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Inside a $500K Home Theater

post #1 of 45
4/12/11 at 8:04am
Thread Starter 
Inside a $500K Home Theater
By Arlen Schweiger
Meridian's Reference home theater features a 10-megapixel projection system and $500,000 worth of electronics alone.

Meridian's reference theater features about $500K worth of electronics alone, highlighted by the 810 Reference projection system that is shown on a Stewart Filmscreen CineCurve screen.

The firm of Arthur-Lambert designed the theater, which is part of Meridian's Manhattan showroom in the SoHo district, where you check out other high-performance solutions.



The audio includes: a pair of flagship DSP8000 loudspeakers as main left and rights, DSP7200 loudspeakers as surrounds, a DSP7200 horizontal center speaker and 861 surround processor.

If it's just music to be demoed, the Sooloos Control 15 system comes into play, while a Savant system controls the room.

Click here to continue.
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post #2 of 45
4/12/11 at 8:29am
These continued articles about 6 figure home theater installations is getting tiresome. It's like advertising a Ferrari on a Chevy forum. The screenshot is terrible. Why even post that? The projector installation looks trashy to me.
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post #3 of 45
4/12/11 at 8:34am
Do I see a reemergence of 80's pastels coming our way? I fail to see the 500k aspect of this room, besides their obviously "they're good because they're expensive" speakers.
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post #4 of 45
4/12/11 at 8:40am
Dunno, I like seeing the "money is no object" builds. It means I get to see what some professionals are doing without having to spend any money to have them tell me.

I can then steal their ideas and incorporate them into my own build, if I so choose.


EDIT:Oh, NVM. I thought this was a personal theater. It is a showroom. Blah, who cares about a showroom theater? They do not even say what the projector actually is...simply a "10 Mega Pixel" projector...
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post #5 of 45
4/12/11 at 8:50am
Well, the quality of the photgraphy aside, I have had the opportunity to hear and see this system in operation and it is fantastic. The best picture I have seen in any demonstration and sound quality rivalling the best I have heard.

Personally, even though I'll never afford this kind of gear, it is good to get a sense of the state-of-the-art because these things do eventually trickle-down to more affordable gear.
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post #6 of 45
4/12/11 at 9:13am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Andronicus81 View Post

Do I see a reemergence of 80's pastels coming our way? I fail to see the 500k aspect of this room, besides their obviously "they're good because they're expensive" speakers.

+1 I sure it sounds wonderful and all but meh...
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post #7 of 45
4/12/11 at 9:41am
I have a 106" Carada Screen, an Optoma HD 20 1080p projector, an Onyko 5.1 HD audio reciever, Energy Speakers, and a PS3. That's between $2500 and $3000 dollars worth of equipment. I don't say my setup is better, but I defy that setup to deliver picture and audio quality that is $497,000 dollars better than mine.
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post #8 of 45
4/12/11 at 9:47am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Room237 View Post

I have a 106" Carada Screen, an Optoma HD 20 1080p projector, an Onyko 5.1 HD audio reciever, Energy Speakers, and a PS3. That's between $2500 and $3000 dollars worth of equipment. I don't say my setup is better, but I defy that setup to deliver picture and audio quality that is $497,000 dollars better than mine.

Yes, we all know about the law of diminishing returns. But clearly some additional expenditure (not $497K) would provide improvements over the system you have.
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post #9 of 45
4/12/11 at 10:13am
Of course these hyper-dollar installs are entertaining if not unobtainable for 99.995% on these boards.

So what?

Seems to me that if you're "tired" of them, don't click on a link that reads: "Inside a $500K Home Theater".

Problem solved.

James
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post #10 of 45
4/12/11 at 10:17am
Quote:
Originally Posted by djdrock View Post

It's like advertising a Ferrari on a Chevy forum.

Not so sure about that analogy, at least Ferrari puts some effort into their design. I've much better looking rooms built by the "amateurs" around here.
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post #11 of 45
4/12/11 at 10:22am
Quote:
Originally Posted by cybrsage View Post

They do not even say what the projector actually is...simply a "10 Mega Pixel" projector...

It was stated in the begining. It is the 810 Reference projector from Meridian. It retails for right around 200k.
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post #12 of 45
4/12/11 at 10:42am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Room237 View Post

I have a 106" Carada Screen, an Optoma HD 20 1080p projector, an Onyko 5.1 HD audio reciever, Energy Speakers, and a PS3. That's between $2500 and $3000 dollars worth of equipment. I don't say my setup is better, but I defy that setup to deliver picture and audio quality that is $497,000 dollars better than mine.

if youre really all that happy with the hd 20, then all the more power to you. sounds to me like you popped the cherry with that projector.
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post #13 of 45
4/12/11 at 11:05am
Horizontal center speaker? come on!
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post #14 of 45
4/12/11 at 11:14am
WOW!! There's $500,000 in that room? Is it wrong I was expecting more, much more?
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post #15 of 45
4/12/11 at 12:44pm
I know they are trying to sell the speakers and all, but they look pretty stupid just sat in the middle of the floor.
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post #16 of 45
4/12/11 at 1:12pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by poppabk View Post

I know they are trying to sell the speakers and all, but they look pretty stupid just sat in the middle of the floor.

