Bowers and Wilkins vs PSB vs Elac for LCR

[vatsalgupta88]

Hi fellow audiophiles, I am new here and this is my first post so excuse me for any mistakes.
I am planning a dedicated home theatre (20x16)and have already finalised the following equipments:-

Sony 290es 4k projector
Klipsch Sub 8"
Marantz 7015 av rec
Signature atmos speakers
Elac speakers for rear left and right surround

My main conundrum is the LCR .
Options I am considering -

Bowers and Wilkins CWM 7.4
Bowers and Wilkins (7.4 LR and 7.3C) (I prefer this option the most but my HT guy says it will change tonality and not give good results)

ELAC 1665

Mointor Audio
cp iw260x
Cp wt380idc

PSB PWM2

I have not auditioned any of these yet and open to more recommendations in similar price range .
I prefer on wall for a simpler installation but have provision for inwall too.
Requesting respectable mods and other high profile audiophile members to suggest.

 

[OM_2K19]

Klipsch Sub 8"

An 8" sub for that kind of room is a big No. Get at least a 12" sub for an excellent cinematic effect.

 

[venkatcr]

Those who say B&W will change the tone, frankly, don't know what they are talking about. B&W is way above most speakers in it's price range. If you can afford them, you can buy them blindly. Only thing - make sure your amps are powerful enough to drive them. You may need a five channel power amp that delivers 100-150 watts per channel, all channels driven.

Remember, for most of us, including me, B&W is a dream. That is mostly unfulfilled.

Cheers

 

[raghupb]

For a room of 20x16, why are limiting yourself to in-wall? Unless it is for aesthetics.
+1 to @venkatcr's comment on B&W. Yes they will change tone if driven by under powered amps.
Put a good poweramp behind them and they'll sing

Cheers,
Raghu

 

[vatsalgupta88]

Those who say B&W will change the tone, frankly, don't know what they are talking about. B&W is way above most speakers in it's price range. If you can afford them, you can buy them blindly. Only thing - make sure your amps are powerful enough to drive them. You may need a five channel power amp that delivers 100-150 watts per channel, all channels driven.

Remember, for most of us, including me, B&W is a dream. That is mostly unfulfilled.

Cheers

Thank you for clarifying on the tonality. Amp is Marantz 7015 delivering 125 w . I certainly feel privileged about the speaker system . What do you suggest all 7.3 for LCR or 7.3L, 7.4CR would make better sense?

Integrated Solutions Home Audio | Bowers & Wilkins

www.bowerswilkins.com

For a room of 20x16, why are limiting yourself to in-wall? Unless it is for aesthetics.
+1 to @venkatcr's comment on B&W. Yes they will change tone if driven by under powered amps.
Put a good poweramp behind them and they'll sing

Cheers,
Raghui

Hi, thank you for the comment.I want the speakers to be behind the screen as there are slots made for it . Poweramp is required even if I am using marantz 7015 (125W)??

Also if anyone is a distributor and can me give me a good price on speakers please dm . Thank you

 

[DB1989]

Hi, thank you for the comment.I want the speakers to be behind the screen as there are slots made for it . Poweramp is required even if I am using marantz 7015 (125W)??View attachment 66772

That's 125w x 2.

What's the power rating for the 7015 for all 11 channels driven?

 

[amrutmhatre90]

That's 125w x 2.

What's the power rating for the 7015 for all 11 channels driven?

Sadly they never mention it, but as all speakers are rarely active and get same dynamics at given point they dip to 60-70 watts some say.
Marantz and Denons were better in this regard for the budget.

An 8" sub for that kind of room is a big No. Get at least a 12" sub for an excellent cinematic effect.

+1000000

Spend more on the subwoofer, movies need a good subwoofer. Your speakers might be better than a 8inch subwoofer sometimes.

 

[ajuvignesh]

Thank you for clarifying on the tonality. Amp is Marantz 7015 delivering 125 w . I certainly feel privileged about the speaker system . What do you suggest all 7.3 for LCR or 7.3L, 7.4CR would make better sense?

Integrated Solutions Home Audio | Bowers & Wilkins

www.bowerswilkins.com

Hi, thank you for the comment.I want the speakers to be behind the screen as there are slots made for it . Poweramp is required even if I am using marantz 7015 (125W)??View attachment 66772

Also if anyone is a distributor and can me give me a good price on speakers please dm . Thank you

It is better to put the center speaker also vertically.
And that 8 inch sub will be too little for your room size. Go for a 12 incher if possible.

 

[efernand1]

That's 125w x 2.

