What's your favorite part of your system?

**pierrebnh** · **05-21-06, 11:21 AM**

Many of us have pieces of gear we're not proud of and want to upgrade (depressing when we can't), but surely you own something you enjoy?

Is it that chest-thumping/pants-flapping sub you like to show off? Or maybe that Plasma with the deepest blacks you've ever...er...not seen? Those 7 full-range speakers you finally snuck by the wife/girlfriend?

Come on! This is the thread to brag in!

I'll start with my favorite part: My NHT ST4 towers. Nothing quite like drowning out Cher and 'I will survive' playing at the neighbors' with a little Tool/NIN blasting through the deck door.

It's also quite nice to be able to play my wife's music at high levels and have her actually enjoy it

**Sonnie** · **05-21-06, 02:57 PM**

Well let's see... this is a tough one for me because I've changed so much lately. I'd have to say though that the biggest improvement has been my bass. At least they have made the most impact and I've pretty much fell in love with them. So I'll say my pair of SVS PB12-Plus/2 subs.

**Fincave** · **05-21-06, 03:08 PM**

Pretty difficult for me to choose as well as I have also changed virtually everything within the last year. I would have to say my mains Amphion Argon2's, the difference is incredible, vocals, instruments they just all sound so much better, more intimate and improved clarity. Changing from a 28" tv to a 100" screen and projector would have to come a close second though.

**nova** · **05-21-06, 06:57 PM**

A no brainer for my stuff,..... my 1266-SE mains. An awesome pr. of speakers (run full range) for two channel stereo,,..... and not too shabby (X-Over at 60) as part of my 5.1 either

**reed.hannebaum** · **05-22-06, 11:58 PM**

I would have to say my Quad 12L mains. These guys are the only thing I have near audiophile grade and boy do they sound great! I bought the studio monitor version and they are extremely detailed and have very accurate imaging. I have these on 20" high stands and supplement the lower end with a 15" sealed sub behind each speaker.
I couldn't be happier with this setup.

When I bought these I was worried about how they would work with my Paradigm center speaker, and I was prepared to buy a Quad Centre. But this ensemble works very well not only for HT but even with serious multi-channel music.

**GregBe** · **05-24-06, 05:55 PM**

I would have to say my Monitor Audio GR Speakers. It was a tough choice between my speakers and my Axiom EP500 sub, but my Monitors have really got me into music listening again.

**Danny** · **05-25-06, 11:44 PM**

Hmmm Probably my Sub, it really pumps out the Bass.

**russ.will** · **05-26-06, 04:13 AM**

My Screenplay 7205. Whatever people think of filling a room of speakers, they soon stop dead when they see a 92" screen for the first time.

Russell

**Jack Gilvey** · **05-26-06, 10:35 AM**

Easily the biggest impact in my HT room was made by the InFocus 4805 projector. For size and image quality, I immediately knew that forever hence "TV"s would be quite inadequate. My current AE900 offers incremental improvements, most noticeably in SDE on a bigger screen, but nothing like the initial leap.

I really think a front-projector in an adequately-prepared room separates home theaters from "TV rooms".

**ALevesque** · **05-28-06, 10:35 AM**

My dedicated room.

Fully treated, measured and acoutically optimized, totally black and grey without any windows, and without any reflections to break the CR and AINSI CR of my projector.

**Sonnie** · **05-30-06, 05:09 PM**

Alain... you should post those pretty pictures in our Gallery...

Btw... welcome to the Shack!

**rlogle** · **05-30-06, 08:39 PM**

I'd have to say my Sony KDSR50XBR1 TV. Oh wait, no, it's my BIC Acoustech Cinema Series speaker package. No, wait, it's the Yamaha..... Oh crap I can't decide........ Okay, it's the TV..........

**Ayreonaut** · **05-31-06, 11:55 AM**

Well, I want to upgrade everything ... except the BFD! Not my most costly piece of gear, but the best value for sure.

**Otto** · **05-31-06, 08:12 PM**

Well, I enjoy my system across the board, but today, and this week, I would definitely have to say I'm totally enamored with the BFD/REW "upgrade". Biggest "bass for the buck" that I know of. I've got four 12" powered subs and it's always rocked the house, but it's so much more precise now.

For less than $100!

-- Otto

**tomd51** · **06-01-06, 10:04 AM**

While I'm pleased with all of my components, I'd say it's a toss-up between my Outlaw 755 Amp and SVS 20-39 PCi Sub.

The Outlaw has made a substantial improvement over the on-board amps of a couple of quality mid-fi receivers I have been using for a pre/pro, particularly when listening at higher volume levels and closer to reference level.

