# 10000 budget for my media room



## winston0122 (Sep 9, 2011)

Hello everyone i try to spend 10000 to build up my 7.1 home theater, and also i wanna hide the front three speaker inside the cabinet, and the back four for ceiling mount. My media room size is 15 23 ft. please give me you idea. thx!:wave:


----------



## gdstupak (Jul 13, 2010)

Need more info.

How much of that $10,000 is available for...
...audio?
...video?
...room treatments?
...room decor/furnishings?

Do you have any limitations on...
...speaker size?
...sound levels (do you need to worry about bothering neighbors)?
...screen size?

How much audio/video experience do you have?

Do you have any preconceived notions of what you want?


----------



## robbo266317 (Sep 22, 2008)

Welcome aboard Winston.

Cheers,
Bill.


----------



## Jungle Jack (Jul 28, 2009)

Hello,
Hiding your Speakers will really cause them to sound not nearly as good as they would otherwise. With that budget, you can definitely put together a very nice HT. I would consider using a Projector and Screen where you can place the Mains and Center Channel behind the Screen.
Cheers,
JJ


----------



## Alan Brown (Jun 7, 2006)

winston0122 said:


> Hello everyone i try to spend 10000 to build up my 7.1 home theater, and also i wanna hide the front three speaker inside the cabinet, and the back four for ceiling mount. My media room size is 15 23 ft. please give me you idea. thx!:wave:


With that kind of budget you should invest a couple hundred dollars toward on-site professional consulting. Pay a pro designer for his time to provide a site inspection, personal interview, and suggestions. It's not necessary to buy any equipment from them. Tell them this up front and you'll get more objective advice. You have already been given lame advice in this thread. It is clear from your post that you know very little about the process of designing a good system. You weren't even aware of how severely insufficient in detail your system description and question were. Vancouver should have a home theater service provider who has formal training, industry certifications, abundant experience designing a wide range of systems, and customer referrals.

Best regards and beautiful pictures,
Alan Brown, President
CinemaQuest, Inc.
A Lion AV Consultants Affiliate

"Advancing the art and science of electronic imaging"


----------



## bambino (Feb 21, 2010)

Alan Brown said:


> You have already been given lame advice in this thread.
> 
> Best regards and beautiful pictures,
> Alan Brown, President
> ...


I would agree that professional consulting if in the budget would be worth it but on the other hand there is so much knowledge packed into this Forum one could become a pro just by doing all the reading a taking advice given. Just my 2cents.:T


----------



## Alan Brown (Jun 7, 2006)

bambino said:


> I would agree that professional consulting if in the budget would be worth it but on the other hand there is so much knowledge packed into this Forum one could become a pro just by doing all the reading a taking advice given. Just my 2cents.:T


Not realistic. There is no shortage of poor advice, usually based upon shallow assumptions, in any hobbyist forum. How would a novice separate the poor advice from the sound advice, except through trial and error? Few can afford very many errors, and many make excuses for poor decisions to shield their pride. Proven expertise, based upon formal training and scores to hundreds of system designs and complex field installations, cannot justly be compared to time on a hobbyist discussion board. Some don't have the resources to hire a seasoned pro. Some folks don't live in a major metropolitan area near good companies. Forums can be a fall back option when resources are too limited, but only that. It would be foolish to trust $10k in system upgrades to forum correspondence when better alternatives exist.


----------



## jinjuku (Mar 23, 2007)

Alan Brown said:


> Not realistic. There is no shortage of poor advice, usually based upon shallow assumptions, in any hobbyist forum. How would a novice separate the poor advice from the sound advice, except through trial and error? Few can afford very many errors, and many make excuses for poor decisions to shield their pride. Proven expertise, based upon formal training and scores to hundreds of system designs and complex field installations, cannot justly be compared to time on a hobbyist discussion board. Some don't have the resources to hire a seasoned pro. Some folks don't live in a major metropolitan area near good companies. Forums can be a fall back option when resources are too limited, but only that. It would be foolish to trust $10k in system upgrades to forum correspondence when better alternatives exist.


