Help Please - More Musicality Needed

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briardsrock
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Help Please - More Musicality Needed

Post by briardsrock »

Forthcoming upgrades to our primary listening room, located on the lower level below this room, is going to make available my current Rotel RC-995 preamp and Linn LK280 that I’d like to add to our family room (pictured). In this room I am not going to add a vinyl source but I will add a high quality streamer which will also be a Roon endpoint, maybe via Wiim Pro plus or Bluesound node, with Qobuz and TIDAL via Roon as highest quality source material for music, Roku will continue as tv streamer.

My question is, the room is large (20’ x 20’ x 22’ high) and not setup ideally for listening with a large tv in the corner and not allot of options for adding high quality speakers. There is lots of room behind the tv to place an equipment rack for the Rotel preamp, lk280 and whatever roon endpoint streamer I would add. I can’t come up with any great options for speakers, currently there is a Sonos playbar and a Sonos sub, both of which I’m selling, just tired of Sonos quality in general.

So what speakers might I add? Since it is also a main tv room, a soundbar dows “fit” below the tv, as pictured, however the Sonos playbar is just “ok” with Roku sourced TV material. I could possibly add a “better”, more musical soundbar, if such a thing exists, or maybe I don’t replace the soundbar at all, but rather simply add two of the best 2 channel conventional speakers I can come up with, maybe placed to the right and left of the tv, again, see room photo. As you can see there’s not allot of room for speakers, but the room is large so I need something capable of sufficient volume but more importantly I want something more beautiful musically and a good match for the LK280 and whatever streaming source I end up with. I could possibly place two tall thin speakers one on each side of the tv on the cabinet, it can be no wider than about 6” and up to 36” tall. I also thought about the possibility of placing two speakers sitting on the hearth, but I don’t think wife would accept any candidates in this location because of aesthetics.

I am open to all ideas!

The main spots for listening (and viewing) are the two blue recliners and the couch. And, to make things even more challenging is the room pictured opens to the kitchen and also the kitchen keep, so as I said, the ability for speaker candidates that have the capability to be “room filling” with LK280 amp would be ideal and I’m prepared to invest if some great candidates exist!

Thanks everyone in advance! Steve


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LP12: Radikal 2 (Machined Case) , Urika II, Karousel, Keel, Ekos SE/1, EBI Khumar MC cartridge
Electronics: Selekt Classic DSM, Majik Exaktbox-I Katalyst
Speakers: Majik 140s with metal bases.
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Mr Onion
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Re: Help Please - More Musicality Needed

Post by Mr Onion »

Thinking 'out of the box' as it were, how about


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Meridian Ellipse is the third loudspeaker to emerge from our Extreme Engineering Programme, producing a natural, authentic and lifelike sound which is immersive and room-filling. Ellipse is designed for music enjoyment: with a bass response usually associated with much larger speakers, Ellipse has complete control over the sound it plays, so your music is projected into the room with clarity and authority.

Ellipse is a complete Meridian system in a compact form factor. It is a distillation of everything we do, and it enables you to experience Meridian’s renowned sound quality in any room. Made in Britain using premium craftsmanship, its design is undeniably Meridian.

https://www.meridian-audio.com/products ... n-ellipse/

I havent heard one, but I have heard great reports of previous Meridian network speakers
James


Fluted Afro LP12, Khan, KEEL, Karousel, Urika, Radikal-2 K, EKOS SE/1, sKale, DVXX-2 A, Tangerine Audio Revolver,
NAIM CD 5si with Marigo Lab Aida CD Mat
ThePre, ZAP 250, Kudos Super 20A's
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PhotoMax
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Re: Help Please - More Musicality Needed

Post by PhotoMax »

Serving the needs of quality two-channel listening and home theatre (TV) with the same system is a challenge. Just hard to serve both at once.

Quick thoughts:

A sound bar is going to struggle in that big room. You need real speakers.

The best sound comes from a TRIANGLE arrangement: your main listening position set in front of equally distanced speakers on both sides.

Your challenge is you have a large hearth/fireplace in the middle of that wall and your TV stuck in the corner. If you add speakers on both sides of the hearth then the sound will be coming from an angle relative to the TV image. If you have speakers on the sides of the TV the sound is still coming at an angle.

I would experiment with using the long wall on the left. Put the TV there in the middle with speakers on both sides. Then place you preferred chairs or couch directly in the middle of the TV in the preferred triangle. Your sound stage will just be better…
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briardsrock
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Re: Help Please - More Musicality Needed

Post by briardsrock »

The problem with the long wall on the left, you will be able to see with this photo, there’s a large set of glass windows, and that’s why the TV isn’t there already. Lol

I wonder if I couldn’t put a sound bar below the TV, for tv content, and then set a tower to the left of the TV cabinet and another tower speaker just to the right of the hearth that would form a triangle to the one blue recliner, which is the one I sit in mostly.
Image
LP12: Radikal 2 (Machined Case) , Urika II, Karousel, Keel, Ekos SE/1, EBI Khumar MC cartridge
Electronics: Selekt Classic DSM, Majik Exaktbox-I Katalyst
Speakers: Majik 140s with metal bases.
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PhotoMax
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Re: Help Please - More Musicality Needed

Post by PhotoMax »

That would be worth trying?

Would you be able to borrow a pair of floor standing speakers to experiment with? Does not need to the specific units you might purchase. Any decent pair would work while you figure out the room option's for sizes, positioning, and sound variations.

In one of my setups I have a tv in the corner with a soundbar below the screen. This works for the amount of tv watching I do. My listening couch is facing a pair of large floor standing speakers that are carefully positioned for music, which is my main concern.

I know I could get better home theatre sound with a surround setup with a center channel and more etc. Just a low priority.
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