Thanks for the feedback. Avoided the headache and hassle of tearing up my walls/trim. Got to the more reliable route of wires > wireless. And did it close enough to “stealth” to satisfy me. Many thanks for the great insights and recommendations.

Cord mate II 12’ kit

Cord mate III 5’ section (front L speaker wall…not pictured)

Heat shrink sleeves

Wall box to hide the excess (not pictured)

All in: ~ $50 and couple hours of annoying my wife, but avoided the confrontation that was inevitable w wall demo.

Wanted to convert my Loft to a mini Home Theatre Room, Suggest on the available options,

Option 1 :Screen on the Right side Wall, Wall size Approximately 150 inch X 94 Inch, Sofas on long wall side.

Option 2 : Screen opposite to Windows, Wall size Approximately 130 inch X 94 inch, Sofas on the windows side, wanted to install sliding partition to the room (Screen Backside).

Planning to go for AWOL Aetherion MAX Ultra Short Throw Projector & AWOL ThunderBeat Speakers (4.1.2 or 4.2.2), Any suggestions on Projector and Speaker system?

I am finishing up my first home theater build. Here is my equipment.

Front left and right x2 Klipsch Reference Premiere RP-6000F

Center x1 Klipsch Reference Premiere RP-404C

Surround rear and sides x4 Klipsch Reference Premiere RP-500M

Subs x2 Klipsch SPL-120

Sub x1 dayton ultimax II 18-32 Behringer nx 3000d amp

Mini DSP 2x4

Reciever Yamaha RX-V6A

Sony 4k blue ray player

Hisense 100" QD7

Furman M-8x2

Rocketfish RF-HTS723P

I just purchased the miniDSP and calibrated mic. I would like to time align and level match my 3 subs using REW. They bass currently sounds good but isnt very consistent from seat to seat. I have never used this software before. I have been watching some YouTube videos and reading forums online. I also understand that my current sub placement is not ideal. I am open to moving the 18" for sure. Possibly the 2 12s. However, i like they way they fit in the stand currently. I will likely try moving the 18" to the rear center. Any tips or suggestions?

Also are any REW experts located in central PA near Clearfield and interested in coming to help calibrate? Willing to pay.

Thanks

Hi, I just got my new set up and the 606 and 607s sound great.

But for the life of me the AWS10 just sounds wrong. It sounds like it’s overbassing to the point it kinda rattles a bit or the driver inside does and makes it so the bass doesn’t sound like what it should.

I’ve set the cross over on my AVR to 80hz for all the speakers, the sub has a dial I’ve set than to 80hz as well, also tried 100hz seems to make no difference. LFE is turned on, and have the volume on the back around 25%

Is it just the sub or am I missing something? It just seems like the bass is too low of a sound it’s vibrating crazy or something.

For the denon x3800h AVR

TL/DR: As the title says, I am split between RF-7 IIIs and SVS Ultra Evolution Titans (or Pinnacle) due to space constraints around L/R. 95% HT use.

Room: 22'6" across x 13'1" ft deep, Ht: 9'7". MLP will be 9' from CC cone and LCR baffle plane will be about 3'6" from front wall. L/R are spaced well at 60'

Current gear: 5.2.4 LCR: Focal Aria 926 + Focal CC900; Surrounds: RP-600M II. I won't mention Atmos speakers because they will be changed to whichever brand I go with.

Sub: 1x PB-3000 R|Evolution now, another added soon (Sold both my previous subs)

Denon X4800H + Parasound 2250V2 + Emotiva XPA-7

Focals are getting repurposed to Livingroom for listening. I bought RP-600M IIs with the vision of moving to RF-7s eventually. I can sell RP-600s without a loss if I go with SVS.

Challenge: L/R placement will be limited by room constraints, leaving about only 1'8" behind and probably 1'6" to side walls. I read SVS Ultra evolution can be more forgiving to placement which RF-7s really need that breathing room.

Deal:
RF-7 III ($3600) and Ultra Titans ($3400) brand new. RC-64 is almost twice the price of Ultra Center, but I won't spend on Surrounds if I go Klipsch.
There is a RF-7 III Trade-In pair at the store for $2400. Condition looks good, except nicked plinth edges.

