Home cinema options for later this year

[davmol]

I'll be renovating my ground floor later this year and as a result will be upgrading my TV and sound system.

For the past 10 years I have enjoyed great sound and flawless service from the Canton DM75 sound base, which is now a good value used buy on eBay, if anyone has limited budget and needs a one-box with great sound (they also do a smaller DM55). However, prior to that I did have surround so I know what I am missing and would like to return to a 3.1 system, or 5.1 if the rears are wireless and battery operated.

I also have a Stereo setup with WiiM Ultra, 2xSabaj A20a 2022, a Sabaj A20d DAC and headphone amp, running 2x Wharfedale Linton 85th. I am happy to spend £1500 total, or £2500 hundred if replacing the hifi setup as well (because I will sell or trade a bunch of it).

I have seen the WiiM bar coming up, so that has peaked my interest and I have thought of options like WiiM Bar, plus 2xWiiM Light surrounds and a WiiM sub (c£1.6k in the UK). But looking at it's functionality I was thinking I could potentially go with the bar as a centre, then add a WiiM amp Pro and 2xAsciLab F6Bs, which would open options for any sub (or subs that I wanted). This latter option would replace my HiFi setup so is the higher budget once subs are included.

Interested to hear any thoughts on above, or alternatives. The only (aesthetic) caveat is that my wife doesn't deal with "ugly big boxes" or "lights and displays" under the TV, so speakers should be bookshelf and plain, or in-wall, and displays should be able to turn off (as with WiiM stuff).

 

[90sNintendoKid]

I’m personally unsure of using WiiM products for surround sound. I don’t use WiiM for home theater because of the delay and wireless grouping I suspect will make things worse.

I recommend and personally use AVRs in all my systems at the moment, living room 2.0 and home cinema 5.4.4 because of EQ and most importantly multiple subwoofers.

Earlier this year I had a Living Room 2.0 and I tried adding a WiiM Sound Lite as a center speaker because I was curious. A1 Evo Acoustix couldn’t time align my speakers because the WiiM Sound Lite had a 50ms delay.

I am also based in the UK, I haven’t seen anechoic measurements of these speakers and have you considered the Kef Q4 Metas? I am considering them for my living room and I’d like to point out I’ve not demod them or seen reviews or measurements.

 

[davmol]

I did see that Erin reviewed and liked the Q650 centre, so I assume the Q6 Meta will be similarly decent, and then maybe I could pair it with the Q Concerto Meta bookshelves. If Ascilab release their centre then that could also be an option alongside the F6Bs bookshelves.

I'm not quite sure what to use to power them because I don't want a big lump of a receiver for a 3.1, and like the WiiM form factor, but it doesn't do wired centre channel. I have considered the Bluesound PowerNode N331 at £900. At full retail, and after adding a sub, the KEF could be pushing beyond my budget, although might be possible to bring in at £2.5k with some open-box or refurb deals. An alternative I am considering for driving a 3.1 system could be the MiniDSP DDRC-24 with Dirac live, plus the 3eAudio Alsozone multi-channel amp, which I think would come in around the price of the Bluesound but without the all-in-one / branded app risks of the latter.

 

[Power Pop 23]

I am uncertain of the pricing in your market......

JBL offers AVR's with a front panel in White and select models are compatible with a Dirac Live license at an additional cost.

JBL MA7100HP AV Receiver Review

This is a review and detailed measurements of the JBL MA7100HP 7.2/5.2.2 home theater AVR with support for 8K over HDMI. It was kindly drop shipped by a member and costs US $1,200. The industrial design is absolutely stunning! JBL goes from mundane to top of the heap with a massive gap between...

www.audiosciencereview.com

 

[90sNintendoKid]

I did see that Erin reviewed and liked the Q650 centre, so I assume the Q6 Meta will be similarly decent, and then maybe I could pair it with the Q Concerto Meta bookshelves. If Ascilab release their centre then that could also be an option alongside the F6Bs bookshelves.

