Question Really confused what I need to buy for best sound to value ratio? Any help on this build appreciated

[HappyGilmore007]

I have lg c9 and want some nice sounding speakers to go with it.

The front speakers would need to go either side of the TV but would be close to the back wall and corners in the room so think this rules out floor standing.

For now I want two front speakers and a centre. Maybe later if needed I will add a sub and a very slim chance I might add some rears. From my understanding the centre is very important for voices to be clear? I often struggle to hear speaking over movies background noise.

I was thinking this build but I am far from a expert so hopefully someone can check it or advise if I am getting value for money or if there os anything better for not much more?

Denon x1600 £350

Denon AVR-X1600H AV Receiver

Upgrade your home theatre with the Denon AVR-X1600H. With 145W per channel (6 ohms, 1 kHz, THD 1%, 1ch driven), this performance-tuned Denon AV receiver provides a truly immersive 3D audio experience.

petertyson.co.uk

Q Acoustics 3050i £165

Q Acoustics Q3020i (White)

Shop for Q Acoustics 3020I White Speaker Pair with Richer Sounds for expert advice and lowest prices guaranteed

www.richersounds.com

Centre 3090i £119

Q Acoustics 3090Ci Centre Speaker - Graphite

Accurate Centre Speaker with twin 100mm (4”) and 22mm (0.9”) precision drivers can be shelf or cabinet mounted on its compliant pre-fitted rubber feet or wall-mounted on optional, dedicate brackets.

homeavdirect.co.uk

Stands £90

Q Acoustics 3000ST (Satin Black)

The perfect fit for the 3010 and 3020 speakers, the Q Acoustics 3000ST stands don't just look the part, they sound it too.Sonically matchedDesigned to match the 3010 and 3020 speakers, the 3000ST stands put neutrality ahead of all else. The support column

www.richersounds.com

Total £724

Good deal for audio quality? Or can I do a lot better?

Is it important to have a sub at this stage?


Any help appreciated please

 

[Gasp3621]

X1600H is sold out, you can`t add it in basket. X2600H is available for not much more and they even dropped the price and give 6year warranty (2years normally in UK for Denon)! They just got more in stock, but i wouldn´t think too long as this is 2019 model and limited time available. New one (X2700H) costs 599£!

Denon AVR-X2600H AV Receiver

The AVR-X2600H features Dolby Atmos and DTS:X – plus, the latest video technologies and full 4K video upscaling. An advanced HDMI section with 8 inputs and 2 outputs features HDCP 2.2 support on all ports. Stream Spotify® , Amazon Music, Tidal a

petertyson.co.uk

Most people have to hide the centre channel inside cabinet shooting knees, if that sounds familiar to your situation then start with 2.0 / 2.1. You can always add it later if you feel it´s hard to understand the speech and can place it more optimally. Clearly you can manually tweak the center channel level etc, but i got a feeling you will have everything squeezed quite tightly together, possibly tv in corner? Little toe in for mains and sit fairly center to them it should work out fine.

Certain type movies will sound quite anemic without subwoofer so if you are fan of action/scifi/horror etc type of flicks then you should definitely consider picking some compact sized subwoofer to give you bit more weight and depth.

If budget is the limiting factor and you want something compact sized good looking then check out BK Gemini II. If you don´t buy the center channel you could be able to get the sub while saving little with the stands too.

Gemini

They have few finishes cheaper as new grade-b in their ebay site. These are in mint condition with full warranty!

| eBay

You can get some generic speaker stands, just remove the gel pads under 3020i speakers! 50£/pair. Dynami Duo 600mm should work with 3020i if you take the pads out. 3000i stands cost 129£/pair so good saving here if you like the look.

Speaker Stands | AV.com

Speaker Stands | AV.com

www.audiovisualonline.co.uk

Other options would be Dali Spektor 2, Monitor Audio Bronze 1 or 2, Q Acoustics Concept 20 perhaps if your budget goes up slightly.