The SVS 20-39 PCi has provided more than enough tight, solid bass response for a fairly decent sized room (27x14x8). While I've considered a model upgrade, I really think if it weren't for upgradeitis, I could use this sub in this listening environment from here on out...

If I took either of those out of the mix without a solid substitution, there'd be a big hole in performance... -TD

**monkey4x4** · **06-02-06, 03:10 PM**

Probably a big suprise to most of you, but I would say my Grado Headphones and my Headphone amp, the reason being I can shut out the rest of the world and listen to my tunes or even watch that DVD on the portable player without either disturbing anyone ,or being disturbed.
The rest of the family see the cans come out and know DO NOT DISTURB!!!!

**rcarlton** · **06-03-06, 07:44 AM**

My Klipsch K-horn's. They bring out so much in the sound tracks. Secondly would be the LaScala's. There have been a couple of movies in which I looked outside to see if it was really raining (nope...only in the movie). Third would be the TV and fourth the SVS PB12 plus/2.

**Jeff Aguilar** · **06-05-06, 07:35 PM**

For me, since I sold my tube gear and Martin Logan speakers, I would have to say, I love my twin 16/46 pcPlus subs. They made a big difference in my system.

Someday, it will be my Theater room. But I have to build the house first...

Jeff

**dBWall** · **06-08-06, 07:56 PM**

Very interesting question. I would have to say my "favorite" part of my system, from a pure performance perspective, is my Totem speaker array (Model 1 Signatures... actually signed by Vince Brusseze himself) across the front, Lynx Surround and a Mite TC Center rear.

That said, the one piece of gear I could not live without is my HD/PVR box. It has totally changed the way we watch TV. We have become HD Snobs and I haven't watched a commercial that I didn't want to see in months!

d.

**khellandros66** · **06-08-06, 09:33 PM**

I would say my speakers, why well for me all the electronics were found with eas, and they were something of a control. The speakers I juggled from Radioshack to JBL to Polk over the years until I started buying Definitive speakers. They have made my decisions less agravating because they use timbre matched tweeters on ALL of their speakers so there is no hmmm well the Series 2 is different cause of this new tweeter material.

~Bob

**timps** · **06-30-06, 07:35 AM**

I would have to say my Benq PE8720 and my Berklines - It is great to listen to music/movies but even better to sit my tired (after a 2 year project!) butt in a nice comfy chair and fire up the projector in the semi-dark and just enjoy!

**kingkip** · **07-02-06, 12:44 AM**

Gotta be my 4 15" IB sub. Call me a proud poppa but the beast rocks

**Phantom319** · **07-03-06, 08:26 PM**

Definitely my newly setup M&K S150's. There are times recently where I have to pause to make sure there isn't some animal moving around outside because I'm hearing things that weren't there with my NHT setup.

**Alaric** · **07-04-06, 04:31 AM**

Hi There,

Many of us have pieces of gear we're not proud of and want to upgrade

I'd probably disagree with the phrasing of that, sure there have been bits of kit i've wanted to upgrade and lots of things i've lusted after in magazines (many of which i now own as they've gotten older) but even my first system i was extreamly proud of....it wasn't earth shattering by any means, but it wowed me. A yamaha DSP-A590, a DPL amp with probably 70w accross the mains and woefuly low power elsewhere, a pair of tower speakers and some cheap gale rears, all huddled arround a 14" portable TV and VHS nicam stereo video player....and i still watched widescreen vids. The amp and speakers were bought with my first real wage packet and beacuse i started so late in the financial year it was tax free and hence it was the tax man that bought my system

I've definatly upgraded a bit since and heck still have the amp (wasn't worth anything second hand) and it runs a squeezebox set-up in my kitchen/hall.

I'm proud of a lot of my cinema system. I love my Mirage OM-6's and the rest of the kit intergrates well. The yammaha DSP-AX1 may be a little old now, but it still has some guts and even finess. My HTPC is a blast and with an RME soundcard and my CD colection in FLAC format can output some really nice stereo tunes. The Barco 808 manages a good pic and the DIY acoustic screen wall gives a **** fine picture.....I like my system.

Upgrades, well a TAG DP wouldn't go a miss, or maybe the latest yammy Z9, oh and finishing the room off would be good too.

cya,
Lee

**JimP** · **07-07-06, 11:31 PM**

My favorite would have to be the speakers I bought last summer which were the Atlantic Tech 8200s. Rather than surrounds, I went with mains in 6 positions and their CC which essentially is a main on its side. Talk about feeling like you're there. Extremely 3D like.

My second favorite would have to be the Velodyne SMS-1 subwoofer equalizer.

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