The Greatest Show on Earth!

Kipnis' outer limits theater, or what $6 million will buy.

When it comes to home theaters, I thought I'd seen it all. But nothing's come close to this. First, I'm going to try to describe the sheer magnitude of Jeremy Kipnis' theater. His Stewart Snowmatte laboratory-grade screen is the biggest I've ever seen in a home, and in the back of the theater, there's a Sony ultra-high-resolution (4,096-by-2,160) SRX-S110 digital projector. I'm looking everywhere, jotting down questions, and Kipnis sounds almost giddy talking about his theater's capabilities. He refers to his baby, the Kipnis Studio Standard (KSS), as "The Greatest Show on Earth." And from the looks of it, he may be right.

While the KSS is technically an 8.8-channel audio system, it uses a lot more than eight speakers and eight subwoofers. Kipnis felt that a lone center speaker sounded a tad undernourished compared with the eight Snell THX Cinema & Music Reference towers, so he opted for three Snell LCR-2800 center-channel speakers. The original contingent of eight subs sounded "really good" but, unfortunately, didn't deliver the full earth-moving-under-your-feet effect he wanted. So, he wound up with 16 18-inch Snell subs! To balance the other frequency extreme, and for the ultimate in transient speed and transparency, the Snell speakers' treble has been augmented with MuRata ES103A super tweeters. Thus, from the deepest deep bass (10 hertz) up to the extreme high-frequency range (100 kilohertz), the KSS is the most full-range system I've ever heard—and felt. The speakers are fed by a well-balanced combination of audiophile solid-state and vacuum-tube amplifiers. The KSS is astonishing in the way it delivers power, but with 11,315 very high-quality watts on tap, that's hardly surprising. Not only can it play ungodly loud, the KSS sounds phenomenal while doing so and never hurt my tender ears. The theater is big but far from huge. Its vaulted ceiling ranges from 8 feet high at the rear end to 16 feet at the screen end of the room (which is 26.5 feet wide and 33 feet long). The 18-foot screen fulfilled my IMAX fantasies, and the projector's va-va-voom color and brilliant light were transformational. I just tried to take it all in as I scribbled notes, afraid I might miss some of the juicier details.

AC power conditioning for the KSS is, again, done to the max. Next to the garage, there are two mammoth General Electric 13,800-volt/800-amp step-down transformers; all of the cabling is audiophile-grade wire, and every aspect of performance and presentation is scrutinized, even down to the 40-amp cryogenically treated circuit breakers for each and every component in the system.

How It Came to Be
I first met Kipnis in the early 1990s when he worked for Chesky Records as an engineer/producer. And later in the decade, I followed his exploits when he started his own classical music label, Epiphany Recordings Limited. Hooked on video at an early age, he was the first on his block to buy a laserdisc player in 1980 and went on to amass a huge collection of players and discs. He watched them on one of the very first projectors in the market, the Kloss NovaBeam Model 1, with a 6.5-foot curved silver screen in his Redding, Connecticut, home, where he still resides. The projector's legendary inventor, Henry Kloss, was a neighbor and good friend of Kipnis' parents, so you might say the seeds of the KSS were planted long ago. The man's passions run deep. Kipnis tells me, "I've been watching movies since I was four on really big screens in movie theaters, and three years ago, those experiences inspired me to design a home theater with the absolute best picture and sound."

But it's more than that. Kipnis sees the KSS as a laboratory, an ongoing experiment to advance the state of the art. And it's not just for himself; he's dead serious about selling the KSS to movie-industry professionals and wealthy home theater aficionados. He sees his huge screen as an intrinsic part of the experience. "It's an unprecedented level of immersion that I'm looking for." The mix of brands and models for his customers' KSS systems will be site specific, and he imagines that, unlike his installation, the componentry and speakers will be stealthily deployed. The KSS pictured here is Beta Ciné, so yes, there's an even bigger KSS, the Alpha Ciné, in the planning stages. It's intended for much larger venues, such as screening rooms or perhaps even actual movie theaters. The Gamma Ciné will be a scaled-down KSS for smaller living rooms, bedrooms, or kitchens. The Gamma Ciné will likely utilize rear-projection techniques. (When not in use, the screen will look like a wall, and all of the equipment will live behind the screen.) The philosophy of all three KSS systems is the same—nothing but the best picture and sound. Price estimates will be site specific, but the cost of Kipnis' home system would be in the $6-million range.

