I used to
go out to see a lot of movies. However, the last few movies I
went to see were interrupted by cell phones and talking. I
decided to create a more pleasant viewing environment at home.
Here are some of the components that are currently in my HT.
NEW 2 Emotiva UPA-1 Mono
Blocks NEW Denon 4311CI
Receiver NEW
Panasonic DMP-BDT100 Full HD 3D Blu-ray Disc PlayerProject Speed Box II
NEW AppleTV 2 NEW
Coolerguys fans NEW EyeTV HD
Samsung PN63B590 63-Inch 1080p Sony PS3 Oppo 980H universal DVD player
Mac Mini (cable run from office to this system) Nintendo
Wii Monster Reference PowerCenter HTS 3500 MKII Project Debut III Turntable Bellari VP129 tube amp Project Speed Box II
Directv HD DVR Assorted cables, a router, a battery
powered backup, etc.. 2 Monitor Audio Silver RS6 speakers, Monitor Audio
RS-FX surround speakers, and a Monitor Audio RS LCR center
channel Elemental Designs A2-300 sub (my Outlaw sub died)
I also use my iPad to control or send tunes via airplay
to the system. The receiver, mac mini, and AppleTV can
all be controlled with apps.
In this room, I also have a headphone setup that consists
of:
Airport Express PS Audio DL III DAC X-Can V3
Headphone amp with Little Pinky power supply Ipad/iPhone
for sending tunes to the Airport Express Sennheiser HD580
headphones ATH M-50 headphones
As you can tell, I have become a bit of an Apple fanboy as of late.
The AppleTV2 (which is its nickname) is a small device that streams
content from iTunes and specific programs from the web and shows it
on your TV. While I am disappointed with the 720p (rather than
1080p) video format they chose, there were still enough features to
make up for it. The most intriguing feature is something
called "Airplay" that will allow it to be streamed to from an iOS
device (iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch). A good use for this
feature is when I am an on a trip and download files from my camera
onto the iPad. When I get home, I can just turn on the
AppleTV2 and then open the Photo app from my iPad and see the files
on my TV.
It is also nice for audio. If I want to listen to music
from Rhapsody over my main system. I just open up Rhapsody on
my iPad and choose the AppleTV as the output device and it will
begin playing on my stereo. For video, the current firmware
does not work with most video apps, but rumors are going around that
it will be able to do this after the next firmware update.
Currently, you can open a file from your iOS device in the Apple
Video app, choose AppleTV as the output and the video will play on
your HDTV.
The AppleTV2 also has internet features like Youtube, Netflix,
Podcasts, etc.. built in. Being a tech fanatic, I love the
Podcasts that discuss photography, HDTV, and the latest tech.
Other than the 720p issue I discussed above, I also don't like
the fact that it can't stream from third party programs like Plex
without a jailbreak (which I am not going to bother with).
However, overall I am very happy with what this thing does for the
less than $100 price tag.
EyeTV
HD
I got an EyeTV for Christmas and I have been messing around with it for about
week. It is a unique device because it has component inputs and will
record in HD format to your Mac.
You simply route the component output from your device (it does not accept
HDMI), in my case a Satellite HD PVR, and then run a USB cable from the EyeTV to
your Mac. It comes with software that makes it possible to edit the file
once it has it recorded. If that's not enough, it will allow you to
convert the video from its current format to work with iPhone, iPad, AppleTV, or
iPod. It will also stream live TV or converted recorded video to
your iPhone or iPad over wifi or 3G.
The device is not perfect. It does not have a digital input for audio.
You can only capture a two channel audio stream. I knew about this when I
asked for it, so I can't complain. My receiver has a mode that makes it
sound pretty good in 5.1 and it would probably run into more complications in
conversion if it did have 5.1.
Overall, I am very happy with the results. I recorded Bolt and Alice in
Wonderland and the video looks pretty good on my HDTV. I am still messing
around with some of the features. It has an input for S-Video, so I am
going to see if I can convert some of my VHS movies to digital format using its
recording features. I also have some HD VHS movies, so I am going to use
the component inputs for those.
