Home Cinema Room Advice
Discussion
I'm looking for advice on a cinema room I have inherited with a house I have recently bought.
The house is full of bodges and is generally worn down which is what has lead me to ask on here before I start chasing my tail with the cinema room.
The room itself is fully fitted out/potentially professional install. There is not cables to be seen and the speakers are fitted into the walls.
I think the room was installed around 2011. The AV receiver is a Pioneer SC-LX85 which on start up greeted me with a UE-22 error which on checking various forums means it has circuit board issues and can't easily be fixed. It will display video but no audio is possible regardless of the input.
The blu ray player (also pioneer) seems to work okay and the projector is an Epson EH-TW6700 which when I checked the lamp hours has only been used for 170 hours so plenty of life left in it.
I suppose my long winded question is if I was to buy a new receiver such as a Sony AN1000 is it to advanced for what looks like a 5.1 set up currently as it has dolby Atmos etc. also would it play nice with the old Epson as it can't handle 4k etc?
Appreciate any in put any one has. I will probably end up down the rabbit hole of updating speakers as the rears are branded "Defensive" which isn't a name I'm familiar with and then the whole thing gets rather expensive....
The house is full of bodges and is generally worn down which is what has lead me to ask on here before I start chasing my tail with the cinema room.
The room itself is fully fitted out/potentially professional install. There is not cables to be seen and the speakers are fitted into the walls.
I think the room was installed around 2011. The AV receiver is a Pioneer SC-LX85 which on start up greeted me with a UE-22 error which on checking various forums means it has circuit board issues and can't easily be fixed. It will display video but no audio is possible regardless of the input.
The blu ray player (also pioneer) seems to work okay and the projector is an Epson EH-TW6700 which when I checked the lamp hours has only been used for 170 hours so plenty of life left in it.
I suppose my long winded question is if I was to buy a new receiver such as a Sony AN1000 is it to advanced for what looks like a 5.1 set up currently as it has dolby Atmos etc. also would it play nice with the old Epson as it can't handle 4k etc?
Appreciate any in put any one has. I will probably end up down the rabbit hole of updating speakers as the rears are branded "Defensive" which isn't a name I'm familiar with and then the whole thing gets rather expensive....
It’s not too advanced. Speakers are speakers. An atmos capable receiver can power a standard 5.1 system just as well as an atmos system, it just means you have fewer speakers to power.
The projector is only 1080p but again the avr will pass up to 4k, including 1080p. I wouldn’t get a Sony avr personally though. For the same money you can get a denon x3800 which is considerably better. Well that’s if you were to buy from amazon Germany (still have 3 yr warranty). If you wanted to keep it U.K. a denon x2800 is in budget.
The projector is only 1080p but again the avr will pass up to 4k, including 1080p. I wouldn’t get a Sony avr personally though. For the same money you can get a denon x3800 which is considerably better. Well that’s if you were to buy from amazon Germany (still have 3 yr warranty). If you wanted to keep it U.K. a denon x2800 is in budget.
Thanks Douglas.
Would the cabling be like for like when I got the new receiver?
I don't have to go Sony. I just looked at their offerings as I have always had Sony gear in the past.
Why would you recommend Denon? Is their any 4k projectors you would recommend that don't cost the earth?
Would the cabling be like for like when I got the new receiver?
I don't have to go Sony. I just looked at their offerings as I have always had Sony gear in the past.
Why would you recommend Denon? Is their any 4k projectors you would recommend that don't cost the earth?
I’ve had both denon and Sony and have found denon to be more reliable, plus they have better room correction software, which makes a pretty big difference to the final sound quality.
The existing cables will be fine.
4k projector is a fairly tough question as that does depend on budget but a very popular option is the Epson tw9400. It’s the evolution of your current projector and is well regarded and popular. You can get better but you can also pay a lot more.
The existing cables will be fine.
4k projector is a fairly tough question as that does depend on budget but a very popular option is the Epson tw9400. It’s the evolution of your current projector and is well regarded and popular. You can get better but you can also pay a lot more.
You don't need Atmos anything. Just get a decent 5.1 amp from the likes of Anthem. You only need to buy one of their basic models.
