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

[Rob J in WNY]

Addition of Polk Audio CS2 center channel speaker, which replaces my Polk Audio CSi25 center channel. A very welcome upgrade! I added a very modest amount of polyfill to the new CS2 as well.

[crazyBLUE]

Look's great Rob . That thing is big as well . How does the front sound stage sound now ?

[Rob J in WNY]

Thanks, cB! It is pretty large. Of course, before I ordered it, I made sure my stand could accomodate it, which it does nicely, even with some "angle-up" room to point the baffle more directly to my primary listening area.

I have not really put the system to any rigorous, reference-level tests with the CS2 installed, but the first two BDs I have played were Independence Day and Cars - both excellent audio material! So far, so good. I did some re-equalization on the center channel, and I found I had to back off its level by 1dB (the CS2 is evidently, and understandably, a more efficient speaker than the CSi25). I may go down 1 more dB yet, but that will be better determined when I can get some reference-level volumes going.

I will also play No Country For Old Men as well, which has some of the most rock-solid dialog around.

Overall, a good upgrade for me. The CSi25 is a solid performer (which sounded even better when I added polyfill to it), but it was time to make the jump to something larger and better.

[crazyBLUE]

Originally Posted by Rob J in WNY

Thanks, cB! It is pretty large. Of course, before I ordered it, I made sure my stand could accomodate it, which it does nicely, even with some "angle-up" room to point the baffle more directly to my primary listening area.

I have not really put the system to any rigorous, reference-level tests with the CS2 installed, but the first two BDs I have played were Independence Day and Cars - both excellent audio material! So far, so good. I did some re-equalization on the center channel, and I found I had to back off its level by 1dB (the CS2 is evidently, and understandably, a more efficient speaker than the CSi25). I may go down 1 more dB yet, but that will be better determined when I can get some reference-level volumes going.

I will also play No Country For Old Men as well, which has some of the most rock-solid dialog around.

Overall, a good upgrade for me. The CSi25 is a solid performer (which sounded even better when I added polyfill to it), but it was time to make the jump to something larger and better.

Let use know how it stands up to some reference material , I am sure it will do vary well with you're SC-05

[Johnny Vinyl]

Very nice setup Rob! I love the look of that Sony and you are to be complimented on your wire management skills!

John

[Fors*]

Rob, the CS2 cabinet design is made to be flipped over so you can angle it up without any kind of "weding" under the cabinet. All you have to do is take off the grill, flip the speaker over, and put the grill back on. I have mine set-up this way and there is a good pic of it in my gallery. This way your CS2 will be naturally angled up for your listening pleasure! Congrats on the purchase by the way, it looks awesome!

[Rob J in WNY]

Tonight, I began the process of making thje sonic improvement of getting my subwoofer along the same plane as my front speakers. My sub has been off to the side in order to offer its best quality room performance in my acoustically challenged living room. I could never place my sub along my front soundstage. Its output there was attenuated and weak, so it went off to the side of my couch, where its output was strong and good, but not always a perfect blend with the front speakers. I knew that eventually I would have to move my system to set things aright and get the sound quality I wanted.

Repositioning a 7.1 channel home theater system is quite a task. It cannot be done by simply moving the equipment rack, speakers, and pushing some furniture around. Boy, do I wish it was! In addition, it required disconnecting all speakers and most component interconnects, and moving my Sony XBR4 TV off the stand. All speaker wires needed to be rerouted. Speaking of "routing," ethernet connections for my player and receiver needed a total re-thinking. I moved my wireless router into the living room, realized an overall network connection shortage dilemma (some wires were too short), so I ran out and purchased two new 15-foot CAT5 network cables, along with a high-quality, 12-foot RG-6 cable extension (and adaptors) to extended my cable signal to my TV's new location.

About the only break I got was that my subwoofer cable was shortened drastically from about 20 feet to 2 feet, and that I was able to leave my receiver and center channel speaker in the stand while I moved it.

My Sony BDP-S350 player is now on the right-hand side of the setup, which makes more sense as the remote sensor on the TV is off to the right. No more pointing remotes in different directions.

Now, the system is up and running, but it needs a ton of cable/wire management, and I will have to run MCACC on my Pioneer Elite SC-05 receiver again in order to re-evaluate the standing wave processing. I manually entered in revised speaker distances for all seven channels.

I also have to find a practical way to incorporate my turntable into the system again. The area where it would normally go is now occupied by the subwoofer. For obvious reasons, the turntable cannot go on top of the sub. I wish it could, but it's physically impractical. I will figure it out, as I enjoy playing vinyl too much to leave it out.

My surround-back speakers are considerably closer to my listening position now - only three feet away (formerly six feet). I'm not anticipating much of a change as there is still so little 7.1 channel material at this time. Really, the standard 5.1 channel speakers' distances changed very little - six inches closer on the front three channels.

I have to say that this project was fun, and so far, in preliminary testing with both music and movie material, the sub blends in better. When my sub was off to the side, I could hear some directionality at higher LFE frequencies, and the odd acoustics of my living room sometimes broke up the low-frequency soundfield as well - evidently at or near the system crossover frequency of 80Hz. Now, with the sub in association with the front speakers, the overall soundfield is as it should be, complete and seamless. In reality, the sub never moved, but the rest of my home theater joined it.

I'm anticipating the heavy drapes behind the system may even help improve the sound from the center channel speaker - even if only marginally. I say this because it is rear-ported, and though this is to enhance low-frequency response and output, I would imagine some low-midrange and midrange frequencies will also emanate from it, and the heavy drapes will help reduce some potentially degrading reflection. Again, it may be a marginal improvement, at best. I haven't rearranged my living room in years, and so, overall, the entire project has brought a welcome change to my home as well.

The entire project took me a little over four hours to perform, working slowly and methodically - no rushing this. I can't wait to get the cables and wires bundled and cleaned up. It's a mess right now.

Yes, that's me in the pic (taken with my laptop's built-in camera), making a first run of the newly moved theater with the Star Trek BD. The drapes are pulled out of the way so that I could manage the wires a bit more easily. Of course, once finished, I will take all new photos of my setup and update my gallery here.

[talstarone]

Way to Go,Rob,my Friend.

I must say you deserve a Great Deal of Credit in going thru what is almost like setting up your entire system for the very First Time.

Sounds as if it all went well(minus the router situation and additional Ethernet cables and extensions).

But with having your back surrounds a good deal closer when you do listen to a 7.1 Channel DTS-HD Audio Track Blu-Ray it should provide a Very Immersive Surround Sound Experience(And I am noticing more Blu-Rays are going to 7-channel tracks/Especially the newer titles)Like Ice Age 3 is a 7.1 Channel DTS-HD track.

And I have to agree with the Forum's Review.That 3:10 To Yuma(the re-make with Christian Bale and Russell Crowe)Has the most Amazing and Immersive 7 Channel Audio Track I have Ever Heard.
But Congratulations on what sounds(and looks from the pic)a Successful Project.And if it helped integrate the Subs Bass Performance into your system,then it was worth every moment you spent.

So,Bravo.I Love to See Someone So Willing to Re-Do Almost Everything To Get an Improvement in your Home Theaters Audio Performance.Many people would have Never even considered it,with so much physical and mental work involved.

But seeing you so willing to get every bit of performance from your system,Is Most Impressive to me,my Friend.I Look forward to the New Updated pics.

So,I wish you well on the wire management.And hope you are able to find several more Blu-Rays you like,to add to your collection that have 7-Channel Audio Tracks.

So keep us informed.And let me know when the new Gallery Pics are up.And Congratulations(as well as Great Job)on everything you did and accomplished,Rob.

[Fors*]

I can't see the pic Rob because of work, but I will check them out later.

That sounds like a daunting task for sure, but good for you. It seems not only aesthetically better to look at, but you achieved the sonic improvement you wanted as well. You are a true audiophile in my book, as you did all of this just to get the right balance of high and low frequencies with your speakers and sub. Despite the sub performing admirably next to the couch, you wanted that something extra and it seems you got it. Congrats and now the worse part is only remaining.....those darn cables!

[Rob J in WNY]

Thanks, fellas!

The wire management has begun tonight. I have done my best to keep the A/C power lines separate from speaker wire bundles and the subwoofer audio feed. It takes a great deal of patience, and my next step is to work on the network cables for the receiver and BD player. It's all about the data!

Isn't it funny how making changes and additions to your system makes you want to watch your movies over again? Tonight, I plunked down for all three hours of Watchmen: Director's Cut and I didn't move an inch during the whole movie - I thought I was only going to watch selected parts, but I wound up watching it from beginning to end and it was simply lovely!

Haven't played any 7.1 material yet, but I did find that I had not yet lowered the speaker level of the surround-back speakers (going from six feet to three feet away). I'll definitely consider 3:10 to Yuma as a test track for 7.1. Absolutely reference-quality audio on that title!

Yes, I can't wait to take the new pics and get them posted! I'm going to try to do an extra good job on the photos for the updates.

[Rob J in WNY]

Just a little update. This past month, I have done a little upgrading worth noting in this thread.

