My Modest Apartment Setup

[okbarshabazz]

My Apartment is equipped with a living room system consisting of PSB Imagines to go along with a Pioneer Elite Pro-111fd. There are some pics of my old system which is now in my bedroom that consists of a 42" Fujitsu plasma (very underappreciated in the AV World) and Definitive Technology Mythos Speakers powered by a trusty Denon AVR 3806.

P.S. I am currently using the Pioneer Elite SC-05 to power my PSB Imagines which are rated @ 4 ohms and I'm considering upgrading to an Emotiva XPA-5. I am pleased with the sound, but I am asking if anybody w/ experience thinks that it is overkill/a worthy upgrade/will I notice a big difference.... I know everyone is going to say it is personal and that I should HEAR the difference, but I have NO experience w/ separates and am very interested in anybody's feedback. Thanks!

[BLURAYSONYES]

Very nice clean setup!

[Fors*]

Very nice and aesthetically it looks awesome. You have some very nice equipment too. Great job!

[jk1980]

Wow I jsut love how nice and clean your setup is. Great Job.

[Hammie]

You obviously don't have kids.

Very nice looking. I love the minimalist look of your whole place.

[crazyBLUE]

Originally Posted by BLURAYSONYES

Very nice clean setup!

Originally Posted by forsberg21

Very nice and aesthetically it looks awesome. You have some very nice equipment too. Great job!

Originally Posted by jk1980

Wow I jsut love how nice and clean your setup is. Great Job.

Originally Posted by louhamilton

You obviously don't have kids.

Very nice looking. I love the minimalist look of your whole place.

I agree with everyone else ! Vary nicely done Home Theater !

[repete66211]

mod·est
Pronunciation: \ˈmä-dəst\
Function: adjective
Etymology: Latin modestus moderate; akin to Latin modus measure
Date: 1565
1 a : placing a moderate estimate on one's abilities or worth b : neither bold nor self-assertive : tending toward diffidence
2 : arising from or characteristic of a modest nature
3 : observing the proprieties of dress and behavior : decent
4 a : limited in size, amount, or scope <a family of modest means> b :

You have a really sweet setup (I'm jealous) but "modest" is not a word I would use to describe it.

[okbarshabazz]

Originally Posted by repete66211

mod·est
You have a really sweet setup (I'm jealous) but "modest" is not a word I would use to describe it.

I'll take that as a compliment... I'm extremely pleased with it. However, I know that there are several people on this forum who have separate power amps, acoustic panels, superfluous amounts of speakers, and in general just plain better gear than I have... so I used the term "modest" relatively as I was going for a cleaner, more simple look.

[okbarshabazz]

I welcome anybody to rate my gallery/provide feedback!

[SeanMF]

Originally Posted by okbarshabazz

I welcome anybody to rate my gallery/provide feedback!

I did back in August. Feel free to do the same for mine if you haven't. I just put my bedroom gallery back up as I re-did it. Those glass stands underneath your dt speakers in your bedroom...did it come that way? Excellent setups with both rooms. You still considering an xpa-3?

[talstarone]

Outstanding System(s).
The Living Room System,using the Pioneer Elite AVR,PSB Imagine Speakers,and Def Tech SuperCube Sub is Awesome.

Love the AV Stand,a great piece that looks like Quality Furniture.
Then you can never go wrong with Pioneer Elite.
Especially not in their AVR's.Some of the Finest Made.

Then the PSB Speaker System is Beautiful.From the Deep Laquer Finish to the Curved Lines and Yellow Cones.Some Very Highly Rated Speakers(That have excellent performance in both Music and Movies.

The Living Room System is True High End in Each and very Piece.Congratulations on Assembling such a Wonderful System.

And the Bedroom System is Exceptional as well.
Very Clean with excellent Wire Management.

And,you Cant go wrong with Def Tech Mythos Speakers.
Again Some Excellent Speakers.

You have a Good Eye and Ear in Selecting Exceptional Speakers.Excellent Job and System in Both Rooms.

[Jwilly019]

You have a great looking set-up. A couple of points I'd like to make:

1. I believe an XPA-5 (or similar amp) would certainly benefit you. The SC-05 is a great receiver, but it wasn't designed to drive a 4-ohm load. It can do it, yes, but it's not the optimal set-up.

2. Have you tried moving the front baffle of your speakers past your tv stand? Even if they extend a quarter of an inch past the front of the stand, I've found that the speakers sound better.

Again, wonderful set-up.

Justin

[okbarshabazz]

talstarone,
thanks for all the compliments! although I feel I must tell you the stand, while I wish was quality, it's really just a bookshelf from Ikea turned on it's side!

Jwilly019,
I hear ya! I'm planning on getting an XPA-5, or in 2 different stages: an XPA-3 to power the front stage, and then an XPA-2 (which will power the mains and have the XPA-3 power the center & rears)... the Pioneer sounds great for now, and to be honest, I'm hesitant to get the Emotiva's until I get out of this apartment!

and about the speaker placement, it's hard to tell, but the towers are actually about 3-5" in front of the stand, and the center even pokes out a couple inches... or I should say that I have moved them out further since taking the photo..

[ldgibson76]

Hello okbarshabazz.

I commented on your "Modest" setups previously and I stand by my assessment! Excellent! BTW, using the PS3 and AppleTV are certainly acceptable vehicles for music playback.

In regards to adding an amp for the PSB's,.... being that they are a 4 ohm speaker, I would definitely suggest adding an XPA-3 or 5. And then acquire a dedicated music playback device like the Emotiva ERC-1 CDP. Real nice piece!
You could also try the UPA-5. At 4 ohms, it cranks out 185 watts per channel. for your space, that's plenty! Either way, adding an amp will undoubtedly provide you with improved performance, especially with 2 channel playback.

[Fors*]

Originally Posted by okbarshabazz

I welcome anybody to rate my gallery/provide feedback!

Nice set-up! I just auditioned the PSB T5's and T6's this past weekend, including the C5 center. I loved their sound. What model are yours? Excellent seperation and great detail. Plus it was a lot more laid back than my Polks. The price is fair too IMO...although I would try to talk the guy down from the retail prices he quoted me. I intend to add an Emotiva XPA-3 or XPA-5 amp as well, and so should you as ldgibson suggested. You have to love that SC-05...that is one awesome unit, isn't it! Great set-up!

[MrFattBill]

Very nice but I think you may have confused "modest" with "fantastic"

Bill

[okbarshabazz]

Originally Posted by ldgibson76

Hello okbarshabazz.

I commented on your "Modest" setups previously and I stand by my assessment! Excellent! BTW, using the PS3 and AppleTV are certainly acceptable vehicles for music playback.

In regards to adding an amp for the PSB's,.... being that they are a 4 ohm speaker, I would definitely suggest adding an XPA-3 or 5. And then acquire a dedicated music playback device like the Emotiva ERC-1 CDP. Real nice piece!
You could also try the UPA-5. At 4 ohms, it cranks out 185 watts per channel. for your space, that's plenty! Either way, adding an amp will undoubtedly provide you with improved performance, especially with 2 channel playback.

Thanks! Once again, I really only listen to music on sparing occasion, so I agree, for my mileage the Airport Express is great

Originally Posted by Fors*

Nice set-up! I just auditioned the PSB T5's and T6's this past weekend, including the C5 center. I loved their sound. What model are yours? Excellent seperation and great detail. Plus it was a lot more laid back than my Polks. The price is fair too IMO...although I would try to talk the guy down from the retail prices he quoted me. I intend to add an Emotiva XPA-3 or XPA-5 amp as well, and so should you as ldgibson suggested. You have to love that SC-05...that is one awesome unit, isn't it! Great set-up!

all of my equipment is in my signature, but the PSB's are all from the 'Imagine' line, that the 'Image' line is strongly modeled after. In fact many of the features and technology is "trickled down" to the Image from the Imagine (which were trickled down from the top-of-the-line Synchrony line)

Originally Posted by MrFattBill

Very nice but I think you may have confused "modest" with "fantastic"

haha, I appreciate it! I addressed this earlier in the thread, and I am completely understanding of the meaning of the word "modest"... I am just paying respect to all those out there with truly fantastic systems with dedicated rooms w/ acoustic treatments, front projections, separates, and far higher-end equipment than I.

that being said, I LOVE my equipment and am grateful for what I have!

[ldgibson76]

Originally Posted by okbarshabazz

Thanks! Once again, I really only listen to music on sparing occasion, so I agree, for my mileage the Airport Express is great
:

okbarshabazz.

Ask anyone on this forum that has added stronger amplification to very musical speakers. Music playback becomes a little more interesting. That's because you hear things you've never heard before out of tracks that you are very familiar with. It's almost like hearing your favorite track for the first time.

I hear what you're saying regarding the time allotted for listening to music, but I'm telling you, many of us felt the same way, until we added the amp to our systems. Believe me, you'll find a way to just sit and listen to a tune or two!

[okbarshabazz]

Originally Posted by ldgibson76

okbarshabazz.

Ask anyone on this forum that has added stronger amplification to very musical speakers. Music playback becomes a little more interesting. That's because you hear things you've never heard before out of tracks that you are very familiar with. It's almost like hearing your favorite track for the first time.

I hear what you're saying regarding the time allotted for listening to music, but I'm telling you, many of us felt the same way, until we added the amp to our systems. Believe me, you'll find a way to just sit and listen to a tune or two!

Hey, if you're right... then I won't be mad

[qiong]

You have a very awesome set up. Try not to be too modest.