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Thread: What's next?

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Sep 2014
    Posts
    7

    Default What's next?

    First of all, some backstory as I am mostly a lurker on these forums. I was grew up in a household where “TV speakers were just fine.” This remained true for many years after I moved out on my own. I “stepped things up” to a Vizio soundbar after college once my then-girlfriend and I moved into our paper-thin-walls apartment. Being a stereotypical broke college student (GI Bill helped pay for school, but didn't do much for movies and beer :-P ), her and I spent a fair amount of time doing a dinner and a movie at home.

    Fast forward to about two years ago, shortly after buying our first house, I had my ears opened for the first time. I had stumbled upon AVS Forums, which led me down a rabbit hole that is home theater. Now my wife and I have our careers and have been able to squirrel away money to enjoy some of the “wants” rather than just the “needs.” She says we’re doing OK, I say we’re still broke , haha. Anyway, one of the wants for me was the pursuit of better sound, which led me to buying my first AVR (Denon X1000), a set CBM-170 SE’s and a Rythmik LV12R. Once I got everything hooked up and fired up Saving Private Ryan….Man, you could almost feel the bullets flying over your head. To say we were blown away would be an understatement.

    Anyway, I’m getting long winded here, let’s get down to brass tacks. Earlier this year I added a CMT 340SE center channel and while it wasn’t the same religious experience as going from a soundbar to a legitimate 2.1 setup, I felt like it was a worthwhile investment. Plus, I got a killer deal on it used. Now, we’re doing some remodeling (floors and baseboard + new paint) and I was thinking that it may be a good time to wire up some surrounds and step things up to 5.1. Which leads me to the million dollar question...Where do I go from here?

    My thoughts are, based on the layout of the room, to pick up a pair of CMT340SE’s for L/R and move my 170’s to surround L/R position. That being said, being that a first-responder is not a career path where one gets rich, a more economic path is not out of the question. For example, keeping my 170s as L/R and picking up a set of HTM-200s for the surrounds.

    What do you guy think/suggest? Would it be worth it to spend the additional $300 on 340’s over a set of HTM-200s? This is the setup that I will likely be keeping for the foreseeable future as our current house/room is not conducive to 7.1.

    I’ll include a crude MS Paint sketch of my living room for visual reference, maybe add some pics of the room later as well (it’s a mess right now, we use it as mini storage while we remodel). The room is 21’x13’ with 8’ ceilings.

    livingroom1.jpg

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Mar 2011
    Location
    NW Pennsylvania
    Posts
    696

    Default Re: What's next?

    Quote Originally Posted by RussianMeance View Post
    First of all, some backstory as I am mostly a lurker on these forums. I was grew up in a household where “TV speakers were just fine.” This remained true for many years after I moved out on my own. I “stepped things up” to a Vizio soundbar after college once my then-girlfriend and I moved into our paper-thin-walls apartment. Being a stereotypical broke college student (GI Bill helped pay for school, but didn't do much for movies and beer :-P ), her and I spent a fair amount of time doing a dinner and a movie at home.

    Fast forward to about two years ago, shortly after buying our first house, I had my ears opened for the first time. I had stumbled upon AVS Forums, which led me down a rabbit hole that is home theater. Now my wife and I have our careers and have been able to squirrel away money to enjoy some of the “wants” rather than just the “needs.” She says we’re doing OK, I say we’re still broke , haha. Anyway, one of the wants for me was the pursuit of better sound, which led me to buying my first AVR (Denon X1000), a set CBM-170 SE’s and a Rythmik LV12R. Once I got everything hooked up and fired up Saving Private Ryan….Man, you could almost feel the bullets flying over your head. To say we were blown away would be an understatement.

    Anyway, I’m getting long winded here, let’s get down to brass tacks. Earlier this year I added a CMT 340SE center channel and while it wasn’t the same religious experience as going from a soundbar to a legitimate 2.1 setup, I felt like it was a worthwhile investment. Plus, I got a killer deal on it used. Now, we’re doing some remodeling (floors and baseboard + new paint) and I was thinking that it may be a good time to wire up some surrounds and step things up to 5.1. Which leads me to the million dollar question...Where do I go from here?

