# Setting up new system



## divealso (Jan 4, 2017)

I am in the process of deciding which equipment to purchase for my home system. All of out previous equipment was flooded in the Baton Rouge flooding in August.
Below are some of the items we have looked at. We already have a 65" Sony Series 9 TV that we will wall mount. 
1. Marantz 9.2 channel 6011 receiver
2. 2 Martin Logan Motion 60 Tower speakers
3. Martin Logan 1000 12" Sub

Need advise/ suggestions to what to add. ex. rear in-ceiling speakers, center speakers, etc.


----------



## theJman (Mar 3, 2012)

Unfortunately there is a lot of missing information in your post. In order for anyone to assist we will need to know as much as possible, things like...



room size
intended use
budget
aesthetic considerations
personal preferences (likes/dislikes)

The more information you can provide the better the suggestions will be.


----------



## divealso (Jan 4, 2017)

Room size 15x23.
Use-- listening to music, all types, and TV.
Budget around 7K
Can add to it in stages.
Needs to look good
We like all types of music, good beat, fairly loud, need great sound, etc.


----------



## theJman (Mar 3, 2012)

"needs to look good" is rather vague - what you find visually appealing I might not - but we can work with some of the other info.

Assuming a standard 8' ceiling height, you have roughly 2700 cubic feet to fill. Not terribly large, so it won't take a lot. I only see music and TV mentioned, which means no movies? Based upon your first post I'm speculating tower speakers are what you're looking for, so that helps focus the choices. Do you already own the Marantz and ML products or did you just audition them? 7K puts you in line for some pretty nice gear, so that opens up a lot of nice options.


----------



## divealso (Jan 4, 2017)

8ft ceiling heights
Definitely movies. I was vague on this. 
Haven't bought anything yet. I will be ready to in 1 week.

I liked the sound of the Martin Logans. (The wife liked the sound and the appearance) These are not what I was originally shown. We will be comparing them tomorrow. 
I am open to other suggestions except the Marantz. My mind is set on that. (of course, the mind is a terrible thing to waste--Lol)


----------



## theJman (Mar 3, 2012)

Since the Marantz is a decision already made - and both you and your wife like the ML 60's - we'll consider those a done deal. That accounts for approximately $4300 of the $7000 total budget. The matching ML center and surrounds account for another $2200 or so, leaving barely $500 for a subwoofer. Here's the breakdown, based upon list price (ML doesn't usually discount so this is probably accurate):



Marantz - $1300
ML 60XT towers - $3000
ML 50XT center - $1000
ML 35XT surrounds - $1200 (skip in-ceiling speakers)

That would be a killer setup for sure, but pairing it with a $500 subwoofer would not be a good match I'm afraid. Realistically you should be considering no less than something along the lines of the HSU ULS-15.


----------



## divealso (Jan 4, 2017)

I am not locked in to ML. That just gives you some my likes. Another question, why skip in ceiling? It is a cleaner look. Sound may not be as good?


----------



## tonyvdb (Sep 5, 2007)

divealso said:


> Another question, why skip in ceiling? It is a cleaner look. Sound may not be as good?


Yes, sound is poor and generally cost alot more to get anything decent.


----------



## divealso (Jan 4, 2017)

So, based on my budget, and having settled on the Marantz, are there any suggestions. I am open to other speakers.


----------



## tonyvdb (Sep 5, 2007)

well there are lots of internet direct speaker manufacturers that are highly regarded. SVS https://www.svsound.com/ is one of them and http://www.ascendacoustics.com/ is another just to name a couple.


----------



## divealso (Jan 4, 2017)

My only experience has been listening to the speakers at one of the box stores (Best Buy). I assume from your comment that compatible speaker systems can be had on the Internet at greatly reduced pricing. The question is which ones have that great, compatible sound for a newbie looking? I would hate to order a system for a substantial dollar figure and find out it sucks!


----------



## tonyvdb (Sep 5, 2007)

I speak only on SVS's quality as I have them in my system and know many others do as well. They are hard to beat and the build quality is top notch. Yes you do save when buying from an internet direct company like them as they dont have to pass high rent costs on to the buyer. many ID companies offer a no cost return policy as well.


----------



## divealso (Jan 4, 2017)

Would you go with all svs speakers of mix of others? They have some good pricing on packages.


----------



## divealso (Jan 4, 2017)

Also, how do the svs ultra towers compare to the ML 60's?


----------



## JBrax (Oct 13, 2011)

A buddy of mine has a full SVS Prime setup and for the money it sounds great. If you've gone to Best Buy and heard their speakers these should impress you. In the unlikely event you don't like them SVS will take them back. They have a great return policy.


----------



## tonyvdb (Sep 5, 2007)

Although the ML 60s are a good speaker I think the SVS towers would be at least the same quality.


----------



## theJman (Mar 3, 2012)

Along with the SVS, a couple more to consider are...



Aperion Audio Verus Grand
KEF Q Series
Axion Audio
NHT C Series


----------



## divealso (Jan 4, 2017)

A lot of choices. Now to pick just one. I don't know where I can hear some of these locally. I know the wife wants to "try before she buys". She did the same thing with me. Lol


----------



## divealso (Jan 4, 2017)

Along the same lines, I need suggestions on speaker cables, etc. All that is there is old, small Guage speaker wire that I know isn't suitable. Along with anything else needed.


