AZ Home Theater Get Together - April 26, 2008

[robbroy]

I'll be hosting a get together at my place on Saturday April 26, 2008 from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

For AZ folks interested in what the SVS Ultra 13 and the MTS/MBS speakers sound like, this is your chance to audition them.

Ron from SVS will be on hand with spiffs, and perhaps some other surprises (more to come on that).

-Robb

[Sonnie]

Sounds like a fun time... I'll send this to all of our AZ members.

[Buknakyd]

sounds good. Count me in. PM sent

[azjimmy]

Thanks for the heads up, I'll be there.
Jim

[jvm051]

I would be interested as well. I am curious to hear the SVS speakers. I know I love my PB13 ultra.

Rob, I am trying to find the section to PM you, but this is my first post over here, and not sure where it is.

[Chance]

I would attend, but unfortunately I will be attending another installers wedding on the 26th at 4:30pm.

[jvm051]

Just realized I cannot PM until I get to 10 posts.

[robbroy]

Update: As many of you know I have had my PB12-Ultra/2 up for sale, but all the offers have been non-local. As I refuse to ship this thing, I have a different idea:

There will be a drawing for it at the get together, and you must be present to win. Yes, I'm giving away a PB12-Ultra/2 in the original mercury red. The sub is in pristine condition, and I don't want to part with it, but I simply don't have the space.

-Robb

[tonyvdb]

robbroy wrote:

There will be a drawing for it at the get together, and you must be present to win. Yes, I'm giving away a PB12-Ultra/2 in the original mercury red.

Wow Robb, Thats mighty nice of you.

[jvm051]

Yes that is extremely nice. I am suprised that nobody locally has wanted to purchase it. It did not even take me a week to sell my PB12 NSD when I sold it locally.

[azjimmy]

Holy smokes! I HAVE to go now!

[robbroy]

azjimmy wrote:

Holy smokes! I HAVE to go now!

And if you win it imagine how fun it will be for the two of us with bad backs to watch our wives load it into the back of your truck!

-Robb

[Ron Stimpson]

AJ,

I sure hope so. You were sorely missed last go. Robb always hosts a nice party, and this time I'd say the gear (both that shipping today,and perhaps some things not yet shipping) will be worthy of the effort anyone makes to get there.

Naturally the factory will send out shirts and hats for folks. Consolation prizes for those that don't walk away (so to speak) with a classic old PB13-Ultra/2. Still one of the best subs in the world even after all these years.

Robb's due for a second PB13-Ultra soon, and I aim to make sure these two beasts are properly optimized in his room too. We'll see how the latest in processor technology works for the AZ crowd.;^)

A full MTS-01 system with twin PB13-Ultra subs is certainly something I'm looking forward to.

See you there,

Ron Stimpson
Co-Founder, SVS

[dinotoad]

This sounds like a great event. I will come up from Tucson. Thanks to Robb for hosting this!

[jvm051]

Just wanted to see if the GtG is still on for this Saturday? Anything you would like us to bring?

[robbroy]

jvm051 wrote:

Just wanted to see if the GtG is still on for this Saturday? Anything you would like us to bring?

Just yourselves!

-Robb

[jvm051]

Any of you runnig either a current Onkyo or Integra Receiver/Preamp, that will be attending the GtG? The reason I am asking this, if if any of you have done the unnofficial firmware update to get rid of the DTS HDMA "Bitstream Bomb" issue? I have the software on my computer but am worried about messing my preamp up. If any of you have done this and are going to the GtG, please PM me, I could use some help. Also if anyone has the USB to RS232 cable.

[kmsam0351]

Robb,
This is Karl sending you a shout out from Iraq. I got your message about the sub (only if I lived in AZ, that sub would have been mind). I also notice that the Co-Founder of SVS, Ron Stimpson will be at your get together. I wish I could be there. If your not to busy, could you ask him if he would consider giving a military discount on the PB12 Plus/2? I continuously search for someone with a Ultra/2 or Plus/2 for sell (when I'm not busy on missions). I'm still schedule to go home to Augusta, GA on R & R at the end of May 08. Enjoy you get together. -Karl

[robbroy]

Karl,

I don't know if they still do this, but SVS used to offer an active duty discount. For what you're looking for, though, I don't think it matters because you'd only get one discount at a time, and the Plus/2 is being phased out, so it is already discounted almost 20%.

-Robb

[Buknakyd]

Buknakyd wrote:

sounds good. Count me in. PM sent

i never got a response regarding this, not sure if you sent me an email and it went to my trash folder

i'd still be interested in showing up tomorrow

[Buknakyd]

Well the AZ home theater SVS get together went off without a hitch. Dual PB13 ultras in Robb's room...... Well, lets just say its pretty sick.
Was nice to hear and see the difference that the new Audyssey made to the dual PB13s
and also to hear how the MTS set sounds, even tho I think that 3 of the tweaters got smoked.

