Help a non-audiophile with speaker selection please.

[Angelfire]

Hiya Folks,
I have a space that is roughly 19'x32'x9'6"h. Before I finished the walls, I ran speaker cables to the 4 corners for the future. Well the future is approaching so I thought I'd start looking at options. I haven't purchased audio equipment in years and really am clueless. Definitely not an audiophile but would like to have decent sound and the ability to play loud every now and again. Being unfamiliar with the products of today (or the last 2-3 decades for that matter!), I'm intrigued by the small sizes of speakers out there and am trying to figure out if they would suit my needs. The locations of my speakers will be in the upper corners of the space about a foot down from the ceiling (aimed downward towards the center of the space). I was thinking of using these speakers: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00E7H8GG2/?tag=atomicindus08-20 as they seem to get good reviews (and are about the most I'm willing to spend on this endeavor) but am unsure if 4 of them will be enough for this size space. Guides on the internet seem to spend their energy on home theatre setups and for me, that's not a consideration. I just want to be able to play the radio or stream music although I may add a tv in there somewhere down the road so it might be nice to have something that is adaptable.

I know the amplifier will be a key consideration and am looking at the Yamaha V383 unit. Speakers are rated 75W RMS at 4-8 Ohm. The receiver is rated at 80W at 8 Ohm (can set it to 6Ohm as well but not 4Ohm). I'm far from married to this unit but it's generally in the price range I'd be willing to pay so if there are better items out there, please let me know.

Ultimately, I will be running these through a selector switch simply for the fact that on the other side of the wall, I have a similarly sized space and plan to hang 4 speakers there as well. Wouldn't have both rooms playing at the same time so would be looking at no more than 4 speakers at a time.

Anyway, I'm sure there are many items I forgot to mention or things I haven't considered so I appreciate any insight here. Thanks much for your time.
Cheers.

 

[PWC Repair]

Been a few years since I sold electronics but Klipsch and JBL and Infinity were great quality stuff for the money. The upper end BIC was pretty decent too.

 

[TinyGarage]

you didn't list a budget, but by using the ones you posted I can ballpark it. I would look into the pioneer Andrew Jones speakers very highly rated, and a great value, i would skip the subwoofer. here is a link to the set for visualization the individual speaker parts numbers are there to look up, you can decide if you want floor standing or book shelf. Myself i learned you can turn down a big speaker, but can't turn up a little speaker so go big. https://www.amazon.com/Pioneer-SP-PK52FS-Theater-Speaker-Package/dp/B00IK8I9K2

Order of importance for home theater
1st:Center channel it accounts for 90% of dialogue, and al ot of content so go very big here.
2nd: Subwoofer, This will handle all low frequencies under 80-100hz, even with a good set of floor standing speakers they won't get much below 80hz, even if you aren't a bass head, without the sub movies will sound thin and lacking sure explosions are great but some of the best bass is in horror movies it really builds and adds pressure to a scene. under $300 the Bic pl 200 is hard to beat https://www.amazon.com/Bic-Acoustech-PL-200-II-Subwoofer/dp/B074131NKS if you only have $100 for a sub look into the dayton sub1200 or a refurb dayton sub1500 both are $100-125
3rd: Front Left/right: These will set the stage and help with imaging and really place sound in the correct location instead of just center of the tv. So again go big
4th: the rears, they don't do much lifting so these can be smaller, they will add surround effects like wind whipping around or rain falling, they rarely carry voices, they do complete a system nicely when you feel like you are in the middle of a storm, or battle scene and bullets wiz by.

 

[Falcon67]

LOL, my Realistic bookshelf speakers that I bought for $5 each at their junk sale back in the 80s still work fine. Can't tell with buying online but the basic deal for smaller (well larger too) speakers is a good solid, high gauss, usually heavy magnet to control the voice coil.

