Whats Your Audio / Home Cinema Setup?

[12thgear]

We're finishing our basement (most of it; will frame out the laundry and shop area), and since the floor plan will be pretty open we'll have a home theater/gaming setup as well as plenty of room for entertaining.

I haven't settled on an AVR yet (either something decent for around $600-$800, or maybe a really nice refurb in that range. My goal is to get something with a decent amp and Audyssey MultEQ XT or XT32.

For displays I'm really tempted by the Panasonic TC-P65VT60. It's an amazing looking plasma and I'd love to have TV capable of such depth of color. The downside is its input lag is in the high 40ms range. Still much better than my projector which I've still found acceptable.

If I decide low lag is a concern for me, Sony's KDL-65W850A is supposed to be a great LCD TV and it only has 18ms of lag. But it's even more expensive than the Pioneer plasma. The KDL-55W900A is a lot cheaper and just as responsive, but I'm not sure I want to go that "small".

I've already picked out speakers and I went with the 2013 Pioneer by Andrew Jones line. I snagged the SP-C22 center for $60, as well as six of the SP-FS52 floor standing speakers, also for $60 each. The subwoofer may be the SVS PB-12 NSD.

Oh, and I'll finally have room to set up a proper racing rig!

 

[OwensRacing]

Man Cave: Theater/Gaming Room

Details:
•60" DLP
•PS3
•Tritton Pro
•Denon 3113ci 7x 125 watt RMS
•Klipsch Reference
•Towers - 8" horn / dual 8" drivers
•Center - 6" horn / dual 6.5" drivers
•Surrounds - dual 6" horns / 6.5" driver
•Rears - 6" horn / 6.5" driver
•Subs
•PSA Dual 15" sub (Front & Rear fire) - 750 watt RMS
•MK 12" sub - 150 watt RMS

2ch= 1150 watts RMS
5.1 = 1525 watts RMS
7.1 = 1775 watts RMS

PSA sub plays down to 10hz this thing literally shakes the walls at 20hz test freq.

Very very pleased with how it turned out.
Going for another PSA

As well in this Room is my Racing Rig.
•Custom Rig
•3x 24" Asus Monitors
•3x PS3's
•iRacing Purpose built PC
•2x Buttkicker Gamer 2
•Tritton Pro+

And now pictures:

 

[TB]

With the new speakers mounted and receiver set up, I need to do some updating in here!

I haven't settled on an AVR yet (either some decent for around $600-$800, or maybe a really nice refurb in that range. My goal is to get something with a decent amp and Audyssey MultEQ XT or XT32.

Admittedly I haven't had it for very long but so far I'm rather pleased with my Onkyo. It's under your budget (and down $75 from when I bought it a few weeks ago... ) but if it packs everything you need, saving a few bucks is never a bad thing.

Still much better than my projector which I've still found acceptable.

What projector are you using?

I'm not sure I want to go that "small".

When in doubt, go bigger. You'll very seldom regret it but you will if you could go larger and choose not to.

•PSA Dual 15" sub (Front & Rear fire) - 750 watt RMS

Damn, dude! I think I'm going to need a new sub sooner than later but that one wouldn't pass the wife approval test, that's for damn sure!

 

[12thgear]

OwensRacing, that setup looks very nice. There's something to be said for multiple subs. I'm undecided on that front myself. I may go with multiple sealed subs downstairs. Upstairs I effectively have 2 stereo 8" subs and one 16" sub. My main speakers are older Definitive Technology PowerMonitor 700 speakers, and each one has a powered 8" woofer. I ran Room EQ Wizard to dial in the gain on their amps and compensate for room gain for even full range response. They sound great, but I still let my 15" sub do the heavy lifting so they're crossed over at 60Hz to minimize localization. Let's just say movies can get VERY dynamic.

Admittedly I haven't had it for very long but so far I'm rather pleased with my Onkyo. It's under your budget (and down $75 from when I bought it a few weeks ago... ) but if it packs everything you need, saving a few bucks is never a bad thing.

