Topic: My dream theater

[frootloops]

All wives/girlfriends are very welcome tama ba?

This might be a bad idea, our wives/gf might get jealous on streetmart's HT...and later urge us to do the same.

"Honey, I want something like this okay?.."  YARI!!!!   

[streetsmart]

This might be a bad idea, our wives/gf might get jealous on streetmart's HT...and later urge us to do the same.

"Honey, I want something like this okay?.."  YARI!!!!   

Honestly, I seriously doubt that. I think that most women have no interest in high-end HT rooms. "Boys and their toys." Yun ang naririnig kong honest comment.

Mas importante syempre sa kanila ang bagong banyo, ang kusina ... 

Syempre there are exceptions, like the female members here, but they are a small minority.

[Marsman]

Mas importante syempre sa kanila ang bagong banyo, ang kusina ... 

100% ka dito 

[Marl☆1]

This might be a bad idea, our wives/gf might get jealous on streetmart's HT...and later urge us to do the same.

"Honey, I want something like this okay?.."  YARI!!!!   

hehe... on the contrary bro, baka nga mas gumanda pa ang sitwasyon kung ganun.
at least suportado na ni kumander ang SARS ailment natin.    No need to conceal our purchases nor distract them with a domestic counter-offer. 

[streetsmart]

hehe... on the contrary bro, baka nga mas gumanda pa ang sitwasyon kung ganun.
at least suportado na ni kumander ang SARS ailment natin.    No need to conceal our purchases nor distract them with a domestic counter-offer. 

Parang kabisado na talaga ni Marl ang istrok. Either itago or bilhin sya ng bagong food processor, victorinox kitchen knives, gucci bag ... 

[trackers888]

Honestly, I seriously doubt that. I think that most women have no interest in high-end HT rooms. "Boys and their toys." Yun ang naririnig kong honest comment.

Mas importante syempre sa kanila ang bagong banyo, ang kusina ... 

Syempre there are exceptions, like the female members here, but they are a small minority.

Totoo ito my wife don't even visit the HT area. Naalala nya ang mga expensive gears pati yung naka line up kung purchases
Meron bang mini EB sir? Sayang, chance ko na sana makakita ng totoong HT Makakuha ng idea narin para sa bare setup ko

[streetsmart]

Meron bang mini EB sir? Sayang, chance ko na sana makakita ng totoong HT Makakuha ng idea narin para sa bare setup ko

Meron nga mini EB. Pero nasa abroad ka, di ba?

[docelmo]

Whoa! may mini-eb pala....unfortunately ma mi miss ko na naman
....On the bright side, luwas ako manila 3rd week ng feb(for a med convention )
.....Sana makita at ma experience ko na dream theater mo!
 

[trackers888]

Meron nga mini EB. Pero nasa abroad ka, di ba?

Yes sir, another 3 months this time
Hopefully next time

Goodluck Sir!

Whoa! may mini-eb pala....unfortunately ma mi miss ko na naman
....On the bright side, luwas ako manila 3rd week ng feb(for a med convention )
.....Sana makita at ma experience ko na dream theater mo!
 

Grab it Doc after convention...

[streetsmart]

Yes sir, another 3 months this time
Hopefully next time

Goodluck Sir!

Good luck too! 

You must sorely miss your HT while you are abroad. 

[spenz]

Hi sir streetsmart may i ask where can i buy Audio Video interior magazines? I've been to several malls such as greenhills,rockwel,megamall and greenbelt already but this particular magazine seemed to have eluded me for many months now. I am on the verge of creating my Home theater myself with the help of a friend and a fellow pinoydvd ourselves Ricky. My HT will be in our province and i seriously need some diagrams and some sort of inspiration to give our carpenter a proper guide on HT installation and i felt that AV interior magazine will be quite a good start to have a picture of my own dream theater.

Btw sir, congrats to your HT! Iam confident in saying that this is the best HT in pdvd i've ever seen. Such a formidable combination of form and function. Lovely indeed, more power to you sir.

[Munskie]

Hi sir streetsmart may i ask where can i buy Audio Video interior magazines? I've been to several malls such as greenhills,rockwel,megamall and greenbelt already but this particular magazine seemed to have eluded me for many months now. I am on the verge of creating my Home theater myself with the help of a friend and a fellow pinoydvd ourselves Ricky. My HT will be in our province and i seriously need some diagrams and some sort of inspiration to give our carpenter a proper guide on HT installation and i felt that AV interior magazine will be quite a good start to have a picture of my own dream theater.

Btw sir, congrats to your HT! Iam confident in saying that this is the best HT in pdvd i've ever seen. Such a formidable combination of form and function. Lovely indeed, more power to you sir.

can I reply?   hehehe.  audio video interiors is just a feature in home theater magazine now.   you can go to their website... www.audiovideointeriors.com.  hope this helps. 

[streetsmart]

can I reply?   hehehe.  audio video interiors is just a feature in home theater magazine now.   you can go to their website... www.audiovideointeriors.com.  hope this helps. 

Tama nga si Munskie.

But frankly, you can't really learn much from that magazine. Maganda nga tingnan mga HT dun but in reality, most of them violate a lot of basic HT principles. Many are not properly treated for acoustics, or have the speakers concealed in cabinets which makes it much more difficult to optimize their sound, or the color scheme is too bright and that decreases contrast ratio, etc. Paminsan nagugulat din ako sa choice nila of gears. The magazine is meant more for interior designers rather than AV enthusiasts. You should have both aesthetics and acoustics/video in mind when the HT is planned.

I think it is better if you research in the web. Maybe the best would be audioholics and avsforum. Both sites have detailed explanations on how to build your HT, starting from the dimensions of your room to the type of acoustic treatment, to the wiring, to the chairs, etc.

My own particular advice - if you have space, lagay ka ng banyo at bar. Malaking bagay.

Of course, it is actually quite hard to do all of the research by yourself so you could also try to get a consultant. If you will spend a substantial amount for the HT, I would get a consultant kasi it is so hard to undo a mistake sa HT. You can try Alvinthx2 or Nemesis (Theaterworks) or even AV Driver sa Shang Mall.

Good luck and thanks for your kind remarks about my HT! 

[spenz]

can I reply?   hehehe.  audio video interiors is just a feature in home theater magazine now.   you can go to their website... www.audiovideointeriors.com.  hope this helps. 

Thanks for the update.

[spenz]

Tama nga si Munskie.

But frankly, you can't really learn much from that magazine. Maganda nga tingnan mga HT dun but in reality, most of them violate a lot of basic HT principles. Many are not properly treated for acoustics, or have the speakers concealed in cabinets which makes it much more difficult to optimize their sound, or the color scheme is too bright and that decreases contrast ratio, etc. Paminsan nagugulat din ako sa choice nila of gears. The magazine is meant more for interior designers rather than AV enthusiasts. You should have both aesthetics and acoustics/video in mind when the HT is planned.

I think it is better if you research in the web. Maybe the best would be audioholics and avsforum. Both sites have detailed explanations on how to build your HT, starting from the dimensions of your room to the type of acoustic treatment, to the wiring, to the chairs, etc.

My own particular advice - if you have space, lagay ka ng banyo at bar. Malaking bagay.

Of course, it is actually quite hard to do all of the research by yourself so you could also try to get a consultant. If you will spend a substantial amount for the HT, I would get a consultant kasi it is so hard to undo a mistake sa HT. You can try Alvinthx2 or Nemesis (Theaterworks) or even AV Driver sa Shang Mall.

Good luck and thanks for your kind remarks about my HT! 

Great sites. Thanks sir! May banyo nga ako for my up and coming HT room, i don't know if i'll make a bar though mukhang dina kasya e plus di naman ako palainom.hahaha but if i i'll make a bar i can make one in our attic plus i can still put a billiard table there and since my ht will reside on fourth floor parang annex na din sya ladder lang pagitan. So if they want to watch or listen, sa HT room sila. Kung gusto nila lumaklak and play akyat nalang sila.

Thanks din for the recommendation but ricky and I have already planned to diy my HT room. I know it's a suicide but i have decided to take that gamble already. Part of the reason is that i want to get deeply involve in the project, both of us actually. Cguru para matutu nadin plus we have all the time in the world and if it will take 5 years to finish it so be it.

Iam not expecting an award winning CEDIA HT type of interior naman e but just enough to be called a truly decent value for money ht interior that is acoustically treated, i don't know if we can make it but that's the challenge and part of the thrill isn't it? Plus, the experience and thrill with all the hard work is something that i'm really looking forward too.hahaha masochist ata ako!;D

[Munskie]

Great sites. Thanks sir! May banyo nga ako for my up and coming HT room, i don't know if i'll make a bar though mukhang dina kasya e plus di naman ako palainom.hahaha but if i i'll make a bar i can make one in our attic plus i can still put a billiard table there and since my ht will reside on fourth floor parang annex na din sya ladder lang pagitan. So if they want to watch or listen, sa HT room sila. Kung gusto nila lumaklak and play akyat nalang sila.

Thanks din for the recommendation but ricky and I have already planned to diy my HT room. I know it's a suicide but i have decided to take that gamble already. Part of the reason is that i want to get deeply involve in the project, both of us actually. Cguru para matutu nadin plus we have all the time in the world and if it will take 5 years to finish it so be it.

Iam not expecting an award winning CEDIA HT type of interior naman e but just enough to be called a truly decent value for money ht interior that is acoustically treated, i don't know if we can make it but that's the challenge and part of the thrill isn't it? Plus, the experience and thrill with all the hard work is something that i'm really looking forward too.hahaha masochist ata ako!;D

actually the compromise between acoustics (function) and design (aesthetics) is really up to you.   To have an HT that looks good and performs well in audio and video department, more often than not are left for professional HT installers to build, and I know, its MAHAL!!!   So, goodluck to your DIY (or let the carpenter do it while you supervise?) HT project.   I was also planning until my plan was shelved temporarily.   Maybe you could share some pointers.   Or create a HT contruction thread for you to share your progress.   Goodluck again!! 

[pchin]

Maybe you could share some pointers. Or create a HT contruction thread for you to share your progress.   Goodluck again!! 

Yes good idea, create a thread will be nice just like in AVS forum so we can also learn.

[spenz]

Yes munskie and pchin i love to guys but we have no internet signal yet in our province. Smart bro have already conducted a survey so hopefully mgkaroon din. Im here on manila right now just to buy some needed materials that we don't have in the province. Anyway, ill be posting some pics when i get back here again ksi ngayon talgang wala pa khit frames man lang,kung gusto nyu picture ko nalang habang namimili ng materials.hahaha

[lithium_deuteride]

Nice HT.  Grande.  Am less than awed by your speakers though.  An HT as grand as yours deserves no less than awesome speakers. Try visiting Acoustic Dimension in Rockwell.  They have HT speakers there that are so good they almost made me s**t my pants when I heard 'em.    I think they are Vienna Acoutics HT speakers. You can buy a small car for their price but judging by your HT, kayang kaya. 

[streetsmart]

Nice HT.  Grande.  Am less than awed by your speakers though.  An HT as grand as yours deserves no less than awesome speakers. Try visiting Acoustic Dimension in Rockwell.  They have HT speakers there that are so good they almost made me s**t my pants when I heard 'em.    I think they are Vienna Acoutics HT speakers. You can buy a small car for their price but judging by your HT, kayang kaya. 

That's a pretty surprising comment from someone who hasn't heard my speakers in action. I'm not saying they are the best but the PSB Stratus Goldi speakers, the JBL XPL speakers and the Velodyne subwoofer have all received a lot of great reviews. At their original SRP, the total cost of these speakers is also the same price as a small car.

If I were to upgrade my speakers, I have had my eye either on the PSB Synchrony speakers or the Revel Performa speakers. But as you said, they cost a lot so I won't do that unless I get a huge financial bonanza from somewhere ... kaya nga trabaho muna ... and tweak.

[lithium_deuteride]

Am sure your speakers sound great man. But they look kinda old kasi.  I know it's how they sound that counts but here's the thing, coming from someone who hasn't heard your system:  HT is a relatively new thing and the speakers your have (vintage you say) appear to have been made prior to the dawn of HT.  It could be argued that high end speakers designed specifically for HT will sound better as an HT set than high end speakers that weren't designed with HT in mind. I emphasized "HT set" because you are using different makes (JBL and PSB) for fronts and rears. No comments about that killer Velo though but maybe you should get 2 considering the size of the room  .

streetsmart, if you are happy with what you have (which you obviously are), you don't have to change anything. Since this is a forum, I'm just saying: this is what I'll do if I was streetsmart. I can dream can't I?   

Cheers.     

[streetsmart]

Am sure your speakers sound great man. But they look kinda old kasi.  I know it's how they sound that counts but here's the thing, coming from someone who hasn't heard your system:  HT is a relatively new thing and the speakers your have (vintage you say) appear to have been made prior to the dawn of HT.  It could be argued that high end speakers designed specifically for HT will sound better as an HT set than high end speakers that weren't designed with HT in mind. I emphasized "HT set" because you are using different makes (JBL and PSB) for fronts and rears. No comments about that killer Velo though but maybe you should get 2 considering the size of the room  .

streetsmart, if you are happy with what you have (which you obviously are), you don't have to change anything. Since this is a forum, I'm just saying: this is what I'll do if I was streetsmart. I can dream can't I?   

Cheers.     

HT is not new. I had a simple 5.1 speaker HT set-up in 1990, using mainly VHS material and only Dolby Prologic.

The JBL XPL series was an experiment of JBL in the early 1990's to go into high-end speakers. Even if their XPL series received rave reviews, however, they decided to discontinue the line because it was not their niche and it turned out to be not very profitable for them. In other words, these JBL speakers were certainly designed after the dawn of HT.

The PSB Status Goldi speakers are 1999 vintage and were originally the flagship speakers of Paul Barton, a well-respected Canadian speaker manufacturer. These speakers were designed even after DVD's.

Both the JBL XPL series and the PSB Stratus series were designed for both HT and high-end audio.

Are these speakers good for HT? Yes, they are.

Do they sound good in my HT? Yes, they sound awesome.

Does the "mixing" of speakers (JBL/PSB/Velodyne) have a negative effect on the HT sound? Maybe but I honestly don't notice anything.

Are they the best speakers for HT? No, but in order to have a clear improvement, my guess is that I have to spend $12k to $15k and even then, I wouldn't be sure if there would be a clear improvement. Therefore, relax lang muna ako.

Anyway, cheers too.

[pchin]

Am sure your speakers sound great man. But they look kinda old kasi.  I know it's how they sound that counts but....

Since this is a forum, I'm just saying: this is what I'll do if I was streetsmart. I can dream can't I? 

Bro, geez...you can't simply judge speakers by its look?? You don't even know how much Sreetsmart has invested in his HT gears. If you know sound quality that really counts...then you should have reserved your comments until you have heard Streetsmart's HT ya? Not simply based on look & room space and then telling others what to do...

Sure you can share your dreamed setup, speakers, etc... but your statement "Am less than awed by your speakers though. An HT as grand as yours deserves no less than awesome speakers. Try visiting Acoustic Dimension in Rockwell.  They have HT speakers there that are so good they almost made me s**t my pants when I heard 'em..." sounds to me like you don't think Streetsmart's speakers are good enough thus advising him what to do noh?

Anyway, as Streetsmart has explained "but in order to have a clear improvement, my guess is that I have to spend $12k to $15k and even then, I wouldn't be sure if there would be a clear improvement." 

[lithium_deuteride]

Anyone who posts here, a public forum, should be cool enough to take comments from others. Sreetsmart is cool, I'm cool but I'm not sure you are.  If you read my posts carefully, I was not even criticizing streetsmart's setup, quite the opposite in fact. What does less than awed mean to you?  To me it means short of drool worthy and that can run the gamut from good to drop dead fabulous. My basis? He uses different brands for his HT speakers. Now I don't want to prattle about tonal matching and crap but that's a pretty sound basis for being less than awed don't you think?

Any system, even high end ones can be improved. As with most suggestions, the intent is to help. If that help isn't required, all's fine and dandy.  As for you pchin, I suggest you PM me if you have a problem with the way I express myself because I sure have a problem with the way you express yours and I don't want to drag this forum on another pointless exchange.

To streetsmart, congratulations on your setup.  It truly is an HT afficionado's dream. Forgive me if I sounded like I was nitpicking on your setup but I was merely expressing my opinion on how it could possibly be improved (a hard task I know). I thought all along that's what forums are for.

 

[streetsmart]

Anyone who posts here, a public forum, should be cool enough to take comments from others. Sreetsmart is cool, I'm cool but I'm not sure you are.  If you read my posts carefully, I was not even criticizing streetsmart's setup, quite the opposite in fact. What does less than awed mean to you?  To me it means short of drool worthy and that can run the gamut from good to drop dead fabulous. My basis? He uses different brands for his HT speakers. Now I don't want to prattle about tonal matching and s**t but that's a pretty sound basis for being less than awed don't you think?

Any system, even high end ones can be improved. As with most suggestions, the intent is to help. If that help isn't required, all's fine and dandy.  As for you pchin, I suggest you PM me if you have a problem with the way I express myself because I sure have a problem with the way you express yours and I don't want to drag this forum on another pointless exchange.

To streetsmart, congratulations on your setup.  It truly is an HT afficionado's dream. Forgive me if I sounded like I was nitpicking on your setup but I was merely expressing my opinion on how it could possibly be improved (a hard task I know). I thought all along that's what forums are for.

 

The theory is always that the best set-up for an HT is 5 (or 7) identical speakers + a subwoofer. Next best is 5 speakers from the same brand and the same line (an HT set).

That's why when I built my HT in 1999, I acquired the JBL XPL-200 for the main speakers, the JBL XPL-160 for the surrounds and the JBL XPL-90 for the center (two speakers to act as the center). When I tested them in my actual room, I had big problems because the 2 center speakers (90 watts x 2) were insufficient and same with the surrounds (160 watts). With some material, the speakers were cracking. Since I had a big PSB speaker, I used that as the main, I combined the XPL-90 with the XPL-160 for the surrounds in a bipole mode and the XPL-200 as the front and the extra speaker for the rear. That set-up was perfect for volume level.

It is true that there is a big difference in timbre between the main speakers and the others, but the alternative was to change all speakers (wala na kasi JBL XPL series) which would be too expensive, so I decided to live with that weakness. But when the Audyssey room correction arrived, they solved the blending of the main speakers with the rest. Right now, I feel the blending is near-perfect.

If you were to ask me what the biggest audio problem was, it was likely the 2 side tables at the front of the HT, which were in the direct path between the main speakers and the sweet spot (aside from the coffee table but that really can't be moved). Today, I moved the 2 side tables and the audio improvement has been tremendous. My basis for saying there has been an improvement is not just my ears but also the RTA of my Velodyne SMS-1, which is a moderately advanced equalizer for subwoofer. Its nothing unique, Mike C has 2 units.

I agree that all systems can be improved and mine can certainly be improved. In fact, if it can't be improved further, I would be extremely sad.

[pchin]

Anyone who posts here, a public forum, should be cool enough to take comments from others. Sreetsmart is cool, I'm cool but I'm not sure you are.  As for you pchin, I suggest you PM me if you have a problem with the way I express myself because I sure have a problem with the way you express yours and I don't want to drag this forum on another pointless exchange.

Nah...I'm cool, no problem at all. Hope you don't take my comments personally as I don't meant to be offensive...as you said after all it's a public forum right? Let's move on... 

By the way Streetsmart, did you manage to take any nice photos on your maiden visit last Sat? 

[streetsmart]

By the way Streetsmart, did you manage to take any nice photos on your maiden visit last Sat? 

I didn't bring my camera and I really don't like cellphone cameras but in any case, the HT of my friend is awesome.

I was initially worried because the HT is located in an attic with a low ceiling with the shape of the roof + it had around 6 windows all around + it is 40 square meters (pretty big). I am sure that this configuration is very difficult to treat acoustically.

He spent a decent amount of money on a consultant and contractor. The consultant came up with innovative ideas, especially with the ceiling, and the result is marvelous. You can tell that the acoustics are good because of the results of the Audyssey room correction. There was very little correction needed for the fronts and center, across all frequencies - that's pretty incredible. Of course, music concerts were awesome as well, especially the bass.

What I found even more incredible was that he was using "only" a Denon 2808 without separate power amps. On the other hand, his speakers are pretty good (JMLab) but not top-of-the-line. I guess that the combination of the good speakers + the terrific acoustic treatment made all the difference.

By the way, he has a Sony VPL-VW60 (Black Pearl) and a 106" Da-Lite screen. No high-def yet. He used a Denon DVD player to provide the deinterlacing and scaling. The result was pretty good but I guess that's where his next upgrade is - either a video processor or hi-def players or both.

In my case, I was in such awe at his acoustic treatment that I did a little movement of my furniture and I think the result is also pretty good. Basically, I relocated the side tables at the front of the HT so they are not in the direct path between the front speakers and the main listening positions. I think my audio is clearer now. 

[lithium_deuteride]

Nah...I'm cool, no problem at all. Hope you don't take my comments personally as I don't meant to be offensive...as you said after all it's a public forum right? Let's move on... 

Appreciate this post pchin. Sorry if I came in too strong. Right, let's move on. Maybe streetsmart can give us a tip on what to do in order to afford a dream setup like his?     

[Moks007]

Great setup sir, Thanks for letting me check out your place today, Great host, great food, great equipments....Thanks again.

[pchin]

Sending my sincere gratitude to Mark for being a wonderful host for this mini EB at his unique theater plus the beer!

Also thanks to all members that attended this EB & contributing all the delicious food. Great food & beer/wine!
It's a pleasure meeting you all. It's always nice to see both old & new faces.