 

[PCMusicGuy]

While those speakers are fine, if you are not really an audiophile, I think you are overpaying. Micca in general is good for the money, but in most comparisons would either even or slightly behind Dayton or Monoprice speakers. For my money, I would look at these.

https://www.parts-express.com/dayton-audio-b652-air-6-1-2-2-way-bookshelf-speaker-with-amt-tweeter-pair--300-651

 

[Falcon67]

As above. That was the old Radio Shack method of selling hifi - "Listen to the sound". Audiophiles nit pick the specs, the rest of use just want a decent clean sound. Most of the stuff we use now to play music has no where near the amp quality and drive to push audiophile level sound quality anyway.

 

[CoogarXR]

I like my music loud, with a ton of bass. I have also found that my garage acoustics are terrible. I ended up with 4 1980s pioneer speakers with 15" woofers in the 4 corners of my shop. That's what it took to get the sound I wanted in my 24x24.

I'm just saying, you said you like it loud sometimes. I don't think a speaker that small in a space that large will suffice.

 

[PoorOwner]

I have receivers from pre hdmi era. They were made with 2 ch audio in mind, with Dolby surround or Dolby digital, but their L R sounds great. They have a more honest watts rating powerful sound than the low end receivers made today which are tinny and focus on having 7 channels. These old amps can be had for around $20-40 and all of them have speaker A B so you can run one pair or both pair at the same time.

 

[rattle_snake]

Buy only ONE pair for each room. The 2nd pair isn't going to help. One pair is more than enough for that space, even with 1/2 the power the v383 can deliver.
If you want it to have some balls, you need a subwoofer(s).

If you like to build stuff, (this is GJ) consider building a set from a kit.

https://www.parts-express.com/dayto...00dsp-amplifier-and-cabinet-package--300-7200
https://www.parts-express.com/cat/speaker-kits/286

 

[Eslader]

Definitive Technology makes a damn good speaker that isn't ridiculously expensive.

Just avoid Bose. Way overpriced for what it is (which isn't all that great).

 

[Angelfire]

Thank you folks for the inputs. I knew this was a very subjective topic and the replies support that. From all ends of the spectrum to be sure. I think I'll approach it from Rattle_snake's comment about only needing one pair. I know that I'll need at least 2 pairs to cover both spaces so I'll purchase them and see how a pair sounds in each room. If no worky, then I will buy another couple of pairs. Will keep looking at brands/models/etc....until I finally purchase.
Cheers.

 

[Vinci]

Opinions will vary, obviously, but a garage/workspace is likely to have **** acoustics. In such a place, I am not convinced that high-end gear is going to be appreciated over cheaper options.

I put a pair of $30 indoor/outdoor "Dual" speakers from Amazon in my 20x20 garage with a tiny amp and I still have to keep it turned way down. They sound plenty good, even though I am usually listening to them over the sound of a sander/drill/compressor/etc.

A tip, in case your space has a garage door pointing out into a neighborhood: Place your speakers so they fire inward from the door. That way you can turn it up in the garage without the neighbors noticing as much.

 

[JJ13]

I agree that you'll probably want something larger than a 4" woofer but many people cannot tell the difference. I had a friend that thought my Definitive Technology speaker sets (7004 upstairs with 10" woofers, 7002 downstairs with 12" woofers and timbre matched center/rears) were insane. She LOVED the sound of her 2.1 Creative Sound Blaster computer speakers. That's all she needed but for me it sounded horrible. I used to be a professional violinist and after playing many concerts, I started to crave speakers that create a more lively, realistic sound stage that my ear expected.

I also agree to nix the idea of four in each room. You'll lose some of the stereo imaging but that might not be noticeable to you. I'd go with a larger bookshelf unit if you are going to hang them. Maybe something with an 8", no less than 6.5" woofer unless you are planning on a separate sub. Despite that many say subwoofers are non-directional, I can hear them at times, especially if they are tuned to play upper mid-bass instead of just filling in the low end. Larger main speakers will play a more extended lower frequency range so any sub will remain better hidden and less distinguishable.

