Projector and Screen recommendations

My 2-ch system is pretty much done for now:

VPI SSM Ref w/ rim drive
Einstein phono
Einstein pre or SF Line 3SE+
Computer audio + Benchmark DAC USB
Sony SCD 777ES for SACD
BAT 150SE
SF Amati Homage or Guarneri Memento
JL F113

If I do 2.1 for movie, will go like HD DVD -> Benchmark -> some SS amp -> Amati/F113. With this setup, subwoofer output will have to be cranked up each time I watch movie.

I am also toying with the idea of HD DVD -> Pioneer VSX-92 -> Amati/F113. With this setup, I can get LFE and maybe add center/surround speakers in the future.

I know I don't care too much about sound quality when I watch movies, but not sure if using a newer receiver with HD audio decoding capability will make watching movies more fun. I had a cheap surround sound system setup in the past, it sure was more fun than 2-ch especially with the subwoofer running LFE.

Very interesting thread; an area I will be researching more towards the end of the year. I've given up fighting with the wife over the den and I'm making the basement into the listening room / home theater. As I'm a multichannel SACD guy, there is going to be a center channel speaker behind the screen. So my question is, how does the audio transparency of the screen enter into the above?

My basement is 13 x 21 x 7 (yeah I know, 7 and 21 are a bad combo) and viewing in darkness, day or night is not an issue. The center channel speaker may be a monitor on a stand, or a full range floor stander. Hhmm, I wonder how seven Carver Amazings will sound? No longer a problem, the WAF factor is out (the basement window). :-)

Russ

Hi Semi,
One thing that seems to accentuate the perception of being "too bright" is if you actually have some "hot-spotting", meaning that your picture is brighter in some areas than others. This occurs with higher-gain screens with short projector throw-distances, because the relationship between projection and viewing angles varies more across different points on the screen as the distances get shorter. 1.8 gain is 'high-ish' for a home theater with a DLP/LCD projector, and your throw distance (less than 2x the screen width) is somewhat on the short side. If you can get the projector further away, or even try it temporarily, you might see if this makes an improvement. I'm assuming of course, that you've set up your black and white levels correctly.

Hi Russ,
The modern "microperf" screens are very good in terms of audio quality, especially when they're used in front of the center channel only . . . which to my ear needs more X-curve compensation (HF rolloff) than the other channels for movie soundtracks.

There is also an optical tradeoff with a perforated screen, that is, at the very least, you lose some brightness . . . this really hurt in the days of CRT projectors when lumens were very, very expensive. But you also need be careful of the reflectivity of what's behind the screen, as sometimes this can show through the perforations.

The best-sounding multi-channel system I have ever heard (by far) is the 5.1 system in Transparent Audio's listening studio . . . big Wilsons (Alexandrias?) all the way around, with a custom Wilson sub the size of an average refrigerator. The projection screen was a Stewart microperf that came down in front of the center channel . . . and in several scenes I could catch a glint of the shiney black Wilson through the screen, and it was a bit distracting, especially given how amazing the picture and sound quality was otherwise.

Kirkus- thanks for the input on the micorperf screens, and thanks in general for sharing your knowledge with the rest of us. Right now I'm planning on installing five Eminent Technology LFT-8s. They're great speakers, especially for the money. They can be had with light or dark grills, neither of which looks very reflective.

The best 5.1 system I've heard to date was at the Stereophile show in NY 3 - 4 years ago. It was in the McIntosh room, a full Mc system with huge Martin Logans all around. Wowsa!!

Russ