CurtPalme.com Home Theater Forum

jask · Joined: 17 Mar 2006 Posts: 10187 Location: kamloops BC

Great Job SC! I really like the maple trim idea ,too many Home theaters end up looking like a black hole.The fact that you were able to put it together at the price you wanted must make it even more enjoyable!!
Congratulations

EDIT: do you have any glare from the outlet plates under the screen?

ecrabb · Posted: Mon Jan 14, 2008 9:20 pm Post subject:

Thanks! I actually like the black hole look, too - and I might do something pretty high-fi (aesthetics/black/tech-look) in our next house someday... But, this is our escape and we wanted it to be part of the house, have some personality, and be fun and functional, too. Plus, there was the whole issue of the red chairs that we had to work with. I considered resale, too since we may only be in the house for 5 years or so, and most 'normal' people would like to have a home theater, but wouldn't be crazy about a black ceiling and walls.

There's no glare at all from the outlet plates - no light hits them at all, save for what bounces from screen to viewers, and back. I was going to go with black nylon on the screen wall, but I had a couple of extra stainless plates and I liked how they looked. The only really annoying glare I get is off the sides of the main speakers and the tops of the center and subs. I'm kicking around some ideas to deal with that... felt, velvet, and the like. It's really not bad. It's on the to-do list, though. I wish I would have had room for a false-wall setup. I really like everything hidden and nothing but the image in your field of view.

SC

overclkr · Joined: 08 Mar 2006 Posts: 4227

AWESOME!!!!! I love the idea you used on your sound panels! Very nice theater!

Cliff

greg_mitch · Joined: 03 May 2006 Posts: 5320

SC if your theater looked like this the whole time, you should be ashamed that it took you so long to post photos. Now I know what I need to do to bring my theater up to speed.

Very nice! The seating alone will be worth a visit!

wallace123456 · Joined: 14 Aug 2006 Posts: 2236 Location: Northwest VA area

ecrabb
I'll say it again, great HT! And, thanks for the info on the panels and the added info about the amps. All the more reason for me to use my old trusty NAD and B&K amps. Now, I just need a good processor...

Not sure if my taste is like others here but, I like action movies, LOUD AND CLEAR!!! I want to be rocked by explosions! But, I also want to be able to hear dialogue without having to stress other sounds.

I wish there were more concert high def dvds out there. (I'd be comfortably numb...... aaahhhhhh... 8) )

Cliff, you got it all big dog.

Congrats.

wallace

rod · Posted: Wed Jan 16, 2008 1:55 am Post subject:

WoW! nice job indeed. I would never have pick a bold color like red for the chairs but it seems to work nicely in your HT.

I also thought the pic of the speaker was cool

oh and that carpet, when you do puke on it, will still look like Walt puked on it. that's a good thing in my book.

winduptoy · Posted: Wed Jan 16, 2008 3:03 am Post subject:

Dude, that looks awesome! Seriously comfortable too.

- W

jask · Joined: 17 Mar 2006 Posts: 10187 Location: kamloops BC

JustGreg · Joined: 07 Mar 2006 Posts: 3098 Location: Kenosha, WI

Looks great man! The time and agony, uhm, energy, you suffered shows in the details. You didn't even have to explain what you were going to do around the equipment cubby or the other yet to be done things in my book. I could tell from the rest of your work how everything is going to turn out. Definately something to be very proud of. Thumbs Up

Well done.

PS: I want your seating!!!! Mr. Green

Greg

ecrabb · Posted: Wed Jan 16, 2008 6:45 am Post subject:

Thanks for all the compliments - you guys ROCK!

Cliff, it ain't no G90 stack, but it's my little mini-version of your theater! It's your theater with a 4-cylinder instead of a supercharged 454. A G70 IS going up this year... A G90... hopefully in a few years. Who knows, maybe I can buy one of yours when you upgrade. Wink

Iowa Greg, Yes I am ashamed that it took so long to post photos. I'm also ashamed it's taken so long just to finish some of the damn details. But, DAMN it's been fun watching HD-DVD's, Blu-ray's, playing Halo 3 and Forza Motorsport on the 360, screwing around with the PS3 and HTPC... installing the amps. It's a ball! (See why the details aren't finished?) Your room is looking awesome, too - looking forward to meeting you where the next Iowa meet happens!

SC

ecrabb · Posted: Wed Jan 16, 2008 6:45 am Post subject:

Kenosha Greg, thanks for the comments - they're much appreciated. Regarding the chairs... That's a funny story.

I saw a post on AVS about them and how hideous they were, with a link to the fleabay auction. They were in Chicago. Being the thrifty shopper and sucker for a good deal that I am, I bid on fleabay for all EIGHT of them - used with some old crap equipment - as a lot. According to the seller (who was an art dealer and restorer), it all came from the estate sale of a retired Chicago Bear that was getting divorced and liquidating assets. Anyway, checked with the wife first, she egged me on, and I sniped a bid in for $800 - assuming there'd be no way in hell I'd actually win. Well, I won... for $650. Holy sh*t. Then, I spent another $350 or so on a Penske 24-footer and 100 gallons or so of diesel fuel to go get the damn things.

