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Mike, I kinda sorta followed the article Extreme TiVO PC from extremetech.com from last week and their previous one. http://www.extremetech.com/article2/0,3973,1121844,00.asp http://www.extremetech.com/article2/0,3973,838247,00.asp The inspiration came from Intel's site: http://www.intel.com/english/home/customize/build/example.htm I've had one running now for 2 weeks. After the June 10 article I finished it up with TiVO capabilities. Doug

I've got a 32 inch TV and have my RF 3 IIs right next to the tv. I believe min distance apart suggestion is 6 feet. I used a mag light with a narrow focus on my chair to get the toe in for my sweet spot. The sound stage is so neat that when I'm staring at the TV I swear the sounds are coming out of the CRT. It's great anywhere in my little apartment. Someone suggested the flashlight thing. It's cool. Also, I use the spikes to minimize the vibrations through the floor. That made a big difference. Doug

It's right if you consider the type of connections you want to use. The DD 5.1 has COAX,Optical and 3 Analog Your HDTV Tuner can use the COAX. Your XBOX can use the Optical. Try the Monster Game. Get the Monster iPod cable for the Line In. That leaves Aux 1, and Aux 2 for other devices, such as a VCR or something. Klipsch Warranty Info clip This Warranty is invalid if (a) the factory-applied serial number has been altered or removed from this product or ( this product was not purchased from a KLIPSCH authorized dealer. You may call 1-800-KLIPSCH to confirm that you have an unaltered serial number and/or you purchased from a KLIPSCH authorized dealer. This Warranty is only valid for the original purchaser and will automatically terminate prior to expiration if this product is sold or otherwise transferred to another party. http://www.klipsch.com/helpcenter/warranty_detail.asp?session=y&type=Klipsch Doug

Allan, No. It's larger than that. It also kicks up some heat for a little thing. I would not suggest too tight of a space. Doug

A couple products: Yamaha RP-U200 CAVIT EXTERNAL AUDIO SOUNDBOARD RECEIVER http://www.yamahamultimedia.com/yec/products/cavit/rpu200.asp There's the Logitech Z-680 http://www.logitech.com/index.cfm?page=products/details&CRID=2&CONTENTID=5048&countryid=19&languageid=1 Desc: 5.1 Configuration 500 Watts Dolby® Digital & DTS® Hardware Decoding THX® Certified Cambridge Soundworks has speakers. Monsoon has some speakers. Most have decoders built in to the system. The alternative is an a/v receiver with multichannel preamp outputs or an a/v preamplifier. Doug

The DD 5.1, power supply, remote control, and manual comes in the box. Those are the important things.

This is the way I have mine setup so that you can picture how it looks. I have a B&K AV6125 amplifier. The DD 5.1 has it's Front L & R, Rear L & R channels going to 4 channels of the amp. I only have 4 speakers. My DVD player uses the COAX Dig input. My XBOX uses the Optical Dig input. My PS2 uses the Line 1. My GameCube uses the Aux 1. My VCR uses the Aux 2. I have a Radio Shack 4 in 2 out video selector. SVideo out goes to my TV. Composite is converted to SVideo. My DVD player uses SVideo Input 1. My VCR uses Composite Input 1. My PS2 uses SVideo Input 2. My XBOX uses SVideo Input 3. My GameCube uses Composite Input 4. I have a HTM MX-500 remote. The volume button for TV works the TV volume. The volume button for DVD, VCR, PS2, XBOX, and GameCube works the Klipsch DD 5.1. If you juggle remotes then the DD 5.1 remote will work the volume for all devices except TV. Here's a trick. The DD 5.1 can save presets for 4 things. So for DVD I load 1 COAX, for XBOX I load 2 Opt, for PS2 I load 3 Line 1, and for GameCube I load 4 Aux 1. For VCR I load 4 Aux 1 and bump the input up to Aux 2. This makes my inputs like direct select buttons. Hope this helps. Doug

I have the Onkyo TX-DS494 and it has 55 watts per channel. It cranks up! I have the RF 3 II. I can leave it on all day and still be able to touch it. Also, it's power bill friendly.