Scaling the Heights
Setting up the Sony SRX-R110 digital cinema projector is a demanding job, and Kipnis has invested a lot of time into maximizing its potential, all in an effort to advance the state of the art. He's an Imaging Science Foundation–certified technician and studied with video-tweaking legend Joe Kane.

The Sony projector doesn't have HDMI inputs that are HDCP compliant, but it upscales Blu-ray and HD DVD players' component outputs to its native 4K resolution. So sure, it might look even better if he could use his HD player's digital outputs, but Kipnis feels the picture quality he's getting right now is "far more outstanding and realistic than any other movie theater I've experienced on the planet." Pressing the question about keeping the KSS' video all digital, he admits that he's also considering commissioning a custom-built scaler from Silicon Optix or Snell & Wilcox. The ultimate goal is to produce a picture that's an open window to the world.

With a bit of luck, Kipnis will get to play the KSS for the likes of George Lucas, Peter Jackson, Steven Spielberg, and Martin Scorsese. And who knows—they each might be so thrilled, they'll buy one on the spot. That would be great, but I wonder out loud, "Would you have done all of this if you didn't hope to turn it into a commercial enterprise? Would you have done it just for yourself?" Without hesitating, Kipnis says, "Just to see what's possible? Yes, I would."

For more information about the Kipnis Studio Standard, please visit www.kipnis-studios.com or call (203) 938-3767.

Partial Equipment List for the Kipnis Studio Standard Beta CinE:

Picture Elements:
Sony SRX-S110 Professional Video Projector
Stewart 18-by-10-foot Snowmatte 1.0 Gain Laboratory-Grade Motion Picture Screen

Players and Sources:
Sony BDP-S1 Blu-ray Player
Sony PlayStation 3 Gaming Console
Toshiba HD-XA1 HD DVD Player
JVC HMDH-5U D-VHS Recorder
SATA Drive (72 HDTV Hours Total)
Mark Levinson N° 51 DVD/CD Media Player
Pioneer HLD-X0 Hi-Vision HDTV MUSE Laserdisc Player

Surround Processing and Decoding:
Theta Digital Generation VIII 32-bit 8x Oversampling Dual Processors (13)

Amplification:
Mark Levinson N° 33h Amplifiers (2)
McIntosh MC-2102 Amplifiers (30)
Crown Macro Reference Gold Amplifiers (3)

Speakers:
Snell 1800 THX Music & Cinema Reference Subwoofers (16)
Snell THX Music & Cinema Reference Towers (8)
MuRata ES103A Super Tweeters (10)
Snell THX Music & Cinema Reference LCR-2800 Center-Channel Speakers (3)

COMMENTS
Patrik's picture

WOW amazing! Wish I had that system. But he should get a better projector and change the design of the room it self, probably expensive but I think he can afford it ;)

Wayne UK's picture

How can anyone attempt to diss this system?This guy obliously lives for this passion that he has in life and knows more about it than (i bet) anyone else on this forum. Those who quote over-kill should ask themselves about the cars they drive and the clothes that they wear etc etc - are they required?If this guy has the knowledge, cash and will to create what must be the worlds best system he should be applauded. The sound is built round a small 'sweet-spot' but why have a larger 'sweet-apot' with lower quality when it will normally be watched by 2-3 people?Come on guys - respect where it is due. This is the ultimate system, not a 'quite good' one and you don't get ultimate by being very specific as to the required results.If i had $6M spare would i invest in one - Where do i sign, and when can you install?

Joel's picture

Goodness,Listen to all of you "Professionals". I would imagine that each of you has had extensive training in all of the areas to which Mr. Kipnis excels at. For those of you who "get it"- Kudosfor the kind words, for those of you who don't,THX was a revolutionary beginning- which has lasted this long. I remember when THX was nothing more than a new concept, all the comments were the same then. Mr. Kipnis has given us a window into the next 20 years worth (and beyond) of standards and development for ultra high end A/V reproduction, pushing beyond even current conceptualism of what's possible. I have been there, I have had the privilage of a personal demonstration, and this is so far beyond any Krell Heat System or Full Meridian Digital sysyem I have ever heard, it's laughable.If the best you have ever experienced is a "Ferrari", this is an F-18 Hornet.Thank You Jeremy.

