What got you into home theater… what ignited your urge to want a home theater?

[Tim Dawson]

Cool... another Lexicon fan that went through the CP and DC models. They were one of the favorites in the 90s.

Still running my DC2's . . . have not found anything yet that justified thencost to change again, and the only problem they ever seem to have is the power supply, which is an off the shelf item that is about $35 and can be changed in less than 10 minutes . . .

FWIW . . .

 

[BennyS]

How much did that 65-incher weigh?

I don't miss the days of CRT weight... tho, I'm guessing yours was a rear projection?

It was HEAVY!!!

 

[Nordo]

In the early '60s (I was probably around 14) I sat in someone's bedroom and listened to a stereo for the first time.
It was a good system for it's time, and the LP was Harry Belafonte in concert.
I was totally blown away.

From then on my dream was to have a decent stereo system.
Once I got my first full time job (late '60s), I bought my first stereo (separates, but very basic) and my first LP was a Smokey Robinson album.

Moving forward to the late '90s and we sold part of the land we were living on, and my wife allowed me to build a home theatre onto the side of our house.
I had always liked to make improvements if possible to things I owned (e.g. all my cars I had altered to achieve maximum efficiency, power and handling).
Thanks to lots of help from audio forums, I designed the room, I designed and build all the room treatment, I designed and built all the 7.1 speakers, except the centre.
That room was my "man cave", and I was always tweaking and fiddling to see if I could make it the best it could be, given the financial limitations my wife put on me.

Sadly we have moved homes about 4 years ago, and I now have to tolerate a 65" TV (better than any projector I had in the home theatre) and a sound bar which came with a small sub and 2 rears.

 

[Todd Anderson]

Unfortunately not. Back then I was super-ignorant about all things AV.

I get it... I wish I could transport myself back to 1983... 1984... somewhere in that timeframe, I heard my first subwoofer. It was in an AFES store (on a military base) and they were cranking the bass! I'd love to know what brand it was. Funny, I also don't remember being overly impressed with how it sounded!

 

[vibeinstaller]

It was the early 80s and for my 12th birthday all i wanted was my very own turntable so i could listen to records. My Dad, of Colombian decent, was a big influence as music was a big
part of his life growing up and one of his main hobbies. Boom boxes & Hifi Stereos was were it all began leading to wanting to be a DJ in High School. I was always drawn to PA systems, lighting and electronics. I began my own DJ Services company in the late 1990s and it was a great side hustle for about 20 years. I had a lot of fun and made a lot of people dance over the years. It allowed me to make extra money that I would then invest in my Home Theatre set up. My first " Real " 5.1 Surround Sound set up was a JVC 32" TV, Technics AV Receiver (Still works and at my Dad's house). 2 Paragon towers (white van specials) up front with an Acoustic Profiles center channel on top of the TV with matching book shelves for rears and a 10' powered Subwoofer. My Good friend at the time Kam, (Insane AV, Texas) also shared this passion and had a similar set up in his bedroom plus a Laser Disc player!
When I got married and bought my first house in 2001 it was upgrade time. I invested in at the time a very expensive display. It was a 1080i 58" 16x9 rear projection TV by Hitachi, I paired that with my previous booked shelves upfront, same center and picked up some HECO di-pole speakers for the surrounds and a Mirage 8" subwoofer. This set up at the time was awesome and remember watching Star Wars special edition DVDs and Jurassic Park for demo scenes to impress my friends and family. My big jump to the next level came in our second home that had a fully finished basement and a dedicated room that had ideal dimensions for Home Theatre. I got my first projector (used EPSON) HD , a used manual 100" screen and a brand new Marantz receiver!!! I kept the HECO rears and eventually upgraded my fronts to some used Mirage towers to complement the sub and same center channel from the previous system. I painted the walls a dark gray , had DIY teared seating, a display with my Star Wars toy collection. It was a huge improvement and my first dedicated space.
This was around 2010 and the hobby was slowly becoming an obsession. I thought " Hey I'm pretty good at this stuff" and started offering my services to others converting my DJ business into an AV Installations company instead. Vibe Home Media was born. Fast forward 15 years and we moved again and my system has gone through a few different stages of upgrades including Receivers, Projectors, Paradigm speakers, a variety of different Subs (Polk Audio, Acoustic Research, Athena) and configurations. Thanks to forums and YouTube I have been able to do all the work myself and slowly build the system to where it is now. When I bought my current home, one of the deciding factors like most of you was , where is the Home Theatre going go? It also had a great area in a finished basement with ideal dimensions. Thanks to the pandemic in 2020 I had plenty of time to work on it and working in the industry allowed for big discounts and access to quality used gear. Fast Forward to present day my current set up (As seen on HT Guys , @TheHtGuys November 2024) has evolved to a dedicated 9.3.2 Atmos system.

