Choosing speakers for my living room - help needed

vamosborc

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Firstly, I'd just like to thank you for this awesome site and forum, they are really valuable for people like us, who are digging into the world of home theater audio setups. Now, here comes my question. I know I might get 100 different answers from 100 different people, but still... I'm thinking about upgrading the audio system in my relatively small living room (3,6 m X 3,1 m = 11,16 sq m. The distance between me sitting on a sofa and a TV (Sony 55XF9005) is 2,2 m). I'd use the speakers for both - listening to music (mainly electronic, classical, rock) and watching movies/tv. I love the Bang & Olufsen sound and the first thing that crossed my mind when I started thinking about upgrading my audio setup, was B&O Stage. What kind of bothers me is the inability to add surround speakers (some say additional subwoofer is not needed in the case of Stage). I still think the movies would be more immersive if there were two surround speakers on each side of the sofa. I then started digging into 5.1 systems because of that and came out with the combo of Yamaha RX-V6A receiver (it has Airplay 2, which carried me away from Sony STR-DN1080, which has Airplay 1 and no multiroom support, which is a must in my case, but I think Apple TV might help with that situation in a worse case scenario of not having a receiver with Airplay 2) with Q Acoustic set of two 3030i, centre 3090i, surrounds 3010i (or 3020i) with maybe their subwoofer 3060s or maybe SVS sb-1000. My budget is around 1500 euros (the latter setup would be a little over that price point, especially with the added subwoofer). I'd really love to hear your opinion in my situation. On one hand I'd love the easy setup of B&O, but on the other hand I'm thinking about how much more immersive would the mentioned Q Acoustics system be when watching the movies. I know my room is small, but still... And one more thing, how would you compare Stage and Q Acoustics for music listening? I heard QA might sound too flat when listening to music. Maybe any other suggestions for my mentioned budget of around 1500 euros? Maybe Wharfedale Evo 4 setup, Dali Spektor 2 5.1 package or Elac Debut B5.2 5.1 package? Hope I wasn't too long. Thanks in advance!
 
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I think the big thing you have to remember here is that your suggested system is just 1500 euros and with that in mind, you have to be realistic with your own expectations.

Q Acoustics for their price point and size are usually better than most speakers when adding 25% on top of that price point. Now taste is a completely different area and one person will surly call them flat and uninspiring, but I would have to ask at that point, what speakers do they prefer and what speaker price point did they listen to that sparked that enjoyment which they felt the Q Acoustics didn't deliver

I would say that even in a small room, a woofer is recommended as the lower frequencies of the Q Acoustics (or to a matter almost all speakers) would be lacking that area which gives impact to a movie which is always delivered by the woofer

For many years I ran a system with a passive woofer and can say that adding an active one did finalise my cinema. Now as a rule the woofer and the centre are the most important speakers in a 5.1 surround setup, but as you have also mentioned music, then you must look at the front left and right. Here I would say, don't just use the basic Q Acoustic's here, move up one or two levels as this will pull some of that musical ability back

Now don't expect the levels of music you would hear from a £10k system, but all the same, you should enjoy it. Another area to be aware of is that as you will be streaming music, the sound will only be as good as the musical material you are streaming. So if its MP3, expect basic quality, if its lossy and as you can see (and expect) the better the quality, the better you should hear up to CD quality

If it was me buying for a relative who had your budget the Yamaha would be my choice as its just a good all round av receiver, its doesn't sparkle in one area, but it seems to be somewhere near in all areas plus they're usually very reliable. Speaker wise, it it was small speakers, the Q Acoustics speakers would be on my list for them although I would add the 3020i or even 3030i speakers for the fronts along with the 3010i and 3090ci for surrounds plus the 3060s or 7060s for woofer duties. After this, you can then play around with the system in a couple of years by changing the subwoofer to a more dynamic one of your choice

