Fist Home Theater Check/Help

[adamd123]

Fist Home Theater - Need some advice.

Hey Guys I just first wanted to say thanks for all the info I have gained from reading threads/revies on this site.

With that said, I am moving into a new Town home in the first week of April. And would like to build a decent home theater for my living room. I have a week to get all the wiring done before sheetrock goes up so I thought I would run my layout/components past the pro's first.

First the specs:
The room is open and shared with the kitchen, but the rough dimensions of just the "living room" are 14'W X 10'L X 9'H. I have a budget of 7,000 for EVERY component (besides cables) and so far I have chosen these components:

TV: 50" Sony KDS-R50XBR1
AV/Receiver: DENON AVR-4306
DVD: DENON DVD-2910
FRONTS: Axiom M60ti
CENTER: Axiom VP150
REARS: Axiom QS8
SUB: Not Sure Yet. (Axiom EP500, PB12–Plus/2, PB12–ISD/2, PB12–ISD)

And here is the planned layout of the room:

Now the Questions:

1. I have never heard Axioms, but from what I have read they seem like great speakers for the price. I could not find any reviews on the M60's on this website, how are they?
2. Could I get away with M22ti's for my fronts for this room size?
3. With 9' Ceilings would it bad to mount the QS8's on the ceiling?
4. The center channel has to be mounted on the wall above/behind the TV (not flush with the screen or the other fronts). Will this be problem?
5. I cant think of a better place for the sub, will this placement be ok?
6. Right now I am a bit over budget, and one of the only places I can see cutting some cost would be on the sub. If I get the SVS PB12-ISD I could get allot closer to my budget. But I don’t want to compromise the WOW factor. Will this size sub be adequate. Also I should consider the fact that the far wall (on the bottom of the picture) is shared with a neighbor, and I don’t want to create enemies if I can help it?
7. Does anyone see any better way to lay the room out? I am sure not everything is to scale but you get the general idea. Also any feedback on the components would be greatly appreciated!

Sorry for all the qustions, I am just getting into this and want to make sure I dont screw anything up!
Thanks for any feedback.
Adam

 

[rikmeister]

ok i think in some you are over doing it and others under.

i would buy the oppo dvd you will save a bundle and it is better then the denon. the 4306 is over kill again go down to the 3805 or 3806. or look at a marantz around 8400. as for the speakers what do you mainly listen too or is it just for the tv. i would aslo look at the sony 55 rear projection you can get a great deal here. http;//www.electronice-expo.com the br is not worth the extra in my opinion. has a little better sound and you are going to use the speakers anyway right. i have the KDf 655 55 inch sony and it is awesome for the money i paid 1957.00 for it.

 

[adamd123]

Hey thanks for the suggestions rikmeister.
The only problem I see with the oppo DVD player is that it does not support HDMI out (unless I am mistaken). Also one feature I was looking forward to on the 4306 was the iPod support. I will def. look into the KDF sony though.

I guess my next biggest question would be: which sub will be best for a HT in a room that size for around $500-$1000.

Can any one else address some of my other questions?

Thanks again!
-Adam

 

[Rocky]

http://www.svsound.com/products-sub-box-plus1.cfm

 

[jaxvon]

1. I've heard the M50ti speakers and they're pretty darn good. I think you should decide this. Look through the listing below and see if you can find anyone in your area with M60ti speakers that is willing to let you come over for an audition. Also remember that Axiom will let you try out the speakers for 30 days in your home and if you aren't satisfied, you're only out return shipping.

http://www.axiomaudio.com/boards/showflat.php?Cat=&Board=Auditions&Number=76567&page=0&view=collapsed&sb=5&o=0&fpart=

2. Probably, but the folks at Axiom would be the best resource to ask for this question. They'll give you the straight shot. Here's their number: 1-866-244-8796
And their hours: 9am - 11pm Mon-Fri, 10am - 9pm Sat and Sun, EST

3. You wouldn't want to mount them directly to the ceiling, though you might be able to get away with a bracket mount. However, it wouldn't be my first choice. While this isn't mounted on the ceiling, it gives you an idea of proximity:

4. Possibly. If there is a way to place your center channel below the TV and point it up towards the listening position, this would be preferable to behind and above the TV.

5. Maybe, maybe not. To find the right place for your subwoofer will require experimentation in your room. It might end up behind the couch or somewhere else, but I can't tell you just from looking. Check out the articles found here to send you in the right direction.

6. Because the living room area is shared with the kitchen, you need to consider this when shopping for a subwoofer. The PB-12ISD might be adequate, but again, call the manufacturer and see what they think would be best for you. Remember, SVS also sells cylinder subs. Here's their number: (703) 845-1472, hours 10-6 M-F, EST.

7. Your surrounds are out of place. Surrounds should go to the left and right of the main listening position, and perhaps a little behind. If you decide to upgrade to 7.1, the rear surrounds will go in the approximate positions you have illustrated above. For more into on position, check out these articles:

http://www.audioholics.com/techtips/setup/loudspeakers/loudspeakerplacementguide.php
http://www.audioholics.com/techtips/setup/loudspeakers/hometheaterspeakerlayout.php

Overall it seems like you've made some pretty solid choices. As far as speakers go, don't sell short your local dealers. You may be able to find something in your budget that you find you like better than Axioms (assuming you auditioned them). As for subwoofers, SVS, Hsu, and the upper end Axiom subs are basically unbeatable for value. You won't be able to find something with comparable price and comparable performance locally.

I noticed you're doing wiring in your house. What do you plan on using for this part of the project? What about the electrical going to your equipment area?

Oh, and of course, welcome to AH!

 

[adamd123]

Hey jaxvon thanks for all the feedback it is much appreaciated!
To start off, the surrounds are illustrated like that because I was planning on just using the floor stands to mount them and as the Mrs. obviously would not approve of speakers in the middle of the dining area, I figured that would be the best spot for them. The other option I have is to run wire and a mounting post outlet to ceiling so that I could mount them a little furthur to the sides of their illustrated positions. I talked to Axiom about mounting on the ceiling (as i have no wall for the left channel to be mounted on) and they said it could be done so long as they were mounted with the woofers firing along the ceiling and the tweeters aimed down (basically mounted flat on its back). But it seems like the sound would not come out nearly as good in this configuration. So I am a little lost as to how I should mount them at this point.

As far as the center channel goes.. the tv stand that my wife has chosen (goes with the rest of the living room set ) does not have room for a center channel.. so I may have to figure somthing out if this will cause problems as I know how important this speaker is.

I called Axiom and they said it would be a mistake not to spend the little extra for the M60's, and I am fine with that. So now I guess the next thing on my list will be to call SV and figure out if the PB-12ISD will be addiquit for that size of a room and my particular listening needs.

Has any one heard both the PB-12ISD and the EP500? Would I be loosing alot of performance by going with the cheaper SV Unit?

Thanks again guys!
Adam