Upgrade 5.1 to 5.1.4 Atmos by Adding 1961 for Height (and surround) to B&W CM LRC

[Anonymous]

I have been using my 5.1 system for nearly 10 years: Anthem MRX510 with B&W CM Series 1 set (CM9 fronts, CMCenter 2, CM1 surrounds); and a BK Electric XXLS400-FF sub.

Looking to upgrade to a 5.1.4 system by replacing the receiver with a new Atmos-ready 9.2 channel receiver (Onkyo RZ50 looks like the current candidate) and add 4 atmos height speakers which will be side wall mounted.

My current candidate for Atomos height speaker are SVS Prime Elevation Speakers. Seems like these will be a good match with B&W due to similar tweater design (aluminium done) versus something like Klipsch which is horn loaded. I have just came across Arendal brand during my research, and wondering if it will be a good or better match and better value.

And linked to above, I am also tempted to replace CM1 as those are a relatively weak link in the current system. They are small, and a bit hard to drive. Would 1961 surround be a good candidate for replacing them as well?

[arkmann]

I don’t have a home theater system anymore.  I have a 2.2 system for music.  I tried the SVS Prime Pinnacles and B&W 702 S2 and preferred the Arendal towers.  Hope it helps.

[Lukas]

Hi there,

The tweeter design does not tell you much about the voicing the manufacturer chooses. Two aluminium tweeters can sound widely different. That is not something you should focus on.

It is more important to find something that meets your requirements for the installation you are planning. So it is crucial to have proper dispersion and mounting options. The heights will need to be EQ’ed anyway so I would just go with something that has a balanced sound with good on and off-axis response. Like our 1961 Heights.
Heights that are side-wall-mounted are not in Dolby’s recommendation, so you will need to experiment with placement and angles to get this right.

Personally, I would not change out your CM1 surrounds as they somewhat match the rest of the system, even though you have the 3-way models in the front, that have a totally different voicing. But at least the tweeter is the “same”.

[Anonymous]

Dear Lukas,

Thanks for your response and helpful advise. I have another related question.

For an atmos setup, there is a question of what is better: height speakers like 1961 Heights or SVS Prime Elevation. Or I go with in-ceiling options. For reference, I have around 3m high room, so I can have enough vertical separation between the side surrounds at ear level, and height atmos at around ceiling level.

I know Arendal does not make an in-ceiling version. So it will be interesting to understand why you don’t make in-ceiling. Is the market is not large enough, or you think Height are better option. And if later, why?

[Lukas]

I have no experience with the SVS Prime Elevation. I also could not find any meaningful measurements, so it is hard to compare them.

For our 1961 Heights, you can basically use the data from the 1961 Bookshelf and that is a hell of a speaker. A lot of people use them as their main speakers in their setup.

With 3m of ceiling height, I would definitely get speakers that you can aim at the listening position. With most in-ceiling speakers that would be a problem.
Our 1961 Height uses the VESA100 mounting standard so you can use any off-the-box tilt/swivel mount for TVs as long as it supports the weight. You are much more flexible with a solution like that.

Custom install speakers are not our focus at the moment. Those speakers are mostly sold through custom install dealers and that is not our business model.
We understand and hear the people who want to do the installation themselves, so maybe in the future…

Every type of speaker and design has its advantages and disadvantages, there is not just one good solution.
It will always depend on the room, setup, etc.
Custom-install speakers have their place and normal “boxed” speakers too.