Nearly all of these high-end audio installations place their speakers well away from back and side walls in order to get the most even frequency response and best imaging from the speakers. Especially when you have full-range speakers like these Meridians (i.e., no sub), placement is crucial or you have wasted your money!

If you want to have speakers inside a wall or a cabinet, you will get a better-looking room, but you most likely won't get the best audio from the equipment you have.
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post #17 of 45
4/12/11 at 1:25pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by pbarach View Post

Nearly all of these high-end audio installations place their speakers well away from back and side walls in order to get the most even frequency response and best imaging from the speakers. Especially when you have full-range speakers like these Meridians (i.e., no sub), placement is crucial or you have wasted your money!

If you want to have speakers inside a wall or a cabinet, you will get a better-looking room, but you most likely won't get the best audio from the equipment you have.

If this is the case then they should design their speakers to look like they are a permanent fixture, give them a proper base that suggests that they are supposed to be out on the floor.
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post #18 of 45
4/12/11 at 1:43pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by turdlepoker View Post

WOW!! There's $500,000 in that room? Is it wrong I was expecting more, much more?

well half the wad was blown on the projecter alone.
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post #19 of 45
4/12/11 at 2:08pm
All im going to say is if I had 500k to blow on my own HT, we would have a very different result.

Agree with the quality photography on that screen shot, way to show off a 200k projector.
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post #20 of 45
4/12/11 at 2:57pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by poppabk View Post

If this is the case then they should design their speakers to look like they are a permanent fixture, give them a proper base that suggests that they are supposed to be out on the floor.

I would bet that they designed them with sound qualitty foremost. I don't know what a "proper base" would look like. I can't think of too many tower speakers that have any kind of a visible base at all, except for spikes. I don't see anything wrong with the way they look. On looks alone, I'd certainly choose them over some of those horn speakerds that look like plastic Sousaphones in a marching band, e.g.,:
http://www.timebanditaudio.com/etf20.../rDSCN1442.jpg
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post #21 of 45
4/12/11 at 3:30pm
I have a $500k HT and I paid about $1,500 for the equipment. It sounded ok. But now that I've platinum plated and diamond studded everything it sounds awesome...It was worth the extra money for the increase in sound quality.
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post #22 of 45
4/12/11 at 4:26pm
What's that single couch in the middle of the room for? Not for the butler?

I agree those speakers while am sure sound like angels but look like two petroglyphs in a Space 2010 movie.
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post #23 of 45
4/12/11 at 5:58pm
I've got an expensive home theater too. Features include a yard, a garage, four bedrooms, three baths, a dining room, a family room, and a kitchen. Unfortunately, I ran out of money before buying the projector, screen, speakers, and seating. Still came in cheaper than this theater
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post #24 of 45
4/12/11 at 6:46pm
What a catty bunch.
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post #25 of 45
4/12/11 at 8:48pm
Maybe it's just me, but, how about actually seeing and hearing the thing before waxing lyrical about what it does or does not do! What a novel concept THAT would be in this world of virtual experts.

As to whether a $500,000 setup represents value is very much in the eye and ear of the beholder. I spent a fraction of what the Meridian 810 costs on video equipment for 90% of the preformance. For me spending another $180,000 would be madness (and require selling the house), but whose to say another much wealthier person might not make a different choice.
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post #26 of 45
4/13/11 at 3:51am
I would just about guarantee that the owner had little to nothing to do with choosing any of the A/V equipment other than putting a price on the deal. The people that have this kind of money can't be bothered with such trivialities. Nice room but I would wager that many of the home theaters that are home built by the members here equal or surpass it for a fraction of the price.(Well, except for the PJ. Hard to beat a $200,000 projector.)
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post #27 of 45
4/13/11 at 7:53am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Kal Rubinson View Post

What a catty bunch.

You are correct, but I think it is more the "look how much money we spent" instead of "this is a very high end theater that costs this much."

I was expecting more.
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post #28 of 45
4/13/11 at 8:27am
I was expecting a little more !!!wow!!!! with the ROOM and a little less the the equipment. At some point, I know my old ears could not tell the difference between 20,000 and 200,000 thousand.

Nice theater just the same.
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post #29 of 45
4/13/11 at 8:29am
Had the title been "Inside a $500k showroom", I would have no problem with it. That is what it is, a showroom. It is not really a home theater.

EDIT: They should have named the thread the same as the actual article title, "Inside Meridian's NYC Showroom, Reference Theater"
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post #30 of 45
4/13/11 at 8:29am
At least they spent most of the money on gear.

I get bored seeing six-figure installs where 80% of the money is furniture and decoration.

(though a $200,000 projector sitting on a coffee table would be a shame too)
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