# Arclights Home Theater



## arclight (May 1, 2006)

Here is my humble working class system.

Well I left the 2 channel world and decided to enter the HT world. After a couple of rough years financially and having to sell off some gear to survive and pay bills. This is what I have been able to come up with. It has evolved over the past year and a half where I initially started with the Paradigms, Onkyo receiver, and a 27" CRT and cheap JVC DVD player and no room treatments.

The Paradigm Mini Monitors and the LCR-350 where found at a garage sale with blown tweeters for 45.00 for all 3 speakers. After getting home I was able to locate the v.1 tweeters on e-bay in 20 minutes. Picked up both of those for 40.00 and Paradigm was able to sell me a tweeter for the LCR-350 for 48.00. So for 135.00 I had a matching front stage system. I use my trusty Energy C-1's as rear channels and picked up the HSU STF-2 to round out the system. I picked up the Onkyo TX-SR506 for 229.00 about a year and half ago which is working out rather well considering its a budget receiver.

Future upgrades include MoPads for the center channel. But the bricks do a good job isolating the center channel from the stand and preventing reflections. Same goes for the bricks used with the sub. I hate wood floors. I'm also going to be getting a SubDude for the sub. 

Equipment List - 
*Onkyo TX-SR506* - Receiver
*Marantz DV4001* - DVD Player (Upconverts to 1080i) - 87.00 dollars from One Call on close out. One of my best finds online. 
*Velodyne LMS1* - Subwoofer EQ - 409.00 from One Call on sale. Boy did this make the bass sound so good. 
*Nintendo Wii *- Game Console - For my girlfriends gaming vice. 

Speakers - 
*Paradigm Mini Monitors - v.1* - Front Left and Right. 
*Paradigm LCR 350* - Center Channel
*Energy C1* - Surrounds 
*HSU Research STF-2* - Subwoofer

Room Treatments - 
ATS Acoustics 

Television - 
Vizio - 37" - 1080p


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## dpromano76 (Dec 22, 2009)

Those panels are cool, you should paint the walls to compliment them and that would pull it together also move that dvd rack and to the back , it's kinda' distracting!!! and is that center channel on bricks?


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## spartanstew (May 7, 2009)

Seems like the acoustic panels are too high to be doing anything based on your speaker heights. I also agree with the above poster on adding some paint and moving the DVD rack. Also, your surround speakers should go on the sides of the viewing spot and face toward each other (or slightly behind). It looks like they're in the back and facing forward.

What size is that display? How far do you sit from it?

No offense (seriously), because I'm sure it's a fine TV room, but I'm not sure I'd call it a home theater.


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## arclight (May 1, 2006)

dpromano76 said:


> Those panels are cool, you should paint the walls to compliment them and that would pull it together also move that dvd rack and to the back , it's kinda' distracting!!! and is that center channel on bricks?


I guess you didn't read the last part of my intro on future upgrades. 

Are place is a rental so painting the walls is out of the question. 

The DVD's will be moved when we get a bigger rack. But for now it works.


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## arclight (May 1, 2006)

spartanstew said:


> Seems like the acoustic panels are too high to be doing anything based on your speaker heights. I also agree with the above poster on adding some paint and moving the DVD rack. Also, your surround speakers should go on the sides of the viewing spot and face toward each other (or slightly behind). It looks like they're in the back and facing forward.
> 
> What size is that display? How far do you sit from it?
> 
> No offense (seriously), because I'm sure it's a fine TV room, but I'm not sure I'd call it a home theater.


The acoustic panels have done wonders. All the slap echo is gone and the system has a much smoother sound. The highs are much less irritating. 

Are place is a rental so painting is out of the question. Where working on getting a bigger DVD rack. 

The TV is a 37" and a tad small but it's what we could afford, and it's better than my 27" CRT we where using. LP is less than 10' from the TV. A 42 or 46" inch will be are next TV and this will go in the bedroom. 

As for the surrounds. They are on the sides of the LP facing each other. Unfortunately you cant see the left surround. As you can see in the photo we can't put them behind us. As we are up against the wall.


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## spartanstew (May 7, 2009)

arclight said:


> LP is less than 10' from the TV. A 42 or 46" inch will be are next TV and this will go in the bedroom.


If you're 10' away, your next TV should be at least 65" (the optimal size for 10' is actually 75").


I see what you mean about the surrounds now. I was thinking that sofa was on a side wall when first looking at it.


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## arclight (May 1, 2006)

spartanstew said:


> If you're 10' away, your next TV should be at least 65" (the optimal size for 10' is actually 75").
> 
> 
> I see what you mean about the surrounds now. I was thinking that sofa was on a side wall when first looking at it.


I here you. If you could convince my girlfriend of anything bigger than a 46" and convince her to let me spend more than a thousand dollars on a TV I would be forever in your debt. It just will not happen though. 

Considering some of the other restrictions others have to deal with I'm pretty lucky in my book. How many girlfriends or wives do you know that would allow room treatments to be put up in the living room and then put them up for you. Even though I insisted on doing it myself.


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## spartanstew (May 7, 2009)

arclight said:


> How many girlfriends or wives do you know that would allow room treatments to be put up in the living room and then put them up for you. Even though I insisted on doing it myself.


When we were looking to build our house 6 years ago, my wife is the one that said "Lets make sure there's space for a dedicated theater". She also talked me into getting a 65" display for the living room instead of the 60" I had planned on. :bigsmile:


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## arclight (May 1, 2006)

Sounds like we both got lucky. I feel bad for some of these guys though. Even the ones who can make things look nice but the wife still wants the Bose cubes. That must really suck for them.


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## recruit (May 9, 2009)

Great looking room arclight :T


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## Dante (Feb 26, 2010)

nice setup very sleek looking


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