Cheap in-wall bundle to get by

[Faustblix]

Hi guys, been a while.

in a bit of a bind.

Got home after high paying remote work and thought finally... I can start building the dream. Boy did that not work out.

Q750 towers, Q650C (that someone destroyed, need a new center uniq driver), sold my place to find a house... Shopping for the dream basement turned into "dear lord, please just let us put a roof over our heads" - covid pricing and market crisis. Top it off, had a baby. Love him to pieces, but he can't be in the same room as the towers.

So now the dream is cramped in a relatively small room... 4 meters by 5? With a 4700h, and no money or space for the intended q series in walls & atmos.

So I'm curious if there's anything thx compact or better that could swing a 9.1.4 in wall for under $1500 in a small space? Likely going to trade up my towers thinking... If everything is in wall with covers, and not bank breaking, I can worry less about the boy putting his hand through them.

Or do I give it up, stick with headphones, and wait till money allows for heavy renos. Feels like 3 years out for opening the basement and affording just 5.1 in wall ci.

Thanks guys.

B

 

[everettT]

Hi guys, been a while.

in a bit of a bind.

Got home after high paying remote work and thought finally... I can start building the dream. Boy did that not work out.

Q750 towers, Q650C (that someone destroyed, need a new center uniq driver), sold my place to find a house... Shopping for the dream basement turned into "dear lord, please just let us put a roof over our heads" - covid pricing and market crisis. Top it off, had a baby. Love him to pieces, but he can't be in the same room as the towers.

So now the dream is cramped in a relatively small room... 4 meters by 5? With a 4700h, and no money or space for the intended q series in walls & atmos.

So I'm curious if there's anything thx compact or better that could swing a 9.1.4 in wall for under $1500 in a small space? Likely going to trade up my towers thinking... If everything is in wall with covers, and not bank breaking, I can worry less about the boy putting his hand through them.

Or do I give it up, stick with headphones, and wait till money allows for heavy renos. Feels like 3 years out for opening the basement and affording just 5.1 in wall ci.

Thanks guys.

B

9 bed channels? With your budget, the processor is gonna be expensive, the 4700 will not handle your purposed configuration. 7.x or 5.x is what you have available and with 7 bed channels you still need an extra stereo amp for two of the height channels.

Monoprice has THX inwall speakers that are extremely well priced for what they are. You could use them for your front 3 and then work on everything else.

 

[BMXTRIX]

I would hit up some of the speaker options at Monoprice. They are still in-walls, but they have a fair number of options at price points that are reasonable enough to do what you need. I've used their THX models as well as their standard 8" 3-way in-wall models for budget systems. They have a number of choices which sound quite good and can really hit a budget. It's especially a nice choice if you want to keep things well under budget and save for more serious upgrades later on.

 

[Faustblix]

9 bed channels? With your budget, the processor is gonna be expensive, the 4700 will not handle your purposed configuration. 7.x or 5.x is what you have available and with 7 bed channels you still need an extra stereo amp for two of the height channels.

Monoprice has THX inwall speakers that are extremely well priced for what they are. You could use them for your front 3 and then work on everything else.

Thanks for the heads up on the 4700h. It was such a while ago it was acquired I didn't realize it couldn't handle the whole gamut.

That changes the game quite a bit.

Yeah I've been looking at monoprice, I just have virtually no familiarity of any other contenders in their price and quality range before pulling the trigger on them.

 

[Faustblix]

I would hit up some of the speaker options at Monoprice. They are still in-walls, but they have a fair number of options at price points that are reasonable enough to do what you need. I've used their THX models as well as their standard 8" 3-way in-wall models for budget systems. They have a number of choices which sound quite good and can really hit a budget. It's especially a nice choice if you want to keep things well under budget and save for more serious upgrades later on.

This being two for monoprice, I guess they're really the way to go. Has there been a typical sub you recommend on the mono budget systems? With my current budget I'm likely to scout the used market for a good sub.

I'm much more wary of previously used in-walls.

Thanks again guys, restores a bit of hope and helps confirm that monoprice are the way to go.

 

[lovinthehd]

Monoprice has the very nice Monolith series of subs as well as the Monoprice line of still competent subs, like this https://www.audioholics.com/subwoofer-reviews/monoprice-sw-15

 

[MrBoat]

As someone who had to mothball his own audio desires due to raising small children in the past, first thing I can offer up is, they grow faster than you think. I didn't have to do without very long They can be taught how not to destroy your things with some persistence and consistency in the training by the time you instead, save up for what you really want, other than this less than optimal safeguard system you have proposed that may just put a bunch of holes in your walls for nothing. One thing I had in my favor when I was raising my sons was I didn't have nose to phone nearly as often as young ppl do now, so I could check my kids most of the times they were about to fk themselves, or my things up.

The TV was mostly for the kids anyway. By the time they were 3 years old, they knew how to work it and just stopped caring about the speakers and other things in the room. All my youngest cared about was the Playstation. He associated the other gear with part of his good time and did not care to harm it.

Before I'd try to work all of these high expectations on such a limited budget, I'd just spend less on something like a sound bar for the time being.