That would be my suggestion
 
Firstly, I'd just like to thank you for this awesome site and forum, they are really valuable for people like us, who are digging into the world of home theater audio setups. Now, here comes my question. I know I might get 100 different answers from 100 different people, but still... I'm thinking about upgrading the audio system in my relatively small living room (3,6 m X 3,1 m = 11,16 sq m. The distance between me sitting on a sofa and a TV (Sony 55XF9005) is 2,2 m). I'd use the speakers for both - listening to music (mainly electronic, classical, rock) and watching movies/tv. I love the Bang & Olufsen sound and the first thing that crossed my mind when I started thinking about upgrading my audio setup, was B&O Stage. What kind of bothers me is the inability to add surround speakers (some say additional subwoofer is not needed in the case of Stage). I still think the movies would be more immersive if there were two surround speakers on each side of the sofa. I then started digging into 5.1 systems because of that and came out with the combo of Yamaha RX-V6A receiver (it has Airplay 2, which carried me away from Sony STR-DN1080, which has Airplay 1 and no multiroom support, which is a must in my case, but I think Apple TV might help with that situation in a worse case scenario of not having a receiver with Airplay 2) with Q Acoustic set of two 3030i, centre 3090i, surrounds 3010i (or 3020i) with maybe their subwoofer 3060s or maybe SVS sb-1000. My budget is around 1500 euros (the latter setup would be a little over that price point, especially with the added subwoofer). I'd really love to hear your opinion in my situation. On one hand I'd love the easy setup of B&O, but on the other hand I'm thinking about how much more immersive would the mentioned Q Acoustics system be when watching the movies. I know my room is small, but still... And one more thing, how would you compare Stage and Q Acoustics for music listening? I heard QA might sound too flat when listening to music. Maybe any other suggestions for my mentioned budget of around 1500 euros? Maybe Wharfedale Evo 4 setup, Dali Spektor 2 5.1 package or Elac Debut B5.2 5.1 package? Hope I wasn't too long. Thanks in advance!

Sounds like solid plan. Forget the Sony 1080, it´s 2017 model with bugs and limitations (overhead speakers w/ DTS:X). Yamaha RX-V6 or Denon X2700H are the models to go for in that price range. Having owned many Yamahas that would be my pick aswell, the RX-V6A has more hdmi 2.1 connections (future proof) and preout for main channels. They beefed up the PSU side and added the better version YPAO room correction (multipoint). It´s solid performer, quite popular in US and owners are happy. Of course Yamaha like Denon has the hdmi 2.1 bug so you are going to need to send it for "fix" at some point later in the year. With Denon you can get external box which fixes the hdmi 2.1 bug. Naturally you don´t need to use it if you aren´t gaming with new gaming consoles (4K 120hz).

From other forum the 3030i seems to measure better than 3020i, more smoother and better bass due to larger drivers and cabinet. So quite ideal for 2.0 music listening. Side by side comparison the 3030i was more enjoyable. Likely you could be fine without subwoofer for music listening, the 3020i likely needs subwoofer to bring that weight and depth. Of course with movies you would be using sub always (set speaker size all small and crossovers around 80hz).

You mentioned the SVS, but you need to talk with your dealer does he have the SVS Sb1000 Pro model as it´s not listed on the site. If you buy the "old" SB1000 then make sure you are getting good discount cause the new Pro model came like month ago! It has whole new design and phone app control so if you can afford it don´t think twice!

Don´t buy QA subwoofer! Rather save up if you can´t afford it right away!


 
First of all, thanks to both of you for great insights, I’ll take into consideration everything you both said. After further digging into this world I kind of fell in love with Wharfedale speakers. I don’t know, after watching tons of reviews, I think their “laidback sound” would really suit my taste well. Everyone on the reviews were more or less focused on the music listening with them, but hopefuly they’d be great for movies too. Since they are a little bit more pricey, I’d maybe start with 2.1 system and then see how that feels. I’m thinking about Evo 4.2 for my left and right front speakers for starters with Yamaha RX-V6A receiver (I heard those two get together very well), then most probably I’d add a subwoofer (SVS like mentioned before - thanks again for the PRO update heads up and for the comment about the importance of woofers ) if I’d feel the need to. Of course if I wouldn’t be satisfied with the “movie imersiveness” I’d be able to later add Evo 4.CS for center speaker and 4.1s for surrounds, which would exceed my budget, but still… Another solid option would be maybe to start with Diamond 12.4 as left and right and then go with that line later maybe if I’d feel like I’m missing out on surround sound. I think Diamond system is a little cheaper overall, but on the other hand I don’t think I need tower speakers for my small room.

To make it short, what do you think of maybe dipping my toes in this world with 2.0 or 2.1 system for starters, but of higher quality then 5.1 for the more or less same amount of money?
 
