Pictures of my Equipment Rack in Progress

[Chris D]

Some sample pictures to whet your appetite of my current equipment rack. Theater project is nearing the end.

The actual rack, current as of today. Not fully complete, but pretty much so. I chose to go with a horizontal rack to allow the large window above it to remain unobstructed to allow light and airiness into the room when I open up the alcove. The rack itself is by Salamander Designs. On the top left of the rack is a Dell laptop. The little item on the top right is actually an RF baby monitor. Hooking it up to the theater, you can check on the baby in the theater as well as distribute the audio and video from the monitor to my all-home A/V system so you can check on her anywhere in the house.



The left bay of the rack. From top to bottom:

Behringer Feedback Destroyer
JVC S-VHS VCR (keep it mostly for a clock)
Two rows of AudioSource 5.3 mono amplifiers driving Clark Synthesis Tactile Transducers
Middle Atlantic Power Strip
Old Kenwood receiver, used as an amplifier for my all-home audio distrubution system



The center bay of the rack. From top to bottom:

Parasound Halo C1 pre-amp/processor
Parasound Halo A51 5-channel amplifier
Parasound Halo A21 2-channel amplifier
inbetween components are Parasound 1u rack mount vents matching the Halo pieces



The right bay of the rack. From top to bottom:

Zenith HS-520 HDTV satellite receiver
Denon DVD-3910 universal DVD player
Old Kenwood tuner
Old Kenwood 5-disc CD changer
Old Kenwood twin cassette deck



A larger view of my equipment alcove. It's on the left side of my theater. When finished, it will be enclosed with black curtains. I've wired a Xantech IR distribution system in the walls with the IR receiver on the front screen wall to control the equipment with the curtains closed. The lights and surround speakers you see are about to be enclosed in columns, and then the walls will be covered with acoustical fabric. The seats are Salamander Design Matteo seating.



Much more to come in the future as I complete the theater--rear pictures of all connections and CAT Cables, projector, screen wall, etc!

[bhuskins]

Looking good Chris...

Brent Huskins
Media Design

[Chris D]

Me, or the rack? Or my rack? :boobies: Heheeee.

[bhuskins]

You've been waiting to use that one for a long time haven't you...common' tell the truth...

Brent Huskins
Media Design

[Azeke]

Sure is pretty, the rack of course.

Regards,

Azeke

[Kingdaddy]

Very nice setup, like your theater seating, wish I had room to do something like that. Looks like you could use a DVD changer to clear up all that media storage.

[ti33er]

WOW!!! ...that is kicker! ...what are you using for speakers to compliment such a fantastic rig!?

[Actiman]

wowee

Wow Chris. I'm impressed! I can't do anything less than to offer you one of those nice banana's you gave me a couple of weeks ago :banana:

BTW, I wonder how the baby sounds in ProLogic IIx if you hook that baby monitor to the C1.... :B Maybe you can post an mp3 for us...

[nicholtl]

Very Nice!!!

[Chris D]

Thanks, Actiman, I'll always take a banana!

You know, it's funny. Several people have made the comment/question about the baby monitor in surround sound. Of course, that's not the point... I just want to hear the baby, not put her into surround sound. It's not too much different, as I just turn down the volume. It's not like I sit and just listen non-stop.

As for the speakers, I'm running a complete 7.1 setup (or 7.3 if you like) of Klipsch legend speakers. The four side and rear surrounds that you see are KSP-S6 surrounds. Fronts KLF-30's, center KLF-C6. The 7.3 is that I have dual SVS PC-Ultra subwoofers, fed from the main and Pro 3 outputs of the C1, and six Clark Synthesis tactile transducers installed in the Salamander seating fed from the Pro 1 output. Or perhaps since there's 6 seats, you would call it a 7.8 setup? Wait, I'm running the all-home 2-channel audio from the Zone 2 outputs. Does that make it 9.8? I still have two programmable outputs left, should I go for 11.8?

[Chris D]

Aren't Halos freakin' COOL?

[Peter Nielsen]

Aren't Halos freakin' COOL?

They're HOT :B

Peter

[Clive]

Thanks, Actiman, I'll always take a banana!

