What makes your Home Theater system

I too use all tubes at home. (CJ 5s and 8s) so the sound is always 'hard,-- & too loud' at the c'plex. I haven't been to one of these Imax theaters yet but when we saw 'Kill bill' the picture quality was 'sad' !!--- It comes to dvd on the 4/17, I can't wait!! I got a 14k projector at home for comparison.--

I'd love to have Albert's system, but I make do. I feel that the closeness of the room is what makes it more fun at home. I've had the same experience as Albert at the theater. It is most annoying, and for the last couple of years, I wait for the DVD. If I really want to see something, I'll spring for it on HD digital cable.

I've got less than 10k in my system, and if I want to really blow it out, I can. I don't normally, because I too value my hearing!

Take a look:

Joe'sHome Theater

The one thing I have not done is room treatments. My room is between soft and live, a pretty good balance. That may be next, just because I am spending more on my 2 channel vinyl rig. I know it would help them both.

JM2C.

Joe

Movies were made to be projected. If it is the theater effect you want then you should begin with a very decent High Definition projector.

Went to a heck of alot of movies in the 70's in L.A. I miss those theaters. Some were very grand & elegant (L.A Wilshire Theater. I believed they had the good sense to restore this landmark.) Reasonable prices too. $1.25-$2.00 for two flicks! I'm sure most were leveled to make way for something newer and more profitable. These newer expensive shoe-box movie theaters are a joke. Nothing special and the music is played waaay too loud. My 2-channel stereo doubles as my HT system. Never felt the desire/need for more.

Yeah I think there are varying levels of "involvement" and "desire" when it comes to many peoples home theater.
I tend to think I'm "really into it" when it comes putting together a quality HT system, and I've done a lot.
What I was getting at, is I've come to the conclusion over the years, that a lot of what your traditional 2 channel hi-fi system reproduces, is not necessarily what I find makes for a stellar system necessarily!...particually refering to the speaker system mainly.
I've done, been around, sold, and installed A LOT of hifi gear and HT systems in general over the last 15 years. What I find is that most typical "hi-fi" speaker systems tend to offer qualities sonically that you don't necessarily find(ok, mostly never) at the local theater, where movies were designed to play in the first place. It's simply at home where we try to "make the most of it", and or try to bring their the best we can.
I think much of the audiophile speaker systems out there are capable of some truely clear, detailed, prettty sound used in a home theater context largely. But still, I think the area's that are the most important for a speaker system to reproduce for quality HT are dyanmics, focus, dialoge inteligibility, coherence, pressence, and involvment! And it's these qualities I think you often find lacking, or playing "second, even third fiddle" to the better commercial theater speaker systems!
Bottom line, I don't think what ends up in the homes largely can "bring home the goods" the way they probably should, for best results in many cases. I just think the typical hi-fi speaker is limited in it's scope when it comes to a "big powerful demanding sound"!
I take that back, there are way's to do this stuff "right!" in the home. I just think many "miss it", and often use gear and setups that aren't so thrilling and, well, ballsy!!
I do personally tend to like better sounding high efficiency horn systems for HT dubties to be well up to the task often, in the right application, also more active speaker systems seem to be able to 'deliver the sonic goods" to do justice to DD/DTS properly. Also, other systems I like are THX basse, multi-driver, high efficiency systems. This also works for me largely.
I personally tend to stay away from the "typical audiphile speaker"(if there is such a thing..but you get my drift) when it comes to doing "full blown HT systems" I just feel robbed in the "excitement category" with these!
Yeah, there may be some "pretty sounding gear" out there, but don't plan on doing any small scale rock concerts or small commercial theater setups with em! I think they'll sound a little "pip-squeekish" IMO.
What I really need is there to be more pro-audio speaker systems that are as refined sounding as what I hear from Thiel's, Wilson's or Maggies! (I know, Avantgardes...but those drop like a rock off axis, so you gotta small sweetspot with those). So far the best I've heard for ultra high end sounding, full dyamic blasting HT speakers are from a company called "Avlar"! These offer large Two way speakers with 15" mid/woofers and a plannar/ribbon tweeter/mid! Doesn't look like they should sound great, but they do!!!!...very high end sounding "active speakers, that are about 100DB/watt sensitive, and man do they kick!!!..and very refined as well.
Anyone hunting these down should go take a listen. They're what the doctor ordered for high end HT indeed. ex