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New setup revisited

post #1 of 27
8/1/10 at 10:31am
Thread Starter 
Well, I moved to a new place, so I figured I should post my new setup. Plus, I have some new stuff.

TV is a Samsung 720p DLP. I've been toying with getting a larger Mitsubishi DLP or a flat panel, but this thing just keeps on truckin'.

Speakers are Athena Audition series F2.2s, C1.2, and four B1s (the original black woofers.) Sub is a Bic Acoustech H-100, that will get a DIY Subdude to minimize physical vibrations.



I used to have a 7.1 with rear surrounds. I've since switched to front heights because the room layout is different. I've also moved all the components except the cable box from under the TV to an outboard component shelf rack.



Closeup of one of the B1s as a side surround. Not shown is its mate on the other side. The other two heights are shown in the main pic.



Detail of the Omnimount shelf that holds the center. I often get questions of how it stays up there. This shelf is solid and keeps it up even in mild earthquakes. Speaker is also slightly tilted by a small rubber doorstop, $1.40 at Home Depot.



Components. From the top: Onkyo TX-NR807 receiver, Onkyo DV-CP706 DVD changer, Onkyo TA-RW255 cassette deck (still have lots of cassettes), and a Mitsubishi HS-U748 SVHS VCR. I like to use legacy equipment, even if it isn't up to modern standards.

And yes, I'm an Onkyo slut of sorts. Actually, I like DVD changers (and wish a Blu-ray 5-6 disc one existed) and Onkyo's cassette deck is pretty good. I may update to a Blu-Ray player at some point, but I haven't found one I really like yet. I have no interest in 3D at this point.

Yes, I need some cable management. I'll try to clean it up sometime.

Right now the system is pretty good as is. Probably the TV is the next upgrade, but that's sometime down the road.
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post #2 of 27
8/5/10 at 5:57pm
Looks great but hide the wires man. You need only a stud finder, a fish, electrical tape and a friend who can respackle your drywall after you fill the holes w mud?
So easy. Nice system must sound awesome.
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post #3 of 27
8/5/10 at 7:27pm
Hey how you like the front heights vs the 7.1 surround configuration? Nice setup.
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post #4 of 27
8/5/10 at 7:30pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by bfm View Post

Looks great but hide the wires man. You need only a stud finder, a fish, electrical tape and a friend who can respackle your drywall after you fill the holes w mud?
So easy. Nice system must sound awesome.

OK. Now, I will pile on. You really need some acoustical treatments or, at the very least, some other stuff on the walls to break up all those uninterrupted reflective surfaces.
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post #5 of 27
8/5/10 at 8:36pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by hikarate View Post

Hey how you like the front heights vs the 7.1 surround configuration? Nice setup.

Not much difference, to tell you the truth, but it definitely seems to fill in the front sound.
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post #6 of 27
8/5/10 at 8:40pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by bfm View Post

Looks great but hide the wires man. You need only a stud finder, a fish, electrical tape and a friend who can respackle your drywall after you fill the holes w mud?

Well, I rent the place, so I don't know how kosher doing that will be. I already use wiremold to hide the wires going around the room. It's just behind the TV and stand where it's bad.
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post #7 of 27
8/5/10 at 8:42pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Kal Rubinson View Post

OK. Now, I will pile on. You really need some acoustical treatments or, at the very least, some other stuff on the walls to break up all those uninterrupted reflective surfaces.

The area behind the TV? Any suggestions? The opposing wall already has some pictures and stuff up. The wall with the sliding door I can't do much for. I can't alter the blinds per apt. management.
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post #8 of 27
8/5/10 at 9:23pm
Blinds are vinyl and should be better acoustically than walls and other flat surfaces based on what I have read. Someone with more experience than me can correct me if I am wrong. Thanks for the reply.
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post #9 of 27
8/6/10 at 7:45am
Quote:
Originally Posted by hikarate View Post

Blinds are vinyl and should be better acoustically than walls and other flat surfaces based on what I have read. Someone with more experience than me can correct me if I am wrong. Thanks for the reply.

Trivially better if they have glass behind them.
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post #10 of 27
8/6/10 at 8:27am
Thread Starter 
Yeah, unfortunately there is.

Looks like they make some stylish treatments. Maybe one behind the TV between the front heights? Swap out the stuff on the other side for another one? Traps in the corners?

Granted, about where I took the photos is a wide open space, so that and the doors might be the biggest problems that I won't be able to solve. Maybe swap the bedroom and living room?
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post #11 of 27
8/6/10 at 9:42am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tulpa View Post

The area behind the TV? Any suggestions? The opposing wall already has some pictures and stuff up. The wall with the sliding door I can't do much for. I can't alter the blinds per apt. management.

