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Home Theater => General => HT Picture Gallery => Topic started by: gearhead on Oct 03, 2005 at 08:39 PM

Title: Gearhead's midfi-ht setup
Post by: gearhead on Oct 03, 2005 at 08:39 PM
setting up....
(http://img165.imageshack.us/img165/3813/connectsmallky3.jpg)

THE TALE OF THE CHEAPSKATE AFFICIONADO  ::)

speaker wires bought from ace hardware. awg#14 for the bi-wired mains and
awg#16 for the rear speakers. component and composite video cables still
courtesy of ace. nice good quality wires and cables if i might say and all for
a fairly reasonable price. thanks henry sy.  ;)

some of the rca connectors are from true value hardware, audio cables from
landmark and heavy duty banana plugs from the d.i.y. shop. rear channel
bananas from deeco and then painstakingly soldered. then add some colorful
cable ties from national bookstore and cable stays from sm workshop to tidy
it all up.

(http://img165.imageshack.us/img165/5137/subwsmallbs3.jpg)

subwoofer is dtx 4.10 due for upgrade soon. i'm having some difficulty
matching it with my gales.

(http://img165.imageshack.us/img165/6259/system1smallwy8.jpg)

the marantz sr4500 all ready to take them all in. that mini-tv really came in
handy for testing all connectors and connections, and setting up the player
before everything was tied up together.  :P

(http://img405.imageshack.us/img405/9362/finished1hp1.jpg)

tight fit in there for the marantz so ventilation is handled by two slim muffin
fans from deeco placed on top of the receiver. on first power up, they are a
bit noisy, but settles down to almost whisper quiet after some time. every-
thing is protected electrically by the china made omni 1.5kva servo-controlled
avr for the price of a 1kva locally made avr.


more to come soon!

pdvd keeps compressing my pics, so just click on the higher-res thumbnails below.

(http://img165.imageshack.us/img165/6117/connectki6.th.jpg) (http://img165.imageshack.us/my.php?image=connectki6.jpg)  (http://img165.imageshack.us/img165/8407/subwie8.th.jpg) (http://img165.imageshack.us/my.php?image=subwie8.jpg)       (http://img165.imageshack.us/img165/4265/system1qt0.th.jpg) (http://img165.imageshack.us/my.php?image=system1qt0.jpg)          (http://img405.imageshack.us/img405/9362/finished1hp1.th.jpg) (http://img405.imageshack.us/my.php?image=finished1hp1.jpg)
Title: Re: potpot's midfi-ht setup
Post by: purple_jedi on Oct 03, 2005 at 08:59 PM
niiiiice pot2. looks like a plasma will be added soon. congrats!
Title: Re: potpot's midfi-ht setup
Post by: Red October on Oct 03, 2005 at 09:01 PM
Definitely full of suprises most probably on the video side with emphasis on the small television hehehe...

just for the cables and audio set-up nakakatakot na ung kasunod...

Congrats.....
Title: Re: potpot's midfi-ht setup
Post by: doorknob2k1 on Oct 03, 2005 at 09:43 PM
suspense thriller! hehehe!  ;D
Title: Re: potpot's midfi-ht setup
Post by: gearhead on Oct 03, 2005 at 09:48 PM
niiiiice pot2. looks like a plasma will be added soon. congrats!

Definitely full of suprises most probably on the video side with emphasis on the small television hehehe...

just for the cables and audio set-up nakakatakot na ung kasunod...

Congrats.....

aaarggh  :P!!! i have no idea that first set will be some kind of a suspense-thriller.  ;D if it looks that way t'was really unintentional. nahiya na tuloy ako pakita tv ko.... a promac 42" black and white tv with rotary selector.  ;D

this is not to say it hasn't crossed my mind how that a/v rack will surely be just right for a 42" plasma or lcd flat panel tv. at least i'm ready for that. hanap na lang ng budget.  :-[

hint: you can do a double look at pic #4 above and see a glimpse of what my current display is. as added fun... to the lucky one who can give the exact brand/model no., i'll send you a printable pic of toni g. in mini-skirt.  :-*  ;)
Title: Re: potpot's midfi-ht setup
Post by: Superman on Oct 04, 2005 at 07:32 AM
i think it's a philips matchline flat TV... :D :D :D
Title: Re: potpot's midfi-ht setup
Post by: gearhead on Oct 04, 2005 at 10:33 AM
i think it's a philips matchline flat TV... :D :D :D

uy, lapit na ah. since almost nakuha mo na first clue....
post ko na itong a little more revealing pic ng setup ko.

(http://img413.imageshack.us/img413/628/igp0407gn8.jpg)

my center: Gale 3050C
dvd player: Philips DVP-5500S

(http://img413.imageshack.us/img413/8031/igp0429ae5.jpg)
Title: Re: potpot's midfi-ht setup
Post by: H a n $ on Oct 04, 2005 at 11:19 AM
Galing very nice and neat sir.
Title: Re: potpot's midfi-ht setup
Post by: Dowals on Oct 04, 2005 at 11:25 AM
is your rack custom made? sakto ang gears  ;D
Title: Re: potpot's midfi-ht setup
Post by: MAtZTER on Oct 04, 2005 at 12:17 PM
Very nice, Velo na lang... ;D
Title: Re: potpot's midfi-ht setup
Post by: gearhead on Oct 04, 2005 at 12:52 PM
is your rack custom made? sakto ang gears ;D

to the contrary... off the shelf lang po ito from makro, yung mga malaysian made. tuwa nga ako almost nag-complement lahat ng kulay ng gear ko: wood finish for the rack and the speakers, silver yung tv at dvd player, tapos black naman yung sub, cd and vhs player. yung amp lang naiba konti pero match pa rin sa wood finish. i was asking nga sana mr sonny kung meron siya cht-8 na hindi black.

Very nice, Velo na lang... ;D

lapit na. hopefully audition kami ni ronjet kay mr. sonny this weekend. that cht-10 of cray is really tempting.... hirap lang talaga paano ko isiksik yung 15" width nya sa limited space ko.

another close look:   8)
(http://img104.imageshack.us/img104/7987/igp0437qa0.jpg)

my front, the gale 3030:
(http://img104.imageshack.us/img104/3000/igp0427st7.jpg)

and the rear, gale 3060B:
(http://img340.imageshack.us/img340/4298/igp0422bv2.jpg)
hmmm.... i still need to clean up my wiring.  :-\
Title: Re: potpot's midfi-ht setup
Post by: wanderlust on Oct 04, 2005 at 01:21 PM
potpot,

cool setup!!! bitin kami sa pics mo.... itodo mo na hehehe....keep'em coming.
Title: Re: potpot's midfi-ht setup
Post by: kefq on Oct 04, 2005 at 06:04 PM
Superb setup! Congrats bro. .potpot horray! :)
Title: Re: potpot's midfi-ht setup
Post by: gearhead on Oct 04, 2005 at 07:54 PM
o, ayan.... todo na 'to. pag di n'yo pa nahulaan tv monitor ko.  8)

with speaker grille on:
(http://img525.imageshack.us/img525/3315/igp0406vx9.jpg)

with grille off:  ;)
(http://img525.imageshack.us/img525/2465/igp0411ui9.jpg)
Title: Re: potpot's midfi-ht setup
Post by: Red October on Oct 04, 2005 at 08:42 PM
Ayos na ito sir......very nice set-up after all the awaiting period hehehe....

Kaya lang, tingin ko mas interesado kami dun sa may box sa may gilid ng TV.....

may laman ba un......

Anyway...CHEERS......
Title: Re: potpot's midfi-ht setup
Post by: doorknob2k1 on Oct 05, 2005 at 09:05 PM
neat! bagay na bagay jan ung minivee!  ;D ;D ;D
Title: Re: potpot's midfi-ht setup
Post by: ronjet on Oct 07, 2005 at 06:54 PM
congrats sir potpot! :)...oo nga! VELO nalang kulang!..hehe :) ang linis din sir.  galing nang pagkakaayos niyo sa mga wires ;)
Title: Re: potpot's midfi-ht setup
Post by: gearhead on Oct 07, 2005 at 09:52 PM
Ayos na ito sir......very nice set-up after all the awaiting period hehehe....

Kaya lang, tingin ko mas interesado kami dun sa may box sa may gilid ng TV.....

may laman ba un......

Anyway...CHEERS......

thanks, red. oo... me mga laman pa yan. chill natin pag mag-audition ka.  :P pero wag muna ngayon. pagdating na ni baby velo.   ;) decide ko pa kung si kuya cht-10 or yung nakababatang kapatid, si cht-8.  ;D

neat! bagay na bagay jan ung minivee!  ;D ;D ;D
ay, grabe... ang mahal pala naman nung minivee na yun. 1000W rms ba naman.  :o

congrats sir potpot! :)...oo nga! VELO nalang kulang!..hehe :) ang linis din sir.  galing nang pagkakaayos niyo sa mga wires ;)

thanks, ronjet. ur invited to audition my dtx b4 i change it to the velo.
Title: Re: potpot's midfi-ht setup
Post by: deo on Oct 13, 2005 at 09:50 AM
thanks, red. oo... me mga laman pa yan. chill natin pag mag-audition ka.  :P pero wag muna ngayon. pagdating na ni baby velo.   ;) decide ko pa kung si kuya cht-10 or yung nakababatang kapatid, si cht-8.  ;D
ay, grabe... ang mahal pala naman nung minivee na yun. 1000W rms ba naman.  :o

thanks, ronjet. ur invited to audition my dtx b4 i change it to the velo.

Ngayon lang ako nakapag online sa pdvd ulit..grabe dami ng bago. Pot2, galing mo mangbitin..buti na lang pag online ko, naka post na lahat ng pics :P  wag mo ng pag isipan ung cht10, cguradong sulit na yan. ingat lang sa pag bili ng 2nd hand. nag ka problem kami kasi before jan (2nd hand cht10) ok sa malalakas na base, pero pag dating sa mga sobrang baba, biglang namamatay. So, nag end up ung tropa ko na bumili ng brand new na cht 10r..dagdag sya 10k  :o Pano, congrats,and pm nyo ako ni red kung kelan nyo bubuksan ung mga whisky! :P
Title: Re: potpot's midfi-ht setup
Post by: MAtZTER on Oct 13, 2005 at 10:22 AM
Actually bro, bumili na yan ng CHT-10. Mukhang sobrang napababad sa HT at di na nag-online para i-update yung pic ng subwoofer nya.  ;D
Title: Re: potpot's midfi-ht setup
Post by: vvt-i on Oct 13, 2005 at 10:32 AM
natuloy na rin pala ang cht-10.  congrats. todo na 'to.  :)
Title: Re: potpot's midfi-ht setup
Post by: gearhead on Oct 13, 2005 at 12:33 PM
Actually bro, bumili na yan ng CHT-10. Mukhang sobrang napababad sa HT at di na nag-online para i-update yung pic ng subwoofer nya.  ;D

haha! kabisadong-kabisado mo na yung me mga SARS or kagagaling pa lang dyan. eto, di me masyado nakakapost kasi nahihilo pa nga ako sa gabi-gabing pagpupuyat. (pati mga kapitbahay ko sigurado mga puyat na rin.  ;D pag me dumadaan nga na mobile patrol akala ko kakatukin na ako kasi nireklamo na ng mga kapitbahay  :'(). bwiset kasi gabi na me nakakauwi so yung mga audition ko eh nasa medya-medya lang.  >:( pag sinusubukan ko nga ilakas dun mo lang talaga ma-appreciate yung bigat ng bayo ng sub at clarity ng mga satellites.


ingat lang sa pag bili ng 2nd hand. nag ka problem kami kasi before jan (2nd hand cht10) ok sa malalakas na base, pero pag dating sa mga sobrang baba, biglang namamatay. So, nag end up ung tropa ko na bumili ng brand new na cht 10r..dagdag sya 10k :o Pano, congrats,and pm nyo ako ni red kung kelan nyo bubuksan ung mga whisky! :P

hi sir deo. actually, i bought my cht-10 2nd hand (or 3rd hand pa nga yata) from one of our more reputable pdvd members. nurse siya so he's joining his family na in the US soon... so the haste in unloading his ht equipment (w/c included some mission satellites). so far wala namang problema na kagaya nung na-mention mo. mine is made in the US while some are purportedly made in china daw. observe ko pa rin siya in the coming weeks. very happy naman so far.