Okay Chris! :rofl: :rofl:

The Halo's look real mean there man almost scary :drool: Talk about pushing the envelope :T

[ti33er]

wow that is insane – the most I ever had was 7.2 and I really thought it was overkill hehe!

I'll wager in the future that we will come out with some revolutionary tympanic type wall/ceiling/floor treatments that will resonate sound creating a complete soundfield from every angle - hopefully we will have real VR as well, holographic imaging etc...I hope this happens in my lifetime (or they invent a way to reverse aging!)

[Peter Nielsen]

I'll wager in the future that we will come out with some revolutionary tympanic type wall/ceiling/floor treatments that will resonate sound creating a complete soundfield from every angle

Makes me think about the Magnepan Tympani series of the 70's-80's.

You can do the same today with a few pairs of 20.1s or maybe 3.6s if you're on a budget :B

Peter

[Q-Man]

I've heard a lot of good things about the Behringer Feedback Destroyer. Are you using it on your main channels, subwoofer, or what?

Can you pick up one side of the rack to pull it out and get behind it?

By the way, the rack looks good. You made the niche work for you, like it was designed for that purpose.

[Chris D]

Thanks, Q-man. Yeah, I'm very happy with the rack. Salamander really makes good stuff. It's completely stationary, but I left a good 9 inches behind it, so I can just lean over the top and make connection changes. I don't think I could move the rack now--it's gotta weight ***several*** hundred pounds with all that stuff in there now.

As for the BFD, it's tweaking only the dual subwoofers. I've asked the question why not just use it on all speakers like a parametric equalizer, and was told that it really only functions best on subs. Can't remember details on the answer. But Sonny Parker here in HT Guide is a BFD expert and has even written a complete user guide for the unit that's posted here in the Guide. Check out the top thread at http://www.htguide.com/forum/forumdisplay.php4?f=5 (you guys should get out of Club Parasound more to the rest of the Guide!)

Peter, you make me crave Maggies again. It's going to be a long way off in the future, though--I need to recover from this project.

[ti33er]

I actually inherited a pair of natural oakwood maggies years ago and pawned them for a meagre £30! I didn't know much about audio and thought they sounded crAp, but I know now this was only because I was trying to power them with an old sony all-in-one stereo that couldnt drive them - I was furious and kicked myself when I saw the pawn shop selling them for £300 a day later (no recourse of course) ...the CashCrusaders clerk had informed me they could only give me £30 for them as they werent worth all that much...I was 16 at the time and if I was fully grown I would have had a lot more to say after that *&$%£ than I did!!!

[Chris D]

Oh, that hurts...

[Chris D]

Something I posted elsewhere in HT Guide:

Ah yes, the amps. That's another interesting thing about my theater. 250 wpc in both the A21 and A51 amps x 7 = 1750 Watts. 6 Audio Source mono amps for Clark Synthesis tactile transducers at 250 wpc each = 1500 Watts. Two SVS PC-Ultra powered subwoofers at 550 watts each = 1100 Watts. Old Kenwood stereo receiver at 120 wpc x 2 = 240 Watts.

Total theater power = 4,590 Watts

Heheheeee...

[Peter Nielsen]

Total theater power = 4,590 Watts

That's an interesting one. I wonder what I'll have when I receive my 2nd pair of JC1s. Do I need to kneel? I don't think so, but let's see:

Mains: 4 JC1 @ 800W (MG20.1 bi-amped)
Surrounds, center, rear: A51 @ 5x400W (MG3.6,MGCC3,MGMC1)

That's 5,200 Watts of Parasound Power, or 6,000 Watts if I include my Martin Logan Descent subwoofer with integrated amp :rollhead:

Chris, what power arrangements have you made for your setup? I recently installed 3 dedicated 20A circuits for my theatre, so now I should have enough juice for sure, and definitely no more flickering ceiling light, as the new circuits are run straight from the main breaker panel. (I will be using two of the circuits for the amps and the third one for video).

Peter

[NMyTree]

Nice rack.........beautiful gear, Chris!

Ssssswwwwwweeeeeeeeet!!


All this power and wattage we have on our equipment seems over-rated. I imagine realistically, we're only drawing about 80 watts-120-watts from all of our gear operating at the same time.

[Peter Nielsen]

All this power and wattage we have on our equipment seems over-rated. I imagine realistically, we're only drawing about 80 watts-120-watts from all of our gear operating at the same time.

