Last week in Part 1 I talked about amplifiers and processors. Now we finish up the system with loudspeakers, video, control and connection.
Remember, if you are dealing with limited funds that you should sink the largest portion of your investment in your loudspeakers, as they are going to contribute the biggest audible difference. Also, don’t waste any money on a feeble little box that claims to be a subwoofer. No sub at all is better than a sub-standard subwoofer. Not an area to scrimp.
The GEAR
- Loudspeakers: Tannoy Eyris Range
Tannoy Eyris Series
I have a complete set of Tannoy Eyris loudspeakers consisting of Eyris 3 floorstanders for the mains, Eyris C center channel, and Eyris 1 bookshelfs for the rears. The Eyris series utilize paper cone woofers mated with Tannoy’s titanium dome tweeters. In years past I was never a particular fan of metal tweeters, but the days when a good metal tweeter sounded bright and brash are gone. I have not heard the source material that these loudspeakers don’t sing with, and they do a particularly good job of fooling you into thinking that you are listening to a performance instead of a recording with the right material.
There was an incident a year ago when my then two year old son pushed in three out of five domes, necessitating a call to Tannoy’s North American headquarters in Canada for some replacements, but I can’t blame the speakers or the driver material for that little misadventure.
I am extremely satisfied with these loudspeakers. Of course there’s always a wish list:
Eminent Technology LFT-VIIIb
Proac Response D38
Gamut Audio L5
- Subwoofer: SVS PB12-ISD
SVS PB12-ISD Subwoofer
The SVS PB12-ISD subwoofer is not the last word in low end. However, it and it’s replacement the SVS PB12-NSD get you awfully close for a mere $599. SVS also offers subs that ARE the last word in low end, for a relatively small amount of money.
Nothing, and I mean nothing, makes a bigger difference in your system than a REAL subwoofer. The offerings from SVS excel not only for home theater usage, but in my experience integrate with your loudspeakers very transparently for music use.
Ultimate bass without having to take out a second mortgage:
SVS PB13-Ultra
- Display: Toshiba 52HM84 DLP TV
Toshiba 52HM84
This 52″ 720p DLP has served me well in the four years it’s been in my home theater. Lamp life is approx. two years, give or take three months either way. That’s pretty good in a house where it’s powered up for approximately 17-18 hours every day of the year. Also, with DLP there is NO burn-in, and when a lamp goes it’s a $150 fix that you can handle yourself. That is a big bonus for DLP sets, even though they are quickly losing ground to LCD. The 52HM84 looks great with HD material, and does a fine job with SD DVD. My only real gripe with this set is that it isn’t 1080p and doesn’t do 24Hz.
To that end, next year I will be buying a new television. Of course by the time I will be buying next year Olevia and Vizio will be offering 1080p24 LCDs whose prices will warrant a look. For now:
Mitsubishi WD65733 65
Toshiba Regza 52XV545U LCD
If you’ve been reading you know what I am using for a Blu Ray player, and for my remote control.
Also useful for your home theater are a universal player for DVD and Divx/Xvid, to save wear and tear on your Blu Ray player. At my house it’s an inexpensive Pioneer DV-588AS, which incidentally is a fine CD player.
As for cables and connections my best advice is to buy cheap, but buy quality. Cables do make a difference in your system, but the pitfall is that people rush out and buy Monster. There is nothing wrong with Monster, but cables of equal or superior quality can be had for less lucre. Use high quality, heavy guage, oxygen free speaker cable. Bi-wiring is your call. I do, but there is no proof that it adds any aural benefit. For connectors, use quality shielded cable, preferably twisted pair for added protection against EM and RF interference.
HDMI cables are an even easier call. Category 2 HDMI cables are guaranteed to pass the bandwidth you need for 1080p plus audio for a given length. An HDMI cable either is or isn’t Category 2, and the signal being passed is digital. Don’t buy a $100 HDMI cable when you can get one that does the same thing just as well for $7!
Home theater makes your enjoyment of movies and television a more satisfactory experience. Don’t forget to listen to some music in the process, as love of music is what started the obsession with all this gear in the first place.