First of all, thanks to both of you for great insights, I’ll take into consideration everything you both said. After further digging into this world I kind of fell in love with Wharfedale speakers. I don’t know, after watching tons of reviews, I think their “laidback sound” would really suit my taste well. Everyone on the reviews were more or less focused on the music listening with them, but hopefuly they’d be great for movies too. Since they are a little bit more pricey, I’d maybe start with 2.1 system and then see how that feels. I’m thinking about Evo 4.2 for my left and right front speakers for starters with Yamaha RX-V6A receiver (I heard those two get together very well), then most probably I’d add a subwoofer (SVS like mentioned before - thanks again for the PRO update heads up and for the comment about the importance of woofers ) if I’d feel the need to. Of course if I wouldn’t be satisfied with the “movie imersiveness” I’d be able to later add Evo 4.CS for center speaker and 4.1s for surrounds, which would exceed my budget, but still… Another solid option would be maybe to start with Diamond 12.4 as left and right and then go with that line later maybe if I’d feel like I’m missing out on surround sound. I think Diamond system is a little cheaper overall, but on the other hand I don’t think I need tower speakers for my small room.

To make it short, what do you think of maybe dipping my toes in this world with 2.0 or 2.1 system for starters, but of higher quality then 5.1 for the more or less same amount of money?

Yes the Evo 4.2 has one positive thing also due to the sloth port build in the base vs. rear ported (QA and Diamond serie), so small room and if speakers close to wall these might work better. Still some space is needed (pushed forward). The Evo 4C looks much better with identical drivers to 4.2 so i would save on this one IF you can fit it in optimal spot, if not then the smaller one. Ideally you would still want to hear them before buying, but if that is not option you have to risk it and go blind.. Don`t buy floorstanders. Get 600mm height speaker stands for the Wharfedales, any generic brand that has decent size top plate (165mm x 200mm or similar) will work so they don´t have to cost too much! Spread the main speakers about 2,2m apart so you are creating equilateral triangle, listener to speaker to speaker to listener.

With the small room you might feel the surround speakers come too close to listeners so there could be better options. I feel it`s bit annoying if the effect channels are close to listener, also you are limited with space so again wall mounted speakers might be much better idea. This would most likely mean mixing brand, but it`s not end of the world as lot of people are doing it without issue. Also you can choose bipole/dipole type speakers that means there is drivers pointing both direction, this will create more diffused 360 degree soundfield giving you that cinematic feel and less localized effects. One example would be MA Bronze FX in white/black, low depth, easy wall mounting with 2 screws. Only requirement would be that you have 1feet to next as minium. Ideally you could get them on side wall each side of listener(s) high up about 1-2feet from seated ear height! Alternative option at rear wall similar, but not too close to corner! I think Wharfedale had bipole speakers (DFS) back in the day so you could also check 2nd hand options.

I think overall good plan. Buy good main speakers first, then SVS sealed subwoofer (Pro), after that you can go either effect channels or center channel. If you sit fairly center then you might be just fine without center channel for longer time so can go with 4.1 system and have center off from the Yamaha menu so it´s directed to main channels.


PS. Now reading about these i´m not sure are they the best for movies as some people are not happy with them on music either. For movies i would prefer something more forward sounding and little extra bite at the high end. " however I just found them dull and boring - yes you can listen to them for hours but that's if you don't fall asleep first"

This just shows you again that you should listen speakers before you buy em, compare few different ones.

 
Thanks for your answer, I’m now really feeling more confident with my plan - buying good main speakers first and go from there. I read those Wharfedale Evo reviews you sent the link and they really put me off... Reading this, probably they really aren’t the best idea for movie listening, because I think for movies you need fast, responsive, punchy speakers and those Wharfedale just might not be the ideal candidates... Well, it would probably be the best to test them out, I’ll try and find a local dealer with that option. So right now I’m choosing between Wharfedale Evo 4.2 and Q Acoustics 3030i for mains with Yamaha RX-V6A or Denon 2700H. Then I’ll go from there, most probably with SVS Sb1000 Pro, like you all more or less suggested. If any of you has any more suggestions, which I should take into consideration for my starting main speakers, I’d be glad to hear them.