That depends. One JC1 idles at 250W alone...

Peter

[NMyTree]

I've been under the impression that the real world power consumption, is much less than what it seems.

I certainly could be wrong.

[Peter Nielsen]

I've been under the impression that the real world power consumption, is much less than what it seems.

That depends. This is certainly the case with the new classic amps that "run cooler" (to quote Parasound).

However, the JC1 really heats up the room considerably, even though no music is played (they get so hot that you can barely touch them). This might really become a problem when I get the 2nd pair. I'm actually afraid I will have to have the AC improved... :B

Peter

[Chris D]

Peter- Swwwweeeeeeeeeeet... (best Eric Cartman voice)

Are you counting the wattage at 4 Ohms I take it? As for my circuits, I have 6 different dedicated circuits in my theater:

- 15 amp dedicted power to light switch to run the lights.
- 15 amp dedicated outlet for projector. (In case a CRT is ever installed)
- 15 amp dedicated floor outlet in stage riser
- two 20 amp dedicated quad outlets in the equipment alcove that I have my gear plugged into
- 15 amp circuit for outlets on theater walls wired per code

Before you installed the circuits, did you really have lights dimming? Awesome.

[Peter Nielsen]

Are you counting the wattage at 4 Ohms I take it?

Yes, Magnepans are 4 ohm speakers.

Before you installed the circuits, did you really have lights dimming? Awesome.

Yes, this was easy to achieve with my A51 when I used it for my main speakers. Just turn up the volume and the ceiling lights started flickering to the beat of the bass. (This was before I got the JC1 and MG20.1. At the time, I was using the MG3.6 as main speakers and driving them with the A51).

However, I cannot repeat this with my pair of JC1. This is understandable, since one JC1 has about the same number of electrolytic capacitors as the A51 has for all five channels. Thus, the power consumption is smoother which in turn helps to avoid sudden voltage drops caused by bass transients. (I'm sure the line voltage will drop, but it is not visibly noticable since it does not fluctuate by much).

IMHO, this proves that Parasound is right when they are saying that the JC1 really don't need an external power conditioner. The JC1 power supply is awsome. :T

Anyway, now that I have dedicated circuits, the problem is gone. 20A is probably overkill, but since I wanted to use the heavier #12 gauge wire anyway, I thought that I might as well make the circuits 20A since it did not cost more. (15A is generally wired with thinner #14 gauge wire, which is more prone to voltage drops. 20A requires #12).

Oh, and my usual rant: The NEC should enforce wiring light and outlets on separate circuits in new installations. It's very discouraging to see the lights flicker in a home that was built in 2004 :roll:

Peter

[NMyTree]

I've been under the impression that the real world power consumption, is much less than what it seems.

I certainly could be wrong.

When I made this comment, I was really referring to audio/video gear in general, not specifically Parasound or any specific Parasound models. Just seems the actual power consumption of our gear is lower than it seems.

Do we have any electrical gurus who can shed some light on this subject?

[Peter Nielsen]

Just seems the actual power consumption of our gear is lower than it seems.

What exactly do you mean with "lower than it seems" ?

A Class AB amplifier will draw a current that is relative to the current output at the speaker terminals. Of couse, it is very seldom, if ever, that you take out the full power of an AB power amplifier, so when Parasound says 1800W for the A51, most people probably never use more than 250-500W.

Also, the connected equipment will make a huge difference. People with highly efficient 8 ohm speakers are probably never going to see anything more than 500W, if even that. However, with inefficient 4 ohm speakers, it is actually possible to draw a lot of power. (For instance I had my ceiling lights flicker with the A51 and Maggies when playing music through all channels).

And, of course, when it comes to theatre use, the center, surround, and rear channels are usually crossed over at 80Hz. Furthermore, when used for movie playback (i.e. not music), these channels are usually less loud and sound is not output continuously. All this of course makes a difference on the power consumption...

Then again, a Class A amplifier always runs at full power. So if you buy one of those amps that offer Class A up to full power, then you better plan for the specified power rating because that's is what it is going to draw all the time.

