My "Home" Audio System

Since I no longer own an automobile, I can no longer upgrade the stereo to a car. Because of this lack of musical evolution in my life, I have begun to upgrade my home audio system. This is what it is so far...
(as of 12/10/02)

The Reciever: Pioneer VSX-D711

Frontal View

Rear View

Flip-down front panal

Remote Controller

Despite its clean, uncluttered look, Pioneer's VSX-D711 is loaded with features that deliver top-notch home theater performance and convenience! This receiver brings your movies to life with 5.1-channel DolbyR Digital and DTSR decoding. 120 watts x 5 channels of clean Pioneer power supply dynamic multichannel sound for both movie and music sources. And the elegant flip-down front panel hides an array of control keys plus a handy set of A/V inputs.

Dolby Pro Logic II decoding and Pioneer's Expanded Theater mode both give you realistic 5.1-channel sound from any Dolby Surround-encoded or stereo source - including music! The multibrand remote control gives you easy control over your entire A/V system. And you also get hookup options galore, including component video switching, 3 digital inputs and 1 digital output, 4 S-video inputs (including one on the front-panel), and a 5.1-channel input for a high-resolution audio source like a DVD-Audio or SACD player. A second set of main speaker outputs lets you wire a deck, patio, or second room for stereo sound.

Key Features:
- Dolby Digital, DTS, Dolby Pro Logic II
- 100 watts x 2 (stereo) into 8 ohms (20-20,000 Hz) at 0.2% THD - or 100 x 5 in surround mode
- 5 DSP modes (Virtual Surround Back, Expanded Theater, 5-Channel Stereo, Music, and Movie)
- Midnight Listening mode
- 96kHz/24-bit D/A converters
- Wide-range frequency response
- Component video switching (2 in, 1 out, 28MHz bandwidth)
- Digital inputs: 1 optical, 2 coaxial
- Digital outputs: 1 optical
- 3 audio, 4 A/V (including 4 S-video, one front-panel, and one 5.1-channel) inputs
- Preamp-level subwoofer and center channel output
- Multibrand remote control
- Flip-down front panel
- 2 sets of main speaker outputs
- Banana plug-compatible terminals for all main-room speakers
- 30 AM/FM presets

Dimensions:
- Height: 6-1/4 in.
- Width: 16-1/2 in.
- Depth: 11-1/8 in.

(above information provided by Crutchfield magazine)

The DVD/CD Player: Pioneer DV-355
Frontal View

(This is a picture of the DV-353, which is a little different from the DV-355, but pretty close)
Remote Controller

The DV-343 offers incredible video and audio performance for the cost, with Dolby Digital/dts processing and a high-end D-A converter for high-octane audio, plus a twin-wave pickup and error correction for great video playback. And, convenience features include high-speed loading and several Play mode functions. Home Theater begins right here.

Key Features:
- 10-bit/27MHz Video DAC with Viter-Bi Error Correction
- 96kHz/24-bit DAC for superb sound quality
- Component Video Output (DVD, Video CD)
- DTS (Digital Theater Systems) Digital Out (DVD)
- Dolby Digital Digital Out
- Twin-Wave Laser Pickup for CD/Video CD/CD-R/CD-RW Playback
- Advanced GUI (Graphic User Interface)
- High-Speed Loading
- Program Memory (Chapter/Title) (DVD)
- Quick Resume Function (DVD, Video CD)
- Condition Memory (DVD)
- Continue Play Memory (DVD, Video CD)
- Personal Modes
- "Heads-Up" Remote Control Unit

Dimensions:
- Height: 4-1/8 in.
- Width: 16-9/16 in.
- Depth: 11-1/8 in.

(above information provided by Pioneer website)

The Speakers: Bose Acoustimass (Custom) Series
This set, plus an additional Center channel

These next-generation speaker arrays feature enhanced performance, contemporary styling and smaller size. Place these palm-sized cube speaker arrays out of sight anywhere your room and enjoy the surround effects that put you in the middle of the movie action. By incorporating new technologies, BoseR engineers were able to improve the sound of these AcoustimassR speakers and make them sleeker and smaller.

Patented Direct/ReflectingR speaker technology helps these speakers re-create a natural blend of reflected and direct sound. They deliver a sense of spaciousness that conventional surround speakers cannot match. Using patented Acoustimass speaker technology, the improved Acoustimass Module can be hidden anywhere and delivers deeper, fuller bass - adding to the drama and excitement of movies, sports and TV programs.

Key Features:
- AcoustimassR speaker technology: Pure, deep bass with no audible distortion. Acoustimass module can be hidden almost anywhere in the room.
- Direct/ReflectingR speaker technology: Open, spacious sound throughout your listening area.
- Magnetically shielded cube arrays: Will not cause video interference when placed near television.
- Automatic protection circuitry: Provides increased reliability without interfering with the listening experience.
- SyncomR computer testing: Contributes to one of the highest levels of quality and reliability in the audio industry.

Dimensions:
-- Cube speaker arrays:
- Height: 6-1/4 in. (3-1/8 in. each)
- Width: 3 in.
- Depth: 4 in.
-- Acoustimass module:
- Height: 14 in.
- Width: 19 in.
- Depth: 7-1/2 in.

(above information provided by Bose website)

The Equalizer: Sentrek SHQ-1205B

(No Picture Available)

This is a 2-channel 8-band stereo graphic equalizer that my dad gave me. He bought it back in 1985 (around that time), but it still works great with no problems. Do I really need a graphic eq? Yes, I do. Why? Because I am VERY picky on how I like to listen to my music, enough so that I pretty much tinker with the eq almost every track I listen to (especially at high volumes). I love it, and I hope it will never break, because now adays, it's almost impossible to find a manual graphic eq (non-digital) with verticle tabs that slide up and down from +10dbs to 0 to -10dbs. Each tab lights up a very nice green (LEDs rule) and the black body with silver tabs make it look great as well in the day as does in the dark.

Key Features:
- 2 sets of 2-channel RCA inputs.
- 8-bands for each channel.
- Each band can be adjusted from +10 to -10 decibles.
- Stereo/Mono button.
- Monitor button.

Dimensions:
- Height: 4 in.
- Width: 8 in.
- Depth: 6 in.

(above information provided by Me)