Tom Adams

Hell...if ya want to know the extent of the greed, all you have to do is go to any major city and look at the name on the top of the tallest buildings. You won't see Wal Mart or McDonalds or Krispy Kreme. Oh noooo...it will be Mass Mutual, Allstate, Liberty Mutual, Cigna, etc. Personally, I think we need some kinda insurance to protect us from the loss of payout from our insurance companies. SAY WHAT??? Tom

Happiness is discovering that after 46 years on this earth, that even though you had all but convinced yourself that you didn't want kids and would make a terrible father, a 4 year old child whom is not yours looks at you like your the most wonderful thing (aside from her mom) in her life and asks, "Can I call you Daddy and not Tom?" And gives you a piece of paper on your birthday that reads, "Tom I love U". Ok...gotta quit before the tears hose up my keyboard. Tom

I agree skonopa - it is getting kinda ugly. Most posters say I like this or that, some say to each their own, and some even say they like both. But then there's ONE that puts anyone down who doesn't see it his way. Wow...it's nice to know that tolerance is alive & well on this board. psssst....anyone care to tell skonopa that his system isn't reproducing a film soundtrack exactly the way the audio engineer intended? Whoa...not me man. Tom

Awwww....what the heck. I'll weigh in too. cdsang mentioned the "Finding Nemo" DVD containing both versions. What I find interesting about this is that the DVD was basically the same price as other DVD's that have only one screen format version. As for the widescreen vs. 4:3 debate...when I hear people say, "But when you watch it in fullscreen, you don't get to see the whole image or what the director intended", the first question that comes to mind is how do you know what the director intended? Were you there or have you personally spoken to them? Nonetheless - how do you know something is missing if you never saw it in the first place? If I'm watching some 4:3 video of a nature scene, while it might be kinda cool to see additonal trees/birds/hills/whatever on either side, my focus 90% of the time is in the middle of the screen. Once again, though, how can I miss something when I don't know what it is I'm missing? Oh....and I'm surprised no one mentioned this, but just because you have a 16:9 screen TV doesn't guarantee you won't have "black bars". There are many film formats out there. So for those of you that argue that it irritates you that a film has been edited for 4:3, I got news for you...you probably have DVD's that have been format edited to fit your 16:9 screen. projectorcentral.com has an interesting reading regarding 4:3 vs. 16:9 and it's a very well thought out article. Me? I've got one of each and I'm still up in the air about the aspect ratio of the projector screen to buy. Tom

I'm curious as to why you're not interested in going the custom route? If it's the cost, I can attest that if you do some shopping and your homework, you can get exactly what you want for not much more than a "store bought" unit that you'll most likely have to modify. In a previous house I had a custom wall unit made because of the height & odd length of the wall it was to be placed on (the wall unit ended up being 90" tall) and it needed to house my 46" Mitsu widescreen. I got the guy who did the cabinets in the house to do the wall unit. It was all in white with many nice features such as roll out shelves, lighting, etc. and designed to look like a bookcase. Anyhow, that unit was made in 5 pieces and was 90" high by 110" long and cost me $1600 installed. Tom

Well....you guys haven't tried my collard greens. I hate to sound this brash, but they're damn good. I've had people try them that swore they hated collards and they loved them. It's all in the cookin'. Tom

Hey rudy81 - Not sure what your budget will allow, but this might be a good solution: http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Displayitem.taf?itemnumber=44677 It may not be suited for spraying that flip-flop pearl candy red you want to put on your restored '34 Ford 3 window coupe, but for a hundred bucks?? C'mon.. Seriously though, I'm sure it would be an investment you'd find other uses for. Tom

Maybe a group of us ought to band together and offer to buy out the proprietary rights to the Klipsch Heritage line. Then we can get (and build and sell) what we want and Klipsch LLC can go their own merry way. Problem solved. OTOH...if they balked at selling, what would that tell you? It would tell me that they wanna hang on to the Heritage stuff just so they can use PWK's good name and reputation. Let's hope that's not true for that would indeed be sinful in anybody's book. Tom

I can't believe no one has mentioned Robot Monster. Hey fini - what's the line from Debbie Does Dallas you like so much? Did it choke you up?? Oh....sorry, that woulda been Deep Throat. Tom

>7) adams family values Careful there buddy. Debbi Does Dallas?? Tom

Ok BobG...if you're still listening in here, I've got another suggestion and this time I'm being serious. I'm no where near a marketing person, but what if Klipsch was to follow a marketing model like Honda, Toyota, and Nissan have done with their Acura, Lexus, and Infinity lines respectively? Seems that by creating a spin-off company it would free you from the mass production model that is boxing you in. Additionally, it may create the perception of exclusivity thereby drawing dealers that once ignored you. My other suggestion is something that Dr. Sheppard (my audio mentor) always stressed to us young college wipper-snappers that worked at his hole-in-the-wall audio store; and that was "educate them". Don't sell them - educate them. Then they sell themselves. So I say to you....educate people. Spend some of those marketing dollars educating people and not "telling them" to buy your product. I firmly believe that if you cultivate your customers via education, then people will sell your product and not your marketing folks. Tom

