Neo's nirvana: Revel Ultima2 + Pioneer trifecta + JL Audio f212 + ML Descent

My configuration consists of a hodgepodge of gear that I found to be exceptionally intriguing for one reason or another. No fancy acoustical room treatments here and my seating is just an ordinary couch without any hydraulics or back rubbing features.

This is my 5th generation of speakers/display/receiver to cycle through over the past 6 years (ranging from Sony HT in a box, DefTech SuperTowers, Mirage OMD, to Revel Ultima2) but I've finally achieved a point of overall satisfaction so my upgrade itch can take a breather as I'll be skipping the 3D fad. Most of our HT setups are frequently changing, but the speakers I'm quite content with and the display will likely not be replaced until a large OLED is available (or some non-projection future tech).

Speakers (in mahogany): Cost-no-object Loudspeaker of the Year
Revel Utlima2 Studio2 fronts - bi-amped
Revel Utlima2 Voice2 center - bi-amped
Revel Utlima2 Gem2 surrounds - single standard wiring

The Pioneer Elite flagship trifecta:
Pioneer Elite SC-09TX flagship receiver “Susano”
Pioneer Elite Signature Series PRO-101FD 50" plasma display - the best and final Kuro
Pioneer Elite BDP-09FD flagship Blu-Ray player

Subs:
JL Audio Fathom f212 in gloss black - two 12" woofers.
MartinLogan Descent w/ mahogany wood accent - three 10" woofers.

Cabling et cetera:
Monster Cable Signature Series Voltage Stabilizer AVS 2000 resting on Sound Anchors custom amp stand with casters.
Monster Cable Signature Series Reference HTPS 7000 MKII PowerSource.
Audience Au24e 2m & 3m subwoofer cables.
Utilized most of the cheapy 100' spool of Monster Cable XP-CI BIG-100 spaghetti speaker wire for Revels, contemplating replacing with Audience Au24e throughout (or possibly Cardas Golden Reference).
AudioQuest HDMI-3 cables throughout.
Salamander Synergy System A/V rack - very solid build, heavy-duty Saturn casters, was a most excellent choice.
Murano display stand - provides optimal height (eyes centered with display) and wanted casters.

*All pictures shown within this initial post were taken with the camera's flash OFF. The shine or gloss you notice is enhanced by a thin coat of guitar wax which produces very clear, reflective, & protective surfaces.


A/V rack:


Left surround: speaker wire stealths perfectly behind furniture next to baseboard.


Right surround: speaker wire not to stealthy here, too many nooks and crannies.


World's most powerful receiver, the SC-09TX aka Susano:


The most common question I receive is, "What's that thing on the ground?"
Answer: Monster Cable Signature Series Voltage Stabilizer AVS 2000 resting on Sound Anchors custom amp stand with casters.


Aerial shot with grills attached: Can you find the iPod? lol

I had the Mirage OMD-15s in rosewood finish (were my fronts for a brief time, then moved them to surrounds) and they were beautiful to look at. Most people seemed to like the wood color better than anything I've ever had and I actually had two different local buds mention that they wanted to buy them when I was ready to sell as they were that impressed with them (in addition to the sound quality, my cost was an attractive factor too I assume). Personally, I liked the Mirage finish color the best too, yet although they were cosmetically flawless, they were assembled in China and weren't in the same league as the Revels performance wise.

*Attention* All pictures below are of my past configurations and is a complete compilation of every setup that I've assembled for my personal use. Please see initial thread post for the most current pics.

Pics are shown in a regressive fashion, starting at the omega and ending with the alpha.

Here's the transitional era where I was shifting to Revel and had moved the OMD-15s to surrounds:


Mirage OMD-15s as surrounds. Picture taken February 11th, 2008:


The Definitive Super Towers consisted of the BP7006s with C/L/R 2300 center. Probably the best bang for the buck speakers I've come across. The self-powered subs yield true active bi-amping (speaker's built-in amp + your receiver's amp) for achieving the speaker's full potential output with ease:


And here's an earlier pick of the same living room before the home theater money-pit fever took hold (couches are facing the Sony home theater in a box setup w/ a tube tv), taken December 4th, 2006. Notice how the dog sports 3D vision via prototype contact lenses (one glows sapphire blue while the other burns ruby red):


Same period as above. The Sony 34" widescreen XBR at the pinnacle of tube technology. I was actually quite impressed with the Sony HTIB solution, but then again, that was the best I had ever had up to that point in time. Pre-HDMI era, circa 2005 to 2006:


The Sony tube produced an outstanding picture, arguable the best that CRT/tube technology was capable of. Normal DVD screenshots:



Before I even integrated my 1st 5.1 surround system, or furniture for that matter. Don't laugh...


Finally, my very first TV shown in the bedroom I grew up in. The Sony WEGA 32" XBR 200 flatscreen with stereo sound from 300 watt Sony SA-VA700 speaker tower system. Those speakers looked cooler than they sounded. For as big as they were you would have expected more. That's a Neo-Geo home console in the front btw (see my user name). Circa 1999:

Correct. I've always read that subs are the least picky speakers and I've seen people mix subs on occasion, but usually of the same brand. I received the JL Audio f212 subwoofer in high-gloss black November 2010 (manufactured September 2010), so I'm still calibrating on occasion, and I may eventually go with another, but so far the new sub blends quite well with my MartinLogan Descent.

The unit produces some incredible bass. Just pressing the demo button will hit impressively deep/controlled notes and causes the house to rattle like never before. Yet my setup still sounds best with two separate subs vs one, night and day better actually. I tried listening with just the f212 and while it was an obvious upgrade vs one ML Descent, having both the f212 and the Descent @ each front corners of the room provided fuller & better balanced bass that filled the room. While both subs are playing, neither seems to overpower the other as they blend remarkably well. Perhaps a very well-trained ear could complain, but I honestly can't discern any discrepancies in the subs while they play together.

My only complaint is that the force of the f212 will cause the plantation shutters to rattle, so I've turned it away from the wall to point towards the listening position (as shown in my initial post) and that has lessened the rattling, but it still occurs with large explosions during movies and certain music.

While I'm sure that two Fathom f212s would be optimal, I didn't want to give up the ML Descent because it's such a well-designed & beautiful piece with that cool neon blue light on the front (compliments the blue lights on the Pioneer & Monster gear), plus it has the upgraded mahogany wood option which was a $300 difference. Furthermore, my ML Descent is one the last produced and was special order just before they phased them out for the newer and in my opinion, aesthetically unattractive Descent i. The fact that my SC-09TX was one of the final units produced (also manufactured 2010), it too will be special to me and will be hard to let go of. Will likely keep it as my main until I replace my display with a 50+ OLED, which will probably be another 3 or 4 years from now.

In short, I bought one f212 to see how it assimilated with my setup, and since it was a successful match to my ears, I didn't replace the ML Descent.