"Onhwy61":
If money were not an object to me (and unless you are already fifthy rich.......... when has it become an object (???)), I would first buy me some prime real estate (meaning land) in an exclusive area of my town (and in my case, being that I am a "Washingtonian", it would be in in Georgetown (D. C.), Chevy Chase (Montgomery County in Maryland) or Bethesda (also in Montgomery County Maryland)), and spend about $400,000.00 and have the house of my dreams built. It would have a marble foyer, a circular staircase, a gourmet kitchen with cherry cabinets and stainless steel appliances, and etc. You know........ the works.
THEN (!!!!!).........
With the money left over after furnishing my dream home, then I would outfit four rooms with audio and video gear.
(01). My den (which would be my "everyday" room) would have most of my existing system. But I would update my turntable system from the Thorens TD-165/Grado Prestige Gold combination that I have now and go for a Clearaudio Champion II and combine it with a Grado Reference Statement, and then I would upgrade my existing subwoofer from the used REL Strata II that I have recently bought to an REL Storm III. It would be stratigically arranged and placed to get the best sound possible from it.
(02). I would also have a dedicated home theater room (that is acoustically dampened, so that its sounds do not seep out and leak into the other rooms of the house) that would feature the following equipment:
(a). Seleco Grand Cinema HT300 Front Projector with an internal Faroudja Line Doubler.
(b). Retractable Stewart Filmscreens 100" Greyhawk Screen (concealed by heavy designer draparies).
(c). Denon DVD-5900 Progressive Scan DVD/SACD/CD Player.
(d). Krell Home Theater Standard 7.1 Surround Processor.
(e). Krell Theater Standard Power Amplifier (Fronts and Sides).
(f). Krell KAV-2250 Power Amplifier (Surrounds).
(g). Martin Logan Odyssey (Fronts).
(h). Martin Logan Theater i (Center).
(i). Martin Logan Fresco (Sides and Surrounds).
(j). Velodyne DD-15 Powered Subwoofer(s) x 2.
(k). Equi=Tech Model 5Q Power Conditioner (Power Amplifiers would be plugged directly into wall outlets*).
(l). Leather Reclining Home Theater Seats.
And it would be all tied together with high-end AudioQuest/CinemaQuest Cables, and all equipment would be hidden in an isolated but adjoining air conditioned room. This room would ONLY be used for watching movies, and listening to music in surround sound. Otherwise, it would be off limits.
AND THEN (!!!!!!)............
(03). I would have a room that would be dedicated JUST for an "over the top high-end" audio only system. It would be thoroughly acoustically treated, and (ABSOLUTELY) isolated from any other room ANYWHERE ELSE in the house. And it would also acoustically dead, and designed just like a concert hall. And that would include plush wall-to-wall carpeting, comfortable and heavy upholstery, and heavy draparies. It would have an isolated and a MUCH upgraded electrical system for all of my most expensive components (with separate filtered 20A circuits and circuit breakers just for the power amplifiers). And speaking of the components........ here is what my "SOTA" system would comprise of:
(a). Speaker System -- JM Labs Grand Utopia BE (Signature).
(b). Power Amplifier(s) -- Classe Audio Omega Omicron Monoblocks.
(c). Preamplifier -- Classe Audio Omega.
(d). FM Tuner -- Yamaha T-2.
(e). Phono Stage -- Herron Audio VTPH-1 Tubed Phono Stage (For Moving Coil Cartridges Only).
(f). Turntable/Arm System -- VPI TNT Hot Rod (w/JMW 12.5 Pick-Up Arm).
(g). Phono Cartridge -- Clearaudio Discovery (Low Output Moving Coil).
(h). SACD Player -- Sony SCD-1.
(i). Compact Disc Player System -- Wadia 270se Compact Disc Transport + Wadia 27ix Decoding Computer.
(j). Cables -- Cardas Golden Reference (Interconnects and Speaker Cables).
(k). Power Conditioning -- PS Audio P1000 (for source components).
(l). Accessories -- Precision Audio Cable Elevators Plus and a roof mounted FM Antenna for the Tuner.
(m). Cabinetry -- Custom Made Out Of Mahogany With Marble On Top.
And like my dedicated home theater room, this room would TOO DEFINITELY be off limits to guests (and especially family). It would be my personal oasis for me to go to after I have came home from a hard day at the office. It would only be used to play back all of my finest recordings and to show off to my audiophile buddies when they are visiting me from out of town.
THEN STILL (!!!!!)........
(04). My bedroom would be a more less formal and more simplified version of what I would have in my dedicated home theater. Since this is going to be a place in which I would retire at night to put an end to a very productive day, I would not go through the extreme measures that I have gone through when I have designed the "high-end" rooms of the house. But anyway, here is what this system would consist of:
(a). Television/Monitor -- Panasonic PT-53TW53.
(b). DVD Player -- Arcam DV78.
(c). DVD Recorder -- Panasonic DMR-E80H.
(d). Audio/Video Receiver -- Harman/Kardon AVR-430.
(f). Speaker System -- Definitive Technology (PM700 -- Fronts + C/L/R1000B -- Center + BP1.2x -- Surrounds + SuperCube II -- Subwoofer).
(g). Cables -- Monster Cable "M" Series (Interconnects, Digital and Speaker Cables).
(h). Power Conditioner -- Monster Cable HTS1000.
And this is right along with a mini fridge to store snacks, soft drinks and (on a good night.......) brews.
AND THEN (!!!!!!)..........
(05). My kitchen would feature only a Bose "Wave" Radio/CD Player.
AND THEN FINALLY (!!!!!)...........
(06). I would have an Audi A8 Luxury Sedan outfitted with the "top-of-the-line" Bose Sound System with a DVD Theater System for rear seat occupants.
This all I would do if I was rich. And "Onhwy61", you're are ever "SO" right................ the rich do not pay taxes in America.
Only in America............
--Charles--
P.S.: "*" means that the power outlets in my dedicated home theater room will be filtered 20A circuits just like the ones that are featured in my "high-end" audio room, and thus, the power amplifiers in my dedicated home theater room will be plugged into THESE outlets.
