Need Speaker Recommendations (includes pictures of room)

[D9591]

I'm going to be putting together my first higher end home theater system. Right now I have the Energy 5.1 system (https://www.amazon.com/Energy-Classic-Theater-System-Black/dp/B001202C44).

I just ordered a whole set of speakers on Amazon but am rethinking my speaker decisions.

For my sub I ordered the SV SB13-Ultra ($1600)

For the other speakers I went with a Klipsch set.

Front speakers - RP-280F ($480 each - $1000 total)
Center - RP-450C ($450)
Surrounds - RP-250S ($417 each - $934 total)

I am second guessing my decision the Klipsch speakers and thinking you guys could probably recommend something better. I still have the option to return all these Klipsch speakers.

Open to any ideas within the price range that I have spent on the Klipsch speakers.

Also, my AV receiver is a Denon x3200w


I listen to music and watch movies almost equally. I like all types of music.


Thanks for any and all help!

 

[Carl08]

I dont think you have room for floor speakers. If I were you I'd be looking at something in the SVSound Prime Satellite size and wall mounting it. Even two prime elevation speakers for your left and right channels mounted high and angled down might be a good idea. I just don't see much room there for floor speakers

 

[vsound5150]

In addition to speakers, have you considered placing the couch where the loveseat is and use the 11'4" wall for the TV and front speakers?

I think that location will provide great sound throughout the house even when you're cooking or entertaining. The surrounds can be some nice floor standing towers at the rear corners of the sofa.

 

[D9591]

I wish I could do that. Here is a picture of that side of the room.

 

[WaynePflughaupt]

It’s a shame to spend all that money on all that nice gear when you don’t have a room suitable to enjoy it.

I don’t see how those big 280Fs are going to fit where you want to put them. And if you do shoehorn them in, they’re going to be so close together that you’ll get no separation at the seating position.

And IMO nothing sounds worse or is more distracting than surround speakers on stands right at ear level, right next to the couch, firing directly into your ears. If that’s not bad enough, you’re only going to hear the one closest to you, not the other one. On top of that, the 250S is designed to go on the side walls of a traditional shoe-box shaped room. Note that Klipsch’s web site clearly notes that they are for the “largest” rooms. That doesn’t fit your application at all.

And that awesome sub absolutely will not deliver its full potential located below the TV. Subs do best when placed near a corner with continuous, uninterrupted walls in both directions, not on a wall with a big hole the middle of it. It will never get its rated 20 Hz extension at that location.

Seriously, I’d re-think this whole endeavor before spending all this money. I’d recommend a nice soundbar instead until you can get yourself set up in a suitable room.

Regards,
Wayne A. Pflughaupt

 

[D9591]

Alright well I'm completely sold on returning the klipsch speakers.

Is my room really that unsuitable for 5.1 though?

What if I were to hang an acoustic curtain over the large opening in my wall? Would that help with the sub problem? I'd really like to get room shaking bass for movies.

If I decided to stick with it and get 5.1 would svs prime or ultra bookshelves for fronts and svs satellites or surrounds for sides be a bad idea?

 

[Pogre]

Alright well I'm completely sold on returning the klipsch speakers.

Is my room really that unsuitable for 5.1 though?

What if I were to hang an acoustic curtain over the large opening in my wall? Would that help with the sub problem? I'd really like to get room shaking bass for movies.

If I decided to stick with it and get 5.1 would svs prime or ultra bookshelves for fronts and svs satellites or surrounds for sides be a bad idea?

I absolutely love my ultra bookshelf speakers.

as far as your surrounds go, you could try svs' prime elevation speakers for surrounds. I think it was mentioned in a post earlier. they're a little more forgiving on placement.

 

[KenM10759]

Probably a no-go, but do you have another room upstairs (or a basement) that you could use for HT? If you have a guest bedroom that's under-utilized perhaps move to a futon for those times and set it up better for sound.

 

[D9591]

Unfortunately it wouldn't be worth it for me to spend so much money on this expensive equipment if it can't be in my living room. It wouldn't get used nearly enough in the other rooms I could use. This system would also be used for entertaining/music quite a bit. Maybe even more often than for watching movies.

I want 5.1 in this room so I'll just have to make do the best I can in my current situation. I can always bring these speakers to my next house in the future. I will have to add "large square living room" to my must have list for my next house.

It sounds like the best plan would be:

- Keep the sub. Anyone know of any way I could block off the large opening in the wall?

- SVS Ultra for fronts
- SVS prime or ultra for center
- SVS prime elevation for rear/sides

 

[vsound5150]

You can make it work just place speakers best you can and the Denon Audyssey MultEQ XT will calibrate audio levels, distance, etc..

For the wall opening it depends what appeals to your taste simple vertical blinds will help reflect sound.

 

[WaynePflughaupt]

I will have to add "large square living room" to my must have list for my next house.

When we’ve been house shopping, one of the things at the top of the list is a living room that is “home theater friendly” as I call it. That means the speakers can be placed where they are supposed to be – enough width for the front speakers, locations for the surround speakers at least 8-10 ft. away from the seating, a good corner to put the sub in, and accessible attic space to facilitate running all the wiring. If a house doesn’t have living room that’s up to spec, then it’s a deal breaker and we move on to another property.

Regards,
Wayne A. Pflughaupt

 

[Bucknekked]

You can make it work just place speakers best you can and the Denon Audyssey MultEQ XT will calibrate audio levels, distance, etc..

For the wall opening it depends what appeals to your taste simple vertical blinds will help reflect sound.

I think "you can make it work" is a valuable idea to hold on to. When you're faced with a listening space that's less than perfect, there's always a way to make it sound good. Almost every place I have ever lived I have had to make do with the space my audio stuff ended up in. I had to find ways to adapt my hobby to my family and living space. While less than ideal, those spaces gave me some great music.

I think the advice here to return the large Klipsch purchase and scale down to SVS Ultra style speakers is excellent and solid advice. In the end, its the music that gets enjoyed that makes the hobby worth it.

 

[lovinthehd]

I will have to add "large square living room" to my must have list for my next house.

No, you don't want a square room (or worse, a perfect cube) due to acoustic reasons.

 

[Bucknekked]

No, you don't want a square room (or worse, a perfect cube) due to acoustic reasons.

lovinthehd:
You've been part of my thread on helping me with my listening room. So we are exactly on the same page here. D9591: nope, you don't want to wish for a square or a cube as a listening space. Wish for world peace or a room shaped like a pretzel.

I have a perfect cube: a 10x10x10 listening space. That's what I have and I'm pretty happy to have it because its a dedicated space. But, if you were to have choice, you'd choose anything except a square or cube. And since you're just dreaming up choices, I'd choose another shape.