I would have spent less money on a Meridian Reference Series system and put the rest of the money elsewhere.
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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)
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COMMENTS
Submitted by jmack1215 (not verified) on February 12, 2008 - 12:06am
you guys would not bitch if this was all yours so fuck off and let the man enjoy his shit if hes got 6 mil to throw into that shit good for him fuckin haters i wanna see all of you donating to charity if you were rich its a lot different when the moneys in your wallet
Submitted by Nick (not verified) on February 12, 2008 - 2:13am
People spend what for 3 way 8800GTX sli that is some peoples yearly wage in a lot of countries. It's his money. He made HIS MONEY. Please tell me what to do with my money. I really want you to. And make sure you come over and knock on my door and tell me in front of my face. Not typing and scratching your ass eating a twinkie in the basement. Some of the stuff in his setup is pretty useless. 4k projector w/comp???? Yeah dumb. But again IT HIS money that HE MADE. 6 million? I would have a sick home theatre.
Submitted by Mike (not verified) on February 12, 2008 - 3:32am
All these stupid morons talking about starving children. Jealous idiots! Who says the guy didn't donate 1 million USD already? And what do you donate yourself? Do you donate $500 a month?You are all jealous pussies, just working your simple 9-5 jobs and bitching about money issues and starving children...start your own company, make a few million and donate it ALL! It's easy bitching at rich people through your F*cking keyboards.
Submitted by Digital (not verified) on February 12, 2008 - 4:32am
Nice concept, bad implementation. Seems as though it could have been done much better for much less; and a shipload of cash could have been spent on a separate building / shape / modified - as well as much better seating. I would have hidden all of the kit in another climate-controlled room as I hate seeing distracting lights anywhere when I watch movies. The current look is good for ego / bad for a non-distracting movie experience.Would have hidden or at least kind of
Submitted by Edemilson Lima (not verified) on February 12, 2008 - 11:12am
>Wow...someone has a lot of cash, and needs to be donating it to charity, not spending it on rediculous "entertainment" systems.Everytime you give money to people, they become lazy and always wait for the endless help of people who works. When somebody spend a lot of money in something, in fact this person is distributing his/her money among the companies that manufactures these products. In their turn, they distribute the money paying emploeeys and suppliers. The money goes its way naturally and go soon or later to the hands of poor people that work for it. So, no money is really wasted. But if you give the fish, they eat the fish and ask for another fish. Better teach them to fishing.
Submitted by Don Van Zile II (not verified) on February 12, 2008 - 2:41pm
What kind of security system does this guy's house have? I would be scared shitless to leave my house with a 'warehouse' of equipment like this guy has. What kind of security system would be recommended that would give you 'peace of mind' when you occassionaly left your system to go out and enjoy other aspects of whatever life you have left outside of this showroom!
Submitted by Magnolia Salemens (not verified) on February 12, 2008 - 4:37pm
Most of you are just jealous that he has money to spend and you don't, get over it let the man do what he wants to do.And for those of you complaining that he's using only component outputs, STFU. You know nothing if you think HDMI is better then component. Component and HDMI is basically the same thing the only difference is 1 cable for HDMI and 3 cables for component (with the HDMI carrying sound). Component cables AND HDMI cables output 1080p, and if you would read more into you would also realize he's doing MORE then 1080p noobs.
Submitted by Chris (not verified) on February 12, 2008 - 6:31pm
Quote: A man builds, a parasite asks 'Where's my share?' - well that was an obvious quote from "BioShock".This system is outstanding, if i had the money i'd definately do it - not give it to charity - cos i've sat on the bones of my arse and no one's ever given me anything.I say fair play, most rich people spend $6M on stupid things like cars and yachts, this guy made a cinema in his gaff, money well spent i say, it's beautiful to behold and i'm sure it provides excellent video and audio quality, worth every penny.
Submitted by Emery Miller (not verified) on February 12, 2008 - 8:21pm
If you make a lot of money, spend it on whatever you want. To the idiot complaining about charity, screw charity, if you have money because youve worked your butt off, spend it however you please.This is the most ungodly thing ive ever seen.
