Tips for Improving your Home Theater

[Deleted User]
[Deleted User] Posts: 0
in Speakers
Hi Everyone,

Audioholics just posted a great video on their top 10 tips for improving a home theater.

Tips include:

1. Check connections - speaker wire polarity, right cables used, etc.
2. Speaker positioning - check locations, eliminate obstacles blocking direct path of sound.
3. Speaker configuration - check your bass management settings and channel assignments.
4. Speaker calibration - check your levels using an SPL meter -slow, c-wt.
5. Seat optimization - positional EQ, move seats away from back or sidewalls.
6. Source Setup - make sure your Blu-ray or Cable box is set to pass bitstream audio, shut off dynamic compression.
7. Display calibration - get your TV out of torch mode, properly set black levels and color temperature.
8. Improve room acoustics - padded throw rug for tile floor, drapes on windows, absorption if room is too reverberant.
9. Improve room lighting - darken windows, doors to cut light and improve contrast ratio of your display.
10. Add cool props, movie posters or pros, pop corn machine, fridge.

Are there any other tips you live by for your own setup?
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Comments

  • mikeyb128
    mikeyb128 Posts: 2,885
    11. Make sure it's loud enough that the dogs run out of the room.
    2 channel:
    Bryston 4B3, Bryston BDA3, Cary SLP05, Shanling CDT1000SE with parts conneXion level 2 mods, Nottingham analogue ace space 294, soundsmith Carmen MKii, Zu DL103 MKii, Ortofon MC 20 MKii, Dynavector XX2 MKii, Rogue Audio Ares, Core power technologies balanced power conditioner, Akiko Corelli power conditioner with Akiko Audio HQ power cable, Nordost heimdall 2, Frey 2, interconnects, speaker and power cables, Focal Electra 1028 BE 2, Auralic Aries Femto, Black diamond racing cones, ingress audio level 1 roller blocks, JL Audio E110 with Auralic subdude, Primacoustics room treatments.
    Theater:
    Focal Aria 926,905,CC900, SVS PB ultra x2. Pioneer Elite SC85, Oppo BDP93, Panamax M5400PM, Minix neox6, Nordost Blue heaven LS power cables.

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  • EndersShadow
    EndersShadow Posts: 17,596
    12. Add backlighting (example) to TV to help with eye strain....
    "....not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted." William Bruce Cameron, Informal Sociology: A Casual Introduction to Sociological Thinking (1963)
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  • Mikey081057
    Mikey081057 Posts: 7,127
    edited May 2016
    13) Get an SVS Subwoofer or

    (14) 2
    My New Year's resolution is 3840 × 2160

    Family Room| Marantz AV7704| Usher Dancer Mini - 2 DMD Mains |Usher Dancer Mini-x DMD's Surrounds | Usher BE-616 DMD Center | SVS Ultra Rear Surrounds | Parasound Halo A21 | Parsound Halo A52+ | MIT Shotgun S3's | Dual SVS SB 4000 Ultras | Oppo UDP 203 | Directv Genie HD DVR | Samsung 75" Q8 QLED | PSAudio Stellar GCD | Mytek Brooklyn DAC+ | Lumin U1 Mini | HP Elite Slice PC | ROON'd for life |

    ManCave: HT:Polk LSiM 706VR3 LSiM 703's LSiM 702's|| Marantz AV7002 AV PrePro Sunfire TGA-7401| Sony PS4 Pro| Sony PS4 Pro|SVS PB13 Ultra| Oppo UDP 203 | Music Hall MMF 5.3se TT w/ Soundsmith Carmen | Samsung 55" SUHD TV | Sony PS4

    Patio | Polk Atrium 8's | Yamaha R-N303BL |

    Office BlueSound Node| KEF LS50 | Peactree Nova 125SE |

    Bedroom | Focal 905's | Chromecast Audio |

    Garage | Polk Monitor 5B's

    Closet Yamaha M80 | 2 Polk MP3K subs| Yaqin MC100B with Shuguang Treasures KT 88's & CV181Z's | Tesla E83CC's | Marantz 2252B | Marantz 2385 |Polk SDA SRS 2.3 | LSiM 705's |
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  • tonyb
    tonyb Posts: 32,990
    Go to the movie theatre and forget all that stuff. lol

    Pretty basic stuff mentioned, I would think most do just about all those things anyway if possible.
    HT SYSTEM-
    Sony 850c 4k
    Pioneer elite vhx 21
    Sony 4k BRP
    SVS SB-2000
    Polk Sig. 20's
    Polk FX500 surrounds

    Cables-
    Acoustic zen Satori speaker cables
    Acoustic zen Matrix 2 IC's
    Wireworld eclipse 7 ic's
    Audio metallurgy ga-o digital cable

    Kitchen

    Sonos zp90
    Grant Fidelity tube dac
    B&k 1420
    lsi 9's
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  • Mikey081057
    Mikey081057 Posts: 7,127
    15) Use a small refrigerator as an end table so you don;t miss anything
    My New Year's resolution is 3840 × 2160

    Family Room| Marantz AV7704| Usher Dancer Mini - 2 DMD Mains |Usher Dancer Mini-x DMD's Surrounds | Usher BE-616 DMD Center | SVS Ultra Rear Surrounds | Parasound Halo A21 | Parsound Halo A52+ | MIT Shotgun S3's | Dual SVS SB 4000 Ultras | Oppo UDP 203 | Directv Genie HD DVR | Samsung 75" Q8 QLED | PSAudio Stellar GCD | Mytek Brooklyn DAC+ | Lumin U1 Mini | HP Elite Slice PC | ROON'd for life |

    ManCave: HT:Polk LSiM 706VR3 LSiM 703's LSiM 702's|| Marantz AV7002 AV PrePro Sunfire TGA-7401| Sony PS4 Pro| Sony PS4 Pro|SVS PB13 Ultra| Oppo UDP 203 | Music Hall MMF 5.3se TT w/ Soundsmith Carmen | Samsung 55" SUHD TV | Sony PS4

    Patio | Polk Atrium 8's | Yamaha R-N303BL |

    Office BlueSound Node| KEF LS50 | Peactree Nova 125SE |

    Bedroom | Focal 905's | Chromecast Audio |

    Garage | Polk Monitor 5B's

    Closet Yamaha M80 | 2 Polk MP3K subs| Yaqin MC100B with Shuguang Treasures KT 88's & CV181Z's | Tesla E83CC's | Marantz 2252B | Marantz 2385 |Polk SDA SRS 2.3 | LSiM 705's |
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  • rooftop59
    rooftop59 Posts: 8,121
    16. make sure you can see the TV from the can. #realmancave

    this list is stupid.
    Living Room 2.2: Usher BE-718 "tiny dancers"; Dual DIY Dayton audio RSS210HF-4 Subs with Dayton SPA-250 amps; Arcam SA30; Musical Fidelity A308; Sony UBP-x1000es
    Game Room 5.1.4:     Denon AVR-X4200w; Sony UBP-x700; Definitive Technology Power Monitor 900 mains, CLR-3000 center, StudioMonitor 350 surrounds, ProMonitor 800 atmos x4; Sub - Monoprice Monolith 15in THX Ultra
    Bedroom 2.1     Harmon Kardon HK3490; Bluesounds Node N130; Polk RT25i; ACI Titan Subwoofer
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  • EndersShadow
    EndersShadow Posts: 17,596
    16A. Forget 16 and hand out empty buckets for use as needed :smile:
    "....not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted." William Bruce Cameron, Informal Sociology: A Casual Introduction to Sociological Thinking (1963)
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  • tonyb
    tonyb Posts: 32,990
    Have Hooter girls as sound absorption panels. Betcha you start watching a heck of a lot more movies.
    HT SYSTEM-
    Sony 850c 4k
    Pioneer elite vhx 21
    Sony 4k BRP
    SVS SB-2000
    Polk Sig. 20's
    Polk FX500 surrounds

    Cables-
    Acoustic zen Satori speaker cables
    Acoustic zen Matrix 2 IC's
    Wireworld eclipse 7 ic's
    Audio metallurgy ga-o digital cable

    Kitchen

    Sonos zp90
    Grant Fidelity tube dac
    B&k 1420
    lsi 9's
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  • polrbehr
    polrbehr Posts: 2,834
    tonyb wrote: »
    Have Hooter girls as sound absorption panels. Betcha you start watching a heck of a lot more movies.
    Yeah, movies. Yeah, that's what I was watching, a movie. Uh huh.