Panasonic DMP-BDT100 Full HD 3D Blu-ray Disc Player
Panasonic
Blu-Ray player - I have been using a PS3 that I bought at launch
to play Bluray discs and it has worked quite well. However, my
PS3 must be dying because the fan sounds like a 727 airplane engine
on takeoff when I have it on for any amount of time. As a
result, I decided to get a bluray player for my main system. I
initially thought about getting an Oppo, but it was several times
the cost of the Panasonic. However, it was still intriguing
with features like SACD, DVD-A, and Oppo's great reputation for
audio. I have an Oppo 980H in the system now and a new Oppo
would have given me the opportunity to move it to the bedroom.
So why did I buy the Panasonic? VIERA Cast Internet
entertainment! Yep, I was recently at my parent's house and
they have a Roku and they were showing me how Amazon has a lot of
free titles for "Prime" members. I was considering adding a
Roku to my system, but when I was searching for a bluray player, I
found the Panasonic for a little over $100 and it is compatible with
Amazon, Vudu, Netflix, Pandora, etc... I figured that I can
move it to the bedroom in the future if I still end up with the
Oppo. I just don't see that happening anytime soon, though.
BDI
Stand
We are making some changes to our living room...new paint, some
new furniture, etc.. I decided to mount our TV to make room
for my turntable on the TV stand. I also decided to get a new
stand because the open stand was just too sloppy looking with the
massive amount of equipment I have in the room. The downside
to using a closed cabinet was discovered in the first week. My
satellite box got so hot, you could fry eggs on it. As a
result, I have the box sitting up on the top of the stand now.
I have a fan from Coolerguys coming, so I will try that out. I
plan to buy another one for the side of the cabinet with my
receiver, too. I will post some pics when I get a chance.
1. We liked the looks and the dark wood will go with an iKea Expedit
bookshelf that I will be putting in the room.
2. The top center drawer is removable, so I was able to put my center
channel speaker in that space instead of mounting it on top.
3. The glass windows allow the remote to work without having to buy a
repeater
4. The most important factor was the wheels. With the Salamander
units I was considering, you see the wheels and they are heavy duty and ugly, in
my opinion. I do believe the Salamander units have better airflow, but I
figured I would buy a fan (which I have done) if I needed it.
I have this on order, but I think it is the best option after some research.
It will cut on at a specified temperature, which should be the best way to use
it in my system. Since the cabinet has mostly closed shelving, I will need
another one if it works the way I expect.
Denon
4311CI Receiver
Back in November, my Denon 3808CI stopped working again. I bought an
extended warranty on the thing and it paid off this time around. However,
the thought of being without a receiver again for more than two months (UPDATE:
It has been almost 4 months and I am still waiting on it. Thanks for the
speedy service Mack Camera and/or Denon!) prompted
me to get a replacement. I will just put the 3808CI in the bedroom when I
get it back. Since this is the second time to send it in for repairs, I
just don't have confidence that it will be worth hooking up to the main system
again.
You would think I would avoid Denon product after this debacle, but I have an
older Denon receiver that has been in good working order for around 10 years.
If the 4311CI breaks, I will not buy another Denon, but I a hoping the 3808CI is
just a lemon.
There were some great contenders to fill the spot of my 3808, but none of them
had all the features at the price point I was able to find the 4311CI. The
4311CI is maxed out with every feature I wanted and even some I don't need.
It works with Airplay audio, too. In fact, I can have my iPad in hand,
choose an audio app, then tell it to output the signal the Denon and t will
power on the Denon, start playing, and allow you to adjust the volume with the
iPad...awesome! While I don't own a 3D TV, the Denon is HDMI 1.4
compatible, so it will work if I do decide to get one in the future.
Anyway, it has too many features to mention here. I will eventually get a
new picture of my HT setup, but wanted to add the receiver to my main page while
I was making some updates.
Home Theater Updates
Some changes to my systems around the house:
My 61 inch 720p Samsung died, so I decided to get a new TV.
As a result, I moved the 60 inch Sony into the bedroom and got a
Samsung PN63B590 63-Inch 1080p Plasma HDTV
for the living room. The main reason for a plasma is that I
wanted a better viewing angle from the side. Also, the stand
is actually on a swivel, so the TV can be aimed in a different
direction when we have visitors sitting on the couch that is on our
side wall.
The TV has a beautiful picture and it actually fits on the stand
we bought for the Sony. My webpage will be updated with new
pictures when I get my Denon receiver back. Yep, the Denon
receiver crashed and burned in the last couple of weeks, too.
