paulmellor
Well-known member
paulmellor
Well-known member
The answer to the Microsoft Digital Lifestyle competition is a) Harlem.
Well thses bare lists of equipment people use for their entertainment are to a certain extent illuminating but they only tell half the story. Most of the living rooms I see are quite ill-designed for modern entertainment systems but then house designers don't really take this sort of thing into account even today. Rooms are designed to force the television into one corner and the loudspeakers and hi-fi setup peeping out from whatever space can be spared in between furnishings.
As a long-time sound junkie, student of acoustics and musical instrument design, piano tuner, professional singer and hi-fi reviewe I decided to take a different tack when I found myself having to move house. I looked for a place with a potentially good listening room and then decorated and furnished it around the equipment I would need to entertain myself.
I found a house with a 20x12x8ft room having a large picture window on one of the narrower walls. I striped out the caret and laid a vinyl floor, stripped the walls and ceiling and painted them with matte paint and commissioned cortains to draw across the window (that I intended to have behind me when sitting comfortably) so I had a choice of reflection (as in a large audience space like a concert hall)or none as in more intimate surroundings (such as a jazz club). I broke up the standing waves that would develop between the parallel long walls by installing lirary shelving designed for the various media - LPs, CDs etc, placed a seating island around two-0thirds of the way back towards the window and used the solid narrow wall as a backdrop for the equipment. I chose 'artistic' as wwell as sonically practical equipment stands for the electronics and loudspeakers and the only thing that spoiled the look was he original bulbous and ugly CRD TV (but having been involved in the early experiments in flat screen LED televidion back in the 19709s I knoew it wouldn't be long before i would be able to buy a large flat screen to occupy the middle of the wall area one day and so it has proved to be).
Most people who come into my living room (well those who know my8 interest in music) don't appear even to notice the rig and ask me "Weere's the famous hi-fi?" It just seems to blend in with the general ambience of the room which contains several statuesque items like pot plants and angular art. It's only when the TV screen comes to life and the loudspeakers pou sound into te room that it bcomes obvious where they are.
So how about the kit itself? Well first I attended to the room iring to ensure that the system would see a decent current and not be affected by the other electrical items in the household and tring main. Unfortunately, we have a lot of power problems here in Cromer because on stormy nights flocks of birds are driven into the power lines so cuts and switching noises, along with potentially destructive power surges, are a real and ever-present problem. Nothing short of a private generator would even out my spiky voltage supply I'm afraid.
Centrally poaced is the 42" LG LCD TV on a black glass stand housing the video electronics - Sky box, DVD etc.. I thought hard about a screen size that would balance the look of the room and it turnet out that if I wanted to go larger than 42" it would have to be a huge lot largr - more than twice the size and higher on the wall like in a small cinema auditorium - otherwise the other items would be out of proportion. Flanding the set and some distance apart from it are the two trusty Spendor BC1s that H have owned now for more than 30 years. On their studio trolleys the're quite unassuming and blend into th background. If I ever find a modern speaker I like beter I think it will have to be a piece of visual as well as sonic art to fit in with the general ambience. The old Colin Wlker record player is also a quiet and retiring boxed item topping off an Aanvil Audio stand (black with marble shelves) also housing the Audio Note CD player and Meishu amplifier (after a lot of thought and much trial of multi-boxed amplification I eventually went fort this single-box amplifier that had just the right reproductive quality for my favourite instruments - he voice and the piano).. There should be room for a suitably boxed Media PC to wire into the system in due course.
Although the Sky box will handle full Doby 5.1 sound I find that the existing systems for surround sound are quite intrusive. The cost of using decent loudspeakers for side and rear reproduction and the expense of wiring and amplifying them are prohibitive.
You have to bear in mind that a domestic system can't ever sond like a true concert hall or a tower of PA power on stage at a rock concert. What you can get if you're willing to put in the effort of design is a good flavour of the sounds you remember from live events and a comfortable viewing and listening environment that's quite the equal of most modrn small cinemma auditoria. And you don't necessarily need to break the bank for equipment. For ample, I'd dearly love the pce of modern art and sonic excellence that it Audio Note's new record turntable but, by the law of diminsing returns, its performance and price tag would necessitate a complete rethink of the whole system and room acoustics.
