Recommendations for Compact Speaker (1 Viewer)

[phil2319]

I just finished wiring my family room for 5.1 surround sound and I am looking at starting to choose speakers and a receiver. The room is rectangular at 14x15 ft with 9ft, flat ceiling. As this is our family room, my wife is very adamant about it not turning into a home theater with an obnoxiously loud sound system. Furthermore, she wants to keep the speakers as compact as possible and keeps envisioning something like those Bose satellite speakers.

I am thinking about just starting off just a 2.1 or 3.1 set up, with the option to add center and/or rear channels down the road. The front channel speakers will be sitting atop a built-in that runs along the wall that the TV is mounted on, while the rear channels will be mounted on the wall directly behind the couch. I wired it so that the receiver will be tucked away in one corner while the sub can sit in the opposite corner.

The ultimate question is... can you recommend compact size (smallest possible?) speakers and a subwoofer that do not drastically sacrifice sound for size? Great if you can recommend a 5.1 set, however, I am fine pairing speakers and building the set over time. Also, this may be suited for another board but any recommendations for an amp/receiver?

edit: I should add; my budget right now is for <$1,000. If there aren't any good 5.1 + receiver set ups that are decent at the price (which wouldn't suprise me) I am okay starting with just stereo, 2.1 or 3.1 set up for now any adding on done the road.

 

[Chris Strnad]

I'm a bit biased toward and partial to Definitive Technology. The ProCinema line should be right up your alley (and have a high WAF! ).They also have an architectural (in-wall) series...

 

[phil2319]

Thanks for the reply, Chris. I actually wired the room originally planning all in wall speakers, only for my wife to walk in 3/4 of the way through the project and tell me no. Luckily, she still okay'd bookshelf speakers so it wasn't a waste of time.

 

[JohnRice]

I don't have any compact speakers to recommend, because you're much better off using slightly larger bookshelf speakers, but there that is. A 3.1 system can be pretty nice. I highly recommend you starting with 3.1 over 2.1. My other comment is regarding the "rear" surround speaker location. The back speakers in a 5.1 system aren't supposed to be behind the viewing position on the back wall, but directly to the sides, on the side walls. Yeah, I know, everyone seems to put them behind the viewer, but that's wrong and it doesn't work nearly as well as having them on the sides.

 

[anthony_b]

checkout NHT or q acoustics

 

[phil2319]

Thanks for the tips.

 

[Sam Posten]

KEF E305.
https://www.hometheaterforum.com/community/threads/kef-e-305-5-1-surround-sound-review.327946/

 

[theJman]

Wave Crest Audio has the HVL-1 that might work. There's also the Chane A Series to consider.

 

[Carlo_M]

I very much like my RSL CG3s. I use them as rear surrounds but when I was breaking them in I had them hooked up as mains and paired with a PSA 15S sub. They punched way above their weight in sound quality and I wouldn't hesitate pairing them up with a cable sub for a 5.1 or higher system. I do not have any experience with their sub but they sell it in a discounted $999 set. If they give the sub the same attention to detail and sound as they do the CG3s, I imagine it too performs well for its size and price.

https://rslspeakers.com/products/cg3-5-1-home-theater-system-special-edition/

In addition to the great sound, these are fairly small (6 lbs) so make wall mounting a breeze, and also are front ported so they can be mounted right up to a wall without risking port noise. And their front port is shaped like a slit and I've never heard any chuffing or noise from it (though to be fair I don't listen at overly loud volumes). Oh, and the piano gloss black finish, for the price, makes it look way more classy than its price indicates.