Let's hear it for stereo!!

jdp1962

jdp1962

Grumpy Old Man
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It seems everyone loves home theatre these days, but is there anyone out there who still loves good old-fashioned two-channel stereo separates? I've don't mind a bit of surround-sound, and my living room is home to a Toshiba "Picture-Frame" 32ZP38 wide-screen CRT, with built in digital decoder, & external speakers. I've got it hooked up to a Panasonic DMR-E50 DVD-RAM recorder, plus a Sky + box, but that's as far as it goes home theatre. I've never been convinced about the musical qualities of DVD players for playing CDs.

My other downstairs room is where it all happens. I've set it up as a dedicated music room. Aside from the system, the only furniture items in the room are the CD towers, a sofa and a fridge.
/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/beerchug.gif

The system itself is:

Sony TAFB740 Amplifier )
Sony CDXB930E CD player ) These are all UK-tuned
Sony MDSJB940 MD recorder) "QS" products.

Pioneer PDR609 CD recorder
Denon TU260L Mk II RDS tuner
Monitor Audio Bronxe B2 speakers
Atacama Equinox rack
Partington Super Dreadnought speaker stands
QED Qnex 2 Interconnects
QED Silver Anniversary bi-wire speaker cables
Grado SR60 headphones


I've been building this up for a while, and by careful use of Ebay (for buying in AND swapping out) & ex-display offers, I've put it together for about half the total ticket price.

Next upgrade planned is a mains conditioner, but that'll have to wait until next Spring & my annual bonus. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif


 
When replacing my system last year I also pondered buying a CD player in addition to the DVD player. In the end I decided to wait, use the DVD for audio CD's and see what the results are like. I have to say that i'm impressed and see no real reason to buy a seperate CD player.

As for Stereo, well CD's ae recorded in stereo and should be listened to in stereo. I do. I know some of my friends like to listen to all their music in 5.1 but to be honest it sounds pants /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

I have a single AV tuner which is set for stereo when I listen to CD's and the quality is superb

B&W Speakers
Denon AV Receiver
Pioneer DVD player
 
Seeing as they seemed to have stopped making any decent films in the last 2 years I've stopped using my DVD player altogether. Use PS2 if needed. My old Marantz CD player sounds so much better and is so much faster and easy to operate, and it plays CDR's.
Was American Beauty really the last good film ever made?
And before I get a tyrade of abuse, I don't class CGI cartoons like "Lord of the rings" as good films.
 
audi upgrades
[ QUOTE ]
AndyMac said:
Was American Beauty really the last good film ever made?
And before I get a tyrade of abuse, I don't class CGI cartoons like "Lord of the rings" as good films.

[/ QUOTE ]
So I take it you don't like Kill Bill, Mystic River, Shaun Of The Dead, Pirates Of The Caribbean, etc?
 
[ QUOTE ]
kgough said:


[/ QUOTE ]
So I take it you don't like Kill Bill, Mystic River, Shaun Of The Dead, Pirates Of The Caribbean, etc?

[/ QUOTE ]

I haven't seen the films you list, so it would be unfair of me to criticise them. However, nothing about the trailers & reviews led me to want to watch them.
 
I went to see Kill Bill purely on Tarantino's past record of really good cinema (excellent dialogue & interesting situations and plot twists). What a load of sh*te. Just a 2 hour Jackie Chan trailer. Very disppointing.
Just like soooo many action films, the special effects are excellent but these used to be there to support a film, not be the whole basis for it.
I think the best use of special effects was in T2, since then it seems OK to just use CGI for everything and then think about trying to wrap a feeble plot round it. Dialogue? nah we'll worry about that later.
Pathetic, and I blame the public who seem to lap it up. Not too much to strain the brain.
 
I suppose it all depends on what you want out of a film? The one's I listed (except Mystic River) are just good fun flicks (IMO) Nothing too taxing. Mystic River is much deeper, very good performances from Sean Penn and Tim robbins. The CGI blockbusters are great fun too! I agree T2 was a great film but what about The Matrix? The effects pushed the envelope further than ever and though the story was not fantastic it was an interesting concept. If you want something thought provoking (or just plain strange!) try Mulholland Drive or Lost Highway.
 
Ummm I seem to remember Mulholland Drive, just plain strange but not in a good way. David Lynch on a bad day.
You summed the Matrix up very well. Great idea, but they didn't know what to do with it.
I'll give Mystic River a go though.
I guess I'm old fashioned in that I like some characters I can empathise with. Films over the last couple of years don't seem to have a decent story or decent characters let alone decent dialogue. T3 was totally empty, again like a long trailer, but at least they didn't overdo the CGI. CGI just devalues special effects and looks so fake on big scenes, it's just plain lazy.
You're right it does totally depend on what you want in a film. I want to be moved in some way, not just entertained. Films in recent years just seem content to satisfy the tabloid masses, loads of action with very little content.
It's a sad state of affairs to admit the best film I've seen this year was Shrek2.
 