    That's a silly idea anyway, Tony. We all know they would only add reflections and
    bounce... B)

    So, are you willing to put forth a little effort or are you happy sitting in your skeptical poo pile?


    http://audiomilitia.proboards.com/
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  • Nightfall
    Nightfall Posts: 10,086
    rooftop59 wrote: »
    this list is stupid.

    To some of us but I guarantee members have passed through these "halls" that didn't know half of the OPs list.
    afterburnt wrote: »
    They didn't speak a word of English, they were from South Carolina.

    Village Idiot of Club Polk
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  • F1nut
    F1nut Posts: 50,729
    PolkTeam wrote: »

    Are there any other tips you live by for your own setup?

    Yep, ignore pretty much anything suggested on that site.

    Political Correctness'.........defined

    "A doctrine fostered by a delusional, illogical minority and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a t-u-r-d by the clean end."

    President of Club Polk

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  • vmaxer
    vmaxer Posts: 5,117
    F1nut wrote: »
    PolkTeam wrote: »

    Are there any other tips you live by for your own setup?

    Yep, ignore pretty much anything suggested on that site.

    Me too, most of the time they are way off.
    Pio Elete Pro 520
    Panamax 5400-EX
    Sunfire TGP 5
    Micro Seiki DD-40 - Lyra-Dorian and Denon DL-160
    PS Audio GCPH phono pre
    Sunfire CG 200 X 5
    Sunfire CG Sig 405 X 5
    OPPO BDP-83 SE
    SDA SRS 1.2TL Sonicaps and Mills
    Ctr CS1000p
    Sur - FX1000 x 4
    SUB - SVS PB2-Plus

    Workkout room:
    Sony Bravia XBR- 32-Inch 1080p
    Onkyo TX-DS898
    GFA 555
    Yamaha DVD-S1800BL/SACD
    Ft - SDA 1C

    Not being used:
    RTi 38's -4
    RT55i's - 2
    RT25i's -2, using other 2 in shop
    LSI 15's
    CSi40
    PSW 404
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  • gudnoyez
    gudnoyez Posts: 8,132
    Mikey081057 wrote: »
    15) Use a small refrigerator as an end table so you don;t miss anything

    Great Idea beers within an arms reach, perhaps a toilet nearby where you leave the door open without missing a thing, thus eliminating hitting the pause button at all.
    Home Theater
    Parasound Halo A 31 OnkyoTX-NR838 Sony XBR55X850B 55" 4K RtiA9 Fronts CsiA6 Center RtiA3 Rears FxiA6 Side Surrounds Dual Psw 111's Oppo 105D Signal Ultra Speaker Cables & IC's Signal Magic Power Cable Technics SL Q300 Panamax MR4300 Audioquest Chocolate HDMI Cables Audioquest Forest USB Cable

    2 Channel
    Adcom 555II Vincent SA-T1 Marantz SA 15S2 Denon DR-M11 Clearaudio Bluemotion SDA 2.3tl's (Z) edition MIT Terminator II Speaker Cables & IC's Adcom 545II Adcom Gtp-450 Marantz CD5004 Technics M245X SDA 2B's, SDA CRS+

    Stuff for the Head
    JD LABS C5 Headphone Amplifier, Sennheiser HD 598, Polk Audio Buckle, Polk Audio Hinge, Velodyne vPulse, Bose IE2, Sennheiser CX 200 Street II, Sennheiser MX 365

    Shower & Off the beaten path Rigs
    Polk Audio Boom Swimmer, Polk Audio Urchin B)
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  • Emlyn
    Emlyn Posts: 4,535
    Tame room rattles when using a good subwoofer. Use Blu Tac to prevent picture frames from rattling and falling off walls and your spouse's precious knick knacks from falling off of shelves and smashing on the floor. Turn up the bass.
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  • lightman1
    lightman1 Posts: 10,793
    More beer....
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  • Mikey081057
    Mikey081057 Posts: 7,127
    gudnoyez wrote: »
    Mikey081057 wrote: »
    15) Use a small refrigerator as an end table so you don;t miss anything

    Great Idea beers within an arms reach, perhaps a toilet nearby where you leave the door open without missing a thing, thus eliminating hitting the pause button at all.

