I'm researching my first HT setup and have a question as to which style speaker will best suit my needs. Eventually the system will become a 5.1, but will remain just LCR for awhile. The receiver will be an Onkyo 606.

The room specs are 11x40, but the actual area I am trying to fill sound with is only 11x14. I'm not sure which style of LR main speakers to go with, bookshelves or floorstanders. I have space for either, but will one outperform the other in this situation?

Here are pics of the space:

http://home.comcast.net/~8337938lyn/Finished_13.jpg.jpg

http://home.comcast.net/~8337938lyn/Finished_14.jpg.jpg

http://home.comcast.net/~8337938lyn/Finished_01.jpg.jpg

http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u287/Keyhole01/photo-1.jpg

It will be mainly used for movie & TV watching but for the rare party I will use it for music.

Thanks for any suggestions!

I've seen your pic before, most likely in the speaker forum. IIRC, you said you are losing the poker table.

Can you also lose the end table with the remotes on it?

If it was ME, I'd put the components there. I would lose your nice looking AV rack. Id buy a vertical rack to put where that end table is. I'd run a long HDMI cable to display. Id get that cable from Monoprice. Id buy a URC rf remote/blaster for $75.

Then I'd use three identical floor standers for LCR. Perfect panning, perfectly matched, very clean look, no distracing lights. I wouldn't do mounting plates for speakers wire, but just have them come out of the walls. That way, if you move, you can hide them easily enough if you have to I suppose.

I personally wouldn't spend a TON of various equipment because Im going to guess acoustics are going to be very limiting anyways. Your head is near the rear wall, you are very likely to have a right-heavy soundstage due to close reinforcing boundaries, and all those windows will preclude acoustical treatments.

Just me.

Otherwise, if keeping cabinet there, Id use an upright bookshelf, on a small center speaker stand, propped on top of the cabinet for the center speaker. Id try to get the mains tweeters on the same plane. Your center will be freer in space, less prone to close reflection of cabinet, and the upright center is really the best way to go IMO. Especially considering that the person closest to the front door will be significantly off axis to the center speeaker. If it MUST be a horizontal speaker, Id start looking at top mounted tweeters, or WTMW designs, or coincidental, for examples.

Lot to chew on, but its my personal offering to your thread. I'm sure others may chime in with perspective.

http://www.bwfpm.com/

Check out the B & W FPM Series. Perfect for the room sonically and aesthetically.

Yes the end table can go away. A rack there is not a bad idea, but losing the front table under the tv is probably not an option. This is a dual purpose space...being mine and 'hers' ;)

So let's say that stays and I do a horizontal center channel mounted underneath the display. A vertical wall mounted center would be an option as well. Would that just be any standard center mounted vertically?

I understand that the acoustics are less than ideal, and I don't plan to spend a ton of money for that and other reasons. But like everyone here, I'd like to get the most bang for my buck ;) The picture may be a little off, but the display is pretty much centered with the middle of the couch. Also the cabinet does not extend past the tv and in order to get the ideal angle (from what I've read) the LR speakers will have to be on either side. Let me see if I can snap a pic from the couch.

Added crappy iphone pic from center seat.

So let's say that stays and I do a horizontal center channel mounted underneath the display. A vertical wall mounted center would be an option as well. Would that just be any standard center mounted vertically?

Depends on the model. You have to research stuff like waveguides, etc, I think. I don't know enough to say. However, any bookshelf will work. "Specially designed centers" are often more expensive anyhow. ID brands for sure will sell you individual center speakers, and a few BM brands do as well (though most are sold as pairs).

Added crappy iphone pic from center seat.

I just saw this.

My vote is three identical speakers, all on the same plane. Preferably bookshelves, but if wall mounted so be it.

May I recommend Ascend acoustics? :) Oh, there are many good brands out there... but they will sell you individual speaker, and they are a big time value leader...

Thanks for the advice. I've been leaning towards Polks, but is there anywhere to listen to Ascends?

Not really, they are ID. They had a great 340 sale going, might still be in fact. You can try their forum to see if someone local to you will let you check em out. Just my tastes, I've never been a fan of Polk, but Im the rarity for sure. Heard their bottom of the line as well as their top of the line.