Home Theater Addiction

[speakerguy]

Hey Frederick! Sorry, I must have missed your post two above mine. I knew you had a tank but didn't know you were on MAAST. I totally missed someone mentioning the Austin HTF group with our notorious poker games

I finished finals on the 10th and managed to get my 4.0 after learning half a semester of organic chemistry in six days Note to self: never ever stop going to class completely.

My tank currently is, well, nothing to be in awe of. Since I'm likely moving in 5 months, I've only got a 20L set up. pilot_bell was giving away free live rock and I got enough to fill my 20 to the brim back in August/September. It had some mushrooms, a cabbage leather, some zoo polyps, and some xenia on it. I put all the corals on one end of the tank and have managed to keep them alive with a 19w spiral 6500k compact flourescent and an Eheim canister I bought used. Other livestock is a tomato clown, a good snail, a good sized brittle star, some very tiny brittle stars I've seen in the substrate, and (unfortunately) what I think are some pyramid snails and a gorilla crab. So far neither has damaged anything.

Right now I'm planning either a 58,75, or 90g mixed reef most likely lit with a 2x250 maristar. I'm waiting for Austin Aquariums or Aquatek to have another one of their Oceanic-tanks-for-cost sale before I buy....

Anyway, good to 'see' a familiar face on here!

[Polkster13]

Great job on the classes. Congradulations!

Speaking of college, my daughter finshed up her finals and is currently traveling on a tour bus (band trip) to Salem Virginia. They should be there sometime around lunch today. They will be marching during the halftime show at the Scagg Bowl. University of Mary Hardin Baylor is playing Linfield for the National Championship in NCAA Division 3 Football. First time for either team to make the final game. Adriane is very excited and I am really hoping that it will be a great game. The game will be broadcast on ESPN2 this Saturday starting at 10 AM so you know where I will be. Parked in front of my Home Theater watching (and routing) the game.

I only recently joined MAAST so that is probably the reason you haven't noticed me here before.

Anyways. Just wanted to let you know that I used to work for a moving company (helped pay my way through college) and I would be more than willing to help you get moved. Let me know when and I will even bring over some of my large buckets to help you move your tank inhabitants to their new dwellings. It will also be a good time to remove anything from your tank that you don't want to keep or want to segregate.

Give me a call or drop me an email sometime.

[TriggerJohn]

Cool, HT people in this hobby also! We just finished building our dedicated HT not too long ago. A few of our "toys":
Speakers:
Fronts-Martin Logan Odyssey's
Center- Martin Logan Theater i
Surr- Martin Logan Script i's
Sub- ACI Titan II LE
Proc- Sunfire TG III
amp- Sunfire Cinema Grand Signature also have Mesa Boogie Baron tube amp
Projector- Benq 8700 HD2+
Screen- Vutec Silver Star 110"

and a few others but I don't want to bore you anymore!

[Polkster13]

Hey TriggerJohn,

In case you didn't know, we have a strong Austin Home Theater Group that meets on a regular basis as well. PM me if you would like additional information on that group.

[Brett Wilson]

An off topic question.... what do you guys think about SACD and DVD-A?

[Polkster13]

I have a DVD/SACD player but my receiver doesn't have a 5.1 input. I haven't had a chance to listen to DVD-A that much.

Since they have come out with combo players, it really doesn't make any difference since you can't get any titles that are in both formats (unlike DD vd DTS), at least none that I am aware of. So, buy whichever format that has the content you are wanting, be it either SACD or DVD-A and get a combo player and you can enjoy the best of both formats.

[TriggerJohn]

Hey TriggerJohn,

In case you didn't know, we have a strong Austin Home Theater Group that meets on a regular basis as well. PM me if you would like additional information on that group.

Hi Polkster,
If it's the one I'm thinking of I am a member with them. Did you go on the HT tour of Austin earlier this year? Our HT was one of the ones on the tour. Hope to meet you soon!!
Sincerely,
John

[Polkster13]

Yes I did. I will PM you.

[bprewit]

Talk about expensive obsession! I always drool over B&W and other high end manufactures but there is no way I could ever afford such a thing. I built my own HT speakers using Vifa, Scan Speak, and Peerless drivers. Laminated 3/4" MDF construction on the sides making them 1 1/2" thick and tripple laminated 3/4" MDF front baffle (reason being I couldnt find 1" or thicker MDF around here). Tons of internal bracing and then finshed them off with 1/4" oak ply instead of thin laminate. I spent around a month designing the enclosures and testing the drivers and finally started construction. Being too poor for expensive electronics I built the crossovers using air core inductors for the low frequency and copper foil inductors on the mid and high and Solen Polypropylene caps. The crossovers ended up costing about $250 per speaker and worked perfectly. Even wound a few of my own inductors but found that the wire and measurment equipment cost more than just buying them not to mention the time involved! The first speakers used a Peerless 12" driver and 12" passive radiator and I was able to tune them down to 28hz! The 12's were each powered by a 250W sub amp from Apex jr. and the things would freakin rock! Worked great for music as well as HT. I sold the first speakers and turned a pretty reasonable profit. Small town in west tx so "high end" is almost unheard of unless its mail order. Most people around here believe that Bose makes the best speakers and have no problems shelling out good money for overpriced equipment. Built my current speakers more for my type of music (slayer, obituary, etc) but also like some classical now and then as well as other types. I ditched the passive radiator idea and used 2 12" drivers on the front mains and single 12" on the others. My wonderful bullmastiff dog ****ed on my denon reciever a total of 3 seperate times. I repaired the unit the first two times but the third time smoked it to the point of no repair. He got his nuts whacked off and I ended up with a yamaha reciever. Too many projects now to get back into home audio but someday I will build 6 mono tube amps and be happy. I have the schematics and design ready, just not the funds to get started!

[TriggerJohn]

bprewit,
Wow, sounds like you did a helluva job on those speakers!! I bet they sounded nice. Man it is an expensive obsession isn't it!! I've seen a set of speaker wires that sell for more than a car!! insane stuff.
John