Advice for Enhancing Home Theater Experience

[Nirmaw]

Hey everyone,

I’m looking for some advice on enhancing the movie audio experience in my home theater setup, particularly to achieve a wider acoustic scene and new sound quality. Here’s my current setup:

• Front Speakers: Dali Rubicon 2
• Center Speaker: Dali Rubicon Vokal
• Rear Speakers: Dali Opticon LCR
• Atmos Speakers: Dali Alteco C1
• Subwoofers:1 x SVS SB-2000 Pro, 1 x SVS SB-1000 Pro
• AV Receiver: Yamaha RX-A3080
• Room Size: 20 m²
• Usage: 70% movies, 30% music

I’m quite happy with the overall setup, especially for music playback. However, for movies, I feel the soundstage could be wider and more immersive, especially during big cinematic scenes. While the bass from the dual SVS subs is solid at times, I'm looking for ways to expand the front and surround acoustic space to create a truly enveloping experience. Ideally, I want the upgrade to be as impactful as when I moved from my old Dali Zensor 3 to the Dali Rubicon 2, where the improvement was clear and noticeable. My goal is to achieve a sound quality so immersive that even my wife can immediately hear and appreciate the difference.

A few things I've considered but would love input on:

1. Frontend Speaker replacement: Does upgrading to the new Dali Rubikore 6 make sense with my current setup that includes two subs? Is the jump to the Rubikore series significant enough in sound quality, or would it be wiser to save money and wait for the Epikore 3?
   • I enjoy the Dali sound, but I'm open to considering other models if they offer a step up in quality.
2. Adding or Upgrading Components: Change AV for example or something different? Denon 1AH, A10H
3. Acoustic Treatments: The room is moderately furnished, but I haven’t added any dedicated acoustic panels. Would adding treatments behind the fronts or on the sidewalls contribute to a more spacious sound?

Appreciate any advice or experience you can share!

Thanks in advance!

 

[Cork]

You didn't mention it, so how are the speakers placed? How far apart are the L/R, how far from your main listing position, how far from the back wall? You might try just playing around with placement. I've found just 3-4 inches to have an effect in my room.

Next I'd consider adding heights or Atmos, as those would directly affect sound stage.

I don't think Denon is a generally better brand than Yamaha, they're probably at the same level. So I'd only recommend switching if you've heard Denon (or any other brand really) and know you like the sound better.

 

[abacus]

Room Treatment yes.
Try moving the speakers around as their placement can make a big difference.
Have you set up the subs to match each other as they will have different properties. (If your receiver has independent sub outputs you can set them up using this)
Yamaha room correction of that vintage is pretty naff, so try tweaking the results to give you a better sound.

Bill

 

[Nirmaw]

Currently, my setup is in a multi-purpose room rather than a dedicated home cinema space, so I'm limited in how much I can adjust speaker positions. I can only shift the speakers about 20–30 cm left or right or adjust the angle by 20–30 degrees. I have Alteco C1 speakers mounted high in the front, but honestly, the effect is minimal. The distance between the sofa and the TV is 2.8 meters, and there’s a wall 10 cm behind the sofa. The rear speakers are also mounted higher up.

My main consideration right now is whether to upgrade to new speakers, such as the Rubikore 6, or possibly explore other models for a noticeable improvement in quality.

 

[Cork]

... The distance between the sofa and the TV is 2.8 meters ...

So your speakers are about 3.2m apart then? If they're much off that soundstage will suffer.

I've never heard any of the Dali's and I couldn't find a frequency response graph for either speaker; so I have no valid opinion. But that's never stopped me, so ... the 2's seem very nice. You'd certainly get more bass from the 6's, but with two SVS subs and anything close to good placement I can't believe the extra bass would help anything. It's just a WAG, but I don't think speakers are your issue (unless you just don't like the sound of the Dali's).

 

[Nirmaw]

Do you think upgrading from the Rubicon 2 to a higher model would make a noticeable difference? Moving from the Zensor 3 to the Rubicon 2 was an incredible improvement, but I’m not sure if going from the Rubicon 2 to the Rubikore 6 would have the same impact.

Also, should I position the front speakers closer or farther apart for the best sound?

 

[Juzzie Wuzzie]

Do you think upgrading from the Rubicon 2 to a higher model would make a noticeable difference? Moving from the Zensor 3 to the Rubicon 2 was an incredible improvement, but I’m not sure if going from the Rubicon 2 to the Rubikore 6 would have the same impact.

Also, should I position the front speakers closer or farther apart for the best sound?

Would have thought that speaker move to have a far smaller delta than Zensor to Rubicon.

 

[Nirmaw]

Would have thought that speaker move to have a far smaller delta than Zensor to Rubicon.

Are you suggesting that the improvement between the Rubicon 2 and Rubikore 6 might not be as significant as the jump from the Zensor 3 to the Rubicon 2?

If I understand correctly, that would leave me with two options: 1) wait for the Epikore 3, or 2) purchase the Rubikore 6 with a return policy to try it out.

 

[Juzzie Wuzzie]

That would be my thought. No data / experience to back it up though.

 

[basscleaner]

The stereo scene width to a large extent depends of first reflections control. Do, please, a simple experiment: seat at listening position with to big ceramic plates in your hands and turn on only stereo front speakers with control music stereo signal. Choose directions of first reflections such a manner, that sound of right speaker (like a light beam) first reflection from the right plate to be oriented at right ear by a little turning and remember such a position. After that the same do for left ear. Evaluate the wide of scene, timbre brightness with this position, without the position, some changes of it. After that try to do the same, but with cross orientation, i.e. right speaker reflection to left ear and analogue for left speaker. Try to see the difference between two cases and to evaluate a stereo scene changings. So, if you will sense good changes, you need to get the same by use absorbing and reflecting panels, hanging to walls at necessary positions with corresponding areas.