I used to be a big plasma fan, and they still are better...
But nothing like a 100+ inch screen from a projector.
I used to be a big plasma fan, and they still are better...
But nothing like a 100+ inch screen from a projector.
I've got a 100 inch screen/projector in the basement. Great stuff, but I don't want it used for daily TV, esp. by the kids. Thus the plasma.
I am not shocked at the quality of the picture... I'm shocked someone would sell one. When the Pioneer plasmas were being phased out, we actually had customers buy spares... they are still the best TVs ever made.
Some of the new edgeless Sonys and others are sexier looking when they are turned off, but the picture quality of the 1080P Pioneers and Pioneer Elites, is as good as anyone has yet to produce. The 720p models are not bad either.
Widget
Since Tuesday is my birthday, and we don't really go to the theatre much anymore, I'd been looking around to upscale the TV set downstairs and came across a great price at Costco Thurs for a mid-grade Sharp HDTV - model LC-70LE640U.
We didn't need all the web surfing capability, fancy 3D capability, or the SMART TV features, although it does Netflix streaming, I'd do that with my OPPO instead. This model does have the better screen quality and extra fine tunings/settings to dial it all in properly. We did get FIOS just after Christmas, much better signal that COX CATV used to give us.
I went through the Spears & Munsil bluray disc and did all the calibrations - and its amazing what a nice picture it produces. Emma gave me the BluRay of Skyfall so we watched that last night - between the 4641 sub when the castle blows up and the images, it was a very pleasant time! Even the Evening news looks impressive! I do need to play a bit more to get a better photo of the screen - but Teddy approves! ...
I ran a clip from 60 Minutes a few weeks back with Lions in africa - he was very interested!
2ch: WiiM Pro; Topping E30 II DAC; Oppo, Acurus RL-11, Acurus A200, JBL Dynamics Project - Offline: L212-TwinStack, VonSchweikert VR-4
7: TIVO, Oppo BDP103D, B&K, 2pr UREI 809A, TF600, JBL B460
Nice!
Oh, and Happy Birthday!
*****
Cool! My copy came yesterday too. No time to queue it up yet though.Emma gave me the BluRay of Skyfall so we watched that last night - between the 4641 sub when the castle blows up and the images, it was a very pleasant time!
Happy Birthday Heather!!
My wife and I watched it last night as well!!
Always fun learning more.......
Ah - next step in the room - we ordered a La-Z-Boy sofa and decided that blue carpet from the last homeowner just HAD TO GO!
We've owned the house 13 years Aug 1st, so its paid its way ... We thought of Lumber Liquidators and hardwood floor, but thought
it would throw the sound off quite a bit - (the TV room is a concrete slab) plus, it was much pricier than we wanted to go this time round.
We do tend to like earthtones - the downstairs is a walkthough to the garden and pond out back, and the right colors continues the feel of the outdoors.
We looked at carpet and found a really neat SHAW carpet thats nice and plush - we brought a bunch of samples home - maybe black (theater room, right?)
- but black wasn't right. Too dark shows up cat fur (grin) and we didn't want too light a shade either ... we tried moss green and some brown shades and
found a color called "Iced Coffee". Its almost chocolate milk - but has a twist and a sheen - its kind of like a flip-flop color on custom cars ...
deep brown at the base and frosted tips ... the color changes depending on the angle and color of the light - pretty amazing and perfect!
So - of course, we had to empty the entire room, haul all the speakers and that darned 18" sub upstairs - even carried the sofa upstairs! Fortunately, I put wheels on the Salamander cabinet when I got it last year, so we just rolled it with all the gear in it into the kitchen. Pulled the 70 inch HDTV down off the wall too ... but afterwards, its up on a multi-pivot stand for good now so I pulled the foot off. It'll do!
Oh, maybe you can't see with the flash - but the tan molding just a bit below the ceiling is a small box/trough I built with 40 foot of light rope inside -
gives an ambient lighting that's indirect/reflected off the ceiling and is under 20 watts.
2ch: WiiM Pro; Topping E30 II DAC; Oppo, Acurus RL-11, Acurus A200, JBL Dynamics Project - Offline: L212-TwinStack, VonSchweikert VR-4
7: TIVO, Oppo BDP103D, B&K, 2pr UREI 809A, TF600, JBL B460
La-Z-Boy was delivered on Saturday ... that's some seriously decadent seating!
We looked into home theater seats, but Emma wanted to go with the La-Z-Boy seating.
