Question Is bigger always better? Yamaha 1060 v SONY dn1080, MA Bronze v Q A 3050

[Zerouali]

Hello,

I'm about to buy a new setup and I'm having a real dilemma.

I had waited for the SONY STR-DN1080 coming out as it ticked the boxes of almost all features I wanted with good sound quality, but also made my life simple as it fits in my existing tv cabinet . After a bit of research I'd decided on pairing it with the Q acoustics 3000 cinema pack.

When I came time to buy I realised that the cost of this was within a couple of hundred pounds of stepping up to the Yamaha A860 with the Monitor audio bronze 5.1 kit, or for a bit more again the A1060.

My room is just a bit more than 5 metres long x 4 metres wide, with the tv in a corner offset to the right of my viewing position due to a fireplace in the middle of the wall.

Initially I thought the SONY amp with the QA speakers was the best compromise between quality and cost that would suit the room. However, I am usually of the mind to buy the best I can at the time to save having to buy again later!

As a result the package deals on offer have me looking at the Yamaha rx-a1060 with the Monitor Audio bronze 5 5.1 kit. I know the specs say this should be a much better setup for the money, but will it be able to express itself in a room this size or would I essentially be buying a better but less suitable setup? Is it overkill for this room?

Many thanks

 

[gibbsy]

It's not so much about your choice of receiver and speaker package but more to do with the speaker placement. Floorstanders do not perform well stuck in a corner. As for matching speakers to a particular level of receiver then it is suggested to spend two to three times the original cost of the receiver on speakers.

A plan of the room and the TVs position in it will be helpful.

 

[Zerouali]

Thanks for the reply, here is a very basic layout, the scale isn't perfect but hopefully it helps.

There is a bit more room than the diagram suggests between the tv and the fireplace, so the current plan is to move the tv a bit more to the left to allow floorstanders either side, the sub will go to the right of the sofa in line with the tv.

I'm fairly happy both speaker packages I'm considering will do either amp justice, I just wouldn't want to hinder the floorstanders. However, my option then is to buy smaller bookshelf speakers to place under the tv on the cabinet, which is probably too close together to use the centre speaker, or buy slightly larger bookshelfs to place on stands, but that would be a similar arrangement to the standmounts.

 

[dante01]

Basically, having the TV in a corner and the speakers arranged arounf it doesn't work. The best plce for your TV in that room is below the window and the optimum listening location would be sat on the sofa oppose it with the rear speakers two either side and slighly behind you, the left and roght speakers to either side of the TV and the centre below it. There's nowhere you can adequately accomodate large floorstanders given your current setup with the TV in a crner. You are even going to have issues with that setup if using smaller sat speakers.

 

[Zerouali]

Thanks, unfortunately in front of the window isn't really an option, I'd need the curtains closed all of the time!

My previous all in one system was nothing fancy but it still sounded great.

Whilst it's not ideal, I'm tempted just to go for the system I really want and to try and make it work, at least until I can change the room to suit. Or the house!

 

[DrHarvey12]

Speakers do have fairly preset positions when it comes to having them turn in a good surround sound performance. By far the most viable setup is the one Dante suggested above. Unless there is a lot more space either side of the TV cabinet I struggle to see how a 5.1 system is going to fit into that room and work effectively.

I'd suggest thinking about a good soundbar, subwoofer combo if the TV has to be in that corner and revisit a full 5.1 setup again at a later time when you have the space to set it up effectively?

 

[Zerouali]

Thanks for the responses. There is a bit more room than the diagram suggests, plus the monitor audio bronze 5's are only 165mm wide so not to demanding in terms of footprint.

Now I'm home I'll take a photo to illustrate a bit more accurately

 

[Zerouali]

So here are actual photos of the room. Excuse my speaker mockup It does accurately represent the speaker dimensions though, to with a few mm.

I can probably still move a bit more to the left, and whilst it's not ideal it's close enough to make me want to go for it anyway!

 

[Zerouali]

Ordered the Yamaha 2060 and MA bronze 5 av pack from forum sponsor audiovisual online today, what the hell, you only live once!

I'll make it fit! Can't wait to get it set up