I actually bought an extended warranty because it had a lot of new
features built in that I thought might cause a failure. So,
right now, it is at the repair shop.
I also want to mention that I bought this TV at Vanns.com.
They were several hundred dollars cheaper than Best Buy and they do
not charge for shipping or tax. The tax savings alone would
have made it worthwhile.
After my Denon receiver broke, I initially forgot that I bought a warranty.
I started looking for a comparable receiver and found that most receivers do not
have a setting for a separate set of stereo speakers (5.1+2). As a result,
I started to rethink my setup. I decided to get a center speaker (Monitor
Audio RS LCR) and some new surrounds (Monitor Audio RSFX) to match with my
RS6 speakers so I could go back to a more traditional 5.1 setup. My NHT
speakers are going into the bedroom and I am going to ditch the cheap Onkyo
receiver that is currently in the bedroom and hook up my trusty Denon AVR 3300
receiver that I have had in storage. The downside to the receiver is the
lack of HDMI inputs, but I can live without "hi-rez" audio formats in the
bedroom. I know this receiver sounds great with my NHT SB2 speakers, so it
explains the reason I am changing things up.
Also, it does not make sense to have a receiver I paid around $900 for in a
closet, while my $150 (if that) receiver is in my bedroom. I may still
need a sub, but I am not sold that I need one of those either. The Onkyo
sub I had in the bedroom was just too much and it is not powerful by an stretch
of the imagination.
Slingbox Pro-HD
For my birthday, I got a Slingbox Pro-HD. I wanted one of
these to replace the Slingbox AV I have in my bedroom. It
supports HD streaming around the house (although I usually have to
down sample it a bit because of the network speed). It also
has more inputs, so I can hook up my DIRECTV receiver and my IO Data
Linkplayer. The cool part about the Linkplayer setup is that it
streams stuff from my computer and supports Playon.TV. This
allows me to get Netflix, Hulu, the video I have on my media
computer, etc.. from my iPhone. With the iPad coming out, it
will even be better because it lack the screen size issues that you
have with an iPhone.
PS Audio -
Digital Link III Audio DAC
PS Audio - Digital Link III Audio DAC - I have
wanted a better DAC for a long time now. I just could
not justify the cost of one of the high end models, so I
thought it would be a while before I added one to my system.
The DLIII DAC price dropped by $300, and while it is still
expensive, it was more in my price range.
The reason I picked this DAC over some of the other
models is that it has been reported time and again to have a
"warmer, more analog" sound than other more clinical DACs.
The DAC is very easy to setup. In fact, I just
plugged the USB into my computer without even turning on the
display and it was up and running. I also hooked up my
Oppo 980H DVD player to the optical input, and I ran a long
coax cable from the Roku in my office into the DAC (which is
in my living room). The only downside with this setup
is that the USB is limited to 16bit/48khz (according to the
people over at
computeraudiophile.com). I eventually want to
record my vinyl collection to my computer in a "hi rez"
format (thanks to my Sony Vaio's ability to burn to DSD
format) and at that point, I will have to go back to some
sort of optical switchbox or unplug my Oppo from the setup.
Not a huge problem since I rarely listen to CD since I rip
them to my computer in lossless format.
Anyway, the sound quality is fantastic. It takes
off the digital edge that leads to fatigue after periods of
listening. Also, a smoother sound works great with
headphones. I have RCA outputs running from my Denon
3808ci into my office, so I can listen to the PS Audio DAC
in both rooms. I still have my Beresford in my office,
but it is only for listening to audio from my computer in
the office.
Sony XDRF1HD
HD Radio Tuner
Sony XDRF1HD HD Radio Tuner - I bought one of these
mainly to see what HD Radio was all about. Memphis has
a couple of decent HD channels. Personally, I hate
commercials and talky DJs, so the HD channels are a nice
departure from many of the over-talky FM channels.
However, I was still surprised by how easy the HD signal and
FM signals came in. I did not even hook up the
supplied antenna properly and it still picked up tons of
channels. Also, the channels came in crystal clear
with no noticeable noise.
I also tried a couple AM channels and while I got the
main channel I wanted, I can't say the channels came in as
easily. Also, the tuner is on a shelf under my TV and
when the TV is on it causes a major amount of interference
with the AM signal. Why have the TV on? Well, I
was setting up my receiver at the time with the TV interface
and it made it impossible to get any channels. I
turned the TV off and the channel came in. I don't
usually listen with the TV on, so it is not a big deal, but
I thought it might be worth mentioning.
