System Notes - 11/02/2011

11/02/2011

After reading several reviews and comments about the use of a component cable for the Nintendo Wii I had mixed feelings about the outcome. When I located a high quality cable on Amazon for $3.89 I figured for the price it was worth a try. I now wish I had purchased the cable a long time ago. It really changed the image quality and clarity of the games. We play a lot of the Lego franchise games and the dark scenes now actually show detail.

On November 2, 2011 I purchased the Onkyo UWF-1 Wireless LAN Adapter to stream internet radio to the system. This is a great addition to the OnkyoTX-NR609. I can easily stream internet radio and all my music on my PC. The purchase of the UWF-1 caused a tipping point to purchase a new router. I went with the D-Link DIR-655 and I am very impressed. Connection quality has increased from an average of 30% to an average of 50%. Getting to 50% caused no drops in audio and for now I am pleased.

Notes on system changes since last post:
Since my last post the focus has been fine tuning and organizing my system. Turns out the Onkyo TX-NR609 created quite a bit of system tweaking. I have run the Audssey 2EQ for Room Acoustic Correction and with the settings defined by this process my old HTIB RCA speakers really show their limitations. While movies and television do project and create a soundstage, you can hear the audible hum due to loudness correction.

The removal of the RCA Subwoofer has a dramatic drop in low end performance throughout the system. Not that the old subwoofer really did much for low end effects, but it did provide that simple and subtle reminder that an explosion has a low frequency sound.

I posted a question here on Home Theater Shack about replacement front left, center and front right speakers. A solid recommendation of the NHT SuperZero 2.0 and other options. I think after careful consideration I might go with the NHT's because I would be able to get these and the component rack and new cables for under a budget of $750. I plan on visiting the NHT factory showroom to audition the SuperZero's.

With that said you can tell that I have adjusted my anticipated upgrade sequence noted in the 10/09/2011 post. What else is new. Upgrading and planning are all part of the fun.

Copy of Forum Post 10/31/2011

(Copy of post on The Home Theater Shack 10/31/2011)

10/09/2011

On Sunday October 9th, 2011 I went to Fry's and found the Onkyo TX-NR609 listed for $299.99. Brand new in the box! Not refurbished or a returned item discount. It was $299.99. I could not believe my eyes so I had to jump on it. I was able to walk away with a brand new OnkyoTX-NR609 with a 4 year service contract for $382.16. The cheapest I had found this receiver online was $380.00 and that was through Amazon. There were cheaper vendors but most of those were refurbished models.

I was so excited that all Sunday afternoon was spent setting up and connecting the new receiver. On Wednesday October 19th, 2011 I received a replacement battery for the Logitech harmony 880 remote. The addition of the OnkyoTX-NR609 required a reprogramming of the activities with the remote which was easy with the Harmony software. I will be fine tuning the remote over the coming weeks and will be looking/reading on custom uses of the Harmony 880 in system automation.

Notes on system changes since last post:
The OnkyoTX-NR609 upgrade caused a change in System Conductivity.
The current setup is:
Cable Box to AVR = HDMI for audio and video
DVD Player to AVR = Optical for audio and component for video
Game Console to AVR = Composite for audio and component for video
AVR to TV = HDMI for video

In my post from 10/08/2011 I noted that my next purchase was to be upgrading to clean power and surge protection. The purchase of the OnkyoTX-NR609 has shifted that decision yet again. I swapped out the old power strip for one with surge protection and will keep this for the time being. Now that the OnkyoTX-NR609 is in place that next minor system change will be to purchase a white HDMI cable (approximately 20 feet) and white speaker cable for the front left, center and front right speakers. This will help the cabling “blend" better on the wall. (I live in an apartment so in wall cables are out.)

My anticipated upgrade sequence is now:
1. Component rack or cabinet
2. Speaker stands for rear channel speakers
3. Clean Power (PS Audio Power Port Classic)
4. Surge Protection (Tripp Lite HT10DBS)
4. Subwoofer (Dayton Audio T003K 10” Titanic Mk III Subwoofer Kit)
5. Blu-Ray player (Panasonic DMP-BDT210 )
6. New front left, center, front right and rear surround speakers. (NHT SuperZero 2.0)

Minor system changes that will happen before next upgrade sequence:
1. Replacement battery for Logitech Harmony 880 (Purchased 10/16/2011 $12.42 Amazon)
2. Right angle male to female coax adapter (Purchased 10/16/2011 $2.89 Amazon)
3. Component video / composite audio cable for Wii (Purchased 10/22/2011 $3.89 Amazon)
4. White HDMI cable (20 feet)
5. White speaker cable (100 feet)
6. Onkyo UWF-1 Wireless LAN Adapter (Purchased 11/01/2011 $29.00 Amazon)