I HATE Bose for this very reason. Tiny mains with a sub trying to make up the middle ground while not really playing lower bass frequencies. My Miata had it before I tore it out. The high range was bad and no matter the EQ setting, it thumped because there was an EQ curve built into the amp. Better to go with larger speakers and no sub than tiny mains and hoping the sub will fill in the rest.

If you need Bluetooth connectivity you'll have to go with a newer receiver. I'd rather buy a Bluetooth adaptor and find older receivers on Craigslist. I have a 25+ year old Sony theater receiver that plays my smaller speakers more loudly than a much newer Onkyo receiver plays the slightly larger speakers (both in stereo mode) in my home theater room. Like they say, they don't build them like they used to. As another member pointed out, most new receivers are setup for 7.1, 9.1, or 11.1 and often aren't as overbuilt as the old stuff unless you have money to burn on the high end stuff.

 

[rattle_snake]

If irritating neighbors is a concern, place the speakers close to where you spend most of your time, like right at the workbench. You can operate them at a fraction of the power needed than at longer distances.
..and if acoustics are poor (although similar to most rooms in a home) doing this will yield more of the sound incident (direct) and not a reflection. So decent speakers can be better appreciated from crappy ones. Once most of the acoustic energy is reflections, its a muddy mess.

 

[Dadillac]

If you like bass you will need a minimum of an 8" woofer. The larger the better. Speakers with a 4" woofer will sound very "tinny". Due to space issues I have 4 speakers for my living room TV (running a 2 channel amp) that have 6.5" woofers. I am not 100% pleased with the bass output. But cannot fit speakers with larger woofers. Just food for thought

Don

 

[PhysicsDude]

Opinions will vary, obviously, but a garage/workspace is likely to have **** acoustics. In such a place, I am not convinced that high-end gear is going to be appreciated over cheaper options.

I put a pair of $30 indoor/outdoor "Dual" speakers from Amazon in my 20x20 garage with a tiny amp and I still have to keep it turned way down. They sound plenty good, even though I am usually listening to them over the sound of a sander/drill/compressor/etc.

A tip, in case your space has a garage door pointing out into a neighborhood: Place your speakers so they fire inward from the door. That way you can turn it up in the garage without the neighbors noticing as much.

I very much agree.

I recently installed a pair of these in my buddy's garage (28x64)

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000NJDO4M/?tag=atomicindus08-20

The 6.5" drivers make decent bass, enough for casual listening without a subwoofer. I'm pretty impressed with them, they get plenty loud, and the sound is plenty good for a garage/shop environment.

I think the more pricey setups are a waste in a garage environment.

 

[bushmechanic]

If you like bass you will need a minimum of an 8" woofer. The larger the better. Speakers with a 4" woofer will sound very "tinny". Due to space issues I have 4 speakers for my living room TV (running a 2 channel amp) that have 6.5" woofers. I am not 100% pleased with the bass output. But cannot fit speakers with larger woofers. Just food for thought

Don

It's not only about diameter.

A smaller driver can indeed pump out plenty of bass, and 6.5" is pretty much the sweet spot before jumping into a pool that's too deep for most people and quite a few rooms.

I've got a set of speakers (Klipsch Promedia 2.1) connected to this PC that use 3" drivers, and will absolutely fill a room without sounding tinny at all. There are countless ways to build an acoustic driver.

Comes down to how they decided to design them. Often, smaller drivers tend to ****, but most people only experience crappy small drivers. The good stuff will still kick.

 

[LS6 Tommy]

I have old Boston Acoustics A6 bookshelf speakers in the garage. I also have Definitive Technologies AW5500 speakers on the house for the patio. I know they're an outdoor speaker, but the have a good wall bracket, stand up to weather/dirt/temp changes beautifully and since they have a big passive radiator they make really nice bass for the size. The scratch and dent pricing saves about $100.00.