The tuner has been reported to run very hot, but I have
not had that problem with mine. I did put it up on a
couple small legs, but mine runs lukewarm.
Also, the tuner is said to lose its presets when
unplugged for a few minutes. You could get a battery
backup, but I did not find it very difficult to scan and add
channels, so I can live with that problem.
Elemental
Designs A2-300 Sub
The amp in my Outlaw Sub went kaput and it was no longer
covered under warranty, so I decided to get a new sub.
While this sub is a little bit smaller than the LFM-1, it
still creates a lot of punch and actuall covers more of the
audio spectrum (18-100Hz frequency response at +/-3dB.)
I ran the Audyssey room correction program on my receiver
and then turned the amp on ths sub up a few clicks. We
watched WALL-E and I listened to a couple of SACDs and I
really like the way it blends in with the other speakers.
Despite the fact that I had to put it on the same wall as my
surround speakers, you would never know where the sub was
located by just listening. This may be the expertise
of Audyssey or just a great sub. Either way, I am very
happy with the performance!
I should warn those that want to buy an Elemental Designs
sub. It took over a month to get mine after I ordered
it. I was already aware of the long wait, so I am not
complaining.
Monitor
Audio Silver RS6
You can see my MA speakers (one with the grill and one
without). I like the look without the grill, but since
the pups and I play ball in the house (don't tell Mrs.
Brady), we prefer leaving them on.
They sound fantastic. For the size, they create
more bass punch than I expected. The seem to sound
great for every type of music, too. The size is small
enough to fit under the wall shelf with an NHT speaker
stacked on top of it.
Robert J. Reina for
Stereophile magazine exclaimed:
"There's
nothing much more I can say—the flawless and exceptional
Silver RS6 gave me more listening pleasure than any other
loudspeaker I have reviewed for Stereophile. In my more than
20 years of reviewing, I have not reviewed an audio
component that produced greater sound quality per dollar
than Monitor Audio's Silver RS6."
Sony
Bravia SXRD KDS-60A3000 60" 1080p HDTV
Sony Bravia SXRD KDS-60A3000 60" 1080p Rear Projection HDTV
- This is the main feature of my HT.
Unfortunately, Sony discontinued their rear projection line
in favor of LCD.
The picture is fantastic. I also like the fact that
they put the inputs on the side, which makes them much
easier to reach without having to move the TV.
Sony PS3
60GB
This is probably the greatest multi-media machine on the
planet *other than a computer*. It plays great games,
Blu-ray movies, serves media from your computer, has an
internet browser, plays CD/SACDs, etc...
Click HEREfor my review of the Sony PS3 (Note:
Sony adds new features all the time, so some of the new
features may not be in my current review. For example,
you can now download "high-def" movies to the PS3 from
Sony's network).
Oppo DV-980H Universal DVD Player
OPPO DV-980H 1080p Up-Converting Universal DVD
Player with HDMI and 7.1CH Audio - I
got this player so that I could remove the Yamaha C750 and
Outlaw Bass manager from my main system. It took 12
cables to do what one cable (HDMI) will do with my new
setup!
The Oppo is no slouch when it comes to playing discs. It
can handle DVD-Video, DVD-Audio, Super Audio CD with DSD,
Audio CDs, HDCD, WMA, DivX and more. For me, one of
the other main selling points was the ability to send out an
untouched DSD signal from SACDs. Most players
convert DSD to PCM and this could degrade the sound quality.
Also, I have a few DVD-A titles that my PS3 can't handle.
The Oppo is known for having a great up-converter for standard
DVDs. This means that I can put in a regular DVD and
it can send out a signal in 1080p/720p/1080i signal.
Currently, I have a 720p HDTV and it helps to send the TV a
signal that matches its capabilities.
When I eventually buy a 1080p HDTV, I can change the output to
1080p, so I will not need to upgrade the player at that
point.
BELLARI
- VP129 TUBE PHONO PREAMP -This is the newest addition to my
home theater. It is a phono stage/headphone amp for my
Project Debut III turntable. It uses a tube in its
design and gives my vinyl music a wonderful sound.
This has been on my wish list for over a year now and I am
glad I finally got around to buying it...thanks to a
reasonable discount of a head-fi forum member.
