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Seeking advice for speakers for my Family Room

 Hello experts,

I am starting out on my quest to finally get some quality speakers, mostly making do with off-brand in-walls, in-ceilings for the most part for my family room.

And wanted to get your advice on what speakers to get for my kind of use case.

USE:

So, these will be used in my Family Room where I will be using them for 60/40 movie watching/listening music.  Ocassionally, we would like to be able to pump up the volume and listen to either multi channel audio or 2 channel music for parties etc.

ROOM:

The room has a lot of hard, reflective surfaces (tile flooring, some, tile on the wall behind the TV, it also is a large room (36' wide x 18' deep with 9' ceilings). However, my main listening position/couch and media cabinet and the floor standers will be in the left 15' portion of the width of the room and at 13' away from the speakers/TV.  Pictures attached below.

 


EQUIPMENT:

My receiver is Denon x3700H and I have a Polk PSW-505 12" sub. Eventually, I am open to getting an external amp to use with the pre-outs of my receiver, something like this Class D amp Purifi based VTV stereo amp. But first, I wanted to get my speaker selection nailed down.

 

SOURCE: 

At the moment, I have tried only YT Music (at 256kbps AAC) since I already have a subscription for this. I am not an audiophile and neither is my use case for critical listening. So, while I understand there are better SQ options for streaming music, I have my reasons for sticking with YT music (lyrics, music videos etc)

 

SPEAKERS AUDITIONED:

I have tried the Klipsch RP-280FA with the Klipsch RP440C center channel and found them unbearably harsh/bright. Tried several modes, but couldn't even get through 2 songs without having to stop. This was at loud volumes...

Next, I tried the KEF R11's and these were MUCH better, but I still found the highs a bit bright.

Other contenders (based on what I am hearing are considered a bit more warmer speakers) I have not tried yet but would like to get some advice on before just going through the hassle of ordering, setting up, trying etc:

-Wharfedale EVO 4.4

-Sonus Faber Lumina V (would have to wait a long time to even get these)

 

Maybe later, I might look into room treatments, but I am thinking I will leave that for later, that can be a slippery slope/money pit, but for now, I am looking for speakers that don't sound harsh/bright at loud volumes for extended periods of time. I will probably get a matching center as well (for HT/movies) that would need to provide clear dialog. 

Thanks,

KG

 

ROOM PICS:

 

 

kgtunes
larry5729's avatar
larry5729
1,008 posts
 

I think you have a difficult room to work with.  Your room opens up to the right with all those hard surfaces.  You lose a lot of compression and lose your sound stage.  Maybe install hardwood floors and put two 9x12 rugs.  The timber of the room would warm things up.  You might add an ARCAM AVR.  They are far better than Denon.  
 

you might also go and listen to a pair of the new Revel Performa towers with beryllium tweeters.  For $7,000 the really sound wonderful with really nice detail.

 

Your biggest problem is all that open space to the right with all those reflective surface.  So much sound is escaping from the listening area.

sgreg1
612 posts
 

Vandersteen series 1or 2 would both work for tour application.

tim_p's avatar
tim_p
361 posts
 

Stick with Klipsch. 

kgtunes OP
9 posts
 

Thanks for all the inputs, all!

Speaker, speaker position:

I think I am leaning towards the Lumina V's which have the reflex port on the bottom i.e. down firing. So, I am thinking I will place these further apart, as you all have suggested, basically in front of the windows, but I would like to place them closer to the wall, I can probably do 1 ft away at the most. I am hoping the down firing bass reflex would help/allow me to get away with that.

Thoughts?

 

Room treatments:

For the room treatments, i will start with with the a 2" thick acoustic panel on the side wall, probably 48x36, larger/thick rug in front of the speakers.

The larger rug size should cover the area in front of the speakers in their new position (in front of the windows) all the way back to the couches. I am thinking of having this rug go under the front feet of both couches. That should be more than enough? Thickness of 3/4" should do it?

Back wall is going to be tricky to address with the wife. Will start with the above 2 first and see how it goes.

 

auxinput
2,920 posts
 

That sounds good.  I have always liked Sonus Faber speakers.  They are very natural and full sounding, good resolution.  The only very minor downside is that they are not as fast/resolving in the higher frequencies when compared to other speakers (such as diamond or beryllium tweeters).

Since the Lumina V is a down-firing port, I would not put any sort of rug or carpet underneath the speaker because it could impede the airflow for the bass frequencies (there's not much space there with the spikes).  Your thick rug should start about 5-8" IN FRONT of the speaker, but should not be underneath the speaker. lol.You should be able to place them closer to the wall.  It is speakers that have rear firing ports that really need to be farther away from the wall.

Having the rug go underneath the couches is not a problem. 

If you move the speakers to in front of the windows and can do some heavy velvet curtains, that may solve a lot of problems.  You may not have to treat the tile behind the TV.

Do these acoustic treatments one step at a time and see the result.  You may end up having to do a second large area rug for that sitting area with the glass coffee table.  You could also do runner rugs behind your couch/sitting areas as well:

https://www.macys.com/shop/area-rugs/runner-rugs?id=190872&cm_sp=c2_1111US_catsplash_rugs-_-row2-_-image_runners&edge=hybrid

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