Rich_Guy

A great way to darken the windows is to use blinds with curtains over them. The blinds can be completely closed eliminating most of the light and then the curtains can finish the job.

One trick if you have a large amount of exposed wires running along the floor against the wall is to use neoprene pipe insolation. It is basically a black neoprene tube slotted so the wires can easilly be inserted. It is available in different diameters and different lengths. It is very inexpensive and available from Home Depot or many other hardware stores. Use velcro tie wraps to bundle and organize wires behind equipment.

Here is a link to the desktop image I created for my music server. My music server connects to my 50 inch Panasonic plasma TH-50PH9UK display. It looks very nice on the plasma, much better than on the monitor I am using to post this now http://www.petitesweets.com/Vista.jpg

The case I used is a real jewel, the quality is excellent I really recommend Origen Ae their cases are the highest quality I have seen. The Origen AE H7 case I used is one of their older models which has been discontinued. I paid $179.95 for the case which was a great deal, I bought it from http://www.pcalchemy.com I must have got the last one they had as they removed the model from their website the day after I ordered mine. The case has IR so it can be controlled by remote, it included a Media Center remote but I use my own URC MX-850 remote. I use Vista Home Premium for the operating service, I found a good deal online for an "upgrade version" I paid $83.99 which included free shipping. The sound card I used is from Auzentech www.auzentech.com they make the best sound cards I have seen I have their X-Plosion model. I think I paid around $79.95 for the sound card from Newegg, I have been using it for about a year and a half it was in another computer I was using for music before I built the new music server. The X-Plosion model now has a newer version than mine. The sound quality from this card is excellent, I use digital optical cable to my Onkyo receiver. I used the main components from an old computer I had I was no longer using, it was an old HP pavillion 7965. This is an old Pentium 4-1700 CPU which is plenty of power for a music server. I had upgraded the memory in this computer to 1GB a long time ago (it originally had 512MB) I also upgraded the video card years ago to an Nvidia PNY GeForce 6200 GS which is more than enough card since this not a game computer. This computer is for music only. While it is a smaller older machine, it has more power than nessecary for a music only computer. I use two Western Digital 250 GB hard drives for 500 GB total. I also upgraded one of the DVD drives on this computer to a Sony RW drive, it has 2 DVD drives. This machine works excellent, sounds better than CD quality,looks great and blends with high end audio equipment. It works well with remote, I use my MX-850 remote, I also a Logitech diNovo keyboard and a Kensington Slimblade Media mouse with this machine. Also I use Music Giants as my prefered place to purchase music, I use both Music Giants and Napster to buy music downloads. I had tried itunes once and thought it was awful and immediately took it off my computer. I use Windows Media Player 11 and Windows Media Center, I can completely control Windows Media Center by my remote, however most often I prefer to use WMP 11. I also added G-force visualizations. When I built this about 2 months ago I already had everything except the case and operating system software. I am very happy with the results.

I just recently built a new music server. I used an Origen Ae H7 case (black), the quality and look of this case is beautiful. http://www.origenae.com/en/htpc_h7.htm I used an old computer I had for most internal parts with a couple upgrades including a new Vista Home Premium operating system. The sound card is from Auzentech, they make very nice sound cards. I connect to my receiver by Toslink digital optical cable. http://www.auzentech.com I download my own CDs and use Music Giants www.musicgiants.com to purchase downloads. Music Giants has the highest quality downloads. I also added G-Force visualizations, I often like to have visualizations playing on my 50 inch plasma when listening to music The sound is extremely nice and the control of my music collection is very simple. The case blends into my system as a high quality piece of audio equipment. I am very happy with this system.

You do not need a Y cable, just hook up one cable to the sub it will work fine, the sub itself has no right/left channels. I had an SW-8 for years it's a pretty good little sub, especially nice that it has a real wood finish. Yes it is better to drive the main speakers directly from the receiver and also use the receivers crossover.

Well, first of all; I know it hasn't been about spelling: Klipsch is spelled K-l-i-p-s-c-h. I know, I know, Michael; I'm just having some fun with you, pal! Maybe after 20,000 posts he will learn that []

Yes Panasonic plasma displays have no problems, the newer displays will probably outlast most TVs having 60,000 and even 100,000 hours of half life brightness. Image "burn in" is a thing of the past, temporary "imagine retention" is only very slight and usually disappears seconds after static images are replaced with normal active screen display. Even the human eye can suffer from some image retention. Plasma displays have a much better picture quality, more realistic than LCD. Also a plasma display will probably outlast an LCD, plasma has a better quality glass screen (LCD has a plastic screen) and no backlight to burn out. I own a 50 inch Panasonic professional model plasma, TH-50PH9UK it is the best TV I have ever owned and one of the best I have ever seen. BTW, the Panasonic professional displays come with a 2 year warranty, mine came with a special offer free 5 year warranty from Panasonic.

The horns and technology are the same, however RF-5's have a 1" tweeter while the RC-7 has a 1.75" tweeter. The RC-7 and RF-5's sound beautiful together and are one of the best matches I have seen or heard, really a nice match.

I am running an RC-7 center with RF-5 fronts, I find it is a perfect match. I originally had an RC-3 it was nice but the RC-7 was a very good improvement.