Oliver Siracusano's picture

No matter what you say...I don't care...All I know is I want to have the same for my own.

Kipnis Studio Standard's picture

Ladies & Gentlemen -I implore you all to stop degrading each other, and using this blog as a source of advertisement! The Kipnis Studio Standard is all about getting the best possible picture and sound into Everyone's home. And how can that be a bad thing if you love movies and television, just to name two possible sources?Best Wishes -

Arthur (Arthurseverythingblog.wordpress.com)'s picture

This is an absolutely intriguing article. The system is beautiful. Worth the money or not? No clue. His money? Well, yes, as a matter of fact it is, or rather, was. Could he have spent it better? I should think one might be rather rude if one presumed to tell a stranger what to do with his property. I shall leave that to his friends, family, and investment consultants, as it should be.Remember: Arguing on the internet is like competing in the special olympics; even if you win, you're still a retard.

Sterling's picture

I agree with most of the posts here. With the amount spent, consideration for room size, design, acoustic dampening, speaker placement, and the science behind how sound travles would have been a key focus of a "SOTA" cinema.All I see hear is focus on some really nice gear and installation. You could have purchased that at a Best Buy. If you're going to spend this kind of money, which I certainly do not disagree with, one should no exactly what they're doing and how to do so.Nemo's sub is pretty cool though. Didn't get ripped off there, no matter what he paid.All in all, it's sad to see someone with the money to buy this stuff but no understanding on how to construct it properly.

joshg's picture

whoever said a $50,000 system would equal this is nuts, whoever said give more of it to charity is nuts...im sure the guy gives plenty to charity and a $50,000 system would be piss to this.people, please think before you comment....FFS

Nate's picture

I think it's brilliant and all the people knocking on the system and claiming that they could build better are just jealous. I mean c'mon obviously he knows what he's doing... The photos show that the amps aren't hooked up and are clearly for show. He isn't stupid... he's made 6 million dollars more then you... and plus he's been able to put that money into a home theater. Now go home to your 2500 dollar setups with your elitism and suck on your remotes.

Cecil's picture

I agree with those of you who dissagree with those who criticize this guy for spending his money on whatever he wants.Some of you on here asked why he doesn't give this money to charity. Did you every stop to wonder how much he already does give the charity before you pass judgment???It is definitely not okay to do so without getting all of your facts straight, or to do it at all. You never know just how much money one make, I guy like him could give half of all his money away and still have enough money to do something like this 3 times over. At some point it is okay to spend your money on whatever you want without guilt.I bet that child in darfur wonders why you (hypothetically) spent $500 on your iphone or just $120 on your shoes, when a couple of bucks could feed him/her all he/she needs to eat for a month.Don't judge people. You do what you want with your means, and letter others do with theirs what they wish! PSU FOREVER BABY!!!!GO STATE!!!!

Oracle's picture

I don't know about you.. the appearance of the setup is pretty messy to my taste.

bob's picture

oh wow there's a lot of jealous people posting on this! major props to this guy, bet it was was worth every penny!

Hard-of-Hearing's picture

WOW!Congratulations Mr.Kipnis for making "This" and good luck with future projects.However,if there is any xxx$ left over please consider making decent website.After all,if money is an issue for you there are lot of free templates on the internet that at least look professional and work great ;).Sometimes less could be more ;).

Mike's picture

So many haters out there. That's a beautiful setup that probably sounds outstanding, I hope you get a lot of enjoyment out of it. Enjoy, Mike

bob hope's picture

So if someone decided to spend 10 billion dollars on audio/visual equipment just so they could have the best home set up in the world, none of you "let freedom ring" folks would care? Capitalists make all that money because the middle class is too stupid to elect representatives that will demand higher wages and a better quality of life for the majority. Middle class like to slave away all day at some crap job, bending over taking it like an orphan.

Martin's picture

Heh people commenting stuff like 'speakers are not near the walls'.. Showing utmost lack of knowledge. The _last_ thing you want is put a speaker next to a wall. It induces early reflections and spoils the soundstage. The small sweet spot is the price to pay for an ultimate sound.

