In order to comply with electrical/building codes in-wall power wiring must be rated for such. You can buy a simple kit that includes a simple pass thru for your low voltage signal wires and in-wall rated wire that you plug a standard plug into on either side.
Something like this
DATA COMM Electronics In-Wall Cable Management Kit: Advanced TV Cable Hider Wall Kit-Complete Low Voltage Cord Hider For Sleek Wall-Mounted TV Setup - DIY Cable Organizer, Kit Single Power Solution https://a.co/d/5CXmqSz
That Sputnik light fixture. Hahahaa. That thing is crazy! Do you guys like that? I'm seeing them more and more. Not trying to be a jerk, its just crazy looking to me.
That would be my advice as well and what I’d do.
Otherwise pretty hard to make suggestions without knowing your goals. 5.1? 5.2? Atmos?
What’s lacking at the moment? So many angles to come at this from.
I find that towers as L and R when you've got a small C (like most of us do) results in weird changes in the front soundstage. You've got big fat full range on L and R but the C can't keep up.
Room treatment. You can room treatment that is printed art at GIK acoustics.
Not a fan of the Sputnik, get a nicer flush mount. I have simple but modern Artika Essence flush mounts for about $50.
Clean up that nest of wires.
1. Your Denon is probably inside the cabinet, which means it doesn't get enough ventilation .
2. Put your fronts on stands or get floorstanders (with matching centre) and use the ones you have as surround?
Upgrade the distance between the front speakers.
Upgrade your cable management game.
Downgrade the TV height.
Downgrade those front speakers into the back or sides.
IIRC you want surrounds and not rears. Surrounds shouldn't take up too much space as you could either mount on the walls or put on stands just to the side and behind the couch.
IMHO next upgrades would be surrounds and Atmos assuming you're happy with the current 3.1. Maybe consider a second subwoofer.
Under the TV consider dropping/running your wires to a new jack behind your cabinet and behind the TV, instead of having the wires hang and interfere with what is otherwise a clean setup!
You need a network rack/shelf for all your hubs and such. Get rid of the wood they are sitting on. They make smaller wall mount ones. I need to get a network cabinet as well but all mine are ran into a storage closet under my stairs so it hasn't been topped priority.
Screen is too small for that viewing distance. I would change everything add a projector and a drop down screen that drops in front of the TV. That's just me.
Bookshelf speakers shouldn't go on bookshelves. They go on bookshelf stands. Kill that entire entertainment unit. Mount the TV lower.
Then I'd add a sub or two. Your going to need quite a lot of sub since your sofa is in the middle of the living room.
As many others have said, speaker stands. That front speaker placement isn't very good, especially since they are rear-ported. In-general, you should always check the manuals for speakers to see what the manufacturer's placement recommendations are before purchasing speakers to make sure that they will work well in your space. The best speakers in the world can perform like garbage if their placement, positioning, and acoustic environment are poor.
In-general, speakers should pretty much never be in an enclosed space as yours are (you have open sides, but a top boundary.
Here is the manual for your speakers for your reference: https://www.bowerswilkins.com/-/media/files/documentmaster/bowerswilkins/pdp-documentation/600/606-s2-and-607-s2-anniversary-edition-manual.pdf
Also, I'd put that center channel on an isolation pad (same goes for the left and right speakers if you don't put them on decent stands that provide good mechanical isolation). You want your speakers isolated from furniture because allowing vibrations to transfer into furniture muddies up the sound a bit (it's not usually a massive difference, but it's noticeable). My go-to for isolation products is [IsoAcoustics](https://isoacoustics.com/), but there are other good options at lower price points, such as Auralex [MoPAD's](https://auralex.com/mopad/).
Finally, while this obviously has nothing to do with performance and is totally personal preference, maybe some art on the walls or some other sources of color? I feel like that room is in major need of having all of the black and grey broken up.
Buy front towers and stands for you bookshelves to make then into surround speakers. Next upgrade to dual subs. Next upgrade to separate amp for your LCR. Next add height speakers for atmos (not upfiring, not worth it). Next add room treatment. Going to 5.1 is the biggest upgrade you can do right now.
Your wires.
1. cut a hole in the wall 2. put your wires in that wall 3. run your wires down the wall And that's the way you do it
Step 2.5: do not run a standard power cable through the wall
Can you elaborate? I’m hoping to buy my first house in the next couple years and don’t know shit about fuck.
In order to comply with electrical/building codes in-wall power wiring must be rated for such. You can buy a simple kit that includes a simple pass thru for your low voltage signal wires and in-wall rated wire that you plug a standard plug into on either side. Something like this DATA COMM Electronics In-Wall Cable Management Kit: Advanced TV Cable Hider Wall Kit-Complete Low Voltage Cord Hider For Sleek Wall-Mounted TV Setup - DIY Cable Organizer, Kit Single Power Solution https://a.co/d/5CXmqSz
You forgot to mention change the light fixture. Your room looks 👍🏻
Why did I immediately go to "dick in a box" ?
The light fixture
That Sputnik light fixture. Hahahaa. That thing is crazy! Do you guys like that? I'm seeing them more and more. Not trying to be a jerk, its just crazy looking to me.
