[ToddDavid]

You mention bookshelfs for surrounds so that they can double as mains for music. Do you have color restrictions for these surrounds?

 

[sleepingshaman]

Oberon has a dark gray grill. How bout Dali Rubicon LCR if he can find a deal on them? They’re white on white.

Yeah, Rubicon has the AMT, but more $, and he appears to be limited in the width mode, as it is about 1.5" wider. If he can fit them and handle the budget, add them to the option list!

Thanks will consider them, but after measuring the TV dimensions, I have about 11in on each side. Might be a little crowded.

Hard to tell from the pic, but it looked to me like the 11" width might by problematic. The Oberons are already on the wide side to begin with. Not even sure they will fit! OP, how much room do you have to work with? i.e. the width of the area minus the width of the TV (assuming you can mount the TV exactly in the middle). Are these speakers supposed to service the entire area, or will there be supplemental speakers elsewhere? Besides the music aspect, are you looking to include a 5 or 7 channel surround sound system for your HT viewing? Can you accommodate some subwoofers to fill out the bass region for music and movies? Kind of a shame that you are not interested in mounting speakers from that 20' ceiling, as that would be the perfect scenario to suspend a bunch of pendant speakers at maybe 12', allowing each one to cover a specific area of the room. This would be a nice approach to employing music for a party, as the sound could be evenly distributed throughout the room at a consistent volume. When you have speakers on one side of a room, those close to the speakers can be overwhelmed by the volume, while those folks across the room may not hear much at all, except a general din of muted and reflected sound. If the pendant idea appeals, look at the options from Gallo Acoustics. Very high aesthetic properties, as they are small and colorful (even the wire that suspends them), and would make a nice design statement in the right room (which yours appears to be).

How about the little Gallos? A'Diva look good... the Stradas are very good. You could always add a subwoofer later on... but for casual listening... they also look very nice.

A'Diva | Gallo Acoustics

galloacoustics.com

Those Gallo pendants do look very nice and would look pretty cool in this space. Still, looks like these may require more installation and potentially future maintenance work than we may be interested in. The Stradas are a unique look for sure. I appreciate all of your input. Regarding floorstanding options - if I can avoid them in this room I probably would to keep a more minimalist setup here. For the rear speakers likely will have them match the front setup (white would be preferred as my sub is in gloss white). I’m likely going to mount the TV flat on the wall, likely with the mount it comes with.

Totem Tribe speakers framing the TV.

If you need any assistance selecting Triad speakers, please let me know. I would be happy to help.

Would not recommend floorstanding speakers for this situation. Yes, the additional capacity would benefit the room size, however, they would need to be away from walls to avoid boomy bass. In this situation, the speakers will be right up against the wall(s). Better off with on-wall, to avoid these issues. One other option occurs to me, you could use a three channel passive soundbar, attached to the bottom of the TV. If your wall bracket allows the TV to be angled to service various areas of the room, then the speaker would also face the same way. An on-wall speaker may be blocked if moving the TV. You would need a high quality soundbar for this room, something like the Totem Tribe Trio or one of the larger Legacy options.

My research has also led me to Totem, and I would love to audition them. 3 Tribe 1s may fit well here, and the Tribe Trio would fit great under the TV also. I’ll look to see if there is somewhere in the area, where I can check them out. Would the Kin monitor bookshelf on a bracket be a suggested rear speaker here? Can run everything with my Anthem and use the sub to complete this area. Still, lots to consider. Thank you everyone!

 

[RayGuy]

Thanks will consider them, but after measuring the TV dimensions, I have about 11in on each side. Might be a little crowded. Those Gallo pendants do look very nice and would look pretty cool in this space. Still, looks like these may require more installation and potentially future maintenance work than we may be interested in. The Stradas are a unique look for sure. I appreciate all of your input. Regarding floorstanding options - if I can avoid them in this room I probably would to keep a more minimalist setup here. For the rear speakers likely will have them match the front setup (white would be preferred as my sub is in gloss white). I’m likely going to mount the TV flat on the wall, likely with the mount it comes with. My research has also led me to Totem, and I would love to audition them. 3 Tribe 1s may fit well here, and the Tribe Trio would fit great under the TV also. I’ll look to see if there is somewhere in the area, where I can check them out. Would the Kin monitor bookshelf on a bracket be a suggested rear speaker here? Can run everything with my Anthem and use the sub to complete this area. Still, lots to consider. Thank you everyone!

Yes, Kin and Tribe are designed to go together. BTW, Totem is a dealer driven network, so be sure to hit them up for a substantial discount under retail.

 

[Steadybias]

Thanks will consider them, but after measuring the TV dimensions, I have about 11in on each side. Might be a little crowded. Those Gallo pendants do look very nice and would look pretty cool in this space. Still, looks like these may require more installation and potentially future maintenance work than we may be interested in. The Stradas are a unique look for sure. I appreciate all of your input. Regarding floorstanding options - if I can avoid them in this room I probably would to keep a more minimalist setup here. For the rear speakers likely will have them match the front setup (white would be preferred as my sub is in gloss white). I’m likely going to mount the TV flat on the wall, likely with the mount it comes with. My research has also led me to Totem, and I would love to audition them. 3 Tribe 1s may fit well here, and the Tribe Trio would fit great under the TV also. I’ll look to see if there is somewhere in the area, where I can check them out. Would the Kin monitor bookshelf on a bracket be a suggested rear speaker here? Can run everything with my Anthem and use the sub to complete this area. Still, lots to consider. Thank you everyone!

You have a very large open space. I do too—2 story room over 6600 cubic feet plus open to kitchen behind. You may get a room filling sound with narrow in walls/on walls but I doubt it would equal good full floor standing towers for your LR. Many brands come in white as well which would work with your nice room. Arendal and Heco have measured well in recent reviews at audioholics. I’d compare before I’d invest in the in walls.

 

[sigpig]

IIRC, the Tribes have an available floor stand, so they don't HAVE to be mounted to the wall.
If you can get a decent enough discount, you -might- be able to get Tribe IIIs - a half-decent upgrade, IMHO.
What sub are you using? It may also be a good idea to get another identical one, because you have a HUGE open space...

 

[ThoBkk]

On Wall 300

Designed for Stereo and Home Cinema use, the allure of the On Wall 300 wall-mounted loudspeakers lies in their sleek design, bevelled silhouette, flax cone and incredible sound.

www.focal.com

Focall on-wall or stand versions might fit well too.

 

[PrestigeAudio]

Hi guys, just wanted get some advice on a speaker setup for my living room. Moved in a couple weeks ago. We had this particular room wired for 5.1, as it has 20+ft ceilings (22’?) and is open to kitchen and floating game room above it. We did not dare wire anything on the ceiling, so the rears are wired about 10ft up at either “corner” of the area that will be angled towards the viewing area (likely bookshelves or similar on brackets). The intended purpose for this area is more for family gatherings/parties and more music vs casual TV use. There is a dedicated theater upstairs wired to 7.2.4, which will be a future dedicated project. However, we do want a TV here in the event we want to use it.

The plan is to get a 65-75in Samsung Frame TV, and although not my favorite for a variety of reasons (I’m an LG OLED fan), has the best option to “hide” if I were to place artwork around it. We are looking some discrete in-wall speakers (color matched white grills) vs slim on wall speakers that will best blend in here. Some discrete floor standing speakers are not completely out of the question, but would like to keep the former, since we want to keep things discrete. There will be a ventilated media cabinet like attached below this to hide the Samsung box and accessories. Likely an art piece or similar above the TV with similar frame dimensions.

I taped off the 65” Frame which puts about 10-11in on either side of that area. The wall with the fireplace is angled so not on same plane as TV. The window shades will have blackout capability.

I have an Anthem MRX720 and Paradigm Defiance X15 sub that I am planning on possibly pairing with the rest of the setup. I have a set of Paradigm Millenia XPL L/C/Rs that I was going to use for the bedroom but considering some of their in-wall offerings. My AV consultation also recommended the 2-way Paradigm CI Pro P80-IW, which also has an 8in driver (8 1/16 wide cutout) or P65 IW (7in wide cut out).

Definitely open to your suggestions (ie., B&W CWM 7.4 S2s, KEF Ci3160RLB, Ci4100QL, etc), if anyone has an experience with any of these. Budget ~$5K, obviously less is preferred. Thank you so much! View attachment 3419369
View attachment 3419368

Your budget is very healthy. Your aesthetic is very clean. I do projects with the same goals all the time for clients. Very straight forward, but a lot of people on here don't have much hands on experience with products that solve problems and just know more traditional speaker basics. You're trying to solve a problem, not live around a bunch of speakers.

Highlights from what I've read so for...

- The Totem suggestion is a good one for sound quality, but will also result in the traditional "smiley face" around the TV.

- The poster who said in-walls are out is correct. I don't want to ruffle feathers by "preaching from a position of authority" as some like to accuse me of, but we do this work all the time... Chances are STRONG that the studs there will prohibit this.

Here are 4 choices that I would suggest. All come in under budget (one close to budget) while meeting your aethetic goals. I will list MSRP. Discounts are all available on these if a dealer will work with you. At the very least, ask a local dealer to come work for their money and install it all rather than just hand you boxes at full retail.

Traditional Bookshelf speakers on stands.... Revel M16 in WHITE with the stands that bolt to the bottom. These are on a great sale right now, affordable, and have a matching center. The white speaker and black stands would go with your clean color palette and play off of the black fireplace and TV a bit. The stands are worth it since they bolt to the botom and make for a sturdy, nice looking setup. BTW, the grills are white on these - if that matters to you. Sound quality is OUTSTANDING for the normal MSRP, but a steal at the discount... agian, more money is there for dealers to help you on this stuff, too. I wouldn't order from Crutchfield before asking a dealer for some price (or installation) concessions... Crutchfield's website doesn't have that option LOL.

DOWNSIDE to this... I HATE the wallplates there for you. Those will need patched and painted with this setup.

M16

M16 | 2-way 6.5" Bookshelf Loudspeaker

The Concerta2 M16 bookshelf loudspeaker was designed to deliver outstanding accuracy over a remarkably wide frequency range. The 2-way 6.5” bookshelf has the ability to provide performance worthy of the most demanding entertainment systems.

www.revelspeakers.com

Center

C25 | 2-way Dual 5.25" Center Channel Loudspeaker

The Concerta2 C25 center channel loudspeaker was designed to deliver outstanding accuracy over a remarkably wide frequency range. The 2-way 5.25” center channel loudspeaker has the ability to provide performance worthy of the most demanding entertainment systems.

www.revelspeakers.com

CENTERGY / DUAL MONO CENTER ON WALLS

^ Eliminates a 3rd box for center channel, while keeping the center seperate and discrete. We do these all the time. Most commonly above fireplace installs. This is the BEST way to do a high quality, above fireplace install that give great channel separation. The center channel on the sides allows for the lowest TV hight to a mantle or electric fireplace box becasue there is no center channel or sound bar to allow for. It also eliminates the ridiculous looking (and bad sounding) center above the TV as well. Center comes from center of the display and the sides are thrown out wide. It's a great way to go!

The concept works AMAZINGLY well and keep your front stage CLEAN. Center channel voices will sound like they come from the TV screen while the side left/right will have excellent separation. You will see 2 physical speakers, but there are actually 4 speakers doing the 3 L/C/R channels. The below options either wall mount or use brackets to mount to the back of the TV and provide a seemless look.

Phase Technology TCE 1.4 TCE1.5
MSRP: around $1,300 for the set. Comes with mounting hardware

The website dimensions are kind of backwards on these. They are roughly 27" tall and 7" wide. They should fit beside a 65"

BONUS: The onwalls would mean you don't have to paint or patch those wall plates!


Artison Will make the grilles to match your TV height. You bracket these to the TV before mounting and it looks like one complete system. I will say this, I think the Phase Techs above are a better value and look nicer. The Artison brand was bought by Savant a few years ago. Cary Christie (famous for his work with Infinity & AR - if I recall) worked with James Loudspeaker to come up with this concept years ago and they work, but the speakers have aesthetically not evolved much from when they were first brought out. They look bulky and kind of clunky next to today's modern, thin panels. They're an option, however.

LCR Speakers - Savant

www.savant.com

NOTE* The Artison needs bracketed to the TV and wouldn't look right with the Samsung Frame. For this option you would go with a traditional flat panel.

James Loudspeaker SPL3-CS or SPL5Q-CS - is my last recommendation and the highest performing. These also have a technology called CENTERGY. Again, like the above 2 options, you see 2 left/right boxes that house 4 enclosures for 2 centers, 1 left, 1 right. These are the best type of speaker in this category, bar none.

SPL3 James Loudspeaker

SPL5Q James Loudspeaker

Here are all of their CENTERGY speakers, but either the 3 or the 5 would fit your budget after discount and fit the wall best James Loudspeaker. I've done some really high performing beryllium versions as well - but you are getting into big $$$$s there. You can absolutely get home theater/surround sound SPLS out of some of these. You do not have room for one of the larger models with the6 1/2" woofers. I would need the side dimensions to the left and right of the TV to make sure the hgiher performing quad tweeter SPL5Q would work.

This is the highest performing of what I've listed (other than the traditional Revel above) and the most expensive. The 3 are $3,900 MSRP for the set the 5 is $5,750 MSRP. There is more margin in these for a dealer to work with you on so I wouldn't choke on that given your stated budget. The 5 should come in under $5,000 including rears and POSSIBLY a receiver. Not sure on subwoofer in the $5,000. But probably close. The SPL3 should be able to do everything for around 5ish if the dealer will work with you. Some will, some won't. It just depends!