    Or a bed pan nearby with a window to throw it out of
    My New Year's resolution is 3840 × 2160

    Family Room| Marantz AV7704| Usher Dancer Mini - 2 DMD Mains |Usher Dancer Mini-x DMD's Surrounds | Usher BE-616 DMD Center | SVS Ultra Rear Surrounds | Parasound Halo A21 | Parsound Halo A52+ | MIT Shotgun S3's | Dual SVS SB 4000 Ultras | Oppo UDP 203 | Directv Genie HD DVR | Samsung 75" Q8 QLED | PSAudio Stellar GCD | Mytek Brooklyn DAC+ | Lumin U1 Mini | HP Elite Slice PC | ROON'd for life |

    ManCave: HT:Polk LSiM 706VR3 LSiM 703's LSiM 702's|| Marantz AV7002 AV PrePro Sunfire TGA-7401| Sony PS4 Pro| Sony PS4 Pro|SVS PB13 Ultra| Oppo UDP 203 | Music Hall MMF 5.3se TT w/ Soundsmith Carmen | Samsung 55" SUHD TV | Sony PS4

    Patio | Polk Atrium 8's | Yamaha R-N303BL |

    Office BlueSound Node| KEF LS50 | Peactree Nova 125SE |

    Bedroom | Focal 905's | Chromecast Audio |

    Garage | Polk Monitor 5B's

    Closet Yamaha M80 | 2 Polk MP3K subs| Yaqin MC100B with Shuguang Treasures KT 88's & CV181Z's | Tesla E83CC's | Marantz 2252B | Marantz 2385 |Polk SDA SRS 2.3 | LSiM 705's |
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  • Willow
    Willow Posts: 11,055
    Adult Pull ups they absorb matter and probably some sound too.
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  • tonyb
    tonyb Posts: 32,990
    Remove all clothing......the wife might appreciate your sack bouncing around from the low end rumbles......the kids will most likely start looking for a retirement home to put you into.
    HT SYSTEM-
    Sony 850c 4k
    Pioneer elite vhx 21
    Sony 4k BRP
    SVS SB-2000
    Polk Sig. 20's
    Polk FX500 surrounds

    Cables-
    Acoustic zen Satori speaker cables
    Acoustic zen Matrix 2 IC's
    Wireworld eclipse 7 ic's
    Audio metallurgy ga-o digital cable

    Kitchen

    Sonos zp90
    Grant Fidelity tube dac
    B&k 1420
    lsi 9's
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  • littlewoodboats
    littlewoodboats Posts: 823
    tonyb wrote: »
    Remove all clothing......your sack bouncing around from the low end rumbles......

    Is this how you set the subwoofer/LFE channel when the receiver has no bass management?

    I actually like the idea of lists of this type. I would include an explanation of the differences between the subwoofer settings and LFE trim.

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  • mrbiron
    mrbiron Posts: 5,711
    Lists shmists......set receiver to "max" and enjoy.

    As for the scat movements. Install garbage disposal in sofa a la Kramer style.

    Lightman has it right...mo beya!

    *mic drop* Boom!
    Where’s the KABOOM?!?! There’s supposed to be an Earth shattering KABOOM!!!
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  • ken brydson
    ken brydson Posts: 8,779
    mrbiron wrote: »
    Lists shmists......set receiver to 11 and enjoy.


    Fixed it for ya...
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  • mrbiron
    mrbiron Posts: 5,711
    ken brydson wrote: »
    mrbiron wrote: »
    Lists shmists......set receiver to 11 and enjoy.


    Fixed it for ya...
    My receiver goes to 12....one louder.
    Where’s the KABOOM?!?! There’s supposed to be an Earth shattering KABOOM!!!
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  • EndersShadow
    EndersShadow Posts: 17,596
    mrbiron wrote: »
    ken brydson wrote: »
    mrbiron wrote: »
    Lists shmists......set receiver to 11 and enjoy.


    Fixed it for ya...
    My receiver goes to 12....one louder.

    SnapGalleries180311.article_x4.jpg

    posted on behalf of @ken brydson
    "....not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted." William Bruce Cameron, Informal Sociology: A Casual Introduction to Sociological Thinking (1963)
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  • mrbiron
    mrbiron Posts: 5,711
    Ken and i have an unspoken bond.
    We are connoisseurs of humor. He would never treat me like that.

    Homey don't play that!
    Where’s the KABOOM?!?! There’s supposed to be an Earth shattering KABOOM!!!
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