Then comes the question of the wall speakers. You need to find out exactly what they are in order to assess their performance capability.
These kind of systems can become a bottomless pit of expenditure, but there's no need for that at all.
Then comes the question of the wall speakers. You need to find out exactly what they are in order to assess their performance capability.
These kind of systems can become a bottomless pit of expenditure, but there's no need for that at all.
The rears are branded but the fronts and centre have no branding on them.
The fronts and centre are flush to the wall where as the rears sit proud of the wall.
If I go by other areas of the house this guy will have got the cheapest stuff he could get I would prefer to get a decent level of quality but without going crazy money wise.
I'm happy to forgo Atmos and stick to 5.1 , if all the existing cabling will work then I could look at upgrading the speakers. Any recommendations on that front?
I will try and get pictures of the cabling into the back of the receiver this week. It has a control 4 remote I think and the lights can be controlled independently etc so want to keep those things if possible.
Douglas thanks for the projector recommendation I will have a look at that.
The fronts and centre are flush to the wall where as the rears sit proud of the wall.
If I go by other areas of the house this guy will have got the cheapest stuff he could get I would prefer to get a decent level of quality but without going crazy money wise.
I'm happy to forgo Atmos and stick to 5.1 , if all the existing cabling will work then I could look at upgrading the speakers. Any recommendations on that front?
I will try and get pictures of the cabling into the back of the receiver this week. It has a control 4 remote I think and the lights can be controlled independently etc so want to keep those things if possible.
Douglas thanks for the projector recommendation I will have a look at that.
Get a Denon AVR. Get everything connected. See what's working and what's not. Once it's all setup and running properly, you can then decide what you want to spend money on upgrading. How big is the screen? You might well find that 1080p BluRays look great and it sounds good already. No point spending money until you have a baseline to reference.
This is the back of the receiver. It has speaker cabling for surround and surround back. In the ceiling where the projector is are two speakers.
So was this a form of Atmos before Atmos was a thing? I would need to make sure I get a receiver that can handle these additional speakers I'm guessing?
Also why would there be Lan cables going into the receiver?
If someone went to the hassell of putting in a LAN cable in 2011 I suspect the speakers are pretty good, and the wiring looks good as there are banana plugs at the ends already rather than wire.
Get a good AVR that can drive low impedance speakers, as you aren't sure what the speakers are. Look up the spec of the AVR to check the power output at 6 and 8 ohms, if the specs don't mention 6 ohms go up the range till you find one that does.
I personally prefer the sound Denon AVRs produce, and they last. My Denon 4311 was made in 2011 but the AVR for my media wall, even though it's not suppose to support 4K it seems to do 4k pass through anyways so I'm not complaining
.
Projector tech has come a long way though, 4k is really noticeable when compared to 1080p. I suffer from 'rainbow' vision when watching stuff on DLP projectors, so have an Epson with 3LCD projection which I find fantastic, but the latest DLP 4K projectors are suppose to have minimised rainbow effects by having the colour wheel spin at 120hz.
Enjoy the setup, I didn't realise just how much we would use our media room untill we had one, it's a total luxury but really worthwhile to have a space to unwind after a hard day's work. Forza at 4k with every graphics setting turned to ultra, running via GeForce Now off a Nivida Shield sending a feed to a 4K projector via the 14 year old AVR....it's a miss mash of tech from lots of different decades, but it all works well together.
Oh don't forget the sub, I presume its somewhere? What ever AVR you get make sure you spend some time setting it up and getting the levels right, especially for the sub. Have fun tweaking!!
Get a good AVR that can drive low impedance speakers, as you aren't sure what the speakers are. Look up the spec of the AVR to check the power output at 6 and 8 ohms, if the specs don't mention 6 ohms go up the range till you find one that does.
I personally prefer the sound Denon AVRs produce, and they last. My Denon 4311 was made in 2011 but the AVR for my media wall, even though it's not suppose to support 4K it seems to do 4k pass through anyways so I'm not complaining
.Projector tech has come a long way though, 4k is really noticeable when compared to 1080p. I suffer from 'rainbow' vision when watching stuff on DLP projectors, so have an Epson with 3LCD projection which I find fantastic, but the latest DLP 4K projectors are suppose to have minimised rainbow effects by having the colour wheel spin at 120hz.
