Dumbest Home Theater Setup Thread

[Ax-man]

What exactly is it with folks sometimes? Just a couple of weeks ago a neighbor was inquiring about the addition of a 'good' HT system for his house and wanted me to 'point him in the right direction' (money is not that big of an issue) so after spending a couple of hours and showing him our system and how everything works he turns around and buys a Bose system with Best Buy doing the install ... after I specifically suggested anything but Bose.

Or....

Several months back my sister-in-law from out of town while viewing our just completed room says 'Nice, but you should see our Bose system, it is AWESOME!' ... my wife's brother gave her one of those 'Oh that was real nice, Honey' looks.

 

[Totoro]

What exactly is it with folks sometimes? Just a couple of weeks ago a neighbor was inquiring about the addition of a 'good' HT system for his house and wanted me to 'point him in the right direction' (money is not that big of an issue) so after spending a couple of hours and showing him our system and how everything works he turns around and buys a Bose system with Best Buy doing the install ... after I specifically suggested anything but Bose.

Or....

Several months back my sister-in-law from out of town while viewing our just completed room says 'Nice, but you should see our Bose system, it is AWESOME!' ... my wife's brother gave her one of those 'Oh that was real nice, Honey' looks.

You're kidding! Maybe she just hates Stevie Ray and BB King. Did she actually watch a movie? I know that most women hate large speakers for some reason. The biggest I was "allowed" to use was Paradigm Titan. I have my JBL Studio Floorstanding speakers in my workshop! The other day she comes to me and says, "Can you put some smaller speakers in the workshop so we can have some more storage space?" NOT!

 

[darien87]

Several months back my sister-in-law from out of town while viewing our just completed room says 'Nice, but you should see our Bose system, it is AWESOME!' ... my wife's brother gave her one of those 'Oh that was real nice, Honey' looks.

Man, I just looked at your system. Anyone that would listen to that and have the balls to say anything about Bose, MUST be a moron!!!

Wanna hear something funny? I just recently got into Stevie Ray Vaughn, because of Guitar Hero of all things. I really dug Texas Flood and decided to give Stevie a listen. Good stuff.

 

[j_garcia]

What exactly is it with folks sometimes? Just a couple of weeks ago a neighbor was inquiring about the addition of a 'good' HT system for his house and wanted me to 'point him in the right direction' (money is not that big of an issue) so after spending a couple of hours and showing him our system and how everything works he turns around and buys a Bose system with Best Buy doing the install ... after I specifically suggested anything but Bose.

Or....

Several months back my sister-in-law from out of town while viewing our just completed room says 'Nice, but you should see our Bose system, it is AWESOME!' ... my wife's brother gave her one of those 'Oh that was real nice, Honey' looks.

I would have politely tossed er...escorted her out the door....

My MOM bought my dad a Bose speaker system as well...the shame Then he asked me to get him an inexpensive system for the den - I got a small 5.1 system AND a receiver for half the price of the Bose and it sounds better.

 

[dem beats]

It's a sad thing when people don't listen.

I think it stems from people getting frustrated. I notice people go all glazed over directly after I tell them the little knowledge I have. Even the person who got me into Home Theater audio(he did have several bose systems in my house and at the time they sounded amazing..... They were mostly with about 10 year old equipment though and only a few cubes but those were doubled up and only for rear/surrounds.) got all glassy eyed when I started going into how the speakers sound and he laughed at the idea of someone crawling around on the floor "bass crawling".

Now when I go over to his place I just take solace and accept that I had more passion. Be it ambision or dollars everyone has a limit they reach, and it's "just easier" to go the rout they did.

Take me my energy set up wowed and amazed me, and once I found out the price point I was stunned that it could sound this good... I could maybe tell the magnepans I heard were a bit more musical, the Imaging on the classic 4's from NHT were awesome.... but in the end, my wallet and patience couldn't here the difference.

These folks wanted to feel like they got what suits them, which it did, someone else doing all the work be it in a bose box system or best buy comming over, and the names that the neighbors will wow over.

I can't tell you how often people look at my set up and say "why waste a room on that no name gear... DUDE my Bose/JVC/Rampage get waaaay louder"

They just don't see it.... Some of use close out eyes and when Ms. Krall is singing we want to see her in our minds eye through our ears, want the couch to buck wildly when mines go off in Finding Nemo....

They got what makes them the biggest fish in their pond. Some folks are scared to step into the audio ocean because it's safe and they can grasp what lives in their tiny little world, and all the neighbors can come over and marvel at how much sound comes from a 2" cube.....

 

[mtrycrafts]

Mtry would never place his boomboxes speakers like that!

Not when other alternatives are available, never

 

[cutlas]

This is the same room setup I just worked on with my father - brand new house - corner fireplace with built-in shelving unit.

Placed the 50" plasma on top of the fireplace with center left and right with rears and sub in the same location as you have in your diagram.

Set it all up with Avia and an SPL meter. I wasn't sure how it would sound with the center and fronts being so close to each other, but it actually turned out well.

The only issue is his receiver is sitting in the pre-built unit with 1/2" clearance above the receiver (so it's getting quite hot). To gain a little more space we're thinking of removing the receiver's legs to gain 1/4" and possibly putting a fan at the back to push some air through. Any thoughts?

You are right, but the setup problems had nothing to do with the room layout. Also, I would get rid of the center channel and put both front channels next to the TV. I would change the left front to the left rear and make the left rear into the 6th channel rear. I would move the right rear a little bit and place the sofas more toward the center of the room. I would also take the front speakers off the ceiling and put them at ear height and lower the side and rear channels by about 2 feet. It's still not perfect but at least you won't get the front sound coming out the side.

See the diagram for my suggested fix. Maybe he could also have a front center channel, but with the speakers so close to the TV because of the doors, a phantom center would probably work just as well.

 

[Totoro]

The only issue is his receiver is sitting in the pre-built unit with 1/2" clearance above the receiver (so it's getting quite hot). To gain a little more space we're thinking of removing the receiver's legs to gain 1/4" and possibly putting a fan at the back to push some air through. Any thoughts?

If you could post a picture of the pre-built and receiver, it would be helpful. I had the same problem with my cabinet and I ended up removing one of the shelves and taking out a CD player that I rarely used.

 

[cutlas]

I should have taken a photo - next time I'm back there I'll take a photo to show the challenge. It's an interesting design - its actually built into the frame of the mantel of the fireplace - so there is nothing we could remove (above or below).

 

[trailertrash]

The only issue is his receiver is sitting in the pre-built unit with 1/2" clearance above the receiver (so it's getting quite hot). To gain a little more space we're thinking of removing the receiver's legs to gain 1/4" and possibly putting a fan at the back to push some air through. Any thoughts?

is the units bottom panel vented? if so by taking the feet off you may be blocking the air intake.

 

[Totoro]

I just returned from this friend's house and he finally agreed to let me reconfigure the system the way I suggested above. Everything worked fine except the rear surround. Even without the rear surround, he said the sound is much better than it was. I also suggested he buy some good floor standing speakers and front center and use the Bose cubes for surround only, but he seems satisfied with it now that I "fixed" it for him and will likely just stay with the speakers he has. Too bad, because his other electronics are half decent. It's unfortunate to waste on low quality Bose speakers.

 

[Rickster71]

I get the impression that people with Bose systems think that there're on the 'cutting edge.'
They don't understand why anyone would want big speakers taking up any room; and seem to think they have their feet firmly planted in the 21st century, with their cube speakers. They can't understand why you don't get it. My next door neighbor is like that.

 

[jeffsg4mac]

I don't know if that system gets the award for the dumbest HT setup. I think this is the clear winner for dumbest HT setup of the year.

 

[avaserfi]

I don't know if that system gets the award for the dumbest HT setup. I think this is the clear winner for dumbest HT setup of the year.

Do you not realize what height surrounds do?! They make noise ABOVE your head its revolutionary!!!!

 

[Seth=L]

Do you not realize what height surrounds do?! They make noise ABOVE your head its revolutionary!!!!

No matter where he goes, Ashley can't escape those that loathe his Dolby pro-logic setup with so many speakers I can't keep count.

 

[caupina]

I get the impression that people with Bose systems think that there're on the 'cutting edge.'
They don't understand why anyone would want big speakers taking up any room; and seem to think they have their feet firmly planted in the 21st century, with their cube speakers. They can't understand why you don't get it. My next door neighbor is like that.

Could it be that they just like the sound of those speakers regardless of the brand????

 

[avaserfi]

Could it be that they just like the sound of those speakers regardless of the brand????

Probably the case, but when you've never heard a mediocre set of speakers even blose sounds good.

 

[agarwalro]

A friend of mine has watched a few movies on my setup and been stunned every time. Unbeknownst to me, he went to Best Buy and got conned.

He ended up with Bose bookshelf speakers, low end Pioneer receiver and a 27" Samsung LCD. The audio was routed from the STB and DVD player to his TV and then from the TV to the Receiver. And, he had RF from the STB to the TV, so the TV did all the channel tuning.

After the initial shock wore off, I rewired the setup for him since he was happy with the gear. His argument, "I got this 7" travel DVD player for free"... I guess you can't argue with that.

 

[caupina]

and what a good speaker is supposed to sound like???? We all hear different and have different tastes in music so even though I'm very well aware of the little cubes shortcomings, in my opinion their placement is very critical. But again I've listened to some B&W and Klipsch and I can't say I've come away impressed, and even though I'm sure my listening experience wasn't under the ideal circumstances, I still prefer my 701 SII. What I'm trying to say is that taste is not something you could measure so no comparison is fair enough, so regardless of the speaker brand or what the speaker is made of, or even what the speaker specs say, that is no guarantee that you have the best sound in the world....as they say beauty is in the ear of the beholder

 

[Dolby CP-200]

No matter where he goes, Ashley can't escape those that loathe his Dolby pro-logic setup with so many speakers I can't keep count.

It’s fully run as Dolby digital or maybe you skipped though the reading and haven’t the first clue how it works or performs. You really should see some cinemas and what they have. You must be fixed on this Dolby digital hype it’s clouded your judgment.

Has for the dumbest I guess the person can’t think for himself and come up with his own original ideas instead he starts a worthless thread no matter at least it sounds better than, most who have spent 10K on a lemon!