I have gone to the other side! [long, but worth the read]

Merle · « **on:** 15 Apr 2005, 12:11 am »

After 30 years of being a rabid, two channel Audiophile, I have gone home theater. I have had more systems than most store's will ever sell, yet have never really been satisfied with any of them. I've had pretty spendy stuff and I found that the "better" my system is, the more I obsess over it. This has gotten to the point of destroying the joys of listening to the music. No more. I've sold the last of my "hi-end" gear and bought, what I think, will be a nice home theater system. What brought this on, you may ask? I recently bought a new home and was looking forward to setting up my new "music room". In went the Classe's, the B&W's, the analog rig. Sat in my listening chair and realized, it just wasn't happening for me. Another system, another dozen things I wanted to change about it. In the new house, we have a fantastic family room down in the basement. Big and wide open. We put the 48" Mitsubishi hi-def down there. While sitting in my little "listening room", I got to thinking about how nice it would be to have everything down in the basement, movies AND music. I had a pair of KEF Q5 loudspeakers sitting around that was not currently being used. I love these speakers. They are extreamly musical and really shine with vocal music. I thought they might make a fine start for a home theater system. Off to my local dealer I went. [I've delt with this particular store for years, they have always done right by me and I trust them] I told my salesman what I wanted to do and left with the following gear. Using the Q5's as my mains, I got the matching Q10c center channel, a pair of Q2ds dipole surrounds, and a Velodyne DPS 12 subwoofer. Next, we added a Denon AVR 2805 receiver and finished it off with a matching Denon DVD 2910 universal disc player. I also have Comcast digital cable which will tie into the system. A bag full of Audioquest cables and interconnects and I'm ready to go. The Denon has a MM phono input so I intend to hook the Rega into it to complete the system. [if the phono section in the Denon is found wanting, I have an old Nak CA5ii preamp that has a superb phono section, I'll use that as a phono preamp if need be] As we have just moved into this house and have a million things to do, I haven't put the theater together yet. It will be my big project for this weekend. I'm looking forward to getting everything set up, should make for a heck of a home theater and I have high hopes that it will satisfy for music as well. One remote, one room, music and movies. Wish me luck!

DeadFish · « **Reply #1 on:** 15 Apr 2005, 12:47 am »

Hey Merle!
Good luck!

It sounds to me like you might have found a path to make you happy for a while, and that is the important thing!
I go up and down on how I like my 2 channel rig sounding, and sometimes it is like I am happiest as a person when I am unhappy with the sounds I've been hearing and am on some path to fix that.
It's not the goal, it's the journey, know what I mean?
Anyway, it read to me that you have found a place in the journey to feel happy, and in your new digs you can invent it all over again and have a great time.
'We're all pulling for you!'

REgards,
DeadFish

bundee1 · « **Reply #2 on:** 15 Apr 2005, 01:38 am »

I know what you mean. A home theater is so much more about community and family. You can share your hobby with others. Its less about perfection (although most over at AVS Forum do obssess about the picture) and more about enjoyment.

fabaudio · « **Reply #3 on:** 24 Apr 2005, 05:43 am »

2 ch audio is a very lonely hobby.

WerTicus · « **Reply #4 on:** 24 Apr 2005, 02:34 pm »

use some paragraphes please

mutlichannel is something i will do when i can afford to have 'mains' all around

Carlman · « **Reply #5 on:** 24 Apr 2005, 03:12 pm »

I can relate to finding something truly enjoyable and not sweating the details. It's a nice place to be. So, glad you're enjoying the music and movies more than the gear itself.

I'll be curious to see how long you can enjoy it without getting the itch to change.. I have found that with each change, I've spent longer and longer with that gear...

As to the pontification and dis-pontifications, whatever. Digital Schmigital... It's getting better but it isn't tubes, it isn't Solid State, it's just something different. It'll have its niche too. It's the next big thing. Enjoy it if you like it.. So far I haven't been 'wow'ed' by digital amplication like I am with tubes... or even traditional solid state with a tubed source or pre.

-C

bubba966 · « **Reply #6 on:** 24 Apr 2005, 06:12 pm »

The fighting that was going on here has been moved to Fight Club.

If the parties invloved still feel the need to continue the fighting do it in Fight Club, not here.

Uptown Audio · « **Reply #7 on:** 24 Apr 2005, 06:20 pm »

Perfect. Thanks Beavis!

lonewolfny42 · « **Reply #8 on:** 15 Jul 2005, 05:21 am »

Quote from: Merle

After 30 years of being a rabid, two channel Audiophile, I have gone home theater. I have had more systems than most store's will ever sell, yet have never really been satisfied with any of them. I've had pretty spendy stuff and I found that the "better" my system is, the more I obsess over it. This has gotten to the point of destroying the joys of listening to the music. No more. I've sold the last of my "hi-end" gear and bought, what I think, will be a nice home theater system. What brought this on, you m ...

Quote

Thu Jul 14, 2005 7:37 am Great deal on Home Theater system for pick up in Baltimore.

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Going back to high end audio and getting out of home theater.

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jeffreybehr · « **Reply #9 on:** 15 Jul 2005, 03:48 pm »

I too was a high-end audiofool in the '80s. Lots of expensive, great-sounding gear in a room and system that worked well. I simply tired of it and in the late '90s built a modest hometheater in the family room. Last year I moved the HT into the music room and combined it with what was left of the long-inactive audio system. Have been improving the system ever since, and now it's more a multichannel-audio system than a homehteater.

I listen to music LOTS now, at least as much as I watch movies, and my system has never sounded better. I love big-orchestra classical and film music, and the multichannel recordings on DVD-A (my preference) and SACD are wonderfully natural and great sounding.

One point--I went thru several evolutions of the surround speakers, types and brands. I started with medium-size floor-standing direct radiators (DRs) with small subwoofers, then bought and tried large DRs that matched the fronts, and finally had custom-made enclosures for FULL-range systems made and installed them in the rear wall/ceiling. I then added a pair of small speakers about half way forward and high in the room. See http://community.webshots.com/album/278066578rqSrfo for pics. This diffuse-sounding surround system sounds MUCH more natural and spacious (with the music I love!) than the DR predecessors did.

I'm QUITE happy with the sounds of my system, and I use it a lot.