confused and don't know what to do

This is an interesting thread as I just tweaked my system over the weekend to add in HT.  I have a rather high end two channel stereo set up in my large living room.  I have been pretty much 100 percent analog music driven; however I grabbed a deal around the holidays from Axiom Audio on a pair of custom made (satin knotty pine veneer) QS10 surround speakers.  I thought it might be fun to install the surrounds in the room and put a surplus Parasound A51 power amp into service as it's been sitting on a shelf for the past 2 years.

My main set up is a VPI Ares 3 turntable with the SME Series IV tonearm, Ortofon A90 MC to a Whest PS30.RDT SE 2019 phono stage and all of this feeds an Anthem AVM60 which is a wonderful preamp/4K switching audio processor with a ton of adjustability.  I run it with no room correction at all.   The power amps are a pair of Anthem M1 monoblocks fed with dedicated 240 V/15amp circuits and each amp puts out 2000 watts per channel into a pair of Bryston signature series Model T main speakers with the PX1 external crossovers.... great speakers!!!  I have heard the KEF's and the B&W's and many others; in my opinion, the Model T's blow the other offerings out of the water.   I also have three subwoofers in the room spaced at 90/180/270 degree layout from the front main speakers.  The subs are all built by Axiom/Bryston.  

The living room is around 10,000 cubic feet in size with an 18 foot vaulted ceiling; so it's a large area to fill with sound (hence all of the power)

With all of the above said, I then decided to try out the HT format in this set up as I have a very good processor, the AVM 60 and the spare multichannel amp.  Again, I am pretty much all vinyl, but I thought it would be fun to test out some films.  I installed the Axiom QS10 surrounds, which are nice speakers with 5 drivers per speaker (using the same tweeters and mid drivers as used in the Bryston Model T's and the High power 6.5 inch woofer as used in the Axiom LFR 1100 floor speakers).  I picked up a Sony X800 Blu-ray player yesterday and installed my A51 amp to feed the center and two surrounds.  

First impressions:  I really enjoyed the Super Bowl half time show in surround, I then put on an older DVD I had in stock of Black Hawk Down and it was very impressive with the surround sound.   So my observation from all of this is that you can definitely have the best of both worlds, a top notch two channel stereo system AND HT if you are willing to spend the money on the components.  I just happened to have a retired out A51 which was replaced a couple of years ago by the M1 mono blocks, so for me it didn't take much to set this up; I only had to buy the surrounds and some balanced interconnects from Blue Jeans Cable.  I also had an older Def-tech center speaker kicking around.

OP, if you have not decided on your speakers yet, I would really suggest that you go to Axiom Audio's website and look over their offerings.  The main speakers they have are the LFR1100's in both omnidirectional and fully active which just came out.   The LFR1100's are a slimmed down version of the Bryston Model T's and far less expensive (they sell direct to consumer vs. through the dealer network as Bryston does, but similar build quality).  They will play much like the Model T's but just not as much horsepower if you don't need to fill a massive space like I am dealing with.

I am not a big fan of B&W speakers.  Where's the base.  However, if you buy a pair of REL S3 SHO subwoofers that would fill in the lower extension.

I would look at ARCAM.  I have their AVR550.  However, I wish I could have afforded to spend $3,000 more on their AVR850.  It blew the doors off the MacIntosh.  I like their G amplification technology, as their first 50 watts is pure A.  Don't know why people feel ARCAM is not audiophile.  They are missing out that's for sure.  The only amplifier I like for the money is Parasound.  They sound really good and I believe they now have a multi-channel processor.

Blades - haven’t heard them, but I entered high end by spending 80% of my budget on Magneplanar Tympani 1a speakers in 1973. The first speaker to be awarded Stereophile’s Class A.

System didn’t quite sound like all mega-buck, but it was 90% of the way there. So if the Blades blow you away like the Tympani 1a’s blew me away, I say put them on the list and skimp everything else. Other stuff can be brought up to standard one significant birthday at a time. And that very much includes cables.

If you like the sound of Blades, also consider electrostatics and Magnepans. I’m a multiple-Quad ESL man, myself, and I built the electronics to conform to them.

Sorry, it seems I bombarding you with pieces at a time but I am writing things as they come to me...lol,..

I think Classe audio is back in business. Sound United took the Classe line from B&W and according to all my research they are very good for both. They attended the Munich audio show just this past year to introduce their new Delta line. Classe has a very good reputation and I really think you should look them up and read their reviews. 

raw33,

If you decide to split your music from h theatre look into you can go Parasound for amplification and a good pro. Another good h theatre setup is NAD, with either of these you don’t have to break the bank and they are good.

