Support NeoGAF

[diffusionx]

Not sure if this would be the place to ask, so if I'm in the wrong, please redirect:

I'm looking into a 5.1/7.1 system for my PS4/movie-watching. I currently live in a small bedroom (about 8-10 feet from my couch to my TV) and will be for some years as I'll be in grad school, so I'd need smaller speakers that I'd either put on skinny ass stands or, more likely, mount to the wall. I already have a hi-fi system for audio so I wouldn't be playing music or anything through them, but that also takes up quite a bit of space, so the smaller the better.

I've read the Wirecutter and CNET reviews and it seems like receiver-wise and it seems like the Yamaha RX-V379 is more than sufficient for my needs, but if I'm spending money I do want to do it right (not spending a grand on a receiver though...yet). Speaker-wise, where should I be throwing my money? My budget's somewhere in the $500-1000 overall, but the cheaper the better as I'm trying to save some money for grad school.

Again, if this isn't the right spot I apologize, but please feel free to redirect me to the proper thread(s).

Might want to consider just getting a sound bar. You certainly can't mistake them for a good 5.1 setup but they are more affordable and friendly to small places.

I want to take new pictures of my setup! It's just that I keep moving stuff around and getting stuff.

 

[Arttemis]

Check slickdeals; excellent Klipsh speaker sets go on sale for sub $300 often. Same with receivers.

Last summer, I was able to get a Minoprice 10565 Premium 5.1 Surround Sound set for $185 (rated best sub-$500 set around), and a Demon S700W receiver for $270. Both had free shipping. Some Sewell Ghost Tape ran under the carpet seamlessly, and everything is hidden from sight.

Awesome sounds with an awesome price.

 

[Ryde3]

wooh love the 16s they almost look DS...

Don't your kicks get dusty though? I keep mine in the boxes. Very nice though, not many fellow sneakerheads on GAF it seems.

 

[dark10x]

A Pioneer Kuro plasma but a Slim Vita with a LCD screen? One would think you'd prefer the older OLED model, haha.

Ha ha, I still have my OLED Vita, of course, and do prefer the screen...but the slim model is just so much more comfortable that I put up with the LCD. Also, I use the lime green for my Japanese account and games while the OLED model is for the US. Even though I have loads of retail Vita titles which run on both, it's useful to have two for digital games!

Would love to be able to swap an OLED screen into the slim Vita, though. Mmmmm

 

[SCB3]

http://imgur.com/a/phfjB
Slowly Getting there, need to tidy the wires up at some point

(For some reason Gaf won't actually show my images as being embedded)

 

[Fitts]

So I lost some space in moving to a different house (I have some of my collection in a second room) but this is currently how I'm rolling.

The space behind my desk will work pretty well for the Vive, I think.

I thought you picked up an LG OLED?

 

[Horse Detective]

This post has been quite a while in the making,

Chittagod back at it again.

Man, your 2009 setup was the very first post I ever saw on GAF, and thats the same day I signed up. So crazy to still be looking forward to your posts 7 years later. Before that day, I didn't realize I was in love with interior design. Two of my setups were heavily inspired by your style philosophies and got me featured in Lifehacker and Apartment Therapy.

Thanks for being the coolest member on GAF.

 

[entremet]

Chittagod back at it again.

Man, your 2009 setup was the very first post I ever saw on GAF, and thats the same day I signed up. So crazy to still be looking forward to your posts 7 years later. Before that day, I didn't realize I was in love with interior design. Two of my setups were heavily inspired by your style philosophies and got me featured in Lifehacker and Apartment Therapy.

Thanks for being the coolest member on GAF.

Any links? I'm curious.

 

[theSlacker]

Was keeping my portables in my closet in a container, but didn't like how I wasn't charging them. Never know when you want to play some 3DS or Vita.

So, I knew I wanted something thin that can go against a wall. Went to IKEA, and the bookcases, etc were too large. Just happened I was looking in the bedroom section, and found a shoe organizer. Works perfect!

http://i.imgur.com/bRHnTXC.jpg[IMG]

Can't even see the cables inside!

