Help with startup 6.1 system (1 Viewer)

[Blaine P]

I am looking for a 6.1 system on a budget and would appreciate any help you guys could provide:

My needs:
1. 6.1 surround (new house already wired) for 275 square foot room.
2. System will be used 50/50 between music and home theater, thus I am hoping to get a system good for both.
3. Budget is in the $800 to $900 dollar range for the speakers.
4. I already have a Panasonic SA-XR45 A/V receiver.
5. The satellites must be fairly small and mount from the ceiling rather than wall (thus, no bookshelf speakers).
6. Satellites colored white or silver is a definite plus.
7. Fronts must be bookshelves due to built-in entertainment center.

I am thinking about a sub/sat system and trying to get a pair of bookshelves which are voice-matched to the center and satellites (if possible)for the fronts. However, my research has shown that most speaker manufacturers use different tweeters in their satellites than in their bookshelves, thus making it difficult to voice-match. If anyone knows different, please advise.

My thoughts:
1. Athena Micra 6 matched with SB1 or SB2's.
2. Infinity TSS450 matched with infinity primus or entra bookshelves.
3. Polk 6700 matched with Polk bookshelves.
4. Bose 301 matched with Bose 161s and ??? brand subwoofer(cheapest route since I already have the 301s).

Other brands possibly in my price range, which I am yet to test, include Paradigm, Boston and Cambridge.

Any thoughts are greatly appreciated.

 

[Chun Lam]

I was considering the Definitive Technology Pro Cinema 80's when I was looking for something similiar. I ended up buying the ProCinema 60's because I couldn't audition the 80's. I'm quite pleased with the 60's for both HT and music.

Good luck!

 

[Blaine P]

Thanks, I will give those a look.

Just curious, can you mount the ProMonitor 60 satellites to the ceiling (via threaded insert)?

 

[prashanth_sharma]

the HSU ventriloquist system should fit perfectly.

 

[Mike^C]

There's a few options you have for this size.

You have the HSU Ventriloquists and ProMonitors like the above stated. Theres the online only Onix Rocket Tykes. There's also the Paradigm Cinema series and most of the packages from Cambridge Soundworks are fairly small. I'd go investigate each one.

 

[Blaine P]

Thanks for the advice. The rep from Paradigm indicated that the Cinemas could not be ceiling mounted...which would count them out. Anyone know if the Ventriloquists have threaded inserts in the back for ceiling mounting?

 

[Chun Lam]

Yep, The ProMonitor 60s have thread inserts on both the bottom and the back of the speakers.

 

[Blaine P]

Those Ventriloquists look very interesting, especially in silver. Anyone have experience with them? They appear to be a single driver speaker and have some unusual wiring requirements.

 

[Mike^C]

Take a look at these too. They look to have top mounts to them. I have no idea how good the Tykes are but the rest of the Rocket line is very nice.

Tykes

 

[Blaine P]

Thanks. Those tykes look interesting.

Has anyone auditioned the Athena Micra 6 yet? For $500 and included mounts it looks like a good deal.

 

[mike steve]

Infinity tss 750 sounds great with a hk reciever $600 with sub

 

[Daman]

I auditioned the Polk RM6700 with the Infinity and Klipsh satellites when i bought mine and Polk sounded better than both to me. I bought my Polk 5.1 for 700$(including a PSW 303 - 100 watt sub) and recently upgraded to 6.1 with another surround speaker worth 130$(with shipping) from Crutchfield. So in all the cost is what your budget seems to be,and i really love the way these speakers sound. I would suggest you to go for these,theres a scheme going on where one gets a free 200$ sub along with the speakers, i upgraded the sub and paid the 100$ price difference- total cost of whole gamut-830$

 

[ChrisYK]

$549 in the Scratch and Dent section at Crutchfield