Dali Spektor 2 Bookshelf Speaker

Whilst still being a compact speaker, the SPEKTOR 2’s larger inner volume delivers extra bass performance. The increased surface areas of the 5¼” woofer and 25 mm soft dome tweeter increases the overall sound pressure levels, making this the perfect choice for larger rooms that still require a...

petertyson.co.uk

Q Acoustics Concept 20 Speakers

What HiFi recently awarded the Concept 20 Best Stereo Speaker £200-£400 and Product of the Year at the 2013 Awards What HiFi say - "These speakers wowed us from the moment we first heard them"

petertyson.co.uk

Monitor Audio Bronze 2

Purity and precision, Monitor Audio's most democratically priced speaker line has everything to gain from Monitor Audio’s dynamic forty-year design heritage.

petertyson.co.uk

Monitor Audio Bronze 1

Purity and precision, Monitor Audio's most democratically priced speaker line has everything to gain from Monitor Audio’s dynamic forty-year design heritage.

petertyson.co.uk

 

[HappyGilmore007]

X1600H is sold out, you can`t add it in basket. X2600H is available for not much more and they even dropped the price and give 6year warranty (2years normally in UK for Denon)! They just got more in stock, but i wouldn´t think too long as this is 2019 model and limited time available. New one (X2700H) costs 599£!

Denon AVR-X2600H AV Receiver

The AVR-X2600H features Dolby Atmos and DTS:X – plus, the latest video technologies and full 4K video upscaling. An advanced HDMI section with 8 inputs and 2 outputs features HDCP 2.2 support on all ports. Stream Spotify® , Amazon Music, Tidal a

petertyson.co.uk

Most people have to hide the centre channel inside cabinet shooting knees, if that sounds familiar to your situation then start with 2.0 / 2.1. You can always add it later if you feel it´s hard to understand the speech and can place it more optimally. Clearly you can manually tweak the center channel level etc, but i got a feeling you will have everything squeezed quite tightly together, possibly tv in corner? Little toe in for mains and sit fairly center to them it should work out fine.

Certain type movies will sound quite anemic without subwoofer so if you are fan of action/scifi/horror etc type of flicks then you should definitely consider picking some compact sized subwoofer to give you bit more weight and depth.

If budget is the limiting factor and you want something compact sized good looking then check out BK Gemini II. If you don´t buy the center channel you could be able to get the sub while saving little with the stands too.

Gemini

They have few finishes cheaper as new grade-b in their ebay site. These are in mint condition with full warranty!

| eBay

You can get some generic speaker stands, just remove the gel pads under 3020i speakers! 50£/pair. Dynami Duo 600mm should work with 3020i if you take the pads out. 3000i stands cost 129£/pair so good saving here if you like the look.

Speaker Stands | AV.com

Speaker Stands | AV.com

www.audiovisualonline.co.uk

Other options would be Dali Spektor 2, Monitor Audio Bronze 1 or 2, Q Acoustics Concept 20 perhaps if your budget goes up slightly.

Dali Spektor 2 Bookshelf Speaker

Whilst still being a compact speaker, the SPEKTOR 2’s larger inner volume delivers extra bass performance. The increased surface areas of the 5¼” woofer and 25 mm soft dome tweeter increases the overall sound pressure levels, making this the perfect choice for larger rooms that still require a...

petertyson.co.uk

Q Acoustics Concept 20 Speakers

What HiFi recently awarded the Concept 20 Best Stereo Speaker £200-£400 and Product of the Year at the 2013 Awards What HiFi say - "These speakers wowed us from the moment we first heard them"

petertyson.co.uk

Monitor Audio Bronze 2

Purity and precision, Monitor Audio's most democratically priced speaker line has everything to gain from Monitor Audio’s dynamic forty-year design heritage.

petertyson.co.uk

Monitor Audio Bronze 1

Purity and precision, Monitor Audio's most democratically priced speaker line has everything to gain from Monitor Audio’s dynamic forty-year design heritage.

petertyson.co.uk

So it is a old house from 1910.

There is a typical chimney stack with alcoves each side. I have the TV in front of the chimney stack on a TV cabinet which is in the middle of the room and facing the sofa. In one alcove I have a drinks cabinet, the other one is empty.

Do bookshelf speakers need so much clearance to work around side and back? ( I think it is going to be tight drink cabinet side)

Out of all the bookshelf speakers you have suggested which would you recommend? Don't mind stretching budget a bit if I am getting noticeable quality increases in sound as I will keep this setup years.

Can not believe how much the 2600 receiver is :-(

 

[Gasp3621]

So it is a old house from 1910.

There is a typical chimney stack with alcoves each side. I have the TV in front of the chimney stack on a TV cabinet which is in the middle of the room and facing the sofa. In one alcove I have a drinks cabinet, the other one is empty.

