Aida IIs in home theatre
 

Hi all - first thread! :wave: I am planning the next iteration of my audio setup (see my signature for current setup - I use the same system for stereo and surround listening) and want to build around the Aida IIs. I have been advised that if I go with the Aida IIs I should just go with two channels for movies too as finding a centre and rear surrounds that would complement the Aidas would be near impossible.

Until now I have always had a 5.1 setup for movies so this would be a big departure - would appreciate thoughts on whether I should go with 2ch only - or try to find a center and rears that would fit (maybe from the Tradition series..?)

Any advice appreciated!

outlander... Welcome to AA! :wave:

The phantom center channel with those speakers should be spectacular ! Congratulations

I’ve never liked the phantom center...

Tons of positive feedback, but my experience is that a center is a MUST.

I just got my Aidas yesterday, so I Don’t have them setup yet.

I plan to use my B&W HTM center for the time being.

I’m open to hunting for the best blended center, but for home theater, center channel is a MUST even if you mix makes.

...also, side surround and rear surround duties aren’t as critical as the L-C-R channels.

I bought some in-wall Brysons for my rear surrounds from Ivan (masterlu) and have some Sonus Faber Cremonas that can help assist for side channels.

I’m not concerned about the “perfect” match for surrounds.

The Aidas will be 2 channel when music is the activity.

But when I switch to movies, surround channels are critical.

As you have B&W gear, you should run with 7.x channels using your old gear and add Aidas for the 2 channel setup (and blended theater).

Welcome Outlander! Congratulations on the Aidas - truly amazing speakers. Just having those speakers you could arguably drop the other speakers and still enjoy home theater immensely. That said, your best bet would be to experiment with the existing speakers once you have the Aidas in place. That way you can see how satisfied you are with that, and use it as a baseline. You can always get the SF "3.1" speakers to match later if you are inclined to experience a step-by-step transition and understand what each component change does to your sound.

Going all SF can make a lot of sense for a variety of reasons, and if there isn't a center speaker that does justice to the Aidas for home theater, your AV processor should have some capability to adjust levels for each speaker if necessary. I had 802Ds in front with the HTM2D, and 803Ds in the back, and enjoyed that combination immensely with 5.1 SACDs and movies.

Post pictures please. Good luck!

I've had an all Sonus Faber 7.1 and I had an all Wilson 7.1 Both different but fantastic. Before that I tried a few times to have a different set of speakers and it was a mess that was rather noticeable and really annoying to my ears. Nothing like a LCR setup that is voiced together. Going 2.1 would be my choice over a mix of speakers.

Thank you Ivan! Your incredible setup inspired me to raise my aspirations :thumbsup:

Thank you 1KW! I have to wait a few months to finish house renovations before getting them in place so in the meantime I think I'll do some experimentation to see if I can get comfortable with the phantom setup :thumbsup:

Thank you Grasshopper! I envy you having Cremonas for _side channels_ :D

Will do some experimentation to see if I can get comfortable with a phantom center - but am leaning to at least having the wiring ready for 5.1 so I can go either way :thumbsup: