I started with good audio systems about 30 years ago, with my first being a Pioneer 727, EPI 100's, and a Philips turntable. I still have fond memories of that set-up.
Since then the two channel system morphed into a Home theater / surround system about 15 years ago, with 2 channel being the primary emphasis, which is why I have seperate amps for the mains and the center/surround speakers.
This system is in a 28x30ft basement of a townhouse with 4 full windows that makes the video a challenge at times. I've decided I won't go with a projector because of the amount of ambient light in the room. I will be looking for a 70+ DLP or D-ILA screen in the near future.
I had dedicated AC and grounds installed when I moved in, and there's LOTs of outlets everywhere so I can move things around and not worry about power.
I do about 30% movies, 30% concert DVD's and 40% music. I'm surprised more people haven't gotten into concert DVD's. Best of all worlds - you're in comfortable surroundings, virtually on stage with great performers, with a sound system that will never be duplicated in a concert venue.
The Sunfire / Bryston / Martin Logan combination works well in any mode.
These Ascent i's were an upgrade from some SL3's, and have all the positive attributes of the SL3, while sounding bigger and better in every way. This pair has the ETC spikes and light cherry rails.
Martin Logan Aerius i
I love these things. I have them mounted up 2 feet so I get the stat panel sound at my sitting position. If I ever get the Ascent i's, I'll move the SL3's to the rear and the Aerius i's somewhere else. Wonderful little speaker.
Martin Logan Cinema
Works well with the SL-3's, but I'd like to try the Theater i to see what it sounds like.
Revel Performa B-15
I think I've tried all the different subs, and the only thing I liked better was the Aerial SW12, but it's $2k more. I'll probably add a second B-15 sometime just for complete overkill, but it's fully adequate with one in a 30x 22 room.
Sunfire Theater Grand III
I think this thing is way underrated for both Surround and as a two channel preamp. Great sound, Burr Brown Dac's as found in much more expensive pieces, analog pass through, incredible flexibility and (yes) a couple of guilty pleasure gimmicks. But the Sonic Hologram is digital in this one, and it's effect is sometimes stunning. The Perfect Vision gave this one a strong recommendation, but I know there's a lot of snickers because it's Sunfire. I've tried a number of other pre's, and the only one that I'd consider buying over this is the Casablanca. The only thing I wish it had was the potential to set speaker crossovers and other parameters differently for the different sources.
Bryston 4B-ST
Nice piece with lots of reserves, and mates very well with the "tubey" sounding Sunfire. I characterize it as neutral sounding, and it sure grabs the woofers by the cajones and won't let go.
Anthem MCA5
This used to be my main amp and now does surround and center channel duty. A great bang-for-the-buck piece, with some nice features such as signal sensing turn-on so the Martin Logans aren't always turning on like they would if it was just a 12V trigger. Very neutral sounding.
Denon DCM-350
A non descript changer that works fine as a transport.
Enlightened Audio Design DSP-7000
I tried quite a few DAC's, including very highly rated in various mags, and found this one to do a great job. Works well with the Denon changer.
Pioneer DV47a
Universal DVD, DVD-A and SACD player. Video is better than its audio performance, but I won't be making any more significant investments in DVD-A or SACD until there's a LOT more source material. This unit has had reliability issues too, so I won't get another Pioneer.
Transparent Super and Ultra
Found thse to be the most neutral in this system. I like to enjoy the system and don't want to obsess over cables, so I tried a few brands and settled on Transparent.
Transparent Super Bi-wire
Like the interconnects, I found the Transparent to have the most neutral resolution, and thought the Supers were the best value.
Transparent Plus and Super
I am far less convinced than many others here regarding aftermarket power cables, so I went with Transparent's after my experience with the interconnects and speaker cables, as well as my dealings with the Transparent factory which was truly excellent.
Monster 7000
Annoying that this thing reads 120v, 122v, 119v, but it's plugged in to the AVS 2000, that's supposed to give 120v all the time. I emailed Monster and they had a half dozen reasons why it doesn't matter - calibration, variance etc. Geeesh, for a combined $2700 they should say what they mean!
