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

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.