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28K views 90 replies 21 participants last post by  Jedirun 
#1 ·
Updated Pictures of the Ugly Garage Theater. Now with JTR 2010 Triple 8's, and a Seymour AV Center Stage XD Acoustically Transparent Screen:


New front stage.




The coaxials are now back in the middle of the Triple 8's.


Here it is with the screen installed.




Previous Front Stage:


JTR Triple 8's with the coaxials mounted on top. My DIY sub is on the left side of the picture.




Rack with Onkyo TX-NR905 and 4 Audiosource Amp 300's, to the left of that is the computer desk with all my sources.




Back of the room with the side and rear surrounds as well as the projector.




New back of the room with ghetto riser installed.






Close ups of the Triple 8's.






Recent changes: Added in the 4 Audiosource Amp 300's. Added the 3 JTR Triple 8's. Moved the old left and right to surrounds and the old surrounds to rear surrounds. Sold the Cambridge Soundworks Surround 5.1's. Due to the size of the Triple 8's, I was also able to get rid of my cinder block speakers stands.


Here is my current equipment list.


Display:


-Mitsubishi HC3000 DLP Projector

-DIY screen, Matte White (The projected picture is 94 inches)


Receiver, Pre/Pro, Amps:


-Onkyo PR-SC885(B)

-Outlaw ICBM-1 (Bass Management for multichannel and 2 channel music)

-4 Audiosource Amp 300 Power Amps


Video Sources:


-PS3

-Toshiba HD-A3

-Dell HTPC with Nvidia video card (not used much anymore since I got the PS3)


Audio Sources:


-Pioneer DV-563A(CD,SACD,DVD-A)

-Dell HTPC with SoundBlaster X-Fi


Power Conditioning:


-Tripp-lite Voltage Regulator

-Monster Power HTS1000


Remote:


-Onkyo CHAD

-X10 lighting control for two small ambient lights. (just for the fun of it)


Speakers and Sub:


-JTR 2010 Triple 8's with steel grills and Speakon connectors with top mounted coaxials as Left, Center and Right

-DIY MTM (Vifa XT25 Dual Concentric Ring Radiator Tweeters, Vifa PL18WO 7" Midwoofers, and 8" Seas Passive Radiators in 1 cubic foot enclosures from parts express. The tweeters are the same as what is in the Vifa Studios. The woofers and passive radiators are from the same line but a size up) as Side Surrounds

-Madisound Vifa Studio Kit speakers as Rear Surrounds

-3 Cubic Foot Sealed DIY Subwoofer NHT1259 and 250 watt amp


Cables:


-DIY Cross Linked 4 connector 12 guage speaker cables for the equivalent conductivity of 9 guage cable

-DIY Cardas cables for DVD Audio and SACD connection to the Receiver

-All the video equipment is connected with HDMI cables from monoprice


Racks:

-DIY equipment rack made with plans from Audiotweaks.com using double thickness MDF and threaded steel rods

-All my sources are on the computer desk


Speaker Stands:


-DIY stands on the sides

-Acoustic panels as stands for the rear surrounds


Room Treatments:


(2) 4" thick panels in the front upper corner (Owens Corning 703, DIY), (1) 4" panel on top of the subwoofer in front of the water heater (GIK 244). (1) 4 inch panel at the top right corner, 1 4" panel on the side wall accross from the door to the garage which is almost always open(GIK 244), and 2 6" panels behind the listening position (CertaPro AcoustaBoard Black, DIY).



Where I was a couple of months ago:











Here is how it started a several months ago before I found this forum:


The rest of this post is the way it was when I first posted:




My wife gave me permission to use the garage as a home theater.


It is not pretty, but it sounds a looks pretty good. I am a radiolgy resident and will be in this house for 2 more years. When I graduate my hope is to buy a home and build a dedicated home theater. Hopefully I will be reusing most of the equipment I have acquired and built over the years.


Some more pictures are below. I know the garage is cluttered and ugly. I am slowly working to get rid of some of the stuff we have stored in the garage. It will probably never look really nice but it is a fun place to watch movies or listen to music. The picture of the projected image did not turn out well. I need to mess with the settings on my camera and use a tripod.


Cluttered Mess:





Front and Center Channel Speakers with Acoustic Panels:







Sub with exhaust from air conditioner running over the top:





More cluttered mess (This is probably what needs the most work):





Rear Surrounds and Acoustic Panels:





My sources and side surrounds:





DIY rack with receiver awaiting install of power amps:





Projected Image (I am not sure why it looks so washed out. I will have to mess with some of the camera settings):




I got the projector cheap as a closeout.


