Thaddeus Smith

is there something special or non-standard about the included sub cable? if not, go to monoprice.com and shop till you drop (the cable will be less than the shipping cost, so it's your moral imperative to stock up on other audio/video goodness )

elgato definitely seems to be the go-to solution for dvr needs. as far as the rest of your media is concerned, i would check out Plex. It's very slick and very efficient (it's a fork from the XMBC project)

this thread at avsforum will be your best friend in setting up that marantz: http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=14456895#post14456895 read it, absorb it, read it again...

ha, welcome to the club. I think it was about two weeks before i stumbled across that info, and it drastically changed the performance. did it improve your front stage performance at all?

keith, it's a common misconception that surrounds are supposed to be place ceiling height and pointed down at the listeners. I thought the same thing until I started digging around and learning a bit more. check out this link and see if it doesn't help clarify: http://www.dolby.com/consumer/home_entertainment/speaker-setup-guide/index.html

i have the harmony 880 (had the 550 till my jerk of a dog ate it) and am in love. The only limitation i have currently is my ability to control the ps3, however logitech recently released an ir-bluetooth module for use with the ps3 that should correct my problem. they take a bit of time and patience to setup and configure how you would like, but all in all it's a dream.

1) there are EQ presets which you can customize to your liking and switch between 2) dead beaten horse. doesn't look like they're going to change this anytime soon. 3-5) get a logitech harmony remote. 6) can't please everyone 7) you're the minority. most tv's don't ship with more than 3. use component connections on some of the lesser used gear/not nearly hdmi important. or buy an hdmi switch 8)agreed, sort of. many many many forum threads are out there that can help explain what the manual does not. manuals are not written by or for people. they are the scrolls of the engineering gods and will continue to remain so. i understand your nitpicks, but that's all they are. this box is not going to be anything like your favorite best buy receivers of yesteryear. you might have to change some habits or ways of thinking in order to maximize the unit ...but rest assured it is very flexible. not really coming down on you or disagreeing, merely trying to add some perspective.

this thread, and the linked word document, opened my world when i got the sr8001. give it a try and see if your results don't improve. http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=14456895

seems obvious, but ..you've checked the volume dial on the side of the box, right?

I have the following: Marantz sr8001 Fronts: r-3650-w Center: RC-3 II Surrounds: KG 3.5 Sub: rw-12 ..and very probably am going to be upgrading the fronts to some nice floor standers. I've been looking at several options within the Reference line to match and understand my price points, etc. On a whim, I started checking out the DIY options and came across this, seeking some advice from you guys: http://diyaudioprojects.com/Speakers/Hi-Vi-3-Way-Tower/ First, am I free to discuss this topic here? Following that, do you (collective masses) think I could get by using my existing center or am I going to have major tone/crossover/blending issues? Total project cost is about $900, and there is a matching center channel project for about $450. This is attractive to me for multiple reasons: a) i can spread the cost out, my dad is a big woodshop guy and my FIL is an electrical engineer and HAM operator, so I get to use this as a bonding opportunity, and c) the satisfaction of building my own stuff. incidental costs will be an external amp, since this particular build is 4ohms and the marantz is 6/8 ohms. Darn, i'll have to get an Emotiva XPA-3 :D looking for some advice on how mixing and matching would potentially sound, things i may not have considered, etc. Cheers - Michael

simple fix: unplug tv. say "oops, sorry". begin installing expensive receiver.

i used to have a denon tramp stamp, but i'm all about marantz these days.. (owned by the same parent company, but the similarities stop there)

What speaker series are you using with them??? Fronts: Klipsch R-3650-W (works, but will be looking to upgrade to floorstanders in the future) Center: Klipsch RC-3 II Surrounds: Klipsch KG 3.5 Sub: RW-12 when I upgrade my fronts I'll move the in-walls to my surround-backs, most likely. My living room is horribly for sound dynamics, and the tv I'm using is quickly degrading 42 vizio plasma (owned by my landlord). I'm not unhappy with my setup, but it's not where i want it to be in a year, either.

+1 for the marantz sr8001. I've had mine a couple of months, used, and absolutely love it.

thanks Trey, that's the piece of the equation I was looking for. Coytee - Your logic is sound (pun, ha!) and if it ends up not working like I plan I'll do just that. However, I like the sound these produce and I enjot building stuff and repurposing items to my changing needs. cheers- Michael

Here's the facts: I have a set of r-3650-w's as my fronts. I don't own a home, nor do I plan on it in the foreseeable future. I currently have the speakers installed in-wall but don't want to continue the trend as I move from home to home. Building cabinets seem like the solution... Has anyone done this before? Should the cabinet be the same depth as a wall? Insulation obviously ..but how tall? Ported? These are pretty decent speakers and will most likely become my rear backs in the next place and it seems like a waste not to use them if not installed in-wall. Google has been useless. Is this doable or am I trying to put a square peg in a round hole? cheers- michael