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I understand the poll question and think it is an interesting one to ask. It makes sense for you to ask the question. I'm lucky, my wife likes movies too, so she trusts me to do the room.

However, regardless of the question, in the picture for this article, could a system like this really be practical in the typical space, or even a rather large space, found in people homes? I cannot imagine clean, well balanced surround, with subtle sonic details, etc. to be heard from this system. What is pictured doesn't say "home theater" to me, it says "really REALLY loud" and that's all.

I think the picture may improperly color the question a bit. I am surprised at the higher number of "yes" already. Please accept my apologies if I missed your boat on this one.

Mark, from Upstate New York

Single, but not crazy enough to replicate the photo :)

Of course, it's my job, but it still means I can take over the largest room in the house and paint the walls a dark, neutral gray with no repercussions.

I agree the visual presentation is a little over the top, but I bet the audio performance is outstanding. That system will be loafing along at reference levels. Multiple bass drivers will ensure smooth bass response in a home enviroment, plus provide deeper bass with a tactile feedback quality, and an ability to pressurize a room. The use of horns will ensure high frequency information at listening distances where dome tweeters will be unable to provide high frequency information at reference levels beyond 12-14 feet.

I bet that system outperforms many an "audiophile" system.

Kick ass system!!! Being an owner of 2 of those subs I can honestly say they'll reproduce any & all low range frequencies. You want subtle, they'll do it. You want in your face chest thumping bass, they'll do it. SQ is their forte.

I am one of the lucky ones who's wife gives sole control of the home theater. Like me, she LOVES movies and even better, truly appreciates hi performance audio and video. As long as I tell her before I make a purchase, and it won't bankrupt us, she gives me control of the reigns. I actually couldnt ask for a better wife and I love sharing my favorite hobby of home theater with her.

How can any of you even make a reference as to how that system would sound? None of you have experienced anything like it but yet put it down and say it's not going to sound good. Don't hate that someone loves audio and wanted to put the time into making a truly reference system that suits his needs just fine.

Over the top? you bet!!
Why?? Why not?

I also don't feel sorry for you guys who's wives run your lives. If your wife can't support your hobby and let you have one room in the house, I can't imagine what the rest of your life must be like.

Dedicated home theatre is in the basement and is mine to do with as I please (limited only by budget). If one can do it, having a dedicated space is the way to go; otherwise it will inevitably run afoul of the wife, kids, and the dog. Not optimal!

I am synpathetic to those who 'chase the bass'. I've been on an almost 20 year journey to get smooth, extended bass response in my room, and the ONLY way I have found to do that is to have multiple, high performing woofers spread around the room. At last count I have 7 subs (not including the dedicated woofer towers of my Genesis mains) in my 24x14 space,and while that may seem like overkill, it actually is not.

Hahahahahahaha.

Not everyone has the same definition of "Home Theater." This would be excessive in my living room, but I would welcome it into my "Home Theater."

Depends on how you set your system up....you can make a small system sound excessive and distorted if not properly setup....I have seven subwoofers connected to my system....usually I would not use an odd number, but one is behind my couch and causes no problems....so I have one signature paradigm in front with my two left and right Goldenears with built in subwoofers....and two subs on back right side and one on left backside and one behind the couch...and the D2 Anthem processor and several Parasound amplifiers and one P2 Anthem amplifier...I have a capability of over 13000 watts output....but of course that just keeps the sound pure by moderate to high levels....but I calibrate my system to sound laid back and let the dynamics come out naturally....without pushing it.....Yes I love extreme low bass....but clean bass...and very clean sound all around....and I get it....Sounds like bragging, but I would take my system over anything else I've ever heard.....and the detail is superb....my girlfriend's two little girls love it too....always telling me to turn it up....I just love them.....

Simply gross to think this spl drag-race garbage has leaked over from AVS onto this site.

First, there's absolutely NO reason "audiophile" (or whatever more derogatory term you would like to label high end/"higher" end loudspeakers) cannot cleanly reach reference levels in MANY rooms.

Do the math: a decently sensitive speaker (say 92dbs 1 meter) with FOUR watts of input will produce 86dbs of continuous output at 12'.

That's LOUD, to at least 95% of the populace, and higher than most want to listen at- even with perfect, distortion-free replication.
Again, that's 4 watts and does not account for boundary reinforcement or coupling of multiple speakers.

Dynamics? Ok.

The same loudspeaker will- with ~200 watts of input- produce ~105db peaks (or "reference") at the same 12 feet. And don't start babbling about "compression" as virtually any decent speaker with proper power handling can produce 105db peaks- especially when considering it shouldn't be seeing anything much below 80hz in a properly crossed HT scenario.

Again: that's assuming more than a sliver want to listen at those levels to begin with. Scads of data exist all over the place that most find theaters to be much too loud- and many times they're LESS than the "reference" 85/105db standard. I know, I know, YOUR gear sounds WAY better than the local IMAX. Sure.

SO: barring a very large room or significantly LONGER seating distances, buy some quality, "easier" to power loudspeakers, a 200 wpc external amplifier (emotivas ship to your house for $900, less, used), or MEATY AVR (after all, rarely are all 5/7 channels really recruited for high-power...many times a stout AVR can deliver impressive peak power into 2 channels), a REAL powered subwoofer (JTR, Seaton Sound, SVS come to mind), and stop drinking the kool-aid that your room needs to look like "black cube death" to achieve VERY LOUD/REFERENCE-level playback, It is simply not rooted in truth, but rather, pish that's largely propagated by a % of "clever pros" who have more money and time than sense, coupled with an insatiable desire to not-so-clandestinely chest-beat and textually communicate the "mine's bigger" schtick. Sigh.

And btw: I'd bet my next check that those are not authentic Lab Gruppens, but the warranty-less $700 knock-offs that some Chinese vendor is kicking out to AVS members who are willing to pay for them.

Go figure.

A single quality subwoofer is often enough for a single room, for most people, in terms of SPL and even bass extension. But a second subwoofer can provide smoother bass throughout the room, and solve subwoofer placements issues. Whether that respresents value to someone or not, there's still solid science behind it.

80 Hz is simply a well thought out crossover point for the vast majority of systems sold. But that doesn't mean it's the best crossover point for a capable system, with good amplification, in a large room.