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Tiberious aka Sparkles
Joined: 23 Jan 2003
Location: I'm one cool cat!
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 Posted: Mon Feb 14, 2005 6:36 pm Post subject: |
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| JongnoGuru wrote: |
| Sparkles, have you moved house or made the plunge on a display yet? I'm guessing that you haven't, and that you're still waiting & watching for PDP prices to drop. |
Yeah, I'm waiting for the prices to drop, which is supposed to be in late-spring or early-summer. We're moving at the beginning of May, and I'm using the time before then to make the wife see the light that I don't have a car, I don't spend a ton of dough on designer clothes, we don't travel much, we're saving A LOT of money, and therefore I NEED TO SPLURGE ON A KICK-ASS HOME THEATER SETUP.
She's slowly coming around. Anyone know of a good home theater shop with a very persuasive sales team?
Sparkles*_* |
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JongnoGuru
Joined: 25 May 2004
Location: peeing on your doorstep
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| Posted: Tue Feb 15, 2005 7:00 am Post subject: |
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| Tiberious aka Sparkles wrote: |
| JongnoGuru wrote: |
| Sparkles, have you moved house or made the plunge on a display yet? I'm guessing that you haven't, and that you're still waiting & watching for PDP prices to drop. |
Yeah, I'm waiting for the prices to drop, which is supposed to be in late-spring or early-summer. We're moving at the beginning of May, and I'm using the time before then to make the wife see the light that I don't have a car, I don't spend a ton of dough on designer clothes, we don't travel much, we're saving A LOT of money, and therefore I NEED TO SPLURGE ON A KICK-ASS HOME THEATER SETUP.
She's slowly coming around. Anyone know of a good home theater shop with a very persuasive sales team?
Sparkles*_* |
Why wait, dude?!! Why deny yourself even a moment of the fun that you deserve to have?!!
I've been promised a three-hour tour ("...a three-hour tour...") of the market before I leave the holy land of consumer electronics'.  Man, this is going to be a real test of self-control and willpower, because I need: nothing.... though I just know I'll get there and want: everything. Dammit.
So, you're waiting for PDP prices in Korea to drop. What's your rough strike-price, or do you just plan to buy in that general time-frame wherever the prices may be?
Hey, I see you're already marshalling your "troops" (justifications) for an HT! You may not know it yet, but you've just started down the well-trodden path toward dealing with the dreaded WAF (wife aggravation factor) that married HT enthusiasts must contend with. There is, in fact, a 'sticky' on one of the online AV forums I visit that is solely devoted to WAF tactics!  The seasoned pros help out the newbies in crafting rationales, counter-arguments, tradeoffs, red herrings, and all that good stuff. Your basic psychological warfare for an altogether good cause.
In terms of the financial tradeoffs you want to use as justification for an HT, Sparkles, I'd say you've got this argument won solely by the fact that you don't own a car. (That's assuming you don't absolutely need a car now but simply cannot afford one.) Car-owners correct me if I'm wrong, but don't the following exceed 10 million won?
-- First-year depreciation on new automobile (plug in hypothetical Korean model)
-- Road tax & insurance for 1 year
-- Petrol, servicing, tune-ups for 1 year
-- Incidentals: tolls, parking fees, parking fines, repairs, etc.
I don't know what the total of all this would be, but I'd bet that you could get yourself one dandy of a HT with what you could have spent in just one year on an automobile.
Taking advantage of the fact that many of us have no need for a car in Korea is one of THE BEST and easiest ways of amassing significant savings. Savings to pay down old loans. Savings to invest for the future. And savings to buy a bad-ass home theatre system that will bequeath its own set of global bragging rights, as well as the sort of 'street cred' guaranteed to elevate one's self-worth, thereby debasing that of others. (  )
And just to take the car/HT tradeoff argument a step further, let us suppose that in a year or two, Clan Tiberious decides it wants and needs a set of wheels, the cost be damned. Fine. Great! Buy one. Doing so doesn't mean you instantly forfeit all those years of terrific savings for having not bought a car -- those savings are locked in. On the other hand, every year you delay buying that HT you've been pining for, that's a whole year of lost pleasure and enjoyment that you can never get back. It's just gone. You've lost it. You've screwed yourself out of it. And you continue to do so the longer you wait.
