Suggestions on timber matching speakers for home theater and music.

[Pankake]

So I have a not ideal space for home theater, It is combination family room, dinning room, kitchen, the open concept. 775 square feet 10 foot ceiling. I have 4 Atmos speakers RSL C34-E Freq Response is 70 Hrz to 20,000 Hrz. 8 oms, 88db Spl Rated 25 to 250 watts. Crossover Freq 2,500 Hrz Crossover slope 6db/octave. I have the Yamaha CX-A 5200 Processor 2 Monolith amps all 7 channels will be powered by 7 x 200 watts and 4 Atmos speakers will be powered by 100 watts. I have two of the SVS Pb 2000 Pro's subwoofers. But I need 1 Center Channel 2 Tower speakers and 4 bookshelf or satellite speakers. My system will be a 7.2.4 Can someone recommend tower speakers around $3,500 and all 4 satellite on wall speakers for around $1,500, and then a center channel speaker for around $1,000 I have been looking at brands by Paradigm, Focal, Revel, Psb, Monitor Audio, Arendal, and has anyone heard of Cabasse Speakers??? My head is spinning!!!!! Any suggestions anyone.
Thank You In advance for your input. Been A fan of Gene and Audioholics for years these Guys are top notch.

 

[ryanosaur]

Timber matching is easy...
Just use the same wood!

 

[ryanosaur]

But seriously...
You can find a lot of different answers out there, but in the end, this is your system, so you will need to make the choice that is right for you.
My advice is to find the absolute best Front 3 Speakers you can allow yourself to afford. I would recommend these three be the same model (for example, all Monitor Audio Silver or all KEF Q series).
(This is an area with shades of gray... you can absolutely mix and match, but this can be tricky if you are not buying speakers that perform the same and have a neutral SQ.)
Anyway, These are generally considered the main Speakers you want to have match as closely as possible. I like to have my Surrounds match, too, but this becomes much less important. Rears, a little less important again (perhaps), and then Atmos/ceiling speakers... frankly, they really don't need to match up.

My personal caveat is, however, that I want Neutral and accurate Speakers all around. If your Speakers are all pretty neutral in SQ, and all have an accurate FR, it is easier to mix and match.

Lastly, if at all possible, it is becoming a little more in vogue to recommend a vertical Center using a matching Tower, or Standmount, as this can actual work better than a more common horizontal Center. That said, though, the Center Speaker is very important and if you must have a Horizontal Speaker, you should look for a 3-way W-T/M-W design as this will (most likely) give you a better horizontal dispersion than many other designs, meaning that everyone across your listening area is hearing the same thing.

Hope this helps. Happy hunting!

 

[ryanosaur]

This is a great video in Erin's thread about Center Channel designs and may be worth looking at:

The problem with (most) Center Channel speakers

I have been wanting to address this topic for a while. I've got a LOT of hours into this, from measurements to sound recordings to building the presentation. My hope is that it will provide insight into problematic designs and help people understand how to use objective data to get a better idea...

forums.audioholics.com

 

[Pankake]

But seriously...
You can find a lot of different answers out there, but in the end, this is your system, so you will need to make the choice that is right for you.
My advice is to find the absolute best Front 3 Speakers you can allow yourself to afford. I would recommend these three be the same model (for example, all Monitor Audio Silver or all KEF Q series).
(This is an area with shades of gray... you can absolutely mix and match, but this can be tricky if you are not buying speakers that perform the same and have a neutral SQ.)
Anyway, These are generally considered the main Speakers you want to have match as closely as possible. I like to have my Surrounds match, too, but this becomes much less important. Rears, a little less important again (perhaps), and then Atmos/ceiling speakers... frankly, they really don't need to match up.

My personal caveat is, however, that I want Neutral and accurate Speakers all around. If your Speakers are all pretty neutral in SQ, and all have an accurate FR, it is easier to mix and match.

Lastly, if at all possible, it is becoming a little more in vogue to recommend a vertical Center using a matching Tower, or Standmount, as this can actual work better than a more common horizontal Center. That said, though, the Center Speaker is very important and if you must have a Horizontal Speaker, you should look for a 3-way W-T/M-W design as this will (most likely) give you a better horizontal dispersion than many other designs, meaning that everyone across your listening area is hearing the same thing.