Copy of Forum Post 10/08/2011

(Copy of post on The Home Theater Shack 10/08/2011)

10/08/2011

Since my last post there have been minor changes to my system which are directly related to the installation of cable service from Comcast. With almost two months of service I am satisfied with the decision to switch from OTA to cable service. While I do notice a slight resolution downgrade in HD programing compared to OTA, I believe right now this is a function of my limited connection types noted below. In the coming year I hope to have HDMI connections in place and this minor visual downgrade will be restored with better video and audio connections.

I noted in my last post that my first true upgrade would be a new AVR. After considerable thought and research I have elected to make my first true upgrade the installation of clean power and surge protection for the entire system. I have not decided what power protection product I will use but I am leaning towards Tripp Lite products right now. I have decided that I will install PS Audio Power Port Classic AC Receptacle that feeds power to the entire system.

Notes on system changes since last post:
On 08/15/2011 I retired my OTA antenna (Antennas Direct Terrestrial Digital DB4) with cable service from Comcast. The tech installed a brand new Motorola DCX3400. Due to AVR limitations I have video output directly to the TV and audio output to the AVR. When I replace the AVR I will upgrade to an HDMI connection.

This setup caused a change in System Conductivity. The optical cable between the TV and Receiver is no longer required. Audio and video are delivered through coax (RG-6) to the Motorola DCX3400. The optical connection on the DCX3400 feeds audio to the AVR and the component connection on the DCX3400 feeds video to the TV. As noted previously all cables are generic.

On 09/15/2011 an executive decision was made to retire the VCR. The Sony SLV-N700 lived a long and useful life. The VCR and all VHS movies were donated to Goodwill so that a new owner will continue to get use out of them.

The rechargeable battery in the Logitech Harmony 880 reached the end of its useful life. Currently the replacement battery has been found but not ordered. For now the Comcast Custom DVR 3 Device remote is filling the remote control functionality of my system.

Copy of Forum Post 08/14/2011

(Copy of post on The Home Theater Shack 08/14/2011)

08/14/2011

Over the years my system has been pieced together. I am now taking the plunge and creating a “home theater” for my family. Right now you will see that my system consists of several HTIB components and few stand alone components. My focus over the next year will be on building a complete “package” to finally have great sound and a surround sound environment. The first step will be replacing the AVR which currently is part of an old HTIB package.

I will be updating this post as components are changed/upgraded. I’ll be posting questions and speaker builds under separate threads in the Speaker & Sub DIY forum section. I will try and link everything here but I don’t promise that.

Thank you for posting pictures and component lists. It really got me motivated to post my setup. Plus the posting gives me a history of how my system has evolved. Also thanks to everyone for sharing their building experience and component research. This information is extremely helpful when researching ideas for projects and possible component upgrades.

Current component list:

AV Receiver – RCA RT2600

DVD Player – Panasonic DMR-ES10

VCR – Sony SLV-N700

Game Console – Nintendo Wii

Television – Samsung Plasma 42 inch - PN42A400C2D

OTA Antenna – Antennas Direct Terrestrial Digital DB4

System Automation:

Remote Control – Logitech Harmony 880

Speakers:

Center Speaker – RCA Center Speaker RT 2600

Right & Left Front Speakers – RCA Center Speaker RT 2600

Subwoofer – RCA Subwoofer RT2600

System Conductivity:

Cables and Connectors – Miscellaneous generic
Optical Cable between TV and Receiver and DVD Player and Receiver.
The RCA and Component connections are Gold Plated cables.

Research2010 - System Notes

Starting back in August 2011 I posted a couple of entries on The Home Theater Shack forums regarding my equipment list. I thought this was a great way to share my notes and comments on various electronic home entertainment components I had. Most importantly I wanted a method to track my history of how my system evolved. After careful consideration I determined a blog was a better resource to use.

Why a blog? First I wanted to include notes and comments on much more than my "home theater". For example what about my Kindle Fire, Nintendo 3DS, and my LAN equipment. These things did not seem to fit well on the forums at The Home Theater Shack.

Second by moving my notes to a blog I would be able to keep/edit/own all the information that is displayed. I have much more creative flexibility on a blog then in a forum post.

Finally it is my hope that over time this history of my electronic entertainment components will grow into a "database" of all the electronic gear that I have, want, need, crave.

Thank you and I look forward to this creative journey.