Peter

[Chris D]

On the subject of my equipment rack and mounting Parasound into a Salamander rack, Glen wrote me a message he's allowing me to repost:

Originally Posted by Glen B
Hi Chris,
I have a question regarding the Salamander equipment rack and the way your Parasound amps are installed. Its difficult to see the mounting detal in the pictures you posted because they are dark. How are the amps supported ? They are obviously not rack-mounted. If you have the shelves installed, how did you get both the shelves and rack-mount rails installed in the rack at the same time ? My reasons for asking are that I am looking for a rack that will not only hold my non-rack mount equipment but on which I can also attach rack-mount rails. I want to install 19" perforated rack mount covers over my components to keep my grandson's fingers away.

Regards,
Glen

Bottom line, my Parasound equipment IS rack mounted. The cool thing about Salamander Synergy racks is that you can add neat features to it and customize your rack without buying a new one--side and rear panels, doors, screens, lights, feet, etc. Salamander also sells rack mounts that you actually slide into the vertical posts and then bolt inside the posts for a real clean look. So I have rack mounts installed in the left and center bays of my triple rack. The right rack I still use for regular shelves, which are thick and quality on their own. You can also buy partial rack mounts which don't extend the entire height of a bay, if you'd like to use shelves at the same time. It's a real neat system, and I have (almost) nothing but good stuff to say about Salamander. I'm using their Matteo theater seating, too!

If you're interested, I highly recommend that you check out Salamander's website, www.mander.com

Hope this helps!

[Peter Nielsen]

Chris, thanks for the valuable info!

Those Salamander Synergy racks are awsome!!! I just noticed that they have a 70" high version. Awsome! I'm probably going to replace my current rack with a Salamander...

BTW, are those Salamanter theatre seats good? Could you please comment. Pros and cons?

Peter

[Chris D]

Yeah, Peter, I'm VERY happy with Salamander stuff. In general, every single item I've ever come across made by them has been the ultimate in build quality and function while still giving a very classy appearance. Pretty much the only downside I've had with Salamander products is that you also pay some big $$$ for that top-end quality and appearance. From the beginning, I wanted to use Salamander racks, but didn't think I could afford it. I ended up finding a fantastic deal, though, so I'm ecstatic.

For the seats, specifically, I'm very happy. For my particular setup, my room isn't the widest space, only 12' wide, but I wanted to try and fit two rows of three seats in there. A lot of the seats you find end up being very wide, especially if you get multiple single units placed side-by-side. So I wanted something that was considerate of width. The seats are awesome, giving plenty of width for each person to sit, while staying thin. I also was looking to buy seating and Clark Synthesis tactile transducers at the same time, for the TT's to go directly into the seats. Well, the Salamander Matteo seats are specifically designed for TT use, even coming with an installation bracket installed right into the bottom, you just bolt the TT right on. That was really easy.

One of the cool things about them is that they're modular. The first seat you buy for each row comes with two sidearms. Then all other seats you buy just come with one arm, you unbolt the end-arm from the first seat, and then put it at the end of the row once they're bolted together. So if I bring these to another house and want to add seats for two rows of 8, I just but two more chairs, not a complete new configuration set.

The headrest is adjustable in height and tilt, or if you want complete sound immersion, even removable so there's no blocking rear surrounds. They recline to multiple different positions, and the furthest back is almost flat, which my wife loves because she had back surgery. (the tactile transducers help for that too) Each armrest has an anodized aluminum cupholder that you can get in either black or silver, and there's even an awesome thick rubber pad removable at the bottom of each cup with a Salamander grooved into the rubber. If your drink spills a bit, or has moisture condensation on the outisde that runs down, it's easily caught by the pad which you can then wash.

The seat material is a comfortable leather. Haven't had a problem with it getting too hot or cold. Oh, and you can get the base in a painted grey like mine or an unfinished wood if you want to stain it like your trim.

Awesome--Salamander really does it right.

[Chris D]

A smattering of pics on the theater as I work this weekend--

The back of my Parasound C1 processor, as best as I could get the camera back there. All cables are CAT, except the optical and the 1/8" signal plugs.



Of all my new CAT Cables, I think these are my favorites for looks. On the left is a highly-customized silver subwoofer splitter. On the right is a high-end silver coax component cable with BNC connectors on one end. Pretty to look at, and they work even better.





This is just the stuff that applies to Parasound. More over in the "Spaced Out" subforum of the Guide here.