• NEC P547UL Laser 5k lumens projector with 4k upscaling
• Denon AVRX 3800H Receiver
• Panasonic 820 UHD 4K player
• Athena AS220 Full Range Towers and matching Center Channel
• Definitive Technologies Dipole speakers for Side Surrounds -2
• Definitive Technologies In-Ceiling Atmos speakers - 2 - Middle
• Paradigm Millenia Series 200 Towers -2 Rears
• Polk Audio ES12 Subwoofers - 2 up front
• PSB 10 inch Subwoofer -1 left rear
• 120" Custom Screen

it's a bit of a Frankensystem built slowly over time on a modest budget.
The experience is excellent, but the room is in desperate need of acoustic treatment, which will be my next project.

Cheers and thanks for inspirations.

 

[GrossBaus]

Privacy and luxury.

 

[AceOfBase]

I am deeply obsessed with the symmetry of how organized a home theatre looks, it’s incredible how everything is in its proper place whether you’re at a cinema or your own home theatre.

I’m gonna go back to about a decade before my first home theatre set up purchase!

In 1990 we got a 28 inch Sony Trinitron with (PIP)picture in picture surround sound, boy I thought I was living in the big times regarding surround sound (so little did I know, how things change).

So for about 10 years, I started building a movie collection, before I knew it I was in the hundreds quantity of movies, (VHS/DVD, Still own some VHS actually).



It wasn’t until the year 2000 when I got me my own home, I used to go to this nice little family owned hi-fi audio store in downtown Toronto, and whenever I went there, I was always learning something from the owner operator there who was a super nice fella, and he would always talk tech to me regarding hi-fi and audio equipment, so he was more of a technical friend than a sales rep (it’s too bad that hi-fi store shut down about four years ago, but they had their time there).

So anyways, the sales rep recommended me getting a pretty decent system and affordable since I was right into the home theatre set up being on a budget. I purchased a JBL 5.1 pro logic system.. I didn’t mind it, it was a basic JBL centre with a couple of JBL surrounds, and my front left and right where B&W’s. I went to a different hi-fi store and purchased a Panasonic AE 300 U projector at a pretty good price.. and a 90 inch diagonal basic screen! (Once again I thought I was in the big times, so little did I know, how things change).



Now I’m at the stage where having my 2nd home purchase with basement, I have enough space to build a true dedicated home theatre room with some pretty fine equipment already purchased, the only thing that’s pending is the construction of the room which I can do!

I do have the space length and width, but what concerns me about this basement is when the floor and the ceiling are finished. I will have no more more than 6 feet height. I believe that could pose a problem.

But, I am open for suggestions. My equipment is listed on my account details and I believe I’m in the right company for suggestions and educated information coming from all of you.(my new family).



So here I am, and here’s to good times everybody!

 

[symphara]

I went to my now father-in-law's apartment for the first time, around 2000 (can't even remember). He had a sound proofed room with big Magnat speakers, surround sound speakers, a subwoofer, a Harman-Kardon surround sound receiver and a projector. It was amazing and the microbe fully set in. In 2007 I achieved my first 5.1 HT with Triangle speakers and a Rotel receiver, albeit with a plasma screen and without the sound proofing.

My coolest to-date is ~80dB sound proofed and treated for dispersion, 7.1.4 Atmos, a 85" Sony and lots of electronics.