Still, I think it was a deal of a lifetime. I ended up selling two of the chairs to some girl for $200 because my damn room wasn't big enough for them all. Now I wish I had a bigger room and those two chairs every damn time we have people over. I suppose if I had 8, I'd want 10 and if I had 10, I'd want Art's room. Funny how that works. Rolling Eyes

The other funny thing about the chairs... I won the bid two days before my wife's scheduled C-section for our first child. I arranged with the seller before I bid that I wouldn't be able to come get the chairs for about 10 days. So, a week later, on a Friday morning, my buddy and I picked up the truck and got out of Des Moines around 10:00. Got to Wheeling late afternoon, loaded the chairs, drove out to Ikea, my friend and I bought some sh*t we didn't need, made it out of Chicago around 8 or so, dropped the chairs off at a storage unit south of Des Moines about 4, refueled the truck, drove back to Penske and dropped off the truck, picked up my vehicle, dropped my buddy off at his house on the opposite side of town from me, drove home and crawled into bed about 6am... damn near 24 hours straight... with a 1-week old baby at home. My wife was not happy. She got over it, though and she thinks the HT kicks ass. Wink

SC

ecrabb · Posted: Wed Jan 16, 2008 6:46 am Post subject:

Alright, I appreciate everybody's comments about my theater... But, enough about the damn Walt Disney puke carpet, already!!! It's confetti or pixels or dots or squares or something, not vomit chunks! Capisce? Hey, wait a sec... What's worse - pixels or puke chunks? Razz

Dammit, now I'm going to think about this every time I look at the floor in there.

SC

**AnalogRocks** · Posted: Wed Jan 16, 2008 6:49 am Post subject:

GarenT · Joined: 02 Oct 2007 Posts: 38 Location: Chicago,USA

SC,

Looks great!!! Nice to see it now with the panels in place, it really finishes it up.

Hey you better use this lovely midwest winter to finish that thing or you'll be finishing it so you can sell your house!! and thats never fun.

All you need now are some 150's!!! LOL sorry couldn't resist.. Mr. Green

GarenT

ecrabb · Posted: Wed Jan 16, 2008 11:02 pm Post subject:

Hey, Bud! Lurker boy!!! You need to come around these parts more often, Mr. 12xx - there's a bunch of us!

You suck for the 150's remark and you suck for having them. Have you added me to your will, yet? You know I'm the only one that will properly appreciate those speakers and amps, right in case something... happened to you?

Hey, FYI - I just found your email yesterday and realized I hadn't ever responded to it - I got so busy/frustrated/burnt-out with the relatives and in-laws over the holidays, I missed all kinds of stuff. I actually WANTED to go back to work. Anyway, I'll get a note out to you in the next day or two.

Thanks for the good advice. I was actually just thinking of that whole 'finishing it to sell the house' thing. I had a few of those projects in the old house - and you're right - it isn't any fun. Hey, I know! Let's do a bunch of work and make stuff look nice... for somebody else! I had to look at some unfinished POS for 3 years, and now that I'm moving and somebody ELSE will enjoy it, I'm getting it done!

Happy New Year, Garen!!!

SC

PS - The PS3 is SWEET.

GarenT · Joined: 02 Oct 2007 Posts: 38 Location: Chicago,USA

Yeah, I was going to bequeath those to someone else but since you asked so nicely, i'll make a change!!!

I had the same kind of holiday Confused

A card I saw summed it up perfect, " Holiday's with family are a trip....A trip to the liquor store!! "

Yeah I'm loving the PS3 too. You have got to download High velocity bowling its $9.99 but worth it. Its a Wii like bowling game using the controller and you do the bowling actions... Its so fun!!!!

RE: Email, I figured you got busy, or had M&K envy or something!!LOL

GT

wallace123456 · Joined: 14 Aug 2006 Posts: 2236 Location: Northwest VA area

enigma · Joined: 20 Feb 2008 Posts: 24 Location: Australia

What a great job! You've inspired me to finish my room and post some pictures as well. Will do when i can.
As far as the loudness goes, soft trims & seating will absorb the reflecctions. You will either need to increase the amplification wattage to your speakers (as long as you don't go over the speaker's max wattage) or get more sensitive speakers.
You did well to get seperate amplifiers as they will drive the speakers and take the load of your processor which would never had the power in the first place.

PS, i like the carpet - not your fault the others don't have any taste!

dropzone7 · Joined: 12 Jun 2007 Posts: 1069 Location: Charlotte, NC

Very nice! I love the carpet and I love Disney so Joust's comment would be a compliment in my opinion! Enjoy!

ecrabb · Posted: Tue Apr 01, 2008 2:41 pm Post subject:

Thanks, guys! Yes, I'm happy with the carpet and very happy with the rest of the theater. My tastes definitely aren't for everybody, and I'm OK with that. Now, I just need to kick it in the ass and get the G70 hung and get my trim and lighting finished. Oh, and build the hush box.

I honestly don't know how some guys can go without a hush box with practically any CRT. My 1271 isn't really loud, but it still drives me nuts during quiet scenes. There was a scene the other night watching John Adams... John and his wife Abigail were basically whispering to each other and the whole scene drove me nuts because of the whir of the fans in the background.

Top of the to-do list right now:
1. Hang G70
2. Build/install hush box
3. Build/install rack door

Lots more after that, but those are top priority items at this point.

I've just been too busy at work lately to want to work on the theater. It's too much fun watching a movie or two whenever I have some free time after kids are in bed. In the winter, there were some weekends we'd watch 3 movies - 1 each Friday, Saturday, and Sunday night. For the last 6 weeks or so though, we're lucky if we make it downstairs once a weekend, and once during the week. I'd go down and play around a little late at night, but I can't stay up like I used to... getting old, I guess. Kids... wearing me out!

Enigma - cool username and music. I listened to them a LOT in the mid/early-90's. I think I have 2 or 3 CDs. I just checked out the album on your avatar on iTunes - it sounds pretty cool. I didn't even know it was still around or that there was a newer release - I'll have to pick it up at some point. I love music that sounds like you're watching a movie.

SC