Kick it up a knotch (or 2)

[corey]

Kick it up a notch (or 2)

I'm thinking upgrading my front & center speakers to get better audio for music & movies.

My current system is:
Denon AVR 1803
Toshiba SD-5700
Front KEF 60S & Klipsch SW-V
Center Energy Take 1
Surround Infinity US-1
Sub Infinity PS-10

I'm working with these constraints:
No room for tower speakers, or bookshelves on stands. Front speakers are wall mounted.
Center channel speaker must fit on top of TV (Sony KP-51WS500 RPTV). Prefer < 7" height.
Budget - no more than $1000, prefer half of that or so.

I'm sure I could make a difference in the sound I'm getting with a $5K or $10K investment, but will a modest upgrade do me any good?

Thanks in advance for your thoughts on this.

 

[Tex-amp]

Can you handle the Ascend Acoustics 340cc at 7.5"? Then grab a pair of 170s for L/R fronts and brackets to wall mount them. There is an Ascend owner in Hawaii but I don't remember which island they are on. You could ask on the Ascend Forum for an audition.

 

[corey]

I've somewhat shied away from Ascend from the combination of center size and no local dealer. Checking to see if someone has them in Honolulu is a great idea, thanks.

I've also got two questions about rear ported, wall mounted bookshelves.

1) The speakers will mount on an exterior 1" thick wooden wall. Will a rear ported speaker bother the neighbors more than a front ported one, for an equal interior sound volume? (NAF = Neighbor Acceptance Factor)

2) If rear ported bookshelves on stands should be more than 12" from the wall, why is it OK to mount them 3" from the wall?