Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion Stereo Odyssey Stratos - Part 3 "The End"

Well it's been a fast and furious ride, but it's coming to an end. The Stratos is up for sale.

Certainly no fault of the amp. It's been great...but with the whole townhouse buying/moving, even I can't rationalize keeping it.

You didnt even give it time to break in

That's a real bummer, man.

But hey, congrats on the move!

No tears for me...I'm moving into a kick *&%! townhouse, and I've still got my Rotel.

c'mon. give us the real reason. you're finally buying your new tv...

Believe me, if that were it, I'd tell you!

Hey congrats Craig! I guess everything went through ok?

So far so good...in escrow as we "speak".

Too bad about the Stratos Craig. Hopefully the move will perk you up. BTW, the cash from the Stratos might be a nice start for the TV fund!!

Ray

I wish. The money from the stratos has to go towards a new audio rack and cd/dvd rack. The stuff I have now simply won't work in the new living room. Like I said though, this is all good. I think in the end I'll have a much better setup. It'll certainly look better, with the new a/v furniture.

We're all excited for you, Craig. Can't wait for pics of the new place. Warm that camera up!

spiff, you could stack plastic milk crates wire tied together for your temporary rack, or use the old college method of cement blocks and pine planks. kinda that rustic yet functional (cheap) look. then you could scatter some crushed bud cans on the floor. man, getting rid of that amp which you just fell in love with really hurts.
dan

LOL!

In reply to:

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you could stack plastic milk crates wire tied together for your temporary rack, or use the old college method of cement blocks and pine planks. kinda that rustic yet functional (cheap) look. then you could scatter some crushed bud cans on the floor.

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I may have a pretty understanding "spouse", but that certainly wouldn't pass any sort of S.A.F. test! (heck, it wouldn't pass my test!

That's why they invented spray paint and contact paper!

spiff,

Design something yourself , then take the design to the place that built my rack and get an estimate. Certainly worth a consideration.

After seeing yours I did that. I wanted something not as open as yours (Though your setup is pretty darn sweet!) and the savings was minimal. (surprisingly)

I'm going to whip up a little "blueprint" of the new living room and the two different ideas I've had for setups.

Did you go to the same place?

The must of given you the "non-asian" price.

OK...here are the two ideas I have for the new living room layout.

Idea A
Idea A would use this rack for my audio equipment in the rear of the room.

I'd have all the wiring for the tv, and front speakers run in wall. I'd also get some sort of wall rack for cd's and dvd's or have in-wall shelving built for them.

Idea B
Idea B would use this rack for my audio equipment up front.


A new tv would need to be able to either wall mount or sit on top of this rack.

I could also use this tower rack in the rear for cd's and dvd's if I decided against the wall rack idea. (as noted in the Idea B floor plan)


What do you guys think. I'm heavily towards idea A, even though it's more expensive. It's more flexible.

btw...that 75" measurement at the front is from wall to wall, not between the M60's.

Those StudioTech Ultimate cabinents are so nice. I have been debating on what racks to get as well and those are one of my top 2 or 3 choices right now.

Will there be any problem with your remote in your proposed location?

Nice....

Just remember, if you go with "A", you will need some kind of remote sensor so you can use the remote(s) from the couch.

I like everything where I can get at it, but that's just personal choice. Back of room / front of room - before you make this decision, you might want to start calculating how much cables and speaker wire will cost if you have new, longer runs. As important - can you hide the stuff?

just need to be sure remote(s) will transmit through the door screening or fabric.

From everyone I have talked to on AVS, remotes transmit just fine through the front of the studiotech cabinents. It is only a thin mesh covering, and according to everybody, it doesn;t block remote signals.

Not any personal experience, just what my own research led me to believe.

just a consideration so it wouldn't be a pain in the *ss later. happy hunting and don't forget larger furniture stores too.
dan

That was one of my concerns with it as well. And also, they aren't cheap. I can get one custom made for about the same amount of money. Decisions, decisions, decisions...

I like Idea A.
You should setup a poll spiff.

If you set up a poll, I insist on a CowboyNeal option.

I don't know how to set up a poll, and it's too late tonight for me too look it up.

In reply to:

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...you might want to start calculating how much cables and speaker wire will cost if you have new, longer runs. As important - can you hide the stuff?

