Hello Audioholics,
I’d like to upgrade my home theater! The first time around I did not research many brands and may have limited my options. It’s been a few years since I’ve upgraded my speakers so I’d like to “do it right” this time.
Current Equipment:
Aperion Audio 6T and 5C front stage. 4B Heights and Rears. No sub.
Denon 2312ci, WDTV/PS3 as Media Source.
Room:
12x20, but biased to one side with high ceilings (See screenshot below)
Apartment Woes:
1) Subwoofer – My apartment manager received complaints when I used a sub a 8” ported subwoofer (isolated on a subdude). The wall on the east is practically “part” of my neighbor’s apartment. As a result I have to use Dyn Vol “Evening or Day” when watching movies.
2) We have old wood floors also resonate easily. As a result of I plan on moving in November to a private home (or a ‘new’ apartment on the first floor). The ultimate goal there is to get a sub.
3) The walls on the north and south are plain. The wall on the west is "decorated". It has two curtains, a huge picture frame, and a diploma. The wall on the east is plain. It a very large fishtank (180GAL) which will be sold soon (in prep for the move).
Upgrade Plan:
I’m very happy with Aperion Audio as a company and the setup’s performance despite having no subwoofer. Please see below for my reasons for upgrading.
My goals are to eventually have a bigger sound stage, but one that is more refined. Vocal clarity is pretty important for obvious reasons. When I play movies at near ref, my center sounds a bit harsh (maybe not the right word), where the tweeters kind of hurt my ear a bit. I don’t know I this effect is caused by the speaker’s specs, room acoustics, or if the lack of subwoofer to “balance” the system.
I would like to get towers for eventual music duties in the future. The current towers run as “FULL” and have ample bass for the apartment (although not audiophile quality). The 6T’s are front ported which probably helps with that “effect”. Audyssey MultiEQ XT lowers peaks below 80hz on the 6T's, perhaps my room is affecting the output. If I buy a subwoofer now I won’t be able to enjoy it so might as well leave it out of the equation.
I’d like to add basic room treatments to improve clarity and don’t really care about the surrounds right now.
Listening Habits:
90% Movies, 10% Music (Hip-Hop, Rock). The reason I don’t listen to much music on the system is because my headphones/pc allow me to play louder. I purchased towers in hopes of enjoying music some day.
Budget: Around 3k for a new front setup? I although this isn't a hard limit. I'm willing to span this out over time if necessary.
With the details above in mind - What would you recommend? I’m thinking “big” and “future”. Thank you all for your time!
