# My Theater B&W Pioneer Kuro Denon AVR



## techtvman

Newest info and photos are _*here*_




here we go....

Denon 4308ci

Custom HTPC Win7 MCE

DirecTV HR21 w/AM21

Monster HTS 5100 Power Center

Samsung 4671 46in 1080p LCD -- in bedroom

NEW: Pioneer 151 Elite 60in Plasma

QuestAi acoustic paneling


B&W 683 mains

B&W HTM-61 center

B&W DS3 Side surrounds (dipole mode)

B&W 686 back surrounds

Rythmik FV15 subwoofer


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## ldgibson76

If this section allowed for a rating system, on the equipment, I'd give you a 9.5!

The Subwoofer is "Sic!"







I know that baby puts out!









Again, an excellent selection of products.

Now, regarding the room layout.....







According to the photo, it would seem that the right tower is being suffocated by the couch. Now your options may be limited due to the room size. It probably sounds pretty good now, but, if that 683 had a unobstructed path, I know you would have an immediate improvement in sound stage and imaging. Just a thought.

Just to clean things up a little, I would if you haven't already, try to find an actual center channel stand. Although the table the CC sits upon, positions the drivers and tweeter nearly at the same level of the towers, and that's good mind you....the table attracts a lot of attention because of how much area it takes up.

Other than that, the setup is sweet!


Regards.


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## techtvman

thanks for feedback regarding room layout, i cant really put that couch anywhere else, unless i switch it for the love seat i dunno, there is about 1ft of space between the right speaker and the couch and its only in the way of the bottom driver and port, i guess i could try swapping the couches and i thought of that but then in the main listening area the middle seat doesn't recline and the two on the sides that do recline don't rock so thats why i put it that way, lol time for new seats


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## ldgibson76

By the way, you have a 1080P monitor which is very nice! Is a Blu ray player in your future plans so you can really take advantage of the hi res capabilities?!







I noticed the keyboard on the end table. Are you able to do computing thru your AV system?


Regards,


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## techtvman

yeah i just bought a panasonic bd30 blu ray player and that is the microsoft bluetooth kb and mouse, yeah if you can see i have my built pc sitting there as well, it runs vista ultimate, i use it for some games and vista mediacenter and listening to music (full screen itunes sometimes), if i had a 60in i could probably see the text easier at 1920x1080, so if i need to compute i just go upstairs and get on my 24in dell lcd and remote desktop to the pc you see there


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## Davidt1

Very nice gears! Is the sub as good as people say it is?


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## techtvman

well since the room that mine is in is open to the rest of the house i cant say for sure, but for what ive got it is very good. i had my windows and doors closed and i decided to crank it using some bass cd and while i thought i would be ok in my own house with the windows closed i got my neighbor one house down come over and ask me to turn it down lol, while his house does sit closer than your typical neighboring house i still thought i would be ok, i did ask him if he had his windows open and he did so im sure that did something as well


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## wolfgaze

Possible for you to put the audio rack in teh right corner, the sub in the far left corner, and have both mains closer to the sides of the TV, where they will be unobstructed?


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## techtvman

i suppose i could try that, but if i did the sound stage wouldn't be as wide


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## CHUCKCHILLOUT

I like it. I had a quick question for you. Is that a terk indoor antenna? I was just asking because I am considering picking one up. How is it for signal, hd, and how much did it cost?


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## techtvman

it is, i got the amplified one but the amp is small and it didn't do much for me so i bought a larger one at walmart and it seems to work pretty well, not as good as a larger antenna would but i can pick up all my HD locals with only a few minor hick ups every once in a while, my signal strength on the am21 says about 70-80% for most stations with a few being 100% and im prob 20 miles away.


it was $20-$30 depending on if you get the amp or not. you can pick em up at amazon


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## techtvman

any one have any good ideas for a center ch stand?, i would like to do that or if it would look nicer a new audio rack or center console tv stand that i could set the center on instead of the tv.

