Planning a total revamp of my living room setup for my next home:
I am looking for recommendations for speakers setup to likely be used 80% for movies / TV, and 20% for music.
Room is medium size (approx. 13ft deep and a couple feet wider).
I am thinking FR5 as the Left and Right channels (and music). Will need recommendation for Center channel, Rear (left and right), and a sub.
Ideally, use a good quality receiver to drive them all (but will consider dedicated better amp for the FR5 speakers)ā¦
I am just starting to plan, so have not decided on anything yet, but I am a big fan of PS Audio for years, and therefore the FR5 speakers may be the first ālock downā in this setup, and everything else will be planned around them!
Well, in a home theater, the center channel seeās something like 60% of the total energy of the entire system. Also, having matched left, center and right speakers is quite important. Can you TV be mounted in such a way as to have 3 FR5 across the front (with the center sitting upright on a piece of furniture or credenza or something)?
Secondly, high output is important because a number of movies are mixed with rather quiet dialogue as compared to the action/effects scenes, so you need an amp/speaker combo that covers both of those comfortably.
Most A/V receiver only put out about 100 watts of power when all channels are driven. For surrounds, this is fine, but using outboard amplification for your LCR is a good idea.
While there are some great subs on the market, we have a matching sub to the aspen speaker line coming out around January that would be a great foundation to a high end music and movie system. Output is quite high for the size and there are multiple inputs (both high and low level) so you can run your speaker level inputs in for music and then an additional line/lfe input from your receiver (to adjust the level higher for movie effects seamlessly if you want to run your speakers full-range, which can work well for music)
As you are 80% movies are you going for a projector?
If yes, you have a decision to make on a smaller screen to fit between your main speakers or an acoustic transparent screen that can be larger and will sit in front of the speakers.
I can recommend a Marantz AV10 processor, which has recently received Dirac ART. They also have a slighter cheaper AV20, which has most of the AV10 features. If going down this route you will need a pre-amp that has a home theatre bypass function. This allows you to have both a top flight independent audio system and home theater system.
Also what I have done is to incorporate a Samsung TV into my system, on a movable stand. The Samsung has a Connect box, with just one cable running from the box to the TV, which carries power and hdmi signals. The cable is a bit messy but it means you have the choice of using the TV or projector for your display. A great way to not have to use the projector 100% of the time.
Home theater receivers arenāt generally well thought off for stereo music reproduction.
Going with a pre-amp that incorporates av bypass allows you separate music and theatre systems but with the best of both worlds.
More expensive, but worth it.
Do you have a budget? Are you going to do Atmos? (ceiling). If your budget can do the FR5, then yeah go for it. If it cannot, maybe something from Paradigm Founder series.
I can double the vote for AV10. I have it, just did ART and its amazing for movies. I have a two channel that does passthrough, but mine is dedicated room so all that junk can fit. Living room probably not so much. If you are not doing Atmos then the AV10 is way overkill but really good. AV20 saves a few thousand.
I can, but if for movies it throws off the entire setup (due to Center being very different in sensitivity, etc.) - then I might regretfully look for a different solutionā¦
I will look into those. A LOT of reviewers (for home theater) recommend Klipsch speakers - so I will look into those too.
I will definitely look into that. I am still trying to figure out how to setup things!
Unfortunately, looks like the only way to set it up is place the TV above the fireplace, L and R on sides of the fireplace, and I still have to figure out electronics and Center
VERY challenging due to room unmovables (e.g. fireplace) and GF who is very understanding, but wonāt accept a setup that is too crazy (for normies that is).
if you are not going to do atmos, then you can save a bunch. Try an Anthem AV60, or even an AVM70 for a bit more (and it supports two subs instead of one).
I was a big anthem fan for a long time and still are. But ART was too appealing and Anthem never delivered on Roon (which I really dont use on AV10 anyway) so I got a bit sore and moved to AV10. Grabbed an open box a week before tariffs hit. Got a great deal. Dirac is much harder to do, ART even adds to that. its very easy to mess up and get bad sound. ARC from Anthem is really easy and much more user friendly and offers different speaker combos setups easier than Dirac.
I will say the Anthem AVM70 (and 90 but thats expensive) have 2 channel bypass, so if you do expand to external DACs etc then you have a path. (so do the Marantz models). But in all cases you loose the room correction.
This is how I started and quickly ran down the many rabbit holes for 2 channel.
I go against the grain and simply use my stereo speakers for movies. Clarity is there with the Panasonic 4k blu-ray disc player, 523 preamp & 534 power amp feeding FR20ās and an REL sub.
I would second Paradigm for a good dual use speaker. They make great speakers, and have some good solutions for center channel, if Iām remembering correctly they have something that is āsound barā shaped and can be hung directly on the wall below a tv and is powered with an external amp. Add a pair of Premier 800s or Founder towers and I think youād be hard pressed to beat that as a LCR set up.
I donāt have any experience with Anthem processors/amps but they seem to be a favorite with audiophiles building home theater set ups. I would also check out Emotiva processors/amp combos and Denon AVRs in addition to the mentioned Marantz.
Highly recommend Ascend Acoustics for both 2 channel and HT speaker needs. They have their own community forum to do your research. The owner, Dave Fabrikant, is active on the forums. Great guy. Sold direct out of San Clemente,CA.
Difference in sensitivity isnāt important - this is all adjustable in the speaker level controls in the AVR, however, matched tonality and radiation pattern is very important (which is the reason for wanting a matched center.
That being said MTM center channels are generally poor performers (even though type look good and are the right side to fit in a lot of installations), so even āmatchedā centers from many brands arenāt actually a tonal match because of the wildly different radiation patterns due to the physical configuration of the components.
