What MLs for my home theater setup?

[Albertan]

I don't see many of these sorts of threads on this forum. I suppose I should maybe post for assitance on a home theater forum. But I have found the members here to be respectful, mature and very knowledgeable during the week or so I have been lurking here. And I have decided to use MLs in my setup so why not get the facts from the horses mouth? Anyways, if this thread is posted in the wrong forum or is not appropriate for this site my apologies.

I should also mention that I don't consider myself an audiophile. As I told the people designing my home theater, I cannot discern the difference between a truly high end system and a nice box store setup. Then I auditioned a pair of ML Source speakers. Both my wife and I were literally mesmerized. I think we could have sat in the store all afternoon listening to music and watching movies in that room. While I still don't consider myself an audiophile, I realize there is a new level of enjoyment to be realised from a properly designed and set up ML system. So here I am...

I have a 19' X 13' dedicated home theater room in the basement of my new home currently nearing the drywall stage. One long wall and one short wall are concrete foundation walls with fiberglass bat insulation in them. The other two inner walls are 2X4 wood stud construction with blow insulation for sound dampening. The ceiling is 9' tall and will also have blow in insulation. All walls and ceiling will be drywalled with Quiet Rock 530 ($180 per 4X8 sheet). Other room specifications will be hammered out as I learn more online and receive recommendations from more knowledgeable individuals. The electronic components will be built into a wall out of the way. I had hoped for two rows of seating with the back row up on a dais, but I think the size of the room will practically limit me to one row of seating. If anyone cares to make any suggestions on ways to better prepare this room for the MLs and the rest of the home theater equipment, please do so.

My main question I am hoping to have answered here would be what MLs would be best suited to a room this size with these design goals. I looked through the Member Systems forum and saw some setups in similar sized rooms, but I am still not sure what would be best suited for my application. I think the room is too small to consider the larger ESLs like the Monoliths and such. I'm also not sure how to pick balanced surround speakers to match the fronts. Again, any assistance from those with infinitely more experience than myself would be gratly appreciated. The dealer I would be buying the MLs from is new to carrying them. And while I respect his knowledge, I think I can better ensure I make the right choices by consulting the members here. Thanks in advance for any help.

 

[Rich]

While I still don't consider myself an audiophile, I realize there is a new level of enjoyment to be realised from a properly designed and set up ML system. So here I am...

And so it begins . . .


I have done just as you are doing -- I have a dedicated room that is 14' by 19' with Summits for the front, a Stage center, and Clarities for the rear channels.

I have several suggestions for you. Try to get some dedicated AC lines run for your electronics, with isolated grounds. That helps a bunch. Get the best projector you can afford. I have the JVC RS1 and I have a huge smile on my face every time I turn it on. I think you can fit two rows of seating in if you try, although it is a little tight.

As for which speakers, that really depends on your needs and your overall budget. I suggest you get the best you can afford for the front three. The Summits are incredible. The Vantages offer maybe 75% of what the Summits offer for about half the price. If you go for Vistas or Source for the front two channels, you will need to invest in a really good subwoofer (or two) to make up the difference in the nether regions. Let me be clear -- any of the current models of MLs will work great in your room. It really depends on your total budget and how much performance (particularly low frequency performance) you want out of the speaker.

For this size room, I highly recommend you treat the corners with bass traps and treat the wall behind the speaker with a full-frequency absorption panel and treat the first reflection points as well. You will get much clearer sound and less bass boominess. There are some other threads on this forum where you can learn more about acoustic room treatments.

Some things to ask yourself:

Is this room for music listening too, or primarily home theater?

What is the overall budget for equipment (projector, speakers, amps, preamps, subwoofer, DVD/CD players, etc.)? Only buying new, or considering used?

For a basic home theater system that doesn't break the bank and sounds pretty darn good with movies or music, you could get a pair of Source for the front L&R, a Matinee center channel, and a pair of Ticket in-walls for surrounds (or Vignettes, if you prefer), and finally one or two Dynamo or Abyss for subwoofers. This would be a very respectable five channel system. If you were inclined to spend a little more, you could move up to the Vistas or Vantages for the front L&R, or the Motif or the Stage for center channel, the Passage or Voyage or even Scripts for the Surrounds, and the Grotto i or the Depth i or even a Descent i for the Sub.

I would be inclined to spend the most on the front L&R channels and the subwoofer(s), with the center coming next and then the surrounds. Buying new from a dealer you trust is always good, but you can also get some great deals buying used. I have gotten some great high end components from 1/3 to 1/2 off retail prices by buying slightly used.