Thanks again to Robb for hosting this great event and to Ron for showing off the new Audyssey and giving away the free swag.

Had a great time and it was nice meeting other folks in AZ that share this crazy interest.

[azjimmy]

I just wanted to take a minute to thank Robb for hosting this Get Together. Both he and his lovely (and patient) wife are gracious hosts. You always feel well looked after in their home, and today was no exception. Unfortunately, I didn’t bring my camera, so no pics . In my defense, I was glad to be just attending, as I just got out of the hospital 6 days ago…

I met a number of people from different forums, as well as Ron Stimpson (of SVS fame), but we all had one common interest - BASS. And we had it, in spades!

Robb is the proud owner of a stacked dual PB13 Ultra/MTS setup, and boy was it sounding mighty fine. We gave it a workout with music and movies. Robb had a number of contemporary artists on his CD changer, all of which sounded exceptional. It was difficult to give to critical of a listen in a GT atmosphere, but the MTS's had a nice wide sound stage that made it easy to get a good impression, even if you weren't in the "sweet spot"

Easily the belle of the ball (as if stacked PB13's weren't enough) was SVS's new Audyssey powered sub Equalization Management box. I was a bit late and missed the setup, but from what Ron said, it sounded like your typical Audyssey setup, mapping the room with multiple measurement points, and the magic happens inside the box. The new thing for me was the USB interface with a management program on Robb’s laptop. Also, it was remote controlled (nice!). Ron gave me a brief overview that included a pre/post eq response graph. The unit was a slim grey box with a few led’s, a USB in on the front, and inputs/outputs on the rear. It was quite unobtrusive, and could easily be left on the sub, or hidden in a rack.

I got to listen as Ron punched it in and out with a number of tracks, and the result was quite evident. The system still sounded great with no eq, but with it, it gained this full, almost enveloping quality. It was what I have been trying to do with my system for years, a total integration of sub and mains. It was like they disappeared. Without a doubt, I could have sat on that couch and picked Ron’s brain and fooled around with that unit for the whole afternoon, but people were calling for movies, so away we went.

We played around with the usual suspects, Darla, The Matrix, U571, Pod Race, Master and Commander, etc. But the star of the show (and the room killer) was War of the Worlds at reference volume. Love it or hate it, you know that when that Pod emerges, the house is coming down. And it did. Those dual 13’s reproduced subsonics I have never felt before and never seemed to break a sweat. It was like a rollercoaster ride, and when the stop button was finally pushed, we all fell into our chairs a breathed almost a sigh of relief. My ears are still ringing a bit.

By that time it was close to 7PM and the ladies had just about had it. Dinner was calling and we needed to do the drawing for Robb’s old (and still top of the line) PB12 Ultra/2. I only got the gentleman’s first name-Warren. There was many an envious handshake, I must tell you.
That ended the afternoon, and I can’t cry too hard, I did get a nice hat and T-Shirt and some other spifs. They’re not an Ultra/2, but cool just the same.

I have to say, when SVS gets this new Sub Management box out, that thing should fly off the shelves, based on what I observed today. It’s a killer solution to a problem we all have, taming unruly rooms. I’m sure there are features that I never got to see in the software. Suffice it to say, that it will be a hard thing to resist when it finally hits the streets

To wrap all this up, thanks to Robb, his wife and Ron Stimpson for a great and informative afternoon.

[jvm051]

Thanks again to Robb and Ron, for the Demo, and opening up your house to us Robb. I will be considering the Sub room correction device once it is ready for production.

[jeffreybehr]

Indeed a fine time was had by all. Robb and wife--what's her name, Robb?--are indeed fine hosts, and Robb is a fan of fine beers, so I had my typical single. (It was labeled something about Christmas, I think; what was it Robb? It was quite tasty.)

The bass in the system was simply awesome in power and extension. I didn't ask how the SWs' level was balanced relative to the rest of the system, but Ron had that diddebopper...er...'contemporary artist' stuff throbbing so loudly I sat in the garage and had that beer. I asked Ron if the bass was supposed to be as loud as it was, and he said yes, so I guess it's just this oldfart not liking throbbing bassnoise 20dB above the rest of the mix.

The sounds from movies were quite spectacular, with, for instance, the cannon shots in 'Master & Commander...' and the depth charges in 'U-571' having more LOW-bass energy than they have in my largish (c. 3200CF) room, which is loaded by TWO new PC-Ultras.

The Arizona Audio Video Club had 4 members there, and one, Warren Rosebraugh, won Robb's PB12-Ultra/2. Warren now has FOUR SWs to choose from when he puts his HT back together.

If anyone is interested in more info about the AZ Audio Video Club, pls e-mail me at jeffreybehr[at]cox[dot]net.

Thanks again, Robb and Ron; it was great fun, especially after Warren gave me a pair of earplugs.

[Buknakyd]

here's some pics i snapped of the dual 13's and the Audyssey




Audyssey with magnetic cover on



Audyssey with cover off