Rookie with lots of questions...

Calef

I am a total neophyte to home stereo and I am lost in bad advice/ people trying to sell me something. Any help would be sincerely appreciated!

I finally ditched my dad's 1980s Warfdale speakers and got a set of TSx 550Ts. The speakers sound OK (WAY clearer than the warfdale) but they don't quite fill out the room as much I was hoping they would... unless I really crank the volume, but then it's just loud. I feel like if I'm not just in the perfect spot I'm listening to one speaker. I have tried moving the speakers around a bit but clearly I have yet to get it correct.


Part of the issue is the area I want to fill with music is an L shape (25 X 25 on the outside of the L) that is my kitchen, dining room/ living room. Awkward shape for sure. In case it matters, I attached a sketch of the room. I currently have the speakers opposite each other. Maybe that is a big part of my problem. I have never had them on the same wall because it seemed like that would not sound good in the other part of the L. I listen to music constantly and I want this area to sound awesome. A TV will not be part of the equation.

1. I am still using the 6 or 7 year old Sony RX-V461 receiver I had. I remember it was pretty cheap when I bought it. Do I need a new/ different receiver? Or is this old low end unit capable of decent sound? This amp did power a 5.1 surround sound system that sounded good in my basement at one point…

2. What's the deal with the dual wire hookups? The instructions didn't offer too much advice. Am I really missing out by only running one set of wires?

3. Are 2 TSx550t the right amount of speakers to fill my L shaped open room? Can I/ do I want to add some bookshelf speakers on top of my kitchen cabinets? If I angle them down will onto of the cabinets work, or is that too high? Is it even possible/ advisable to run 4 speakers? Again, I do not want surround sound for TV, just balanced awesome sounding music in an open L shaped room.

Im like a child wandering in the woods over here, so any help on how to get the most bang for my buck would be awesome!

THANKS!
Calef

tonyb

Your problems are many. Your setup of the speakers is way off. Set them both up on the opposite wall of the wood stove facing your sitting area about 7 feet apart, about 18 inches off the back wall and toed in slightly. Second, your not going to fill an L shaped room with just 2 speakers, you'll have to accept that fact. You can however add 2 more speakers in the kitchen area. Third, your receiver isn't doing you any favors, I would upgrade whenever your wallet allows, plenty of choices but Pioneer SC receivers seem to be a club favorite and for good reason. Also you make no mention of what your using for music, a cdp, computer, etc. If your using the computer, are you using lossless files and not MP3 ? What kind of cables are you using too ?

Many things to address here, so take it a step at a time. You could use your alternate location for the speakers too, but the couch would have to go on the other wall opposite the wood stove.

Calef

Tony,

Thanks for the prompt reply! My issue is that I want it to sound decent, but because of the layout of the house, I can't just go putting speakers wherever I please! Your suggestion of where to put the speakers probably would sound great, but thats the main walkway to get to the stairs… so I can put speakers in the middle of it.

Sounds like bookshelf speakers are in my future.

Music- digital some lossless, but lots of mp3 and AAC. I use Apple Airplay almost exclusively.

Nightfall

What Wharfedale speakers were they? Wharfedale makes some good stuff.

Msabot1

Simple fix...reverse couch and chairs..speaks where couch was off corners about a foot...not familiar with your amp though...how much headend are you working with? Might need more rms watts.

tonyb

Calef,

Some room dimensions would help. You alternate position in A and B is ok too, but you'd have to do something with that couch. Is this house yours or are you renting ? I'd say drop some speakers in-ceiling in the kitchen, then you could play all of them at once.

Your playing mp3 straight into your receiver ? That's not helping your sound much either my friend. Visit our digital section and get a feel for what others are doing. I realize not everything fits everyones budget, but you'll get a good idea of the direction you should be moving towards.

Depending on room dimensions, you could also put the speakers on each side of the wood stove, and the couch directly across but off that walk way 3-4 feet to allow passage. Just a thought, though not ideal, better than what you currently have them at.

leftwinger57

When I was reading your post and said you have a Sony RX-V461 which got me thinking that's the same nomanclature that Yamaha uses,I Believe it's a Yamaha as in my RXV-665 .Tony is right the only way to get sound around the L is to add a second set of speakers for that area.I also would reverse your couch and chairs and put the speakers in those a/b positions which is where your amp and devices could go in between and be nowhere near the stairs.

http://usa.yamaha.com/products/audio-visual/av-receivers-amps/rx/rx-v461_black__u/?mode=model

Calef

yeah, Yamaha.. My bad.

Can that Yamaha drive 4 or 5 speakers just for listening to music?

Calef

Sounds like my solution is to go with a set of bookshelf speakers on top of the kitchen cabinets, then put the floor speakers at the A & B location.

Are any points awarded for 5 speakers? Or do I need to add in even numbers? I ask, because the TSx 550T really are too big for the room… except in 1 spot. It would be sweet to keep 1 TSx then supplement the rest with smaller speakers.

tonyb

Calef wrote: »

Sounds like my solution is to go with a set of bookshelf speakers on top of the kitchen cabinets, then put the floor speakers at the A & B location.

Are any points awarded for 5 speakers? Or do I need to add in even numbers? I ask, because the TSx 550T really are too big for the room… except in 1 spot. It would be sweet to keep 1 TSx then supplement the rest with smaller speakers.

Depends, but just keeping one TSX is out, it would not sound good. On a surround receiver, you can play as many speakers as you like in stereo, so having even numbers of speakers isn't really a concern. If you use book shelf speakers in place of the floorstanding TSX's, your not really saving space as the bookies still need to be on stands. If placed too high up on a bookshelf, they won't sound good.

There's more to good sound than just placing speakers nilly willy all over the place. Take your time and read up on the forum, hate to see you waste money and get little to no results.

Calef

Nightfall wrote: »

What Wharfedale speakers were they? Wharfedale makes some good stuff.

Wharfdale 310. They must be every bit of 30 years old, but they look beautiful once you take the grill off of them. I swear, they sound decent playing music from the era they were made, but new music makes them sound fuzzy (regardless of CD or MP3).

Calef

Calef wrote: »

Wharfdale 310. They must be every bit of 30 years old, but they look beautiful once you take the grill off of them. I swear, they sound decent playing music from the era they were made, but new music makes them sound fuzzy (regardless of CD or MP3).

I think I've got a game plan now! Starting with a decent set of bookshelf speakers and trying out a bunch of speaker placements.

Thanks guys!