Pics of my HT

[L.J.]

Hey guys, thought I'd share pics of my main system. We moved into a new home a month or so ago and I thought that would be a great time to make changes to my system.

My 56" JVC (moved to a different room) was replaced with a 60" Sony SXRD. HUGE improvement! Thanks again Ed & Topspeed for putting up with all my questions.

I picked up some used C-7's for a really nice price in my area and moved my C-9's into a different room. I was also finally able to unleash my 15" Titanic. I've said it so many times before but I'll say it again, this sub is a BEAST.

I have finished my DIY acoustic panels and gave them an interesting twist to go along the Asian theme we have throughout our home. My wife loves them.

O yeah and somewhere between all this I picked up a PS3. Can you say Blu-Ray :ihih:

Thanks to everyone at AR for all the help and advice you have given my over the last year or so. I'm finally able to sit back, throw on some popcorn and enjoy. And yes, it looks and sounds amazing. :cornut:

http://gallery.audioreview.com/showgallery.php?ppuser=248311&cat=500

[GMichael]

Incredible job L !!! You must be very proud. Congrats.

[L.J.]

Incredible job L !!! You must be very proud. Congrats.

Thanks GM. It feels so great to sit back and enjoy all the hard work.

[edtyct]

Nice work, LJ. Glad to learn (and see) the fruits of your labor. I especially like that big white circle in the middle of your 60A2000. You must have the deluxe model. Seriously, congratulations.

Ed

[blackraven]

Very Nice!

[evil__betty]

Looks awesome. Congrats on taking good pictures too! Too often, people fail to clean, vacuum, dust and hide cables before posting their system. Yours is very clean - great install.

[L.J.]

I can take credit for hiding the cables but the rest goes to my wife. My kids have a playroom so that helps alot.

Thanks for the replies everyone.

[westcott]

Congratulations!!!

I can appreciate how difficult it is to combine an audio/video system into a family room and keep everyone in the family happy!!!

Well done!

[L.J.]

Congratulations!!!

I can appreciate how difficult it is to combine an audio/video system into a family room and keep everyone in the family happy!!!

Well done!

Thanks Westcott. Congrats to you as well.

[JohnMichael]

Congratulations on your excellent system. Receives my number 1 vote for most visual pleasing use of acoustic panels. Good job.

[topspeed]

Valley Boy done good!

Looks terrific, LJ! Great job on the acoustic panels behind the couch, especially the diamond accent. What does the asian character mean and is it embroidered? What did you make your panels out of?

BTW, I'll bet the pillows on your couch were perfectly positioned just for the picture, right? I just ordered new furniture because I can't get my boys to stop taking mine off the flippin' couch! Pillowback sofa + young kids = disaster area. :lol:

Great install, congrats!

[L.J.]

Congratulations on your excellent system. Receives my number 1 vote for most visual pleasing use of acoustic panels. Good job.

Thanks JM. It was fun making the panels. My wife helped pick out the colors. Our guest have no clue what they are, but everyone thinks they look very nice.

[L.J.]

Valley Boy done good!

Looks terrific, LJ! Great job on the acoustic panels behind the couch, especially the diamond accent. What does the asian character mean and is it embroidered? What did you make your panels out of?

BTW, I'll bet the pillows on your couch were perfectly positioned just for the picture, right? I just ordered new furniture because I can't get my boys to stop taking mine off the flippin' couch! Pillowback sofa + young kids = disaster area. :lol:

Great install, congrats!

Hey Topspeed, the asian characters mean Love & Happiness. The theme goes throughout the house. They're glued to the panel using a light spray of adhesive. They should pull right off if I wanted to ever remove them. The panels are Owens 703 fiberglass and the fabric is burlap. I got the material from atsacoustic. Kex was a great help and provided me with all the info.

Believe it or not, that room stays pretty clean. My youngest is not big enough to get on the couches yet but I'm quickly running out of time. He hasen't discovered that the speaker grills can pop off yet either. The kids have a playroom also, that way they can keep all their toys and stuff in one place and not mess up the house.

[Groundbeef]

Your setup looks really polished. I like the panels, and the entertainment center is really nice also. Was a little baffled why you have a sandwich grill on the shelf though. Oh wait thats a PS3...nevermind :ciappa:

[L.J.]

