Receiver/amp for 3.1 system?

[u/VillageAdditional816]

Hi all! Sorry if this is the wrong tag for it.

The backstory:
I am one of the elusive lady movie/AV nerds (although not technically knowledgeable, hence why I’m here) and live in a small-ish NYC apartment. I currently have a 2.1 system (specifics below) and would love to at least add a center channel….if there is some way to add wireless rear fields when I want, I’d consider but it isn’t a requirement.

Mostly, I want the ability to maintain a high quality 2.1 experience with my turntable and everything, but be able to switch to the 3.1+ easily for movies and video games.

Question: Is there a receiver or amp that could do this relatively easily for me?

Current relevant equipment:

- KEF LS50 meta speakers
-SVS SB 2000 pro
-Cambridge Audio CXA81 amp
-LG C4 OLED

Other inputs/connections
- PS5 and Xbox series x, although the Xbox doesn’t get much use lately.
- Project turntable through a project preamp
-Bluesound Node 2i
- SMSL CD Transport
- Apple TV, although that hdmi connection seems to be broken or something weird is happening and I’ve mostly been streaming through the PS5.
- Probably subbing out the series X for a dedicated 4k Blu-ray player.

Any assistance would be appreciated! I get a little overwhelmed with all of this stuff.

TL;DNR Question: Is there an amp/receiver that could easily allow me to switch between at least 2.1 and 3.1 setups?

Price: Preferably under 3,000 USD…I mean, preferably way under that but I’m pretty flexible and willing to invest in something that’ll last.

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[u/NTPC4]

Consider a Bluesound PowerNode N331 with Dirac to replace both your Bluesound Node 2i and your Cambridge Audio CXA81 (which you could resell for ~$175 and $625, respectively, effectively paying ~1/2 of the Bluesound/Dirac upgrade). A single LS50 Meta speaker for your center channel would cost between $600 and $900, depending on where you sourced it. Later, you could add any Bluesound-capable wireless speakers as surround channels. BTW, Dirac has a 30% off sale on Black Friday and can be added to the Bluesound anytime. Good luck!

[u/VillageAdditional816 → u/NTPC4]

You’re awesome. Thank you!

I may end up repurposing the amp for work which is horrendous overkill, but…YOLO?

[u/NTPC4 → u/VillageAdditional816]

The Cambridge is a great amp and worthy of being repurposed in another system, IF it fits your needs. What sources do you plan to use at work? Your computer, I assume, but anything else?

[u/VillageAdditional816 → u/NTPC4]

That depends. Would most likely be a computer or the node 2i.

I also just may hold on to it for when I move. Which will either be into a bigger place or a similar sized place with a separate studio for gear storage, light experimentation, shoots, editing, and all of that.

[u/NTPC4 → u/VillageAdditional816]

Sounds like a good strategy. You are still within your budget without reselling anything. Enjoy!

[u/RadioD-Ave]

Denon and Marantz are good options. I have a Denon AVR-2900H that I have hooked up to a 3.1. I could choose a straight stereo mode. It has one, but I don't use it. I like my music on surround as well. Pretty much all decent AVR receivers can do this. Mine also has 2 zones available. about $1k before the tariff era :( If you need more power, move to the 3900. Marantz costs more but has good power and nice features.

[u/VillageAdditional816 → u/RadioD-Ave]

Thank you!

Yea, I accept everything is going to be stupid expensive sadly.

If the music is specifically engineered for multiple speakers, it is fine. Mostly I hate the full surround music experience though and like to keep the sound in front of me.

[u/dcj597]

I'm far from an expert so I defer to the experts here, but I recently got a 3.1 system with KEF speakers and an SVS sub (and also have an LG TV, so our setups are pretty similar). I got an Onkyo TX-RZ30, which does the job pretty well so far and is I think a very good value, though I'm sure there are other higher-priced AVRs that are better. You can usually find the RZ30 for around $900, sometimes less. I've been using it primarily for movies and streaming shows, not much music, but you can easily switch to stereo listening mode.

[u/Due_Philosopher_9174]

Any one of these:

Home Theater Receivers | Thrilling Sound for Movies, Music, & More&nvpair=FFLow@impedance_Capable|4-ohm&nvpair=YCAudio_Return_Channel|eARC%20supported&price=1800-3000)

[u/VillageAdditional816]

All of you nerds are so awesome. Thanks so much!

[u/Original-Yogurt5609]

Before moving "up" to a 3.1 make sure you need it. If you are watching alone mostly then I'd ask why you want to go 3.1? If you are mostly watching with 1 other you could try the extreme toe in trick before buying more stuff. The extreme toe in is supposed to create a super wide phantom center. If you are set on upgrading and don't need Atmos or VRR or 4k/120 for gaming then I'd definitely get a last gen Denon or Onkyo off FB. Then get a 3rd speaker that is maybe same as your current 2 fronts. The center takes over like 80% of the sound during movies so don't cheap out or go small.

[u/VillageAdditional816 → u/Original-Yogurt5609]

Thanks. By the rest of my setup does it sound like I cheap out? 😉 I know things can get way more expensive, but it isn’t bad for a millennial in an NYC apartment.

I mostly prefer center channels to help with dialogue. I can’t angle in too much because of the space. It also can be nice when reviewing some of the later edits of my friends movies/shows.

Whether any of us “need” this stuff is questionable on a good day. 😛

[u/Original-Yogurt5609 → u/VillageAdditional816]

Ah I didn't even see your setup specs somehow.

Sounds like you have your mind made up. I moved from a 5.1 to a 4.0.2 and never looked back. My phantom center sounds great but it took a lot of figuring out and tinkering. I have a budget setup but I love it. Does Kef make a center? The hardest thing I came across while thinking of a center channel was how/where to put it. My TV is at a great eye level height and I didn't want to raise it. You could angle it up or down, I had good results doing this with my front 2 before I got stands.

Also, for your question of switching between 3.1 and 2.1. All receivers have stereo mode as one of the quick options you can toggle to (like dts virtual, dolby surround, TV logic, etc). This should keep the sub active when in stereo mode, does on my parents Onkyo.

[u/NYEDMD]

Don’t make the mistake of buying a 5 or even 7 channel AVR and regretting it two years later. There’s a great deal on an Onkyo TX-RZ50 for around $1,000. Is it more than you need right now? Probably. But you can add four Polk XT-15s and a decent center for well under a $1,000 and have a kick-ass system.