My SVS finishes my Mid-Fi Home Theater (1 Viewer)

[Paul Britt]

My mid-fidelity home theater is essentially complete. I have:

1.Panasonic RP-91K DVD player
2.Panasonic Rear Projection 57" HDTV monitor
3.Four Carver TFM-35 Power Amplifiers
4.A Denon 3803 Receiver used for a processor
5.A Cox Cable digital cable box
6.Definitive Technology BP7001sc Mains
7.Definitive Technology CLR 3000 center
8.Definitive Technology BP2000's Rear surrounds
9.Definitive Technology BPVX/P as a middle rear
10.Definitive Technology BP2's as secondary surround at 3 and 9 O'clock positions.
11.SVS PB2+ Subwoofer.

The last piece is the SVS sub which arrived this week. The room is a large formal living room with hardwood flooring, fireplace and three entrances. I had to craft a huge oaken entertainment center or else the wife would never have let me load the living room with electronic gear. She has graciously accepted all of the large black speakers. Even with the 6000 cubic foot room, my radio shack meter tells me that reference level is obtainable. Most of my listening(90%) is home theater. Those old carver amps look so cool with 8 glowing meters I will try to get some pictures to post soon.

 

[Joey_V]

mid fi eh? what would u consider hi fi?

your system looks pretty good to me.

 

[Wayne A. Pflughaupt]

If this is mid-fi, it must be the upper-end of mid-fi!

Seriously, I’m a big fan of so-called mid-fi, especially at the top end of the category. It gets the most “bang for the buck,” IMO. Going further you run into the problem is diminishing returns, especially when it comes to electronics.

Enjoy your system, Paul!

Regards,
Wayne A. Pflughaupt

 

[Paul Britt]

Hi There,

I refer to what I buy as mid-fi since I know that if I were to call my system Hi-Fi I would get blasted by some people. I know my Carver amps are not Krells but I am just a school teacher. I simply can't afford that level of financial commitment. I think my speakers sound fine with music, they have the wife's seal of visual approval and they do produce phenomenal home theater SPL's. I know they are not top drawer audiophile endorsed monsters, but again, I have other bills to pay. I might be able to pay $15,000 for speakers if I neglected other useless luxuries like food, clothing and a place to live.

I will eventually get back on the Forum and provide some pictures of my cabinet work. The large entertainment center is solid oak, raised panel construction and took a while to make in my cabinet shop. On a funny note, my wife's two chihuahua dogs are absolutely terrified by the low bass from this system

Paul Britt

Play It As Loud As The Chihuahua's will allow.

 

[DonnyD]

Congrats! And I have to agree with other posts about MID-FI?????

Those older amps with the glowing meters definitely add "a look" to a system.... I'm sure it looks cool....

That doggie will definitely find a hiding spot when your SVS hits a good lick... but that spot may be a block away!!!
I've just upgraded from a PC to the PB2+ and still haven't really put it through its paces yet but Saturday is a demo day for a friend!!!!

Speaking of "homemade" entertainment centers... I too had to build a "custom" one but mine was to raise my electronics above the bigscreen tv to keep little hands off the dials! I ended up with dvd storage columns beside the tv, actually forming the legs of an oriental design overhead shelving that hold the electronics. I custom made a speaker stand to match the PB2+ so the main speakers & stands would match.... You know, you have to keep those significant others happy!!!

Enjoy your system!

 

[Joey_V]

dude, its not midfi.. i say its pretty nice what u got there.... mid fi? u think using a pb2+ qualifies for midfi??

it may not be true hifi, but i would be bold enough to say that you are beyond midfi.

 

[charlie o]

i thought i was low-fi but since i have a pb2+ i guess im up a notch. Ive read 115+db in my 8000 cubic foot room. I have klipsch ref3 series and a 3803 along with a pioneer elite pro 53 hd. The svs really woke things up.

 

[Joey_V]

lowfi with a klipsch reference? i mean, granted some people dont like klipsch sound but come on... low fi is like random htib speakers from best buy. i picture midfi as the athenas from bestbuy... anything from a sole audio store like tweeter is teetering the midfi to hifi mark (depending on speaker). and anything that only a few can buy (especially those that would force a normal person to give up such necessities as food and shelter to buy it) are usually true hifi.... lol.

i dont know... just my opinion on the subject.

 

[qualen]

Nice system. looking foward to the pictures.

 

[Paul Britt]

I have added a link to my home theater page in my profile settings. Go have a look...

 

[Robb Roy]

Paul,



With woodworking skills like that, you definitely have a fall back profession. That is some beautiful work.

-Robb

 

[Drew_W]

"finishes" ?

Oh REALLY?

 

[Garrett Lundy]

OK someone clue me in.. where do we draw the lines between Lo-Fi, Mid-Fi, and Hi-Fi?

I figured Lo-Fi was reserved for tabletops, boomboxes, and all-in-one shelf systems. Mid-Fi was anything using distinct components and "real" speakers, and Hi-Fi was just a Mid-Fi system that cost over $25,000.

Or is there some kind of performance criteria in all this?

 

[Drew_W]

You can plunk down $25,000 on a poorly chosen system that won't sound as good as a well chosen system for $5000.

I'll call mid-fi receiver land (H/K, Denon, Marantz...the lower end of their lines)...a basic like setup that is properly done, using good components, noticeably better than the HTiB or boombox (low-fi or no-fi) alternatives.

Hi-fi, well thats separate components or high end receivers and all that...B/K, Bryston, Rotel, Parasound, etc...

and then I'll put on another category: Audiophile Exotica. Probably for those that have too much money to spend, since the $25000 needed to step up to this level only gives you a slight increase over what Hi-fi gear can do.

As you move up the ladder, so to speak, at any point on that ladder, the marginal gain of stepping up a level will diminish, and cost increase (in some sort of whack inverse proportion).

 

[Parker Clack]

Paul:

Nice setup. The SVS and Def Tech really work well together. I have an older set of BP 20s, CLR 1000 and BP2s with an SV CS 16-46.

I agree that you have another career in woodworking if you ever get tired of teaching.

Parker

 

[Bill Blank]

Paul,

Congrats on your SVS! Nice home theater and beautiful cabinetwork BTW!

Who cares if someone deems something HiFi, MidFi, etc...as long as you're happy!

How are the acoustics in the room? It would seem that there's a lot of echo with the bare floors and the three openings.

Hope no one mistakingly uses the SVS as a place for their drink to rest...it could make the floor/couch quite messy...

Bill

 

[Yee-Ming]

Wow, that's some impressive woodwork!

Oh, and the HT setup's pretty nice too...

 

[steve nn]

Very nice Paul and congrats on your new sub. Adding the PB2+ I bet put that final extra oomph! to what you run and did it very well.

Being in a living-room myself I totaly understand the WAF and what it can take to make things work out. The way I look at it is it (living-room) gets used daily instead of once a month at best.

With me just being one state above you. Maybe you wouldn't mind building me a custom entertainment center. I'll go take the measurements now and shoot them your way.