I have two main goals:
A) Re-arrange the room, if there is any way to improve it.
B) Buy new speakers.

Re-arranging...

I'm trying to figure out how to best utilize my room that contains my main viewing area. Below is a horrible MSPaint drawing of what it looks like now.

Green = DVD Shelving
Blue = CD Shelving
Grey = couches
Red Circle = Load-bearing support beam
Dotted lines = portions of the ceiling that are "dropped" about 1 foot.

Right now, my 56" DLP TV and rack are tucked into the section at the top of the picture. I have a lame Yamaha 5.1 speaker system. The centre speaker is on a shelf right below the TV. The sub is tucked into the left-side of the same section that the TV is in. The remaining 4 speakers (satellites) are attached to the "dropped" walls in the spots shown in the drawing. I should also mention that there are two small windows; one on the left in the middle of the DVD shelving, and one on the right, in the middle of the FR and SR speaker placement.

How would you re-arrange this room?


Speakers...

I want to spend about $1000. Maybe $1200 for the 'right' ones. My Yamaha speakers cost me $100, in comparison. Here are some of my thoughts:
- I hate satellite speakers.
- Only looking for 5.1 right now, and will add the 2 rear speakers at a later date.
- I definitely want towers in the front.
- Should I get towers in the sides, or just bookshelf? Should they be placed on the floor, or do I have to elevate them?
- We all know Bose sucks (I finally read that intellexual article today). What are some brands that can offer quality in the $1000 to $1200 price range?


Thanks!

I am a big fan of Ascend Acoustics. I have Sierras, but the 340s are also excellent.

ascendacoustics.com

Can you describe the bottom of the picture more? I'll assume the bottom most cut-out is either a doorway or a hallway? The slant is just a slanted wall - or is that the entrance? What are we looking at for measurements?

I can try...

The bottom-most is a doorway to a hallway. The slant is a doorway to a small storage room.
As for measurements, I'm not certain. If I had to guess, I'd say the room is about 20'-25' wide and 25'-30' long... but I'm really bad at guessing.

I think you probably have the best set up. If you flip the couch (and tv area) that is horizontal it looks like you'd lose space across the room, but I can't tell if your drawing is to scale. However, that would let you tuck your DVD shelves into that cubby area where your tv currently is.

I'd wager your best bet for speakers in over at AVS, although you'll probably get recommendations from a few here as well. Paradigm, SVS or HSU subs, Definitive, or Klipsch.

I was tempted to check AVS... but they're a little crazy.

Thanks guys.

Well the general recommendation on speakers is to listen, listen, listen. Many a speaker my be good even excellent but sound totally different. Even different $10,000+ speakers sound totally different than each other.

However the best deals are on line. So research and reading reviews and asking around is all good! Especially for that budget. I do think you can get "decent" speakers for that price range.

But what is your issue with satellite? It is not the size of the speakers but the quality. Floor standing speakers are not automatically better. And satellites give you more placement options.

First I'd look at the "usual" suspects; KEF (I'm a huge fan), their kissing cousins Celestion (tho harding to find now), Klipsch, Definitive Technology, Mirage, Boston Acoustics, Paradigm..and I'm sure I'm missing a few.

Tho I haven't heard them, I'd recommend these on the reputation of the subwoofer alone!

http://www.svsound.com/products-sys-sbs_black.cfm

For $1,200 or so I'd try these for sure,

http://www.accessories4less.com/make...-Silver/1.html

At right at a grand, I wouldn't hesitate to pick these up,

http://www.accessories4less.com/make...-Silver/1.html

For a bit I considered "upgrading" to Mirage. I actually like their little nanosats...

http://www.amazon.com/Mirage-NANOSAT.../dp/B001H2VBD0

Every now and then you can find a deal just on the speakers (no sub). Then you add a base SVS or HSU sub and you are in business!


This is an upgrade from them

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...FR8YN3E96T4TGZ

That should at least give you some ideas...

Honestly, it's an aesthetic thing for me (or, I should say "us", since the wife hates them too). I strongly prefer the look of tower speakers next to the TV, as opposed to the satellites hanging on the wall or on dinky-looking stands.

I've been disappointed with the sound quality of the ones I have, but that's more due to the brand and build quality, I'm sure.

That said, Best Buy Canada has a pair of Klipsch F1's for $250. Obviously not the best towers, but pretty decent from what I can tell. Maybe I should get 2 sets of those (for front and rear), then buy an individual center and sub (although, of my Yamaha speakers, the sub is the only piece I'd keep if I had to until maybe getting one of those SVS's)

1. Don't buy two sets of stereo speakers unless you are 100% sure you can get a "matching" center speaker (tho depending on placement, you could just by a 5th speaker and use that as the center). You do want all your speakers to match. They don't have to be the exact same speaker of course. But they need to be designed to work together in a surround set up. If the speakers you are looking at are not part of a surround set up, I would write the manufacture to find out of they recommend them for a home theater set up and what they recommend for a matching center and/or rear speakers (assuming you just don't use 5 of them)

2. Don't keep the Yamaha sub. Putting the money towards a good sub is well, well worth it. I'd suggest SVS or HSU. But there are one or two others. It will have a bigger impact (in some cases literally) on your system as any other component. DON'T SKIMP ON THE SUB!!!! Well some would argue the center channel has the most impact, but I'd say it is at least arguable between the CC and sub. Did I mention, DON'T SKIMP ON THE SUB????

3. If your concern is aesthetics then you might look at Orb. I've always wanted to try them and been toying with putting some in my bar. If you insist on floor speakers for the looks of it, I guess take a look at JBL or Cerwin Vega (if they still make them...lol). Those should be impressive enough to look at.

You are being speaker biased.

SVS or HSU you mean, I am sure.

Towers are fine but you are paying for the footprint. With a limited budget there are much better places to spend your money. With a decent sub you completely eliminate the need for towers anyway. You are better off pushing your budget to better sats and a sub than you are wasting it on towers, at that price range.

With good satellites, like a Boston Accoustic or Paradigm Atom, you get great sound quality in a smaller cabinet. You set your speakers to "small" and push all the bass to your subwoofer. Even with towers, at that price range, you will want to do that anyway. Towers may have a sub built in, but it will be passive and not be able to reproduce many low frequencies.

If you are set on getting towers, one of the best budget systems in the Polk Monitor 50/60 towers. Newegg puts them on sale for about $90/each and they actually sound pretty darn good. Pair them with a Polk C1 center and whatever rears you want. That would cost you around $500. Add a sub like the eD A2-300 for $350 or the HSU STF-2 and you are still under budget. Heck, you could get 2 more Polks to go 7.1 now if you wanted to. Although I would guess you dont need 7.1.

For a little more money, you could get an Energy c300 set-up where the towers start at around $130/each and then add the matching center/rears for about $700 total.

The Polk Monitor 70's are on sale here. $400/pair I think. How do they compare to the 50's or 60's?


I'm starting to think I want to slowly replace everything, as opposed to all at once (it's a bit easier on the wallet that way, and my budget might go up a bit)

A local retailer is going to have the KEF C7's (front towers) on sale. My research tells me that they're the lowest line of KEF's, but apparently they're still pretty good. Any thoughts from anyone here on KEF? I'm thinking of maybe getting those as well as a KEF centre to tide me over until I find a good Sub and surrounds.