Noob on AH looking for 5.2 or 7.2 speaker system for under $1000 new or used.

[Bandit302]

Hey all,
Been taking a deep dive into HT setup past 2 days. Looking to upgrade from trash speakers now to descent 7.2 system. Why 7.2 ? The house came wired for 5.2. w 2 “descent?”rear Boston Acoustics near the ceiling - see drawing and photo.I assume for surround as they are high and abeam the sofa area. The front of the room has two sets of wires by the front corners see drawing and pics. I assume one set for Front L and R loudspeakers (simple Red and Black size 10 wires) but then also 2x coaxial (with RCA converters screwed in) coming out of the front L and R corners... I assume for Subs. At the front wall there is a panel for lugs for all the wires routed there...
My AVR is Denon X2400H which is a respectable unit for 7.2 and will drive all channels with 95 watts each at 8ohms. Atmos and dtsX capable as well. All good there.
Trying to keep a simple mid century modern vibe to the room and don’t want a lot oftowers. We are replacingthe current console to enclose the components and all our DVDs, CDs and will elevate the TV and place on the wall.

So, thinking bookshelf front loudspeakers with a horizontal mid... under the TV with the L and R fronts on the console outboard of the TV. Then two subs off to the side toward either corners, ish.
Then add two surrounds in the middle sides of the room elevated about 2 feet on stands.... or placed toward the back of the room directly to the side of the sofa, essentially under the back speakers near the ceiling? Crazy?

We listen to 75% movies (streaming mostly and some DVD/Blue) and 20% sports and the rest music... but will increase the music now that I’m retired.... mostly Jazz and Classic and Pop (oldies). '

Been trying to find decent quality equipment under $1000 total– I’m thinking I might be able to keep my Klipsch Sub (R-120SW 200 W- pretty decent Sub i think) maybe use Craigs List to upgrade to better stuff or find a Black Friday sale. Looking for recommendations...
1. Should I just keep the Klipsch Sub and put the saved $ into better loudspeakers and surround 5.0s?
2. Should I add another Sub in the same class as the Klipsch?
3. Should I ditch the Bostons at the back near the ceiling?
4. Recommendations on the bookshelf fronts and surrounds?
5. Should I buy Dolby ATMOS enabled front speakers for some over the top sounds bounced off the ceiling?

Lastly... we dig great sound but are not super picky audiophiles....
I have read a lot of posts here and I’m confident you all will know a good avenue for us. Thanks for any thoughts and recommendations!!!

 

[mazersteven]

4 - CBM-170's

CBM-170SE BOOKSHELF MONITOR PAIR

The Benchmark Bookshelf Loudspeaker Black Friday Sale! "The State Of The Art Of Budget Loudspeakers" -Jeff Van Dyne, GoodSound Setting new performance standards for affordable accurate sound reproduction for two channel stereo reproduction and multi-channel home theater. Signature Edition...

www.ascendacoustics.com

1- CMT-340c

CMT-340SE CENTER SPEAKER

High Performance Center Channel "Lead vocals through the CMT-340c are clear and natural, and are free of mid-range honk or thinness." -Felix Martinez, DVD Etc. Perfectly timbre matched to our other models, this center will add shockingly realistic dynamics combined with our already renowned...

www.ascendacoustics.com

Reference Surround Sound Home Theater 5.0 Channel Speaker System | Fluance

The Reference Surround Sound Home Theater 5.0 Channel Speaker System has been completely re-imagined to deliver the ultimate music and movie listening experience.

www.fluance.com

 

[NINaudio]

Those look like old Boston's I used to have. VRS Micros maybe? They are a dipole surround, popular in the late 90's. They're meant to create a diffuse sound field. With todays mixes I would be inclined to not use them, especially not for atmos which is meant to be a directional sound field.

If your couch is right up near the back wall, it would be best to just stick with 5.x

RSL has some speakers that would get you under $1k for 5 of them (one CG23 center, and 4 CG3's for example), as does HSU.

 

[lovinthehd]

As to the sub thing and your budget, probably just use the Klipsch for now. If you go used really depends on whats available when in your area I think, so hard to predict but going used could certainly raise the overall quality for the $. If you did want dual subs and keep the Klipsch, identical subs are better than not IMO for integration. I'd like better subs than Klipsch generally, tho.