I will probably get another pair if the BAs in the garage ever die.

https://www.crutchfield.com/p_735AW...ck.html?cc=07&pg=3&search=definitive+speakers

Tommy

 

[Ray916MN]

That's a relatively big room (600+ sq. ft.). What are the floors, walls and ceiling made out of? Going with 4 speakers is the right thing to do. This will make the sound level more even across the room. Small speakers can be fine, but you will be lacking any meaningful bass in such a large area. Given the size of the room, 2 subwoofers (1 for each end of the room) would be needed to make a system with small speakers sound decent. Powered subs would be the easiest way to go for subs. If you don't want to go for subs, you need to get speakers with at least 6+" woofers. The smaller the woofer in the speakers, the harder it will be to achieve room filling sound without distortion unless you add subwoofers.

Personally I like used Paradigm Titan speakers. Commonly available for <$150 a pair, they sound very good and are capable of producing good volume and reasonable bass as they are on the larger size for small speakers. They are small full range speakers as opposed to small home theater speakers intended to be used with a center channel and sub woofer. I run one in each corner of my ~1200sq. ft. shop along with a Paradigm center speaker and 3 Yamaha powered subs with an 80 watt per channel receiver. Sounds good but since my shop is nothing but hard sound reflective surfaces, without the subs, the lack of bass is very noticeable.

 

[Jlbc212]

A good set of headphones ... wireless, noise cancelling ones so it blocks out the noise from your compressor.

 

[PT Doc]

Sonos play one will sort you out. Or a pair will be even better. Total will be $300 when you catch them on sale.

 

[Angelfire]

Thanks again folks!

Question came up about wall/ceiling/floor materials. Wood throughout. Tongue and groove spruce over mineral wool insulated framed walls. Floor is (ahem, will be) wood over rigid insulation sitting over concrete.

 

[bushmechanic]

Thanks again folks!

Question came up about wall/ceiling/floor materials. Wood throughout. Tongue and groove spruce over mineral wool insulated framed walls. Floor is (ahem, will be) wood over rigid insulation sitting over concrete.

Look for an amp/receiver with room correction features.

You'll need every edge you can get. Unless you intend to store mattresses in that room, it's going to be an echo chamber.

 

[Angelfire]

Thank you folks for all the inputs. I think I have a plan, sort of. Some posters recommended only 2 speakers and others recommended 4, some insisted on minimum sizes of drivers, etc.... So I think what I'll do, given I have two rooms and ran wires for 8 speakers, is to save up to buy 4 speakers. Get something a bit better than the ones I originally linked (Definitive Technologies seems to have gotten recommended the most in this thread so currently looking at their SM45/55 offerings). With the 4 speakers, wire up two in a room and see how it sounds/works. If good, put the other two in the other room and call it done. If not quite what I want, then I'll save for a second set of 4 to add.

There was a suggestion for headphones and while I like headphones while sitting on an airplane, I find I get headaches after not too long when wearing them so I appreciate the suggestion but it's not something I'm going to consider.

And yeah, the space has all hard surfaces so at the end of the day, I could never really expect the space to have great acoustics so I'm not really going to try to achieve that. Next when the xxxxxx breaks at the house and my budget goes out the window, I may be back to the Micca's...haha....but for now, I'm thinking a little bit bigger bookshelf from a reputable company might be the ticket.

Appreciate all the help!
Cheers.

 

[exmaxima1]

Look for an amp/receiver with room correction features.

You'll need every edge you can get. Unless you intend to store mattresses in that room, it's going to be an echo chamber.

Agree that a modern receiver with automated room correction will make a huge improvement, and compensate for mis-matched speakers (ie, cheap) located in the wrong places. In addition, speakers with some fashion of controlled directivity will help alleviate much of the reverberations and treble splashes from the ceiling and side walls. Larger coned speakers are inherently more directional than small ones, and horn-loaded tweeters (even ones with shallow flares) will "throw" the sound better and in a controlled dispersion. Klipsch speakers immediately come to mind, but I would not rule out pro-sound speakers designed for restaurants or small clubs. My main system at home is in fact based on a pair of Beyma 12KX coaxial drivers which employ a horn tweeter that blows thru the center of the cone. There are smaller versions available that would work wonders for a large space like this with high efficiency and concise imaging.

