Project On-Going Man Cave

[Scu84St3v3420]

After becoming single again about 5-6 years back I was feeling a bit down about myself and my life and need some purpose... So 3 years ago I began on the ongoing journey to create my dream man cave of a living room. It started as it does for most, with a big ol' TV and that was all it took for the bug to take hold.

My Home Theater current setup is:

Vizio 55" 4K HDR10/Dolby Vision TV
Denon S710W AVR (Needs to be upgraded eventually)
(2) Klipsch Reference Premiere RP-260F Floorstand Speakers
(1) Klipsch Reference Premiere RP-440C Center Speaker
(2) Klipsch Reference Premiere RP-150M Bookshelf Speakers in the rear
(1) Klipsch Reference Premiere R-110SW Subwoofer
LG UP970 4K Blu-Ray Player (HDR10/Dolby Vision Compatible)
Pro-Ject x Klispch Turntable (will be upgrading eventually)
Playstation 4 Pro 1 TB


*(2) Kilpsch Reference Premiere RP-240S Surround Speakers on the side lines (adding next year)*
*(2) Klipsch Reference Premiere RP-140SA Atmos Speakers (adding next year)*

Initially I was gaming on the PS4 Pro 1TB and an Xbox One S 2 TB and after 1-2 years of console gaming I just wasn't satisfied and my entertainment stand was becoming cluttered with numerous electronics. I decided that with the lack of exclusive titles that I can do without the Xbox One S, not to mention it lacked support for Dolby Vision on 4K Blu-Ray Disks. Most of my gaming was being done on the PS4 Pro anyways, so I got rid of the Xbox and upgraded to a standalone 4K Blu-Ray player that supported both HDR10 and Dolby Vision.

For a while this was just fine, but as time went on one of my co-workers had built a computer for gaming and was going on about how much smoother the game play was at much higher Frame Rates. I hadn't built a computer in over a decade and hadn't used windows since XP was latest Windows OS. I was at the time a full blown Apple believer (still am for your average PC user in this country) and thought installing Windows was like sleeping with a professional and not using a condom, just asking to virtual STDs... But I knew from owning Apple computers for the last 8 or so years that A) Gaming on Apple was very limited not only by developers, but the internal hardware as well and B) They cost about 3-4 times there actual hardware value.

So, I did some research on new PC components and decided I wanted to build a 1440p Gaming PC. And when Tax season came around this year I didn't hesitate to pull the trigger on building a high-end gaming PC, specs can be seen in my sig. But simply having a high-end PC isn't quite enough, so this fall I am working on modding my case and will also be purchase a large desk to house the system. And nothing in a man cave is complete without high-end seating, so I am also looking into that as well, but for this winter. I am thinking a Secret Labs OMEGA or something along those lines.

About now you'll notice I haven't mentioned furniture and for good reason, it is the one area sadly lacking in my cave at this time and point. I had a nice leather couch before moving into my current apartment, however it wouldn't fit through the door way due to a wall making tilting the couch onto it's side once in the door impossible. For now I have the couch that was in the apartment from when I moved in (it's terrible looking and old, but it's comfortable enough for now), so I will need to take measurements to see what I can fit in through the door and still be able to roll over on its side while standing straight up. But a nice a couch or theater seating is a must, because what man's cave is complete without his throne.

You'll also notice above I mentioned some upgrade for the home theater setup, such as finishing out my 7.1.2 Dolby Atmos Surround Sound and upgrading my current AVR (as it only supports 5.1.2 Dolby Atmos). Looking at companies such as Marantz, Denon or Onkyo to get the job done in the AVR department. As well I want to upgrade my turntable (Entry Level) to a ClearAudio turntable, Marantz contracted ClearAudio to produce a table for them that is a steal @ $1500 compared to a ClearAudio with the same components for $3000+, but this too is a bit more in the future (probably 2020)

So far we have covered most of the basics, but hell I am a single 30 y/o man and I don't own a car (I live about a 2 minute walk from work and it saves a TON of money) so going all out has been the plan all along. Also in the plans is a Mini-Bar behind the
seating and paint job and finishing touches such as (more) art and acoustic panels for the walls. And then there is the insane amount of cable management that is going to be desperately need, unfortunately I rent so I have to be more creative than tearing up the walls to hide that mess. Also I have a floor lamp for lighting that I think I am going to replace with LED strip lighting around the crown molding at the ceiling. My hope is to finish the project by 2021.