I think the OP can get overloaded initially with advice on a forum, where as if they hire a local installer designer they may only hear one voice. While that may be easier for the person it is not necessarily better for them.

I've seen dealers/installers give just as bad advice. Over at Polk forums there's a dealer I got into it with over driving surrounds that were 4 ohms and the fronts were on external amplification. This idiot didn't even realize that Onkyo / Yamaha / Denon all have models rated for 4 ohms:blink:


----------



## bambino (Feb 21, 2010)

Alan Brown said:


> Not realistic. There is no shortage of poor advice, usually based upon shallow assumptions, in any hobbyist forum. How would a novice separate the poor advice from the sound advice, except through trial and error? Few can afford very many errors, and many make excuses for poor decisions to shield their pride. Proven expertise, based upon formal training and scores to hundreds of system designs and complex field installations, cannot justly be compared to time on a hobbyist discussion board. Some don't have the resources to hire a seasoned pro. Some folks don't live in a major metropolitan area near good companies. Forums can be a fall back option when resources are too limited, but only that. It would be foolish to trust $10k in system upgrades to forum correspondence when better alternatives exist.


Hence why i said if it's in the budget then it would be worth it. Thanks.:T

Then again it could be a waist of money because you may end up with some guy that acts like he knows what he's talking about when really he hasn't a bit more knowledge then us hobbyists.


----------



## Alan Brown (Jun 7, 2006)

As I said, "Vancouver should have a home theater service provider who has *formal training, industry certifications, abundant experience designing a wide range of systems, and customer referrals.*" With forum advisers, you don't know what you're getting. Most won't even reveal their real name.


----------



## bambino (Feb 21, 2010)

You are correct but thats what we are all here for is advice, say for someone that can't afford a certified opinion from some with special tools and knowledge based on years of experiance. But..... say for the guy that can afford it i'm all for it.:T


----------



## GranteedEV (Aug 8, 2010)

winston0122 said:


> Hello everyone i try to spend 10000 to build up my 7.1 home theater, and also i wanna hide the front three speaker inside the cabinet, and the back four for ceiling mount. My media room size is 15 23 ft. please give me you idea. thx!:wave:


I'd forget the "cabinet"

I'd be thinkin "Acousticly transparent screen" all the way.


----------



## Alan Brown (Jun 7, 2006)

GranteedEV said:


> I'd forget the "cabinet"
> 
> I'd be thinkin "Acousticly transparent screen" all the way.


This is a perfect example of what I've been saying. The OP has only presented the information in his very first post in this forum. He did say his room is a media room, not a dedicated theater. We don't know what display he has, or if it is a 103" plasma mounted in a custom cabinet that he's already invested a lot of money in. We don't know if he even has the right room for a front projection system. It also isn't known what his viewing and listening habits are, or lifestyle characteristics. 

We do know what you would like. How about finding out first what the OP would like? This is why a site inspection and personal interview can save a significant amount of time. Too often, forum advice starts out with wild guesses, shallow assumptions, and projections of other people's preferences. What a waste! 

An acoustically transparent screen done well would eat up a large chunk of his budget. It may be that he wants to spend all of it on audio upgrades, with no change in his display. How about starting out like post #2 and getting a few facts confirmed before launching out on all kinds of speculation? A seasoned professional knows how to identify first what the comprehensive needs and interests of the client are, what the limitations of the room may be, then the desired budgetary restrictions, only then can he intelligently recommend options and solutions that will fit into that context. A $10k budget warrants a more thorough approach.

Best regards and beautiful pictures,
Alan Brown, President
CinemaQuest, Inc. 
A Lion AV Consultants Affiliate

"Advancing the art and science of electronic imaging"


----------



## jinjuku (Mar 23, 2007)

Alan Brown said:


> This is a perfect example of what I've been saying. The OP has only presented the information in his very first post in this forum.


Could we all give it a break until the OP comes back and answers some of the information gathering questions that have been asked?

This is very early needs assessment. I would personally want pics of the space. I would want to find out the desire to do any DIY and if DIY is possible to what extent. 

What are the listening habits going to be? Does the OP live near any members? How large a display? Would front projection be a consideration. Does seating need to be included in the price? etc...