The SPL5Q uses a quad teweeter array and is similar to James' bigger stuff that they are more known for. Both are EXCELLENT speakers for your application. The SPL5Q is 5.75" wide and will fit next to your TV just fine. You could maybe do the 6, but that will look quite crowded.

NOTE: These are made to the exact size of your TV, mount via bracket on the back, and look SEEMLESS to the lines of the TV. Like it is all one piece. They have a few pics in the 2 product links above. You could do some really great Tvs with these, but the Frame would not be my recomendation since it ruins that look.

EDIT: A benefit of the James or Artison being bracketed to the TV is that if you put the TV on a canteliever mount, the speakers and TV act as 1 piece. When you turn or angle the TV, the speakers are angled with it. Not sure if that applies to you or not.

EDIT 2: I would look at the SPL3 or the Phase Tech solutions. They will accomplish the look you want, provide excellent sound quality, and come in under the $5,000 max budget for complete 5.1 solutions. Chances are decent your side wall plates will be covered... but may need to step up to the SPL5Q for that if bracketing to the TV. The Phase Techs WILL wall mount and cover the plates.

 

[sbarnhar]

Your budget is very healthy. Your aesthetic is very clean. I do projects with the same goals all the time for clients. Very straight forward, but a lot of people on here don't have much hands on experience with products that solve problems and just know more traditional speaker basics. You're trying to solve a problem, not live around a bunch of speakers.

I am not the OP, but this post was excellent and very informative for me. I had no idea this type of speaker existed for solving aesthetic/architectural issues. So thank you for introducing that to me. I will keep this in mind if I am in this position in the future.

 

[PrestigeAudio]

I am not the OP, but this post was excellent and very informative for me. I had no idea this type of speaker existed for solving aesthetic/architectural issues. So thank you for introducing that to me. I will keep this in mind if I am in this position in the future.

Hey, no problem! I appreciate you reading through it all and looking at the possible solutions!

 

[roger12306]

Hi guys, just wanted get some advice on a speaker setup for my living room. Moved in a couple weeks ago. We had this particular room wired for 5.1, as it has 20+ft ceilings (22’?) and is open to kitchen and floating game room above it. We did not dare wire anything on the ceiling, so the rears are wired about 10ft up at either “corner” of the area that will be angled towards the viewing area (likely bookshelves or similar on brackets). The intended purpose for this area is more for family gatherings/parties and more music vs casual TV use. There is a dedicated theater upstairs wired to 7.2.4, which will be a future dedicated project. However, we do want a TV here in the event we want to use it.

The plan is to get a 65-75in Samsung Frame TV, and although not my favorite for a variety of reasons (I’m an LG OLED fan), has the best option to “hide” if I were to place artwork around it. We are looking some discrete in-wall speakers (color matched white grills) vs slim on wall speakers that will best blend in here. Some discrete floor standing speakers are not completely out of the question, but would like to keep the former, since we want to keep things discrete. There will be a ventilated media cabinet like attached below this to hide the Samsung box and accessories. Likely an art piece or similar above the TV with similar frame dimensions.

I taped off the 65” Frame which puts about 10-11in on either side of that area. The wall with the fireplace is angled so not on same plane as TV. The window shades will have blackout capability.

I have an Anthem MRX720 and Paradigm Defiance X15 sub that I am planning on possibly pairing with the rest of the setup. I have a set of Paradigm Millenia XPL L/C/Rs that I was going to use for the bedroom but considering some of their in-wall offerings. My AV consultation also recommended the 2-way Paradigm CI Pro P80-IW, which also has an 8in driver (8 1/16 wide cutout) or P65 IW (7in wide cut out).

Definitely open to your suggestions (ie., B&W CWM 7.4 S2s, KEF Ci3160RLB, Ci4100QL, etc), if anyone has an experience with any of these. Budget ~$5K, obviously less is preferred. Thank you so much! View attachment 3419369
View attachment 3419368

I recently bought some JBL arena series 8inch in walls for surrounds off ebay. They are discontinued, so they are highly discounted. These are the ones with soft dome tweeters, not the current ones with poly tweets. They are quite good and are as unobtrusive as possible. Super thin magnetic grills. Save the rest of the budget to buy a bunch of art to hang on the walls to tame the echo. You are unlikely to be able to get great sound quality in that room anyway. My mains are Dynaudio towers, and I was very surprised how good these in walls sound! Probably have to hunt to find the 8 inch, but they are quite a bit better than the 6 inch, which i used for atmos. With a sub though, they would work too.