(Okay, before anyone jumps on me for the gaping holes of logic in my reasoning here -- please, I'm not aiming at perfect logic. I'm aiming at whatever the hell works in convincing someone or their significant other of the goodness of having an HT... the sooner the better.)
Married men the world over have to deal with WAF, but anyone familiar with Koreans might expect it to be harder to convince a Korean wife to gut the hagwon piggybank or forego a second car just so Dad can put a glorified TV & speaker system in the living room. But I'm here to tell you that it ain't necessarily so.
I go to local club meets, product demos, exhibitions, etc., and I've gotten to know quite a few people in the HT business and fellow enthusiasts. Once you exclude the chaebol children and the movie/TV talents, what you've got are thousands upon thousands of average, middle-class and lower-middle-class Koreans who think little of spending upwards of 10 million won on their HT.
The guys I know best are in their mid-30s to early 50s. They're middle-level manager types working for companies I've never heard of. I suppose they're making 3-5 million won/month, spending most of that on household & car maintenance, not much left over. They don't live in ritzy Gangnam or Bundang -- can't afford to. They're out in places like Gwangmyeong and Icheon... the outskirts of nowhere. Ho-hum little bedroom communities, ho-hum little apartments (30 pyong & up), ho-hum little jobs paying ho-hum little salaries. Even their wives & kids look ho-hum. And little. Very nice people who are just very unremarkable.
Unremarkable, that is, except for what they'll happily spend on their HTs. One of them has spent, by his own reckoning, about 80 million won on hi-fi/hi-vi gear & titles over the past 10 years. His living room looks like an audio dealer's showroom, and his wife thinks he's low-balling that figure. Another one I know just spent 12 million won on a beautiful projector, even though he's already got a 42-inch PDP. One guy who lives near me spent about 10 million won last year converting a room in his small villa into a dedicated home theatre -- and none of that went toward A/V gear. It went toward carpentry, drop ceiling, speaker & screen housing, wiring, insulation, a wild lighting system, footlights, block-out curtains, built-in racks for his gear and shelving for his film library, a little home bar, carpeting and stressless chairs. Actually, I'm amazed at what he's done on 10 million won.
In all cases I'm familar with, it's the husband's hobby; the wife & kids are merely loyal supporters. The WAF in Korea isn't just minimal compared to the West -- it often doesn't seem to exist at all! Now if that doesn't actually defy all logic, it certainly turns most predictions on their head.
This is the country where husbands hand over their salaries to their wives as a matter of course. They might keep a little for themselves, but not nearly enough to finance the sort of HTs I've seen in the drabbest, most unassuming apartments. And funded by the most unassuming of salaries. So, how are they managing to do it? More importantly, why on God's green earth are so many Korean wives permitting them to?
I've heard many theories. The most common ones would seem apply to lots of other countries, though: We Koreans like movies, we Koreans like consumer electronics, we Koreans are more knowledgeable about HT, we Koreans like spending time at home.
Some I'm not too sure about: We Koreans follow whatever Japan does, so if Japan is into HT, so are we.
Some may be closer to the truth: Even middle-class Koreans have lots of money these days. More than you think. Spending 10~20 million won on a glorified TV & speaker system for us isn't the burden it might be for you.
But the hands-down funniest explanation I've heard as to why Korean wives go along with their husbands' expensive HT habit is: Korean men who are addicted to HT (or hi-fi, hi-vi) are less likely to cheat on their wives.
No kidding. Heard this one many times from dealers, and even from the wives of HT nuts themselves. These men simply don't have the money to entertain a little piece on the side. And, so the theory goes, because it's a home theatre, these husbands devote their time and attention to the home. They're constantly tweaking things, reading magazines like Hi-Vi and Stereo Sound, chatting with buddies on bbs, and -- of course -- watching movies with their families.
So you get that "Me, Mom and Daddy, We're a Happy Family!" thing going on all the time. And, if Mom and Daddy ever have a nasty spat, Dad's more likely to seek solace in that new power amp he saw reviewed in Stereo Sound last month, not in banging Miss Kim from the room salon, or running away forever with his recently-divorced college sweetheart. I've just heard that attitudes in Japan are exactly the same on this issue. Audiophiles & HT addicts make terrible gigolos. 