After all, one has to leaqve something in the domestic budget for the occasional replacement of kitchen appliances and of course we've all heard the story about the hi-fi buff who spent all his money on a brilliant reproduction system and had nothing left to buy media to play on it.
Well thses bare lists of equipment people use for their entertainment are to a certain extent illuminating but they only tell half the story. Most of the living rooms I see are quite ill-designed for modern entertainment systems but then house designers don't really take this sort of thing into account even today. Rooms are designed to force the television into one corner and the loudspeakers and hi-fi setup peeping out from whatever space can be spared in between furnishings.
As a long-time sound junkie, student of acoustics and musical instrument design, piano tuner, professional singer and hi-fi reviewe I decided to take a different tack when I found myself having to move house. I looked for a place with a potentially good listening room and then decorated and furnished it around the equipment I would need to entertain myself.
I found a house with a 20x12x8ft room having a large picture window on one of the narrower walls. I striped out the caret and laid a vinyl floor, stripped the walls and ceiling and painted them with matte paint and commissioned cortains to draw across the window (that I intended to have behind me when sitting comfortably) so I had a choice of reflection (as in a large audience space like a concert hall)or none as in more intimate surroundings (such as a jazz club). I broke up the standing waves that would develop between the parallel long walls by installing lirary shelving designed for the various media - LPs, CDs etc, placed a seating island around two-0thirds of the way back towards the window and used the solid narrow wall as a backdrop for the equipment. I chose 'artistic' as wwell as sonically practical equipment stands for the electronics and loudspeakers and the only thing that spoiled the look was he original bulbous and ugly CRD TV (but having been involved in the early experiments in flat screen LED televidion back in the 19709s I knoew it wouldn't be long before i would be able to buy a large flat screen to occupy the middle of the wall area one day and so it has proved to be).
Most people who come into my living room (well those who know my8 interest in music) don't appear even to notice the rig and ask me "Weere's the famous hi-fi?" It just seems to blend in with the general ambience of the room which contains several statuesque items like pot plants and angular art. It's only when the TV screen comes to life and the loudspeakers pou sound into te room that it bcomes obvious where they are.
So how about the kit itself? Well first I attended to the room iring to ensure that the system would see a decent current and not be affected by the other electrical items in the household and tring main. Unfortunately, we have a lot of power problems here in Cromer because on stormy nights flocks of birds are driven into the power lines so cuts and switching noises, along with potentially destructive power surges, are a real and ever-present problem. Nothing short of a private generator would even out my spiky voltage supply I'm afraid.
Centrally poaced is the 42" LG LCD TV on a black glass stand housing the video electronics - Sky box, DVD etc.. I thought hard about a screen size that would balance the look of the room and it turnet out that if I wanted to go larger than 42" it would have to be a huge lot largr - more than twice the size and higher on the wall like in a small cinema auditorium - otherwise the other items would be out of proportion. Flanding the set and some distance apart from it are the two trusty Spendor BC1s that H have owned now for more than 30 years. On their studio trolleys the're quite unassuming and blend into th background. If I ever find a modern speaker I like beter I think it will have to be a piece of visual as well as sonic art to fit in with the general ambience. The old Colin Wlker record player is also a quiet and retiring boxed item topping off an Aanvil Audio stand (black with marble shelves) also housing the Audio Note CD player and Meishu amplifier (after a lot of thought and much trial of multi-boxed amplification I eventually went fort this single-box amplifier that had just the right reproductive quality for my favourite instruments - he voice and the piano).. There should be room for a suitably boxed Media PC to wire into the system in due course.
Although the Sky box will handle full Doby 5.1 sound I find that the existing systems for surround sound are quite intrusive. The cost of using decent loudspeakers for side and rear reproduction and the expense of wiring and amplifying them are prohibitive.
You have to bear in mind that a domestic system can't ever sond like a true concert hall or a tower of PA power on stage at a rock concert. What you can get if you're willing to put in the effort of design is a good flavour of the sounds you remember from live events and a comfortable viewing and listening environment that's quite the equal of most modrn small cinemma auditoria. And you don't necessarily need to break the bank for equipment. For ample, I'd dearly love the pce of modern art and sonic excellence that it Audio Note's new record turntable but, by the law of diminsing returns, its performance and price tag would necessitate a complete rethink of the whole system and room acoustics.
