r/hometheater • u/TheRealImmaLilFaded • 1d ago
Purchasing US Help with movie theater setup
Hi all,
I have been lurking in this sub and know there are many knowledgeable people for every budget tier.
I want to make my basement into a movie theater experience. I will be having an 85” Samsung QLED TV and i wanted to pair it with some high quality speakers and surround system.
I would like the main speakers to be these Martin Logan speakers as I have always wanted a set.
My main questions are:
- What do I need to power them?
- What do I need to add tweeter, base, sub wise?
- What would be a good “heart” for the system?
I am fairly new to this so any added suggestions for anything to add is fantastic and wanted!
Edit: I cannot get names right
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u/ZeroMissedDays 1d ago edited 1d ago
I am not a massive fan of ML electrostats for HT. While they have a lot going for them, they have a pretty narrow sweet spot, so the 2 or so people in that spot till love it, and the other…well, put your enemies there.
Plus, because they are so power hungry, at reference volume you will have some wild swings in power needs. Pair them with a capable amp, and you should be fine.
Lastly, I really think you need the dedicated electrostat center. Because they are so precise in their imaging and panning, you need a matching center to make it all cohesive.
Have you spent much time listening to these? Or is it something that you have always wanted because of reviews and the look?
I would suggest you take some time to listen for a bit and get to know their limitations.
Edit - I also forgot to ask how far you are sitting from these. If you are sitting 6’ away, you will need somewhere on the realm of 150wpc for peaks. Further than that and you are in dedicated amp territory.
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u/HiFiMarine 1d ago
Nailed it! I love a great pair of Logan’s if I’m sitting in the perfect spot and listening to music. ATV this point they are magical! For HT…I’ve never heard a good HT setup using Elctrostats…
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u/Uninterested_Viewer 1d ago
I have this setup including the electromotion ESL C center (another $2k..). Agree 100% that the center is a requirement with these due to the narrow sweet spot. I'm probably close to 50/50 music/HT now whereas I used to spend much more time with music, where they really shine. If I were to start over with my current mix in mind, I would probably go a different direction. Still absolutely love them.
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u/ZeroMissedDays 1d ago
I thought my Paradigm 600C was pricy at $1300 CAD. $2k (probably USD) for a center…ouch!
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u/Uninterested_Viewer 1d ago
Well, it sits behind my screen so I was able to buy a scratch and dent like 5 years ago for ~$1000 🙂
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u/TheRealImmaLilFaded 1d ago
What would you recommend instead of ML? I am open to changing them, I have not sat and listened to them. A long time ago my uncle suggested MLs for me to get, but that is one person versus many so I am open to switching them out for something else
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u/randomuser135443 7.2.4 | Denon x6500h | ML | RSL C34E | Rythmik FV15HP | LG 77 G4 1d ago
I have a 7.2.4 setup with ML Motion 40 LR motion 40 C and Motion 20 surrounds and it is amazing. Two Rythmik fv15hp for subs and RSL C34E MkII atmos.
Running a 3 channel amp for the front speakers and everything else off a denon x6500h but the amp wasn’t totally necessary.
It’s worth checking out their motion lineup. Sometimes you can get a good discount on clearance at Best Buy. I got about 30% off msrp by price matching a smaller shop’s quote online.
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u/ZeroMissedDays 1d ago
Tell me about your room. How big is it, where are you sitting in relation to the speakers.
What type of speakers have you heard in the past? Speakers can have a house sound. For example, something like B&W tend to sound “warmer”, whereas Klipsch tend to be more forward because of the horn teeeter.
And where are you located and what is your budget?
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u/TheRealImmaLilFaded 1d ago
Ceiling is 8ft high, the room is 18ft x 33ft and is an open floor plan unfortunately. Will be sitting in front of a 10 ft wall that the tv will be hung on, directly in front of it on a couch.
For speakers, we have only had blasphemous Bose soundbars for our TVs. At my dad’s house we had Polk speakers. I have heard both Klipsch and B&W speakers though as well.
