Zone 1 - Main Theater
The Projector: Epson PowerLite Home Cinema 7500UB
MSRP: $4,999 info
Epson’s newest
high-performance 1080p 3LCD flagship projector is a sight to behold. The 7500UB features the latest-generation Epson D7 platform with C2Fine
technology, Ultra Black technology with 75,000:1 contrast – that’s the best in
the industry, Silicon Optix HQV Reon-VX with PW390 processor, 12 bit panel
driver, 120 Hz FineFrame Technology, Anamorphic (vertical stretch) scaling, etc,
etc…With too many features to name, you’ll have to see this one to believe it. It is also compatible with an anamorphic lens attachment is made by Panamorph which will bump up the price a couple of thousand dollars.
Alternates:
JVC DLA-HD100 ($7999) info, InFocus ScreenPlay 777 ($14,500) ; Yamaha DPX-1300 ($12,495) info
Projector Screen: Seymour AV 109" H095 Center Stage XD Screen
Price: $2,637 (109" HDTV screen) info
What doesn't Seymour AV Screens provide? We can't think of anything. They retract, they are acoustically transparent so you can place your center channel behind them, they come with either IR (for easy universal remote integration) or RF control. They manufacturing every screen with its fabric cut at an 15 degree angle with respect to the roll to eliminate the possibility of screen induced Moire. They have Somfy ILT motors for fast, smooth, and most importantly quiet operation. Want an extruded aluminum case? No problem. Want it in custom finishes? They've got that too. For this system we've picked an H095 Center Stage XD 109" diagonal screen with 1.18 gain, 1500+ holes/sq. in., 4k ready A.T. material with stitched fabric velvet borders, tab tensioned, and black backing included. Of course, it's got the Somfy ILT motor with IR receiver, control junction and wall switch. For extra pizzazz we've opted for the extruded aluminum case with Black Pearl Blue, 5 coat gloss paint but you can certainly find less costly options from them. .
Alternates: Stewart Luxus Deluxe StudioTek 130 ($2395) info; Da-Lite Cinema Contour High Contrast Cinema Vision ($1400)
The Processor: Denon AVP-A1HDCI 12CH Home Theater Processor
Retail
Price:
$7,500 info / review
The Denon AVP-A1HDCI represents bleeding edge technology that only a select few
manufacturers can compete with regardless of price. If you’re looking for the very best home theater separates solution, I highly
recommend considering the Denon AVP-A1HDCI pre/pro and POA-A1HDCI ten channel
power amp. While their model #’s aren’t impressive sounding, and the associated
name doesn’t quite have the prestige of a Levinson or Krell, you can rest
assured the Denon products have it where it counts in performance and features
and are pound for pound a better value than virtually all of the super high end
products on the market. From its Realta video processing engine, to its
sophisticated Audyssey room correction, top notch construction and component
usage, you’re getting Mercedes level performance and refinement at Acura prices.
Your high end audio snob friends may snicker at this system, especially since
they likely spent 2-3 times more for hollow boxes, but I suggest humbling
yourself by saying nothing. You don’t want everyone driving the same car you’re
driving, do you?
The Processor: Denon POA-A1HDCI 10 Channel Power Amplifier
Retail
Price:
$7,500 info / review
The Denon POA-A1HDCI is as powerful as it is heavy but most importantly it
exhibits ultra low noise and distortion to handle the subtle nuances of music with great finesses and
clarity. The POA-A1HDCI revitalizes Denon’s high end stigma that it earned over
the years but also puts itself into an elitist price category that only the very
wealthiest audiophiles would dare tread. It will most certainly serve as a conversational piece when people visit and see
the sheer mass of this mega multi-channel amplifier. You can rest assured that
its size is backed by legendary performance one would expect from Denon flagship
pieces. The POA-A1HDCI delivers respectable high and most importantly clean dynamic power and provides enough
channels to handle even the largest scale home theater installations with a few
to spare for specialized needs and installations. Coupled with the matching
AVP-A1HDCI processor, you’ve got a state of the art A/V separates solution that
can run toe to toe with any of its peers in this price class.
