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Topic: Very compact cinema sound system--ideas? (Read 1408 times) previous topic - next topic
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Very compact cinema sound system--ideas?

I'm starting to casually look at revamping my cinema sound system and am looking for some creative ideas for very compact but accurate sound.

Requirements: Not a lot of output needed. Apartment is only around 400 sq feet / 37 M**2 in size, and I'll generally be within 6' / 2 m of any speaker. I'd like surround speakers or a good simulation thereof, but if I have to forego these in favor of better 2.0/2.1/3.1 sound, I will.

Currently have: 32" 1080P TV set, Sonos Soundbar. I'm pretty happy with the Sonos overall. But getting proper surround sound requires jumping through some minor hoops (need to do TOSLINK source selection via external box because most TV sets only pass 2-channel LPCM via TOSLINK) and doing some equalization would be a bit trickier still as multi-channel audio input is via TOSLINK only. I don't currently have a subwoofer, and actually find that Soundbar has pretty good output to maybe 60 Hz. Once in awhile I'll bottom-out it's tiny full-range drivers, but I usually take that as a sign that I've got the volume cranked up too high.

One idea that I've had calls for 3 Genelec 8010s, a matching subwoofer and compact receiver (with speaker-to-line-level adapters as needed). Nothing against a full 5.1-channel setup, but the 3.1-channel configuration is already about as pricey as I'd like to go. Price isn't an issue with something like the JBL LSR305, but I'm thinking I might not want go beyond 3.1 configuration there either due to bulk.

Also open to passive- and PC speaker combos. Love the size and finish of the Cambridge Minx Min 12 but have the impression that most of the money goes into the shiny finishes? Not necessarily opposed to paying extra for design and finishes but I don't feel like simply throwing money in that direction.

Subwoofer: No expectations of hearing more than hints of the lowest octaves. Really don't want gut-wrenching bass notes being transmitted through the building. If I really feel the need to feel the bass, I figured I could bolt a shaker to my chair. Size-wise, a 12" cube would be about as big as I'd care to go.

Electronics: So far it's looking to me like an ordinary cinema receiver is the most cost-effective way to get equalization, Dolby and DTS support. I was looking at the Marantz NR-series of compact receivers. No line level outputs there, but I'm willing to build speaker-to-line-level adapters as needed.

Very compact cinema sound system--ideas?

Reply #1 –
The Genelecs use XLR inputs and are powered, right?

That would make them somewhat inappropriate for home use, although it could be done. Marantz doubtless makes excellently usable receivers, but they are also quite disproportionately expensive for their power output and feature set (amplification is a long-solved problem). I'd suggest looking into Harman/Kardon, Denon or Onkyo units if you wish to eschew the Pioneer/Sony standard models.

A number of vendors make compact two-way speakers of excellent quality; I'm personally biased toward the Paradigm Atom, but they're far from the only (or the smallest) game in town. For your usage a moderately priced 8" subwoofer is no doubt fine; Pinnacles Subsonic (wait for a woot.com sale on anything pinnacle) or similar is probably a decent fit.