The Behringer SRC2496 ($129) has just been made available to the public again
after a prolonged absence. It is a pro-style DAC (Digital to
Analog Converter) that does several things. It can convert analog
to digital, optical to Coax for digital connections, coax to optical,
optical to analog, coax to analog, and upsample the feed to several
different formats.
It only has XLR connectors with balanced inputs and outputs for
analog. I am waiting on adapters to test its analog abilities.
I have tested the digital connectors (optical in and coax out) with my
Sigma Tel sound card on my media PC. The comparison was against
the analog outputs on the computer using the Sigma Tel card, so this may
or may not be the best way to measure its performance. With the
digital output on the computer, I am feeding that into the Behringer,
then upsampling to 24/96 and outputting to my Denon AVR3300 receiver via
Coax. The analog (RCA) output on the Sigmatel is being fed
directly into the Denon receiver.
With my favorite test album, Norah Jones "Come Away With Me", the
difference was astounding. The analog feed had a much louder noise
floor, the bass was not as defined, and the instruments seem to fade
into the background. The Behringer performance was amazing when
compared with this setup.
For the next test, I used the same Behringer setup as above, but
compared it to the Turtle Beach USB optical output fed directly to my
receiver. Because I wanted to A/B the results, I used Foobar to
play the file being fed to the Behringer and Windows Media to feed the
USB/optical connection. The noise floor was much quieter on the
USB connector than the analog connection in the first setup.
However, the bass felt deeper and the separation between each instrument
was better with Behringer. The imaging was also better as was the
definition of every single instrument. While the USB was great on
Norah's vocals, the instruments lacked the punch of the Behringer DAC.
The Behringer SRC2496 sells for ONLY $129!!! Below is some info
from
Musicians Friend website:
Entech Number Cruncher 203.2
I also grabbed an Entech Number Cruncher for $50 (including shipping) on
Outletmp3 on EBay.
Features
3-Pole analog anti-aliasing filter for removal of
distortion-producing digital artifacts
5 independent voltage regulators for ultimate
separation of the digital and analog stages
Low jitter circuitry for optimum clarity
Twenty bit Sigma-Delta processing for maximum
information retrieval
Converts stereo digital (S/PDIF) to analog stereo
from CD, LD, DVD, DSS, DAT or Minidisc
The main selling point of this unit and the Behringer was price and
anti-jitter circuitry.
I have had the Entech for several days now and it should
be broken in good enough to conduct an informal test. First,
I know this is not an ABX formal test with results from
several people in a pristine environment. Therefore, if you
are a Hydrogen Forum alumni
, you may want to skip over this informal test result.
The purpose of this test was to determine if I wanted to
keep the Number Cruncher 203.2 in my main system or the
SRC2496. The "loser" will go to my bedroom.
First off, I decided the music I wanted to use for the test.
It consisted of Norah Jones "Come Away with Me" (mainly for
female vocals in a mid-tempo setting), Pink Floyd
"Comfortably Numb" (for guitar, ambiance, etc..),
Soundgarden "Black Hole Sun" (bass and male vocals), and Van
Morrison (Horns, vocals, and ambiance). After my personal
tests, I picked a song that I thought would bring out a big
difference in the performance in these DACs), Bob Dylan
"Standing In The Doorway".
For the test, I used my
Sony Vaio WMC PC with Sigma Tel soundcard. The digital
optical out feeds the SRC2496 and the digital coax output
feeds the Entech. I have switched them around and I could
not make out any difference. The SRC 2496 has XLRs.
Therefore, I used adapters to connect them to the analog
inputs on my Denon AVR3300 receiver. I fed the RCA analog
outputs on the Entech to my receiver. The RCA cables were
the same brand (AR).
I used all WMA Lossless files out of Foobar2000 at 44.1Khz.
My girlfriend was not around during my earlier tests, but
when she arrived, I had the following list for her to know
what I was looking for:
1. Separation of instruments - I explained that I was
looking for an idea of which "A" or "B" sounded more open,
less noise floor, with more room for each instrument to
breathe.
2. Sounds truer to the sound of the instrument - A piano
should sound like a piano, etc..
3. Imaging - did the speakers disappear? Was it like a band
in the room or did it sound more like two speakers where she
could pinpoint the exact location of the speaker when
hearing the music?
