Home Theater Done Right: Millercarbon's System


Dual use, should probably be the title. Oh well. Finally posted my system. Someone’s always asking about how to do a dual use system. Well, here’s how its done.
Cinephile or audiophile, movies and music are the two things I have loved for as long as I can remember. I want my music to sound as good as possible, and I want my movies to look and sound as good as possible. Everything is a compromise and yet when it comes to these two the compromises are remarkably few. If any. At least that is what my system shows. Because it is a first-rate audiophile sound system, AND a top level home theater.
Whether music or movies an immersive experience is the goal. To lose yourself in the experience. To be carried away.
Studies show viewers consistently rate video quality higher when sound quality is high. Unfortunately the Home Theater industry has chosen to pursue quantity over quality. Which cannot ever work. No amount of surround speakers will ever make up for poor quality. Everyone knows this perfectly well. Being able to convince anyone otherwise is a testament to marketing.
But that’s not my main point here. Rather it is that everything matters. Seemingly minor little things like cryogenic treatment, HFT, ECT, Total Contact, fuses, cable elevators, etc when added together actually make so much difference it is almost impossible to build a truly good system without them.

Removing those tweaks from my system would lower it down to merely average.

Anyway, the system is posted. Enjoy the pics. I am not that good a photographer but Steve Clarke was busy. Tried to get the tubes go glow- how’d I do?

The system evolves. Here for reference are some pics from 16 years ago. https://www.theanalogdept.com/c_miller.htm
Comments welcome. Enjoy!


128x128millercarbon
Nice system OP

It would be nice to have a chance to visit your listening room.

Thomas
auxinput said:
Also, while the equipment was purposely chosen to be poor sounding equipment with hiss and ground humm, it actually sounded better with all that other Synergistic equipment "turned off".
millercarbon said (regarding tweaks vs. equipment upgrades and not in obvious response to auxinput's post):

"No one who's ever sat and listened would say that. Quite the opposite."


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shkong78
Nice system OP

It would be nice to have a chance to visit your listening room.

Thomas

Thanks, and you're welcome any time. Its on Rose Hill in Redmond, just east off the 405, Kirkland-Redmond Exit 18. Tonight we are into 30 days since the first Total Contact, it really does open up, just exceptionally good tonight. I know its a good 90 minutes but PM for details if you can. 

Chuck
All of these posts are making my point. I never said the OP's system couldn't sound good with movies and music. I'm sure it does. All I said is that when you combine the two, there are compromises to be made. Anyone who thinks otherwise is delusional.

So you accept which aspect of the system you want to focus on and let the chips fall where they may for the other aspect.

Years ago I had a a home theater/two channel room. It started off mainly as HT, but as time went on I tuned it to be more geared to two channel listening. I still watched movies, but I had separate preamps for each task. And I removed the screen and center channel completely away from the system when not in use. I realized I could get it to sound better for movies only, but I didn't care about that. I accepted the compromise.

Oz