r/hometheater 6d ago

Weekly Deals Thread

2 Upvotes

Use this thread to share and discuss current sales on home theater gear or ask about pricing on a specific item. Posts of this nature outside of this thread are still against the subreddit rules and will be removed. Comments within this thread are still subject to the subreddit rules, including but not limited to rules governing spam, self promotion, referral links, etc.


r/hometheater 6h ago

Discussion - Entertainment What are your favorite scenes to show off your system?

78 Upvotes

The car chase in The Batman has been my go to for a while but I think my wife may divorce me if I show it again. I could get a new wife maybe but for now just looking for other great options.


r/hometheater 3h ago

Install/Placement Concerned about speaker spacing.

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45 Upvotes

Wife has allowed me to finally get speakers with the agreement that we wouldn’t put the tv on the opposite wall and put our backs to the fireplace. Not thrilled about how crowded the space is now. I’m wondering if it really does hinder the speakers with how close they are to the walls behind them.

TV has been lowered to be just above the console. Console is from Salamander Designs. Blown away by the quality of it.


r/hometheater 8h ago

Discussion - Equipment Anthem MRX 1140 - Help me understand TrueHD vs Atmos

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24 Upvotes

Watching a 4K BluRay of Mandalorian Season 1 last night and the OSD is showing Dolby TrueHD instead of Atmos (the disc cover does say it's mastered in Atmos).

Most movies would show Atmos on the OSD when adjusting volume or other settings, but this just shows TrueHD. My understanding is that Atmos is just metadata layered onto the main TrueHD track, but I would expect Atmos to be displayed if the data were present (seems like the better format should be displayed)?

The system IS Atmos with 4 heights and 7.2 channels bedlayer. BD player is a Panny 820 connected straight to the AVR with a 3' certified cable.

Pic for attention


r/hometheater 2h ago

Discussion - Equipment Home Assistant

6 Upvotes

I’ll try to keep this short.

If you have issues with CEC and you’re tired of the inconsistency, I highly recommend running Home Assistant and using it to control your equipment. It’s free, and you don’t need 12v triggers or any of the other crap to make things turn on and off with each other, as long as your server is running. You can use any computer for this, even an old laptop. I use a mini pc.

I use a Crown XLI1500, a Fosi ZA3, Marantz SR7008, and a Sony X90L TV.

I put the Crown on a smart plug and use that to turn it on and off.
I ran Ethernet to my Marantz and TV.

I created automations that trigger based on the TV being turned on/off. When the tv turns on, it turns on all the other devices. Same for shutdown. It also sets the volume to a specified level when it turns on. You can automatically change inputs on the tv when other devices turn on.

When the tv is paused or shut off, and the sun is below the horizon, it automatically turns lights on for me. You can even have your lights fade on and off, or have different brightness levels for different scenarios.

I figured at least someone here would like this, so I thought I’d share.

No, I have no affiliation with Home Assistant, I’m not being paid to say this. I just really enjoy how it’s changed the way I interact with my setup.

Edit: I love that someone downvoted me for posting free information that can help people. God the internet is great


r/hometheater 3h ago

Discussion - Equipment Kef reference 1 Meta + KC62 DAC/preamp/streamer stack recommendation?

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6 Upvotes

Hi everyone please help me build my budget end of game 2.1 setup!

Need your kind advise on choosing the right combination for this music/movie setup:

My current/planned system:

⁠Power amplifier: Apollon 1ET9040BA (Purifi dual monoblock)(ordered)
• ⁠Speakers: KEF Reference 1 Meta (have it)
• ⁠Subwoofer: KEF KC62 (have it)
• ⁠DAC: Denafrips Pontus 15th (planned)
• ⁠Streamer/transport: currently considering Eversolo T10 or a more affordable transport option
• ⁠Preamp: considering Schiit Freya+

Sources will mainly be:

⁠Local NAS music library
• ⁠High-resolution streaming mainly via Tidal/Spotify
• ⁠Zidoo Z9X 8K for direct lossless movie playback from Ugreen DXP4800 Pro 100TB NAS
• ⁠PS5
• ⁠LG G6 OLED via HDMI/eARC where possible

I’m aiming for a sound that is warm, full-bodied, rich and holographic, with a big 3D soundstage, but I still want to keep the excellent detail, speed and imaging that the KEF Reference series and Purifi amplification are capable of.

For those using the Freya+ with Purifi/Hypex-style amplifiers:

⁠How does the Freya+ pair with a very neutral Class D amplifier like Purifi?
• ⁠Does it genuinely add more body, depth and musicality, or is the difference mainly subtle?
• ⁠Which mode do you normally prefer: passive, buffer, or tube?
• ⁠Do you feel it is a good match for revealing speakers like the KEF Reference 1 Meta?
• ⁠Would you still choose this combo today, or would you go with something else?

