Retro Chic but Not Cheap, DIY Theater Using 70s Speaker Technology

I have a confession to make. I watch movies on an old 70-centimeter NEC CRT. I suffer in silence because it was free and it would pain me to discard a perfectly good LCD when I eventually do return home. My audio-visual stoicism has seen me make do with some old equipment, but it pales in comparison to that which a man who would prefer to be known only as Rick has exhibited. Rick, you see, has built a home theater around a pair of JBL Century L-100 speakers; the same speakers that he has owned since 1972.

Of the favorite part of his system, Rick remarked, "“They will play very loud without distortion and are efficient. Coupled with the SVS 900-watt dual 12-inch subwoofer the system is very dynamic." Rick has balanced price with performance in his home but one should face facts. He makes use of good mid-high end equipment, rather than astronomically expensive audiophile grade technology.

The equipment list is an interesting mélange of technology that has been strapped together to form a system that is overall, very good:

• Advent Surround and Center-Channel Speakers
• Aura Bass Shakers (6)
• JBL Century L-100 Speakers
• Panasonic PT-AX100U Projector
• Samsung VCR
• Scientific Atlantic 3250 HD Cable Box
• Sony DB-840 5.1 Receiver
• SVS PB12-Plus/2 Subwoofer
• Toshiba HD-A2 HD DVD Player
• Homemade 106-inch Screen

This is not a cheap home theater system by any stretch of the imagination. There are good Lexus models that run cheaper than this setup, but it is certainly cheaper than it could have been. The bulk of the cost seems to have been on the home renovations rather than the equipment. The floor under his kitchen was excavated and a new foundation was set in order to give the room an 8.5-foot ceiling. This also necessitated a new kitchen. The renovations factor into the total price of $90,000. Some might say that is a lot of money to pay for a home theater, but it is not that much to pay for an extra room in one's house.

Source: Electronic House