Do bookshelf speakers need so much clearance to work around side and back? ( I think it is going to be tight drink cabinet side)

Out of all the bookshelf speakers you have suggested which would you recommend? Don't mind stretching budget a bit if I am getting noticeable quality increases in sound as I will keep this setup years.

Can not believe how much the 2600 receiver is :-(

Picture would be really helpfull taken from couch!

429£.. If it would been normal year then 299£ lowest, but that is still better than 599£ for newest model.

 

[HappyGilmore007]

Picture would be really helpfull taken from couch!

429£.. If it would been normal year then 299£ lowest, but that is still better than 599£ for newest model.

Does this help?

 

[HappyGilmore007]

This is the sofa area think 5.1 might be out of the question in the future can not see it working with the space?

 

[Joe Fernand]

Floor standing speakers either side of the TV plus a Stereo amp with digital (HDMI or Optical) Input would be ideal.

Another option is to raise the TV and put a Soundbar below the TV.

Joe

 

[HappyGilmore007]

Floor standing speakers either side of the TV plus a Stereo amp with digital (HDMI or Optical) Input would be ideal.

Another option is to raise the TV and put a Soundbar below the TV.

Joe

Hi Joe,

Thank you for the advice.

I am guessing I will get a lot better sound from some dedicated floor standing speakers compared to something like the JBL 9.1 sound bar? As this is obviously a good option to get rears if there is not that much noticeable difference?

If floor standing will be a lot better though I am going to need something slimline for the gap on the right between the drinks cabinet and the TV stand. I have 25mm max which allows for a few mm clearance. Is it going to matter the floor speakers will be between the TV unit and the and the drinks cabinets and close to the back wall is it going to cause me noticeable issues with the sound to a untrained ear? Not sure how much room they need to "breath"? (or if I am just making things up)

I have found these and they would be perfect dimensions :

Monitor Audio Bronze 5 Floorstanders Speakers Walnut

<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><strong><a href="/speakers/hifi-pairs/monitor-audio-bronze-5.html" target="_blank"><span><strong>View other colours...</strong></span></a></strong></span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><

exceptional-av.co.uk

Anything else I should consider?

Is a stereo amp something different to the Denon 2600 amp I linked? Was hoping to plug the amp direct into the earc port on the TV and then all other external devices direct into the TV so the devices can take advantage of the HDMI 2.1 features as and when they become available

Thank you for your time and help, feel like I am getting closer to getting this sorted now

 

[Gasp3621]

View attachment 1359522

Does this help?

So you mean you would have the left speaker between glass cabinet and the av-cabinet pushed close to wall? So basically hiding it. That would be bad idea for any speaker. I would have the speakers at the same level to your av-cabinets front line, so pushed more forward from the front wall.

If movies are important for you then the 2.0/2.1 ain`t going to give you that immersive feeling so my money would still go to some compact sized bookshelf speakers with stands plus small subwoofer. You would still need sub with towers if you want to enjoy fully. But towers won´t really add much vs. decent standmount speakers partnered with sub! Whether you want to add the center channel or not is up to you, raising the tv/wall mounting it and then having it on the top of av-cabinet is possible. There is wall mountable speakers for the rear wall, you would mount them higher up so they wouldn´t locate too easily. So 4.1/5.1 would be the goal.

Soundbar is option with wireless rears or some small satellite system like Q Acoustics 7000i. But i don´t see why 3020i, 3090Ci ,sub and then small surround speakers for effects wouldn´t work. You can´t boost the speech if you don´t have dedicated center channel, may not be issue day time but later evening.. For night time listening Denon has nice feature (DV):

Dynamic volume reduces the difference between the loudest sound and the quietest sound, it's great if you are constantly grabbing the remote to turn down the audio during a fight scene or turn it up when people are whispering.

If you are going to build system with many speakers movies in mind, possibly in steps then why limit yourself to 2.0/2.1 with 2ch stereo amp? What you get today with av-receiver feature wise is quite amazing. Sure there is 2ch stereo receivers with hdmi connections (500£?), but again you are then stuck to 2.0/2.1 and it just isn´t same experience as 5.1 system if person watches something other than dramas/comedies.