1)arcam
2)parasound
3)anthem
i have 2 pairs of b&w’s:  686( 2005 bookshelves)and dm 580 (90’s floorstanding) and tried them at home with arcam delta 60 integrated ,arcam delta 120 power amp (with some ss and tube preamps),nad c352 (given as a present to a friend), an old rotel receiver (traded for a wireworld rca cable)and a jvc receiver(given as a present to another friend). arcam and b&w always work the best since arcam is warm and realistic so it’s never dull (b&W and nad or jvc)or too bright (b&w and rotel)which are the dangers with b&w speakers .

raw33,

If you decide on the KEF’s, I recommend using electronics that are on the warm side such as Mcintosh, Pass Labs, etc.  These speakers can be a bit bright at times and create listening fatigue, but they are great for home theatre in my opinion. You should also check out some horns like the Klipsch La Scala AL5 or Cornwall IV, Volti Audio stuff,  etc., this is like listening to live music in the comfort of your home. I recommend looking at reviewers on line such as Steve Guttenberg and others and this will help a bit, but audition, audition, audition..
Keep in mind what you like others might not and there is a whole industry to explore.

Thank you for all the fabulous advice. Today, after reading several recommendations, I went to listen to the KEF REF3's. I loved their warm sound. I am convinced from the comments that choosing the right speakers and putting the dollars into them will be the appropriate choice and it would be great to listen to them in my own space. I wanted to listen to the KEF REF 5's but they didn't have them in the store I visited. However, they did just get in a pair of KEF Blades. Wow, they are pricey. Let's say I could afford the 5's and it would be a real stretch to imagine the Blades, but just for laughs and giggles, I would love to hear comments on the KEF Ref 3's vs 5's and if anyone has any knowledge on the Blades, well let's hear it anyway even though it is probably out of my ballpark if I want to buy anything other components.
 I will heed advice and slowly build the system to ensure that I pay attention to every detail along the way. I don't know what to say about a budget. What is too little, what is too much, what gives me a great bang for the buck that will be something I can enjoy for years to come? I have no idea what number that should be.  I know I am not spending 100K on the entire system. Am I spending 30K or 50K, don't know if that is bang for the buck This is why I have asked you who have so much more expertise and knowledge than I to help guide me in these endeavors. I have checked the echoing in the room- non-existent so even though there are a lot of hard surfaces, I have area carpets and furniture that dampen the effects of those surfaces. I have no magic number in mind. I just retired but have savings and enjoy music which will be a very important part of my life.
Thank you all so much for helping me on this journey. I am learning so much!

raw33, as you said music is your priority. With a good system you do not need all that surround sound stuff. Just stick the biggest TV you can between your 804s, Get two subwoofers, an amplifier with at least 200 watts/channel with it's matching preamp(Anthem is a great value) and a Top Blu Ray player like the Mcintosh MVP 901. Call it a day unless you want to do vinyl. You don't even need a streamer as the MVP 901 will do it for you.

A few people have mentioned a good starting point being an Anthem AVR.  I am just getting ready to put my MRX710 up for sale as I very rarely do the movie thing in 5 or 7.1.  I've decided to drift back to tubes for 2.0 music only.  I've nevervhadcan issue with it and it has plenty of juice for both music and movies.
If interested let me know.  The queen is telling me it's time to start selling off all the stuff I've stopped using.

i would suggest that you do separates   get a good AV pre/pro (many recommendations above), Then get a high quality tube preamp with cinema bypass (Cary or many others) SS monoblocks for your L, R, and Center, then get lesser models of same manufacturer stereo or multi channel power amp for  surrounds (depending on yuor desired theatre set-up),  you get the best of both worlds

raw33,

Forgot to mention not all speakers you like might not have a compatible center channel. Keep in mind your center is everything to a good home theatre. Another suggestion is to read up on tweeter material and how they influence sound, this is very important. Also, electronics such as amps do influence the sound from your speakers no matter what others say, since I did experience this.

+1 to audiotroy and mtrot approach. I used to use a receiver as preamp but upgraded to dac/preamp. Remember that any DAC used in this way will have to have analog inputs. It does complicate the system use and remote control, esp with a music server, but I LOVE my combined 2ch/HT system now! We really need some idea of budget to give better recommendations on gear. I use Anthem MRX-1120 for all other channels, and Bel canto DAC3.5mk2 with Mark Levinson ML-532h amp for 2ch. The system kicks. The new Bel Canto Black EX DAC-pre looks really nice if you can afford it.