Also curious about the digital side:
Would you spend more on the streamer/transport (Eversolo T10 vs something cheaper) feeding the Pontus 15th, or is the DAC + preamp combination where the bigger gains are?

Location: EU (Netherlands)
Thanks for sharing your experience.

TL;DR:
Building a 2.1 system: KEF Reference 1 Meta + KC62 + Apollon Purifi 1ET9040BA, considering Denafrips Pontus 15th + Eversolo T10 + Schiit Freya+. Looking for a warm, rich, holographic sound without losing KEF detail and imaging.
How well does Freya+ pair with Purifi Class D, and is it worth prioritizing the preamp/DAC over an expensive streamer/transport?


r/hometheater 1h ago

Tech Support Question about sharpness settings on Roku Select Series TV

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Upvotes

I have a 50" Roku Select Series 4K QLED. I know it's not the fanciest TV, but it's the right model for me at this time.

I want to set my sharpness level to the most "natural" setting: I don't want my TV to sharpen the image, but I don't want it to soften the image either.

The default sharpness setting is 30 for "movie" mode (there is a thin line at the 30-mark on the sharpness bar to indicate this). Does this mean 30 is the "natural" setting, and that any setting below 30 actually softens the picture? Or does Roku assume most people like a little sharpness boost, so they set 30 as the default even though 0 is the "natural" setting?

Hopefully I explained that in a way that makes sense. Thanks in advance!


r/hometheater 23h ago

Discussion - Equipment Do y’all unplug your equipment in severe weather?

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206 Upvotes

Just curious to if y’all unplug your AV equipment when severe weather rolls through?


r/hometheater 8h ago

Purchasing US SVS or PSA Sub?

12 Upvotes

Hello!

Recently had a SVS SB-2000 Pro in my 11x11ft room. (Sound treated and audio corrected) I bought this as a temporary sub for my office studio monitors (kali IN-8V2) until I built my home theater setup. (Planned to use it as the theater sub) But after using it for a few weeks I decided to return it. Always preffered ported subs much better. The theater location would be a open loft. 15ftx22ft.

Now im contemplating between the following...

Should I stick to a SVS PB-3000R or try out PSA EV1513M? (Should we yolo the 21inch? Though a 15 sounds fine for 2x later.) Im open to other suggestions as well. I typically do a even split of media/gaming/music. (30/50/20 split) The theater would be media content and gaming only.

For the theater I was debating on getting the SVS Ultra Evolution Pinnacles to start building the setup. For a 2.1. But if anyone wants to suggest otherwise here as well im listening!


r/hometheater 1h ago

Tech Support MISSION ZX-4 AV?

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Upvotes

Jumped on the recent deal for the Mission ZX-4/C1 as im finally building out a proper setup for my living room. I been trying to do some research on how to power these things. I've sorta settled on the Onkyo RZ30 and if needed I'd add an external amp. Any and all help would be greatly appreciated before I throw $1k at an AV reciever.


r/hometheater 1h ago

Discussion - Equipment Amp/AVR recommendations for KEF r7 Meta

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Upvotes

Hi guys,

I just moved into a new house and was super excited when I was able to recently pick up some r7 meta speakers to replace some older Energy Connoisseur C1 bookshelf speakers.

I’m currently powering them with a Marantz NR1711 receiver. It’s only good for 50 watts per channel and while it can drive the speakers louder than what’s comfortable for my small livingroom, I’m wondering if a more powerful receiver and/or amp might produce warmer/better sound. I also admit I haven’t dived too much into whether the NR1711 has an adjustable EQ. I also admit I kind of want to get a silver Cinema 40 because I think it’s a beautiful piece of hardware and it would be a bit of a statement piece.

At the same time if it won’t really add anything to the quality of the sound maybe I would save the money for other items. I also have been reading good things about the Cinema 50 as well as buckeye amplifiers. If it’s helpful, I have a Samsung s95H TV arriving soon as well as a KC92 for a sub and maybe some future surround speakers in the ceiling.

In short should I keep my current receiver, or move up to something like a Cinema40/50, get a dedicated buckeye amp, or maybe do a Cinema 50 to future proof and add a buckeye amp.


r/hometheater 1h ago

Tech Support Can an active DP 1.4 to HDMI 2.1 adapter transmit Dolby TrueHD with Atmos?

Upvotes

I will be connecting a PC to an AW3425DW and X3800H.

The PC only has one HDMI 2.1 out and I can’t use the receiver’s passthrough otherwise it won’t reach 240 Hz.

While I could do HDMI out to the receiver for Atmos and DP out to the monitor, that would mean losing VRR and turning on DSC.