updated pics coming soon!
Title: Re: potpot's midfi-ht setup
Post by: gearhead on Oct 13, 2005 at 09:48 PM
some more pics of my current setup pre-velodyne:
(http://img258.imageshack.us/img258/5713/igp0580hz0.jpg)

close-up of the modified dtx 4.10:
(http://img258.imageshack.us/img258/8213/igp0582fp4.jpg)

in use i have it facing the wall. the reflected bass can be felt and heard
better in that orientation than when front firing. i don't need bass shakers
when i have it that way. 

problems are it doesn't really go that low and there are resonances that
are hard to tame. not much of a problem if you've not dipped your feet (or
your ears) yet in all that audiophile gobbledygook.

all in all, not a bad sounding sub for the price, including the cost of upgrade
or modification. bang for the buck talaga - plenty of bass for so little buck,
whether for music or ht.
Title: Re: potpot's midfi-ht setup
Post by: MAtZTER on Oct 14, 2005 at 09:31 AM
When you are using your Velodyne, you dont need to face the Velo to the wall, just toggle the 0-180 degree switch and it does the same thing and the subwoofer still faces the HT area.
Title: Re: potpot's midfi-ht setup
Post by: czedryk on Oct 14, 2005 at 10:27 AM
sir congratz on your HT setup... very nice, neat, & clean

iwas SARS n lng... ;)
Title: Re: potpot's midfi-ht setup
Post by: ronjet on Oct 15, 2005 at 12:31 AM
sir potpot...tagal naman po nang pic......nung may velo ;) ;D
Title: Re: potpot's midfi-ht setup
Post by: doorknob2k1 on Oct 15, 2005 at 02:38 AM
velo! velo! velo! velo! velo! velo!  ;D ;D ;D
Title: Re: potpot's midfi-ht setup
Post by: Vhongbiker on Oct 15, 2005 at 11:04 AM
congrats pot, galing mo mambitin bro, :D 
pero very nice set up mo, galing-galing.
iwas lang sa mga virus na kumakalat bro, lalu na ang SARS ;)
Title: Re: potpot's midfi-ht setup
Post by: gearhead on Oct 17, 2005 at 11:38 PM
congrats pot, galing mo mambitin bro, :D 
pero very nice set up mo, galing-galing.
iwas lang sa mga virus na kumakalat bro, lalu na ang SARS ;)
thanks, bro. vhong.. and thanks for waiting. hi ronjet, sir matz, doorknob
jetok, and czedryk. well, here now is my updated velo setup.  8)
(http://img505.imageshack.us/img505/9/igp0656kb8.jpg)

(http://img505.imageshack.us/img505/9190/igp0635zm0.jpg)

and from another angle:
(http://img122.imageshack.us/img122/7536/igp0639ii8.jpg)
Title: Re: potpot's midfi-ht setup
Post by: gearhead on Oct 17, 2005 at 11:43 PM
moving... or i'll say creeping closer still:
(http://img122.imageshack.us/img122/421/igp0594ok2.jpg)

with grille on:
(http://img122.imageshack.us/img122/4480/igp0591tp7.jpg)

and grille off:
(http://img122.imageshack.us/img122/5008/igp0592lv3.jpg)
this is one bad a** sub. just from the size of it you know it delivers. but
looking at it the first time, i wasn't that all impressed with the driver. that's
one ordinary looking woofer in there. but when you hear how low this can
go, it's hard not to be impressed. just a subtle reminder not to judge the
book by it's cover (or to paraphrase: don't judge a sub by its driver).  ;D

and just to show it's pedigree:
(http://img122.imageshack.us/img122/117/igp0695lj8.jpg)
Title: Re: potpot's midfi-ht setup
Post by: jerix on Oct 18, 2005 at 06:46 AM
Bro -- I like the matching of your speakers and HT cabinet, parang isang package sila  --  ;D
Title: Re: potpot's midfi-ht setup
Post by: deo on Oct 18, 2005 at 07:53 AM
hi sir deo. actually, i bought my cht-10 2nd hand (or 3rd hand pa nga yata) from one of our more reputable pdvd members. nurse siya so he's joining his family na in the US soon... so the haste in unloading his ht equipment (w/c included some mission satellites). so far wala namang problema na kagaya nung na-mention mo. mine is made in the US while some are purportedly made in china daw. observe ko pa rin siya in the coming weeks. very happy naman so far.

updated pics coming soon!
Quote

hmmm..thats! good...subukan mo sya i test sa LOTR fellowship,.ska sa MONSTERS inc. ska sa Daredevil. may mga scene na dun namamatay ung sub..pero im sure ok naman yan..pero check mo rin  ;D mahirap na...pero balita ko mas maganda pa daw ang bigay ng base ng cht 10 kaysa sa cht 10r...observation lang...or bka kailangan lang ng break in..
anyway, congrats ulit! ;)
Title: Re: potpot's midfi-ht setup
Post by: gearhead on Oct 18, 2005 at 12:26 PM
Bro -- I like the matching of your speakers and HT cabinet, parang isang package sila  --  ;D
actually, the first time i saw this rack i liked it na. but i tried shopping around pa rin to see if i can find a better one. in the end eto rin ang nagustuhan ko from the ones i've looked up. i measured each and every dimension and seems swak na swak nga siya sa available components ko. i was also pleasantly surprised na nag-match siya perfectly sa mga speakers ko. all i was hoping was a near match.

Quote
hmmm..thats good...subukan mo sya i test sa LOTR fellowship,.ska sa MONSTERS inc. ska sa Daredevil. may mga scene na dun namamatay ung sub.. pero balita ko mas maganda pa daw ang bigay ng base ng cht 10 kaysa sa cht 10r...observation lang...or bka kailangan lang ng break in..
anyway, congrats ulit! ;)
thanks po ulit, sir deo. haven't heard the 10r, just the 8r... and bass delivery is fine with me naman. didn't audition fully though since i was looking nga for a 10-incher. so far, so good naman yung cht-10 ko. i miss the remote capability but for almost 7k difference to a brand new 10r i'm fine with this affordable entry into the velodyne world.

i've had the sub ran through its paces sa mga demo discs namin, plus some dvd movies and plenty of concert dvd's. so far so good sa demo clips ng u-571(depth charges), saving pvt. ryan (tank scenes), antz (foot stomp scene), behind enemy lines (dog fight scene), the haunting, the whole Monsters, Inc. movie, and some others w/c i don't find as taxing to the sub naman. we just finished watching the whole LOTR trilogy pre-velodyne and i don't think i can do another sitting to watch them anew. i might do auditions of some selected scenes though.

btw, i like the bass (actually LFE) effects from "matchsticks men" of nicolas cage. not something to really stress out a sub, but a test more on how low and how accurate can your box go. i've some other excellent movie bass passages that my memory escapes me at the moment. will post them probably in the general thread when i do get to remembering them.
Title: Re: potpot's midfi-ht setup
Post by: John E. on Feb 22, 2007 at 04:48 AM
up natin  :D

this is a nice and neat set-up ;D

kaso ito ata yung binenta na reciever sa B&S section...anu na kaya ang pinalit ::)  ???

 ;D
Title: Re: potpot's midfi-ht setup
Post by: gearhead on Jul 19, 2007 at 04:47 PM
hi juric. thanks for the bump. sorry for the long hiatus. this setup had been modified na nga and is waiting to be modified still (walang katapusang upgrade. huhuhu!) kaya i haven't updated this yet. pero i'm planning to do an installment update here starting this week siguro. will try to post some pix of my "bridge" setup later. there will be some major changes kasi in the coming weeks once i got down to it.

abangan!!!  ;D
Title: Re: potpot's midfi-ht setup
Post by: audiojunkie on Jul 19, 2007 at 08:18 PM
huhuhu.... :(
can't see the pix... something wrong with me connection?... ::)
Title: Re: potpot's midfi-ht setup
Post by: gearhead on Jul 19, 2007 at 10:37 PM
ganun ba? baka nag-lapse na yung subscription ko sa webhost ko. i can't see the pics either. akala ko dahil lang sa firewall ng office namin. anyway, will try to fill in the blanks this weekend.

happy weekend everyone.  ;D
Title: Re: potpot's midfi-ht setup
Post by: keema on Jul 21, 2007 at 11:56 PM
feeling ko naka block audiojunkie yung site ng webhost dito kaya hindi natin makita...
Title: Re: potpot's midfi-ht setup
Post by: jojitv on Jul 22, 2007 at 04:48 AM
Pics works fine on my end. Nice setup sir, congrats :)
Title: Re: potpot's midfi-ht setup
Post by: accastil on Jul 22, 2007 at 09:03 AM
cool set up bro...word of advice lang, the marantz rxvr runs a bit hot, bk masira kc very tight ang room for breathing.
Title: Re: potpot's midfi-ht setup
Post by: gearhead on Jul 22, 2007 at 09:09 AM
well, it works fine now as i worked my butts off most of last night recovering the pics and posting it in another webhost (imageshack, from pbase w/c was a paid host).  >:(

cool set up bro...word of advice lang, the marantz rxvr runs a bit hot, bk masira kc very tight ang room for breathing.
yup.... i have taken a grip of that problem with two muffin fans running on top of the receiver. pics of those will be included in future updates. i have taken pains also to hide the fans a bit so that it won't show that much when sitting at the viewing position.

actually, most of these had been changed already... speakers, amp and player. will be posting updated pics later. that will still be a temporary setup as it's due for a major change soon.
Title: Re: potpot's midfi-ht setup
Post by: den1224 on Jul 22, 2007 at 11:45 AM
Very neat set-up & bagay na bagay yun AV cabinet sa speaker cabinet.  :)
Title: Re: potpot's midfi-ht setup
Post by: scorer on Jul 22, 2007 at 09:14 PM
ganda nito pare :)
Title: Re: potpot's midfi-ht setup
Post by: audiojunkie on Jul 23, 2007 at 12:19 PM
well, it works fine now as i worked my butts off most of last night recovering the pics and posting it in another webhost (imageshack, from pbase w/c was a paid host).  >:(
yup.... i have taken a grip of that problem with two muffin fans running on top of the receiver. pics of those will be included in future updates. i have taken pains also to hide the fans a bit so that it won't show that much when sitting at the viewing position.


I have thought of installing fans for my amps but it will be like computer box that will collect dusts inside, so still tha fans on standby on my rack and besides my DIY rack is open type so ventilation is not a problem.
Title: Re: potpot's midfi-ht setup
Post by: gearhead on Aug 04, 2007 at 01:01 PM
as mentioned previously (and as can be seen from my profile), i have since
changed my gale-philips-marantz setup to a wharfedale-pioneer-hk combo.

well, the velodyne stays though.

(http://img249.imageshack.us/img249/1607/editigp5133bb5.jpg)

the pioneer 600av/hk5550 is a great match already... so i'm having multiple
thoughts deciding whether to get one unit of matz's bada 130w power amp.

(http://img249.imageshack.us/img249/5205/editigp5145bb2.jpg)
Title: Re: potpot's midfi-ht setup
Post by: gearhead on Aug 04, 2007 at 01:11 PM
i'm staying with my diamond 9.cs also as the 9.cm might be too much for me already.

(http://img249.imageshack.us/img249/5338/editigp5165ti6.jpg)

a closer look at the 9cs in its naked glory.  :-*

(http://img249.imageshack.us/img249/871/editigp5164ee5.jpg)
Title: Re: potpot's midfi-ht setup
Post by: gearhead on Aug 04, 2007 at 01:26 PM
as nice as this setup looks and sound for me already, i will be saying goodbye to
it soon so might as well post it here for posterities' sake.  :'(

(http://img249.imageshack.us/img249/4824/editigp5160yi3.jpg)

again, let's have a closer look.