The OP needs to provide a ton more information. Some of which still needs to be provided and assessed.


----------



## Jungle Jack (Jul 28, 2009)

Alan Brown said:


> Not realistic. There is no shortage of poor advice, usually based upon shallow assumptions, in any hobbyist forum. How would a novice separate the poor advice from the sound advice, except through trial and error? Few can afford very many errors, and many make excuses for poor decisions to shield their pride. Proven expertise, based upon formal training and scores to hundreds of system designs and complex field installations, cannot justly be compared to time on a hobbyist discussion board. Some don't have the resources to hire a seasoned pro. Some folks don't live in a major metropolitan area near good companies. Forums can be a fall back option when resources are too limited, but only that. It would be foolish to trust $10k in system upgrades to forum correspondence when better alternatives exist.


Then again, whatever Salesmen that comes out there is naturally going to advocate for whatever Brands the Store carries. And moreover, often will recommend the Brands where there is the highest Commission. And then of course there is the Cabling, Labor Rates comparable to fixing Exotic Cars and other issues.

Time is money. For some, they will choose to have a Salesmen come out and spec an HT where you do not have to lift a finger and with Macros for the major Listening Modes. While convenient, you will pay full MSRP, high Labor Rates, a fortune in Cabling, and be limited to whatever Brands that "Specialist" is a Dealer for. Right after I graduated from College, I was that guy....
Cheers,
JJ


----------



## Dale Rasco (Apr 11, 2009)

Alan Brown said:


> This is a perfect example of what I've been saying. The OP has only presented the information in his very first post in this forum. He did say his room is a media room, not a dedicated theater. We don't know what display he has, or if it is a 103" plasma mounted in a custom cabinet that he's already invested a lot of money in. We don't know if he even has the right room for a front projection system. It also isn't known what his viewing and listening habits are, or lifestyle characteristics.
> 
> We do know what you would like. How about finding out first what the OP would like? This is why a site inspection and personal interview can save a significant amount of time. Too often, forum advice starts out with wild guesses, shallow assumptions, and projections of other people's preferences. What a waste!
> 
> ...


Actually the last thing that the OP stated was "please give me you idea". Every solution can't start with a certified professional nor should it. While I appreciate and respect the knowledge and experience of those in the field and the hard work that goes into getting properly certified and I have seen some tremendous installations, I have also seen an equal number of certified home theater installations that I have had to go back and fix; and don't even get me started on those that go to Best Buy and ask for help from the Geek Squad or Magnolia bunch. So while I can appreciate someone in the industry wanting everyone to get a certified recommendation, I also know that the reason most of us get into it as much as we do is because we love to figure out and learn how it all fits together.

Additionally, most installers/consultants only deal in major brands and would never offer products by manufacturers such as SVS, Epik, HSU, Wyred 4 Sound, Etc. because they only have an interest in the manufacturers they are partnered with.


----------



## Alan Brown (Jun 7, 2006)

Jungle Jack said:


> Then again, whatever *Salesmen* that comes out there is naturally going to *advocate for whatever Brands the Store carries*. And moreover, often will *recommend the Brands where there is the highest Commission*. And then of course there is the Cabling, *Labor Rates comparable to fixing Exotic Cars* and other issues.
> 
> Time is money. For some, they will choose to have a Salesmen come out and spec an HT where you do not have to lift a finger and with Macros for the major Listening Modes. While convenient, you will pay full MSRP, high Labor Rates, a fortune in Cabling, and be limited to whatever Brands that "Specialist" is a Dealer for. Right after I graduated from College, *I was that guy*....
> Cheers,
> JJ


As I also said: "Pay a pro *designer* for his time to provide a site inspection, personal interview, and suggestions. *It's not necessary to buy any equipment from them. Tell them this up front* and you'll get more *objective* advice."

You are the expert on what kind of guy you were. I wouldn't tolerate anyone like you describe to work in my company, or come anywhere near any of my potential clients.


