2. home-theater
  3. 160747-143800

Empty canvas: recommendations on blending audio and moving watching

I am in the process of finishing my basement, including a room approximately 20' x 25'x that I plan to use for both TV/movie watching and audio listening.

I enjoy an occasional streaming program on HBO or Netflix and in my current TV room I have the TV connected to a set of stand-mount speakers driven by a small amp - more than use the TV speakers, but not a big 5.1 surround sound set up (something I've never been that interested in).

For the new room I am excited to finally move forward with a tube-based system (my prior years have all been SS) with speakers such as Devore O/96 (or Gibbon Super 9).  My question is, if this is the audio configuration, what to do with the TV audio?  Running TV audio through sensitive speakers like Devore doesn't seem like a good idea.  Would a speaker bar for the TV suffice?  Or is there another configuration for the TV sound that would be better.

Recommendations welcome!
kba_8040
big_greg
6,723 posts
 
I'm not sure that I agree with the argument against using a tube amp in a home theater system. I have tube mono blocks for my home theater / two channel system. If I'm just watching the news or something on TV I don't even turn them on, I just listen through the center channel. The times I do have them on if I wasn't watching a movie or something I'd be listening to music so the usage is about the same amount.
noble100's avatar
noble100
2,419 posts
 
+1 big_greg.

     There are some generally agreed upon compromising guidelines in this hobby but very few absolutes and system freedom generally reigns.  Most decisions just come down to personal budget, performance, convenience and preference factors.

Tim
soix
10,277 posts
 
Agree with both you guys, but in the instance where amp tubes are expensive to replace (not uncommon), do you really feel good about burning them and shortening their life for a movie?  That’d bug the crap outta me.  Horses for courses. 
noble100's avatar
noble100
2,419 posts
 
Hello soix,

     No, I wouldn't use tubes in my home theater system either, precisely for the reasons you mentioned.  This is one of the generally agreed upon compromising guidelines in this hobby that I was referring to in my last post.  But I still believe in all of our freedom to ignore generally agreed upon guidelines in this hobby based on personal budget, performance, convenience and preference factors, no matter how stupid or misguided they may be.

Hopes of Dopes?
        Tim 
kba_8040 OP
10 posts
 
Thanks all for the continued good discussion.

-I share the concern over messing around with splitters, and the likely compromises this would bring.  Seems like the least desirable option.
-Good points about putting hours on the tubes for TV watching (not just my own, but my teenage kids as well), hadn't considered that
-A hybrid amplification approach is also an interesting thought, I have not looked into these much before, I'll see what might be a good option 

More to discover