After all, one has to leaqve something in the domestic budget for the occasional replacement of kitchen appliances and of course we've all heard the story about the hi-fi buff who spent all his money on a brilliant reproduction system and had nothing left to buy media to play on it.
The answer to the Microsoft Digital Lifestyle competition is a) Harlem.
Well thses bare lists of equipment people use for their entertainment are to a certain extent illuminating but they only tell half the story. Most of the living rooms I see are quite ill-designed for modern entertainment systems but then house designers don't really take this sort of thing into account even today. Rooms are designed to force the television into one corner and the loudspeakers and hi-fi setup peeping out from whatever space can be spared in between furnishings.
As a long-time sound junkie, student of acoustics and musical instrument design, piano tuner, professional singer and hi-fi reviewe I decided to take a different tack when I found myself having to move house. I looked for a place with a potentially good listening room and then decorated and furnished it around the equipment I would need to entertain myself.
I found a house with a 20x12x8ft room having a large picture window on one of the narrower walls. I striped out the caret and laid a vinyl floor, stripped the walls and ceiling and painted them with matte paint and commissioned cortains to draw across the window (that I intended to have behind me when sitting comfortably) so I had a choice of reflection (as in a large audience space like a concert hall)or none as in more intimate surroundings (such as a jazz club). I broke up the standing waves that would develop between the parallel long walls by installing lirary shelving designed for the various media - LPs, CDs etc, placed a seating island around two-0thirds of the way back towards the window and used the solid narrow wall as a backdrop for the equipment. I chose 'artistic' as wwell as sonically practical equipment stands for the electronics and loudspeakers and the only thing that spoiled the look was he original bulbous and ugly CRD TV (but having been involved in the early experiments in flat screen LED televidion back in the 19709s I knoew it wouldn't be long before i would be able to buy a large flat screen to occupy the middle of the wall area one day and so it has proved to be).
Most people who come into my living room (well those who know my8 interest in music) don't appear even to notice the rig and ask me "Weere's the famous hi-fi?" It just seems to blend in with the general ambience of the room which contains several statuesque items like pot plants and angular art. It's only when the TV screen comes to life and the loudspeakers pou sound into te room that it bcomes obvious where they are.
So how about the kit itself? Well first I attended to the room iring to ensure that the system would see a decent current and not be affected by the other electrical items in the household and tring main. Unfortunately, we have a lot of power problems here in Cromer because on stormy nights flocks of birds are driven into the power lines so cuts and switching noises, along with potentially destructive power surges, are a real and ever-present problem. Nothing short of a private generator would even out my spiky voltage supply I'm afraid.
Centrally poaced is the 42" LG LCD TV on a black glass stand housing the video electronics - Sky box, DVD etc.. I thought hard about a screen size that would balance the look of the room and it turnet out that if I wanted to go larger than 42" it would have to be a huge lot largr - more than twice the size and higher on the wall like in a small cinema auditorium - otherwise the other items would be out of proportion. Flanding the set and some distance apart from it are the two trusty Spendor BC1s that H have owned now for more than 30 years. On their studio trolleys the're quite unassuming and blend into th background. If I ever find a modern speaker I like beter I think it will have to be a piece of visual as well as sonic art to fit in with the general ambience. The old Colin Wlker record player is also a quiet and retiring boxed item topping off an Aanvil Audio stand (black with marble shelves) also housing the Audio Note CD player and Meishu amplifier (after a lot of thought and much trial of multi-boxed amplification I eventually went fort this single-box amplifier that had just the right reproductive quality for my favourite instruments - he voice and the piano).. There should be room for a suitably boxed Media PC to wire into the system in due course.
Although the Sky box will handle full Doby 5.1 sound I find that the existing systems for surround sound are quite intrusive. The cost of using decent loudspeakers for side and rear reproduction and the expense of wiring and amplifying them are prohibitive.
You have to bear in mind that a domestic system can't ever sond like a true concert hall or a tower of PA power on stage at a rock concert. What you can get if you're willing to put in the effort of design is a good flavour of the sounds you remember from live events and a comfortable viewing and listening environment that's quite the equal of most modrn small cinemma auditoria. And you don't necessarily need to break the bank for equipment. For ample, I'd dearly love the pce of modern art and sonic excellence that it Audio Note's new record turntable but, by the law of diminsing returns, its performance and price tag would necessitate a complete rethink of the whole system and room acoustics.
