Advice on potential B&W 5.1 Surround Sound Setup

Freedom85uk

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Hi all,

I am looking for some advice on a new 5.1 setup that I'm considering. This will be my first proper 5.1 setup and I want it to be high quality and future proof. I may consider adding dolby atmos in the future but for now it will be traditional 5.1.

I am looking at the following:

B&W 606 S2 for L/R on stands

B&W HTM6 for Centre

B&W 607 for surrounds - Wall mounted

SVS SB1000 Sub

My budget is up to £3k. I'd rather buy new and not used.

Living room is L shaped. I'll be about 3.5 metres away from the front speakers and the surrounds will be right behind me on the wall.

I was looking at Denon 2700 for the AV receiver but I am not sure if this is the best choice. It needs to have eARC and atmos for future proofing. I will be buying HDMI 2.1 devices in the future, such as PS5 etc.

My question is, I need to wall mount the surrounds as there is no space behind the couch for them to be on stands. I have read the 607s are rear firing so they need to be at least 30cm from the wall. Does anybody have any recommendations for surrounds that would pair nicely with this setup?

Thanks
 
Have you heard the new B&W 600 S2 range? There is quite many options to choose from if you haven`t or do you feel that you want specifically B&W speakers? :)

In 5.1 system the surround channels would go rather to sides of listeners than behind. Is that possible?

If that doesn´t work then either wall mount the 607 and use the bungs included with the speakers. Then you can keep them close to walls. But they are not small so might look bit odd in lounge. I think B&W M1s would be then more lounge friendly wall mounted.


There is bundle deals for the new S2 range, although PT doesn`t have SVS woofers. Personally i would pick X3700H if you can afford it cause it will be more future proof with 5.1.4 out of box and 7.2.4 possibility with 11.2 processing. Also the better version of Audussey would be quite important.



You could also ask deal from the earlier gen 600 range. AVForums editor said it sounded very much same as the new S2. Probably just a little trick to boost sales, but not many changes. You would have to ask some type of bundle deal including:


OR Marantz SR6015 which is very similar to 3700H.



Then you can order the SVS SB1000 Pro from AVF advertisers. You get -10% discount. Although i would also consider the PB1000 Pro which isn´t going to cost much more.
 
Hi mate,

Thanks for your response.

No, I haven’t heard the B&W speakers yet. I am looking to go into Richer Sounds to see if they can demo them. I am open to other options. They will need to be aesthetically pleasing to a degree to please the other half lol. I was looking at kef q350s. Just heard good things about the bowers.

I have heard good things about the svs sub and would like to demo this as well.

Regarding the surrounds. I think it may be possible to have them at the sides. I need to wait until the new sofa is here and then I can confirm. If not then perhaps the m1 satellite speakers will be okay? Will they pair well and produce enough power?

Regarding the av receiver. What is 11.2 processing?

Thanks
 
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The M1s would easily fit to the sides of the sofa on there stands. Do they come with stands or are they sold separately
 
Sorry to keep adding but is the Marantz SR6015 better for music. I was looking at the option of getting a stereo amp because AV receivers are not supposed to be good for music playback
 
Hi mate,

Thanks for your response.

No, I haven’t heard the B&W speakers yet. I am looking to go into Richer Sounds to see if they can demo them. I am open to other options. They will need to be aesthetically pleasing to a degree to please the other half lol. I was looking at keg q350s. Just heard good things about the bowers.

I have heard good things about the svs sub and would like to demo this as well.

Regarding the surrounds. I think it may be possible to have them at the sides. I need to wait until the new sofa is here and then I can confirm. If not then perhaps the m1 satellite speakers will be okay? Will they pair well and produce enough power?

Regarding the av receiver. What is 11.2 processing?

Thanks

Always try to listen at least 2-4 models if you find intresting options. It sucks later to find out there would have been X model in same price range so do some research as there is plenty of options. Then show them to wife to see which she agrees on etc.

Have seen the M1 been used with CM range too, in cases where people need smaller surround channels they seem good option. As they are so close to listener i believe they will do the job just fine for lounge setup. Also comes in white so can blend better. They are lifestyle speakers so the stands will cost extra, i would probably look for used ones (2012 mk2 model) as they are so expensive. You could however buy the 607 too and then opt for basic 600mm stands which cost 60£/pair. They are better speakers and cheaper too. Here is the S1 earlier gen:

11.2 processing = Allows you to have 7.2.4 system if you add 2ch poweramp. Out of box these units can do 5.2.4 / 7.2.2.

Let your ears decide is the receiver good enough for music before adding extra stuff. Some members feel the Marantz is more musical choice, but the small front display is bit silly. It´s cheaper than Denon also. They are otherwise very similar units. That Yamaha model isn`t on par with these two, there will be new models from Yamaha around August but they are out of your budget.
 