I should note, that I work as a line cook and so many of the big ticket items come at tax season while smaller upgrades (under $500) are purchased throughout each year. But it's a dream that I am working on making a reality, this was something on my bucket list as a teenager constantly window shopping online for items I could NEVER afford at the time. So I am perfectly okay with it taking time to finish correctly.

My apartment is a bit ghetto, but cheap rent doesn't hurt the budget for the man cave.

Here are some pics of where things stand today:

















Also before anyone says anything about it, I live in Vermont and recreational cannabis use is legal here and I am not breaking any laws.

 

[Scu84St3v3420]

I should add, that I would also like to build an HTPC for my cave as well at some point. However to the best of my knowledge you can't purchase digital copies of 4K movies, rather streaming is the only option for digital 4K content, unless you're willing to jump through hoops with redeem codes found with physical copies of the 4K Blu-Ray, but what's the point of buy the disk to use a code with a TON of hassles?... This is really about the only thing holding me back from pulling the trigger at this time, but perhaps in the future the studios will get their collective acts together so that purchasing 4K content in digital form becomes a possibility. As having a massive library of movies would be much more reasonable when it's sitting on a drive rather than a shelf and way easier to access too.

 

[Evilsizer]

well if you start your movie collection with Vudu.com they have SD/HD/UHD=4k so yes you can down digital copies of 4k. there might be other services that off 4k movie content but i havent really looked, a few of the moves i have bought with 4k discs have redeem codes for 4k online. after looking besides vudu.com for 4k movies, sony has a service like that too. looking at this https://www.digitaltrends.com/home-theater/where-and-how-to-watch-4k-uhd-content/2/ but it looks like its only on bravia tv's.

it does seem like at some point there will no longer be disc's to buy but online movie purchases. right now online owning of movies is the same price or 1-2 bucks cheaper then the disc. there are benifits of having discs and owning them online. i would go with what ever works for you, me personally, i would stick with discs. no need to worry about buffering issues or weird video playback. that is my current problem with netflix, i have 100mbps connection. its only watching movies they have, be it netflix movies or sony/wb movies ect, they artifact like im a watching a movie on a nes 8bit system. if i way any thing that is a tv show or netflix show, i have no problems what so ever with how the picture looks.

 

[Scu84St3v3420]

well if you start your movie collection with Vudu.com they have SD/HD/UHD=4k so yes you can down digital copies of 4k. there might be other services that off 4k movie content but i havent really looked, a few of the moves i have bought with 4k discs have redeem codes for 4k online. after looking besides vudu.com for 4k movies, sony has a service like that too. looking at this https://www.digitaltrends.com/home-theater/where-and-how-to-watch-4k-uhd-content/2/ but it looks like its only on bravia tv's.

it does seem like at some point there will no longer be disc's to buy but online movie purchases. right now online owning of movies is the same price or 1-2 bucks cheaper then the disc. there are benifits of having discs and owning them online. i would go with what ever works for you, me personally, i would stick with discs. no need to worry about buffering issues or weird video playback. that is my current problem with netflix, i have 100mbps connection. its only watching movies they have, be it netflix movies or sony/wb movies ect, they artifact like im a watching a movie on a nes 8bit system. if i way any thing that is a tv show or netflix show, i have no problems what so ever with how the picture looks.

Yes, these are the hoops I mentioned that you are required to jump through for digital 4K, where as ideally I would just go on amazon and purchase a digital copy of the movie to be stored on a SSD or HDD and play it directly from there. Problem is how to keep people from easily copying that data onto disks and selling them for profit. Not that it has ever been something that can be halted since the first DVD burners came out YEARS ago. But alas I'm probably just dreaming of a simpler world of digital media akin to purchase music in digital form rather than purchasing disks... Maybe one day.

 

[dfonda]

I should add, that I would also like to build an HTPC for my cave as well at some point. However to the best of my knowledge you can't purchase digital copies of 4K movies, rather streaming is the only option for digital 4K content, unless you're willing to jump through hoops with redeem codes found with physical copies of the 4K Blu-Ray, but what's the point of buy the disk to use a code with a TON of hassles?... This is really about the only thing holding me back from pulling the trigger at this time, but perhaps in the future the studios will get their collective acts together so that purchasing 4K content in digital form becomes a possibility. As having a massive library of movies would be much more reasonable when it's sitting on a drive rather than a shelf and way easier to access too.

On a 55" screen at the distance you are watching at, 4K and 1080P and i look the same...HDR at 55" is noticeable tho. It sounded like you were building a gaming PC...if so that can be your HTPC as well...you just need plenty of storage.

also I would not of noticed the weed, but when did Vermont go recreational? I thought they were medicinal...

