So my AV furniture finally arrived, and my brother spent all day helping me set it all up. I'm very pleased with the results, looks great. Unfortunately it was night by the time we finished, so I couldn't take any nice pictures. Tomorrow I will, and I'll post then here!
THe only visible piece of the whole system is the TV, and it's behind a custom frame, so all you see is the screen. I'm using a Niles IR repeater setup to relay commands to all the hidden gear. Here is a list of components I'm currently using:
Denon AVR-3805 receiver
Samsung HLP-5063WX DLP television
Sony DVP-CX985 for my CD's
Sony DVP-CX995 for my DVD's
HD cable w/ DVR
a/d/s M12 monitors
Klipsch center, sats, and sub
Philips ProntoPro NG remote
Sony PS2
Microsoft Xbox
Nintendo Gamecube
Linksys 5 port hub
Niles IR repeater system.
Monster HTS-2600 Power Center for AV components
Monster HTS-1000 Power Center for gaming and other accessories
Monster cables and speaker wire
Glass toslinks
...and a partridge in a pear tree.
Now all I have to do is load ALL my CD's and DVD's into the players...
[ This message was edited by: DocVijay on 2005-09-28 13:34 ]
First is the big picture (2 actually). Let me just say that this has the ultimate in WAF. Not a single complaint. Well except from me. My wife already tried to cover up the center channel with a big clock! Here it is:
Here is the custom framed TV, and right above it is the sensor for the IR repeater system from Niles. Works very well.
Close-up of the IR sensor and hte Klipsch center channel speaker.
Her is one of the a/d/s M12 speakers. Oldie but a goodie.
Here are the Klipsch surrounds. As you can see, this room is very difficult to get sounding right. Open spaces, high ceilings, and reflective surfaces. That's why I got the Denon 3805 w/ the auto EQ feature. It really works pretty well.
Here is the Klipsch KSW-12 sub. It's hidden inside the cabinet just to the left of hte main components. Contributes greatly to the WAF.
And here are the components themselves. There may be a heat issue, as the receiver and cable box get quite warm. May have to install some fans as I said in another thread.
All important gaming systems. 5-port hub links them to the main house network. All are online capable. Also, Xbox 360 on pre order...
Finally the remotes. Another thing that helped the WAF quite a bit is going from this:
To this:
Worth every penny!!!
Also, here are a few shots of hte outdoor system I'm setting up. Here is the future home of my old 27" TV from my apartment days. Wired for cable. Also, I installed a set of Polk Atrium 45 outdoor speakers. They are powered by the #6 & #7 channels of my Denon as Zone 2.
Finally, here is the kids set-up upstairs in their playroom. Also with Sony components, of course. Sony 997 and Sony 5.1 speakers.
Joined: Feb 28, 2003
Posts: 9156
From: Chicago,IL, USA
Posted: 2005-09-28 21:42
DocVijay,
Gorgeous setup and a gorgeous home. I can see why it took you and your brother all day to set it all up but the effort shows and was worth it. You beat me to the punch in regards to heat build up concern for your receiver. You might consider leaving the front doors open when the system is in use. Removing or perforating the rear panels could help release some of the heat if by doing so doesn't compromise the support of the A/V unit. I can certainly understand the high WAF as you really did a nice clean install and the unit fits the wall perfect.
You have some lucky children, having their own 5.1 system. My son was in his 20's before he had his own Sony receiver (STR-DA555) .
Those Polk Atrium outdoor speakers looks like they will cover the back room nicely. Considering your location, I guess this would be a Florida room literally.
Thanks you so much for taking the time to take the pictures, even more time hosting and posting them for us and mostly for sharing your fantastic full house setup with us. Nice job.
Thanks! Yes, for now I am leaving the doors open to relieve the heat issue. I was pretty sure it would be a problem, but I wanted to check and see just how hot. Well, it's pretty hot, so... I'm going to install a set of 12 cm computer fans. They spin slowly enough so as to be pretty quiet. The power supply will be plugged into a switched outlet on the Moster 2600, so they will come on automatically. I've also thought about using a heat probe to monitor the temps, and then have the fans some on automatically using a PC fan controller. I have a feeling that they would likely be on all the time, though, so I may just use the on/off route.
I didn't intend on spoiling my kids, but when I upgraded my receiver, I had a perfectly good Sony 997, so might as well use it! Unfortunately, I don't think they appreciate it quite yet (my daughter just turned one).
The Polks are indeed in the Florida room, although technically so is all my gear! I installed it primarily for football season, but my electrician has been dragging his feet to install the power socket for the TV. At least I can get the TV sound through the speakers.
Maxxwire Moderator Premium Member Rank: Sony Adept
Joined: Aug 29, 2002
Posts: 25729
From: Portland, Oregon - USA
Posted: 2005-09-29 15:37
Your ADS M-12 speakers were well worth keeping. Their dual 8" design must fill the room with plenty of high quality sound showcasing the craftsmanship of these $2,000 speakers.
