This family room remodel will have a fireplace with heavily textured stone on the face of it. We will have an opening for the television and a sound bar. But it is a fairly deep family room that extends to the kitchen.

They are leaning towards a sound bar to get three channels across the front. For me, I don't like a sound bar in a long room, because I feel like you lose the spaciousness of normally separated left and right speakers.

Would you consider a phantom center, a 4.1 system, instead of a sound bar and the center channel output?

I hate Phantom Center. Would probably do a soundbar if there is no other way to make it work with a center. JMO.

I also think solutions from James or Artison where the speakers are on the sides of the TV have much better separation then a soundbar!

That quote for a Leon that would mirror the width of the television was shot down due to budgetary reasons

Floorstanders flanking fireplace? Keep it 2 channel plus sub?

These large great rooms really piss me off. No matter what, the acoustics will suck anyways. Trying to get surround sound to actually sound good is a pita.

Is it a center fireplace flanked by bookcases on either side?
If so then dual centers L C FP C R

I have seen this on speakers that mount to the left and the right of the television itself. Are there bookshelf speakers to do that? How about in wall speakers?