I know it's not recent but have you seen American History X? That is a great film and very moving! I must agree though, just been looking at my collection and there's not much new stuff that is along the lines of Shawshank Redemption, Usual Suspects or Fight Club. Mostly comedy/action/cartoony stuff! (As an aside I am currently enjoying League Of Gentlemen Series 3!)
 
[ QUOTE ]
kgough said:
I know it's not recent but have you seen American History X? That is a great film and very moving! I must agree though, just been looking at my collection and there's not much new stuff that is along the lines of Shawshank Redemption, Usual Suspects or Fight Club. Mostly comedy/action/cartoony stuff! (As an aside I am currently enjoying League Of Gentlemen Series 3!)

[/ QUOTE ]

Thats a fantastic film! one of the best films ive ever seen.

Rich
 
Just realised we have hijacked the original thread, so to answer the first question; I use my Sony CDP X303ES for playing cds through my Sony TAE1000ES pre-amp, TAN 55ES power amp, Cable Talk 4.1 bi-wire cable and Acoustic Energy AE109 speakers. This gives a very detailed sound without being too boomy or bassy (as it does if I switch on the sub-woofer!) I am very pleased with my setup for both music and films.
 
Mmmmmm, Sony ES, nice kit. Don't worry about the hijack. It stimulated discussion, even if it wqas mostly about films. Shawshank Redemption is probably my second favourite film of all time. Ultimate Number One for me is Goodfellas. Everything about it, from the casting, period settings, dialogue, chacterisation & sountrack are perfection.

One the other hand, my all time favourite LINE from a film is from a different beast altogether.

"He's not the Messiah, he's a very naughty boy!".

/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/lol.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/lol.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/lol.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/lol.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/lol.gif
 
Fight Club - classic, must watch that again.
I actually thought Crash was a really good film, after reading the book, it kind of makes more sense. Not a popular viewpoint I know.
 
Not seen Crash so can't comment, but agree that Goodfellas is an excellent film. Some of my other faves include; Blade, Blade2, The Crow, Leon, Lost Boys, Ocean's Eleven, Pulp Fiction, The Breakfast Club, Toy Story and Toy Story 2. Most of these give my home cinema system a good workout too!
 
Thanks Kevin, American History X, what a corker!
Was gonna rent it this weekend then luckily saw it was on BBC2 tonight. Don't know why I missed this one, I guess due to the nature of the content it could have been badly trailored.
Thanks for the recommendation, cheers, Andy
 
No problem. I was put off by the cover when it was given to me as a present. It was a few months before I actually got round to watching it and I was totally blown away by it.
Collateral (Tom Cruise) looks like it might be good, maybe Open Water too?

 
Well let's hope so. I think films that take you by surprise are far more enjoyable as you don't have high expectations.
 
[ QUOTE ]
AndyMac said:
Well let's hope so. I think films that take you by surprise are far more enjoyable as you don't have high expectations.

[/ QUOTE ]

Most definately.

Went to see 'The Village'.... WHat a pile of w*nk!

Rich
 
[ QUOTE ]
jdp1962 said:
Shawshank Redemption is probably my second favourite film of all time. Ultimate Number One for me is Goodfellas. Everything about it, from the casting, period settings, dialogue, chacterisation & sountrack are perfection.

One the other hand, my all time favourite LINE from a film is from a different beast altogether.

"He's not the Messiah, he's a very naughty boy!".

/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/lol.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/lol.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/lol.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/lol.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/lol.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

Hey if you guys are going into some classical s**t such as Godfellas, you can't forget movies such as The Godfather or Taxi Driver. Lord of the rings is fictional, I agree, but it's on hell of a triology!!!! I mean the guy who wrote the book is a genius... he created a world with different languages. Kill Bill is AMAZING...Tarantino is a genius.

BTW, I have a Marrantz home theater and I play some cd's... very nice


G.
 
I've been compilling DVD's for the past 5 years... I have around 600 dvd's at home, some of which I truly regret buying /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cry.gif

But on the other hand, I have some special packages that I'm truly proud of /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Oh and btw, reservoir dogs...amazing; pulp fiction...amazing; The bourne identity...nicccccce; ther are still some good movies coming out...

G.
 
Are there? I hope so.
I have about 20 DVD's and don't regret any of the choices. I refuse to buy any more unless I will watch it more than once, which given the standard of movies over the last 2 years means I doubt my collection will grow much.

