Please help - my first audio system

[Ridder]

Hello, we are moving into a new build, and I want better sound. I am an undemanding user and absolutely clueless about audio. Currently, we have Microlab FC330, so any upgrade is guaranteed to be an improvement

Room: Approx. 6x4m in an apartment building, where we don't want to annoy the neighbors.

The sofa will be all the way to the patio doors. The room is further open and continues. The picture only shows the living area.

TV: https://www.sony.com/electronics/su...ors-lcd-tvs-android-/xr-75x90j/specifications
Usage: Mostly Netflix, YouTube, and a TV streaming service. It would be nice to have the option to connect an Android phone directly without turning on the TV, but it's certainly not a requirement, just a bonus.
Expectations: A truly immersive 5.1.2 surround sound system (for Dolby Atmos) to create the feeling that the film's action is happening all around me, and a sound quality that I will enjoy for years to come.
Budget: I'm not limited, but I'm looking for a good price/performance ratio, so I was thinking I'd ideally like to stick around 2,000 - 4,000 EUR, and this budget must include the AV receiver. After all, I'm not such an expert to be nitpicky about the details.
Design is a crucial/essential thing for my wife, so she prefers either maximum built-in speakers or some aesthetically pleasing/designer ones.

I will be grateful for any advice.

 

[Chagall]

Hi! Welcome to ASR.
Where’s your main listening position going to be - A or B?

If the sofa and TV stay as they are in the layout (B), I’d hold off on a full 5.1.2 setup.

.

 

[Ridder]

Hi Chagall,

Attached is the rendering of the living room and kitchen from our interior designer; the final look will be very similar. We are currently finalizing the built-in media wall and require the exact audio system specifications to prepare all necessary wiring.

So A is the correct answer.

 

[DVDdoug]

It would be nice to have the option to connect an Android phone directly without turning on the TV,

The AVR will probably have Bluetooth. And if you connect a streamer or CD player, etc., you just have to turn-on the source and the AVR.

she prefers either maximum built-in speakers or some aesthetically pleasing/designer ones.

Speakers (along with room acoustics) make the biggest difference in sound quality. If possible, visit an audio/video store and listen to some speakers.

An A/V store will probably have a "limited" selection of in-wall and in-ceiling speakers if any. You might need to hire a special contractor for that, or maybe your electrician can handle it. You could do a hybrid setup with regular speakers for left & right (or left, right, and center) with built-ins for the others. That would allow you to more easily upgrade your main speakers if you ever wanted to.

And you might want to run extra wires for additional-future surround channel/speakers before the walls are sealed up. You may never want to add more channels but a little extra wire will cost almost nothing. (You can leave ends of the extra wires completely inside the walls as long as you keep track of where the ends are so you know where to cut a hole.)

 

[Chagall]

Ok, then it's fine.

For the bed layer speakers should be as in the A image: Center at 0°, LR at 22° - 30° and surrounds between 90° and 110°. Only problem I see is the left surround.



I don't have any experiance with built in speakers. For standard speakers take a look at KEF, Mofi, ASCILAB and Monitor Audio. SVS and Arendal for subwoofers. Denon or Onkyo AVR.

Also, I would look at Sonos Arc Ultra, with Sub and Era 300 as surrounds if you are not against soundbar - they look like somehing wife wouldn't mind But they won't sound as good as a dedicated 5.1.2 and can potentially have some connection issues.

 

[Ridder]

Thanks, Chagall.

I was thinking about this layout. The left surround will be a challenge for our designer.



I have checked:
Mofi - very expensive in our country.
ASCILAB - unfortunately not available. We would love their cream color, which would suit our design perfectly.
Monitor - I can't find any slim edition.
KEF - T205 or T305 looks great. It is super slim, which is our preference mostly for the surrounds.
EDIT: Just found this

Soundbar is my backup plan I am trying to avoid it.

 

[Chagall]

Thanks, Chagall.

I was thinking about this layout. The left surround will be a challenge for our designer.

View attachment 483224

I have checked:
Mofi - very expensive in our country.
ASCILAB - unfortunately not available. We would love their cream color, which would suit our design perfectly.
Monitor - I can't find any slim edition.
KEF - T205 or T305 looks great. It is super slim, which is our preference mostly for the surrounds.
EDIT: Just found this

Soundbar is my backup plan I am trying to avoid it.

Just be mindful that speakers can't defy physics. Slim speakers don't have any volume, so no bass or SPL and lots of distortion. If you want slim speakers for surrounds take a look at KEFs Q4 meta or SVS Elevation Series. Same goes for Atmos height layer.

 

[Ridder]

I took some time to visit several specialized shops to form a clearer opinion on my needs and budget. We are sure now we want in-wall/ceiling solution + stand alone subwoofer.

I consulted two in-wall system specialists. The first was unhelpful and far above my budget. The second offered me two specific solutions:

• Sonance VX62, LCR, R
• JBL STAGE 280W, 250WL, 280C

Both told me to install surrounds into ceilings which made me and my wife happy

Crucially, after listening to a friend's Klipsch R-600F HTS SW system, I realized I am absolutely satisfied with that level of quality. This significantly lowers my required grade of equipment and will help keep the budget realistic.

Through extensive consultation (including multiple AI models), the consistently recommended solution based on my use case is KEF due to its Uni-Q technology.

I am now leaning towards KEF.

-	Variant 1
Channel	Product	Price
L	KEF Ci 160QL	9 000 Kč
R	KEF Ci 160QL	9 000 Kč
C	KEF Ci 160QL	9 000 Kč
Sub	SVS SB-1000 Pro	20 000 Kč
LS	KEF Ci 130QR	6 400 Kč
LR	KEF Ci 130QR	6 400 Kč
TFL	KEF Ci 130QR	6 400 Kč
TFR	KEF Ci 130QR	6 400 Kč
Kitchen 1	KEF Ci 130QR	6 400 Kč
Kitchen 2	KEF Ci 130QR	6 400 Kč
AV Receiver	Denon X3800H	28 000 Kč
Total CZK		113 400 Kč
Total EUR		4 629 €

What do you think, guys?