[IMG]http://i.imgur.com/wbcYE7m.jpg[IMG]

[IMG]http://i.imgur.com/JWHRmwN.jpg[IMG]

Surge protector on the left, New Nintendo 3DS and Vita charging on the right.

[IMG]http://i.imgur.com/Bl7LyzM.jpg[IMG]

Charging Xbox One Elite controller, and PS4 controller on the left.. games on the right.[/QUOTE]

I really like that idea and might use it myself.

 

[shanafan]

I really like that idea and might use it myself.

It was worked out so great. At first, I was somewhat sold on it, but now, I couldn't imagine not having it!

 

[Lunar FC]

Dem foamposites.

 

[dark10x]

I thought you picked up an LG OLED?

Nah, that wasn't me. I've considering it but I'm waiting until I can get some good hands on time with one. I don't want any nasty surprises.

 

[Parfait]

This is my new office in a townhouse that I recently moved into.
Mind you, the room itself is still desperately in-need of decorations to some degree.

I'm still trying to decide what I'd like to do with the available space on the walls.
I have a few ideas, but I'm always willing to hear suggestions.

These images aren't the best quality, but surely they'll suffice.
I'm also linking a tweet that I had originally posted a video of my newly installed LED system throughout the setup: http://bit.ly/1QUuMrh

Let me know what you think! Thanks.

Pretty beautiful setup. The different-sized monitors are wreaking havoc with my OCD, but I like this setup a lot overall.

What's the name of the ikea thing in the middle, holding up the monitors and housing the consoles? I absolutely want one

 

[Jeff6851]

Shoe collections in the gaming set-up thread.

A first?

I could have sworn I'd seen them before so I did it too

 

[Fitts]

Nah, that wasn't me. I've considering it but I'm waiting until I can get some good hands on time with one. I don't want any nasty surprises.

Gotcha, my bad. I was gonna say I wouldn't be surprised if you went back to the Kuro.

 

[Mattlikewhoa]

Nothings changed really...

 

[tenz0r]

Nothings changed really...

http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f327/trickyab/Sony Pearl Setup/IMG_2558_zpsmae8xz9m.jpg

http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f327/trickyab/Sony Pearl Setup/IMG_2802_zpslm04f89k.jpg

http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f327/trickyab/Sony Pearl Setup/IMG_2807_zpsizkwjt1l.jpg

Amazing setup! Where did you get that painting in the first photo from? One of the other paintings you have, seems to be from Ikea, but I didn't see anything similar to that photo on their website.

 

[MrBenchmark]

UPDATED WALL PICTURES 4/12/2016
I have to thank my talented daughter for all my movie room art!

 

[Zunnyhh]

Same setup as last really, just some hardware update

Bought a new 144hz BenQ monitor (Freaking love this guy)
New keyboard & Headset aswell, rest is pretty much unchanged.

 

[Coxy100]

Some amazing setups in this thread - very jealous. Mine is a much more modest affair.

This is my lounge TV - just a 32" Panasonic. My wife has finally agreed I can buy a new TV in the January sales - will get at least 42" so can't wait for that. Anyway this is where I do the majority of my gaming when wife / daughter are asleep



This is my 24" BenQ monitor in our little spare room - got my PC and 360 hooked up to it



This shows the monitor next to 'my' cupboard with most of games on.


Most of my PC games and all of my MegaDrive games sit in the loft - the rest are here.

Details pics of the cupboard

 

[Red Liquorice]

Nothings changed really...

Now THAT is coordination!

 

[Mattlikewhoa]

Amazing setup! Where did you get that painting in the first photo from? One of the other paintings you have, seems to be from Ikea, but I didn't see anything similar to that photo on their website.

You're correct, the loft picture is from Ikea, but the second painting is from Urban Barn.

Now THAT is coordination!

Cheers, and thank you!

 

[Milly Osworth]

Nothings changed really...

You seem to put in effort, good job. BUT... why the hideous ceiling lights and why carpet? A wooden floor would look so much better.

 

[BobbyColtrane]

You seem to put in effort, good job. BUT... why the hideous ceiling lights and why carpet? A wooden floor would look so much better.

Carpet is A LOT better for acoustics.