 

[tonyE]

Oh, heck.... the Gallos will disappear but are not cheap, the Totems sound excellent but you will always see them as "speakers"...

Others tell you to get big boxes that will be out into the room.

Heck, forget it... swing for the fences! Get a pair of used Magnepan 1.7 with a pair of used Pass Aleph 2 amps.. and a simple but good preamp... the Maggies can be pushed against the wall when not in use and nobody but us will know they are speakers ( I got mine against the wall in the living room in their resting place.. in white, they disappear).

I looked at the used prices.... some Gallos out there, not so many Totems...

Totem Mani very good too.

 

[sleepingshaman]

Your budget is very healthy. Your aesthetic is very clean. I do projects with the same goals all the time for clients. Very straight forward, but a lot of people on here don't have much hands on experience with products that solve problems and just know more traditional speaker basics. You're trying to solve a problem, not live around a bunch of speakers.

Highlights from what I've read so for...

- The Totem suggestion is a good one for sound quality, but will also result in the traditional "smiley face" around the TV.

- The poster who said in-walls are out is correct. I don't want to ruffle feathers by "preaching from a position of authority" as some like to accuse me of, but we do this work all the time... Chances are STRONG that the studs there will prohibit this.

Here are 4 choices that I would suggest. All come in under budget (one close to budget) while meeting your aethetic goals. I will list MSRP. Discounts are all available on these if a dealer will work with you. At the very least, ask a local dealer to come work for their money and install it all rather than just hand you boxes at full retail.

Traditional Bookshelf speakers on stands.... Revel M16 in WHITE with the stands that bolt to the bottom. These are on a great sale right now, affordable, and have a matching center. The white speaker and black stands would go with your clean color palette and play off of the black fireplace and TV a bit. The stands are worth it since they bolt to the botom and make for a sturdy, nice looking setup. BTW, the grills are white on these - if that matters to you. Sound quality is OUTSTANDING for the normal MSRP, but a steal at the discount... agian, more money is there for dealers to help you on this stuff, too. I wouldn't order from Crutchfield before asking a dealer for some price (or installation) concessions... Crutchfield's website doesn't have that option LOL.

DOWNSIDE to this... I HATE the wallplates there for you. Those will need patched and painted with this setup.

M16

M16 | 2-way 6.5" Bookshelf Loudspeaker

The Concerta2 M16 bookshelf loudspeaker was designed to deliver outstanding accuracy over a remarkably wide frequency range. The 2-way 6.5” bookshelf has the ability to provide performance worthy of the most demanding entertainment systems.

www.revelspeakers.com

Center

C25 | 2-way Dual 5.25" Center Channel Loudspeaker

The Concerta2 C25 center channel loudspeaker was designed to deliver outstanding accuracy over a remarkably wide frequency range. The 2-way 5.25” center channel loudspeaker has the ability to provide performance worthy of the most demanding entertainment systems.

www.revelspeakers.com

CENTERGY / DUAL MONO CENTER ON WALLS

^ Eliminates a 3rd box for center channel, while keeping the center seperate and discrete. We do these all the time. Most commonly above fireplace installs. This is the BEST way to do a high quality, above fireplace install that give great channel separation. The center channel on the sides allows for the lowest TV hight to a mantle or electric fireplace box becasue there is no center channel or sound bar to allow for. It also eliminates the ridiculous looking (and bad sounding) center above the TV as well. Center comes from center of the display and the sides are thrown out wide. It's a great way to go!

The concept works AMAZINGLY well and keep your front stage CLEAN. Center channel voices will sound like they come from the TV screen while the side left/right will have excellent separation. You will see 2 physical speakers, but there are actually 4 speakers doing the 3 L/C/R channels. The below options either wall mount or use brackets to mount to the back of the TV and provide a seemless look.

Phase Technology TCE 1.4 TCE1.5
MSRP: around $1,300 for the set. Comes with mounting hardware

The website dimensions are kind of backwards on these. They are roughly 27" tall and 7" wide. They should fit beside a 65"

BONUS: The onwalls would mean you don't have to paint or patch those wall plates!


Artison Will make the grilles to match your TV height. You bracket these to the TV before mounting and it looks like one complete system. I will say this, I think the Phase Techs above are a better value and look nicer. The Artison brand was bought by Savant a few years ago. Cary Christie (famous for his work with Infinity & AR - if I recall) worked with James Loudspeaker to come up with this concept years ago and they work, but the speakers have aesthetically not evolved much from when they were first brought out. They look bulky and kind of clunky next to today's modern, thin panels. They're an option, however.

