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The Hummer Theater

2K views 24 replies 7 participants last post by  Jaurhead 
#1 · (Edited)
*If a mod or someone of power happens by this thread, please change the title to "Ryan and Company's Fun Room". The "Hummer" reference is no longer valid and I cringe when I see it... thanks!

Measuring in at a whopping :rolleyes: 11'4 x 10'8 x 7'9, just under 1000 ft^3, this little dandy does enough justice for us...for now.

If you want the backstory, click: Screw you, Photobucket.
I'd always dabbled with having sound equipment. At one time, I was using an RCA something-or-rather receiver (which didn't have a working center or FR preout) linked through a Sony HTIB AVR (which ONLY had a working center and FR preout) running an almagation of speakers, ranging from some no-name sub I had in an old car to a hacked-up set of Insignia satellites to a series of AE 3311's I got from an uncle...it was kind of a mess.

When I first moved out to the OC, I had some fun, and put this together:

...which mostly consisted of almost everything I mentioned above.

In my 4th year of college, I decided I wanted a kick-butt HT system. This was before I had heard of AVSForum, obviously, or my first HT room wouldn't have looked like this:

But it was my first legitimate system. The TV was a pass-along when I moved out of home; it was a Vizio plasma-something-heavy. I had just picked up an Onkyo 636 and a set of Monoprice's basic 5.1 HTIB. I was using the AE 3311's as mains and a pair of old Sony rears from an HTIB. I also purchased MP's 12" 250w sub, making the system a "full-immersive" 5.2.2 experience. Now per that photo, it looks like I was running 7.2.2...but I'm not exactly sure how :confused: Oh well, it was over a year ago and I've moved on!

So when I finished college we moved, and upgraded some things a bit.

Namely the decor, TV, and additional audio gear. This system was in our new living room, which measured roughly 14'x17'x7'9". I was still using the 636, but the TV was a Polaroid 55" 4K, and I purchased Onkyo's up-firing modules (mounted above the L and R). I did away with the 3311's as active mains and instead turned them into the entertainment center - they act as a shelf that everything sits on! Inside the upper part of the housing was the MP Center speaker, the 636, a Sony BDPS6500, PS4, MP 4 ch speaker selector (for switching between 5.2.2 or 7.2), Rocketfish's Wireless Rears transmitter, charging docks, games and BDs, and a dual 4" fan with thermal sensor and temp readout to keep things cool-ish. The back of the housing was open, but there were lots of cables back there :eek: The upper face was hinged to fold down. On the floor left and right were the MP subs (both HTIB models...the little satellites were starting to stack up FAST).

The rears were mounted above the bar, which faced the TV.

I had to build out the beam and "soffit" or wall or whatever you want to call it to help conceal the wire path, which ran down the support beam and under the bar top, where the Rocketfish wireless receiver was hidden. It was painted to match the rest of the walls.


By the way, everything I make, from the wire path to the subwoofer enclosures to the entertainment center, is all just balsa wood. The elements that cover speakers that wrapped in AT fabric.

So why the move to a smaller room with MORE speakers? Well, we live in a condo on the second floor. Technically, beneath us is just garages, however where the living room was situated just happened to be over a garage that was converted into a living space. We were always worried about noise and being too loud for the neighbors downstairs, thus we never really took anything to 11. In a year there haven't been any complaints yet, and they seem like nice enough people....but I really want to go to 11...and not hear an complaints from it (except from my boyfriend maybe).

We had a second bedroom (the smallest of the rooms) that was used as an office/transition space for my decor projects. Big desk, lots of room, I tricked out some IKEA floating shelves and made it look very pretty. Upon his suggestion, we moved the AV gear into this office so that it would be a dedicated movie/entertainment space for just the two of us. Before the big switch, though, I wanted to upgrade. I got a newer AVR with 9 speaker preouts instead of 7, we got a bigger TV, and some new furniture. The rest you'll read about....


