Speaker options for new home... large room (1 Viewer)

We just purchased a home and took the wall down separating the family room and the kitchen. The room is roughly 45x18, with hardwood floors. I just picked up a 70" TV for the family room wall, so it can be watched from the kitchen on the other side of the room. I originally planned on putting in 6 Polk RC60i ceiling speakers (2 in kitchen, 4 in family room) because it would be easy to do in the middle of a remodel, but after doing research I'm not sure that's the best idea. What setup would you recommend (on a budget) for that size room?.... Soundbar? 2 front tower speakers, center speaker, etc....? I like the wall or ceiling speaker idea, so they're concealed, but I just want to make sure it makes sense for this room setup.

Unfortunately you have multiple conflixting requirements: budget, room size, audio quality. Before I or anyone else starts guessing, it would be best to specify your budget. I will offer that you probably want to emphasize a very good subwoofer for that size room. You don't need towers, you need decent bookshelfs that can project highs, and a very good sub. A sound bar willl be completely lost in that size room.

I was looking at the Polk wall/ceiling speakers which were about $90 each, plus a $200 center speaker, and then I need the sub. I just dont know how that set up compares to a decent HTiB setup, or something else.

Most HTiBs have low end receivers and speakers. You can get HTiBs with a decent receiver, namely the Onkyos. And some on the rare occasion a midling set of speakers. But no matter how hard you try, the HTiBs will always have below average subs. HTiBs are best suited for small rooms or an apartment. For a sub I suggest you look at Hsu or maybe SVS. Get at least a 12". At this point it really sounds as if I'm some kind of sub nut, and I'm really not; it's just with that size room your speakers will get lost and you will never be satisfied. I bet many would suggest you go with dual subs, but I'd start with just one very good one. As you might guess, a good sub isn't cheap, but you'll be a happier person later. To cement my snooty tone I'll add that Polks are kind of the Chevy Malibu of speakers, nothing to be embarrassed about, but not going to over perform or impress either. You'll probably be happy with them (as always, try to listen to a speaker before you commit). Just sayin', in case you wanted a set point. And to wrap it up, we high discourage ceiling speakers, especially cheaper ones. High frequencies are very directional, so putting the speaker in the ceiling optimizes for someone sitting directly below. Wall speakers are much preferred. And if you can get away with it in your decor, just go with bookshelfs in a coordinated color.