I'm planning on buying some speakers pretty soon to get some sound into the media room in our house, and was hoping to get some advice from the members on the forum!
Here's a basic layout of the room:
Here are some of the alternatives I've considered so far:
The sub is not something with which I'm really concerned; all the companies I've been looking at so far seem to have pretty good subs - I just need to make sure I'm looking at something that is powerful enough to fill the room. (I'm guessing Aperion Bravus 12D, Rythmik D15 SE, Axiom EP500, Def Tech Supercube I or II, SVS PC12-Plus or PB12-Plus would all have sufficient power)
I am more concerned about whether I can get sufficient volume out of bookshelves for the space, how using non-timbre matching surrounds versus fronts might impact the viewing experience, and whether the in-ceilings will be enough.
Thanks in advance!
Here's a basic layout of the room:

- The primary portion of the room is 19 feet across, and 24 feet deep with an 8 foot ceiling.
- The closet/media cabinetry at the front (bottom of the pic) of the room is 2 feet deep.
- The room is prewired for 4 surround speakers in the ceiling. There's a couple of feet of slack in the wiring behind the ceiling, but that starts roughly where the X's are.
- The media cabinetry has 3 cabinets (with a fabric grille on the cabinet door) at floor level of 21" H x 21" W x 24" D (so yes, the front sound stage isn't centered with the room - it's centered with the screen).
- WAF is extremely important, so getting beyond in-ceiling surrounds will be a tough sell. Ceiling mount might be a possibility; wall mount will probably be shot down. That also means the L/R/C must go within the 3 cabinets in the front.
- Budget is probably around $3500 including S/W. It could be slightly stretched, but again - requires a sales pitch to the wife.
- Usage is probably 50% movies, 35% games, 15% music, but the movies and music have to be top notch.
- My previous setup (which doesn't fit in the criteria for this room at all, which is why I'm back at square one) was Definitive Tech all around - BP2004TL fronts, C/L/R 2300 center, and BP2X rears, with a PF15TL+ sub.
- It will initially be powered by a Marantz SR-8200 until I can find a suitable replacement for it.
Here are some of the alternatives I've considered so far:
- An all Aperion setup: 6B fronts, 5C center, 632 in ceiling surrounds.
- Mix in Ascend Sierra-1 fronts and center, but use Aperion surrounds.
- Mix in Axiom M22 fronts and VP100 center, with Aperion surrounds or Axiom W2/W3 surrounds.
- SVS MBS-01 fronts and see if I can get a single MBS-01 as a center (since I can't fit the MCS-01 in the cabinet), with Aperion surrounds.
- A Definite Tech Mythos setup: Mythos Six fronts, Mythos Seven center, with UIW BP/A surrounds.
The sub is not something with which I'm really concerned; all the companies I've been looking at so far seem to have pretty good subs - I just need to make sure I'm looking at something that is powerful enough to fill the room. (I'm guessing Aperion Bravus 12D, Rythmik D15 SE, Axiom EP500, Def Tech Supercube I or II, SVS PC12-Plus or PB12-Plus would all have sufficient power)
I am more concerned about whether I can get sufficient volume out of bookshelves for the space, how using non-timbre matching surrounds versus fronts might impact the viewing experience, and whether the in-ceilings will be enough.
Thanks in advance!