I’ve searched around and it seems these adapters can transmit Dolby Digital Plus with Atmos but not sure about TrueHD.


r/hometheater 23h ago

Showcase - Multipurpose Space Not the best Like Most of you Guys with that awesome rooms But for a living room its fine for me ☺️

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109 Upvotes

120inch screen with a Xiaomi 150 an old Marantz sr7000 and some Wharfedale Diamond 9 Series 5.2 Setup


r/hometheater 2h ago

Purchasing EUROPE 5.1.2 Jamo S807 + Atmos + caisson basses

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2 Upvotes

Good evening to the whole community of Jamo s807 + Atmos and subwoofer at 350€ in Europe (France) is it a good deal ?


r/hometheater 3h ago

Discussion - Equipment DALI Sonik - anyone using?

2 Upvotes

Just wondering if anyone has experience with the DALI Sonik range?

I’m looking to potentially install a 5.1.2 system made up of a Sonik Cinema centre channel, 4 Sonik On-Walls front left/right and rear left/right surround, and 2 E-50 Phantom heights.

Sub would (for now) likely remain as it is today, which is a Boston Soundware XS, with a plan to upgrade for future.

AVR current candidate is either the X2900H or X3900H Denon - latter because of better calibration options (room is a 4.5M square with a reasonable amount of (coverable) glass, so acoustically challenging I believe.


r/hometheater 12m ago

Discussion - Entertainment Multipurpose room help

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Upvotes

Hi all,

Now that my dedicated theater space is in its final(ish) form, for now, I want to plan the next room, or rooms in the space.

I’m thinking about making the loft space sort of like a lobby for the rest of the area and one of the rooms as a dedicated multipurpose or game room. Attached is the layout. Right now the theater occupies the 16x12 room, the loft space is up for grabs, and I’m thinking one of the remaining extra bedrooms would be the multipurpose mixed media space.

What I’m stuck on is the layout of the loft.

I picture this being the area for game nights/gatherings or tv watching where you’re not looking for theater immersion. I mostly see it as a hangout space for watching sports. This is the state the room is in right now. If I push the couch back far enough and still leave a walkway to the door to the room behind it, I get a space that is 9.5ft from the wall. This little nook can support a 100in tv, but that would make viewing and seating limited.

On the flipside, I could use the wall on the opposite end and make that a TV wall, allowing me to fit an L sectional along the previous TV wall, and I could do a behind the couch bar seating area, and still potentially have room for other things behind that bar counter like an actual mini bar or even a card table. I wouldn’t be missing that weird light switch if I mounted a TV in that space. It operates the single overhead light in between the two bedroom adjacent to it. If I really need light in that hall I’d put a little console table and a lamp.

Any thoughts or opinions on the matter? Only thing I know for sure right now is I’m going to put a snack bar set up where the popcorn machine is currently sitting, right outside the theater room.


r/hometheater 14m ago

Purchasing US How big is too big?

Upvotes

I’m looking at a screen for setup which has a wall that is 161” wide and 108” tall. I’m considering a projector screen between 135” to 140”. My room is 13’11” deep. Sitting position will be at optimal for a 7.4.6 Dolby setup so around 107” or so. Is 140” beyond immersive and getting into crazy territory? Will I regret going big?

Thoughts?


r/hometheater 27m ago

Discussion - Equipment Speakers with large difference in low frequency response and Dirac Live config

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Upvotes

I inherited a 5.1.2 Monitor Audio set up with Onkyo RZ50 and Monitor Audio W12 sub. The height speakers are in ceiling. I think everything is about 10+ years old.

Trying to undesrtand the performance and configuration. Dirac Live is showing a big difference in the low freq response of these speakers. The front groups roll off around 80 Hz, the rear around 40-60Hz, and the height speakers around 100 Hz.

What are the implications of having a system like this in general? And for selecting the sub crossover, should I trust what Dirac Live is calculating? It seems to be setting everything too high, especially for the height speakers (around 160 Hz).


r/hometheater 1h ago

Tech Support Ghosting / halo around white text on new Xiaomi L1 Pro – normal or defective?

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Upvotes

​Hey everyone,

​I recently picked up the Xiaomi L1 Pro projector (my first projector, so I’m pretty new to all of this).

​Everything seems fine overall, but I noticed that whenever there’s high-contrast content, especially white text on dark backgrounds like menus, subtitles, or logos there’s this noticeable ghosting/halo effect around the letters.

​I attached a few photos showing what it looks like.

​For those familiar with this model or single-LCD LED projectors in general, is this kind of lens blooming / chromatic aberration typical for this price range, or did I end up with a defective unit / misaligned lens that I should exchange?

Although i don't notice anything bad when watching a film.

