DMF

I don't know why anyone would pay that kind of $$ for a plasma when a rear projection LCD or DLP offers such an outstanding picture at a fraction of the $$. Plus no issue with screen life or burn-in.

Look at the new Sony Grand Wega LCD rear projection sets. Astounding picture. <$3K in 50" after rebate.

Probably the card. M-Audio Revolution 7.1 is going for reasonable nowadays on eBag. Try one of them.

"pickup only"? Why even waste the post?

ROFLAO !!

Unfortunately I tried buying 12Ga at Home Depot. They no longer carry Monster, and the largest speaker wire they carry is 14Ga. Went to Lowe's. They have no 12Ga speaker wire on the audio shelves, but I did score a 100' spool from the cut to length section. Didn't see any 10Ga.

That's okay. Mine was more succinct.

There is no third brother. Sean Bean (Boromir) may have credits in the other movies, but in the case of TTT he doesn't show up in the theatrical release. You see him and Faramir and their father Denethor in a flashback in the Extended DVD of TTT, which goes a long way to explaining Faramir's actions.

Well, to each his own. I heard the Wave Radio (another case of relatives buying before asking) and - without preconceptions - I thought it sounded like crap. I was amazed both that they thought it sounded good and at the price they were willing to pay. But I kept my mouth shut. Why spoil another's illusions if you don't have to.

Just no way I can continue to be the only forum member that hasn't posted in this insane thread. As me old pappy once told me, "You really only need two tools. If it's supposed to move and it doesn't use WD-40. If it moves and it ain't supposed to use duct tape." How right he was.

We already got Christmas presents early with the new HT gear, so it was a minimalist pile of loot. Nevertheless: fitting for the compressor to fill Presta valves (obligatory tool loot) ugly shoes shirts that might actually fit And the completion of what turned out to be a major project to run a speaker lead inside the wall to the rear channel. (When God passed out brains the framers were somewhere else drinking.) So add a rear channel to the loot pile!

There's a guy parting out a pair of Forte's. I'm thinking of building a center speaker out of them and selling the Academy. But I can't find a link on this site to part prices. Does Klipsch still sell the parts? Can you provide an estimate for cost? Thanks in advance! K75 tweeter K53 mid-horn K28 woofer KD13 passive radiator crossover/terminals

---------------- Never use peanuts when packing anything heavy, they may as well not be there. Peanuts are only useful to protect light, fragile items like glass vases. Always use rigid pieces of foam or fitted foam to pack heavy items. Never leave any void space. Always use a rigid inner container, like EPS. Never leave any void space. Tape the box, don't strap it. If you must use straps, tape over the straps. Never leave any void space. ---------------- What he said! Also, bubble wrap is AIR. Don't use it for anything that weighs more than a pound. (BTW, peanuts work okay when filling the 3" void between the inner and outer boxes.)

RF3II has a nominal roll-off of 37 Hz (lower than I thought). RC-35 is 56 Hz. Definitely set the center to small. Wisdom is that you want the crossover at an octave above the roll-off frequency which would be 56*2 = 112 Hz (round higher to say, 120 Hz). There's a good argument (mentioned above) for setting even speakers capable of low frequencies to small if you have an adjustable crossover. Keeps the amp from trying to reproduce notes that the speaker isn't capable of. With the smaller HT amps now this can be a concern. So it's not unreasonable to set the RF3s to small with a 40 Hz crossover and still get full use from them. If your crossover is fixed at 80 (or whatever) go by ear.

Fritz von Erich has to be up there somewhere. The Haystack was pretty darn awesome, too. And has no one mentioned Gorgeous George?

---------------- On 12/16/2003 4:52:49 PM Champagne taste beer budget wrote: Maybe I'll try searing the outside with an oxy/acytlene torch with a rosebud tip, then into the oven for a bit ---------------- That's really the right idea. The use of high initial heat does two things. It seals the surface tissues so the juices in the interior can't escape. And it decomposes some of the complex sugars into the dark "caramel" material that tastes so bloody good. For you proto-cooks, that's what you're going after when you "de-glaze" a pan in which something like meat has cooked. You're trying to get those tasty caramelized bits that have stuck to the pan. It doesn't take much to make a sauce yummy! On the serious side though, I'm not sure that the torch might not be a bit too hot. It's a short step from caramelization to carbonization. But it might be worth a try. We can't all have an industrial gas range and hood.