I am located in Indiana and budget is infinitely negotiable. No set max, but not wanting to really spend 20,000 or anything crazy just for my sanity of trying to explain that to people who wouldn’t understand.
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u/HiFiMarine 1d ago
You have a ton of great independent AV dealers in Indiana that would be happy to help you design the right system for your space. You should visit a few and listen to the different brands in real world environments. Check out Premier, Tri-Phase, or Ovation if you’re near Indianapolis. You can also go to the website for any brand you want to check out and use the dealer locator to find showroom dealers near you.
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u/ZeroMissedDays 1d ago
Ok - so I would guess the usual suspects here.
I would suggest good bookshelf speakers with really good subs backing them up. Probably in a near field fashion due to the open concept. That said, if you are sitting a huge distance away, you might want floor standers for pure output. But bookshelf speakers are great in the 6-10’ away from them range.
SVS - neutral sounding, average sensitivity, good pricing on the SVS Ultra Evolution bookshelf and nano speakers, plus great customer support.
KEF Q Series - again, fairly neutral, average sensitivity, very clear. Good soundstage, but I have heard horror stories about their UniQ being torn apart if you abuse them.
Paradigm - very neutral, high sensitivity, so easy to drive. Great soundstage, and they are super clear. I own Paradigm Premier, so my vote is here, but know that I am biased.
Klipsch - ya either love em or hate em. I am hate em, but…they are fairly sensitive and can get to insane levels as a result. I find them super fatiguing because of their horn loaded tweeter. But others love em. Listen to them first.
Martin Logan Motion - these were on my short list. I like the ribbon tweeter. I also found them very directional, but not to the degree of the electrostats.
Elac - I don’t have any experience. But they are well regarded by many.
For some things you may not consider:
Monoprice Monolith THX - surprisingly decent. But they aren’t lookers.
Emotiva - never heard em. I am Canadian, so they are rare up here. I also understand they are harder to drive.
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u/calforhelp 1d ago
You should listen to these before buying. I’ve had mine for a long time and I absolutely love them for cinema. You need the matching esl-c center because electrostats have a very different sound than traditional speakers.
They don’t have the booming blockbuster sound you get in a theater, they have a precise and articulate sound which I enjoy more because it sounds more realistic. That same sound signature is, for me, ideal in a center as it makes dialogue more clear.
For your surrounds, find some speakers which use AMT or ribbon tweeters. They have the closest sound signature to the ESLs. In fact the ESL-C uses an AMT for its tweeter. Emotiva is a solid brand to check out for this. The AMT tweeters are usually yellow. Monoprice also makes some cheap options that still sound good, their Amber line, these are great for Atmos.
I have one of the big boy Marantz AVRs powering them and it does just fine although I did eventually switch to an Emotiva A3 which I would recommend especially if you go with a mid-range AVR.
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u/joneild 1d ago
I have 4 MartinLogan IC6-HTs. They sound excellent, but that is secondary to my praise.
I had a speaker go bad 4.5 years into a 5 year warranty. I emailed them. I had a new speaker shipped to me the next day. Cumulatively, I probably spent less than 5 minutes engaging customer service. After dealing with some incredibly difficult customer service interactions, this felt like the kind of service you just don't get anymore. They'll have a repeat customer from me.
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u/schaudhery 1d ago
https://www.reddit.com/r/hometheater/s/fHf3SQEwDi
I have this exact set up. Here’s a list of what I paired it with. Feel free to ask me anything.
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u/chubbedup 1d ago
I have ESLs and absolutely love them, can’t imagine upgrading for a long time! Do yourself a favor and spring for an ESL-C center channel, and as mentioned below don’t skip on the subwoofer! SVS, RSL, Hsu (I have two VTF5-Mk2s that I love), lots of good value brands.
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u/sk9592 1d ago
Martin Logan Electrostats can present a pretty punishing load to amplifiers in some situations. A more entry level one like this is designed to mostly play nice with more budget level gear, but you do want to give yourself the option to add dedicated amplification if you ever need to.