Another area to be aware of is that as you will be streaming music, the sound will only be as good as the musical material you are streaming. So if its MP3, expect basic quality, if its lossy and as you can see (and expect) the better the quality, the better you should hear up to CD quality
Yes, I’m aware of that. I’d be streaming most of my music and was ready to switch because of that to Tidal HiFi plan, but decided to wait a bit and see how Apple music lossless will perfrom.
 
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Thanks for your answer, I’m now really feeling more confident with my plan - buying good main speakers first and go from there. I read those Wharfedale Evo reviews you sent the link and they really put me off... Reading this, probably they really aren’t the best idea for movie listening, because I think for movies you need fast, responsive, punchy speakers and those Wharfedale just might not be the ideal candidates... Well, it would probably be the best to test them out, I’ll try and find a local dealer with that option. So right now I’m choosing between Wharfedale Evo 4.2 and Q Acoustics 3030i for mains with Yamaha RX-V6A or Denon 2700H. Then I’ll go from there, most probably with SVS Sb1000 Pro, like you all more or less suggested. If any of you has any more suggestions, which I should take into consideration for my starting main speakers, I’d be glad to hear them.


Yes, I’m aware of that. I’d be streaming most of my music and was ready to switch because of that to Tidal HiFi plan, but decided to wait a bit and see how Apple music lossless will perfrom.

I think there is lot of more options if you can afford to Evo 4.2s. The 3030i is budget speaker. Can you link some of your country hifi shops that carries many brands? Those shops that you can possibly visit for demo (always book it before hand so you get 1hour alone time).

Yep compact sealed sub is usually best option in such small, you get what you pay for with SVS. Some members have not been fully happy how Denon sounds with music listening and often Yamaha is said to be more musical choice and with them being so reliable my vote would go to Yamaha as i have owned few of their units without issues.
 
Edited the message. Refresh page as you just came reading it.
 
Thanks for your input! Alright, now I’m more heavily leaning towards Yamaha.

I’m from Slovenia, some shops that carry hi-fi speakers with possible demos are:


 
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… just added a third speaker in my mains shortlist: KEF Q350. What I found out is that they are not as laidback as Wharfedale EVO 4.2s. Maybe because of that plus with open sound stage and good dispersion with UniQ drivers they might be a good option for movies too. Some people are not liking them because of somewhat inaccurate and not convincing highs. I know, it’s a matter of taste, I really need to somehow test my favourites out…
 
Yes, Kef is always good choice! The Q650c is quite a beast if you have looked some small center channels. But that is how it should be if you can fit it. :) Also the coaxial design should be better than many 2-way designs as it won´t suffer certain negative things (lobing, poor off-axis response etc.).

Reduced price:

Dali Oberon 3 & Vokal should be good alternative. This is step up from the Spektor range.

In US people often go with the Klipsch RP range. And Klipsch has center channel with identical drivers which is nice to see.

SVS Prime range is also worth to consider. One of few brands that has the 3-way horizontal center channel in this price range. These are gloss black, black oak 100€ cheaper.


French brand Focal`s Chora new range would be intresting. AVForums and Home Cinema Choice reviews were very positive. Never heard Focals, but so much good said about them. For me it would be important that the center channel isn´t downsized like it is with Q Acoustics. Here Focal shares the same largish 6,5" drivers (QA has 2 x 4") in decent sized cab!

Also the Aria range with the center channel on sale.


This doesn´t really help you, huh?! :laugh: Making things harder as so many intresting choices. But check them out, do some research. Youtube has also comparison videos often which could give insight. Which you would like best then only can be found out by listening.. Ask the Yamaha used in the demo session. It still ain´t same as at home due to different room, but you will get very good idea which makes your leggs jam when listening favourite music! Bring those cd`s with you!

Edit. Not sure which price class speakers you looking now as max, Dali has Opticon range, SVS has Ultra range, Kef has R-range etc. if you want to step it up..
 