----------



## Alan Brown (Jun 7, 2006)

Dale Rasco said:


> Actually the last thing that the OP stated was "please give me you idea". Every solution can't start with a certified professional nor should it. While I appreciate and respect the knowledge and experience of those in the field and the hard work that goes into getting properly certified and I have seen some tremendous installations, I have also seen an equal number of certified home theater installations that I have had to go back and fix; and don't even get me started on those that go to Best Buy and ask for help from the Geek Squad or Magnolia bunch. So while I can appreciate someone in the industry wanting everyone to get a certified recommendation, I also know that the reason most of us get into it as much as we do is because we love to figure out and learn how it all fits together.
> 
> Additionally, most installers/consultants only deal in major brands and would never offer products by manufacturers such as SVS, Epik, HSU, Wyred 4 Sound, Etc. because they only have an interest in the manufacturers they are partnered with.


A seasoned, respected, referred company will take pride in recommending products and solutions that offer the best performance for a client's system requirements, and within their budget. Why are you fixated on the likes of Best Buy/Geek Squad/Magnolia? The custom integration companies still in business that I know, are interested in helping their customers, not taking advantage of them. They rely on building long term relationships, want repeat business, and desire referrals. They also have a passion for excellence, love movies and music, and derive great satisfaction from building systems that perform in a superior fashion.

You can find fools, jerks, posers, and predators in any sphere of activity. Even in internet hobbyist forums. What you can't get in a discussion forum is a site inspection and face to face interview. Photos are a poor substitute for being on site with the owner, plus back and forth Q&A through a forum can be tedious and time consuming. Forums can have their role, but come with certain limitations. This thread is starting to go in circles.


----------



## Dale Rasco (Apr 11, 2009)

Alan Brown said:


> A seasoned, respected, referred company will take pride in recommending products and solutions that offer the best performance for a client's system requirements, and within their budget. Why are you fixated on the likes of Best Buy/Geek Squad/Magnolia? The custom integration companies still in business that I know, are interested in helping their customers, not taking advantage of them. They rely on building long term relationships, want repeat business, and desire referrals. They also have a passion for excellence, love movies and music, and derive great satisfaction from building systems that perform in a superior fashion.


I completely agree with what you are saying Alan. I don't dispute that someone with a CTS, CTS-D or CTS-I would be appropriate to engage when someone is looking at doing something of this nature. My point was that the OP asked for opinions and that's all that the other posters were giving and you are faulting them for that and I take issue with that. You called out a forum member for making a suggestion when it is exactly what the OP asked for and because it wasn't the answer you think should have been given, you berated him for it.

I didn't get "fixated" on Best Buy/Geek Squad/Magnolia, I merely mentioned them as being a bigger problem. I know what a systems/integration house is as I have had to replace two of them at my company in the past three years because of their quality of work and before you go off on a tangent about it let me say that *I DO NOT BELIEVE* that all A/V integrators and designers are the same. 



> You can find fools, jerks, posers, and predators in any sphere of activity. Even in internet hobbyist forums. What you can't get in a discussion forum is a site inspection and face to face interview. Photos are a poor substitute for being on site with the owner, plus back and forth Q&A through a forum can be tedious and time consuming. Forums can have their role, but come with certain limitations. This thread is starting to go in circles.


Again, I don't argue any point you are making. Things like attic access, wall access, radiant barriers, electrical infrastructure and numerous other potential gotcha's can seriously impede the goals of an installation and without someone who understands this, the client will more than likely end up with something less than what they had hoped for. My bigger concern is that the circle that this discussion is going in seems to be more about you defending your position and less about what others are actually offering. Your implication that everyone else is wrong simply because you find yourself in the unique position to say "I'm in the industry and certified" is equally wrong and misguided.


----------



## Jungle Jack (Jul 28, 2009)

Alan Brown said:


> As I also said: "Pay a pro *designer* for his time to provide a site inspection, personal interview, and suggestions. *It's not necessary to buy any equipment from them. Tell them this up front* and you'll get more *objective* advice."
> 
> You are the expert on what kind of guy you were. I wouldn't tolerate anyone like you describe to work in my company, or come anywhere near any of my potential clients.


If you do not think that a "Professional Designer" who works for a CI Store is not hamstrung by what Brands they carry, I do not know what to tell you. Also you are coming awfully close to being disrespectful to Staff which is something that is not tolerated.


