My Home Theatre Room Challenges - Is It Worth It To Upgrade Speakers


I have a very nice 2-channel stereo room where I love to listen to music by myself.  I am happy with the equipment and set-up in this room (at least for now).

Our family room (on the other side of our home) serves as our Home Theatre room and my wife and I watch a movie in this room together almost every night.  We recently upgraded to a Sony 83" A90J television and we love the picture quality.  

I consider sound quality to be just as important as picture quality when it comes to watching a good movie.  The 5.1.2 sound equipment in this room currently features:

  • Yamaha RX-1080 Surround Processor
  • Paradigm Prestige 15 Front Speakers on stands 
  • Martin Logan ESL Center Channel
  • Polk PSW1000 Powered Subwoofer
  • Paradigm Millenia 1 Overhead Speakers
  • Polk In Wall Rear Speakers
  • Room size = 20' wide X 18' deep (no rear wall)
  • Ceiling Height = 20' tall

The room has two big challenges:

  • WAF is critical - this is our family room, having front speakers that sit 4' out into the room is not going to happen
  • there are two couches that sit directly between the Front L&R speakers and our two primary listening chairs.

I would love to make a big and impactful improvement in sound quality in this room. I am currently considering replacing my two front main speakers (Paradigm Bookshelf 2-way speakers with 6" drivers) with full-sized speakers.  I am considering speakers, like perhaps a nice used pair of B&W 803 D2's, with the intent to dramatically improve base and be able to better fill the large room with sound.

Question:  Will the two couches block the sound improvement that I am trying to achieve?  (Right now my bookshelf speakers sit on stands which allows the soundwaves to not be blocked by my couches.)   Does this upgrade of front speakers in my large room seem like a logical first step?  I would love to hear from someone else who possible made some similar changes.

Thanks!

hikerneil

Showing 7 responses by kota1

@hikerneil

Absolutely upgrade the sound for that nice Sony. I have a Paradigm 9.2.7 HT you can see in my profile. Step 1, don’t change the bookshelves, for a surround system with a sub you are fine. Change the CC to get the matching Paradigm 45C center channel. Critical that F-C-L are perfectly matched. You can also keep the bookshelves on stands so they are not blocked by the couch. What do you think?

 

You have to try both to see what you prefer, if you add subs see the tips for sub placement Ihave posted in my virtual system page.

BTW, nice pic of your room, you may want t consider bringing the millenia one height channels down a bit to about a 30-55 degree angle from the MLP:

5.1.2 In Ceiling Atmos Speaker Placement - AVS Forum | Home Theater ...

 

Congratulations!! Very happy to see your project had the desired result. The room looks great and nice compromise on the speakers with the sliding to the R when not in use. You can get felt pads to slide furniture at amazon if you need them. Just stick them under the speaker and leave them, they slide real easy. Looks fantastic!