RimBlock

Plenty of time for you not to decide yet then . RB

Find out what cables they are offering for the S$80 plan first and then if they are using expensive cables you can see about down grading. Again, I would advise something a bit better quality for the fronts as that is where the majority of sound will be coming from but just don't go silly . RB

Hi Defelio, OCs can be demanding. Finding a decent system that will match with the loving wifes specifications can be difficult if they are also to sound good. Style usually comes at the price of sound quality. Did you try the KEF KHT2005.3 (eggs) setup ?. Without a budget, it is difficult to recommend. Room acoustics do play a big part in demoing equipment. The Wharfedale sub range is here. A better idea of the sub you demoed will help. SVS . Myself and a few other members here have SVS subwoofers which are great. Again, it depends on your budget but you may want to take a look at the PC-13 (around S$1.4k) and the SB-13 NSD (around S$1.3k). They also pop up on the Xtremeplace 'for sale' boards so it may be worth taking a browse there. Quite hard to tell from the description but I would guess the rears wire is the same S$2/mtr I am using. It is fine, especially at this level. The fronts cable I do not know by your description but I use Chord Classic which is around S$7/mtr and have no problems at all. No. From what I recall, you will get issues with phase and reflections. Get a decent center speaker as this will handle around 70% of the sound in movies. Centers with the drives not all on the same plane (i.e. not all in a strait line) will be better but a decent center speaker will make a world of difference to a entry level setup. This depends on your and more importantly, your OCs tolerance. Ideally they should be mounted at seated listening level by wall brackets, stands or shelves. I do not have any side walls to my living room and so have mounted on the beams either side of the listening area. My speakers are around 7ft up and sound great. Ceiling mounting also helps hide the wires. You may get some difference by mounting at ear level but I would suggest it is not as big a difference as to have to suffer more cables running down the walls. It is good to ask. If you have though and asked then there is bound to be may others who have thought about the same things and haven't asked. RB

Well I can only go by what you good lady wife stated . I have the same issue with space and a large collection which is one of the reasons I am selling. Haha, love it. A lovely dinner with a nice river stroll straight in to a HiFi shop . All very good points. Soundbars are very unlikely to provide the same sort of sound a 5.1 setup can but it is there for people who really do not want speakers all over the place. My wife hated our surround speakers (small bookshelf) and so I got the white Wharfedale dfs speakers which blend in much better, sound great and were pretty cheap second hand. You could have a lot of fun with that budget. Did you listen to the B&W set ED recommended ?. You could also try the B&W MT-30 (S$3,400 - S$4k), Tannoy Arena Highline 500 (around S$5k-S$6k), Monitor Audio Apex (S$5k-S$6k), KEF KHT3005SE-K2 5 (around S$2k), KEF T105 (around S$2.4k). Prices are pure estimates, you will need to check locally. You will then need to add an amp to power them with whatever cash you have left. You could go for a pre/power combo like I have using something like the Yamaha 667 (around S$700), or other amp with preouts, and add a power amp like the Emotiva XPA-5 (around S$1.5k imported). You could just go for a better quality AV amp like the Yamaha RX-V1067 (around S$1.8k) or the Onkyo TX-NR808 (around S$2k). The main advantage of the pre/power combo is that the power amp can be kept if you need to upgrade the preamp part due to new sound formats or features you would like. Remember to factor in for any stands or wall brackets, speaker cable and interconnects but don't go for super expensive stuff unless you have auditioned it first and feel there is a difference in quality justifiable in the extra costs. Get the cables now so they can be installed for you with the electrical work. Unless you have money to burn, I would go for the S$2/mtr for the rears. You can get some from KEC and probably most other shops but they will get more profit from higher priced cables so may try to steer you in that direction. They are a business after all. If they claim that more expensive cables do make a significant difference then ask them to demo for you. Ignore what they tell you that you should be able to hear and just listen with your own ears rather than with their words. If they are hesitant to let you demo then ask yourself why... Also make sure the amp settings are not changed between listenings and that the rooms doors are closed. People have been known to leave a door open and thus change the acoustics of the room or change amp settings in order to create differences. RB

There is a quick primer here on soundbars and considerations when buying. Here is the AVforums thread on the YST-2200 you are looking at. Take a read through to give an idea on good and bad points from owners. Another thread on soundbars from the same place giving alternatives from manufacturers like Polk, Boston Acoustics, Sony, Samsung, LG and B&W to name but a few. Post 28 on the thread also has a new users experiences with the YST-2200 he has just bought. Have a bit of a read and let us know what you decide and how it goes when you try it out. I am sure lots of people have the same sort of constraints as you (the wife) and would find any feedback to be very helpful. RB

Haha, ok so some things now become a bit clearer . Now I can understand better the response from the other thread . Oh and so you are the reason I still have some extra dvds on the shelf . How about we PM and set a day . RB

I ran the wires myself and any reasonable electrician should be able to run them through your false ceiling. Nothing special, just run the cables from the place where you will have your home cinema amp to your speaker positions. Have a look at the Dolby website for an idea of where your speakers should go. Wall mounted speakers will be better unless you spend silly amounts. Bipolar (firing in two directions) should be better for surround sound effects. An example would be the Wharfedale 10.dfs (other brands make them as well). RB

