Anyone else just not bothered by home theatre?

[Xulonn]

I've decided to get the Wharfedale Evo 4.2 3-way bookshelves with AMT tweeters and the matching Evo 4.c center

As those of you know who have read my more recent comments, I have ultimately decided against the larger, more expensive Evo series with the Heil tweeters, but stayed with Wharfedale. No more "waffling", and indeed, a set of "further down the chain" D300 series L/R/C loudspeakers are on their way to me here in Panama. I do not like sharp-edged speaker cabinets, and I do like the controversial rounded-edge design of this series.

With Wharfedale's reputation for making excellent entry-level audiophile loudspeakers - and the fact that ASR has taught me that DSP can improve the minor problems of most decent speakers, I am confident that I can set them up and configure them so that they will sound good in my very small room. Notice that they sit elevated on short feet - which is because they are a down-ported reflex design rather than rear-ported, which should also be a plus for my listening environment. (I could have gone with the highly-rated Elac Debut Reference Series, but I like the looks and size of the smaller D300 series with their similar specs better.)

(The below pic shows examples of the speakers i purchased, but that is a Wharfedale pic - not my room.)

 

[RickSanchez]

.... I do not like sharp-edged speaker cabinets, and I do like the controversial rounded-edge design of this series.

View attachment 62018

Agreed. For my rather budget A/V speaker setup I chose the Polk S series: S15's for the mains and an S35 for the center channel. I really like the look of the rounded-edge design.

[stock photos, not my actual setup]

 

[Sal1950]

I have ultimately decided against the larger, more expensive Evo series with the Heil tweeters, but stayed with Wharfedale. No more "waffling", and indeed, a set of "further down the chain" D300 series L/R/C loudspeakers are on their way to me here in Panama.

Agreed. For my rather budget A/V speaker setup I chose the Polk S series: S15's for the mains and an S35 for the center channel.

Nice, good to see a few of the members also looking to upgrade their speakers. I've been staying up nights over similar decisions, dang hard to do. Ever more so when your working with a multich rig and looking at center channels and surrounds, yikes. LOL
Have a glass of refreshment or/and smoke a fat one to move onward and forward, but never straight.

 

[tuga]

There's no TV in our sitting room.

 

[Xulonn]

[stock photos, not my actual setup]

LOL! I was about to compliment you on your simple, rustic wooden AV furniture. But you did inspire me to start a new thread titled "Equipment Racks and A/V Furniture"

 

[A800]

I don't get it either.
Also no TV for me.

 

[Xulonn]

Also no TV for me.

To be serious, I watch very, very little TV - only an occasional live sports program via a pirate channel. If I had to pay for it, I wouldn't bother, but rather occasionally go to a local sports bar to watch a game over a couple of beers and some nachos.

The English language is weird. "Television" to me means the broadcast of video as in first via the "airwaves" and later via cable. But we don't call typically call viewing of streaming video "TV" unless you are watch a Cable TV company's stream - a continuous 24 hour programming format that one can "tune into" and tune away from or turn off at any point.

I have a "TV" but in reality, it is just a big 40" computer monitor that is marketed as a "Smart TV", but simply connected via HDMI to my HTCP - and not directly to the internet. I use it to watch movies and videos that I've downloaded. Even though it's a "TV series", I don't think of watching an episode of "Black Mirror" as "watching TV." Pedantic? Semantics? Yes to both, but the language is ambiguous.

My neighbors watch TV regularly - I can hear the audio of sitcoms and other TV station programming from the house next door every night. I haven't tuned in to a "TV station" for other than those occasional sporting evens for more then 25 years.

I still see Cable TV as a great wasteland - Cable companies do not allow you you to create your own Cable TV channel "bundle" to get something like BBC, Al Jazeera, NPR, National Geographic, etc. without being forced to get Fox News, The Golf Channel, and dozens of other channels that most of us would never watch.

I am guessing that many home theaters are only used for occasional movies with good video quality and great sound.

Does anyone really watch soap operas, cable news and sitcoms in their dedicated home theater rooms? I thought that suburban and exurban American McMansions with a TV in every room plus the hallway - or low-budget mobile home parks - were the environments where trash TV was ubiquitous.

 

[A800]

I prefer to call it tell-lie-vision.

 

[Promit]

I don't sit down and just listen to music, more than once every month or three. That's not an activity. Music is something that lives constantly in my life and so I have nice desk speakers or nice headphones or whatever to listen to music while doing things like reading ASR. I moved to active monitors a while ago for two channel and I have no inclination to go back. Music in near field with good room treatments while I'm working/browsing/reading is the thing.

My home theater, otoh, is something I build to spend time and enjoy that whole system for its own sake, audio and visual. Well I call it a home theater but it's more like two to one gaming versus movies. Everyone here in the OP's camp may as well be from Mars as far as common ground.

 

[Wes]

music videos...

 

[Canuck57]

@ Xulonn what a beautiful tasteful set up! love it!

 

[Canuck57]

Oh, and I enjoy my 5.1 home theatre setup, if I didn't have the room for it I could get by with a sound bar; however it's great for the odd movie I watch.

 

[Alice of Old Vincennes]

To be serious, I watch very, very little TV - only an occasional live sports program via a pirate channel. If I had to pay for it, I wouldn't bother, but rather occasionally go to a local sports bar to watch a game over a couple of beers and some nachos.