After all, one has to leaqve something in the domestic budget for the occasional replacement of kitchen appliances and of course we've all heard the story about the hi-fi buff who spent all his money on a brilliant reproduction system and had nothing left to buy media to play on it.
Well thses bare lists of equipment people use for their entertainment are to a certain extent illuminating but they only tell half the story. Most of the living rooms I see are quite ill-designed for modern entertainment systems but then house designers don't really take this sort of thing into account even today. Rooms are designed to force the television into one corner and the loudspeakers and hi-fi setup peeping out from whatever space can be spared in between furnishings.
As a long-time sound junkie, student of acoustics and musical instrument design, piano tuner, professional singer and hi-fi reviewe I decided to take a different tack when I found myself having to move house. I looked for a place with a potentially good listening room and then decorated and furnished it around the equipment I would need to entertain myself.
I found a house with a 20x12x8ft room having a large picture window on one of the narrower walls. I striped out the caret and laid a vinyl floor, stripped the walls and ceiling and painted them with matte paint and commissioned cortains to draw across the window (that I intended to have behind me when sitting comfortably) so I had a choice of reflection (as in a large audience space like a concert hall)or none as in more intimate surroundings (such as a jazz club). I broke up the standing waves that would develop between the parallel long walls by installing lirary shelving designed for the various media - LPs, CDs etc, placed a seating island around two-0thirds of the way back towards the window and used the solid narrow wall as a backdrop for the equipment. I chose 'artistic' as wwell as sonically practical equipment stands for the electronics and loudspeakers and the only thing that spoiled the look was he original bulbous and ugly CRD TV (but having been involved in the early experiments in flat screen LED televidion back in the 19709s I knoew it wouldn't be long before i would be able to buy a large flat screen to occupy the middle of the wall area one day and so it has proved to be).
Most people who come into my living room (well those who know my8 interest in music) don't appear even to notice the rig and ask me "Weere's the famous hi-fi?" It just seems to blend in with the general ambience of the room which contains several statuesque items like pot plants and angular art. It's only when the TV screen comes to life and the loudspeakers pou sound into te room that it bcomes obvious where they are.
So how about the kit itself? Well first I attended to the room iring to ensure that the system would see a decent current and not be affected by the other electrical items in the household and tring main. Unfortunately, we have a lot of power problems here in Cromer because on stormy nights flocks of birds are driven into the power lines so cuts and switching noises, along with potentially destructive power surges, are a real and ever-present problem. Nothing short of a private generator would even out my spiky voltage supply I'm afraid.
Centrally poaced is the 42" LG LCD TV on a black glass stand housing the video electronics - Sky box, DVD etc.. I thought hard about a screen size that would balance the look of the room and it turnet out that if I wanted to go larger than 42" it would have to be a huge lot largr - more than twice the size and higher on the wall like in a small cinema auditorium - otherwise the other items would be out of proportion. Flanding the set and some distance apart from it are the two trusty Spendor BC1s that H have owned now for more than 30 years. On their studio trolleys the're quite unassuming and blend into th background. If I ever find a modern speaker I like beter I think it will have to be a piece of visual as well as sonic art to fit in with the general ambience. The old Colin Wlker record player is also a quiet and retiring boxed item topping off an Aanvil Audio stand (black with marble shelves) also housing the Audio Note CD player and Meishu amplifier (after a lot of thought and much trial of multi-boxed amplification I eventually went fort this single-box amplifier that had just the right reproductive quality for my favourite instruments - he voice and the piano).. There should be room for a suitably boxed Media PC to wire into the system in due course.
Although the Sky box will handle full Doby 5.1 sound I find that the existing systems for surround sound are quite intrusive. The cost of using decent loudspeakers for side and rear reproduction and the expense of wiring and amplifying them are prohibitive.
You have to bear in mind that a domestic system can't ever sond like a true concert hall or a tower of PA power on stage at a rock concert. What you can get if you're willing to put in the effort of design is a good flavour of the sounds you remember from live events and a comfortable viewing and listening environment that's quite the equal of most modrn small cinemma auditoria. And you don't necessarily need to break the bank for equipment. For ample, I'd dearly love the pce of modern art and sonic excellence that it Audio Note's new record turntable but, by the law of diminsing returns, its performance and price tag would necessitate a complete rethink of the whole system and room acoustics.