Kevin's picture

Well as a closet audiophile with Magies powered by simple Adcom with Mac switching, I would like to say, you all are wrong, the person listening to the music, or watching the vid, matters, not your opinion, this crass negativity the pours from all of you, is beyond belief. Part of being what we are is too enjoy watching someone else experiment and find what they, not you, but what they think sounds or looks good. Isn't the whole theory, of a audiophile based on this, not what we think is perfect but what can we try, or just do it for the sake of doing it. Money should not be mentioned, I never have this level of money but can see most of you are wanting his money not his vision, I think the vision, is much more important. And quit basing on 360's, Halo 3 will never be on a PS3 at 1080i. Again all of you should be ashamed, we are all experimenters, why not rally around, and until you can build one...shut up, I think its great, I buy my house to fit my stereo, does that bother you too, its what you have

gambyl's picture

Its his cash so he can spend it in anyway he wants to. As long as he is happy with it. Thanks for sharing your system!

Court's picture

I think all this is a waste. If you've got 6M to blow on this stuff then go out and have an adventure. Go experience something instead of trying to recreate it through A/V equipment at home. All that junk works out to playing an Atari on a modern CRT. Your methods of output far exceed the quality of what you're putting into them. And 11k watts of sound into a 850sqft room? Like on the Simpsons THX sound intro, you are now deaf. Titanium on your amps? WTF, such a waste of resources for something that sits still! Titanium is normally used for things that move and need to be light. A home theater is awesome, but this is just glutony.

Brian's picture

He can spend his money however he wants, but if I was going to spend $6 million on a home theater, it would hold more than 3-4 people! He could have bought a few less speakers, subs, and amps, and built a pretty sweet little auditorium for him and 30 of his best friends and still had fantastic orgasm inducing sound. IMO what he has is overkill.

Tinyman's picture

Hey Court - Adventures are your dream. Back off this guys version of same.Did anyone see that this is a LAB. Labs never spend any money on the aesthetic and they keep everything in the open so that components can be swapped out or repaired easily."But it's more than that. Kipnis sees the KSS as a laboratory, an ongoing experiment to advance the state of the art""...and he imagines that, unlike his installation, the componentry and speakers will be stealthily deployed."If you people ever found out how much the Big 3 spend on concept vehicles that never make it to production it would make you puke. This is the home theater equivalent.And anyone who has more than a few synapses firing would know not to judge a system this complex based on an overview in an article. You just show your limited intelligence with comments such as that.

Fredco's picture

What an incredible waste of money. WTF? The ***one*** million dollar system wasn't good enough for you? Tweeters to 100 khz? That's only 80 khz above the limits of human hearing. I bet that system would be great for playing a recording of a dog whistle, so as to keep those pesky stray mutts away from your house.

Andrew's picture

Ummm, has it not occurred to anyone else that these shots look suspiciously like skillfully executed 3D renders with some clever Photoshop post-production? Or is it just me?

edesignuk's picture

What a bunch of whining, jealous bitches.Is it over the top? Of course it is, it's billed as the ultimate you morons. The kind of people that will be buying this are billionaires (or at the very least multi-multi-millionaires) for whom $6m is peanuts.They're probably sitting in a 20,000 square foot house they don't need either. One way or another they've "made it" though, why shouldn't they spoil themselves rotten?Incredible beast of a "home" cinema, very well done. I for one think it looks amazing.

Boris's picture

What type of idiot reads that article and assumes that all 11,000 watts will be employed instantly upon turning on?Some of you act like the system has two settings, off and 11,000W.Too loud!

EdgeOne's picture

I love how so many people can tell this guy what he should have done with HIS money. Yeah, yeah, I know its blasphemy to true audiophiles, but who doesn't want to be completely encircled by speakers and amps at least once in their life? Too bad no more than the three people can enjoy it at one time (but something tells me thats not a problem). Oh, and the real shame here is those are all laserdiscs in the bookshelves...

speakerman's picture

get off his jock you are all corn balls i build speakers for a living and the way the room is set up even if the walls are covered its a waste the only reason it might sound good is cus hes pumping out so much sound that what ever is in front of the speaker wont matter its a waste the room is set up like crap and il tell you right now its now the speaker but how the speaker is built for the room best sound comes om custom speaker boxes that are designed for a space.... if he really wanted to impress i would of had the speakers custom built for the space but all in all its a waste

Pride's picture

lol! :DIt's so great to read about these so called experts, who judge and blame all they can."What a retarded system, you could have made same for so much less money.""What no ?!""LAL, sucks!""DOUBLEWHAM LAL, quantum interference and the circular positioning of speakers sucks!"C'MON GUYS! This guy has a hobby! If this doesn't tell about true and honest passion, nothing does!I'd love to see a single movie in my life in environment like this. :)Enjoy your epic system!