Submitted by ConfusedShoes (not verified) on February 19, 2008 - 7:31am
To my mind, the sincere attempt of Mr. Kipnis to achieve the last word in Home Theater begs the question, "Is the absolute best in home theater achievable only by using commercial gear (his choice) or can his system be beat by using equally SOTA professional equipment?" Anyone out there willing to challenge Mr. Kipnis' end result using pro gear? Obviously, cost is not the issue here.
Submitted by SeymourAV (not verified) on February 19, 2008 - 10:31am
The biggest shortcomings I see with his system is that he's using three center channels that aren't identical to his left/right speakers. He should have used an acoustically transparent screen (Stewart microperfs as a standard option), and had a single center tower that's identical to his mains. Having identical front soundstage is critical for true multichannel audiphiles, as is having the sound come from behind the image (like Mr. Lucas has). Audiophiles prize sonic imagery, and having the comb-filtering mess from three center channels, firing from the floor several feet below the image, having early-reflection distortion from floor and tube amp obstacles, is deeply compromised. This system surely has merits, but is far from state of the art, which has to include best practices.
Submitted by Spitgray (not verified) on February 19, 2008 - 12:14pm
I wish you all will quit it... Obviously, he has the money to blow... I would have done it too if I could afford it... I pretty sure if has that much to blow on a "toy" (all wealthy people have them)... he has a charity or six that he support as well... Do you thing, man... it looks creative... especially the subs... I would have organized the speakers to save space in the room, but very good none the lessS.
Submitted by Tonz of Fun (not verified) on February 19, 2008 - 12:23pm
Wow. I don't think I have ever read so many angry comments from people who think they know more about what a person wants or needs, especially one they have never met. I say well done Mr. Kipnis.I have an extremely humble home setup, and it suits me well until I can afford to upgrade it. I bet you Mr. Kipnis's system would just destroy mine. I just wish I had the money to set up a system like his because, I tell you now, most of us would if we could. And I believe that is the truth.
Submitted by Mike V (not verified) on February 19, 2008 - 4:17pm
Wow. Just wow. There are so many comments here about how "this is such a waste of money" and "donate to charity" etc etc. How do you know what the man does with the rest of his money? ANYWAY..I probably would have done more work on the acoustics of the room, but what do I know. I have never heard his system, and neither have many of you. It might sound awesome. Certainly the equipment is top notch. I congratulate David on his success and being able to spend it on something he obviously enjoys. Any of you that want to do it too, you work hard enough you can make something like this happen too. Ain't America great?
Submitted by Chris Church (not verified) on February 19, 2008 - 4:20pm
I think they should plug in the speakers for 6M dont you see picture #2 rear of subwolfer.. And maybe moving the amps that are blocking off half of the tweeters and mids in the center channel would ALSO be a good idea.. I am pretty sure they should be unobstructed.. And I agree this money would have been better spent on charity.. But what do I know...
Submitted by Dave (not verified) on July 29, 2008 - 12:56pm
What a mess. For $6 million I you could buy a building, all the equipment, build some stadium seating and charge admission. This guy obviously has no clue about acoustics and home theater design. No room treatments, hardwood floors and inferior playback equipment. He's so proud of his huge screen but places speakers below it rather than behind it. No wonder his center's sound hollow. I suppose some Nordost cables would fix that (right!!!). That's Ultimate AV for you...promoting snake oil salesmen everywhere.
Submitted by Doug (not verified) on July 29, 2008 - 1:14pm
Have you taken a look at his website? You'd think if he could spend $6,0,000 on his home theater and was planning on doing this as a business he would hire somebody to design his website rather than have his 14 year old nephew or kid down the road do it. That has to be one of the worst websites I've seen. Same goes for his Theater Room. Both are poorly designed.