---------------- On 12/16/2003 2:35:22 PM boomac wrote: In like Flynn? I've not heard that one. ---------------- You like, rilly young ?

---------------- On 12/15/2003 9:08:27 PM William F. Gil McDermott wrote: I get the pan very hot and do put in some oil. ... It is necessary to keep a cover on to keep the smoke level down. ---------------- Lose the oil and lose the smoke. The oil doesn't add anything else.

---------------- On 12/15/2003 7:06:39 PM Champagne taste beer budget wrote: Will anyone agree with me that there is a distinct difference in the flavor of a steak served in a resturant and a steak cooked at home on a grill? I've tried some very high grade cuts at home, and can't ever get that resturant flavor. It still tastes delicious, don't get me wrong, but just "different". ---------------- Partly it's the meat, but mostly it's the cooking temperature.

small. You don't want to ask the RF3s to reproduce really low lows.

Outlaw Audio 950 pre/pro with one of their multi-channel amp bundles will perform about as well as the B&K for about $1800, leaving you set for some nice Klipsch speakers. With a room that size I wouldn't even think about in-ceilings. You want new floor-standing fronts. RF-7s with an RC-7 center. Dealer or not, where there's a will there's a way. Move the KG-1s to surround. Keep the SW-10 until you get really hard-core.

Colin touched on the issue of how to approach "Home Theater" from scratch and DrWho pretty much nailed it. If you can't afford to pay for the equivalent of a new car in one go what do you go for first? Do you go for a big screen? Lots of channels using cheep speekers? A slammin' sub to cover the fact that there's no body to the rest of the spectrum? IMO the advice that you're getting here is the best. You want to start with two good full-range speakers and decent used two-channel electronics. If it was me I'd go immediately for a separate amp and preamp. The preamp will go away soon, but if the amp is good you can leave it on the mains for years. Then a DVD player and a decent TV. Then you can start thinking about multiple channels. First move will be to replace the preamp with an A/V preamp/processor, or add a used "surround processor" (not as good and doesn't do video, but cheaper and will drive the rest of the audio system). Then you can think about the move to 5.1. You'll need a GOOD center speaker to match the mains. Surrounds are non-critical and you can go cheap there, maybe recycling some cheap bookshelves. Add a 3- or 5-channel amp (or replace the mains amp with a 5- or 7-channel amp). If your mains are good, only now do you need to think about a sub. If the bottom just isn't there in the mains, you might want a powered sub before the jump to 5.1. By this point, you'll have a good idea what to upgrade next, but the basic Home Theater functionality will be in place. Enjoy.

Me I like mine mucho mucho.

This works best on a lean, naturally tender cut like filet. Preheat oven as hot as it will go (no broiler). 500'F++ Trim all fat so it doesn't render and steam the meat. Pat and press dry. Maybe rub a little coarse salt on. NO pepper or spices - they scorch. Put on a DRY (not oiled) skillet with a metal handle. You want to use aluminum or steel (not cast iron, it will ruin the seasoning of the iron and cause rust). Heat on HIGH heat until it's a lot hotter than you think it should be. Well past the "it's smokin'" stage. With Calphalon spun alum or similar quality there will be no warpage. Drop in the meat. Depending on the thickness, leave on one side for 1-1/12 minutes. With tongs turn to the other side. Leave for the same time. You should see some serious caramelization. Turn off heat under the skillet. Pop the whole thing into the preheated oven. Leave for variable time (depends on the heat achieved and the thickness and moisture content of the meat). Test for doneness by prodding. It should have the same consistency as the ball of your hand for MEDIUM RARE. Remove from oven and let sit for 10 minutes (keep warm by covering pan). Enjoy! (No steak sauce, you barbarian!)

I'm a rilly creative guy: My initials. Hey at least I'm consistent across boards.