Enjoy the setup, I didn't realise just how much we would use our media room untill we had one, it's a total luxury but really worthwhile to have a space to unwind after a hard day's work. Forza at 4k with every graphics setting turned to ultra, running via GeForce Now off a Nivida Shield sending a feed to a 4K projector via the 14 year old AVR....it's a miss mash of tech from lots of different decades, but it all works well together
.Oh don't forget the sub, I presume its somewhere? What ever AVR you get make sure you spend some time setting it up and getting the levels right, especially for the sub. Have fun tweaking!!
Edited by gangzoom on Saturday 29th March 05:25
Panamax said:
You don't need Atmos anything. Just get a decent 5.1 amp from the likes of Anthem. You only need to buy one of their basic models......
.....These kind of systems can become a bottomless pit of expenditure, but there's no need for that at all.
Atmos is unnecessary and OP doesn't need to spend much as plenty of old top spec AVR can be had for cheap. But the amp in the current setup is top spec for 2011, so it's likely the speakers are decent which means they will need decent power to drive them. Cheaper/lower range AVRs simply wouldn't have the amplification power to drive 6ohmn speakers......These kind of systems can become a bottomless pit of expenditure, but there's no need for that at all.
It is a bottomless pit but used HiFi/AVR kit is amazing value for money for what they deliver. I'm never tired a preamp/power amp setup, but tempted to go down route for when my Denon dies as I want to see what difference a poweramp delivers for stereo HiFi as M&S speakers (20 years old) I have are able to take bi-amping.
gangzoom said:
If someone went to the hassell of putting in a LAN cable in 2011 I suspect the speakers are pretty good, and the wiring looks good as there are banana plugs at the ends already rather than wire.
Get a good AVR that can drive low impedance speakers, as you aren't sure what the speakers are. Look up the spec of the AVR to check the power output at 6 and 8 ohms, if the specs don't mention 6 ohms go up the range till you find one that does.
I personally prefer the sound Denon AVRs produce, and they last. My Denon 4311 was made in 2011 but the AVR for my media wall, even though it's not suppose to support 4K it seems to do 4k pass through anyways so I'm not complaining.
Projector tech has come a long way though, 4k is really noticeable when compared to 1080p. I suffer from 'rainbow' vision when watching stuff on DLP projectors, so have an Epson with 3LCD projection which I find fantastic, but the latest DLP 4K projectors are suppose to have minimised rainbow effects by having the colour wheel spin at 120hz.
Enjoy the setup, I didn't realise just how much we would use our media room untill we had one, it's a total luxury but really worthwhile to have a space to unwind after a hard day's work. Forza at 4k with every graphics setting turned to ultra, running via GeForce Now off a Nivida Shield sending a feed to a 4K projector via the 14 year old AVR....it's a miss mash of tech from lots of different decades, but it all works well together.
Oh don't forget the sub, I presume its somewhere? What ever AVR you get make sure you spend some time setting it up and getting the levels right, especially for the sub. Have fun tweaking!!
[Img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54299374215_b7d8d636f1_k_d.jpg[/thumb]
What refresh rate are you seeing? The bandwidth of HDMI 1.4a is 4k @ 30hz. So 30 FPS on screen. This would be noticeable playing Forza etc! I suspect it's more likely that the AVR is downscaling all the 4K content to native 1080p @ 60hz.Get a good AVR that can drive low impedance speakers, as you aren't sure what the speakers are. Look up the spec of the AVR to check the power output at 6 and 8 ohms, if the specs don't mention 6 ohms go up the range till you find one that does.
I personally prefer the sound Denon AVRs produce, and they last. My Denon 4311 was made in 2011 but the AVR for my media wall, even though it's not suppose to support 4K it seems to do 4k pass through anyways so I'm not complaining
.Projector tech has come a long way though, 4k is really noticeable when compared to 1080p. I suffer from 'rainbow' vision when watching stuff on DLP projectors, so have an Epson with 3LCD projection which I find fantastic, but the latest DLP 4K projectors are suppose to have minimised rainbow effects by having the colour wheel spin at 120hz.