7.1.4




Equipment currently in play:

Audio
- Marantz SR6011
- HTD Lvl 3 LCR
- 4x Dayton B652-Air (SR/SL, SBR/SBL)
- 4x Monoprice HTIB satellites (Height 1/2 L/R on-ceiling)
- 1x PSA S3000i
- 1x Aura Pro Bass Shakers
- Dayton APA150 (for Front Height L/R)

Display
- LG 55" B6

Sources
- Oppo 203
- Xbox One S
- PS4
- Roku Ultra
- LG Apps

Other elements in the room are a cloth loveseat, which sits on a 5x7' shag rug and two cloth ottomans. Behind the loveseat is a big sliding glass door, which is blacked out, covered with 2 Roxul panels, and then draped with thick curtains. There's a closet that is partially covered by the TV that houses all of the AV equipment on a Sanus AV Shelving Unit.
 
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#3 ·
Thanks! 'Twill get better with time.

Was able to sell my 636 and a couple sets of MP speakers and subs last night, so I dove in and bought 2 SVS Prime satellites and 2 Prime bookshelves from their outlet. Now I can return two more FH6's. Gotta save up again for their Center channel. Hope the bookshelf models pair alright with the FH6 center.
 
#5 ·
Closest I could find were these: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B00Q0E0QLI/ref=mp_s_a_1_30?qid=1465634111&sr=8-30&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=sound+panels#

Though a pack of two from them in euros costs the same as a pack of 6 from Mybecca in USD. Do you have a friend/relative in the states that can ship them to you? I'm not sure of any alternatives otherwise. Maybe someone else might!

As for "progress," I've returned all of the FH6's and put in their replacements. Two SVS Prime bookshelves, 2 Prime satellites, and 1 HTD Level Three center.





Thinking of swapping the Prime bookshelves for HTD's Level three's to keep the front stage all ribbon tweeters. Plus I LOVE the look of the HTD speakers without the grilles and their dedicated wall bracket is less visible. Not to say that the piano gloss of the Primes isn't stunning! It's just not my kind of finish.

I can't wait to start covering up the mess of wires all over the place. I will probably re-run with all 12 AWG before I start masking it all away next month or so. Currently using a mix of 14 and 16 AWG. Also going to build a mini cabinet on the ceiling wrapped in white AT fabric to help hide the Atmos speakers. Plus more foam coming!
 
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#7 · (Edited)
I've been using this iteration of the theater for about a month now, and I think we have a winner :)

The SVS Primes went back, and Dayton B652 Air's took their place while the HTD Lvl 3 Book's shipped and arrived in late July. So now I have a matched LCR with B652-A's as SL and SR and the Monoprice Sats as SBL, SBR, HL and HR.







Other changes are new 12ga speaker wire for all speakers and - already ordered - a 55" LG B6! I still have some cable masking to do on the walls and ceiling, but until I finalize the SL/SR speakers, I will leave as is. Considering getting the HTD Lvl 3 Bipole/Dipole for SL/SR and moving the B652's to the rear, or I might go with another pair of the Lvl 3 Books. Kind of depends on what funds are like in the next few months.

The TV was ordered from Joe's AV (I know...I know.... we figured all and any bull**** was worth putting up with for paying $1850 for it.) When it arrives (hasn't shipped yet) I will update again.
 
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#9 ·
Thank you so much!

The shaker was working great! I don't have any sound measuring equipment, but I feel like it gets well down into the 20's. Truthfully, most of the time I found it to be a little overpowering, so I had the APA150 turned down fairly low. My butt shook with every sweep of the soundtrack! It's definitely missed, though... the amp took a dump last week, so it's being sent back to Parts Express for repair.

Tried experimenting by moving the PB1000 to nearfield, just behind the sofa, and I nearly shook right off the thing. It was nice to feel the rumblies again, but it sounded SO boomy. I didn't think I knew what boomy sounded like until then. Played the club shootout scene in John Wick and felt every bullet, but couldn't get over that "boominess" (there has to be a synonym for that term...) so back it went to the front wall. Alas, I'm eager to try the scene again with the shaker back in commission!
 