 

[ngower]

I mounted a TV for the first time yesterday. Could not get my drill to go through the studs (I'm blaming the cheap ass bits I was using) so I just used four drywall anchors like those pictured below. They suggest they are more than capable of holding the weight, but I just wanted to follow up with you guys and get some first hand experience as to whether or not these will be fine by themselves? I'm trying to get my brother-in-law to help me get the mounting plate onto the studs, but in the interim this should be more than fine, right?

 

[xMaxie77]

Don't have a pic of the actual games shelves atm but here's my contribution:

All owned consoles
https://www.instagram.com/p/78ATbOC2nO/

Nerd stuff
https://www.instagram.com/p/BA4tXnUi2h2/

 

[AfroDust]

Not sure if this would be the place to ask, so if I'm in the wrong, please redirect:

I'm looking into a 5.1/7.1 system for my PS4/movie-watching. I currently live in a small bedroom (about 8-10 feet from my couch to my TV) and will be for some years as I'll be in grad school, so I'd need smaller speakers that I'd either put on skinny ass stands or, more likely, mount to the wall. I already have a hi-fi system for audio so I wouldn't be playing music or anything through them, but that also takes up quite a bit of space, so the smaller the better.

I've read the Wirecutter and CNET reviews and it seems like receiver-wise and it seems like the Yamaha RX-V379 is more than sufficient for my needs, but if I'm spending money I do want to do it right (not spending a grand on a receiver though...yet). Speaker-wise, where should I be throwing my money? My budget's somewhere in the $500-1000 overall, but the cheaper the better as I'm trying to save some money for grad school.

Again, if this isn't the right spot I apologize, but please feel free to redirect me to the proper thread(s).

If you don't mind getting things used, I'd check Craigslist and hit up any local pawn shops for good deals on A/V equipment. I got a Yamaha RX-V665 reciever for $70, Pioneer FS-52 floorstanding speakers for $170 for the pair *they're normally 130 each* a BIC America F12 subwoofer for $100, and some Pioneer SDF1-k bookshelf speakers in a trade. Now I've got a pretty decent HT set up and I spent less than 500 dollars.

 

[ngower]

If you don't mind getting things used, I'd check Craigslist and hit up any local pawn shops for good deals on A/V equipment. I got a Yamaha RX-V665 reciever for $70, Pioneer FS-52 floorstanding speakers for $170 for the pair *they're normally 130 each* a BIC America F12 subwoofer for $100, and some Pioneer SDF1-k bookshelf speakers in a trade. Now I've got a pretty decent HT set up and I spent less than 500 dollars.

There's a hi-fi shop in my area that often has demo equipment for fairly cheap, so that's always an option. Been demoing some KEF Q100 and a similarly priced center channel with the NAD T748v2, running the pre-outs on that amp to my integrated amp (for a bit more juice in the front channels). Would add rears and a sub down the road.

The center is kind of terrible but the bookshelfs are actually fairly solid for movie-watching, so if I can find a center that pairs well with these I may bite. But I may just stick with my PSBs as front channels and find a comparable center channel, and go with the amp. A touch cheaper overall.

I did throw down for the Salamander Synergy--I feel stupid paying that much money for a rack but they do look purty and are stable as hell.

 

[PatrickLyons]

One of the best things I learned from my mom is to buy seldom and buy quality. So have one piece of furniture you really want, save up for a quality classic, and it'll last for life. Plus you can get most of your money out of them if you run into the need of money. Like those Genelec speakers I have. They're a classic. A front pair cost me £1400 back in 2007. I can still get £900 selling them used. So basically owning them has cost me £500 for 9 years, or £55/year.

Ironically, now my biggest dream is to leave everything behind in London and just travel the world with my iPad and scuba gear as my only possessions.

There's this old joke about a young person of hereditary wealth asking his/her parents about buying some new furniture. And the parent says to the child "We don't buy furniture. We have furniture." As though if you made the right purchases once (often at expense but with an eye for "quality"), you might never need to think about that subject again.

But there's also something to be said for having, as you describe a wish for, a lifestyle that you can just walk away from on a moment's notice, without the need to find homes for all your previously perfect purchases. I sometimes think that it's one of two natural extensions of having a bunch of nice stuff. Either you can become overly attached to it. Or you can realize that the stuff, however nice, just isn't worth being that important to your life.