 

[Scu84St3v3420]

Yea the couch is there because of a leak in the ceiling that was being repaired lol. I am finishing a gaming PC build currently and have plans for a HTPC in the future and storage is no issue, thinking like 40 TB should cover it. Vermont went recreational this July, not being treated as a criminal for something less harmful than booze is awesome!

As for new additions, finally pulled the trigger on a new desk for my Gaming Rig and it will arrive in a week or two.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000W8I1D8/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I also grabbed a keyboard and mouse tray to add to it, my current desk has no space for the Klipsch powered bookshelf speakers I plan to get in the next month. So this was an easy decision to make.

 

[Alaric]

Not sure lung cancer is less harmful than cirrhosis, but ok. LOL
Nice setup you have going, there! I wish my living room were that big. But, living alone makes my whole place a man cave.

 

[Scu84St3v3420]

There hasn't been a single reported case of lung cancer being directly linked to cannabis consumption in human history, in fact many top physicians in the field of cancer treatment are coming forward with studies showing that cannabis in fact attacks cancer cells. I will not continue this topic beyond that as it isn't the point of this forum to do so.

Thanks, it's a work in progress. I live alone as well, so this is just kinda the epicenter of the man cave I suppose... LOL

 

[Alaric]

It was meant in jest. No offense intended at all.
Do you ever listen to music with just 2 channels? Curious how you like the Klipsch in that regard.

 

[Scu84St3v3420]

It was meant in jest. No offense intended at all.
Do you ever listen to music with just 2 channels? Curious how you like the Klipsch in that regard.

It's all good my man, I know you meant no harm.

Yes I only use the 2 floor stand speakers for music listening (just choose the "pure" audio setting on my AVR) and I love it. The sound quality is impeccable (at least to me) in 2 channel, though I have no comparisons to date with other high-end speaker brands. But I can say it puts me right back to the memories of live shows with bands I've seen in concert. There is zero distortion at full volume (though I'm not pushing them beyond 1/2 of their max wattage with my AVR) and still extremely articulate at low volumes as well. They particularly shine when listening to vinyl or lossless audio.

 

[Alaric]

Nice! Something I've found with undistorted sound is it gets way louder than it seems.

 

[Scu84St3v3420]

Nice! Something I've found with undistorted sound is it gets way louder than it seems.

View attachment 200939

For sure, I agree with that. Zeppelin on them is heaven too!

 

[Alaric]

I'm getting some good Sony music CD-Rs next month to burn my Led Zep albums (among others) on. My motherboard audio is above average as far as mobos go, but nowhere close to my SACD/CD player.

 

[Scu84St3v3420]

I'm getting some good Sony music CD-Rs next month to burn my Led Zep albums (among others) on. My motherboard audio is above average as far as mobos go, but nowhere close to my SACD/CD player.

I have all of their albums on vinyl records, such a dream to listen to. BTW if you haven't yet, check out the streaming service Tidal. Lossless FLAC streaming.

 

[Alaric]

I had dozens of albums at one time (along with a very good turntable). A divorce and one lost storage unit later I was lucky to save my speakers, amp, and SACD player. I miss my vinyl a lot.
I will eventually get a decent DAC for my computer. I've got my eye on a Schiit Modi 2 http://www.schiit.com/products/modi-2 right now. I'm torn between Sennheiser headphones next month and the DAC. Decisions, decisions. LOL

 

[Scu84St3v3420]

I had dozens of albums at one time (along with a very good turntable). A divorce and one lost storage unit later I was lucky to save my speakers, amp, and SACD player. I miss my vinyl a lot.
I will eventually get a decent DAC for my computer. I've got my eye on a Schiit Modi 2 http://www.schiit.com/products/modi-2 right now. I'm torn between Sennheiser headphones next month and the DAC. Decisions, decisions. LOL

I've only got about a dozen or so album at the moment, just started on vinyl over the winter. But will be ordering more again soon, I don't have a great turntable, but it's nice enough for my first one until I build more of a record collection to justify the $1500 for the table I really want:

https://www.amazon.com/Marantz-TT-1...qid=1535586728&sr=8-1&keywords=marantz+tt15s1 If you read up on the components and who actually makes them you realize it is a $3000+ German Clear Audio Table produced for Marantz being sold at 1/2 the cost.

