Home Theater Designer Recommendation in Los Angeles Area?

[Ron Resnick]

Now that my wife and I are home I am turning to my listening room and equipment room projects and she is turning to her home theater room project. (The home theater will be enclosed in half of the equipment room which is adjacent to the listening room.)

The home theater room is about 13' long and 11' wide. We are looking to do a basic front projection/fixed screen installation. We want to engage a home theater dealer/consultant to figure out the proper projector and lens throw ratio and screen size for the desired aspect ratio, and to suggest speakers which would make sense for the limited space available.

Have you worked in Southern California with any particular home theater dealer or consultant you have liked for a modest installation and whom you recommend?

Thank you!

 

[bonzo75]

Now that my wife and I are home I am turning to my listening room and equipment room projects and she is turning to her home theater room project. (The home theater will be enclosed in half of the equipment room which is adjacent to the listening room.)

The home theater room is about 13' long and 11' wide. We are looking to do a basic front projection/fixed screen installation. We want to engage a home theater dealer/consultant to figure out the proper projector and lens throw ratio and screen size for the desired aspect ratio, and to suggest speakers which would make sense for the limited space available.

Have you worked in Southern California with any particular home theater dealer or consultant you have liked for a modest installation and whom you recommend?

Thank you!

Make sure you get a Datasat Auro 3d 13.4 or something.

But then you might find that her project starts sounding better than yours . We will then all have an excuse to visit Socal to listen to Tinka's system

 

[Hi-FiGuy]

Now that my wife and I are home I am turning to my listening room and equipment room projects and she is turning to her home theater room project. (The home theater will be enclosed in half of the equipment room which is adjacent to the listening room.)

The home theater room is about 13' long and 11' wide. We are looking to do a basic front projection/fixed screen installation. We want to engage a home theater dealer/consultant to figure out the proper projector and lens throw ratio and screen size for the desired aspect ratio, and to suggest speakers which would make sense for the limited space available.

Have you worked in Southern California with any particular home theater dealer or consultant you have liked for a modest installation and whom you recommend?



Thank you!

http://sunnyaudiovideo.com/

Ask for Scott Hicks.
The owner is Sunil

 

[amirm]

I don't have anyone to recommend for modest projects. But here are some directional things:

1. For a small room like that, go for in-wall speakers. They will be hidden, won't encroach into the space and can be positioned more optimally.

2. For good performing but very low cost option, look at Epson projectors. Step up will be JVC. The Epson projectors have superb adjustability so can be made to work in almost any situation.

3. Look at acoustically transparent screen and put the L, C, R speakers behind it, inset into the wall.

4. Get a processor/receiver with good Room EQ. The Datasat will be out of your price point I am sure but it is an important part of this equation.

 

[steve williams]

http://sunnyaudiovideo.com/

Ask for Scott Hicks.
The owner is Sunil

Sunnil is a member here

 

[bonzo75]

Hi Ron, just spoke to Tinka. She agreed that she will convince you to swap your big speakers for a Full range, and your TT for a Lampi, and will put the money saved into a Datasat processor or the Trinnov Altitude. Win Win for her and for you. Money left over for mooks too, as she wants some under the datasat.

 

[skolis]

Have you worked in Southern California with any particular home theater dealer or consultant you have liked for a modest installation and whom you recommend?

Thank you!

Home theater is not my thing but I was quite impressed with these guys:

http://thesourceav.com/

The are in Torrance.
I was there to listen to 2 -channel systems, and saw that they have either 2 or 3 full blown theater setups that I thought were amazing.
So consider this a lead, not a reco.

 

[Ron Resnick]

I don't have anyone to recommend for modest projects. But here are some directional things:

1. For a small room like that, go for in-wall speakers. They will be hidden, won't encroach into the space and can be positioned more optimally.

2. For good performing but very low cost option, look at Epson projectors. Step up will be JVC. The Epson projectors have superb adjustability so can be made to work in almost any situation.

3. Look at acoustically transparent screen and put the L, C, R speakers behind it, inset into the wall.

4. Get a processor/receiver with good Room EQ. The Datasat will be out of your price point I am sure but it is an important part of this equation.

Thank you very much, Amir!

 

[microstrip]

(...) 2. For good performing but very low cost option, look at Epson projectors. Step up will be JVC. The Epson projectors have superb adjustability so can be made to work in almost any situation. (...)

Epson projectors are also low noise - in a small room this aspect is critical!

 

[Ron Resnick]

Hi Ron, just spoke to Tinka. She agreed that she will convince you to swap your big speakers for a Full range, and your TT for a Lampi, and will put the money saved into a Datasat processor or the Trinnov Altitude. Win Win for her and for you. Money left over for mooks too, as she wants some under the datasat.

