My First attempt at a nice Home cinema setup

[sta99y]

HI ppl,

I have had my Amp and Kefs since 2002 but for 3yrs in storageand sound brill to this day. Have added Sammy 50" plasma and LG390 BD player.

Originally sitting on a low (cardboard/chipboard) Ikea unit which did ok for a few yrs, Mother inlaw gave us a Solid oak unit 6months old as she has not used it. so below are pics (not all good quaity) of before and after.

In my threads i had asked on spkr distance for fronts but after lots of smoothing wifey over i finally got them where i wanted apart from center which wife did not want n the new unit, so it had to go up above tv.

All comments welcome and thanks for taking the time to read and look

Regards Darrell

Thanks for looking.

 

[vinod_david]

Very nice setup.

 

[sta99y]

Thanks David,

its hard when you have a 2yr

old running around etc and a wife who hates anything speaker related but with comprimises it can be done. just enjoying it now in the morning before work while house empty and neighbours at work

 

[richardw42]

That's looking really nice and tidy. Think I'm going to have to put in a bit more work with mine when I move in a month.
Love the way you've cut out cabinet to allow for cables to & from amp. Really clever.

 

[sta99y]

Thanks Richard,

I placed amp in cabnet then ran a pencil around the shape of amp. used stanley to cut from inside so any splintering would be on the back.

once all kit was in and positioned i marked with crosses, then removed kit and used a hole cutter on cordless drill and cut out required holes. directly under each shelve i cut four 2inch holes to allow for cooling as xbox runs silly hot but i keep door open. just looking at IR emitters now to control all while doors closed.

Thanks for you great comments. btw it only took 6hrs from start to finish with my 14yr old helping.

 

[AlmaataKZ]

Ventilation for amp no problem?

A wider gap to sides and above the amp at the back cut-out would improve cooling.

very neat! hiding cables out of sight makes a lot of difference!

 

[sta99y]

AlmaataKZ:

Ventilation for amp no problem?

A wider gap to sides and above the amp at the back cut-out would improve cooling.

very neat! hiding cables out of sight makes a lot of difference!

Cheers AlmaataKZ

i cant get no more room to the sides however above is prob 6-9 inches. Had it cranked up earlier watching movie with door closed, the fan on amp was working and suprised it wasnt that hot. Most heat had dispersed thru the vent holes i had made.

Cables from the inside of cabinet cant be seen unless your on the floor looking but all cables come out one hole and thru into another so there are quite a few as you can imagine but neat as you like from the front. Does eveyone think the center is ok where it is??

thanks for the comments

 

[RCduck7]

The center speaker is best placed at the same ear level height as the front speakers.

Under the telly then.

 

[sta99y]

RCduck7:

The center speaker is best placed at the same ear level height as the front speakers.

Under the telly then.

Hi RCduck7,

thanks for your comments, if i could have center there i would, but i comprimised by having Fronts where they are now and center not on the unit to keep the wife happy. On a side note as long as the speaker is below or above the tv the Dialogue is perceived as coming from it. Is it not? but thanks for the comments

Regards Darrell

 

[grdunn123]

I'm guessing that you have some up and coming hifi enthusiasts who often love to poke fingers in to speaker cones etc...I think I'd have done the same in mounting the speakers 'out of harms reach'

 

[sta99y]

grdunn123:I'm guessing that you have some up and coming hifi enthusiasts who often love to poke fingers in to speaker cones etc...I think I'd have done the same in mounting the speakers 'out of harms reach'

yeh something like that lol, however the Kefs have metal grills which in the past have saved the center from having a toy car imbedded into the cone!! slight dent in grill if up close. But he loves toy story 1&2 and Finding Nemo! just not as loud as i do bless him lol

 

[Anonymous]

Very nice

As you asked I would concur that the centre should be in the same plane as the fronts, pity the Plasma was not a little bit higher then the centre could have been wall mounted under the TV as well.

I would consider boring ventilation holes above the amp through the back panel to prevent cooking the amp and whatever is above it.

But as stated compromises have to be made

 

[sta99y]

Hi Lesmor

Thanks for the advice but speaker below is a no no at the mo however I am trying to smooth wifey over with a wooden type speaker but it has to be a slim type to sit between cabinet and tv, 10cm height max which doesn't allow much in terms of choice I imagine?! I have ventilation holes in back of cabinet directly below shelf which is above amp!! Cheers for comments

 

[markiedee]

that is a lovely setup i also like what you have done with the cabinet. it looks really neat and makes for a clean look.

 

[sta99y]

Hi markie I'm really pleased at end result!!

 

[D.J.KRIME]

Very nice, I like your choice of equipment

I'm supprised your Yamaha dosen't get really hot with the cabinet doors closed as my RXV2500 is like having a radiator in the rack when it's cranked up. Must post some recent pics of my Samsung/Yamaha?KEF combo

 

[sta99y]

Hi DJ.Krime, thanks for the comments, as to the amp getting hot which it does when door is closed I do however open if prolonged periods to use. I have 4 two inch holes directly below shelf which does help but I see no point in ventilating the shelf above as BD player will get hot I'm guessing. I will monitor it over the next few months.

Once again thanks for the comments and your kit is just like mine, an excellent choice IMO 🙂

 

[sta99y]

hi ppl, i have now removed the center speaker from above the TV and placed it below (wall mounted) it sits nicely and out of sight as a silly bowl hides it however the bowl gets moved for movie viewing.

pics up tomorrow

 

[JamesOK]

Very neat - that cupboard must weigh a tonne!

What are you using to hide the cables, are they attached to the wall somehow?

 

[sta99y]

Hi me and the brother in law are pretty strong from many years of body building however we did struggle climbing in an out of the van with it lol. Cables are hidden from tv with D shape trunking sticky backed. 3mtr length by 18mm or 30mm was £5.69 Focus DIY.

 

[JamesOK]

Cheers, the trunking is very neat - and of course much easier than sticking the cables in the wall!

 

[sta99y]

No prob James, the trunking can be lightly rubbed down with either a scotch cloth (green washing up thingy) or fine grae of sandpaper then painted to blend in with decor. It's what i shall do when i decorate soon....

Cheers