Hey bud you could do what my wife likes to do and hang a hand made quilt on the wall. See my pics on my system page. You will see one hanging behind the TV and near the bottom of the first page there is another HT themed quilt she made hanging above the couch. It is not to be confused with bass traps or sound absorbers but it does remove some of the slap echos in a room.
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post #12 of 27
8/6/10 at 1:01pm
awesome
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post #13 of 27
8/8/10 at 7:21pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by bfm View Post

Looks great but hide the wires man. You need only a stud finder, a fish, electrical tape and a friend who can respackle your drywall after you fill the holes w mud?
So easy. Nice system must sound awesome.

That's illegal unless the wires are in-wall rated.
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post #14 of 27
8/12/10 at 1:58pm
this may help dress things up a bit...you can slip multiple cables in each sleeve. ends up looking like high end cable.

http://www.parts-express.com/wizards...fg&srchMfg=299
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post #15 of 27
8/12/10 at 3:37pm
you might want to look at ats acoustic panels, i have 4 of them on the first reflections spots in the room,you can hang them like a picture. http://www.atsacoustics.com/
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post #16 of 27
8/16/10 at 4:40pm
Thread Starter 
Thanks.

Quote:
Originally Posted by hometheatergeek View Post

Hey bud you could do what my wife likes to do and hang a hand made quilt on the wall. See my pics on my system page. You will see one hanging behind the TV and near the bottom of the first page there is another HT themed quilt she made hanging above the couch. It is not to be confused with bass traps or sound absorbers but it does remove some of the slap echos in a room.

My aunt actually said she was going to make one for me at some point.
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post #17 of 27
8/26/10 at 7:06am
Quote:
Originally Posted by flyng_fool View Post

That's illegal unless the wires are in-wall rated.

Yeah, monoprice sells in-wall rated speaker wire, hdmi, etc (UL, CL2, etc)...that's what I used as well as wirewold, and also removed a baseboard and chisled the very bottom of sheetrock about the width of a flathead screwdriver...then I made a small groove in the back of the baseboard so I could run the cable behind it, instead of on the outside so when I put the trim back on, so sign of wire whatsoever. The wirewold stuff is paintable so I rolled it before installing to match the walls...
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post #18 of 27
9/26/10 at 9:29am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tulpa View Post

Well, I moved to a new place, so I figured I should post my new setup. Plus, I have some new stuff.

You are in LA, so think about coming out to some of the LA Home Theater system meetings or get togethers. You will find it fascinating to see stuff that you can only dream about and possibly learn something in the process, especially when talking to some of the members. On the AVS Forum go to: Area Home Theater Meets and find the LA branch.
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post #19 of 27
12/27/10 at 12:23am
You have a cassette deck. That's so nice.
What brands of cassette tapes did you guys have in US? I saw Sony, Maxell, TDK, Memorex in early 2000's when I came here from Europe. But I saw only basic models that were on sale in large stores like Best Buy. I'm sure audiophiles had variety of options.
Did you have BASF? I think BASF looked very nice. I still keep few different BASF cassettes for memory. Chrome Maxima, Reference Maxima TPII, few models, just as on these pictures:
http://www.google.com/images?hl=en&q...w=1200&bih=819

Some tapes looked so classy, like these BASFs, Sony UX-S/Pro and other higher end models. Inserting them into cassette deck was like handling a piece of art.
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post #20 of 27
12/28/10 at 10:24am
Thread Starter 
I still have a ton of cassettes and don't feel like rebuying them in CD mp3 whatever the new format is format.

I think we also got most of the brands you mentioned, but not sure about BASF. But I think I remember seeing it.
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post #21 of 27
1/3/11 at 9:35pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tulpa View Post

I still have a ton of cassettes and don't feel like rebuying them in CD mp3 whatever the new format is format.

I think we also got most of the brands you mentioned, but not sure about BASF. But I think I remember seeing it.

LPs and Cassettes are great to look back on and "remember" but I cant imagine ever listening to them over digital..not even these high end turn tables would change me..BUT having said that...nice set up TC
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post #22 of 27
1/5/11 at 2:11pm
Thread Starter 
I don't think the cassette signal ever goes to digital on this setup. Analog connections all the way through I would think.
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post #23 of 27
1/23/11 at 4:38pm
what do acoustic panels do or help with?
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post #24 of 27
1/27/11 at 1:25pm
i like the one lazyboy in front of the tv
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post #25 of 27
2/10/11 at 5:21pm
The system must boom when sitting in the lazy-boy. I like the corner wire mold, but if you have exposed wires, make them a statement.
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post #26 of 27
12/13/11 at 5:51pm
Nice

I just had to click that link on your postings..

I also have a thing for the older stuff. I have a Turntable and a CD Player hooked up to my system.. I got rid of my Mitsubishi DT-10 Tape deck about maybe 5 years ago. I didn't have many tapes but it hung around for some reason.
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post #27 of 27
12/13/11 at 7:15pm
Nice gears and nice to see another Athena owner
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