It really doesn’t help, haha! 😝
Thanks for taking your time and looking into my local stores. I’ve been absorbing information from you guys when reading this great forum, from other reviews and Youtube videos and cut down my choices to 3 main competitors and 4 more speakers, which are not my first choice from what I’ve learned, but I’m really curious to hear how they sound. I’m planning to test all of them in the near future. I tried to take into consideration my personal likings and some facts - my small living room, 60 % home theater use, 40 % music listening (50 % electronic music (mostly trance), other 50 % classical, rock, pop, rap in no particular order). Digging into those reviews I kind of forgot about B&O Stage I mentioned earlier. I really couldn’t find a lot of data comparing this particular speaker with other of my choices, but if I’m being honest... It’s so much fun picking units one by one and building something for your taste! 🙂

Like I mentioned before, my plan for starters now is to buy an AV receiver (most probably Yamaha RX-V6A with hopes that they will really upgrade their video output to support 4k/120 Hz in the future, mainly for new gaming consoles) and 2 good main speakers (front left and right). After using this setup for a while I’ll see what to upgrade next... Maybe buy a subwoofer (SVS PB 1000 Pro, like you mentioned), or maybe firstly go with surrounds or center. I’ll see how those mains will perform in my setup and go from there...

3 speakers that I’m most hyped about are: Focal Chora 806, KEF Q350 and Wharfedale EVO 4.2 in that order. KEFs are 3 years old model now, that’s one minus, but based on my research they perfrom similar to Chora 806s. I think those two speakers would fit in my mixed movies/music usage really well. They both have wide soundstage and dispersion, that’s why most probably I wouldn’t miss centre speaker as much as I was afraid when watching movies. Especially Chora 806s are highly praised with good bass, exceptional mids and highs and that’s why they are my favourites. And I couldn’t find a lot of negatives for their price point! I’m afraid Evo 4.2s would be a really too laidback sounding for my preference and kind of music I mostly listen to, but I need to try them out. Plus they are not the best choice for movies I guess.

I kind of changed my mind about Q Acoustics, based on my research they are a little beneath my previously mentioned speakers... Well, they are a bit cheaper too. Out of curiosity I want to test Klipsch RP-600M and hear how very bright and “fun” speakers sound like. A little less bright speakers I want to test out are Oberons 3. I think they could be comparable to KEFs, but being honest, they are not as visually appealing to me as Q350s and Choras. I know that’s not an important atribute for a speaker, but it’s nice to have something in the living room, which looks nice :) I’m guilty for crossing SVS Prime Bookshelf speakers off my list because of their, let’s say, outdated visuals.

Hope I wasn’t too long, I kind of needed to collect my thoughts and writing this helped me for sure :) thanks again for your help, I’m always super happy when I’m reading your comments and suggestions.
 
You mention upgrading current kit but don’t think you outlined what you had.

A room/floor plan with seating layout is always helpful when considering speaker layout, positioning and suitable cabinets.

A stereo system may be your best option and allows you to put your money into less/higher quality gear.

Jos
 
Yeah, maybe my choice of words wasn’t the best, I’m not upgrading, I’m buying for the first time. Few years ago I was searching for a portable speaker and with the help of this forum chose Beolit 17, which I’m still super happy about. But yeah, this is my first take in the world of hi-fi home setup / home theater.

My room is 3,6 x 3,1 m and a viewing distance from L shaped sofa to a TV is 2,2 m. To get the sense of the room layout, maybe it would be best if I attach the pics of the living room?

Edit: attached the pics
 

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The big unit is bit in the way as you should ideally buy speaker stands (600mm) for the mains and spread them about 2,2m apart. Kef comes with port plugs and if you do some research they actually sound better either with the full plug or the half plug. The Q350 has some boosted upper base so if you feel it sounds bit too strong or similar try the bungs when you demo them cause you would be keeping the speakers very close to that taller unit aswell. In future you probably has to lose the small table at left to fit subwoofer and SB1000 Pro is going to fit bit better than PB which you mentioned. You have to think about some smaller surround speakers placed higher aimed down most likely cause they will be so close to listener. But that will be in the future.. First thing first that would be the main speakers. Keep us posted after you have listened as many speakers as possible from those mentioned and try them with different type of music so it gives you good idea then.
 
Thanks for your input! I can arrange main speakers like that for sure. I can fit the stands with the speakers on each side of the lower cabinet with a TV on if I push the taller unit all the way to the wall on the right. Then I can lose the small table and gain room even for subwoofer. Yeah, I made a mistake, I meant SB, not PB. Because sealed woofer would work better in a small room and confined space like that, right?
 
If you're looking at the QA 3000i series, then the Mission lx mk2 and Wharfedale Diamond 12 series and the superior QA concept 20/Centre should be on your shortlist. The latter being similar price point and better sound and build quality.
 
