The HiFi thread

MasterOfReality

After forever
Looking to finally getting around to setting up the smallish home theater room (approx 4 m x 4.2 m) we have.

I have some hifi gear that I purchased in 2011 so its pretty old now but would like to use as much as I can. Cambridge Audio receiver and blu-ray player (lol), Paradigm satellites and a Wharfedale 10" sub.

What is the current hotness for home theater rooms? In wall/ceiling speakers the go now? Are speakers on stands a thing of the past? Mounted satellites in the back corners?

Wireless or wired subs? SVS subs got a good wrap 10 years ago, i'm assuming that's still the case.
 

Haakon

Keeps on digging
Looking to finally getting around to setting up the smallish home theater room (approx 4 m x 4.2 m) we have.

I have some hifi gear that I purchased in 2011 so its pretty old now but would like to use as much as I can. Cambridge Audio receiver and blu-ray player (lol), Paradigm satellites and a Wharfedale 10" sub.

What is the current hotness for home theater rooms? In wall/ceiling speakers the go now? Are speakers on stands a thing of the past? Mounted satellites in the back corners?

Wireless or wired subs? SVS subs got a good wrap 10 years ago, i'm assuming that's still the case.
It's like bikes - run what you brung, its all good. That sounds like a very suitable set of kit indeed, but then I like old school simplicity over super whiz bang gizmos..
 

MasterOfReality

After forever
It's like bikes - run what you brung, its all good. That sounds like a very suitable set of kit indeed, but then I like old school simplicity over super whiz bang gizmos..
Yeh it still sounds good, never been happy with the sub though so will most likely replace that. Will need to purchase a suitable tv as well.
 

Haakon

Keeps on digging
Yeh it still sounds good, never been happy with the sub though so will most likely replace that. Will need to purchase a suitable tv as well.
Im procrastinating, but am going projector over a new TV. Still have a super nice Panasonic plasma in the store room, but new house is a TV free lounge room which is lovely. Projector can hide away and not be intrusive when not in use.
 

Tubbsy

Packin' a small bird
Staff member
Im procrastinating, but am going projector over a new TV. Still have a super nice Panasonic plasma in the store room, but new house is a TV free lounge room which is lovely. Projector can hide away and not be intrusive when not in use.
This is how I do it, wired up to the HiFi with all the wires under the floor, pull down screen off a ceiling beam.
 

MasterOfReality

After forever
Projector is a good idea, especially if it can hide away.

I used to have a really nice Panasonic VT series 50" plasma that shat the bed 5 years ago from the common board issues. Still dirty about that.

I don't know how I'll run wires yet. Room is carpeted but the old owner had wall mounted sats in the top corners so the wiring is there if I need it.
 

Tubbsy

Packin' a small bird
Staff member
The main thing with the projector cabling is that it won't have a tuner or media source in it. And your speakers are at the opposite end of the room.

So you'll be running either a long HDMI cable and have your source by your hifi, or a long optical audio and have your source by the projector.
 

Dales Cannon

lightbrain about 4pm
Staff member
The main thing with the projector cabling is that it won't have a tuner or media source in it. And your speakers are at the opposite end of the room.

So you'll be running either a long HDMI cable and have your source by your hifi, or a long optical audio and have your source by the projector.
Live music is the answer. A mate set up his projector so he could turn it around and shoot out the window to a tree in his courtyard. He would hang a screen and play movie for the kids in the complex in the courtyard. Sound was bluetoothed. Really good set up for not much effort. Some residents in the complex had a whine that all the kids were roudy etc but really were just jealous they didn't have a life.
 

scblack

Leucocholic
Looking to finally getting around to setting up the smallish home theater room (approx 4 m x 4.2 m) we have.

I have some hifi gear that I purchased in 2011 so its pretty old now but would like to use as much as I can. Cambridge Audio receiver and blu-ray player (lol), Paradigm satellites and a Wharfedale 10" sub.

What is the current hotness for home theater rooms? In wall/ceiling speakers the go now? Are speakers on stands a thing of the past? Mounted satellites in the back corners?

Wireless or wired subs? SVS subs got a good wrap 10 years ago, i'm assuming that's still the case.
@MasterOfReality
I've got all Yamaha gear now, which is very good, and not crazy expensive. Wires still have to get to the sub either way for power, so leave it wired I reckon. I've got my rears on stands - then if you change room or configuration or whatever its an easy fix rather than having cut into your wall.
 

MasterOfReality

After forever
@MasterOfReality
I've got all Yamaha gear now, which is very good, and not crazy expensive. Wires still have to get to the sub either way for power, so leave it wired I reckon. I've got my rears on stands - then if you change room or configuration or whatever its an easy fix rather than having cut into your wall.
Thanks mate. I'll probably just re-use what I have and get a new sub. I held off buying the matching sub for my speakers at the time but now I regret that, it's gone up nearly $1k in price:

Paradigm MilleniaSub Slimline Subwoofer - Eastwood Hifi

The beauty about this sub is I can slip it under the lounge. There are power points at the back of the room so all good there.

Thinking about running speaker cables through the walls/ceiling to avoid having them under carpet.
 

