Mike's Review Home Theater

[Mike Osadciw]

I left the original post intact below so the discussion that follows makes sense.

The HT has changed. I'm using the smaller system because the system below doesn't fit as it is in my current house, so most of it is sitting in storage elsewhere.

Video

Panasonic TC-P60S30
Playstation 3 (Blu-ray & DVD playback)

Audio

Integra DTC-9.8 surround preamp (using balanced outputs)
Theta Enterprise (x4)
AudioSource Amp 5.3 (150w monoblock for Dunlavy sub)

Focus Audio FC-50 (front)
Focus Audio FC-50 (rear)
Dunlavy SC-I (centre)
Dunlavy TSW-VI (sub)

Speaker/interconnect cables:
Transparent MusicWave Plus BiWire
Transparent 14/4
AudioQuest Diamondback

Monster Power

Not the "big" awesome theater sound as listed below, but very nice for now. If anyone has not had the opportunity to listen to the Canadian-made Focus Audio speakers, I highly recommend them!!

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Hi guys

Ok, I'll take the dip. Never posted my system on any member site before, so this is a first for me

Video

Panasonic PT-AE700U (calibrated to 6500K for colour films/5400K for B&W films) - to be changed, t.b.a.
110" Da-Lite Cinema Contour w/Pro-Trim, Da-Mat 1.0 gain
Playstation 3 v.2.52 (Blu-ray & DVD playback)
Panasonic DMP-BD10A (Blu-ray, DVD, & DVD-A playback)
Monster M1000HDMI (Projector to DTC 9.8, 35ft)
JVC HR-S2911U S-VHS

Audio

Ayre K-1xe 2-channel preamp (set to unity gain for home theater bypass, using balanced outputs)
Integra DTC-9.8 surround preamp (using balanced outputs)
Theta Dreadnaught 5x200 (front left, front center, surround left, LFE left x2)
Theta Dreadnaught 5x200 (front right, surround center, surround right, LFE right x2)
Meridian 508.24 CD Player
Denon DVD-3910 (DVD-A & SACD playback)

Dunlavy SC-IV/A (front L/R)
Dunlavy SC-IV (surround L/R)
Dunlavy HRCC-I (center)
Dunlavy SC-I (surround center)
Paradigm PW-2200 (left front subwoofer)
Paradigm PW-2200 (right front subwoofer)
Paradigm PW-2200 (left surround subwoofer)
Paradigm PW-2200 (right surround subwoofer)
Mirage LFX-3 crossover (front L/C/R - Home Theater only)
Mirage LFX-3 crossover (surround L/C/R - Home Theater only)
Dunlavy TSW-VI (left LFE) - temporarily in storage
Dunlavy TSW-VI (right LFE) - temporarily in storage

Tactile Transducer
(for LFE channel only)

Clark Synthesis TST-429 Platinum
AudioSource Amp 5.3 (150w monoblock for TST-429)

Audio Cables

Transparent MusicWave Plus BiWire (speaker, all channels)
Transparent MusicLink Super XLR (balanced interconnect, Meridian to Ayre)
Mogami Balanced (balanced interconnect, preamp to amps)
Transparent MusicLink Plus (unbalanced interconnect, all channels, preamp to crossovers)
AudioQuest Diamondback (unbalanced interconnect, crossover to Lf, Rf, Ls, Rs supporting subs)
AudioQuest RCA Y-connector @ LFE output
AudioQuest Copperhead (LFE)
AudioQuest Diamondback (to AudioSource Amp 5.3)
Transparent Powerlink Super (on each amp)

Power Conditioners/Surge Protectors

Monster Power
Panamax

Calibration Equipment

Konika-Minolta CS-1000A High-Accuracy Spectroradiometer
GretagMacbeth Eye-One Spectroradiometer
Sencore CalMan Pro calibration software
Datacolor Colorfacts 7.5 calibration software
Accupel HDG-4000 Video Signal Generator
ControlCal ISFccc [7G][8G][9G] and INSTALL for KPM-500/600
AVIA
Digital Video Essentials
HQV BD & DVD
Sound & Vision Home Theater Tune-Up
Radio Shack Analogue SPL meter
Laser for speaker alignment

Set-up

On a circle:
Left/Right front 30 degrees off front-center axis
Left/Right surround 130 degrees off front-center axis
Center surround 180 degrees off front-center axis
Each Dunlavy speaker is positioned 10 feet from sweet spot
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Listening Reference Level: @ 75dB
Viewing distance: 12'4" (1.54 x screen width)

I'm currently designing a new room for my theater that will be the best that can fit within this house. I recently moved and everything is a mess at the moment. I'll post pics soon, it's just late right now and they are on another computer. As a hobby I write reviews for Blu-ray discs...once I started doing that 7 years ago...this whole hobby of mine spiraled out of control

[Suave]

And I thought your 2-channel setup was amazing. Reading the component list for your home theatre just about left me drooling

I'm inclined to say that now you absolutely have to post some pics!

If I'm reading this correctly... you're using 4 subwoofers in your HT? One in each corner of the room? How did you end up arriving at this solution?

Also, you mentioned that you write reviews of Blu-ray discs - if you don't mind me asking, where can we read these reviews?

[Brad]

How did you end up arriving at this solution?

by being a freaking badass, that's how. that is SICK. your neighbours must looooooove you

[Mike Osadciw]

Hi Suave

Thanks for the kind words and I'm glad to happy to join this community. I'd be happy to contribute in any way I can. It's been a long road to this system but I think I'm finally happy with the results (I've been holding out on a projector upgrade...not much has made me happy yet). The only thing I'm lacking at the moment (and even to a degree in the past) is a good room which is hindering me from setting everything up properly right now, so currently my Thetas are split in two rooms and I'm using two pairs of Focus Audio FC-50s in the meantime while the Dunlavys are pushed against a wall (and that's killing me). I'll post pics of it as soon (well, how it was set up I guess) as I pull my other computer out of my moving boxes this weekend.

In terms of 4 subwoofers, yes, that's the case. I bought them in 2001-2002 when I was using smaller floorstanding JM Lab Chorus 810s for each channel. I don't believe in a single subwoofer handling all of the bass, so I bought four subs that were dedicated for each channel, nothing more (using 2 now discontinued Mirage LFX-3 three-channel crossovers). I had a separate Mirage BPS-400 for the LFE (no longer in the system). When I upgraded to the full-range Dunlavys, my original intent was get rid of the subs...but I found that using the subs for more lowest-end output resulted in more fun for movie watching...and I decided to throw that bit of "accuracy" out the window in exchange. The subs are located right beside each speaker, not in corners of the room. So they are out from the wall a bit so the sound isn't so lumpy (a slight characteristic of the older PW-2200). The Dunlavy Tower 6 subs (each having 4 18" drivers) haven't been in the system yet. I bought them and they've been in storage because they wouldn't fit into my old house...so I had to move Yeah, my wife loves me for it...lol. (I'm happy she likes movies too).

The website I write for is www.hometheaterforum.com. I currently focus on Warner Bros. Blu-rays. Other writers have other studio accounts. You can certainly read them on that site. I haven't done one in two weeks so you'll have to dig in the archives

[Suave]

Thank you for the detailed explaination about the subwoofers Mike.

I just 'googled" your Dunlavy speakers out of curiosity and these are pretty wild, high performance speakers.

I'll check out your Blu-ray review - thanks for the link.

I don't know if you've considered Epson's line-up of projectors in your projector search. I'm using the Epson PowerLite Home Cinema 1080 UB projector and I've been quite happy with its performance for the last couple of years.

[Mike Osadciw]

Suave

The Epson is a respectable projector. I've calibrated many of them. Glad to hear you are enjoying it.

[Suave]

BTW Mike - seeing as you're a professional video calibrator - how much do you normally charge for a calibration? Are there different levels or just one standard calibration?

[SoundGame]

Where's the picks of the system Mike?

[Murrayb]

Really nice looking system, Mike!

[Mike Osadciw]

Soundgame, I took pictures of the theater "broken down" last night. As I mentioned in the original post, I'm building a new room. Well, my wife and I talked the other week and it appears we'll be doing more than just that which will change the location of the HT and give me freedom to design from the ground up. Now that's the scary part...doing it right the first time! I'm off to a stag right now, so post tomorrow??