Warning: this post is not for the technically faint-hearted!

Listen closely . . . you can just barely make out the battle sounds of the Spartans versus the Persians in 300.  Or maybe it’s the collective groans and cheers of the guys who disappeared after the pumpkin pie yesterday to watch the Cowboys shut down the Steelers (calm down, people, it’s just an example–feel free to insert the teams of your choice into this scenario).  Regardless, it’s all coming from the same place: the Man Cave (aka, the home theater).

Today’s dedicated home theater systems are a far cry from your grandpappy’s color TV set, and have even evolved from the gigantic projection TVs we started planting in living rooms and rec rooms a decade ago.  I asked a few guys I know what makes them go ape over their man caves–in other words, what they simply cannot live without in terms of a kick-ass home theater space.

While Brent Butterworth of Los Angeles, California and Dennis Burger of Montgomery, Alabama live across the country from one another, they can pretty much agree on the most important elements of their media spaces.  Each of their lists of top five components includes some that would be important to any home theater: sound, projection, acoustics, receivers, and remote control systems.

“To me, it’s not a home theater unless it has a projector,” says Brent. “There are lots of good projectors; the [top models] from Sony and JVC are fantastic if you can afford them.”

Next on Brent’s list is speakers.  He speaks highly of PSB, Definitive, Paradigm, and Monitor Audio. “I prefer [to have] five or seven smaller speakers with two subwoofers, instead of large tower speakers.

Brent’s number two on the list, however,  is Dennis’s first priority: “They’re a set of Infinity Interludes that I bought ages ago,” says Dennis. “I adore them–they’re beautifully balanced, [and] sound great with movies and music.” He adds that his man cave was actually the reason he bought the house.  “It’s the perfect size [roughly 20' X 25'] and layout for my home theater system, which has changed a lot over the past ten years.”

Other technical components that rate in Dennis’s top five are “The Anthem D2v processor at the heart of my system–it is, without question, the standard by which all other processors should be judged,” as well as his URC MX-6000 touchscreen remote.  For Brent, a good receiver is something he can’t live without, and he says that the Pioneer VSX1019AH-K is one that can get the job done.

For Gary Spinrad of Woodland Hills, California, who does sound engineering on video games for a living, there is no breaking down of his home theater system. “The whole theater system was a priority for me. You’re either doing it justice, or you’re not.”  Beyond that, Gary cites some of the key decorative elements in his Tiki-themed space, which he calls “The Drunken Monkey Lava Lounge,” as what makes the space special.

The wall treatments which include a hand-painted mural, bamboo and flower arrangements, cabinet decor, tiki table with faux chiminea (portable fireplace), and bar are all what makes The Monkey a happenin’ place for Gary and his wife Nina (who installed the bamboo and flowers herself over countless weekend hours) to enjoy movies, karaoke, or the rehearsals of Gary’s band Elvis Simmons.

While Brent and Dennis are much more low-key about the decor of their man caves (Brent refers to his as “a lab, really, not a place where people sit around and watch TV,” and neither has given their space a formal name), they’re not above keeping some man toys close by.  For Brent, that would be his Blu-Ray player, which has online streaming services like Netflix, YouTube, and Pandora.  For Dennis, it’s his PlayStation3, which opens up the space for activities his whole family can enjoy.  “We use it for everything from watching movies and playing games to streaming photos and music from the PCs scattered around the house.”

Whether it’s movies and music, or games and drinks, today’s home theater spaces are serving up a lot more than Thanksgiving football.  Is your cave man enough to get the job done?

Last 5 posts by KellyThacher

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Author: Kelly Thacher

Kelly has been a writer since she was in grade school where she received early recognition for her Young Author's project. Magazines like Home Entertainment, Luxury Consumer Electronics, Vertical Living, Luxury Home and the Robb Report were happy to have Kelly's editing talents on various projects. A series of career twists and turns has offered her invaluable experience in journalism, magazine and book publishing, and fiction writing.

Kelly Thacher has written 30 articles for us.