I've already got two old towers I'm very happy with for my stereo music, but I want to expand this to a 5.1 or 7.1 system. Would pairing these with a different center and surrounds yield disastrous results? Anyone happy with such a configuration? I'd really prefer to avoid spending another grand on new fronts if I can get away with it.

You should match the center channel speaker to the main L/R speakers. The surrounds are not as critical.

You should match the center channel speaker to the main L/R speakers. The surrounds are not as critical.
Maybe the best thing would be to relegate my current speakers to surround duties... but usually for surrounds I see companies marketing those dipole/bipole (not sure which is which, i'm a surround newbie) speakers, is this actually necessary or will regular speakers work fine?

Maybe the best thing would be to relegate my current speakers to surround duties... but usually for surrounds I see companies marketing those dipole/bipole (not sure which is which, i'm a surround newbie) speakers, is this actually necessary or will regular speakers work fine?

What speakers do you have?

"Regular" speakers work fine for surrounds.

http://www.dolby.com/consumer/home_entertainment/roomlayout.html

I'm running a Aerial Acoustics LR5 (vertical version of CC5) as my center channel. My mains, believe it or not, are an old set of Polk Audio towers that I have had for twenty years; the RTA 11t. My plan is to eventually upgrade my Polks to a pair of Aerial mains,but, based on how awesome my system sounds, I'm not sure I can justify the cost.

The Aerial center has adjustments to help it match your mains. It sounds so awesome I can't stop watching movies at night so I get up tired in the mornings. My last speakers (which are now in the closet) were three identical B&W Matrix 805 bookshelves across the front crossed over at 80 hz to my Velodyne sub. There was more of a seamless soundstage across the front but rarely does it ever make a difference. The Polk/Aerial combo is by far the better sounding system.

I would recommend to anyone to get the best center channel speaker you can afford, then work your way up from there as you can afford it. You may find your happy with the combination of your existing towers and the new center like I am.

Bottom line, it is your system and you are the one that has to be happy. I say try it, if you like it you saved a $1000 dollars. If not, then upgrade your mains when you can afford it.

Reading the posts on this forum could cause a person to bankrupt themselves trying to put together a home theater system. A wise person once told me that a $4000 system will kick the butt of a $1,000 system. However, a $20,000 system will only sound marginally better than a $4000 system. For two channel systems the differences are much clearer. For home theater with 5.1 discrete channels it is much more difficult for the "typical" person to hear the differences. I know there are differences, but, I have found them to be minimal and not worth the cost for the upgrade (let me qualify that statement by adding: for my situation).

Now , having said all that, I am sure I will eventually get LR5 mains to match my center along with more amplification. Why? because I am obsessed with this hobby and get excited and appreciative to hear every last ounce of improvement I can squeeze out of my system. To me it is worth the money because I have trained my ear to notice the differences. To most people, they would think there little improvement and that I could have spent the money on something more practical.

You need to find the balance between what you are happy with and what you can afford.

What speakers do you have?

"Regular" speakers work fine for surrounds.

http://www.dolby.com/consumer/home_entertainment/roomlayout.html
I've got a pair of vintage Large Advents from the early 70s, which were well-regarded in their day, I hear. Not exactly eye candy but they've got a nice sound and a very solid low end, so I'm kind of unenthusiastic about replacing them.

The adjustable center thing sounds interesting... I guess I can try that and move them in the back if it's not getting the job done.

Thanks for the advice.

I've already got two old towers I'm very happy with for my stereo music, but I want to expand this to a 5.1 or 7.1 system. Would pairing these with a different center and surrounds yield disastrous results? Anyone happy with such a configuration? I'd really prefer to avoid spending another grand on new fronts if I can get away with it.

The answer depends on whether or not the surrounds are for HT use or for multichannel audio use such as SCAD or DVD-A. If you plan on keeping your system strictly for HT, the surrounds do not need to match your LC speakers in terms of manufacturer and speaker line. However, the surrounds need to match the LCR speakers if you plan on playing with multichanned audio. Using speakers from different manufactures will give you a "disjoint" affect for the latter format.

You could try to get another pair of old advents and then listen without a center channel speaker. If you have a small sweetspot for HT then you can get by without a center channel.

You should match the center channel speaker to the main L/R speakers. The surrounds are not as critical.

Steven the Mazer is correctamundo. ;)

Before considering the speakers themselves, make sure you optimize their placement within the room and also optimize the location of the listening position. This has no inherent cost, but has the most inherent effect. Getting this right is the first step to getting excellent sound within the room. Consult Dolby guidelines (http://www.dolby.com/consumer/home_entertainment/roomlayout.html) and websites like realtraps, gikacoustics, etc. for more information on optimal setup.

Next, having matched front speakers is pretty important, although setting up (optimally) a subwoofer that can produce prodigious bass down to 20hz is something that I hold of slightly more importance. A well setup subwoofer can bring life and excitement to a system that is otherwise, meh.

Matched surround speakers, I would consider as the last final touch, although is somewhat important if your focus is on multi-channel music (which I do not believe is the case).