My little HT set up

[ParadigmDawg]

Well, I was going to wait until my system was complete before I posted it but I now realize that it is never finished!

I still need to find an entertainment system that looks like nice furniture and will hold all my gear including the giant center channel. I am also still working with the WAF on acoustic treatments and she is fighting it pretty hard. I am still uncertain about adding an external amp but will more than likely add the Emotiva RPA-1 in the next month or so.

Panasonic TH-50PX60U
Yamaha RX-V659
Paradigm Studio 40 V.4 up front
Paradigm Studio CC-590 V.4
Paradigm Servo-15
Sonance Symphony in-ceiling surrounds
Harmony 659
PS3

 

[Rowdy S13]

Looks nice, hows the center work for you like that?

Sean

 

[adk highlander]

Nice setup.

What are the dimensions of your room and how do you like in-ceiling surrounds?

I just upgraded to the MPS-1 recently and at first I was a little dissapointed as I thought generally it would be "louder" than the internal amp in my receiver. Now I truly understand the term headroom. I was watching LOTR Return of the King at near reference levels and I could not believe the difference and was instantly happy with my purchase.

 

[ParadigmDawg]

It works great but I consider it a 'work around' until we find the right piece of furniture. Clint just did an article on using centers vertically and it was positive.

Looks nice, hows the center work for you like that?

Sean

 

[ParadigmDawg]

It’s the dreaded “open” floor plan that encompasses ~8000 cubic feet. The actual diminsions of the room itself are 25ft d/ 20ft w/ 14ft h but it opens into a large kitchen.

Yep; I bet I could use the headroom.

The in-ceilings are better than I thought they would be. It was a demand from the wife and she wouldnt budge but I am pretty impressed with them.

Nice setup.

What are the dimensions of your room and how do you like in-ceiling surrounds?

I just upgraded to the MPS-1 recently and at first I was a little dissapointed as I thought generally it would be "louder" than the internal amp in my receiver. Now I truly understand the term headroom. I was watching LOTR Return of the King at near reference levels and I could not believe the difference and was instantly happy with my purchase.

 

[Sheep]

Have you considered making the ceiling speakers paradigm also?

You should try using no flash with your pictures and getting a tripod. It makes a HUGE difference.

SheepStar

 

[ParadigmDawg]

My dealer actually talked me out of the Paradigm in-ceilings and into the Sonace. He owns the store and he has the Sonace in his house and he said "I can have anything I want for free and these are what I use". He seems to steer me the right way and he could have made more money on the Digms so I trusted him on this one.

Yep; the pictures are pretty bad but I took them late last night and didnt think much about them.

Have you considered making the ceiling speakers paradigm also?

You should try using no flash with your pictures and getting a tripod. It makes a HUGE difference.

SheepStar

 

[avliner]

Greg,

congrats on your setup. Pretty nice one!
With that enormous center channel, who needs L/R's anyway??
Owesome sound I guess...

 

[Tomorrow]

Your setup looks great, Greg. It also looks like it may be begging for some room treatments.

 

[westcott]

Congratulations! I like your equipment selection. Shows some research went into your purchases with good performance\cost ratios. I also like the clean installation. AV credenza prices are all over the place but buy the best one you can afford. They will stay with you a long time and can make or break the look of a room, especially a room as nice as yours. I like a low profile unit that does not get in the way of good speaker placement or enclose the display. Try to keep that center channel at ear level if you can.

Good luck and keep us posted on your progress. Your right, you are never really finished.

 

[Davemcc]

What a perfect wall for setting up you HT equipment. I like that, with the doorways on each side and plenty of room to fit the system. I'm thinking that if you wall mount the TV, then just about any TV stand will fit nicely. That giant center speaker can sit on the top shelf where the TV would normally sit and the equipment on the shelves below.

Even in your current setup, if the TV were on the wall, your center could sit on top of your tables.

 

[matthewdclarkaz]

nice!

I actually really dig the look of the two small tables with the center in-between! I agree that the wall looks perfect size, and a wall mounting would look sweet.

I was hoping to see someone who had tried the vertical center, I was thinking of playing around with that just for kicks after I read the article.

Anyway, looks nice, clean, and sleek!

 

[ParadigmDawg]

The two end tables with the center in-between actually turned out better than I thought. I have considered mounting the Plasma on the wall but this would increase my viewing distance by about 1.5 feet and I am already 11 feet away so I am on the verge of having a TV that is too small. My super secret plan (do not tell my wife) is to add a PJ and then mount the plasma on the wall (for normal viewing) and have the PJ screen lower over the plasma when it’s movie time and then hide away when movie time is over. That wall is just too good not to have a 100-120” screen!

I have attached a picture of the in-ceilings, the patio with the zone 2 speakers and the beginning of the bedroom system.

I actually really dig the look of the two small tables with the center in-between! I agree that the wall looks perfect size, and a wall mounting would look sweet.

I was hoping to see someone who had tried the vertical center, I was thinking of playing around with that just for kicks after I read the article.

Anyway, looks nice, clean, and sleek!

 

[mazersteven]

Good looking system. I bet it sounds even better. Nice Job.

 

[mike c]

paradigm studios and the servo15 ... I'm jealous!

 

[ParadigmDawg]

I wanted a SVS sub but the wife made me get the Servo; who am I to argue?

paradigm studios and the servo15 ... I'm jealous!

 

[abefroeman]

You said the wife won't let you get acoutic panels. Personally I think that room looks pretty bad without panels. You could get 2 or 3 2'x4' deep burgandy panels that match the carpet to go behind the TV spaced evenly and hung like pictures, it would look great. Let the wife pick out the patterns.

 

[ParadigmDawg]

Did you just call my house ugly? Those are fighting words boy...lol

I am trying to talk her into something so we will see. The problem is the back wall or lack of one. In the picture below you can see what is behind the listening area and the reason I used in-ceilings back there (the HT is now where the big couch is in the picture). I dont see how I can add panels back there.

And by the way; there is no carpet in my house. I guess my pictures are pretty bad.

I also added a piture at my first attempt of a HT system before I found this site. Now that's ugly and it sounded bad too not to mention the fact that you couldnt watch TV without killing your neck!

You said the wife won't let you get acoutic panels. Personally I think that room looks pretty bad without panels. You could get 2 or 3 2'x4' deep burgandy panels that match the carpet to go behind the TV spaced evenly and hung like pictures, it would look great. Let the wife pick out the patterns.

 

[avaserfi]

You may not have a back wall but you could always put some panels in for the early reflections. It should help clear up the sound a bit although the room looks pretty big so I am not sure how many reflections actually get to your ears.

 

[ParadigmDawg]

Yep; it's about 8,000 cubic feet of big.

The system sounds great and the dialogue from the center with movies is very clear at low and high volumes. You can tell that the sound is bouncing around when you play some music such as rock at high levels.

I bet she would let me use panel if I could start from the floor behind the system and go up about 5 ft so the bottom of the wall is a solid color all the way across. What do you think that would do for me?

You may not have a back wall but you could always put some panels in for the early reflections. It should help clear up the sound a bit although the room looks pretty big so I am not sure how many reflections actually get to your ears.