What's the power rating for the 7015 for all 11 channels driven?

I think its 70% guaranteed is what I read for all channels driven on 7000 series of Marantz.

Possibly @vatsalgupta88 can invest in a power amp for L+R or L+C+R and give some power back for surrounds + Atmos using AVR internal amps. Emotiva has good power amps which should suffice, else look at Crown or Studio Master Power Amps.

 

[efernand1]

Hi fellow audiophiles, I am new here and this is my first post so excuse me for any mistakes.
I am planning a dedicated home theatre (20x16)and have already finalised the following equipments:-

Sony 290es 4k projector
Klipsch Sub 8"
Marantz 7015 av rec
Signature atmos speakers
Elac speakers for rear left and right surround

My main conundrum is the LCR .
Options I am considering -

Bowers and Wilkins CWM 7.4
Bowers and Wilkins (7.4 LR and 7.3C) (I prefer this option the most but my HT guy says it will change tonality and not give good results)

ELAC 1665

Mointor Audio
cp iw260x
Cp wt380idc

PSB PWM2

I have not auditioned any of these yet and open to more recommendations in similar price range .
I prefer on wall for a simpler installation but have provision for inwall too.
Requesting respectable mods and other high profile audiophile members to suggest.

Hi,

Firstly welcome to HFV.

I am sure you will find various threads which have been enriched by FMs (Fellow Members) which will guide you on the best AV recommendations and steer decisions for you. Happy reading!

There are lot of speaker options available and sky is the limit. If you have the funds to invest, then you should try to audition as much as possible and then take a call. What would sound great to me can be bad for you as all of us have a different understanding and volatile expectations around performance, budget, looks etc.

If you are not able to audition many available systems within your location, it may make sense possibly to travel to the nearest next location which have a lot of dealers and also who can offer auditions of various brands...next option is to rely on online reviews Youtube videos and our forum.

Based on what you have listed seems fine, 8 inch sub for that area would be a NO NO! Suggest you see subwoofers which are minimum 12 inch or even 15 inch (if space is available). Subs like SVS, Rhythm, Sunfire, BIC America, Klipsch, XTZ, etc are really good. Sealed or Ported sub is what you need to decide on. Usually Ported subs are good if you are more into movies and sealed subs work better if more into music.

Possibly if you share your total available budget for the system, our FMs here will suggest some recommendations....final call you will need to take as you are the end user.....we can only provide pointers and advice.

All the best!

 

[k_vijay12]

I think its 70% guaranteed is what I read for all channels driven on 7000 series of Marantz.

Possibly @vatsalgupta88 can invest in a power amp for L+R or L+C+R and give some power back for surrounds + Atmos using AVR internal amps. Emotiva has good power amps which should suffice, else look at Crown or Studio Master Power Amps.

70% guaranteed is only at 5 channel for Denon n marantz

B&W need lot of clean power to sing. At that price point you have other options as well. If you are planning dedicated poweramps, audition as many as possible with those poweramps.

Not to get carried away by brand name. Trust your ears. You may consider bigger/ better/ more powered sub given the size of the room. For music a single sub can do, but if movies, spl matters... May be dual subs. Depending on what you watch/ listen , you can decide. Most importantly Invest some time in auditioning. That's all I can say

 

[venkatcr]

Poweramp is required even if I am using marantz 7015 (125W)

Yes, particularly if you are using hard to drive speakers such as B&W.

AVRs use the concept of power where needed. Instead of powering each channel separately, they use a common large amp to drive all speakers as and when needed. The assumption is that LCR are the ones that need max power, 90% of the time. I have a Marantz, and I need to use 75% of its juice most of the time with my humble Wharfedales.

One simple way is to take the preamp out for just three channels - L, C, and R, and power them with a three channel amp. The AVR then uses its own energy to power the rest.

An extreme way is to get multiple single channel amps and power each channel separately. But that may lead to wiring nightmare.

If I remember right, Marantz's own 5 channel amp is around 80k. That may be a good option.

Power amps are made by many companies such as NAD, Marantz, XTZ, Crown. More modern class D amps are made by Apollon, Nord Acoustics, March Audio, and others.

Cheers.

