Gear for new dedicated theater???

dfwlistener -- Sat, 02/28/2009 - 13:34

We are nearing completion of our new home theater. Size is 26'x21'x11'. !30" Stewart screen with Pioneer projector. I currently have a small Linn system consisting of a Unidisk SC, 5105 and pair of 5140s. My thoughts regarding options are as follows:
1) Add three Linn 5120 speakers as surrounds and center and actively tri-amp the 5140s with a new Chakra 6100. Add a Rel sub.
2) Start over with a Magnepan based system using 3.6s as the mains with the Maggie center and surrounds. Also add sides for 7.1 and a Rel sub.
3) Start over with another dynamic speaker system.
My questions are:
A) Which approach would be the most musical and still capable of rocking for the movies.
B) Which pre pro and amps for #2 and #3? Need to support all the new codecs and 7.1
C) What complete system for #3?

Thanks for any and all feedback.

Dale

Steven Stone -- Sun, 03/01/2009 - 11:37

If you like your Linn gear why mess around with a whole slew of new components?

You fail to mention the most important pice of "gear" in your system - your room.

If your present two-channel speaker works well in your room why would you want to go chasing around with radically different speaker technologies? You may be solving a problem that doesn't exist or creating one that wasn't there before.

Steven Stone
Contributor to The Absolute Sound, EnjoytheMusic.com, Vintage Guitar Magazine, and other fine publications

dfwlistener -- Sun, 03/01/2009 - 12:33

Steven,

Very good point. We've spent a fair bit trying to get the room right but haven't finished it yet. Expect to be able to move in within the month. I've had the Linn speakers since 2001 and the Unidisk and 5105 since 2007 but never in an optimum setting. My plan is to set these up initially in the new room to get a baseline on both the room and this system. I suspect that the room will require substantially more power from the main speakers than the 5105 can deliver. I also don't currently have a matching center and surround setup for the Linn system. If I commit to the Linn setup, I also feel like I would need to go active on the 5140s. I would then be substantially committed to a single vendor setup that is already somewhat outdated relative to the video aspect (5.1 vs 7.1), good, bad or otherwise. What I was looking for with this post were some more informed opinions / advice of the comparative sonic attributes of the possible choices before I spend a bunch of money in any particular direction.

Thanks
Dale

Dale Troutt
Dallas TX

Steven Stone -- Sun, 03/01/2009 - 18:59

If your room is not too long and skinny the need for 7.1 is minimal. 5.1 set up right is seamless and enveloping.

I'm not a proponent of the "You must be able to support all the latest audio movie formats" either. WIth an outboard scaler such as the DVDO Edge you can route all your HDMI video sources through it and send all your HDMI audio via its SPDIF output to your processor.

Steven Stone
Contributor to The Absolute Sound, EnjoytheMusic.com, Vintage Guitar Magazine, and other fine publications

dfwlistener -- Sun, 03/01/2009 - 21:08

Thanks for the response Steven. I had not thought of the outboard scaler/switcher idea. What about planar vs dynamic? What speakers have you heard lately that provides good music , would work for HT and are decent value? I'm thinking $5k or so for main speakers. Center and surrounds would be more. Also $5k - $10k for pre-pro and power amps.

Dale Troutt
Dallas TX

Chris Martens -- Tue, 03/03/2009 - 00:08

dfwlistener,

I'd like to reply to the questions you pose, but before I do let me pose two questions for you.

1. Can you sketch out the listening values/preferences that led you to choose your current Linn components in the first place? (It will be easier to offer meaningful suggestions once I've got a better handle on the qualities you enjoy/prize in the Linn system).

2. What are you intentions vis-a-vis Blu-ray?

Now for some preliminary observations:

Option 2: Magnepans can sound fabulous in surround applications, but as a general rule they do need an awful lot of power in larger rooms (and yours is a pretty large one).

Option 3: Depending on your responses to my opening questions, it may be possible to find dynamic surround speaker system options you would like as well or better than the Linn system and that would cost less--unit for unit--than the Linn counterparts. Some systems to consider might be the PSB Synchrony or Paradigm Signature (or potentially Studio v.5) systems. Another combination that falls a bit below your proposed price range but that can nevertheless produce spectacular results--both cinematically and musically--is the Definitive Mythos ST system. After you say more about your listening preferences, etc., there may be other options that would be a better fit for you.

Electronics: You've got a lot of potential options, especially if you are open to looking at brands that might at first seem more pedestrian than Linn, One package that is well worth checking out is the Marantz AV8003 controller and MM8003 multichannel amp (Playback will be reviewing this roughly $5000 pair in the fairly near term). There are many others that are also worthy of consideration.

