Rob J in WNY's updated theater gallery photos...

[Rob J in WNY]

First off, thank you all for your ratings and comments thus far. I've found these forums to be highly educational and friendly.

Primary System Components:

Panasonic TC-P50VT20 3D-ready plasma TV (Sony KDL-40XBR4 LCD TV in my bedroom)
Panasonic DMP-BDT300 3D-ready Blu-ray player (Sony BDP-S570 3D-ready BD player & Sony BDP-S350 BD player in other rooms)
Pioneer Elite SC-05 receiver
Polk Audio T90e (front speakers)
Polk Audio CS2 (center channel speaker)
Polk Audio R150 bookshelf speakers (surround/surround back speakers)
Polk Audio PSW125 subwoofer
Philips HDMI cables
Technics SL-5 linear tracking turntable
Netgear RangeMax Wireless "N" router (WNR3500L) w/onboard USB 2.0
Western Digital 1.5TB USB external hard disk drive
RCA ANT1450 amplified DTV antenna (for regional OTA HD/DD5.1 broadcasting)
Standard definition basic cable (community-provided)

[Spider]

Love those Polks. Rob you getting there...

[Rob J in WNY]

Originally Posted by Spider

Love those Polks. Rob you getting there...

Thanks, Spider! Polk will always be a preferred speaker for me. Great product for the price, and their company-direct customer service is outstanding.

I see you have a "Sunshine" movie avatar. Totally underrated movie! It's good on DVD, but flat-out gorgeous on BD!

[PreciseDisarray]

Those new speakers are niiiiiice; and that turntable is a great addition- I dig that it is now a permanent fixture. You have a nice balance of old and new. Your whole set up is pretty sweet. Makes me want to get on the task of taking and posting pics of my HT.

[PreciseDisarray]

Originally Posted by Rob J in WNY

I see you have a "Sunshine" movie avatar. Totally underrated movie! It's good on DVD, but flat-out gorgeous on BD!

Agreed, Sunshine is totally underrated and simply awesome on BD. You should include a screen shot from Sunshine in your HT Gallery shots.

[Rob J in WNY]

Originally Posted by PreciseDisarray

Those new speakers are niiiiiice; and that turntable is a great addition- I dig that it is now a permanent fixture. You have a nice balance of old and new. Your whole set up is pretty sweet. Makes me want to get on the task of taking and posting pics of my HT.

Thanks for the kind words, PD!

Can't wait to see the pics of yours on here. Most definitely sophistocated, and I love your cable management. BTW, feel free to drop by anytime for a movie or ten!

[SHines-IT]

That TV, looks super sharp!

[PreciseDisarray]

Originally Posted by Rob J in WNY

Thanks for the kind words, PD!

Can't wait to see the pics of yours on here. Most definitely sophistocated, and I love your cable management. BTW, feel free to drop by anytime for a movie or ten!

yes, I am rather proud of my pristine cable management. Tangle free, hair free, rabid dust bunny protected.

a movie or ten, huh? I'm going to take you up on that, indeed.

[jc480]

Comfy setup you got there. Looks like a neat spot to kick back and watch movies...bet people are blown away by the sound. You pack alot into a small space (quality stuff, it looks very clean and organized).

[Rob J in WNY]

Originally Posted by jc480

Comfy setup you got there. Looks like a neat spot to kick back and watch movies...bet people are blown away by the sound. You pack alot into a small space (quality stuff, it looks very clean and organized).

Thanks, JC.

It is a comfortable place to watch flicks, and the sound is finer than ever before. Only complaint I have is when the forced air furnace kicks on, the noise floor rises and I have to increase the volume (enjoy doing that, actually).

Regarding the sound quality, one of the best things about my older Sony receiver is that it has three-band, independent parametric equalization for the front, center and rear speakers. It really sharpens the sound when you have a little more control than basic bass and treble, as well as the specific frequency within each range. The Sony STR-DG920 which I am planning on getting soon will be a downgrade in that area, with just bass/treble control (but it is at least independent on the front, center and rear channels).

Ahh, but to be able to enjoy the total clarity of lossless audio and the addition of back-surrounds for 7.1. I still can't wait!

Hope things are looking up for you on the job front. I'm sure you have a lot of things you need to take care of, but I'm also sure your home theater is begging to be finished! I'll be keeping an eye on its progress!

[Rob J in WNY]

Added screenshots of "Kung Fu Panda" and "I, Robot" to gallery today.


Kung Fu Panda



I, Robot

[Rob J in WNY]

3-7-2009:

Purchased an additional pair of Polk Audio R150 speakers for the near-future back surround channels for 7.1 channel audio. Will leave them in the box until ready.

Just have to settle on my choice for a new receiver. Perhaps I will go with the newly designed Sony STR-DN1000 (which is not available until this upcoming summer, so it is said), but I am also thinking of going away from Sony and am considering the Onkyo TX-SR806.

[callas01]

That is like night and day of the old and new, WOW. I love the new. I am sure those old sony's would be great at a Kegger or something but the new polks look absolutly awesome.

You may also want to look at the Pioneer Elites, I really liked them and you can find them at decent prices too. Or also the Sony ES2400, it is a lot like the 920, just has a few extra features.

Congrats I love the new look.

Steve

[PepeGameblouse]

I say it every time I see one, but that xbr4 sure is a fine tv

[Rob J in WNY]

Finally had an excuse to open my surround-speakers out of their sealed box! Upgraded to a Pioneer Elite SC-05 receiver last week (from a nearly impossibly decent promotion a Best Buy Magnolia store), and just got the new photos and information uploaded to my gallery. Not really happy with my Sony 350 player off to the side now, but it doesn't fit together with the (HUGE) SC-05 receiver.



