Totally Confused about home theater

Thanks, Sean--you're the only one of my guys I hadn't e-mailed (I've given up).

I started this thread because I got a cheap Sharp two channel DVD player which I'm running through my Soundstream/Krell DAC. It was by far the heaviest model of all the cheap DVDs, so I figured it had the better power supply. With the JMlabs it just sounded really clean and dynamic. When I hooked my new Swans it was even better sounding, if not as dynamic. It was then that I realized that I had no HT installation to use as reference.

There's a local Barrett's Adio Video, Circuit City and Best Buy. Barrett's has a projection screen with an M&K satellite system which although loud and clean doesn't impress me a bit. I have my Mirage on classified and so far only one guy was intersted and eventually tried to offer me $100 for them. They are new in the box and I am not giving them away. NFW. Those were $300 a pair and nowadays if you want Mirage bipolar surrounds they start at $600/pr. So, that's why I'm thinking of separating the systems. The other consideration is that bipolars are tricky to place, so I hear.

Still, I want to do the best I can and if I get my old Wharfedale Diamond 2's from a friend who's not using them I would be able to use the 7.1's up front, the Mirages on the side and the 2's in the rear. I think it could be a pretty neat system which would put to shame many many megabuck systems--no sweat.

On the other hand, when my Swans are finally placed on their custom stands the tweeters' centers will be at 37.5 inches. The tweeters have a controlled dispersion pattern (15 deg vert, 60 deg hor) so I don't think my stereo image is severely compromised (I place an RPG Pro Foam level one panel in front of the TV when playing music). I haven't tried A/B'ing this because the TV *is* heavy...

Like you said Sean, with what I already know I'll go way farther than most...

Still confused nonetheless.

Francisco

Well Mr. Bishop, what should I do with my Mirage MBS Bipolars? Will it be OK to use them as rear surrounds with the Swans' ribbon tweeter? I have a back wall adjacent to my couch. Would it be worthwhile to use them as side surrounds and get some others for the rear?

I think the video guys are following a "Top-down" approach to their rigs. Just look at this guy's system:

http://home.earthlink.net/~peregrinefalcon/

Sonically, it is not what any of us here would do (my ears can't stand Polk speakers for a start), but he knows what he's doing: He has setup a HOME THEATER. A pretty damn good one if you ask me.

Just as we strive to bring the 'spirit of the music' in our systems and then move on to 'audio Nirvana' this peregrine falcon has achieved the 'spirit of the movie theater' in his residence. To go to HT Nirvana he would need to upgrade to separates and some bad ass JMlab's...he would forget Polk in a snap!

But there's a way I can use them 'separately'...

I bought a six input switchbox from Decware. I can hook up my VCR and DVD to the Proton Preamp/Video Tuner up front in a separate rack (along with my tuner) and send the signal to the third input of my Melos SHA-1 preamp. I am routing the DVD's digital out via a 50 ft coaxial cable to my Soundstream/Krell DAC and am getting decent movie sound.

My concerns are:

1) Whether the Mirage's Bipolar polycarbonate tweeters would be OK to use in conjunction with my Swans' ribbon tweeter.

2) Since I'm still living a nomadic existence (and it looks it will be so for a few years), will a Bipolar surround be the ticket? I even thought of making my own stands and rigging in a rotating paddle (like in the earlier Bose 301 models). That way I could redirect the rear firing surround energy as needed...

3) If the Bipolars are OK but the tweeters are not a match for the ribbons, would it be worthwhile to replace all four tweeters?

This is where I am at right now...

Multi channel audio! Are you insinuating the use of a "panpot"? I haven't gone into that yet...do you think they're worthwhile? I have the book The Joy of Audio Electronics and it has the plans for one. Also SESCOM sells the cabinet for it.

Swamp Man, I just want to make the best with what I have...and given my nomadic existence I don't know if I should stay with the Bipolars. That's why I came with the idea of making the paddles. Right now my couch is right agaist a wall. I have three RPG Pro Foam Level One panels mounted on black foam board above the couch and they really help. Then there's one on the wall between each speaker and TV, plus the floating one I place in front of the TV when listening to music. To the right I have a sliding glass door and I turn the shutters sideways at an angle and I diffuse the glass' reflections. It works.

I am a working man, with limited resources. But I make the most of them. Why do you think I have a modded 1200 TT? Because for my budget it's simply the best way to go. I'd really like to have a bad ass SOTA...the $6,000 one!

I truly appreciate everyone's help.

Guys, I'll wait for the custom stands for the Swans to arrive sometime next week and I'll take it from there...

Steve Deckert (an imaging freak himself) told me over the phone that I could use a 'reasonable sized' TV and still have decent imaging. Since the Swans have a controlled dispersion (15 deg vert, 60 deg hor) I'll audition carefully. The stands place the center of the tweeter at a height of 37.5 inches. It might just work.

A friend of mine used to have a 27" TV with two ProAc Super Tablettes and a 12" Janis sub in a very small room. It was rigged with a Linn Sondek, a Klyne SK-5A pre and a CJ tube power amp. It sounded REALLY good...