Which Style Speaker Package?

[admin_exported]

HELP! - I'm really stuck with my existing set up at the moment...

I've moved house and my current speaker package is just too big for the living room. Due to ill positioned patio doors I'm currently unable to place my TV and centre speaker in between the middle of the front two speakers. Instead the TV & Centre speaker have to be placed in the corner of the room, to the right of the front right speaker.

No problem for listening to music in 2 channel stereo, but when you try to watch a film in 5.1, the centre speaker and TV positioning is obviously a nightmare. I've tried turning the centre completely off or placing it on a small table between the front 2 speakers when watching a film, but neither offer an acceptable solution as the sound is totally out of sync then with the picture on the TV in the corner.

I think the only solution is to go down the "style" speaker route (wife didn't see bricking up the patio doors as an option!) and buy something small enough where I will be able to move the TV left a bit and squeeze the right hand front speaker into the corner, to the right of the TV itself.

I like the look of the Mission M Cube system for this purpose, but am a little worried from the reviews that it would be a step down in music terms. Can anyone comment? I probably use the system 50:50 between watching films and listening to music so both are important. My existing system is ageing a bit now though, so would I really notice that much difference or is there another, better alternative that's still small, but delivers musically as well?

My current system is: Mission (M71i front, M70 rear, M7C1i centre), Jamo E5Sub.2, Nad C-521i CD, Samsung DVD-HD870 and Sony KDL-32D3000 TV. They are all connected through my Yamaha RX-V357 Av Receiver which will be my next upgrade after the speakers, in about six months time.

I could stretch to the £780 for the M Cube system and set of speaker stands but that it my absolute maximum.

Any thoughts/help appreciated

Many thanks

MRJ

 

[Anonymous]

Ok. I've done a bit more research now to take this a step forward. Mission M Cube doesn't seem to get rave reviews for music, so I've kind of counted that out now.

KEF KHT 3005SE or B&W-MT 20 both would seem to provide what I'm looking for, albeit slightly outwith my price range. Should I break the bank and go for it? (I would have to put the upgrade of the AV receiver back a bit - by say a year) or would these two speaker systems be total overkill to run with my current Yamaha AV Rec, Nad CD player, Ipod and Samsung DVD components?

My logic is that if I invest properly in either of these speaker packages now, then that will remove the need for any upgrade for quite some time. Or alternatively I may just be wasting my hard earned coin for a year or so until I can afford to get a new Av Receiever as well?

Decisions decisions

 

[professorhat]

I think your main issue is, any style speaker is likely to be a step down musically from your Missions. Go and get an audition of the KEF and B&W packages you mention (I think most Sevenoaks stores sell both) with your amp and CD player to ensure you can accept the compromise as if you can't, you may have to have another re-think.