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#10 ·
Next purchase on the list is a Pioneer SC-95 (up from an SC-85). Finding them relatively affordable on eBay if the bids stay low and I can sell off the SC-85. Really wanting to get something HDCP 2.2 compliant, and so bummed the 85 isn't. Actually, if I could get an Onkyo TX-NR1030 for less than $700, I'd be golden since I loved the TX-NR636 so much.
 
#15 ·
The B6 has been in for about a month, and HOT DAMN. Just a gorgeous, gorgeous television. The Joe's AV experience was to be as expected, but we got our TV and the delivery guys were quite helpful, to boot. We didn't opt for any of the hard-sell upgrades at the time of order, and were content waiting however long it would take to arrive. We only paid $1850 for the 55" B6. Not bad.

Eager to have more, I bought a used UBD-K8500 from eBay for just over $230 after tax. While it was in transit, we went out and got a few UHD Blu-ray's, like Fury Road (which I now have on BD, UHD BD, and VUDU UHD), Salt, and what we thought was Huntsman: Winter's War, but actually ended up being Snow White and the Huntsman. 20 minutes into the movie, my boyfriend said, "They sure are going into a lot of backstory for a sequel..." then I looked at the case and realized I picked up the wrong disc at BB. *facepalm*

The K8500 worked great..sorta. There was a signal delay on power-up that I could only fix with a factory reset, and it would work for a few hours before being buggy again. That's going back. I'll wait for Oppo's 203 to come out later this year to get another UHD player. The content on VUDU for Dolby Vision is staggeringly wonderful, and Netflix is a solid player as well. I also picked up the DTS:X and Dolby Atmos demo discs from 2015 on eBay. My AVR can't decode DTS:X, but the disc has all the same content in DTS-HD, which is sublime.

With the new TV, I swapped the Roku Stick from the living room with the Roku 4 from the Fun Room. HBO is the only app we use that the B6 doesn't have, and the only thing we watch from HBO is Oz, which is only in SD, and that works just fine on the Stick.

I've racked up a horrendous Amex bill with all of my lolly-gagging. After the Oppo 203, I think I'm done with purchases for this space, at least until I get my credit under control :eek: I mentioned getting replacements for the surrounds and a new AVR, but the system has worked flawlessly thus far. Why fix what ain't broke, especially when I'm just about broke? :p
 
#16 ·
Finally got my hands on an Oppo 203 from Crutchfield earlier this month, and we re-adopted the Xbox One S during Black Friday back in November. No changes to audio equipment yet - I'm still holding out for a Pioneer SC-95 so I can experience DTS X! Since the Oppo can play just about any file, I raided Demo-World and TheDigitalTheater for all of the 4K, DTS, Dolby and other various format demo material I could fit onto 3 64gb thumbdrives. I've almost plugged up every hole in the 203 :cool:

I think my favorite demo thus far is THX's "Eclipse" (lossless long version). I played it for some friends the other night, and even though my system is incredibly novice, it feels like being in a mini movie theater - the floor and the couch shakes, people smile and crack up because they can't believe how loud it gets. This particular demo, if you're not familiar with it, starts off fairly quiet and mysterious, then gets gradually brighter and louder for a full minute before climaxing into the "THX" lettering. This isn't a show of the latest object-based audio formats, nor is it a test of PQ. It's really just a blitzkrieg sound experience, at least for little ol' me.

Here's my updated AV rack...I was keen on getting something a bit more "appropriate" a while back, but this has worked just fine, ugly as it is...


Top obviously is the AVR, Xbox and Oppo 203. First drawer is the wifi router. Then the PS4 and Harmony Hub. Then the Dayton amp, and the bottom drawer is miscellaneous extra cords, cables and HDMI.
 
#17 ·
After many months of searching and hoping for a Pioneer SC-95 under $700, I gave up, and spent an extra $300 for a Marantz SR6011 while selling my Pioneer SC-85 :p

It's at the very bottom of the (NEW) rack


For comparison, the old rack (with SC-85 still in play).