If your room is large, I highly recommend multiple subs (a swarm), even if you won't play them loud. I suffered for 20 years with what I would call a hollow bass sound, and adding a 3rd sub on the far side of the room solved that. It's like magic, and believe me, I tried just about everything else.

I also finally got acoustic treatments, and they were the icing on the cake. In your room, these will be absolutely essential. Keep in mind that if you go with receiver for surround only, it will not be able to correct for your 2ch, and this is actually a good thing. Also, no amount of room correction can compensate for a room with many reflective surfaces. I recommend GIK acoustics as very helpful in overall design with many options and good price/$.

I wouldn't skimp too much on cables, but I would save really expensive ones until the end. I'm a firm believer in ALL cables affecting the sound. Best of luck, and come back with more information as your system progresses.

raw33,

A while back I started a thread here referencing this same topic.
I have not looked at it in a while, since I came to my own conclusion after a lot of research and auditions. If I remember correctly it’s called amplifiers good for music listening or 2 channel listening.

Anyway, my conclusion was to separate the two. If you don’t, you will never have the best of both worlds. First and foremost, what is your budget and what is your priority. If want to keep them together then buy based on your listening priority.  Keep in mind home theatre requires accuracy and forwardness which might night be ideal for music listening. Also, you do not have to spend a lot for your home theatre for it to be good. In my opinion you should pick out a pair of speakers that call out to you sonically and then pick the rest, since you can always tame your speakers by 
positioning, working with electronics, wiring, etc. Once you pick your speakers do your home work plus audition your ears out..lol.
If you want something you like and not be disappointed when you take it home, take your time. Remember some dealers will let you take gear home to audition.   Anyway, good luck and have fun....

I agree that if you really value stereo music, you can't use the same gear for video.

Get speakers that suit both purposes and then set up your audio system however you like.

Then add either an AV receiver, or do what I do (but it is far more expensive) and add a really good AV pre and separate power amp - in other words two completely different amplification paths, one for music and one for video. Just takes a minute to pull the speaker wires from one and plug them into the other - using good quality banana plugs speeds it up over having to undo spades or bare wires.

I was in a similar situation a few years back. I was coming from a surround system that was great for movies, but not enjoyable for music. I went deep down the rabbit hole of trying to get my stereo setup satisfying for music. By the time I did I had blown whatever budget for any additional surround setup up, but to my happy surprise the large enveloping soundstage, sharp spatial definition and Timbral richness added up to a movie experience that was significantly more satisfying than my surround system ever was. One day, when the coffers are replenished, I may take a stab at rebuilding a surround system, but in the meantime, I want for nothing and the music is out of this world endgame fantastic! I am simply recommending that you fully satisfy your music itch first, and then see where you’ve landed... and then plan next stage. Problem with starting surround first is that it rules out so much great gear that may blow your mind musically. YMMV

Some really good advice here, as well as some monster systems. Let me lend my experience; I’m sure some will not get past my first sentence or two - I hope the OP does! :) I’m envisioning your condo with a lot of "life" going on: kitchen, dining, living, etc. AND - you have a significant other IIRC. This system can’t be a mess of wires or remotes or components (did anyone ask what you play? Stream? Vinyl? Physical media? I’ll assume you stream...) I had the same issues. I wanted GREAT sound and intelligibility from movies and TV...and I wanted GREAT sound from music. What I did: I listened to as many top-line soundbars, then purchased a Martin Logan ’Vision’ bar; I’m sure there are even better ones now. I was going to add a sub, but have not yet. For music, a pair of wonderful North Creek standmount speakers designed for near wall placement (NC is no longer in business, but my point is some NICE stand mounts or towers, ultimately should be purchased with consideration for placement). If I were buying components today, I would purchase a fine integrated from Jeff Rowland, Rogue, Moon, Bel Canto, McIntosh, etc etc. Go tube if you want! Add a (matching?) streamer. DONE.
What I just described is a one or two box solution; speakers for music, and a sound bar which is completely dedicated to you video system. (I use a Roku 4K with mine, mounted behind TV. Very clean)
The advantages of a fine soundbar have blown me away after living with it for 3 years: absolute simplicity with very superb sound and legible dialogue. I simply do not miss rear channels (most have the ability to "project" the rear information - sometimes quite spooky), or the wiring. In a combined (condo!) living space I can’t recommend the complexity of an Atmos or 5.x system. With a fine soundbar - you get a 3.0 or 3.1 system for movies and TV. One button operation.
I hope this helps with another viewpoint; really envision "life" with the equipment and what you and your significant other want to live with.