 

[Bandit302]

4 - CBM-170's

CBM-170SE BOOKSHELF MONITOR PAIR

The Benchmark Bookshelf Loudspeaker Black Friday Sale! "The State Of The Art Of Budget Loudspeakers" -Jeff Van Dyne, GoodSound Setting new performance standards for affordable accurate sound reproduction for two channel stereo reproduction and multi-channel home theater. Signature Edition...

www.ascendacoustics.com

1- CMT-340c

CMT-340SE CENTER SPEAKER

High Performance Center Channel "Lead vocals through the CMT-340c are clear and natural, and are free of mid-range honk or thinness." -Felix Martinez, DVD Etc. Perfectly timbre matched to our other models, this center will add shockingly realistic dynamics combined with our already renowned...

www.ascendacoustics.com

Reference Surround Sound Home Theater 5.0 Channel Speaker System | Fluance

The Reference Surround Sound Home Theater 5.0 Channel Speaker System has been completely re-imagined to deliver the ultimate music and movie listening experience.

www.fluance.com

Thanks for the Rec... i read a bit about the CBM and CMTs... and a great review: http://swbg1.tripod.com/ascend_speakers.htm They do sound really well matched. They are sold direct so no way to hear them in person. The price is decent as well. Maybe Black Friday special will occur. I must say.... today, after doing so much research I ditched the settings that Audysey gave me on my current system and redid every setting manually with inputs from some advice off another site and what I have sounds SO much better. Looking forward to getting a good set of 5.

Thanks again for your inputs!
Cheers

 

[Bandit302]

Those look like old Boston's I used to have. VRS Micros maybe? They are a dipole surround, popular in the late 90's. They're meant to create a diffuse sound field. With todays mixes I would be inclined to not use them, especially not for atmos which is meant to be a directional sound field.

If your couch is right up near the back wall, it would be best to just stick with 5.x

RSL has some speakers that would get you under $1k for 5 of them (one CG23 center, and 4 CG3's for example), as does HSU.

Thanks for the heads up on the Bostons... that timing seems right as this house was built in 2000 and I’m certain the speaker were added then.
The CG23 and CG3’s look like a real solid budget system. They must be popular as the Speedwoofers are out of stock! I’ll keep and eye out for their systems and maybe get someting without the SW as my Klipsch is good enough for me I think.
appreciate the great feedback!

 

[Bandit302]

As to the sub thing and your budget, probably just use the Klipsch for now. If you go used really depends on whats available when in your area I think, so hard to predict but going used could certainly raise the overall quality for the $. If you did want dual subs and keep the Klipsch, identical subs are better than not IMO for integration. I'd like better subs than Klipsch generally, tho.

I live in the SF BAy Area so lots of opportunities for good used gear. Was looking on Craigs List earlier and called Crutchfield for advice as well. Would really like to hear the channels in practice before buying though. I appreciate the advice on the Sub! Thanks for the advice!

 

[lovinthehd]

I live in the SF BAy Area so lots of opportunities for good used gear. Was looking on Craigs List earlier and called Crutchfield for advice as well. Would really like to hear the channels in practice before buying though. I appreciate the advice on the Sub! Thanks for the advice!

FWIW I'd more rely on a sub's specs/measurements than a brief "audition" without proper setup. I lived in the bay area from 1971 to 2013 for the most part, SF mostly, and down the peninsula at four corners (84/35) at the end before retiring in Oregon.

 

[mazersteven]

Eat at Scoma's

Savory Seafood Dining In San Francisco Bay - Scoma’s Restaurant

Indulge in the finest seafood dining experience at Scoma Restaurant. Enjoy catches and culinary delights with breathtaking views. Call us

scomas.com

 

[lovinthehd]

Eat at Scoma's

Savory Seafood Dining In San Francisco Bay - Scoma’s Restaurant

Indulge in the finest seafood dining experience at Scoma Restaurant. Enjoy catches and culinary delights with breathtaking views. Call us

scomas.com

Expensive and somewhat touristy but consistently good. I preferred the Sausalito location's view, tho....

 

[mazersteven]

Expensive and somewhat touristy but consistently good. I preferred the Sausalito location's view, tho....

A lot less Touristy then the Wharf. More Celebrity and Locals