Transport: Denon DVD-A1UDCI ‘Universal’ BD Player
Price: $3,800 info
The DVD-A1UDCI ‘Universal’ BD Player not only plays DVDs and Blu-ray, but also
SACD and DVD-A. Finally, you can get rid of all your other transports while
retaining access to your entire content library. Except for those HD DVD discs
of course. At $3800 a pop, this is definitely not your father's Blu-ray player. So what does $3800 get
you? Blu-ray 2.0 ready, SACD and DVD-A playback (a first in combination with a
Blu-ray player), and just about any other format you can think of. Of course,
you're going to be interesting in 1080p upconversion and Denon's got you covered
with the 10-bit Silicon Optix Realta chipset famous for providing the highest
resolution high-definition video available today via HDMI connection. The
DVD-A1UDCI has dual HD video output scalers so images can be output in HD
resolution quality via both the HDMI output and component output ports. On the
audio side, you've got Advanced AL32 Processing, allowing digital upsampling of
16- and 24-bit digital signals to 32-bits. The player offers full on-board HD
Audio decoding from Denon’s DDSC-HD branded circuitry, as well as allowing for
Bit Stream Bypass to HDMI for Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby TrueHD, DTS-HD High
Resolution and DTS-HD Master Audio digital transmission to an AVR/AVP for
decoding.
Alternates: PS3 ($399) info Plus one of the following - Denon DVD-1940CI ($369) info; Oppo DV-983H ($399) info
The Speakers: RBH Sound T30-LSE, T-1/R, 66-SE/R, 61-SE/R, 1010-SEP/R
Retail Price (system): $15,000/pair (T30) + $4,519/each (T-1/R) + $2,949/pair (66-SE/R) + $2,049/pair (61-SE/R) + $2,999/each x 2 (dual 1010-SEP/R)= $30,515 [Locate a Dealer]
T30-LSE - Review
T-1/R - info
66-SE/R - info
61-SE/R - info
1010-SEP/R - info
We know speakers are subjective, but we have found RBH Sound to consistently make products that challenge what we know about "high end" speakers time and time again. Many speakers costing much more have graced our Reference Systems, and just as quickly departed. With an incredible, almost unbelievably detailed mid-range and crystal clear, undistortable highs, the RBH Sound Signature Series dives to the top of our loudspeaker recommendation list. These are the flagship speakers we use in our highest end setup which alone should be recommendation enough. The only worthy alternative would be the RBH Sound CinemaSITE which will save you about $5000 info | Review.
Acoustic Consultant: Auralex Room Analysis
Price: $250+ info
Auralex has three different levels of Room Analysis, standard (where you
fill out a form, Plus (where they send you a sweep, you fill out the form and measure the response in your room, and they tell you where to move your speakers and place treatments), and Pro (where they come to your house. The standard edition is free, all you need to do is fill out a form. The Plus is $250 for the first measurement location and $100 for each additional measurement. The Pro version has a qualified Auralex rep out to your home to measure your room. Cost on that last one is variable based on your location and scope of work. We suggest at the very least the Plus version with a theater of this magnitude probably demanding the Pro version. Hey, if you're going to have nice speakers and electronics, you'd better take care of that room too!
Acoustics Treatments: Auralex Acoustics
Price: $4,000 info
Now that you know what treatments you need and where you need it, the next step is to treat your room. A good starting point is Auralex Elite which has a wide diversity of acoustical products that will improve the
sound of your room without hampering the aesthetics. The SonoSeude system is a
great start. Sonofiber and Metrofusor are great supplements when more aggressive
room treatments are required. Consulting with the experts at Auralex couldn't be
easier. Fax them your room plans and they will come up with some recommended
treatments and locations to fit within your budget. Its always good to have more
than one set of eyes looking at your room to recommend the best type of
treatments. Properly treating your room will ensure you get the most out of your
A/V system.
Power: APC Power S20 Conditioner | Info
Price: $1,799/ea (we recommend two) | Buy It Now
APC is the leader in power protection
and battery backup products. Moving into the home theater market was a welcome
event. The APC S20 features an output capacity of 1500VA (1250W) with battery
backup and adjustable voltage sensitivity. The batteries are tool-less,
hot-swapable and the unit has resettable circuit breakers. It is UL approved and
the VFD display and LED status and display indicators gives all necessary
information to ensure that the system is running at optimal settings. Additional
features include pure sinewave backup, sequential turn on/off, USB connectivity,
isolated filter banks and dataline surge protection. Additional batteries can be
added to extend backup time. Additional features include network manageability, temperature/humidity monitoring and a 28 percent larger power train versus the S15.
Note: The installer is advised to run two dedicated 120V 20A amp outlets to power all of the equipment while also running a dedicated line for the Epson Projector.
