Quote:
Originally Posted by Anthony A. /forum/post/14198805
btw, i too had been following your threads for a pj, and you pretty much were looking at all the usual suspects that i am. did you ever actually see any of them in person or did you just take a chance and get the sim? if i could afford the sim i would jump out and get it without demoing, but can't so looking forward if you had done any demos on the other pjs.
Hi Anthony -- I saw a few of them, researched others, read some customer reviews, made some inferences, etc.
I saw the Sim2 C3X1080 at OB's house, saw a JVC RS2 at Magnolia Hifi in Santa Rosa and saw a Sim2 D80 and Runco RS1100 at Audio Vision in SF.
After seeing the Sim2 C3X1080, the search was on for something that would get me, say, 90% of the way there, but for less money.
I looked into the Marantz 11S2. The Marantz has impressive CR numbers ---- but at very low lamp output/lumens. If you're lighting a larger screen, you're most likely using the brighter setting -- and the CR numbers drop like Paris Hilton's panties.
This brought me to the Samsung A800B, the Sim2 HT380, and the Planar PD8150. These three projectors all seem very similar, based on reviews.
The similarity is that they are considered bright, 700+ lumens with new bulb, accurate colors (Samsung and Planar OOTB, HT380 with CMS), and similar CR levels (Assuming on the Samsung -- haven't seen actual numbers). More importantly, all three of these projectors maintain their CR numbers while lighting a larger screen.
However, the Planar gets its CR performance from a Dynamic Iris. The first reviews all claimed the dynamic iris is seamless, but the first few customer reviews complained about iris pumping.
Here's another similarity, both the Samsung and Planar use the DI and both Samsung (Joe Kane) and Planar (Forgot the name) recommend avoiding the use of the DI.
Problem --- if you look at the review of the Planar, when the Dynamic Iris is NOT employed, CR numbers drop below 2,000:1. Since the Samsung and Planar seem almost like identical projectors based on reviews, I'm betting the same is true of the Samsung.
Interestingly, several reviewers and customers have claimed both the Planar and Samsung still have very good black levels -- even WITHOUT the DI.
This left the Sim2 HT380 still standing. The Sim2's CR numbers were as good as the Planar's best measured numbers, but the Planar had to be in Film mode (a few reviewers did not prefer Film mode for some viewing) with DI employed, etc. Since the HT380's CR isn't dependent on so many qualifiers, I felt its CR was more reliable day to day, film to film, etc.
Still with me? Another interesting point -- several reviewers, including Tryg who owns and loves his RS1, and Kris Deering, who owns and loves his RS2, said the Planar PD8150's CR and black levels are equal to the RS1's. Therefore, I infer that the Sim2 -- without the use of a DI would also have similar CR and black levels to a JVC RS1.
I searched and found a great deal on a used HT380 on Ebay.
Then, I read that some people see Rainbows and get headaches (nausea) while watching single chip DLP's. Oh, well -- I thought -- I'll take that chance. I mean, I didn't see any rainbows while watching the D80, so I would probably be alright, but........what about guests, family members, etc? Still, that deal on Ebay looked damn good -- the guy selling had 100% perfect feedback.
Hmmmmmmm.......
I wrote Jason Turk of AVS to ask him about the HT380, see what he thought.
Jason, who has reviewed both the HT380 and the Planar PD8150 as well as the C3X1080, said the C3X1080's black levels and CR are superior to both of those projectors (CR Measurements posted by Coldmachine bear this out) and added that, though he had a slight preference for the HT380 over the Planar PD8150, he was sure I could be happy with either projector.
Jason also confirmed that the price being offered on the used HT380 was indeed very good.
I e-mailed the seller, the projector was still available. I asked if the HT380 was updated with the CMS, the seller didn't seem to understand -- he told me if I wanted the projector updated I would have to send it to Sim2.
Then, I opened a message from Jason Turk, giving me his (AVS's) price on a Sim2 C3X1080. (I won't go into specifics here, but I will say that if you are ever projector shopping, give Jason and AVS a call!)
I started thinking about a few things; I'd seen the C3X1080 and was wowed by it. Though I am sure the HT380 is a fine projector (the D80 was very good, the HT380 had to be better), I know the C3X1080 is a great projector. While the HT380 has very good brightness, 700+ lumens with a new lamp, the C3X1080 is about that bright on low lamp. So, while the HT380 would start out at exactly the brightness I want and then dim, the C3X would start at the brightness I want and then as the bulb dims, I could keep it at that level -- perfect! Plus, the C3X has extra brightness available for those times when watching sports with some ambient light. No worries about rainbows or headaches with family and friends.
The C3X was the projector I really wanted.
Jason offered a deal that made it a no-brainer.
I consulted my better half.
She had also seen the C3X1080 at OB's house (as well as the RS2 at Magnolia Hifi) and was wowed by the Sim2.
I told her I would save a few bucks here and there with other gear purchases.
She gave me the green light.
Bing, bang, boom.
C3X1080!
*** Special thanks goes to Coldmachine who held my hand through many, many e-mails, pestering him with question after question, and remained patient and helpful throughout.
That's my story.
