Setup help/suggestions for surrounds and Atmos

[defsNotAnAudiophile]

Having Q750s all around would work great. I don't know if the extra $250 factored in speaker stands for the Q150s as part of the evaluation. Surround Speaker placement is a compromise in distance from any adjacent wall to distance from the prime listening area. For Bookshelves, or Floor Standing, it's about the same impact.

The amount of sound coming the surrounds will be relatively the same with either speaker, but the Q750s will do a better job of it. Most let the AVR determine the crossover points, and initially you should try the same. You'll have lots of time to tweak everything to your liking.

Thanks Jim! I initially did forget to take the stand cost into account before I posted, but yes it's $250 extra post-consideration of the stands. Can you explain how much more noticeable the difference will be, especially given the sub will handle most of the low frequencies? Is the difference attributable more to the 'timbre matching' or is it more so the larger dynamics (even though I thought the Q150s can handle the same 80Hz+ frequency range as the Q750s) and/or wider soundstage/presence? Would be interesting to hear your insight into this based on your decades of experience!

 

[-Jim-]

Ideally, according to the original Dolby design info I read (way back when) the specification was for all 5 ear level speakers to be the same in a 5.1 system. (And the few systems I've heard with the same speakers for surrounds do sound a bit better.) The marketplace pushed back as 90% of the content comes out of the Front LCR speakers and only 10% from the surrounds. (So why would a consumer pay so much for the surrounds was their logic. It made a good 5.1 system expensive for most folks.) Speaker OEMs, in an effort to sell home theater systems with 5 speakers, rather than nothing at all, started to offer "Timbre" matched surround speakers (almost always bookshelves) at a substantial discount over the Fronts. Those few with Thicker Wallets, still went for Full Size Surrounds => pending the WAF of course!

Explaining why a Floor Standing speaker sounds better than a bookshelf sounds - especially when a Sub handles the bottom end in both cases, has been pursued at this Forum and many other ad infinitum. IMHO the difference is getting less and less as Bookshelves (and Subs) get better and better. But I bet one of the Gents here will chime in. Perhaps @Pogre will, as I think I remember he had SVS Ultras Bookshelves for Fronts for a while and went to their Floor Standing versions. He had multiple SVS Subs too as I remember. Even though the shift to Floor Standing was noticeable, I remember it wasn't overtly significant.

Folks chase small incremental improvements in their systems. But it usually comes at a high price after you reach a "base" level. Some say it's beyond logarithmic. (Tiny increase in sound quality => Huge increase in $$) But in your case a small improvement in your surrounds is almost a wash => pending the WAF of course! (Another plus for Floor Standing is they are less likely to get tipped over than Bookshelves on Stands. A downside to buying used is usually the warranty is not transferrable. But with quality speakers, there's not much risk there if they operate fine when purchased.)

I'd take a look at the used Q750s and if you find them acceptable, negotiate the Seller down to a wash with the Q150s.

 

[Pogre]

Explaining why a Floor Standing speaker sounds better than a bookshelf sounds - especially when a Sub handles the bottom end in both cases, has been pursued at this Forum and many other ad infinitum. IMHO the difference is getting less and less as Bookshelves (and Subs) get better and better. But I bet one of the Gents here will chime in. Perhaps @Pogre will, as I think I remember he had SVS Ultras Bookshelves for Fronts for a while and went to their Floor Standing versions. He had multiple SVS Subs too as I remember. Even though the shift to Floor Standing was noticeable, I remember it wasn't overtly significant.

That was pretty well put, "not overtly significant". I think there are some gains going to a tower speaker from a bookshelf, but if you're using a sub(s) it's not a huge difference. One thing to consider is you can get a better quality, higher tier bookshelf for the same money you'd spend on a tower and having subs does make up for the lack of bass in a good bookshelf.

I think towers add more cool factor and better dynamics, but good books with subs in play can get you really, really close and you can usually buy better books for the same money.