(http://img169.imageshack.us/img169/9499/editigp5162xh8.jpg)
Title: Re: potpot's midfi-ht setup
Post by: streetsmart on Aug 06, 2007 at 11:04 AM
(http://img249.imageshack.us/img249/4824/editigp5160yi3.jpg)

Parang buhay pa rin yung kahon na may gold trimmings sa tabi ng TV. Parang 2 taon na yata sya naka-display dun, o bagong kahon ba yun? Si Johnnie ba yun? Sayang.  ;D

Very nice and neat set-up, sir! Congrats!  :)
Title: Re: potpot's midfi-ht setup
Post by: gearhead on Aug 06, 2007 at 01:12 PM
kahon at bote na lang po siya.    ;D
napag-paskuhan na.   ;)

Quote
(http://img249.imageshack.us/img249/4824/editigp5160yi3.jpg)

anyway, as i've said i might be reconfiguring my setup. that solid and sharp
cabinet edge at right seems to be diffusing/diffracting the sound too much
affecting the soundstaging and proper imaging. i will have to get rid (or at
least minimize the effect) of that and i have the rack for that exact purpose
already.

actually, there are a lot of changes to be done i'm feeling exhausted just
thinking about it. after i have finished, that will be a completely new look
than this one. aesthetically, i couldn't say it will be for the better..... but
acoustically speaking, to me it will be the best option available.
Title: Re: a gearhead's midfi-ht setup
Post by: gearhead on Aug 20, 2007 at 11:07 AM
a preview of one of my upcoming updates, the diamond 9.6. the 9.5
will be up for grabs soon.  ::)

(http://img101.imageshack.us/img101/2618/editigp5122bj4.jpg)

although di siya color matched with my existing 9.cs, that would do for
now until mag-sale ulit ng mga wharfedales sa susunod na hi-fi show.
 ;D
Title: Re: a gearhead's midfi-ht setup
Post by: gearhead on Aug 20, 2007 at 11:52 AM
meanwhile, here's a view of my muffin fan atop the receiver.

(http://img256.imageshack.us/img256/4176/editigp5168bc7.jpg)

the white wire is from the dimmer that i use to control fan speed. this is
mostly to combat fan noise to more tolerable levels. the fans i got from
deeco while the dimmer you can get from most hardware stores such as
true value, handyman, etc. brand i think is omni.

(http://img256.imageshack.us/img256/2823/editigp5168bgy7.jpg)

you can see the transparent plastic footings i use to serve as spacers. this
minimizes noise also to some extent and also keep the fans from wandering
around. i use two muffin fans in parallel and placed inline with the heatsink.

Title: Re: a gearhead's midfi-ht setup
Post by: audiojunkie on Aug 20, 2007 at 12:54 PM
Sir.. excellent option  8) to avoid over heating but the drawback of fan is dust accumulated inside the case overtime just like our desktop PC. ;D

just my 2cents  ;)
Title: Re: a gearhead's midfi-ht setup
Post by: gearhead on Aug 20, 2007 at 03:02 PM
well, as you know i have opened my hk already. it wasn't as bad as might be
expected. from the pic, you can see how pristine the inside still is. there's
not much difference before or after vacuuming. dust settlement is really very
minimal. mas dusty pa nga ang carpet ko. hehe.

(http://img101.imageshack.us/img101/9936/editigp5181sx6.jpg)

the amount of dust accumulation is just what one may expect if without the
fan. siguro dahil palabas naman ang buga ng fan ko. sometimes there are dust
sa periphery ng fan i just use a vacuum with long nozzle, if not just a piece
of rag. since na-open ko na rin naman, kaya nag-vacuum na rin ako sa loob.
Title: Re: a gearhead's midfi-ht setup
Post by: allvin_98 on Aug 22, 2007 at 06:54 PM
Nice gears-head!

Kainggit!
Title: Re: a gearhead's midfi-ht setup
Post by: gearhead on Aug 22, 2007 at 07:03 PM
bakit naman. you can have great gears also at a lot less dito sa b&s section ng pdvd... abang-abang ka lang. ako nga nakatambay na dito pero i have missed quite some excellent deals sana. just visit here regularly basta huwag ka lang papa-apekto sa SARS.  ;D

fyi, yung ae900 f/pj, hk5550, at diamond 9.6 ko all came pre-owned from members here and acquired by me at reasonable prices. yung d9.5/d.9dfs and pio 600av naman came from store owner members here at greatly discounted prices. sigarilyong tingi na lang yata di mo mabibili dito.  ;D
Title: Re: a gearhead's midfi-ht setup
Post by: allvin_98 on Aug 22, 2007 at 09:14 PM
Tama ka dyan bro, lately na lang kasi ako nagkaroon ng smartbro kaya now lang nakatambay sa pdvd.Nahinto kasi ako sa pag-setup, now balik uli sa buo ng HT setup.

Ipon uli hehehe!
Title: Re: a gearhead's midfi-ht setup
Post by: CocoBoy on Aug 23, 2007 at 01:28 PM
Update ka naman ng PJ set-up mo ;), para makita namin.  Cheers
Title: Re: a gearhead's midfi-ht setup
Post by: gearhead on Aug 23, 2007 at 05:50 PM
hi, cocs.

haaaaaayyy.... sa wakas. kakatapos ko lang mainstall ang pj ko the other night and yung screen naman  kagabi.  :P  :P

previously. i was just using two illustration boards side by side sa other part ng room. so yung fronts ang rear speakers and yung surrounds naman ang main. hehe.  ;D

got my 90" glass beaded more than two months na yata pero di ko makabit trying hard to figure out how to mount it and the pj.  :o dati kasi, nahirapan ako magbutas ng wall namin so just thinking of doing it again napapagod na ako. hehe. then, naging busy na din. i just really had the initiative when frequenting the various video/music shops and di ako lumalabas na walang bitbit at least 2 dvd's. tapos, nakapamakyaw din dun sa astro warehouse sale, so excited talaga to see them in their large screen glory.

of course... will be posting some pix naman later. sayang din pagod ko dito, almost major undertaking na din siya for me. just looking at the pics, very simple lang and may not reflect the sweat and tears put into it.  :'(

basta... maaaga na mga uwi ko ngayon.  ;D sarap pa long weekend na naman. yahoo!
Title: Re: a gearhead's midfi-ht setup
Post by: gearhead on Aug 26, 2007 at 01:04 AM
as from what i have posted previously, i already changed to the diamond 9.6
from my previous diamond 9.5.

(http://img261.imageshack.us/img261/1359/editigp5175qs6.jpg)

the heart of this speaker... it's midrange driver, and woofer too. i so love this
speaker now as compared to the first time i got it and heard it.

(http://img261.imageshack.us/img261/6753/editigp5179xq2.jpg)

the cabinet's sharp corners has to go soon though. bad effect on imaging.
Title: Re: a gearhead's midfi-ht setup
Post by: gearhead on Aug 26, 2007 at 01:19 AM
Update ka naman ng PJ set-up mo ;), para makita namin.  Cheers

now we go to my pj setup. most of my time really were spent looking for suitable
tools and installation materials for mounting the pj and the pj screen. here are my
set of tools that did the job for me. a great help is the hammer drill at the top.

(http://img261.imageshack.us/img261/8167/editigp5271kw7.jpg)

i couldn't be bothered looking for screws around so i just bought loads of them.

(http://img126.imageshack.us/img126/5991/editigp5274xf8.jpg)
Title: Re: a gearhead's midfi-ht setup
Post by: gearhead on Aug 26, 2007 at 08:48 AM
well, after much drilling and hammering... here it is my pride and joy now.

(http://img511.imageshack.us/img511/4785/editigp5231yi7.jpg)

this represents just a functional installation for now. as you can see, all the
wires are just sticking out at the moment, and the endcap at the bottom of
the mount isn't installed yet. that would be my next course of action though
- cable management. i also placed it quite high for it to be unobtrusive.

(http://img261.imageshack.us/img261/8927/editigp5285gi2.jpg)

at that height, you can see that the joystick for lens shift adjustment is quite
up to the limits of its vertical travel already. i've also used a sunpak 77mm uv
filter to serve as lens protection. i was supposed to use the 81C filter tweak
but can't seem to find this filter locally.
Title: Re: a gearhead's midfi-ht setup
Post by: CocoBoy on Aug 26, 2007 at 09:04 AM
Wow, exciting naman yan.  I'm sure it's all worth the effort.  Sandamakmak na screws etc., pati oil filter grip remover kasama sa pic ;D ;D AE900 has lens shift so I figured the perfect view mount you;re using is ok.  Screen, screen , screen!!! Saka screenshots pag meron na.  Is that the pana PJ you got from your friend?  Congats bro.
Title: Re: a gearhead's midfi-ht setup
Post by: gearhead on Aug 26, 2007 at 10:00 AM
Sandamakmak na screws etc., pati oil filter grip remover kasama sa pic ;D ;D

Is that the pana PJ you got from your friend?  Congats bro.

thanks bro.  yes, that's the pana ae900 i bought from a fellow member here. 8)

hehe... that oil filter grip is for a different purpose. that would be for tightening
the pole of the sabre totem a/v rack that will replace the present cabinet. here
are some more details of the pj mounting on the perfect view tv mount. i'm very
happy about the color integration of the two units. it looked as if i color-matched
the paint job of the mount to the color of the pj itself.

(http://img170.imageshack.us/img170/6615/editigp5278ba9.jpg)

it took me a while to get moving with this project since just the mount weighs
quite substantial already. all in all, both units would be approaching 6-7kg so
there was really some trepidation on what best to use to mount them. as it is,
i only needed tox#5 and some fitting screws to hold them up together.
Title: Re: a gearhead's midfi-ht setup
Post by: gearhead on Aug 26, 2007 at 11:20 AM
Screen, screen , screen!!!

(http://img401.imageshack.us/img401/2703/editigp5291fo6.jpg)

you can see how tight my viewing area is. sagad na talaga both sides.

(http://img172.imageshack.us/img172/6758/editigp5294vx1.jpg)

Title: Re: a gearhead's midfi-ht setup
Post by: gearhead on Aug 26, 2007 at 11:56 AM
the plain 90" sabre glass beaded projector screen courtesy of lecram  :D:

(http://img72.imageshack.us/img72/6919/editigp5296fq9.jpg)

the pj and screen in action. i turned on some ambient light just to show the
unit in its surrounding.

(http://img72.imageshack.us/img72/6841/editigp5207ah0.jpg)

(http://img260.imageshack.us/img260/3510/editigp5203tp5.jpg)

and now with the lights off:

(http://img72.imageshack.us/img72/781/editigp5210oy9.jpg)

(http://img72.imageshack.us/img72/3306/editigp5202au0.jpg)
Title: Re: a gearhead's midfi-ht setup
Post by: gearhead on Aug 26, 2007 at 12:14 PM
some more screen shots before i call it a day:

(http://img72.imageshack.us/img72/1331/editigp5221bc3.jpg)

even at this small size you can still make out some details of the hair strands
of the blonde girl in the background.  8)

(http://img72.imageshack.us/img72/9265/editigp5225qq5.jpg)

(http://img407.imageshack.us/img407/9750/editigp5198yv3.jpg)

as you can see, i am watching at quite an steep angle as the height of the
diamond 9.6 won't allow the screen to be brought down any lower. they are
quite tall speakers at around 44". i even haven't used its spikes yet.
Title: Re: a gearhead's midfi-ht setup
Post by: gearhead on Aug 26, 2007 at 12:22 PM
that glass-beaded screen from matz (which i got from brother lecram for a song, hehe) has done great wonders to my pj viewing as compared to when i was just using the plain white illustration boards. and to think i was getting quite a good picture already with that temporary screen. image is brighter and colors more vibrant. i say the gain of the glass-beaded screen really helped to boost the relatively low 1100 lumens of the ae900, as compared to the 2000 lumens of the ax100. i was hesitant for a while to use this screen reading about the loss of clarity (daw) for this types of screen. now i'm one contented and happy pj owner.  ;D  ;)

i was dreaming of owning one even since the time of the ae-500 and sanyo z-1's, or maybe even a bit earlier than that. i thought it would only be just a dream. it took a while, but i am living my dream now... even how modest it is as compared to the cineplex of other members here.  ;) wow, life is good.  :)
Title: Re: a gearhead's midfi-ht setup
Post by: audiojunkie on Aug 26, 2007 at 12:31 PM
Sir gearhead... congratz to your new viewing environment.... very nice setup... 8)  8)
Title: Re: a gearhead's midfi-ht setup
Post by: gearhead on Aug 26, 2007 at 12:50 PM
thanks, bro. support from this community really motivates me to undertake projects such as this.
Title: Re: a gearhead's midfi-ht setup
Post by: streetsmart on Aug 26, 2007 at 04:57 PM
Congrats! I like the screen. Parang match talaga sa pj mo.  :)

Actually the 1100 lumens of your pj isn't bad, especially if you compare that to CRT na baka 300 to 500 lumens lang. Problem is that with age, the light output of the pj starts to diminish and that's why you need a higher gain screen. What's the gain of your screen?

