mness4 Posted October 16, 2009 Author Share Posted October 16, 2009 Youthman, I recall you were on the fence betweem 2.35 and 1.77...sounds like you're happy with your decision to go with the latter. I'll trace out that on my wall and see how it looks. I might have to follow your lead, since we will have virtually identical projectors. Thanks all the responses...I'm working on my KG speaker setup/layout. I'd appreciate your input when I finish up. Thanks again for your help. Interesting...I'm on my Dell laptop at work and the returns work, but they still don't on my MacBook at home. Ugh! Sorry in advance! Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Youthman Posted October 16, 2009 Moderators Share Posted October 16, 2009 I recall you were on the fence betweem 2.35 and 1.77...sounds like you're happy with your decision to go with the latter. I'll trace out that on my wall and see how it looks. I might have to follow your lead, since we will have virtually identical projectors. Yes I am definitely happy with the 2.35 setup. My screen isn't very tall but by golly it's 8 feet wide. LOL. I wish I was able to go with the 110" screen but I just didn't have the space available in the width of my room due to the cabinet. I think the black bars would have bothered me if I would have went with 16:9 screen. I know it always has bothered me when looking at someone's 16:9 plasma or LCD to see the bars. I guess my brain is just screaming that it's wasted space. Filling the entire screen is very cool to me. If you need a larger screen, just move your seats a bit closer. It gives the same effect. Michael Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mness4 Posted October 16, 2009 Author Share Posted October 16, 2009 Capt_John, I've been thinking more about your comment not to go with the Denon 1910 or 2310 if I think I might want to add an amp. As my HT speaker designs seem to be moving to the larger side of the old-school lineup (KG5.2 or 5.5 fronts...possibly Forte II if I can find them), I'm getting more concerned about having enough juice to drive them. I really like the Denon features, but I'm concerned about painting myself into a corner. Can you recommend a beefier avr with the same Denon features (like the Audyssey and auto calibration), but with preamp capability that isn't significantly more pricey? Thanks, Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ender21 Posted October 16, 2009 Share Posted October 16, 2009 Denon's website doesn't show the rear of the 3310 but in any case it's almost twice as much as the 2310. The Onkyo 707 has pre outs and pretty much everything Audyssey can throw at it and msrp is similar to the Denon 2310. I've had both the Integra 9.8 and 9.9 (made by Onkyo) and have been very happy with them, but you can't argue with Denon if you wished to stay with that brand. Rick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cpt_John Posted October 16, 2009 Share Posted October 16, 2009 Can you recommend a beefier avr with the same Denon features (like the Audyssey and auto calibration), but with preamp capability that isn't significantly more pricey? If you want the option to use the AVR with an amplifier, I would look at a Denon AVR-2809 or its almost twin AVR-989. These are both '09 models but they can still probably be had new in the $6-7xx range (with some searching online) and would be better options than the two you were looking at. I just noticed a brand new AVR-989 on ebay at $749 with free shipping. If you use bing.com you can get an 8% rebate; therefore, net cost delivered would be around $689. (That is with 2 minutes of effort, I am sure an even better deal could be found with more effort). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mness4 Posted October 16, 2009 Author Share Posted October 16, 2009 Rick, I called 6ave to ask about something else related to the 1910, and they claim it can be used with an amp. The description says "7.1-channel analog audio preamp input." Is this what I'm looking for? Can you tell I've never used and amp?! I would love to go with Capt_John's recommendation, but that one's a bit out of my budget. 6ave will sell the 1910 for $420. I'll look into your suggestions if it's true that the 1910 won't work. Thanks, Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cpt_John Posted October 16, 2009 Share Posted October 16, 2009 "7.1-channel analog audio preamp input." Is this what I'm looking for? No, this is not what you asked for. You need to look for preamp outputs. I believe it will say something like 8 channel preamp outputs (7 + sub). The 2310 only has the sub preout, while the avr-3310 and above have full preouts. This is why I recommended the model I did because it should be the lowest priced model with preouts that you can probably still find new. - John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mness4 Posted October 16, 2009 Author Share Posted October 16, 2009 Well, it sounds like the key issue for me is determining if additional amplification would be needed for my envisioned setup. If not, I could settle quickly on the 1910 or 2310. So this is probably a stupid question, but is there any way to know without listening? In other words, there are no specs that would hint at an answer? If it's a question of being able to blast the plaster off of the walls, I would never run that hard; however, if the issue is sound quality at moderate volumes, that would be of interest to me. Thanks, Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mness4 Posted October 22, 2009 Author Share Posted October 22, 2009 I'm starting to think about my screen a bit more now that the electrician powered the basement. I had been planning on trying Goo paint. However, ebay seems to have options available that seem too good to be true. For instance, this site http://www.buildyourownprojectionscreen.com/ has a rollout surface for only a bit more than Goo, although I don't think I would want to glue something to the wall that would require pulling off the drywall restore (i.e., tuning it back into a wall if I move.) Also, some ebay vendors are listing some 120" 16:9 motorized screens...I think they're even Da-Lite...for very cheap. Am I missing something? These should cost a couple/few K, right? In any event, the rollout screen material seems like a good option for the price. It seems like it would be a tough installation though. Better get it right the first time! I could envision rolling it onto a false wall if the installation isn't too difficult. Does anyone have any experience with screen material? By the way, I did pick up the Chorus II for $550 yesterday...talked him down from $650. the only downside is that they don't have the bases any longer. Not a big deal for me, but I might have to try to find a pair if I ever plan to sell. Also, they're not sequential but sound teriffic. Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wuzzzer Posted October 22, 2009 Share Posted October 22, 2009 By the way, I did pick up the Chorus II for $550 yesterday...talked him down from $650. the only downside is that they don't have the bases any longer. Not a big deal for me, but I might have to try to find a pair if I ever plan to sell. Also, they're not sequential but sound teriffic. Mike So now you have Quartets, Chorus Is and Chorus IIs, right? Not too bad of a lineup! If you need me to talk to your wife to convince her to let you keep all 6 just let me know. [] I'd be happy to pop in some weekend to help you set anything up and move things around. Always nice to have a helper to move things around. If your wife is anything like mine the last thing she wants to do is lug heavy speakers around and toe them in and move them back and forth and get out the tape measure to make sure they are angled exactly the same and are equidistant from each other and the walls. I don't know why she doesn't like helping with that. [:^)] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mness4 Posted October 23, 2009 Author Share Posted October 23, 2009 Thanks for the offer, Mark. That would be great! This weekend I plan on putting in the few sheets of drywall that will make up the front wall and portion of the side walls and ceiling. If visualapex.com holds true to the Panasonic projector delivery date, that should ship in a week or two. If your Marantz upgrade is successful, maybe we can time it with the 7001. Otherwise, almost anytime would be good. In the meantime, I'm running my Harman Kardon 220. I'm sure it's underpowered, but the speakers seem happy. I'm thinking of refinishing the black Chorus IIs, since I can see the black spray paint when the light hits it right. And after seeing how awesome the refinished CIIs were that I didn't buy, I'm jealous. I might even take the opportunity to see if someone has a pair of Chorus bases, since I wouldn't have to find a black pair. They're not "factory" anymore, so why not?! Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mness4 Posted November 1, 2009 Author Share Posted November 1, 2009 Youthman, I discovered this option for a screen: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=330371474135#ht_4127wt_1097 I was going to go with Goo paint but this looks too good to pass up. They're quoting $229+shipping for a 120" diagonal 2.35:1 white screen with border. That's even cheaper than the paint. I know you went with a fixed screen. Did you try paint before going with a screen? What should I look for to make sure I'm making a good decision? The product reviews seem to be very good and the ebay feedback is all positive. Has anyone else bought a screen from this vendor, by chance? It takes ~15 working days to construct and my Panasonic PT-AE4000U should arrive on 11/4, so I'll be using drywall as a screen for a little while. Thanks, Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Youthman Posted November 1, 2009 Moderators Share Posted November 1, 2009 I saw that when I was researching screens too. Definitely is a bit cheaper. I ended up going with a 103" Elite Cinescope Screen. Your options is much less expensive than mine was. I paid $563 and it was one of the least expensive options that I found out there (except for DIY screens). I guess I was hesitant trusting a non-brand for my first screen. My guess is that it will work just fine though but i'll let you make that decision for yourself. If you choose that route, definitely let us know what you think about it. I love my setup but I also have nothing to compare it to. This is my first projection setup. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mness4 Posted November 1, 2009 Author Share Posted November 1, 2009 I had already emailed the vendor for instructions, just to see what's involved. It looks pretty straightforward. Too bad they don't have a gray screen option. The only potential difficulty seems to be having the patience to stretch the material properly to remove wrinkles. So I just ordered one now. I'll post how it goes...in about three weeks :>( Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ender21 Posted November 2, 2009 Share Posted November 2, 2009 Well considering what a lot of screens cost it's worth a shot, right? I've built two screens by myself with blackout cloth from Jo-Ann's fabrics. One was 92" diagonal and the other was about 100" diagonal, both 16:9. With materials, each one cost between $60 - $85 to make. So this is about $100 over that amount. That's not *too* bad a premium to pay to have someone else do the work with potentially better results. It'll be interesting to see how the screen gets pulled taut since it requires only screws and a screwdriver. Rick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mness4 Posted November 2, 2009 Author Share Posted November 2, 2009 Yes, I was wondering if/how often the screen might need to be adjusted. The screen is tightened using wood screws between a velvet border and a hardwood frame. I believe the velvet border itself is mounted to its own hardwood frame. It might be that the specific materials combination is of sufficiently high friction that the screen stays put. But velvet is pretty slick. We shall see. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mness4 Posted November 27, 2009 Author Share Posted November 27, 2009 My screen has been shipped and I'm starting to think about wiring the electrical for my room. Does anyone have any recommendations on how many circuits and what capacity would be required? I was thinking about running one dedicated 20 amp circuit into three outlets...two outlets in my component closet and then another on my ceiling for the projector. Would this be enough for a 7.1 system with a couple power amps (tbd)? Does someone make a single outlet equivalent of the Monster surge protector that I can use for my ceiling outlet? Thanks, Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wuzzzer Posted November 27, 2009 Share Posted November 27, 2009 Mike, How's your 7001 working out? Sorry I haven't made good on my offer to help you set things up if needed. Working retail this time of year takes up pretty much all my time. Although, its fun to think about the upgrades I can make with the overtime/bonuses. [] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mness4 Posted November 28, 2009 Author Share Posted November 28, 2009 Mark, No problem. I'm dividing my time between a few projects right now, so I haven't had much time to set up the 7001. In addition to my HT, I'm putting in a bathroom on the other side of the basement. So I haven't been able to dedicate as much time to the HT build yet. That should change once my screen arrives on Mon/Tues. I have a bunch of Blue Jeans speaker wire and a 25' HDMI cable that I have to run through the ceiling. Luckily no drywall yet! I'm hoping to have a power amp for my fronts and center in a couple days. That will allow me to test the parallel/series config of my speakers that we talked about before. In the meantime, I've been running the 7001 in 2-channel mode with music. It's amazing how much better it sounds than the HK220. The HK gave the Chorus a noticeable hiss between tracks; the 7001 sounds like it's off. It's awesome! I'm hoping the power amp will make a similar improvement. Oh, I also picked up a 400-disc sony jukebox off CL for $100. I should be up and running in a month or so. Maybe you can stop by if you have time after the holidays. Thanks and Happy Holidays! Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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