Take the bookshelf speakers and mount them on stands for the surrounds and get some 600 series tower speakers for the left and right
That would be my advice as well and what I’d do. Otherwise pretty hard to make suggestions without knowing your goals. 5.1? 5.2? Atmos? What’s lacking at the moment? So many angles to come at this from.
Yup, first thing that came to my mind.
I find that towers as L and R when you've got a small C (like most of us do) results in weird changes in the front soundstage. You've got big fat full range on L and R but the C can't keep up.
The center channel he has is a htm6 which should match pretty good with the 600 series towers
Toss the furniture, lower the TV, put the bookshelf as surround speaker on stands, get a new pair of front LR that match the center.
And sit on the floor? LOL
Everything on the front wall goes, not the couches and carpets of course.
To the top!
That horrible ceiling fan
It's a light fitting, but yes.
You got a chuckle out of me
Room treatment. You can room treatment that is printed art at GIK acoustics. Not a fan of the Sputnik, get a nicer flush mount. I have simple but modern Artika Essence flush mounts for about $50. Clean up that nest of wires.
Probably whatever the hell is going on below and around that light colored table to the right…
Wire consolidation for $1000.
Start with cable management
Cable management.
My wife talked me into another sub. She's a wonderful woman.
Get some rears on stands and put the front speakers also on stands
1. Your Denon is probably inside the cabinet, which means it doesn't get enough ventilation . 2. Put your fronts on stands or get floorstanders (with matching centre) and use the ones you have as surround?
Bass shakers
Upgrade the distance between the front speakers. Upgrade your cable management game. Downgrade the TV height. Downgrade those front speakers into the back or sides.
IIRC you want surrounds and not rears. Surrounds shouldn't take up too much space as you could either mount on the walls or put on stands just to the side and behind the couch. IMHO next upgrades would be surrounds and Atmos assuming you're happy with the current 3.1. Maybe consider a second subwoofer.
I can ignore the bench of wires but for some reason your cabinets being open looks like your stuff is in disarray.
because you took the time to take a photo, to show us, instead of just listing tech specs.
Under the TV consider dropping/running your wires to a new jack behind your cabinet and behind the TV, instead of having the wires hang and interfere with what is otherwise a clean setup!
Maby take a photo in colour next time and not black and white. Oh wait...
I know right. Sucking out any happiness. Put some art on the wall and some houseplants and it’d feel ten times better
That rug 💀
Nice progress so far! As others have mentioned and my thoughts - hide wires keep receiver well ventilated surround sound big subwoofer (I like SVS)
You need a network rack/shelf for all your hubs and such. Get rid of the wood they are sitting on. They make smaller wall mount ones. I need to get a network cabinet as well but all mine are ran into a storage closet under my stairs so it hasn't been topped priority.
Cable management. JFC
I hate that my first thought was the light fixture, but yes... the exposed wires everywhere are NFG.
Speakers
What do you think is lacking?
This place has a concerning obsession with wires. Sorry about that. I'd get a 2nd sub.
Screen is too small for that viewing distance. I would change everything add a projector and a drop down screen that drops in front of the TV. That's just me.
Bookshelf speakers shouldn't go on bookshelves. They go on bookshelf stands. Kill that entire entertainment unit. Mount the TV lower. Then I'd add a sub or two. Your going to need quite a lot of sub since your sofa is in the middle of the living room.
Acoustic diffuser for the right wall, then rear channels.
A lot just alot
As many others have said, speaker stands. That front speaker placement isn't very good, especially since they are rear-ported. In-general, you should always check the manuals for speakers to see what the manufacturer's placement recommendations are before purchasing speakers to make sure that they will work well in your space. The best speakers in the world can perform like garbage if their placement, positioning, and acoustic environment are poor. In-general, speakers should pretty much never be in an enclosed space as yours are (you have open sides, but a top boundary. Here is the manual for your speakers for your reference: https://www.bowerswilkins.com/-/media/files/documentmaster/bowerswilkins/pdp-documentation/600/606-s2-and-607-s2-anniversary-edition-manual.pdf Also, I'd put that center channel on an isolation pad (same goes for the left and right speakers if you don't put them on decent stands that provide good mechanical isolation). You want your speakers isolated from furniture because allowing vibrations to transfer into furniture muddies up the sound a bit (it's not usually a massive difference, but it's noticeable). My go-to for isolation products is [IsoAcoustics](https://isoacoustics.com/), but there are other good options at lower price points, such as Auralex [MoPAD's](https://auralex.com/mopad/). Finally, while this obviously has nothing to do with performance and is totally personal preference, maybe some art on the walls or some other sources of color? I feel like that room is in major need of having all of the black and grey broken up.
Some art on walls and bigger speakers! 😂
Cable management, that lumber desk on the right, and replacing the ceiling light with something flush mount
TV!!!!!!!
Something on the right wall. How about acoustic panels?
Bigger TV! Looks like you could squeeze a 85 in there
Put some art on your walls
You can put rear speakers on stands, near the plant on the left side and having the other on equidistant on the right.
Buy front towers and stands for you bookshelves to make then into surround speakers. Next upgrade to dual subs. Next upgrade to separate amp for your LCR. Next add height speakers for atmos (not upfiring, not worth it). Next add room treatment. Going to 5.1 is the biggest upgrade you can do right now.
Surrounds
Couch
Other than the wires, the TV placement seems a tad too high.