Most La-Z-Boy sofas have a movable section at each end with the center used for either
a fancy cupholder or a non-moving fixed seat, but since we like to cuddle, we got the
Niagara model where the seating area is split into just the 2 "seats" and both can be reclined ...
Black leather, of course (doesn't attract cat fur), just like the last sofa.
We tested it with "The Great Gatsby" (the Redford version) and "A Bridge Too Far" ... very nice!
So - the TV/Theater room is complete - for now ...
2ch: WiiM Pro; Topping E30 II DAC; Oppo, Acurus RL-11, Acurus A200, JBL Dynamics Project - Offline: L212-TwinStack, VonSchweikert VR-4
7: TIVO, Oppo BDP103D, B&K, 2pr UREI 809A, TF600, JBL B460
To give perspective - here's a pair-o-pix of the room fully emptied when the carpet was install back in July ... The room is only 12 x 16
2ch: WiiM Pro; Topping E30 II DAC; Oppo, Acurus RL-11, Acurus A200, JBL Dynamics Project - Offline: L212-TwinStack, VonSchweikert VR-4
7: TIVO, Oppo BDP103D, B&K, 2pr UREI 809A, TF600, JBL B460
I found out I have to remove my bifocals because with the new reclining position,
I am viewing through the lower part of the lens - and that close-up reading section is all wrong for watching TV ...
But we do have a leather Poang with matched footstool over by the window ...
(and another one knocked down in the basement).
The old sofa was a Craigslist find that replaced an uncomfortable futon that was tough on my back.
2ch: WiiM Pro; Topping E30 II DAC; Oppo, Acurus RL-11, Acurus A200, JBL Dynamics Project - Offline: L212-TwinStack, VonSchweikert VR-4
7: TIVO, Oppo BDP103D, B&K, 2pr UREI 809A, TF600, JBL B460
Hi martin - My Avatar picture is from July '13, just after we got new carpet and new Sofa ...
The only real change in that system is retiring an old TIVOHD DVR and replacing it with a
new TIVO Roamio I installed a 3TB drive in (just before Christmas).
Oh, and a really neat Teak Coffee table from Opimax, who redecorated and it no longer matched.
Oh, I did remove a tall folding shelf and install some IKEA Lack Shelves and moved my
DVD/Bluray library downstairs onto them (those shelves are nearly fully loaded now)
So - the 7.1 Surround system downstairs is:
JBL 4641 sub in front right (concealed by black cloth)
Pair of Vandersteen 2CEs as mains
Vandersteen VCC1 on console as Center
Pair of Vandersteen 2CIs as side surrounds
Pair of DCM TF-600 (TimeFrame 600/Transmission Line speakers) as rear Surrounds
The upstairs music-only system is still the Jolida 502BRC tube amp and JBL L200 cabinets with a
hand-built 4333 crossover and 3 drivers (2234 woofers, 2445 mid on smith horn, 2405 slots)
I did get a pair of Ruark Talisman II speakers (English 2 ways) that I have been playing with,
but they seem better with a LePai 2020B T-Amp than with the Jolida.
2ch: WiiM Pro; Topping E30 II DAC; Oppo, Acurus RL-11, Acurus A200, JBL Dynamics Project - Offline: L212-TwinStack, VonSchweikert VR-4
7: TIVO, Oppo BDP103D, B&K, 2pr UREI 809A, TF600, JBL B460
I kept the JBL 4641 sub, and the big 3 ways upstairs, of course.
The vandersteens? The sound is quite good, and imaging is top notch as well. And they are American made as well.
Its a much better solution FOR THE MONEY than any of the JBLs I previously had in the room.
previously my 4341s (which were overkill) needed some work and I could sell them for $3k,
plus I sold the L100T/3s and LCD2 as well - which allowed me to get much better amplifiers and put some cash into savings.
I believe I have well under $1500 in the 5 (used) Vandersteens and pair of DCM ... they sound very nice.
The resale market was up and it was a good time to sell when I did, plus -
with JBL no longer making parts for many of the older Vintage systems,
(or making iffy parts offshore) why keep those systems if you cannot maintain them properly?
2ch: WiiM Pro; Topping E30 II DAC; Oppo, Acurus RL-11, Acurus A200, JBL Dynamics Project - Offline: L212-TwinStack, VonSchweikert VR-4
7: TIVO, Oppo BDP103D, B&K, 2pr UREI 809A, TF600, JBL B460
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