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Let's keep this one in the forum family. I know several of you have been posting lately about expanding your KLF home theaters. It's in San Antonio, TX. http://cgi.ebay.com/Klipsch-KLF-30-Speaker-Mint-No-Reserve-1-speaker_W0QQitemZ300054269513QQihZ020QQcategoryZ61378QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem I'm not affiliated with the seller in any way, nor do I have knowledge of the specific condition of this speaker. Just ran across it during my daily ebay "browse". It would make a great center channel with the HornEd mod. Go get 'em...[]

Let me correct a statement above..."the deciding factor was cost" There were actually two factors in my decision to use C7's...the cost AND the flexibility in mounting or positioning the C7. Both were equally important to me.

Capa, I use 3 KLF-C7's for the surrounds in my 6.1 setup. Here's why... I started with 5 KLF-30's that I purchased from a forum member. Sounded great! The only problem was that using the large speakers as surrounds limited my options to position them. Since I wanted to go 6.1 anyway, I purchased 3 C7's and did some direct A/B surround comparisions with the 30's. The results for my room (15x26) were a little surprising to me. I could not hear any difference between the 30's and the C7's when used as surrounds. Just a note...I recalibrated between tests to keep things equal. I'm sure there are guys on this forum that can explain the acoustic reasons why the testing came out the way it did better than me, but I assume it is primarily due to the fact a lesser amount of info is sent to the surrounds by the movie. The room acoustics were probably also a factor. Bang for the buck...after I decided I would be happy either way, the deciding factor was cost. I could own all 3 C7's for the price of 2 KLF-30's. For me, it was a no-brainer...[] Anyway...all three of mine are sitting vertical. I tested both ways on this as well. I perceived a slightly better sound field in the vertical position. I don't think it will make much difference though. Choose the orientation that fits your space and sounds best to you. In the end that is all that matters...[] I also did the HornEd mod to my KLF-30 Center channel. Works great. If you have any other questions, let me know. Be glad to help another Legend guy on the path to nirvana...[]

Now boys...let's play nice in this thread...[] The Outlaw is a moot point now. When I called the guy again last night he tried to up the price to $600. Said he had a offer of $650. I told him that since I was of the "free trade" persuasion that he should sell it to the other guy...but if he came back to me, the original price of $500 would be too high for me and we would have to come to a new agreement at a significantly lower price. That got him stammering a little...and I politely ended our conversation. [] Who knows...might even see it on Ebay in the next few days. This conversation about amps has been educational for me. Thanks to all. I'll just keep looking for the next good deal to come along...hopefully a 200wpc amp.

Thanks Easy. I remember now that "impedance swing" was the term I had heard discussed before either here or in the 2 channel area in reference to the large Klipsch speakers and 200+ watts per channel. In your opinion what does properly handling the impedance swings add to the sound field? I have the funds to purchase a $1,500-$2000 200+ wpc amp, but since I am a bang for the buck guy, I try not to buy more just for the sake of having bigger specs. Is it going to do something for the sound? That's what I am trying to find out. Any comments appreciated.

Great to hear from you Bill. Very glad to hear that the old Heresy's are still cranking out great tunes. Everyone seems to agree that Outlaw gear is very solid and I certainly trust the opinions I get here. My only question continues to be... will 100 Outlaw watts per channel be close enough to optimum with my KLF-30's that I won't need to worry about what I am missing if I waited for 200 watts per channel? If I bought a 200wpc amp later would I hear a 5% improvement? 50%? 100%? I guess it boils down to will $500 spent now get me to 90% or more of the performance possible with a $1,500+ 200wpc amp? It's so confusing...[] But that's why I am thankful for the guys like you on this forum...[]

Thanks for the replies guys...I figured there might be one or two satisfied Outlaw users on this forum...[] I don't do a lot of equipment swapping or upgrading, so that is the reason for my question about 100w vs 200w per channel. I have heard nothing but good about Outlaw equipment. I (and my lovely wife, hehe) prefer not to "try" equipment and keep rotating it out until I have the right stuff. Makes her think I don't have a clue about what I'm doing. If you think 200w is going to make a difference I can hear at my low listening levels based upon my speaker setup, then I will probably wait. At $500 and 2 years left on the warranty the amp seems to be a good deal, but not a "screaming" good deal... Any additional comments welcome...