DavidHater's picture

David... you just need to STFU and worry about yoruself first. You know nothing about the guy, he could be donating a LOT of money (and thus contributing more than you ever have or will, dbag). Even if he isn't, it's none of your concern how he spends his dough... the more he spends, the more jobs and stimulation he provides our economy... far more than you have or ever will. So again, just STFU and keep your useless opinion to your self. Why is there always some self righteous arse mucking things up when ultimatley he is the one who is the complete loser in the mix?

investor's picture

Ok. Where i can buy this ?

jl's picture

Yikes! This is a for profit venture as well as an exercise in doing your best. It is not your "average" $50k home dream theater. However, I would not mind seeing a few tweaked Minimus 7's strategically placed..... ;-)

ozer's picture

He might acidently send himself back in time if he's not careful. :p

joeschmo's picture

Wow...I am amazed at the difference in opinions here. I only wish I was more of an audiophile to argue some of these brands and technologies.As for the craziness of this system, I believe as much as everyone criticizes this guy, he is the one listening to this setup. Something tells me this guy didn't walk into a store with 6mil and say, give me one of everything! I'm sure he researched all of these components and they make the system sound the way HE likes it! I'm sure he's also considering the opinions of others like George Lucas, etc. when building this, but come on...There's a reason there are multiple products available in every market. Each person puts a different aspect of a product at a different priority. It's just sad to see so many people giving this guy crap for enjoying his money.For everyone who said donate to charity, I bet you'd buy your $50,000 system, then buy $5,950,000 of other stuff! What a bunch of crap people.As for the creator of this,

Yop's picture

I was not aware that Mc Intosh was doing wi-fi amplifier...

tomas's picture

I'd like to see frequency response chart. I really wouldn't be that much surprised if it is a complete disaster/mess.

JF's picture

I actually like the way the room looks. Cracks me up how lot's of people here like to tell others how to spend their money. Earn your own money and spend it how you like.

Pooka's picture

I'm betting a good portion of that money went in to the construction of the space.... 2250 Sq/Ft. Custom Designed, Two-Story Concert Hall with Vaulted Ceiling & Balcony - 1" Solid Maple Flooring on 4" tall Pine studs - 12" spacing, sitting on a solid 16" reinforced concrete foundation, itself isolated on 4 - 156' solid steel girders all the way down to bedrock. Features non-parallel walls, ceiling, and floor, with dedicated installed noise isolation system, and acoustic treatments designed to supersede ANSI, SMPTE, AMPAS and AES/EBU noise specifications for professional movie theaters, mixing stages, and anechoic test chambers.Seating for 3-6 (Arizona Leather Curved Couch & Director's Chair) or up to 24 (Premium Leather Theatrical Recliners).

Father Time's picture

Obsolete in 5... 4... 3...

Angus's picture

Wow. Is it even possible for you people to comprehend that somebody can look at unbelievable, ridiculous excess and disapprove without being "jealous"? Probably not. Sorry guys, I look at this and feel disgusted, and it has nothing to do with wishing I could have it myself. I guess if you spend your days smelling your own farts and congratulating yourself on how far above the masses you are, everybody else in the world is just a 'whiny, jealous bitch'.

Fred DeRosa's picture

I feel so inadequate.

Tim in Phoenix's picture

Fascinating....I do not see any power cords or wiring off the back of the amps......is this rig wireless?

Bill's picture

it is sad that one even has not enough money for proper digital camera or this is product of photo enhancement. Perspectives, lighting, shadows, anything doesn't seen to be at place.

Kevin's picture

I wish I could "hear" this system through the pictures like so many other posters here so I too could comment on its audio quality. Unfortunately my .jpg to .mp3 codec isn't working properly. I'm sure during normal operation the components aren't in picture perfect placement (photo op). Regardless of how it may look aesthetically, the ultimate goal is if you feel immersed and like a part of what you are watching. And until the posters sit on that couch (one at a time, for size limitations of course), no one has a reason to criticize or comment on how poor the picture or sound may or may not be. Now, I'm gonna go watch a movie on my $400 Home Theater in a Box and envision what it could be with a KSS.