Submitted by Gerald Clifton (not verified) on June 10, 2008 - 12:20am
Obviously, one can do whatever one wishes with the hard-earned cash. Or even soft-earned cash. Everybody who said "less is more" is probably right. Everybody who gives a poop is probably wrong. Could he have done all this with less? No doubt. So why did he do it with more? Check out the photo of the loving couple on the sofa. How else could anyone (or two) this deeply mired in mediocrity get the star treatment? Why would anybody want it? Why publicize this pap, unless for fame or business? I agree with the wit, above, who said it would be a business write-off. The sound? I, nor any of you, have no idea -- none of us has heard it. Still, one must conclude how easily it would have been to get by for less. "Get by." I leave you all with that thought.
Submitted by John F. Reeves (not verified) on March 18, 2008 - 8:03am
As an engineer who cut his teeth on audio/visual entertainment equipment, both in the broadcast side and the receiver side, I am puzzled with the intentions of some of these so-called "audiophiles". To keep this simple, get best visual/audio experience with least amount of expense. After all, doesn't this just break down to personal opinion? I know people who brag about their $39.99 boomboxes. If this man is truly satified with the results of his spending, who are we to judge him. Remember, it just opinion. What's that saying? A fool and his money will soon part! Just my opinion. ----John
Submitted by David Budo (not verified) on May 6, 2008 - 6:15pm
I always wonder why everyone wants to hide as much of their equipment as possible. I love showing off what I worked for. I think the guys posting about aesthetics have their wives standing behind them. When I build my theater, I'm making sure as much of my equipment is visible. If you've got it, flaunt it! Also, why do the haters in here overlook the clearly noted fact that he is marketing this system to the movie industry. If it were such a waste of money, and if he knew nothing about acoustics, I'm sure they'll realize that it sounds nothing like it was intended. I highly doubt that'll happen though. Lastly, to all the "audiophiles" out there, go apply to work for THX, Lucas Films or maybe one of the hundreds of install companies out there with all your forum bull shit and see how hysterically they will laugh at you! Props Kipnis! Keep pushing the boundaries and one day there will be an 8.8 HTIB at our local Best Buy.P.S. I miss HD DVD!
Submitted by Kevin Moore (not verified) on May 20, 2008 - 1:19pm
Actually I've seen this projector - it's the same one at the AMC Framingham 16, in Mass (they used to have two). It's a sweet projector. It does take a digital source from commercially released movies - I wonder if he's been able to get or rent any of these movies? As I recall they show up as a huge array of hard drives via FedEx (like the size of a couple of big suitcases).Actually I think upscaling 1080i to 2160p/24 would work great. Slightly different columns really doesn't matter. The only thing wrong with this setup is that projector is designed for screens around 60'+. At only 18' I wonder how the black levels are... and on that note, can the displays of all those amps right in front of the screen be completely turned off??As far as the small seating setup and suspicious speaker placements... hopefully it sounds good and I think it's neat it only seats 3!All in all, yeah - it's a bit tiring reading all the posts about things being excessive. It'
Submitted by Dave (not verified) on October 14, 2008 - 9:42am
Somebody needs to earn their own ride and stop asking for free rides. Looks like he is doing ok for himself and wanted to drop some cash on a sweet system.. It obviously overkill for the average person.. But I'll take a shot at saying his income isnt average.
Submitted by Kipnis Studio S... (not verified) on September 7, 2010 - 4:17pm
Greetings:I am the creator and designer of an entirely new level of Ultimate Home Theaters in the world - the Kipnis Studio Standard (KSS) - including the copyrighted Cine Beta "TRINITY" design, seen above.With between 8.8 - 12.12 channels of sound, and composed of as many as 16 subwoofers, 96 speaker drivers, and a video resolution more than four times that of Full HD (1080P); 4K = 10 Megapixels: this is the most immersive Home Theater experience one can own, today and tomorrow.Accommodated within dedicated, custom built double height rooms 28.5 x 36 feet in size and larger, a 65,000+ watt Surround Sound System fills the space with sound that is truly worthy of worship. Capable of entertaining anywhere from between 10 - 100 people at a time, the KSS Cine Beta "TRINITY" Home Theater System lies in the middle of a range of Home Theater design and integration solutions that gets even more extravagant with the KSS Cine Alpha Stadium Design.For those with more modest tastes and
Submitted by Christopher Whitler (not verified) on September 23, 2008 - 5:02pm
Look i know some of you are leaving comments about giving that money to charity. Well guess what? I guarantee that if that man has enough money to spend on a home theater system like that i will promise you he gives a shitload to charity. Dont judge a book by its cover people. Dont some of you have something you have always wanted. well this guy wanted the most bad ass theater system in the world. You people are just jealous because when he watches Star Wars that man can load his pants while you listen to your shitty onkyo system that came in a box. Get a life stop leaving blogs and comments like this shit. I just went on here to show my dad this.