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b1...ont_040608.jpg 


im thinking of ways to move the couches around to unblock the right speaker, i could either switch the 2 seater and the 3 seater around or i could re-position the audio rack and sub and move the left right speakers closer, dunno which would be better.


any suggestions to improve looks and speaker positions gladly accepted.


ps i also recently got my panasonic bd30 blu ray player which is currently sitting in the open space on my rack, since these pics dont show it.


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## ldgibson76




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *techtvman* /forum/post/14005836
> 
> 
> any one have any good ideas for a center ch stand?, i would like to do that or if it would look nicer a new audio rack or center console tv stand that i could set the center on instead of the tv.
> 
> http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b1...ont_040608.jpg
> 
> 
> im thinking of ways to move the couches around to unblock the right speaker, i could either switch the 2 seater and the 3 seater around or i could re-position the audio rack and sub and move the left right speakers closer, dunno which would be better.
> 
> 
> any suggestions to improve looks and speaker positions gladly accepted.
> 
> 
> ps i also recently got my panasonic bd30 blu ray player which is currently sitting in the open space on my rack, since these pics dont show it.



Hello "techtvman"!


For a center channel stand solution, Sanus makes a very simplistic but elegant piece that should complement your current setup.

http://www.sanus.com/world/en/produc...layout/layout/ .


Even if you decide to reposition your audio rack, the sanus stand will give a more aesthetically balanced look to the setup. It will look as if it belongs, if you know what I mean?! BTW, I think repositioning the couches would be my first move. Less work!







If that's not conducive to the "Feng Shui" principles of living







, then reposition the rack and sub.

By the way, congrats on the new Panny DMP-BD30. A very nice player.

How's the performance been and what movies have you watched on it so far?!


Regards.


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## techtvman

Well i did some measuring and came to the conclusion that if i leave my front mains spread that far i will have to get rid of one of the two couches to stop the blockage (even if i swap positions) and either move it to a different room or put the 2 seater behind the 3 seater and move the 3 seater to where the 2 seater is now, but i think that might look weird esp since i don't have a platform to raise it up, otherwise i will have to move the audio rack to the far left side of the room and place the left front and right just to the sides of the tv so that they are close and i think that would leave room for the sub to go between the audio rack and the front left or i could hide it in the corner on the other wall.... this plan i would be able to keep the seats the way they are as in one of them on that side wall, which is why on this second idea i thought of maybe a horizontal tv stand audio rack like the one in the pic above since i thought that looked nice, but i can tell he as more room than i do.



The performance of my BD30 has been great, this is my first Blu-Ray player so i can tell its a bit slower than DVD but i can live with it, it depends on the disc some seem slower than others, but it doesn't really bother me. The audio is excellent and I'm bit-streaming to my AVR and the 1080p/24 output looks excellent on my tv as well. The first day i got it i didn't have any discs to test it out so i bought National Treasure 2. Since i have NetFlix so far I've watched Hitman and Juno on it, with Semi-Pro coming to me this Saturday.


Also on that Sanus center channel stand, which looks nice btw, i was hoping to find one that was 24in, when i did a search all i could find were 22 and 28, and the later is too tall since it would start to cover the bottom of the tv and that wouldn't look very nice i wouldn't think and that 18 would maybe be to low unless i could angle it upwards.


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## WonHung

Check out the Salamander Chameleon line. They have a Hampton 236 model with is 24.25" high.


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## croseiv

Very nice. It does bug me a little seeing the couch so close to your main speaker there, but space limits are difficult. I'd be inclined to move the couch. I bet you'd notice quite an improvment in sound. That sub is perdy!


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## ldgibson76




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *croseiv* /forum/post/14032916
> 
> 
> Very nice. It does bug me a little seeing the couch so close to your main speaker there, but space limits are difficult. I'd be inclined to move the couch. I bet you'd notice quite an improvment in sound. That sub is perdy!



You're such a Sub-whore!










If I had the Ultra 13, I would be too!










Peace!


