I've been watching this thread over the past couple of weeks.
@Oddney, you appear to have a handle on the
AV receiver side of things. My advice would be to go for one of the Denons rather than the Marantz NR range.
The reason is because the Marantz is designed to be a space saver and yet offer nearly all that a normal full-height AVR has. To do that they had to make some compromises, and the biggest of those compromises was the amplification inside the receiver. Standard AV receivers are the size they are because the power supply and amplification circuits are big and need the space. Marantz had to swap to the same kind of amps as in your 10-tear-old LG kit. These are "digital" amps, and this is one of those times where
digital is not better than analogue.
Having said that, compared to the LG, both the Marantz and the Denon amps will blow it into the weeds. It's just that the Denons are the better choice for sound quality based on them having the analogue power amps.
Package vs individual bits: There's two reasons in the main to go for a package rather than spec'ing the components yourself. The first is that sometimes it's cheaper...
but not always. The simple answer there then is to add up the cost of the individual bits and compare it to the package price. That's simple enough to do.
The other reason is because there's a type of customer who doesn't trust their own judgement. They have it in mind that the dealer knows best and so buying a package means that somehow the gear will be "more compatible". Sometimes that is the case. For example, buying a 5.1.2 Atmos speaker kit along with an AV receiver that doesn't do Atmos would clearly be a mismatch. However, there are lots of packages where the amp is Atmos but the speakers are simply a 5.1 kit, so you still need to have your wits about you. I don't think you'd make that mistake with the knowledge you've already gained. Besides, we are here to help you do a sanity check on any prospective purchase, so there's a bit of a safety net too.
Speaker colour and the room: In my view these are your two biggest challenges.
Speaker colour - IMO, trying to find a combination of white + Atmos seriously limits your choices. The smaller sub/sat systems such as the very good
Monitor Audio MASS system don't offer dedicated Atmos speakers as an option. The reason is that someone choosing a system based on small cubes for the main speakers is typically looking for the speakers to blend in and disappear. The idea then of adding another pair of speakers sort of goes against the grain. You, and your requirements, don't fit the mould. That's not your fault. However, manufacturers try to look for the middle 3/4 of the bell curve to maximise whatever market they're aiming at, and what you're looking for sits outside that.
The other end of the spectrum is higher-end product where the white finish is a premium choice. It's a statement. Speakers with a piano gloss white finish are a focal point rather than trying to blend in. The problem there of course is that the matching Atmos speakers can get really pricy.
The bottom line on speaker colour is that I very much doubt you're going to find the combination of white + Atmos + comes-in-an-AVR-&-speaker-package. You might well get a white 5.1 kit as part of a package, but you're going to have to look at adding any extra Atmos speakers as an extra purchase.
The room: - I'm just going to say this - you've got a window on one side, no side wall on the other, and not a lot of room. IMO, anything in an Atmos speaker such as a Wharfedale D300 3D or Dali Alteco C1 is going to have to be mounted on the front wall over the screen and up high where the wall and ceiling meet. That'll get you Atmos height sound directed down to your seating position. With the window and the missing wall, plus the limited space it would be much harder to make Atmos work with these kind of speakers mounted over the seating area.
Looking at some of the gear you've already found, I think that the Wharfedale Diamond 9.1 HCP 5.1 kit (£449) does come in white. Sadly the D300 3D speakers (£149) come from a different range and white doesn't appear to be an option. Do you have any companies locally that do vinyl wrapping?
www.monoprice.uk
