Advice for Theater Upgrade

OldMovieMan

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My home theater (see below) is getting old and I'd like to upgrade/update it. My current setup consists of a 10 year old Onkyo AVR, an Epson 5300 projector, and a 120" diagonal 16:9 homemade screen. For speakers, I have a set of old AV123 speakers - 2 Onix RS750s, an Onix RSC200, and two RSS300 dipolar surrounds. For a sub, I have an MFW-15 that is need of repair. This is in a room that is roughly 13' wide and 22' long, but the back wall has a corner intrusion (see below). The room is entirely light controlled with no windows and relatively dark walls and carpet. There are two rows of seats (4 in front, 2 in back) with the front row about 11'-12' from the screen. My use is almost entirely movies with some casual TV watching. My budget is somewhere in the $15K to $20K range.

Here are some of the changes I'm looking at:
AVR - Upgrade the AVR to something that can support modern standards and power more speakers. I am most interested in the Anthem MRX 1140.

Projector - I want to upgrade the projector to a 4K projector with a better dynamic range. I'm looking at the JVC NX5 but I'm open to options.

Screen - I like my current screen size, but I'd consider something the same height but wider. I don't think I can go 235:1 without putting the speakers behind the screen. I don't think I want to do that. Not sure whether to buy a pre-built screen or buy screen material and build my own again. Do people sell good screen material?

Speakers - I think I'd like to go to a 7.4 setup. Is that overkill for a room this size? Would it be a bad idea to augment my existing 5 speakers with some SVS Elevations and Satellites? Or should I replace the existing speakers to get a better tonal match. What about the dipolar surrounds? That made sense back in the early 5.1 days, but it seems like direct speakers might be a better idea with more speakers and modern audio tracks.

Subwoofer - My existing sub is humming. I'm looking into getting a fix for it, but that seems relatively unlikely. Assuming I can't, I was thinking about getting a pair of SVS 2000 pros. Not sure whether I want the ported ones or not. This is virtually always going to be for movie watching and not music, so I'm leaning towards the ported speakers.

I would appreciate any advice you can give. Am I putting too much money into one area and not enough into another? Are any of my gear suggestions bad ideas or bad combinations? Should I source this stuff myself or work with a local dealer/installer? Aside from the sub, everything works reasonably well, so there isn't a huge rush on any of this.

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Hi there!

This is UK based forum so we don´t necessarily know all the specific models available in US, especially for projectors. For +3k$ projectors in US check here, these guys can help you:


You should be able to get your subwoofer amp fixed, contact Mark Seaton he has designed that woofer partly. Send email and describe the model/issue: [email protected]

If you want new dual subwoofers then don´t forget other brands. SVS offers great support/service, the upgrade program and long warranty which are built in to the product prices. But there is also better performing products for less / same price from HSU which is very popular in US. Of course you have to consider the size also as placement will be VERY important in your room to get the best results from your new woofers!

Great looking system and i don´t see any point changing if you are still happy with it.

You could look a pair of bookshelf speakers from that Onix Rocket range if someone is selling used. Then just get 23,6" tall speaker stands for them. That is to swap the dipoles. While it might not be recommended by Dolby it doesn´t mean you can´t stick with them though, especially if you like the more dispersed soundfield and less localization. Maybe first install the Elevation channels on side walls high up and listen how it sounds with new receiver. Keep in mind if you keep the dipoles they should be mounted at seated ear height to get some height separation to Elevations!

elevation_direct_radiatingc_e4de6c2b-370f-4ace-8c80-3037133332da.jpg
 
Thanks for the feedback. I'm afraid I confused this with a recommendation for the US based AVSForums site, but I'm glad that I did because your information was useful. I've contacted Mark Seaton and I hope he can solve my sub issue. Thanks again for the information.
 

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