Submitted by Kipnis Studios (not verified) on April 8, 2009 - 1:46pm
Thanks, Patrik! Shortly, we will be utilizing the new Meridian 810 Reference Video System for our CinemaScope 2D Presentations. And, we are adding a new 3D Lens and dual 2K Sony Media Server to our Sony SRX-T110, allowing for the full realization of Paramount / Dreamworks Animation's "Monsters vs. Aliens - 3D" here at Kipnis Studios - Cin
Submitted by Kipnis Studios (not verified) on August 13, 2008 - 12:14pm
Let me tell you . . .If you love movies, television, video games, still photography, music, or you name it, owning a dictated room built from the ground up with your personal choice of interior design and Kipnis Studio Standards (KSS) for picture and sound fidelity is . . . PRICELESS!If you are genuinely curious, why not go to my website and call me up to schedule a complete demonstration?You will be amazed!Cheers -JeremyKipnis Studioswww.Kipnis-Studios.com
Submitted by Jim Blasko (not verified) on December 16, 2008 - 11:04pm
I've won the biggest award at CEDIA, and I find this to be something beautiful. I love it. www.lasvegaslowvoltage.com
Submitted by MrSatyre (not verified) on February 6, 2008 - 3:44pm
I have to agree with the majority of posts here: he could have accomplished very much the same results (or even better) with a lot less money, but then I guess that's why some people spend $10K and up on a Rolex when a $400 Seiko looks just as nice and tells time, too. This is like building a skyscraper and plating it in gold. Why bother? I don't think even Donald Trump would throw away that much money on hardware (all of which is very nice, by the way; just too much of it) which could be used to build a better acoustic environment.
Submitted by Anthony Dever (not verified) on February 6, 2008 - 4:02pm
from one audiophile to another i give this guy nothing but respect. Its because of people like this guy that new innovative ideas are brought to the table. Testing systems to the limits, making systems better, finding there strengths and weaknesses. It just seems to me that the people leaving negative comments more then likely have not the understanding nor the commitment to love something so much and accomplish there own personal AV Dream. Keep on living the dream Jeremy Kipnis.
Submitted by David (not verified) on February 6, 2008 - 6:17pm
Totally tasteless - Back wall showing Yuk!Get some curtains!McIntosh Tubes? M'eh - I sold them & Never liked them.I'll keep my Bryston's - B&W's and M&K 5000sub - top of lines for millions less!I agree with above post - Need a place for feet too!
Submitted by Terrys_into_HT (not verified) on February 6, 2008 - 7:30pm
I'd love to be Kipnis' neighbor and learn about another persons process, different products and limitations. I'm into quality and yes quality costs money so I'm not surprised at 6M. Sure I cannot afford it, but if someone wants to, let them. I finished my dedicated HT and now I look back and plan to improve parts for the next one I build. Upgrading equipment to top of the line is not for everyone, but when they experience what high-quality products deliver, they are not complaining.
Submitted by pypeanews (not verified) on February 9, 2011 - 9:01am
I'm really Glad i came across this website.Added www.hometheaterdesignmag.com to my bookmark!
Submitted by DeWayne Hendrix (not verified) on February 12, 2008 - 9:04pm
Fantasticaly outragious system. Awesome and very pleasing to the eye. His money, his idea, his right. To everyone gripeing about waste or charity. Look at it this way, when you were young, did you say to yourself," I'm gonna marry an ugly spouse when I grow up", and did. This guy did'nt have that dream. Grow up!