I must say that the SC-05 is everything it has been touted to be by people here on the forums as well as elsewhere. Sound is noticeably cleaner, and that may be largely due to the ability of this receiver to decode lossless audio, but room phase/reverb analysis and correction done by the SC-05 may have a large part in that as well.

Setup was a breeze - ran MCACC, but, of course, I had to tweak the final equalization settings manually a bit. Phase correction most definitely makes an audible difference, especially in the low frequencies. Prefer to run in Direct Mode, but sometimes like Pro Logic II.x mode with some 5.1 movies to get the surround-backs a little more usage. 7.1 discs are incredibly immersive.

Speaking of equalization, I couldn't be happier! I've never been one to be happy with just bass and treble controls for tonal adjustment. This receiver sports 9-band graphic equalization for each individual of all seven channels!

The receiver has Class D amplification. I won't run at reference-levels often, but it will be nice when I do. The THX Loudness Plus function does a nice job of correction at the frequency extremes when the volume is turned down. Audio is still enveloping and retains a good deal of clarity.

The SC-05 remote, which has not been a source of praise by some, does lack the handiness of complete button illumination, but its "learning" capability and multi-operation modes are a VERY nice feature. I have the remote programmed to power up and shut down all my system components with a single command. Love it!

Here's a link to my forum post highlighting how to stream computer-stored content to the SC-05 Home Media Gallery:

Pioneer Elite SC-05 Receiver Local Media Streaming Tutorial

I also put up some 8x10 mini posters along the back wall of my living room, above the freshly-installed surround-back speakers.



My older (but still immaculate) Sony STR-DE845 5.1 receiver is retired in its original factory box from 2001. It has served my interests more than enough. One of my favorite features on this receiver was its 3-band, parametric equalizer for all three speaker groups (F/C/S). I may still use it for a lightweight bedroom theater.

To be sure, I was nearly certain for quite some time that I would stick with Sony for a receiver. I have always been a die-hard Sony fan, but thinking outside my own box has really been a good thing. I was also seriously considering an Onkyo 805 or 806.

Who knows what my next upgrade will be. I am thinking along the lines of a better center channel speaker to replace my Polk CSi25. A Polk Audio CS20 would really be nice! Definitely would like to get a new TV stand, and you can bet that if I do, I will consider one with a larger TV in mind. Also, a new TV stand would allow me to get my BD player and receiver all back together again.

For now, my setup has never sounded better, and I am one happy camper! Please feel free to leave comments on this thread or in my gallery. Thanks for reading!

[Fors*]

Love the speakers..... My T90's have served me well in the 2 months that I have had them. How does that CSi25 center sound? I cannot say I am too familiar with it. Nice idea to angle it up as well. I definitely like the clean look around your TV stand, can never underestimate aesthetics. I really like the comfy look to your living room, all the while functioning as a very nice HT too. Good job!

[PS3+HDDVD OWNER]

Rob, your SC-05 makes me


Did you catch the clearance @ Best Buy? I was debating that receiver myself
!

[Rob J in WNY]

Originally Posted by forsberg21

Love the speakers..... My T90's have served me well in the 2 months that I have had them. How does that CSi25 center sound? I cannot say I am too familiar with it. Nice idea to angle it up as well. I definitely like the clean look around your TV stand, can never underestimate aesthetics. I really like the comfy look to your living room, all the while functioning as a very nice HT too. Good job!

Thanks for the nice words! I have watched the evolution of your setup as well, and you got your T90e speakers not long after I got mine. I love their look and, of course, their sound.

My Polk CSi25 center is a very basic center speaker. It sounds good, but I could get improved sound with a CS20 or even a CS10. I will be looking to upgrade on it.

[PreciseDisarray]

I realized that I haven't been on here in over two months! I thought I would check out my favorite 'power member' (not an addict!) too see what new pics are up. As always, nicely done- great pristine pictures and detailed commentary depict all the fun work you have put into setting up your ever evolving theater space.

[Rob J in WNY]

I forgot to log my polyfill speaker modifications from last week. I added about 4-ounces of flame-retardant polyfill to my Polk Audio PSW125 subwoofer, which really helped to kill some enclosure resonances which were the cause of a bit of sub-localization. Now, it sounds even smoother.

The trick is not to "overstuff" the box, but rather to add just enough polyfill to diffuse the sound inside the enclosure.


Polyfill modification photo. Accessed interior of sub enclosure through the plate amplifier on the back, as the sub's driver has a flush-mounted grille with no exposed fasteners.

I also added some polyfill to my Polk Audio CSi25 center channel, and doing so improved its sound immensely. There was a bit of a "boxy" sound to it at times, most notably during lower frequency male vocals. Now, those resonances are gone.

I deleted a couple older photos from my gallery and uploaded a new profile shot of my living room, as well as a couple more recent movie screenshots. One screenshot from the "Kill Bill, Vol. 2" Blu-ray and another from the "Star Wars, Episode III - Revenge of the Sith" DVD, upconverted.


Screenshot from Kill Bill, Vol. 2 BD.


Screenshot from Star Wars, Episode III - Revenge of the Sith upconverted DVD.

Still looking to upgrade my center channel speaker next. Would like it to be a Polk Audio CS20, but waiting on a good sale to do it. I'm quite happy with my CSi25 center channel, but the CS20 would be a fantastic upgrade.

I am loving my new Pioneer Elite SC-05 receiver. I have tweaked it quite a bit and also discovered that its firmware version is accessible through browsing its network location from my computer! It will make updating it a breeze if a new firmware version becomes available.

I can't say enough about how well I like the SC-05. I highly recommend this receiver for anyone looking for a quality AVR upgrade from entry-level equipment.

Thank you visiting. Please feel free to visit my gallery photos, and as always, I welcome your comments and suggestions.