Oh gawd...I can already feel a negative post coming from my fingers. I can't believe what I just read from BobG. What in Blue Blazes has the audio industry come to that if you build some cutesy speaker with lame (at best) performance and hype & promote the bejeesus outta it, it sells. And if you build an ok speaker with ok components and give it some exotic name and sell it for 100 times more than it's worth through some nose-in-the-air audio dealers, it becomes an icon to the rich & famous. But build a true performance speaker using real world engineering, give it a tasteful enclosure, and price it fairly and no one wants it?? ARGHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!! Am I the only one here that sees the sadness in this? This scares me folks 'cause I see the rest of the Heritage line close to being on the chopping block. Ok - my Dad always told me not to complain if I wasn't able to offer a solution so here goes. I propose that Klipsch rename it the Paul Klipsch Signature Jubilee 1.0. Advertise that Klipsch commisioned Hughes Aerospace to fabricate its internal wiring and Thomasville to do the cabinetry. Also let it be known that "key people" from Bose & JBL were hired away from those companies to work on this project. Then price them at $10k a piece but give current and previous Klipsch owners a 80% discount. Tom

I've only been to the avs forum a couple of times, but I visit projectorcentral.com at least once a week. And it's at Projector Central that I've gotten most of my info/education. Like you tank, I'm trying to get clear in my mind what I not only want to spend, but what type of projector - DLP or LCD. At this point, I'm leaning very strongly towards LCD because I've viewed a DLP machine and did notice the so called rainbow effect. Now, if you go with a 6x speed or greater DLP unit, the rainbow effect goes away. However, those projectors are in the $5K plus category. FWIW, I've seen one of the new generation LCD projectors (a Yamaha LPX-500) and can tell you that brightness & contrast are not a problem. Anyhow.... If you're not in a hurry, the new Sanyo PLV-Z2 is suppose to be quite a performer. And it's price is suppose to be below $2K. Personally, I'd love to buy a Sanyo PLV-70. It's a killer projector and I've gotten confirmed prices of around $4400 delivered. BTW...Projector Central has a "get bids" service. You may wanna give that a shot. Tom Tom

Hey tommy - Like many here, I'm very partial to the Klipsch sound and have been for almost 24 years now. Additionally, I'm partial to the Heritage line/sound; however, I really like the sound produced by the RF7. Anyhow... When you read a post about a "Heritage" speaker, we're referring to that line of speaker that Klipsch originally designed and produced - some of which are still being produced today. The typical Heritage models you will hear us talking about are the Klipschorn, Belle, LaScala, Heresy, and Cornwall. Of these, only the Cornwall (dammit) is no longer in production. The Heritage speakers have a sound that shares some semblance to the Reference line, but IMHO is a unique sound altogether. Ok...here's my .02 worth about speakers. No two ears hear the same thing. Therefore, it's almost impossible for me (or anyone else for that matter) to tell you what to buy. My advice is to take this period of time in your life to educate yourself about speaker terminology and then listen, listen, listen. After that, listen some more. I mean, it just may turn out that there are some speakers whose sound you prefer over Klipsch. Of course, you'll be wrong and we'll ban you forever from this forum. Just kiddin', just kiddin'. As for recievers...you really need to establish a price point you're willing to spend. From there look at the various manufacturers mentioned above. I think you'll find that at a given price point, all the manufacturers have models that are very close in features & performance. One company I'd add to the list is Outlaw Audio. They're an internet only sales company and while I've not personally heard their products, they always seemed to get great reviews. Me? I've got a Denon and am very happy with it. Good luck. Your journey is just beginning. Just follow the yellow brick road. Tom

Thanks artto (and m00n). You basically stated what my gut was telling me. I mean, it seems to me that it would be obviously impossible to build a "one size fits all" trapping/diffuser product since, from what little I know, they seem to be very room dependant. However....you have to admit that to the unknowing/uneducated they could be a "WOW factor" thing - right? "....and over here are my combination speaker stands bass traps." Tom

I intend for my rear Heresy surrounds for my HT to be placed on speaker stands that will put them at the same height as my side surrounds. Additionally, these rears will be placed in the rear corners of the room. Just searching around, I came across these stands and was curious if you felt they would indeed provide any "bass trapping". I realize this may be an unfair question to ask based upon a photo alone. Be that as it may....go to: www.stereocilia.com and click on the SBT series. TIA. Tom

I hate to rain on your wife's parade, but.... The two of you need to look loooooong and hard at the notion of hardwood flooring. Don't get me wrong, when it's done right, it can be a very beautiful thing. But notice that I said done right. And I'm not saying don't do it, just do your research and make sure the folks doing it are top notch. Unlike tile and carpeting, minor mistakes can be overlooked or covered up. With hardwood floors, it's magnified. The house I just bought has hardwood in a good portion of the house. And I also have a letter from the Bruce Flooring corporation saying that if the flooring hasn't "settled down" in the next 60 days, they'll replace the entire flooring. And if you have a dog....ruh roh. Say hello to scratches. Tom