I have the 50 inch Panasonic professional model, TH-50PH9UK and absolutely love it! You might check out Panasonics professional line they are my favorite plasma displays. Here is a link to Panasonics Professional model web page: http://www.panasonic.com/business/plasma/plasmas.asp

The setting LARGE/SMALL is a little confusing, a better way to have labeled this setting would have been LFE ON/OFF in other words using SMALL is turning LFE ON. Yes, in most cases the best setting is SMALL on all speakers and setting the receivers crossover to 80hz. Subwoofer settings vary turn on LFE or set the sub to the max hz, in other words use the receivers crossover and not the subwoofers.

People get confused by the speaker settings LARGE and SMALL, it confuses people who have large speakers and do not feel that they should set the speakers as SMALL. A better way to have named this setting is LFE ON and LFE OFF, if you set it to SMALL you are turning LFE ON and when you set to LARGE you are setting LFE OFF it really does not matter how large the speakers are. Setting to SMALL enables the subs amp and low frequency abilities. Use your crossover to determine where your speakers lower range should be and when the sub kicks in, 60 - 80 hz is usually good for large speakers, and a higher setting may be needed for small and satelite speakers. The THX recomendation is 80 hz and this usually is the preferred setting unless you have very small speakers which cannot go that low.

This is an excellent sound card: http://www.auzentech.com/site/products/x-fi_prelude.php I use a digital toslink cable to connect to my receiver. I am in the process of building a new music server, I will be using the above auzentech sound card and for a case I will be using an Omaura TF11 http://www.omaura.com/tf11.html I will be using Vista with Vista Media Center, most of the other components will come from an old computer I have. This new build will be a dedicated music server, my current system uses an older model Auzentech sound card which is also excellent and is also used as a full purpose computer. Update, I have decided to use a different case and will be using an Origen AE H7 case http://www.origenae.com/en/htpc_h7.htm

A computer can make an excellent music source when you have a good sound card paired with a good receiver. Check out Auzentech for a great sound card. You also need to use quality music downloads (and settings) for best quality sound, MusicGiants is a great source. I prefer my cable box/DVR as a TV tuner, the computer has not been able to match it yet for quality.

I think their most known song is "Closer", it has several versions on different albums. The songs "Closer" and "Hurt" are my two favorites both on The Downward Spiral.

Personally I prefer using Windows Media Player 11 and MCE, I tried J. River and did not care for it. AV Album Art Fixer is great for editing album info and getting your album covers. With a little work you should be able to have everything working the way it should. I also added G-Force to WMP for nicer visualizations. The Nvidia driver I am currently using is 175.16

The Nine Inch Nails album to have is "The Downward Spiral". Also Johnny Cash did a cover of Nine Inch Nails song "Hurt" it is an excellent cover version that also has a powerful video, Cash did this just shortly before he died. I also had not seen Nine Inch Nails in quite a while and I also was surprised to see how big Trent had become when I saw the MHD concert. I had a girlfriend early in the 90's who was in a band that had toured with Nine Inch Nails, she was dating Trent while they were on tour.

I use a URC MX-850 remote with my RW-12d. There are only a few remotes which are capable of getting the IR codes to use with the Klipsch subs, you will either need to upgrade to one of these remotes or borrow one that you can use to teach your learning remote. The remote function is great with these subs. Not only can I easily control the sub by the remote but with the remotes macros the sub will automatically switch to the preset modes I have for music or movies when I change to these sources, this is a real plus for these subs.

The problem with doing this is that the frequency response on the center channel speaker does not go as low, an RC-3's frequency response is 62Hz-20kHz ±3dB while an RF-3's is 37Hz-20kHz ±3dB. You will get much better sound using the front mains than you would using the centers as mains.

Auzentech makes some very nice sound cards. http://www.auzentech.com/site/products/x-plosion_cinema.php

I cannot hear the fan on my video card at all, I have run a fanless card before and could not tell the difference in sound between the fan or fanless for noise, however the fan video cards have run much cooler. My system is very quiet I cannot hear the fans unless I am right next to the computer, I have had a DVR I could hear from across the room when nothing else was on. The 6600GT is a very good card, I would definitely use it over a 6200 and I would not even bother with the 5200. I would not run anything less than a 6200 (a 5200 is a lesser card). The 6600GT is a good AGP card and the 7600 is even better. I really would not worry about the fan noise on any of these cards.

Out of those two go with the 6600GT, the 6600GT is a much better card than the 6200. Dont worry about the fan I don't think you will even be able to hear the fan your other fans should be louder. The 6200 should work without any problems, but I think you will be a lot happier with the 6600GT.

Yes you want to use your AGP slot, as I said I'd recommend an Nvidia 7600 card... minimum I would go would be a 6200 it will work with MCE 2005 as I used one before without any problems. 256 memory should work fine since you really are not going for video or games. I prefer cards with fans myself, I have used both and can't hear any difference between the cards I have used, all were very quiet. I have been using MCE since it's begining, I currently use Vista MC and was a beta tester with Vista. Vista is much more demanding of a video card and I have used an Nvidia 7600GS card with Vista and it worked very well. I think the Nvidia7600 is one of the best AGP cards you can get without spending a few hundred on a video card. The 6600GT card you linked to will work fine... I don't think the 5200 you linked to is good enough. Also you should have at least a 300w power supply to power these cards, however the 6200 can get by with less.

This looks like a good choice http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=3053805&CatId=318 Also this would be a lower budget minimum card that should work for you http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=3569995&CatId=318 How many watts is your power supply?