LCR Speakers - Savant

www.savant.com

NOTE* The Artison needs bracketed to the TV and wouldn't look right with the Samsung Frame. For this option you would go with a traditional flat panel.

James Loudspeaker SPL3-CS or SPL5Q-CS - is my last recommendation and the highest performing. These also have a technology called CENTERGY. Again, like the above 2 options, you see 2 left/right boxes that house 4 enclosures for 2 centers, 1 left, 1 right. These are the best type of speaker in this category, bar none.

SPL3 James Loudspeaker

SPL5Q James Loudspeaker

Here are all of their CENTERGY speakers, but either the 3 or the 5 would fit your budget after discount and fit the wall best James Loudspeaker. I've done some really high performing beryllium versions as well - but you are getting into big $$$$s there. You can absolutely get home theater/surround sound SPLS out of some of these. You do not have room for one of the larger models with the6 1/2" woofers. I would need the side dimensions to the left and right of the TV to make sure the hgiher performing quad tweeter SPL5Q would work.

This is the highest performing of what I've listed (other than the traditional Revel above) and the most expensive. The 3 are $3,900 MSRP for the set the 5 is $5,750 MSRP. There is more margin in these for a dealer to work with you on so I wouldn't choke on that given your stated budget. The 5 should come in under $5,000 including rears and POSSIBLY a receiver. Not sure on subwoofer in the $5,000. But probably close. The SPL3 should be able to do everything for around 5ish if the dealer will work with you. Some will, some won't. It just depends!

The SPL5Q uses a quad teweeter array and is similar to James' bigger stuff that they are more known for. Both are EXCELLENT speakers for your application. The SPL5Q is 5.75" wide and will fit next to your TV just fine. You could maybe do the 6, but that will look quite crowded.

NOTE: These are made to the exact size of your TV, mount via bracket on the back, and look SEEMLESS to the lines of the TV. Like it is all one piece. They have a few pics in the 2 product links above. You could do some really great Tvs with these, but the Frame would not be my recomendation since it ruins that look.

EDIT: A benefit of the James or Artison being bracketed to the TV is that if you put the TV on a canteliever mount, the speakers and TV act as 1 piece. When you turn or angle the TV, the speakers are angled with it. Not sure if that applies to you or not.

EDIT 2: I would look at the SPL3 or the Phase Tech solutions. They will accomplish the look you want, provide excellent sound quality, and come in under the $5,000 max budget for complete 5.1 solutions. Chances are decent your side wall plates will be covered... but may need to step up to the SPL5Q for that if bracketing to the TV. The Phase Techs WILL wall mount and cover the plates.

Hello! Sorry for the delayed response, but thank you for your reply - those look like some great options. The Frame recently had a drop in price, so I’m actually considering moving to 75in for that wall (Costco adds an and one of the options mentioned: Tribe Trio vs the SPL5Q with 2 surround speakers and the XR13 sub.

Definitely some art as was mentioned to help with echoing, maybe an absorber if I can find something that fits.

We are soon going to be upgrading the flooring to hardwood and will definitely have rugs in this room. The wall with the fireplace is planned to have some textured tile and serve as an accent wall with artwork likely above the fireplace as well as above the Frame.

Oh, heck.... the Gallos will disappear but are not cheap, the Totems sound excellent but you will always see them as "speakers"...

Others tell you to get big boxes that will be out into the room.

Heck, forget it... swing for the fences! Get a pair of used Magnepan 1.7 with a pair of used Pass Aleph 2 amps.. and a simple but good preamp... the Maggies can be pushed against the wall when not in use and nobody but us will know they are speakers ( I got mine against the wall in the living room in their resting place.. in white, they disappear).

I looked at the used prices.... some Gallos out there, not so many Totems...

Totem Mani very good too.

Thank you for your reply, I have heard great things about Magnepan but have not had an opportunity to audition them. The would look great in white. I will see if I can find a retailer, where we can audition them. This option will also allow for the bigger TV size. Decisions, decisions!

Thanks again everyone!!

 

[PrestigeAudio]

Hello! Sorry for the delayed response, but thank you for your reply - those look like some great options. The Frame recently had a drop in price, so I’m actually considering moving to 75in for that wall (Costco adds an and one of the options mentioned: Tribe Trio vs the SPL5Q with 2 surround speakers and the XR13 sub.

I am a Totem and James dealer... The SPLQ5 DESTROYS the Totem piece. James will make it to match the width of your television, which ends up looking great.... and sounding better because the drivers get wider as well when they build to width.

We have used the SPLQ5 under 110" projection screens built to match the width and it sounds fabulous.