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Always try to listen at least 2-4 models if you find intresting options. It sucks later to find out there would have been X model in same price range so do some research as there is plenty of options. Then show them to wife to see which she agrees on etc.

Have seen the M1 been used with CM range too, in cases where people need smaller surround channels they seem good option. As they are so close to listener i believe they will do the job just fine for lounge setup. Also comes in white so can blend better. They are lifestyle speakers so the stands will cost extra, i would probably look for used ones (2012 mk2 model) as they are so expensive. You could however buy the 607 too and then opt for basic 600mm stands which cost 60£/pair. They are better speakers and cheaper too. Here is the S1 earlier gen:

11.2 processing = Allows you to have 7.2.4 system if you add 2ch poweramp. Out of box these units can do 5.2.4 / 7.2.2.

Let your ears decide is the receiver good enough for music before adding extra stuff. Some members feel the Marantz is more musical choice, but the small front display is bit silly. It´s cheaper than Denon also. They are otherwise very similar units. That Yamaha model isn`t on par with these two, there will be new models from Yamaha around August but they are out of your budget.
What is your opinion on KEF Q350? If I was to go with those as L/R and a KEF Q650 centre. What could I use as surrounds?

Have you got any other setup recommendations
 
I think those Kefs will be very strong option with better center channel. Focal Chora is another great one which i would love to hear. Check out Richer Sounds site 450-600£ priced bookshelf speakers to see what is available.

Kef Q150 for surrounds or if you are seriously size limited then perhaps T101 or used Kef Eggs (E301 / HTS3001).
 
Thanks. I'll try and use the q150s as surrounds. Will they sound okay on wall mounts?

Also if I wanted 7.1, would the t101s be good for rears, wall mounted
 
Thanks. I'll try and use the q150s as surrounds. Will they sound okay on wall mounts?

Also if I wanted 7.1, would the t101s be good for rears, wall mounted
I have KEF R100s (roughly the same size as the Q150s although heavier) on these wall brackets. I think they also come in white. Very secure and adjustable.

 
I have very old 600 series fronts (larger ones with front ports) and centre, when did extension went with M1's on a white wall look neat and for surrounds work very well for us.
The M1's seem well made solid and heavy, a neat bracket means wires if in wall can be completely hidden.
Backed with a Arendal s1 sub.
 
I have KEF R100s (roughly the same size as the Q150s although heavier) on these wall brackets. I think they also come in white. Very secure and adjustable.

So I've just got back from a demo at richer sounds.

The guy there set up a 5.1 system using the Denon 3700 receiver, B&W 606 s2 Left and Right, B&W HTM6 centre, two m1s as surrounds and a rel ht1003 sub.

Sounded good. I thought the 606 speakers sounded quite bright. You can hear lots of fine details.

He then showed me the q350s, he didn't have the center speaker so just played some music. They sounded good. The 606 sounded a bit more detailed in 2.0. He said the Kef put the tweeter in the center driver and that's why.

He thinks the kef will be better for surround sound. I'm debating whether to try out the floorstanding q550s.

He also recommended the Monitor Audio Bronze FX 6G for surrounds. He said they have tweeters on both side of the speaker and can create a more wider soundstange. Not sure if you've seen them?

So yeah, difficult choice but I think the KEFs are more balanced to my ears. The B&W seem a bit to bright. I think I'll go with the SVS pB 1000 Pro Sub as its ported. He didn't have one to demo but said the Rel has better build quality 🤷‍♂️
 
I think RS will get much more ££ selling RELs than SVS products so they will tell you all kind of stories when needed. Forget that and stick with the plan as REL doesn´t even have comparable product.

Yep the B&Ws are on bright side. The question mark is will they be too bright for long term. Kef also has better and larger center channel which for me would be the big thing to look for movie system. You don´t need floorstanders, so it would be mostly for the looks but you would pay so much more.

The FX speakers should have some space to nearest wall (1feet) so they shouldn´t go in to corner. If they can be positioned optimally then surely good option due to creating more dispersed soundfield.
 
Denon and KEF have always partnered well and the Q350s are very good speakers, certainly nowhere near as bright as the B&Ws. They are pretty good at music as well and overall will be less fatiguing than the B&W if you already considered them bright. The centre speaker, the Q250C, is a strong performer for dialogue and they all will give a wider soundstage as well.

I've been using KEF R Series all round for many years with my Denon and Rega amps.

If you go for the Q350s you will have to factor in the cost of the dust covers as they are extra.
 
@Freedom85uk

If going with the Kefs then Q650c over Q250C if you can fit it, the price difference is so small, but i believe it will be much better not only due to size (cab&drivers), but also technically! The 2nd picture below has Q150 mains but with the larger Q650c. Makes sense as that channel carries over 60% of movies soundtrack. You just need to figure out how you get the speaker as high as possible with tv! Wall mounting tv highly recommended or "floor tv stand" from Amazon.

grxvwmjy6sa61.jpg


besn9hcm9z961.jpg
 
I agree, it seemed like a typical salesman tactic to me. I'll stick with the svs pb 1000 Pro. Just need to make sure it will fit lol. Is it okay next to my sofa rather than at the front?