Oddjob

Merry fucking Xmas to you assholes
For anyone looking for a half decent amp check this out.

https://www.audiosciencereview.com/.../fosi-audio-bt20a-pro-amplifier-review.43751/

And here to buy at an almost unbelievable AUD $69.99

https://amzn.asia/d/5bv1CSk

The performance and features are exceptional for the size and doubly so with the price. Will happily drive any bookshelf speakers and most floorstanders with the optional 48v power supply.

If you need to drive a sub without a pass through there is a 2.1 version as well.

Pair this up with a Topping DAC and you will have something that will blow away some pretty highly regarded kit costing many many times more (Musical Fidelity, I'm looking at you).

If you need even more power a second hand Extron XPA 1002 or 2002 from eBay is a good option.

Sent from my M2012K11AG using Tapatalk
 

link1896

Mr Greenfield
For anyone looking for a half decent amp check this out.

https://www.audiosciencereview.com/.../fosi-audio-bt20a-pro-amplifier-review.43751/

And here to buy at an almost unbelievable AUD $69.99

https://amzn.asia/d/5bv1CSk

The performance and features are exceptional for the size and doubly so with the price. Will happily drive any bookshelf speakers and most floorstanders with the optional 48v power supply.

If you need to drive a sub without a pass through there is a 2.1 version as well.

Pair this up with a Topping DAC and you will have something that will blow away some pretty highly regarded kit costing many many times more (Musical Fidelity, I'm looking at you).

If you need even more power a second hand Extron XPA 1002 or 2002 from eBay is a good option.

Sent from my M2012K11AG using Tapatalk
For the money, I think that fosi implementation of the TPA3255 possibly sets a new record for lowest THD+N at 100wpc for the price.

I’d just like to point out the limitation with ASR’s review process. What sets apart a great amp from a phenomenal amp is not just absolute lowest distortion, but distortion vs frequency. Standard practice is to measure devices at just 1khz, as they do.

Here is the performance of the TPA3255 vs frequency. This is a lot more revealing as to how a solid state amplifier (monolithic or discrete) will sound then absolute lowest numbers.

I have multiple amp designs I’m aiming to commercialise. Possibly something like the TPA3255 will feature in a 12 to 16 channel amp for high channel count home theatre usage.

I’ve a fully discrete amplifier design that achieves 0.001% distortion (0.001% is the bottom end an Audio Precision system 1 can measure) dc to 40khz all they way up to clipping. But there are no free lunches, its sensitivity to power supply noise is shitty, requiring massive regulated power supplies able to deliver full power with headroom. This is how some amps end up the size of a bar fridge, using many discrete power supplies.


 

MasterOfReality

After forever
For anyone looking for a half decent amp check this out.

https://www.audiosciencereview.com/.../fosi-audio-bt20a-pro-amplifier-review.43751/

And here to buy at an almost unbelievable AUD $69.99

https://amzn.asia/d/5bv1CSk

The performance and features are exceptional for the size and doubly so with the price. Will happily drive any bookshelf speakers and most floorstanders with the optional 48v power supply.

If you need to drive a sub without a pass through there is a 2.1 version as well.

Pair this up with a Topping DAC and you will have something that will blow away some pretty highly regarded kit costing many many times more (Musical Fidelity, I'm looking at you).

If you need even more power a second hand Extron XPA 1002 or 2002 from eBay is a good option.

Sent from my M2012K11AG using Tapatalk
Have been looking at these for a while. When I move all my hifi gear to the home theater room, I'll need an amp to drive the speakers in our outdoor entertainment area. These little amps look perfect.
 

cokeonspecialtwodollars

Fartes of Portingale
Purchased some reasonably priced wireless ear buds yesterday. High end audio gear is wasted on me owing to many years working before the enforcement of mandatory hearing protection and a misspent youth of live music, I identify as "you'll need to speak up sonny" rather than "audiophile".

Running through the connection and setup I noticed a checkbox for 7.1 surround, I've a tenuous grasp on the signal processing required to get spatial sound from a single driver but I still reckon it's two parts sound engineering and one part sorcery, blows my mind.
 

MasterOfReality

After forever
Who has run speaker cabling between wall plates, down the inside of gyprock/timber framed walls? Easy enough with an electricians snake?
 

Haakon

Keeps on digging
Purchased some reasonably priced wireless ear buds yesterday. High end audio gear is wasted on me owing to many years working before the enforcement of mandatory hearing protection and a misspent youth of live music, I identify as "you'll need to speak up sonny" rather than "audiophile".

Running through the connection and setup I noticed a checkbox for 7.1 surround, I've a tenuous grasp on the signal processing required to get spatial sound from a single driver but I still reckon it's two parts sound engineering and one part sorcery, blows my mind.
My ears are pretty fucked from a misspent yoof of of motorbikes, stupid cars, stupid sound systems and a heavy metal phase (slayer gig in 95 was awesome, standing against the speaker stack at RATM at the Palais in 94 seemed like a good idea at the time…), but this has made me more of an audiophile.

I can’t can’t handle shit sound, happy to spend dollars on smooth and balanced sound that don’t upset my screwed hearing…
 
Top