TimC Posted June 1, 2007 Share Posted June 1, 2007 $200k for the cables An Audio System that Spares No Expense When you spend $200,000 on audio cable, you know you're in a whole new league. When the owner of this home theater decided on having an audiophile-grade system, he went all out—to the tune of more than a million dollars. The room consists of super-high-end Wilson Audio loudspeakers, FM Acoustics amplifiers, a Meridian surround processor and DVD player, a Halco preamplifier, dCS SACD transport and digital-to-audio converter, ReQuest Multimedia hard drive servers, about $200,000 worth of Transparent Audio cable, and a Faroudja D-ILA (direct-drive image light amplifier) video projector and processor—and those are just the highlights. “It’s nothing like I’ve experienced, and I’ve been in the business 25 years,” says audio/video installer Don Krasen of Krystal Clear Audio-Video. To say this system is powerful is a huge understatement. FM Acoustic amps can pump out 350 watts into 8 ohms of impedance and almost 900 into 2 ohms of impedance, and the Wilson loudspeakers will go down to 3 ohms, according to Krasen. In addition to the tall Wilson Alexandria speakers in the front and the Wilson Maxx speakers in the back, Krasen used a Wilson Watch center channel and five Wilson Watchdog subwoofers. “One sub is in front under the center channel, because Wilson doesn’t have full-range center channel,” says Krasen. The sub provides the low sounds for that speaker. Bass traps built into the corners with MDF board and filled with insulation absorb excess bass and help hide three of the subwoofers. Another is visible in the back. Krasen, an acoustic consultant himself, designed the room and bass traps in conjunction with Reiss Audio. “There’s prodigious bass, but it’s extremely tight,” says Krasen. The sound doesn’t go outside the area. “The room is designed like a recording studio,” Krasen explains, with room-within-a-room construction and a decoupled floor, so it’s not joined directly to the walls and susceptible to traveling vibrations. Acoustic foam and a space between the two perimeter walls also help isolate the sound. This room, with its adjacent bar area and two-story wine cellar, is actually in the back of the offices for the owner’s several investment businesses. He knew when he bought the lot and rebuilt the historic-area structure that it would include the audiophile room of his dreams. “I love music, and this combines everything I’ve wanted,” he says. “I can use it to hang out with my friends and enjoy the wine cellar. I have also used it to entertain clients, which is fun. Everyone has their favorite music and bands, and we have an extensive selection of DVDs. We’ll pop in the Eagles DVD, and it’s like you’re there.” EQUIPMENT LIST Display Faroudja HD-ILA 1080p projector Faroudja DVP1080 HD video processor Stewart Filmscreen VE120HST13W-12-2-5.25 projection screen Draper SL4 projector lift Marantz PD-5050D 50-inch plasma Chief PDR-2023 plasma mount Audio/Video Components dCS La Scala DSD upsampling CD/SACD transport dCS Elgar Plus DAC dCS Verona master clock DirecTV H20 HD satellite receiver (2) FM Acoustics FM 811 power amps (2) FM Acoustics FM115 mono power amp Halcro dm8 linestage amp Meridian 861 surround-sound processor Meridian 800D CD/DVD player ReQuest Tera 1200 music server Speakers Totem Acoustic TAC 6.5 in-Ceiling speakers (bar) Wilson Audio Alexandria2 speakers (2) Wilson Audio Watch center speaker Wilson Audio MAXX2 surround speakers (2) Wilson Audio Watchdog subwoofers (5) Control Crestron TPMC-10 WiFi color touchpanel Crestron TPMC-10-DS WiFi docking station Crestron TPS-2000L color wall-mounted touchpanel Lighting Lutron ST-6BRL-NI-WH SeeTouch keypad (3) Furniture, Acoustics & Accessories Audioplex speaker to line level converter Balanced Audio Technology output adapters Golden Sound XT-1 HDMI cable Panasonic KX-T30865 door phone Panasonic KX-TD7680 wireless phone Meridian 421 HDMI switcher Meridian 121 HDMI cable extender Niles TVA 50 speaker switcher Transparent Cable cables and interconnects Transparent Cable PI8 surge protection/power conditioner Vimco window shades ___________________________________________________________________ I think those speakers are $100k a piece. It's nice, but not a million dollar nice IMO. Still, I wouldn't kick it out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrTed46 Posted June 1, 2007 Share Posted June 1, 2007 I got movement down there Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ursa Majoris Posted June 1, 2007 Share Posted June 1, 2007 I got movement down there +1. That is just an insane system - I wonder if the room itself was acoustically designed to suit the system? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joessfl Posted June 1, 2007 Share Posted June 1, 2007 I am usually a lurker here just reading posts, but I saw those pics of the setup and I have to say this seems like a waste. it looks like the dollars were spent on equipment (possibly as bragging rights?). The room doesnt have theatre seating for more than 3 people from the looks of it, and doesnt look comfortable. I think probably most of us here with 1/4 of that money could've done something more reasonable and still had very nice quality picture and sound. Then again I dont even have 1/4 of that money to throw around....or 1/10, 1/100 or 1/200....ah nevermind, I'm broke. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keggerz Posted June 1, 2007 Share Posted June 1, 2007 (edited) I just had to purchase some special "drywall" called Quiet Rock(THX 545 i think is the exact spec name)....this stuff is 1 3/8" thick and is what they use in theaters to keep the sound from bleeding thru....that stuff isnt cheap either(the only THX approved product on the market)...cost=$265/4x8sheet...i needed it to enclose the compressors for my store(my restaurant neighbor didnt like the sound)...I wonder if he used any of that product http://www.quietsolution.com/html/quietroc...CFRPdPgodo2lNaw scroll down to the bottom of the page and listen to the the difference btwn their products and how it kills the sound Edited June 1, 2007 by keggerz Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kid Cid Posted June 1, 2007 Share Posted June 1, 2007 timmay, it's bad enough I got Mod fever, now you go and give me HT Ugrade fever. I wonder if I'll ever see a paycheck again? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TimC Posted June 1, 2007 Author Share Posted June 1, 2007 timmay, it's bad enough I got Mod fever, now you go and give me HT Ugrade fever. I wonder if I'll ever see a paycheck again? Give in to the passion. Like Joe said though...make sure it seats more than 3 or so. For a million, I'd have a couple of hundred seats. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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