 

[Todd Anderson]

It was the early 80s and for my 12th birthday all i wanted was my very own turntable so i could listen to records. My Dad, of Colombian decent, was a big influence as music was a big
part of his life growing up and one of his main hobbies. Boom boxes & Hifi Stereos was were it all began leading to wanting to be a DJ in High School. I was always drawn to PA systems, lighting and electronics. I began my own DJ Services company in the late 1990s and it was a great side hustle for about 20 years. I had a lot of fun and made a lot of people dance over the years. It allowed me to make extra money that I would then invest in my Home Theatre set up. My first " Real " 5.1 Surround Sound set up was a JVC 32" TV, Technics AV Receiver (Still works and at my Dad's house). 2 Paragon towers (white van specials) up front with an Acoustic Profiles center channel on top of the TV with matching book shelves for rears and a 10' powered Subwoofer. My Good friend at the time Kam, (Insane AV, Texas) also shared this passion and had a similar set up in his bedroom plus a Laser Disc player!
When I got married and bought my first house in 2001 it was upgrade time. I invested in at the time a very expensive display. It was a 1080i 58" 16x9 rear projection TV by Hitachi, I paired that with my previous booked shelves upfront, same center and picked up some HECO di-pole speakers for the surrounds and a Mirage 8" subwoofer. This set up at the time was awesome and remember watching Star Wars special edition DVDs and Jurassic Park for demo scenes to impress my friends and family. My big jump to the next level came in our second home that had a fully finished basement and a dedicated room that had ideal dimensions for Home Theatre. I got my first projector (used EPSON) HD , a used manual 100" screen and a brand new Marantz receiver!!! I kept the HECO rears and eventually upgraded my fronts to some used Mirage towers to complement the sub and same center channel from the previous system. I painted the walls a dark gray , had DIY teared seating, a display with my Star Wars toy collection. It was a huge improvement and my first dedicated space.
This was around 2010 and the hobby was slowly becoming an obsession. I thought " Hey I'm pretty good at this stuff" and started offering my services to others converting my DJ business into an AV Installations company instead. Vibe Home Media was born. Fast forward 15 years and we moved again and my system has gone through a few different stages of upgrades including Receivers, Projectors, Paradigm speakers, a variety of different Subs (Polk Audio, Acoustic Research, Athena) and configurations. Thanks to forums and YouTube I have been able to do all the work myself and slowly build the system to where it is now. When I bought my current home, one of the deciding factors like most of you was , where is the Home Theatre going go? It also had a great area in a finished basement with ideal dimensions. Thanks to the pandemic in 2020 I had plenty of time to work on it and working in the industry allowed for big discounts and access to quality used gear. Fast Forward to present day my current set up (As seen on HT Guys , @TheHtGuys November 2024) has evolved to a dedicated 9.3.2 Atmos system.

• NEC P547UL Laser 5k lumens projector with 4k upscaling
• Denon AVRX 3800H Receiver
• Panasonic 820 UHD 4K player
• Athena AS220 Full Range Towers and matching Center Channel
• Definitive Technologies Dipole speakers for Side Surrounds -2
• Definitive Technologies In-Ceiling Atmos speakers - 2 - Middle
• Paradigm Millenia Series 200 Towers -2 Rears
• Polk Audio ES12 Subwoofers - 2 up front
• PSB 10 inch Subwoofer -1 left rear
• 120" Custom Screen

it's a bit of a Frankensystem built slowly over time on a modest budget.
The experience is excellent, but the room is in desperate need of acoustic treatment, which will be my next project.

Cheers and thanks for inspirations.

Great pics. Love the look of your theater space! I'll bet that seating has delivered some GREAT naps over the years!

Super interesting choice in a projector. NEC isn't something that you see pop up all that often. I'll have to go read about it.... 5,000 lumens is NO JOKE. That must have some serious throw distance!

 

[Todd Anderson]

I am deeply obsessed with the symmetry of how organized a home theatre looks, it’s incredible how everything is in its proper place whether you’re at a cinema or your own home theatre.

I’m gonna go back to about a decade before my first home theatre set up purchase!

In 1990 we got a 28 inch Sony Trinitron with (PIP)picture in picture surround sound, boy I thought I was living in the big times regarding surround sound (so little did I know, how things change).

So for about 10 years, I started building a movie collection, before I knew it I was in the hundreds quantity of movies, (VHS/DVD, Still own some VHS actually).



It wasn’t until the year 2000 when I got me my own home, I used to go to this nice little family owned hi-fi audio store in downtown Toronto, and whenever I went there, I was always learning something from the owner operator there who was a super nice fella, and he would always talk tech to me regarding hi-fi and audio equipment, so he was more of a technical friend than a sales rep (it’s too bad that hi-fi store shut down about four years ago, but they had their time there).

So anyways, the sales rep recommended me getting a pretty decent system and affordable since I was right into the home theatre set up being on a budget. I purchased a JBL 5.1 pro logic system.. I didn’t mind it, it was a basic JBL centre with a couple of JBL surrounds, and my front left and right where B&W’s. I went to a different hi-fi store and purchased a Panasonic AE 300 U projector at a pretty good price.. and a 90 inch diagonal basic screen! (Once again I thought I was in the big times, so little did I know, how things change).



Now I’m at the stage where having my 2nd home purchase with basement, I have enough space to build a true dedicated home theatre room with some pretty fine equipment already purchased, the only thing that’s pending is the construction of the room which I can do!

I do have the space length and width, but what concerns me about this basement is when the floor and the ceiling are finished. I will have no more more than 6 feet height. I believe that could pose a problem.

But, I am open for suggestions. My equipment is listed on my account details and I believe I’m in the right company for suggestions and educated information coming from all of you.(my new family).



So here I am, and here’s to good times everybody!

Love the notion that a 28" Triniton with PIP felt like an engame purchase. We were all there, brother! I remember bringing home a 28" and it felt like I'd moved into that deluxe apartment high in the sky! And side note: THOSE THINGS WERE HEAVY!!!!! phew!

Interesting conundrum on your potential theater ceiling height. I definitely think you should finish it. Having it open with rafters exposed wouldn't be a good idea... but, and you might not want to hear this... I also want to suggest that you avoid true atmos channels. I think they'll be so low that the sound won't be diffuse enough to engender a pleasing Atmos effect. If Atmos is definitely a want, I'd probably go for upfiring modules.

Have you started a build out yet?

 

[Todd Anderson]

I went to my now father-in-law's apartment for the first time, around 2000 (can't even remember). He had a sound proofed room with big Magnat speakers, surround sound speakers, a subwoofer, a Harman-Kardon surround sound receiver and a projector. It was amazing and the microbe fully set in. In 2007 I achieved my first 5.1 HT with Triangle speakers and a Rotel receiver, albeit with a plasma screen and without the sound proofing.

My coolest to-date is ~80dB sound proofed and treated for dispersion, 7.1.4 Atmos, a 85" Sony and lots of electronics.

Has your father-in-law been involved in picking your gear?

 

[AceOfBase]

Love the notion that a 28" Triniton with PIP felt like an engame purchase. We were all there, brother! I remember bringing home a 28" and it felt like I'd moved into that deluxe apartment high in the sky! And side note: THOSE THINGS WERE HEAVY!!!!! phew!

Interesting conundrum on your potential theater ceiling height. I definitely think you should finish it. Having it open with rafters exposed wouldn't be a good idea... but, and you might not want to hear this... I also want to suggest that you avoid true atmos channels. I think they'll be so low that the sound won't be diffuse enough to engender a pleasing Atmos effect. If Atmos is definitely a want, I'd probably go for upfiring modules.

Have you started a build out yet?

Thanks for your post Todd, and nice to meet you!
About Atmos, I’m gonna go with your suggestion, and that is forget about it because of the lack of height, so I will use the extra two surrounds and go with a 7.2 setup instead of contemplating on whether to go with 5.2.2.
No, I have not started the build out yet, I do like your submarine movie theatre set up. It’s pretty cool if I could just get a fraction of that arcade room into mine that would be pretty cool.

 

[Todd Anderson]

Ah... yes... arcade gear. That's an entirely different beast all together. Pinball machines take up space. And they are HEAVY. We're talking up to 315LBS or roughly 145kg each. Most are less, but some can easily creep up there.

Great choice on going with a solid bed layer of surround speakers as opposed to trying to squeeze in Atmos channels. With your ceiling height, true Atmos ceiling channels wouldn't be worth the effort. Plus, if you take the time to set up your equipment correctly and treat the space, that surround setup is going to sound amazing!


Hey - nice to meet you as well!!