Oops, I never finished this! Sorry I got distracted
My Tiger, and the house for my tools that I built a couple months ago.
Sorry these pics didn't come out quite so well, but you can see the advantages of the Sanus VMF-220 wall mount. Two bolts into the wall, and it can handle up to a 47" TV (other mounts can handle larger sets). With this being a tiny studio beach apartment, this makes all the difference for viewing while in the kitchen, or in bed. One TV to rule them all!
Obviously hadn't moved the cabinet back in to place after having just installed the TV, but whatever. My system is now complete! Details are the hiding of the wires and the staining of the backing panels for the speakers. But, the new development is that we're going to enjoy our last summer here in Laguna, and then to blow this popsicle stand and head back to Atlanta. So I may never get around to this...
My girlfriend is a special event producer, whom I thought was determined to succeed here after being dumped by Disney when the economy tanked. Turns out she's sick of the OC, and loves the idea owning land and a house without our weirdo neighbors on all sides of us. So off we go!
Back on topic... The Panasonic ST30 42" is a great TV! Picture quality is great, especially being fed through the BDP-93. I can see room for improvement, but as an all around TV it does the job well. I may also pick up a calibration disc as I do not have the experience to calibrate it movie by movie.
This TV is now discontinued tho, so hopefully any replacement will at least match its performance : price ratio. And a HUGE props to the Audioholics store. They had the TV listed on their site, I placed my order, and then they informed me that Panasonic US had sold out, and it was no longer available. They were able to track down a brand new set and have it freighted direct! Thanks guys!
The BDP-93 is remarkable. If anyone has questioned why it costs so much more than your generic players, its because of its output capabilities. I first used it hooked up to a little 19" and the difference was astounding. And Blu-ray movies are excellent! There is a noticeable difference even on a 42" screen. I would not pay $20 for a blu-ray, but have found plenty of $5-$10 discs at Wally World. I also got Lord of the Rings cheap too, and oh man is that sweet!
The Emotiva equipment XDA-1, and dual UPA-1's have raised the bar. Effortless sound. They do it all for low level lounge listening, to high impact movie watching. The 12V triggers do their job, so everything can be controlled through the neat little aluminum remote. I love that thing. Its a brick! They're only limited by my RBH WM-30's. Once we get settled in Atl, I intend to upgrade them with some DIY towers (looking at the 2.5 Revelators, or if I stay stereo, Orions). Nothing against manufacturers, I just love building and tinkering, and had never before considered building my own speakers. To show my geek, I compare this to constructing my own lightsaber.
For anyone concerned about the electrical requirements for the amps, I have them on a 20 amp circuit, with lights, and low voltage cell phone/laptop connections as well as the XDA and BDP. No issues to report, and the APC lets me know of any voltage concerns.
Moral of the story, I'm happy as could be with my choices. And look forward to the continual improvement of my system, especially once we relocate!