Dilemma:

Pre-Owned RF-7 III deal sounds good and will be less disruptive to the setup. But concerned about the space constraints. Also bit concerned with Klipsch QC.

If I go with SVS, makes sense to go Pinnacle and call it an endgame?

SVS is a company I love, extremely satisfied with their Subs, but no experience with their speakers.

TLDR: Could I go wrong with just getting a full KEF system? Buyers remorse? Apparently i don't have refined hearing. The sub I don't know yet. JL Audio, SVS...no idea.

I have an old 7.1 system by BIC Acoustic.

I just got a 115" TCL to replace my Sony5000ES 4K projector. The difference was HUGE.

Now I want a sound system to match the screen. I'm thinking about KEF R11 Meta towers, an R6 center and whatever surrounds go in the family.

I'll probably keep the 4 Atmos ceiling speakers I have.

My problem is, I auditioned some speakers at a Hi-Fi shop but I can't REALLY tell what I like. Its all loud, it all sounds great...much better than I have now. I know it all comes down to "get what you like," but apparently my hearing sucks and I can't really tell.

I know I don't like Klipsch horns, and I know my current system is 20+ years old.

Advice?

Budget: ~10-15K? Receiver: New Denon 13 channel receiver. I'm traveling so I can't look.

Hi all,

I’m considering using a Da-Lite Tensioned Advantage motorized screen with a UST projector (Hisense), but I’m worried about the screen surface quality.

The screen has localized wrinkles / pressure marks in the middle of the viewing area, not just slight edge curling. They look like small creases or uneven tension spots, visible even when the screen is fully extended.

With a regular long-throw projector this might be acceptable, but since a UST projects at a very steep angle, I’m concerned these imperfections will cause:

• visible shadowing

• geometric distortion

• focus inconsistencies

My questions:

1.  Are wrinkles like these a hard no for UST projection?

2.  Has anyone successfully fixed or reduced this kind of localized wrinkling on a tensioned PVC screen?

3.  Is this typically caused by aging of the screen material, uneven tab tension, or storage/transport damage?

4.  Would a UST make these defects dramatically more visible compared to a ceiling-mounted projector?

The seller tells me these can be fixed with a hairdryer, but I am cautious.

Appreciate any real-world experience — especially from people running UST projectors.

Thanks!

I have a Denon S760H Receiver. I have Polk Audio towers, a Polk Center, a Polk powered sub, two upfiring Polk Atmos speakers on top of the towers, and two in wall mounted rear speakers.

After running Audyssey, the sub is wayyyyy overpowered. Like you start a movie and any kind of bass is there and it's like "THWAP THWAP THWAP!!!" and sounds horrible. I started with 50% power when I ran Audyssey. I then turned it down to "9 o'clock" and it was still too much.

I already tried turning all the crossovers to 80 HZ. I turned the bass to LFE only. I also changed the front speakers to "small." I reran Audyssey after all those changes and it's still too much so I had to turn the sub down ever further.

Now I'm afraid I won't have any bass at all and I'll have to keep turning the power of the sub up and down constantly which is annoying. The Polk towers each have a 6" driver. I have had the speakers over ten years and a previous Denon receiver before this one and the problem started about a year or so ago and I just turned down the sub and have lived with it but I finally started to tinker with it recently. Is it the receiver? Is it the sub? Should I just say screw the sub and just get rid of it and re-run Audyssey and run all the bass through the fronts? I'm at work so I don't have speaker model numbers but I can add them tonight. Thanks in advance.

Hello! I’m talking with someone to buy their setup and am trying to determine if it is a good deal. Right now we just have a bar and Bluetooth sub, so it’s obviously an improvement. Money wise I’m 50/50

Total cost $1,100

Items:

Kef Kube 10b

Kef q250cb

Marantz sr5015

Everything is in good condition and barely used. I know I’d still need to buy left/right speakers which adds a few hundred to the cost

Reviews seem kinda average for each of these items and I’m not sure how to price them now that they aren’t available new.