Hobbies??? Hmmmmm...... Competitive tennis 3 times a week provides some degree of exercise and justifies beer consumption. Boating has always been a fav even though I'm boatless right now. I love just about any sort of motor sports from flying to NASCAR to swamp buggies to Formula One. Audio has always fascinated me and I love music. Use to fly airplanes, but just grew apart from it for whatever reasons. Motorcycles got into my blood at an early age and has never left. Owned several bike through the years and currently have three: a '94 Kawasaki ZX9R, an '03 Yamaha FJR1300, and a '90 Honda NS50. In fact, here I am in real life! Tom

I'm probably gonna catch flack/grief about this post, however.... As I enter the next phase of my home theater, I've been trying to educate myself (as much as that is possible) about controlling/modifying room acoustics. Hence, my reading this thread. But what I don't understand is why would m00n or anyone else make these bass traps and whatever else without knowing what (if any) acoustic problems they have? I mean, as an engineer (or scientist), I've always operated from the perspective that until I knew what the problem was (or if I even had a problem) and could accurately define the problem, then attempting to create a solution was the perverbial shooting in the dark. Don't get me wrong m00n, I appreciate and applaud your ingenuity, however just what problem are your trying to solve? Seems to me that one would get their HT together, take some real world measurements, and then create the solutions ONE AT A TIME. From experience I can tell you that changing a bunch of things all at once will lead to more confusion. Anyone that has done motorcycle carb jetting will attest to the change one thing at a time philosophy. Anyhow...I'll shut up now. Tom

Thanks guys for the comments (even yours Doug ). moon - the HT room was planned & built as part of the house. As for the trim...we couldn't be more happy with what the builder's trim guys did. During construction I spoke to the guy that was in charge of the trim work and asked him what kinda beer would it take to really dress this place up. He said, "Don't worry. You've been pretty cool about things. I gotcha covered." And if you think the fireplace work is nice you should see some of the other work they did. As for decorating...you need to talk to the wife. She was in charge of colors, furniture, decorating, etc. OTOH, I did pick out some pictures and a few pieces of funiture that she approved of. As for owning a home...at the risk of sounding like a whatever. Even though you're only 22, if you want to make home ownership happen, you can. You just have to set your mind to it. Even though I've been working since I was 13 (I'm 47 now), I really didn't understand how to "handle" money until a few years ago. If I were 22 again, I would invest every red cent I could get my hands on. I'm not suggesting living like a pauper, but the money I spent on new motorcycles and new cars....well, let's just say that had I bought used for a few years and invested the "leftover" money, I would be much further ahead. It's hard to convince folks right outta college to save & invest when they've been living on PB&J for 4 or 5 years. But the truth is that if you start early enough, then time is on your side. I'm also fortunate to be married to a very cool (like in she loves my audio & motorcycle habits), very non-beancounter-like financial controller. Without her bugeting/planning/forecasting/investing skills, this house wouldn't have been possible. In a nutshell, this house is $280K. We found and got approved for 100% financing. And at closing, we got $1000 back. My point is set the goal and get after it. Be vigilant about your credit report - AND CHECK ALL 3 CREDIT REPORTING SERVICES!! And if you've got some basic skills, don't be afraid of a little fixxer upper home. You'll learn things that come in handy when you build that dream home. The main thing is do everything possible to position yourself for being able to pay $800 in a house payment versus $800 in apartment rent. Ok - enough of the lecture. I'm getting on my own nerves now. Tom

Well, I've been threatening to give you guys an update, so here's some photos. The wife & I all pretty much moved in and as you can see, the HT is coming along. We still need to buy & install the projector & screen (still undecided what to buy) and we need to finalize the wiring hook up in the equipment cavity. The last photo is of our Den. Enjoy... Tom

moon, moon, moon....I am not believing you dude. You blow, oh, I dunno, how much moola on your HT addiction (and you've already confessed that your wife has given you the evil eye a couple of times about it) and you can only scrape up 300 clams for a stereo rig for her car?? I'm ashamed of you. Tom

Alright guys...the wife gave me the go-ahead to buy some more audio gear. But first I gotta get rid of the AVR1802 that's just been sitting around. It's in great shape and is about 1.5 years old. $200 plus shipping and it's yours. If interested or for more info, contact me off-line at: tom.adams.iii@gulfstream.com Thanks! Tom

That picture made me ill. I was expecting some damage, but when the image loaded up, I felt sick of the stomach. Having owned a "muscle car" or two, I have a sincere fondness not only for those cars, but the joy in bringing them back to like-new condition. Can't really tell how much restoration work had been done to your car, but I get the impression some serious work went in to it. Like many here, I too am glad you're ok. Had that been me though, I would be posting to the Klipsch forum from jail. For that's where I'd be after I beat the living sh*t outta that lady. Tom

- My apology for kinda hijacking this thread - Rudy81...I'm very interested in the speaker stands you made for your Heresys. Can you email me off list so I can pick your brain? If so, I can be reached at: tom.adams.iii@gulfstream.com TIA Tom