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## techtvman




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *croseiv* /forum/post/14032916
> 
> 
> Very nice. It does bug me a little seeing the couch so close to your main speaker there, but space limits are difficult. I'd be inclined to move the couch. I bet you'd notice quite an improvment in sound. That sub is perdy!



yeah im pretty much limited to either having just one couch in the room or 2 couches one right behind the other like theater seating or the current setup just moving the speakers right next to the tv, but doing that would prob be worse for sound as the sound stage wouldn't be as wide, i dunno tho, unless there too close to the walls for reflection and closer would sound better, id have to experiment, but the overall thought is that closer wouldn't be as good.


the sub is very nice and its cherry color matches my b&ws well. Ive woken the neighbors once lol


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## techtvman

working on installing cat 5 in the walls now, then will reposition couches and mains and repost some pix


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## techtvman

UPDATED PIX:


heres my updated pix, i have moved around the speakers and av rack, don't mind the wire mess in the background its temp for now, i think i would be better off with a horizontal av rack/tv stand.





























next up is playing with couch locations.


let me know what you think.


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## ldgibson76

Hello "techtvman"!


I have to agree with you regarding the idea of opting for the horizontal rack configuration. Hopefully, adjusting the couches will make a difference.

I do applaud the effort though! At least you now have an idea what you may have to ultimately do.

Have you had a chance to listen to the system since the rearrangement?! And if so, is there a difference compared to the original setup?!


Regards.


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## techtvman

yeah i did listen to it, i think it does sound better and the sound stage is still pretty good, in fact i kind of feel like the main seat has a better sweet spot than before, now to play with couch locations and choose a horizontal rack config. i really like one that i commented on in the B&W thread (page 94) but at this time i dont want to spend $1000 for it


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## ldgibson76




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *techtvman* /forum/post/14083604
> 
> 
> yeah i did listen to it, i think it does sound better and the sound stage is still pretty good, in fact i kind of feel like the main seat has a better sweet spot than before, now to play with couch locations and choose a horizontal rack config. i really like one that i commented on in the B&W thread (page 94) but at this time i dont want to spend $1000 for it



Hey man










I apologize for not asking earlier,.... have you been affected by the horrible weather Iowa has suffered over the passed week?! The conditions in Cedar Rapids from what I've seen on CNN







... My God, I couldn't imagine! I know Des Moines is in close proximity to Cedar Rapids. Hopefully, you are out of harms way.


Now, about the horizontal rack. How high would you like the rack to be? Same as the center channel stand (24")?!


Regards.


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## techtvman

No, i live in Altoona just south east of Des Moines, yeah Cedar Rapids is a ways east (1.5-2hrs) of DSM and they flooded pretty bad, and they were evacuating parts of DSM, we had pretty bad floods in 93' looks like this is a repeat, and on top of that there was a pretty bad EF5 tornado up north in Parkersburg Iowa that destroyed a lot of stuff, a few weeks ago. Hopefully this is the end of all this.


Now, for the horizontal rack, yeah 24" would be high enough. i really like the one on page 94 that i commented on in the B&W thread but dont want to spend $1000 on it, if theres one that pretty close to it in the same color that would be awsome and i like glass too, i just saw that and liked it because of the matching color and how clean it looked.


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## techtvman

couch swap:





























heres what that looks like.


better? worse?


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## ldgibson76

Hello "Tech".


I believe there's an improvement with the new arrangement, but now the area looks more confined/isolated. That's not a bad thing. Also, with the couch in the new location, it allows you to have a centered listening position. That may improve your listening experience, especially when listening to music.


Have you had a chance to listen from the couch?

Now, can you move the left tower maybe 3 inches to the left and the right tower 3 inches to the right? Just to widened your soundstage a little more.


Last question. I looked at the B&W thread and I looked at page 94 and didn't see anything, not even a link to photo(s) of a stand. Now on the very last page or the first page depending on if you're logged in or not, I saw 2 stands. The first was in the photo with the highly lit cream room with the all of the acoustic panels. The second stand (Studiotech lowboy) I saw was in the photo with the "Nautilus" speaker pkg and the beautiful amp to the right.

Which one did you like?!