I'm not quite sure what to use to power them because I don't want a big lump of a receiver for a 3.1, and like the WiiM form factor, but it doesn't do wired centre channel. I have considered the Bluesound PowerNode N331 at £900. At full retail, and after adding a sub, the KEF could be pushing beyond my budget, although might be possible to bring in at £2.5k with some open-box or refurb deals. An alternative I am considering for driving a 3.1 system could be the MiniDSP DDRC-24 with Dirac live, plus the 3eAudio Alsozone multi-channel amp, which I think would come in around the price of the Bluesound but without the all-in-one / branded app risks of the latter.

Will you be watching stereo TV or videos in this 3.1 setup? I can’t think of any device that can upmix stereo to 3.1 with an upmixer like Dolby Surround except an AVR.

I realise this forum is Audio Science Review, have you thought about just getting a soundbar like the Samsung Q990F?

 

[Timcognito]

Will you be watching stereo TV or videos in this 3.1 setup? I can’t think of any device that can upmix stereo to 3.1 with an upmixer like Dolby Surround except an AVR.

I realise this forum is Audio Science Review, have you thought about just getting a soundbar like the Samsung Q990F?

The 5 Best Soundbars For Music of 2026

The Samsung HW-Q990F is the best soundbar for music that we've tested. Its versatile sound makes it the perfect choice for all genres, from classics to modern-day pop.

www.rtings.com

 

[davmol]

Will you be watching stereo TV or videos in this 3.1 setup? I can’t think of any device that can upmix stereo to 3.1 with an upmixer like Dolby Surround except an AVR.

I realise this forum is Audio Science Review, have you thought about just getting a soundbar like the Samsung Q990F?

I'll be watching 50% movies in 3.1, 40% on-demand TV shows in Dolby Vision / HDR, often with multichannel audio, and then about 10% ordinary stereo TV. A soundbar is an option but only if I retain a dedicated HiFi setup for music, so I'm trying to consider all options, such as getting a solid 3.1 so that I can have great stereo HiFi for music and then switch to multichannel for movies, benefitting from a much wider soundstage than a typical soundbar.

 

[90sNintendoKid]

For my living room, I am seriously considering getting a soundbar

I'll be watching 50% movies in 3.1, 40% on-demand TV shows in Dolby Vision / HDR, often with multichannel audio, and then about 10% ordinary stereo TV. A soundbar is an option but only if I retain a dedicated HiFi setup for music, so I'm trying to consider all options, such as getting a solid 3.1 so that I can have great stereo HiFi for music and then switch to multichannel for movies, benefitting from a much wider soundstage than a typical soundbar.

I won’t be investing in the new WiiM soundbar unless the reviews are tremendous and I can add 4 WiiM Subs………

I noticed that Sony have just released a new 3 channel system and two subwoofers can be added to it and rear speakers but it’s more expensive than the Samsung Q990F.

 

[davmol]

I am uncertain of the pricing in your market......

JBL offers AVR's with a front panel in White and select models are compatible with a Dirac Live license at an additional cost.

Thanks, this unit looks quite attractive and the price now at £699 in UK seems good value, so definitely something to consider.

 

[Power Pop 23]

I'll be watching 50% movies in 3.1, 40% on-demand TV shows in Dolby Vision / HDR, often with multichannel audio, and then about 10% ordinary stereo TV. A soundbar is an option but only if I retain a dedicated HiFi setup for music, so I'm trying to consider all options, such as getting a solid 3.1 so that I can have great stereo HiFi for music and then switch to multichannel for movies, benefitting from a much wider soundstage than a typical soundbar.

I have yet to be satisfied with 2-channel playback from a 'one-piece' sound bar.

I would only audition a sound bar with return privileges.

 

[90sNintendoKid]

I have yet to be satisfied with 2-channel playback from a 'one-piece' sound bar.

I would only audition a sound bar with return privileges.

I agree, I found there to be no separation of the left and right channels which I thought was fine for movies but for music I agree that’s a no for me.

I demo’d the Kef soundbar at the Kef shop in London and that had the same problem.

 

[davmol]

I noticed that Sony have just released a new 3 channel system and two subwoofers can be added to it and rear speakers but it’s more expensive than the Samsung Q990F.