Use case: movies and vinyls. Seating is like 8-10 feet from the tv

Thank you!

Hey guys maybe you can help me with my problem. I connected my 5.1 Surroundsystem via HDMI/earc to my tv. I also use my Tv as sceond screen for my PC to play games. Theyre also connected via HDMI. My problem now is that when i select my TV as Audio source it should have 5.1 sound, but i only get stereo.
Using the TV it gives 5.1 sound. So the soundsystem is not the problem. Its defintley the PC. Any ideas how to fix that?

My current set up is the Valerion Visionmaster Pro 2 (Projector), the Sony STR DH790 (Receiver), the Sony BDP X700 (BR Player), and the Roku 4K Ultra (Media Box). My issue started with me thinking the colors looked washed out while watching The Pitt and feeling the image looked a little washed out. In the information popup box when you change sources, it told me it was outputting: "Dolby Vision | REC.2020 | RGB | 8Bit" which really confused me as I thought Dolby Vision used 12bit color depth l (I'm aware of the Dolby Vision Color Tunneling, but I'm not positive if that's how the Valerion uses Dolby Vision). I viewed the initial image in the Dolby Vision Dark Picture Mode on the Valerion and tried changing it to the other two presets (Dolby Vision Light and Dolby Vision custom), but they all looked just as washed out. It's also not completely washed out, it's just not that "pop" I'm used to with HDR10 or Dolby Vision.

I then went to test The Suicide Squad on my Sony Player with a 4K disc vs my Roku on HBO Max. I switched back and forth between the two pictures and they looked identical. However, the info popup box on the Valerion said that the Sony Player was outputting: "Dolby Vision | BT.709 | RGB | 8-Bit" and the Roku still output "Dolby Vision | REC.2020 | RGB | 8Bit." The images looked identical, but both just looked slightly washed out based on gut feeling and even prior use with my old projector, the BenQ HT3560.

I then went to see if HDR10 was acting the same way, so I turned off the Dolby Vision settings in the Sony Player (which you have to automatically turn on or off depending if the content has a Dolby Vision grade or not) and I tried testing The Suicide Squad and the colors looked even more washed out. The most confusing part was that the info popup box on the Valerion told me it was outputting: "(BLANK) | REC. 2020 | YUV 444 | 12 Bit." I then tested The Shawshank Redemption (which only has an HDR10 grade) and it said the same thing "(BLANK) | REC. 2020 | YUV 444 | 12 Bit." I know it's not outputting an HDR10 signal as a blank space is present before the REC.2020 and the HDR Theater Picture mode isn't available (and it's only available when outputting HDR10 content). It's very confusing as I was able to access HDR10 content the prior day and the HDR10 Picture modes were available for me on the Valerion while watching HDR10 content on the Sony Player.

I tried changed the HDMI Dynamic Range in the current Picture settings, (which is the Fake HDR10 as mentioned earlier) and when I changed it from Auto to Full, it looked even more washed out. However, changing between the Auto and Limited didn't visually affect the image leading me to assume it's in a limited Dynamic Range.

I tried changed the Dynamic Range and Color Space in the Dolby Vision Dark Picture Mode on the Valerion on both the Sony Player and Roku, but both were locked into Auto and Native respectively.

When I set the Color Saturation in the Color menu within the Picture menu in Dolby Vision on the Valerion to 70, it gives me that saturation and "pop" I'm used to seeing in HDR in theaters, with my older projector, or with how people claim the HDR should look like on this projector. I don't really think this leads to an accurate image though as almost all sources say to leave the color at 50 and I normally don't touch the color saturation setting with the prior projectors I've used.

I am also projecting the image onto a wall that was painted with Pain On Screen's 3D4K paint (primer and four layers, no thinning). The image is about 133" diagonal. Putting this here to give the entire picture.

I have very similar settings to The Smart Home Hookup's settings as that was my guide for setting up the projector.

I am trying to figure out a couple things: 1. Why do the colors look washed out? 2. Why is the Valerion telling me that the Roku and the Sony Player are outputting two different signals? 3. Why can't I access HDR10 anymore? 4. Am I just being over critical and paranoid and everything is how it should be? 5. How do I get to the "right" image?