 

[Brian_74]

Not an audiophile, but you have $180 sheetrock? Sounds like you have the beginnings of the bug to me

I think Rich pretty much hit all the important points. Need to know what your budget is.

What are you using/considering for electronics?

 

[JonFo]

Hi Albertan, welcome to the forum.

Rich has given you excellent advice, all I can do is build on it some more.

The room layout and treatment are some of the most vital elements to get right. This supersedes all speaker model, electronics selection etc.; and this where you should prioritize your funds in the short-term.
By purchasing that drywall, you are already showing the correct orientation

Spending the money on room treatments on top of a well designed and built room will yield better results than buying the top-end speaker. So as much as it pains me to say it, depending on your budget, you might want to look at speakers like the Source or Vista and use the savings from something bigger on something that will absolutely make a bigger difference in your resulting sound.
As a note, doing acoustic treatments right can cost nearly as much (or more) than a good set of speakers. For a room the size of yours, I’d budget no less than $3K for post-construction treatments, and it could go up to near $5K.

My other suggestion is to get the biggest and best center speaker you can lay you hands on. In the case of ML’s, go for the Stage. It’s much more expensive than the others, and might even seem disproportionate to spend more on it than the L/R, but if movies and Surround music formats (SACD/DVD-A) are things you plan to spend more than 50% of your time with, then it will be a wise investment.

For a room that size, I’d go with Source, Stage, Depth, and depending on room design (rows of seating being critical), we’d still need to determine what to recommend for the rear.

But before we go much further, we need more feedback on budget and your listening priorities.

 

[Albertan]

Hi guys. Thank you very much for the feedback. I'll have more to say tonight when I get home from work. But to answer a few of the big questions, I would say the room will be used probably 80-90% for home theater use and maybe 10-20% for music listening...I can see coming home after work and just enjoying some nice music once the room is done. But that would be a change from the current norm for me. I'm going to say the budget is limitless within reason. Am I going to spring for Statements? Not likely at the outset. Would I opt for Summits over Sources? Absolutely if the benefit is there to justify the cost. Finally, with respect to the other components, I cannot recall what the dealer had specced for the video other than that it is a fixed screen 1080p front projection setup running around 98" as I recall. I haven't really considered the other audio components. I know the dealer is a big Denon retailer. That new Denon AVP-A1HD and POA-A1HD combo in black sounds like it would fit the bill. I'm in no rush since I am not taking possession until May so I can wait for their release. That should cover it for now. Thanks again for the help. :bowdown:

 

[Albertan]

I had a patient cancel so I'll try to expand a little more...

And so it begins . . .


I have done just as you are doing -- I have a dedicated room that is 14' by 19' with Summits for the front, a Stage center, and Clarities for the rear channels.

That's great Rich. Very similar to what I have to work with. I actually have another, larger room that was an option but I wanted to use it as a games room for the kids. And I had already had all the windows removed from the current room at the design stage to use it as a home theater.

I have several suggestions for you. Try to get some dedicated AC lines run for your electronics, with isolated grounds. That helps a bunch.

I went through the house with the AV shop owner and the electricians. The AV shop actually pulled a bunch of their own lines as well. I know there are three outlets on the front wall, two on each side wall, and two on the rear wall. There is a huge pile of wires pulled into where the component rack will be. If you can expand on the dedicated AC lines I'll contact the electrician and make sure its all good to go. I asked the general contractor not to drywall the home theater room right away as I want to have time to think about things and make sure nothing is missing. BTW, what guage speaker wire should be pulled through the walls for this setup. I don't want to have to fix anything later.

I think you can fit two rows of seating in if you try, although it is a little tight.

I was reading about the 38% rule at RealTraps site. So the main row of seating should likely be placed further ahead towards the screen that I was thinking. Perhaps I'll place a second row behind closer to the rear wall as a secondary seating position even if the acoustics aren't quite as optimal as the front row.

For this size room, I highly recommend you treat the corners with bass traps and treat the wall behind the speaker with a full-frequency absorption panel and treat the first reflection points as well. You will get much clearer sound and less bass boominess. There are some other threads on this forum where you can learn more about acoustic room treatments.

I am very interested in this topic. If you could refer me to any detailed references it would be greatly appreciated. Thanks Rich.