Since you are in an open-space condo, space (footprint) might be a consideration. My wife and I are facing the same issue. I settled on a BlueSound PowerNode 2i, which includes a streamer and integrated amp.  Your selected speakers will certainly work with them (I have ELAC Debut 6.2s that are great).  Includes an HDMI port for the TV. And you can hook up a subwoofer and Bluetooth speakers.    With all that reflective material in your condo you might not even miss the extra three speakers.  

Forget about how a speaker sounds at Best Buy. You need to try (borrow from stores or friends) a speaker to hear in your own listening environment, which as you describe, sounds like a challenge. The room is the biggest variable. Figure out where the speakers are going to go. Do they need to go up against a wall? Certain speakers, like Larsen's, are ideal for wall placement. Most speakers benefit from being out in the room and the room you describe, btw, does not sound like a good candidate for home theater, so can definitely save money by sticking to 2-channel which is adequate for most video and ideal for music. Indeed you should start "backwards": buy a speaker that will drive your room, then an amp that will drive your speakers and with whatever money is left buy the best front end components you can. There are definitely differences between front end components but nothing like the differences between speakers in real life rooms. I've owned quite a few great speakers that just didn't work in my room. Don't make a mistake like that!

As your room is a challenge with all the hard reflective surfaces, a surround system with multiple speakers could end up sounding very muddled. I recommend just doing a 2-channel system, which will be easier to get sounding right and be a lot more immersive for watching movies than a poorly designed surround system. You will also reduce the amount of ugly wires and hardware. For amplification, if you do go for the B&W, I recommend looking at the integrated amps by Yamaha, Luxman and McIntosh. Best of luck with it!

I recently purchased a Naim Star and B&W 702 S2’s for music and love it.  Plan on purchasing the B&W sound bar and subwoofer for my oled tv.  I think you can add rears too if you want a surround sound.  I tried to do what you wanted to do but there was just too much compromise on the audio side.

I had the same conundrum Raw and solved it by putting in a McIntosh 8900 integrated amplifier with HT pass through. I have 804D3s as my main speakers and an older HT7 center channel and two B&W in-wall surrounds. I run a Marantz AV processor and multi-channel amp for TV/Movies.  This setup gives me the best of both worlds. I am a music first guy, so when I was upgrading from my older mid-fi system, the emphasis was on stereo reproduction and not Theater.  I do agree that the 804D3s can be bright and after hearing a pair of Sonus Faber Olympicas, I am considering a swap.  
I think this route is a very good way to go as the better integrated amps of today are really hard to beat.  Good luck. 

I have two homes with three separate systems in each. A home theater setup, a computer desk setup, and in my main home an audiophile setup, at the other a bedroom setup.
If you have listened to the 804s and like them, fine. You can get the appropriate center channel and get 805s for surround. Subwoofers should be REL, a pair of them, T/7i or T/9i. Anthem would be a great choice for this setup, either an AVM 60 Preamp Processor with an appropriate power amp or one of their AVM Receivers. Preferably the former. The Anthem gear comes with everything you need to get the most out of your room and gear.
Marantz works as well, but I have been using Anthem gear for over ten years and I am sold on it.
You are going to get a lot of hysterical posts responding to your question. The advice I have given you is based on years of satisfaction with similar speakers and gear. PM me if you would like details. This would be a solid setup you can calmly enjoy and build on if desired for many years.

When I accidentally destroyed all of my electronics, I decided on the B&W 804 as my test speaker, thinking it would be the closest to my older 803's, and I was not wrong.  You are going to get a lot of advice, but here is mine, after listening to current 804's for hours.  STAY THE HELL AWAY FROM RECEIVERS AND ROTEL ELECTRONICS!  There are several B&W dealers from my home town to where I live now, and I have heard these speakers extensively.  Not one receiver nor the best Rotel electronics was listenable for more than a few minutes.  Even the salesmen at Best Buy Magnolia, who put up with me very graciously, admitted that I would not ever get a receiver or their Rotel stuff to sound as good as what I had, and of course I would have to bite the bullet and buy their McIntosh stuff.  The several high end dealers had some really expensive solutions, but here is what I think:  Go to a thrift shop or eBay and buy a cheap receiver and get some older, used B&W's for your surround.  Hell, I even bought a supposedly really well regarded, trade in  Marantz surround receiver from a Linn dealer in my town, just to use temporarily. After setting it up, I listened, then immediately re-boxed it, using just that one time.   You can have it cheaply, but only if you don't have audiophiles dying in your area where a decent receiver will appear.  Don't waste you money on current 804's to use a receiver.  There is not enough room in the box to put a big power supply.  Ditto for the few integrated amps I heard.   BTW, I have one large room. The stereo is placed where it sounds the best; the television is 90 degrees to the right, happily powering my much older B&W's, with same model line, smaller eBay B&W's for the rear.  Luckily, I found an aging Austrian guy to repair my Audire electronics, despite no schematics ever having been released.  Thank you Chris from Audio Advisors for that lead.

