Audioholics $75K Recommended Home Theater System

[gene]

this article was never realistically going to be that usefull, cause i dont think audioholics has too much sway amongst those with &75k to plonk down. i think the aticle would have been a better read if had gone the more adventurous route of merely providing eye/ear candy for the most of us to dream about.

So you would rather have very expensive (not necessarily better components - actually most of the alternatives you mentioned won't even bench test as well), that look nicer, but have less functionality.

It seems that people are confusing this system with a single room solution. That was not our intent as we set out to create a multi room system. We will rename it for clarity.

 

[Sheep]

Nah we were thinking of putting these:
Rethm Speakers

LOL, the Pen15 speakers!

SheepStar

 

[perato]

In the first item, you mention Yamaha DPX-1300. In the second item (Carada screen), the second bullet says LPX-510.

 

[gene]

In the first item, you mention Yamaha DPX-1300. In the second item (Carada screen), the second bullet says LPX-510.

Thanks we corrected it.

 

[highfihoney]

a true cost no objest home theater.

these are pic's a friend of mine sent me of his neighbor's $650,000 mcintosh home theater.

 

[jaxvon]

these are pic's a friend of mine sent me of his neighbor's $650,000 mcintosh home theater.

My. Head. Asplode.

 

[Tomorrow]

these are pic's a friend of mine sent me of his neighbor's $650,000 mcintosh home theater.

Why didn't he just buy a multiplex theater and donate the rest to the Sisters Of Mercy?!

 

[Reorx]

Nice system.
In my opinion I'd make a few changes...
1. A 106" screen is to small. I've been using a 8'x8' 4:3 Draper Luma2 screen, in a 25'x15' foot room, and I wish I had gotten the 10' or 12' instead. (it was free so I can't complain to much.)
2. Video Projectors. With the recent announcements at CES and the drops in prices, I think a native 1080p projector for $10k-15k would be a better choice. The one you have listed is a 720p.
3. Crestron? AMX? The remotes you chose are nice, but I think they belong in the $25k-$50k catagory. $75k is a big boy budget, you need a big boy control system. AMX NXT-CV7 7" Modero Widescreen Table Top Touch Panel or something similar would be a good start.

just my .02

Reorx

 

[shamus]

are the rbh in wall models as good as the regular speakers in that series?????????? if you you had a choice based on sound only and not looks.....what would be your choice????????/

 

[gene]

are the rbh in wall models as good as the regular speakers in that series?????????? if you you had a choice based on sound only and not looks.....what would be your choice????????/

The RBH speakers we selected for CinemaSITE are very close in performance to their Signature T2 system. I would give the edge to the latter but CinemaSITE looks so much nicer.

 

[sts9fan]

Listen don't be too hard on them. They only have so many sponsers

 

[shamus]

great thanks gene

 

[Bevan]

oh my good gosh, now thats more like it! though it looks a bit too much like being at ground controll with all those lights. can they dim?

gene, i think 75k is expensive whichever way you cut it. i dont think even something like the lin unidisk would be out of place in a 75k system.

nothing wrong with doing it as a multiroom system, i was aware of that. but i'm genuinely surprised that there is such a thing as multiroom multichannel system. i've heard of many a second(usually 2-channel) system, but two multichannel systems seems to me about as neccessary as having two swimming pools.

cant argue the specs as they are a bit greek to me i must confess. but the nad looked good on paper:

(The M25 is THX Ultra II Certified delivering 160 watts (x7) of continuous Full Disclosure Power with all seven channels driven simultaneously (20Hz – 20kHz), at less than 0.03% THD into 8 or 4 Ohms. It also carries a Dynamic power rating of 220 watts at 8 Ohms, 385 watts at 4 Ohms, and 485 watts at 2 Ohms and IHH Dynamic Headroom is +3.9dB.)

i dont hold too much stock in specs anyway. my dream naim monoblocks might not fare to well due to their apparently limited bandwidth, and my multichannnel valve pre-amp wouldnt fare well in the thd test. but i'm betting it would sound more enjoyable to me than the denon AVC-A1XV which i have heard and which left my a bit underwhelmed.

the denon does have features admitedly, but the room correction, for one, becomes a bit redundant when youre spending $4000 on acoustical treatments. and hdmi, upscalling etc, well, i'll admit my bias here, being a guy whos been running a composite-out from his denon 2900 since 2004 because he cant be bothered to buy the requisite cable. woops...shouldnt have said that...

cheers

b

 

[gene]

(The M25 is THX Ultra II Certified delivering 160 watts (x7) of continuous Full Disclosure Power with all seven channels driven simultaneously (20Hz – 20kHz), at less than 0.03% THD into 8 or 4 Ohms. It also carries a Dynamic power rating of 220 watts at 8 Ohms, 385 watts at 4 Ohms, and 485 watts at 2 Ohms and IHH Dynamic Headroom is +3.9dB.)

and the ignorance continues....