I head the engineering dept of a speaker manufacturer, and you would think that I would simply build all my own home speakers, but it really is not cost effective. I would recommend to anyone to buy mass-produced speakers and buy a USED subwoofer. My company specializes in subwoofer drivers yet when you factor in amplifier and material costs, a used subwoofer (or 2) is the way to go. Look at Polk Audio, as they seem to have the best cost/performance ratio---and being the lower-end brother of Definitive Technology, they share much of their technology and purchasing power. Get at least a 10-inch woofer with >300 honest watts for that large room. I recently picked up a small Def Tech subwoofer with built-in 1250 watt amp for $100 (retail was $899) so there are deals available.

If music is the primary focus, make sure the speakers have decent efficiency to handle the wide dynamic range of digital music. Again, larger speakers and pro-sound types, will deliver the clarity and impact of drums and bass in that large room.

 

[rattle_snake]

...I think the more pricey setups are a waste in a garage environment.

I agree that 'pricey' speakers aren't a good choice.

BUT, If most of your music listening is done in the garage, it should be the 'best sounding' system you own.

As already stated, to get inexpensive and high quality, used equipment is a good choice.

 

[engineer2]

CL has tons of used speakers and receivers. Lots of high-end vintage gear. Obviously, you have to try before you buy. To me, used equipment is good enough for the shop.

 

[PT Doc]

Ceiling mount is mood a good idea if you like good sound. Chest level stereo pairs will be good. Sonos has an app that calibrates speaker output. Really quite easy to deal with and on sale now at Sonos.com. I had a pretty substantial system prior to a move and have gone all Sonos. Just too good for the money and very clean install and easy to use. With the Sonos app, all controls can be from iPad or phone. You can now get Alexa in their One speaker if pulling out a phone is too much of a hassle.

 

[Angelfire]

CL has tons of used speakers and receivers. Lots of high-end vintage gear. Obviously, you have to try before you buy. To me, used equipment is good enough for the shop.

I'll keep an eye on Craigslist but my experience has not been all that great with it here, locally. Never much on offer. I have no issue with older equipment providing it wasn't abused.
Cheers.

 

[Falcon67]

If you like to build stuff, (this is GJ) consider building a set from a kit.

https://www.parts-express.com/dayto...00dsp-amplifier-and-cabinet-package--300-7200
https://www.parts-express.com/cat/speaker-kits/286

LOL - one of my last high school shop projects was a pair of gi-mongous bass reflex speakers. About 4' x 3' or so. Shells were 3/4 ply. All good stuff, baffles, crossover, etc. 12" woofer, horn tweeters, some kinda of mid. We had a party in the school gym, those and some minuscule Radio Shack amp plus a turntable filled the place up with sound.

I got an A on that project. Partially because it was one of the largest project done in class. Excepting the occasional ice cream table. Got tired of making cutting boards.

 

[Ray916MN]

There is an underlying presumption to all the recommendations regarding the number of speakers and the quality of the system.

Those recommending 2 speakers are implicitly thinking the objective is to get the best stereo sound and imaging. This falls in line with the suggestions to get the best quality system. Implicitly the assumption is that you're going to listen to music sitting in a chair/sofa placed for optimal imaging and that you're going to be focused on listening to music.

Those recommending 4 speakers and not emphasizing quality are thinking you are going to listen to music primarily as a background to some other activity. Given the size of the space, 4 speakers will make it possible to set the speakers at a volume that is comfortable at either end of the space, whereas if you had 2 speakers playing at a comfortable volume at one end of the space, you are very likely to feel the volume is too low at the other end of the space. The trade off with 4 speakers is you won't get a good stereo image, but of course, if you want a good stereo image, you can turn off one set of speakers or the other.

Personally, my primary system is not my workshop system since my workshop acoustics are horrible. To me it makes sense for a primary system to be in a smaller room with better acoustics and a better sofa. Making a primary system in a 600+ sq. ft. hard surfaced room sound good is going to be expensive.

 

[bushmechanic]

Agree that a modern receiver with automated room correction will make a huge improvement, and compensate for mis-matched speakers (ie, cheap) located in the wrong places. In addition, speakers with some fashion of controlled directivity will help alleviate much of the reverberations and treble splashes from the ceiling and side walls. Larger coned speakers are inherently more directional than small ones, and horn-loaded tweeters (even ones with shallow flares) will "throw" the sound better and in a controlled dispersion. Klipsch speakers immediately come to mind, but I would not rule out pro-sound speakers designed for restaurants or small clubs. My main system at home is in fact based on a pair of Beyma 12KX coaxial drivers which employ a horn tweeter that blows thru the center of the cone. There are smaller versions available that would work wonders for a large space like this with high efficiency and concise imaging.

I head the engineering dept of a speaker manufacturer, and you would think that I would simply build all my own home speakers, but it really is not cost effective. I would recommend to anyone to buy mass-produced speakers and buy a USED subwoofer. My company specializes in subwoofer drivers yet when you factor in amplifier and material costs, a used subwoofer (or 2) is the way to go. Look at Polk Audio, as they seem to have the best cost/performance ratio---and being the lower-end brother of Definitive Technology, they share much of their technology and purchasing power. Get at least a 10-inch woofer with >300 honest watts for that large room. I recently picked up a small Def Tech subwoofer with built-in 1250 watt amp for $100 (retail was $899) so there are deals available.

If music is the primary focus, make sure the speakers have decent efficiency to handle the wide dynamic range of digital music. Again, larger speakers and pro-sound types, will deliver the clarity and impact of drums and bass in that large room.

Yup. I might even suggest trying a set of Klipsch Promedia speakers.

He's already got everything he needs to run them.

$150, comes with a sub, and if you pick them up from Best Buy you can return them if you don't like them. They will mount on wall features and stands like many bookshelf speakers actually don't.

I've been running these for nearly 18 years now, and yes, I do have three sets from various incarnations, including a 4.1 and the newest release. They're all outstanding.

Bonus: They are designed to be plugged into a computer (but will plug into anything with conventional inputs) meaning you can just run the things without a hassle. The newest model is actually Bluetooth compatible; meaning you can run them just off a phone.

That's a pretty big room, but these little buggers pump. They may be able to handle it well.

For nearly two decades these have been the secret of high-end gaming rooms and using computers for music and movies. They've been equipped in up to 5.1 configurations. They are rarely reviewed in magazines, because it's kind of a "everyone already knows they're king" situation.

The buggers will get loud enough and clean enough to run you right out of a room.

Like I said. Nothing is lost. If you don't like them, just bring the buggers back. This is essentially a once and done solution. The only downside to the speakers is the volume pot has always been finicky at lower volumes (bottom quarter or so).

They've never really fixed it. People just didn't care enough to complain.

 

[cheechi]

me personally if I was in your situation I'd get a small tube amp over that yamaha. most of the money you put in it is going to be related to video/home theater/surround features that you won't use driving stereo speakers. are you just going to be listening to the radio? or do you have another component going into the amp?

I prefer the sound of 6-8" cones especially when overhead. Sometimes that's not an option but if you have it I would do it. The daytons listed above sound good. Monoprice was mentioned, I'd go with their 6.5" over the daytons but basically they are the same if you don't mind a ribbon tweeter. The ones you link have a dome tweeter which is probably going to sound a little better on the highs but mounted high, in a noisy garage, you'll never hear the difference in any of those tweeters.

until my media room is finished my garage sound is coming from the 50W monoprice tube amp, klipsch rf7, klipsch b3, and a pc or ipod depending what i want to listen. when I have to change the speakers i will probably go for the monoprice 6.5" ones. And on my 50W, the master vol is only at half, I wired each speaker pair to have a wall volume control, that's only at 50% and I can fill 2000 sqft with music loud enough to enjoy and quiet enough to keep her from messing with my volume knobs.

 

[Angelfire]

The Yamaha was just a first pass at things. I agree, too many bells and whistles for what I'm after. I do think that somewhere down the road, I will be inclined to wire in a tv but for that, I'd probably not bother with a full receiver but just do a sound bar or something (or nothing to be honest).
Cheers.