Haha, welcome back with your comedy. So it is not just British brands and China made products you have an unfounded hatred of (well apart from the ones you didn't know were made in China) but you also do not like Israeli brands as well. Nice. Any other countries you dislike just so we can get the definitive list or are you keeping us in suspense like a multipart Taiwan soap opera ? bblifeiz: Take a look in the 'recommend me a decent system...." thread for some better informed advice. You should also get a fairly good idea of how much notice you should take of FKNs posts based on the 'information', and I use the term very lightly, and the responses with links to evidence from industry experts stating exactly the opposite. RB

Ahh, hence you checking out the Focal site . RB

I had a bit of a scroll back but didn't see you mentioning what speakers you got in the end. The pre-forums upgrade quote boxes are also all broken now as well which makes older posts harder to read. RB

Nice, my fronts and center have the same size woofers as well. Err, how much for this . Big money I would suspect with two bash amps plus the speakers with XLR connects in the 'Pro' series of studio monitors . Each of those things probably adds 1k to the price . RB

Yeah, Don't get too big and powerful speakers. I saw a fantastic setup in about the same sized area as your room. Very expensive top of the range speakers everywhere. It sounded impressive but I personally go the sense of too much in such a small area. There was no room for the sound to travel. The sound was just there with no journey and getting louder travelling to you. For me it would have sounded better in a room twice the size. Sure, get a decent set-up but don't go overboard. I would be tempted to go for the B&W M1s or something like it and a great sub, maybe even a large center speaker as well. Remember the rear speakers are meant to be behind you and not above you so moving the sofa away from the wall a little can help as well. Soft furnishings (wallpaper, carpet/rugs, thick curtains) can also help prevent reflections in odd shaped rooms. Why the false wall with a big gap behind it (tv mounted on it) ? Having the desk on the side seems like a good idea. A curtain between the desk and the study area / door may work well . Just pull it back when not watching movies etc. Oh and if you get an amp with 2 zones / ab speaker outs then you could get a set of decent floorstanders for music and just switch between them and the small speakers when watching a movie. Remember the majority of movie noise comes through the center then overall support by the sub, then the fronts, then the surrounds. RB

Ok, so Die Hard 4 then . Haha, now to get to the next level..... (about 40s in). Since my reno is not complete yet, I have not finally setup everything. The L/R fronts need moving after they have painted the wall to the left side again. I don't expect startling differences though. The SPL details and delay timings should give an idea if the speakers are misaligned to the central listening position. If you have not got a decent sound pressure meter then it will be difficult to make meaningful adjustments as you are back to subjective listening and human memory not being so good for retaining accurate information on past images and sounds (at great detail). Saying that, moving closer / further from walls should change the bass effect of speakers. Other tweeks can provide changes but the fine tuning is difficult. I may have a play with my sub as I have just set it to default values and am pretty happy. Might see what differences I can make . RB

Delivery should take a wee or just a bit more. Should be under two weeks but you need to use something like vPost or Borderlinx. It really depends on what you are buying and how you will be arranging it as to what cables you need. Without knowing the equipment and layout there is no way of knowing what you should get. I would advise getting your equipment first and using nay old cheap cables. Once it is setup, live with the cheap cables whilst you order new ones to replace them. You will also appreciate the difference when they arrive if you notice it. You could possibly get a cable from the amp to the tv (HDMI - Amazon basics) but the length depends on how far from the TV the amp will be. You could also get another from the Bluray player to the amp if you are having one. Past that I cannot advise what to get without knowing what you are buying / have. RB

Shame as it is very good and takes a pretty small footprint for the sound it produces. Again I think these things are pretty subjective. My sub sounds great to me. The PB13-plus with the 100W amp sounded better... at a cost of over twice the price. Was it twice as good.... not to me but I sure it will be to some. Yeah, it is that itchy feeling waiting for the new big buys. Not wanting the itchy feeling was partly why I got the SB12... I could walk out of the shop with it straight away . The 609 should be very nice and did the 709 really offer that much better sound or functions to justify the cost to you. The big difference to me of the 667 and the 767 was the 767 had two HDMI outs (one for the TV and one for the projector). I got the 667 and finally found a HDMI splitter for 1/4 the difference in price between the 667 and 767. The Wharfedales should not disappoint. The Evo would be a nice step up from the Diamond 10 series and someone was selling one for S$350 on XP. What center did you get, the CC or CS or even the CM ?. I heard my sub with the Def Tech floorstanders and long center and was not really too impressed. I think it was partly due to the speakers I have at home spoiling me a bit and the fact they were probability not setup correctly. Think you need to bring your wife to a movie night at mine first and then you can try to convince her to get a projector . Worked for csingeu . You are welcome to come round too for a listen and watch and maybe we can pop to yours when you get your stuff. Same is true for others by appointment. No charge apart from drinks and popcorn . Let me know if you are interested. RB