The English language is weird. "Television" to me means the broadcast of video as in first via the "airwaves" and later via cable. But we don't call typically call viewing of streaming video "TV" unless you are watch a Cable TV company's stream - a continuous 24 hour programming format that one can "tune into" and tune away from or turn off at any point.

I have a "TV" but in reality, it is just a big 40" computer monitor that is marketed as a "Smart TV", but simply connected via HDMI to my HTCP - and not directly to the internet. I use it to watch movies and videos that I've downloaded. Even though it's a "TV series", I don't think of watching an episode of "Black Mirror" as "watching TV." Pedantic? Semantics? Yes to both, but the language is ambiguous.

My neighbors watch TV regularly - I can hear the audio of sitcoms and other TV station programming from the house next door every night. I haven't tuned in to a "TV station" for other than those occasional sporting evens for more then 25 years.

I still see Cable TV as a great wasteland - Cable companies do not allow you you to create your own Cable TV channel "bundle" to get something like BBC, Al Jazeera, NPR, National Geographic, etc. without being forced to get Fox News, The Golf Channel, and dozens of other channels that most of us would never watch.

I am guessing that many home theaters are only used for occasional movies with good video quality and great sound.

Does anyone really watch soap operas, cable news and sitcoms in their dedicated home theater rooms? I thought that suburban and exurban American McMansions with a TV in every room plus the hallway - or low-budget mobile home parks - were the environments where trash TV was ubiquitous.

I have followed your path. I asked my son two years ago if he would be upset if I cut the cord. He informed me his bedroom television had not been connected to cable for over two years. I had no idea. I gave up on watching cable years before I cut the cord. I used to be an avid sports fan. I slowly lost interest. I never believed my mother should pay for ESPN or the Big 10 network so she could watch Lifetime or Hallmark. Don't blame the cable companies. A La carte is not allowed by the providers of content.

 

[Palladium]

I'm with the OP except I also can't be bothered with TVs, both on the hardware or programming. I find PCs and forum posting a lot more intellectually simulating.

 

[Blumlein 88]

I have followed your path. I asked my son two years ago if he would be upset if I cut the cord. He informed me his bedroom television had not been connected to cable for over two years. I had no idea. I gave up on watching cable years before I cut the cord. I used to be an avid sports fan. I slowly lost interest. I never believed my mother should pay for ESPN or the Big 10 network so she could watch Lifetime or Hallmark. Don't blame the cable companies. A La carte is not allowed by the providers of content.

Charlie Ergen (sp?) at Dish was big on al a carte service. Offered it for a few years when they started. I had Dish, and you could get a basic 20 channel package cheap, and do everything else al a carte. Per channel cost was higher, but I think I ended up with 17 channels, all of which I watched often enough to make it worthwhile, and was happy not to have the other channels to wade thru.

He was sued several different ways by content providers, and ESPN. He eventually lost in court and had to discontinue offering that. To me it made plenty of sense, and eventually if a channel had too few subscribers to make them viable then they needed to vanish. There is so much crap on cable and satellite I simply cannot imagine more than a few thousand people nationwide would watch at all. I wonder why they have it on there.

 

[Xulonn]

@ Xulonn what a beautiful tasteful set up! love it!

If you are referring to the picture of the speakers - I agree that it is beautiful and tasteful - but it's from the internet, and is not my system. My personal ideas are expounded on in the "Equipment Racks and A/V Furniture" thread.

I'l note in the above post that it's not my room. LOL

 

[JEntwistle]

I've always been fussy about sound quality for music, but when it comes to watching television or movies, as long as I can see what's going on and hear the dialogue, I'm quite happy. I've never felt that a giant screen or surround sound adds much to the experience.

Friends have tried to impress me with their movie set ups, which has on occassion made me wish I'd taken some ear plugs; I don't want to deafened by gun shots and explosions, nor do I want dialogue at the volume of a drill seargent shouting in my face. At home, with some movies I prefer to watch them with small speakers that will naturally cut off above all the bass rumble.

Is it just me?

I'm the same way.

I'm the same way. I like a good stereo 2 channel. I've sold many surround systems, set-up many, repaired many and yet for myself I'm a 2.0 dood.

Also 2.0 all the way. Funny, I was just thinking about this topic. When I was younger I had visions of fancy theater rooms and whatever x.x sound setup was the latest at the time. Somehow I just outgrew it and lost interest - just let me hear the dialogue and I’m good.

But stereo music still moves me.

 

[Alice of Old Vincennes]

Also 2.0 all the way. Funny, I was just thinking about this topic. When I was younger I had visions of fancy theater rooms and whatever x.x sound setup was the latest at the time. Somehow I just outgrew it and lost interest - just let me hear the dialogue and I’m good.

But stereo music still moves me.

I could never hear dialogue to my satisfaction until 3 way center coupled with Anthem ARC.

 

[Promit]

music videos...

"Music videos" are for YouTube clicks now. There's the occasional decent live DVD/Blu-Ray release, but that's like watching a movie - surround sound and everything. I assume you all are reading a book or something while listening to these two channel screen-less systems?

I wonder if there's a generational aspect to this. The whole idea of just sitting there listening to a pair of speakers is utterly mystifying to me.

 

[Wombat]

Some of us oldies just need less stimulation of our other senses to enjoy music. We grew up to use our imagination. So yes, there is probably some generational aspect there.

Videos of musicians actually performing are OK for me. I don't go for the Celeb. dancing/prancing exhibitionism - yep, not so easily impressed there.