Surround sound speaker reccomendation

[Jonessmj]

Looking for speaker reccomendations. I am putting 5.1 surround sound in a new house. The room is 20x20. I need in-ceiling speakers for the fronts and rears (preference of my wife and isn't going to change). The center speaker will sit under the tv on the mantle. I need to stay under $1,000 for the whole setup (I already have a receiver), but under $800 would be great. I was looking at JBL SP8CII for the ceiling ($279/pair). Would these be good for the fronts and backs? If not, what do you reccomend? Also, what do you reccomend for the center speaker? I'd like something either small or long and short. I may wait on a sub, but am open to reccomendations here as well.

 

[Cosmic Char]

I would not recommend placing your tv above the fireplace. First, heat and possibly smoke can damage the unit. Second, my neck aches just thinking about the position it would be in for however long one watches tv. Just my $0.02.

 

[everettT]

Looking for speaker reccomendations. I am putting 5.1 surround sound in a new house. The room is 20x20. I need in-ceiling speakers for the fronts and rears (preference of my wife and isn't going to change). The center speaker will sit under the tv on the mantle. I need to stay under $1,000 for the whole setup (I already have a receiver), but under $800 would be great. I was looking at JBL SP8CII for the ceiling ($279/pair). Would these be good for the fronts and backs? If not, what do you reccomend? Also, what do you reccomend for the center speaker? I'd like something either small or long and short. I may wait on a sub, but am open to reccomendations here as well.

If your wife is insisting "outta sight" speakers, consider in walls fronts over in ceiling. This would make your front stage correct and you will be happier with system. Is the budget for just speakers or for the avr also?

 

[Jonessmj]

For speakers only. I'll take reccomendation a for in-ceiling or in-wall. Thanks.

 

[everettT]

Id look at 2 of these for the fronts @ $240 pr, 1 of these for the center for $130 ea and 2 of these for the rears @ $106 pr. Thats $476 without the sub. Add a sub (not knowing your room size with just 20x20) like this for $569 for a total of $1045 including shipping. Hard to beat for 1k budget and get decent performance as well.

 

[KenM10759]

If my wife gave me a choice of "it's me or the speakers"....I'd miss her.

A little.



The placement of a TV near a working fireplace is ill-advised for so many reasons. Any hope of a change on that?

 

[Jonessmj]

No, can't change the location of the tv. Bookcases are on each side of the fireplace. We probably won't use it often. I have a Bose acoustimass 6 system in my current house. Will a new all in-ceiling system (except center speaker) in my new house sound worse than that 10 yr old system?

 

[everettT]

No, can't change the location of the tv. Bookcases are on each side of the fireplace. We probably won't use it often. I have a Bose acoustimass 6 system in my current house. Will a new all in-ceiling system (except center speaker) in my new house sound worse than that 10 yr old system?

Well inwall speakers are out if you have bookcases. The center will be a tough one too. Can you convince her to do built-ins in the bookshelves for the front?

 

[Jonessmj]

Well inwall speakers are out if you have bookcases. The center will be a tough one too. Can you convince her to do built-ins in the bookshelves for the front?

In wall is an option. The bookshelves are built in and have studs behind them. I can put the in-wall speakers in the back of the bookshelf (back of speaker would extend into the wall cavity). The center speaker can sit on the mantle above the fireplace and below the TV.

 

[everettT]

Could you post a picture of the room by chance? What is the width, depth and height of the booshelves?

 

[Jonessmj]

Could you post a picture of the room by chance? What is the width, depth and height of the booshelves?

Here is a picture without the bookcases installed. They won't be installed for another 3 weeks or so.

 

[D Bone]

Out of all of your options, the all in ceiling speakers would would be a last ditch effort....... You can get away with the surrounds in the ceiling, but not the L/C/R. Whatever you have to do to either use bookshelves / satellites (like SVS Satellites) mounted in the bookcase, or in wall speakers is really your only true option for the L/C/R.

 

[Jonessmj]

Out of all of your options, the all in ceiling speakers would would be a last ditch effort....... You can get away with the surrounds in the ceiling, but not the L/C/R. Whatever you have to do to either use bookshelves / satellites (like SVS Satellites) mounted in the bookcase, or in wall speakers is really your only true option for the L/C/R.

Thank you. What is everyone's thought on the following setup:
JBL ES25C - center
JBL SP8II - L/R
JBL SP8CII - rears

I can get this for $900-$1,000. I am new to all of this so if you have a better reccomendation in the same price range, please share. Needs to be in-wall L/R and in-ceiling rears.

 

[everettT]

The ones I linked you above are of better quality for less money and have more thought put into their designs as their entire business is custom installation. Their now parent Holding Co. also owns Elan, Speakercraft, and Russound; all of which are CI based. The JBLs are Audioaccess' speakers rebranded. The originals can be found here at a much lower price. They use a different woofer on the sp8, but the tweeter is the same. Whole setup $425.

 

[everettT]

This is the Niles speaker:

This is the JBL

 

[Jonessmj]

Did you mean to link to monoprice rear speakers? Also, would the setup you suggested sound better than my 9 year old Bose acoustimass 6 system?

 

[everettT]

Did you mean to link to monoprice rear speakers? Also, would the setup you suggested sound better than my 9 year old Bose acoustimass 6 system?

Absolutely. The rears need not be of insane price and these will perform as good as any in-ceiling speaker for surround channels.

 

[Jonessmj]

Great info. Thanks!