I've run across an Outlaw 7100 amp for sale near where I work. It's a 100 watts x 7 channels at 8 ohms. I am currently using a Yamaha RXV-3000 receiver with no separate amp. I've seen the conversations here about receiver vs separates and I've wondered from time to time what I'm missing...so curiousity is rearing it's ugly (and expensive) head...[] I would use it in the theater setup listed in my sig. Legends all around. I NEVER listen at high volumes (60-70 db is common). Sooo a couple of questions o' wise ones... What improvements to sound quality should I expect to hear if I still use the Yammie as a pre/pro? Greater detail? More punch? Many here have recommended 200 watts per channel for the KLF-30's. I'm not in any hurry to "amp" my system. Would you pass on the 7100 and watch for a 200 watt per channel unit? Is there a difference (between 100w and 200w) I will hear or "feel" at my listening levels? Any guidance appreciated. Thanks in advance. Brad

Grafpaper, He did not reveal the exact figures but the "street" estimates over at AVS from guys following the project were in the $50-60K area. Not bad considering he must have close to $20K of that in the sound system. Several of the commercial HT builders did comment that it would easily exceed $150K to have it built by one of them. Every time I go back and look at the project thread(s), I'm just blown away by the creativity exhibited...[][]

If you have not seen this yet...follow this link and scroll down till you see "stars" []http://forums.klipsch.com/forums/7/641252/ShowThread.aspx#641252 It's an amazing project by a DIY'fer in FL. I watched it happen over on the AVS Forum. I knew he was a smart and talented guy as the theater developed, but when he added the Klipsch THX2...well then I knew he was a man with taste! For step by step construction details, see this link...http://www.smxscreen.com/ , register and then select the construction forum. Lots of detailed info. I only wish he had started before I finished mine. Just so well thought out and designed. Feast your eyes!

Thanks for posting those pics here Sandman. I have been following your thread on AVS and I am one of your happy SMX screen owners. You truly have one the greatest looking theaters out there...at any price... and I would bet your "bang for the buck" meter is off the charts! Your theater will serve as a great inspiration for many of us when we get ready for our "next" theater project...[] Thank you for sharing here and welcome to the world of Klipsch audio. There is a great bunch of "Klipch-heads" here and you will find that excellence is appreciated, not slammed... Come on back and hang out when you get the chance...

Easy, With a Panny AE900, your results can only be better than mine...that is a great projector. I finally got around to looking at some Pixar movies last night...as you might guess they are fabulous! They really give you the sensation that you are viewing a high def program. To all viewers of this thread... I have a good amount of material left over that I would be willing to make 2 x 4 foot test strips out of and send to Forum members for the cost of shipping. If anyone is interested, let me know. Email is best as I don't check PM's here everyday.

Yes guys, the patch in the middle is the new SMX material. Before I mounted the new material, I cut an 18" scrap off of the end of the roll so that I could do a direct comparison. I wanted to see any differences in an "apples to apples" way. Up until that point I was still skeptical...but hopeful...[] Bill, I've been around, just not much to say...[]. Glad to hear you are still in Heresy heaven. Keep them in good shape, you never know when I may want them back...[]

Final pic....

#2....

First let me start this topic by saying that I am a big skeptic of marketing claims for new home theater products that are presented to have it all (great price/great quality). There is too much smoke and mirrors in the A/V market and IMO, way too many products that offer only a marginal improvement and come with a high price tag. (Not Klipsch, of course...[] I have the members of this forum to thank for years of good advice and direction in steering me (and others) away from a lot of that smoke. <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /> I finished my DIY dedicated home theater about a year ago. Because I was new to front projection, I spent some time researching AT (acoustically transparent) vs. non-AT screens. Since I am a Klipsch-head like the rest of you, audio performance was more important than video quality. If there were any compromises to be made, it would be on the video side. So any screen I purchased would have to be of the acoustically transparent type. I ordered and screen tested 2' x 2' samples from the various manufacturers and came to the conclusion that in bang for the buck, the Dazian Coated Celtic Cloth was the best option. The CCC material was only $60, so at that price (compared to >$1000 for the next best option), I figured it would be good enough to start with and left me the option to change later with very little invested in the first attempt. I was happy with my decisionfor almost a year[] I am here to share that I found my first screen upgrade. A guy (Sandman) on the AVS forum (who was building his own dedicated theater room DIY style) found a new material for use as a screen. It is acoustically transparent, and the picture quality is as good as the high priced screen material (that would cost $2500-$3000) I used in my original research. The pics that follow are as seen. Nothing has been altered or photoshop-ed in these pics. They were shot with a Canon S2 IS camera on auto mode. Nothing fancy. The projector is a Panasonic AE700 running in low lamp (econo) mode shooting in a totally dark, light controlled room. IMO, this is not a minor improvement in picture quality. Brightness, color trueness, and text clarity were all dramatically improved. Blacks are slightly grayer, but not something you would notice without looking for it. IMO, an acceptable trade-off for the improvement in overall picture quality. Every member of my family saw the improvement immediately (even the wife) and they were oooo-ing and ahhh-ing at the first sitting. <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" />Lots of Wows too. My wife even thought that the money was well spent (and thats tough to accomplish for any A/V thing over $20J). The center channel behind the screen only required a +1db adjustment using my Ratshack analog SPL meter. The sound from behind the screen is as clear and detailed as before. So what did I pay??? $430 for 4 linear yards (including shipping) to cover a 120 diagonal 16 x 9 screen. Because of all the hype that pervades the home theater product industry, I was still reluctant to try ituntil the product came with a 30 day satisfaction guarantee. Then the only risk was shipping. My only motivation with this post is to share back with the Klipsch community that has been so good to me. I have absolutely NO interest, financial or otherwise, in this product. Just a happy owner of the screenJ If you are looking for an AT screen, this one deserves your attention. Go to www.smxscreen.com to check it out. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! Now back to my theater to feast my eyes...[]

Thanks James. Guess I'll have to upload one pic per post...[]

Picture upload test....

In this here new "fancy" forum...how do I post pics in a thread? Sorry if this has been asked a 1000 times, but I can't get the search function to work either...must be a Friday...[] Thanks in advance.

My first "theater" setup was KG 3.5 as mains and a KV-2, so I've traveled a similar path. At the time I thought that was pretty good. Then I found this forum...on recommendations from here, I added the 3.5's all around. The timbre match was everything that was described here. I modified one 3.5 (with help from this forum) to be a horizontal center. See pic below... It doesn't look like much, but it was sonic heaven...[] As opportunities from this forum presented themselves I was able to move to an all KLF setup. I did keep the 3.5's though...[6] I say the above to make a point that an all KG 5.5 setup will take you to the next level in sound quality. What it does is create a "seamless" soundstage. It is as realistic as it gets. I was able to hear the difference and you should too. If you have a line on another pair of 5.5's...GO FOR IT! [] Good luck and hope this helps...

I had a perfectly matched KLF-30 5.1 setup. IMHO it was verrrrryyyy nice, but overkill. I eventually bought some KLF-C7's to do some direct comparision and determined there wasn't enough difference to matter...at least to my very picky ear. So I sold the 30's and had enough left to buy 4 C7's. Now I had 7.1 for the price of 5.1 and I have greater flexibility in speaker placement. For me it's all about bang for the buck. Your mileage may vary...and remember the only thing that matters is how it sounds to you. []

If you are looking for a cool and quiet HTPC check out this new case from Antec. http://www.silentpcreview.com/article591-page1.html There's just something about having water (or other liquid coolant) running around near electronic components that just calls out to "Murphy"...[] Just my 2 cents...

Guys, FWIW, I bought my decora style X-10 dimmer switches and IR controller from HomeautomationNet.com. Small operation, but MUCH cheaper than Smarthome. The guy running it answers his own phone and was very helpful with technical questions. Hope this helps.

Check out this forum post...http://forums.klipsch.com/forums/673431/ShowPost.aspx ...IF your budget has about $100 of air left in it...[] Hope this helps...

Moon, Congrates on your 10,000th post! Looks like I have a way to go reach your lofty perch! []