 

[Ron Resnick]

This week we met with Brian of Ahead Stereo and Sunil of Sunny Components. I have known Sunil for several years.

We realize that the current dimensions are too small for the set-up we want. So we will push the viewing position into the audio equipment area of that room. This will allow a home theater room width of 10 feet, a 3 foot deep area on the left side under a staircase for equipment, and a seat-to-screen distance of about 15 feet. The ceiling height is a bit over 7 feet.

It was a bit frustrating that both Brian and Sunil strongly advised us not to use in any way my pair of MartinLogan Prodigys or my pair of MartinLogan Ascents. Even the Ascents (13" wide) might be too wide to stand to the left and to the right of the screen, but I don't see why we cannot use one of those pairs as rear channel speakers.

Brian recommends a Marantz processor and separate amplifier. Sunil recommends an Arcam receiver. I use Arcam integrated amplifiers for two small systems.

I always liked the sound of Arcams for being a bit softer-sounding than typical electronics in that price range. And the new Arcam AVRs have some Dirac DSP whick Kedar would like.

(I think Arcam used to make a well-regarded, standalone home theater processor. Where did that go? Why are they making only receivers now for home theaters?)

Several years ago I experimented with setting up in this space a home theater-type system just with components I had on hand. I aimed an old Sony LCD projector at a portable Da-lite screen. I used the Prodigys for the front channels (powered by the big VTLs) and the Ascents for the rear channels (powered by a VTL Stereo 85). I used a random DVD player I had laying around. I used my REL Stentor III for the subwoofer. I did not use any center channel speaker. I did not use any outboard processor. (The DVD player had some built-in 5.1 function.)

Even with no center channel and no real processor the audio portion of this set-up was absolutely amazing! I loved hearing movie dialogue from the electrostatic speakers!

So it is a bit difficult to now buy new, small, narrow, conventional floor-standing speakers from B&W or T+A when I have these MLs collecting dust -- especially when I know how amazing the MLs sounded in my HT experiment!

 

[amirm]

Ron, I see no reason you can't use the Prodigy for any of the speaker positions. Yes, it won't be as ideal due to lack of matching with other speakers but for rear/side speakers, that doesn't matter much. And at any rate, you are not building "reference class" theater anyway. Tell them that you like to try it with your MLs and if they don't perform, you will buy what they say.

Phantom center works surprisingly well for video because your eye compensates and puts the sound on screen. But still, 90% of movie soundtrack is in the center so it is good to invest in good speaker and lots and lots of power to drive it well. As I mentioned before, I am a fan of putting all the speakers behind the screen so that you don't see them in bright screens and get distracted.

 

[ddk]

Dear Ron,
Why do you think you need a surround processor to watch movies? Do you enjoy the kind of transistory fake processed sound you have in movie theaters that you want to bring it home? For me HT is about image quality, get a better projector/screen player and enjoy your high end system for sound, there are no processors out there that are even close sonically! Try it with what you have now and if you really can't live without some crappy sound effects beaming at you from the sides through small shitty speakers then you can always add it in.

david

This week we met with Brian of Ahead Stereo and Sunil of Sunny Components. I have known Sunil for several years.

We realize that the current dimensions are too small for the set-up we want. So we will push the viewing position into the audio equipment area of that room. This will allow a home theater room width of 10 feet, a 3 foot deep area on the left side under a staircase for equipment, and a seat-to-screen distance of about 15 feet. The ceiling height is a bit over 7 feet.

It was a bit frustrating that both Brian and Sunil strongly advised us not to use in any way my pair of MartinLogan Prodigys or my pair of MartinLogan Ascents. Even the Ascents (13" wide) might be too wide to stand to the left and to the right of the screen, but I don't see why we cannot use one of those pairs as rear channel speakers.

Brian recommends a Marantz processor and separate amplifier. Sunil recommends an Arcam receiver. I use Arcam integrated amplifiers for two small systems.

I always liked the sound of Arcams for being a bit softer-sounding than typical electronics in that price range. And the new Arcam AVRs have some Dirac DSP whick Kedar would like.

(I think Arcam used to make a well-regarded, standalone home theater processor. Where did that go? Why are they making only receivers now for home theaters?)

Several years ago I experimented with setting up in this space a home theater-type system just with components I had on hand. I aimed an old Sony LCD projector at a portable Da-lite screen. I used the Prodigys for the front channels (powered by the big VTLs) and the Ascents for the rear channels (powered by a VTL Stereo 85). I used a random DVD player I had laying around. I used my REL Stentor III for the subwoofer. I did not use any center channel speaker. I did not use any outboard processor. (The DVD player had some built-in 5.1 function.)

