Need advice for 3.1 system

[Quarden]

Hello audio enthusiasts,

I am a complete noob who is in the process of building a 3.1 home theatre system for my room and I am looking for some guidance on speaker selection. I've narrowed down my options of the pair of bookshelf speakers and their respective centre speakers to three choices. However, I am struggling to make a final decision. To provide you better insights, the system will be used for watching movies and stereo music listening and the AVR will be connected to LG C2 TV via eARC. I enjoy a variety of music genres, with a particular fondness for trance music with female vocals, EDM, and hip hop. I would greatly appreciate your recommendations on choosing the optimal option for my setup or any other alternatives you find worth considering. Additionally, I'm open to suggestions for a subwoofer that complements these speakers.

Thank you in advance for your expertise and assistance

Option 1:
2x Focal Theva No1: 578€
Focal Theva Center: 319€

Option 2:
2x Focal Aria 906: 600€
Focal Aria CC900: 300€

Option 3:
2x Triangle Esprit Comete EZ - 498€
Triangle Vocal Series EZ : 300€

Option 4:
2x Monitor Audio Silver 100 7G - 750€

The only speakers I had chance to audition at a hi-fi shop, and I did not need to activate the demo subwoofer. However, considering the shop's room size was at most 10m2, I am curious about how they would sound in my room without a subwoofer.


AVR: Denon AVC-x3800h

 

[staticV3]

Hi @Quarden! Welcome to ASR.

Try to find a 3-way center speaker as 2-ways all have terrible horizontal directivity: https://youtu.be/GZrdsxrcpBw

 

[vicenzo_del_paris]

Hi,

If options really had to be limited to the 4 you've mentioned, I would go for option 2:
- Aria lineup has proven to measure well (amir, soundstage, ...) and has been around for years
- No measurements yet for theva lineup
- theoretically, Aria lineup is above theva.
- Aria aesthetic is better (subjective)
- Triangle speakers tends to have predominant trebles
- According stereophile measurements , triangle comète EZ frequency response is not really smooth and thus placement might be more tricky
- option 4 does not include a center channel

So as it is same price (maybe because Aria lineup might going end of life soon), I would go for Arias instead Thevas.
To me, better value for money than other options

 

[Quarden]

@staticV3 Thank you!

I watched the video you shared and I am guessing that I need to skip the first 3 options as non of these series come with a 3-way center?

Thank you for your comments @vicenzo_del_paris.

I auditioned the Monitor Audio Silver 100 7Gs paired with Denon AVC-X3800H after a total of 6 hours of round-trip travel. WhileI liked the way how they present the sound in the center, how they disappear in the room ( I literally checked if sound was produced by the L/R speakers ), the vocals, and the bass. However, I wasn’t super impressed by the sound and I felt like there was something missing. The best word that comes to mind to describe the sound was “glass”. Clear or transparent but missing some texture maybe?

I've decided to set my budget to 1200€-1400€ for the bookshelf speakers and their stands. What alternatives do you think are worth considering in this price range? Also, what are your thoughts on the Wharfedale Linton 85s and floor-standing speakers like Evo 4.4?

@staticV3, thank you!

I watched the video you shared and noticed that I might need to skip the first 3 options, as none of these series come with a 3-way center.

Thank you for your comments, @vicenzo_del_paris.

I auditioned the Monitor Audio Silver 100 7Gs paired with the Denon AVC-X3800H after a total of 6 hours of round-trip travel. While I liked how they presented the sound in the center, their ability to disappear in the room (I literally checked if the left and right speakers were producing the sound ), the vocals, and the bass, I wasn’t super impressed. The best word to describe the sound was “glass” — clear or transparent but maybe missing some texture?

I've decided to set my budget for bookshelf speakers and stands at 1200€-1400€. What alternatives do you think are worth considering in this price range? Also, what are your thoughts on the Wharfedale Linton 85s and floor-standing speakers like Evo 4.4?