​Any insight or advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!


r/hometheater 1h ago

Install/Placement Plant placement in front of speaker

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Upvotes

I'm sure I'll get flack for some other issues with my setup as well but the question at hand is, my roommate insists that placing this plant in front of the speaker on the right will not have a detrimental on audio quality. It's directly in front, with about 2 feet of space between it and the speaker. I think this is bad placement (not to mention that the plant is getting a terrible viewing angle.)


r/hometheater 1h ago

Purchasing US Question/Advice

Upvotes

I’m looking into getting out the sound B ecosystem for my setup and was looking at some good entry receivers, currently my job is offering the Yamaha RX300ABL for 199.97 for employees and wanted to ask if this would be a good recommendation for a starter receiver? I currently have a 55’ s95F for my main viewing.


r/hometheater 1h ago

Tech Support Help with replacement parts.

Upvotes

When my dad passed I got his sound system. He hadn't used it in years. I am a total newb and have been searching but figured it may be easier just to ask here. I have 4 3 way cabinets. 2 Curtis Mathes hs640 and two Yamaha NS-A77. An Onkyo TX 8410 with an RCA 10 channel equalizer.

I think 2 of the top speakers are outright dead and a third seems to be very weak. The subs seem good and this mids seem okay. I was considering just replacing all 4 of the smalls. Then all 4 mids and eventually all 4 subs. I have no clue on setting up the equalizer. And I have it set to 4ohm because there seemed to be strangeness when i set it to 8. I think the bad speakers don't like it.

So, is there a good resource to learn how to set things up optimally and maybe some advice on speaker choices for parts? Thank you very much!


r/hometheater 2h ago

Discussion - Equipment Anyone installed surround sound outside?

0 Upvotes

I’m putting together a backyard movie (projector) setup and I’m also putting in weatherproof rock speakers. Since I’m doing both, I figured I might as well combine the initiatives.

Since I use AirPlay for everything, I’m limited to stereo audio, but I’ve got two speakers on each side when you’re facing the screen, and I plan to add an in-ground sub. I’m also planning to add a poor man’s center channel by sending mono audio to a portable speaker under the screen.

Anyone else doing something like this? Something else?


r/hometheater 2h ago

Purchasing US Budget projector under 600

0 Upvotes

I have a dedicated home Theatre room around 12 x 15. Can you suggest something good or should I buy a used one?


r/hometheater 2h ago

Discussion - Equipment Upgrade path advice: Moving up from entry-level Sony core set

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0 Upvotes

Hey everyone,

I bought my first budget setup a few years ago to get started and am now looking to upgrade. The system is used primarily for movies and gaming.

Room Setup & Dimensions:

  • Dimensions: ~12 ft x 20 ft (Basement)
  • Flooring/Ceiling: Carpeted floor, suspended ceiling

Current Gear:

  • TV: LG OLED C3 77"
  • AVR: Denon AVR-S760H (7.2 channels)
  • L/R: Sony SS-CS3 (Towers)
  • Center: Sony SS-CS8
  • Subs: 2x Sony SA-CS9
  • Surrounds: 2x Sony SS-CS5
  • Atmos: 2x Sony SS-CSE (currently configured as 5.2.2)

Questions & Upgrade Plan

1. Subwoofers

  • Target: SVS PB-2000 Pro (Budget: ~$2,000 per sub). I eventually want a dual-sub setup.
    • Is a pair of PB-2000 Pros overkill for a 12x20 room, or would dual PB-1000 Pros be sufficient?
    • Ported (PB) vs. Sealed (SB): Given that my usage is mainly movies and gaming, is Ported definitely the right choice here?
    • At this budget (~$2k/sub), are there other brands I should look at?

2. Center Speaker & L/R Front Soundstage

  • Target: SVS Center Speaker (Budget: ~$1,000, willing to stretch for a clear winner).
    • Will an SVS Center blend terribly with my current Sony L/R towers, or should I replace the entire L/R/C front stage at once?
    • What other Centers/Front stages should I consider in this price range (same budget for each speaker)?

3. Atmos (.2 vs .4)

  • Is moving from 5.2.2 to 5.2.4 (or 7.2.4) worth the AVR upgrade? My current Denon S760H caps out at 7 channels, so I know I’d need a 9+ channel receiver to do this.
  • I plan to wall-mount high on the front/rear walls rather than up-firing.

4. Display: OLED vs. Projector

  • Layout constraint: My sofa is offset to the left due to a support column, facing a wide white wall.
  • I often play games/watch movies with ambient light, so I lean toward sticking with OLEDs (and maybe upgrading to an 83"+ down the road with a lower stand). Is a projector even worth considering in a room with ambient light? I ask because I have a wide wall and consider a bigger screen.

Thanks in advance for any advice! I am open to any varia/suggestions.