----------



## Jungle Jack (Jul 28, 2009)

In addition, I have no idea what you found so unsettling to what I wrote. Granted, it was 10 years ago when I worked for a AV Store that did a great deal of Custom Installations. However, I spent countless hours with Company Representatives, Training, etc. I am not sure what Store you are the proprietor of, but the purposes of all businesses is to make as much money as possible.

Cabling, Custom Installation, System Integration (programming Remote Controls, Crestron, etc) were all the highest profit segments. Also, I understand that Forums like this are not usually beneficial to Stores specializing in Custom Installation.


----------



## gdstupak (Jul 13, 2010)

Jungle Jack said:


> Time is money. For some, they will choose to have a Salesmen come out and spec an HT where you do not have to lift a finger and with Macros for the major Listening Modes. While convenient, you will pay full MSRP, high Labor Rates, a fortune in Cabling, and be limited to whatever Brands that "Specialist" is a Dealer for. Right after I graduated from College, I was that guy....
> Cheers,
> JJ


Sorry Jack, but I have to say that you disrespected yourself there.
Alan Brown simply implied that he doesn't know you personally, you know yourself best. Then Alan said that he would not hire the type of person that you have described.
Seems perfectly logical to me.

Also, Alan's suggestion of paying for someone's knowledge (letting them know ahead of time that you are not interested in buying their equipment) seems reasonable to me. You already have a budget set and so what if the professional does push his own overpriced stuff, you don't have to buy it.


----------



## Jungle Jack (Jul 28, 2009)

This is how it worked when I was involved. The Brands carried by the Store are the ones advocated, Cabling, Labor, etc are all quite expensive. In addition, Electronics are sold at MSRP. There is nothing untoward to this. It is what it is. I do not see this as disrespecting myself.

I Locked this Thread for about a minute, but decided to let it be. Glenn, think whatever you want about me.


----------



## gdstupak (Jul 13, 2010)

Jack,
earlier I thought you were accusing Alan of disrespecting you of being that type of salesman when you already admitted you were.


----------



## Jungle Jack (Jul 28, 2009)

In my experience, all Salesmen are going to advocate the Brands they carry. Moreover, Custom Installation is a prime profit sector. It is what it is. And what did I admit to? Just that I would go to folks Homes and spec HT's including Installation.

As AV was something I was/am passionate about, I did not want to make it my Job. You must understand, as a someone working on Commission, it becomes about keeping the lights on and feeding your family. To think that a Salesmen is not going to try to make as much money as possible is just not realistic.


----------



## GranteedEV (Aug 8, 2010)

> This is a perfect example of what I've been saying. The OP has only presented the information in his very first post in this forum. He did say his room is a media room, not a dedicated theater. We don't know what display he has, or if it is a 103" plasma mounted in a custom cabinet that he's already invested a lot of money in. We don't know if he even has the right room for a front projection system. It also isn't known what his viewing and listening habits are, or lifestyle characteristics.


You're right. That's why this isn't Yahoo answers. It's a message board with 2-way interaction. 



> We do know what you would like. How about finding out first what the OP would like? This is why a site inspection and personal interview can save a significant amount of time. Too often, forum advice starts out with wild guesses, shallow assumptions, and projections of other people's preferences. What a waste!


Projections of other people's preferences? Interestingly enough, I think this is where I as a hobbyist, and yourself as a professional, probably part ways.

I'm not interested in preferences. I can give my opinion, but accuracy is what i'm after. There's a certain form to accuracy, and I don't need to cater to a person's whims and emotions to do guide them in that path. And the interesting part is, if a person who's unsure of what they want is guided along the path of accuracy, it naturally becomes a preference for them - i've seen happen time and time again. There's an initial resistance to accuracy - that's preference - but one the resistance is done away with people just have a better time with their setups, watching and listening to source material, rather than trying to impress themselves with what social constructs tell us is "preferable".

Half the custom installers in my city carry Klipsch for example. This is because people "prefer" the boom n sizzle sound of such a setup. A CI isn't going to a tell a person who wants advice, that their approach is incorrect and probably going to lead to "someting missing" in the long-term! I sure can, though!

