Starting point for 5.1 or possible 7.1 system large room

For that price range, you will be hard put to find anything better than some PSB speakers.

The PSB Image T6 is $1300 per pair, and are excellent speakers. Both Stereophile and The Absolute Sound chose them to be the speakers in their annual "Recommended Systems" articles, over every other speaker in that price class.

I had them for two years, and would still have them if I hadn't run into some other more expensive speakers that I fell in love with and had to have...lol.

It sounds like we have somewhat similar tastes; from Beethoven to Brubeck to Flatt and Scruggs to Ry Cooder...rofl.

A Image C4 center speaker is the best center speaker to use with them and is $300.

A pair of Image B4 speakers will round out the system for another $329.

A VERY good system for less than $2000.

Oh yes; a sub. I use a NHT B12D, which is excellent and runs $700. The Klipsch RW12D is also very good for around $400.

The bass from those speakers is pretty good, but for movies I guess you would want the sub with them; then you can add the other 3 speakers as you wish.

Oh; by the way; Saturday Audio sells new PSB speakers for about 20% off. They are new but have minor finish blemishes, which most people would hardly notice. They come with full new speaker warranty from PSB.
Edited by commsysman - 1/12/13 at 9:12am

I think you will have a hard time beating the Ascend Acouts CMt340 and center (right around 900 dollars, shipped) and then get the best 12" sub you can for around 500 dollars (HSU, SVS, etc)! that would give you a 3.1 that would rock pretty well and also excell in HT. You would have the option of adding towers later and replace the center, moving the CMT340 to surround.

The Arx A5 towers are an extremely awesome value and great sounding. http://www.theaudioinsider.com/product_info.php?p=arx-a5-floorstanding-loudspeaker&products_id=227&

Very neutral to laid back, very easy to listen too. They are not the clinical lifeless sound of other speakers in there price range or even higher. I would be confident in putting them up again $1000-1500 towers without second thoughts.

The center isn't available yet but should be available by Febuary or so. Which is good since you want to start off with towers and a subwoofer. That would leave you enought for something like the SVS PB12 NSD or maybe even the HSU VTF 15H. Which Hometheater just raved about 5stars all the way.

I would look at the Focal speakers - $800 a pair, new in the box
http://www.accessories4less.com/make-a-store/brand/focal/results/1.html

And, the HSU VTF-15 subwoofer

Or, Power Sound Audio
http://www.powersoundaudio.com/products/xv15

The Onkyo 600 series has always been a good value and strong performer. I had the 605 for years and it ran flawlessly. If you not against factory refurbs you can get some higher end receiver from A4less for the price of what new in box lower end models cost.

Not sure what you had planned on spending on the Onkyo 609/616.
http://www.accessories4less.com/make-a-store/item/ONKTXNR809/Onkyo-TX-NR809-7.2-Channel-Network-A/V-Receiver/1.html

The 609 should be fine, so maybe it would be better to go with it; the new ones ARE quite new.

That will be a nice setup

You've got a big room, so keep in mind what zieglj01 recommended for subs. You might want to research and ask questions in the AVS subwoofer forum before you buy.

With the SuperCube, you are paying extra for increased output in a small package, and you are paying the store as middleman, and you are paying Def Tech for all the marketing. Internet sub vendors like HSU Research, SVS, Outlaw Audio and Rythmik sell subs that are typically comparable or better than the traditional speaker company subs you find in brick and mortar sub stores at twice the price MSRP. So yeah. Anything from SVS will be better than SuperCube for the money.

Meanwhile, your room is very, very large, and sub performance is tied to room volume. A small sub like the SuperCube just isn't going to do every well in a room that big.

SVS= Big True Hometheater performance and great music capabilites.

SuperCubes= Small Bedroom/Desktop setup. You pay for it being small and all the marketing BS.

You can only have 2 of the 3: Size, Output, Depth. The Supercube is small therefore you only get 2 of the the 3. Depth and output need LARGE enclosures, small enclosures can only do depth or output NOT both. Def Tech went to the extreme in small size therefore sacificing depth and alittle output.

SVS on the other hand doesn't have the comprismises Def Tech does. But some of the models PB13Ultra example is the size of a small car and gets you everything you could ask for

SVS SB12 NSD cube give you alittle of everything smallish size, output and extension without giving up too much of one thing.