanks in advance Steve :)

[steve_1979]

Hi Reid,

I'll update the post in the Welcome area ASAP. This is my only hifi setup BTW. :)

http://www.theartofsound.net/forum/showthread.php?p=259981#post259981

[Reid Malenfant]

Yeah, i know Steve, cheers for doing it! You'll soon see that :)

It's all a question of timing :cool:

[DSJR]

I think a sub with N5's is ESSENTIAL, together with a powerful driving amp. I found that mine projected the mid a touch more than I could take.. As you know from elsewhere ;), the Pro-Nines in my office system were more tweakable to suit my tastes and hearing :)

[steve_1979]

Hi Steve, nice post & an interesting looking little sub ;)

The subwoofer acts like a kind of head unit for the whole system. It's remote controlled and contains the DAC and the three 100watt amps.

Here's some more details: http://www.avihifi.co.uk/neutron.html

[steve_1979]

I think a sub with N5's is ESSENTIAL, together with a powerful driving amp. I found that mine projected the mid a touch more than I could take.. As you know from elsewhere ;), the Pro-Nines in my office system were more tweakable to suit my tastes and hearing :)

Hiya DJSR ;)

I think that the Neutron speakers have pretty good bass for their size but the sub does make for a good improvement to the overall sound. I'd never want to use any bookshelf speakers without a sub though.

[DSJR]

Hiya DJSR ;)

I think that the Neutron speakers have pretty good bass for their size but the sub does make for a good improvement to the overall sound. I'd never want to use any bookshelf speakers without a sub though.

:cool:

[Ant]

Cool - a 'lefty'

Welcome to AoS - May I ask what the remote esque jobbie is on the lower right of the desk? Is it the AVI master controller?

Ps, I had one of those chairs ala argos, I did something like this on it: :dance: and surprisingly - it broke :doh:


Ant

[steve_1979]

Cool - a 'lefty'

Welcome to AoS - May I ask what the remote esque jobbie is on the lower right of the desk? Is it the AVI master controller?


Hi ant :)

The :dance: made me :lolsign: :lol:

The 'remote esque jobbie' is a USB number keypad which I use for playing games with. Because I'm a lefty I find it a bit uncomfortable using the main keyboard for controlling movement when playing first person shooter games so I reassign the keys and use the little number pad instead. I also have an Xbox controller but I only use that for driving games.

This is the Labtec number pad I use
http://i1239.photobucket.com/albums/ff512/steve__1979/num.jpg


This is the AVI remote control for the speaker system
http://i1239.photobucket.com/albums/ff512/steve__1979/remote.jpg

[steve_1979]

Here's a photo of my old surround sound setup which consisted of Q Acoustics 1010i 5.1 speakers with a Yamaha RX-V667 receiver. It was good for games but rubbish for music which is why I upgraded to the 2.1 AVI system.

http://i1239.photobucket.com/albums/ff512/steve__1979/2PC.jpg

[Ant]

Hi ant :)

The :dance: made me :lolsign: :lol:

The 'remote esque jobbie' is a USB number keypad which I use for playing games with. Because I'm a lefty I find it a bit uncomfortable using the main keyboard for controlling movement when playing first person shooter games so I reassign the keys and use the little number pad instead. I also have an Xbox controller but I only use that for driving games.



Silly me, of course it is - must have been my balanced mix of tiredness and kronenbourg which made me wonder.

Top stuff.



Cheers,
Ant

[synsei]

"With a generous 100 Watts per channel for the Neutrons and another 100 for the Sub the Neutron Five 2.1 system has more dynamic range than most old fashioned hi fi and so is better suited to the high dynamic range of movie sound tracks and the best music recordings."

Ouch, AVI don't mince their words, do they? :wheniwasaboy: :D

A tidy little setup there Steve, that sub looks meaty ;)

[DSJR]

I bet I know who penned those comments about "old fashioned hifi." Once you know where he's coming from and the fact he has product to sell, I've learned to ignore it now :)

[steve_1979]

Ouch, AVI don't mince their words, do they? :wheniwasaboy: :D

Hehe you're not wrong there. :) AVI have quite a reputation for being outspoken. They seem to be on a mission to dispel the false hifi myths and audiofoolery that's been promoted by some other hifi companies and magazines over the years. The stuff that they say does make alot of sense.