After all, one has to leaqve something in the domestic budget for the occasional replacement of kitchen appliances and of course we've all heard the story about the hi-fi buff who spent all his money on a brilliant reproduction system and had nothing left to buy media to play on it.
The answer to the Microsoft Digital Lifestyle competition is a) Harlem.
Well thses bare lists of equipment people use for their entertainment are to a certain extent illuminating but they only tell half the story. Most of the living rooms I see are quite ill-designed for modern entertainment systems but then house designers don't really take this sort of thing into account even today. Rooms are designed to force the television into one corner and the loudspeakers and hi-fi setup peeping out from whatever space can be spared in between furnishings.
As a long-time sound junkie, student of acoustics and musical instrument design, piano tuner, professional singer and hi-fi reviewe I decided to take a different tack when I found myself having to move house. I looked for a place with a potentially good listening room and then decorated and furnished it around the equipment I would need to entertain myself.
I found a house with a 20x12x8ft room having a large picture window on one of the narrower walls. I striped out the caret and laid a vinyl floor, stripped the walls and ceiling and painted them with matte paint and commissioned cortains to draw across the window (that I intended to have behind me when sitting comfortably) so I had a choice of reflection (as in a large audience space like a concert hall)or none as in more intimate surroundings (such as a jazz club). I broke up the standing waves that would develop between the parallel long walls by installing lirary shelving designed for the various media - LPs, CDs etc, placed a seating island around two-0thirds of the way back towards the window and used the solid narrow wall as a backdrop for the equipment. I chose 'artistic' as wwell as sonically practical equipment stands for the electronics and loudspeakers and the only thing that spoiled the look was he original bulbous and ugly CRD TV (but having been involved in the early experiments in flat screen LED televidion back in the 19709s I knoew it wouldn't be long before i would be able to buy a large flat screen to occupy the middle of the wall area one day and so it has proved to be).
Most people who come into my living room (well those who know my8 interest in music) don't appear even to notice the rig and ask me "Weere's the famous hi-fi?" It just seems to blend in with the general ambience of the room which contains several statuesque items like pot plants and angular art. It's only when the TV screen comes to life and the loudspeakers pou sound into te room that it bcomes obvious where they are.
So how about the kit itself? Well first I attended to the room iring to ensure that the system would see a decent current and not be affected by the other electrical items in the household and tring main. Unfortunately, we have a lot of power problems here in Cromer because on stormy nights flocks of birds are driven into the power lines so cuts and switching noises, along with potentially destructive power surges, are a real and ever-present problem. Nothing short of a private generator would even out my spiky voltage supply I'm afraid.
Centrally poaced is the 42" LG LCD TV on a black glass stand housing the video electronics - Sky box, DVD etc.. I thought hard about a screen size that would balance the look of the room and it turnet out that if I wanted to go larger than 42" it would have to be a huge lot largr - more than twice the size and higher on the wall like in a small cinema auditorium - otherwise the other items would be out of proportion. Flanding the set and some distance apart from it are the two trusty Spendor BC1s that H have owned now for more than 30 years. On their studio trolleys the're quite unassuming and blend into th background. If I ever find a modern speaker I like beter I think it will have to be a piece of visual as well as sonic art to fit in with the general ambience. The old Colin Wlker record player is also a quiet and retiring boxed item topping off an Aanvil Audio stand (black with marble shelves) also housing the Audio Note CD player and Meishu amplifier (after a lot of thought and much trial of multi-boxed amplification I eventually went fort this single-box amplifier that had just the right reproductive quality for my favourite instruments - he voice and the piano).. There should be room for a suitably boxed Media PC to wire into the system in due course.
Although the Sky box will handle full Doby 5.1 sound I find that the existing systems for surround sound are quite intrusive. The cost of using decent loudspeakers for side and rear reproduction and the expense of wiring and amplifying them are prohibitive.
You have to bear in mind that a domestic system can't ever sond like a true concert hall or a tower of PA power on stage at a rock concert. What you can get if you're willing to put in the effort of design is a good flavour of the sounds you remember from live events and a comfortable viewing and listening environment that's quite the equal of most modrn small cinemma auditoria. And you don't necessarily need to break the bank for equipment. For ample, I'd dearly love the pce of modern art and sonic excellence that it Audio Note's new record turntable but, by the law of diminsing returns, its performance and price tag would necessitate a complete rethink of the whole system and room acoustics.