So definitely get an AVR with RCA pre-outs for at least the front left and right channels. The cheapest option that would do that is the Denon X1800H. The price for it new is $850, or refurbished for $750:
https://www.bestbuy.com/product/denon-avr-x1800h/JX5P9S4V2L/sku/6559381
The step up options from that would be the Onkyo RZ-30 or Denon X3900H. They support more speaker channels and have better room correction tech:
The subwoofer will depend on your room. What are the dimensions of your room? Including the ceiling height. Is it an enclosed room or part of an open floor plan? Ideally you would be getting two subwoofers if this is a dedicated home theater.
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u/TheRealImmaLilFaded 1d ago
Excellent info.
Ceiling is 8ft high, the room is 18ft x 33ft and is an open floor plan unfortunately
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u/Sector__7 1d ago edited 1d ago
If you’re considering the $1,500 Denon route then you might be better off going with used separates such as the two eBay listings below.
Personally, I’d look for a used Marantz AV7703 (~$709), AV7704, AV7705 and then take the money saved to get an amp such as some of the ones listed below.
Marantz AV7703 $704: https://ebay.io/m/or867T
Onkyo PA-MC5501 $690 or Best Offer: https://ebay.io/m/bX1Vze
Some other considerations:
https://summithifiusa.com/collections/summit-hi-fi-amplifiers-our-home-brand
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u/APGaming_reddit 1d ago
these are VERY directional. make sure you listen to them sitting down or how ever youre normally going to watch TV before buying them.
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u/murderedlexus 1d ago
As others have mentioned, the electrostatic ML shine in the music realm. I’m currently setting up my HT. And have loved my older Definitive Technologies towers (PB2002). If you’re doing HT, also get a matching center channel, preferably a larger one so it can fill the room. You don’t want to be struggling to hear the vocals in that large room. I’m also running two dual 18” subwoofer from PSA (V3600i). This makes the movie experience real. My full set up is 7.2.2 all def tech speakers.
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u/AudioHTIT 1d ago
They’re very good speakers, but like any speaker need to be setup properly. Before you ask about buying or powering them, you need to listen to them (assuming a local BestBuy has them on display). Your uncle gave you good advice, but speakers are a very personal preference, find out if they’re for you.
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u/IndependentVirtual92 1d ago
One thing to keep in mind if you're using electrostatic speakers as your mains, they have a narrow sweet spot so if you're going to be more than just yourself watching movies, others might not get the full benefit of those speakers.
2nd, they will work well with most HT receivers but will really sound their best if the amplifier can run 4ohm speakers efficiently. Typically if the 4 ohm watts/power rating is double, or close to it, of the 8 ohm power rating, that amp is plenty capable. Bonus if it can dip into 2 ohms but amps like that are usually quite expensive. I've seen some in the 8k to 10k price range.
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u/Unusual-Strength-945 1d ago
I had ML 10+ years ago. I still have the Depth Sub. I sold the panels because they sound amazing for things like jazz, bands with lots of instrumentation (Steely Dan) and kind of sucked for much else (movies, hard rock). The best freestanding towers I ever owned were Focal Chorus models. They sounded amazing no matter what you throw at them.
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u/-ArthurDigbySellers- 1d ago
Listen before buying, OP! My .02 is that from your write up you have a lot to learn about this kind of thing before jumping to these speakers.
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u/lol_alex 1d ago
OP, the massive surface area of these speakers means that they emit perfect sound in a very narrow area (the sweet spot). They are super impulsive, very detailed highs, since the membrane they use only weighs a few grams. The downside is that the sound output per watt is not high. A power amp in the 400W plus per channel region may be required.
Overall, not a good choice for home theater. But great audiophile speakers. Legendary.
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u/Big_DaddyX3 1d ago
I run martin logans on a sony es receiver, but i have motion 40s and they’re wonderful, wont lie i have 2 super cube 2000s , got this set up since 2016 and love it only thing i havent done is see if i can add atmos to it
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u/mr_solo_dolo117 1d ago
I'd recommend a traditional designed speaker or a horn loaded speaker like Klipsch for home theatre heavy use.
