had to one-up Tryg :p
For me, my current projector, the beautious Sony Qualia 004. The contrast nazis will complain about the poor ANSI contrast, but it beats anything you will see in the local multiplex. Solid as a rock, bright, colorful & perfect corner-to-corner focus. With good 1080i/p source, the picture still amazes.

Don't know if I'll upgrade to its replacement, which is expected to appear at CEDIA.

Same with me - my current projector is the best I've ever owned - the dVision 1080p!! I'm in no hurry to upgrade either. Maybe to buy a new bulb later this year though. Sharp as a tack, bright, built like a tank!!

Merdian 568.2, amazing AV pre pro and Meridan provided a major software update including new codecs long past it's discontinued date free of charge.

Thankfully for my wallet I don't care if my projector is beautiful or built like a Sherman tank.
My $999 IF7210 certainly ranks up there for best purchase ever.
It's a $100 per foot of screen (linear)
or $8.125 per inch of screen
or $19.08 per square foot of picture. ;)

Any anamorphic lens to create a scope set up. the second best HT item purchased in creating a cinema experience at home (first being a projector). So to divide up the best awards....Co-winners are Panamorph for the 440 scope lens and Primasonic for their Scope Aspect Ratio curved screen.

Samsung SP-A800!

Toshiba XA2 - best bang for the buck upconverting player I have ever owned. Breaths new life into old DVD's.

My best purchases:

1) I guess I'd have to say my Sony Pearl, but perhaps only because it's my first front projector, and my entire system is built around it!

2) Acoustic panels (full room treatments).

3) My dedicated HT room construction

These last two things aren't "equipment" per se, but they're definitely part of the system.

Best thing ever...my room! :) Seriously, all the best equipment in the world doesn't do me jack without a place to put it! :)

Best thing ever...my room! Seriously, all the best equipment in the world doesn't do me jack without a place to put it!

Good point Jason! Having a place to build a " projector room " ( sounds better than a closet, eh ? ) to hide the darn thing is great too. A dedicated theater room is the best upgrade I ever made!!

I agree with Jason and rboster.

Having a true cinemascope picture in my house is a dream come true. I'd have to say that if I had to pick out something specific though it would be my UH440 lens and my screen. They are my two best pieces of equipment. They are the only two items in my room that haven't come up for an upgrade. Every other piece of equipment has been changed over more then a few times. The two of them have remained rock solid and upgrade proof.

I have to say my Carada Masquerade Masking System and Sony VPL VW200... ;)

My best is a stand alone home theater a couple hundred feet from the main house!:D

When we decided to do a house extension, my wife got a new kitchen and I got myself a dedicated home theatre room. Now we're a very happy family.

I'd have to say my Sony VPL-VW50 "Pearl"

Just ~3 years ago, the thought of having 1080p resolution and anything more than ~1000-2000 CR for less than several tens of thousands of dollars seemed like a dream.

Then Sony blew the doors off of things with the Ruby. We all of the sudden had $30K+ performance for $10K.

A year later along comes the Pearl. Performance on par or better than the Ruby, yet listing for half, and streeting for even less.

In the space of a year or so, those 2 machines changed what had been a somewhat static linear projector price/performance curve radically. We know have numerous relatively inexpensive 1080p units with excellent CR to choose from.

I had one of the first Pearls in the country (# 4 I believe), and it's been the stellar centerpiece of my theater.

While no tech is perfect, mine has dead-on convergence, and has a lumen spec that's actuality based on reality. I'd like a little better lamp life, but hey...

Since my "real" HT isn't finished I'm not sure what to add, but I since I plan on trying to integrate my current amplifiers into my HT I'll give them a plug: My Conrad Johnson Premier 12 tube monoblock amplifiers (140W side). They have been nirvana, providing that luscious tube sound but with the power to do a good job of controlling every speaker, big or small, I've had through my listening room. The closest to "best of both worlds" I've found in tube amplification, which is why I might incorporate them in my HT as well.

Jason. I would agree a jack is almost useless unless you have a place to put it and a great place is even better. :)

Howver, guys, the purpose of this thread is to pick a component, not to talk about environments which I fully agree are more important than single component pieces.

The thread started with projectors and this is a projector forum but I think the intent is to pock any singlr HT component.

For me, it has been my lumagen Radiance. I have used it with a wide variety of projectors and a VP is required when I use my FP CRT. Useless without one.

For improving SD and dealing with 720p and 1080i as well as allowing me to feed my projector 1080p 48 from a BluRay sorce (my projector will not accept 1080p 24), it has become my most useful piece.

A great company who continues to add down loadable features without charge. My award winner. :)

When we decided to do a house extension, my wife got a new kitchen and I got myself a dedicated home theatre room. Now we're a very happy family.

I hear ya there. When my wife and I built our house...the agreement was I got the basement, she got everything else. Of course now that she has her part the way she wants it, she is meandering into my area...she wants to convert the theater into a kids play room! AHHHHHH!!!!

