Better way to spend the money on audio?

RoyMi6

RoyMi6

RoyMi6

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Posts
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I'm fortuante enough to have not a small amount of money to spend on the AV aspects of my cinema room I'm building. It's something that might be purchased over time (I know that I'll upgrade my existing speakers one day as well) but this is the money I've got to spend today.

I've got some equipment already (9 ground channels) so wanting to add a sub and ceiling speakers as well as the ATMOS receiver/amplifier to power it all.

I'm probably only want to spend about £4.5k on adding to the existing equipment (so £4.5k for processing,amplification,4 x ceiling speakers and sub) with the intention of having 9.2.4 channels overall.

Like I say, I'd like to make use of what I've got, add to it, then swap out/upgrade anything that doesn't keep up at a later date.

Any suggestions on alternatives - especially for the AVR/amp combo?

Cheers,
Roy

Speakers
Front Left and Right
B&W 684 http://www.hifiplus.com/articles/hi-fi-plus-bowers-wilkins-684-floorstanding-loudspeaker
OWNED

Front Centre
B&W CC6 S2
https://bwgroupsupport.com/downloads/specsheets/bw/CC6 S2 InfoSheet.pdf
OWNED

Wide Left, Wide Right, Side Left, Side Right
Wharfdale WH-DFS https://www.wharfedale.co.uk/dfs/
OWNED

Rear Left and Right
Wharfdale Diamond 11.3 https://www.wharfedale.co.uk/diamond-11-3/
OWNED

Ceiling FL,FR,RL,RR
ELAC Debut A4 Atmos Mk2 https://www.richersounds.com/elac-debut-a4-atmos-mk2.html
£199 a pair x 2

Sub 1
Klipsch R-120SW https://www.richersounds.com/klipsch-r-120sw-black.html
£459

Sub 2
ButtKicker Simulation Kit https://shakercentre.co.uk/gaming-simulation/buttkicker-sim-kit.html
OWNED

Audio
AVR
Denon AVC-X6700 https://www.richersounds.com/denon-avc-x6700-black.html
£2,299

Amplifier
Emotiva XPA-3 Gen 3 https://www.richersounds.com/emotiva-xpa-3-gen-3-black.html
£1,449
 
hornetstinger said:
Why are you mixing and matching so many speakers? Try and stick to same brand. Have you heard any of them?

You probably don't want bipoles in atmos system
Click to expand...

It's just what I've got from my previous setup. As I said in the OP, they'll likely be upgraded over time. I know the dipoles won't be ideal but I've got them and I can put them on the wall where replacement will eventually go.

One thing I've just noticed... I plan on going separates eventually and the Emotiva range caught my eye so figured I'd pick up one of their 3 channel amps for the front channels (need a separate amp to get the most out of the denon anyway). But I'm just noticing that "stereo phono to XlR" cables don't seem to be a thing... Can I use this amp with this AVR?
 
hornetstinger said:
Yes you can use that Denon with that power amp, but why spend so much on a AVR if you plan to have a powerful amplifier?

Just use RCA-RCA cables from Denon to Emotiva
Click to expand...

I'm finding it hard to search/filter on specs, so without knowing the options, or what's available, I don't really know where the money is best spent. Without checking literally every amp and it's spec at all price ranges i really don't know how to find a better suited alternative.

All i do know its that I want 4 height channels, and a minimum of 7 surround channels - although preferably 9.

Obviously I need some kind of processor and amplifier - how exactly that goes together I'd really appreciate some advice.

With regards to your RCA cable comment... Sorry, but where are the RCA inputs on that Emotiva amp?? Am i being super daft? :(
 
I'd suggest you go to your highly reviewed local independent specialist whether that be a shop or an installer and just let them do it all for you, in terms of picking parts or even installing them as well.

However the BK subwoofers are fantastic however I would say you really want 2 monoliths and an anti mode. That's roughly £1.5K of your budget gone. However I would say these would do you for a lifetime. Other parts like speakers can be added as and when. You don't need the full 9.2.4 from day one.
 
RoyMi6 said:
Any suggestions on alternatives - especially for the AVR/amp combo?
Click to expand...

If it wasn't for the fact that you want 9 ground channels + 4 in the air I would have suggested ditching the 6700 for the 4700, and then putting the £800-ish saved towards a bigger Emotiva power amp and bypassing all the power amps in the AVR rather than just the front 3.
 
What cables are you using? With a 4.5k budget if your only using cheap cables then your missing out.

I'm using Van Damm Silver Lo-Cap 55 interconnects good improvement over free/budget interconnects.