Lost In Translation - rave reviews, "what a masterpiece", what a total waste of time, it finished and I was still waiting for it to start.
 
yeah I totally agree... some movies have awesome reviews but as you watch them.............. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/vomit.gif

G.
/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh_roll.gif
 
One of the biggest let-downs for me recently (well a couple of years ago) was Signs! All the reviews and TV ads etc. saying how great it was, and to me it was completely pants. Amongst many other gripes about the film the most annoying was that these aliens, who had mastered inter-galactic space travel, would attempt to land and harvest beings from a planet 2/3 covered in water (and where it rains somewhat frequently) which is highly dangerous to them. Perhaps I missed the point? Anyway I am ranting yet again, D'oh!
 
Just like Unbreakable (from the director of Sixth Sense), what a joke!
I guess some directors only have one good film in them
 
He directed Signs too. I agree, Unbreakable was dreadful. There was nothing wrong with the performances of Samuel L Jackson and Bruce Willis, the filming was fine, everything else was reasonably good, but the story was naff. I felt cheated at the end. It was so predictable and nothing really happened at all!
A few other films I have enjoyed are; Snatch, True Romance, The Breakfast Club and Kalifornia.
 
really?
Great, another hopeful film that looked good on the trailer, I'll give it a miss then. Thanks, Andy
 
[ QUOTE ]
AndyMac said:
really?
Great, another hopeful film that looked good on the trailer, I'll give it a miss then. Thanks, Andy

[/ QUOTE ]

Yeah... was so much hype about it.. your waiting for a scary moment, then teh film ends. crap. Thers a bit of a fwist towards the end which you dont expect but apart from that, dont waste your money.

Rich
 
I have heard that The Village was duff too!
A good friend recommended The Passion Of The Christ but I haven't seen it yet - looks a bit heavy?
Hands up who is looking forward to Star Wars on dvd?
 
Forget Passion of Christ unless you speak Hebrew and like to see someone whipped with barbed wire for 20 minutes........come to think of it...some people might actually like it.

Plus the ending was really predicatable !
 
[ QUOTE ]
jdp1962 said:
I loved Grosse Point Blank.

[/ QUOTE ]

REALLY good movie man... I was laughing most of the time! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

What about Mickey Blue Eyes???

Guys, what's the funiest movie ever?

G.
 
Some of my favourite comedys are the Naked Gun/ Airplane movies, American Pie 1&2, National Lampoon's Animal House, Ferris Bueller's Day Off and Some Like It Hot. TV comedy favourites are Spaced, League Of Gentlemen, Young Ones, Comic Strip Presents, The Simpsons, Fast Show, Bo Selecta..... Skip to the end! So I haven't got just one favourite.
 
[ QUOTE ]
AndyMac said:
Pure comedy - American Pie
Dark Comedy - Pulp Fiction

[/ QUOTE ]

What about THE PINK PANTHER??? with inspecteur Cluzo!! Or THE PARTY?? Man Peter Sellers was amazing. BTW, you guys know they are making a remake of the PINK PANTHER... Guess who the actors will be
/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/idea.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/idea.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/idea.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/idea.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/idea.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/idea.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/idea.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/idea.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/idea.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/idea.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/idea.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/idea.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/idea.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/idea.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/idea.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/idea.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/idea.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/idea.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/idea.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/idea.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/idea.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/idea.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/idea.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/idea.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/idea.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/idea.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/idea.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/idea.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/idea.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/idea.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/idea.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/idea.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/idea.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/idea.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/idea.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/idea.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/idea.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/idea.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/idea.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/idea.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/idea.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/idea.gif

Ok I'll tell ya:

Inspecteur Cluzo: STEVE MARTIN /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh_roll.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh_roll.gif
KATO: JACKIE CHANG /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh_roll.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh_roll.gif

G
 
Yes, Pink Panther films excellent! Peter Sellers - Legend! Hope Steve Martin doesn't ruin the character?
 
Saw them both some time ago and remember laughing a lot! Anyone remember Denis Leary's song/video called [censored]? Don't see that on The Box anymore - it was on all the time when cable started.
A Fish Called Wanda, classic british comedy, well executed and thoroughly enjoyable! South Park - the movie - excellent!
 
[ QUOTE ]
kgough said:

South Park - the movie - excellent!

[/ QUOTE ]

Hardly going to go down in the history book of great films tho!

Rich
 
True!
Friends recently watched Open Water - said it was pants!
I watched Shaun Of The Dead again on Saturday - very funny still, especially if you are a fan of Spaced!
 
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