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Audiophile Meets Videophile- October 2004 - page 3  Moving over to the smaller of the two equipment racks, an SDI-capable Lumagen VisionPro handles the video scaling and switching. A Sony SAT-HD300 DSS receiver allows the homeowner to watch HDTV in the theater if he should desire to do so. Finally, a Pioneer LD-99 laser disc player rounds out the equipment. A lot of attention was paid to the power system for the room. A 20-amp dedicated circuit was installed and each of the outlets is on it own breaker. This was done to make sure that the system would be expandable and would start off with fairly clean power before being cleaned up even more by the PS Audio device. Further down the power chain, an assortment of Shunyata and PS Audio power cables were employed to complete the power delivery system.As you nestle your rear end into the black leather Jaymar home theater chairs and look toward the 80-inch Stewart StudioTek 130 1.3 gain reference projection screen, you get the feeling that you are in a speaker beta testing room. Audio Images meticulously installed acoustic absorption and diffusion panels, lining the walls in a mathematically organized layout, per PMI’s plan. There are large floor-standing Aerial Acoustics Model 10T fronts and an Aerial Acoustics ModelCC5 center channel-mounted on a custom height Sound Anchor speaker stand. In between the L, C and R speakers are the Theta Enterprise mono block amplifiers. It has been said many times in the pages of Audio Video Revolution that a great home theater surround sound system starts as a great two-channel system and there isn’t any reason you can’t have both. Many audiophiles may cringe at the sight of a center channel and a home theater screen, but this homeowner is quite content to have the best of both worlds. You’ll note that this dedicated theater/music room is perfectly symmetrical, with doors on each side of the screen. Other than the gear that is situated on the left side of the room, the rest of the room is essentially the exact same on both sides. An elaborate system of moveable wall baffles was employed to help control the acoustics. Even the ceiling has large sound-absorbing panels that are hanging a few inches down, further adding to the professional screening room vibe. The Aerial Acoustics Model SR3 surround speakers are mounted on the side walls and also have acoustic diffusion panels strategically placed to help scatter their sound for enhanced envelopment. Many of the same principles for tuning a two-channel room apply to a surround set-up. However, the fact that you have at least three extra speakers’ sound waves overlapping each other can make phase issues much more pronounced. A pair of Miller and Kreissel MK350II Subwoofers complement the speaker layout to bring up the punchy bottom end. They are strategically located for best room interface and lowest standing wave resonance effects, and they effectively disappear into the sound field. Unlike many theaters, where the front row of seats consists of a “love seat” where a couple can snuggle up together to watch a romantic chick flick, the front row of this theater has a single chair that extends a few feet from the rest of the chairs, and is perfectly positioned in the room’s sweet spot. The thought behind this design is simple. Why should two people hear good sound when one person can hear the sound at the absolute best listening position in the room? Some people may want more color and design elements from their home theater room, but for those who just want to get right to the music or movies and don’t like being distracted, this is the kind of theater you might want to consider. Leave the popcorn and candy for the kids. This is a theater for serious audio and video enthusiasts. See complete equipment list below...
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