simple budget media center (GAF approved!)

[davestradamus]

I have moved in with my girlfriend while we search for a new place. She was reluctant about setting up a "stereo" Now she loves it, movies, music and all.

sorry for the bad qual pics.

THIS FURNITURE IS NOT MINE!! when we get our new place my stuff will mingle......

This setup cost me less than $1500

Sanyo 42" LCD 1018i - $600, walmart
Yamaha HTR 5740 - $100, craigslist
JBL TLX 181 - $100, craigslist
JBL MR Center - came with fronts
JBL 300w 10" sub 40hz - $50, craigslist
JBL satilites - $100 for 2 pair, craigslist

"htpc" <--haha
Compaq
2.8Ghz AMD
4gb ram
320gb HDD
1TB USB storage
Wireless N

$150 with 19" LCD, pawn shop

Keyboard and mouse - Random logitech i had laying about
Sony upconvert DVD - Free
APC 750 UPS - Free

Cables, a passive radiator repair kit, and random computer parts $200

All levels tested with dB meter. all distances etc...

I am ditching the stands when i get my speaker spikes in the mail. I am on the lookout for a deal on a reciever and amp.

I was considering a blu ray drive for the pc. I'll save that question for another section of the forum.

What do you think?

Cheers!

Davestradamus

 

[GO-NAD!]

Looks good! Love the furniture! How tall are your mains? I ask, because if you take them of the stands, are the tweeters going to be way below your ear height, when you're sitting down? Because of the directionality of higher frequencies, it's generally advised that the tweeters be at, or at least near, ear height.

 

[its phillip]

I agree, it does look good. Nothing wrong with the furniture

I'd imagine that when he gets the speaker spikes, those tweeters will be closer to ear level because they do look kind of high on those stands. I dunno though.

 

[Ito]

Looks goof or on the cheap!

Glad to hear that the GF enjoys it a lot too!

 

[davestradamus]

the fronts were placed high when i didnt have the sub installed. i seemed to get better low response out of them up a little higher ( i know that makes no sense!). The tweeters are almost at ear level when the stands are gone. The center is a bit high, so i think it helps to mesh the front stage. the sub is weird too, it fires up and is installed upside down. any other placement would not pass GAF standards, so i had to find the best way to fire it. in its factory configuration, i could barely hear it from the couch, but it would boom in other places in the room. When we move, this setup with change, and i will add some good multi directional surrounds.

Thanks for the input everyone!!
-davestradamus

 

[davestradamus]

Update!!

UPDATE!!

i upgraded my stand and i feel so much better about the look of things. best part: it only cost me $100 brand new!

it feels pretty solid and there is 30 degrees of rotation on the monitor!

still under $1500..... haha!

thoughts?

 

[its phillip]

The new stand is MUCH better

 

[yepimonfire]

you sir, need a bigger center

 

[davestradamus]

you sir, need a bigger center

youre exactly right. i feel the need to crank up the center when i watch movies.....

it might be impossible to find a matching center for my fronts, the MR series sounds farily transparent with the front L and R.

if i got a new center, i was thinking about 3 new matching tweeters to keep them gellin'...

 

[yepimonfire]

actually the sensitivity is different for them, 87dB for the center and 90 dB for the fronts, according to a random dB calculator on google, both speakers together are 91dB sensitive, so crank up the center in the setting menu 4dB and that should fix it, i wasn't seriously saying you need a new center, but your speakers dwarf it

 

[caper26]

maybe fade some of the center to the L/R slightly?? I haven't done this myself but it might be worth experimenting with it due to the size difference in your L/C/R

 

[davestradamus]

i only run into quiet vocals on some sources. my DVD player is DTS and sounds wonderful.

thanks for your input!!
-davestradamus