3.1 system vs passive 5.1 soundbar

[Adam D'Agosto]

Hello,

Generally speaking, what is a better way to go? Get a quality center, mains and sub or a quality 5.1 passive soundbar like the Definitive Technology SSA-50?

The cost for the SSA-50 overall is higher, but will I get more "enjoyment" out of having the 5.1 experience even though its in front of me?

Thoughts?

 

[lovinthehd]

Quality and soundbar in the same phrase is an oxymoron, isn't it? I wouldn't call that soundbar a 5.1 system either.

I'd definitely go with not only the superior audio of better speakers/subs, but flexibility in use and in upgrading later. Assume you already have an avr or amplification?

I wouldn't do the "surround" soundbar just to have "surround" sound, you can add relatively inexpensive speakers for surrounds for effects easily enough and have an actual 5.1 setup.

 

[yepimonfire]

Definitely 3.1 with separate speakers. What receiver do you have? It may have a "fake surround" mode in it that's as good as any sound bar. Doesn't really work outside of the sweet spot though.

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[Adam D'Agosto]

Thank you guys.

I don't have the receiver yet. I was waiting to figure out what direction I wanted to go and then get a receiver to match the requirements of the speakers.

The general consensus is to stick with a 3.1 setup.

 

[lovinthehd]

I don't think anyone here is going to direct you to that passive soundbar instead Realistic budget for the 3.1 speaker set/receiver?

 

[yepimonfire]

Thank you guys.

I don't have the receiver yet. I was waiting to figure out what direction I wanted to go and then get a receiver to match the requirements of the speakers.

The general consensus is to stick with a 3.1 setup.

How big is the room and what is your budget? Are you planning to add more speakers in the future for full 5.1/7.1? You don't need to match it to the speakers, but you do need to ensure you'll have enough power and future upgrade capabilities if desired.

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[Adam D'Agosto]

Hi again,

The room is all tile and is 26 feet wide and 22 feet deep, but the 22 ft dimension opens to the kitchen and dining area adding another almost 30 feet. That's the direction of sound. So having a good amount of power seems very important (100 watts min). Also, the ceiling is very tall at about 17 feet and has no attic and is not accessible.

My budget for everything is about $1300 or so, but I'd rather build into that, not all at once. I was thinking I'd get a used system and might not even set the entire system up for some time as I piece it together.

I'm also curious, by going the 3.1 route, is there one "money" speaker in that setup? What I mean is, should the center speaker be the best speaker or should the mains be the best or should they all be equals?

 

[lovinthehd]

All tile? That's going to be hard to tame acoustically....very reflective surface. Floor and wall furnishings, furniture would help, tho. I'd consider L/R most important to start budget wise, add a center and sub when you can (and a good sub will be a considerable expense, the better ones start at $500 or so), and one sub is likely not going to be sufficient in a huge volume room like you have (subs "see" the whole room/space open to them, whereas speakers are more about the distance between your listening position and the speaker)

 

[Adam D'Agosto]

So I may want a 7.2 receiver then? It may be worth while adding a second sub later on?

 

[yepimonfire]

Hi again,

The room is all tile and is 26 feet wide and 22 feet deep, but the 22 ft dimension opens to the kitchen and dining area adding another almost 30 feet. That's the direction of sound. So having a good amount of power seems very important (100 watts min). Also, the ceiling is very tall at about 17 feet and has no attic and is not accessible.

My budget for everything is about $1300 or so, but I'd rather build into that, not all at once. I was thinking I'd get a used system and might not even set the entire system up for some time as I piece it together.

I'm also curious, by going the 3.1 route, is there one "money" speaker in that setup? What I mean is, should the center speaker be the best speaker or should the mains be the best or should they all be equals?

Don't skimp on the center 60% of the soundtrack is anchored to it, but don't skimp on the mains either. I'm of the opinion all speakers should be equally capable. For reference viewing, each speaker should be able to output 105dB at the seating position, most people listen about 5-15dB down, so I'd say 90-100dB. For a room that large, you might need either external amplification or extremely efficient speakers, like horn loaded speakers. You haven't stated your seating distance, but let's assume 15'. At 15', 100w into a speaker rated for 89dB would be 95dB, 98 if you include room gain. To be on the safe side, I'd shoot for a headroom up to 100dB. This can be achieved either by adding more amplification or using larger, more efficient speakers. The good news is most MTM center channels are more efficient than their single driver counterparts.

Most receivers cannot deliver the 2ch rated power into 5 or 7 channels, and usually only do about 70-80% of that, so if in the future you add surrounds, you might want to take this into account. I'd look for one with preouts so external amps can later be added.

What do you mean all tile? Tile walls and tile floors or what? Ceramic tiles or...? I'd consider some rugs and some acoustic treatment to help tame the slap echo. Something like 2" Auralex wedgies would be perfect for this purpose. You could also build or buy rigid fiberglass panels, they look nicer and absorb more below 500hz, but this is a more expensive solution. The good news is the size of your room pushes the low frequency room modes down below 30hz, which can only help rather than hurt.

First and foremost though, focus on the receiver and L/R speakers.

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[lovinthehd]

So I may want a 7.2 receiver then? It may be worth while adding a second sub later on?

FWIW only a few receivers actually have ".2" sub connections that aren't merely an internal splitter, altho there are a few that can set separately level and delay for two subs (there still remains in sources a single LFE/.1 channel in any case and it doesn't create stereo subwoofage ).