Perhaps predictably, although every year I've been following this thread there are always many posters who oggle and talk about how they need to get a better job or somehow move up in life in order to achieve the "good life," I can't help but notice that the setups that attract the most admiration are ironically often the cheapest looking in terms of how much the owners likely actually spent. What sets those setups apart is not their owners' capacity or willingness to spend money but rather their good taste, which is often marked more than anything by the ability to place ordinary objects (often IKEA or similar) into an aesthetically pleasing arrangement and then taking flattering photographs.

The best part is that unlike "man I wish I could write like Charles Dickens," nobody calls it plagiarizing when you copy other peoples' good interior design ideas. And then, like the quoted poster above, when you want to throw it all away and travel the world, you can bring your good taste with you wherever you go.

 

[Truckondo2.0]

I mounted a TV for the first time yesterday. Could not get my drill to go through the studs (I'm blaming the cheap ass bits I was using) so I just used four drywall anchors like those pictured below. They suggest they are more than capable of holding the weight, but I just wanted to follow up with you guys and get some first hand experience as to whether or not these will be fine by themselves? I'm trying to get my brother-in-law to help me get the mounting plate onto the studs, but in the interim this should be more than fine, right?

As long as the TV isn't super heavy and on a standard flat or tilt mount, you'll be ok. If it's on a pull out arm and extended out, it may not be a good idea.

 

[minx]

Might want to consider just getting a sound bar. You certainly can't mistake them for a good 5.1 setup but they are more affordable and friendly to small places.

I want to take new pictures of my setup! It's just that I keep moving stuff around and getting stuff.

Yeah no don't get a soundbar. Build a system from 2.1 to 3.1 to 5.1 to 7.1 if you can't afford it all at once.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00IK8I9K2/?tag=neogaf0e-20

These speakers but ditch the sub and get the best SVS or Hsu sub you can get.

This system is exactly $1000 and would be great.

http://www.svsound.com/products/prime-satellite-5-1

 

[PatrickLyons]

Speaker-wise, where should I be throwing my money? My budget's somewhere in the $500-1000 overall, but the cheaper the better as I'm trying to save some money for grad school.

So you've already got a hifi setup and what you want is a the best bang for the buck in terms of entry level surround sound for playing videogames in a small room, and you want to spend less than a grand?

I say you should just use your hifi setup because 2.0 is all you need in a small room. center channels are useless in a small room where your speakers aren't positioned that much wider than your tv. also wiring for surrounds is a mess. also there's all sorts of bad things i can say about satellite/sub systems but won't here. if you don't think your hifi speakers are good enough, you need better hifi speakers. and for 500-1000 bucks, you can buy damn good hifi speakers. hell, if you're willing to put together a kit, you can buy amazing hifi speakers for that price range.

if you're determined to have surround sound and a subwoofer though, then you probably need a whole new system (unless your hifi manufacturer makes matched surrounds) because matching new speakers to your old speakers will piss you off and sound bad in all likelihood. given your budget, and the fact that you need to spend a few hundred of that budget on a receiver perhaps, and the fact that you're stubborn enough not to just use 2.0, you should take the el cheapo option and buy a powered (meaning you don't need an amplifier) 300 dollar sub/satellite system from amazon because spending 4 figures on a system that is highly suboptimal is going to make you feel a lot more regret than spending 300 bucks on something you give to your kid brother in a few years when you graduate and get a bigger place and realize you need a whole new system.

 

[qa_engineer]

I live in a tiny (normal sized) NYC apartment in the Upper East Side so space is at a premium. To combat this I've converted the 50 inch TV and TV stand in my living room into a dual purpose computer desk and monitor.

Not pictured: PS4 and PS3.

 

[Elitist1945]

Now that I have my Gaming PC finally set up:

 

[nillah]

UPDATED WALL PICTURES 4/12/2016
I have to thank my talented daughter for all my movie room art!