Moonster AVS2000
Sometimes my wall voltage is 4 volts off according to this thing, and I have dedicated AC. Wow. seems to work as advertised.
Monster HTS2500
Power conditioner. Because of the distance of the ML's and the TV to the big power conditioner, I plug the speakers and TV into this, then into the AVS 2000. Seems like a better solution than power cord extensions, particularly for the TV. It sits flat up against the TV.
Hitachi 57 - Ultravision
Unbelievable HD picture. Good on DVD and regular cable. Hasn't been calibrated yet. I want to go bigger, but insist that the new tube has to have two DVI or HDMI inputs for cable and HD-DVD. Looks like only Hitachi has that (in the 70 inch DLP set).
Auralex 2 inch foam
Guys, if you haven't tried this stuff you're making a mistake. I see some really nice systems on here with bare walls, and I'm almost crying to send some out. Look, it's cheap - 2 x 4 piece is $20 at Guitar Center, and works like mad. It also comes in multiple colors and shapes - look at their site - www.auralex.com. You can even email them with a picture of your room and they'll work with you. Before you make your next investment in equipment, spend $100 - $200 on this stuff and be prepared to be amazed!
Auralex Bass Traps
$29 at Guitar Center. Will make a $1,000 difference.
Salamander 2 x 5 Archetype
Good rack - holds a LOT of heavy stuff and doesn't complain. Very sturdy. Optional casters make moving it around convenient, but it's still a nail biter with all that equipment on it. Infinitely adjustable shelves are great when you change equipment a lot. Also can change arrangement to put shelves side by side - nice system but more than a bit overpriced, and always check your box - Salamander isn't the best at making sure everything is there which is a real pain when you're trying to get it set up, then have to wait a week for a bolt or top cap.
Thanks for the offer Creeper. One of the reasons for Lutron is that they have a 4-bay switching box (Grafic-Eye), and I have a 4 switch bay. I checked their site and they do have a dealer close by which is reassuring. I'll follow up with you off line, as I'm starting to get back into getting the lighting right, which I find is just as important with 2 channel as with home theater. I'm sure your experience will prove invaluable.
Skushino, Thank you for the kind words. Every guy that's been in the room sees it as a big boy's play room, and refuses to leave. All the women sort of roll their eyes, know exactly what's going on, and leave at the earliest opportunity. Hey, nobody gets hurt, and it's reasonably clean fun. I'd like to fit a bigger screen in, and am waiting on something thinner, but the RPTV's seem to have a better picture to me. I also want the TV with two DVI inputs for cable and DVD, but they're sort-of a rare beast today too.
I have a heavy blanket that gets rolled up under the center channel, and when I'm in a two channel mode, I cover the screen to avoid the reflections - it works reasonably well.
BTW - thanks for your ski pictures - honest I'll send some. Mammoth and Snowbird are still open!
Before you invest in a Lutron system, check out Litetouch. I have designed many full home lighting control systems and Litetouch is my favorite. It's not as slick equipment-wise (switching/dimming modules, etc) and not as easy to program as Lutron or some of the others. What sells me is the look and feel of the control stations (keypads) as this is what the end-user comes into physical contact with on a daily basis. Excellent tactile feel and response and many options as far as finish of the cover plates and the buttons themselves are concerned, custom available too. Shoot me an email when you get around to the lighting thing. I'd be more than happy to help a fellow Gon'er.
Snofun - Long time no talk (since our skiing thread disappeared!). Very nice looking system, and I bet it sounds great, too. It is a challenge integrating a RPTV into the aesthetics of the room, and you did a great job. I know, because I have a similar set-up. My favorite virtual systems combine an awesome system presented in an aesthetic manner. Listening to music is a sensory experience, and it is a shame to see some wonderful systems with no attention to presentation. Great job!