4. More detailed bass - punch, does it sound muffled, etc..
5. Vocals - do they sound true?
6. Musical - which is a better presentation with all of the
above combined - which sounds better in the bigger picture?
These choices were my own invention and are in no way
scientific. However, I knew what I wanted answered by her
more technical ear (she plays several instruments ranging
from the piano to the drums). I did not tell her what I was
testing, but that it did not matter which one she chose
because it was a "win-win" situation regardless of her
decision.
I set up an SPL meter before she got there to determine if
there was a difference in the volume. There was, so I
adjusted to the correct volume before switching. In other
words, I would put the receiver on a "dead" input to adjust
volume so one would not stick out based on it being louder.
In nearly every case, the Behringer was better overall. The
one exception was with the Norah Jones track which actually
worked better overall with the Entech.
My girlfriend had the exact same results, for the same
reasons, that I had. The Entech seems to really pull out the
vocals. However, it does so with the loss of ambiance. The
reason I added the Dylan tune was because it has a lot of
ambiance in the background and with the Entech it was buried
too deeply behind the vocals. This was also the case with
all of the other tracks (other than Norah).
For me, once again, the Behringer was the clear all around
winner. The Entech still sounded good and I feel that I got
my money's worth ($50), but it will be heading to my bedroom
to be played in my other system (which is still pretty good
and now because of the Entech will be even better).
If you have the money and need a great DAC, get the
Behringer SRC2496 as soon as possible. It is known to
disappear for long periods of time and it seems to be
available at many different locations for the time being.
I bought my from
www.Musiciansfriend.com , and would recommend them, even
though I have no affiliation.
Harmony 880 Remote
The Harmony 880 was a Christmas present and has been in
my system for months now. It is an incredible unit
with a bunch of features that make it easy to setup and use
in a complicated system.
When I first got the unit, I hooked it up to my computer
and installed the software that came with it. It takes
you to their internet site and walks you through several
steps. The site has codes for nearly every product
under the sun, so it takes less time to setup than most
universal remotes. This is really great for
those that want to spend more time using the remote than
programming it. I have been down the Pronto remote
road in the past, and while it was fun and cool, it was more
about playing with it as a gadget (which is great for geeks
like me) than using it.
The other HUGE advantage that this remote has over most
remotes is its ability to remember what components are on
and off. Anyone that has designed programs and macro
steps for remotes knows how import discreet codes
(examples of a discreet codes are individual on and off
commands instead of just one button to toggle power) are
and when they are lacking it is a pain. I will spare
you the long discussion on how great this feature is at this
time, but with this ability, products without discreet codes
can still be added to macros.
The remote also has a nice color screen and automatically
turns on the backlight when it is picked up. This
saves on battery power and does not require the user to hit
a button to turn on the light.
A cool feature is the ability to upload jpegs for a
slideshow. When it is on its docking station, it will
cycle through the pictures and this is an easy way to make
sure you have it properly sitting on its station.. BTW
the station comes with the remote and does not have to be
purchased separately.
Pro-Ject Speedbox
Recently, I read a rave review of this product in
Stereophile magazine. While I usually read
Stereophile's reviews with skepticism and for entertainment
purposes only, this particular article caught my eye.
Not because I was in the market for a speed box, but because
it was teamed with a Project Debut III turntable like the
one I already own.
Since it was barely over $100, which is unbelievably
cheap in "audiophool" circles, I decided to buy one out of
curiosity. After having it in my audio system for a
few weeks now, I am very impressed. While I am usually
analytical and objective to a fault, I have not had the
ability to do a blind test to compare the before and after.
I will say that it "seems" to really help the overall sound
and even if it is just the placebo effect, I am listening to
more vinyl and that makes it worthwhile.
An excerpt from the Stereophile review can be found
here.
(The speedbox is the silver case next to the lava lamp)
Super T-amp - The next step in the revolution
To the right is the front and back of the Sonic Super
T-Amp. These shots were taken right out of the box, so
I will post new shots once I have time for a review.
The new T-amp is more powerful and better looking than
the regular T-amp and I would recommend either one based on
your budget. The Super T-amp is priced at around $139.
I have merged the Super T-amp into my main system using
the headphone output on my receiver. I will write a
more thorough review soon, but the results are nothing shot
of astonishing!