Your setup looks really polished. I like the panels, and the entertainment center is really nice also. Was a little baffled why you have a sandwich grill on the shelf though. Oh wait thats a PS3...nevermind :ciappa:

Umm....thanks, I think :idea:

[Groundbeef]

Umm....thanks, I think :idea:

Oh, this chat system is a bit hard to show emotion. I really did like your system, and setup, just having a little fun at your expense on the PS3.

I'm more of a 360 guy, thats all.

[L.J.]

Oh, this chat system is a bit hard to show emotion. I really did like your system, and setup, just having a little fun at your expense on the PS3.

I'm more of a 360 guy, thats all.

I was joking as well. I actually laughed at your grill comment. Although it would be a nice feature to add to the PS3. Hmmmm..............:ciappa:


Well I'm off to watch Open Season with the family. On blu-ray of course :ihih:

[Tarheel_]

LJ....

super nice looking HT. Kudos for maintianing a 'living' room which turns into a sweet HT. That is not an easy feat. The WAF is high.

May i suggest some black curtains to pull together for daytime viewing? Looking at the pics i think your wife can pull it off.

[L.J.]

LJ....

super nice looking HT. Kudos for maintianing a 'living' room which turns into a sweet HT. That is not an easy feat. The WAF is high.

May i suggest some black curtains to pull together for daytime viewing? Looking at the pics i think your wife can pull it off.

Thanks Tarheel. The room does get very bright during the day and I plan on working on that soon.

[westcott]

LJ....

super nice looking HT. Kudos for maintianing a 'living' room which turns into a sweet HT. That is not an easy feat. The WAF is high.

May i suggest some black curtains to pull together for daytime viewing? Looking at the pics i think your wife can pull it off.

I notices the glass sliding door, as well. Black out linings would probably match better!!!:idea:

[L.J.]

I actually have 4 windows to deal with also. How good is the black out lining?

Gm, what are you using? I think you mentioned before but I can't remember.

[GMichael]

I actually have 4 windows to deal with also. How good is the black out lining?

Gm, what are you using? I think you mentioned before but I can't remember.

For the main living room and connected dining room, we used some very thick insulated curtains that we got from Pennies. The pinch-pull type. They aren't black out curtains but very little light gets through. We then added white lace curtains between them and the windows for added insulation (also helps with the light). Even on very bright sunny days we can block out enough light to make it hard to read your remote. They do a great job. Total cost was about $400.00.
In the bedroom, Wifey was not as critical of how "dressy" they had to look. One set of black-out curtains from Lowes makes the bedroom dark enough to trip over anything left on the floor. Total cost, about $20 bucks.

[L.J.]

For the main living room and connected dining room, we used some very thick insulated curtains that we got from Pennies. The pinch-pull type. They aren't black out curtains but very little light gets through. We then added white lace curtains between them and the windows for added insulation (also helps with the light). Even on very bright sunny days we can block out enough light to make it hard to read your remote. They do a great job. Total cost was about $400.00.
In the bedroom, Wifey was not as critical of how "dressy" they had to look. One set of black-out curtains from Lowes makes the bedroom dark enough to trip over anything left on the floor. Total cost, about $20 bucks.

Thanks GM, looks like I'll be taking a trip to Lowes. The house has a open layout so getting this one room dark would require alot since my theater room, kitchen & front room are all kinda connected, with only half walls separating them. My best bet is to try and get this room as dim as possible but dark ain't gonna happen.

I watched Kindom of Heaven during the day and it wasn't that bad. My Sony is bright enough to fight off the glare a little but it was noticable. Most of my viewing is at night so I'll just have to live with what I can get during the daytime.

[hydroman]

Looks great, very well thought-out.

I like the way the speakers 'match' the cabinet perfectly. Usually the speakers absolutely the hardest to integrate. (Must be why my sister loves her lil' Bose speaker system)

[GMichael]

Thanks GM, looks like I'll be taking a trip to Lowes. The house has a open layout so getting this one room dark would require alot since my theater room, kitchen & front room are all kinda connected, with only half walls separating them. My best bet is to try and get this room as dim as possible but dark ain't gonna happen.

I watched Kindom of Heaven during the day and it wasn't that bad. My Sony is bright enough to fight off the glare a little but it was noticable. Most of my viewing is at night so I'll just have to live with what I can get during the daytime.