I would consider Anthem or an ARCAM AV850.

i was not impressed with Bowers and Wilkins.  I would add a pair of REL S3 SHO subwoofers.  I like their high level hook up for music and they also are excellent for HT.  They act as Woofers to extend the bass when listening to stereo.  You will love them.  I would add Persian Rugs to the mix to subdue some of the brightness from the hardwood floors.

My 804's are powered by a McIntosh 252, and it sounds great!

Hi Raw33,

My opinion would be to take this project slow and build it up over time as your experience and knowledge increases.

Your room will probably be your biggest issue. A lot of reflective surfaces which more than likely will cause sound quality issues. It does sound like it might be a large room which should help. The good news is that sound issues with the room the can be fixed. Things like furniture, throw rugs, drapes can all help to reduce reflections. If you live near a major metropolitan area you should have someone in your area that deals with room acoustics that could come out on a consultation. It might set you back a few bucks but it would probably be money well spent.

As far as the system I would start out with a 2 channel music system just to keep it simple and your investment manageable. You can always expand in the future. The more parts you add the more complex the integration becomes and if it’s not integrated well you are not going to be happy. Find a dealer that will at least give you a return option after some type of home trial of so many days. Usually these are 30 to 45 depending probably on the dealer and the manufacturers involved. A good dealer should also be able to help you set your system up. 

If you buy decent quality gear and it is properly set up and in your case the room is properly treated, it should sound good doing both music and home theater. 

+1 AudioTroy

Try Anthem MRX series (especially MRX 720 (approx $2500)).  Great for music, great for AV/cinema

Lots of good advise above but I want to add more thoughts about the room.

Walk around your room and do a single hand clap at various places. Then go into other rooms, especially bedrooms, and do the same thing. In your main room you will likely hear a strong flutter echo. If your bedroom is carpeted and you have a couple chairs plus the bed you will hear a smoother fade-out of the sound. Flutter echo = bad sound. You want your large room to sound more like your bedroom. There is no amount of money you can spend on gear that will overcome the bad effects of flutter echo. One of the main things to know about room acoustics is that the digital correction technology in an AV receiver will do nothing to address flutter echo. It only concerns itself with frequency response, particularly in the bass region.

The next thing is to talk to your significant other about how you will be playing the system. There will certainly be times that you are sitting in the sweet spot listening intently to a piece of music. However, it sounds like this is your main living space which portends other requirements. Do you or your SO like to listen to music when you are in the kitchen cooking? How about watching TV. The point here is that you will need to think about how the system will sound in other parts of the room. If the room is large with a lot of reflective surfaces it might sound like a cave. In this case I would recommend that you think about remote speakers and where they should go. This will affect your choice of gear.

Before researching the optimum system I recommend that you focus your energy and dollars on treating the room. There is lots of good instructional information on the web and there are several companies who provide room treatment products that will have an expert personally assist you to improve the acoustics of your space. There are even custom absorbers available that can be covered by your own artwork or photos.

Lastly I agree with the above posters who recommend starting with a good quality two channel (or 2.1) system. You might find, as I did, that having more than two channels doesn't improve my movie watching experience. I finally came to the conclusion that the extra speakers were more of a distraction. For movies where multichannel sound is very important we usually go to the theater. We just saw The Rise of Skywalker and it was amazing. I'm simply never going to have a surround system that is anywhere near that good.

The B&Ws are bright - I literally can't listen to them! 
Paradigm has made affordable audiophile class speakers for decades.
They also have a complete line of really good in-ceiling, in-wall and subwoofers. I would check out the Prestige series.
They also make one of the few really good AV receivers - the Anthem MRX 520, 720, 1120. I recently listened to an MRX 720 driving a Wilson Audio left and right, with Paradigm center, surrounds, and subwoofer. With an Ayre DAC feeding it the sound was stunning!

Many opinions found here, can be rather daunting.

Here's my two cents.  Figure (really think about it) out which "system" you are going to use.  If you are a major music fan then build a stereo.
If you watch movies constantly then build a HT.

