Budget 5.2 surround sound advice.

[Primmer671]

Afternoon,
We are moving house and im planning as much as possible including new surround sound to the lounge/Movie room. York, UK.

My wife has no care at all and so my budget is pretty limited with the aim of investing further in the coming years to upgrade speaker pairs and LCR etc.

Mainly I want to know if it makes sense to purchase cheap equipment that will culminate into a 5.2 surround system built into the tv wall or whether to just get the likes of a SONOS arc at around £700. I really like to think a DIY 5.2 kit would offer a better experience but then the individual speakers seem reaaaaallllyyy cheap im just not sure its going to be worth it in the end.

So.... as attached below, my plan is :

3 x duel 6.5" speakers as front, centre, left, 2 x 6.5" duel speakers as Rear ceiling left, Rear ceiling right, then 2 x 12" subwoofers at low level in TV wall. All with access behind TV or within built in unit for:
1 x AV Receiver
1 x mini sub amp for passive subwoofers.

Ive found these which are verrrryyyy cheap (E-Audio) and likely not great, however when you add up, 5x duels, + 2 x subs, approx £300, a reasonable 5.1 amp = £400, then addition mini amp for Passiv Subs at £100, this totals about £800...... my question is, is this likely to offer better sound than a stand alone surround sound kit or a SONOS sound bar for example. I dont want to go to the effort of trying to make a decent kit out of cheap parts for it not to be worth it. though in my head it surely has to offer a better experience being 5.2 and as surely a freestanding kit like LG/samsung/ MASS audio, has a markup so should be a better kit that I put together myself?

Also considering 5 x lithe audio passive speakers that are a little more expensive each, £75 vs £40. but the £40 have duel 6.5" so should be comparable? I know the more money will likely be better quality but surely the number of 6.5" counts for something haha? especially at the bottom end of the audiophile spectrum.

Any advice on a cheap AC Receiver for 5.1 and a mini amp for Passive subs approx 90W per channel?


Thanks very much for any advice or feedback, im very new to this but looking forward to learning more!!

Lithe audio 5.0 option

Lithe Audio 5.0 Home Cinema 6.5" Ceiling Speaker Package

The Lithe Audio two way ceiling speaker is perfect for your TV room or home cinema install. At entry level pricing they provide high-end sound! Don't be fooled by that price tag, these are some serious speakers. With a 60W RMS power rating you'll get deep bass from that 6.5" Kevlar woofer and...

www.kitchenbathroomradio.co.uk

F, C, R + rear ceiling L+R - e-audio B413 Dual 6.5" 2-Way In-Wall Speaker With Twin Drivers and Dome Tweeter
Amazon product

SUB - e-audio In-Wall or Ceiling Subwoofer With 12'' Driver 90W 8 ohm
Amazon product

 

[Azcinema]

Hi mate for what it's worth. I have build a pretty decent atmos surround setup using second hand equipment. I think build a surround sound setup will be better the any sound bar setup. Just my 2 cents worth.

 

[password1]

To be honest I think it's false economy to buy cheap.. better to buy used but quality or gradually build up..Perhaps start with 4.0 or 2.0 then move to 4.1 or 5.1 then 5.2

I have a 9.1 system with a Sapphire motorised screen. It cost me under £1k for everything but I bought some of the equipment new. If I went for used, I could have built it for at least half the price.

 

[Primmer671]

To be honest I think it's false economy to buy cheap.. better to buy used but quality or gradually build up..Perhaps start with 4.0 or 2.0 then move to 4.1 or 5.1 then 5.2

I have a 9.1 system with a Sapphire motorised screen. It cost me under £1k for everything but I bought some of the equipment new. If I went for used, I could have built it for at least half the price.

Thanks for the feedback. Yes i fully appreciate this direction. i may well invest in the front 3 and add to this later. the LCR probably wont have much less bass than a normal soundbar anyway so i can add the subs and rears later.

Where do you suggest sourcing used equipment? simply the likes of ebay etc or any other reliable site?

I appreciate the help!

 

[password1]

I would recommend ebay and the classifieds section of this forum, Facebook marketplace and also your local dealer as buying all speakers together they can usually offer a better deal. Also look out for clearance, ex demo and 'open box' items.

Sometimes better to buy new or ex demo because used prices of some HiFi are high or not much less than new.

If you intend to have a sub or two, I would prefer higher quality bookshelves rather than cheaper floorstanders for the front speakers.

I would consider a standalone sub as there's no need to buy separate amp(s)