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## techtvman

yeah i liked the wooden one and i thought the other one with the acoustic panels on the wall lookd pretty cool too these:

studiotech
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showt...8#post14056398 


other one:
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showt...3#post14084123 


im sure those are the ones you are refering to as well


i listened to it for a bit in the new couch location and while good esp in the center, i do miss having an arm wrest and the 2 seater is more comfortable, so for now i put it back to the way it was, 2 seater for main, and 3 seater on the sidewall. I may put that 3 seater in another room or maybe adjust both couches slightly to better fit them in, and by that i mean try to slide the 3 seater as far from the front as i can while still having good distance from my 2 seater to the tv.


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## WonHung

Hi Tech,


Glad you like my setup. The rack I'm using is a Salamander Synergy Twin 30. You can pretty much customize the Synergy racks a million ways. Salamander does offer a cherry finish but I'm not quite sure how well it matches up with the B&W cherry veneer. The price of the rack I have there was about $600 with a couple of options being matching maple side panels and a pull-out shelf. After living with the back panels and the side maple panels for a while, I opted for the open air look you see in the pics.


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## techtvman

hmm, which do you guys would think would look better, the Studiotech Ultra 22-D Cherry (2 door) $699 or the open Salamander Synergy Twin 20 with no doors or sides $549? Open or closed?


ive pretty much measured it out and found out that if i were to go with 3 wide (6 shelves) it would pretty much be too wide for the room and my left front would be to close to the side wall since i just got them out of the corners, this keeping the right speaker were its at since that couch is there. So i think all i can reasonably fit is a 2 wide 4 shelf unit, which probably fits with the main seat which is 2 anyways, since i switched the couches back.


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## ldgibson76




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *techtvman* /forum/post/14098328
> 
> 
> hmm, which do you guys would think would look better, the Studiotech Ultra 22-D Cherry (2 door) $699 or the open Salamander Synergy Twin 20 with no doors or sides $549? Open or closed?
> 
> 
> ive pretty much measured it out and found out that if i were to go with 3 wide (6 shelves) it would pretty much be too wide for the room and my left front would be to close to the side wall since i just got them out of the corners, this keeping the right speaker were its at since that couch is there. So i think all i can reasonably fit is a 2 wide 4 shelf unit, which probably fits with the main seat which is 2 anyways, since i switched the couches back.



My choice would be the Studiotech Ultra 22-D. "Tech", the Studiotech products for the money, have been considered by many, the best built stands out there. They are built to the nines. Excellent quality, substantial and durable. I have a good friend that purchased the U48, and we were just floored by the how heavy it was and the quality exceeded expectations by a bunch. They also offer good ventilation. Just an opinion.


Regards.


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## WonHung

I can't say anything abou the Studiotechs as I've never seen them in person. But obviously, I can comment on the Salamanders since I own one. The Salamanders are also built out of quality materials. None of the wood is made out of MDF except for the side panels which I can't really figure out what backing material it is. All the brackets are made of quality anodized metal. The rack is strong enough to hold the gear I have without any problems. For a break down of what I'm talking about, my Bryston 6B-ST weighs in at 85 lbs, the Equi=Tech 2Q weighs in at 80 lbs, Carver TFM-25 at 22 lbs, Meridian 598DP at 10 lbs, and my Meridian 568.2MM at 12 lbs. That's a lot of weight in that rack. Oh and almost forgot, on top I have the B&W HTM 1 weighing in at 50 lbs.


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## techtvman

Updates:

New Studiotech Ultra 22-D Cherry AV Stand and arrangement


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## ldgibson76

Well look at you "techtvman"!


Wow, what an improvement! So you went with the "Studiotech U-22". How do you like it?! Heavy duty isn't it?!

I've gotta tell ya, it looks superb. The look of the room has improved two-fold. Much cleaner! Now you can really show off on the B & W Thread.









I bet the overall sound has improved also! Be proud, man! You've done good!


Regards.


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## techtvman

Thanks, ldgibson76


I like the studiotech, its pretty well built and matches my speakers too.


I think the room looks and sounds better too, yeah i will link this thread as an update in the B&W thread


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## Davidt1

Much cleaner now. Nice! There are no cables hanging down from the tv. Did you hide them inside the wall?


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## techtvman

Yep sure did, I used my dremel to cut a hole then fished the 2 HDMI and power cables using a coat hanger, there is insulation in the wall which was kind of a pain, but its worth it in the end


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## optoguy

Wow, what a difference the new stand makes. Looks great!