Submitted by hunterr83 (not verified) on February 13, 2008 - 12:21am
Well, to each his own. It's his money, so let him do with it whatever he wants. He earned it. To those saying it's a waste and that it should be given to charity or to other worthy causes, well, why don't you go out there and make the same money he does and do what you're trying to tell him to do. I don't appreciate people telling me what to do with my money or life, so I try not to go around doing the same.
Submitted by WPJ (not verified) on February 13, 2008 - 1:57am
He should take that system to the ghetto, an say "who's Gangsta nao?" Now thats entertainment.I laughed hysterically at allot of these comments. Wow the INTERNETS.I don't care if its his money, dropping that much on a system even if the building is included an expecting someone to buy that!?! WHAT!?!For 6 mill I'll be playing Crysis at 120fps @ 2160 x 3840 on cryo cooled PC from the future! I got the same enjoyment out of my old SANSUI 320watt system.
Submitted by wes (not verified) on February 13, 2008 - 3:54am
"I'm going to surf to an AUDIO VIDEO BLOG today and then tell someone that they are spending too much money on AUDIO AND VIDEO." Lol, get a grip. How about instead of whining about the poor hungry kids, you log onto a POOR HUNGRY KIDS site and donate. Nobody who actually frequents this site pre and after this attention cares anything about your insipid and useless comments. Maybe he should have spent his 6 million dollars flying around the country and beating the stupid out of you people posting off-topic comments. (AND HE'S THE SKINNY GUY, NOT THE FAT GUY) That being said, the guy's developing this stuff so he can SELL it. I guess that means that Ford, GM, Intel, IBM, heck, pretty much any fortune 500 company had better stop researching and start pumping money into charity. Oh wait, that would make no sense at all. Don't have 6 million dollars kicking around that you can spend on what you like? Life sucks, buy a helmet, and leave this guy alone. At least he's
Submitted by Mike McCool (not verified) on February 13, 2008 - 12:36pm
I love technology, and that is the most powerful home theater I have ever seen. If and when I get the money to buy one. You will be the man to fix me up. Thanks for sharing your system with the world. It is like discovering UFOS exist. There is Genius on earth, and you are the master of blaster. Crank it up, and enjoy the movies and your favorite bands. Peace.
Submitted by David (not verified) on February 13, 2008 - 2:54pm
These same people spend millions for a car they never drive, a house they'll never live in, and leave no mark on society. I'd rather be known as the guy who built a school than the guy who spent 6 large on speakers. Honestly, how good can a home movie need to sound?
Submitted by Phil (not verified) on February 13, 2008 - 4:49pm
As for the tubes, they seem to be on shock mounts. If you think about 150w tube guitar amplifiers and 400w tube bass amplifiers sitting on top of their speaker cabinets. Those tubes can last for decades without becoming microphonic, and they aren't shock mounted either.
Submitted by oh my god (not verified) on February 13, 2008 - 5:04pm
Honestly, for all of you saying that he should donate his money instead of spending 6 million on a home theater? How much money do you think he actually has? How do you know he doesn't donate millions of dollars a year to charity? Only the jealous mind would assume negativity. He's worked hard and this is what he wanted to spend his hard earned money on then good for him and I think its great that he's happy. For the people complaining about power consumptions? Unless your driving a hybrid, shut the hell up. Honestly, this was put here for home theater enthusiasts. For all of you green peace lovers, go abuse Ford, or a company that actually is destroying the earth, and if you disagree, watch a documentary about the death of the electric vehicle. Its a shame that selfish, negative people exist like you.