 

[Albertan]

So as much as it pains me to say it, depending on your budget, you might want to look at speakers like the Source or Vista and use the savings from something bigger on something that will absolutely make a bigger difference in your resulting sound.
As a note, doing acoustic treatments right can cost nearly as much (or more) than a good set of speakers. For a room the size of yours, I’d budget no less than $3K for post-construction treatments, and it could go up to near $5K.

I don't mind to do it right at the outset John. If it means waiting until the Fall to get the components I want and have the room properly prepared so be it. I am not in a huge rush and in fact I'm looking forward to the journey.

My other suggestion is to get the biggest and best center speaker you can lay you hands on. In the case of ML’s, go for the Stage. It’s much more expensive than the others, and might even seem disproportionate to spend more on it than the L/R, but if movies and Surround music formats (SACD/DVD-A) are things you plan to spend more than 50% of your time with, then it will be a wise investment.

Advice taken.

 

[DTB300]

I am very interested in this topic. If you could refer me to any detailed references it would be greatly appreciated. Thanks Rich.

The "Real Traps" site has a ton of information on room acoustics and treatments. If you do not find it on the site you can always ask Ethan here (as he is visiting lately) or through email. He is very responsive and provides great customer support.

Dan

 

[Rich]

I went through the house with the AV shop owner and the electricians. The AV shop actually pulled a bunch of their own lines as well. I know there are three outlets on the front wall, two on each side wall, and two on the rear wall. There is a huge pile of wires pulled into where the component rack will be. If you can expand on the dedicated AC lines I'll contact the electrician and make sure its all good to go.

That's good. If it's not too late, tell them you want the circuits feeding the equipment rack to be several 20 amp balanced circuits with isolated grounds (IG). Perhaps some of the circuits in the room itself could be IG as well. If you do a detailed search on this forum, you should find several threads discussing Isolated Ground circuits.

what guage speaker wire should be pulled through the walls for this setup. I don't want to have to fix anything later.

I would pull a 12 gauge minimum and probably a 10 gauge. I highly recommend the Belden 5000 series, which you can get reasonably priced from Blue Jeans cable. Here is the link:

http://www.bluejeanscable.com/store/speaker/index.htm

Are you planning on having 5.1 or 7.1 surround system?

I was reading about the 38% rule at RealTraps site. So the main row of seating should likely be placed further ahead towards the screen that I was thinking. Perhaps I'll place a second row behind closer to the rear wall as a secondary seating position even if the acoustics aren't quite as optimal as the front row.

The real traps site is a great resource for acoustics information. As far as the 38% rule, understand that it is probably more important for music than home theater, but it is a good general rule of thumb. You will also need to be concerned with how close the seating is depending on the video resolution and screen size. There are some good resources available on the internet that discuss this sort of thing. Check out the AVS forum, and some of the manufacturer websites. I do think you can get two rows in your room, but just don't get seats that are too large front to back.

I am very interested in this topic [acoustic treatments]. If you could refer me to any detailed references it would be greatly appreciated.

The real traps website is a great resource. Also check out some of the sites of the other big manufacturers of acoustic treatments, such as RPG systems and ASC. Rives Audio website also has some good information. Check out the Audio Circle Acoustics forum:

http://www.audiocircle.com/circles/index.php?board=73.0

Search this forum for discussions of acoustic treatments. If you look at prior threads by myself, DTB300, and JonFo, you will find a lot of discussions of this topic. I know in one of my previous threads I posted some links to some detailed references. Do as much research as you can, and as JonFo said, plan to spend about $3,000 to $5,000 on acoustic treatments and your home theater will sound incredible.

As for gear, given what you have said, here are my further thoughts. First the video -- don't just rely on your dealer to get you a good projector. Do your research (esp. on the AVS forum) and spend the money to get the best you can budget. Video is half of the home theater experience and the projector can make all the difference. I highly recommend the JVC and they have just come out with a new model with even better contrast ratios. Sony and SIM2 also make some great products. Also, make sure that you have a good HD programming source (cable or satellite).

For amps, preamps, and surround processors, I recommend you do a little research as well. Don't just consider what your dealer offers. Others here are more familiar with Denon, so I will let them make recommendations along those lines. I highly recommend the Sunfire Theater Grand 5 Surround Processor and their TGA amplifiers. Their products work great with Martin Logan speakers. For even higher end electronics, Meridian and Theta make some of the best gear on the planet for home theater applications.