The projector was calibrated with and Eye One Display LT and Color HCFR. It looks great. The Audyssey calibration on the 905 really made a difference in the sound. I have the video from the HD-DVD player and the PS3 running through the HQV Reon processing in the Onkyo. It helped out the PS3 a little, but it did wonders for getting rid of jagged lines from the HD-DVD player when scaling to 720P.


I built the kit speakers and the DIY speakers about 5 years ago when I was stationed in Italy.


I got the 905 and the Amp 300's really cheap as closeouts. They replaced an Onkyo TX-SR800 that really did a good job. I will hopefuly have time to hook the Amp 300's up soon. They may not make much of a difference in the sound, but at least they will look good on the rack. All the speakers are crossed over at 80 hz.


After installing the power amps, my next project will be to add tactile transducers to the loveseat/recliner, but that will probably be a few months from now.


I also need to reorganize the back of the garage so the rear surrounds are centered behind the screen. That is going to take a while.


The only components I am looking to replace any time in the near future are the cambridge soundworks surrounds. I can't say I have had any problems with them, but I am thinking about getting the Emotiva surrounds.


I was exited to find this forum. Where else can I find a bunch of people who might appreciate my garage get away, as ugly as it is.


Anyway, I would be happy to hear any advice or criticism. I am always looking to improve the system.
 
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#3 ·
Hey, that is one cool set up! All you need now is a pool table and one of those kegmeisters! Actually, it looks like a nice place to hang out after a day at the hospital, if that is where you are doing your residency. I used to train you guys and med students on the in and outs in the surgical suite. Well the med students were a bit more hands on after we got them gowned and gloved, but that is another story. Very stressful days to say the least, and a perfect looking room to relax in.
 
#7 ·
There are no rules to this great hobby. We make it what we want it to be and you have made the best out of the space you have. The thing that stands out to me is that most people with elaborate rooms and great decor, do nothing to treat the sound. You have great equipment and you have set it up to get the best you can out of it. I applaud your efforts and can't wait to see the DOC'S setup.
 
#8 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by Bruce Wayne /forum/post/16180117


There are no rules to this great hobby. We make it what we want it to be and you have made the best out of the space you have. The thing that stands out to me is that most people with elaborate rooms and great decor, do nothing to treat the sound. You have great equipment and you have set it up to get the best you can out of it. I applaud your efforts and can't wait to see the DOC'S setup.

Thank you. I just checked out your thread it looks like a great system. By the way, how did you get such good shots of your projected images?
 
#9 ·
You did a good job with the room you had to work with. Clean up the clutter and I'll bet you'll enjoy it even more.

I'm more impressed with people that do a lot with a little rather than someone with a gazillion bucks but hires everyone to do the work and barely understands what he/she has.

Well done.
 
#10 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by kai winters /forum/post/16184905


you did a good job with the room you had to work with. Clean up the clutter and i'll bet you'll enjoy it even more.

I'm more impressed with people that do a lot with a little rather than someone with a gazillion bucks but hires everyone to do the work and barely understands what he/she has.

Well done.

+1
 
#11 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by Jedirun /forum/post/16182291


Thank you. I just checked out your thread it looks like a great system. By the way, how did you get such good shots of your projected images?

I just have a cheap kodak point and shoot. I just bumped up the longtime exposure 1/2 point at a time until it looked close to what I was seeing. Using the self timer is a must when you do this. does your camera offer these settings? I really really wanted an HC3000 but was not able to swing it before they ended the model, I probably would still get one if I come across it for the right price.
 
#13 ·
Very cool setup. Great use of space too!
 
#14 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by Bruce Wayne /forum/post/16190086


I just have a cheap kodak point and shoot. I just bumped up the longtime exposure 1/2 point at a time until it looked close to what I was seeing. Using the self timer is a must when you do this. does your camera offer these settings? I really really wanted an HC3000 but was not able to swing it before they ended the model, I probably would still get one if I come across it for the right price.

I have been very happy with the HC3000. It replaced a Dell XGA DLP projector that I thought did a pretty good job. However, the difference in black levels and color are night and day. The picture got even better after I calibrated the grayscale. I think I got one of the last few before they sold out.
 
#15 ·
Jedi,

I agree with everyone above... I like your enthusiasm and the way you presented everything, the place looks comfy! Once you finish your residency and get another crib, I'm sure you'll be back with a vengeance...



Nice job!
 
#16 ·
Having this on the board and checking everyone else's systems out has inspired me to clean up a little. I rerouted the exhaust for the portable air conditioner so it is not lying over the subwoofer and moved the air conditioner so it is no longer between the subwoofer and the seating area.


I rearranged the front of the room a little so there is more room between the acoustic treatments and the rear mounted passive radiators. I think it made the front of the room look a little cleaner, because the acoustic panels make a nice border for the screen and hide the speaker cables.