After all, one has to leaqve something in the domestic budget for the occasional replacement of kitchen appliances and of course we've all heard the story about the hi-fi buff who spent all his money on a brilliant reproduction system and had nothing left to buy media to play on it.[quote user="Andy Clough"]
Here's your chance to win an extended version of American Gangster on DVD - with 18 minutes of never-seen-before footage - and a digital lifestyle Media Center system from Microsoft.
We've teamed up with Universal Pictures and Microsoft Hardware to give away a high-spec Media Center PC from Toshiba, a backlit wireless entertainment desktop 8000 keyboard, a high-definition Lifecam VX-7000 and a wireless Lifechat ZX-6000 headset.
Just post a reply to this message with your answer - A, B, or C - and the sender of the first correct answer drawn after the competition closes, at 12.00GMT on Wednesday, March 26th, will win the system and DVD:
Where is American Gangster set?
A Harlem
B Harlesden
C Hartlepool
To learn more about enhancing your Digital Lifestyle, click here.
Terms and Conditions
Competition open to UK residents only, excluding employees of Haymarket Media Group, the competition provider or any of their affiliates. Entrants must be aged 18 years or over. All entries must be received by 12.00 GMT on closing date of competition. The winner will be chosen at random from all correct entries. The prize-winner will be notified within two weeks of the draw. The prizes are as stated and are not transferable. No cash substitute can be provided. The promoter (Haymarket) reserves the right to substitute the prize with another of the same value should the prize become unavailable. No purchase necessary. The decision of the organisers is final and no correspondence will be entered into. Information on the winner and competition will be available two weeks after the published closing date and will be supplied upon receipt of a stamped, addressed envelope.
By entering this competition Haymarket Media Group, Microsoft and Universal Studios may contact you with special offers, news and competitions we think you'll find interesting. We also respect your privacy, and If you do not wish to receive such information via post or email, please write to us at: Data Controller, Haymarket Circulation, Haymarket Magazines Ltd, Broom Road, Teddington, Middlesex, TW11 9BE or email datacontroller@haymarket.com.
Film ¸ 2007 Universal Studios. All Rights Reserved. Packaging Design ¸ 2008 Universal Studios. All Rights Reserved.
[/quote]
Well thses bare lists of equipment people use for their entertainment are to a certain extent illuminating but they only tell half the story. Most of the living rooms I see are quite ill-designed for modern entertainment systems but then house designers don't really take this sort of thing into account even today. Rooms are designed to force the television into one corner and the loudspeakers and hi-fi setup peeping out from whatever space can be spared in between furnishings.
As a long-time sound junkie, student of acoustics and musical instrument design, piano tuner, professional singer and hi-fi reviewe I decided to take a different tack when I found myself having to move house. I looked for a place with a potentially good listening room and then decorated and furnished it around the equipment I would need to entertain myself.
I found a house with a 20x12x8ft room having a large picture window on one of the narrower walls. I striped out the caret and laid a vinyl floor, stripped the walls and ceiling and painted them with matte paint and commissioned cortains to draw across the window (that I intended to have behind me when sitting comfortably) so I had a choice of reflection (as in a large audience space like a concert hall)or none as in more intimate surroundings (such as a jazz club). I broke up the standing waves that would develop between the parallel long walls by installing lirary shelving designed for the various media - LPs, CDs etc, placed a seating island around two-0thirds of the way back towards the window and used the solid narrow wall as a backdrop for the equipment. I chose 'artistic' as wwell as sonically practical equipment stands for the electronics and loudspeakers and the only thing that spoiled the look was he original bulbous and ugly CRD TV (but having been involved in the early experiments in flat screen LED televidion back in the 19709s I knoew it wouldn't be long before i would be able to buy a large flat screen to occupy the middle of the wall area one day and so it has proved to be).
Most people who come into my living room (well those who know my8 interest in music) don't appear even to notice the rig and ask me "Weere's the famous hi-fi?" It just seems to blend in with the general ambience of the room which contains several statuesque items like pot plants and angular art. It's only when the TV screen comes to life and the loudspeakers pou sound into te room that it bcomes obvious where they are.
