Advise on 7.1 Channel Surround System & Speaker

Here's my suggestion:

Get 4 pairs of KEF LS50 or 3 pairs + 1 if your dealer can swing it. At 1.5k a pair, it's about 6k for the speakers for 8.

The benefit? You get identical speakers that if you place correctly - you can listen to multi channel Pure Audio blurays and SACDs and DVDAs without employing too much DSP - just Pure Direct.

Plus the KEF LS50s are amazing speakers - KEF puts it in their "Flagship" range and it is no mistake.

Get a Denon X4000 with XT32 and preamp outputs. This goes for about 1k with the new model coming out.

That leaves you with 3K

You can spend 1.9k on the JL Audio E112 or 1.5k on the JL E110.

The remainder would go towards power amps for the front 3 speakers.

I'd look at the Wyred4Sound's ST MkII ST-500 for the front L and R speakers (1.5k) or mAmp mono block (1k) for the centre speaker. Depending on which option for subwoofer you went for.

When funds allow, I'd upgrade to more ST-500s or mAmps because the KEF LS50s are remarkable speakers and would easily benefit from better amplification.

If you aren't so keen on music/multichannel music, I'd only use the LS50 for front L and R and use a set of 5.1 KEF E305s to make up the 7.1

In this case, you can use the AVR to power the E305s and just get a pair of mAmps to drive the L and R LS50s. The UniQ drivers on the E305s and LS50s make it easier to handle timbre matching. That would also give you a lot of change left.

Thank you for all the feedback and advice..

Appericated and Thank you very much.

Thank you for all the feedback and advice..

Appericated and Thank you very much.

Have your needs been met I would like to show you some photos of what I have.

E.C.Speakers
Model - Classic 2

audiophileconsultant at yahoo

For the best 7.1 effect all the speakers should match. Unless you have a huge room you don't need to spend $10K it's just TV and the audio quality is all over the place. You could spend the rest of your budget on a great Clearaudio turntable or PS Audio's new Direct Stream DAC.

I helped select and installe a nice system, in an 18'X24'X8' room, that has pleanty of headroom for less than half that amount.

Two JL Audio 10" E-subs

Seven Pioneer SP-C22 Center channel speakers. (One of the best deals currently in audio)

Denon AVR-S-900W (Here the room correction gets better the higher up you go. Personally I like the presentation of the Pioneer Elite receivers).

Don't forget the 7.1 Bluray production of Master and Commander. This has some very good 7.1 content.

Have fun