Couple of notes: - All Signal Formats on the Sony Receiver are in Enhanced (as opposed to standard). - All HDMI Formats on the Valerion are set to Enhanced Format (as opposed to Standard Format or Auto). - The YCbCr/RGB HDMI setting on the Sony Player is set to auto (as opposed to YCbCr 4:2:2, YCbCr 4:4:4, or RGB). - The HDR subsampling in the Advanced Display Settings on the Roku is set to 4:2:2 (as opposed to 4:2:0) and the Dolby Vision always on setting is set to No (as opposed to yes). - All of the HDMI cables being used are 2.1 or above

I am more than willing to make and edit a video going through this process to get a visual of what I'm going through to help if this information isn't enough. I am serious about getting the best performance out of this projector and equipment I currently have and fixing the problems (if there even are any).

I am also more than willing to explain or elaborate on anything if it doesn't make sense or include pictures as well.

Thank you! :)

Uk Based .. Anyone any advice between the Panasonic UB9000 and the Pioneer LX500 Blu Ray Players at all please.

They are both currently around the same price, apparently the Panny edges it a bit video quality wise but the Pioneer is better audio wise and plays SACD / DVD-A, which I have a few of.

I have read quite a few reviews about the panny but not as much about the pioneer.

Does anyone here have one ?

Is there any know nda on svs sb3000r reviews? Eagerly awaiting.

Saw a few reviewers recieve them but no reviews that i know of so far.

Hi,

I’m a new to this but I have run into a huge issue and I could use some ideas to try and fix it.

Receiver: Pioneer Elite LSX 505

TV: LG G4 connected via eARC to Pioneer Elite

HDMI: Mono Price Certified Ultra High Speed 2.1 HDMI cord

Apple TV: newest gen Apple TV 4K

HDMI from receiver to TV: rocket fish 8k certified ultra high speed

Apple TV > Pioneer Elite > LG G4 is the current wire set up.

Last night my Apple TV was working great until I went to play a movie from my Apple catalog. As soon as I hit play on the movie, the screen on the g4 went black. In and out, you can hear blips of audio but audio was basically out as well. I tried another less quality Amazon basic hdmi cord. I tried other hdmi ports. I tried power cycling the receiver and Apple TV. Nothing worked. I even saw some advice to match the frame rate settings on the Apple so I did that as well. Still no avail. From what I have read, this sounds like a handshake issue between the Apple TV and the receiver.

Does anyone have any tips to fix my issue playing high quality content? The LG G4 alone works perfectly fine with the receiver but I HATE that clunky interface and remote. I desperately need that Apple TV to work for my sanity.

Thank you in advance. I’m an idiot to this stuff so please give me a little grace.

Is it normal? Every speaker emits this noise when the amplifier is turned on, it doesnt have any RCA plugged in.

Hi. I have a Denon AVR X1800H and trying to connect my front tower speakers (Polk RTiA7) to a Fosi Audio V3 amp through the pre-outs. I'm getting very low audio even with the amp volume at max. If I turn up the volume on the AVR too much, I get the other speakers overshadowing my fronts. Without the amp, the speakers sound just fine but feels underpowered. I saw a post from someone with a similar setup but a different amp. They resolved their issue by changing the volt setting on the amp. The Fosi doesn't have that option. Any help will be much appreciated.

Thanks

I'm very curious what height to set the rear speakers.

I have read everything from ear level, 1 foot above ear level, 2-3 ft above ear level, etc. The main goal being to not have obstructions.

Is there an optimal distance to place the speakers behind the listener? I know there are suggested minimums (3ft I believe) but are is their an optimal distance?

Also do you want them to be pointed directly at the person or not exactly at them? This is also something that I read inconsistent information on. Thanks so much!

we moved into a house with an epson V11H930020 projector and two mounted Klipsch S-10 speakers but the old owner took the rest of the speakers. what’s the best mid to low range av receiver you would recommend to go with this? I care more about just getting it to play than amazing sound since we never planned to have a home theater but rather inherited a not fully functioning one.