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## techtvman

Thanks optoguy!


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## techtvman

Thankfully i subscribe to updates to threads via email, so i have a backup of the replies in my thread so here are the replies pre AVS database failure


Fanaticalism:

Night and day.


ldgibson76:







Dude,


you must be beaming with excitement and pride since adding the Studiotech stand to your setup! I'm jealous of all of the kudos you've received since the rearrangement! You deserve it! Again, congrats!


Now, that you've had it for a while, other than aesthetics, have you been able to detect any changes in sound or do you feel other upgrades are in order, outside the obvious-sound treatments?!


I'm always doing little things to my current setup to improve the performance. That's what's fun about this hobby. Lately, I've been experimenting with CD playback performance and changing out my subwoofers, trying to decide if I should keep the Klipsch dual 10 incher or use the 12" Velodyne, or just buy a SVS or HSU or another Velodyne. With my room only being 18 x 11.6 x 8, I really do not know if I would be a benefit upgrading!


I'll let cha know!


Regards.


Then I replied again to ldgibson76, unfortunately i don't have that one in my email as it doesn't send me "me replies", so someone else may have it in their email as well, i could try to type it all out again, but i was hoping to get my exact wordings


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## dimes007

*Much improved with the new rack!!!!*


You mentioned it was tough to see 1080p computer from the couch. Have you considered adjusting font size ?


I run at 168dpi making the text on my 1080p display the size it would be if it were about a 1050x600 display. That's about 75% larger than normal and sufficient for my needs. Its comfortable to read and still crystal clear since the computer is still outputting at 1080p. Some programs "respect" this setting better than others. IE7 is not my usual browser of choice but it works better than firefox and renders most pages at the increased size.


This setting doesn't affect the 10' interface. Give it a shot!!


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## techtvman

Thanks, Dimes


I didn't think about changing the DPI setting but i do know about it, ill have to give it a shot and see how things work out, probably why i didn't think to much about it is because of how other programs respect the DPI setting and its not terrible its just the text mainly, but ill still play with it and see what i come up with, but i do know that if i had a 60in PDP that it would most likely be fine.


As soon as i get my replacement raptor drive and setup my raid again ill test this out.


What i have been doing for web browsing is, using FF3 i scroll the mouse while holding CTRL and it will resize everything including the images unlike FF2 this helps a lot, which then leaves basicly windows explorer and outlook and other small programs a like with smaller text so ill play with DPI and see what i can do


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## caeguy

Hey TechTVMan ,


Great setup. I'm looking at the same stand. Do you have any issues with IR getting through the doors?


Thanks


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## ddgtr

Very nice setup, I love the speaker and sub selection... Congrats!!


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## techtvman

Thanks all, i have the blu ray player on top of the dvd changer so i have to aim the remote down more than usual, since its barely below the metal bar on the inside of the door but its not bad at all for the distance im seated at but no, not really any issues with IR going thru the mesh, other than having to aim a bit for the blu ray player but i wouldn't worry about it


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## caeguy

Ok..thanks. I think I'm going to pick one up. I'll probably get the pillar option with a mount for my flat panel. Did you consider that?


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## techtvman

no, i knew i wanted to mount mine on the wall


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## redwolf4k

Wow what a difference from start to finish, looks great.


Why do you leave the space behind the love seat? Why not flip flop the big couch so it faces the tv, and push it flush againts the kitchen fence?


The room would be perfect for a sectional.


ANYWAY! Thats just details, it looks 100x better.


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## techtvman

Thanks,

the reasoning for that is because it would be to far away from the tv and it would seem smaller yet, plus then i couldnt do 7.1 if i put the couch against the back railing


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## redwolf4k

It doesnt matter it looks awesome.


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## Aaron Gilbert

Great setup, techtvman. It looks super comfortable and roomy with all that seating and open space. What a huge difference from the old equipment stand to the new - and I didn't think the old one looked that bad. I made a similar move in my system a few years ago. The horizontal racks sure can make it a lot easier to get symmetry in the appearance of a system - after all, how many people need _two_ vertical stacks of gear? I will say though, that I thought that little stool/table was the coolest center channel stand I've seen.


