BrolicBeast's Living Room Theater - Page 5

lol you are correct!!! A couple weeks ago I sat down in the office and drafted a spreadsheet containing the models and prices for every piece of HT/Audio Gear & Accessories that I own, and when I applied that Excel *Sum* function to the cells, i instantly wanted to UN-APPLY it to the cells. lol....This stuff costs money man.

I think that PS Audio DAC would be a great addition to your system. I guarantee, there will be a difference. DAC's connect to computers using the USB cables normally reserved for printers, and i'm sure PSA throws that in the box. Your computer should automatically recognize the DAC as a "headphone" or some other audio device (depending on the chipset of the DAC) and will route audio via USB through it. I haven't done any serious listening using the computer though, as I stream all content on my primary machine using the Sonos Digital Music system (Highly Highly Highly recommended!!!)

Ah, my upgrade plans for the near future are the first two XPA-1's next month, and a turn-table some time in the spring (If I get all my research done in time). I've also been meaning to bi-amp my speakers since getting the Integra DHC-80.2--I just haven't had a chance to. Maybe i'll do that this evening. With the gear in the equipment room, running the wire through the "tracks" in the next room are such a hassle. Once I approach the third XPA-1, I'll need to secure a Furman Power Conditioner (the same model prepress has). That's about it for the near future.

My eyes are spoiled and the PQ of DVD's bother me on the Projector, although it's much more managable on a smaller display. i think I'll still purchase it to play upstairs.

I REMEMBER Batman: Mask of the Phantasm--i recall the preview on one of the video tapes my family owned; it used to come on before a movie we watched rather often. I was the biggest batman fan for the better part of the 1990-1999 decade. Were any Laserdiscs mixed in 5.1? This technology is intriguing for the small niche it carved for itself.

Ahhh excellent choice!!! The Cambridge Audio DacMagic is spectacular. It comes with a USB cable. The TOSLINK/SPDIF cables, you'll have to provide yourself, in which case--like most of us, i'm sure you have millions of those lying around from the pre-HDMI days of Home Theater!!

A quick hint-you can only have one digital connection per input. Say, you plug in one optical and one coaxial into each of the jacks under only Input 1, then you will get no sound.

The monoblocks are coming soon to a BrolicBeast near you (movie trailer-announcer voice) i'm starting with two, and i'll get one incrementally after that. iwill have a covert bank account when I get married. i'll funnel 3% of my salary into it, and when I make my audio purchases, I'll act like they were gifts from a fictional uncle in Manchester, UK. lol. *Sigh* that will never work. Wive's tend to have the uncanny ability to read minds--which is why they expect husbands to read theirs. But i digress.....

When I get married, she will have to be a music lover! I can't marry someone who has to ask "Why do you love music so much?" That would never ever everrrr work. lol

Oh she will have to accept AND share my musical baggage. All umpteen dollars worth, because I'm not getting rid of a THING if it has circuits and a power supply!

You have made a veryyyy important point. "As long as she gets the same attention my equipment gets." I do feel this is an integral part to balancing a passions as engulfing as ours, with romance, family, etc.


Ahhh don't let your son find out about the new Nintendo 3DS. I remember when I was 11--I was crazy about Sega Genesis, I do believe it is a balancing act indeed. lol @ the son being more able to manage the Harmony One than the wife. Man, make sure you don't get hit by any cars!!



L-O-L!!!!!!! You are quite correct sir. She better install an RFID chip in her skull so she qualifies for perpetual retention!!

Ah, it certainly makes you wonder how they find out about this stuff. I wish thee luck with deflecting the 3DS requests!! lol. The internet is probably the culprit. The internet didn't really take off until i was in high-school. Before that, the only way I could keep track of games and kid tech (Ricochet Remote Control Car, anyone? annnnyyyone???) was to walk through Toys-R-Us, which involved convincing one or both parents to actually take me there.

My, how I wish I had the internet when i was a child.

Hey man, I don't watch much baseball. I'm a football guy to the core. Played Offensive Tackle in middle school high school, and college i switched to Offensive Guard. but mercy--the folks here LOVE the Orioles and Ravens!!! "This is Birdland" billboards are all over the place!!

A friend of mine got married over the weekend, and at the reception, I made sure my companion and I sat at table closest to the "sweet spot", dead center to the two primary Professional speakers across the floor. Maybe that was taking my love of audio a bit too far. lol.

On another note, I'm giving serious thought to turning my guest bedroom (which get used twice a year at most) into a dedicated listening room, complete with acoustic paneling. Has anybody undergone such a transformation? Any advice? I know with a listening room, I have more flexibility since this will be audio only, IF I go through with it. i'm weighing the pros and cons. Any advice would be most welcome!!!

Thanks for the input Prepress! Is there any way to judge the room characteristics without measurements? i've long believed that the second I start measuring frequency responses in my room, is the second I stop enjoying the music. this isn't true for everybody, but i have obsessive compulsive tendencies (I ran Audyssey four times, just to make sure there were no variations in the results). What characteristics can I consider for a listening room that Audyssey doesn't already take into consideration?

If you listen closely, you'll hear the difference.

Ahhh, thankfully the room I'm considering is rectangular in shape, with one minor angular protrusion toward the rear of the room. I think I will need to look at speakers that are not placement sensitive, as the room is small and there are not many options in terms of placement. Ahh, now a new can of worms has been opened. Any idea what determines whether a speaker is placement sensitive or not?


First cell phone last year????? I couldn't do it! Cell phones got big when I was in high-school, and I've been using them ever since. I really can't function without it. There is only one window and one door in the room, as it is a rather small guest bedroom. If i turned it into a listening room, it would be solely for audio--there would likely only be the equipment rack, speakers, acoustic paneling, one listening chair, and a nice, thick rug. The room does offer a rather flat response now, as I have a very basic system in there (that guests never use because they think "pressing play" is too complicated).

I appreciate the input guys!