I've had people look at my own personal setup and tell me that they, for example "expected more bass considering how much you paid". I then throw on a recording that oozes with bass, and wipe away their impressions. There's no need for a system to """enhance""" the source material. I'm not interested in listening to my system, i'm interested in the source material. And because i'm not binded by professional considerations, I can be up-front and honest about it.



> An acoustically transparent screen done well would eat up a large chunk of his budget.


_Less than a fifth_ of his overall budget on something that is going to maximize potential is not a large investment. 



> A seasoned professional knows how to identify first what the comprehensive needs and interests of the client are, what the limitations of the room may be, then the desired budgetary restrictions, only then can he intelligently recommend options and solutions that will fit into that context. A $10k budget warrants a more thorough approach.


It warrants a _balanced_ approach, which means to never get hung up on one side of the story, which is how you appear. I'm sorry, but I neither understand your crusade against forums, nor do I follow or appreciate the need to quote my simple, one-line _suggestion_ and rant about it. I almost get the sense that you as someone in the industry, feels _threatened_ in some sense by the idea that people with larger budgets aren't immediately going to a trained individual to virtually dictate to them what they need (and that's what happens with professionals, a certain arrogance guided through experiences through a segment of the industry). 

I've seen a trained professional tell an individual with a similar budget, to budget about $3000 on a pair of discrete subwoofers - and there`s nothing wrong with that particular bit. But then the actual recommendation went to a 10" phase tech subwoofer at ~$1500/each with _the implication that it was all he ever needed in such a room_. His perspective, of course, is shaped by the fact that the large flagship stuff - velodyne/JL is well out of his budget. If someone is constrained by size, absolutely such a scenario makes sense, but elsewise, for the same cost one could be looking at multiple LARGE Rythmik, SVS, Funkywaves, Seaton, and HSU offerings. You jut can not beat the laws of physics and why anyone would settle for a vented 10" sub with extension listed down to 28hz only makes sense from their perspective. Now a customer might hear the professional say that and think "yeah, who needs so much bass? this ain't some obnoxious car audio setup here, it's just my living room". But what's the other side of the story? That a 15" or 18" driver can move much more air, probably has much more excursion, and possibly does the above with less distortion. That there's frequency content down to infrasonic range in movies that really wants a high excursion LMS-5400 or something, and that you can smooth out the response with lesser, more sensitive subs but you will never hit 112+ db movie style peaks (which are more than dynamic - they're virtually sine waves at times) at 15hz, especially if you're placing your subwoofers for optimal placement rather than corner loading it for max SPL. _And_ that the above scenario is virtually inoffensive from an "obnoxious bass point of view" but adds another dimension to sound - one that perhaps the custom installer thought impossible in such a budget. The rythmik FV15 has around 15mm of servo controlled, demodulating ring enhanced xmax, and about 800 cm^2 of cone surface area. That's a displacement of over 1100 cm^2 - it would take two similarily high excursion 10" drivers, _CO LOCATED_, to match such volume displacement. For all I know it still may not be enough to pressurize a person's room, but at least you're getting a subwoofer for $1100 that will outperform a more expensive subwoofer. It's not about what the custom installer is trying to sell; it's about the custom installer's experiences and from what i've seen, CI reject what we consider value oriented solutions, because their own personal priorities can be different (invisible install? DSP controlled setup?). There's nothing wrong with that, but to take the advice of "only trained experts" is not a balanced approach.

The fact is, a vented 10" subwoofer that rolls off at 28hz, is never "all anyone ever needs" because content exists below that and MORE than likely at higher relative levels than even a 15" subwoofer that rolls off at 14 or 20hz, can <i>truly<i>handle. The installer was wrong in suggesting that the 10" was all a person ever needed, even if his general advice was sound. But without us to guide a person in a more impressive direction, what exactly are you stuck with? I think people here know, that I don't consider anything below a high excursion (20mm+) 12" driver to even qualify as a subwoofer, no matter the room size. In a proper setup, there's no such thing as "overkill" unless you're actually overspending beyond what's necessary. 