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## ldgibson76




> Quote:
> after all, how many people need two vertical stacks of gear?



Yo A.G.!


I resemble that inquiry!
























Regards.

Happy Thanksgiving!


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## techtvman

Thanks, yeah i didnt have any other stand at the time so i used a table i had, which is now the table that is by the couch.


also im hoping to upgrade the 46in LCD to a 60in pioneer plasma, im going to wait till around Jan 15th or so which is right after CES and right around the time i get a raise so i can budget accordingly.

Hopefully CES will either make my decision to wait for new pio tech or pannys NEO depending on the wait time for release and price or go ahead and get a 6020 pending i can find great deals/steals with at least 12 months interest free financing


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## ldgibson76

Hello techtvman!


Happy New Year to you and the family!

How's the system coming along? Any new additions or modifications over the Christmas holiday?!


Regards.


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## techtvman

Happy New Year! to you as well,


everything is great still, no changes as this time as i am saving up for a pio 6020 or 151 depending on what i can get for prices, hopefully that time will come in 1-2 months.


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## techtvman

almost time for a 60in kuro in the mean time i posted over in the accessories section and thought it couldnt hurt here either.


im thinking of putting some curtains up to make the room look a bit better and possible help with sound reflections, anywho here is the thread with more info

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1112207


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## ddgtr

You're going to love that kuro! It's also going to look great in the room... Be sure to post new pics when you get it!


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## techtvman

Pics of my Kuro 151 have arrived for your viewing pleasure

My Pio Kuro 151


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## ddgtr

Ooooooh yeah!!


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## Fanaticalism

Your system has really come a long way TechTvMan. The 151 was the final piece of premium equipment to compliment the rest of the setup.


Well done!


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## techtvman

Thanks


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## ldgibson76

Hello techtvman!











Congrats on the new Kuro addition! It really looks great and truly enhances the look of your entertainment room. Did you have it calibrated or is that on the things-to-do list?

Dumb question coming!!!! I'm sure you're currently utilizing the 120Hz/24fps modes when watching bluray. Do you see a big difference in PQ compared to the Samsung LCD?


Regards.


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## techtvman

Its not callibrated professionally, im just using D-Nices settings, i thought about doing it, maybe i will i dunno, im reading peoples posts about doing it yourself with control cal and using the ISF modes, i dont know if i will do that or get it pro calibrated, right now everything is Pure mode with D-Nice.


Yeah i can tell the difference mostly with the credits but still some during pans, they are noticeably smoother with it set to advanced mode on the Kuro. picture quality overall wise yeah its a noticeable difference. I thought the set would be _*closer*_ to no light output for blacks than it is during a no signal on the input but its still much better than the 4671 that i moved to my bedroom


PS. Thx for embedding a pic


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## ldgibson76

Hello techtvman!


A blast from the past. It's good to see a post from you!

How's everything going? Have you been enjoying the Kuro?!

I've yet to upgrade my monitor, but I hope to later this month once I receive my bonus.


Anything new happening with your system and are you any closer to installing acoustic treatments for your room?


Regards.


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## techtvman

Yeah ive been reading more than posting these days lol but im still/always around.


oh yes







i have some things in the works, i have been enjoying my kuro, and everything's going great!


I will be painting the room a darker color (portabello) for front wall and the rest of the walls relaxed khaki, this weekend then i will be getting a new htpc case the silverstone lc10-e-b so i can better hide the pc, and im going to move the 200 disc dvd changer downstairs for now since i dont use it that often, that way i can fit the htpc case where the dvd player is now,


ive since gotten the oppo blu-ray player and put my panny in my bedroom and... i am having Shawn Byrne do ISF calibration on my kuro and the full audio calibration and unlocking audyssey pro on my avr.


Also ive ordered some acoustic panels (QuestAI) from him so that when he gets here we can do that too. One behind each speaker and one on each of the side walls where we will move the speakers a tad closer to the walls and one at the rear hanging in the middle of my back surrounds for the center speaker


I will post more updates and pix after he comes which is Aug 10th


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## ldgibson76

Wow!










