# Small Room 5.1 Surround Setup Questions



## Jeremy8778 (Mar 5, 2014)

*Old Setup* 

HTIB: Onkyo HT-S6200 
*
New Setup*

Receiver: Denon AVR-2112CI

Speakers: Atlantic Technology System 2400

I have a very small room 10'x9' and a small budget of $800. My entertainment is a mix of TV/Movies/Music but I spend the most time on Netflix. So far, buying used, I have spent $400 on the Denon/AT2400 5.0. Now I have a few questions on how to spend the remaining $400.


Will the 95w amp power the 140w speakers or should I sell it and buy a better receiver? (HDMI out has failed but Optical in works fine)
Am cheating myself by re-using my Onkyo 10" 290w ported sub?
If so, given the small space and preference for punchy bass, which sub is recommended?
Will this setup completely overpower a small room?
If so would an $800 sound bar with simulated surround be a better choice?

Thanks for your time!


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## buildsafire (Nov 10, 2013)

I don't think a soundbar is your solution. I do believe that your receiver should work, but it wouldn't hurt to upgrade to one that can do more watts per channel, especially considering your HDMI out has failed. Also, a new sub would be a great idea - but which one depends on your goals. How big is your room, do you want to listen to mostly music or mostly HT? How happy have you been with your current sub? 
A great idea (I think) would be to get a Parts Express Dayton Subwoofer Kit. If you like HT more, then get the Titanic Kit, if music or accurate reproduction are more to your liking, then get the Reference Kit. Size is up to you, but the 12" would be great if you have room for it. Good luck!


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## 86eldel68-deactivated (Nov 30, 2010)

> Will the 95w amp power the 140w speakers ...


Yes.



> Am cheating myself by re-using my Onkyo 10" 290w ported sub?


IMO, yes.



> If so, given the small space and preference for punchy bass, which sub is recommended?


SVS SB-1000 ($499, shipped). If the SB-1000 exceeds your budget, get dual Dayton SUB-1200s from parts-express.com (currently on sale for $124, shipped, per sub).



> Will this setup completely overpower a small room?


No.



> If so would an $800 sound bar with simulated surround be a better choice?


IMO, no.


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## tonyvdb (Sep 5, 2007)

I think right now the sub is the weakest link. Your room is small but a small sub simply wont pressurize it properly to enjoy it. Not having HDMI is ok as you can just bypass the receiver and go to the display from the bluray player. 
I suspect that the gain from using uncompressed audio from the Bluray would be un noticable on your system anyhow so not a big deal.
The SVS SB1000 is a great choice.
So are you saying that you have already bought the Denon 2112 receiver and the HDMI is bad on it?


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## Jeremy8778 (Mar 5, 2014)

buildsafire said:


> A great idea (I think) would be to get a Parts Express Dayton Subwoofer Kit.


I did not know there was a Kit. That brings the sub into my price range. Is it worth spending half my budget on the sub for such a small space? 

Titanic 10" Kit - $399

Thanks!


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## buildsafire (Nov 10, 2013)

Well, I think it is... as the Titanic (or the above mentioned SVS) would really be a better match for your room - and despite the size of your room, you still want a sub that will perform up to the standards of your other loudspeakers IMHO. Maybe you could make do with your receiver for now until you can afford something - like the Yamaha RX-A730, or an RX-V675... just a thought. But, yes the sub is more than appropriate for even small spaces. It's not so much the size (although it can be with larger rooms), but the sound quality, and the frequencies that the sub can play. In other words... just because your room is small doesn't mean that you don't want accurate low frequency reproduction.


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## Jeremy8778 (Mar 5, 2014)

eljay said:


> SVS SB-1000 ($499, shipped). If the SB-1000 exceeds your budget, get dual Dayton SUB-1200s from parts-express.com (currently on sale for $124, shipped, per sub).


If I went with the Dual SUB-1200s I could stretch the budget a bit and also get the Onkyo recommended below in another thread. This would give me the 7.2 needed for dual subs and the same 95w per channel. While the idea of duals makes me smile I can't help thinking two 12s will be too much for 90 square feet!



tcarcio said:


> Woot has a pretty good deal on a Onkyo reciever. Only 8 days left on this deal.
> 
> http://www.woot.com/offers/onkyo-7-2ch-a-v-receiver-w-wi-fi-bluetooth-9


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## buildsafire (Nov 10, 2013)

The advantage of having 2 subs is the ability to easier position them in the room (there's more advantages, but for this post's sake...), but I'm not sure that you have room to do that with 90 square feet. That receiver would work good, but again, I still think you'd be happier with the performance of the Titanic than the Sub1200's.


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## Jeremy8778 (Mar 5, 2014)

buildsafire said:


> despite the size of your room, you still want a sub that will perform up to the standards of your other loudspeakers IMHO.


Good point. If I get a quality sub then my handicapped Denon 2112CI is the only weak link. The biggest issue it has given me is trying to configure without the on-screen menu. All the bells and whistles like iPhone app remote and AirPlay target are working fine.


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## tonyvdb (Sep 5, 2007)

Why not still use the reviver that came with the Onkyo HTIB system. Its actually got more watts per channel output than the 2112?


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## Jeremy8778 (Mar 5, 2014)

tonyvdb said:


> Why not still use the reviver that came with the Onkyo HTIB system. Its actually got more watts per channel output than the 2112?


Well I guess I assumed the 2-3yr old Denon would be better than a 5yr old Onkyo. Other than the obvious wattage difference what other advantage/disadvantage between the two? I don't really need to bells and whistles but prefer better sound quality.


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## tonyvdb (Sep 5, 2007)

In that price range its a wash as far as quality. I dont see why the Onkyo wont get the same job done for you. Then you can put all the money towards a better sub


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## buildsafire (Nov 10, 2013)

Tony has a point... maybe just get the sub you want, and save your ducat's until you have enough money to buy yourself a receiver that you really want to upgrade to... or just see what happens with technology, maybe a new breed of Dolby will come out that you can't resist, etc... I think, use the Onkyo for now, buy the Titanic 12" Kit, and set it all up to your liking. I personally prefer the Reference subs, but the Titanic's are better all around HT subs, whereas the Reference line is more musical, but they don't play as low.


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