    My thoughts are, based on the layout of the room, to pick up a pair of CMT340SE’s for L/R and move my 170’s to surround L/R position. That being said, being that a first-responder is not a career path where one gets rich, a more economic path is not out of the question. For example, keeping my 170s as L/R and picking up a set of HTM-200s for the surrounds.

    What do you guy think/suggest? Would it be worth it to spend the additional $300 on 340’s over a set of HTM-200s? This is the setup that I will likely be keeping for the foreseeable future as our current house/room is not conducive to 7.1.

    I’ll include a crude MS Paint sketch of my living room for visual reference, maybe add some pics of the room later as well (it’s a mess right now, we use it as mini storage while we remodel). The room is 21’x13’ with 8’ ceilings.

    livingroom1.jpg
    If you're happy with the 170s as Fronts then I'd suggest getting HTM-200s as surrounds. They are very easy to wall mount as well.
    Nate

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Sep 2014
    Posts
    7

    Default Re: What's next?

    Quote Originally Posted by natetg57 View Post
    If you're happy with the 170s as Fronts then I'd suggest getting HTM-200s as surrounds. They are very easy to wall mount as well.
    Haha, what worries me about that route is that I was happy with TV speakers, then the sound bar.... And then I realized what I've been missing. Basically, I feel like I don't know what I don't know. Could always use more... Presence? Not really sure how to describe it...or whether or not the 340s are worth the scratch.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Dec 2013
    Posts
    360

    Default Re: What's next?

    I would go 340s. Not much more money but a lot more speaker.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    May 2015
    Location
    Houston, Texas
    Posts
    1,390

    Default Re: What's next?

    I'd also suggest the HTM200's. I am using them for surrounds (Sierra 2's are my LCR) and they are excellent in this application. I am also using 2 additional pairs of the 200's for Front & Rear Height for Atmos.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Apr 2010
    Location
    Just outside Pearland, TX
    Posts
    301

    Default Re: What's next?

    Ahh, the classic dilemma—is spending more really worth it?

    You are definitely missing "presence" (good term, totally get what you mean) by not having surrounds.

    The good news it that as long as the surrounds are capable, there's less difference there than there is in the center or the mains. Having HTM-200s vs. CBM-170s won't actually make that much difference for the surrounds. Plus, as people have noted, the 200s are much easier to wall mount, not only because they're shallower and lighter, but because they're sealed rather than rear-ported. You can mount them right on the wall, whereas the 170s need some breathing room behind them.

    So, I'd say get the 200s.

    Later, when you get upgrade-itis again (trust me, you will), then upgrade the 170s up front. Go to 340s or Sierras, and either sell the 170s or start a two-channel stereo setup somewhere else.
    Luna Duo V2 LR, Titan Horizon V2, and Rythmik L22 & L12 in HT, Sierra-LXs in study, S-2EXs and Duo V2 C in bedroom, S-1 NrTs in dining room, S-1s at work, HTM-200s in kitchen. Brother owns CMT-340s and dad has a pair of CBM-170s.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Sep 2014
    Posts
    7

    Default Re: What's next?

    Alright, 200's it is then. Now, off to the crawlspace to run some wire...or maybe, run some crown molding the wife always wanted. Two birds one stone?
    Last edited by RussianMeance; 11-06-2017 at 06:37 AM.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Apr 2010
    Location
    Just outside Pearland, TX
    Posts
    301

    Default Re: What's next?

    Quote Originally Posted by RussianMeance View Post
    Alright, 200's it is then. Now, off to the crawlspace to run some wire...or maybe, run some crown molding the wife always wanted. Two birds one stone?
    Definitely run the crown molding! Then the next time you want something she's not so sure about aesthetically, remind her about the nice molding she got out of the previous project.

    Luna Duo V2 LR, Titan Horizon V2, and Rythmik L22 & L12 in HT, Sierra-LXs in study, S-2EXs and Duo V2 C in bedroom, S-1 NrTs in dining room, S-1s at work, HTM-200s in kitchen. Brother owns CMT-340s and dad has a pair of CBM-170s.

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