Thanks Trackmagic, The lights are just $9.99 HD can lights behind the speakers pointing at the stats, and track lights with high intensity spot bulbs overhead pointing down. I only used this configuration for taking the pictures, but lights behind Logans is an old trick for a sexy look. Sometimes I only use the overhead spots on the speakers when watching a concert DVD. The can lights on the floor usually go behind the TV, in a very dimmed mode (5-10 watts) to avoid eye strain when watching a movie. The electrical for the lights is separate from the audio electrical, so I don't worry about dimming. I also have rope lights under the couch that go on with the cans behind the TV for movie watching mode. I look forward to incorporating a Lutron setup, when I can pre-program lighting modes, but I'm still working on my lighting. I have those gawd-awful flouresents in the ceiling, which I will soon replace with recessed lighting -then I'll get into the lighting "scene" thing. I'd rather spend $ on audio stuff than lights. If my kids brought all their guitars when they came over there would be 2 more guitars, and 2 more amps in the picture.
Thanks for the thought Cello. I haven't really looked at the Levinson line to see what works best with ML's. The 332 has both an aesthetic appeal, and my local shop had an Ascent i / 332 system together a while ago that sounded great. I'll have to solicit Logan owners to see what they think works best.
I've been at peace with the system for close to a year now, and haven't made any changes with the exception of room treatments. Just moving one panel can make a huge difference. I wish I had learned that earlier.
When I see some of the beautiful systems some members have, with bare walls/ceiling/floor surrounding it, I want to cringe. Maybe there's a WAF for some guys, but I don't have that problem, and I think the treatments look good in any case, but when there's a WAF, that doesn't count anyway.
. Snofun, . Great room and set up. Have you considered the older 23.5 Levinson Amp over the 332 ? For my taste in my system, I prefer the 23.5 over the 332. . he 23.5 has tons of power and is a good bit warmer, richer with tons of power (200 watts rated, but it supposedly benches out at more like 265 per channel and tons of current). .
You can find a used 23.5 for around $ 2,400.00 - $2,700.00 on Audiogon. . Rgds, Larry
The rack is two Salamader Archetype 5's put together using stacking couplers. (http://www.salamanderdesigns.com/archetype/archetype.jsp?modelbase=a5). Quite sturdy, and very handy to move around with the optional caster wheels. In the configuration you see there it's about $1,000. Search on "racks" in the threads, as there is a fair amount of recent discussion on DIY racks and appropriate materials.
hello..nice system....i have a question about the audio rack...did you do it yourself..if so..i would like to know what kind of wood is best...and the material used...i have just as much components but can find a decent rack to fit them all in....thanks...
Talk about SRV. I didn't get into his music until I saw him in concert. Sitting 7th row center, I marvelled at his virtuosity. Got choked up when I heard about the helicopter accident about a year later. That reaction kinda took me by surprise but all I can think about was what a waste of a great talent. It's pretty amazing how a musician and his music can leave such a lasting impression. Thanks for sharing your system.
System edited: I forgot to mention the Monster 2500 that the speakers and TV go into, that then goes into the AVS 2000. Can't be seen in the pictures - it sits upright on the left side of the TV
Thanks for the words Lugnut. I trust you have the SRV DVD's? For all out there - if you think any Stevie Ray Vaughn is double (or triple) tracked on the CD's - check him out live on DVD. It's all real time. Holy Crow.
You're obviously having too much fun. Glad for you. The room looks like a killer place to hang out and I'm sure it sounds good. I too play. Been doing acoustic since the late sixties. Glad that the boys jam with you too.
It's a shame most audiophiles aren't aware of the Guitar Center. They sell a lot of little items that are useful to this hobby at very reasonable prices. Little Lites are one of the very best illumination devices for high end audio and are configurable to just about any need. I've been using them forever and had trouble finding bulbs and new stuff for racks I've built for other folks. Now that they have a store in this area I stop in regularly and pick stuff up and have made some retail friends. This is an excellent business model.
Yeah, I miss SRV too. I first learned of him in the late 70's or early 80's when he opened for Eric Clapton and stole the show. Prior to seeing him live an acquaintence that had the worst taste in music kept telling me abut him. Since nothing this guy listened to interested me in the least I ignored his sage advice. That night was a real discovery and Clapton put me to sleep in comparrison.
Nice room, nice gear and a great homey environment. Oh yeah, your wife must be a jewel; a lot like mine. She's a keeper.