For an average person just watching an occasional movie bells and whistles are unimportant. But for some movie fanatics any DVD without extra features is not even considered for purchase. I buy all DVDs, whether they have those features or not. I consider all those DVD player features I mentioned to be necessary, because I use them almost with every movie I watch. Currently I probably watch an average of 7 movies per week. When I'm not playing games its way more. Maybe 12. The Audio and Video sections are a given. That's why I didn't mention it. Doug

I've been looking to replace my 5 year old DVD player. Here are a few features I like. I like bookmarks. I mark my place and jump to other places to reference something then jump back. I like having both digital jacks in the back. I have bought PS2, XBOX, and GCN since the purchase of my DVD player. Having a COAX digital jack available to use and use optical for my game systems was great. The headphone jack with volume control. Perhaps robust repeat modes are useful. Things I'm going to want on my new one. Zoom. Almost zero layer change time. Good search forward and backward with audio. Settings saving for some disks. I'm not sure how helpful this post is to you. Doug

I've been seeing a lot on this topic lately. I read an article on wired.com about the death of the music industry. http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/11.02/dirge.html. I'm kinda worried. The trend is to obtain free music using peer to peer programs. They claim people are happy with the quality of the music. The quality is ok for PC speakers, portable devices, or stock car speakers. I shelled out some bucks the past year for all new audio equipment. I really don't like the idea that the future will have me sitting with my PC creating huge playlists of inferior quality music. This is attributed to the speculation that the labels won't be crankin out high quality software because there's no demand for it or money to be made. I wouldn't mind if high quality music is to be produced and distributed over broadband. http://slate.msn.com/id/2076336/ But if nobody produces it, or agrees upon some way to keep it safe, then nobody gets it. Do any of you think about this? I think it sucks! Doug

Yes. I realized I had made that mistake last week. The Promedia 5.1 referring to the speakers, and the Promedia DD 5.1 referring to the Digital Decoder. Sorry. I listened to Ricky Skaggs last night. Now there's some mighty fine pickin'.

Hey All, Despite thoughts about that big down payment on a house, I went ahead and built my audio system. Your comments passed through my brain only long enough to mask the other thoughts of a better system. I purchased the Klipsch Promedia 5.1 as my Pre/Pro. I purchased a B&K AV5125, which I ended up receiving the AV6125. I purchased a Monster Powerbar 1100 for protection. I wired it all up with Monster M series. I have Klipsch RF-3II up front and Infinity Ref4 in rear. It took B&K 5 weeks to get the amp to the retailer. But, that gave me lots of time to be patient. It was also no big deal when I got it. You know, like, "OK I guess I'll hook it up." It was a bit-o-cash, but I'm very happy with it. It's been in place since Thursday evening, and it's getting better sounding every day. I use my system for DVD, CD, XBOX, and PS2. (Occasional VHS) I just wanted to share with my fellow Klipsch group. Thanks, Doug

---------------- On 10/20/2002 5:12:08 AM marksdad wrote: there was little comparison, higher highs, lower lows, clearer mids, all in all the klipsches put out more music ---------------- I too auditioned the Klipsh RF3 & RF5 VS Polk VS Definitive Technology. As marksdad said, that's exactly what I experienced. You can hear them all at Ovation A/V in the midwest.

I don't have Interludes, but I have the Infinity Reference series. I had the Inf Ref 4 in the front and Inf Ref 3 in the rear. I had those Ref 4 for 2 years. I bought a pair of Klipsch RF3, which are not the same "Reference" quality that the Infinity Reference series is. I moved the Inf Ref 4 to the rear. I'm have a big matching problem with the Infinitys. They are very quiet and boomy. I have to have levels higher to match the front levels. The Inf localization is poor in the rear. They did sound better with front channel signals. But, I do own them so they cost me nothing to keep back there. Put the speakers in the front that have a better soundstage and presentation. Tweak the rear to match.