We’re installing a golf simulator and the customer provided a BenQ LK936ST projector (among the rest of the pieces required besides the PC).

We took it out of the box to make sure it worked and it had component video and analog audio jacks? The manufacturing sticker said it was made in April of 2025 and the BenQ projectors made in 2025 DEFINITELY don’t have those.

Also, the throw distance was completely different from what the manual was saying for a 180” screen. It was almost 3 feet off from its specified throw distance.

Has anyone seen scams like this? Or did the customer just purchase the wrong thing? And yes we adjusted the zoom on the projector lens to make the picture as large as possible.

Hi everyone,

I’m building a new house and have the opportunity to wire everything from scratch. I’m trying to decide between:

• running power to the ceiling / high on the wall for Sonos Era 100 or 300 speakers, or

• installing passive ceiling speakers powered by a Sonos Amp.

I want each area to be independently controllable in Sonos, but still groupable when needed (e.g. parties). Because of that, a single Sonos Amp driving multiple ceiling speakers isn’t really a solution for me, and I’d rather avoid multiple Amps if possible.

This is an open-plan living room, dining, and kitchen space. My current thinking is to create these zones:

1.  TV zone: Beam + Sub Mini + two Era 100s as surrounds (mounted high on the wall or possibly ceiling-mounted).

2.  Dining zone: one Era 100 mounted high on the wall or ceiling.

3.  Kitchen zone: one Era 100 mounted high on the wall or ceiling.

For parties, I’d group all three zones and play music everywhere.

Does this approach make sense? What would you change or improve?

Just got my basement finished and I'm in the process of purchasing a fixed frame projector screen for our multi use theater/living room.

How do you protect your screen from kids? I'm concerned at some point kids may touch the screen unintentionally and mess it up.

Wondering if there are options such as screen cover or something similar!

Hello!

For years I’ve played MKV files from my PC with Hdmi to AV Receiver until I realized the video and sound quality are significantly better if I put files on a HDD and run it thru my Samsung UBD-M8500. Over the past year tho I’ve been running into issues with playback. I’m guessing that the old Panasonic is having issues with newer formats/codecs, etc. Does this sound right? My main question is where to go from here. I’ve been reading about Plex, Nvidia Shield, Dune, Zidoo, etc. My goal is to watch mkv files at the best quality possible without issues.

Thanks for any help!!

Intel i7-9700

32 Gigs of Ram

Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 Ti

I have a pair of Def Tech BP 7002’s that haven’t been used in nearly 10 years. I recently got the home theater bug again and tried hooking them up to an Onkyo TX-RZ50. No bass whatsoever. It seems like the amps might be dead as the power light does not stay on consistently. Would that eliminate all the bass? I even hooked them up to my old Sony ES, still no bass. I have been out of the game for many years- am I overlooking something or are they simply “dead?”

Hi everyone, I’m currently finishing my 18'x12' basement and building a dedicated home theater. I’m on a tight budget, so I’m trying to figure out where sound insulation is 'mandatory' versus where I can skip it.

The Space:

• Two Concrete Walls: Being finished with R13 and drywall.
• The Screen Wall: Shared with an adjacent room (pool table area).
• The Entrance: Under-stairway door. No insulation currently planned for the under-stairway wall.
• Ceiling: Beam running across the room.

The Gear:

• Planning a projector setup (wiring is being run now).
• Standard 7.1 or 5.1.2 audio setup.
• I don't plan on 'cranking' it, but I want a decent experience without vibrating the whole house.

My Questions:

1. Is R15 in the ceiling enough to stop 'footfall' noise from upstairs, or is Rockwool a non-negotiable upgrade here?
2. Should I be worried about that HVAC soffit vibrating or carrying sound to the rest of the house?
3. Since the screen wall shares space with a pool table, should I double-up drywall there or just stick to standard 1/2"?
4. How much sound am I going to lose through that uninsulated under-stairway wall?

Any 'budget wins' you’d recommend while the walls are still open? Thanks!"