So I'm thinking about using my old speakers EPI Series 3? to build my surround sound in the living room. Denon is the likely receiver, although I am wavering on that also now, wondering if Yamaha or Sony is better...
Anyway, so what sub, center and in-ceiling speakers should I consider? Can I just pair anything together with mny old pair? I'd like the new ones to "match" cause it just seems easier to deal with fewer brands...
Personally, I would take a Denon, Marantz, Onkyo, Pioneer or Harmon Kardon receiver over Sony any day. There is a reason why they cost more than Sony, IMO. I wouldn't even consider a Yamaha model made in 2000 or later. Yamaha used to be ranked among the 5 I mentioned here. Now, their products cost just as much as them, but are of less value than Sony. Just my opinion.
Why go with in-ceiling speakers? Particularly for the center if you are going to use stand mounted/bookshelf speakers for the front L/R? You are very likely going to sacrifice a good bit of quality in the in wall speakers vs free standing designs. Plus, you will forever tie yourself down to one location for all of the equipment and listening positions within that room once the speaker positions are permanently fixed in place with in celing speakers.
The EPI's are 30+ year old speakers which sonically have little in common with today's speakers. If you need to begin there due to budget restrictions, that's one thing. If you're real reason for not buying a matched set of speakers all the way around your surround system is simply to not have to think about brands, you're still out of luck. Matching today's speakers to the EPI's will actually be more difficult than simply buying new speakers all the way around - if you care about sound quality. As to which in wall speakers to buy? That's a total crapshoot as there are too many brands to select from and each will sound drastically different in the store - assuming you can audition in wall speakers in a store - vs in your walls.
My advice is to totally rethink what you are going to buy. Based on this and your earlier post you sound as if you are doing this virtually on your own by looking at catalogs and websites. I would strongly advise you to find a local dealer who can assist you in at least a few of your decisions. You need a few ground rules to start off on the right footing. If nothing else, call Audio Advisor and ask to speak to one of the representatives about your plans.
So I want/need to do the in CEILING speaker for the back because the kids' little play area is behind our sofa so nwo way to put even little bookshelves back there for the next 3 years plus our house is pre-wired so I figured it should be fine for surround sound which is not my think anyway, it is for my husband and he is fine with whatever audio wise.
As for the EPIs I was going to use them to save money, but also because I still really like the way they sound. If I leave them in the bedroom I can't get a sweet spot. I have room above my desk for small speakers but no floor space there so basically right now my EPIs are like 3 feet apart on either side of the TV versus 10 feet apart which would be possible with smaller speakers.
Another confound I have upstairs is the TV is not in the sweet spot. It is off to the left side because there is a door in the middle of the wall. Anyway, so not even sure about watching movies up there but my main thing is music so I am just trying to find a way to balance all of these needs, as economically as possible, while still picking good products.
If I were you, I would consider just getting a stereo 2 channel amp for the EPI speakers, and be done with it, since the music is your main thing. This way you will end up with considerably more enjoyable setup than the Denon.
I have Denon, but I was never happy with it in music. I would recommend this $24 digital amp that is getting rave reviews: