[Cliff C]

How many folks here have a home theater?

By "home theater", I refer to a system where you have an AVR (Audio Visual Receiver) connected to several speakers that is at least capable of decently reproducing Pro-Logic sound (Pro-Logic is a 4 channel system that provides discrete channels for a center speaker, left and right speakers, and the fourth channel multiplexed for the two surround speakers... most newer VHS tapes (and VHS players) can produce Pro-Logic sound.)

So much for the spec monkey talk. :)

Of course, for a *real* rockem sockem audio experience, you need a DVD player hooked up to an AVR producing Dolby Digital 5.1 and / or DTS.

I assembled our system about 4 years ago.

The heart of the system is a Denon 5600 AVR driving 7 speakers. DVD player is a Toshiba, using component video cables. I calibrated the system using the Video Essentials DVD.

Anyone else? What do you have now? What would you LIKE to have?

Cliff

[Greg L]

After our fire a couple of years ago we used a chunk of the insurance money to replace the worn out (and melted) college system.

Currently Pioneer is handling the receiver, speakers, and 300 cd player (it's cool, if you hit random it will go for a week), Toshiba has the DVD duty, Panasonic a hifi vcr, all sitting on top of a 60" RCA tv.

Like I mentioned in another thread, it is actually cheaper for us to go buy the movie (DVD) than to either get a babysitter or drag everyone off to the theater. Besides, most DVD's now have lots of cool extras along with the movie.

Greg

[Gunslinger]

Weird. Like Greg we lost our old system in our fire last December and replaced it with a home theater with the DVD. When we built the new house we hard wired the whole system and our big dish satelite system in.
Now I'd just like to get the whole thing hooked so I would have some idea what it does sound like. So far all of it is still sitting in the boxes waiting to be put together. :mad:

[Tony from Finland]

No *******' way do I have a home theater. But you betcha I'd love to have one. A quality DVD player, high-quality Dolby Digital audio system, and a nice video projector for a biiiiiig screen... :) Oh yeah, I could be happy with a set-up like that. :cool: (No details, since this is so way much out of my league that I haven't done research on any specific hardware...)

[Richard J.]

Cliff,
My setup is capable of theatre type surround sound, but I don't have it set up as such. I'd have to connect the TV speakers as the "center" speakers, and I've just never gotten around to it.

My system is basically 11 years old. The TV is an MGA (Mitsubishi) 25", and the sound system is Onkyo. It includes a reciever, a 5 disc CD, and a dual tape deck. It also has a Technics turntable, and an Akai Quadio (!!!) reel-to-reel. One set of speakers are Bose AM5's, the other set, JBL L-100 bookshelf monitors.
Interesting contrast on those speakers. I find that the Bose handle lots of power (125W RMS,) but the JBL's (50W RMS) are more efficient; they usually overpower the Bose at any level, and you have to get closer to the Bose end of the room to hear a true "balance" between the two sets. However, when we use the turntable, I turn off the JBL's because they are on the same wooden shelves as the turntable, and the rumble gets very bad. Not to worry, the AM5's make up for it. :cool:

Oh yeah, don't have a DVD player yet, but will be getting one sometime. I'm waiting for the "formatting wars" to shake out and settle down. (Ever wonder how much a Sony Betamax VCR would be worth today, "collector value"?)
I'm currently running a Sony HiFi stereo VCR.

I susbscribe to TimeWarner cable (only cable in the area, and it handles my RoadRunner cable modem, too,) and I've got their top line package, digital decoder box, the works. Great when it's working OK, but I hate it when the sattelites glitch and the picture freezes or "de-pixelates." :mad:

[Cliff C]

Greg - Funny you should mention it as a replacement for your college system. Same here. :) My Garrard turntable and Kenwood 2002 amp (purchased in 1970) were still working, as well as the KLH-32 speakers. I gave them to my Dad along with the cassette tape player. He uses them in his garage.

Miriam and I also hardly ever go out to the movies. I buy the DVD. The sound on my system is BETTER than in 99% of the theaters out there and we have the best seats in the house. :)

Richard - My TV is a Toshiba 36" Cinema Series, purchased at the same time as the rest of the system. I wanted a set with component video for use with the DVD player. After I calibrated it, the picture (and film like "look") on the set is astonishing.

I thought your comments on your speakers were real interesting. Selecting the speakers was THE hardest part of the whole thing! I finally settled on a set by Atlantic Technologies. They're all timbre matched and reasonably efficient. My receiver outputs 140W RMS per channel and the two 12" powered sub woofs are 200W RMS apiece.

My turntable is a Technics 1200SL and the CD player is a Sony XA20ES. It only plays one CD at a time, but it's built like a freekin' tank!

BTW, I have one of the original Sony Betamax players! The SL5000 - it was their first front load design. How much do you think it's worth on EBay? :D

Cliff

[Greg L]

Cliff,

The closest that I could find was $28.00 (http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1246177914) of course there was also a $30 shipping charge as these relics seem to have been made out of lead.

Greg

[Richard J.]

Cliff,
If you want a really efficient speaker, check out the Klipsch Corner Horns. Will run well with only 5W, but can handle up to 125W (IIRC.)

In a few more years, I'll be moving to large screen format with a complete new set-up. I'll probably keep the current speakers (the JBL's are 24 years old!), but will add some more. I want to watch Top Gun and feel like I'm on the flight deck.

I once saw a stereo system (in '75) that was a bi-amped setup with a crossover, running two MacIntosh 500W power amps, don't remember the tuner, turntable, or tape deck, but the speakers!!! Magnaplanar, a set of 8. Each speaker was 7 feet tall, 18" wide, and 1" deep! A bass speaker on each end (running off one of the amps,) a midrange speaker inboard of those, and then the center 4 being tweeters. Power rating, somewhere near 1000W RMS, IIRC. It would take 4 Macs to run this thing to capacity, but you wouldn't be able to stay in the same COUNTY with it if you cranked it up. Amazing clarity. The stereo store offered me the display setup for $9800 (in '75!!!) I could have bought it then, but I'd have needed to build a special room for it to realize the true potential. Room would have to be at least 500 sq. feet.

[RustyinTexas]

A little over a year ago my 20 year old Yamaha system finally kicked the bucket so we need to replace it. I figure 20 years is pretty solid so I went with Yamaha again.

Our new Receiver is a Yamaha RX-V995. It has Yamaha DSP (Digital Signal Processing), Pro Logic, Dolby Digital and DTS. True 5.1 Surround. Yamaha has been the pioneers in DSP. Delivers 100 watts to each channel. Has connections for an external decoder if a new format becomes available. ALso has both digital and optical connections.

For speakers we went with Klipch. They sound the best and offer the best price to performance ratio of any speaker on the market.

The mains are Klipsch Synergy SF-2s. They Rock. They are so efficient and clear that we never turn the volume up past 1/3. It hurts to much. No matter what kind of music, from classical to rock to country they sound incredible. They will shake the house.

The surounds are are Klipsch SS-5s. The can really put out some sound. I had to make some long runs to get to them but the RX-V995 allows you to up the power to specific channels so I was able to adjust.

The center channel is a Klipsch SC-1. It's a Klipsch need I say more. :)

The sub is a Klipsch KSW-12. Talk about being able to rattle windows. This can do it. Has a standby feature that allows it to power off after 15 minutes of no activity. Then if it gets a signal it wakes up and starts working.

Our TV is a Sony Trinitron 32" that we have had for years. We would like to go big screen but don't really have the room. It has a great picturs so I am realy willing to wait until HD TV gets more affordable.

Rusty

[Cliff C]

Greg - Only $28.00??!! I think I'll keep it. It does weigh a ton - probably because it's constructed more like a piece of commercial gear rather than something intended for the home consumer market.

Rusty - That Yammy of yours is a sweet little unit. I know someone who has one. Good performance and you don't have to take out a second mortgage on your home to buy one. My Denon has several DSP modes, but I hardly ever use them. When I play records or CD's, I switch the unit to "Direct" mode which bypasses all of that stuff.

I hear you and Richard about the Klipsch speakers. I think the Heresy model is the one that brought them to my attention.

Did I mention that speaker selection was difficult for me? Not only did the units have to PERFORM well, but they also had to have aesthetics that would meet my wife's approval and not make the family room look like a "ham shack." :rolleyes:

Here's what they look like (hot linked from the Atlantic Technologies (http://www.atlantictechnology.com/) website....

http://www.atlantictechnology.com/images/350_37.jpg

The surround speakers are on the left and are dipoles.

Richard - Magnaplanar speakers, huh? Yeah... I've heard of those bad boys. :) There is some marvelous stuff out there. Most of it is too rich for my blood. :(

I really do believe that 10% of your initial outlay will get you 90% of your performance. Then you can spend 9 times more trying to get that last, elusive, 9.5%. 100%, of course, is impossible. ;)

Cliff

[Hal]

I shoulda stood firm and went Klipsch :(
ok, I'll fess up to bein a bit hen pecked...err... condencending to higher wishes.
Onkyo
Bose 901's
Toshiba 32"
BIC bookshelf's for the surround.

It replaced an old Kenwood w/ bozaks. Nice system, but old and dated.

The Bose 901's were the third best thing I could hear w/my shooting/loud music old ears. They were the only thing Mrs. Hal would let me buy. I wanted the Klipsch, but she said they were too intrusive. The ones I listened too though really kicked!

[ 06-23-2001: Message edited by: Hal ]

[loknload]

Cliff about two years ago I finished off my basement just for a big screen and sound surround system ;) Best investment I ever made and I enjoy it immensly :D I still have room down there that I would like to add a 50's or 60's Juke Box and a same vintage pin ball machine :D
My big screen is a 53"Sony, The sound system is Technics, DVD is Toshiba and the Video is Panasonic.
It's a UN system but it all works well together and really rocks the house! :cool:

[PreserveFreedom]

I'll be able to afford a home theatre around the time I stop buying guns. ;)