Urei Theater

[boputnam]

Thanks!!

The two silver boxes at the top of the rack are Behringer Multicom compressors....I use them when watching movies with my wife (she can't handle the dynamic range, and I hate playing jockey with the volume control).

Interesting. I had thought of doing the same myself - different gear , but same application. Curious - what is the threshold and ratio. Any make-up gain?

Behringer DCX2496 Ultradrive (used on the subwoofers ONLY for EQing, and high passing at 20hz)...

Hmm...

So, what is the signal path like - are there passive crossovers in each cabinet? (the DH500 for mains, DH220 for center, XL280 for surrounds are all "full-range cabinets? I'm a bit confused...)

...subwoofers are EV180B's...

If your dad likes the EVX180B's, he should try JBL's 2242H. It will slip right into that mouting and will literally blow-away the EV's - both in response and quality. Oh - and I think I like your dad a LOT!!

[allen mueller]

The 6332's are amazing, I have to say.

I second that, I've got a pair and they are great speakers. I'd love to pick up more some day and set up a HT.

Allen

[UreiCollector]

Thanks!!

Interesting. I had thought of doing the same myself - different gear , but same application. Curious - what is the threshold and ratio. Any make-up gain?

Hmm...

So, what is the signal path like - are there passive crossovers in each cabinet? (the DH500 for mains, DH220 for center, XL280 for surrounds are all "full-range cabinets? I'm a bit confused...)

If your dad likes the EVX180B's, he should try JBL's 2242H. It will slip right into that mouting and will literally blow-away the EV's - both in response and quality. Oh - and I think I like your dad a LOT!!

For the compressors I've set the threshold around -34, the Ratio to about 10:1 (give or take), and I'm not using any make up gain (the compressors only start doing their magic during loud passages....for 90% of the duration of a movie, it's pretty much unity gain). I set the TA-E9000ES to -30 when running movies with the wife, and all those settings together keep her from squaking about the level, and keep me from jockeying the volume control....these are the settings I've come up with over about 6~7 movies with her.


As for signal path....for DVD / BluRay movies.....

DVD Player => P9000 (processor) => Compressors => E9000 (analog preamp in bypass mode) => Outlaw ICBM (high pass at 60hz) => Haflers => Urei's (using factory passive crossovers)

for the subwoofer section i come out of the Outlaw ICBM (now low passing at 60hz with all channels summed plus LFE)=> DCX2496 (digital crossover with EQ and 20hz high pass at 6db/octave) => Hafler GX2600 => JBL2242H's

For CD audio and Super-Audio the CD/DVD/Super Audio player uses analog outputs directly to the E9000 analog preamp (now in active mode).....and all else remains the same down the chain. ((pure analog signal path from the output of the player to the speakers, with the exception of the subwoofer path due to the DCX2496))



As for dad with his EV180B's.....I've tried to push the JBL2242H's (which I use) on him, but he's happy with the EV's, so who am i to argue? Heck, he has enough of them to make up for any defecits......


Hope this helps clear things up.....i can always draw a pic tomorrow to make it all crystal.

[JBLRaiser]

How much of this complex gear is used power wise, decibels, volume, presence, image whatever you 'experts' call it, to actually emulate the surroundings in a state of the art retail cinema? Is master volume on '1' or can you drive it much higher and still keep your sanity? Decibel level for your listening? Depends on movie selection? Movie favorites so far?

[UreiCollector]

How much of this complex gear is used power wise, decibels, volume, presence, image whatever you 'experts' call it, to actually emulate the surroundings in a state of the art retail cinema? Is master volume on '1' or can you drive it much higher and still keep your sanity? Decibel level for your listening? Depends on movie selection? Movie favorites so far?

I've done my best (within my limited budget) to make the room as neutral as possible. As for emulating a 'retail cinema', I didn't even think about that....I was aiming for the best configuration I could achieve in the limited space that I had. My personal feelings are that my home cinema far exceeds any 'retail cinema' that I have ever been in.....the sound is by far better, the picture phenominal (considering I'm using a $1200 projector....it could be better), the seating is by far more comfortable, and the overall impact is far superior.

Low frequency impact for example, trumps any retail theater I have been in....the low end in my room is much deeper and has much more impact. Of course, I'm only filling a 6 seat cinema with sound.....not a 200+ seat space. When Neo fires that gatling gun in "The Matrix" for example, you can feel every single shot through the seat of your pants.....I never had that experience out at a retail cinema.

As for any type of audio processing to emulate a space.....I do not believe in using any of those 'features'. They never sound right. The only EQ'ing I'm using is below 60~80hz on the subwoofers. I've done my best with acoutic treatment of the room to make the sound as neutral as possible.

To the point of listening level......when I watch movies alone, I'm running at much higher levels than at a 'retail cinema'.....I just like it that way.....my wife on the other hand thinks it's way too loud....so I run at much lower levels when she is in the room. I have never measured the SPL during a movie, but if I were to venture a guess, I'd say I'm averaging in the 80's~90's somewhere with peaks well over 100.....but that's only a guess. For CD listening, my average is 90+.....I like my music loud.