 

[gahrajmahal]

New Mexico and Ireland. Two lands at opposite ends of the weather spectrum!

To all, any suggestions for small speakers only, no enclosure? Working on some Bluetooth radio/ charging stations. Want decent and cheap.

 

[Angelfire]

New Mexico and Ireland. Two lands at opposite ends of the weather spectrum!
.

Yep....hot, dry, and brown or cool, wet, and green!

 

[bushmechanic]

New Mexico and Ireland. Two lands at opposite ends of the weather spectrum!

To all, any suggestions for small speakers only, no enclosure? Working on some Bluetooth radio/ charging stations. Want decent and cheap.

Speakers generally either require a baffle or enclosure. The only exceptions are extremely exotic or antiquated designs, such as plasma tweeters; which actually manage to be both exotic and antiquated.

I don't know what you're on about with Bluetooth radio/charging stations.

 

[bushmechanic]

The Yamaha was just a first pass at things. I agree, too many bells and whistles for what I'm after. I do think that somewhere down the road, I will be inclined to wire in a tv but for that, I'd probably not bother with a full receiver but just do a sound bar or something (or nothing to be honest).
Cheers.

You need some of those bells and whistles in that room.

If what you're looking at doesn't come with a correction feature, you may as well buy a set of Promedias and use your phone via Bluetooth or just plug in pretty much any laptop/computer ever made.

Call Sonos or whoever if you like, but there's little point digging into tubes and stereo-only amplifiers that are manufactured for people who enjoy serious listening in tuned rooms. Manufacturers often don't waste time alignment and reflection correction features on stereo amplifiers.

Odds are you're going to end up with something that has more than two channels.

You're issue isn't complicated. Here's the sum of it: You want to put speakers in a large room that's highly reflective from nearly every single angle.

There are very, very few options available in that environment.

Sticking with your budget and design, here are your choices: Go room correction, or go for that once and done solution and hope you can EQ it out. Period. That's all you've got. There's no vast assembly of options to consider. You've got two.

Anything else gets very expensive very quickly, or simply forces you to redesign the room.

Building speaker cabinets is pointless here unless you just want another project for some reason. It won't save you money, and it won't sound any better. Tubes are wasted in that environment. They're already muted at the upper end of harmonics, and it's just going to move from that "warm" sound to mud.

Pick your poison. Sonos/Promedia/Bose/Echo/whatever, or a receiver with room correction, a separate source unit, and bookshelf speakers mounted on the wall. Keep in mind you will need a display of some kind to set up a receiver these days.

Doesn't have to stay there, but you will need one during setup.

Remember, though: About a kajillion percent of how good a loudspeaker sounds is directly related to the room.

 

[exmaxima1]

Speakers generally either require a baffle or enclosure. The only exceptions are extremely exotic or antiquated designs, such as plasma tweeters; which actually manage to be both exotic and antiquated.

It's funny to see the mention of a plasma tweeter! I believe they were only used by Hill Research, and indeed rare. In 1972 my high school science fair project was exactly that: a pair of tungsten rods, a torch, a wick to provide the ions---and a massive amplifier (via a step up transformer) to drive it. Very inefficient, but it made sound and got me a ribbon

 

[cheechi]

the reason I suggested the tube amp is very simple. Mine has knobs for vol, treble & bass. Some you might find something as sophisticated as a 5 band para. Most likely not. This is the tried and true KISS method, source amp 2 speakers done. no need to ******** about with anything else.

Stereo in a garage or shop is all that's needed. No room correction, no surround sound. Your volume knob is the room correction. Most you might need is multiple zones for having stereo sound in two or more discrete rooms. Unless it's old and mono, any music you listen to is going to be in stereo. And if that's the case working out in the garage you aren't going to hear anything bad in your mono songs being played in stereo or dual mono.

If you need a sub you just wire it as its a second stereo pair. Pretty much any powered sub is going to have left/right inputs anyway.