 

[prateekatasniya]

Hi fellow audiophiles, I am new here and this is my first post so excuse me for any mistakes.
I am planning a dedicated home theatre (20x16)and have already finalised the following equipments:-

Sony 290es 4k projector
Klipsch Sub 8"
Marantz 7015 av rec
Signature atmos speakers
Elac speakers for rear left and right surround

My main conundrum is the LCR .
Options I am considering -

Bowers and Wilkins CWM 7.4
Bowers and Wilkins (7.4 LR and 7.3C) (I prefer this option the most but my HT guy says it will change tonality and not give good results)

ELAC 1665

Mointor Audio
cp iw260x
Cp wt380idc

PSB PWM2

I have not auditioned any of these yet and open to more recommendations in similar price range .
I prefer on wall for a simpler installation but have provision for inwall too.
Requesting respectable mods and other high profile audiophile members to suggest.

A few important things to consider.

The subwoofers you choose should be powerful enough for your room size.

As all speakers are behind the screen, all should be in the same vertical orientation. Horizontal orientation for centre channel is a compromise to accommodate it under a television/ screen.

Choose speakers considering you need similar tonal quality. At least the LCR and side and rear surrounds.

A good cinema speaker should be sensitive enough to cope up with the dynamics needed for good cinematic experience.

 

[k_vijay12]

Yes, particularly if you are using hard to drive speakers such as B&W.

AVRs use the concept of power where needed. Instead of powering each channel separately, they use a common large amp to drive all speakers as and when needed. The assumption is that LCR are the ones that need max power, 90% of the time. I have a Marantz, and I need to use 75% of its juice most of the time with my humble Wharfedales.

One simple way is to take the preamp out for just three channels - L, C, and R, and power them with a three channel amp. The AVR then uses its own energy to power the rest.

An extreme way is to get multiple single channel amps and power each channel separately. But that may lead to wiring nightmare.

If I remember right, Marantz's own 5 channel amp is around 80k. That may be a good option.

Power amps are made by many companies such as NAD, Marantz, XTZ, Crown. More modern class D amps are made by Apollon, Nord Acoustics, March Audio, and others.

Cheers.

You may consider Genelac 8340 8" powerered speakers for LCR. This will be much better than B&W 7.3/7.4 with power amps I think. Pair them with a powerful sub, you have a winner. Try Auditioning and chk

 

[spirovious]

If your priority is HT only and don't want to add power amp now, then can think of Klipsch speakers which sr7015 will drive easily.

 

[prateekatasniya]

You may consider Genelac 8340 8" powerered speakers for LCR. This will be much better than B&W 7.3/7.4 with power amps I think. Pair them with a powerful sub, you have a winner. Try Auditioning and chk

8340 is 6.5" speaker.
It is a fantastic speaker, but lacks dynamics just like any tweeter based speaker would be. ( Even the b&w 7.3/7.4)
And for a room of 20 feet length no tweeter based speaker would be dynamic enough for proper cinematic experience.

 

[prateekatasniya]

If your priority is HT only and don't want to add power amp now, then can think of Klipsch speakers which sr7015 will drive easily.

Klipsch speakers woofers are of similar sensitivity like any other floor Stander.
Just the compression driver sensitivity is high.
And Klipsch sensitivity claims are false.

 

[argho]

Just to add onto what others have written :

You definitely need a 12 inch sub for movies.

Do reconsider in-wall speakers. Modern speakers look beautiful. Let them be visible.

Ideally LCR + surround should match tonally. Hence sticking to 1 brand is ideal.

Do consider brands which are less expensive than B&W. For movies, brands like Q Acoustics, Dali, Wharfedale, and Polk are just fine. Use the savings for a bigger more powerful sub.

 

[OM_2K19]

Just to add onto what others have written :

You definitely need a 12 inch sub for movies.

Do reconsider in-wall speakers. Modern speakers look beautiful. Let them be visible.

Ideally LCR + surround should match tonally. Hence sticking to 1 brand is ideal.

Do consider brands which are less expensive than B&W. For movies, brands like Q Acoustics, Dali, Wharfedale, and Polk are just fine. Use the savings for a bigger more powerful sub.

+ 101

In a surround system, it's the Centre/Subwoofer that makes all the difference. It's like Main Dish; the rest are like Sides/Pickles that add flavors to the Course. You can use less expensive Speakers for LR/Sorrund (preferably from the same brand) and invest the saving on Subfoower/Centre channel.

 

[DB1989]

Klipsch speakers woofers are of similar sensitivity like any other floor Stander.
Just the compression driver sensitivity is high.
And Klipsch sensitivity claims are false.

I don't know about them being false but the sensitivity of the Klipsch RP600M (rated at 96db) does seem to be the same as the Quad S5 rated at 90db and a tad smidge more than the PSB Alpha P5 which is rated at 89db. Still plenty sensitive for a bookshelf but a 96db speaker it is not.