redtop Posted September 8, 2006 Share Posted September 8, 2006 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...[] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redtop Posted September 8, 2006 Author Share Posted September 8, 2006 #2.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redtop Posted September 8, 2006 Author Share Posted September 8, 2006 Final pic.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
easylistener Posted September 9, 2006 Share Posted September 9, 2006 So is the section that is brighter in the middle the material? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SilverSport Posted September 9, 2006 Share Posted September 9, 2006 Redtop...if that lighter section in the middle is the material, it certainly looks like an improvement...by the way, haven't seen you on here in a while...those WO Heresys are still doing well as mains in my HT...thanks...and thanks for the tip...there are a few people I may pass this on to for a look. Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redtop Posted September 9, 2006 Author Share Posted September 9, 2006 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...[] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SilverSport Posted September 9, 2006 Share Posted September 9, 2006 looking beautiful and getting a semiannual bath of the BLO recipe' DRBILL recommends as well as a BEC update on their crossovers......looking excellent...like new! Thanks again for the tip on the screen material... Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
easylistener Posted September 9, 2006 Share Posted September 9, 2006 That is what I thought. I have been reading about all this material and diy frames. I have been trying to talk the wife into a fixed frame screen since I got my 900u. I have a manual pull down that is starting to get wavy. I might be able to do this cheap, I have connections with guys in metal shops that could make me a frame. I think I would have mine welded up, it will just make things stronger. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redtop Posted September 10, 2006 Author Share Posted September 10, 2006 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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