Enjoy the setup, I didn't realise just how much we would use our media room untill we had one, it's a total luxury but really worthwhile to have a space to unwind after a hard day's work. Forza at 4k with every graphics setting turned to ultra, running via GeForce Now off a Nivida Shield sending a feed to a 4K projector via the 14 year old AVR....it's a miss mash of tech from lots of different decades, but it all works well together
.Oh don't forget the sub, I presume its somewhere? What ever AVR you get make sure you spend some time setting it up and getting the levels right, especially for the sub. Have fun tweaking!!
[Img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54299374215_b7d8d636f1_k_d.jpg[/thumb]
Edited by gangzoom on Saturday 29th March 05:25
TEKNOPUG said:
What refresh rate are you seeing? The bandwidth of HDMI 1.4a is 4k @ 30hz. So 30 FPS on screen. This would be noticeable playing Forza etc! I suspect it's more likely that the AVR is downscaling all the 4K content to native 1080p @ 60hz.
Projector is saying 4K 60hz input. Visually obvious difference in 4K and 1080P resolution when gaming sitting 1.5meter away from 100inch screen.Edited by gangzoom on Saturday 29th March 09:38
gangzoom said:
TEKNOPUG said:
What refresh rate are you seeing? The bandwidth of HDMI 1.4a is 4k @ 30hz. So 30 FPS on screen. This would be noticeable playing Forza etc! I suspect it's more likely that the AVR is downscaling all the 4K content to native 1080p @ 60hz.
Projector is saying 4K 60hz input. Visually obvious difference in 4K and 1080P resolution when gaming sitting 1.5meter away from 100inch screen.Edited by gangzoom on Saturday 29th March 09:38
You'd see a big improvement switching to an HDMI 2/2.1 AVR.
gangzoom said:
^Agree on upgrading to a proper 4K morden AVR, which I was planning to do but the Denon unexpectedly is still doing a good job, and I love the sound it produces.
You could connect your 4k sources directly to the projector for video and send the audio separately to the AVR.Thanks Gangzoom I'm really keen to get the the room up and running again as I have always wanted somewhere to listen to my music and watch my movies in high quality without the comprise of the living room etc
I have been looking at the Marantz Cinema 60. This seems to strike a balance between good 2ch listening for music and all the channels I would need for the cinema side?
Maybe it's overkill. I was also looking at the Sony AN1000.
Edited to add subwoofer is there. I will get a picture of it tomorrow if I can and confirm the brand etc. Wasn't a brand I had heard of though.
I have been looking at the Marantz Cinema 60. This seems to strike a balance between good 2ch listening for music and all the channels I would need for the cinema side?
Maybe it's overkill. I was also looking at the Sony AN1000.
Edited to add subwoofer is there. I will get a picture of it tomorrow if I can and confirm the brand etc. Wasn't a brand I had heard of though.
Edited by Chilly for June on Saturday 29th March 23:00
I'm not sure why I keep disregarding Denon!
From the reviews I read you need to go higher up their X range for what hifi etc to dish out the plaudits. Although I'm not sure I trust them too much.
Isn't Marantz and Denon under the same parent company so could be a very similar product.
If I was to go pioneer again, there is a couple of older models at great prices but not sure on the reliability and after sales support..
Anyone's thoughts welcome.
Pioneer VSX-LX505
Pioneer VSX-LX305
More channels less money etc but haven't got off to the best start with pioneer home cinema gear but have loved their products in the past. It does seem their owner by Onkyo now though.
From the reviews I read you need to go higher up their X range for what hifi etc to dish out the plaudits. Although I'm not sure I trust them too much.
Isn't Marantz and Denon under the same parent company so could be a very similar product.
If I was to go pioneer again, there is a couple of older models at great prices but not sure on the reliability and after sales support..
Anyone's thoughts welcome.
Pioneer VSX-LX505
Pioneer VSX-LX305
More channels less money etc but haven't got off to the best start with pioneer home cinema gear but have loved their products in the past. It does seem their owner by Onkyo now though.
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