That 600 series Onkyo is quite nice, though it lacks some of the features I'm looking for. I actually have an older Onkyo TX-SR805 upstairs and it's spoiled me. Onkyo overbuilt this beast for the time and scaled subsequent models back. This thing is 55lbs, THX Ultra2 rated, an honest 130W/channel, and supports modern lossless surround codecs. It also includes Audyssey MultEQ, and when I took time to make multiple measurements, it noticeably improved the cohesion of my speakers and cleaned up in-room bass response. I got that thing for $600 when it came out and I'd have to double that to find something equivalent today. Or go refurb.

What projector are you using?

I have an Epson 8500UB. It's calibrated and it looks fantastic! But it'll never give me the richness and depth of a nicer plasma TV. Plus it's supposed to have input lag in the 70s. Rock Band 3's auto calibration seems to bear that out. It'll also be nice to not go through bulbs as often.

When in doubt, go bigger. You'll very seldom regret it but you will if you could go larger and choose not to.

Too true. That may rule the 55" KDL-55W900A. Though it's a great looking TV.

I'm excited to build the basement system. My wife's not convinced we'll use the space as much, but I bet we will. If we find we're using the basement a lot, I may move my primary audio gear down there. We'll see.

 

[TB]

Update time.

Projector - BenQ W1070 chucking a 163" image
Left and right speakers - Sony SS-AV33
Center - Sony SS-CN550H
Sub - Yamaha YST-SW105
Surrounds - mix of Niles (came with the house) and Monoprice 8" in ceiling speakers
Receiver - Onkyo TX-NR616
BR player - fat PS3

Seating.



Screen. Or lack thereof.



View from the drivers seat.



I can see the four front speakers being upgraded in the future but for now, I'm quite pleased with it. Especially for the price a company wanted for a vastly inferior setup versus what I was able to do on my own.

 

[Pako]

I LOVE LOVE LOVE how uncluttered the room is. Have you found any drawbacks to the projector setup vs. a conventional screen yet? Do you find that you always have to drop the lights to enjoy the projected image?

 

[TB]

I LOVE LOVE LOVE how uncluttered the room is.

It's one of the few rooms that I actually stay on top of. You should see the office.

I am still planning on a large mural for the back wall but I can't decide on the image and how to go about it yet.

Have you found any drawbacks to the projector setup vs. a conventional screen yet?

Honestly, no. Sure, the screen isn't as bright and vibrant as my plasma but it's also more than four times the size, that also being the trump card - I find I'm more enveloped in the movie (that's the whole reason you go to the theater, right?) and not paying attention to things like image quality and color depth. Every once in a while I'll notice the wall texture (no screen, remember) but for the most part it's not an issue.

Do you find that you always have to drop the lights to enjoy the projected image?

I'm using the Eco lamp setting and even then, no, I don't have to turn the lights off (see my second picture). Also keep in mind that I have no windows in the room and the doors are easily closed. That said, turning off the lights shows just how washed out the image is with the lights on. Also, now that the remote is set up to turn the lights off when I push play (and it's a digital dimmer so it's nice and gradual, not just all of a sudden off 👍), it's not something I even need to think about anymore.

 

[Pako]

It's one of the few rooms that I actually stay on top of. You should see the office.

I am still planning on a large mural for the back wall but I can't decide on the image and how to go about it yet.

Honestly, no. Sure, the screen isn't as bright and vibrant as my plasma but it's also more than four times the size, that also being the trump card - I find I'm more enveloped in the movie (that's the whole reason you go to the theater, right?) and not paying attention to things like image quality and color depth. Every once in a while I'll notice the wall texture (no screen, remember) but for the most part it's not an issue.

I'm using the Eco lamp setting and even then, no, I don't have to turn the lights off (see my second picture). Also keep in mind that I have no windows in the room and the doors are easily closed. That said, turning off the lights shows just how washed out the image is with the lights on. Also, now that the remote is set up to turn the lights off when I push play (and it's a digital dimmer so it's nice and gradual, not just all of a sudden off 👍), it's not something I even need to think about anymore.

That's cool man, and I especially like the auto lighting. Love the setup man and hope to have a room like that some day. My current house has pretty short basement ceilings so stadium seating is out of the question. I would also like a dedicated room for the sole purpose of a home theater. Right now the basement has become, not my man cave, but the catch all for everything and everyone. It's cool though, we are one big happy (and messy) family down there but it is driving me nuts with all the clutter. *now you know my appeal to your clutter free room*

Anyways, looks great man!

👍

 

[TB]

@Pako - If you've got the itch, see if you can rearrange a bit to fit something in. When we started looking for a new house, my wife and I had a list of must haves and a list of like to haves. A theater was way down on the "like to" list so when it ticked all the musts and a fair chunk of the likes, I was sold. Now that it's set up, even my happy with just a TV wife likes it.

Some of the guys I work with that helped me move are going to officially break the room in tomorrow. My wife and kids are vacating so I can turn it up to my hearts content. A quick test run tonight sounded promising.

And my Man Cave is the laundry room. I have a sign to prove it and everything.

 

[Moglet]

Here's my current setup. The 2.1 system is temporary since my last 5.1 died, after Christmas I'll be heading to Richer Sounds to purchase a whole new setup from AV receiver to speaker wires. I'll also be purchasing an Xbox One and I might get a bigger TV, too. This one feels a little lost in the new house!

-Samsung 42" LED TV
-Logitech 2.1 system
-PS3
-PS4
-Xbox 360
-Wii U
-Alienware M14X laptop

Not pictured but upstairs we've also got:
-Philips 32" TV
-Apple iMac 21"
-PS3
-Xbox 360
-3DS

 

[12thgear]

So… this just happened:

Thats 4 out of 6. What have I gotten myself into?!

 

[TB]

What have I gotten myself into?!

A hell of a lot of fun this weekend, that's what!

 

[12thgear]

A hell of a lot of fun this weekend, that's what!

It'll be at least a month before the basement is finished and set up, but I might give a stereo pair a test listen this weekend.


Dec 10 Listening Impressions Update

I couldn't resist and decided to terminate my speaker wire with banana plugs and do some listening tests. Nothing too formal, but I disabled the subwoofer and turned off Audyssey in the receiver. I ran my original speakers full range and just played some of my favorite music in stereo.

My current left and right speakers are Definitive Technology PowerMonitor 700 "bookshelf" speakers. Their big selling point is that they each have 8" powered subs built right in. They have no trouble running full range, and they are better than the Pioneer SP-FS52 speakers. That said, the Pioneers really held their own. They'll happily work as full range speakers for music listening. They're pretty darn neutral and offer substantial bass down to maybe 45Hz or so I'd wager. They're not as detailed, the bass isn't as tight, and dynamically they're not as powerful as my Definitives but they sound very good. Period. I don't feel the need to qualify that by saying "for the price". They're good speakers, and if you're on a tight budget I'd have no trouble recommending them, especially when they go on sale. I got these for $60 USD each, which is absurd.

 

[Small_Fryz]

Man Cave: Theater/Gaming Room

Details:
•60" DLP
•PS3
•Tritton Pro
•Denon 3113ci 7x 125 watt RMS
•Klipsch Reference
•Towers - 8" horn / dual 8" drivers
•Center - 6" horn / dual 6.5" drivers
•Surrounds - dual 6" horns / 6.5" driver
•Rears - 6" horn / 6.5" driver
•Subs
•PSA Dual 15" sub (Front & Rear fire) - 750 watt RMS
•MK 12" sub - 150 watt RMS

2ch= 1150 watts RMS
5.1 = 1525 watts RMS
7.1 = 1775 watts RMS

PSA sub plays down to 10hz this thing literally shakes the walls at 20hz test freq.

Very very pleased with how it turned out.
Going for another PSA

That is an awesome setup 👍
Which Reference speakers did you run with?

I hope I get to!!

Looking to order in some Polk TSI 550's for sale as well.
I had a great run selling the Polk TSI 300's and looking to get the replacement 330's in.

I was very happy with them.

Well my customer upgraded to the RF-82 Reference pack. Its all packed in my dad's car as I'm driving 120miles tomorrow to deliver and install them!! Looking forward to hearing these bad boys .

As for the Polk's for the store use I ended up getting in the ATi A9's Floorstanding with a DSWPRO660 Sub, CSIA6 Center and RTiA1 Bookshelves. I have done a lot of research and the ATi A9's have nothing but great reviews all over the globe, very excitied to be able to offer some of the best bang for ya buck audio in town, backed up with the ability to go out and install and configure it as well.

In fact I'm about 85% sure I'll pick up a set for myself over Christmas

Setup in the shop. For size reference that Receiver is a Denon x3000.

 

[OwensRacing]

what reference speakers

RF-5
RS-3
RC-3
All this I lucked into new old stock. Made in Hope Arkansas. The original good stuff. IMO

RB-61 II

Considering adding RS-62's and moving the RB-61's to the front upper outside corners as wides. Maybe. Have to think about it.

 

[Mikeybc]

The new Marantz NR-1403 reciever showed up early today. All hooked up, the Audyssey EQ setup was simple and works great Ignore the horrible picture quality on the TV, it's really quite good for a 5 year old TV, a 46" Samsung series 7.

 

[12thgear]

The new Marantz NR-1403 reciever showed up early today. All hooked up, the Audyssey EQ setup was simple and works great Ignore the horrible picture quality on the TV, it's really quite good for a 5 year old TV, a 46" Samsung series 7.

What cabinet is that? The setup looks quite nice.

A new development: I had to take the plunge and order a TV earlier than planned. I ordered the Panasonic TC-P60VT60. 60" of plasma goodness. The image quality should be amazing and the lag is low enough for my needs. I just wanted to get a really nice Panasonic plasma while I still could. These things are getting scarce! My guess is whatever is in the channel is it.

 

[Mikeybc]

What cabinet is that? The setup looks quite nice.

A new development: I had to take the plunge and order a TV earlier than planned. I ordered the Panasonic TC-P60VT60. 60" of plasma goodness. The image quality should be amazing and the lag is low enough for my needs. I just wanted to get a really nice Panasonic plasma while I still could. These things are getting scarce! My guess is whatever is in the channel is it.

Thanks, the cabinet is a Techcraft, the center door has grill cloth to allow the center to fire through but it won't take a very big one as you can see, fortunately my center channel works well as a TV base to raise it up a bit.

Hope you enjoy your new TV 👍

Fortunate to get one that wasn't black.

http://www.thesource.ca/estore/prod...e&utm_source=AskAndAnswer&utm_content=Default

 

[Mikeybc]

Deleted double post

 

[OwensRacing]

Tried GT6 on the system last week. Must say some cars sound very very good. I race on the rig with a headset 99.9% of the time. Which is decent and all. But nothing on the level of a full system.

Have been playing PS4 on main system a lot since Christmas. Very impressive. COD Ghosts and NBA 2K14. Basketball is pretty sweet with ambient noises and crowd roars. COD is great too. Considering a couple tactiles for the couch though. Those really make expansions and gun fire stabd out on my rig.

 

[12thgear]

I'm so glad I got the TC-P60VT60. They're hard to find now and the price has shot back up. I set it up temporarily in the bedroom and I love the image quality. I've enjoyed playing with Netflix, Blu-ray, and some PS3 games. The built-in DLNA client even plays the majority of the content of my NAS without transcoding! They all look excellent just using the stock THX and Home Theater modes. The black levels are indeed very deep and color saturation is excellent. I'm also impressed by the motion handling. The biggest surprise is that I think 3D works so well that I may actually use it. Supposedly this is not one of the top 3D TVs either.

