Ya done good, son!
Yeah, every product you've bought is super high in value - the kind where you've got to spend
at least double - often more than double - for any kind of real improvement. Everything you've got there is a top pick in its price class, IMO. Your friends and relatives are going to be super impressed. And while it's not exactly cheap, you're still going to be grinning when you think of how little you actually paid for the level of quality you're going to experience.
Your excitement is WELL deserved. Well done, I must say
From this excellent set of gear, I'd add a few more items that we've talked about via PM:
- I'd add a battery backup UPS to protect your projector, your DVR (if you add one) and anything else with a cooling fan or hard drive. APC is easily the way to go for battery UPS protection. The J35B would probably be the best fit since you don't need to plug everything into the UPS and it's a nice, thin unit that still has substantial battery life to keep a DVR recording during a power outage
Alternatives would be the J25B (similar, but no voltage regulation) or the J15BLK (larger, more battery outlets)
- With the dual LFM-1 EX subs (SUCH a great deal with that sale that just ended...so glad you jumped on that
) and their downward firing configuration and spike "feet", I'd highly, highly recommend getting a pair of Auralex GRAMMA isolation risers. They are the perfect platform to give the drivers downward clearance (if you have carpet, it might get in the way if the sub sinks down into the carpet pad). I'm also a huge proponent of decoupling subwoofers and speakers. With the spike "feet" of the subs, you are almost certain to couple the subs to the floor without a decoupling device. Having your subs decoupled will decrease the structure-borne transmission of vibrations into other rooms - meaning you will bother people in other rooms less...always a big plus
Within the theater, decoupling can sometimes have audible benefits, though not always. Reduction of the physical vibrations of the floor, walls and ceiling can decrease secondary resonances though (sounds created by the vibrating walls), and that can have audible benefits sometimes, depending on the construction of your house. Regardless, a pair of GRAMMA risers is a very worthwhile purchase IMO as they will allow your Outlaw subs to perform to their maximum capabilities.
- Speaker of maximum capabilities, no system is defined by the gear alone. The room itself is 50% of the system. So first up, it's very important to be able to measure your audio system and be able to get a good idea of the frequency response at your various seats. A good measurement mic - like the Dayton EMM-6 or Behringer ECM8000 -, a USB interface that provides phantom power for the mic - like the ART USB Dual Pre -, a microphone stand (with a boom) and a nice long microphone cable are all you need to get some great measurements with your laptop and the free Room EQ Wizard (REW) software
- Once you measure, you can set to work on resolving any issues with dips or peaks in your response. First line of defence is simply proper placement and finding spots for your twin subs that produce no major dips in the bass.
- In order to reduce the severity of your dips and peaks, and in order to reduce your early reflection points from your speakers (which can make dialogue harder to understand or make the sound less distinct and clear or muddy the imaging and soundstage), the second line of defence are passive room treatments. GiK Acoustics and Acoustimac offer great passive room treatments and low prices. A GiK Room Kit gets you pretty much all the absorption you will need with 4 large bass traps for the corners and several panels for the front wall, side walls and directly behind the seats on the back wall. GiK also has great diffusion panels to better scatter the surround effects in the back of the room and break up reflections off of the ceiling while still keeping the room sounding "live" and not too deadened.
- After things have been measured, placement optimized, measured again, passive room treatments installed, and measured yet again - if any troublesome peaks still exist, a separate EQ can take care of anything that your Denon's Audyssey MultEQ XT programme doesn't catch automatically. A separate EQ is your last line of defence, and in all likelihood, probably not going to be necessary in your case if you place things optimally and possibly install some passive room treatments. Audyssey MultEQ XT is a fairly decent EQ already! But on the off chance that all of that still lets some troublesome peaks through - or simply can't knock down the deepest bass peaks that are caused by room gain - you can get yourself a unit like the Behringer DSP1124P Feedback Destroyer to take care of things. Connect the DSP1124P to your laptop with a USB-to-MIDI interface and REW can automatically set the parametric equalizers for you! Or you can do it manually, if you like
You're starting with great gear, so you're already well ahead of the game! Protecting it with a battery backup only makes sense. Giving your twin subs good clearance and decoupling from the structure so they can perform to their maximum only makes sense. And being able to measure is vital, IMO. From there, you'll be able to see and hear whether passive room treatments and separate EQ above and beyond Audyssey MultEQ XT will be beneficial. Personally, if budget allows, I'd go for at least a basic Room Kit for maximum dialogue clarity, imaging and soundstage. My bet is that a separate EQ won't be necessary if you take that worthwhile step
Nothing like a new, awesome system to get us all jazzed up! Man, that's a nice setup. I think you're REALLY going to enjoy it