They are usually in a cardboard display in the middle of the isle when on sale. Seem to come in two colors, blue and burgundy. Other black-out cloth' I've found are very expensive.

[L.J.]

Looks great, very well thought-out.

I like the way the speakers 'match' the cabinet perfectly. Usually the speakers absolutely the hardest to integrate. (Must be why my sister loves her lil' Bose speaker system)

Thanks. Yeah looks are very important. My C-9's are black, so I had to live with my front 3 not matching (maple center). To make a long story short after traveling 80or so miles to pick up my BLACK center, the last one in stock was MAPLE. I was told that a black center was on hold for me. I was pissed but had to take it or leave it since the line was discontinued and the C-C3 was no where to be found. I found the maple C-7's used in my area and here I am.

[L.J.]

They are usually in a cardboard display in the middle of the isle when on sale. Seem to come in two colors, blue and burgundy. Other black-out cloth' I've found are very expensive.

Well I could always go the cheap route and use foil :ciappa:

[GMichael]

Well I could always go the cheap route and use foil :ciappa:

Sure, that way you won't have to worry about the microwaves that the government is using to fry our brains. And the other aliens will no longer be able to read your mind. I'll still have no trouble with that though.:shocked:

[bobsticks]

Great looking setup L.J.. Very clean and geometric, and as mentioned strong WAF. Congrats on the new toys and new home.

Cheers to ya

[jrhymeammo]

Yeah, that is pretty nice. Love and Happiness?

WAF is pretty nice. I got my foam in today, and dont even have the SAF. I dont even like it myself. I spent 50% more on color instead of charcoal. But now, I wanna spray paint it blackish, but dont think that's a good idea. Closing off all the cells and such. Sounds better though.

but you are sounding good while looking great. Congrats

[L.J.]

Great looking setup L.J.. Very clean and geometric, and as mentioned strong WAF. Congrats on the new toys and new home.

Cheers to ya

Thanks Bobsticks.

[L.J.]

Yeah, that is pretty nice. Love and Happiness?

WAF is pretty nice. I got my foam in today, and dont even have the SAF. I dont even like it myself. I spent 50% more on color instead of charcoal. But now, I wanna spray paint it blackish, but dont think that's a good idea. Closing off all the cells and such. Sounds better though.

but you are sounding good while looking great. Congrats

Thanks JR. Don't forget to post some pics when you're all done.

[Woochifer]

Awesome job L.J.! It's been quite amazing seeing your various equipment and room upgrades take shape over the past year, and how you put things you learn into practice. Hope that your persistent curiosity has paid off with greater enjoyment of your system.

I'm taking notes on how you integrated the 703 fiberglas panels with basic burlap, and created something that's as attractive as it is functional. Are those panels rigid enough to be suspended or do they have to be wall-mounted?

Terrence once recommended that I go with blackout curtains for a large window that I have along the side of my setup. He said that those heavy curtains do an outstanding job at taming the window reflections. My wife and I are looking into options right now (and since she watches a lot of interior design porn ... i.e., HGTV, DIY Network, Discovery Home, etc. ... you can imagine how those discussions are going!).

Also, have you done any equalizing on that 15" Titanic yet? I've been tweaking with my sub settings using the Room EQ Wizard (free Java-based application that's available through Sonny Parker's BFD forum (http://www.hometheatershack.com/forums/bfd-rew-forum/)), which deliver much quicker results than the old method of manually measuring test tones and plotting frequency points. I would be curious to see how your results fare in your room.

[L.J.]

Awesome job L.J.! It's been quite amazing seeing your various equipment and room upgrades take shape over the past year, and how you put things you learn into practice. Hope that your persistent curiosity has paid off with greater enjoyment of your system.

I'm taking notes on how you integrated the 703 fiberglas panels with basic burlap, and created something that's as attractive as it is functional. Are those panels rigid enough to be suspended or do they have to be wall-mounted?

Terrence once recommended that I go with blackout curtains for a large window that I have along the side of my setup. He said that those heavy curtains do an outstanding job at taming the window reflections. My wife and I are looking into options right now (and since she watches a lot of interior design porn ... i.e., HGTV, DIY Network, Discovery Home, etc. ... you can imagine how those discussions are going!).

