The JBL Control Cinema

[JBL4645]

You might say I like to be in control of things.

My listing so far…

AVR/AV

Kenwood KRF-9050D THX select main decoder for all Dolby/dts features

Yamaha DSR-7Pro acting as preamp for additional left right extraction of centre phantom left and right fronts or just in plain simple bypass mode, depends on the type of presentation I put on.

Also supports low pass filter for sub bass centre

Yamaha DSP-100 acting as centre preamp that also has the line feed from DSR-70Pro for centre phantom to me meagre together or separately if I wish.
Also supports low pass filter for sub bass centre

Pioneer VSP-200 this is the decoder that I use for extracting centre back surround plus it has a matrix rear that can be put to some usage.
Also supports low pass filter for sub bass centre

Crossover system

Behreinger DCX2496 this is used for the JBL control 5 left centre right fronts for full protection and shaping the tone for more easy listening over the complex LCR fronts

EQ

There are assorted EQ models some of which will be replaced with DEQ2496 as soon as I get the money saved up for several models. In the meantime this will have to suffice.

Behringer FBQ2496 40 band
Technics SH-8055
Technics SH-8058
Maratnz EQ551 10 band
Genexxa 10 band
JVC SEA-E30 10 band

Amplifiers

More Alesis RA300 and RA500 will be added soon and will replace the vintage Marnatz amps that have served very well over the past 20 years.

Alesis RA300 LFE.1 bridge mode
Alesis RA300 LF left/right front
Alesis RA300 LF centre front
Marnatz 1050 HF L/R
Marnatz 1050 HF C and centre back surrounds
Marnatz 1030 sidewall surrounds

Loudspeakers fronts

I have no intention of replacing the control 5 as they fit nicely into small rooms where space is limitedly tight. The same goes with control 1 they are versatile easy to install in matter of minutes and provided excellent all-around sound.

JBL control 5 modified for B-chain five sets of control 5 for the LCR plus inner-left and inner-right LF powered by Alesis RA300 HF powered by Marnatz 1050

The fronts are critical for timbre matching of tonally HF and LF thou that doesn’t necessarily make it so? It takes a few hours to adjust since the speakers are spaced apart from one another and the tone pink noise changes its signature slightly. That slightly needs to be adjusted and takes hours. It’s all good fun.

Loudspeakers surrounds

JBL control 1 custom surround x3 per each sidewall x4 for centre back surround and x2 for overheard surround

Loudspeakers Subs

x1 JBL diy version of JBL 4645 for LFE.1 powered by x1 Alesis RA300 at present time
This sub will play plenty loud enough and I’ve seen it respond below 20Hz and that’s good enough. The slam impact of fabricated sound effects on the LFE.1 track is marvellous.

Depth is nice on openings like Cloverfield even thou I dislike the rest of the film for its annoying camera jittering! Should pack a punch of Star Trek this month!

I have no complaints about this sub in the 12 years I’ve had it.

x1 Eltax A-12R for sub bass extension LCRS
This is small yet plays loud enough thou I don’t want to smear the rest of the LCRS upper bass mid. It plays handsomely down to 30Hz thou I’ve seen it sneaking slightly lower to 25Hz any lower will result in reduce output and possible cuffing at the port.
30Hz is average at best, thou lower would be nicer as most action takes place over the LCRS most of the time.


DVD/Laserdisc/VCR

The blow players well you get the idea, except for the VCR that’s being used as an audio limiter for the surrounds. Didn’t you know most VCR, are fitted with an audio limiter.

Pioneer CLD-1750 laserdisc player
Pioneer CLD-2950 laserdisc player
Pioneer DV-525 DVD player
Sony DVP-S366 DVD player
Cello DR-810 DVD-RW
Ferguson Hi-Fi NICAM VCR

Miscellaneous gear

Behringer MIC100 preamplifier
Behringer ECM8000 calibration microphone
Soundlab UD 236 microphone
Realistic SPL db meter analogue model
Tripod for SPL db meter
Microphone boom stand

Realistic Audio Mixer 6 channel, that’s used for LCRS and LFE.1 as fader controller.
The inputs 1 is used for summed left/right front with its pan pot set to hard-left
The inputs 2 is used for centre channel and its pan pot set to hard-left
The inputs 3 is used for summed left/right surround channel and its pan pot set to hard-left

With the pan pots set to hard-left they’d only output on the left output of the mixer that is feed to the Eltax A-12R sub bass

The input 6 is used for LFE.1 with the pan pot set to hard-right

The output will only sound on the right output and its sent to the Alesis RA300 but not before passing into filter to reduce some hiss that is generated by the Realistic audio mixer where the hiss is virtually been eliminated.

Monitoring TV/video projector

Panasonic widescreen 32” can’t be asked to pull it forwards for the model number. Nice colour brightness and contrast range

Hitachi CP-X430 LCD video projector gets very little use, only with new film DVD titles or the odd golden oldies now and then very rare usage it gets.

Additional loudspeakers not in use

x1 JBL HT-1F
x2 Eltax Symphony 6.2 towers need new 6 ½ bass mid drivers HF drivers are intact

I found these strays and brought them in cleaned them up
x2 Awia SX-77
x2 Awia SX-N7
x2 Panasonic SP-BM15