Samsung 61inch DLP HDTV
The Samsung HL-R6167W initially replaced my broken Hitachi 57XWX HDTV.
Luckily, the new TV was purchased under warranty, so no extra
money came out of my pocket.
When I bought the Samsung, 1080p HDTVs had not hit the
market. Samsung had some coming, but they were on a
long delay. I went ahead and got this HDTV because it was
replaced under warranty, but I knew I would eventually want
1080p when there was some content that could take advantage of
it.
I got a Sony 1080p TV for the living room, so the Samsung
is now in my bedroom. I love having a nice TV back there
for watching and playing the PS3 in bed.
NHT
SPEAKERS
I have made many changes to my home
theater in the past few months. It was a two step project:
1) Sell several of my unused or soon to be replaced items on Ebay.
2) Use the money to reinvest in more desirable products. I had
to do this to get the motivation to sell some of the items I had
stored away in my attic. The most important thing I replaced
was the speakers and sub in my home theater. I was using the
fantastic Energy Take5s, but wanted speakers that would be better
for my current setup.
I decided on the NHT SB2s. These speakers have fantastic
sound for their small size. The bass frequency is an
astounding 50Hz. The reviews of these speakers were great
across the board. The audio mutant magazine "HIFINEWS" gave
these speakers a test on two channel stereo sound and loved them.
While two channel sound is important, I
wanted a complete system for movies, too.
I added 4 SB2 and one NHT SC1. The SC1 is a
center channel that actually has a mechanisms to aim it at the prime
listening position. There are several reviews of the SB2 home
theater system.
I-O Data Linkplayer
I mentioned this player on the gadget page for it's great
networking and it's USB 2.0 abilities. The Linkplayer is also a
DVD player. It has the ability to upscale DVDs to HD resolutions.
The DVD player can handle DVD+R, DVD+RW, DVD-R and
DVD-RWs! This month the company is providing an update that will
handle WMVHD DVDs with Microsoft digital rights management. Did I
mention that player is available for $250?
I know you are wondering why a tech
junkie would step back in time and purchase a turntable. The answer is
the warm sound that can only be heard from vinyl. I had a lot of help
with this purchase by one of my buddies (Russ) and that made a big
difference. I will offer a review of this player after I receive the
copies of Kind of Blue and Time Out that I ordered. You can click on
the player to find a review by Hi-Fi Choice.
NEW Herbie's Way Excellent Turntable Mat - Yep! I wanted a $50
mat!! I have been called crazy before and this
may prove it. However, the
reviews for this thing were great and the cheap felt mat
I had before came off every time I flipped a record!
Spin-Clean
Record Washing System - If you have
inherited a bunch of old vinyl, you will
want something that can clean them quickly.
Obviously, you can use regular soap and
water and a toothbrush, but many of us (you
know who you are!) are too lazy to do this.
With the Spin-clean, you can clean 50 albums
without a lot of hassle. You just drop
in the album, manually spin it a few times
and then dry it. It is an amazing
product for the $59.95 price.
Decca's
new, improved 2+2 record cleaning brush - I
always like to give my records a quick swipe
with the carbon fiber and aromatic polyamide
of this brush. It cleans off any
particles that may be on the album.
Last #4 Stylus cleaner - This stuff will
"last" a long time. You just apply a
little to your stylus once a month or so and
you will have the benefit of a clean stylus
for spinning your records.
Update: I now have this player in my
home office setup. I bought an Oppo
for the living room. It is a very nice
player and still gets a lot of use.
JVC High
Definition VCR
JVC
HDVCR -
This
is the easiest way to archive HD programs (for now). It
also plays prerecorded movies that were created in HD.
The downside is that it uses tape. This is not real
practical unless you need to replace a VCR.
That is why I bought one.
Also,
my HDTV has a tuner that will allow the VCR to record HD
programming from over the air sources.
Monster Cleaner
Monster Reference PowerCenter HTS 3500 MKII - I bought this
recently to make sure I had some top flight protection on my home
theater. While it does a great job of surge protection, they
claim that it also cleans up "dirty" electricity.
There is a lot of debate on how well these things work for
cleaning, but at the price I paid ($99) it was a bargain for style and it
provides awesome surge protection. This item is not currently
on sale, but you may want to keep an eye on it. I think it may
have been discontinued.