I've had both in one room.  Totally separate systems.   

Try to remember that music appreciation is a "warm" endeavor, whereas
video is a "cool" endeavor.  

Personally I would build the stereo first, simply because that's where your dollars are going to make a difference.  Home theaters are a lot of fun but not as much as fine music system.  Good Luck.    

I'm not an engineer who can provide reasons why one type of amplifier is better than another etc., but I can provide my experience with wanting a system that can both play music and be really good at home theater. I realize that brands like Marantz, Denon, and Yamaha are scorned by the music listening only crowd, but to me, there's no better or cheaper way to set up home theater than with one of their AV Receivers and then deal with the music listening part of the system with a separate amp. Just be sure the AV Receiver has enough power to drive the center and surround speakers. As far as the AV Receiver manufacturers go, be aware that after a merger with Denon, both Marantz and Denon were subsequently purchased by Sound United. I'm always concerned after mergers and acquisitions like these that cheaper components will be used by the new parent company to increase profits. If I were going to buy an AV Receiver, I'd look no further than Yamaha. They have not gone through mergers, they use high quality components, and have the best reliability ratings of any AV Receiver manufacturer. I'd go for at least a 7 channel amp like this one with a lot of bells and whistles, which would cost a great deal more to get in separates:  https://usa.yamaha.com/products/audio_visual/av_receivers_amps/rx-a1080_u/index.html 
For just music listening, I own a pair of Magnepan 20.1s and I drive them with a separate 300 watt at 4 ohms Emotiva two channel amp. I also use the Maggies as the front speakers in the home theater setup. To my ears, the system works great for both music listening and home theater.

And don’t spend big bucks on cables first time out. Get the cheapest you can find, then swap them out for better ones, one at a time, until you find something that is worth the cost. I use quality microphone cable (Canare StarQuad) with quality connectors (ETI, KLEI, Switchcraft), nothing too exotic, for interconnect, and continue to find better uses of money than cables - better electronics, better crossover components, better records. Maybe when I hit seven figures ...

I agree that you have a challenging room. Bookcases full of books, CD's, records, and 'things' will soften that a lot. Persian carpets are cheap these days, and some are very beautiful. That too can soften the sound, and they can look elegant on a wall. WAF is good.

Speaking of WAF, my system has been improved by her as much as by me. My lady has better ears, as women tend to. Listen to yours.

I agree that you should try as much of the system at home before you buy - at least the speakers. You may find that speakers which sound wonderful - clear, brilliant, exciting -  in the dealer's specially treated room, sound unlistenably shrill in your highly reflective environment. That would be a lot of disappointment.

Better to err on the side of mellow sounding components that you can listen to for hours, without fatigue. It's going to be hard to nail this first time out, so it would be better to have something which is pleasant, if not perfect.

Just my $.02. Good luck!

Some type of used Sony receiver off craigslist should suffice.  For $6000 speakers, I would budget at least $60-$100 for a nice used Sony Surround sound reciever.  Something with at least dolby digital.  Finish off your system with some monster cable and maybe a carousel cd player, from sony or whoever, and you’ll be in audio nirvana.

Or, you could buy a soundbar and send me a check for $5000 for my invaluable information.

But seriously, $6000 speakers and receiver?  Thats like buying a Porsche GT3RS, then asking which gas to use, 85 or 87 octane...

You’re right bro, you’re confused

Lurking here as I am in very similar position as OP.  Key differences are space and (guessing here, given his/her main speaker choice) budget.

My space is a big great room, a roughly triangular shaped walk out basement with one wall sub-grade, all walls finished with drywall, a little glass near the system (on an adjacent wine cellar), two ~ 6' windows and a sliding glass door on wall opposite system (40' away), 8' ceilings near system going to 9' about 14 feet from system (drywalled), totaling 1500sf of space that will have basic furnishings, a pool table and pong pong table (both tables at farthest distance from system).  Current plan for flooring is a high quality vinyl, though carpeting (or generous use of rugs) for about 1/3 of space nearest the system isn't out of the question.

I have one piece of electronics to use: a Meridian 559 two channel amp (300WPC), which I bought as I am considering a pair of huge, old school, power hungry fronts with lots of drivers (linear array) as I feel like these will have the penetrating power to make good sound at reasonable volume at the pool table area, 30' away.  I am leaning heavily towards the Anthem 5.1 integrated amp for it's all the latest video connectivity and "tuning" ability as noted above, and to preamp out through the Meridian to the fronts, and power the remaining HT speakers with the Anthem.  Will have a freestanding (table top) center and in-the-ceiling rear surrounds, and subwoofer (if necessary - which I think it is).  My budget for the integrated amp, all speakers and wire/connects is about $9,500, and that includes only ~ $1,300 for the pair of fronts I expect to buy used.

