Great story, Nalod! That's a wild ride, sounds like a super-condensed version of what I did over the course of a couple years not too long ago (speakers, receiver, amp, processor, cables, DVD-Audio, power conditioner, sub, ...). You are putting together what sounds like a great system.

When I added a MX-500 to my system several years ago, my wife declared it to be the best home theater upgrade we'd ever made. The MX-700 (for which I still owe JFro some macro writing notes) is even better. The Harmony remotes (when configured using the web interface rather than the standalone software) are reportedly faster to get set up, at the expense of some level of control over exactly how the macros and things behave. Either can ease the family's pain after the arrival of too many new home theater toys.

Im leaning toward the Harmony as I can cash in some credit card points and not use real money.

I spoke to a dealer out of state looking for cherry 650's and this one guy just started raving on the CS surrounds. He has them in his house. That alone was a big endorsement. Barry said to use the 22's but I went with the 29's as my couch's are fabric and I felt they might eat up a bit of the sound. I could see using 22's if they were leather. Bret at MK also recommended the 29's. The 35's would be too close to listening.

They two are enroute and im not sure if MK was waiting to receive my returns before releasing. I autherized them to just send them out and settle the returns later but Im not sure.

Unfortunatly I won't have much to compare to. This whole system will be new so I won't have the buzz of making improvements over time. This set up will get left alone for some time. I can see replaceing the oppo. I still love my Loewe Aconda even though its getting outdated.

Im stuck with Component input. I think there is always too much hype with video anyway. Content is what matters most.

ANyway I'll review the best I can when its up and running.

psyprof1,

To be honest with you, I haven't put the 1.6QR's into service in my system yet. I purchased them used where I was able to audition them, but they've been stored since. I'm actually going to set them up tonight now that I have the 990. I've been using the sub with my SMGc's. I never turn it up beyond 3, so it just fills in the bottom end.

I listen mostly to jazz and classic rock, and I suspect the 1.6QR's will be better on their own when it comes to critical listening. I'll let you know once I've had a chance to listen to them for awhile. Not sure how things will compare with classical music.

The Magnepan link I provided has a comma attached. Those interested, try this one:
http://www.magnepan.com/

Hey Nalod, I was just telling my wife she "really" needs a subwoofer for her ultimate Christmas present!

Got the CS last nite. Just a visual. Nice build quality. I got the whites as they were heavy discouneted. The color is discontinued. They will be hidden. I went with the 29's.

Everything in my signiture is sitting in boxes in the foyer ready for the weekend. My kids think im a goodfella and it all fell off the truck!
I told them it fell off the UPS truck and I got reciepts to prove Daddy gone crazy!

Had the electrician over yesterday and Friday we'll put in a 20amp circit and run the new speaker wire. out with the old monstercable and in with the 12g blue jeans stuff with a name I never heard of. Its heavy.

What is scarey is taking all this stuff on in one fell swoop! Its a lot to digest. Just reading the IR link for the Monster Power unit kinda got to me. Im like "I gotta worry about how this powers on? I thought this crap was just an overpriced surge supresser with show off lights and a meter that I just plug this crap into!" I think I have a bottle of "Focus Factor" around here somewhere?

I got friday after the electrician is done and all day saturday to get this stuff in. Got company coming saturday nite. Just got the Animusic2 DVD also. Guess what we are watching? Too bad the bong is dry. Its been dry for many many years now. These are the days I remembered why I got married: Shack up and get laid often, have more economic buying power to get a nice stereo (what they called it 20 years ago) and chill out with some nice bong buds. Two kids, mortgages, a couple of business' to tend to, I am only now just getting the "stereo". Not to complain, I got some nice toys. The wife is still hot, the kids are freaking great, and business is good. Oh yeah, and I got my health!