By the way, in your new set-up, tinanggal mo na ang TV?
Title: Re: a gearhead's midfi-ht setup
Post by: gearhead on Aug 26, 2007 at 06:32 PM
yes, bossing. the tv went to the bedroom already. i'm on the lookout now for 19-21" lcd tv's. it could be with internal tuner or a monitor with an external one. i've already ordered an hdmi-dvi cable for use with my upconverting player for times i don't wanna use the pj. i'm more inclined towards the two-piece setup for now. might pick up the tuner or the monitor tomorrow on my way to get the cable. wow.... parang me butas ang pitaka ko.  :'(

the gain of this glass-beaded screen is i think 2.0 (or is it 2.8?) as per matz if i remember right.
Title: Re: a gearhead's midfi-ht setup
Post by: MAtZTER on Aug 28, 2007 at 11:38 AM
Its 2.0.  :)

Congrats on your new PJ setup! Truly a dream come true & you didnt need to spend an arm & a leg due to your diligent resourcefulness.

Dont forget to put your 9.6 forward for better audio imaging! ;)

Pic naman ng gears!



Title: Re: a gearhead's midfi-ht setup
Post by: streetsmart on Aug 28, 2007 at 12:17 PM
the gain of this glass-beaded screen is i think 2.0 (or is it 2.8?) as per matz if i remember right.

Your screen is probably 90" x 51" (16:9) so the area is 31.6 square feet.

The rating of your projector is 1100 lumens and the screen gain is 2.0 so the total lumens is 2200.

If you divide 2200 by 31.6, you get around 70 foot-lamberts, which is way too high. The standard for home theaters can vary from 12 to 24 foot-lamberts. It can even be less, in a totally dark room.

However, the reality is that the light output of the pj deteriorates with age. It also depends how far your pj is from the screen. If the pj has a zoom and you place it at its "wide-angle" point, the pj will again lose light output. In other words, the actual light output of the pj could easily be half or even a third of the rated output. At a third of the rated output, you will be getting 23 foot-lamberts, which is still on the high side.

I guess you will have to observe and see if your eyes get tired after a while of watching films. This could be an indication that the pj is too bright. In that case, just let in a little ambient light (maybe at the back of the room), in order to reduce the perceived brightness.

Good luck and happy viewing!  :)
Title: Re: a gearhead's midfi-ht setup
Post by: gearhead on Aug 28, 2007 at 07:43 PM

Congrats on your new PJ setup! Truly a dream come true & you didnt need to spend an arm & a leg due to your diligent resourcefulness.

Pic naman ng gears! 

thanks, bro matz. since i really wanted a nice setup on a limited budget, due diligence talaga ang kailangan. i want to put up a pj, but since kapos sa budget, need to be diligent naman. my strategy is to have a target range for my budget. in this instance, since my original plan is to get a plasma... i set my budget between 80k-100k. then i work around the low estimate and adjust accordingly but with the high estimate in mind as the limit. most of my gears i got from diligently checking on posts here in the B&S section, so the quite substantial savings.  ;D

i still need to setup the new sabre racks from you (courtesy of AA), and then i will post the new setup.
Title: Re: a gearhead's midfi-ht setup
Post by: gearhead on Aug 28, 2007 at 07:44 PM

Your screen is probably 90" x 51" (16:9) so the area is 31.6 square feet.

The rating of your projector is 1100 lumens and the screen gain is 2.0 so the total lumens is 2200.

If you divide 2200 by 31.6, you get around 70 foot-lamberts, which is way too high. The standard for home theaters can vary from 12 to 24 foot-lamberts. It can even be less, in a totally dark room.

However, the reality is that the light output of the pj deteriorates with age. It also depends how far your pj is from the screen. If the pj has a zoom and you place it at its "wide-angle" point, the pj will again lose light output. In other words, the actual light output of the pj could easily be half or even a third of the rated output. At a third of the rated output, you will be getting 23 foot-lamberts, which is still on the high side.

I guess you will have to observe and see if your eyes get tired after a while of watching films. This could be an indication that the pj is too bright. In that case, just let in a little ambient light (maybe at the back of the room), in order to reduce the perceived brightness.

Good luck and happy viewing!  :)
wow... i learned a lot from that post. thanks, sir.

so far, i'm contented with the output. i mostly watch in either cinema 1 (for better color) and cinema 3 (for better contrast), or normal if the material is particularly dark. from what i've read, the cinema modes decreases light output to about 300-500 lumens.
Quote
The range of lumen output on the AX100U is exceptional. In optimized dark theater mode, our test unit measured 343 ANSI lumens.

using that figure and your computation, that would be 343x2=686 lumens. divide that light with the screen area we get around 22 foot-lamberts. maybe that's why i never experienced the eye fatigue that you mentioned. now i know that i'm still within the standard moviehouse luminance. thanks for the info.
Title: Re: a gearhead's midfi-ht setup
Post by: jerix on Aug 29, 2007 at 08:23 AM
Great!  ;D Bro i presume you are already using the DV-600. Do you have other pic files showing image pic of your other player? Your digi-cam captures excellently and we may be able to see the difference if any.  ;)
Title: Re: a gearhead's midfi-ht setup
Post by: gearhead on Aug 29, 2007 at 02:57 PM
brother jerix. yup, the screenshots are with the dv600 na... but even with my dslr, i think you'd be hard-pressed to pinpoint differences between players since they're both capable naman. what i can say is that the upconversion of the pio 600 is slightly better than the panny internal scaler. that's to say a lot considering the panny has a good upconverter already.

my impressions with the 600 vs 5500s, the philips delivers smoother video quality with less noise at the expense of a little softness. the pio has more contrast and sharpness but a small amount of noise naman. if you're not looking for imperfections and more on an enjoyable viewing experience, both readily delivers naman.

so, if you're about to get a new player, i'd say go for the pio 600 for the very balanced video and audio performance, and future-proofing to some extent. if u have a pj or planning to get one, i also recommend the pioneer for the hdmi convenience. if you already have a player with component out and you have no major issues with it, you're not missing that much staying with it for a while.

one other note on the panny/pio 600 combo: the ability of the pio 600 to output 480i/576i  comes in handy when watching 4:3 material. you can use the JUST (justify) setting to watch in 16:9 without too much distortion. at 720p, only 16:9 and H-Fit is available as choices in aspect ratio conversion.
Title: Re: a gearhead's midfi-ht setup
Post by: jerix on Aug 29, 2007 at 04:35 PM
Thanks for this good insight bro.  ;D actually i am well satisfied with the performance of my pio 676 with my ax100, the ax doing the upscaling to 720p. I am still in a 'wait n see' and a bit hesitant to get an upcon player considering some views that to see a significant difference, i just have to get an HD player which price is pretty much scaling down now until the end of the quarter. I am in the process of absorbing views to serve me well come decision time.

The screen shots you posted were nice though. Ang galing, ang linaw!  ;D
Title: Re: a gearhead's midfi-ht setup
Post by: gearhead on Sep 04, 2007 at 01:56 PM
some more screenshots from "love actually":

the beautiful ms. keira knightley:
(http://img45.imageshack.us/img45/8163/editigp5565db5.jpg)

this is the same as docelmo's sc from his w100 here:

http://pinoydvd.com/board/index.php?topic=58159.84 (http://pinoydvd.com/board/index.php?topic=58159.84),

but this one's from my panny ae900. it is just disappointing na yun palang
c-interactive copy na P150 is full frame edition (4:3), so i have to use the
"Justified" aspect ratio of the panny to fill the 16:10 screen. also, the
compression is a bit too much for my taste, though acceptable na rin. one
more sc that shows some compression artifacts here, particularly on the lips
area:

(http://img502.imageshack.us/img502/6193/editigp5580az2.jpg) 

Title: Re: a gearhead's midfi-ht setup
Post by: kt on Sep 04, 2007 at 02:38 PM
wow nice setup bro!
Title: Re: a gearhead's midfi-ht setup
Post by: gearhead on Sep 04, 2007 at 03:00 PM
hi, brother kt... visited your setup and it's one nice config too. i also once had an sr4500. nice amp, bang-for-the-buck especially partnered with easy to drive speakers as the mordaunt avants, premiere and carnivals. i had mine paired with a gale complement and no complaints the time i still have those. naawitan lang kasi ng sis ko kaya i have to try another road and a different flavor - this time hk/wharfes naman. was considering the lcd's/plasmas sana kaya lang i really wanted a big screen just like your 46" (or is it 50" already) but at that time can't afford that size panels. so i figured it would be quite some time before maabot ng flat panels ang 90" sa presyong sub-70k. haven't been happier with my choice. watching movies at this screen always brings a smile to my face and a flutter in my heart.

bottomline is... be contented with what we've got and enjoy it while it lasts.  ;D congrats and happy viewing.
Title: Re: a gearhead's midfi-ht setup
Post by: XXXyzledge on Sep 07, 2007 at 04:17 PM
great setup !!

galeng nung upgrade path na tinatahak mo sir!
hehehehehe......

wala pa pix yung newly acquired pi10 mo sir?

have a question:
yung velocht mo wat size?
mine is a cht-10r.... natatanggal ba yung front part nun
to expose the speaker? (front part is the piano finished face)
Title: Re: a gearhead's midfi-ht setup
Post by: gearhead on Sep 07, 2007 at 05:23 PM
yup. the grill can be removed but mine is a cht-10 rev. 1 if i may call it that. have only tried the pi-10 with my system for a short duration last night and will post my feedback later.
Title: Re: a gearhead's midfi-ht setup
Post by: streetsmart on Sep 07, 2007 at 06:04 PM
Hey, gearhead .. I just bought a screen which is exactly the same as yours. Ganda kasi ng screenshots mo.  :)

Also from SGT Home Theater. Install ko bukas tapos post ako ng picture.  :)
Title: Re: a gearhead's midfi-ht setup
Post by: gearhead on Sep 07, 2007 at 06:43 PM
if you just bought your screen it's probably the black unit with matte white screen. gain of that is 1.0 while mine is 2.0 as it is glass-beaded. you'd be hard pressed to find this screen now. i got mine from a third party na actually... parang NOS (new old stock). matte has its strength though particularly in the area of color accuracy. if you have the ax100 your screen will be perfect for it. congrats  on your purchase and happy viewing. enjoy!!!. i can't say the same for myself for now as i'm still in the process of setting up.  i plan to do my dvd marathon/s once i am through configuring my system. i'm almost there though, say @70% (???)
Title: Re: a gearhead's midfi-ht setup
Post by: streetsmart on Sep 08, 2007 at 10:23 AM
if you just bought your screen it's probably the black unit with matte white screen. gain of that is 1.0 while mine is 2.0 as it is glass-beaded. you'd be hard pressed to find this screen now. i got mine from a third party na actually... parang NOS (new old stock). matte has its strength though particularly in the area of color accuracy. if you have the ax100 your screen will be perfect for it. congrats  on your purchase and happy viewing. enjoy!!!. i can't say the same for myself for now as i'm still in the process of setting up.  i plan to do my dvd marathon/s once i am through configuring my system. i'm almost there though, say @70% (???)

