Hi all,

I have a choice of setting up a HT in a dedicated small room (11x21) or a corner of a larger room (roughly a 15x25 corner of a 20x40 area. I can't center the HT because there are doors). It will be used for classical music 70% of the time and movies for the rest. Which one is a more desirable choice for HT?

If I go for the 11x21, I'm thinking of the m22ti, vp100, qs4, and stf2. Will larger speakers make a noticeable difference in this room?

I'm also torn between the Marantz SR5400 and HK AVR330. I heard the Marantz is more detailed and is best for music, but the HK has fuller sound.

Thank you in advance for your advice.

I would personally use the smaller room, which I don't think is technically "small" although I could be wrong. I think if you can set up the HT symmetrically it will just make life easier in the long run. I had my HT set up in a 13x17 room (I just moved 3 days ago...) with the tv on the short wall (m60tis, vp150, qs8s) and it sounded fantastic. Haven't arranged the new livingroom yet but it will be a similar setup. Definately more speaker than I needed, but not more than I wanted .

but yes, 11" should give you plenty of separation for the m22s, and you can mount the surrounds easily slightly behind the seating position (as I doubt you'll be against the back wall...) If you eventually wanted to upgrade to 7.1, there'd still be room behind for rears. In the corner of a large room, you may find that the acoustics are off for a lot of the surround effects. (One side will have a wall to reflect off and the other side will just be open space)

I'm the owner of a Marantz SR5200, and I do like it very much. But I've had some serious issues with the power supply on two different occasions. Having said that, don't let that scare you away from Marantz. They've been great to work with, they offer a three year warranty and the SR5200 has been discontinued for a little over a year. By this point they've almost certainly taken a fine receiver and improved it and refined it that much more.

My only complaint with the Marantz is that the crossover is fixed at 100hz on the 5200. This may have changed with the newer model - I know the 7400 offers 80hz, 100hz & 120hz. Otherwise, it's a very good receiver and a nice match for my Axioms. Would I buy Marantz again? I don't know. When I bought my 5200 two years ago, this was a highly regarded unit and there wasn't much in the same price range that could compete with it. But my next receiver will be a significant step up. Denon certainly seems to have a winner with its 3805, and the only model Marantz offers near that price range is the 7400 - no contest at all. I'd spend the extra money on the Denon.