I completely reorganized the back of the room so the surround back speakers are directly behind the loveseat. I also managed to move the surround speakers so they are centered around the listening area a little better.


I threw out a bunch of stuff, but there are still a lot of boxes that can probably go. It will probably take a couple of weekends of work figure out what else can be thrown out.


I recalibrated the system with Audyssey to account for the differnences in speaker placement and acoustic panel position this morning. It really sounds great. I am at work tonight, but I have the tripod out for the calibration anyway and will try to take some decent pictures in the morning when I get home.
 
#17 ·
I did a little reading on Dipole vs. Bipole vs. Monopole surrounds in the forums during the down time tonight. I am going to try out my surround speakers on the Bipole setting tomorrow and instead of getting the Emotiva surrounds I may hold off and wait until it is time to upgrade my front speakers and then move the front left and right into surround duty. I may try out switching my rear surrounds and surrounds with the surrounds set on bipole right now as an interim measure. This would also allow me to use the surround position for multichannel music rather than the surround back speakers like I am right now.
 
#18 ·
I didn't get a chance to take pictures this morning because I was changing out my surrounds and surround backs and recalibrating. The Vifa Sudios are now on the sides and the Cambridge Soudworks Surround 5.1's are now in back and set to Dipole.


I made the changes based on reading this post http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showt...9#post10034529 as well as others.


I watched some scenes from the Transformers Blu-ray and there was definitely better localization of the sound. Whether that is the way it supposed to be or not seems to still be controversial, but it does seem to make sense with modern programming. Anyway. This setup will suffice for now until I can save up for new front left right and center speakers such as JTR Triple 8's. Then I can move my front left and right to the sides and the current sides back to the rear.
 
#19 ·
Hello Jedirun!


Now that's what I call a sanctuary! A true "Man's Room!"

Your room is the personification of taking what you have and making it work!

Outstanding!



Now some will penalize you for the location and all of the stuff occupying the room. No worries! Your system is beyond the aesthetic. It's all about the performance and I can truly appreciate that!


I'm sure when the time comes, you will have the perfect area for a theater. But for now, enjoy yourself!


Regards.
 
#20 ·
Here are the changes that I made. I am still working on getting rid of more stuff. But now the speakers are at least in better locations, and the air conditioner and exhaust are away from the front of the subwoofer.




I need to work on some cable management this weekend.




The surround back speakers are actually centered behind the listening position.




My projector.

 
#21 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by ldgibson76 /forum/post/16210660


Hello Jedirun!


Now that's what I call a sanctuary! A true "Man's Room!"

Your room is the personification of taking what you have and making it work!

Outstanding!



Now some will penalize you for the location and all of the stuff occupying the room. No worries! Your system is beyond the aesthetic. It's all about the performance and I can truly appreciate that!


I'm sure when the time comes, you will have the perfect area for a theater. But for now, enjoy yourself!


Regards.

Thanks,


I do enjoy the room. I have been enjoying it even more lately since this forum has inspired me to do some work on it.


By the way, I have been admiring your system. I bet it sounds awesome.
 
#22 ·
Well done, Jedirun! Can I assume that the lower positioning of the center speaker is so that the tweeters are on the same plane? If so, would you consider a taller riser, and simply flip the center speaker upside down? You would most likely suffer less unwanted diffraction from the table, and I assume that the woofer is playing plenty of freq's within the dialogue passband. Just an idea.
The only negative I can think of is increased reflected light from its top, or err, bottom.
 
#23 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by jostenmeat /forum/post/16218312


Well done, Jedirun! Can I assume that the lower positioning of the center speaker is so that the tweeters are on the same plane? If so, would you consider a taller riser, and simply flip the center speaker upside down? You would most likely suffer less unwanted diffraction from the table, and I assume that the woofer is playing plenty of freq's within the dialogue passband. Just an idea.
The only negative I can think of is increased reflected light from its top, or err, bottom.

You are correct in my reason for positioning the center channel lower. I will give your idea a try. I will not be that expensive to test out, given the price of my "high tech" speaker stands.
 
#25 ·
Hey, you're welcome. I'm curious about what you might think, if there is even any difference. Ya know, while getting the tweeters on the same plane is surely a worthy goal, I do wonder how it would sound at the new speaker height, but upright as well (the offset would seem to be pretty minimal). Wouldn't be hard to try, just flip it over. Cheers man.
 
#26 ·
I haven't had enough time for critical listening yet. I finish my week of nights tonight and will have some time to enjoy the theater tomorrow morning. Who knows how much difference it will make, but it makes my OCD feel better. Everything is still a little below ear level when seated on the couch, but angled slightly upward to try to make up for it.
 
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