New home, need to pre-wire & determine what to use (1 Viewer)

[derekcentrico]

We’re starting to build a construction home which is sucking up the budget quite largely. I want to create the most bang for my buck with our tech setup. I created some images that I’m attaching using Sketchup to kind of show my envisioned setup of our small watching area.

I intend to have the area hardwired for 5.1 surround sound, zone 2 running out to the patio, using a wall-mounted LED 42-47in Google TV (I’m one of the few fans out there I think!), powered by a newer network-connected Onkyo TX-NR626 receiver. Speakers are undecided. Doubt I'll put any Bluray or other players in the area.

My major issues:

[*]Deciding between a sound bar or using the 5.1 surround sound for the small area we have
[*]Where to have the wiring located for the 5.1 surround sound as you see the walkway area makes it awkward
[*]Kind of connected to #2, where to mount the speakers
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Any other advice would be much appreciated. I’m not able to do too much with the layout as the wife is in charge of that! Tech is my area to run (yay).

Thanks in advance!



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[schan1269]

You have numerous speaker options.

With the 626 you can get...for the fronts.

The "LCR bar"...

1. Leon(from Michigan) Horizon LCR bars. The company makes them to your spec, meaning "however wide your TV is"...is how wide your LCR bar is made. Last I checked he has 6 different versions to choose from. Other manufacturers that make LCR bars are...

2. Pinnacle. They invented the entire idea when plasma first hit the market.
3. Def Tech.
4. James

5. There are thousands of others.

Or do a traditional "panel" speaker set up...

1. KEF T series.
2. Def Tech
3. HTD
4. Waterfall Audio
5. There are thousands of others.

For your 2 rears you can mount them in the ceiling, there are literally hundreds of thousands to choose from.
Or you could mount a bookshelf speaker to the ceiling, of which there are millions of options.

Do you have a budget?

Cause this can be done as little as $600 to as much as $600,000.

 

[derekcentrico]

Thanks for the reply. I budgeted $400 for the Onkyo (will get it factory refurbished) and $400-500 for speakers.

One big issue is where to have the speakers located on those image which diagram the area. The little black boxes on the wall were my starting point for positioning.

I can put them the two rears in the ceiling. Someone told me that's not a good idea, but it was my original plan.

 

[schan1269]

In-ceiling is never a good idea. But...

1. You don't want speakers on your floor.
2. You gave yourself no other choice when you picked that floor plan.

So you are going to spend more money having your speakers put in and wired...than you are spending for speakers.

OR is this $400-$500 supposed to cover the installation/wire as well? (The CL2 wire, 14 gauge, will cost between $30 and $100, depending on the total length you need)

 

[derekcentrico]

The cost with wiring is a forced cost by the builder because it's a cement house. Otherwise, I would come back and do it before. My goal is to try not to spend more than $400 on speaks themselves.

I am fine with floor-standing speakers in the front. My biggest concern is how to handle the surround sound speakers. As you see, the rear area is awkward. I could do ceiling speakers for the surround sound (rears). Or, I could wall mount them but I don't see good spots to do so.

So the question becomes in-ceiling or wall-mount surround speakers and where would they be placed?

 

[schan1269]

Ceiling is your only option. $400 is a tight budget.

 

[derekcentrico]

Let's assume that there is no issue with money reasonably speaking. I can reuse my floor speakers and sub for now which will save money. They aren't bad, but I was looking forward to a full upgrade from the get-go.

Where would I put these in-ceiling speakers based on the diagrams???

 

[schan1269]

Directly above both corners of the couch facing the TV. Anything non-horn. Many speakers will have a diffuser cap over the tweeter...

http://www.amazon.com/Micca-M-6C--Ceiling-Speaker-Pivoting/dp/B0047PPR2A/ref=sr_1_18?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1378093156&sr=1-18&keywords=polk+in-ceiling (notice it even mentions the diffuser cap in the tweeter section. And no, never heard these. Have no idea what they sound like)

 

[derekcentrico]

Thanks for the info. Here's what I just pulled up on Crutchfield. Dunno if they are worth much, but probably would do the trick for a small area if what little I've learned today is accurate...

Front L/R: http://www.crutchfield.com/p_10765RT/Polk-Audio-65-RT.html
Center: http://www.crutchfield.com/p_107TL2CC/Polk-Audio-Blackstone-TL2.html?tp=189
In-ceiling surround sound L/R: http://www.crutchfield.com/p_107MC60/Polk-Audio-MC60.html?tp=193

 

[schan1269]

So, your $400 budget morphed into $740.

However, have no idea why you are choosing a Blackstone when you could just buy a 3rd in-wall RT65.

 

[derekcentrico]

It ballooned because I could stagger the purchases. I have to do the in-ceiling and cabling during construction, but the in-walls can wait. I'd prefer to do it all at once, but oh well.

Does the center not need to be laid horizontally? I don't know that there will be space between studs to do so. I previously considered http://www.crutchfield.com/p_108ERHV250/Infinity-ERS-HV250.html?tp=192#overview-tab assuming there was room.

 

[schan1269]

Typically, buying a "center speaker" in-wall just means you get to pay more for the same speaker. Many in-wall are only sold in pairs(but you chose a Polk that is sold singly). The only difference between "the pair" and the "center" is the fact you get to pay 75% of the cost of the pair...to only get one. I usually recommend buying "all the same speaker" and just buying 3 pairs...then you have a spare.

I would not mix Infinity with Polk. If anything, buy three of those Infinity and flank the TV with them(like the tons of pictures you'll see with in-walls and a wall mounted TV).

 

[derekcentrico]

Is there any reason to choose Infinity over Polk for all of the front speakers? I see a little difference in freq response. For an ignorant person like me, the only thing that glares at me is the Polk having 1 woofer and Infinity having 2.

 

[schan1269]

It comes down to your ears. Short of buying a pair of both, putting them in boxes....only you'll know which you'll like best.

 

[Brian Dobbs]

7.1 over 5.1 in media rooms / home theaters.

Soundbars in common areas.

for your setup, it's probably best to go with a soundbar.

 

[michaeltrottar]

Setting it up is require lots of pre plan as all members said above and so all you do everything should have perfect out out and sound performance.