Speaker Recommendations for Home Theater

[MN_Hokie]

I'm setting up a home theater in my basement. The room is finished and is approximately 11X16 feet. I have already purchased the following equipment:

BenQ pb6100 DLP projector
84" Draper screen
Denon AVR-3805 Receiver

Here are the speakers I'm looking at getting:

Fronts - Klipsch RB35
Center - Klipsch RC35
Surrounds - Klipsch SCR3 (2)
Rears - Klipsch RS35 (2)

The back wall of the room is only about 8 feet in length, so I've had several people tell me that a 6.1 setup, using just 1 of the RS35's would be best, rather than a crowded 7.1 setup. I'm looking for recommendations on which way to proceed here, as well as if the RS35 would be the best choice for rear(s). I had considered putting another RC35 on the back wall if I just went with a 6.1.

Thoughts?

Jason

[kpzbee]

I'm no audio expert by any means but here's my .02. I think going with a 6.1 would be a better bet too. My living room is 20 x20 & do to it's layout, I also went with a 6.1 set up vs a 7.1. My receiver is a 7.1 unit but I opted for the 6.1 layout. Unless you have a big enough area, to me a 6.1 or even a 5.1 is a better set up.

[MN_Hokie]

I decided on a 6.1 as well. Rather than using the larger RS35 for the rear center, I decided to go with a slightly smaller RCX from the Klipsch line.

[kode3]

Klipsch? Have you heard anything else? Maybe Polk, Energy, Def Tech? The Klipsch can be a little harsh since they have horn tweeters.

[Bryan]

If you enjoy the horn sound of the Klipsch after listening to them for a couple/three hours in one shot then they could be the speakers for you. Still, do not mistake their higher effeciency for them being a better speaker. At a receivers given volume level Klipsch will play louder than Dynaudio will. If you calibrate the speakers with a sound meter and they are played at the same decibel level you may find the Dynaudio speakers much more to your liking. If you enjoy the ribbon/planer sound, Magnepan speakers could be right up your alley. If you enjoy a laid back sound, Oddysey could be for you. For a nuetral sound the Onix Rocket deserve consideration. For a different look that excel for HT, the nOrh 4.0s can be the way to go. Additionally, what will you be using for a sub?

[MN_Hokie]

I'm actually building a custom sub to back up to the seating area. It will be comprised of a pair of Rockford Fosgate 12" woofers powered by a seperate amplifier that feeds into the sub port on the Denon. The sub is being built by an installer to fit between two wall studs behind the seating, so as not to be out in the open in the room.

Installation will begin next week, so I'll be sure and take some pictures to post here.

[topspeed]

Why Rockford Fosgate? You realize they aren't the same company they once were and their drivers are a shadow of their former self. This is not only from personal experience but also from talking to people in the industry. I'd recommend you look into other manufacturers. DIY'ers seem to like Dayton. Also, make sure your driver is designed to work with whatever enclosure your installer is building, be it sealed or ported. It almost sounds like you were going to go free space, which I sincerely hope you aren't.

[MN_Hokie]

I went with Rockford Fosgates because they were fairly efficient for the price. They should be more than enough for the low tones that I need to produce. You were also curious about the woofers being in free space. They will be in a custom sub box that is being built to fit between the wall studs - basically an elnclosed sub that backs up to a screened cutout in the listening room.

Hope that helps.

[JoeJr]

You should strongly look at the Definitive Tech. Tower of power's.
They have an active powered sub section,which will take much strain off your denon's amplifiers.
For example Front Mains BP 7006 (8 inch Sub in each)
Center C/L/R 2300 (8 inch Sub)
With a setup like this you could have an HT system that rivals most average 5.1 HT system's.Keep in mind that 75% of the audio track is routed to your center channel.It's perhaps the most critical channel of your HT setup.Many of my friends with mega buck speakers use the Definitive Tech. C/L/R 3000.
This system gives you the chance to enjoy your HT gear and save up money for the rears and sub.
A high performance Sub is not cheap,I've own many brands,and yes some perform ok,But when you listen to a high caliber sub,Such as the James 1500 or Velodyne DD series or the Aerial SW-12 you could never go back.
I've found that buying on the used market also allow's any given audiophile to afford equipment that we could not normally afford New.