2. home-theater
  3. 1060288864

Anyone using Powered center/surround speaker??

Getting ready to set up my home theater system. I alrady got the Anthem AVM-20 for the pre/pro. Right now I am looking into center and surround speakers. Unfortunately, there is no matched surround speakers for my front speakers. So I am thinking about powered center/surround and drive them directly from the Anthem AVM-20's XLR output.

Any suggestions?

The first possibilites are:
1) Paradigm powered speakers (do they still make them?)
2) Dynaudio BM-5A
3) pro speakers like Tannoy or ???

Budget: < $2000 for center and 2 surround speakers.
Room size: a medium size family room
50% TV/ 30% music/ 20% movies.
Source: DVD, Sat dish, and LPs
Front L+R speakers: Avalon Radian HC
Front L+R Amp: Aragon 8008 BB mk2.
ejliu
ejliu OP
109 posts
 
My hope was that I can keep the setup for a good 3-4 years. I am sure there will probably be 8-10 channels by then. :-)

I forgot to mention that I do have a 5-channel Nakamichi amp at 100W/ch x 5 already. It's more of a case of not wanting to run very long speaker cables. From earlier experiment, I found running long balanced interconnects is better than running long speaker cables.
lazarus28
339 posts
 
i use active ATC 10's.

couldn't be happier. and you're right about runing long balanced interconnect vs. speaker wire.

plus, if you use 10's, like i do for center and surround, you may want to look into the active 50's one day to match - they're beyond incredible.
ejliu OP
109 posts
 
How much are they?

Also, how do you mount them for surround speakers? ATC 10 have very deep cabinet according to the web sites. I think my wife woould not let me have something that stick 2.5 ft into the room.
lazarus28
339 posts
 
oh. that would be a problem, then. i have them mounted on high stands - the WAF isn't really an issue with me.

and they're about 3200 for the pair, give or take. 4500 or so for three of them.
john_z
178 posts
 
Genelec makes some very high quality active speakers for home theater use. Find a local dealer that carries the line and check them out. They rock.

You may want to try adding just the surrounds to your system first and see how it sounds on movies without a center. A mismatched (timbre) center speaker relative to your mains may sound worse than running your system in "phantom" center mode. You can always add a matching Avalon center speaker and amplification later as funds permit.

Cheers!





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