Surround Sound for a Music Lover

With only a small, two-speaker stereo connected to his TV, it’s no wonder that Crutchfield Senior Home A/V Editor Steve jumped at the chance to set up a surround sound system in his living room. “I’ve become hooked on surround sound for movies,” Steve says, “but as a music lover, I need a system that can also deliver high-quality two-channel audio.” Problem solved. With a Marantz receiver supplying the muscle and a full set of Klipsch speakers and powered sub providing the voice, Steve has a system that does his vast collection of music and movies justice.

Taming a tough room with ease

“My living room’s high, irregular ceiling, large open doorways, and reflective wall surfaces pose some real sonic challenges,” explains Steve. “Luckily, the receiver in this system includes a secret weapon for dealing with these sonic hurdles — Audyssey MultEQ XT® auto setup and room correction.” This advanced calibration system can easily deliver clear movie dialog and accurate, enveloping surround sound even in the toughest rooms.

Steve's new components needed a new home, so he chose the Sanus BFV-146 A/V cabinet in chestnut. Here he is attaching the doors, the final step in the assembly.

The Klipsch RF-62 II towers include stabilizer feet and carpet spikes to help anchor them firmly. The feet also include rubber pads for use with tile or hardwood floors.

Space is at a premium on the back of today's receivers, so Steve used AudioQuest Type 4 speaker wire with banana plugs for quick, easy connections.

Time to transform System 2.0 into Area 5.1

With an open-design living room and a sofa backed up against the wall, surround speaker placement was an issue. Taking the path of least resistance, Steve simply set the Klipsch RS-52 II surround speakers on top of the end tables next to his sofa. It worked like a charm! The speakers' angled drivers created a wide, immersive soundfield.

“Once everything was connected, I engaged the Marantz receiver’s Setup Wizard and followed the easy on-screen instructions to calibrate the system. With all the settings made, it was time to see how the system sounded. I put in a Blu-ray movie — No Country for Old Men — and sat back to enjoy the ride.

“The system kicked like a mule when called upon, but also displayed a great deal of finesse. The sound in front was firmly anchored to the screen, while the surrounds created a deep, ambient soundfield without drawing attention to themselves. This soundtrack has lots of subtle things happening, such as how the sounds of voices change in different rooms and locations, and dogs barking off to the side. I had my windows open, and the sound was so realistic that I paused the disc to make sure I wasn’t hearing dogs in my own neighborhood. It was all the movie.”

So it’s awesome for home theater, but how does this new system meet Steve’s high standards for music playback? “I’m totally impressed with its wide dynamic range and sense of ease, even at high volume levels. The entire system has transformed my living room into a concert hall.”

Bi-amping for better sound

After removing the jumpers that connected the high and low speaker inputs, Steve prepares to attach a second set of cables in order to bi-amplify his towers.

Steve’s surround system needed only five out of the Marantz SR6006 receiver’s seven channels of power. So he used the extra two channels to “bi-amp” the Klipsch towers. Sending the additional power to the front speakers resulted in more dynamic, higher-quality sound for both music and movies.

Steve's new system components

Klipsch home theater speaker bundle

This matched set of Klipsch's impressive Reference II Series speakers can deliver all of the sonic details with powerful realism and subtle nuance, whether you're gripping the sofa arm as the movie suspense builds, or sipping your favorite beverage while savoring a CD.

Marantz SR6006 home theater receiver

Legendary Marantz amplification combined with state-of-the-art processing delivers amazing surround sound and video performance from this versatile home theater receiver. You get abundant digital entertainment possibilities thanks to built-in Apple AirPlay® for easy access to your iTunes® library, plus a gateway to Internet radio, HD Radio™ and more.

Marantz UD7006 Internet-ready universal 3D Blu-ray player

If your disc collection is large and varied, the Marantz UD7006 will make the most of it. You'll get a gorgeous picture and thrilling surround sound from high-def Blu-ray discs, including 3D movies on your 3D TV, plus DVDs, CDs, multi-channel SACDs, and more. It also lets you watch movies from your Netflix® Instant Queue, videos on YouTube™, and access music videos and photos from a compatible DLNA-enabled Windows® PC.

Furman Elite-15 PFi power line conditioner and surge protector

Furman builds some of the most rugged and robust power protection gear around. The Elite-15 PFi is an impressive introduction to Furman's exclusive technologies for maximizing the protection and performance of your audio and video components. Many of these technologies were originally developed to meet the extreme AC power demands of professional recording, film, and broadcast studios.

Sanus BFV146 audio/video cabinet for TVs up to 56"

The Sanus BFV146 cabinet provides a handsome home for your audio/video system. Its quality construction features a sturdy, hardwood frame with richly stained hardwood veneers. The cabinet top can support a flat-panel TV with a screen size of up to 56" and weighing up to 125 lbs. (Editor's note: This cabinet's back panel was left unattached to provide extra ventilation and additional mounting depth for the components in Steve's system.)

AudioQuest Type 4 speaker cables with pre-attached banana connectors

AudioQuest's Type 4 speaker cables deliver finely detailed sound from high-performance audio systems. AudioQuest carefully engineers their cables based on years of in-house research to transfer signals as cleanly and faithfully as possible.

AudioQuest Chocolate "high-speed with Ethernet" HDMI cable

Connecting your components with AudioQuest Chocolate is a great way to prepare your system for the most cutting-edge audio and video available today, as well as what's on the way. Plus, its superior build quality means you'll enjoy superb picture and sound from your home theater system.

AudioQuest SUB-X subwoofer cable

Enjoy top-notch sound from your powered subwoofer with AudioQuest's advanced SUB-X cable. Its silver-plated, solid-core conductors ensure tight, responsive, and highly accurate bass performance.