By the time my grandson was 3, he could not only help his papa with some pretty advanced tasks around the shop, he was taught how to use and care for my turntable and records. Because of these things, he was extra cautious with letting anything happen to it, and would rat on anyone else who would get near it, including his parents. Here he is at 3-4 years, helping me rebuild a compressor. He also helped me build my subwoofers and the roll around record caddy for my vinyl collection.

They grow too fast. I'd just put this on hold for just a little while before settling for less.

 

[Faustblix]

Yeah, he's growing up a little too fast. Hopefully he'll turn out as sharp as your boys. Right now he certainly doesn't listen as well by the sound of it. Tell him six times what's in my tumbler is not for babies. He's got two modes; push his luck or run cryin to mama.

You do boost my confidence a little though with letting him around them. Another confidence booster is KEF. I reached out again just saying guys - anywhere I can buy a replacement driver? They said what's your address? Bam. Replacement on my doorstep. So there's a little less incentive to swap fronts now that there're 3 again. Really appreciate them for coming through.

If I can more or less bank on him listening around 3 years, maybe it's worth holding off. Will have a poke around for a good sub to keep branching out and just keep price watching surrounds and reading up.

Definitely don't want to settle for less after so many years gearing towards it. With luck, maybe will have a windfall and basement renos will be a reality.

Appreciate your wisdom sir.

Happy Father's Day fellas.

 

[KenM10759]

Yeah, he's growing up a little too fast. Hopefully he'll turn out as sharp as your boys. Right now he certainly doesn't listen as well by the sound of it. Tell him six times what's in my tumbler is not for babies. He's got two modes; push his luck or run cryin to mama.

You do boost my confidence a little though with letting him around them. Another confidence booster is KEF. I reached out again just saying guys - anywhere I can buy a replacement driver? They said what's your address? Bam. Replacement on my doorstep. So there's a little less incentive to swap fronts now that there're 3 again. Really appreciate them for coming through.

If I can more or less bank on him listening around 3 years, maybe it's worth holding off. Will have a poke around for a good sub to keep branching out and just keep price watching surrounds and reading up.

Definitely don't want to settle for less after so many years gearing towards it. With luck, maybe will have a windfall and basement renos will be a reality.

Appreciate your wisdom sir.

Happy Father's Day fellas.

Same to you!

FWIW, there's always a few KEF Ci4100QL-THX in-wall speakers on eBay for relatively cheap money that would mate well with your current setup. Many times an eBay auction has a low starting bid, which I would watch and snipe in the last few seconds. Those or any of the CixxxQx series mate with or can replace the Q750/Q650 set if the little one is getting too curious. I do hope that you've at least added the optional grilles for the speakers you have, that'll definitely help prevent damage.

 

[Faustblix]

Well, I found out the Q series is going outta style, and because I'm white cabs, could be roughly the last chance to special order before they're liquidated.

I still have the challenge of a terribly small room with a support post in the way, pre-renos, but hopefully I'll find a configuration that makes it work till the basement can be modded.

4x q150 in route.
I don't know how or when I'll tear this basement up. Just keep putting one foot in front of the other and so far seems to be going somewhere.

No dust covers unfortunately for the fronts. Until all the kit was afforded they've been last prio.

 

[KenM10759]

Well, I found out the Q series is going outta style, and because I'm white cabs, could be roughly the last chance to special order before they're liquidated.

I still have the challenge of a terribly small room with a support post in the way, pre-renos, but hopefully I'll find a configuration that makes it work till the basement can be modded.

4x q150 in route.
I don't know how or when I'll tear this basement up. Just keep putting one foot in front of the other and so far seems to be going somewhere.

No dust covers unfortunately for the fronts. Until all the kit was afforded they've been last prio.

You found out what? Out of style??

I know that the Q series is going to be getting the Metamaterial treatment so it'll be a new model designation but likely just add "Meta" to the end of the same nomenclature.

 

[Faustblix]

You found out what? Out of style??

I know that the Q series is going to be getting the Metamaterial treatment so it'll be a new model designation but likely just add "Meta" to the end of the same nomenclature.

Right. The meta treatment. From what I was told they're making way for Meta so all the current Q series is on sale. I don't know full well what to expect with meta spare the price bump and quality bump. Much as I'd love any improvements, if cost of entry goes up and quality bumps high enough to challenge my fronts then I'd be in another predicament. So just got the 150s and closing the door on it till I venture into atmos territory.

If the surround config winds up not making the world of difference for me, I'll be very glad to just be a stereo guy for life. Will see what the future has in store.

I wish I had audio learnings and advice to reciprocate with. I'm an artist encyclopedia, but still a phyte for measuring and understanding at this time. Just trying to scratch an itch in another dimension.

All I can say is I appreciate your help greatly on the journey guys, and... Will leave you with...

1 part Disarrono
2 parts Tanquerray
2 parts Pineapple juice
Cherry or peach slice as you'd like.

 

[KenM10759]

I haven't seen any sale pricing on the Q series here in the USA quite yet, certainly nothing on the KEF USA e-commerce website.

Usually it's sometime that happens in a 3-4 week period before new product introduction and gets extended until doilies of the outgoing model are exhausted.

If you've got a local dealer who gave you that 30% off well ahead of the official sale date, consider yourself lucky.