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Idea A is indeed going to cost more. The rack alone is more expensive, and I'll need to hire someone to run all the speaker wire and video cables in the wall or ceiling from the back of the room to the front. But I like the idea of having a nice clean look in the front of the room, just the speakers and TV. Plus it provides much more room and options for a TV up front when the time comes for that.

If I do indeed go with option A, what do I do about a digital video cable run? Since I do not know what kind I'll need, would it be cheaper to run both a DVI and HDMI cable now, or is there some way to setup the in-wall/ceiling runs so that I can add another cable later without having to tear up the walls/ceiling again?

HDMI is backwards compatible with DVI, so you can just run a HDMI cable and pick up some adaptors if you need them on either end. Also, DVI ideally shoudln't be run over lengths of 25 feet or more, hopefully HDMI will take care of this problem.

spiff,

i dont think you will be going wrong with any of those set-ups.. i think it is a somewhat ambitious idea to have all the components in the back of the room, but if there is one thing i have learned in here, its that it is all about what YOU prefer.. i personally like the look of the cabinet in idea 2, but i wont be living in your house

congrats on the new 'soon to be move' and i hope it is an easy transition. BTW, on your prior posts, listing the things that make you you, i didnt see anything about moving furniture maybe that will make your list now..

bigjohn

Thanks for the tip on DVI/HDMI...

I've living in LA for about 9 1/2 years and have moved at least 11 times. Moving has become a non-issue for me. Although with each move I seem to have more and more stuff. The Stratos shipped out yesterday, so that's at least 60 less pounds I have to lug to the new place.

ouch... moved 11 times... that just hurts.. i have moved 3 times in ten years, and bought my house in 97.. i dont plan on moving for a long time.. actually, i have soooo much stuff now.. i really dont think i could do it on my own.. i would need professional help..

i saw where the amp sold lightening fast.. cool deal. hope the money helps with the new set-up..

anybody got a ripe deal on a slightly used DENON 2803????

bigjohn

spiff, sorry to see the Stratos go. It's hard enough GETTING the toys. To have to turn around and send them away is always sad. However, the big TV beckons.

John, wish I could help you out with the 2803. Let me suggest am alternative. With the intro of the 3805, some intense shopping might let you score a 3803 that a local business might be willing to part with for a 2803-ish price (or better). I was able to pull "Grand Theft Denon" on that basis last month. Frankly, getting one of the display/open models would be an excellent opportunity. If there was anything wrong with it, they would already know/fixed it. You'd get a full warranty. Take a quick look at the Denon site (they list authorized dealers somewhere in there) and see if it's worth a Saturday moring to check around.

You rarely see 2803 / 3803 on ecost (authorized Denon etailer for refurb & B-stock). ebay is another opportunity.

Dakmart is another authorized Denon refurb dealer, and they have a much larger selection. You may want to check them out as well.

$695 is a pretty good price for a perfectly functioning Denon 3803. Great receiver for a pretty darn good price.

wow...just did some research on cabling from the back of the room to the front. Ouch.

Speaker cable for the R,L, and C, s-video, and an HDMI cable looks like it's going to cost about $400-500 and that's before paying someone to install it.

ecost/Dakmart/PC Mall are all authorized Denon etailers and they present the equipment differently on their websites. With ecost, it is pretty evident if a unit is available. Dakmart simply displays every model whether available or not in the hopes that you'll order something. Then they'll keep you on the string until something shows up.

I suspect they sell from a common Denon warehouse. If one has it, they all do. The equipment comes in groups. When Denon has some, they make them available. You need to check back often. You also need to act quickly when the model you want shows up. I can't remember, over the last year, when there were any 3803s available.

Having said all of the above, I got a DVM-4800 from ecost in November at a 74% discount from the $1199 MSRP. I saw the DVD-3800 at similar savings. The equipment, when available, is usually an excellent buy. It just doesn't come available as often as you might like.

Spiff - aside from cost - have you thought abotu remote control issues? Unless you've got an RF remote, you might find it rather annoying to have to point the remote away from the TV to operate a device. My brother in law has an overhead DLP projector, and all of his equipment is therefore, in the rear of his room (closer to his projector). While watchiggn videos, etc,. I fonud it kind of annoying to either (1) blindly point the remote behind me and rely on teh on-screen display to tell me what is happening, or (2) to physically turn around and watch the component.

Either way, it was just sort of unnatural. I, at least, have been trained all my life, it seems, to point the remote at teh TV, even if I'm changing the volume on my receiver (located next to my TV), just out of habit.

That said, his set-up looks super clean and put together, with the drop down screen, center speaker positioned just off the floor and the towers banking the screen. The wires are all hidden along the base-boards (no in wall installation) and painted to match (looks great!). It really looks and feels like a pro system, too - being all clean that way. And with his components out of the way of the screen, the viewing area feels much less cluttered.

Just a practical thought ...

I've been giving the FP idea more and more thought as well. Is there a FP that can handle 1080p?

If I go with the rear of the room setup, the cabinet will be against the wall, just to the left of the couch and facing the couch. There won't be a remote control issue.

My Brother in law's projector is 1080i compatible, at least. These days, that is nothing special. When he got it, the projectors was listing for around 10K (His company bought the thing for business use, and he used it for presentations...the portability meant that he could unhook it quickly an easily for job-related issues. long story short - two years after the company bought it, they basically forgot that they bought it, and - wammo, free projector.)

Anyway, I looked into some projectors, and really, you won't be saving any money. If you factor in the screen that you'll need to buy, and factor in the cost of the actual projector, which is still pretty high these days (circa 2-3K for a good one) and then consider that a 1080p projector will likely be newer and thus, more exepensive, there's mroe fuel for the "cost-fire." Then, you add picture quality concerns because of the light issues and it all begins to get kind of expensive.

All of that said - I hope to one day get a projector, because it certainly is pretty d@mned cool seeing DVDs played at 90 inches. You really feel like you have a home THEATER!

But, if costs weren't an issue, we wouldn't have these boards, we'd all be out buying every hot toy we could think of.

Sorry for the long response that didn't answer your question.

Wow, I hadn't thought of a FP. What a nice solution. spiff, in looking at the cabling, I'm hoping you took a look at someone like Blue Jeans Cables rather than Monster Price.

I emailed Blue Jeans and am awaiting their reply.

FP would be sweet but it would indeed be rather pricey. When I consider that in this particular place the biggest screen I could hope for would be about 80", I may honestly be better off with something like this...

Can you say "I like it!"

This may work really well. My major concern was with my gear up front, I'd need a tv that could sit on a stand. Most of the set's I'd seen that I liked, couldn't do that. This would actually work very well with my Idea B.

dang it...it looks like this model may only be 1280x720. 1920x1080 will be the new standard soon, I'm not buying a tv that'll be obsolete so soon! Grrr...

I love Bllue Jeans stuff. Their owner, Ken (?) spent 1/2 hour on the phone with me getting me set up. The quality of their stuff is excellent.

Actually, a good FP can be had for the same $$ as a good TV. Additionally, you would save some serious jack not having to buy a TV stand. I've seen some FPs work and they can be pretty impressive. The difference in the video will be virtually unnoticeable. You might also be surprised at the $$ and quality of an EDTV palsma.

Spiffnme, this is pure heresay, but I was under the impression that the Samsung DLP sets were upgradable in the sense you could have the DLP chip replaced with newer versions for cost/labor. Like I said, this is pure 'water cooler' talk from work and I have nothing to substantiate it, but might be worth checking out.

jr

A 1080p projector is available, and more are on the way.

But unless you want to spend a minimum of $30,000, you won't have one in your den for some time. There is a couple digital PJ's, then there is currently some double stack CRT's capable of 1080p.

But what are you going to feed it? Properly de-interlaced DVHS would be 1080p I suppose, but there won't be any need for 1080p for a couple more years, and I bet there will be very few products available even then.

Also, hopefully Samsung, or someone else will deliver a 1080p rear projection set by the end of the year. But it won;t be cheap either.

My concern is that HD-DVD in all likelyhood will be 1920x1080. If I'm going to spend upwards of $4-5K on a TV, it had better darn well be good for a long time. I'm not going to be buying another one anytime soon.

The other nice thing about FP's is not having a hard screen acting as a baffle or reflective surface when you just want to listen to music.

Without a TV between the L/R channel, the soundstage sounds nicer...and deeper.

I understand your concern about not having a tv for HD-DVD for whenever it comes out. Hopefully it will be 1080p, but you won't find anything capable of 1080p for $4-5k anytime soon I am afraid. I am in the same boat. I want a new TV, but at the same time, it is hard justifying spending so much money on something when you will want something bigger and better in 3 or 4 years. I will probaly get the 34XBR960 whenever it comes out. Then in a couple years, I will move it to the be/1.om and pick up either a 1080p FP or rear projection set.