In-wall speaker suggestions

[likunzi]

Hello, needing some help with in-wall speakers. Home is premiered for 5.1 surround In family room. Currently bought a Martin Logan center channel, ELAC sub and yahmaha aventage 1070 receiver. Am trying to stay in budget of 700-800 total on the in wall speakers for the 4 total needed. Best Buy tech recommends Martin Logan installer series ML60i but have read some bad reviews on them. Also looking at sonance series, come with lifetime warranty and a pair go for 349. Any recommendations or suggestions on the two brands or others worth considering.

 

[kanewolf]

The best answer would be Martin Logan. They would sound the most similar to the center channel. A single manufacturer will have built the speakers so that the sound doesn't change timbre as it moves from center to side, etc.

 

[grimfox]

I agree. I wouldn't do piecemeal of different brands or even different series within the same brand to avoid getting a weird frequency response. I would only suggest that to someone who has a good ear for such things and enjoys picking out the nuances of their speakers for a given task. Basically if you have to ask, stick with what one brand and series.

On second thought, if you don't have a good ear for such things, it may not even matter.

 

[americanaudiophile]

I agree that it's important to match the front left and right to the center. It's much less important however to match the rears to the fronts. Even when you use identical speakers they will sound quite different so you can cut back on the price of the rears and get the best fronts you can.
You can use the ML 67i in ceiling speakers that are angled at 30 degrees as your fronts. You want speakers in this configuration if you have to use in ceiling speakers as fronts.The 60i fires straight down and won't work as well for you in the front.
For the rear the ML62i will give you better coverage with two tweeters but if that takes you out of your price range it isn't that critical.

 

[likunzi]

Thank you all for your advises. I also went to the Best Buy to actually try out the systems which I hadn’t done before. ML were definitely the best followed by BW then Definitive tech then Elac. I will go with americanaudiophiles suggestion.

Grimfox- I would definitely say my ears are not that good to tell out of place sounds that well. I listened to DT speakers with the ML center and they sounded great to me. Now when switched to Elac center I could tell a difference, they were not that good. Using DT center there was more of a fuller bass sound, same also wot the ML centers

Another question - if am to get floor standing alsowould that be an overkill along with the 4 in walls? Would it be recommended that they be MLs also? What are your opinions on DT speakers 9060 and 9040

 

[americanaudiophile]

If you didn't already have the ML center I would say chose the L/R front speakers you like best and then get the matching center. Doing it backwards the MLs will be the only ones that will be voiced to match the center and blend correctly when the same sound comes out of all three.
You can use floor standers regardless of the size of the surrounds. The surrounds don't get much bass but they should be big enough to play loud enough when needed. Since they are usually much closer than the fronts you can get away with small speakers. I wouldn't go smaller than a 6.5" woofer in most cases. You can go smaller for Atmos speakers since those have even less bass than the surrounds.

 

[likunzi]

Got it! Thank you so much for your advise

 

[punkncat]

IMO, for a buy at big box store brand to price/performance, I would have suggest Klipsch. The reference series sound amazing as a matched set. I have installed the brand, and own some of my own, for years. The in wall speakers sound great, although TBH I prefer their cabinet sets.