Last edited by JongnoGuru on Tue Feb 15, 2005 4:21 pm; edited 2 times in total |
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Derrek
Joined: 15 Jan 2003
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| Posted: Tue Feb 15, 2005 8:13 am Post subject: |
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Have you checked out Carrefore lately?
I've seen some good prices on TVs there. |
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Demophobe
Joined: 17 May 2004
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| Posted: Tue Feb 15, 2005 3:22 pm Post subject: |
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| Read this article on Ars. I don't think it's what most of you had in mind with this thread or with your ideas for a home theater, but it's an option....and not a bad one too. |
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Tiberious aka Sparkles
Joined: 23 Jan 2003
Location: I'm one cool cat!
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| Posted: Tue Feb 15, 2005 6:23 pm Post subject: |
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| JongnoGuru wrote: |
| So, you're waiting for PDP prices in Korea to drop. What's your rough strike-price, or do you just plan to buy in that general time-frame wherever the prices may be? |
I'm willing to pay anywhere from 3 to 4 million...what the wife will let me pay, however...
An anecdote:
When we returned to Korea just over two years ago, we had little money, and the money we had we needed for a housing deposit and furniture. So, we ended up buying a used 17" TV/VCR combo for about 100,000 won. After moving from Seoul to Bundang in May of '03, we had saved a nice little chunk of money in only 5 months (4 if you discount December '02, because I only started work the third week of the month and didn't get paid until January), so I decided it was time to indulge my Playstation 2 jones. Trouble was, after returning from Yongsan, I found out that the a/v ports (is that what they're called? Ports? You know, the red, white and yellow holes -- I'm a freaking technological retard, in case I haven't made that abundantly clear) on the TV/VCR combo didn't work. SO, because I was absolutely dying to get my PS2 up and running, I talked the wife into heading over to E-Mart to buy a new TV. I wanted a 26" set, but the wife disagreed vehemently. We didn't have enough money, she said. This is sort of true, as the move to Bundang had depleted our savings; however, The money I would make in a few months would more than make up for the cost of the move, plus what the 26" set would cost. Keep in mind that the set was only about 450,000 won. Still, the wife wouldn't budge. She was pregnant at the time and moodier than all get out, so I didn't protest. We bought a 17" set for 175,000 won.
Fast forward to last summer, when I first began to mention my plans for a decent HT setup. Then, my wife merely listened and didn't argue with me, perhaps thinking this was some foolish dream of mine instead of a very real plan. Now, whenever I mention HT, I get angry responses like "we need to save money, we can't afford it" (this is not true, but my wife could be a millionaire and would still clip supermarket coupons like a woman possessed and store Burger King ketchup packets and the like in our refrigerator) and the always reliable "everything's always what I want with you." The most positive reply I've gotten thus far after about a half hour's worth of trying to reason with her is "I'll think about it."
I mean it when I say I need a very persuasive salesperson to help her see the light. In fact, I may need a hypnotist.
Sparkles*_*
Last edited by Tiberious aka Sparkles on Wed Feb 16, 2005 4:54 am; edited 1 time in total |
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edgellskiuk
Joined: 21 Jun 2004
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Tue Feb 15, 2005 8:58 pm Post subject: |
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Sparkles will your 3-4 million be the TV as well as the home theatre or just for the home theatre?
If I was building a av system (not including display for 3-4 million ) I would go for the following:
player - Marantz dv-8400 (pal/ntsc progressive scan, hdmi and dvi out puts, thx qaulified) - 1,550,00 (the denon 3910 is about 200,000 more expensive but probably has better synergy with the denon reciever)
reciever- Yamaha RX-V750- 680,000 - my personal favourite for bang for the buck and feature set, but some people find they sound a bit course when pushed hard. If money not a problem then the The Denon AVR-3805 1,586,000
Speakers are very much a matter of taste. If you want small discrete (wife friendly)speakers then a sub/satellite is the best option.
The KEF 2005.2 eggs are very highly regarded and you can buy extra eggs seperatly for 6.1 and 7.1 output (200,000). They are around 1,350,000 for a 5.1 system (http://www.kingsound.co.kr/files/product/rp012199.htm).