There's no gimmickly products at AVI, they just stick to using high quality components and well established engineering principals. They make their speakers sound 'right' by using proper scientifically measured objective results rather then personal subjective opinions about what sounds good. They don't make equiptment that's warm or bright sounding, they only do accurate and detailed.




that sub looks meaty ;)
Oh yes! It sure is that. :eek: Here's photo of chassis and magnet.

http://i1239.photobucket.com/albums/ff512/steve__1979/AVIsub.jpg

[Welder]

Ohhh, fps :thumbsup:

Never mind the feckin Hi Fi, what games do you play?
Luverly a PC player an all ;)

Wot!! a proper nylon headed mallet as well. Ffs life is looking up :)

[steve_1979]

I bet I know who penned those comments about "old fashioned hifi." Once you know where he's coming from and the fact he has product to sell, I've learned to ignore it now :)

Yes Ash can a be a bit full on at times but he certainly knows what he's talking about.

[Reid Malenfant]

http://i1239.photobucket.com/albums/ff512/steve__1979/AVIsub.jpg
What size is that driver Steve? Looks to be a 10" to me & i have a suspicion that AVI didn't design it :eyebrows:

[steve_1979]

Ohhh, fps :thumbsup:

Never mind the feckin Hi Fi, what games do you play?
Luverly a PC player an all ;)

Wot!! a proper nylon headed mallet as well. Ffs life is looking up :)

I mostly play shooters and driving games but reciently I've got into Starcraft 2. I've never liked any RTS games before but I had to give this one a try because of all the hype. It's a terriffic game - very addictive. :eek: I also have FSX with loads of addons.

Are you a PC gamer? What do you play?

[steve_1979]

What size is that driver Steve? Looks to be a 10" to me & i have a suspicion that AVI didn't design it :eyebrows:

Yes that's right it's 10" and your right that AVI didn't design it themselves. It's some Indonesian company that make the drivers, I forget the name though.

[Reid Malenfant]

Please let me know if you ever remember, looks like a quality bit of kit :) It'd be interesting to know the driver parameters.....

Sorry, i start to :drool: :drool: when i see a decent bass driver :eyebrows: Can't wait to build my subs next year :doh:

[Welder]

The Unreal Tournament series although I’ve got into mapping more than online play.
Quake Live.
AssaultCube, online.

[steve_1979]

Please let me know if you ever remember, looks like a quality bit of kit :) It'd be interesting to know the driver parameters.....

Sorry, i start to :drool: :drool: when i see a decent bass driver :eyebrows:

I'll contact Ashley at AVI and ask him for some details on it for you. I can tell you that it's the same driver as used in AVI's other larger subwoofer which has a 200watt amp in it.


Can't wait to build my subs next year :doh:
I had a go at building some speakers when I was a kid. They used two 500watt 15" Longmill bass drivers. Not exactly what you'd call hi fidelity but they sure went loud. :gig:

[steve_1979]

The Unreal Tournament series although I’ve got into mapping more than online play.
Quake Live.
AssaultCube, online.

I used to be a big fan of UT3. I downloaded loads of maps and addons for it when they had that big competition a couple of years ago. Have you made any famous maps that I may have played?

[Reid Malenfant]

I'll contact Ashley at AVI and ask him for some details on it for you. I can tell you that it's the same driver as used in AVI's other larger subwoofer which has a 200watt amp in it.


I had a go at building some speakers when I was a kid. They used two 500watt 15" Longmill bass drivers. Not exactly what you'd call hi fidelity but they sure went loud. :gig:
Yes i'd be greatful if you can find out anything - thanks :)

I have 4 of these to play with (http://www.creativesound.ca/pdf/CSS-SDX15-data-121107.pdf) :eek: :lolsign:

That's a link to a PDF, perfectly safe... I have no idea what they are going to be capable of simply because i have never heard bass at the volume levels they'll be able to produce, or for that matter the depth :eyebrows: I already have the power amp that'll drive them in my system now, 2600W RMS per channel 8 ohm, 7000W RMS per channel 2 ohm :whistle:

PLM14000 (http://labgruppen.com/media/downloads/product/PLM_Series_Technical_Data_Sheet_TDS_PLM14000_V5.pd f)

I guess i'm nuts :lol: Strangley i get on ok with the neighbours :eyebrows:

[steve_1979]

Wow that's some serious kit you've got there. :stalks:

Are you a DJ or do you intend using them at home?