New Codecs: Personally, I find the new high resolution audio codecs are well worth the effort. Once your system is dialed-in, the results can be just scary good.

7.1-channel vs. 5.1-channel configurations: 7.1-channel systems can be great, but I question whether they are worth the incremental expense and complexity vis-a-vis a well set up 5.1-channel system. I'm with Steven on this one; I have had very good experiences in dialing 5.1-channel systems to achieve coherent and well-focused wraparound imaging.

Chris Martens,
Editor, Playback

Chris Martens
Editor, Avguide.com/Playback/The Perfect Vision

dfwlistener -- Tue, 03/03/2009 - 14:10

Chris,
Your first question is somewhat difficult. I bought the 5140s in 2001 and drove them with a Marantz pre-pro and a pair of mono B&K amps. I added the other Linn gear in 2007. A little background. I was a serious audiophile junkie from early in life. I still have a Sony reel to reel tape deck that my dad gave me in 1968 (7th grade). I spent my entire summers earnings after I graduated from high school in 1973 on my first real stereo system, AR turntable, Shure cartridge, marantz 2230 receiver, Rectilinear speakers and always wished I had spent a few bucks more and gotten large advents. While in college, I worked at a CMC Stereo shop and came across a used Thorens with a Rabco straight line arm. Still have it. Soon as I got out of college and had a little spare money, I traded up to MG1s, Advent receiver (as a preamp), GAS power amp and always wanted an ARC D52b for the maggies. In the 80s when I had a bit more change, I went thru a ton of equipment, Acoustats, Vandersteens (wow what imaging), B&W 801s (wow what dynamics and imaging), Threshold, Acoustat, Krell, B&K and Roland amps, PS, ARC, Roland, Classe preamps, Sota and Oracle tables, Fidelity Research and Eminent Tech arms and a dozen or more moving coils. Then in 1995, I ditched it all and went cold turkey away from the hobby/addiction. I had young kids that made noise during the day and I couldn't make noise at night. Bought a minimalist surround system and packed up my record collection. Got divorced in 2000, kids were older and gone more and got the audio itch again. But the hobby had changed dramatically. No more high end shops on every corner. Down to 2 or 3 in Dallas. Decided to upgrade my main speakers from Mirage bookshelves in my surround system to the Linns. So around to your question. My decision was a bit impulsive but they seemed quite a bit more "musical" at the time but I really didn't do a thorough search and I was intrigued with the idea of being able to actively amp them in the future. My room was crap so I don't think I really ever heard them at their best. And to be honest, let's not forget the positive reviews the Linn AV system got in TAS (or was Stereophile?). So the future is here but the issues have changed. In all the years of my audio addiction, I only had one really good room and that was back in the late 80s. Now I've been able to build a kick ass dedicated room and although it's not yet finished, I will also be able to give it the appropriate interior acoustic treatment once it's ready. And yes, we built it as right as we could. Green glue between the joists (12" on center) and load bearing members (it's an upstairs room), double 3/4" plywood floors with green glue between, acoustic rubber on top, room in a room isolation, walls packed with blown in insulation, acoustic rubber wrapped, isolated from the floor, double sheet rock with green glue everywhere, all equipment in it's own separate isolated room (maybe another turntable one day). This time I'm trying to get the most important component correct from the start - the room. But I need a decently high resolution musical system to start with while I dial in the remaining small room issues. I can't listen to all the choices like we used to be able to so I'm trying to access the informed advice of others as I once again begin the quest of tilting at windmills.
As for Blu -ray, we currently have three players in the house, a PS3, Sony and LG in den and bedrooms. So I will definitely have one in the new theater.
My main goal right now is to get a very good system without breaking the bank and then move up to great as the impulse arises.
Thanks a ton for any advice.
Dale

Dale Troutt
Dallas TX

dfwlistener -- Sat, 03/07/2009 - 11:12

As for listening preferences, I prefer full range speakers and systems that are capable of superior 3D imaging. I can't stand either an overly bright top end or too much bloom in the mid bass. A little midrange warmth is ok as long as it's not at the expense of detail. And dynamic range is very important. Musically, I prefer jazz and classical for serious listening. Although I love rock, I've always found listening to it on a high res system really bugs me due to the generally constrained dynamic range and the massive mixing / lack of natural miking that so many rock recordings have.
Thanks for any thoughts.

Dale Troutt
Dallas TX