Rick's picture

All of you people who think you're better than all, do you know this guy for telling that he can actually give that money in charity instead of building that system? When you walk the street and someone ask you for charity, why don't you give him your 20$ instead of going to cinema? Maybe this guy already give some millions in charity and this is his 20$ to go to cinema... Think before bashing..

Mitch's picture

Nice Nautilus

andr's picture

Muito Show!!!!Valeu, tamb

Evil's picture

He should have spent 10 million more on equipment, then throw it all into an incinerator, in full view of starving children and poor people in general. This would let them know its their fault they're poor and that he's not going to give one red cent to them as they lay dying at his feet. Then laugh as he steps over their frail bodies.

doc's picture

Its Fake, computer generated; there are no cables to the amps that are obviously powered on, the lighiting in the room especially the shot with the sub picture is just a bit off, the shadow on the couch is to sharp in the over head pic and the most telling evidence is on their own website "Dedicated scaling technologies are available to provide photo realistic 3D presentations"Well done even down to the dog on the couch.

Mike's picture

One thing that is quite evident, is the lack of any if not all cabling...hmmm must be using that new wireless power technology as well! look at the picture of the equipment, there is no interconnects, the only device that seems "on" is the cable box. The second picture down you can clearly see the speaker terminals without a wire attached. Funny

Jeffr's picture

Personally I think it's a bit much. But as some other people have posted, it is HIS money and he can do what he wants with it. I just hope that someone with that much money is also giving some of it to charitable organizations. I think if you are a multi-millionaire you should be obligated to share the wealth. Ya, it's a capitalist society, and he should be able to spoil himself once in a while, but I hope he's not a greedy bastard.

Eldrecko's picture

Six mil to watch a cartoon. Sad little man.

Silverio's picture

Ah vai se fuder meu!

Chode's picture

screw charity...they worked hard for that money...just give it away your crazylets see you give up your hard earned money

Deano's picture

well i have to say, that is amazing , truly amazing, i would love to experience that system, i beleive you would not ever want to watch another movie anywhere after that.To the muppet who had a wah because this system cost 6 mill and he shoul fed the starving, grow up you have no clue what this gentleman does behind the scenes, maybe feeding the starving is his other passion, either way dont throw stones at people just because they have money and by the sounds of it earned it.On the cabling theres at least 3 pictures there showing cables and the amps in the ring actually have the cables fed thru the stans into the floor, not rockrt science.

Mike's picture

Wow, doesn't invest it or anything....that's just plan stupid to spend that kind of money on something like that...just stupid...

PsiClops's picture

Hey I've got an 8-pak o Guinness I can bring over!

Ken's picture

This guy could charge 10-100 bucks to let people come in and listen and watch for 10 minutes and make his money back and more in no time.

George of the Jungle's picture

What a waste. He should've only spent 50K on his theater and donated the remainder to the poor starving children in Dharfur. I hear they're also in desperate need of some acoustical treatments and PS3's over there. I read they don't want any Xbox360's.

Your mom's picture

Wait, wait, he blows $6M on his home theater, and yet he's UPSAMNPLING the video?!?I am going to laugh for days over this one. What an idiot.

Waderider's picture

Your either part of the problem or part of the solution. And this is most definitely part of the problem.

Plasmacom's picture

Boy what a bunch of jealous wankers, Its his coin and if he wants to spend this cash on bragging rights, All the power to him. Do you all cut up a man with a private jet because he could have flown in economy??? Or the hope diamond when you could have have zirconia ? 400 ft yacht when he could have cruised on disney?? Go play on your ps3 on your $999 benq and you self made painted screen

Jose R Toledo's picture

Phenomenal!!!!!!!!!!! Enjoy it and dont worry about the stupid comments there is a lot of envy in this world. If I had the money i would do it too.

Bazza's picture

What a shame some of that 6 million wasn't wasted on aesthetics.That has to be the ugliest home theatre I've ever seen. Not to mention the fact that the lounge looks like it came from KMart.

Chris's picture

1. It is a lab. a client install would take far more care about aesthetics. And as such, things are set to easily swap things out. and as he said, he is using it to play.2. He did not spend 6 mill... he said it would cost somebody 6 mill to buy it.3. the Runco... WHATEVER does not compare to this 4K beastie.4. The guy on the couch is not him. he is the shaggy lookin dude.5. 12000 watts of amplification is a fancy way of saying there are 24 x 500watt amps (or whatever the config is) not that he uses 12K watts to run the system.Why does he have to give the money to anybody? if he has worked hard and made lots of money, it is his. Sure it would make us feel nice if he did... but the money we are talking about could be considered as capital expenditures in a business. we know very little about him or his gig. to pretend we do is the height of ignorance.