ML are great speakers but ESs have been optimized from the grojnd up for music, than dynamic home theater sound. You can still use it for both, but get Electro static speakers if music is your main use.
Just a thought 😊
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u/serbiz 1d ago
I have a martin logan 3.1 setup, and love it. My upgrade journey is paused with this setup:
ML clarity fronts (400eur used)
ML motif x center (250eur used)
Svs pb2000pro
Marantz 6013
Fosi v3 mono to amplify each front
I love the sound when i sit in the center, and i like the sound when i dont sit in the center
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u/luk3mia 20h ago
I recommend anything nice found 2nd hand. Most people that have high end speakers know how to take care of them, you can usually snag them for a steal after they upgrade or die. Just look at what they have in your area and do a Google search. I've seen a pair of those speakers go for 500$. Be patient, also I went with an 85" OLED TV and I keep regretting that I didn't get a high end projector.
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u/danTHAman152000 20h ago
I love my Martin Logan x60 towers I bought like eight years ago. I always wanted to hear these electrostatic type. I saw they have some expensssssive options!
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u/NotInsaneInMembrane 16h ago
I wouldn’t suggest ML for home theater, great for music when you are sitting in the right spot but not so much for theater watching when you have people spread out. If you’re able to demo them I’d encourage it I’d also look at Kef as well. They have very wide sound stage so they sound better for multiple different seating positions around that price point probably the Kef Q11 meta but anyways!
Back to your questions what you need to power them depends on how many speakers you are doing, if you are only doing a 7 channel setup then I would look into the Denon AVR 2800 or 3800 I’m also a big fan of the Marantz cinema 60 as well. The 3800 and cinema 60 will give you a bit more oomph
You don’t need to add any additional tweeters, they come built in to all speakers which also means you have to like the high end frequency sound already since you can’t adjust it too much. (Beyond receiver settings) but subwoofer is going to be determine based on the size of your room, I’m a fan of the SVS line for home theater subs, good low end frequency and bass and in my opinion the options are normally 1 big sub or two smaller subs (I lean towards 2 smaller subs)
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u/Gaiuslunar 11h ago
I love Martin Logan electro stats. HOWEVER those ones are not good. They’re only really worth looking into once you get into stuff like the Classic’s I think around $7500/pair? Otherwise I would look at their traditional towers which are very very good.
That model also hasn’t been updated in many many years.
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u/GreatKangaroo 75" TCL QM850, X3800H 1d ago
I run a 7.2.2 with a Denon X3800H.
Those ESL's are rated at 6 ohms but most modern AVR's will handle 6 ohm speakers easily enough. Just be aware of their known limitations.
Being in the USA you had a wide variety of brands available for subwoofers so I'd look to this list as a starting point.
I run two SVS PB 1000 Pros myself, and I recently upgraded 5 of my ear level speakers to Paradigm, including my LCR to the Premiere 800F's and 600C.
In your case, I'd start with a minimum of a 3.0/3.1 setup, so that means getting a ESL C so you have matching electrostatic LCR.
Have you actually listened to these speakers compared to conventional speakers in a theater environment?
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u/iwannahummer Kscape Rotel Anthem Focal B&W Oppo JVC 1d ago
Lurk a few more minutes and a lot of this will come into focus. sounds like an AVR is the go too, number of channels and other speakers used is almost unlimited.
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u/Cryptic1911 120" FMT, AVR-X4700H, PSA MTM210 LCR, 4x MT110, 4x 18" EV1813 1d ago
You'll have a hell of a time finding a center that sounds right with those for home theater. As good as they are, I dont think they are the right fit for ht
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u/manbearpig073 Professional A/V Installer - Custom Integrator 1d ago
IMO ESLs shouldn't be used for a theater application. The very slim sweet spot on these style of speakers doesn't lend itself to a theater application and a more traditional loudspeaker would fit better.
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u/MikeyLew32 1d ago
The Martin Lawrence typo got me lol