I did notice the new sony trio, but it's £2k for just the speakers and no sub, so it seems kind of crazy pricing, especialy when going up to the £3500 ish if including the mid price sub 8 and a couple of rears. I think the WiiM bar, plus 4 surrounds and sub would be half that price, so assuming they don't have any timing or latency issues then would seem a no brainer for this vs the Sony. I think if I was just going for a clean looking soundbar (and keeping a seperate HiFi setup) then I would probably go for an Ambeo Max and forget about the sub.

 

[Raj21p]

For your requirements, I'd lean toward a dedicated 3.1 setup over a soundbar-based system if sound quality is the priority. The WiiM ecosystem is appealing for simplicity, but a WiiM Amp Pro paired with quality bookshelf speakers like the AsciLab F6Bs and a good sub will comfortably outperform most soundbar packages while still keeping the setup clean and spouse-friendly. Given that you already enjoy the WiiM platform, it also gives you a much better upgrade path down the road.

 

[davmol]

For your requirements, I'd lean toward a dedicated 3.1 setup over a soundbar-based system if sound quality is the priority. The WiiM ecosystem is appealing for simplicity, but a WiiM Amp Pro paired with quality bookshelf speakers like the AsciLab F6Bs and a good sub will comfortably outperform most soundbar packages while still keeping the setup clean and spouse-friendly. Given that you already enjoy the WiiM platform, it also gives you a much better upgrade path down the road.

I agree and would like to stick with WiiM but I don't think they offer an amp with a dedicated centre channel, as any mention of a centre with the WiiM Amp Ultra is to use a WiiM active speaker wirelessly, which I don't want. There's a few months to go but assuming WiiM don't realease anything new then I like the JBL that was mentioned earlier, along with the Bluesound and the MiniDSP+Alsozone amp, so likely to be one of those three, plus either the KEF, or the AsciLab (if they release their centre speaker in the meantime).

 

[Power Pop 23]

WiiM allows for speakers other than the WiiM Sound (Lite) to be used as a center channel in their Dolby Digital 5.1 ecosystem - when using a compatible WiiM 'Follower' device.

• Center: 1 x WiiM Sound/WiiM Sound Lite/WiiM Streamer/WiiM Streaming Amplifier


A single channel of a WiiM Amp (or Amp Pro) can drive a center loudspeaker or a WiiM Pro (or Pro Plus) streamer and a separate amp can power a center loudspeaker.

Setting Up a WiiM Dolby 5.1 Surround Sound System

TABLE OF CONTENTS Learn More about WiiM Dolby 5.1 Surround System 1. Front Left, Front Right, and Subwoofer 2. Center 3. Surround Left and Surround Right Device Requirements and Typical Configurations Before You Begin Steps to Set Up a...

faq.wiimhome.com

A WiiM 'Mini' is not compatible as a 'Follower' device.

 

[davmol]

Thanks, and just for info for anyone else, you can't currently use a sub via a WiiM amp, alongside the WiiM Bar. I'm sure they will fix this in an update as they are usually very good at that, but right now you would need the WiiM active sub if using Bar as a centre, plus amp and speakers for L/R:

"The WiiM Bar and WiiM Amp can be combined to create a 5.0.2 surround sound system. However, at this time, the software does not yet support routing low-frequency (bass/LFE) signals from the WiiM Bar to the WiiM Amp. We are actively working on this feature and expect to add support through a future software update."

 

[Power Pop 23]

In addition to offering the WiiM Bar, I hope Linkplay considers offering a 3-channel, WiiM amplifier to drive passive L/C/R loudspeakers within their Dolby Digital 5.1 ecosystem.

They can call it the 'WiiM Cinema'.

 

[davmol]

As if by magic, Wharfedale have released a 3-way centre speaker that matches their heritage line of speakers, so I'll be picking one up and keeping the Linton's.

Think I'm going to also go for an RSL speedwoofer 12s for deep movie rumbles and to deal with any nulls from the Lintons in their new location.

This just leaves the receiver, and it's looking like a toss up between JBL MA7100HP, or possibly a Marantz Cinema 70, pre-out to an Alsozone multichannel power amp, although the latter will only be if it is supporting Dirac by early next year, when I'll be making these purchases. Just need to start saving up now!