Below are all of the currently
retired audio/video components that I no longer have in any
of my setups. I still have some of them for future
use. Also, I wanted to leave them on the page in case anyone
has questions about them.
Bravo D1 DVD
Player-retired
Vinc's Bravo D1 DVD Player
-
This
player utilizes the DVI input on the TV. It also upscales
to 1080i and produces awesome images. It will also
play mp3s, mpg video, and jpegs from its DVD drive.
Denon
3300 Receiver-retired
Denon
AVR-3300 -
This receiver is a few years old but far from being
obsolete. It has multi-channel inputs for DVD Audio,
component switching, and coaxial and digital optical inputs.
It also has a setting that re-mixes stereo CDs into 5
channels.
Denon
DVD Player-retired
Denon
DVD 1600
- This is
definitely one of the best DVD players for the money. It also
plays the DVD Audio format. Since I added the player
above, I have only been using this for DVD Audio.
This
product was sold on Ebay and replaced with the Yamaha Universal
player.
Energy
Take 5 Speakers-retired
Energy's
Take 5 Speakers
-
These
speakers are several years old, but no other speaker has more
great sound in such a small package at such a low price.
These
were sold on Ebay and replaced with the NHTs above.
I chose this
HDTV for several reasons. It has DVI, firewire, an internal tuner, and
most importantly, wheels to help move it around. We have been amazed at
the picture quality with HDTV and DVD sources. It also has an internal
line doubler for standard definition signals.
Unfortunately, this HDTV had some unfixable problems and had to be
replaced. Thankfully, it was still under the extended warranty.
HD Tivo-retired
Hughes DIRECTV® HD
Receiver/Digital Video Recorder (Up to 200 hours)
This is one
great product! It allows the user to time-shift hours of HD or SD
material and has 4 built in tuners. It can record two shows at the
same time and it also allows the user to watch a prerecorded program at the
same time. The most addictive gadget that I own!
This
is a hard button remote. This remote is a lot easier to use
with Tivo than the Pronto remote (below). One of the problems
with LCD paneled remotes is that it requires the user to look at
the screen. This makes it difficult to use for everyday devices
like Tivo or even a DVD player. I decided not to get the color
version of the Pronto for these reasons. For a lot less money,
I got a remote that is much more user friendly. Be aware that
this product does require the use of a computer. Also, the
Pronto is better if you like to customize icons for switching to
different channels. I am going to keep both remotes within
reach and retire all of the other hard button remotes that I
have on the coffee table.
Audio
Authority Component Switcher/Copperbox
Copperbox
-
This box
will connect 4 additional devices with component outputs to a
receiver. This is a must if you have a receiver that is more
than two years old. It actually has a sensor that will detect
your usage and apply the settings to your electronic habits.
Outlaw Audio Subwoofer-broken
and retired
The amp in my Outlaw sub died in October 2008. I was told that
I could send in the amp and get it repaired for less than $100, but
I went ahead and bought a new Elemental Designs A2-300 sub. I
may still try to get the Outlaw fixed, so I am not tossing it out
just yet. It may be something I can put in the bedroom at some
point.
This sub will knock your socks off and encourage your
neighbors to call the police, but if you use it with extreme
caution, you will be very pleased with the results! The sub
has also received rave reviews:
This is a PCI card for the
computer that allows the user to record from cable TV that is plugged
into the back or from an external antenna. I bought it so that I could
record HD movies from an over the air antenna and play them back on my Linkplayer (above). The unit comes with a remote that works through
walls for people that want to hook their computers directly to their TVs.
This unit made huge improvements to the sound quality for my
universal DVD player. It allows bass control for the 6
discreet inputs that are on most universal DVD players. It
will allow the user to set the crossover frequency to the perfect
level for syncing with your sub. If you have a universal
(plays DVD-As and SACDs) DVD player, this component is an absolute
necessity. (Unless you have speakers with a crossover point
below 20HZ, which is rare).
Panasonic
Blu-Ray player
BELLARI
- VP129 TUBE PHONO PREAMP -This is the newest addition to my
home theater. It is a phono stage/headphone amp for my
Project Debut III turntable. It uses a tube in its
design and gives my vinyl music a wonderful sound.
This has been on my wish list for over a year now and I am
glad I finally got around to buying it...thanks to a
reasonable discount of a head-fi forum member.
, you may want to skip over this informal test result.
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