It's a Marantz & Klipsch thang!

[ldgibson76]

thats a nice setup......nice pics

Hello Porschetech.

Thank you for the acknowledgement.
As far as the pics go, the focus is a little off. I will take some better shots in the near future and post them.

Thanks again.

Regards.

 

[ldgibson76]

6.1 Surround configuration

Below are photos of the rest of the room. Again, it is a small area measuring only 18 x 11.6 x 8. I decided to go with the 6.1 configuration. I didn't feel that I would benefit from a 7.1, mainly because of the narrow room width, the rears would be too close in proximity. Anyway with the addition of the Marantz MM9000, my surround experience has improved greatly!

Right surround and center rear. Klipsch RS35 & RS25. (The vent has been repaired).

Left surround and Klipsch RSW10 Pwr'd Subwoofer.

Klipsch Reference RS35 and RS25 6.1 configuration. (The stuffed cat has been removed).

Photo taken from the stairwell on the left side of the room.

Next up will be the cable management project. To those of you privy to this past adventure, please forgive the rehash! For those of you who have wanted to endeavor to have proper cable management, a warning....., the soon to be posted photos are not for the faint of heart!
This project was no joke and took serious conviction and patience!

Regards.

 

[croseiv]

Hello Croseiv!

How's life man!?
Still climbing the Mount Ultra I see!
Any closer the acquiring the Emotiva XPA-5?
BTW, the dual sub experiment was unsuccessful. I just could not get the Velodyne and the Klipsch to work in harmony. Even with repositioning, I just could not achieve the deep and tight response I was hoping for. I do contribute my lack of calibrating skills to this failure. I was also told that when applying a dual sub config, the subs should be of similar design. The Klipsch and Velodyne CHT-12 is anything but similar. Other than purchasing a new sub, do you have any sugestions?

Anyway, it's good to hear from you again.

Regards.

Sorry the dual sub attempt didn't work out for you. The main thing is the FR, and whether or not the subs are both sealed or ported. For a dual/multiple sub set up to work the two should have similar design/FR. Otherwise you start getting mud instead of bass.

As for the amp...I'm still considering what I might get. I do like the EMO, but I've also been looking at the Odyssey Stratos 3x150 amp. That one is a real beauty!

 

[ldgibson76]

A dream system for sure

Hello vizionut.

Thank you for the kind words, but a dream system it is not.

This system is lacking the latest in technology. For instance, the plasma is only 1366 x 768p/720p. So I can not have the 1080P experience with bluray.
My AVR (Marantz SR9300) although a beast of a receiver in it's heyday, lacks HDMI connectivity. So a HDMI switcher is in place to accommodate the HDMI equipped devices. The only benefit I get is better video quality compared to using component video.
And let's not forget the Hi-def audio (True Dolby-HD; DTS-HD/MA) that I'm missing out on. Although the addition of the multi-channel amp has made an improvement on overall sound quality, I can only imagine what the hi-rez audio codecs would sound like.
And then there's my bluray player...., the Samsung BD-P1200. Even if I did have a hi-rez compatible AVR, the 1200 still can not decode the hi-rez audio, not to mention the often documented playback issues other owners have experienced with this model player. Luckily, I've been one of the fortunate ones that have had virtually no playback problems (knock on wood). Still, this player must be replaced. I will give it some credit on standard dvd playback. The upscaling ability due to the HQV chip, is outstanding.

So, I have a ways to go before it can be considered a "Dream System".
Thanks again!

Regards.

 

[bigred7078]

great system man! looks like alot of fun

 

[ldgibson76]

great system man! looks like alot of fun

Thanks bigred for the acknowledgement.
The system is poised for some major upgrades in the summer.
In all actuality, the setup in many ways is outdated. As I alluded to in the previous post, it lacks 1080P and hi-rez audio capability.

With reluctance, I also want to scale down the amount of boxes I currently have. The 3 rack configuration albeit, a cool look (subjective with a hint of bias, of course), is starting to look somewhat archaic. So I have some major decisions to make when I do reconfigure the system.

Regards.