I would have a listen to a €1.5K 2.0 System where you have a stereo amp with digital input and connect your Source devices to the TV and use the Optical Out of the TV to the Stereo Amp vs. a €1.5k 5.1 system.

Joe
 
I would have a listen to a €1.5K 2.0 System where you have a stereo amp with digital input and connect your Source devices to the TV and use the Optical Out of the TV to the Stereo Amp vs. a €1.5k 5.1 system.

Joe

I think Vamos has upped the budget slightly as he isn´t looking the cheapest speakers anymore (Focals 700-900€/pair) like in the first post(300-400€), also he will start with 2.0 system and then adds quality sealed subwoofer next which is of course critical for certain type movies/series. Clearly he wants also the Apple Airplay 2 and to experience what the higher quality 4.1/5.1 system can do over the lifestyle B&O.

While the 750€ costing Yamaha receiver isn´t going to sound as good with music as some 1k£ stereo amp, it ain´t going to sound bad either with good speakers especially after the B&O system. :) Also it gives the option to expand the system when funds allow to experience surround sound. With stereo amp you are stuck with 2.1 which isn´t going to be as enjoyable experience. That Yamaha model actually has preouts for front channels so it still has the option to add better amp in future if he would feel the need for that for 2ch listening. 👍
 
Critical, for me, is following dialogue and enjoyable music playback. I can happily live without surround channels and a sub if I get those two right with a decent stereo amp and speakers to suit my room.

Joe
 
I think Vamos has upped the budget slightly as he isn´t looking the cheapest speakers anymore (Focals 700-900€/pair) like in the first post(300-400€), also he will start with 2.0 system and then adds quality sealed subwoofer next which is of course critical for certain type movies/series. Clearly he wants also the Apple Airplay 2 and to experience what the higher quality 4.1/5.1 system can do over the lifestyle B&O.

While the 750€ costing Yamaha receiver isn´t going to sound as good with music as some 1k£ stereo amp, it ain´t going to sound bad either with good speakers especially after the B&O system. :) Also it gives the option to expand the system when funds allow to experience surround sound. With stereo amp you are stuck with 2.1 which isn´t going to be as enjoyable experience. That Yamaha model actually has preouts for front channels so it still has the option to add better amp in future if he would feel the need for that for 2ch listening. 👍
Yes, everything you said is entirely correct. I think with this setup I’ll have more options opened for future buys. Will keep you updated after my demos for sure.


I would have a listen to a €1.5K 2.0 System where you have a stereo amp with digital input and connect your Source devices to the TV and use the Optical Out of the TV to the Stereo Amp vs. a €1.5k 5.1 system.

Joe


Great idea too, thanks for your suggestion. I’m really curious how that would compare. Most probably movie watching experience would be better with 5.1 setup, but music listening would be better in stereo with better speakers…
 
Hello again, yesterday I had my first demo in a store in Slovenia. I wasn’t able to test all of the speakers I wanted, but still I got a pretty good impression. Demo room was similarly sized as my living room. The store didn’t have the receiver I want to buy (Yamaha RX-V6A), instead we used Marantz NR1710. I wanted to try Focal Chora’s 806, KEF Q350 and Q Acoustics 3030i. At the end I didn’t try the KEFs, because they were brand new and the seller said I won’t get the correct impression, because their haven’t been tuned in yet.

So... First I tried Focal Chora 806 and I must say, I was really impressed with the details they provided. Listening to Beyonce’s Pray You Catch Me made me feel as if she is singing in front of us. In Armin van Buuren’s Mirage I heard the details in violins I’ve never heard before. It was like I was able to hear the sound of strings so clear and detailed, I was really impressed. But what I missed was a bit of bass and because of that the seller told me I‘d maybe like 3030is better for that. Yes, the bass was heavier and punchier with those Q Acoustics, but other sounds weren’t nearly as clear and detailed as with Choras. Violin sounded the same as I was used to, there weren’t those “violin string pulling and sliding” details anymore. Then I tried Choras 826 (floorstanding speakers) and their bass was punchier than in 806, while the details remained more or less the same. I’m thinking I’d get better end result to pair 806 with dedicated subwoofer, like we talked before. What do you think? Because the price would be pretty similar... Pair of 826s or pair of 806s with SVS SB1000 (pro)...
 
If it's for both music and movies.i would go for a separate 'Low frequency effects' channel with the subwoofer.
 

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