I'll lay out my current system for you. '98 Panasonic 310 DVD player - COAX '98 Panasonic VCR - ANALOG Playstation 2 - ANALOG XBOX - OPTICAL '00 Onkyo 498 receiver - 5.1 input amplification '02 Klipsch RF-3 up front '00 Infinity Ref 4 in rear. My whole system is Monster cabled. I mentioned the years because microchip processing may have changed. I put the DD 5.1 into my system Friday. All inputs go into it. I'm using front and rear channels out to Onkyo 5.1 input. Video is switched seperately. I will say that relatively the sound is superior to the digital processing in the Onkyo model I have. The audio sounds different. Because originally the COAX went right into the Onkyo for processing. Now it goes into the DD 5.1 through COAX dig interconnect then to the Onkyo through analog interconnects. The digital audio from the DVD is different. I have watched Monsters Inc, Mary Poppins, and ******. I have listened to DJ Encore, Trace Adkins, and Martina McBride. The sound is very good. Again I have the 2 step process so it is different. The analog audio from the PS2 is far superior. Even though the audio is passed from the DD 5.1 into the Onkyo's 5.1 input, the Pro Logic decoding is great. I played GTA3 for about 8 hours since I hooked it up. The ambience of the game is great. I played Tony Hawk 3 on XBOX for 30 minutes. I didn't really listen for differences. It's still good.

Hey, I'm chuckling about the plastic. BTW, what is parkland plastic? When I was in college I used to check out the InFocus LP720, if I remember right, to take home to watch movies almost every weekend. I used a white dorm bedsheet pulled tight with string for my screen. Not very bright but it was a 7.5 ft diagonal in like 9-10 ft away. Man my dreams are to forget the small 50 something inch TV or whatever and get right into projectors for the 150 inch viewing umm extravaganza! Doug

Hey All, But wait. Wouldn't it be more important for it to have better video quality? The manufacturers always flaunt their audio stuff anyways. It seems when the price goes up they shove in more D/A this and decoding that. If I use my receiver to decode the soundtracks why would I want to pay hundreds of dollars more? As it is in my orig 600 dollar DVD I'm not using the decoding so I could have spent less right?? Maybe if I pay more I think I got more! Ha. Doug

Thanks all for your thoughts. I'll make sure the all my dough is put into a safe place. Maybe with interest I'll make 50 bucks or so before I need it. I don't have a woman yet. I've read all the stories about purchasing stuff without the wife knowing. Perhaps she'll be into that stuff also. TTYL, Doug

Right on man! Thanks Doug

Hey All, I'll break it down. I got a pair of RF3IIs last week. I love 'em the way they are. Now I'm itching to buy new hardware. Perhaps just to maybe hear them better. Maybe because I need something to do (fishing gear analogy). Maybe I'm a little crazy. I am in an apartment. I'll get a house in 6+ months hopefully. So I don't really NEED anything new. OK, so here's the variables. 1. If I'm going to buy anyways I might as well have it now. 2. I could use that money to buy other stuff when I get a house, or down payment. 3. If I get something to get me by I'll end up getting something better, and the money I spent could have went toward something better. (That happens to me a lot) 4. Space, electricity, weight, more money on interconnects, more speakers to fill channels, etc. Is it normal to analyze this deep? I would like to know people's opinion on blowing a wad of cash on hardware only to think I coulda had... I'm thinking of putting myself on the Outlaw list for the 950/770 combo, but that is just soooo much power that I don't need right now. Should I plan for the future by having those extra channels and extra power just sitting there?? I might have more to deal with like hums and little details that would make me wish that I shoulda stuck with my ONKYO. This is also my first message to say hello. I've got Klipsch now. Well, I had Klipsch in college... Thanks, Doug