So how about the kit itself? Well first I attended to the room iring to ensure that the system would see a decent current and not be affected by the other electrical items in the household and tring main. Unfortunately, we have a lot of power problems here in Cromer because on stormy nights flocks of birds are driven into the power lines so cuts and switching noises, along with potentially destructive power surges, are a real and ever-present problem. Nothing short of a private generator would even out my spiky voltage supply I'm afraid.
Centrally poaced is the 42" LG LCD TV on a black glass stand housing the video electronics - Sky box, DVD etc.. I thought hard about a screen size that would balance the look of the room and it turnet out that if I wanted to go larger than 42" it would have to be a huge lot largr - more than twice the size and higher on the wall like in a small cinema auditorium - otherwise the other items would be out of proportion. Flanding the set and some distance apart from it are the two trusty Spendor BC1s that H have owned now for more than 30 years. On their studio trolleys the're quite unassuming and blend into th background. If I ever find a modern speaker I like beter I think it will have to be a piece of visual as well as sonic art to fit in with the general ambience. The old Colin Wlker record player is also a quiet and retiring boxed item topping off an Aanvil Audio stand (black with marble shelves) also housing the Audio Note CD player and Meishu amplifier (after a lot of thought and much trial of multi-boxed amplification I eventually went fort this single-box amplifier that had just the right reproductive quality for my favourite instruments - he voice and the piano).. There should be room for a suitably boxed Media PC to wire into the system in due course.
Although the Sky box will handle full Doby 5.1 sound I find that the existing systems for surround sound are quite intrusive. The cost of using decent loudspeakers for side and rear reproduction and the expense of wiring and amplifying them are prohibitive.
You have to bear in mind that a domestic system can't ever sond like a true concert hall or a tower of PA power on stage at a rock concert. What you can get if you're willing to put in the effort of design is a good flavour of the sounds you remember from live events and a comfortable viewing and listening environment that's quite the equal of most modrn small cinemma auditoria. And you don't necessarily need to break the bank for equipment. For ample, I'd dearly love the pce of modern art and sonic excellence that it Audio Note's new record turntable but, by the law of diminsing returns, its performance and price tag would necessitate a complete rethink of the whole system and room acoustics.
After all, one has to leaqve something in the domestic budget for the occasional replacement of kitchen appliances and of course we've all heard the story about the hi-fi buff who spent all his money on a brilliant reproduction system and had nothing left to buy media to play on it.[quote user="Andy Clough"]
Here's your chance to win an extended version of American Gangster on DVD - with 18 minutes of never-seen-before footage - and a digital lifestyle Media Center system from Microsoft.
We've teamed up with Universal Pictures and Microsoft Hardware to give away a high-spec Media Center PC from Toshiba, a backlit wireless entertainment desktop 8000 keyboard, a high-definition Lifecam VX-7000 and a wireless Lifechat ZX-6000 headset.
Just post a reply to this message with your answer - A, B, or C - and the sender of the first correct answer drawn after the competition closes, at 12.00GMT on Wednesday, March 26th, will win the system and DVD:
Where is American Gangster set?
A Harlem
B Harlesden
C Hartlepool
To learn more about enhancing your Digital Lifestyle, click here.
Terms and Conditions
Competition open to UK residents only, excluding employees of Haymarket Media Group, the competition provider or any of their affiliates. Entrants must be aged 18 years or over. All entries must be received by 12.00 GMT on closing date of competition. The winner will be chosen at random from all correct entries. The prize-winner will be notified within two weeks of the draw. The prizes are as stated and are not transferable. No cash substitute can be provided. The promoter (Haymarket) reserves the right to substitute the prize with another of the same value should the prize become unavailable. No purchase necessary. The decision of the organisers is final and no correspondence will be entered into. Information on the winner and competition will be available two weeks after the published closing date and will be supplied upon receipt of a stamped, addressed envelope.
By entering this competition Haymarket Media Group, Microsoft and Universal Studios may contact you with special offers, news and competitions we think you'll find interesting. We also respect your privacy, and If you do not wish to receive such information via post or email, please write to us at: Data Controller, Haymarket Circulation, Haymarket Magazines Ltd, Broom Road, Teddington, Middlesex, TW11 9BE or email datacontroller@haymarket.com.
Film ¸ 2007 Universal Studios. All Rights Reserved. Packaging Design ¸ 2008 Universal Studios. All Rights Reserved.
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