 

[Anomaly]

Right now, we (my Wife & I) are running a pretty modest setup compared with what we've had in the past, as we recently moved to a smaller (but nicer) location. The gear at this point is (sorry not checking the model numbers)...

Display: 46" 1080p Sony Bravia
Receiver: 7.1 Yamaha Aventage
Blu-ray: 1st generation Sony (will be upgrading to an OPPO within the next few weeks)
CD: Yamaha 5-Disc
CDR: Harman Kardon
EQ: 10-band AudioSource
Power Conditioner: APC
Speakers (L/C/R/Surrounds & Sub): Polk Audio
Game Consoles (currently in-use): 2 PS3, 2 Xbox 360, Wii, Dreamcast

Our current room layout (the only way it will work) doesn't really allow for tower speakers, so we're running bookshelves right now. I miss having real bass from the speakers and the sub, but the sound is still very acceptable. I sold the Infinity Studio Monitor setup we used to have and purchased the Polk bookshelves when we moved, but we're probably going to relocate closer to my job in the foreseeable future. At that point, I think I may upgrade to either B&W, Monitor Audio or PSB towers with either a Velodyne or SVS Sub.

 

[OwensRacing]

Check out PSA subs. IIRC SVS main engineer left and opened PSA.

This dual 15 I have is utterly amazing!!! I have the sealed now and plan to add a ported version to the system. Grew up a bass head and well I want that thunder in my house like my cars of younger years had. 140db bass hits make me happy. Besides you can always turn down the bass. But when you don't have enough you can't turn it up! LoL

http://www.avsforum.com/t/1372020/official-power-sound-audio-thread/1590

 

[12thgear]

SVS always offered great price and performance, and it looks like PSA is carrying that torch now. I'd be really tempted to get the XS30, though it's probably overkill. Glad you like it!: http://www.powersoundaudio.com/products/xs30

I've also got my eye on this Dayton kit, also a dual sealed design, though 12". The drivers look very nice and the cabinet is heavy, dense, braced well, and offers a lot of internal volume. The finish on the Dayton looks like crap though. I'd be tempted to repaint it: http://www.parts-express.com/dayton-audio-rs1202k-1000-watt-dual-12-subwoofer-kit--300-766

Anyone have any experience with Dayton's higher end subwoofer drivers and amps? They seem quite nice on paper.

 

[Anomaly]

Just a quick update... In doing some last minute checking before ordering an OPPO BD player, I came across the Pioneer Elite BDP-62FD, which uses some of the same internals as OPPO. I did some research on the Pioneer and found it to have gotten extremely positive consumer and professional feedback. I've had Pioneer Elite equipment in the past and have somewhat of a soft spot for Pioneer, so I did an about face and ordered the Pioneer to replace the Sony.

I've actually got an LG BD690 Blu-ray player as well. With a 250gig HDD, it was LG's "flagship" player when I purchased it in '11. I just gave the Sony to a friend of mine and have been using the LG. In all honesty, the LG is and always was a POS. It's quirky and locks up a lot. I spent hours upon hours loading some of my music collection onto the hard drive, only to have about 1/3 be unplayable. I was hesitant in buying an LG product in the first place... I should have listened to my gut. I also should have given the that player to my friend rather than the Sony, but that would have been a crappy thing to do.

 

[doctorrg]

I was hesitant in buying an LG product in the first place...

Oddly enough, I've purchased quite a few LG products in recent months, and I'm quite happy with all of them. Really liked my Nexus 5, and when it came to upgrading in the entertainment department I bought two more LG TVs. Replaced our old 46" Sony TV in the main media room with a LG 55LA7400, and with the exception of one major drawback of too much glare in a bright room, I've been rather happy with it. Even picked up another LG 42LA6230 for the bedroom to replace an old 32" Samsung. Streaming directly from my NAS running Plex has been working flawlessly, and is an incredibly convenient feature, and I quite like the passive 3D as well, I can actually bare to watch 3D now.