Matt's picture

Why the wood floors? I am sure that helps all of his nice sound equipment.

Anonymous's picture

@Michael Capitalism my behind, thats simply a waste of money, although its his money to waste...When its all said and done its 6million bucks worth of already obsolete over-indulgence.....Its not about jealousy, its not even the best equipment out there for that kind of money, but I could see Bill Gates doing this, but then again he gives hundreds of MILLIONS to the unfortunate through his foundation, so there is a difference.....Heck the money this guy spent on a HT system so he could sit there and gain more weight gawking at his big screen, could have rebuilt how many homes in New Orleans, fed how many children?.....Hmmm.. Oh but its his money.

Chris's picture

$6 million is a chunk of change to spend on stuff like this, but good for him.Giving it to charity? Sure - why not give some to charity. But for someone else to dictate that it SHOULD be given to charity? What dick. People like that SHOULD give all their money to charity - that would be the price of being so freaking smug. David's just a Daydreaming Marxist.

FunnyWorld's picture

Most people don't tell the difference between 720p and 1080p, not talking about the sound... some experiments have shown that, if properly set up, not even an audiophile could distinguise an mp3 from a SACD, and that's using "expensive" amps and speakers. That 6 million obscenity sounds and looks better than a 60K one just because it HAS TO (but maybe just in our minds). And no, I don't envy that guy who expends that amount of money for watching a bluray... and my english is far from perfect, I know... and my ps3 is expensive, but got it for free... and reading all those comments was great! By the way, don't listen your ipod that loud, or you could miss the 6 million experience some day... ;-)

Paul Descartes's picture

Okay, can we stop it with the damn Playstation viral marketing? Thanks

StArSeEd's picture

I'm surprised the equipment list left out the details what would, judging by the walls of what appear to at least mostly be vinyl records, be one of the most important pieces of this setup: the turntable, an ELP Laser Turntable atop the right equipment rack. And also don't miss the Scientific-Atlanta Explorer 8300HD digital cable DVR in the lower left.

nselson's picture

How does that cost six million dollars? Not even close. And, what the hell is 8.8 surround? That guy's in his fifties(easy): he can't even hear to 16khz. Supertweeters?! This is crap.

The Raven's picture

At some point, you leave opulence and gee-whiz cool and you enter a realm of absurd waste and overkill. This "home theater" is what that looks like. We need to stop living this way.

jojo's picture

What over kill!!!

Warren 's picture

Wealth, Charity, Taxes, and Audiophiles- Part IIf you are and average American, chances are you are in the top 1% of the wealthiest people in the world. Your $50K a year salary would feed hundreds in many parts of the world. If you are in the top 1% of wealthy Americans, you probaly donate more to charity that the average American earns. The multi-millionaires in this country give large sums of money (a minimum of 5% of their annual income) to charity through charitable foundations that they establish to reduce their tax burden. So, if someone makes millions a year, they are donating $100K's to charity. However, even if they gave it all away to charity, would you people out there tell them which charity to give to? Bill Gates gives to schools. I direct my foundation to give to charities meaningful to me, such as Alzheimers and Breast Cancer research, and the WWF, not to starving strangers, and certainly not to whiners like yourselves.

Bridget's picture

My only comment: the dials on the front would distract me. They glow blue all the time. His 6 mil; his free will to spend it.

Hap's picture

Oh wah. The setup is a result of a fanatical and, I imagine, iterative evolution to what it is today. It is not how I'd spend my money but I recognize that without people who do this kind of overkill, the state of the art will advance more slowly. I think it is a work in progress.As to those who point out all of the alleged flaws, given Kipnis' background, I consider him to be a far better judge of the technical merits than any anonymous poster or criticism.Further, no one on this thread knows whether or not Kipnis makes large charitable donations of his money. The theater setup shown may be an insignificant expenditure on his part.

