[Marc0000]

I am upgrading my AV system and I am running into a challenge of how to configure things without my room looking like a stereo store showroom.


I have a new Samsung 50B860 plasma that I plan to mount on the wall in my den. The room is only 10' x 12'. I currently have the Energy Take 5 system with a Polk subwoofer. The speakers work fine but I clearly could have better sound with bigger boxes. The trouble I have is that bigger boxes sure look weird, especially in a small room. My TV is only 1.2 inch thick so when it is wall-mounted it protrudes less than 3 inches from the wall. Most larger center channel speaker's and satellites quickly expand to 8" deep, 10", or more. It seems to me that a slim plasma would look pretty funny wall-mounted over a center channel that is 20 x 7 x 10 like the Energy C-100.


I might be able to live with a couple of tower front speakers so long as they didn't stick out 12" from the wall. For example, there is a guy on these forums selling his Wharfedale Pacific Evolution-30s. Great price, good value, and he lives not too far from me. But the speakers are 11'' deep. Are there any good speakers with a small footprint? And that still leaves what to do with the center channel.


How do you guys solve this problem? That is, you guys who can't or don't want to live in a stereo showroom?

Live with limited sound from slim-design speakers? For example I can get a great price on the Energy FPS center channel and use it with my Energy satellites. Other ideas?

 

[inthepit]

Budget?

 

[Ron Alcasid]

Look for slim floor standers. Klipsch Icon W and Def Tech Mythos come to mind but there are many similar products on the market. Or you can just get classic bookshelf speakers and put them on stands.

 

[Marc0000]



Quote:
Originally Posted by inthepit /forum/post/18203346


Budget?

I intentionally left budget out of the equation. In general, it seems that larger boxes generally sound better. And cost more. But that also creates a larger problem of how to integrate them into the room. I'm looking for feedback on how people chose to set up their systems in balancing the three factors: size, cost and aesthetics.


There are those who have dedicated A/V rooms with unlimited budgets. This discussion isn't for them!

 

[inthepit]

I just pointed my GF to a few different speakers and asked which ones she could live with.

 

[citizen arcane]

That's an awfully small room to work with and you may not have much to gain w/ replacing your speakers.


Have you tried repositioning your seating position? E.g. if you chair/couch is up against the wall move it in towards the room a few feet.


How are your front speakers mounted, are they on stands? Are the tweets at ear height? Are the fronts pulled a few feet away from the front wall? How are the fronts in relation to the side walls? How are the rears mounted?


Have you tried the "subwoofer crawl" to find it's best location?


How about room treatments? If you have a bare floor you may want to put a throw rug between you and the front speakers. If there's a coffee table you may want to remove it or cover it. Have you considered adding a few broad band absorbers and trapping the bass?


I ask all this because a few tweaks could make your room a much better listening environment.



.........Or you may consider upgrading to wall mounted speakers.