Even with no center channel and no real processor the audio portion of this set-up was absolutely amazing! I loved hearing movie dialogue from the electrostatic speakers!

So it is a bit difficult to now buy new, small, narrow, conventional floor-standing speakers from B&W or T+A when I have these MLs collecting dust -- especially when I know how amazing the MLs sounded in my HT experiment!

 

[NorthStar]

Just for fun :b

 

[Sharp 1080]

Dear Ron,
Why do you think you need a surround processor to watch movies? Do you enjoy the kind of transistory fake processed sound you have in movie theaters that you want to bring it home? For me HT is about image quality, get a better projector/screen player and enjoy your high end system for sound, there are no processors out there that are even close sonically! Try it with what you have now and if you really can't live without some crappy sound effects beaming at you from the sides through small shitty speakers then you can always add it in.

david

David, I strongly disagree with your attitude and approach towards multi channel playback. You do realize when we listen to 2 channel playback it is also to quote you, "a fake and processed sound". We are listening to what the engineer mixed into the recording, sometimes really holographic soundstaging, and many times not at all! There are several processors that sound very good overall. Theta, Classe, and Bryston to name three off of the top of my head. The visuals go together with the sound to make the magic happen. Try watching that visual without sound. It doesn't sound the same because the cues that the brain anticipates to be there aren't there. The other factor is when watching a movie we listen to the music that is mixed into the movie.

 

[ddk]

You're welcome to disagree, no disrespect but expected with Sharp 1080 as moniker. It's absolutely not the same thing as two channel music, there's a reason why it's called a "Processor". Not not a question of brand they use the same handful of chips, license the same algorithms and more or less sound and do the same thing as a $700 Denon. Maybe high end HT installations in dedicated spaces like Amir's can create a different experience but the standard ones, even expensive ones are mostly lousy IMO but if you need sound effects beamed to your head to enjoy a movie fine, I don't need nor want it. A high end two channel system isn't exactly without sound nor does it lack cues and it's free from repetitive positioning of those cues in a side or rear speaker but for the sake of argument a visual doesn't always need audio to be understood or enjoyed, plenty of silent movies and art installations to prove it. Let's just say that we have different preferences. As a dealer I wish that I liked HT all the extra gear and installation fees is great for the bottom line...
david

David, I strongly disagree with your attitude and approach towards multi channel playback. You do realize when we listen to 2 channel playback it is also to quote you, "a fake and processed sound". We are listening to what the engineer mixed into the recording, sometimes really holographic soundstaging, and many times not at all! There are several processors that sound very good overall. Theta, Classe, and Bryston to name three off of the top of my head. The visuals go together with the sound to make the magic happen. Try watching that visual without sound. It doesn't sound the same because the cues that the brain anticipates to be there aren't there. The other factor is when watching a movie we listen to the music that is mixed into the movie.

 

[Folsom]

I would strongly be considering horn based speakers for such a small space. You don't have a lot of room for treatment. I think someone makes clones of Danley's synergy horns. They would be able to recess half way into the wall to save space, and not suffer the negative effects from it that other speakers do. I'd even consider having someone make some for me if I was building a HT. I wouldn't be surprised if it were possible to ask this man for a reasonable offer to make some.

Personally 2 channel theater is FINE with me. The only issue is sometimes the mixes are too light, and really need a center channel. I personally get next to nothing out of the side/rear speakers, at least when I'm hearing something of quality. Three speakers would work good, and some lower reinforcements (subs), for me.

 

[Folsom]

Oh, and I would be looking for a quality picture, since I like to watch films that have a cinematography component that is notable, fairly often.

 

[NorthStar]

A good stereo sound system is awesome for listening to music from your turntable and CD player and music server.

A good home theater system is awesome for watching movies in 3D and in immersive sound.

You can build one for under $5,000

For under $5,000 what kind of phono cartridge can you get?

 

[microstrip]

Ron,

Although since many years ago the AV system is build around Sonus Faber with a large CC1 Proac center channel when I had Prodigy's I built an AV system around them, including a Logos center channel I still keep, expecting to include it in the Soundlab system someday, and Aerius.

It was a great AV system - the micro detail and transparency created much more drama and tension than the loud boom of many systems. In explosions, bombardments, fighting and similar scenes you felt that you were part of it, as everything was immediate and fast. The ambience of bars, traveling noises and similar details was a great contribution to the movies. As usual YMMV - I personally find that generally the sound level is too high in cinemas.