As for my setup, I can only be jealous of most of you guys. I actually removed just about everything from our main media room, including every single game console. All that's left now is that new 55" LG and a single media-PC running XBMC, which doesn't get as much use anymore either. What is, however, in that room now is a massive sewing table. My wife has gotten into Ikea-hacking, gotten me involved, and somehow silently taken over the whole house. So, what used to be my "man cave", now is more like the sewing room with a very bare entertainment setup in a corner. Not sure why I didn't see that coming, or how it actually happened.

 

[Anomaly]

Oddly enough, I've purchased quite a few LG products in recent months, and I'm quite happy with all of them. Really liked my Nexus 5, and when it came to upgrading in the entertainment department I bought two more LG TVs. Replaced our old 46" Sony TV in the main media room with a LG 55LA7400, and with the exception of one major drawback of too much glare in a bright room, I've been rather happy with it. Even picked up another LG 42LA6230 for the bedroom to replace an old 32" Samsung. Streaming directly from my NAS running Plex has been working flawlessly, and is an incredibly convenient feature, and I quite like the passive 3D as well, I can actually bare to watch 3D now.

As for my setup, I can only be jealous of most of you guys. I actually removed just about everything from our main media room, including every single game console. All that's left now is that new 55" LG and a single media-PC running XBMC, which doesn't get as much use anymore either. What is, however, in that room now is a massive sewing table. My wife has gotten into Ikea-hacking, gotten me involved, and somehow silently taken over the whole house. So, what used to be my "man cave", now is more like the sewing room with a very bare entertainment setup in a corner. Not sure why I didn't see that coming, or how it actually happened.

I glad that you've had good luck with your LG purchases. Their displays do have nice pictures. In fact, when I bought the Sony we have now, I was also contemplating an LG, along with Samsung and one or two others. I crossed the LG off my list because of a lot of customer reviews and complaints I'd read in A/V magazines (Home Theater and Sound & Vision) and online. Most of them dealt with premature failure and out of the box issues. The main problem seemed to be customer support horror stories of being given the runaround, only for LG to finally deny any fault. My other (personal) issue with LG comes from knowing their past, when they were still going by Lucky Goldstar, a manufacturer of $15 VCRs... You know, the ones you could find at grocery stores. Even though they've come a long way, I still look at them as a manufacturer of cheap junk. Sorry, just my opinion.

 

[doctorrg]

Even though they've come a long way, I still look at them as a manufacturer of cheap junk. Sorry, just my opinion.

No need to be sorry. My last CRT was LG and I didn't have a single issue with it. Didn't have another LG TV till now, and both these will still have to pass the test of time, but so far all's been good. Well, that the Android Remote doesn't yet work with KitKat is a bit annoying, but I've found a good alternative. I'll see how I feel about these units in a year.

 

[Anomaly]

No need to be sorry. My last CRT was LG and I didn't have a single issue with it. Didn't have another LG TV till now, and both these will still have to pass the test of time, but so far all's been good. Well, that the Android Remote doesn't yet work with KitKat is a bit annoying, but I've found a good alternative. I'll see how I feel about these units in a year.

I just didn't want you to think I was putting you down in some way, because it could have come off like that. Like I said, I did consider an LG display and I did purchase the BD player. I guess my poor experience with the BD player just helped to confirm all the negative comments I'd read regarding LG, so I sometimes seem as though I'm condescending when it comes to their products (as well as a few other manufacturers). I was just very much into home theater for a while (a few years back), so I get too serious (geeky) sometimes, and can come off as pompous or douchy when discussing the subject. I just wanted you to know that I'm not.

Good luck with the display. I would still consider one from LG regardless of how I may come off.

 

[Mikeybc]

Wow, I didn't know LG was associated with Goldstar, however I feel the company's current products are far better than what they produced under the Goldstar brand. Seen some nice looking displays from them recently.