I picked up the new Sony BDP-S570 Blu-ray player to replace my faithful BDP-S350. I have no complaints about the S350, but the added features of the S570 won me over, with its industry-leading disc loading times, soon-to-be 3D ready (with a firmware update coming sometime this summer), WiFi network access, and content streaming services. The touted claim of fast BD movie loading times is founded. I tested the loading of the Avatar BD on the S570 vs. the S350 and it loads a full 42 seconds faster on the S570. Actual times were 1:00 (S570) vs. 1:42 (S350). I timed them from pushing the button to close the disc tray to the "resume playback" screen on Avatar.

To be sure, I don't know if I'll embrace 3D technology which will be available for the S570, but I can safely say that, in spending some extended demo time with Monsters vs. Aliens at a local Best Buy store (which, as of this writing is the only 3D feature film available on Blu-ray using the new technology), I don't get the side effects which some experience (nausea/motion sickness/headaches). I have a wired, ethernet connection to the S570 at present, so I don't have a need for the player's wireless N capability as of yet, but it's nice to know it's there.

However, I just upgraded my older Netgear "RangeMax" 10/100 Wireless G router with a new Netgear "RangeMax" Gigabit/Wireless N300 router (model WNR3500L), and I also installed a Seagate 1.5TB USB drive on the router's built-in USB 2.0 port. This setup may relieve my desktop computer as the "server" for media files playable by my Pioneer SC-05 receiver. My laptop has Wireless N adapter, and now my "round-the-house" internet speed more than doubled, and actually matches the wired speed of my desktop computer, averaging 25 to 33mbps (Time Warner Cable, for those curious).

The latter are just little things, but all going toward a bigger picture - literally. Sometime in the future, I am looking to replace my wonderful Sony KDL-40XBR4 TV with a new, 3D-ready plasma. I have been eyeing the Panasonic VT25 in a 50" size, but I'm not quite ready to bite the bullet on it yet. Again, I'm not sure how well I'll embrace 3D, but it would be nice to get a TV which can process it, especially since I now have a BD player which will.

My Sony BDP-S350 now resides in my bedroom where it plays through an old, small Philips "Micro Theatre" MCD700 2-channel system, and a 20" CRT TV...lol!

I'll certainly find a smaller LCD for use in the bedroom, and may put up a small surround system. I still have my old Sony STR-DE845 receiver, which can't do 7.1, lossless audio or HDMI, but lossy 5.1 audio via optical in the bedroom would be enjoyable enough.

Someday, I'll get some new, revised pics up in my gallery. The system is in a completely different location in my living room and it has been a great move for the better, both aesthetically, visually, and sonically. There's a picture I took during the system move (from last December) a few posts up from this one.

Some really great movie titles which really highlight the capability of Blu-ray have come out. Avatar was already mentioned, and Saving Private Ryan is another. These really are must-own titles, especially for "reference" buffs, and are enjoyable movies to watch and experience on a fine home theater setup.

Well, until next time!

[SeanMF]

Looks good...I think the upgraditus bug has struck you. Great job!

[Rob J in WNY]

Originally Posted by SeanMF

Looks good...I think the upgraditus bug has struck you. Great job!

Haha! Looks like upgrade-itis really (and unexpectedly) took a hold of me as I picked up a Panasonic TC-P50VT20 plasma TV and Panasonic DMP-BDT300 Blu-ray player (both 3D-ready) yesterday on a great in-store combo-offer from Best Buy yesterday.

The TV was in stock, but the player was not, and will come later.

I carefully assembled the new TV and set it up in replacement of my beloved Sony KDL-40XBR4 LCD. I still love my Sony, and wish Sony would be the one making the plasma I would upgrade to, but with Pioneer out of the plasma business, Panasonic became my projected brand of choice when making the jump to plasma, and a larger screen as well (going from 40" to 50").

Ran the TV's setup routine and put it in THX video mode for an initial Blu-ray viewing. Used Baraka (naturally, a good choice) for the first BD title and the results were beautiful! I made a few small tweaks, and a formal calibration will come after a break-in period. Black levels, and especially motion-resolution, are noticeably greater in quality over the Sony XBR4.

The TV came with one pair of active-shutter 3D glasses. I am not so sure I am going to be embracing the current 3D technology in earnest, but it's nice to know it's there. Even my current (and fairly new) Sony BDP-S570 Blu-ray player is 3D-ready.

Just wanted to update my personal theater thread. I really need to get some updated pics up on here!

[ZIPPO]

Originally Posted by Rob J in WNY

Haha! Looks like upgrade-itis really (and unexpectedly) took a hold of me as I picked up a Panasonic TC-P50VT20 plasma TV and Panasonic DMP-BDT300 Blu-ray player (both 3D-ready) yesterday on a great in-store combo-offer from Best Buy yesterday.

The TV was in stock, but the player was not, and will come later.

I carefully assembled the new TV and set it up in replacement of my beloved Sony KDL-40XBR4 LCD. I still love my Sony, and wish Sony would be the one making the plasma I would upgrade to, but with Pioneer out of the plasma business, Panasonic became my projected brand of choice when making the jump to plasma, and a larger screen as well (going from 40" to 50").

Ran the TV's setup routine and put it in THX video mode for an initial Blu-ray viewing. Used Baraka (naturally, a good choice) for the first BD title and the results were beautiful! I made a few small tweaks, and a formal calibration will come after a break-in period. Black levels, and especially motion-resolution, are noticeably greater in quality over the Sony XBR4.

The TV came with one pair of active-shutter 3D glasses. I am not so sure I am going to be embracing the current 3D technology in earnest, but it's nice to know it's there. Even my current (and fairly new) Sony BDP-S570 Blu-ray player is 3D-ready.

Just wanted to update my personal theater thread. I really need to get some updated pics up on here!

I had the same realization when I swapped out my XBR5 for a Panasonic plasma. Congrats, I'm glad you are happy with it.

[Rob J in WNY]

Originally Posted by ZIPPO

I had the same realization when I swapped out my XBR5 for a Panasonic plasma. Congrats, I'm glad you are happy with it.

Thank you, Zippo! In truth, I wasn't greatly unhappy with my XBR4, which led me to be patient enough to wait for a good deal on a good plasma. Patience pays off!

I am still running the break-in on the TV, and the little bit of movie watching has been mixed/zoomed 2.35:1 and 1.78:1 content. Right now, I've got Avatar in, and I'm completely blown away by the visuals!

[Rob J in WNY]

Breaking in the phosphors of a new plasma TV has been a bit of a controversial subject. Some say it's absolutely necessary, while others have had no problems without a break-in routine. I am choosing to run break-in time on my new Panny VT20.

For those interested, I have made a video showing one complete cycle of plasma break-in imagery (a bit boring, to be sure) and posted it on my YouTube page. I had never seen plasma break-in material before, but getting this process done really more simple than it may seem, and newcomers to plasma need not fear any complication at all to break in their screens.

Although there are a few different schemes for plasma break-in imagery, the one I am using simply utilize red, green, blue (primary colors) and white images created at 1080x1920 pixel resolution. Each color is broken into five gradients, making twenty frames in all. I loaded them onto an old 32MB SD card and used the VT20's built-in SD card interface to play them as a slideshow (fast interval), continuously looped. No need to create and/or play a DVD to break this TV in.

I downloaded the break-in images from this page - scroll down to Plasma Break-in DVD Images - Zip Download (8KB).

TV picture settings are brightness and contrast both at 50% (not that the latter matters so much with solid-color material).

Here is the link to my YouTube video (up to 480p quality):

Panasonic TC-P50VT20 Plasma TV Break-In Video

Enjoy!

[talstarone]

Hey Rob,my Friend.
I hope you have and enjoy a Great Day.

[Rob J in WNY]

Just a quick update. Earlier today, I got an email update that my Panasonic DMP-BDT300 Blu-ray player came in. I promptly ran over and picked it up. Got it swapped in fairly quickly and set it up. BD video quality is quite nice, likely superior to the Sony BDP-S570, and the DVD upconversion quality is definitely superior.

There was definitely some tweaking to do. Setting the player to bitstream all audio and send the highest quality audio via HDMI had to be done. A few other "creature" tweaks were in order as well.

WiFi access was not built into the player (like it is on the Sony S570), but Panasonic was nice enough to provide a wireless access dongle, and I was able to get the player connected to my secured Wireless-N network easily.

The player came with a 3D sample Blu-ray disc. I have not hooked up everything for 3D yet, but with the Panny player's two HDMI outputs, I don't have to be concerned about my Pioneer Elite SC-05 receiver being HDMI 1.3.

In other comparisons between the Panny BDT300 and the Sony S570, I can say that the loading and chapter navigation times on the Sony are better, and the Sony also supports DLNA, where as the Panny does not. Both players do offer net streaming of various services such as YouTube, Netflix and Pandora Radio, with the Sony offering many more options. The Sony player is much slimmer and, in my opinion, more attractive-looking, and it also will play SACDs. Both units have USB media support, with the Panny offing an SD card slot as well. The Panny also will play DivX-encoded video, where as the Sony will not.

I will offer more as I find out more. I am a bit surprised that I have gone from Sony to Panasonic in terms of TV and BD players. I am becoming keenly aware that there are definite differences and advantages of each brand. Of course, I will still use my Sony XBR4 TV and Sony S570 BD player - I'll figure out a way to fit those in my bedroom! My son will now get my Sony BDP-S350 BD player in his room.

[Mr. Joshua]

Enjoy the Panny blu-ray!

[talstarone]

Its really nice to see you around Rob, my Friend.
I hope you are still enjoying that Awesome System you have put together.