 

[ldgibson76]

The Wire Management Adventure!

OK. Let start by stating the obvious. My cables were out of control. They remained that way for nearly 2 years. I had every intention of organizing them but the task seemed so daunting, I just couldn't bring myself to do it.

Then finally, as a new year resolution, I vowed to make it happen.
Below are the before photos.

After alot of trial and error, this is the results of my work:

The Video Rack:

The audio side up next.

Regards.

 

[Ito]

That's one hell of a clean up! I like what you did with the xbox power brick...that thing is a pain in the ***.

 

[ldgibson76]

That's one hell of a clean up! I like what you did with the xbox power brick...that thing is a pain in the ***.

Thanks Ito.

And yes, I concur! That XBrick is a royal PITA!

Regards.

 

[ldgibson76]

The Cable management saga continues.

The Audio side:

This area needs improvement....

The digital connections.

Comments, critiques and suggestions are encouraged and welcomed.

Regards.

 

[bigred7078]

great cable management job! very professional looking, which is a tough task to obtain considering how many cables are back their!

 

[KlipschHead281]

Your before picture looks so familiar!
I need to clean mine up so bad, everytime I sit down on the couch I remind myself to clean up the wiring but like you, it's so daunting and time consuming I don't know when I can get to it. So, for now I have tucked everything so it kind of looks neat, kinda...

I can't wait to get it done, but now I'm thinking of that Marantz amp more and more and I know what that will do the the wiring mess so want to wait for that. Yeah, thats the reason!

 

[ldgibson76]

great cable management job! very professional looking, which is a tough task to obtain considering how many cables are back their!

Hello bigred7078.

Thanks for the compliment and observation. Over the holiday, I have some time to do a little more refining.

Last night, I actually incorporated a new HDMI cable. An 8 ft. Monster Cable M1000.
For the Monster haters, I can appreciate the point of view, but I found it priced at $27.85 on Amazon! It's normally priced at $230.00. Ridiculous of course! But I don't care what anyone thinks because at less than $30.00, it's a great buy and a good cable!

It's connected to my bluray player and routed straight to the TV. Coaxial digital for audio. I initially tried the 5.1 analog, but I found very little difference between it an the coaxial digital performance. Not to mention, routing 2 cables is easier than 7!

I also finally removed the conventional XBox 360 Component Video/Optical/L & R analog harness and installed an 6 ft Key Digital Python HDMI along with the digital audio (optical)/analog adapter. I really thought that the RBG video performance was very decent, but the HDMI connection has improved the PQ.

Lastly, I switched the location of the HDMI switcher from on top the AVR to on top the amp. That made the HDMI connectivity from the cable box and Xbox easier.

I really do want to clean up the connection area at the AVR. It is difficult to organize due to the location of the specific component connections and component locations. My desire is to have the digital cables arrive at the AVR in one bundle and then disperse to the appropriate terminals. Same with the analog cables. But in the current configuration, that's virtually impossible. I will post photos of the final product later tonight or tomorrow.

Regards.

 

[ldgibson76]

Your before picture looks so familiar!
I need to clean mine up so bad, everytime I sit down on the couch I remind myself to clean up the wiring but like you, it's so daunting and time consuming I don't know when I can get to it. So, for now I have tucked everything so it kind of looks neat, kinda...

I can't wait to get it done, but now I'm thinking of that Marantz amp more and more and I know what that will do the the wiring mess so want to wait for that. Yeah, thats the reason!

I must tell you that the implementation of velcro strips is a must! It makes modifications much easier. I originally used wire ties and cable strips. A clean look no doubt, but a 5 star PITA when there was the need to make a change. The velcro strips are much easier to negotiate and takes half the time. Not to mention that with the cable ties, once they are tighten, it's a wrap. You must cut them and then replace with a new one. That's a waste!
Anyway, when it comes to actually following thru on your intention to get back there, you just have to somehow allot several hours and dedicate yourself to the task! Once you start, you have to finish the job if you want to experience the system at full capacity! or you'll end up with video and no sound or vis~versa, or worst NADA!

