I would like to ask your opinion regarding a new system. My goal is for a high quality 5.1 sound system for music and video in a location with a 54” (51” wide) Panasonic plasma tv mounted a foot above an 82” by 8.75” fireplace mantle. The main seating location is a couch about 7 feet from the fireplace, which puts the listener about 9 feet from the fireplace and ear level about a foot below the mantle. There is no opportunity for floor standing front speakers. The rear surrounds will be in the ceiling, probably Invisa 650’s, and the single sub will be the ForceField 3 or 4.

I think my choice is between using three horizontal SuperSat 3 or 5 speakers on the mantle or a Supercinema 3D or 3D XL array on the mantel. I am assuming that wall mounting SuperSats vertically on the sides of the tv will place them too far above the listener’s ear level. I think the 49” size of the 3D Array would make it the best aesthetic fit under the 51” tv, but would question the quality of sound and stereo separation versus the new 62” 3D XL Array or separate SuperSat 3/5 speakers spaced across the 82” mantle.

I intend to use an AVR to drive the system, probably from Marantz or Anthem in the 100 to 110 watts per channel range (Marantz 5008 or 6008, Anthem MRX510). The Marantz has more features than the Anthem, but it is my understanding that the Anthem ARC 1M exceeds the Marantz Audyssey Multi EQ XT for room correction. From what I have read, Audyssey does not work well with your 3D Array; do you know if ARC works any better? Feel free to suggest any AVR that you know works well with your speakers.

I look forward to hearing from you and having a GoldenEar sound system in this room.

Hi Shopit,
Welcome and I hope you can get a good answer to your questions.
Sorry to say, but I don't have a clue on any of what you are trying to do.
But I applaud your going with the GoldenEar speakers, I am sure you cannot go wrong there.
You certainly have set a challenge for yourself trying for a good 5.1 system with a fireplace in the middle.
Good luck!!!!
I also think you will be on the right track with either Marantz or Anthem.
Enjoy the ride, I mean music!!!!
God Bless,
Wayne

Hi shopit, welcome ... in that setup I would suggest the smaller 3D Array, If you are going to stick with a single sub and want maximum performance (dynamics and playing level) you will need to locate it towards the center front. (Two subs in the front is better for this application, as they can then be left and right of center.) Stereo separation is not an issue, that's what the 3D Array interaural crosstalk cancellation technology is all about.

Both the Marantz and Anthem are highly recommended. And yes, ARC is preferred to Audyssey by most users. In this case, the biggest advantage is the ability to tailor the frequencies ARC manipulates (corrects for), so you can focus the room correction on the bass frequencies without destroying the rest of the sound. (Default on ARC is, or was, 5000 Hz, we would suggest setting a frequency max of 500 Hz in the manual mode instead.)

Hope this helps.

Shopit

I completely understand your situation and it sounds like i am in the same boat.

Did you end up making a decision?

Have you considered a Supsat60C and a sat3 for the L&R?

The short answer is no. The longer answer is that this system is going into a summer home that I use from May through September; there is no reason to purchase a system now that will go unused for a half year. I attend the Vegas CES show yearly and spend the final day touring the Venetian, sampling as much AV as I can. Every year, GoldenEar has a great demo of their upcoming products, with this past show including their SuperCinema 3D Array XL which was then predicted for a Spring 2014 release.

For aesthetics more than price, I initially decided against using three SuperSat 50’s, which I thought would produce the best overall sound quality, though mounted higher on the wall than I want. I could use a pair of SuperSat 3’s on the mantle ends (or 3C’s to lower the profile), with a SuperSat 50C or 60C in the middle for about the same price of a 3D Array, but I don’t think the overall quality of sound in a mixed environment of home theater and HD audio would be as good as one of the Array’s, other than the possibility of a slightly wider sound field because of the increase in LR speaker separation (the mantel is 85” wide). Please let me know if you think I am wrong about this.

Feeling that my best solution was one of the 3D Array’s, I thought I would wait to compare them to see if I felt the XL was worth the extra money. I don't know what happened to the XL, but Spring became June, then July, then hopefully sometime in September, so I decided to go another year with the existing system.

I have owned various Marantz AVR’s, receivers and amps through the years and have always liked their “warm and clean” sound and price. I don’t think they are the same quality now as the Marantz of years ago, but I still feel that their overall build quality, feature set, power ratings and price makes them a top pick for me. While never owning one, I believe the build quality of the Anthem is as good, if not better than the Marantz, but the feature set (for connectivity and HD AV streaming from a NAS drive) is not as strong, plus their price point for equivalent watts is higher. The only thing that makes me want to reconsider the Anthem is their ARC correction versus the Marantz Audyssey. Another consideration is that for some reason, there are three generations of Marantz AVR’s available (SRxx07, SRxx08 and SRxx09), so if you don’t need the latest in wireless and Bluetooth, you can buy an older high power AVR at a significantly reduced price.

My expectation is to continue waiting until I can compare the SuperArray 3D and 3D XL, hopefully soon, then make a final speaker and AVR decision. Unless I choose an older Marantz which may become unavailable, I will likely wait and try to save money on a holiday purchase around black Friday or cyber Monday. I will be back at CES 2015, knowing that for the most part, anything I see and hear there will not be available for the upcoming summer.

I have also considered a Sat50/60 as a center and pair of sat3 for L/R but for a different reason i believe. On paper it looks like the 50/60 will crossover lower and provide a great sense of depth than the SuperArray. There is no way i can place a Sub in the front of the room or anywhere near the TV so that option is out. My wife would kill me if i came home with forcefield 4/5 and sat it under "her mantle". With that said a sub is in my future but without a doubt it will be positioned in the rear or back corner...i know this is not ideal but i will pick another fight.

Like you i am waiting on the SuperArray XL with hopes it is better solution for a mantle(72"). I do wish they found a way to include the 4˝ x 7˝ Quadratic Planar Low-Frequency Radiators as in the sat50/60 series but i am sure they have there reason.

On the topic of AVR i completely understand your comments. So many choices and prices on last years models continue to drop, could be an interesting Black Friday-Monday.