Favorite movies: The Matrix, X-Men, Costantine, Cars, and The New Battlestar Galatica.

[boputnam]

For the compressors I've set the threshold around -34, the Ratio to about 10:1 (give or take), and I'm not using any make up gain (the compressors only start doing their magic during loud passages....for 90% of the duration of a movie, it's pretty much unity gain).

Sorry, my bad. That was a meaningless way to ask the question: How much gain reduction do the "loud" passages get? 10:1 is a great deal higher than I would have thought.

Question: since the C/L's are in the signal path all the time, are they clean sounding? Have you ever measured their signal characteristics, or listened closely with headphones A/B...? I ask because I've found that lower price-point units can degrade the signal, audibly. As example, in the performing world there is a Boss guitar tuner everyone loves, white, foot pedal "bypasses" the unit so that after silent tuning they can easily switch it in/out the path. Well, we did a few quick tests, and that POS is horrible sounding. EVEN ON BYPASS. It really wreaks havoc with the sound of any acoustic instrument - searing electric guitars are less of an issue ().

Anyway, I realize it would only impact your movie soundracks, but I'm interested with all that excellent gear if you've critically evaluated the impacts, if any, of those C/L's even being in the path...

[UreiCollector]

I have not done an A/B with them......I havn't found them objectionable in use, so I'm running under the "what I don't know won't hurt me" mode of thinking. (This would be a great thing to test on one of those boring winter nights....and I may just do that.....or not....ha ha ha....)

Unfortunately, the bypass mode in this compressor is not a "hard" bypass....so I'm sure there are some negative impacts even when in bypass.....but for the price, I can't complain.

I would love to use a higher quality compressor....but between all of my hobbies / children / wife / mortgage....I have to make sacrifices. And given that I don't have to play "volume jockey" when watching movies with the wife....the impacts on the system are well worth it. It still sounds good to me.....and eveyone who has set foot in the room says it is the best they have ever heard.....good enough for me.

[Mr. Widget]

Unfortunately, the bypass mode in this compressor is not a "hard" bypass....

I'd stick a patch bay in the rack and patch them in as needed... ever thing you add to the signal path degrades the sound... inexpensive gear is usually worse than more expensive stuff, but that isn't always the case... some expensive stuff is also terrible.


Widget

[boputnam]

I'd stick a patch bay in the rack and patch them in as needed...

Great idea, dood.

Neutrik makes a great normalled patch bay. Nice...

inexpensive gear is usually worse than more expensive stuff, but that isn't always the case... some expensive stuff is also terrible.

I only said that to avoid tiresome brand bashing. Hell, I know all my expensive stuff doesn't suck!

[JBL 4645]

Urei

Is there anymore pictures of the baffle wall construction and how did you solve the rattle issues?

[UreiCollector]

Urei

Is there anymore pictures of the baffle wall construction and how did you solve the rattle issues?

Here is a pic of the wall. As for rattles, no issues, never had any. I used a lot of nails, and a lot of screws.

[Skywave-Rider]

Frederick,
Curious to know about the angle of the LR monitors. Are they aimed directly at the listening position? Sorry if I missed that point. Nice job on the soffit. Did you use neoprene around the Uries?

[UreiCollector]

Frederick,
Curious to know about the angle of the LR monitors. Are they aimed directly at the listening position? Sorry if I missed that point. Nice job on the soffit. Did you use neoprene around the Uries?

The angle is 15 degrees. I had to compromise on the toe in. When using the Urie's in free space, I found they imaged best if they "crossed" slightly in front of the listening position, however, it would not have been aesthetically pleasing, so I made sure that the front most seating positions in the room were covered within the ~90 degree beamwidth of the horns....as I've said, it was a compromise, but it has worked pretty well. In this room, they "cross" slightly behind the prime seating position.

As for spacing of the Urei's......i spaced them so that at the prime listening position, each L and R monitor was 30 degrees off of center.

Around the Urei's I made a frame from Poplar and painted it with DuraTex textured speaker cabinet paint. The frames are attached with "L" brackets directly to the cabinets....that way the 'reveal' from the trim to the front of the cabinets would remain constant.......then all i have to do is push the cabinet into the soffit, until the trim stops them.

Thank you for the comments!

[JBL 4645]

Here is a pic of the wall. As for rattles, no issues, never had any. I used a lot of nails, and a lot of screws.

Verey nice.

Was cost quite minimal in the diy construction of it looks like good timbre?

Did you screw the plasterboard to the timbre or nail it?

[UreiCollector]

Verey nice.

Was cost quite minimal in the diy construction of it looks like good timbre?

Did you screw the plasterboard to the timbre or nail it?

I saved a lot of $ by doing most of the work myself.....I hired out the sheetrock (it's an art to do it right), and hired out the carpeting.....but I did everything else (design, framing, electrical, subfloor, insulation, etc).

She sheetrock is screwed to the framing....I don't know of anyone who uses nails with sheetrock.