I got the Oppo too yesterday and its a funny little thing. I understand what I bought and what I paid for, but I was not expecting such a little piece of crap. Looks like a DVD player you get at a truck stop for $29.99! I think i have seen better looking stuff at the discontinued isle at the Walgreens! Hey, its how it works right? I look at it as being disposable. Until the format wars are over, this is gonna be a good thing.

By the way The Monster Power thing is really substantial looking. Bought it on Ebay and for $100 bucks it makes a nice looking addition even if you don't use it. Its like the Monty Python skit with the machine that goes "ping". Very impressive! My son gravitated to it and treated it like the "Ark of Power" that will "forth deliver the holy juice to power the music of the gods"! I did notice the angelic sounds when I opened the box! At least it was not my wife moaning "WTF did you blow our budget on now?" IF that was the case the answer would be obvious: "lots of crap to drown you out! Honey buns!"

Hope there is more angelic cooing when the next order of Blue Jeans arrive.

I soon have to think what song I will play first?

Any Ideas? Im thinking "Siberian Katchu" by yes.
Or the new SACD I got (just for such an moment) of "Pictures at an exibition".

Can I have my own forum? We can call it "Newbie Rants". Sounds like a ragamuffin reggae act, but it might be fun to have overwhelmed newbies whom rather than agonize piece by piece save it up and blow it all at once.

I got lots of paperwork today, gotta keep the cash flowgoing! No angel sounds there! Screetching violins horror sounds!

Nalod,

A suggestion while you have the electrician at your house...I wish I had run a Cat 5 wire from my HT equipment to my computer desk. I rip all my music in the FLAC format for ease of burning copies and to archive it. In order to play it through the 990 I use a Linksys router and one of their wireless receivers with an optical output. A Cat 5 wire would have made my life a lot easier since the router/receiver has given me some trouble.

Regarding the Oppo I know what you mean, it does not look that impressive. My Dad has one hooked up via HDMI to a 37" Panasonic plasma. I compared the component to HDMI and the picture was much better with HDMI. I thought the component quality was about the same as my Pioneer 45A on my Hitachi. That said, the Oppo provides options should you get a display that accepts HDMI. In the mean time, it is fine with component and is a decent cd player too.

Barry Ober suggested the CS models to me too. However, they won't work in my room and I use the surround 55s mounted on the side walls slightly behind my listening position (aka a comfortable couch in the middle of the room). The CS is such a unique speaker but it would be a terrific solution to locating surrounds when the couch, er listening position, is against a back wall.

Enjoy setting up your new gear.

AvFan has a good suggestion with the network cable (either Cat5e or even Cat6) if you think you might want to put a network device in the system. Candidates would include media players like the Squeezebox or SoundBridge, game consoles (Xbox, Xbox360, PS2, PS3, Wii), and HD disc players (HD-DVD or Blu-ray). You might even pull a couple network cables, although a single cable and a small hub would give you support for multiple devices at the entertainment center. I had some leftover Cat5e under my desk at work, so a few months ago I pulled a bundle of four network cables from my desk in one corner of the den to the back of the equipment rack in the other corner. So far, the SoundBridge M500 is the only thing using it, but there's a chance that I'll add a game console next year some time.

Oppo's players are definitely tiny and the disc tray made me nervous for the first couple months (although I've quit giving it a second thought now). On the other hand, my 971H is the first DVD player that my wife has ever expressed any fondness for. The two Panasonics and the Yamaha never elicited any comment whatsoever, but she likes the Oppo.

The network cable is an awesom idea. I'm finding things which are wirless can take more time to set up than running a cable and terminating it. Have the electrician run a phone line, too. Could come in handy in the future and it all goes in one plate. I think I'd stay away from the Cat 6 though. Some of my IT buddies say there is a problem with the terminations. Jim

Interesting news about the Cat6 - I've seen a number of buildings in the last couple years that went Cat6 throughout, wonder if the termination problem is a new development. Cat5e should be plenty for residential applications anyway...

This catagory 5 cable, can I get it at HD, Lowes???