X2600H supports some hdmi 2.1 features, but if you are going to buy new gaming consoles like PS5 or XBOX then X2700H offers one hdmi 2.1 8k input and two outputs. Yamaha RX-V6A comes next month with three 8K inputs and it supports wireless "rears" which still require power outlet (no speaker wire, power cable yes).

Decision is fully yours. I`m swapping my system after moving and i have sold almost everything. From 5.1 to 3.1, then 2.1 and now 2.0. Each phase of those has been downgrade to overall enjoyment! Of course decent quality 2.1 system will be nice after tv speakers or some cheap soundbar i can imagine, but compared to 5.1 built overtime it`s just not the same!

 

[HappyGilmore007]

So you mean you would have the left speaker between glass cabinet and the av-cabinet pushed close to wall? So basically hiding it. That would be bad idea for any speaker. I would have the speakers at the same level to your av-cabinets front line, so pushed more forward from the front wall.

If movies are important for you then the 2.0/2.1 ain`t going to give you that immersive feeling so my money would still go to some compact sized bookshelf speakers with stands plus small subwoofer. You would still need sub with towers if you want to enjoy fully. But towers won´t really add much vs. decent standmount speakers partnered with sub! Whether you want to add the center channel or not is up to you, raising the tv/wall mounting it and then having it on the top of av-cabinet is possible. There is wall mountable speakers for the rear wall, you would mount them higher up so they wouldn´t locate too easily. So 4.1/5.1 would be the goal.

Soundbar is option with wireless rears or some small satellite system like Q Acoustics 7000i. But i don´t see why 3020i, 3090Ci ,sub and then small surround speakers for effects wouldn´t work. You can´t boost the speech if you don´t have dedicated center channel, may not be issue day time but later evening.. For night time listening Denon has nice feature (DV):



If you are going to build system with many speakers movies in mind, possibly in steps then why limit yourself to 2.0/2.1 with 2ch stereo amp? What you get today with av-receiver feature wise is quite amazing. Sure there is 2ch stereo receivers with hdmi connections (500£?), but again you are then stuck to 2.0/2.1 and it just isn´t same experience as 5.1 system if person watches something other than dramas/comedies.

X2600H supports some hdmi 2.1 features, but if you are going to buy new gaming consoles like PS5 or XBOX then X2700H would be required, it has one hdmi 2.1 8k input and two outputs. Yamaha RX-V6A comes next month with three 8K inputs and it supports wireless "rears" which still require power outlet (no speaker wire, power cable yes).

Decision is fully yours. I`m swapping my system after moving and i have sold almost everything. From 5.1 to 3.1, then 2.1 and now 2.0. Each phase of those has been downgrade to overall enjoyment! Of course decent quality 2.1 system will be nice after tv speakers or some cheap soundbar i can imagine, but compared to 5.1 built overtime it`s just not the same!

Thanks for such great info!!

Yes I was planning on moving the drink cabinet 10cm left and then going to put either tower speakers or bookshelf speakers between the gap, that way I could still open the right hand side door on the drinks cabinet.

I watch a lot of TV series which have 5.1 available on Netflix and watch a movie at least once a week so having a good setup for movies would be nice!

If I decided to go down getting the rears speaker route where would I place them as I am not sure where the is room ? Unless you can get some very compact rears and stands is there anything you have in mind or would recommend me to look at?

Would I need the X2700H though as if I upgrade to the latest Xbox later down the line? As if I connect the Xbox straight into the LG C9's HDMI 2.1 ports and the X2600 into the TV via the eARC I would get the HDMI 2.1 features for the Xbox and the uncompressed sound would be transmitted over the eARC?

 

[Gasp3621]

Thanks for such great info!!

Yes I was planning on moving the drink cabinet 10cm left and then going to put either tower speakers or bookshelf speakers between the gap, that way I could still open the right hand side door on the drinks cabinet.

I watch a lot of TV series which have 5.1 available on Netflix and watch a movie at least once a week so having a good setup for movies would be nice!

If I decided to go down getting the rears speaker route where would I place them as I am not sure where the is room ? Unless you can get some very compact rears and stands is there anything you have in mind or would recommend me to look at?

Would I need the X2700H though as if I upgrade to the latest Xbox later down the line? As if I connect the Xbox straight into the LG C9's HDMI 2.1 ports and the X2600 into the TV via the eARC I would get the HDMI 2.1 features for the Xbox and the uncompressed sound would be transmitted over the eARC?