As for speakers, given what you have said, I would recommend you get the Vantages for the front L&R channels (or the Summits only if you think the upgrade in bass response is worth the extra cost after comparing the two), the Stage for a center channel, and a pair of Voyage in wall speakers for the rears (or two pair if you are doing 7 channel), and finally, one Descent i or two Depth i for the subwoofer(s). This will be a fantastic home theater system that will astound any who get to experience it. And I promise that once you have this system in place, you will be listening to music a lot more often than you expect.

 

[Dreamer]

Albertan,

Welcome to the forum! It sounds like you've got the "construction" side of a proper home theater down to a science. Now all you need to do is populate it with gear that is up to the standards of the build...

As the "resident cheapskate" on this forum, I'm going to make the suggestion that perhaps you look into traking down some used Martin Logan speakers. ML speakers are of very high build quality, and ML owners tend to treat their gear VERY respectfully, so used gear is generally not very risky, and you can save a TON of money buying second hand. Every speaker in my current 5.1 setup is used (Sequels, Logos, Scenarios, and a Velodyne F-1500b sub) and they all have performed flawlessly. I've had the Sequels for over 10 years, and they sound just about as sweet and clear today as they did the day I bought them!

If you don't want humongus speakers, but you still want that trademark Martin Logan sound, I would highly suggest looking into a pair of the Scenario's for your main speakers. They are small-ish, have a "REAL" ESL panel, and have respectable bass response for a small speaker. (If you're doing home theater, I assume you're going to get a decent subwoofer anyway, so deep bass response isn't really that important for your main speakers...) Used Scenarios can be had for under $1000, and they sound a LOT bigger than they appear, especially if you drive them with powerful, high-current amps like Sunfire.

Get a pair of used Scripts for your rears, and a Logos for your center (the Logos is a little power-hungry, but it has MUCH deeper bass, and smoother panel-to-woofer integration than any center speaker Martin Logan has produced since, IMO, although it's not quite as "fast" sounding as the newer, pricier units like the Theater or the Stage.) If you are going for a 7.1 or 9.1 setup, consider Scripts for the side speakers too, or you might even consider getting some in-wall units from another manufacturer--Klipsch speakers often integrate well with the smaller ML's...

Good luck, and keep us updated!
--Richard

 

[taylode]

As for speakers, given what you have said, I would recommend you get the Vantages for the front L&R channels (or the Summits only if you think the upgrade in bass response is worth the extra cost after comparing the two), the Stage for a center channel, and a pair of Voyage in wall speakers for the rears (or two pair if you are doing 7 channel), and finally, one Descent i or two Depth i for the subwoofer(s). This will be a fantastic home theater system that will astound any who get to experience it. And I promise that once you have this system in place, you will be listening to music a lot more often than you expect.

You've been given lots of great adivice. My recommendation is to give music more consideration. When I built my system, my intended ratio was a lot like yours; however, I've found myself listening to a lot more music and as a result I'm planning to revamp much of what I currently have -- all because of music. For HT my system rocks and I'd be completely happy for a long time to come. Unfortunately, it's just not musical enough and the only way to correct that is to replace our augment many of the current components.

In any case, good luck and be sure to take the time to let all this advice sink in.

 

[Albertan]

Thanks alot for the help guys. I was a little leary about the response I would get seeing as I didn't see many posts like this on the site. I talked to the shop owner today and put him onto this thread so he can follow it as well and integrate your thoughts into his recommendations. Based on the discussion we had after work today, it sounds like we are going to be going back to make some changes...

With respect to the circuits going into the room, I am pretty sure they are inadequate. I talked to my best friend who is an electrician and he suspects the circuits are 15 amp feeder circuits. I talked to Gord, the AV shop owner, and he seemed to recall a 20 amp loop circuit feeding all the receptacles in the room...that's not going to cut it. The electrician just left for holidays until after Christmas, so I'll have to wait or get another electrician in to rewire it depending on how big of a panic the general contractor is in to forge on with the wall bar to do the blow in insulation. This will be the biggest hassle to overcome in the short term. The proper wiring recommended is definitely not standard fare. But hey now is the time to do it right so thanks for the advice. I'll research the isolated ground circuits here on the forum so I can make sure that's what I get.