Thoughts?

I personally would go with no subs, full range mains, and use a high quality Av receiver for Surround Sound and 2 channel Music.

You can always add a separate 2 channel amp later, IF you plan space for it now.

I’ve done this, it’s hard to get right, and imaging requirements are different for Video and Music.

first, forget which brand/models of equipment and clarify a lot, then go shopping:

A. WHAT and WHERE

a1. what equipment, future changes, future additions. AV and Music is a longer list for sure.

a2. access, operational heights, remote control beams, access to power and cables now and in the future, relocation’s. After a few months, you may realize ’we should have put this there’ ...

a3. most people want minimalist, not clarifying 1 and 2, resulting in a few or many less than ideal compromises.

B. CENTER CHANNEL,

b1. Center Channel is VERY important, did I say VERY important.

b2. Center Channel LOCATION. Best is directly below the image, to keep the source of dialog and most of the sound originating from the image. Many people compromise the center, don’t do it.

b3. Center Channel ’SOUND’. You can adjust the volume of any center, but, you want the ’sound’ of the center to properly blend with your mains, so pick your mains and center together, solving both location and look.

b4. Center Channel LOOK. The opposite of Children, they are to be ’HEARD BUT NOT SEEN’. I always recommend the TV have a black frame, so that any black bars in any aspect ratio are not ’framed’ by another color; framing black bars is what makes them so apparent and undesireable and leads to the horrible stretching of images. So, black center channel? Match color directly below the tv? You need to think this thru when seeing what is offered by various brands.



C. WIDE CENTER IMAGE.

c1. VIDEO, Center Speaker ON. you want a wide center image, lets say for 3 people wide on a sofa. With the . Perfect in the middle, darn good off center, this effects dispersion choice of the Mains.

c2. MUSIC: Center Speaker OFF. Normally not as wide, but, you will also be listening to music in that location, perhaps together, Perfect in the middle, darn good off center, this definitely effects dispersion choice of the Mains.

My solution, many years ago, was DBX Soundfield 100, designed specifically for wide center image. I don’t know who makes what these days.

https://www.google.com/search?q=dbx+soundfield&rlz=1C1SQJL_enUS881US881&sxsrf=ACYBGNSGzU-U28ZflNViXJy6X4W5kDD4DQ:1580128617839&tbm=isch&source=iu&ictx=1&fir=j_TtQ2SC3R3aKM%253A%252CjVjpjMyjCYeg8M%252C_&vet=1&usg=AI4_-kTh5zjZZUFVmeuCD-28vz0F_qCHvQ&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwi_0tzn5aPnAhWjZDUKHVf1B0EQ9QEwBHoECAoQCg#imgrc=j_TtQ2SC3R3aKM:

D. FLEXIBILITY

d1. TOE IN. IF you cannot find current mains that produces a wide center by design, you can get the same wide center image from any stereo pair: toe them in directly facing the center spot. Move left, you are closer to the left, but the right is facing you more directly, the same principle as the DBX. It works.


d2. RELOCATION. You can remain flexible, IF you can easily adjust the position of your mains. Adjust just toe in, or, one location for Video, another location for Music. My mains are very heavy, on 3 concealed wheels, easy to adjust toe in only; and/or distance from walls as needed. 3 wheels find level without wobble, and divide the weight by 3 not 4, more lbs/sq. inch.

E. STEREO DIRECTIONAL BASS, from MAINS NOT SUBS.

e1. Best is to get enough bass out of your mains and skip subs. Not only for full range listening, both Video and Music, also to eliminate complicated controls of subs, especially if using separate amps for Video surround sound and a 2 channel amp for music.

F. REAR CHANNEL SPEAKERS.

f1. IMO, are the least critical, the exception being how to get wires to them. Most people run them too loud. Except designated effects, heliocopters coming in .... Generally you should not be aware of them, until you turn them off, then the image ’crashes’ to the front.

f2. Cable makes false surround, often 2 channel sounds better. I cannot count the times the sound improved when I changed the AV receiver to 2 Channel. It happily ’crashes’ to the front, as originally recorded/balanced/imaged.

I built a similar system a couple of years ago and love it.  I had the general system design down and worked with the local Hifi store to get pricing and changed a few things...working with a local dealer, I found that the discounts were so good I was able to move up to Revel tower speakers for the price of the ML Bookshelves I was planning on.  I have since moved and changed the speakers/configuration slightly...but the system is still the same and works flawlessly for my mix of movies and music

Here is my setup for music/movies.

Marantz SR6012 
Marantz PM8006
Marantz MM7055

Speakers:

I did not have the budget for Revel; however, the dealer was able to get very aggressive on price and I couldn’t be happier.  The subs are the only thing I would do different, but he was able to do $800@ on those so, they are great for that price.   Would do SVS PB3000 for the little bit more if I had to do it over again.  But the B10 is no slouch...just can’t hold its own against other $1500 subs.

LR- Revel F36
C - Revel C25
SB/SR - Revel M10
Height - Revel C540
Sub - Revel B10



The SR6012 is the processor and I use the built in Amplifier for my 4 overhead Atmos Speakers.  The MM7055 powers the Center and Rear Channels off the preamp output of the SR6012.  Then my fronts are driven by the PM8006 in HT Bypass.  Subs are only connected to the SR6012 and not used for stereo music (unless is crazy bass heavy and I play it through the SR6012).  My TT, CD, Streamer are all of only connected to the PM8006.  

The same setup can be made with many other manufacturers.  If I were to go up a level, the Parasound HINT 6 and Revel F208 or F226Be would be an amazing setup.   You can add the surround processor of your choice as long as it has preamp outputs.  I would definitely audition the Revel if you have a local dealer.  Not going to say that their are for everyone, but a VERY hard speaker to find flaws with.  And I am running their lower end line of speakers.  Parasound allows bypass of the subwoofer as well which is very nice since you can use the sub with both music and movies.  
For this setup, the main thing to look for in an integrated amp for your 2 channel listening is the HT Bypass.  This makes your stereo integrated act just like a power amplifier when using the surround receiver.  It “bypasses” the preamp section...including volume control...on the integrated and allows your room correction/bass management apply ONLY when using the surround.

With Atmos out now, I am a big fan of using a surround receiver with preouts.  This lets me use the built in amplifier for my height channels only.  Really with my speakers and small room, the MM7055 is overkill...but I already have it...😂

I am really surprised how rare this setup seems to be.  I had a hard time explaining my ideas to a lot of people.  It seems like people are either “stereo purists” in one camp or “everyone else” in the other.  It just seems logical that most people would want one large setup to enjoy both surround and stereo. 

Good luck and hope you enjoy what you decide on!  

@kbgspy 
Have you heard the Sennheiser soundbar?

I expect not considering your rather cheeky post. Or are you just posting just to stir?

I would suggest you listen to one rather than post a throw away line. 

"soundbar" ???????.... i thought there is no swearing  here .....my blood pressure just went up to terminal level.....OMG56 !!!! this is personal now !!!   LOL !!!

There is another option if your budget is tight and same with your room size.
You want 2 channels and 5.1.4 3D for video and bass to 30Hz. An option is the new Sennheiser AMBEO soundbar. Read the reviews. It’s a great bit of kit and covers all you are looking for without all the separate components and wires.
No point in me telling you all the specifications but it has everything to start off with.

i have 3.1 set up with bi-amping of front  speakers due to a small room for HT. and i switch to 2.1 set up for music 

Hey based on your room constraints 3.1??
My AV pre amp has a dedicated balanced in for two channel and I can set it for direct. My 5 channel amp has two internal power supplies one for two channel and the other one drives the remaining three channels. Is the music quality super top notch, no but pretty darn close

one way or another for HT  you need some kind of  surround sound processor  . for further expansion (if you need ) make sure that your surround sound unit (receiver ) has surround preamp  line outputs to connect better amps .   something like this .  https://www.amazon.com/Yamaha-RX-A880-Audio-Component-Receiver/dp/B07D39HGJW/ref=sr_1_13?crid=8S44VM4ZNZA8&keywords=yamaha+receiver&qid=1580094112&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&sprefix=yamaha%2Caps%2C201&sr=8-13

I have a flat as well and love my B&W 702 S2’s and Naim Uniti Star for audio that I recently got.  The hi-res streaming is far better than I thought.  It is incredible!!  I rarely go passed 40-55% on the volume.  I was afraid of the “low” wattage of the Star but Naim wattage is far different than other companies.  I was considering the Bel Canto all-in-one but I found a good deal on a barely used Star and am so glad I went with it.  I plan on adding the b@w soundbar and subwoofer for my LG OLED tv.