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confused and don't know what to do

We would like to buy a nice audio system and also have this double as a surround sound but listening to music is the priority. We have listened to many speakers but have settled on the B&W 804's. Now the challenge is to select a receiver and all the other accompaniments we require. We have a little challenge in that our home is a condo and the outside wall is all glass. The space is combined kitchen, living room, and dining room all open with hardwood floors and hard tile on the walls of the kitchen and a lot of granite counter tops. It seems that every where we go, the recommendations are different depending on what the store is selling and of course, the sales people would like us to buy the most expensive. What would give great sound without going crazy. We are thinking about 2 tribe sub woofers and space is limited and an in wall center B&W speaker but we don't know what we are doing and don't want to throw our money away. Help! Too many choices and we don't have enough knowledge. Thank you so much.
raw33
tuberist
951 posts
 
+1 AudioTroy
audiorusty
287 posts
 

Hi Raw33,

My opinion would be to take this project slow and build it up over time as your experience and knowledge increases.

Your room will probably be your biggest issue. A lot of reflective surfaces which more than likely will cause sound quality issues. It does sound like it might be a large room which should help. The good news is that sound issues with the room the can be fixed. Things like furniture, throw rugs, drapes can all help to reduce reflections. If you live near a major metropolitan area you should have someone in your area that deals with room acoustics that could come out on a consultation. It might set you back a few bucks but it would probably be money well spent.

As far as the system I would start out with a 2 channel music system just to keep it simple and your investment manageable. You can always expand in the future. The more parts you add the more complex the integration becomes and if it’s not integrated well you are not going to be happy. Find a dealer that will at least give you a return option after some type of home trial of so many days. Usually these are 30 to 45 depending probably on the dealer and the manufacturers involved. A good dealer should also be able to help you set your system up. 

If you buy decent quality gear and it is properly set up and in your case the room is properly treated, it should sound good doing both music and home theater. 


pgaulke60
310 posts
 
My 804's are powered by a McIntosh 252, and it sounds great!
larry5729's avatar
larry5729
1,009 posts
 
I would consider Anthem or an ARCAM AV850.

i was not impressed with Bowers and Wilkins.  I would add a pair of REL S3 SHO subwoofers.  I like their high level hook up for music and they also are excellent for HT.  They act as Woofers to extend the bass when listening to stereo.  You will love them.  I would add Persian Rugs to the mix to subdue some of the brightness from the hardwood floors.
firedrums
85 posts
 

Hello

It is very difficult to combine theater and 2 channel in one system.

Also difficult to get good sound in a very reflective room.

Not sure what your budget is...But I would start with your priority which is 2 channel.  Maybe look into a good quality Integrated Amp that has a theater pass through so you'll be able to add a receiver later for Theater control and still have your mains powered by the integrated.  Also I would try the TV just with the 2 channel it might be good enough for movies...A good Stereo is 3 dimensional.

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