Hehe. Mine is exactly the same as yours. Its gain is 2.0.  :)

Actually, I have a Da-Lite matte white screen now. Motorized pa nga. Bumabanga lang ilalim nya sa center speaker but that won't be a problem with the new screen kasi 16:9 na sya. Heto:

(http://i208.photobucket.com/albums/bb190/streetsmart88/Frontwithscreen.jpg)

The problem is that the image is not bright enough kaya I had to get a high-gain screen. I have been trying to order a Da-Lite High Power screen which has a gain of 2.8 pero hirap na hirap ako. Kaya try ko muna itong screen mo.  :)
Title: Re: a gearhead's midfi-ht setup
Post by: gearhead on Sep 08, 2007 at 10:29 AM
(http://i208.photobucket.com/albums/bb190/streetsmart88/Frontwithscreen.jpg)

wow, naman. ang ganda ng setup mo brother. ang laki ng room at for sure
acoustically treated pa. malamang bumabayo yung mga speakers mo dyan.
is there a couch pa behind the center tables? yun kasi ang sweet spot but
i see the other two seats are sa side.

you mean the da-lite was the one replaced by the sabre screen? if your gain
is 2.0, that means glass-beaded nga. matagal mo na ba nabili yun? kasi at
this time wala na nga stocks ng sabre glass-beaded.
Title: Polishing a diamond
Post by: gearhead on Sep 08, 2007 at 10:30 AM
after hearing another well-regarded speaker set in my system, i now appreciate
more fully both my d9.5 and d9.6. i have decided to stick with them and just do
some bit of tweaking to see if i can extract a bit more performance from them.

here's my opened d9.5.

(http://img474.imageshack.us/img474/9529/igp5591yq6.jpg)

a closer look at the woofer. shown is the open backed chassis:

(http://img293.imageshack.us/img293/6586/igp5591bsr1.jpg)

from wharfedale:

Our completely new chassis design is not only incredibly strong, it has very
little to obstruct these rear moving pressure waves. As the air moves more
freely through the chassis, timing is improved and distortion is reduced.
Title: Polishing a diamond - a look inside
Post by: gearhead on Sep 08, 2007 at 10:38 AM
here's the lower section of the tower:

(http://img208.imageshack.us/img208/6803/igp5590am1.jpg)

the heart of the matter... the x'over network housed also in the lower bin.

(http://img128.imageshack.us/img128/1809/igp5584bh4.jpg)
Title: Re: a gearhead's midfi-ht setup
Post by: streetsmart on Sep 08, 2007 at 10:45 AM
is there a couch pa behind the center tables? yun kasi ang sweet spot but
i see the other two seats are sa side.


Heto theater ko. Kinakabit ko na ngayon ang new screen.  :)

http://pinoydvd.com/board/index.php?topic=69030.0
Title: Polishing a diamond - crossover
Post by: gearhead on Sep 08, 2007 at 10:50 AM
well, if there's one area that a tweak will make a lot of difference, it's with
the crossover network:

(http://img295.imageshack.us/img295/2262/igp5582pd8.jpg)

i think the coils are not air-cored, but to change that we'll need to know
it's exact inductance value. the limiting/compensating resistor looks good to
me, so that leaves us with only the electrolytic capacitors to play with. i
have to say i've not much complaint about what i'm hearing now, but since
the general concensus is that polypropylene is much much preferred over
electrolytics for x'over work, i will try and change them with mundorfs.

here's the 4.7uf that i'm sure is used for the tweeter:

(http://img132.imageshack.us/img132/5002/igp5585sc1.jpg)

and the 6.8uf used for the midrange i'd guess. both caps are 50V types. the
other component is the 1.5 ohms (or is it 1.5K?) 7W ceramic resistor.

(http://img296.imageshack.us/img296/8282/igp5587lx5.jpg)

i don't have the capacitors with me yet, so watch this space for the updates.
Title: Re: a gearhead's midfi-ht setup
Post by: gearhead on Sep 08, 2007 at 10:59 AM
Heto theater ko. Kinakabit ko na ngayon ang new screen.  :)

(http://i208.photobucket.com/albums/bb190/streetsmart88/Rear.jpg)

ah, yun pala. ang sarap yata makipanood diyan. very very comfy. seems the best seat
comfort-wise eh sa sides  ;D. or, lahat ng seats eh recliner?   :P
Title: Re: a gearhead's midfi-ht setup
Post by: streetsmart on Sep 08, 2007 at 12:21 PM
ah, yun pala. ang sarap yata makipanood diyan. very very comfy. seems the best seat
comfort-wise eh sa sides  ;D. or, lahat ng seats eh recliner?   :P

Yung itim lang na seats ang recliner pero they are quite close sa screen kaya ayoko umupo dun, unless gusto ko matulog.  :) Sofa set lang talaga ang green pero very comfortable din.

Any time na gusto mo manood, sabihin mo lang.  :)
Title: Re: a gearhead's midfi-ht setup
Post by: streetsmart on Sep 08, 2007 at 12:32 PM
Regarding the sabre screen, when you pull it down, how do you keep it locked? I have been trying all sorts of things but it keeps rolling back up.
Title: Re: a gearhead's midfi-ht setup
Post by: gearhead on Sep 08, 2007 at 03:28 PM
sir, right now the anchor for my screen is just a temporary rigging. i'm still
looking for some other more elegant way to hold the screen down.

(http://img211.imageshack.us/img211/3856/editigp5290qk4.jpg)

below i have attached it to a pair of 12lb dumbbells, but i think even a 10lb
pair or maybe even 8lb will suffice.
Title: Re: a gearhead's midfi-ht setup
Post by: streetsmart on Sep 08, 2007 at 03:39 PM
 :) Parang ganun din ginawa ko!

Thanks!  ;D
Title: Re: gearhead's midfi-ht setup
Post by: gearhead on Sep 16, 2007 at 10:12 AM
my setup currently is in a state of liquid flux - it can change any minute.

(http://img181.imageshack.us/img181/4949/editigp6142zb4.jpg)

i'm still looking at the right mix of aesthetics and acoustic placement.

(http://img181.imageshack.us/img181/3392/editigp6144yy9.jpg)

it should be pleasing not only to the ears but on the eyes, too.

(http://img181.imageshack.us/img181/2958/editigp6147rb8.jpg)

hmmm.... gotta go and do some more rearranging.   ;)
Title: Re: a gearhead's midfi-ht setup
Post by: streetsmart on Sep 16, 2007 at 09:42 PM
For me, mas maganda with the speaker covers on. And you need to find some kind of equipment stand. Di maganda na nakapatong lang sa sahig. Plus you need to clean up the wires.

Center speaker stand looks cool.

But you've probably thought of all these things na.  :)  :) Have fun!
Title: Re: a gearhead's midfi-ht setup
Post by: gearhead on Sep 16, 2007 at 11:58 PM
yessir. experimentation had been a fun part of this hobby for me. so here now
is my reconfigured system. well, not really reconfigured as they are still setup
the same. rearranged may be more the apt term. the pj screen is currently in
the rolled up position.

(http://img508.imageshack.us/img508/1374/editigp6178vi9.jpg)

the long wire running in the middle is for my laptop ac adaptor. the white item
on top of the amp is a light dimmer i use as a fan speed controller. kudos and
thanks to matt for bringing in these nice and affordable racks.

(http://img508.imageshack.us/img508/3995/editigp6177ua6.jpg)

btw, the gray unit on the 2nd layer isn't a new audio contraption but a pixma
ip3000 printer. no, it doesn't add any sonic benefit. i just placed it there for
the meantime to fill in the vacant layer and to hide the wires behind.  ;D
Title: Re: a gearhead's midfi-ht setup
Post by: streetsmart on Sep 17, 2007 at 09:27 AM
You mean you are rolling up your screen? When you bring down the screen, do you still use that crude anchor? Kasi we have the same screen and I keep it down cuz it's such a bother to pull it down and anchor it.

16:10 nga ba ang dimension ng screen? Di ko kasi na-check yun. I think that's why the 16:9 picture ay lumalampas sa sides.

By the way, parang kawawa na ang dati mong equipment rack at saka yung black and gold box na nakapatong sa kanya.  :)
Title: Re: a gearhead's midfi-ht setup
Post by: gearhead on Sep 17, 2007 at 12:37 PM
actually, this is the first time that i rolled it up again. yes, it's quite a bit of a bother to re-anchor and re-tension the whole thing. if it isn't properly tensioned there are objectionable creases/waves that appears. i learned to live with it for the price paid and the additional brightness i get with this screen. just that i can't really keep it down for long as then it gathers dust if not being used. mahirap pa naman siya linisin as glass-beaded nga. i'm still thinking of way/s to lessen the crudeness of the anchors.  ;D

as of now, i'm more into enjoying my CD's with the new setup. i feel many things has improved especially soundstaging/imaging. i'm raring to do the x'over tweak with my 9.5's to see if it improve things even more. still waiting for a TT also from a fellow pdvd member as i already have the softwares for it (again, from a pdvd'er too).  ;)

By the way, parang kawawa na ang dati mong equipment rack at saka yung black and gold box na nakapatong sa kanya.  :) 

haha. the rack/table is now in the bedroom. it matches my philips 29" tv so it goes where the tv goes. yung black and gold eh for display na lang kasi naawitan na rin ang laman... but i'm sure there will be some more of it coming this holiday season.  :D

Title: Re: a gearhead's midfi-ht setup
Post by: streetsmart on Sep 17, 2007 at 02:00 PM
actually, this is the first time that i rolled it up again. yes, it's quite a bit of a bother to re-anchor and re-tension the whole thing. if it isn't properly tensioned there are objectionable creases/waves that appears. i learned to live with it for the price paid and the additional brightness i get with this screen. just that i can't really keep it down for long as then it gathers dust if not being used. mahirap pa naman siya linisin as glass-beaded nga. i'm still thinking of way/s to lessen the crudeness of the anchors.  ;D


Maglagay kaya tayo ng kurtina over the screen? Gawin kong next project yun.

Tapos lagay tayo ng remote to control the curtains.  :)  :) Hehe. Baka mas mahal pa ang kurtina kaysa sa screen.

as of now, i'm more into enjoying my CD's with the new setup. i feel many things has improved especially soundstaging/imaging. i'm raring to do the x'over tweak with my 9.5's to see if it improve things even more. still waiting for a TT also from a fellow pdvd member as i already have the softwares for it (again, from a pdvd'er too).  ;)

I also enjoy CD's a lot but I have long enjoyed DVD concerts more than CD's. It's like watching a live performance. Ganda ng illusion. Especially with DVD's whose audio and video tracks are properly mastered.

Syempre iba ang TT pero ang hirap maghanap ng bala. Baka mabuti pa SACD or DVD-A. Mas madali i-source. But then of course marami may gusto talaga ng analog.
Title: Re: a gearhead's midfi-ht setup
Post by: danrd on Sep 17, 2007 at 02:01 PM
(http://img508.imageshack.us/img508/3995/editigp6177ua6.jpg)


Very nice and very clean setup bro. This is an eye-opener for me. Might revise my system that way. Where and how much did you buy your rack. Congrats ha.  ;)
Title: Re: a gearhead's midfi-ht setup
Post by: gearhead on Sep 17, 2007 at 02:17 PM
Maglagay kaya tayo ng kurtina over the screen? Gawin kong next project yun.

Tapos lagay tayo ng remote to control the curtains.  :)  :) Hehe. Baka mas mahal pa ang kurtina kaysa sa screen.

for sure that would be very nice for your setup, sir. yung akin, sadly, no room na talaga even for curtains.  :(

Quote
I also enjoy CD's a lot but I have long enjoyed DVD concerts more than CD's. It's like watching a live performance. Ganda ng illusion. Especially with DVD's whose audio and video tracks are properly mastered.