Yeah I got that effect from the PC12 when demo'd at KEC. It is fine if you like to feel like you are in a fast lift going up and down continuity but I, like you, preferred a different experience from my sub. Oh I can assure you that you will hear it with deep passages . I was watching 'Clash of the Titans' and when the Kraken comes out and roars at the screen ...... just need someone to throw some water at us and it will be like one of the full experience cinema rides. What did you test it with movie wise ? Just have to make sure you have some space around and nothing in front or close that will vibrate around . I find the Ypao is fine for me. I have used it in two amps now and am pretty happy with the result. I think I have to try Band of Brothers Ep2 when they come to the field howitzers. That is meant to be great for bass and also for the surround sound effects with bullets whizzing all around. I would imagine it depends on how deep you want to fine tune the result . RB

ED: Nice write-up. Shame you didn't get a chance to listen to the SB12 though. The B&W PV1 is a strange one. Looks interesting but I was surprised at how small it was. It looked to me like a 8" sub like the Velodyne 8Q. Seems there are a few of the PC-12s floating around now. Did you notice the difference considering the (probably) different amps on the new and older PC12 ?. As you have said, different people like different types of sounds so I believe people should try the SB12 and the PC12 / PB12 if they get the chance. RB

Yep and the top is a metal mesh so you cannot put anything on top of it. Definitely a big heavy space taker.... but a pretty one . RB

Still can. Not reached my Borderlinx account yet. RB

Haha. Austin Powers 3 disc set on BluRay only US$17.99..... Yeah baby.....Yeah.. . Also got Cloudy with a chance of meatballs, Scooby Doo 1&2, Blade 2 and Clerks II. All for US$68 or about S$80 + delivery so around S$100 all in. 8 Blurays for S$100 . The Austin Powers is the 3 disc set and Scooby Doo is a 2 disc set. Also have Quantum of Solace and Doc Hollywood (DVD as Bluray not out) on the way. RB

Your welcome Ely. Not sure about the cable. The cable that came with it was mono but the stereo cable works as well. Really need to check with Rotel I guess. Their manual has next to no info about it..... If you can get an amp with pre-outs it will give you a lot more options in the future and the advantage of the power amp is that you can upgrade the AVR as technology moves on but keep the superior power amp part. Getting a good power amp / speakers is like getting a good DSLR lens, the body may need upgrading from time to time but the lens just keeps on giving great results. RB

Well the cheap trigger cable seems to be working although the amp power light does not change colour or turn off to show it is in standby. Bit of a shame that.... RB

It will be difficult. Are having a ceiling fan ? TBH I find a ceiling fan is much more of an issue playing those types of games than blocking the image. As long as the people are near the projector rather than near the screen it should not be too bad. The odd hand or top of the head maybe. Really depends on your room though and the proposed cov lighting / down lights. TBH if you are all waving you hands around and jumping about then you will get at least a little blocking unless you have a massive room with 3 meter high ceilings. Best you can do in minimise it. Another way would be to put the projector closer to the screen and the people behind the projector. How close the projector can go depends on the throw distance needed for your images size and the fact that you will have a projector in the middle of the ceiling or a better position may be in / on a coffee table. If in then make sure it has plenty of ventilation. RB

Oh, my wife just happend to mention, you know that way women do, that there was a booklet highlighting all the changes expected in Tampines over the next few years. Oh yes.... election time is well and truly on us. It seems as well as the two new downtown line stations fairly close to us, they are going to be renovating the Tampines Rovers football grounds and surrounding area in to a big community hub . More details here. If you click on the 'Download master plan" and go to pages 6-9 you will see the plans for the Hub. Should be really very good although it will take a few years to build. Wonder what is going to happen to the football while the building is going on. Same for the swimming pool. I don't see our property value going down any time soon . RB

Hiya, Nice going so far. Interesting that your unit is only a bit bigger than our old 3 room although ours was a 3A. I didn't realise how much smaller they were building now. Mind you yours is cheaper than our 3 room sold for and has a much better view on the 22nd floor. That must be wonderful. I am curious about your concealed cables. I see that they were there when you got the keys but as an HDB apartment I thought they were not meant to be concealed ?. I know some people do it which is fine as they are the ones who have to answer to HDB if they come knocking and it looks so much better but for a new build with concealed wiring already laid ????. One point I saw with the SCV cable and the kitchen (?) light cable is that the people doing it have taken the most direct route to where you want it and that is not always the best thing. It is cheapers (less cable) for the installer and less work but usually cables go around walls and skirting in straight lines. Lighting goes around and comes down / goes across for light points / switches and power runs around the skirting and comes up for plugs. The reason for this is that when the wall is painted you should not be able to see where the cable has run but you will have an idea so if you wish to hang a painting on a nail or fit some display cabinets, you have a pretty good idea where the buried cables are. With the cables just going anywhere across the walls you may drill a hold for a cabinet hanging bracket and at worst, go through a power cable. I would suggest you keep a note of where the cables are for future reference. The apartment looks like a lovely cosy place for you and your hubby. Great views in a lovely green place with the MRT on your doorstep. Must be wonderful. I went to Pasir Ris to get something with my Brother in Law and commented on how lovely and green it was. He replied that Tampines, where we both live, used to be like that before.... The price of progress RB