----------



## Gdaddy (Oct 29, 2016)

I really like the KEF R-series. The sound is amazing AND they look incredible.

http://us.kef.com/hi-fi-speakers/hi-fi-speaker-series/r-series

BTW... Stereophile rated the KEF LS50 as a class 'A' speaker (limited LF) in the 2016 list. The 'R' series adds a more full sound in the mid-range by adding a mid-woofer and I prefer it over the LS50.


----------



## tonyvdb (Sep 5, 2007)

divealso said:


> Along the same lines, I need suggestions on speaker cables, etc. All that is there is old, small Guage speaker wire that I know isn't suitable. Along with anything else needed.


just get some 14awg speaker wire off of Monoprice.com and be done with it. you do not need to spend more than about 25 cents a foot interconnects like Monster are just stealing your money.


----------



## divealso (Jan 4, 2017)

Well, the wife decided she wanted a certain setup. We are going with BW CM9 towers with a svs 13.5 sub along with the Marantz sr6011 receiver. Due to the cost, I will have to add other stuff in stages, i.e. rear speakers, center speakers, etc. 
Also, some type of remote. I see a lot of info out there about control4. Is it worth it? How is programming it? Do you have to use someone else to set it up. I hate paying someone else to do what I can. 
What order should I add stuff to the system? At what point to add power conditioner?


----------



## tonyvdb (Sep 5, 2007)

Power conditioners are good if they are decent quality, you have to ask yourself if you live in an area subject to brownouts and bumps and decied if just getting a UPS is a better investment. UPS devices also filter the power.


----------



## theJman (Mar 3, 2012)

divealso said:


> We are going with BW CM9 towers with a svs 13.5 sub along with the Marantz sr6011 receiver.


If B&W speakers with an SVS Ultra series subwoofer is your idea of 'settling' then you're a lucky man my friend, because that sounds like it's going to be one impressive setup! Probably the only time in history WAF worked in someone's favor.


----------



## selden (Nov 15, 2009)

divealso said:


> Also, some type of remote. I see a lot of info out there about control4. Is it worth it? How is programming it? Do you have to use someone else to set it up. I hate paying someone else to do what I can.


Control4 is more of a whole-house control system. It's not simply for controlling your A/V equipment. Is that what you want?

(e.g. set room lights to cycle, adjust room temperatures, open and close window shades, control grass sprinkler system etc)

Many people have found Logitech's Harmony series of remotes to be quite effective for A/V equipment. They can be quite easy to configure and use.



> What order should I add stuff to the system? At what point to add power conditioner?


As for order... TV and/or projector, Blu-ray player, front speakers, receiver and Harmony remote would be first (for me). Then the additional speakers would be in the order subwoofer, center, side surrounds, overheads, rear surrounds. 

Streaming and gaming devices would be personal choices. Turntable if you get into playing vinyl. Projector and screen if you want a real "movie" experience.


----------



## divealso (Jan 4, 2017)

As far as the tv, already have 75" Sony 4k series9. 
I need here to think I am "going along" with her. That will be a card to be played at a later date. Lol


----------



## Lumen (May 17, 2014)

tonyvdb said:


> just get some 14awg speaker wire off of Monoprice.com and be done with it. you do not need to spend more than about 25 cents a foot interconnects like Monster are just stealing your money.


I'm a cable-snob convert, who mostly agrees with that. Cables should be low - if not last - on the list of accessories. Extra money spent on cables for "audio jewelry" purposes is fine, but don't expect megabuck cables to come even close to improving the sound as much as that spent on most equipment upgrades. Not sure if you can get decent build quality that will last for years under repeated plug/unplug cycles for $0.25/ft. Also, Monster brand cable is like Bose, IMO. You're paying for advertising hype.



tonyvdb said:


> Power conditioners are good if they are decent quality, you have to ask yourself if you live in an area subject to brownouts and bumps and decied if just getting a UPS is a better investment. UPS devices also filter the power.


It's probably best not to expect night-and-day differences here. Many reported "improvements" heard in this area can be chalked-up to expectation bias. Listen for a lower noise-floor and increased separation between instruments. You may notice more change when the protective device is removed from the chain, rather than inserted in it. Be wary of change - not all change is an improvement! :sneeky:


----------



## Lumen (May 17, 2014)

divealso said:


> Well, the wife decided she wanted a certain setup. We are going with BW CM9 towers with a svs 13.5 sub along with the Marantz sr6011 receiver. Due to the cost, I will have to add other stuff in stages, i.e. rear speakers, center speakers, etc.


First let me say that I've enjoyed the B&W CM-9's along with their CM2 Center2 for a while now. You get a lot of speaker for the money, but the pair is also overpriced, IMO. The seamless integration of the front three speakers is crucial to a high performance HT. I would caution not to mix-n-match. lddude:


----------



## willis7469 (Jan 31, 2014)

Hey Lou!!! :hug:
I agree with Lou here, and another point is not all change is even change. Expectation bias, or placebo should not be ignored. However this is an area where pride usually messes it all up. If there is a supposed improvement to be made, we naturally want to be able to rise to it and declare our ears golden. Just use common sense and you'll be fine. Good advice here so far. 

Edit: +1 for the harmony remote. Super simple plugin play. 
And also taking the time to properly position everything will go farther than money every time. A properly positioned and calibrated htib can provide a better overall experience than a mega buck rig that's plopped in willy nilly, or in compliance with the design team.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------

