Need help to reconfigure my system


Okay ... i'm not exactly the most balanced person you might meet. I buy stuff on a whim, and repent at leisure.

With that much intro, lemme start off with my problem in hand.

I've way too many equipment. And more are on the way.

Here's what i have at home -

46" DLP Samsung TV
GR Research AV/3 Floorstanders
GR Research AV/3 Kit (unassembled)
Athena Technologies Point 5
Hsu STF-2 Subwoofer
Onix SP-3 Integrated
ASL Wave Preamp
Teac AL700P
Sony STR DA777ES Receiver
Sony SACD/DVD player
Luminous Audio Passive Preamp
Insignia Bookshelf Speakers
Another DIY Floorstander
Monarchy Audio SM-70 Pro

Whats on their way (!!!)-

Onix X-LS 2 pairs + Center
5 Mirage Omnisat Micro

I can assure you i wasn't smoking anything when i ordered any of the above !!

Check this out - I stay in a one bedroom 750sq ft apartment! And my living room where all the above equipment is housed is just 12'x13' !!

I'm fed up of seeing all that equipment, and having to listen to taunts from my friends who come home. As you
can see from my list above, there is no pattern to my buying, and also that not much thought has been put into
what i buy.

My idea now is to reduce the clutter to the absolute minimum without giving up on audio quality. I've reached a stage wherein I simply am not able to make up my mind as to what to keep, and what to get rid of.

I want a simple HT system that can double up as a great audio system too.

I listen to all kinds of music with the exception of rap/hip-hop/country.

Can you please suggest as to what i should do? I am too overwhelmed to think clearly.

Thanks!
audio_crackpot
The first thing you should do is get someone you trust to hide your wallet.

Out of all the stuff you have you should be able to put something together to satisfy your needs..... sell the rest!
Nuguy, your advice is reasonable. Crackpot is not. He needs a "technique" to help him thru this.

CP, if you can afford all that "whimsy" buying, you can afford a personal storage space for awhile. You need to get it all out of your sight first. Then as as Nuguy suggests, put together a nice system from your inventory and even (dare I say it!) a few new purchases if necessary to create a really "synergistic" system.

Then photograph and pack up the remaining stuff, a little every weekend, and sell it. It's very important to do this last part not at home!! You want your "system" in one place, and your "inventory" somewhere else. I've been through this (not quite as extensively as you) but I'm serious about the solution -- I know where from I speak!

The good news is once you finally un-bury yourself, you will unlikely ever let it happen again!!

.


Keep the TV, Hsu, and the DVD dump the rest.
Get another SM70 ($3-400) maybe 2? An Outlaw prepro ($3-900) depending on model/new/used
Then audition your speakers and figure which to sell.
MMM
Accent has good suggestion but you may not want to throw out that much.I'd get beter sourround and ther Outlaw is a gfreat line interms of price.You have speakers on way so9 see how it works out. I'd also get a PS UPC200 or other condtioner.Good line condtioner improves both sight and sound.If serious about it though a PS reconditioner like the P300 or P500 for the source components and the UPC for the power amp.Make sure your video wrring is true 75 ohm though you need not spend a lot of money.I think my inexpensive XLO does fine.In an audio all system iwth more demanding equipemtn the P300 (or beter) or Cganhg is required at $1K or above list/Under that you get a fancy saftey stripmthough video peformance is improved.Call Bes at Muisc Direct and tell em chazz said take car of you and you'd be all set.He might think of high value ad on's that aren't somming to mind for me but he knows his stuff as well as anybody in the buisness.But you have a nice balanced system that was thought out well and offers value for what you spent.Bes copuld put finmishing touches to it and keep that high bang for the buck theme intact.
G'luck
Chazzbo
I agree, Accent covered all the bases for the most part. Sell what can't figure out what to do with.

Let up know when you're ready for setup.
Okay ... so far i've got rid of the following -

GR Research AV/3 Kit
Insignia Bookshelf
Monarchy SM-70pro
Mirage Omnisat Micro
ASL Wave Preamp

What i've done now is split the system into two. In my living room, i've mounted the athena's on the wall. So my living room HT system is as follows -
DLP TV
Sony STR DA777ES
Sony DVD Player
Athena Point 5 MK2

And i've rearranged my bedroom to accomodate a music only setup.
Onix SP3
Sony Discman
SqueezeBox SB3
Teac ALP700
Luminous Audio Passive Pre
GR Research AV/3
Another DIY design based on Wayne Parm's Studio One.

Hopefully in the coming days, i'll get rid of the onix integrated and one of the speakers (i'm having a hard time deciding between the two. Both sound great). To my ears, Teac when fed directly by a source sounds better than the onix. Onix has superb bass, but for my small room, teac does the job just fine. And there is an element of sweetness in this tripath based amp that i'm yet to come across in any of the amps i've heard.