~Maxx~
----------------- A Satisfied Sony Fan Since 1974!
These are GREAT speakers. The sound quality is exceptional. They are not exactly timbre matched to the center and surrounds, but that is the only down side. The Denon Auto EQ does a pretty fair job of equalizing the sound from all the channels.
Also, eBay is awesome. The grills on my speakers were dented and warped (they're metal) from a decade of abuse. But on eBay I was able to find a brand new set of factory grills! Now they look brand new.
I think I've found a solution to the overheating problem. This company, Active Thermal Management, makes cooling supplies specifically for HT gear. I liket he fact that they have thermal probes to increase and decrease the fan speeds as necessary.
Well, I just called Actie Thermal Management, and WOW are they expensive. The kit that includes 4 fans and two thermal sensors/black boxes runs for $360. AS far as I can see, this is just a some 12cm PC type fans and a few circuits to turn on the fans.
They are very nice in that they are off by default, turn on low at 90 degrees, and then high at 110 degrees, but still.
I think I'll just get my own bits and build it myself. I'l just have them come on with the switched sockets and just run continuously.
The only thing that I would buy from them is their wooden vents. I think I'll install a pair on the front doors as intake vents.
On 2005-09-30 15:33, Maggiefan wrote: You might be able to find wooden vents in the heating section of Lowe's or Home Depot with the heating/cooling floor and wall grills for ducts.
Yes, I was going to try that first. The only issue I might have is the wood grain/texture not matching the wall unit. If they weren't going to be on such a prominent area, any vent would do. At least this place (ATM) has the exact type of wood I would need. ANyway I'll just try Lowe's/Home Depot and see what they have, and then return it if it doesn't match.
Well, here it is much later, and I finally installed the ventilation fans. They work phenomenally. The front of the receiver is actually cool to the touch. PLus the fans have a thermistor, so the speed is dependent on the temperature. The louder it is, the hotter it runs, and the faster the fans spin. Noise is not really an issue, as the more noise the fans make, the louder the system is usually playing. I'll post some pics later.
EDIT: And I'm also in the process of upgrading from the Denon 3805 to a Denon 4306.
[ This message was edited by: DocVijay on 2006-03-30 15:30 ]
Joined: Mar 13, 2003
Posts: 13790
From: Sewell, NJ
Posted: 2006-03-30 16:22
How similar is your fan control system to this installation? It sounds like yours is a whole lot simpler.
----------------- -John
Sony A/V System: KDL-55XBR8, BDP-S550, AVD-C700ES Super Audio CD/DVD Receiver, 4 SS-LA500ED surround speakers, 1 SS-LAC505ED center channel speaker and 1 SA-WD200 Active Subwoofer
On 2006-03-30 16:22, jehill wrote: How similar is your fan control system to this installation? It sounds like yours is a whole lot simpler.
It'smuch simpler than that setup. I bought a 12V power supply from Radio Shack which I plug into a timed outlet in my Monster power unit. Turns on the fans slightly after the other gear, and more importantly turns them off a bit after everything else.
I connected the fans to the power supply using old 4 pin molex PC power connectors that I had left over. The fans have a termistor that controls the speed of the fans relative to the temperature of the air flowing over it.
These fans move more air than the ones the other gu used so they can be noisy. However, lower volumes generally mean lower temps, and thus lower fan speeds. When the volume gets cranked, then the temps increase and so does the fan noise. But since the general volume is up anyway, you really can't tell.
I thought of using a fan speed controller like he did, but I wanted automatic control, and pretty much all the ones I saw that were truly automatic needed a PC, as ther was some software that controlled the fan speed based on temperature sensor readings. I have no HTPC yet, so that was not an option.
I also differed in my setup in that air flows from the front to the back. His setup circulates tha air from behind. I installed two wooden vents I stained to match into the doors. Looks like they belong there. It works exceptionally well, and all my gear is now nice and frosty.
Anyway here are some pics. First is the fan I used. Next is the two installed for receiver. Close up of fan showinf blue thermistor. Nest are the vents. Finally a close up of the vent.
Side note: I ended up getting the vents from Active Thermanl Management. I couldn't find comperable wooden vents anywhere else. Plus these are the same type of wood as the wall unit, so they match quite well.
THey wanted around $300 for the ir proprietary fan control unit and fans, so I figured I'd just build my own. Ended up spending under $100!
I also ditched Brighthouse and their crappy customer service and got DirecTV. I got the HD DVR box downstairs and a standard sat box for hte kids.
The DirecTV HD DVR (Tivo) box doesn't run as hot as the cable box did.
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Posted: 2005-09-28 00:02
DocVijay,