You are going to be quite busy over the next few weeks!










The results after the acoustic treatments and calibration will surely take your system to new heights.


The new HTPC, will it serve strictly as a music server/storage or will it be a multi-functional device? (browser/gaming, etc..).


And congrats on the new Oppo universal player. How do you like it so far? Any improvement over the Panny as far as bluray performance is concerned?


Regards.


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## techtvman

yeah im hoping for great results when i/we are done.


actually the htpc wont be new im just taking the parts out of my desktop case, so i can use that case when i build a new pc next year and so the current pc will be more hidden and fit in my av rack, it will serve as windows media center, itunes server that i can control with my iphone 3gs, mostly multifunctional, some gaming here and there and web browsing.


I love the Oppo, i don't know if its just my imagination but it would seem that even blu-rays look slightly better, i know sd-dvds look much better now, and its much quicker and i dont have to wait for eject when i hit the button now


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## techtvman

Updates everyone! ISF calibration, acoustic treatment and more!


Just the other day i had Shawn Byrne http://www.soundadviceht.com aka SierraMikeBravo come over to calibrate my 151 and unlock Audyssey Pro on my AVR along with installing the incredibly easy to hang acoustic panels from QuestAI. I would highly recommend him


Shawn was very professional, friendly and took the time to explain everything i had questions for and giving the time frame that he had to work with we were moving around furniture and speakers, installing the panels calibrating both the audio and video all in 8 hrs he did a fantastic job and made sure i was satisfied with the results! As far as video calibration is concerned i was using D-Nices settings and instructions to the "T" for ISF-Day and Night which i unlocked myself with the purchase of ControlCal for around $50 months prior to him coming over and while i thought it looked great, i was off which didn't shock me at all, so let this be a lesson for anyone copying settings from anyone here on this forum DO NOT DO IT!! No D-Nice settings, it varies from TV to TV and environment to environment don't waste your time, do yourself a favor you will be better off putting your set in Movie, Pure, Cinema modes whatever your tv has and then just have Shawn come over to assure that you are getting the best out of your HDTV.


Now audio... I know my room needed work before so i talked to Shawn about it and I ended up going with acoustic panels from QuestAI which i would highly recommend over the others, the weight of the panels alone and ease of installation was amazing, they are lightweight and its just a couple of brackets that poke into the back to hang. We moved the furniture back and relocated the sub and main speakers, then we ran Audyssey Pro and calibrated several positions, the results now are far better than what i had before, stereo imaging is wider, voices are easier to hear and while my room isn't perfect, no room is, and i don't quite get that speaker disappearance effect that i was looking for listening to 2 ch music but its way closer than it ever was before and this is probably a result of my room and its defects, my music sources (because he had a demo cd after calibrating audyssey that simply sounded amazing) and maybe a bit of the design of the B&W 600 series, but now i know my room is as good as it can be given a normal persons budget or complete remodel of the room... you get the idea. He even suggested areas that i could improve upon which helps too.


Here is the result of everything... now i will be replacing my reclining couch with a 2 seat theater seating and the side couch will be replaced with either a nice chair or 2 seating couch instead of the 3 wide


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## hdblu

Very nice setup


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## techtvman

Charts!

Pre Cal (D-Nice







)










Post Cal










Audyssey Results before and after


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## CRAW

Hey TechTVman, CRAW here from your next of the woods (Brookrun Village). I just read through all this, and WOW! First off, great speakers - color me jealous!!! I've lusted for B&W's for years now!


Secondly, your house is very similar to mine (4-level split), and I have mine set up a bit differently - however, I'm thinking about widening the sound stage a bit. As soon as I get some time, I'll take pics for you.


Again, great set up! I'd love to come listen to your speakers some time - if that's not too weird. HA!


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## techtvman

Thanks.


Yeah those B&Ws came from AVL, it sounds much better after what Shawn did.


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## JohnnyFriday

Hey, what distance would you say your eyes are when seated in relation to the tv. Im having trouble wrapping my eyes around everything in relation to the 60" plasma (Mine is a 58"). Could you break out the tape measurer for me? If I recall the THX reccomendation for my 58" based on eye acuity was only 7.6 Feet for 1080p. I float between 7-10 feet, sometimes 5' for the S&G of it. BTW Nice Setup.