Would you recommend the q350s over the q150s? As some people seem to suggest the q150s are better and designed around the ls50s?

I'll definitely go for the q650 as centre speaker. My TV will be wall mounted. I always wall mount, looks loads better. I was going to configure a custom tv stand from ikea best range. The centre was going to sit on top. I believe the height is 65cm, is this okay pr should I raise it? I could wall mount but apparently you should have them away from the wall.

So if I went with kef bookshelf, what's a good stand? Is there any that is 'Kid Proof' that could be secured??

Nice setup by the way 👌👍
 
I agree, it seemed like a typical salesman tactic to me. I'll stick with the svs pb 1000 Pro. Just need to make sure it will fit lol. Is it okay next to my sofa rather than at the front?

Would you recommend the q350s over the q150s? As some people seem to suggest the q150s are better and designed around the ls50s?

I'll definitely go for the q650 as centre speaker. My TV will be wall mounted. I always wall mount, looks loads better. I was going to configure a custom tv stand from ikea best range. The centre was going to sit on top. I believe the height is 65cm, is this okay pr should I raise it? I could wall mount but apparently you should have them away from the wall.

So if I went with kef bookshelf, what's a good stand? Is there any that is 'Kid Proof' that could be secured??

Nice setup by the way 👌👍

Q350. They are still overall more capable for HT system, not a fan of small bookshelf speakers so 6,5" drivers as minium. Q350 has some upper bass boost, but can be controlled with bungs (full/half), although Audussey likely eq any excessive stuff away.

I don´t know any kid proof stands. Check the top plate has decent size, something like Fisual Dynami Duo 600mm from AVO at 60£ is cheap. You could use those things around the speakers and the top plate, don´t know what they are called. But that would keep the speakers on for sure. Perhaps blutack would be better. Old school trick.

65cm height sounds just spot on for the center channel, you can always further angle it upwards. Get some isolation feets under the center channel. Cheapest thing that does both would be two rubber door stoppers. Works as decoupling and angles the speaker shooting up.

Not my setup, just wanted to post few in-room pictures.

Many members has the FX on rear wall, but leave some 20-30cm for the side walls. And mount them about 2feet higher from seated ear height cause they are too close to listener. This is assuming no atmos in near future, then they would need to be lowered.

The sub can localize more easier being next to couch. I´m not sure would you prefer it like that. Front wall 1/4 - 1/3 and front corner are usually the best spots. Most manufacturers recommend corner placement when good eq is used (Audussey), so sub can go in to corner but speakers i would keep away more if possible. If you have to keep the Q350 close to front wall, use the port bungs.
 
Thanks mate.

Regarding the sub. It's just the shape of my room. I have an L shape room and the wall section where everything will go is only 2.5m wide. So with the 120cm TV unit and speakers it won't leave a lot of room for the sub.

I can fit it but it will push the L and R speakers closer together. I am viewing from about 3.5m
 
I could push it forward in the corner and then a speaker on a mount behind??
 
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Also what are your thoughts on the R series? I know they are a lot more money, but would it be a worthy upgrade?

So R3 Speakers and R2c Centre speaker
 
Thanks mate.

Regarding the sub. It's just the shape of my room. I have an L shape room and the wall section where everything will go is only 2.5m wide. So with the 120cm TV unit and speakers it won't leave a lot of room for the sub.

I can fit it but it will push the L and R speakers closer together. I am viewing from about 3.5m

If you really on so tight with space there is few options either on-wall speakers or smaller sub SB1000 Pro and perhaps two of them. Example one at front left and second at rear right or opposite if the room opens at the rear, you generally don´t want to place sub near opening. Arendal 1961 1S would have 31cm width and cost little over 700£ if still sticking with one sub but smaller one which packs punch (similar to SB2000 Pro). The side firing driver would need little space though.

Something around 2,2-2,3m for the front mains could be good compromise so it would still leave little space to side walls, but i would go by ears. I would rather put subwoofer behind speaker in corner than other way around, but you do what you can. At least you have the better Audussey XT32 version (X3700H/SR6015) which should help some. The Q650c has passive radiators at front which act kinda as ports so no rear ports.

Yep the R range are better speakers from build quality to finish also, but big price jump aswell. It may open can of worms as there is lot of options. If you have Audio T / SSAV near you, they might have both in stock for side by side comparison.
 
I could wall mount the speakers but I thought they would be better on stands. Could the sub go next to the TV unit on the left and then the left bookshelf speaker on a stand next to it?

I think I'll stick with q series. Don't want to over stretch.

It's so difficult trying to get the most optimal setup at home.
 

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