I also talked to Gord about the speaker wire pulls and he mentioned that he had this wire pulled, but with Cat 5e in it also. The plan was to use two runs per speaker, which at least theoretically has better noise rejection and a little less resistance than 12 gauge wire. Now that I am considering a much more elaborate setup that we had initially discussed, Gord is going to contact his friends at MIT Cables to get their recommendations. We may just pull in another run of the Monster Cable wire and use all four runs per speaker. Alternatively, we may do another pull with a heavier gauge MIT wire and just leave the Monster Cable in the walls since it's a hybrid cable with Cat 5e for future upgrades. The plan BTW is for a 7.1 system Rich.

I'm going to finish going through the RealTraps site in the next day or two. They look like a solid choice to address the room treatments. Unless I find something else that rocks my universe, I'll probably be relying on them to take care of that aspect of the home theater. But of course I will complete my due diligence with room treatments as elsewhere in the setup.

Finally, I'm trying to understand the reasoning behind picking the Summit vs. the Vantage. It sounds like they are very similar except for the bass response. This shouldn't be a big deal from the point of view of home theater as I understand it, as the subwoofer channel in a 5.1 or 7.1 setup will handle the bass. But for two channel music listening, it sounds to me like the Summit has a large advantage since its woofers can significantly outperform those of the Vantage. Is this correct? Thanks again for the assistance.

 

[Albertan]

Albertan,

As the "resident cheapskate" on this forum, I'm going to make the suggestion that perhaps you look into tracking down some used Martin Logan speakers.

Good luck, and keep us updated!
--Richard

Hi Richard. Thanks for the advice. I have been looking at used MLs as well, mostly just trying to familiarize myself with what's available. It still makes my head swim trying to figure out what models are current and which are discontinued. One disadvantage I have in acquiring used equipment is the fact that I live quite far up North, about a thirteen hour drive from the Montana/Canada border. So I would have to buy the stuff sight unseen and ship it a long distance to get it to my house. I have seen some Monoliths that make me drool though. Hey...I am a guy.

 

[Albertan]

You've been given lots of great adivice. My recommendation is to give music more consideration. When I built my system, my intended ratio was a lot like yours; however, I've found myself listening to a lot more music and as a result I'm planning to revamp much of what I currently have -- all because of music. For HT my system rocks and I'd be completely happy for a long time to come. Unfortunately, it's just not musical enough and the only way to correct that is to replace our augment many of the current components.

In any case, good luck and be sure to take the time to let all this advice sink in.

Sage words of wisdom Dennis. I am definitely starting to realize the importance of outstanding two channel performance as well. It seems silly to even consider compromises with the path I am heading down.

 

[DrJRapp]

Hi

As a matter of fact I just finished my own theater which is 13.5 x 18 x 9. I was convinced I could only handle one row but as it turns out I was able to accomodate two rows of seating quite comfortably with athentic theater rockers from Bass Industries on an elevated rear platform (3 in front row 4 in rear, could handle more if I so desired). My front row is 12' from a 100" screen with the second row place 4' behind it for plenty of walking space.We have two matching ottomans to put our legs up on in the front row, and they double as added seating for overloads. So far we have hosted 11 teens at one showing without any problems except heat overload (too many hot bodies). The pic below is of the seating just before the room was finished. I too used the Queitrock 530, layerd over the existing drywall, and I'm not sure it was worth the investment because all the lower fequency spectrum still pass right thru it. Given the choice to do it again, I probably would have used heavy acoustic vinyl in the walls, or made the walls from concrete block. I believe you would do very nicely with either Vistas or Vantages in that small a room with the right amplification,if that were your choice. I decided that the Summit/Theater i was a waste in this room because it is used nearly 90% for movies, and therefore I moved the Summits off to a dedicated high end 2 channel system in another room and sold off the Theater i. I replace the MLs in the theater with Klipsch Reference with an SVS Ultra 13 cyclinder sub. Pre-pro is an Integra DTC 9.8 amps are Aragon 3005 and Rotel 1080. A Toshiba XA1 and Samsung 1400 provide the source material. An Optoma HD80 with Stewart Firehawk G2 provide the visuals.

 

[Albertan]

Argggghh!!! My eyes hurt. I'm yelling uncle on the speaker wire research. While it appears there are differences, a lot of it seems quite subjective. I think I'll use a respected brand name in a decent gauge and call it a day...at least at the outset.

I forget my high school physics. Can someone tell me what two of the four 14 gauge wires in my currently specced Monster Cable wire works out to in terms of gauge? What about using all four runs per speaker? What gauge would that work out to? Thanks again.

