Question

New Play 5 with Sub. Recommendations

  • 29 October 2015
  • 29 replies
  • 23483 views


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29 replies


Will a Play 1 pair+ sub sound different than a Play 5(gen2) pair+ sub if both are played at the same volume?


Excellent question, to which I doubt you will get a good answer because such an answer would have to be based on first ensuring the following things:
1. Instrument based matching of volume levels that are needed for the answer to be valid - even a difference as little as 0.2dB leads to the "louder sounding better" result
2. Blind testing to rule out bias
3. Placing the two sets in the exact same location in the room where the test is being done
4. Instant switch over back and forth between the two systems to prevent being misled by tricks played by audio memories that are very short term in all humans.

It is close to impossible at home to ensure compliance with these conditions, that are needed to obtain an objective answer, so you won't get any.

My gut feeling: it will be very hard to pick out the difference under these conditions. Even more difficult to predict is that even where the differences are objectively heard, which sound will be the subjectively preferred one.
Ik heb 2x Play 5 Gen 2 in stereo paar staan, en heb een Sub toegevoegd omdat bij hoge volume met alleen 2 Play 5 Gen 2 het laag minder vond worden en dat miste. En nu ik de Sub erbij heb toegevoegd is het geluid bij vraag aan hoge volume mooi vol en strak. Merkbaar is dat de Play 5 Gen 2 veel beter klinken omdat deze speakers nu zich nu beter op het mid en hoog kunnen concentreren. En ook bij heerlijke lounge muziek klink deze set perfect ...
Hi all,
sorry if I re-open this old topic, i actually have a Play:5 2nd gen, if i bought a new Play:5 2nd gen and a new beam soundbar, can I made a 2.1 home theatre for my TV? thanks.
No, although I'm not sure what you mean by 2.1. If you were to purchase a second PLAY:5 gen 2, you could make a 5.1 setup, not 2.1. The BEAM would be Right, Center and Left, the SUB would of course be the .1, and the two PLAY:5s would be the rear surrounds.

My personal opinion is that a PLAY:5 is overkill for a surround speaker, but sounds great as a regular (or stereo) speaker. I've got a couple of pairs of PLAY:1s that function quite well as surround speakers. But that's entirely a personal preference, and should not be taken as gospel, there are a lot of people who use PLAY:5s as surround speakers, and are quite happy.