I know you are working on the new sub, but what's up with the amp acquisition?! Previously, you said that the wife vetoed the idea. Is the veto still in play or has she softened on her position?!

Regards.

Regards.

 

[KlipschHead281]

I must tell you that the implementation of velcro strips is a must! It makes modifications much easier. I originally used wire ties and cable strips. A clean look no doubt, but a 5 star PITA when there was the need to make a change. The velcro strips are much easier to negotiate and takes half the time. Not to mention that with the cable ties, once they are tighten, it's a wrap. You must cut them and then replace with a new one. That's a waste!
Anyway, when it comes to actually following thru on your intention to get back there, you just have to somehow allot several hours and dedicate yourself to the task! Once you start, you have to finish the job if you want to experience the system at full capacity! or you'll end up with video and no sound or vis~versa, or worst NADA!

I know you are working on the new sub, but what's up with the amp acquisition?! Previously, you said that the wife vetoed the idea. Is the veto still in play or has she softened on her position?!

Regards.

Regards.

The wife is holding the veto but I may have an opening for a re-vote very soon.

As for velcro, I work on networks for a living so velcro and me, best friends! I spent an entire weekend on re-wiring my server room, the owner couldn't figure out why but when he saw how it looked he started showing clients. It has helped us get more clients, so once I sink my teeth in it will look awesome, getting the teeth in is the hard part!

 

[ldgibson76]

The wife is holding the veto but I may have an opening for a re-vote very soon.

As for velcro, I work on networks for a living so velcro and me, best friends! I spent an entire weekend on re-wiring my server room, the owner couldn't figure out why but when he saw how it looked he started showing clients. It has helped us get more clients, so once I sink my teeth in it will look awesome, getting the teeth in is the hard part!

Hello KlipschHead281,

That goes to show you, just when I think I have accomplished something, I later find that what I have accomplished has a lot of room for improvement. Being that you work on networks, my cable management job must look amateur-ish at best. BTW, congrats on the referrals for new business. In these hard times, promotion via satisfied clients/word of mouth is very important to get you thru the lean times.

And good luck on the re-vote!

 

[ldgibson76]

I made a little adjustment on the location of the unsung hero of my system.
The Belkin PureAV24502 3 in 1 HDMI switcher. It has worked flawlessly and it is seamless when switching inputs.

I now run the cable box, the XBox 360Pro and the Denon DVD2910 thru the switcher. The bluray player's HDMI goes straight to the TV. This is probably my last modification to the current setup. I will begin updating/replacing components starting in July. (bonus time ). But as of right now, the system is operating admirably.

Here, I cleaned up the Verizon Fios coax and power cord placement.

Frontal shot with newly added musician statues. Question to the decor pundits, does placing the statues on the towers, play?! In other words, do they look good on the speakers?!

 

[tn001d]

Is it me or do you have multiple CD/Disc players. You could probably free up some room and wiring.

 

[ldgibson76]

Is it me or do you have multiple CD/Disc players. You could probably free up some room and wiring.

Hello tn001d.

Thank you for the inquiry and viewing the thread.
No, you're not mistaken. I do have multiple CD/Disc players. As a matter of fact, I have a total of 8 different devices that can play a CD. Redundancy seems to be an obvious conclusion with my set up but each device has it's own exclusive responsibility. The audio rack on the right has devices dedicated strictly to music playback. The audio rack on the left is strictly for the video.

On the right:
I use the Cambridge Audio 640C for critical listening. (jazz or classical).
For SACD/DVD-A playback, I use the Denon DVD2910.
The CD Recorder is for the obvious, recording music or making compilations.
The CD changer is for extended listening.

I agree, removing some of the components would relieve me of some cables.
As far as shelf space is concerned. That's why I have this type of setup, to accommodate my components.

I will eventually streamline my system in the future, but for now, I like the way the system is configured.

Regards.

 

[Adam]

Frontal shot with newly added musician statues. Question to the decor pundits, does placing the statues on the towers, play?! In other words, do they look good on the speakers?!

IMO, it only matters what you think (and anyone around there that you're trying to impress ). If you like them there, then you're good to go.