Submitted by Christoph Z (not verified) on February 13, 2008 - 5:08pm
While I do think 6m is a rediculous amount to spend on a HT set-up, I will say that it is definately Sota. Please remeber, that he wants to sell this system to other people. Those other people are RICH. The rich very rarely spend money because it is a good value. That is why Rolex, and Farrari stay in bussiness. I am not rich, but a car accident helped me to get this system which I think is SOTA: JVC DLA-RS2, Carada 142" screen w/Masqarade, Anthem D2 and 2 P2 amps and 2 P5 amps running a Klipsch THX system. 4 KL-650-THX up front, 4 KS-525-THX for the sides, and 4 KL-525-THX in the back. T-Rex stomps from 7 KW-120-THX subs ea w/ a KA-1000-THX amp. 3 subs up front, one on each side, and 2 in the back. Power comes from 3 APC S20 conditioners. Accoustics by Aurelex, and room tuned with a custom installed Auddyssey MultiEQ Pro Equalizer. Sources are Pioneer Elite BDP-95FD blu-ray player, and a OPPO universal player. I paid alot less than he did, and mine is still SO
Submitted by Frank Berloffa (not verified) on February 13, 2008 - 8:22pm
You should rethink your amplifier system if you insist to keep your 16 subwoofers, tubes tend to go microphonic by nature (aging) and exposure to extremely powerful bass (mechanic stress / vibrations) will accelerate this process, or simply wreck their mechanical integrity. Switch over to solid state, less THD anyway because of the absence of an end stage audio transformer. F.B.
Submitted by Rich (not verified) on February 19, 2008 - 9:23pm
I only have one disagreement with all of the above comments. $1k+/ft cables are definately BS. Of course this theater is over the top. It's built to demonstrate a persoanl vision. He bought the speakers that sounded best to him. He's able to do that because it's his money. Same with the rest, including the room decor. I think it's great in it's excess. Especially the projector. The point in any hobby is to have fun and he had the most. Drop the vitriol guys/girls. This is not that serious.
Submitted by MadmanIII (not verified) on February 19, 2008 - 10:08pm
As for the system, bet it rocks, i mean i think the radio in my car sounds great and its stock hyundai. I'm just very upset that this fool for his 6mil didn't organize a few drink holders in the armrests of that couch. I pity the poor bastard who goes over to his place to watch simpsons. ;P
Submitted by audio engineer (not verified) on February 20, 2008 - 8:17am
Well, here's the rub with all of this audiophile stuff....While I'm sure its sounds tremendous and all and I would love to own the gear and the room appears treated but who knows about bass trapping with all those subs, you just can't tell from the photos. That's all fine and good..... BUT:As a film sound engineer, I am here to tell you that the professionals who create the material you are listening to in home theaters are not spending remotely this amount of money on the room, gear and mixing equipment. Point being that the playback system should not exceed the mixing system that was used to create the material in the first place. You want to drop 10-20K on speakers and spend 40K on the room and you will have the best you can buy for a home theater, period. Definitely a law of diminishing returns here.... I'm sure the speakers sound great but jeez...... Just my professional opinion.
Submitted by DarkElfa (not verified) on February 20, 2008 - 2:34pm
Well, as far as I'm concerned here, except for the upscaling thing which yes, I would have had that fixed for the money being spent on the system as a whole, This is exactly what I would do if I could afford it. The negative posts here are indeed just jealousy and hate and it sickens me to hear such lame garbage come out of people who are obviously fans of such things (or else why be on a site about it). I love the design and the idea, I only wish I could experience it as well. ;)
Submitted by Pete (not verified) on February 20, 2008 - 7:26pm
Why out of all the commments of complaint and and jealousy over this mans available budget. Not one of you here have picked up on the point that the figure of 6 Million has come from an estimate of what he would charge for a system like this. I would assume this covers a lot of his research and work that has been done thus far plus making your particular system partly bespoke based on your room/house and requirements. I think the components that are in the room are well well under 6 million.
Submitted by kmodek (not verified) on February 27, 2008 - 6:42pm
I'm an incredibly low income earner who is disabled and raising a child on my own and yep, sorry, but it's pretty damn sad that millions of people have no insurance or dental coverage and live in pain and sickness in our own country while the gov't says 'there isn't any money', yet there is plenty of money for a select few in the world who don't think twice about what their 'toys' could do to keep other humans alive. Well, if this is the wrong way to think, I don't want to be right!
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