[Reid Malenfant]

At home, in the AV room ;)

I have a kind of weird philosophy that makes a lot of sense if you think about it :) What i'm going to build i'll never be able to listen to at full volume, therefore at any level i care to listen at the distortion from the speakers will not be worth worrying about.

Even very loud the speakers will produce no more distortion than a decent sized pair of speakers driven to slightly more than what you might call a normal level? :scratch:

At moderate or normal levels they'll be as clean as a whistle.

[colinB]

The driver is made by Sinar Baja, some ex scanspeak employees i believe.
I guess you either love AVI amps or you dont but the sub is very nice.;)

[steve_1979]

I have a kind of weird philosophy that makes a lot of sense if you think about it :) What i'm going to build i'll never be able to listen to at full volume, therefore at any level i care to listen at the distortion from the speakers will not be worth worrying about.

Actually that sounds very logical to me. Most hifi and AV systems that I've heard have had underpowered amps that start sounding stressed at even moderate volume levels. Talk about using a sledge hamer to crack a nut though, 7kW will certainly give you pleanty of head room.

When you finnish building your subs have a listen to this track with the bass turned up high.
http://open.spotify.com/track/32mArz1WHM1MwRVOnHcge3

[Reid Malenfant]

The driver is made by Sinar Baja, some ex scanspeak employees i believe.
Cheers Colin, i'll see what i can find out :)

I reckon you are bang on the money Colin (http://www.sinarbajaelectric.com/new/index.php), unfortunately i can't find a lot else :rolleyes:



When you finnish building your subs have a listen to this track with the bass turned up high.
http://open.spotify.com/track/32mArz1WHM1MwRVOnHcge3
I can't turn the bass up high, it's flat from whatever volume level & i have no tone controls etc... Take it from me i have music that'll get them shaking the house 5476

:lol:

[steve_1979]

Hi colinB.

I see that you have the AVI Neutron system too. What do you think of it?

[colinB]

I dont worry about amp and speakers any more im done and very happy.
Couldnt care less if ADMs sound better because my music ( and movies ) sound great. The sub is stuck between the speakers with the telly on top. Games movies spotify and vinyl all go through the sub. Wish it had a headphone out though.

[colinB]

The woofer unit has a big air gap between the cone and the magnet which ive never seen before so i think they are an interesting design Mark if you can get a hold of one

[Reid Malenfant]

It's for cooling the voicecoil Colin, keep things as open as possible. Same theory with the big vent on the back of the magnet, as the cone moves in & out it'll pump air in & out over the voicecoil & help cool it & the magnet assembly.

It increases power handling & reduces power compression due to the voicecoil getting hot (copper resistance increases with temperature), it doesn't eliminate it but does increase linearity & thus fidelity :)

[colinB]

Cheers Mark. I knew you would explain it well. If you get time to build that sub id love to hear it.

[jandl100]

Yes Ash can a be a bit full on at times but he certainly knows what he's talking about.

:whistle:

It's good that you're enjoying your new system, Steve. :thumbsup:
New at £900 you sure get a lot for your money!

[steve_1979]

Yes Ash can a be a bit full on at times but he certainly knows what he's talking about.

After re-reading that post I've just realised that I must have sounded a bit rude towards Ash. He's actually a really friendly guy and his level customer service is the best I've ever known. :)

I think that he can sometimes come accross as 'full on' because he really believes in the quality of AVI's products and is very happy to explain the reasons why they're so good.

[steve_1979]

It's good that you're enjoying your new system, Steve. :thumbsup:

Oh yes I'm very happy with it. Hopefully one day I'll be able to afford to upgrade to an ADM active speaker systems.



New at £900 you sure get a lot for your money!
Yes it would normally have cost £1300 but AVI had a sale on Facebook. The sound quality is astounding for the price. I can honestly say that I've never heard a conventional hifi setup for under £2000 which sounds this good. Even most systems costing £2000-£3000 aren't this good!

[steve_1979]

I dont worry about amp and speakers any more im done and very happy.
Couldnt care less if ADMs sound better because my music ( and movies ) sound great.
Yes, my thoughts exactly. :)


The sub is stuck between the speakers with the telly on top.

I always though it would make a good TV stand too. :scratch:

[colinB]

With a black flat screen on top i think it looks great but then i have no wifey giving me a hard time. Nice deal you got there , basically you got the stereo Neutrons for free. Buying a AVI legacy amp can cost you that much on ebay.