I’m currently planning to finish ~2300 sq. ft. of my basement, of which ~550 sq ft (~19’Wx29’Lx8.5’H) will be for a dedicated hometheater and listening room. 2-channel listening is the priority, and necessary trade-offs will always be in favor of 2-channel performance. Front L/R duties will be handled by my existing JBL M2s. The remaining speaker selections I’m considering are outlined below (group input welcome!)... Unlike the L/R channels, my goal for surround sound is bang-for-the-buck.
The JBL SCL line of speakers are rather expensive, though the in-wall design is convenient... but they’re a LOT of money to outfit a Dolby Atmos home theater. I had a demo of a full SCL theater at a local dealer, and frankly I thought it was a mediocre experience. Not sure I blame the speakers, but they didn’t seem special enough to my ears for the price. I also find myself challenged to differentiate the quality of speakers in a multi-channel system; personal experience and in Dr. Toole I trust.
Subs:
Quad JBL 5628 (2000-2500 watts per cab), or ?? (one sub in each corner of the room)
I’m hoping the 5628 represents maximum quality and Impact in the audible range. I’m less concerned about the sub 20hz content if it requires trade-offs in the audible frequencies. The bass quality/articulation of the M2 is what is steering me toward the 5628; I’m assuming the Sub18 with the same driver as the 5628s offers bass quality on par or better then the M2, and then I’m assuming the 5628 with the same drivers and similar frequency response will be on par with the Sub18 for less money... yeah I know, that’s a LOT of assumptions.
Center:
JBL M2, used JBL 880 Array, or ???
Front wides, sides, surrounds, and heights:
JBL 9300, or JBL AC18/26, or JBL 8320 (Points against 8320- I lean toward compression drivers for consistency, and these have an x-curve high frequency roll off that doesn’t seem appropriate for home theater and modern Atmos sound tracks... is that a proper conclusion?)
Would specific side/surround/height options above be more or less appropriate for different duties in the theater? (i.e. should I mix and match? If so, where and why?)
Ceiling speakers:
JBL SCS 328, or ???
Am I headed down a reasonable path here or am I way off base? Thanks for any perspectives!
The JBL SCL line of speakers are rather expensive, though the in-wall design is convenient... but they’re a LOT of money to outfit a Dolby Atmos home theater. I had a demo of a full SCL theater at a local dealer, and frankly I thought it was a mediocre experience. Not sure I blame the speakers, but they didn’t seem special enough to my ears for the price. I also find myself challenged to differentiate the quality of speakers in a multi-channel system; personal experience and in Dr. Toole I trust.
Subs:
Quad JBL 5628 (2000-2500 watts per cab), or ?? (one sub in each corner of the room)
I’m hoping the 5628 represents maximum quality and Impact in the audible range. I’m less concerned about the sub 20hz content if it requires trade-offs in the audible frequencies. The bass quality/articulation of the M2 is what is steering me toward the 5628; I’m assuming the Sub18 with the same driver as the 5628s offers bass quality on par or better then the M2, and then I’m assuming the 5628 with the same drivers and similar frequency response will be on par with the Sub18 for less money... yeah I know, that’s a LOT of assumptions.
Center:
JBL M2, used JBL 880 Array, or ???
Front wides, sides, surrounds, and heights:
JBL 9300, or JBL AC18/26, or JBL 8320 (Points against 8320- I lean toward compression drivers for consistency, and these have an x-curve high frequency roll off that doesn’t seem appropriate for home theater and modern Atmos sound tracks... is that a proper conclusion?)
Would specific side/surround/height options above be more or less appropriate for different duties in the theater? (i.e. should I mix and match? If so, where and why?)
Ceiling speakers:
JBL SCS 328, or ???
Am I headed down a reasonable path here or am I way off base? Thanks for any perspectives!