Hope this helps. Happy hunting!

Hey Ryanosaur; I really appreciate that, it helps me alot In making my decision in looking at different brands of speakers. There is so much out there to consider but at least you have sent me in the right direction and I am very grateful Thanks.

 

[ryanosaur]

I had a spreadsheet going a few years back with over 100 Speakers I was looking at. Overload is real and the subsequent paralysis is annoying.

One of the things I use as a metric is that Diminishing returns checks in hard around $3-4000 for a pair of towers, now. Back in 2018, that number was $2500-3000. *shrugs

Shop smart for your Mains and Center. Buy for the long haul if you can. Upgrading is too expensive, unless you can flip your old gear.

 

[TLS Guy]

Hey Ryanosaur; I really appreciate that, it helps me alot In making my decision in looking at different brands of speakers. There is so much out there to consider but at least you have sent me in the right direction and I am very grateful Thanks.

You have to understand that timbre matching is error matching. In other words making sure the center is as lousy as the right and left.

The fact is that if all the front three speakers have a flat and uniform response especially above 400 Hz, both on and off axis, then the speakers will match even if they are from another manufacturer and look different.

As pointed out in the excellent video linked, you absolutely should avoid horizontal MTM speakers which excludes most. You need a good three one with ONE mid, or a good coaxial speaker.

You have to choose speakers with great care, as far more speakers are dogs than adequate and acceptable performers.

 

[Pankake]

I had a spreadsheet going a few years back with over 100 Speakers I was looking at. Overload is real and the subsequent paralysis is annoying.

One of the things I use as a metric is that Diminishing returns checks in hard around $3-4000 for a pair of towers, now. Back in 2018, that number was $2500-3000. *shrugs

Shop smart for your Mains and Center. Buy for the long haul if you can. Upgrading is too expensive, unless you can flip your old gear.

Thanks so very much.

 

[Pankake]

You have to understand that timbre matching is error matching. In other words making sure the center is as lousy as the right and left.

The fact is that if all the front three speakers have a flat and uniform response especially above 400 Hz, both on and off axis, then the speakers will match even if they are from another manufacturer and look different.

As pointed out in the excellent video linked, you absolutely should avoid horizontal MTM speakers which excludes most. You need a good three one with ONE mid, or a good coaxial speaker.

You have to choose speakers with great care, as far more speakers are dogs than adequate and acceptable performers.

Thank you so very much for the advice I really appreciate it.

 

[highfigh]

You have to understand that timbre matching is error matching. In other words making sure the center is as lousy as the right and left.

The fact is that if all the front three speakers have a flat and uniform response especially above 400 Hz, both on and off axis, then the speakers will match even if they are from another manufacturer and look different.

As pointed out in the excellent video linked, you absolutely should avoid horizontal MTM speakers which excludes most. You need a good three one with ONE mid, or a good coaxial speaker.

You have to choose speakers with great care, as far more speakers are dogs than adequate and acceptable performers.

I'm surprised more manufacturers don't use coaxial speakers- it's one of the oldest designs and the benefits are well-known.

 

[shadyJ]

I'm surprised more manufacturers don't use coaxial speakers- it's one of the oldest designs and the benefits are well-known.

It's difficult to do well; see Paradigm's attempt in their Founders series, and that is a large speaker company with lots of resources. Think about why KEF has been holding on to the Uni-Q drivers for so long with only minor changes. Yes, it's an old design, but many of those older coaxial drivers, such as Tannoys, had significant flaws.

 

[DigitalDawn]

I highly recommend Triad Speakers. Triad is a Portland-based company that hand builds speakers in just about every configuration you can imagine. They will even color match the speakers and grills to match the paint on your walls. In addition to InRoom speakers, Triad has In-Wall and angled InCeiling speakers and subwoofers that work amazingly well for spaces in which you have no floor space, or when you wish to hide the speakers from view. The company has speakers in many different price ranges, starting at $300 per speaker.

While not a household name, Triad is a favorite of custom installers and has won numerous industry awards. The company is also a prototype partner for Dolby, helping to design speaker systems for immersive audio. Most recently, Triad Gold Monitor speakers won Best of Show at the 2019 CEDIA Expo in Denver.

www.triadspeakers.com

I would be happy to help you design a system for your room. Let me know if we can help.

Regards,
Dawn