There's also a telephone number here as well: http://spintricity.com/64/6474/jan-2...ital-audiofest

Is anyone definitely going to Audiofest? I will be going there on Saturday for the exhibits and Sunday morning for the swap. I'm only 5 minutes away so there's no excuse not to go!

There is a $10 fee to attend, so if that fee is for each day I will probably only go on Sunday.

Hey, I came across a rack I got for free, Most likely will not be great for AV (too small) but thought I would offer it on here in case anyone in the area has a want or need for it. It is designed to be wall mounted, and there is a Middle Atlantic sticker on the door, however the rack has no label/name on it so not 100% positive it is Middle Atlantic. I went to their site and the closest match i can find is their SBX series. It has a smoked lockable door on the front, and the whole rack is designed to hinge from the wall. The Overall outside diminsions are 22 3/4" wide X 21 3/4" Tall X 22 1/2" Deep (including the wall mount). Inside to inside of the vertical racks are 17 3/4" wide and are 17 1/2" tall, the shelf that is installed is 10 1/4" deep. I am in Leesburg, I will go get some pictures and post them.

Sounds like it might be good for someone who has a basement with a wall going to an unfinished area (I recessed my entire rack in the wall that way) and can mount it on the wall and have some additional depth for equipment behind it.

Here are some pictures of it.








This is the left side where it hinges the whole rack forward off from the wall.


Back View


Bottom to show knockouts for cables/conduits and fans.

PM me if you are interested.

When I finished my basement, I recessed into the wall Middle Atlantic CD and VHS sized rack mountable storage. I covered the part where it mounts into the rack with wood moulding and I also recessed a Middle Atlantic rack mountable cassette storage holder in the bar and wired from the bar to where the main system. I only use cassettes once every few years, but it looks neat. Below is a pic of the basement bar area with the components and the Middle Atlantic cassette holder.

Sounds great (I love the price) but what receiver can fit in there?

I am not sure most normal receivers can fit it there if there is less than 11 inches of shelf depth. If there is room behind the shelf you can get something that can extend a little deeper (speaker binding posts). Perhaps it is more appropriate for a DVD or Blu-Ray player. I have Can Am furniture in the bedroom system and since they only left a little wire way I cut the metal so I have decent access to the back. I have a depth issue there too (that's why I got a Marantz SR6300 in there) but not that bad. I have some limitations in the basement system rack as well and I am due for a new receiver.

Did anyone attend Audiofest? Regrettably, I was unable to make the trip. How was it?

I went on Saturday from 3-7 and I thought it was well worth it. Not only did I see great stuff for the $10 admission, I ended up with a free CD and tee shirt. The tee shirt was from Polk Audio (which is just up the road in the Baltimore area) and they were also giving away cloth bags (I didn't take one). The tee shirt said Hitmaster on it. I had no idea what it was. I sat down in the Polk Audio room and talked for a bit and was given a couple of beers too. Hitmaster is a powered (google it - 80W) small stage type monitor looking speaker. It has a minijack in and RCAs in and RCAs out so that you can daisy chain them. Their biggest customers are taverns. They are normally $99.95 but were on sale (when bought direct from Polk) through June 26 for $79 with free shipping. I bought one and got it and ordered another. They are light and have handles and are easy to carry around. My Zune sounded really good through it and I have a cheapo electric guitar I take out every few years and then put away after I tune it and realize I can't play.

I think these type of shows are a great and cheap way to get to hear lots of stuff in a compressed period of time. It was geared more for audio and there was only one surround set-up. I'd imagine there will be more next year of everything. I went to a Home Entertainment Expo in New York City about 7 years back and it was bigger (and more expensive) and had lots more of everything (and I stayed for all the days in the city which of course was not cheap even at special rates). So having this type of thing in your own backyard is a true bargain. The RMAF (Rocky Mountain Audio Fest) has been around for several years and draws lots of people. There were companies there that sell direct to consumers (and so you get a bigger bang for the buck) and it was nice to see things like Salk Audio, Selah Audio and even Cathedral Speakers, which is a new audio company which happens to be based a mile from where I live.

I was there (eventually ran into highendwire); we audition speakers together (instead of me not staying in one place for very long).

