Am I done??????

[manlystanley]

I'm teleworking today, and have been listening to my stereo all day. If I say so myself, I am very impressed. The only nit is that my room treatments coverings have made my 'warm' Jamo's turn into being a bit 'bright'. So, they are a little bit fatiguing. So, after several hours I need to take an 'ear break'. This did not start until after I put the covering on the room conditioning. So, I'm really glad that I got warm speakers to start with. In my room, and my ears: non-warm speakers would not have been pleasant.

I calculated up what I've totally spend on all equipment, I've gotten:

Jamo C809's - $1,300
Emotiva XPA-2 - $725
Used Adcom GTP-500 - $100
Denon DVD 3930ci - $300
Denon Turntable DP-300F - $200
Belkin PureAV Home Theater Power Console PF31 - $200
Blue Jeans Audio Cables BJC LC-1 - $82
Speaker Cables - $50
Room Conditioning (Owens Corning 703, wood frames, cloth, hardware) - $350
Money lost in selling: B&W 684 Speakers: $75
Money lost in selling Magnepan 1.6 Speakers: $150

Total two channel system: $3432

Total Movie system addition:
Sharp XR-32X 720P DLP projector: $630
DA-LITE 89758 (52" x 92") screen: $500
Used Denon avr-687 for surround sound: $50
Four used Klipsch in-wall speakers R-5650-S: $300

Total Movie System addition: $1480

Now, assuming that I get a new preamp for $400, then my entire audio system would have cost me a little less then $4,000. Definitively not pocket change, but considering what I have (and that it's taken almost 3 years to build), well worth the expense.

It's been lots of fun, but I think I'm going to be sitting back and enjoying the setup that I have for a while. Many thanks to all of you for your expert help! You guys have been huge help.

Best Regards,
Stan

[Hyfi]

Enjoy! Glad your happy with your setup.

[poppachubby]

Awesome...I remember a guy who was having trouble with his HK gear, contemplating what to do. I think you should capitalize on how you're feeling and raise a glass friend. You've arrived, and not after any easy amount of work.

For those in this hobby who research, audition and draw the correct synergistic conclusions...audio gold awaits.

I hope this isn't some kind of farewell post. Now you must share your experience with others, buy music/movies and kick back...stress free.

Long live Bose!!.......errr sorry, I mean.....well done Stan!!

[harley .guy07]

That is always the target, to have a happy and enjoying experience with your setup. It does not matter if it costs 4,000 or 400,000 dollars if you enjoy it and it does not take away from any life's needs then that is a very good thing. I am getting there with my setup with the exception of a speaker upgrade and adding a preamp with theater bypass for stereo use with my system and possibly getting a more powerful amp for my mains if needed when I get new speakers. The fact that you could get your audio video fix for 4,000 or less is just that much better money wise. There are many people in this hobby that think price is the absolute deciding factor in quality which for the most part its not.

[manlystanley]

Hifi: Thanks for the encouragement!

Popps: Nop. I'm staying put. I've got a lot more to learn and eventually buy. Such as:
78 RPM turntable; new preamp; new 1080P / 3D projector; new 3D DVD player, etc. But these things will be in a while. I've got to reload my wallet first. Finally, I hope to give back to this audioreview community all that I've been given!!

harley: I've learned some key points from you all that (IMHO) allowed me to purchase a dynamite system without breaking the bank. These points have been:

1.) lower priced audiophile equipment tends to be 'bright' This among other reasons lead me to look for warmer speakers to work with this mid-fi equipment.

2.) Room conditioning is the key to getting the most out of your current setup. For this reason, I did lots of research on this topic. Got the best room conditioning that I could buy. Spent a lot of time building and placing these nine (2x4 foot wide [and 4 inch thick]) sound panels.

3.) There is a performance knee at which point that more money spent does NOT improve the sound by leaps and bounds, so I've tried to aim at this inflection point (e.g. biggest bang for the buck).


You guys are great! Thanks so much!

Best Regards,
Stan

[blackraven]

Glad your happy Stan! Its a good feeling when you can finally stop being critical of the sound and just sit back and enjoy the music. I think I've reached that point as well with finally finding the right combination of tubes for my system.

Cheers!

Larry

[thekid]

Congrats Stan!

I am still enjoying the journey but I am glad you have found your destination.
As long as you enjoy where you are at then you can be happy regardless of the cost.

[Sir Terrence the Terrible]

MS,
From looking at your pics, I think you have done a great job! :thumbsup:

3D projectors are a bit of a way off, as I think they are going the polarizing way(think Real3D) instead of the current shutter glasses way.

I fully agree with your statement regarding acoustic control, It is a far better investment than expensive wires, a new amp, or a new cartridge for turntable. Its effects are not nearly as subtle as those components of a stereo system, but you get a lot more bang for the buck going that direction.

[hifitommy]

stt, i think the change of a phono cart is a significant one for most users. given a very good tt/tonearm to start with, there are some carts out there that are stunning (sometimes to the wallet).

admittedly, room treatment can transform your sound and most of us can make dramatic changes for affordable money, even for really cheap. just speaker/listening positions can affect great improvements.

still, the cartridge is a transducer and its one of the areas that distinct improvements can be easily heard.