# Trickenham Studio



## Trick McKaha (Oct 7, 2009)

_Speakers:_ Emerald Physics CS2 mains
DIY center with coaxial 12" Eminence Beta-12CX and Selenium D220 Ti-8 1" compression driver on an open baffle
Cambridge Soundworks surrounds and rear speakers.

_Subs:_ Cambridge Soundworks PSW-1 and a Cerwin Vega Sub-150

_Receiver:_ Yamaha RX-V665
_
Amplifiers:_ Emotiva XPA5 and Yamaha RX-V1400 power section

_EQ: _ Active EQ of mains and center using 2 Behringer DCX 2496 boxes with slightly different settings.

_Video:_ Panasonic AE900 projector & Optoma HD 66 projector with 106" pull down Greyhawk screen

_Sources:_ Windows based HTPC, Cable DVR, PS3, Sony DVP-CX 850D 200 disc DVD changer, and B&O Beogram TX turntable

_Remote:_ Universal Automator

_Wire:_ 12 gauge speaker wire from the outdoor lighting department of Lowes, & thick connectors from Monoprice.

_Misc:_ Smart Strip turns on a power bar of equipment automatically when my remote turns on the main receiver that is plugged into it. 
Alesis IO 26 used for multichannel recording with my band.



Emerald Physics CS2 speakers are my mains. I built a center on an open baffle with the same coaxial 12" and 1" compression driver as the newer CS 2.3 but using active EQ just like the CS2. The front three speakers all require two channels of external power amplification each that comes mainly from an Emotiva XPA 5 and also from an older Yamaha receiver as a power amp for the channels not driven by the Emotiva. I'm using some old Cambridge Soundworks speakers for surrounds and rears until I build 4 more speakers like my current center.

Receiver is the Yamaha RX-V665 because it has 7.1 and preamp line outs. No HDMi 1.4, though, so I'll just have to work around that. 

Video is an older Panny AE900 projector and a newer Optoma HD66 projector to give 3D as it comes available. All the electronics are kept in the balcony above the great room where the actual HT is, and a radio remote "Universal Automator" controls everything from a distance. I spent days programming the macros in that sucker, because it does not have a computer interface, but that radio signal means I can point it anywhere and still change the volume. Upstairs there is a little converter that translates the radio signal back to ir and emits that toward the equipment stack. I control iTunes on the HTPC remotely with an app on my iPhone.

Screen is a pull down 106" Greyhawk.

Sources include the cable dvr, a PS3, a Sony 200 DVD jukebox, and a HTPC with iTunes and videos on it. I make home videos in 2D and now 3D, and the computer is the source for those, now.

Soon, I'll be adding the Optoma 3D-XL and then 3D video and 3D gaming will be much easier.

Subwoofers are a Cambbridge Soundworks PSW-1 and a Cerwin Vega Sub-150. They are both turned down and they do the job together well enough. When I want to break down the house I'll have to get more, but I won't. Actually, the CS 2 main speakers do a nice job with the bass, very natural and detailed, driven by that XPA 5. The subwoofers are there to just extend the punch when the effect isn't meant to be musical.

Speaker wire is black 12 gauge from Lowes, usually used for low voltage lighting outdoors. There is a lot of it running from upstairs & down around the room, hidden as best I could. Most other connectors are from Monoprice. 

My goal was to have a system that sounds big and with a big screen, but one that gives the room back for other use especially during the day. There is hardly a system that I would rather have. Lucky.


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