The All Channels Driven Fallacy

 

[Audioholics]

Well at least it's THX certified so you know it can drive some power in the more practical measurement specs they utilize... Some companies just can't help but include that ACD number to impress people who don't know better.

 

[Bevan]

wasnt so much the ACD number that i was refering to. but thanks for the link, was a fairly interesting read. admitedly, i never looked at the published specs of any amp i buy as i realized long ago i wasnt qualified to sort through all the numbers that manufacturers publish. i find it much easier to just hook the prospective amp up to my speakers and give it a spin.

but i'm curious now about the brands i previously mentioned. if you think they might not fare as well on the bench as the denon, which figures specifically did you have in mind and why you think the denon would do better?

can we only compare the denons numbers against amps that have sat on the audioholics bench? or is there a figure from, say, nads quoted shpiel, that we could hold up against denon or any other brands press release?(eg thd, dynamic headroom, dynamic power)

cheers

bevan

p.s interested, what do you, comming from an engineering background(?) think of valve amps(performance vs spec wise)

 

[sts9fan]

I have been privately chastised

For being mean..

I apologize for saying all your recommendations were sponsors.


My bad…

 

[Buckle-meister]

I have been privately chastised...For being mean..I apologize for saying all your recommendations were sponsors.

Aren't they? It makes complete sense that Audioholics use only what they themselves have tested and found to meet their criteria for quality and performance, but this should not prevent a truth from being spoken. Is it not a truth?

In addition, may I kindly enquire as to why Audioholics continues to promote the Rives Test CD 2 disc? In an article for a $75000 multi-room system? Are we to believe that it actually was used?

Let us compare the Rives Test CD 2 to the likes of ETF. I note ETF, but any equivalent program maybe assumed in its place:

1. The Rives Disc requires that one either buys or already owns an SPL meter. So does ETF.
2. The Rives Disc doesn't require a computer whereas ETF does, but considering that you're not reading this unless you have said computer, I'd say it's somewhat of a moot point.
3. You need to buy (for only a modest amount of money) the Rives Disc to obtain results. You don't need to buy ETF as it maybe downloaded for free, but given that you'll need a couple of cables (if you don't already have them), the two'll tend to balance out and it's a moot point again.
4. With the Rives disc, you get 31 tones specifically tailored to allow for the inaccuracies of the RS SPL meter. These tones cover the full frequency range from 20Hz to 20kHz in 1/3 octave intervals. You cannot determine any other frequencies and even if you could it'd take you a totally unrealistic amount of time to do so and plot the results, and the 1/3 octave tones are more or less useless for the lowest frequencies where you most want to know what's going on. With ETF, you can upload the file to correct for the RS meter's inaccuracies at no cost, and in 5 seconds flat you're presented not only with the entire frequency response from 20Hz to 20kHz in one continuous plot, but even with the freeware version of the program, you can obtain other useful parameters too.

With all due respect, how can Audioholics possibly promote the Rives Disc when an alternative like ETF exists?

 

[sts9fan]

Yeah like I said to you before we all know this is a "for profit" site. No reason to get testy though.

RBH
Bluejean (I own a bunch)
DVI Gear
Axiom
AV123
impact Acustics

 

[Buckle-meister]

No reason to get testy...

Testy? Who? Me?

I am not being 'testy' I simply can't see the logic. Hooking up ETF (or equivalent) is hardly difficult, and nobody can deny that the Rives Test CD 2 is pitiful in comparison (to ETF, I've not used an equivalent so I cannot speak for anything else) to what maybe obtained from the former.

This is a site that promotes understanding. It seems clear to me that people will benefit far more from using ETF than the Rives Disc. I am only trying to help; let's give people the best option.