Syempre iba ang TT pero ang hirap maghanap ng bala. Baka mabuti pa SACD or DVD-A. Mas madali i-source. But then of course marami may gusto talaga ng analog.

mukhang we have the same interests talaga, sir. ako rin, i have some stack of concert dvd's from our friendly neighborhood sources.  ;) hehe. one time i was in quiapo looking for good movies, but saw nothing interesting. instead i saw loads of concert dvd's kaya namakyaw talaga ako. basta the artist sounds familiar to me, hala bili. besides, my brother is a collector of sorts (limited lang naman kasi) of original concert dvd's, too. actually, kaya nga i'm continually trying to improve my system is to recreate as much that live feel ng concerts sa mga dvd's ko.

about the TT naman, it's more of a "blast from the past" thing... with the family having some standard LP's from way way back. we used to play them on a phonograph, so would like to hear them in full fidelity this time.
Title: Re: a gearhead's midfi-ht setup
Post by: gearhead on Sep 17, 2007 at 02:27 PM
Very nice and very clean setup bro. This is an eye-opener for me. Might revise my system that way. Where and how much did you buy your rack. Congrats ha.  ;) 

brother dan, thanks for the compliment. i have to really clean out the area to make it more pleasing both in the visual and aural perspective.  :D

here's the rack i used:

(http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid183/p25d8e3842302ef9633cb3012192928d6/f2ad1be2.jpg)

Sabre TP535 Totem
Audio Rack
Dimensions: 49*45*71cm
Tube front: 50mm,  Back: 75 mm
Wt.: 19kg.
Lower shelf capacity: 30kg
Upper shelf capacity: 15kg

they are supplied by matzter through retailers, most of which are pdvd members too. i have an extra unit i might dispose do pm me before you buy one if you're really decided on it. supposed to be two rack setup sana, pero mukhang wala naman ako masyado ilalagay na kasi i'm trying to keep my system lean and mean.  :)

here's the link to matzter's racks: http://pinoydvd.com/board/index.php?topic=40777.0 (http://pinoydvd.com/board/index.php?topic=40777.0)
   
Title: Re: a gearhead's midfi-ht setup
Post by: streetsmart on Sep 17, 2007 at 02:50 PM
for sure that would be very nice for your setup, sir. yung akin, sadly, no room na talaga even for curtains.  :(


I think you have space. Gawin mo parang roman shades. Galing sa ceiling.

mukhang we have the same interests talaga, sir. ako rin, i have some stack of concert dvd's from our friendly neighborhood sources.  ;) hehe. one time i was in quiapo looking for good movies, but saw nothing interesting. instead i saw loads of concert dvd's kaya namakyaw talaga ako. basta the artist sounds familiar to me, hala bili. besides, my brother is a collector of sorts (limited lang naman kasi) of original concert dvd's, too. actually, kaya nga i'm continually trying to improve my system is to recreate as much that live feel ng concerts sa mga dvd's ko.

Hehe.  :) Ang problema sa friendly neighborhood sources is that hirap makahanap ng good quality audio and video, lalo na sa concert DVD. Paminsan lang may chamba na ok sya. Ang kagandahan ng good concert DVD is that you can watch it 10 times and di ka sasawa. Parang CD sya. Unlike film that you wait a long time before you want to watch it again.

Ingat din ako when I buy an original concert DVD. Check ko muna ang reviews kasi gusto ko maganda talaga both audio and video. Unless ... documentary sya ng Beatles, or Bob Dylan, or Jimi Hendrix concert!  :)

Cheers!
Title: Re: a gearhead's midfi-ht setup
Post by: danrd on Sep 17, 2007 at 03:05 PM
brother dan, thanks for the compliment. i have to really clean out the area to make it more pleasing both in the visual and aural perspective.  :D

here's the rack i used:

(http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid183/p25d8e3842302ef9633cb3012192928d6/f2ad1be2.jpg)

Sabre TP535 Totem
Audio Rack
Dimensions: 49*45*71cm
Tube front: 50mm,  Back: 75 mm
Wt.: 19kg.
Lower shelf capacity: 30kg
Upper shelf capacity: 15kg

they are supplied by matzter through distributors. i have an extra unit i might dispose do pm me before you buy one if you're really decided on it. supposed to be two rack setup sana, pero mukhang wala naman ako masyado ilalagay na kasi i'm trying to keep my system lean and mean.  :)

here's the link to matzter's racks: http://pinoydvd.com/board/index.php?topic=40777.0 (http://pinoydvd.com/board/index.php?topic=40777.0)
   

Uy. That's great! I'll make my final assessments the get right back at you. Meanwhile, pm mo na din how much you wana sell it or email it at [email protected].  ;)
Title: Re: Gearhead's midfi-ht setup
Post by: sechiong on Sep 17, 2007 at 08:34 PM
bro gearhead, napansin ko sa photo nasa ibaba lang pala ng pj screen mo ang dv600 so kung gamit mo ang hdmi thru your pj how long naman yung hdmi cable mo?
Title: Re: Gearhead's midfi-ht setup
Post by: gearhead on Sep 17, 2007 at 11:39 PM
yup. the hdmi cable goes around the wall to the pj on the other side. i'm using a 10m /32.8ft generic cable, and so far i can't complain about its performance. i think even a 7m cable will suffice for my needs though. there are still plenty of cable slack at both ends.
Title: Re: Gearhead's midfi-ht setup
Post by: sechiong on Sep 18, 2007 at 07:07 AM
bro gearhead, may i know where did you bought a 10m hdmi cable?
Title: Re: Gearhead's midfi-ht setup
Post by: gearhead on Sep 18, 2007 at 02:33 PM
hi sir, was browsing thru you r setup kasi.  ask ko lang sana if you're using wharfe 9.6 with 9cs?  if so, how is it? ok ba performance nya?  di naman nasapawan center.  im using 9.3 and 9cs kasi, would like to upgrade sana to floorstanders, and i have my heart set on 9.6, but yoko na sana upgrade yung center.  I would really appreciate your feedbacks.  thanks! have a nice day!

i can wholeheartedly recommend the 9.6. it's good in music and ht by a 55/45 ratio respectively (at least based on my personal taste). mas lamang sa music application kasi it can sound really sweet after break-in and driven by powerful amps. but because of that, it lacks just a teeny bit of slam naman sa HT. if you're not too nitpicky, those are minor niggles. you shoud hear the 9.6 watching dvd concerts. para kang naka-stereo sub... with the caveat that your amp should be able to handle it. when using it, i usually set my bass management to fronts=large and sub=lfe only.

pwede rin kasi mid-level avr's, but at moderate to moderately high listening levels. kung mahina lang kasi amp ng avr, once you crank it up it will do sound loud... but minsan masakit na sa tenga. unlike with an avr with a bit more power, lalong sumasarap habang lumalakas.  ;D

sa overall loudness kasi, i feel mas malakas ang 9.6 and easier to drive than the 9.5. by this i mean for a certain watt input, mas malakas ang 9.6.  but i will always repeat this: both will benefit from a more powerful receiver.

on the contrary, yung 9.6 minsan ang nasasapawan ng 9.cs. mas bright kasi ng konti ang cs kasi lower ang x'over point ng tweeter. sa 6khz na kasi nag-start mag-take over ang tweets for the 9.6. also, level for level... mas malakas konti ang highs sa cs. though mas loud ang 9.6. so it's a bit tricky to level-match the 9.6 and 9.cs combo. you really have to get the feel of both speakers. kung baga, mas narrower ang leeway wherein they will integrate nicely.

bottomline, you can integrate the 9.6 and 9.cs although a bit more work than the 9.5/9.cs partnership. for optimum results syempre the best and 9.6/9.cm combo. but if you really want to get the 9.6 without upgrading to the 9.cm.... i say go for it. they will do work fine as a pair, though if i will rank or rate them as pairs i will probably have them like so:

#1. 9.6/9.cm = 9.5 (eto panalo)
#2. 9.5/9.cs = 9.30 (accdng to taste na lang yan, pero good match din kasi ito. the first pair above wins by virtue of the dome mids and bass performance as well)  ;D
#3. 9.5/9.cm = 9.25 (same 6.5" woofs, with the 9.cm having the dome mids for vocal clarity. i relegated it to this spot mainly because the 9.5/9.cs is really the matched pair).
#4. 9.6/9.cs = 9.20 (will work out really fine too, 9.6 is really excellent for stereo listening)
#5. 9.3/9.cs = N/E (no experience, but i think it's a good match also).

as you can see... very tight rankings, as there's nothing too objectionable naman if you mix and match them. certain factors na lang will dictate how you will pair them, e.g. i will get the 9.6 for its musicality, but i find the 9.cm too big so will just settle with 9.cs. etc etc.
Title: Re: Gearhead's midfi-ht setup
Post by: gearhead on Sep 19, 2007 at 02:53 PM
bro gearhead, may i know where did you bought a 10m hdmi cable?

oops, forgot about ur question na. i have mine bought for me by a supplier friend. problem lang is that it takes almost three weeks for the item to arrive.
Title: Re: Gearhead's midfi-ht setup
Post by: sechiong on Sep 19, 2007 at 07:59 PM
bro gearhead thanks! ;)
Title: Guests for Gearhead's midfi-ht setup
Post by: gearhead on Sep 23, 2007 at 12:11 PM
i had some guests last night.  ;)  :D just relaxing here:

(http://img168.imageshack.us/img168/9687/editigp6206id3.jpg)

haha. time to fall in love again with andrea, the corr siblings, their talent,
and especially their music.

(http://img297.imageshack.us/img297/6876/editigp6212wm1.jpg)

i have watched their "corrs live" multiple times on my 29" crt but nothing
prepared me for the impact of their performance on my 90" screen.  :-*
to paraphrase dyerds from the wharfe thread, "parang gusto ko umiyak sa
ganda ng napapanood ko".  ;D

(http://img297.imageshack.us/img297/1871/editigp6187ma3.jpg)

(http://img297.imageshack.us/img297/2810/editigp6192vv9.jpg)

(http://img297.imageshack.us/img297/2619/editigp6195zj3.jpg)

haaayy... sarap maging KAPAMILYA ng mga ito. tapos mag-KAPUSO naman
kami ni andrea.  :D

(http://img297.imageshack.us/img297/2776/editigp6196ox3.jpg)

watched BORAT also after the concert. LOL on many parts but a miss on
some others. not something i will spend P475 though.
Title: Re: Gearhead's midfi-ht setup
Post by: streetsmart on Sep 24, 2007 at 09:46 AM
Hehe. Parang in-love ka yata sa Corrs, in more ways than one.  ;D

Iba talaga ang live concert. Iba to actually see the artists performing. It's how they look, what they wear, how they feel the music, the antics they make on stage ... Like how can you fully appreciate Jimi Hendrix, the Rolling Stones, the Beatles and the Who if you don't watch their live concert?

And then many times, when the artists are really inspired, the musical performances at a live concert are much better than their studio recordings. Makita mo yun kay Diana Krall, Norah Jones, Peter Frampton ... kasi they start jamming and they get adrenalin from the reaction of the crowd.

And other than a live concert, what is a better way to enjoy a concert other than watching it on a big screen with surround sound?  ;D

Problem lang with concert DVD's is that both the video and audio quality vary a lot. Ang mahirap sa concert is that the lighting is often optimized for stage, not for film. Sa audio naman, the quality will depend particularly on who will do the mixing. Sa film kasi, iilan lang na studio ang gumagawa ng mix. Sa concert, libo-libo and the quality varies.
Title: Re: Gearhead's midfi-ht setup
Post by: docelmo on Sep 24, 2007 at 10:02 AM

WOW!!!! Excellent screenshot!!!
Ganda talaga ni andrea....lalong gumanda sa hi-def PJ mo! ;D
Hehehe i remember when i got thier cd....i played "At you side"
over and over again....good times!
 ;D
Title: Re: Gearhead's midfi-ht setup
Post by: gearhead on Sep 24, 2007 at 12:18 PM
Iba talaga ang live concert. Iba to actually see the artists performing. It's how they look, what they wear, how they feel the music, the antics they make on stage ... Like how can you fully appreciate Jimi Hendrix, the Rolling Stones, the Beatles and the Who if you don't watch their live concert?

And then many times, when the artists are really inspired, the musical performances at a live concert are much better than their studio recordings. Makita mo yun kay Diana Krall, Norah Jones, Peter Frampton ... kasi they start jamming and they get adrenalin from the reaction of the crowd.

And other than a live concert, what is a better way to enjoy a concert other than watching it on a big screen with surround sound?  ;D

yessir... couldn't agree with you more. especially when the performers are really good, i really like to be one with the audience and give him/her/them a standing ovation myself. sometimes i couldn't help but be teary-eyed (di exag yan. good talents, such as the aforementioned Corr siblings, has that effect on me) especially for ensemble performances where you can feel, see and hear the harmony and oneness of the band in making good music. i can also cite Sade (the band, and the singer na rin most especially) and their Sade Live dvd. continued na lang below.

Quote
Problem lang with concert DVD's is that both the video and audio quality vary a lot. Ang mahirap sa concert is that the lighting is often optimized for stage, not for film. Sa audio naman, the quality will depend particularly on who will do the mixing. Sa film kasi, iilan lang na studio ang gumagawa ng mix. Sa concert, libo-libo and the quality varies.

to continue... the sade live dvd was shot on film instead of video, so it may not be the best picture-quality wise. knowing it came from film material though makes you appreciate the effort in the actual shooting and subsequent video transfer. also, the sound mix was great so more than makes up for the picture shortcomings, aside from the excellent show itself. most of my concerts having been bought in Q*, quality varies a lot. i have the Tears for Fears CA concert, crossroads by Eric Clapton and also live in Hyde Park... all of which suffers from mega-compression of the video portion. it hasn't really distracted much from their excellent performances. it helped that it seems they left the audio portion untouched.
Title: Re: Gearhead's midfi-ht setup
Post by: gearhead on Sep 24, 2007 at 12:22 PM
WOW!!!! Excellent screenshot!!!
Ganda talaga ni andrea....lalong gumanda sa hi-def PJ mo! ;D
Hehehe i remember when i got thier cd....i played "At you side"
over and over again....good times!
 ;D 

hello, doc. kumusta na ang pj natin. though i like the glass beaded screen, i think your diy screen bests it in screen flatness naman. i can't seem to eliminate the creases so that the picture start to get wavy for action sequences or camera pans. i ignore it na lang for the added brightness naman. happy viewing to us PJ lovers.  ;)
Title: Re: a gearhead's midfi-ht setup
Post by: MAtZTER on Sep 24, 2007 at 12:42 PM
sir, right now the anchor for my screen is just a temporary rigging. i'm still
looking for some other more elegant way to hold the screen down.

(http://img211.imageshack.us/img211/3856/editigp5290qk4.jpg)

below i have attached it to a pair of 12lb dumbbells, but i think even a 10lb
pair or maybe even 8lb will suffice.

Anchor your screen to the wall using screws (as it was designed to be) and you wont experience those creases. Thats exactly the purpose of manual screen's tension pull, to remove the creases.
Title: Re: Gearhead's midfi-ht setup
Post by: streetsmart on Sep 24, 2007 at 01:34 PM
Eto partial list ng naaalala ko na magandang concert DVD for both picture and audio, all on SD:

Harry Connick with Branford Marsalis
Calle 54
Chick Corea live in Japan
Carly Simon on the Queen Mary
Cream Anniversary at Royal Albert Hall
Diana Krall at the Montreal Jazz Festival
Musicares Tribute for James Taylor
Norah Jones (her 2 DVD’s)
Barbara Streisand Timeless Concert
Barbara Streisand - her LA show
Fosse

I think the following are also quite good, but I'm not that sure:
Crosby Stills & Nash latest DVD
Simon & Garfunkel reunion
Peter Paul & Mary anniversary concert
BB King Live on BET
Tribute to Ray Charles
Title: Re: a gearhead's midfi-ht setup
Post by: gearhead on Sep 24, 2007 at 02:32 PM
Anchor your screen to the wall using screws (as it was designed to be) and you wont experience those creases. Thats exactly the purpose of manual screen's tension pull, to remove the creases.

thanks matt. yes, i will have to try the permanent approach. admittedly, there's some slack with using strings which have to be tied in a knot too.  :D will just have to find a way to still accomodate the frame behind the screen w/o the need to remove them for HT.
Title: Re: Gearhead's midfi-ht setup
Post by: gearhead on Sep 28, 2007 at 11:54 PM
i watched this the other night. hulaan nyo na lang anong movie.  :D
(http://img410.imageshack.us/img410/6331/editigp6289fj0.jpg)

just so you'll have a better clue.  ;)
(http://img410.imageshack.us/img410/2238/editigp6370ne7.jpg)

well, this movie is more of a babefest, so whether you find it funny or not,
at least you can say all the girls are hot and gorqeous. just beautiful.  :-*
(http://img410.imageshack.us/img410/4940/editigp6355dk0.jpg)

(http://img410.imageshack.us/img410/1550/editigp6297zs3.jpg)

(http://img410.imageshack.us/img410/1511/editigp6346sp2.jpg)

let's have a closer look at them.
(http://img105.imageshack.us/img105/5924/editigp6356ul8.jpg)

(http://img105.imageshack.us/img105/4687/editigp6288ps0.jpg)

(http://img105.imageshack.us/img105/5256/editigp6348ml8.jpg)
Title: Re: Gearhead's midfi-ht setup
Post by: gearhead on Sep 29, 2007 at 12:13 AM
but syempre pa... i most specially liked this girl, hanna verboom.  :-*
(http://img410.imageshack.us/img410/3133/editigp6334ot9.jpg)
(http://img410.imageshack.us/img410/3545/editigp6326gb4.jpg)
(http://img410.imageshack.us/img410/3116/editigp6388ca3.jpg)
(http://img519.imageshack.us/img519/1/editigp6373nc1.jpg)
(http://img519.imageshack.us/img519/3713/editigp6363tl4.jpg)
Title: Re: Gearhead's midfi-ht setup
Post by: XXXyzledge on Sep 29, 2007 at 10:53 AM
is that DEUCE BIGALOW?  ;D ;D ;D
Title: Re: Gearhead's midfi-ht setup
Post by: streetsmart on Sep 29, 2007 at 12:12 PM
Etong si Gearhead ay mahilig talaga sa chicks. Kasi gumaganda sila sa big screen nya.  ;D

Yun ba ang gigolo film ni Deuce Bigalow?
Title: Re: Gearhead's midfi-ht setup
Post by: gearhead on Sep 29, 2007 at 03:23 PM
yup, mga fafi. deuce bigalow - european gigolo. had quite some few laughs from the movie even as it's panned by others. i guess u have to love the chiquito/dolphy/tvj kind of humor to appreciate the movie. watching it i can feel the pinoy filmmaking vibe from rob schneider. siguro marami rin napanood mga pinoy films ito - mga tipong sex comedy films of yesteryears.

it's really a different kind of experience watching these babes in their full big screen glory. i'm not just loving my humble ht setup... i'm loving them all. instant hanna verboom convert.  :-* just wondering why i haven't seen eddie griffin much nowadays. he's quite good in here!
Title: Re: Gearhead's midfi-ht setup
Post by: dennyogi on Oct 15, 2007 at 11:49 AM
amazing!

elib ako sa set up mo.
after viewing it, i decided to change my mind from buying
a 46 plasma to projector.
however, am quite new at this 'projector', kasi plug and play guy
ako e. so, if it does not interfere with your time that much, i'd like
to ask this questions... or at least, get some clarifications.

where will  i connect a ps3 / receiver / toshiba hddvd player with
the projector, and if so, how to? pasensya na sa gradeschool
question ko. looking forward to learn more from you. thanks.

dc

 
Title: Re: Gearhead's midfi-ht setup
Post by: gearhead on Oct 15, 2007 at 12:25 PM
hi dc.

i'm glad that you got inspiration from my humble HT setup.

just a sort of caveat though. since you're a plug and play guy, you might find the pj setup to be quite an involving process. connecting them all actually is sort of just a plug and play thing also, but you may want to make things a little more elegant so you will have to consider placement of your gears (e.g. avr, player/s, speakers, and the pj itself) but most especially cable management. you may want to make things a bit more professional looking coz for sure when u got ur setup already you may want to invite your friends over for a movie or two... but most especially concert dvd's  ;D.

i tell you, connecting your gears wouldn't be much of your problem. you may want to assess your needs and your place first if you really want to go the pj route. for one, you should have a means to control the ambient light in your viewing area. this is not to discourage you, just some word of caution for you not to drive headlong into it and find it's not your cup of tea later, esp. since you have the means pala to go for a 46" flat panel. read the front pj vs. flat panel threads here as much you can. once you decide to really go into it, you may find the rewards worth all the hassle though.

i wouldn't know if you would use a 90-108" screen for games on your ps3, and why you would want to do that. as with most pj owners here, you would still need to have a secondary monitor for those not so critical viewings to save on lamp cost/ lamp life... so you may want to use that instead. don't get more than 26" though, as in my opinion, larger would just compete in the pj's attention. also, you don't need top of the line brand/models for the same reasons. skyworth/sansui/changhong/syntax/akai/mag/chimei would be just fine. mine i have the samsung 22" pc monitor with an external tv tuner as my auxillary monitor.

those are just for starters, so if you have any more questions there are many of us here who can help you. sir/s alvin, matzter, docelmo, cocoboy and streetsmart are some names that comes to mind with regards pj's. now is really a good time to go front pj with the release of very affordable, high performing units on the market - benq w500 and panasonic ax-100/200 are some of the good ones.

good luck!  ;)
Title: Re: Gearhead's midfi-ht setup
Post by: ronjet on Oct 20, 2007 at 08:56 PM
wow! dami na palang pinagbago sir gearhead! ngayon nalang uli ako nakabisita... congrats sir! more power!
Title: Re: Gearhead's midfi-ht setup
Post by: chuck427 on Oct 21, 2007 at 03:16 AM
hi dc.

i'm glad that you got inspiration from my humble HT setup.

just a sort of caveat though. since you're a plug and play guy, you might find the pj setup to be quite an involving process. connecting them all actually is sort of just a plug and play thing also, but you may want to make things a little more elegant so you will have to consider placement of your gears (e.g. avr, player/s, speakers, and the pj itself) but most especially cable management. you may want to make things a bit more professional looking coz for sure when u got ur setup already you may want to invite your friends over for a movie or two... but most especially concert dvd's  ;D.

i tell you, connecting your gears wouldn't be much of your problem. you may want to assess your needs and your place first if you really want to go the pj route. for one, you should have a means to control the ambient light in your viewing area. this is not to discourage you, just some word of caution for you not to drive headlong into it and find it's not your cup of tea later, esp. since you have the means pala to go for a 46" flat panel. read the front pj vs. flat panel threads here as much you can. once you decide to really go into it, you may find the rewards worth all the hassle though.

i wouldn't know if you would use a 90-108" screen for games on your ps3, and why you would want to do that. as with most pj owners here, you would still need to have a secondary monitor for those not so critical viewings to save on lamp cost/ lamp life... so you may want to use that instead. don't get more than 26" though, as in my opinion, larger would just compete in the pj's attention. also, you don't need top of the line brand/models for the same reasons. skyworth/sansui/changhong/syntax/akai/mag/chimei would be just fine. mine i have the samsung 22" pc monitor with an external tv tuner as my auxillary monitor.

those are just for starters, so if you have any more questions there are many of us here who can help you. sir/s alvin, matzter, docelmo, cocoboy and streetsmart are some names that comes to mind with regards pj's. now is really a good time to go front pj with the release of very affordable, high performing units on the market - benq w500 and panasonic ax-100/200 are some of the good ones.

good luck!  ;)


setting up a pj is a bit tuff..i actually decided to go with an LCD because of the cable issues...but to truth to tell,nothing will ever beat the feeling of watching on a PJ!!!

really cool setup gearhead!!!
Title: Re: Gearhead's midfi-ht setup
Post by: gearhead on Oct 21, 2007 at 12:04 PM
thanks, chuck and ronjet for the nice words. i still haven't had much time lately
to enjoy my setup since it's due again for some minor tweaks mostly due to the
arrival of a few additional equipment.

(http://img152.imageshack.us/img152/8959/igp7333wg1.jpg)

i've just added my secondary monitor, a samsung 2232GW, coupled with an
external tuner and speakers as well. the tuner is the itemstech itv-901 and
the speakers are the altec lansing 221. i opted for the samsung pc monitor
coz well, it's a samsung. also, it has the glossy screen of which i'm partial to
and the form factor reminds one of their bordeaux series.

(http://img152.imageshack.us/img152/3554/igp7336il4.jpg)

i also have a labtec lcs-2422 i use as pc speakers, as seen on the lower right.
but since the satellites are white, i feel it won't match the aesthetics of the
whole ensemble... so i got a previously owned 221. so far, the combo has
proved very capable naman. i have subscribed to global destiny and now
enjoys clear signal reception. the technics SL-Q3 above has a busted capacitor
and is due for replacement soon. as they say: "watch this space".  ;)
Title: Re: Gearhead's midfi-ht setup
Post by: streetsmart on Oct 22, 2007 at 01:50 PM
Ang cute naman ng butter cookies stand mo. Temporary naman sigurado yun.  ;D

Mukha bibili ka ng bagong stand.  :)
Title: Re: Gearhead's midfi-ht setup
Post by: gearhead on Oct 22, 2007 at 03:41 PM
haha. actually, sir i have one already. it's just a modular mdf rack though... the height of which is equal to my current stand plus the wood block and the butter cookies canister. i just used them temporarily to verify whether the height change will affect the balance of the speakers. with the previous height kasi i feel it's perfect already. so far, okay pa rin naman pala.