Bill's picture

10 years from now, you'll be able to buy this for $200 at Wal-Mart.

robert from I-SCAPE's picture

hello im robert from south texas and your setup is awwwwwwmazing!!! i really want to know what crisp clarity this monstorous system has. ive been in the industry for 7 years and have done my share of high end theaters including Mcinfosh receivers but this is awesome. i always think when im doing a home "how can i customize it" so the owner can say "you know im the only one who has this setup. by the way i do full custom instalations. we onced combined the sony plasma xrb on a swivel bracket with b&w onwall bars so that no matter where you turn your tv you would always hear your 3.1. i would like to chat with you to deepened my knoledge my email is rortiz_2284@yahoo.com. also to homeauto with C4 and HAI

Garl's picture

Respect!

BA Tech's picture

I see a bunch of whiners complaining because this guy decided to spend what he earned!!! Let him enjoy it..My wife is disabled and yeah the money he spent could go along way for assisting others.. but it's his money and let him do with it what he wants.I would like to hear/see some old classics with some of the sound effects that they had..

julian's picture

That projector is probably cheapest thing there, find a good 1080p 10k for the same price?!? Plus he will be ready for when 2060p movies are released. I bet that couch is comfy as shit with that fine pussy on it.

Justin Kelley's picture

Amazing system!!! If you are wondering where the wires are, check out the video on youtube. The wires were removed for the photo, and for the "off the shelf" guy, he modified all the amps and electronics if you watch the videos it explains all that. This system is revolutionizing audio reproduction. Way to go Kipnis!!

Andy's picture

Wow, I'm not sure which is more interesting, the setup itself, or the idiotic posts that follow.

chris's picture

"what a waste" what the hell does that mean....Hes earnt his money for a dream, most people if they had 6 mill would blow it on drugs and alcohol.Leave the guy alone, i admire this setup but most ppl arnt in to audio.Its his money he can do what the hell he wants with it, for you people who rant about this, get a god damn job and earn your own 6 mill......wasters!

kyle's picture

For 6 million he should have got cables - makes the sound way better.

gustavo Brizuela's picture

heyy guy's i have one home theater coby , the price is $45 dolar in ebay and one t.vbalck and white and the price is $60 dolar in el salvador is emerson kool no ??? ohh and my athary wireless too

Manuel Furtado's picture

Love all the comments. All you guys saying he should have done this and that. The system isn't even hooked up. I don't see a single power cord or speaker wire. How's that going to work. Maybe they removed all the wiring for the photos, but I'm thinking maybe it's a publicity stunt. I would love to experience a system of this level and find out if it's worth the money. I'll reserve judgement unless I hear this thing. Even with that kind of money, I think he could have used less equipment. I am a big believer ib the less is more camp. More electronics means more noise and heat. All those speakers can create major problems if not set up properly. Circle idea is great. all speakers appear same distance from listeners and speakers are far away from wall where you'll want to absorb any refelextions around the listeners. Don't know about amps in front of center speakers though. Awesome statement all together and would love to hear waht that would sound like.

todd's picture

I'm pretty sure this is a showpiece as he is trying to market this and other setups so if everything was hidden the viual impact of the system as a whole would be lost. Also for those saying the sound stage and such is messed up due to speaker placement and lack of walls probably have a bose system that relys on walls ie. direct reflecting speaker tech., i think anyone that has his dedication to the A/V environment and has spent this much money has and done the appropriate research would not have screwed up simply by speaker placement. I for one will never in my life hear one of these loudspeakers and cannot for the life of me put this system down just because i am jelous.

Judi Rovinelli's picture

I had the pleasure of receiving a demo last night. Absolutely awesome!! The sound was just perfect!! Whomever buys can have the equipment concealed if they want. I liked seeing some of the units because they added to the ambience.Jeremy truely has the ability to make a home theater an awesome experience. His passion, knowledge and perhaps even his family tree has all contributed to the "art" he has created!Maybe pricey but for those that can afford it is worth every penny!!

Steve's picture

Each man has his own vision...some lose track there is a point of diminishing returns wwith audio and video. This a man does for himself for unknow reasons to the rest of us. As an older guy and deep in the industry pro I will tell anyone who cares simple is better. You need an HT room that transports you to another world before you even start the show. 99% of all people couldn't care less about the gear, it is the experience they truly enjoy when you are swept away in a world without distractions. I would title this theater "The ultimate gearheads distraction" It's a funny thing I have noticed as how many people know an inch about audio and acoustics and think they know a mile.I'm just a guy with a lot of initials after my name...oh yeah...and a great love for excellence in sound.

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