I am all for your decision to get a bigger display. The room looks big so a 75" would work. I will say that Samsung frame TVs have had a global issue (on and off again) of the ARC feature not working properly. I would avoid using a Yamaha receiver with it and stick with Denon, Marantz, Pioneer Elite, Onkyo, or Sony. The way Samsung implements ARC doesn't love Yamaha receivers. It's really hit or miss.

 

[tonyE]

We got an LG77CX in our den... speakers are old but goodies... a 7.0 system of PSB Stratus. Gold-i as L/R and the matching center. Coax PSB in wall (4) on the ceilings are Side and Rear surrounds.

But the big PSB do not disappear... we just made the room to make them not be intrusive. The TV is on a very nice rosewood sofa table. Speakers are Rosewood, center is on a stand. So, it all matches...

They do make a bigger OLEDs now.

Whatever you do... go with the OLED. No QLED, nothing like that.... Oh L E D

The rest sucks.

Maggies are awesome... but be ready to spend some money on the amps...

 

[tonyE]

SPL3 James Loudspeaker

SPL5Q James Loudspeaker

Those are nice looking... sound bars.

The problem is that they don't do down very deep in the bass.. so you will still need a couple of woofers to cover the 70 to 30 Hz range... and that, IMHO, destroys the design ethos and reason for spending so much money. Even the big ones, with the 6 inch woofers, only go down to 60Hz. Mind you, the Gallos and just about every smallish, stylish speaker suffers the same issue.

Then you got the issue of where do you put the amplifier? Those James speakers should be active with nice NCore units.

What do you do in four years when you get the new, super duper, Super-VHDMI 4.1, 130" TV.... and find your speakers no long fit it?

It becomes the ever present contest between Architectural Digest and Home Theater Design. That's why so many people go with the in wall set ups, which bring their own issues as well.

I always wonder... how come people who buy an 80 inch flat panel figure they have to hide the speakers? I mean, they got a honking 80 inch 900 lb gorilla in the room... what difference will a couple of Towers Of Power flanking that honking black thing make?

 

[PrestigeAudio]

Those are nice looking... sound bars.

The problem is that they don't do down very deep in the bass.. so you will still need a couple of woofers to cover the 70 to 30 Hz range... and that, IMHO, destroys the design ethos and reason for spending so much money. Even the big ones, with the 6 inch woofers, only go down to 60Hz. Mind you, the Gallos and just about every smallish, stylish speaker suffers the same issue.

Then you got the issue of where do you put the amplifier? Those James speakers should be active with nice NCore units.

What do you do in four years when you get the new, super duper, Super-VHDMI 4.1, 130" TV.... and find your speakers no long fit it?

It becomes the ever present contest between Architectural Digest and Home Theater Design. That's why so many people go with the in wall set ups, which bring their own issues as well.

I always wonder... how come people who buy an 80 inch flat panel figure they have to hide the speakers? I mean, they got a honking 80 inch 900 lb gorilla in the room... what difference will a couple of Towers Of Power flanking that honking black thing make?

I see this rebuttal and concern brought up regarding these types of smaller speakers all the time. I get the initial objection on the surface... But any multi channel system, even ones with huge towers, are supposed to have crossovers set to 80hz/small and use a subwoofer for bass. I don't see how these are any different?

Interior design is a personal choice for sure. Often times how wide one's choices are is limited to how wide their wallet isn't. So is the type of home you live in. Type of car you drive. Food you eat. And on and on. No accoynting for personal taste... but taste is personal. The exciting thing, to me, is that there are some killer choices available to accomplish BOTH goals of looking stealth and sounding great.... to varrying degrees. I have used a lot if problem solving speakers in a lot of different environments. They are great for the application... as are some of the other suggestions people have tossed out.

"Sound bar" as a term might be a bit too ubiquitous here. Most people think of little plastic, dinky things at Walmart ir Bestbuy... but there are some seriously beautiful sounding, big sounding, form fitting speakers out there... James,Leon, & Artison/Savant do all have powered models as you've suggested.

The grill point is a fair one, but the companies above have solved that as well. They will make a grill assembly to match your display as you upgrade.

In the OP's situation I don't see how he has room for large equipement around the TV, so these solutions all make sense to me. So would in walls if they would fit. But, quite honestly, in walls around a TV can be hit or miss aesthetically.

 

[tonyE]

I see this rebuttal and concern brought up regarding these types of smaller speakers all the time. I get the initial objection on the surface... But any multi channel system, even ones with huge towers, are supposed to have crossovers set to 80hz/small and use a subwoofer for bass. I don't see how these are any different?