(received your invite too, sir... just that with the current state of my listening area i still don't have the free time as yet. add to that i/we attended two birthday parties last weekend. there's still another baptismal i didn't have the time to go to anymore).  :( 
Title: Re: Gearhead's midfi-ht setup
Post by: rodel5 on Nov 25, 2007 at 05:44 PM
ganda set-up mo sir.and magaganda insight and mga paliwanag mo sa mga ibat ibang thread na nagpopost ka.

ask ko lang kc wishlist ko this christmas is to buy either 9.6 or 9.5,i ask this to you kc alam ko you have both.
sir alin ba mas maganda sa audio set-up ung 9.5 or 9.6.hindi ba masyadong bright and irritating sa ear ung 9.6 kc may dedicated midrange?tia
Title: Re: Gearhead's midfi-ht setup
Post by: gearhead on Nov 25, 2007 at 06:35 PM
i would recommend the diamond 9.6 to you without hesitation. if you partner it with a really good powerful amp you may not even need a subwoofer. but if you'll be using it for movies, the sub is de rigeur with the trade. at least you can set it to Large all the time so the sub handles the LFE only. for movies i definitely would recommend that you partner it with the diamond 9.CM. the 9.cs is fine but the 9.cm is a much better complement for the 9.6. for surround, you can pick from the range beginning with the 9.dfs, 9.1 or 9.2. i'm using the 9.dfs and it do integrates well with either speakers. you must have a corner though to supplement the direct sound from these bipolar speakers.

i only decided to stick with the 9.5 coz the 9.6 is already encroaching on the screen height. again, i will reiterate if you go with the 9.6 it is imperative you gave it the power to sing. marantz 6001, hk 347, onkyo sr-605 are some of the barest minimum i guess which will push the speaker without breaking your wallet too much.

hope that helps and thanks for the compliment. good luck!  :)
Title: Re: Gearhead's midfi-ht setup
Post by: rodel5 on Nov 25, 2007 at 06:48 PM
thanks sir,i'll go for the 9.6 period.next problem na lang is budget.hehehe.regards sir and thanks

P.S. sir.if ever you will sell any of your diamond series pm me.tnx,baka lang.hehehe
Title: Re: Gearhead's midfi-ht setup
Post by: trackers888 on Nov 27, 2007 at 08:47 PM
i would recommend the diamond 9.6 to you without hesitation. if you partner it with a really good powerful amp you may not even need a subwoofer. but if you'll be using it for movies, the sub is de rigeur with the trade. at least you can set it to Large all the time so the sub handles the LFE only. for movies i definitely would recommend that you partner it with the diamond 9.CM. the 9.cs is fine but the 9.cm is a much better complement for the 9.6. for surround, you can pick from the range beginning with the 9.dfs, 9.1 or 9.2. i'm using the 9.dfs and it do integrates well with either speakers. you must have a corner though to supplement the direct sound from these bipolar speakers.

i only decided to stick with the 9.5 coz the 9.6 is already encroaching on the screen height. again, i will reiterate if you go with the 9.6 it is imperative you gave it the power to sing. marantz 6001, hk 347, onkyo sr-605 are some of the barest minimum i guess which will push the speaker without breaking your wallet too much.

hope that helps and thanks for the compliment. good luck!  :)

I'm sure maraming maiinganyong mag Diamond nito lalu ;) Galing na kay gearhead ang recommendation eh :)
Title: Re: Gearhead's midfi-ht setup
Post by: gearhead on Nov 28, 2007 at 11:30 AM
ganda set-up mo sir.and magaganda insight and mga paliwanag mo sa mga ibat ibang thread na nagpopost ka.

thanks pala for the nice words.  8)  i'll be posting my (almost) finished setup in the coming days.

Quote
hindi ba masyadong bright and irritating sa ear ung 9.6 kc may dedicated midrange? tia

add ko lang. in general, di naman siya bright. in fact, the first thing you'll love about this speaker is its midrange. the brightness will depend to a large extent on your chosen amp. underpowered, it really would sound like that. give it the juice and ...  :o  :o  ;D

the time that i got them from the previous owner, i wasn't impressed. ang nipis ng tunog. i just took the gamble to see how it would fare with my h/k avr. the first time i hooked it up, it was a big improvement but still not that impressive. it's only after some long listening session that it began to open up. before the break-in... my 9.5 even had deeper and more taut bass. you should hear it after breaking-in though. you'd have a good approximation of how a dual (stereo) sub configuration sounds.  ;D

I'm sure maraming maiinganyong mag Diamond nito lalu ;) Galing na kay gearhead ang recommendation eh :)

ty, bosing. ang sa amin naman are insights to help guide the newbies from whence they can take off in their choice and research. bottomline kasi, "let your ears decide"... but we try and minimize their time and expense in this very involving hobby even before you part away with your hard-earned dough.
Title: Re: Gearhead's midfi-ht setup
Post by: trackers888 on Nov 28, 2007 at 01:51 PM

ty, bosing. ang sa amin naman are insights to help guide the newbies from whence they can take off in their choice and research. bottomline kasi, "let your ears decide"... but we try and minimize their time and expense in this very involving hobby even before you part away with your hard-earned dough.

Well said Sir Gearhead! ;D A very helpful tips makes someone like me life more easier doing research and going to AV store for audition. Pre-occupied na talaga! I'm not looking for the best gear, what I want is bang for the buck gears na recommended ng someone like yourself and other GURU's here in PDVD. I am very thankfull, ang dami kong natutunan sa inyo ;) ;) ;)
Title: Re: Gearhead's midfi-ht setup
Post by: streetsmart on Nov 30, 2007 at 10:55 PM
i'll be posting my (almost) finished setup in the coming days.
 
Palagay ko, sa susunod na picture mo, mawawala na butter cookies lata.  ;D ;D

Ubos na cookies.  ;D

Cheers!
Title: Re: Gearhead's midfi-ht setup
Post by: trackers888 on Dec 01, 2007 at 12:27 PM
Palagay ko, sa susunod na picture mo, mawawala na butter cookies lata.  ;D ;D

Ubos na cookies.  ;D

Cheers!

Butter cookies as "stand"?
Kasama yan sa tip :D
Title: Re: Gearhead's midfi-ht setup
Post by: gearhead on Dec 01, 2007 at 02:13 PM
sori, ubos na po ang cookies.   ;D 

no choice but to look for a better alternative.  :)

(http://img84.imageshack.us/img84/5553/editigp8215be5.jpg)

(http://img509.imageshack.us/img509/3126/editigp8203eo8.jpg)

still have plenty to do by way of cable management.  :-[

new additions include:

Title: Re: Gearhead's midfi-ht setup
Post by: trackers888 on Dec 01, 2007 at 04:08 PM
sori, ubos na po ang cookies.   ;D 

no choice but to look for a better alternative.  :)

(http://img84.imageshack.us/img84/5553/editigp8215be5.jpg)

(http://img509.imageshack.us/img509/3126/editigp8203eo8.jpg)

still have plenty to do by way of cable management.  :-[

new additions include:

  • Samsung 2232GW 22" LCD monitor
  • Items ITV-901 external TV tuner
  • Bada LB3300 line conditioner (black)
  • Altec Lansing 220 2.1 multimedia speaker for the TV
  • Emerson Liebert PS 600VA UPS for the projector
  • San-Yang SY-104 3-tier rack for center speaker

Galing talaga Gearhead, speaker sandwich naman ngayon :D
Title: Re: Gearhead's midfi-ht setup
Post by: streetsmart on Dec 01, 2007 at 06:08 PM
Galing talaga Gearhead, speaker sandwich naman ngayon :D

Hehe.  ;D

Champion talaga si gearhead sa creativity. Ingenious sandwich.  ;D

Cute na naman! Galing!
Title: Re: Gearhead's midfi-ht setup
Post by: gearhead on Dec 01, 2007 at 11:49 PM
Hehe.  ;D

Champion talaga si gearhead sa creativity. Ingenious sandwich.  ;D

Cute na naman! Galing!

thanks po, mga sir. sabi nga, necessity is the mother of invention. i really need to plan everything coz of space constraints... aside of course from the lack of funds.  ;D i couldn't have a separate setup for music and ht for the same reasons. so here i am just trying to make the most of everything.

be that as it may, given that this is still just a mid-level setup... i'm still surprised about the total amount i have parlayed just for this hobby. when i was starting, P100k seems to me as splurging too much already. three years later, i have about spent several times over that initial estimate.  :'(  if i have a wife and there's divorce here in the philippines, i would've been single more than twice over because of this.  ;D

still, i dream of the day i could have my dream ht as with your very avant-garde setup!  :P
Title: Re: Gearhead's midfi-ht setup
Post by: gearhead on Dec 02, 2007 at 12:35 AM
hmmm... maybe it's time to do an inventory of my current equipment.
these are mostly off the shelf items though. nothing really fancy:

Main equipment:

Accessories:
Title: Re: Gearhead's midfi-ht setup
Post by: trackers888 on Dec 02, 2007 at 02:37 AM
hmmm... maybe it's time to do an inventory of my current equipment.
these are mostly off the shelf items though. nothing really fancy:

Main equipment:
  • Harman-Kardon AVR5550 85Wx2/ 70Wx7 A/V Receiver
    (currently with Beyond Innovations for the long overdue
    battery replacement, so it's plenty Lonely Nights ahead).  :'(
  • Panasonic PT-AE900 720p 3-LCD Projector
  • Philips 29PT9420/69R 29" Pixel Plus CRT Monitor
  • Philips DVP5500S/69 Progressive Scan Universal player
  • Pioneer DV-600AV-S 1080p HDMI Universal Player
  • Samsung 2232GW 22" LCD Monitor, 1680x1050
  • Sabre 90" Manual Glass-Beaded Projection Screen
  • Wharfedale Diamond 9.6 Full Tower Speakers
  • Wharfedale Diamond 9.5 2.5-Way Floorstanding Speaker
  • Wharfedale Diamond 9.CS Center Speaker
  • Wharfedale Diamond 9.DFS Bi-Polar Surround Speakers
  • Velodyne CHT-10 150W Servo Controlled Subwoofer
  • Technics SL-Q3 Automatic D.D. Turntable
    (but soon to be replaced by Audio Technica AT-PL120)
  • Sony CDP-311 CD Player, 120V  :(
  • Altec Lansing 221 2.1 Multimedia Speakers
  • Itemstech ITV-901 External TV Tuner

Accessories:
  • Bada LB3300 3000W Line Conditioner
  • Emerson Liebert PS-600VA UPS, for PJ protection
  • Sabre Totem Modular A/V Rack, 2 units
  • Perfect View 14" TV Mount, used as PJ mount instead
  • SanYang SY104 3-Tier Rack, for center speaker
  • Pro Signal 10m/32.8ft (Coaxial-Type) HDMI Cable
  • AudioPro 1.8m Optical Cable
  • AudioPro 1.8m RGB Component Cable
  • Ace AWG#14/AWG#16 Speaker Wires

Sabi na nga ba, tip ng iceberg lang ang nakita ko eh ;D
Grabe gears nito, kakalula :o
Ako kahit radio phono wala! :D :D :D
Title: Re: Gearhead's midfi-ht setup
Post by: Marl☆1 on Dec 02, 2007 at 03:28 AM
Nice solid list Gearhead!  Galing.  ;)
Title: Re: Gearhead's midfi-ht setup
Post by: danrd on Jan 02, 2009 at 10:32 AM
Happy New Year Kapatid!
Title: Re: Gearhead's midfi-ht setup
Post by: gearhead000 on Jan 04, 2009 at 11:49 AM
Happy New Year Kapatid!

happy new year, dan. ako pa rin po ito, gearhead, though di ko na ma-access previous account ko so balik sa pagiging newbie. talagang newbie pa rin since matagal-tagal din ako di napadalaw dito sa pdvd. i was engrossed with my other gear... a dslr, for quite some time last year. i will try to keep a balance naman this year between these two interests.

a happy 2009 to everyone!!!