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## techtvman

well for the purposes of sound, i am seated 13-14 ft away from it so that the couch is in the null of my dipoles, id be nice if pioneer made a 70in


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## skpd




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *techtvman* /forum/post/17120236
> 
> 
> well for the purposes of sound, i am seated 13-14 ft away from it so that the couch is in the null of my dipoles, id be nice if pioneer made a 70in



did you ever consider arranging you couches on two rows of seating one behind the other? (obviously you would have to built a raising platform for the one in the back)

this way you would solve the hidden speaker problem, all of your seats would be facing forward for a more natural watching position and you would be closer to the TV (13-14 feet from a 60" is too far, IMHO (THX recommended distance for your TV size is 6'7")

The only downsize I see to this layout would be that the two row layout would not be very living room friendly for hanging out and conversation purposes.


I wish I had the dept you have to play with. just a thought.


btw, that Kuro is sweeet!


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## ldgibson76

Nice idea!


But his wife would veto that idea in an immediate fashion!










Regards,


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## skpd




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *ldgibson76* /forum/post/18031087
> 
> 
> Nice idea!
> 
> 
> But his wife would veto that idea in an immediate fashion!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Regards,



yeah, the dreaded WAF


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## techtvman




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *skpd* /forum/post/18030961
> 
> 
> did you ever consider arranging you couches on two rows of seating one behind the other? (obviously you would have to built a raising platform for the one in the back)
> 
> this way you would solve the hidden speaker problem, all of your seats would be facing forward for a more natural watching position and you would be closer to the TV (13-14 feet from a 60" is too far, IMHO (THX recommended distance for your TV size is 6'7")
> 
> The only downsize I see to this layout would be that the two row layout would not be very living room friendly for hanging out and conversation purposes.
> 
> 
> I wish I had the dept you have to play with. just a thought.
> 
> 
> btw, that Kuro is sweeet!



I had the calibrator Shawn calibrate everything and thats where the seats had to go as far as being in the null of the dipole surround speakers, ideal, no, but the wall and position of the side surrounds is the limiting factor here.


I just took a tape to accurately measure from front of glass of plasma to head and its 15ft, too bad they don't make an affordable larger display. My only other option would be projector and theres too much light for that. or maybe if i put the side surrounds on stands but eh i dunno, i've got a few other projects to work on before i go and mess around with this again.


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## techtvman

i guess i haven't posted the latest pics, but i do have new theater seats now




















only thing im waiting on is to go back to the store and order a 2 seat in the same color as the theater seating, but as a regular couch instead.


ldgibson76: I'm not married so that isn't an issue at the moment.


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## Gelinas

TechTVman, your set-up is looking better thyan ever. You have such a nice collection of speakers, components, that awesome Kuro, acoustic panels, and now the missing link---beautiful seating.


The recliners look so much better than your pervious seating. I think a nice matching loveseat or sofa would compliment your room perfectly. Once you have that your room will be complete.


If you can't edit the title yourself, I'd consider having the MODS reflect your pioneer in this thread title as it's quite a step-up from a samsung LCD.


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## techtvman




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *Gelinas* /forum/post/18045585
> 
> 
> TechTVman, your set-up is looking better thyan ever. You have such a nice collection of speakers, components, that awesome Kuro, acoustic panels, and now the missing link---beautiful seating.
> 
> 
> The recliners look so much better than your pervious seating. I think a nice matching loveseat or sofa would compliment your room perfectly. Once you have that your room will be complete.
> 
> 
> If you can't edit the title yourself, I'd consider having the MODS reflect your pioneer in this thread title as it's quite a step-up from a samsung LCD.



Thanks, and good idea, i just asked a mod to rename slightly to reflect my Kuro.

I do have plans to replace that other blue seating set and just a regular couch, nothing to fancy that i can closely match to what ive got, i just need to go back to homemakers and see what they have to order.


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## techtvman

Updates: New Subwoofer!

Rythmik FV15


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