I wouldn´t put speakers in any tight gap. Rather bit more forward about same level to tv-cabinets front, as if you buy center channel then they would be about same level if placed on top of cabinet and the front edge of it with tv mounted on wall. QAs are fairly good looking speakers and maybe you can open the right door more carefully.

You can always go to listen some different systems first on local Richer Sounds or similar so you get better idea of soundbar, 2.0/2.1 and 5.1 systems. It will only cost you time and maybe buss tickets. They do give demos if you ask and book time before hand.

You can find probably zillion threads about couch against wall which rears i buy threads. One option is bipole/dipole type speakers that has tweeter each side and the effects will then bounce from wall creating bit more dispersed soundfield while not locating too easily vs. speakers that are close to you. Cheapest is still Monitor Audio Bronze FX, while they low depth they aren´t smallest which may be issue for missus. Another option which i have seen here many times over the year and something i had myself too ages ago is small satellite speakers mounted higher up on wall with brackets that let´s you angle them. So for example Cambridge Audio Minx Min 12 or 22 which has been partnered with QA 3000 range speakers few times here. While you might not get speakers in text book placement what Dolby recommends, you would still have those effects flying in your room around you creating more enjoyable movie/serie experience. If you would go with the small satellites maybe each rear corners higher up aimed downwards toward the couch, the bracket let´s you turn them quite free. You can hide the wires with D-line trunking.
Amazon product

You are probably right with the Xbox and receiver thing. My mistake if you have checked that it works that way. In that case you should definitely save the money and go with the 2019 model.

 

[Khazul]

I am guessing I will get a lot better sound from some dedicated floor standing speakers compared to something like the JBL 9.1 sound bar? As this is obviously a good option to get rears if there is not that much noticeable difference?

Depends on the qualities of the sound you consider to be better raw sound quality vs immersion. Personally I find surround immersion and dialog quality trumps absolute sound quality for TV/film, but for music, then a good balanced and detailed full sound sound with good stereo separation matter the most to me. For these two are sufficiently at odds to have linked but also separate systems for each.

A good high spec soundbar+sub combo (made be someone who makes decent AV audio products, rather than some nasty TV manufacturer's add-on soundbar) might yield a more enjoyable and more immersive experience for the room than you can get with practical AVR + speaker options (without some significant upheaval to layout etc).

I think if I had to ditch my AVR based atmos setup in favour of stereo, or 2.1 or even 3.1 for space reasons, then TBH, I would keep the HiFi and never use it for TV and get a really good high end soundbar instead just to keep some level of immersion.

 

[AmericanRodeo]

Here is a curve ball idea.

Klipsch launched 'The Fives' last month and (IMHO) they are absolute SoundBar killers.

Active Bookshelf Speakers,
Bluetooth In,
Phono / Record Deck In,
USB In,
Sub Out,
Full Remote,
Bi-Wired,
and most importantly
HDMI ARC in!!!


They have even thought about positioning and the main speaker can be switched from Left to Right by the flick of a switch on the rear.

RRP is a little over budget at £829, but a new customer discount can be had if you know who to ask!
⬇⬇⬇

 

[HappyGilmore007]

Thanks for everyone's help and time on this really appreciate it.

If I want to go for a small 2.0 setup first is their a cheaper receiver I could buy?

 

[Gasp3621]

Thanks for everyone's help and time on this really appreciate it.

If I want to go for a small 2.0 setup first is their a cheaper receiver I could buy?

PT is getting more of the X1600H later this month if the price is low enough, feature wise this thing has everything and for future proofing in mind personally i wouldn´t pick anything cheaper.

Denon AVR-X1600H AV Receiver

Upgrade your home theatre with the Denon AVR-X1600H. With 145W per channel (6 ohms, 1 kHz, THD 1%, 1ch driven), this performance-tuned Denon AV receiver provides a truly immersive 3D audio experience.

petertyson.co.uk

If that is too expensive and no way around it then:

Denon AVRX550BT (Black)

Shop for Denon AVRX550BT Black AV Receiver with Richer Sounds for expert advice and lowest prices guaranteed

www.richersounds.com

PT has refurbishes QA speakers which are in mint condition. Those that has "Add to cart" are available.

Speakers - Refurbished - Clearance

Peter Tyson Audio Visual Online - Hi-Fi and AV retailers.

petertyson.co.uk