SIM HT 5000 incredible color ,uniformity,unbelievable panel alignment (less than 1/4 pixel at corners perfect over better than 80% of the screen)

ISCO III anamorphic lens just awe inspiring when it slides in with sharp pixel structure still in tact with very little pincushon.

Cineslide lens transport ,just a nifty quiet ,fast, responsive reliable device

Seaton Submersive subwoofers. Tremendous power ,not bloated ,flat to 10Hz performance in a compact design.

Dolby Lake Equalizer a complex device that can produce almost anything you could want in correction .

Seaton Catalyst mains. Tremendous power and clean clear dialog just a deadly combination.

Art. Are these in order or all a tie for best?

I hear ya there. When my wife and I built our house...the agreement was I got the basement, she got everything else. Of course now that she has her part the way she wants it, she is meandering into my area...she wants to convert the theater into a kids play room! AHHHHHH!!!!

Say it ain't so! :eek:

Oh it is so. And knowing my wife and my soft spot for my 3 girls...she is going to win.

It ought to be my high end speaker cables.:D
All these gears are mutually exclusive but if I have to pick one it is my PS3.
It does all sorta things.. 1080p video with lossless audio already decoded so no need for high end processor, games and music including super Audio and on top down loading software and more.

My Sim2 HT3000e projecting on a Firehawk G3 screen. For me, it's good enough so I'm not thinking of ugrading...just enjoying the movies !

TA

I hear ya there. When my wife and I built our house...the agreement was I got the basement, she got everything else. Of course now that she has her part the way she wants it, she is meandering into my area...she wants to convert the theater into a kids play room! AHHHHHH!!!!

Try watch a chick-flick with her and pretend to like it. (HINT: Not pausing the movie for your rest room break will backfire big time.):)

3 (left Right Center) Aerial 20 T's version 2 speakers behind my micro perf screen.
Every passage of a movie which has music gets elevated to absolute nirvana.
Michael Kelly's genius created this spectacular piece of equipment.

Try watch a chick-flick with her and pretend to like it. (HINT: Not pausing the movie for your rest room break will backfire big time.):)

Alas I already watch chick-flicks all the time for her... :)

I guess my current fav is the equipment I'm not looking to upgrade anytime soon:

Sony Pearl
Sony PS3
B&W 804's and HTM3S
Berlkine 090s

My Velodyne HGS12 sub, DaLite HCCV screen and Pioneer Elite AVR are all targeted for upgrade.

Pioneer Elite TXH94 receiver. It does a lot and sounds great.

Followed closely by our Mark Levinson 232 stereo amp. Surely it's sweeter sounding than the Pioneer on music, but just not as exciting to play with!

SIM HT 5000 incredible color ,uniformity,unbelievable panel alignment (less than 1/4 pixel at corners perfect over better than 80% of the screen)

ISCO III anamorphic lens just awe inspiring when it slides in with sharp pixel structure still in tact with very little pincushon.

Cineslide lens transport ,just a nifty quiet ,fast, responsive reliable device

Seaton Submersive subwoofers. Tremendous power ,not bloated ,flat to 10Hz performance in a compact design.

Dolby Lake Equalizer a complex device that can produce almost anything you could want in correction .

Seaton Catalyst mains. Tremendous power and clean clear dialog just a deadly combination.

You just listed you entire current setup didn't you?
;)

For me has to be the AVS Forum.
I received a lot of help and was able to research the equipment through the advice of many of you guys and Jason.
Of course the hunk of plastic and metal that gets hugged the most before I retire is the RS-1. ;)
Thanks guys.
Tony S

For me has to be the AVS Forum.
I received a lot of help and was able to research the equipment through the advice of many of you guys and Jason.
Of course the hunk of plastic and metal that gets hugged the most before I retire is the RS-1. ;)
Thanks guys.
Tony S

HERE HERE!

had to one-up Tryg :p
For me, my current projector, the beautious Sony Qualia 004. The contrast nazis will complain about the poor ANSI contrast, but it beats anything you will see in the local multiplex. Solid as a rock, bright, colorful & perfect corner-to-corner focus. With good 1080i/p source, the picture still amazes.

Don't know if I'll upgrade to its replacement, which is expected to appear at CEDIA.

I spent some time with the VPL-VW200, which was a beautiful projector, but the brightness of the Qualia gave it a punch that I haven't quite equaled since I got rid of mine. My choice was between a new VW200 or a demo Qualia.

I picked up a demo Qualia for a great price, and the unit is on its way back to me after receiving the 1080p upgrade at Sony. So long to my Sharp XV-Z20000, and the Qualia will do me just fine.

Nick :cool:

Nick, happy to see you got that back. You never seemed quite satisfied in the search for that next best PJ. Can't say I blame you, contrast aside, it is still Sony's finest piece.:)

Jim