 

[Burke]

I also talked to Gord about the speaker wire pulls and he mentioned that he had this wire pulled, but with Cat 5e in it also. The plan was to use two runs per speaker, which at least theoretically has better noise rejection and a little less resistance than 12 gauge wire. Now that I am considering a much more elaborate setup that we had initially discussed, Gord is going to contact his friends at MIT Cables to get their recommendations. We may just pull in another run of the Monster Cable wire and use all four runs per speaker. Alternatively, we may do another pull with a heavier gauge MIT wire and just leave the Monster Cable in the walls since it's a hybrid cable with Cat 5e for future upgrades. The plan BTW is for a 7.1 system Rich.

I second Rich's suggestion of using the 10g Belden 5000 from BlueJeans Cable. very reasonably priced and sounds great. It is what I use in my 7.1 system.

Finally, I'm trying to understand the reasoning behind picking the Summit vs. the Vantage. It sounds like they are very similar except for the bass response. This shouldn't be a big deal from the point of view of home theater as I understand it, as the subwoofer channel in a 5.1 or 7.1 setup will handle the bass. But for two channel music listening, it sounds to me like the Summit has a large advantage since its woofers can significantly outperform those of the Vantage. Is this correct?

I disagree here. My original system was Vistas (same ESL panel as Vantage but without the amplifier for the woofer). The Summit has a much larger ESL panel and it makes a big difference in the mid and high frequency, much more open sound stage. The Summits also go much lower as pointed out as well.

When I bought my system 18 months ago it was 90% movies, 10% music. Today it is much more 50% (The last two weeks have been busy at work and it has been 90% music). Because I have great sound I find myself enjoying the music more.

The other new upgrade at my (and Rich's) house are the power amps. I have replaced my Sunfire Stereophonic Reference (a very good amp) with the Sanders Sound System ESL amplifier (a great amp) really makes the Summits sing, does not color the sound at all. And Rodger Sanders offers the best advice and tech support. When I commented to him about pulling multiple 20amp circuits, he suggested pulling a 220v volt circuit rather than two 110s. The amps have a switch on the back for voltage. This is be a nice cost / time saver for me.

Congratulations you have a great system shaping up, and welcome to the club.

 

[Rich]

I think I'll use a respected brand name in a decent gauge and call it a day...at least at the outset.

For surround speakers in particular, that is all you really need to do. I really don't think you are going to notice huge differences in the sound of your surround speakers from different cables, as long as they are quality constructed and of sufficient gauge. Your monster cable is probably fine, using just two of the wires per speaker at 14 gauge.

But for your main front three speakers, I would certainly be a little more selective and perhaps audition different brands to find that which pleases you the most. For these speakers, remember that solid-core wire is better than stranded for driving ESL speakers like MLs. Just remember that cable and wire choices are highly subjective, so there are all kinds of opinions about what is "best" and your head will be swimming trying to make sense of it all. I recommend Blue Jeans cable and Signal Cable as they are great sources of quality reasonably-priced cable without all the hype. I am currently using Mapleshade speaker wires on my Summits, as recommended by Gordon Gray, and with great results. All my other cables are from Blue Jeans Cable.

 

[Rich]

The other new upgrade at my (and Rich's) house are the power amps. I have replaced my Sunfire Stereophonic Reference (a very good amp) with the Sanders Sound System ESL amplifier (a great amp) really makes the Summits sing, does not color the sound at all. And Rodger Sanders offers the best advice and tech support.

Totally agree here. I highly recommend Roger Sanders' amps. They are made specifically for the unique loads presented by electrostatic speakers, are absolutely neutral in sound and have tons of power, and they work seamlessly with the internal bass amps of the Summits and Vantages (which is not true of all amps, in my experience). They are of the highest quality and run relatively cool, especially given their power output.

 

[Albertan]

But for your main front three speakers, I would certainly be a little more selective and perhaps audition different brands to find that which pleases you the most. For these speakers, remember that solid-core wire is better than stranded for driving ESL speakers like MLs.

When people talk about auditioning different speaker wires, I get a little confused. My speaker wires will not be accessible from the amps to the speakers since they will be run through the walls. Once the blow in insulation is in place it will be impossible to fish new wires through the walls, so I think I need to get it more or less right the first time.

This brings me to another question. If I am running speaker wires through the walls and terminating them on a wall plate, then from a wall plate to the speakers, do I need to concern myself with the wall plates? It seems to me these are going to be the bottlenecks in the runs. I cannot think of an esthetic way to run the speakers through the walls and then out the walls to the speakers. Thanks for the enlightenment in this area.