The Mordaunt Short sub/sat genies won product of the year in What Hifi (uk magazine) last year. 1,400,000 and look very stylish.
If you want the best possible musical playback larger standard speakers are a better option. Something like the AE Aegis Evo 5.1 system for 2,400,000.
I have given you a slightly over budget system if you go for the top options but I am a Hifi buff so always spend too much sorry. 
Also if buying all at once try and get the guys to throw in some reasonably priced speaker cabling and wiring for free. Just a few suggestions for you. With the amount you are going to spend I would definatly recommend going to Yongsan and/or technomart for demonstrations. If they are unwilling to demonstate I would tend to avoid buying from them. |
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Tiberious aka Sparkles
Joined: 23 Jan 2003
Location: I'm one cool cat!
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| Posted: Tue Feb 15, 2005 9:20 pm Post subject: |
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| edgellskiuk wrote: |
| Sparkles will your 3-4 million be the TV as well as the home theatre or just for the home theatre? |
It'll be just for the TV. And I may have to add onto the TV slowly, bit by bit, to save myself the discomfort of being decapitated by the wife.
If I were single, I'd drop between 15 and 20 million with no hesitation, but there's no way I could get away with that now.
Sparkles*_*
Last edited by Tiberious aka Sparkles on Wed Feb 16, 2005 4:54 am; edited 1 time in total |
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edgellskiuk
Joined: 21 Jun 2004
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Tue Feb 15, 2005 9:37 pm Post subject: |
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| I know what you mean Tiberious my girlfriend cannot understand my Hi-Fi obsession. My current CD/Amp and speakers came to about 6 million won and she had kittens when it was delivered and she saw the cost. I have not got the heart to tell her I am spending another 4 mill on a new amp soon. |
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Walter Mitty
Joined: 27 Mar 2003
Location: Tokyo! ^.^
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| Posted: Sat May 28, 2005 10:53 pm Post subject: |
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I added the final (for now anyways  ) piece to my setup this weekend - 5.1 sound! 
Since I already had the video switching handled by the 8-port switchbox, I decided to pick up an audio-only solution for the sound instead of going for a full-on A/V receiver. I had to do a bit of shopping around, as most systems like that tend to include a DVD player. Since I've already got 4 different things that can play DVDs, I wanted to avoid getting a 5th one. I also wanted a unit that wasn't too big, as I'm pretty much out of room in/on my entertainment center.
I finally found what I was looking for in the Yamaha CinemaStation AVX-S20. It's got nice sounding speakers and a good-sized sub - all with wooden boxes. (No plastic, thank you.) The "control center" (what Yamaha calls the audio unit - I guess it's not really a receiver) is small and handles pretty much anything you can throw at it. DTS, Dolby Digital, Pro-Logic II, and AAC Digital Surround are all supported, and it's got a few DSP presets as well. It's got two optical inputs, one digital coax input and a standard left/right audio connection. Yamaha's Japanese page has a tad more info than the Engliish one, including the measurements for all the pieces.
Even after choosing which unit I wanted, I had a bit of a time finding one yesterday. It originally came out in 2003 and it seems Yamaha is now phasing this one out (though it is still listed in the April 2005 catalog), so a lot of shops have stopped carrying it already. I lucked out and found one in the 5th shop I tried in Akihabara. Actually, I seriously lucked out since they'd marked it down to clear out the remaining stock. When I first saw it about a month ago it was going for around 44,000 yen. I got it yesterday for 34,800.
It was a snap to set up and everything I've tried - games, movies and music - sounds great. When I first set it up yesterday, I had the speakers on the floor and the center one sitting on the sub. That was usable, but not great, so I went out and got speaker stands today. They were a bit pricey (especially when compared to the system) at 20,000 yen for four of them (L, R & two surround), but they look very nice (I got the cherry ones to match the speakers) and have a good adjustment range (618��868mm) to get the speakers set at just the right height. Yeah, I could've found a cheaper solution than the manufacturer's stands, but I like the way it all matches. And besides, it's not like they're going to wear out and have to be replaced or anything, so why not spend a little to get something nice?
You can get this system in Korea too, and a Google search turned up results on shopping.com and several other Korean online shops. I'm sure you could also find them in Yongsan or Techno Mart if you wanted to check them out and give them a listen firsthand. |
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