So lots of changes happened as a result. I've decommissioned the Aura Bass Shaker (shame since I just bought a second one recently when I thought we were going to get separate theater recliners - back burner for now) because I needed the Dayton APA150 to drive the second set of Height channels provided by the 6011's extra processing power over the SC-85. It was the 7.x.4 capability of the 6011 that drove me to purchase it over a newer 7.x.2 AVR, like the SC-95. I finally have opened the DTS:X door and it is wonderful. The second set of height channels (mounted on-celing) totally opens up the immersive feel, even in my tiny room.



Even though I'm no longer utilizing the bass shaker, I feel like the PB1000 is performing better than it did with the SC-85. The bench ottoman in front of my MLP and the sofa I sit on rumble more, without anything sounding boomy. The new Iron Fist (Netflix) titles are such a thrill to listen to! It's a different and much preferred tactile experience, w/o the shakers in play. Now, that's not to say it won't be even better with the shakers hooked up, but until I get another amp for them, I'm happy as things are.

The Monoprice satellites that were taking on SBR/SBL duty have been replaced by a secondary set of Dayton B652-Air's that were unused in the living room. Those MP sats became the second set of Heights (pictured above, concealed in my own wrapped "box").

So now I'm loving my 7.1.4 setup, and this time FOR SURE I'm done spending money. This has gotten WAY out of hands for my means :eek:
 
#18 ·
The placement of those acoustic tiles on your walls - was it random, or is there a method to it?

Do you miss the bass shakers?

Don't you need a second subwoofer, so that you can have a 7.2.4 setup?
 
#19 ·
The placement of those acoustic tiles on your walls - was it random, or is there a method to it?
I don't have any acoustic measuring equipment, so the placement was random. There's little echo in the room now, but I have no idea if the placement can be improved.

Do you miss the bass shakers?
Not entirely. As I mentioned, there's still quite a bit of tactile bass - or at least I feel like there is - w/o the shakers. Would I enjoy the room more with them installed? Maybe. But until I get a second amp to run them, I'm happy as things are :)

Don't you need a second subwoofer, so that you can have a 7.2.4 setup?
I can answer this one similarly to the previous question. Do I need a second? No. Should I have one? Perhaps. Will I get one? I have one sitting unplugged behind the sofa acting as a pedestal for the floor lamp :p It's a Monoprice 150watt (product ID 9723) that was decommissioned last year when I bought the PB1000. I've considered plugging it in and trying to work it into the system, but it doesn't get as low as the SVS model and it sounds pretty boomy.
 
#20 ·
My very limited experience with the mixing of two subwoofers, when one is decent and the other cheapo, is that the combined subwooferage is bad. Often real bad. Don't know why, but bad.
 
#24 ·
Added a second APA-150 to get my butt-shaker back up and running again, but have yet to add the second one. It's only a love seat, and one shaker does more than enough. As it is, I have the amp at only 25%. Have SVS Sound Path Feet coming for the sub tomorrow. Also arriving tomorrow is Despicable Me 2 to give Dolby Vision a try.

So, on the LG B6, the DV picture modes are DV Vivid, DV Bright, and DV Dark. And as far as I know, these settings cannot be further modified. So when playing the DV "Comparison" video, the only mode that looks respectable is Vivid as Bright and Dark seem to add weird tints to lighter colors. They're not as bright, and white gets a sort of ivory color. I know that generally Vivid is the flashy, not-so-accurate setting that is used in stores to show off a set. I used the Spears and Munsil calibration disc to get all of the other settings and modes dialed in as best as I could, and the "standard" mode is now far superior (to me) to the Vivid setting and even the Movie Bright/Dark settings. Are others relying on DV Vivid to give them the best picture with DV content? I know I'm asking a rather small crowd...
 
#25 ·
Replaced the PB1000 with an S3000i! :cool:

Pictures to come next week. Waiting on some new cable management stuff for the TV...wires everywhere right now.
 
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