Here are some pics o fmy newest home theater- I did it all for under $5000 (not including furniture) by going on Ebay. Sony 50" plasma screen in motorized lift, Sony ES series receiver and 400 DVD changer, Sony Vaio media center, Polk Audio bookshelf speakers, Velodyne 10" sub, Belkin powerstation.
I haven't seen very many Sony Plasmas, they look nice. Interesting location for the bookshelf speakers, I can see that the cabinet has vents in it for the sound to pass through. However, why not get some bigger speakers to get more out of that receiver?
Part of my goal was to have the system hidden. The Polks were the biggest (and best for the money) speakers that would fit in the entertainment center, and they sound great with the velodyne sub. I may even get a second one to really deliver some impact. I have been looking for fabric to replace the black grille cloth with to match the wood better so that when the plasma is down and the doors are closed, you would never know it is there without looking really close. If you notice where the center speaker should be, there is a big peice of wood right down the center of the cabinet- I had to put two polks side by side for a center channel so that the sound would not originate from the center of the screen. I saved my big speakers for my listening system in another room, powered by an old Scott tube amp. The plasma is actually a commercial unit that I got on Ebay, but it has the same resolution as all the higher end retail units. The only obstacle is that there are no compnent or HDMI inputs, I had to use a component to VGA adapter to get the best picture out of it. It was also the biggest I could fit into the cabinet- about .5" clearance on either side.
A little update- I have since removed al lof the components in my Sony Vaio Media Center so that I could put them into a Silverstone Lascala aluminum case. This was to both make the PC match all the other compnents in the system (brushed silver with blue lights)but also to put it in a horizontal orientation so that I could fit the mid 80's Yamaha integrated amp I got on Ebay to power the Niles outdoor speaker I installed by the pool.
Simplistic yet not to complicated like most on here.
How do you like the way, dialogue music and sound effects, that are reproduced though the centre channel, and I take it that is two loudspeakers that you have wired up in parallel or series?
Or are they the surrounds, with left and right playing centre phantom?
I had no choice but to go with two center channels as the frame to the front cabinet doors blocks the dead middle of the screen. I have them wired in series, each facing slightly to the sides where the listening areas are (on the couch and chair). The dialogue and center effects sound great and are perfectly localized, but the only complaint I have is that the speakers are so much lower than the screen that the sound is obviously coming from below the viewing area. I have toyed with the idea of mounting ome small satellites on the ceiling facing the screen to reflect into the sweet spots, but I think I'll keep it as is for now. I'm the only one who watches this system and notices these things. The surrounds are 8" coaxial in walls mounted in the ceiling above and behind the listeneing posistions. I have room on the wall behind to eventually mount two more for true 7.1. Right now, however, my focus in on a garage system./ I am redoing the garage with new storage, a fold down bar with train, and a '60's drive in movie theme. I can't wait to sit in my old convertible and watch old b- movies like The Blob on the big screen, while my friends chill at the bar with a beer.