Interior design is a personal choice for sure. Often times how wide one's choices are is limited to how wide their wallet isn't. So is the type of home you live in. Type of car you drive. Food you eat. And on and on. No accoynting for personal taste... but taste is personal. The exciting thing, to me, is that there are some killer choices available to accomplish BOTH goals of looking stealth and sounding great.... to varrying degrees. I have used a lot if problem solving speakers in a lot of different environments. They are great for the application... as are some of the other suggestions people have tossed out.

"Sound bar" as a term might be a bit too ubiquitous here. Most people think of little plastic, dinky things at Walmart ir Bestbuy... but there are some seriously beautiful sounding, big sounding, form fitting speakers out there... James,Leon, & Artison/Savant do all have powered models as you've suggested.

The grill point is a fair one, but the companies above have solved that as well. They will make a grill assembly to match your display as you upgrade.

In the OP's situation I don't see how he has room for large equipement around the TV, so these solutions all make sense to me. So would in walls if they would fit. But, quite honestly, in walls around a TV can be hit or miss aesthetically.

(1) Not really. If you have truly full range speakers you should NOT rolled them at all because that will introduce phase shifts or other stuff... just drive the speakers full range. And if the speakers are truly deep full range, you don't really need subwoofers. Doing so, btw, also makes the speakers sound much better for music and that is a nice thing to have around, even if all you do is install a Bluetooth adaptor and play it from your cell phone.

(2) No, I don't think of sound bars as something necessarily cheap, just fundamentally functionally deficient. They are getting expensive, but for a truly immersive sound experience your L/R speakers should be rather far apart... more than it makes sense for a soundbar. Also, having the speakers separate gives you a lot more flexibility on current and future placement. Example... my current set up, in a 14' wide room, places the L/R speakers about a foot, each, to the sides of the 77" display. That gives me a breadth of about 8 feet. Interestingly, I also have a "spare" set of Magnepan 12s... in black. I have thought many times of using them as L/R with the corresponding Maggie center.... Given the Big Bag Black OLED display, those big flat panels would actually look good in there, and I got plenty of power for them.... the only issue might be that I will only give them two feet behind them. Decisions, decisions... something that is hard to do when you have bought into a soundbar that is fitted to your display.

(3) In walls, IMHO, are the worst solution. For one thing they are fixed in place and hard to wire. I had a set of ADS L300 in walls as a remote setup eons ago, and while they sounded good they were very hard to keep long term as our needs changed. Another thing they do is to pressurize the wall/ceiling/attic cavity so that sound will propagate throughout the house. Another example: when we installed the four in ceiling surrounds in our den, I thought I'd be good because it was new, single level construction... and I set them up filtered at 40 Hz ( got lots of power for them ). They sound awesome but I can hear some "boom boom" from the other side of the house... even if I play with the crossover and raise it to 80hz.

(4) Speaking of bluetooth... I think those speaker bars you recommended would be much, much better if they were active AND had a good sounding -such as it may be- Bluetooth receiver. I mean, I'm sure they will sound good enough for non critical listening. Yeah, the lack of a bass will still be an issue for such an application.

I guess it all comes down to form vs. function. The OP is gonna have to make a decision.

BTW- be as it may... I have been thinking of getting a front facing sound bar for the LG55C9 in our bedroom. When I put it on the wall, I removed the base and that is what is used to reflect forward the sound of the down firing speakers .... so either I find where I put base and see if I can take it apart to return that angle piece of I get some front firing speakers. And I don't want a "surround" bar... just two front firing speakers... Such is the issue nowadays with making the TV's bezel so minimal.

 

[Looneybomber]

(3) In walls, IMHO, are the worst solution…Another thing they do is to pressurize the wall/ceiling/attic cavity so that sound will propagate throughout the house.

I have that same problem with my tower speakers. They seem to fill my whole floor with sound.

 

[tonyE]

I have that same problem with my tower speakers. They seem to fill my whole floor with sound.

My house is on a slab and the den is new construction, on a single level.... the entire house is heavily framed with lots of shear walls ( for earthquakes ) and double acoustic drywall with insulation... so the sound in air doesn't propagate more than one room away from the den and the concrete slab is inert... but those four in ceilings pressurize the two foot crawl/attic space above them in a way that the acoustic pressure travels throughout the house. Not much, mind you, but we're very sensitive to sound isolation ( ie: double insulated walls... ).

If you have your speakers on a suspended floor than you'll have to isolate them somehow. Maybe some pucks of Sorbothane?

 

[Looneybomber]

If you have your speakers on a suspended floor than you'll have to isolate them somehow. Maybe some pucks of Sorbothane?

It was my attempt at humor in my open floor plan house with towers in the living room.