I'm using also Russ Andrews Yello Power and Classic PowerKords, use them to active studio monitors and also source. In short the sound is better on Russ Andrews cables over standard IEC cables. The difference is such if I connect a Russ Andrews cable to one studio monitor only then I unbalance the sound.
 
JasonM said:
What cables are you using? With a 4.5k budget if your only using cheap cables then your missing out.

I'm using Van Damm Silver Lo-Cap 55 interconnects good improvement over free/budget interconnects.

I'm using also Russ Andrews Yello Power and Classic PowerKords, use them to active studio monitors and also source. In short the sound is better on Russ Andrews cables over standard IEC cables. The difference is such if I connect a Russ Andrews cable to one studio monitor only then I unbalance the sound.
Click to expand...

Spending absurd amounts of money of cables is daft.

Can you provide evidence to support your claim that "audiophile" power cables improve the sound, or using oscilloscope different waveform?
 
hornetstinger said:
Spending absurd amounts of money of cables is daft.

Can you provide evidence to support your claim that "audiophile" power cables improve the sound, or using oscilloscope different waveform?
Click to expand...

Give it a rest, they have been selling audiophile cables for over 35 years, if they did not offer improvement they would have stopped selling them.

Russ Andrews power cables start at £65 for a 1 meter. The Van Damm Silvers are £35 for 1 meter on eBay.

This is PS Audio's view on cables

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ilz6ML8IWgY

If you think the cables make no difference then you either don't understand or never tried them.
 
I think you've spent a lot of money but ended up with a mismatched system which is really ashame.
The big selling point is a timbre matched system for flawless panning and a real bubble of sound.

I would definitely NOT budget for speaker wire. Amazon basics will do the job.

Also you are buying an AVR which I believe does not have great pre-out voltage and pairing it with an amplifier. It might not be able to drive the full potential of the amplifier.

Overall, I think you're spending a lot of money for fairly modest gains. I'd try to think of building a home cinema less of collecting parts and more of a cohesive list of equipment which works and matches eachother.

Also a hoverBOSS is 10000x better than a buttkicker but will require some DIY.
 
JasonM said:
Give it a rest, they have been selling audiophile cables for over 35 years, if they did not offer improvement they would have stopped selling them.

Russ Andrews power cables start at £65 for a 1 meter. The Van Damm Silvers are £35 for 1 meter on eBay.

This is PS Audio's view on cables

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ilz6ML8IWgY

If you think the cables make no difference then you either don't understand or never tried them.
Click to expand...


Thats very very poor reasoning. Audioholics did a video on speaker cables.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kR12Ttuxobs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VlYjQBTx-rs

basically every well-founded video has found very negligible if any benefit to higher priced speaker cables.

You will DEFINITELY get more money upgrading your speakers than your speaker cables (e.g. KEF Q to KEF R series or Arendal 1961 to Arendal 1723S) or going to JTR or a horn based high end JBL speaker.
 
aoaaron said:
I think you've spent a lot of money but ended up with a mismatched system which is really ashame.
The big selling point is a timbre matched system for flawless panning and a real bubble of sound.

I would definitely NOT budget for speaker wire. Amazon basics will do the job.

Also you are buying an AVR which I believe does not have great pre-out voltage and pairing it with an amplifier. It might not be able to drive the full potential of the amplifier.

Overall, I think you're spending a lot of money for fairly modest gains. I'd try to think of building a home cinema less of collecting parts and more of a cohesive list of equipment which works and matches eachother.

Also a hoverBOSS is 10000x better than a buttkicker but will require some DIY.
Click to expand...

Denon AVR have decent pre out especially if you use all channel pre amp mode.
 
Psycho Sonny said:
I'd suggest you go to your highly reviewed local independent specialist whether that be a shop or an installer and just let them do it all for you, in terms of picking parts or even installing them as well.

However the BK subwoofers are fantastic however I would say you really want 2 monoliths and an anti mode. That's roughly £1.5K of your budget gone. However I would say these would do you for a lifetime. Other parts like speakers can be added as and when. You don't need the full 9.2.4 from day one.
Click to expand...


BK subwoofers are so flabby. I have one in my front room and although it generates decent SPL, its just a bit crap. My Monoprice THX Monolith 15's destroy them in the performance category and sound easily. I wish I could find someone to buy my Mono plus and I'd buy a Monoprice 10'' in a heartbeat.

2x Monoprice Monolith 10''s will destroy the BK subs in sound quality and low end extension without a doubt.
 
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