Hey guys, it's been a while since I posted and I did a search and didn't quite find what I was looking for so I thought I would say hello and ask for some advice for my situation.
I'm looking for advice on integrating a home theater setup into my 2 channel setup. I had a 5.1 system about a decade ago with Vienna Acoustics and B&K Components pre/pro and amp and then I moved to a smaller place and sold all of that gear and went to a 2.2 channel system that is geared more towards hi-fi music playback than movies. We still enjoy and watch movies on my hi-fi kit daily and I don't feel I'm missing anything (maybe ignorance is bliss), but I haven't heard or paid much attention to the current tech out there like Dolby Atmos, DTS:X or Aura 3D, etc.
The main reason I'm reaching out is that I'm building a custom home and while it won't have a dedicated space for hi-fi and movie playback, I will be able to pre-wire the house so it's ready for what's currently available on the market.
Since music playback has a higher preference for us ~ I want to keep my 2.2 system as close to possible of what I already have (because I think it kicks a$$ as is
) and then incorporate/build a mid-tier home theater playback system around my hi-fi system.
My current system is:
Preamp = McIntosh C220 Tube Preamp.
Amplifier = Decware Taboo MK II @ 6 watts.
Loudspeakers = Omega single drivers @ 95db 8 ohms.
Source 1 = McIntosh D100 DAC
Source 2 = Rega RP6 Turntable
Source 3 = Cable Box
Source 4 = WD My Cloud NAS
Source 5 = Asus Vivo PC (HTPC w/Windows 10 and JRiver Media Player).
Monitor = Samsung 65" HDTV
Misc. = Decware and Zen Wave Audio cables and Monster HTS 3600 Power Center.
I pretty much only stream movies and music through my WD NAS and online sources such as Tidal (for music) and HBO Go, Showtime, Amazon (for movies) and very rarely Cox Cable. I don't rent or buy movie discs anymore and although I own a Blu-Ray player it is not even hooked up since all of my movies and music are ripped to my NAS.
Since my music/home theater will be in a great room (kitchen/dining/living combined) there is no back wall which pretty much leaves rear surrounds and any side channels to in-ceiling mounted and I prefer them to be discreet in appearance anyways. I could get a matching center channel from Omega, but I think I would prefer an in-wall for the center as well. I will be buying a 4K television and my current Mac Preamp does not have HT pass through, so I will look into another Mac preamp in the future that does.
So with that in mind and knowing I don't want to change my 2 channel playback ...
1. What would you guys recommend?
2. How many speakers do I need to keep up with the tech that's current in the market?
3. Can it even be done at all if all the supporting speakers are ceiling mounted?
4. Is it as simple as just getting a decent HT Receiver and a bunch of speakers?
5. Or should I just get a soundbar?
By the way, I don't need anything that is top of the line, just solid performance. Thanks in advance if you've made it this far
and for any advice you could offer on the best and economical (best bang for the buck) way to do this.