2. home-theater
  3. 1052501972

Is $18,000 enough for a high end HT?

This will be my first attempt at building a HT. My room size is: 19'L x 11'2"W x 8'H. This room is a library. I want high-end stuff. I want my windows to rattle when the Apollo 13 takes off. I want to be tempted to get up and dance when a good music score comes on. I want to build it myself as I think it would be a lot of fun. I have plenty of vacation time that I could use. The following is what I would expect:

1. A projector with Texas Instruments' Mustang/HD2 and 16:9 aspect ratio
2. Recessed screen
3. 5 on or in ceiling speakers (Thiel or Triad I’m thinking)
4. 1 Subwoofer
5. DVD player
6. Power Conditioner
7. Processor
8. A 5 channel Amplifier
9. Cables for the items on the list

When I priced every thing I wanted individually the price came to over 25K. Bare in mind $18,000 is a lot of money for me. However, I figured since we spend a ¼ of our lives watching TV it is well worth the investment. I invested some money a few years ago explicitly for my HT. Besides, I figured if my wife is not happy with all the money I will be spending, I could just say, that I am not taking the money from our cash flow, rather from a fund specifically set up for a HT. I am thinking maybe I should pull money out now. But is 18k enough? I am not willing to spend that kind of money if I will not have a great HT. Perhaps I should wait a couple of more years until I save up more money and the technologies go down in price. (I'm concerned that I will say that in two years again as I did two years ago. There are always newer technologies coming out.) I have no experience with any dealer and want to know if I could expect such a deal from a reputable authorized dealer. I read in Robert Harley’s book: “Home Theater For Everyone” that choosing the dealer is far more important then choosing the manufacturer of the components. In my experience for other purchases I find this to be very true. It seems there will always be tech support issues. Also, when I want to upgrade and add components, the dealer will know exactly what I have and all of my issues and I would be able to get his/her valuable input. I plan on adding within the next year or so, an AMX system for control, a video processor and an HDTV set top box.

The cables I would start off not so high end as I want to see for myself over time if they make a difference. However, the cables that would go in my ceiling I would want high end because it would be a big pain to replace those. I would also be flexible with the projector, I would settle for a refurbished or demo unit (with valid warranty). I would even settle for a good one that has an HD1 chip and an XGA resolution. I have seen some of those and they are definitely good enough.
captaincapitalism
nrchy's avatar
nrchy
2,124 posts
 
If you are spending 25% of your life watching TV you need to use your time more wisely. Rembember you only get one life, use it wisely.

There is more activity taking place in your brain when you are asleep than when you are staring at the screen!
slappy
903 posts
 
Nrchy, good point.

25% of 24 hours is 6.

So CaptinCapitalism, you mean to say you watch 6 hours of TV a day? Wow.
Thats some true dedication!

I watch maybe 6 hours a week!

:)
scottht
398 posts
 
Slappy, you just considered hardware. A "HIGH END" HT would have $18,000 in chairs alone. We are not talking great sound here. We are talking HIGH END HT, which by the way is just as much environment and video as it is sound. Just my 2 cents
mrpoindexter
63 posts
 
Slappy, I wouldn't say that I cannot appreciate the film on a system like yours, but I enjoy it much more on a system like mine.

My best friend has the BP3000TL and CLR3000. Keeping up with his bass is why I upgraded from my Infinity Kappa 9/kappa 8 combo to the IRS line. I think that my system sounds a lot better than his.

If you want to see something you can get for $30,000 that is a lot more than a small improvement, check this out:
http://www.d-box.com/html_en.html
I have one. It is so impressive that when people come over, they are blown away by my speakers (Infinity IRS Betas for surrounds, IRS V for mains) yet once they sit on the Odyssee and see some movie clips, they are MORE impressed with the Odyssee. It is not a small upgrade and there is no cheap version of the Odyssee (buttkickers are no more a scaled down motion simulator than a horse is a scaled down airplane).

As for a $50K HT, I passed that long ago and still find MAJOR improvements that I want to make.
unclejeff
1,313 posts
 
On HT I am in the visual school. I have a Dukane overhead projector and I can really tell the differance between quality movies.

the sound system is designed for music. The system is two channel and the DAC is in my Audio Aero Mark II CD player.

I wath movies. I listen to my music. The sounds supporting my HT are mor than enough.

Just beware one thing. With Copy Protected Satellite/DVD and High Definition units coming on line, lots of used stuff is going to get old, real quick. I suggest buying 'okay' stuff for now and give the industry a couple of years to sort itself out.
More to discover