"Compact" 5.1 Theater System

Hi everyone,

From what I've read here, this question gets asked a lot but I wanted to bounce this off everyone just to make sure I'm making the right purchase decisions as this is my first swing at doing a 5.1 speaker setup outside of buying a HTiB system.

I'm putting together a projector based theater in my basement and have a relatively compact space (12 x 14'). The system will be used for movies, games, and music. I've already purchased a Denon 2113ci receiver to power the speakers and now have about $700 left in the audio budget for speakers (plus some money for wires and mounts). Because of the tight space, I was originally looking at buying a Definitive Technology Pro Cinema 600 system and calling it a day. After reading other forums and reviews that mention systems like that having smaller sound I was wondering if I should try to piece something together myself or buy another system. The other option I looked at was going with four Infinity Primus 143 speakers plus the center plus a Klipsch RW12-D sub. My only concern about bookshelf speakers like that is that A) I might not be able to wall mount them and B) If I can wall mount them, would they even look ok by a projector screen or would they stick out too far? Can anyone speak to the ease of mounting speakers like that? With a somewhat tight budget I don't expect this to be the best system in the world, just something that will be a solid start in the home theater world and let me upgrade the pieces over time as I can afford to.

Given those concerns I'd love peoples feedback on my options above or if there is another 5.1 system I should consider.

Thanks in advance!

Dave

Not a bad suggestion if I could find them at the $200/pair cost. Right now they're selling for $300/pair which would put them outside of the budget. I have a month or so before I pull the trigger so I planned on watching prices and grabbing stuff as it goes on sale. Thanks for the suggestion though, I'll keep an eye on them.

Will something like that wall mount easily or does it stick out too far?

Thanks everyone, the suggestions are really helpful! 1' from the wall might be a bit much for a tight space. People have to walk in front of the screen in order to get to the seating area so I'd be afraid the bookshelves would end up getting bumped. I'll have to take another measurement to be sure. I could be imagining the space to be tighter than it really is (I guess I should just be less lazy and walk down to the basement!).

That's not a bad idea either. I went back and measured the space and discovered that, as I feared, there is only about 2' for people to walk into the seating area due to the placement of a love seat. So now it looks like I'm forced to consider the smaller depth speaker options. The only thing I hate about going with a set like the Def Tec 600 is that I was really hoping to be able to go with a bigger sub. I only expect to be in this space for a few more months though so once that happens the front two speakers will probably get replaced with either higher-end bookshelf speakers or floor standing ones with whatever front speakers I end up having to use right now being relegated to the back for a 7.1 setup. I guess I could always use the Def Tec 600 sub as a secondary sub in that case too.

Are there any issues with using a large sub and a small sub or do they just add up to pack more punch?

$200/pair is definitely at the upper end since I'd be at $400 before a sub and center. The Polk RTi4s that were brought up in your other thread look like a good option too. I saw them on Ebay for $149 a pair refurb but J&R had them new for $159 so that's probably a better deal.

So right now I think I have it narrowed down between either sticking with the Infinity setup + the Klipsch sub or something with more expensive bookshelfs like either NHT/Polk and then getting a slightly cheaper sub. What did you end up going with?

Yeah I admit I went high on the receiver. The idea was to leave room for future expansion later this year.

With that being the case I might go with the recommendation of getting better core speakers and a smaller sub. Any suggestions on the sub then?

How much would I be losing out by not going with a center speaker designed to be a center?

And one other thing to add on to the previous comment... If I can spend another 50-100 and ensure that the system will go a lot further I suppose I could flex a bit. There's no reason to spend $700 only to have to turn around and spend twice that a year later because I find out my cost saving measure got me really weak sound.

Edit: Okay so I've increased the speaker budget a bit to $850 max. Is 5 NHTs and the Klipsch the best route for this or should I still consider the Polks or possible other options like a larger Def Tec setup?
Edited by davemex - 1/15/13 at 6:00pm

I really like those HTD flat panels but they seem to have smaller woofers. Would that be an issue? While I was on their site I also took a look at a Level Two setup, which I also liked. Someone started a very similar thread (lots of those these days) where it looked like the leading recommendation was Level Threes for the front speakers and Level Twos for the back. That's what got me thinking about an HTD setup.

So... now it looks like the options I'm considering would be...

• 3 HTD Flat Panel speakers in the front with cheaper surrounds
• 5 NHT Superzero 2.0 speakers all around
• 5 Level Two speakers all around
• Wait for the Def Tech Studio Monitor 350s to go back on sale and pick 5 up

All of those would be paired up with the Klipsch sub or something similar. Out of those, I'd love to hear people's feedback on which has the most bang for the buck.

Lastly, thanks again to everyone who's provided feedback. You've all been a huge help!

Uhg I totally forgot about the depth constraints of the space. I didn't realize the Level 2 speakers were 10" deep and forgot the SM350 are as well. It looks like it will have to be either the Flat Panels or the SuperZeros. I see you still prefer the HTD over the SuperZeros. Just more sound for the money? I'll have to look at those NGX surrounds too though my back wall isn't as space constrained.

Thanks for the recos. Unless something else calls out to me (I admit I did look at the slightly pricier HSU Hybrid 1 package too) I think I'm going to go with 3 HTD Flat Panels for the L/C/R and 2 Middies for the rears. I figured it would be best to keep them all from the same manufacturer even if it did cost a little more than getting cheaper sides.

I do find it personally hilarious that I started out looking for a $750 system and am now well up into the $1000 range before shipping. It's funny how easy it is to talk yourself in to spending more $. It'll be worth it if I end up with a system that will serve me better for a longer time though.

Well, the SM 350s actually went on sale right after I wrote that. They're bigger than I wanted to put in that space but I figure I can mount them higher and angle them down towards the seating area. I also picked up a Mythos 3 to use as a center. If it all shows up and sounds like crap or just doesn't fit, I guess it'll be back in the box to Newegg in favor of the HTDs. While I really loved the look of those flatpanel speakers I just can't pass up having the much larger sonic range of the SM 350s if the price is right.

Thanks again for all the recos!