Salk Signature has their Song Tower (taller ones) speaker; which, is definately is going on the top of my speaker list.



Joseph Audio has their Pulsar bookshelf speaker which rocked; but, was way out of my budget.



I was impressed by a passive volume control/pre-amp that was being used on a higher end system (due to their pre-amp breaking).

Bought some demo XLR cables; I have not hooked them up yet.

We left and went to eat; just left prior to the jazz band (Capital Fest Host on the trombone).



Overall, the event was great; the mansion is the best (to make you feel at home) and worst (accoustics) place to listen to audio.

I can't wait until next year...

Yes the Glenview Mansion was a unique spot

Has anyone here built a ceiling withing a ceiling? You know... sort of floated joists between the joists to decouple the ceiling?

Yeah, I don't think a receiver would fit in it, but as you mentioned the price is right and I figured someone might have use for it. It was being used (and I believe designed to be used) for networking/switching, it HAD a rack mounted surge protector and a quiet 120V fan mounted in the rack hence the reason for me taking it, but now I have the rack with no use for myself. There is "extra" room in the back for binding posts and connections, but I still doubt a receiver would be a good fit.

No - but Acoustics First has a whole range of products. Years back when I first got my RTA and was measuring my main room, I sent them a video tape of the readings and talked to one of their engineers for a little bit as well. I found them helpful. Here is a link to their ceiling products:

http://www.acousticsfirst.com/acoust...treatments.htm

I was thinking more like a true room in a room rather than clips or hangers. But thanks for the link!

I've heard of people doing double sheetrock largely for bass and some sound control. At one point Home Depot had sound control 4x8 sheets. I put some extra cross bracing for things that might rattle due to a subwoofer and in some areas where I had no heating ducts, I put insulation above the ceiling.

Here's some info - http://www.wiredathomeblog.com/blog/...undproofi.html

Very tidy article. I'm all over most of that stuff already. But he doesn't cover ceilings so much. I'm trying to build double walls, then hang a ceiling on top of the interior de-coupled walls thus decoupling the ceiling from the above floor joists. It's a true "room-in-a-room".

HighEndWire and oldschool4life, thanks for sharing your Audiofest experience. I appreciate it.

There's a whole bunch of photos posted at the website under the links for June 11, June 12 and June 13 here: - http://www.capitalaudiofest.com/p1.html

oldschool4life is that you on June 12 in the light blue shirt looking down at the cables in the middle of the page?

High End Wire - I'm still looking at speakers.

I'm also interested in some kind of desktop computer system; Parasound Zamp (or other compact amplifier) + compact quality speakers.

I picked up (on a great deal, a Pioneer 1120 for the secondary basement system. Almost set-up. Still backlogged with music and movies. Received an upgraded power supply last night for the Logitech Squeezebox Touch I got a couple of weeks back. Still playing with the HDMI audio de-embedder for taking hi-rez PCM from SACD to my DAC.

I'm interested in the meet. Where will it be? When will it be? I went to a few in Maryland years ago. One meet was in Rockville at Dave & Buster's. I don't particularly like the place (to game oriented, mediocre food), but nice people showed up. I feel us Marylander's are out numbered by the Northern Virginian's. I will check in ocassionally to see when/ where it takes place.

I'm up for a Maryland/Rockville'ish area meet.


The Hard Times Cafe Rockville (270 @ Route 28) has a small room they might let us use. Plus much better food than Dave and Busters.

Or I could even host, I'm working on my theater build now and everyone could get some hands on experience peeling wallpaper, sanding, dry-walling, painting, electrical work....

Hey Scamps: Does this mean that you want to have a separate meet for Baltimore, Rockville, etc? Sounds good to me, as even Rockville is an hour drive from here. I can't speak for others, but some may not want to get down & dirty for an HT meet. (drywalling, etc). I have no idea about Rt. 28. Do you know I-695. That's Ravens Territory!

No it means I thought you were suggesting one in Rockville. Is there one already planned in Baltimore?


Damn. I guess I'm back to blackmailing my kids for cheap labor.

Scamps: Thanks but I am not aware of any meets in the Baltimore area. Anybody interested in having one in Baltimore? I guess there aren't any HT enthusiasts around here. Bummer!

I'm here! Mine isn't anywhere close to ready though :shrug: