The bad news is, my company is relocating me and my family. The good news is, they pay all the realtor fees, closing costs, and also give me a 2% bonus for selling my own house without them having to take it over. I got extremely lucky and will pull much more money outta my house than I planned. What was originally gonna take me years to build...I should be able to do at once.
I've got a dedicated room (20X18X9) to fill up. Here's the preliminary plan:
Epic 80 - ~$2400
Denon 3805 - ~$850
Sony HS5 projector + 106' fixed screen - ~$3200
??? DVD player - ~$350
??? Seats for 6-8 - ~$2500
There's still up to $2k if I need it.
What else do I need? I'd be interested to hear ideas on how you'd use the $$$. This room will be used mainly for movies, football watching, and PS2...not much music.
Thanks.
Might I suggest you give a slight bump to your DVD player budget and go for a universal player like the Denon 2910 or 3910? If you're going to project onto that size screen, I would argue that you'd want to make sure that the source player is as good as possible. You can do well at $450, but at $600 you can start to do very well.
i would go seperates since you have the extra cash mostly just because you can. but also it would prob push those 80's easier.
If you've got the room in the finances to push in both directions I agree with both of these gentlemen.
Dont forget cables
http://www.magnan.com/
these will do, around $2000 to wire all the speakers...
If I had 10k to throw around, I wouldn't be buying Axiom speakers. I'd be ripping open a box of brand new Dynaudios right about now. You did mention, though, that you won't listen to much music, so I guess the speakers aren't as critical.
now a comment like that is just looking for a fight. ? can there be any other reason why you would post that?
keep in mind, the 10K is for an entire system, not just speakers.
bigjohn
I agree with BigJohn. What would spending the 10K on the speakers do for you? Such expensive speakers would sound incredibly quiet, not being connected to a single Amp, Receiver, DVD Player, etc. Furthermore, would spending an extra grand on speakers significantly improve the sound? Isn't that really why Axiom has such a good place in the market…that you have to spend more than just 1K more to get distinguishable difference in sound? I’d stick with the Axioms, but I would exchange the E350 for the E500 or even the E600, since you will be watching so many shows and your wallet has the headroom. Why not reach down and get those frequencies in the teens, since you can.
That’s great news rook. Looks like a plan. Keep in mind that you want to be pleased when this is done, not "almost pleased". Let me add a few thoughts for you to consider:
1) The Epic 80 will cost $2600+, not $2400. You might consider a package of M60/VP150/QS8 ($1695) and a sub upgrade to an SVS PB12-ISD/2 ($899). For a bit more, you could also look at the EP500 to match everything. The M60s will be plenty of speaker and the sub will be fantastic. Total of $2595 with SVS or $2787 with EP500. You can add back the M80s for around $300. See this
recent thread on sub comparisons
2) Denon 3805 is a good receiver choice. ($850)
3) I don’t know much about projectors, but I hear a lot of good things about the BenQ 8700. It looks like $3800 - $3900 w/o screen. Might be worth a look.
4) Joe makes an excellent point about the DVD Player 2910 would be very good ($600-$700), the 3910 would be better ($1000). Don't skimp here. BTW - the 3805 and 3910 can be connected via Denon Link - simplifies the hook ups.
5) I’d also try and find a little more money from the seats to fund the equipment
6) Cables/interconnects can had from
Blue Jeans Cables . Very good quality and reasonable prices. They will also cut to specific lengths for you. Use the 1694A cable with Canare connectors. There’s no reason to spend a pile of money on these things.
7) Speaker wire has been beaten to death here. Home Depot 14 ga from their bulk wire/cut from a roll dept. is excellent and around $0.25/foot.
8) With all of this equipment, you might consider a universal remote. You can search on the forum for the Home Theater Master MX-700. Wonderful piece of equipment. Very powerful (macros) and is a one button solution for turning things on / switching to something else with multiple pieces of equipment involved.
Ray, all that rambling was just a way for you to diguise a mx700 push nice work.;)
Damn - BUSTED!!!!
What Ray said.
In reply to:
now a comment like that is just looking for a fight. ? can there be any other reason why you would post that?
No one's looking for a fight; I've been in enough scuffles in my lifetime. But rook did write, and I quote, "I'd be interested to hear ideas on how you'd use the $$$." Well, that's how I'd use it. In hindsight, though, maybe it was in poor taste. My fault.
Actually, now that I think about it, you're right. With 10k for an enitre system you probably can't get five Dynaudios and a subwoofer--bad advice on my part.
If you're going with a pull down screen you could opt for a 3rd M80 as your center rather than the VP150.
If I had a dedicated theater, I would make it look cool - a bare room filled with AV equipment and a couch would be disappointing no matter how good the equipment performs.
I'd go generic on cables and wires to save money for stuff like built-in cabinets, two tier seating (maybe with a tall poker table and barstools behind the second tier?), wet bar, wall treatments, soffets (sp?), fancy lighting, etc...
That's what I picture in my next house, anyways.
Good luck.
I wouldn't go with a pull down screen. Every company I've talked to says the best screens are the static fixed screens.
Whatever.
I don't know anything about 'em except a screen will hide the center channel for you. Seems to me that an M80 would make a tremendous - if unsightly - center channel.
Thanks a bunch for the help. It sounds like everybody agrees I need to up the ante on the DVD player...this is where I've done the least amount of homework so far.
And perhaps I should just go with the 60s in that size room, but spend more on a bigger/badder sub.
Ray, I have read some reviews on that BenQ8700 projector. I found a package deal on that for $4200 w/ screen. I'll have to check it out and see if it's $1000 better than the Sony. Another remote, huh? How much will that run me?
As for seating, I'm thinking I've really only got room for one row whether it's recliners or a sofa of some sort. I figure the first row needs to be 15ft back from a 106' screen. Right? So that really doesn't leave much room for another row.
Oops. Thought the room was 28' deep.
I agree with Ray. I'd suggest M60s and an upgraded sub.
Offloading bass to the sub greatly frees up the amp. Most power is required for bass frequencies. With the sub handling bass (and most of the power), I personally don't think you need an upgraded amp.
Save some money in case you need acoustic wall panels, carpet, paint, sconce lights, light dimmers, media storage, etc. Those are the details that transform a room to a theater.
Do your seating calculations carefully. For high def, you need to sit closer than standard def for a given screen size. Here's a viewing distance calculator:
Viewing distance calculator
Be aware of how much off-axis angle your screen tolerates. If you can't control room lighting a big DLP or LCD rear projection display might be better.
The biggest improvment I ever made to my HDTV was getting a DirecTV HD Tivo (HR10-250). It totally transforms the TV experience.
If after considering the above you have money left over spend it on seating. You spend a lot of time there.
I think one question that needs to be asked is wheher you want a 5.1, 6.1, or 7.1 setup. Your post implies 5.1 since you mentioned the Epic 80 system and priced it as a 5.1 system.
With that kind of money, some people in your shoes might want to consider a 6.1 or 7.1 setup so I just want to clarify and be sure a 5.1 setup is what you are aiming for.
rook (notice it rhymes with "hooked"
? he MX-700 has been getting some pretty good play here and quite a few of the board denizens own one. There are some threads you can look at
here and
here and
here .
The net of it is that this puppy is an unbelievably able addition to a Home Theater. As you will see, the MSRP is $349, but it can be had as an open box item from SurfRemoteControl for $180. That's how I got mine and they come in pristine condition. When you get to the info (it is worth the time to pore through the ones I listed, go from the last link to the first.) about the review at Remote Central - stop over and read it.
You wil also see that this thing will make the 3805 stand up and sing for you. As you MIGHT be able to tell, I like mine alot!!!
This is a no-brainer addition to the HT you are planning. Several folks here are available and willing to help you get it set up, including myself.
Be careful of MarkSJohnson though - it looks like he is going to use his as a paper weight!
KC - It will indeed be a 7.1 setup...so I guess I miscalculated by $500 for 2 more QS8s.
Closer to the screen for HD?? Did I read that right?
is it my stupidity or do other people have a problem understanding the distance calculator. i want either a 51 or 57 inch (diag) wide screen hdtv rear projection i will be between 10 - 12 feet which size should i go. sorry for the hijack but i figured since someone was quoting that distance calc maybe they would know how to use it. Thanks
OK, glad that was cleared up. There are 4 things I would do if I were in your shoes.
1.)My first suggestion echo's that of some others. I would get the M60's instead of the M80's and use the extra money to apply towards another pair of QS8's to do 7.1.
2.) I took a quick look at the specs on the Sony projector. Do you have Voom or any other source to where you will be watching a lot of HDTV? If not, and you will be watching regular cable/TV and DVD's, then I suggest you save a bundle of money by considering a projector that has less native resolution but excellent contrast(3000:1). I have seen two DLP projectors that readily outperform much higher-priced HDTV compatible projectors when it comes to viewing DVD's and regular TV/cable. Don't waste your money buying a projector with a higher native resolution if you can't take advantage of it. In the event you won't be watching HDTV, I suggest you take a look at the Optoma H31. You can get one for $1300 and it defies logic at its price. I have witnessed this thing beat out other projectors that were around $3k. Skeptical? Find one and audition it...you will likely be amazed.
3.) With the savings from the afforementined paragraph, I would set my sights on a NAD T773 receiver. I believe MSRP is $1800 but you should be able to get it from a local dealer for $1500. This receiver really gives you solid power with its dual-Holmgren torroidial power supplies and can even go stable to 2 ohms. Despite what some might say, this is the kind of A/V receiver that makes some question whether separates are really needed. Also, the remote supplied with this unit is good enough that you don't have to buy an aftermarket remote to be happy. It's not as nice as a new Pronto, but it is very solid and does everything most people would require. I won't rant on about specs etc. but I will provide links to a review and the receiver:
http://www.avrev.com/equip/nadt773/
http://www.nadelectronics.com/av_receivers/T773_frameset.htm
4.) Again I will echo what others have said and consider an SVS sub or perhaps the EP500.
Breakdown:
M60's, 4QS8's, VP150 = $2625 (apply 5% discount) = $2493
NAD T773 = ~$1500
Optoma H31 + 106"(horizontal) Da-lite fixed screen = ~$2300
DVD player - $350
Seats for 6-8 ~$2500
SVS PB12-ISD/2 = $899
That puts you at $10,042. The system you listed in your original post put you at $9,800 including the added $500 for the QS8's you forgot to initially list.
Hummmm....I think its a done deal on the Sub. Stick with the Axiom EP500. It would actually look good in your room; I wish I could say the same for the SVS.
Um..is it OK if I misspelled toroidal? ha
Darn the edit window!
KC- My main viewing for HD will be sporting events. Otherwise it'll be regular DVDs and the occasional movie on cable. This is not in the den where I'll watch news and the kids watch cartoons. The Sony projector I mentioned boasts a 6000:1 contrast, which is one of the reasons I was attracted to it. It's apparently not the brightest projector, but I'll have total light control. Whaddya think?
As far as the NAD: I looked at that line initially, and am even still considering separates. What's turned me off of NAD at this point is that MANY of the personal reviews suggest that there is often problems with their products. Yeah they're great when they work, but it seems like SO many complaints about NAD products not functioning properly. Plus, I get the impression that NAD is geared more towards music than HT. Is that correct? And does it have all the features the Denon 3805 does?
Thanks
I must have misread the specs when I looked it up. I thought I saw 600:1. My mistake. I wouldn't worry about brightness with the Sony at all....contrast is much more important. I would still consider looking for a projector that has excellent contrast with a lower native resolution (if such a projector exists). You pay dearly for the higher native resolution and why pay for it if you will only use it once in a while to watch sports? Just my opinion.
As far as NAD, I think you will find their older offerings had the quality control issues, mainly the 7x1 series but the 7x2 series did have an issue with the initial rollout models that was resolved by a firmware updgrade. The latest series has been out for over a year and there hasn't been much reported. I searched the home theatre forum for 'NAD T773' and 'NAD 773' and "NAD problem" and combined their was only 5 threads that spanned from January 1, 2004 to present. None of those threads were the ongoing type you typically see with a unit that is plagued with problems. One guy had a problem with a popping sound but it seems to be related to his Sony TV (odd, eh?) Another person experienced a problem with analog audio and the unit was replaced. One person was irritated by the fan noise of the T773. Lastly, another person is experiencing a noise problem when the 773 is on and in DVD input mode and the DVD player is turned off...apparently the noise goes away when the DVD player is turned on. Not sure if that is a valid issue or a setup issue.
NAD does have a music-first approach; which means they are geared to providing excellent sound on 2-channel stereo. However, that sound quality doesn't dropp off the earth when you switch from 2-channel music to HT. They just want to make a receiver that isn't thought of as "only a home theater receiver'. They are trying to provide the best of both worlds.
I copied the following text from the review link I added in my post. "Particular attention is given to the front main channels, which are fed from a specially selected two-channel DAC for the best possible sonic performance with Redbook CDs and uncompressed PCM recordings." It is just an example of NAD's 'music-first' philosophy. The review I put in the first reply is an interesting read if you want to know more about the T773.
As for the features, you can easily compare those on the net for yourself. The Denon is likely to have some bells and whistles that the NAD does not have while the NAD will have superior dynamic headroom (I noticed the Denon 3805 doesn't list specs for 4-ohm; it can probably handle it but not very effieciently). Any 3805 owners can chime in on that subject. Probably the biggest difference is that the Denon will do video conversion from composite to S-video which probably doesn't apply for most people.
While I've never owned an NAD product, I'd like to enventually. That or a HK. They both seem to be well built, very powerful, very respected brands. The NAD will be more powerful, but will not have some of the bells and whistles the Denon has (because its newer). Then again, what am I talking about? I own a Denon and am very happy with it. But one of these days...
In reply to:
i want either a 51 or 57 inch (diag) wide screen hdtv rear projection i will be between 10 - 12 feet which size should i go.
Without even looking at the calc, 57 inches. I have a 50 inch DLP, sit about 10 feet back and it really should be bigger (for HD).
joema- thanks for the advice.
rook- if you want to read consumer thoughts on nad check ecoustics.com message boards i used to read there a lot about a year ago and there were a lot of positive postings about nad but also a lot of qc issues too mostly the 7x2 or 7x1 series i have not looked lately though mostly because of all those qc issues had scared me away. not trying to knock nad just telling you my research info.
As far as NAD is concerned. It did sound good for music, but was I underwhelmed with movies. Although, in its defence, there are usually several factors that can make or break a system. The foremost being how the store has their room setup and what speakers you're running them with.
There are a few things I am not sure others have covered.
1) Buy all your Axiom items from the Outlet. Though they say that they are 'B stock" most of the people that have gotten their items from there see nothing wrong. The savings you will achieve here will allow you to spend more in your seating. Call Axiom to see if you can get a B stock package deal and please upgrade to the larger axiom sub or a SVS unit. I have an Outlaw Audio sub that is great as well.
2) If you have a Costco near you I know they have some nice theater seating that is about $2K for (i think) three seats. Check that one out. Very nice deal. I have sat in them and they are nice.
3) I would not go with seperates at this time. The 3805 is a very nice system that you will be happy with. Save the $$ there and put more towards your DVD player.
4) Go with the Blue Jeans connectors. very nice.
5) Ray is a crazy man about his remote lust.
With nothing more than a quick peek at your original plan two things jumped out at me.
You should get a better sub than the EP350, and I'd without hesitation get the Denon DVD-3910. You're going to be putting a ton of money into that projector/screen...give it the best PQ you can. Right now that's the 3910. (Ecost has refurbs for about $750)
I'll check in later with exactly what I'd do with ten grand and a dedicated room.
Yeah, the 3910 sounds really nice, especially when paired with the 3805 (so I heard/read).
If you don't care about surround music, I'd go with a cheaper Denon receiver. The 3805 is expensive partly because it has, as CNET put it, "enough AV connections to choke a horse".
From what I read, differences in receivers are perceived only by "audiophiles" whose tenuous arguments often boil down to "receiver A is better than receiver B because I think/say so". And separates are overkill for HT, IMHO.
just saw this on audioholics front page
Products you can switch out the speakers and i know its 12000 but i just figured for comparison also
here is the link to the whole article.
Price
Infocus 5700 projector
$3499
Projector Mount
$150
Da-Lite Screen
$1100
Denon AVR 3805
$1199
Denon DVD-2910
$729
Mordaunt Short Avant Series Speakers
$3100
Blue Jeans Cables
$210
Sound King Speaker Wire
$72
Monster HTS 1000
$149
Avia Guide
$40
SPL Meter
$40
Berkline Cinema Chairs
$2500
TOTAL
$12,788
Well, I just went through this exercise myself starting about a month ago. I had basically 10G's to setup my newly built home theater/recreation room. The money came as part of inheritance, so was basically "found" money.
A final note: I realize I can get the Elite components quite a bit cheaper online, but I value having a local certified Pioneer dealer for important components for warranty and service reasons.
Here is what I bought:
Receiver: Pioneer Elite 56Txi (1300 dollars)
Universal player: Pioneer Elite 59avi (1000 dollars)
Main Speakers: Paradigm Reference 60's
Center Speaker: Paradigm Reference CC470 (about 2200 for all 3)
Surrounds: Axiom QS8 X 4 (1000 dollars)
Sub: EP500 (1100 dollars)
Projector: Sony VPL-HS51 (2800 dollars)
Screen: Homemade (60 dollars, details to follow)
Acoustic panels: Home made - 7 of them (180 dollars total)
Speaker Cables: In wall Ultralink 4C12 (12 gauge/ 4 conductor wire -- 175 dollars)
Other cables: Blue Jeans cable (200 dollars or so)
Now, to explain some of this stuff:
The Pioneer combo gives a combination of great sound and great convenience. I use the i.link (IE1394) digital connectivity between the player and the receiver to have 1 single wire that sends over all audio signals to my receiver, and automatically determines source material type (ie stereo vs. dts vs dolby surround). The elite 59avi also has an hdmi output which is perfect for my projector.
The 56txi also has 2 component video inputs that I use to switch between my HD cable box and my XBox (and I then send a single component video cable to the projector).
The screen is homemade using Dazian fabric, which has about a 1.1 gain (and is cleanable) and some 3/4 inch by 2.5 inch pine to frame it out cross braced with 3/4 inch corner trim on the edges to make it look real nice. Easy to make, 60 bucks total, and I bet you can't see a difference between that and any other 1.1 gain screen you could buy for upwards of 800 bucks.
The real gem of this setup is the projector in my opinion. My God, is this thing amazing. 1920 by 720 natural resolution, and the clarity, colors and contrast are unbelievable. I watch HD Discovery channel and its like Nirvanna. My screen is 105" diagonal and I can't see screen door unless I'm inside of 8 feet from the screen (and I have 20/15 vision, which is better than 20/20). There is ZERO vertical banding and the black levels are amazing (6000:1), which is previously unheard of for an LCD based projector. I can't rave enough about this marvel of technology, and I can't imagine anything near this price providing anything close to this performance. The AE700 is very popular in this price range, but has vertical banding and no where near the black levels.
For the acoustic panels, I bought egg carton type foam and framed it out with 3/4 X 1.5 inch pine wood and covered it with an acoustical friendly fabric.
Furniture was bought separately and encorporated in the room.
Obviously, if you are going with an entire Axiom speaker setup, then you will save an additional chunk of change over the Paradigm speakers. But with all said and done, I am very pleased how my setup has turned out.
Bretsky - Regarding your Sony projector, how far from the screen do you sit? I'll be 14-15' back and was thinking of going for 119" (diagonal) screen. Can the Sony handle that? Also, I've heard great things about the contrast and the overall picture, but that the HS5 is not the brightest projector. Now, I'll have total light control, but do you think I need total darkness for the image to be great??
Your Pioneer combo sounds like it does everything you need. Any reason the Denon combo (3805 + 3910 DVD) can't match it?
Yeah, I'm pretty set on using Axioms for the whole system. First of all, it'll just make me feel better that all the speakers are from the same maker...like they're all meant for each other
Secondly, the reviews on this board (and others) have me convinced that I wouldn't be happier with anything else near the same price range.
Hey Rook,
My seating is about 12-13 feet back from my 105 inch diagonal. My projector lense is about 13 feet from the screen.
I just looked up the min/max projector lense distance from a screen size of 120 inces, and it shows minimum of 141 inches and a maximum of 215 inches. So, you will have to mount it somewhere between 12 and 18 feet or so. Sounds like that should work just fine for your setup.
The HS51 also has pretty good lens shift capabilities for ceiling mounting and the like.
I'm a fan of Pioneer, but based on what I know of the Denon products you are looking at, you should get very similar features (Denon Link, hdmi output). And the way people on this forum rave about Denon with Axioms, I think you will be very pleased with that setup.
I also think you will be very happy with Axioms all around, and save some cash while you're at it. If you are handy at all, I do encourage you to think about building your own screen though. ALmost all of the cash you spend on a screen is to pay for the frame. I built the frame in about an hour, and another hour for my wife and I to staple the fabric to the frame. Another hour after that to add the trim and it was finished.
Jump up to the Denon 3910. The 2910 does not have Denon Link. Nor does it have the Alpha 24 Plus Processing.
rook,
I hate to do this to you with everything you have on your mind, but you might also consider the Denon 2900.
if you placed it between the 2910 and 3910, it would be about 80% of the way to the 3910. Because of the 2910/3910 intro, the 2900 has been discontinued. Normally $1000, but you might find them for $5-600 if you are lucky. Do a search on 2900 in the forum - it's great box at that price.
Yeah, but the 3910 just got SACD approval through Denon Link (FINALLY!).
That means one digital conection between player and receiver to carry every flavor of audio between the two, and one less D/A -->A/D conversion for SACD and DVD-Audio!
Engine Joe pointed out to me that this was announced on the
Audioholics board today.
In reply to:
Yeah, but the 3910 just got SACD approval through Denon Link (FINALLY!).
Temptations, temptations.
Now if I can conjure up 2G for the 3910/3805 combo.
And Mark, I have not given up on the "8805" yet
.
My Pioneer 578a is a piece of junk audio-wise.
I figure if I go to a local retailer and buy everything but the speakers at once (3805, 3910, projector, screen, cables/wires/connectors)...I should be able to work a fairly decent discount. Maybe 15-20% off? Is that reasonable?
Good luck...and kudos to you if you do...
Most retailers I have dealt with don't do "volume discounts"...
But YMMV. You may be a better negotiator than I am.
Live from Austin, Texas
WhatFurrer
In reply to:
Most retailers I have dealt with don't do "volume discounts
that was my experince also. when i first started my search for my HT, i was in the market for the whole deal. complete surround speaker set, sub, receiver, cables, everything. and i first started looking at paradigms simply cause thats what was avail to me local.
the guys at the shop here local wouldnt budge on the paradigms price. i called almost every dealer from dallas to austin, to houston, and none were willing to make ANY sort of deal on the paradigms. even when i said i would get a receiver also, they wouldnt move. so, thats what got me started looking for something else.. i found axiom, did some research and the rest is history.
once i got my HT set-up, i wanted to get the salesman from the local store and show him the system i built with my $2000 bucks. thanks anyway, SUCKA!!!
bigjohn
That surprises me. Oh well, I guess I'm about to find out. There's lots of competition in the Dallas area. I just assumed they'd budge a little if I was about to drop almost $10K at once....no financing.
Maybe Tweeter, Ultimate, or HomeTheaterStore will have a 25% off sale.
It really depends where you go. My dad has bought his PSB 5.1 system one piece at a time, and every time he buys something the discount get bigger. When my friend bought a PSB sub from him, he got a great discount because I accompanied him even though I have never personally bought anything from him. I have just kept bringing him business. He says he'll give me a killer deal on some NAD equipment when the time comes...
Just keep trying and asking.
I saw another thread about the EP600 which intrigued me.
You guys have convinced me that the only reason to go with 80s instead of 60s (with a good sub, in a room w/ 3600 cubic feet) would be "because you can". Would that also be the only reason to go with the EP600 instead of the EP500??
Pretty much so rook. I'll add a coupe of things to this piece though. First - some (including me
) think that you can never have too much LFE. Second and more inportant - this question is one you should really discuss with Axiom. I'm all for lotsa toys, but not if there is really no good reason for it. If the 600 is too much sub, it seems like an opportunity to channel the money elsewhere.
You can never have too much sub...only too little...and too little is very sad sad thing. So do us all a favor and get the 600
Rook,
Just so you know, my room is about 16X14X7.5, so is quite a bit smaller than yours, but on my EP500 I can only get the volume up to about 2 out of 10 with the wife in the house, 3 out of 10 otherwise for movies and such and its already shaking the walls. I can't imagine needing the eP600 for a room your size other than going that extra few HZ below the audible spectrum for additional effect on extremely deep bass tracks in certain movies. Based on my experience, you will NOT need the extra power. I assume you also have no WAF factor to deal with to have a fridge sized subwoofer in your room. My wife barely accepts my EP500, and its tiny compared to the 600.
BBBBBAAAAAAASSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!
I love bass...it's my friend.
Don't forget soundproofing, if the wife and neighbors have to be out of town in order to use your ht set up you won't get to see near the number of movies. Try Costco for seating, they had some pretty fancy theater seats last time I was there for considerably less then normal retail. I didn't have the budget for seating so I bought 10 seats from a movie theater that was being torn down for $250.00, found them in the Little Nickle newspaper.