If there's one place I'd want to play the new Uncharted other than my home it's on that couch with a beer. Nice set^ Mr. Benchmark

 

[TBiddy]

If there's one place I'd want to play the new Uncharted other than my home it's on that couch with a beer. Nice set^ Mr. Benchmark

I guess you could say, he's.... setting the Benchmark.

 

[AbandonedTrolley]

If there's one place I'd want to play the new Uncharted other than my home it's on that couch with a beer. Nice set^ Mr. Benchmark

Whilst it looks great the fact the couches are set up to the side would give me back or neck ache after a few hours of turning to view the TV.

MrBenchmark your daughters artwork is amazing. Always nicer to have something original in there than off the shelf.

 

[| Praxis |]

My PC set up.

Sadly I rent, so I can't decorate and this room was a teenage boy's bedroom at one point so the wallpaper reflects that. I really need a new keyboard as well, but the G15 has served me well over the years.

 

[The Artisan]

My Gaming Setup

 

[Cloggerdude]

I mounted a TV for the first time yesterday. Could not get my drill to go through the studs (I'm blaming the cheap ass bits I was using) so I just used four drywall anchors like those pictured below. They suggest they are more than capable of holding the weight, but I just wanted to follow up with you guys and get some first hand experience as to whether or not these will be fine by themselves? I'm trying to get my brother-in-law to help me get the mounting plate onto the studs, but in the interim this should be more than fine, right?

I know this is super late, but hanging anything heavy with drywall anchors is never a good idea. Yes, they can theoretically hold a certain amount of weight, but drywall was not designed to hold up weight like that.

If it's a smaller tv, then you're probably okay, but otherwise I would take the time to actually put screws into at LEAST one stud. Go buy some better bits if you're having trouble drilling into it. That's a much cheaper option than having to buy a new tv months from now or, even worse, having the tv fall on someone.

 

[PaulBizkit]

I need to post my gaming setup someday. But it's not very flashy, just a big desk with my pc on one side and the ps3 on the other side. And I have very few physical games.

 

[KDash31987]

Nothing fancy (or matching, I didn't buy any of the furniture myself). Just a lot of stuff. All of those drawers are full games. There's several other drawers around the room full of games, and there's also that cage-looking-thing there on the left that a Superman figure is hanging off of, which has NES, SNES, Genesis, and 32X games on it. I also have a Wii U in another room, and a Commodore 64, which is in its box right now since I don't know where to put it, and all I own for it is Frogger.

 

[Momentary]

Where are some of you guys getting these higher end desks from? Our house will be finished in a few more months and I need to start populating my office/game room.

 

[Elitist1945]

I need help finding a desk combo. I was hoping to buy two of the same desks and sort of create an L shape with them. I found a great tabletop/leg combo at Ikea but if I put both desks together it would be a literal 2 inches too long (going past my door opening). I couldn't find any shorter versions on the site. The max length I can go on the wall is 69", width is not an issue. Any suggestions?

http://www.ikea.com/ca/en/catalog/products/S49004737/ < Thats the desk I was looking at.

 

[Jombie]

I'd do just about anything to have a home like some of you guys.

 

[Hellshingu]

I'd do just about anything to have a home like some of you guys.

Same here. I like these threads because it gives me something to shoot for. Too bad where I live trying to get a house with 3+ beds and 2k sq.ft that isn't a fixer upper is minimum $700k.

Still seeing these things gives me tons of ideas on imaginative ways to work with the space I have until I can one day afford a place with an extra room dedicated to gaming.

 

[Mattlikewhoa]

You seem to put in effort, good job. BUT... why the hideous ceiling lights and why carpet? A wooden floor would look so much better.

Thanks... The carpet is on the second floor of the house, and we haven't found the need to replace it "yet". As for the lights, we have installed lights in the dinning room, and drop lights with pot lights in the kitchen.

I'd like to install pot lights in the main space, but I'd then have to patch up the ceiling, and I HATE to mud and tape. It will eventually get done, but I'm not sweating it for now.

 

[Chittagong]

Small update on my new gaming setup. Needs a bit of cable management, and a lick of paint.

 

[bodyboarder]

Small update on my new gaming setup. Needs a bit of cable management, and a lick of paint.

Getting closer.

 

[Barrel Cannon]

What are all those cables for? Speakers?