Also, have you done any equalizing on that 15" Titanic yet? I've been tweaking with my sub settings using the Room EQ Wizard (free Java-based application that's available through Sonny Parker's BFD forum (http://www.hometheatershack.com/forums/bfd-rew-forum/)), which deliver much quicker results than the old method of manually measuring test tones and plotting frequency points. I would be curious to see how your results fare in your room.

Thanks Wooch. I think you guys are starting to rub off on me.

I glued my panels to a 1/4" board using spray adhesive and hung on the wall using saw tooth picture hanging hardware. Not sure what you mean by suspended :frown5:

No, I have not done any sub EQing. It's still on my list though. I am a bit overwhelmed by all the info, but I gotta start somewhere I guess. Very interesting link. I'll have to spend some time reading over there.

[Woochifer]

Thanks Wooch. I think you guys are starting to rub off on me.

Oh no! Not again! :cornut:


I glued my panels to a 1/4" board using spray adhesive and hung on the wall using saw tooth picture hanging hardware. Not sure what you mean by suspended :frown5:

Actually, you answered my question. By suspend I meant whether it the panel was rigid enough to stand on its own like a picture frame (I suspend my acoustic panels using picture hooks and picture moldings). With a solid backing, that will definitely work with a picture molding. Thanks.


No, I have not done any sub EQing. It's still on my list though. I am a bit overwhelmed by all the info, but I gotta start somewhere I guess. Very interesting link. I'll have to spend some time reading over there.

That stuff is VERY technical, but most of the regulars on that site are very helpful. Here's the home page for the Room EQ Wizard.

http://www.hometheatershack.com/roomeq/

If you want a basic primer on the Behringer Feedback Destroyer (which is a commonly used and very inexpensive parametric equalizer), here's the link to Sonny Parker's website. This was the site that I used to equalize my sub. The improvment that the EQ made to my bass response was absolutely staggering. (although if you use the Audyssey EQ on your Denon receiver, it already incorporates some bass equalization)

http://www.hometheatershack.com/forums/bfdguide/

And some information (and download files) for doing your own subwoofer measurements, if you want to try the tried and true manual measurement method (just make sure that you have a Radio Shack SPL meter).
http://www.hometheatershack.com/forums/bfdmeasure/

The REW application will basically save you about an hour's worth of time by not having to manually play test tones and plot response curves in Excel. You just need a microphone (the Radio Shack SPL meter will suffice since the REW includes a correction file to calibrate those results) and a computer with a sound card. It will run the frequency sweep and give you the settings that you should use for the EQ. You can even attach a MIDI cable and completely automate the setup process.

I found the settings using my manual measurements subjectively sounded better, but that's because I took 90 minutes and dialed in 14 EQ filters which is probably overkill. The REW honed in on the 3 most problematic frequencies, and they still greatly improve the quality of the bass and it took less than 30 minutes once I figured everything out.

If you think your bass is good now, just wait 'til you hear it after the peaks have been flattened out (although like I said, your receiver might already do that to some degree).

[L.J.]

What are your thoughts on the SMS-1?

I know you can acheive the same results for far less money going the BFD route, but do you feel the diff in price is worth the ease of use that the SMS-1 provides?

[jrhymeammo]

Thanks JR. Don't forget to post some pics when you're all done.
I would but it's too ugly. Sounds better but there are still some nulls or whatever the audio nerds talk about. Too many holes:crazy:


I think I meant nodes

[Woochifer]

What are your thoughts on the SMS-1?

I know you can acheive the same results for far less money going the BFD route, but do you feel the diff in price is worth the ease of use that the SMS-1 provides?

If the SMS-1 works as well as the reviews say it does, then it's a very nice and well-designed subwoofer equalizer. It comes with a calibrated mic and on-screen programming that looks very easy to use from what I've seen. Plus, you don't need a computer to work with the SMS-1.

Whether it's worth the extra money ($600 list price) depends on whether how much you value the convenience. The BFD is a pain in the butt to use and time consuming (if you're manually plotting the response curve), plus there is a learning curve involved. But, it's very inexpensive ($100 for the unit, plus $40 for the Radio Shack SPL meter) and once you get the hang of it, it's fairly routine. Even if you want to automate the BFD by using the REW application with a MIDI interface and calibrated mic ($60 for an external USB soundcard, $50 for a calibrated Behringer ECM8000 mic, $50 for a microphone preamp, and $15 for a microphone cable, and $40 for a MIDI interface), the total cost still comes out to only ~$365. For me, the SMS-1 is probably not worth the extra money because I've already invested in the BFD and the REW.

Even so, I can see though how the SMS-1 is attractive, because it works right out of the box and has a dedicated function with clear instructions on how to use it. Plus, it has some utility (such as the phase adjustment, subsonic filtering, and ability to control up to 3 subs at once) that the BFD lacks.

Either way though, parametric EQs are well worth the investment no matter how much you're willing to pay for convenience features. IMO, it's almost like buying a totally different subwoofer, because you're bringing the performance back to where it should be.

[westcott]

Great Job!!!!

I figure that with a new house and new equipment, you could afford to adopt me and my wife!!! Its a package deal though.

Black out linings and curtains can be expensive but they are well worth the price in light control and the added benefit of reducing utility bills, as I happily found out!

I am sure you will be grinning from ear to ear for some time to come so avoid riding a motorcycle any time soon.:)

[L.J.]

If the SMS-1 works as well as the reviews say it does, then it's a very nice and well-designed subwoofer equalizer. It comes with a calibrated mic and on-screen programming that looks very easy to use from what I've seen. Plus, you don't need a computer to work with the SMS-1.

Whether it's worth the extra money ($600 list price) depends on whether how much you value the convenience. The BFD is a pain in the butt to use and time consuming (if you're manually plotting the response curve), plus there is a learning curve involved. But, it's very inexpensive ($100 for the unit, plus $40 for the Radio Shack SPL meter) and once you get the hang of it, it's fairly routine. Even if you want to automate the BFD by using the REW application with a MIDI interface and calibrated mic ($60 for an external USB soundcard, $50 for a calibrated Behringer ECM8000 mic, $50 for a microphone preamp, and $15 for a microphone cable, and $40 for a MIDI interface), the total cost still comes out to only ~$365. For me, the SMS-1 is probably not worth the extra money because I've already invested in the BFD and the REW.

Even so, I can see though how the SMS-1 is attractive, because it works right out of the box and has a dedicated function with clear instructions on how to use it. Plus, it has some utility (such as the phase adjustment, subsonic filtering, and ability to control up to 3 subs at once) that the BFD lacks.

Either way though, parametric EQs are well worth the investment no matter how much you're willing to pay for convenience features. IMO, it's almost like buying a totally different subwoofer, because you're bringing the performance back to where it should be.

Thanks Wooch. All this arm twisting is really putting the pressure on me :ciappa:

All joking aside, I'm looking foward to eventually getting this done. Thanks for your thoughts and putting up with all my questions as well.

[L.J.]

Great Job!!!!

I figure that with a new house and new equipment, you could afford to adopt me and my wife!!! Its a package deal though.

Black out linings and curtains can be expensive but they are well worth the price in light control and the added benefit of reducing utility bills, as I happily found out!

I am sure you will be grinning from ear to ear for some time to come so avoid riding a motorcycle any time soon.:)

Definitely on the to do list.

[Rich-n-Texas]

Bringing this back up top because there's a lot of useful info that I'm about to make use of, RE: Acoustic panels. And I think some of the newer newbies will find this useful as well.

[L.J.]

Well since it got bumped I guess I should update. I picked up some black out curtains, nothing fancy but they do the trick. I also picked up a set of these (http://www.audioholics.com/reviews/acoustics/auralex-mopads-monitor-isolation) to get a better downward angle for my center channel.

[dgjr]

sweet looking setup.

[musicman1999]

Very nice set up,nice and clean.About your glare problem,I don't know your television so i don't know if it has an outer protective screen as my crt had,but when i remover my screen protector the glare went away and picture quality improved as well.

bill

[L.J.]

sweet looking setup.

Thank you!

[L.J.]

Very nice set up,nice and clean.About your glare problem,I don't know your television so i don't know if it has an outer protective screen as my crt had,but when i remover my screen protector the glare went away and picture quality improved as well.

bill

I was able to cut down on the glare considerably by putting up some cheap black out curtains and I also put some dark film on one of the skylight windows that was causing the most problems.

Not sure about the TV thing. With a 1 year old running around, the TV needs all the protection it can get :nonod: