BrolicBeast's Living Room Theater - Page 2

Ah Roger, I wish I could fill that wall with SOMETHING! I initially wanted a setup with a flat-screen on the stand, and the screen coming down to cover it--but the way the beams run, I HAD to fasten it to the wall under the crown moulding. I can't hang the screen from the ceiling far enough forward to make room for anything behind it. The clearance behind the screen when It's down is about 3/4 of an inch. Not even picture frames can fit (I tried, and failed.) I went with a motorized screen because a 92" fixed screen in the living room would look ridiculous!

Thanks for the affirmation of adding the media housing for the blu rays. I thought it looked great, but it's nice to see that others share that view so i know I'm not crazy!!!

Believe it or not, I got the shelving at Wal Mart for $30 a pop. I initially was using one as a bookshelf, and one upstairs in the media room for decoration with small tech toys on each shelf--but I had an epiphany this past week after taking the initial pictures, and said--hey, I need to fill that gap. The shelving worked just fine!!!

yup, that's it. I cant believe its half price online. it's a steal. Setup is a breeze.

Thanks for that info! i'll e sure to explore these to see if i find something my style. This stuff looks cool....especially for kids rooms and galleries.

That Bilk site is great!! I saw under the custom tab, they can do pictures you send in!!! I"m sold!! A friend of mine is a photographer, and I'm going to commission him to take some breathtaking photos to post across that blank space! You are the MAN!!!

Greetings! I certainly appreciate the kind words Ross. That feature you're aniticipating in your new receiver will make your theater experience so much better! Auto EQ is a beautiful thing. Onkyo and Denon (among others) use Audyssey, Pioneer uses MACC, Anthem uses ARC--you can't go wrong!!!

We are all newbies at some point--enjoy your growth as you gain experience, and before you know it, you'll be fine-tuning your system with your eyes closed!!

Gracias! Yessir! I have videos playing both on youtube! lol--Time to update since [even more] sequels have come out for both.

Well, I've been doing a lot of pondering, and I think at this point, I want to actually show off my gear, instead of hiding it in the equipment closet. The electricians just left the house. I've just had two 20 Amp circuits put in the living room--one circuit per receptacle:



This week, my dual PS Audio Power Port Premier Receptacles should be coming in, and I'll replace the standard receptacles with these.



I don't know how PS Audio managed to make wall receptacles sexy, but they did it.

Prepress,

Thankfully, I don't suffer from ground-loops, but I can certainly appreciate that the PS Audio power cords come with that capability. At $300 a cord, I will be using that power cord for the rest of my LIFE! lol so good to know whenever I move to, I'll have that option. I'm going to A/B Tests as soon as I get the cable with songs I'm very familiar with. I'll also do the same with the Cambridge Audio DacMagic (another device I'm a bit skeptical about that DAC as well, when a machine as potent as the Integra DHC-80.2 has internal DACS already.

Update: I think I've decided what rack I'm going to get when move everything out of the Equipment closet. The Salamander Synergy Double. Does anyone have any comparable suggestions?

Oh nah it's not a receiver--it's a full-blown Pre/Amp. (You're thinking about the DTR, which is a receiver. I have the DHC) I'm a fan of separates 100%!! I'm going to hook up a computer and a Sonos ZP80 to the DAC, and then I'll run XLR Interconnects to the Balanced Inputs on the rear of the Integra.

I'll be sure to post results. I have the DacMagic box on the floor in my Guest-Room. Awaiting the XLR Cables. (I'm pretty excited)

HOLY SMOKES!!!!!! I am now a DAC believer!!!! This Cambridge Audio DAC Magic is changing my life!!! The first thing I'm noticing is SPECTACULAR bass definition and (at the expense of sounding like a Stereophile Staff Writer) the sound stage truly opened up. Now, this could be a product of being combined with the PS Audio AC5 Power Cord--all I'm saying is....WHOAH! I loved two-channel audio before, but now--I'm hooked.

At first, I was having trouble getting a signal via Balanced Interconnects a.k.a. XLR Cables, but I decided to trouble shoot with some audiophile-grade rca cables I had lying around from a previous system, and WHOAH--i quickly played my favorite audio tracks:

"Wild is the Wind" Esperanza Spalding
"Gluck: Dance of the Blessed Spirits" J.S. Bach
"Stars" Alison Kraus and Union Station
"Lascia Chi'o Piangia" Izzy
"Adagio for Strings Opus 11" Samuel Barber

***by this point, I was besides myself with glee***
I continued listening to:

"Dreamer" Amanda Brown
"Never Forget" Marty O'donnel (Believe it or not, it's off the Halo 3 Soundtrack)
"Turning Tables" Adele

I am 100% happy with the purchase of a DAC (24 hours ago I was a serious skeptic).

If any passers by are on the fence about purchasing a DAC, do yourself a favor and pick one up. A good one. You will certainly be quite pleased. IF you're looking for a point in the right direction, Cambridge Audio's DAC Magic and the Arcam rDac seem to be top performers in the $500 price class. at the $1000 price class, you'll want to look at Brystons DAC-1 i believe (I may have the exact model number wrong)

Good Hunting.

It is what we are all looking for indeed! Now, I may need to reconsider other technologies that I have dismissed in the past due to skepticism. Powerline filters, perhaps? Ah, the mind is churning.

Greetings! It sounds pretty spectacular--I think I'm going to concentrate on upgrading my speakers next. Don't get me wrong--I LOVE my Klipsch RF-82's, but when I got them, I was at a different point in my life. Now, I think it's time to upgrade a bit.

This post is for the regular, non-CEO's among us who make a decent living, but not enough to drive a Bugatti.
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THe key to affording great gear AND being able to upgrade from time-to-time is as follows: Adjust your living to a slightly-lower salary, and have a bank account just for HT gear--preferrably with a bank other than your normal checking/savings. Anyone this page knows that the hobby we have chosen is a very expensive one, so it's essential to plan accordingly.

For example, say Jim makes $100k a year, which would put his bi-monthly income at roughly $6.5k+ after taxes, he should devote 20% of that to Savings, 10% of that to HOME THEATER GEAR, and the remaining 70% to whatever he wants....Bills, Investments, Tithe, Dining, etc. Every month, Jim is putting away $650 just for his passion, and he won't even miss it!!!

So, say Jim want an $4000 Amplifier, if he's been following the plan, it should only take him just over 6 months to achieve that goal, without affecting his normal spending/savings in the slightest.
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If your other car is a Leer Jet, then this does not apply to you. lol....just wanted to share. Hope it helps someone.

Disclaimer: I am not Jim.

But alas, i do believe the obsession is actually quite accurate! Yeah, your system is top end--it's definitely time to just sit back and enjoy the music, knowing you have insanely high-quality performance coming from that equipment....until the upgrade big hits again!!!