Was it constructive to suggest that OP get some hands-on advice and analysis by a trained professional? Sure, and no one criticized the idea because we all agree that balance is the number one goal. Beyond that, your ranting edged more towards destructive tunnel vision.


----------



## Jungle Jack (Jul 28, 2009)

Glad I am not the only one that was left with a bad taste in my mouth about the general vibe of the Posts.
Also, when you are a Salesmen, you are often pushed to sell certain Brands, Components that are about to be discontinued or already have been into a Proposal at full MSRP, etc.. And of course have the store handle the entire Installation.

It is these reasons and more that made me decide that I did not want to continue this as a Job. What makes our Staff special is that we are truly advocates for the Consumer. We have no Storefront. We do not get AV Gear for free from any Manufacturer. All we care about is helping our Members get the best possible HT for their money.


----------



## GranteedEV (Aug 8, 2010)

I think the advice of professionals can really help, especially as the budget rises exponentially. If you start with a room custom designed by a Keith Yates or a Dennis Erskine, for example, you're maximizing the potential of the setup plain and simple. But the advice of others to compound that is what can really make an amazing HT, dollar for dollar. And I don't consider $10,000 enough of a budget to construct a custom home theater room from scratch, so at that point you're starting to look at band-aids like "room treatments" or "low profile gear that will fit inside the cabinet". At the point where band-aids are necessary it's better to reconsider.

I could easily blow 10K on FRONT speakers alone - 3X Seaton Catalyst without even bothing with room treatments or subwoofers or surrounds or a processor. And good speakers, with optimized polar response profiles and flat frequency response are a lot less sensitive to room acoustics above the shroeder frequency, than the poor speakers that need to be treated. 

So I would always start any good setup, with GOOD speakers that are appropriate for the seating distance and budget. But if you're constraining yourself with a "cabinet", then there's a real issue. An acoustically transparent screen makes a big difference because it gives you true freedom. Trying to work around that just limits one's choices for maximum performance. It's understandable if someone has to work around that, but I truly reiterate that if it were me, I would do away with any cabinet type deal if i've got 10k to spend on a HIGH performance setup. I didn't recommend speakers or electronics because OP has yet to respond, but no setup is going to maximize performance with a constraint like a cabinet. They can be a source of diffraction, they can sound bottom heavy on any speaker with baffle step compensation, and they limit you to specific dimensions.


----------



## The Bandit (Feb 11, 2011)

Jungle Jack said:


> It is these reasons and more that made me decide that I did not want to continue this as a Job. What makes our Staff special is that we are truly advocates for the Consumer. We have no Storefront. We do not get AV Gear for free from any Manufacturer. All we care about is helping our Members get the best possible HT for their money.


Any right minded salesman will always push his product and would aim for as huge profit as possible. The product brand they are selling are always the best among others and would do everything to convince every customer, that is why, like you Jack I didn't pursue that kind of job,not my personality. 
Get the best possible HT for our money, exactly is my own experience the first time I joined this forum: free information, free prof'l. advise, free knowledge and everything. It is the concept, the idea and first hand information of people who are using the equipment you want to buy with your hard earned money, personal reviews and experiences of a particular audio equipment, tips on how and where to improve in a practical way, IMO this is what this "hobbyist forum" is all about. At the end of the day, it is still us who would decide for ourselves, it's still our own hard earned money we'd spend, and no one and nobody here in this "hobbyist forum" would force anybody to go or buy what he recommends, we are just sharing IDEAS, we are just sharing experiences. Although, you would sense that the staff here are all knowledgeable of what they are saying, and above all, RESPECTFUL. Will not embarass you if you only have couple of hundred bucks to spend, or have a not so decent HTsetup as compared to most... Would still help people like me to get the best possible HT for my money.
Let us not also forget that the OP, however big his budget he has, ask for the "hobbyist forums" IDEA. For me, this means that he believes that he could find the answers to most of his questions here and would really want to spend his money wisely and make less mistakes to build his setup. The point is, if you don't believe that this forum would help you, Why are YOU still here? Why would you waste YOUR time here?

Edd


----------