I've been considering the same a decent DAC and nice headphones and just buying a standalone Mic for gaming, as most online gaming I do I am listening to music at the same time. Klipsch has a set of audiophile grade headphones and DAC to pair with it that I've been eyes for the better part of 2 years now: https://www.klipsch.com/heritage-headphones But $1700 for the combo is a hard pill to swallow. Sennheiser makes some awesome headphones on all levels, entry to high-end (or at least from what I've read about them).

And yea divorce tends to cost more than just heartache unfortunately, but what are you going to do right? lol

I would love to get a McIntosh Tube Amp and Floor Stand Speakers, but that is just out of the budget no matter how I slice it at this time. So for now I just stare at it every so often on the computer and drool

 

[Alaric]

I looked up the Bellari tube phono amp I had (VP 129) and found the new model on Amazon https://www.amazon.com/Bellari-VP13...pID=51hLe-JGdSL&preST=_SY300_QL70_&dpSrc=srch Yikes! That's $100 more than mine cost. I had a Music Hall MMF-5 SE attached to it.

I've been in love with that Marantz TT for years, now. Back when Marantz was bought by DM holdings they brought back some quality gear to their lineup, and sold it at fire sale prices to generate sales and interest. I still have my PM 7200 integrated amp and SA 8260 SACD player. They're attached to my Paradigm Studio 60 speakers and I still haven't found an "upgrade" for anywhere close to the cost of my current gear.

 

[Scu84St3v3420]

I looked up the Bellari tube phono amp I had (VP 129) and found the new model on Amazon https://www.amazon.com/Bellari-VP13...pID=51hLe-JGdSL&preST=_SY300_QL70_&dpSrc=srch Yikes! That's $100 more than mine cost. I had a Music Hall MMF-5 SE attached to it.

I've been in love with that Marantz TT for years, now. Back when Marantz was bought by DM holdings they brought back some quality gear to their lineup, and sold it at fire sale prices to generate sales and interest. I still have my PM 7200 integrated amp and SA 8260 SACD player. They're attached to my Paradigm Studio 60 speakers and I still haven't found an "upgrade" for anywhere close to the cost of my current gear.

Yea I was looking at a tube phono pre-amp as well for a bit, but haven't been able to justify yet, again need more vinyl first.

That is a nice TT man, sorry to hear you weren't able to keep hold of it through your troubles. And yea, it's hard to ignore that Marantz between the sheer appearance and then when you research the components and the individual cost totally double the cost of TT itself. Even at $1500 it's still a steal. Those are some sexy speakers my friend. I'm sure they sound amazing, especially with SACD's.

High-end audio equipment is like rare gems in cost, hard to stomach. Though at least with the audio stuff, it has an actual purpose and use.

These are also another if I win the lottery item: https://www.amazon.com/Klipsch-Pall...=1535589992&sr=8-1&keywords=klipsch+palladium

 

[Alaric]

I think the Palladiums were twice that when they came out, so now a bargain! LOL The nice thing about the Bellari was tube rolling. It gives you the opportunity to shop for very good tubes and get a smidgen of very high end at reasonable cost. Russian tubes are very nice. They used tubes in military gear (radar sets, the MiG-25, etc.) well in to the 21st century. So they pretty much lead the world in low noise, accurate sounding tubes. If you like vinyl, Clearaudio, and lottery money, here's a gem for you https://clearaudio.de/en/products/turntables-statement.php I think they run about $150,000. If your more budget oriented, Needle Doctor has one for only $28,000
https://www.needledoctor.com/Clearaudio-Master-Innovation-Wood-Turntable

Needle Doctor has some nice TT stuff. Fun site to browse. Also TTVJ (Todd The Vinyl Junkie) here https://www.ttvjaudio.com

 

[Scu84St3v3420]

I think the Palladiums were twice that when they came out, so now a bargain! LOL The nice thing about the Bellari was tube rolling. It gives you the opportunity to shop for very good tubes and get a smidgen of very high end at reasonable cost. Russian tubes are very nice. They used tubes in military gear (radar sets, the MiG-25, etc.) well in to the 21st century. So they pretty much lead the world in low noise, accurate sounding tubes. If you like vinyl, Clearaudio, and lottery money, here's a gem for you https://clearaudio.de/en/products/turntables-statement.php I think they run about $150,000. If your more budget oriented, Needle Doctor has one for only $28,000
https://www.needledoctor.com/Clearaudio-Master-Innovation-Wood-Turntable

Needle Doctor has some nice TT stuff. Fun site to browse. Also TTVJ (Todd The Vinyl Junkie) here https://www.ttvjaudio.com

Haha, yea I've seen those before. Definitely worth a drool, but I suppose I could also build a house to my specifications if I win the lottery too LFMAO...