Home Theater Done Right: Millercarbon's System


Dual use, should probably be the title. Oh well. Finally posted my system. Someone’s always asking about how to do a dual use system. Well, here’s how its done.
Cinephile or audiophile, movies and music are the two things I have loved for as long as I can remember. I want my music to sound as good as possible, and I want my movies to look and sound as good as possible. Everything is a compromise and yet when it comes to these two the compromises are remarkably few. If any. At least that is what my system shows. Because it is a first-rate audiophile sound system, AND a top level home theater.
Whether music or movies an immersive experience is the goal. To lose yourself in the experience. To be carried away.
Studies show viewers consistently rate video quality higher when sound quality is high. Unfortunately the Home Theater industry has chosen to pursue quantity over quality. Which cannot ever work. No amount of surround speakers will ever make up for poor quality. Everyone knows this perfectly well. Being able to convince anyone otherwise is a testament to marketing.
But that’s not my main point here. Rather it is that everything matters. Seemingly minor little things like cryogenic treatment, HFT, ECT, Total Contact, fuses, cable elevators, etc when added together actually make so much difference it is almost impossible to build a truly good system without them.

Removing those tweaks from my system would lower it down to merely average.

Anyway, the system is posted. Enjoy the pics. I am not that good a photographer but Steve Clarke was busy. Tried to get the tubes go glow- how’d I do?

The system evolves. Here for reference are some pics from 16 years ago. https://www.theanalogdept.com/c_miller.htm
Comments welcome. Enjoy!


128x128millercarbon
Well there's this.

Let's not even consider the electronics, which is also a factor.

But if you position your speakers so that they are optimized for two channel listening, they will NOT be optimized for HT. Now as long as you know that one or the other will suffer to some degree,  you can combine the two.
Okay. Good one. Or if not good, then at least valid.

So, speakers optimized for two channel listening. What does that mean? Well for one it means awesome rock solid imaging in a 3D wide and immersive sound field. Which is what I have. Check.

So now help me out here- how is that any different with a picture?
HT experts will tell you that you need to have the left/right speakers set up so that the image is continuous when panned across the stage - to the center speaker - and to the other speaker. Which means they will be flanking the screen somewhat tighter than is optimum for good two channel stereo imaging.

Spread the speakers farther apart and guess what, music sounds better. Video soundstage suffers. It's all a trade off.

I prefer to have a big screen, soundbar and sub in the living room and NO video crap in the listening room. Car crashes and dinosaur stomps need not have the highest in fidelity for me.


Which means they will be flanking the screen somewhat tighter than is optimum for good two channel stereo imaging.


You need a bigger screen. Hahaha. :)