Power: Furman AC-215 Compact Power Conditioner
Price: $249/ea info
Your probably thinking why another power conditioner when your all set with the two APC S-15's. Well, at only 1.75"H x 5"W x 8.5"D, and weighing in at only 3 lbs., the AC-215's compact, low-profile design makes it ideal for mounting on the ceiling right next to the Yamaha DLP front projector. You definitely don't want to skimp on protecting your most valued piece of equipment in the system (not to mention extending the life of your bulb) and Furman handsomely delivers the goods in the neat little package
The Seats: Berkline 090
Price: $2500 (for 3 chairs)
These chairs by Berkline are very popular due
to price and size (about 40" wide each including a left and right armrest)
so you can usually fit 3-4 of them into a decent size home theater room. We
chose to include a basic triple configuration of these chairs in black for this
system. The convenient cupholders and the ability they have to recline without
needing much clearance from the back wall makes them extremely versatile. You
can upgrade these chairs to include TouchMotion
motorized reclining and you can even add a Buttkicker system should you want a
more tactile theater experience.
Another important thing to note is the height of the back of the theater chair. You want something that is going to allow the sound from the Surround Back channels to freely reach your ears without hitting the back of the chair. At 41.5" tall, these chairs are perfect for 7.1 surround rooms.
Alternatives: For more custom and upscale solutions with the utmost quality, we recommend checking out seating solutions from Continental Seating. A seating package starts at around $5k for 3 chairs, but the sky is the limit with respect to configurability and choices in materials, colors, etc. Considering you spend most of your time sitting while being entertained by your home theater system, this is money well spent.
The Remote Control: RTI Corp T3 Universal Controller
Price: $1,199 info
The T3 is RTI's ultimate handheld universal controller.
With a full color TFT LCD display, powerful 32-bit MCU,
32MB of memory, and Wi-Fi communication
option, the T3 takes remote control to a new level.
The amazing T3 Universal System Controller combines the power and flexibility of a graphic LCD touchscreen with an ergonomic design that permits effortless one-handed operation. The T3 is one of the most user-friendly universal remote controls on the market and certainly one of the most diversified for programmability and configurability. Combined with the other TheaterTouch products, the T3 becomes a robust commercial-quality control system.
Alternates: Universal Remote Control Inc MX-950 Aurora w/MSC-400 ($1449)
Recent Forum Posts:
I am sorry to disagree so vehemently, but recommending anything Denon especially a controller, for a $75K system is like racing in the Grand Prix of Monaco with a Ford pickup and expecting to look (and sound) good. And I like Ford pickups. I have had four audiophile-level systems and priced and auditioned many more. For $75K names like Cary, NAD, Anthem, and even Conrad-Johnson and MacIntosh could be the heart of the system.
My current system includes a high-end Denon controller and it was the worse mistake of my audio-visual avocation. Complicated and unreliable, it cuts out often, probably due to heat dissipation problems. I would not buy Denon for a $1K, $25K or $50K system. Denon's customer service also blows. My advice is to go with something less complicated, more reliable and in-tune with the money you spend. Value should be a goal no matter your budget. Good luck!
To date, the Denon AVP processor has the best analog preamp and DAC section we've ever measured regardless of price. I have had an AVP in my rack for 3 years and never had any issues with its operation. Denon customer support leaves much to be desired at times but simply bashing all of their products with no substance seems like your just grinding an axe.
When Cary Audio and the other brands you mention puts hardware in their boxes that exceeds the Denon AVP, I will gladly change out to one of those units. Perhaps the new Lexicon Processor will outgun the Denon but it should at over 2X the price.
My current system includes a high-end Denon controller and it was the worse mistake of my audio-visual avocation. Complicated and unreliable, it cuts out often, probably due to heat dissipation problems. I would not buy Denon for a $1K, $25K or $50K system. Denon's customer service also blows. My advice is to go with something less complicated, more reliable and in-tune with the money you spend. Value should be a goal no matter your budget. Good luck!
admin;266795
We decided to go all out on this $75,000 whole house audio system (2 surround zones, 2 audio zones) and include mostly top notch products priced right at the crest of that place where your budget hits the point of diminishing returns. This means we included some of the finest A/V products "smart" money can buy. You can possibly do better, but not likely for the price.
Discuss "The $75,000 Multi-Zone Home Theater System" here. Read the article [audioholics.com].
I guess that would do... if you're desperate
I dunno...but that 97lb AV receiver seems a little flimsy and that killed it for me.
Does the 97lb listed weight include the reinforced cinder blocks needed to support it's weight?
lol
Do AV/rack companies offer 1" reinforced glass shelving as an option?
