5 Hi-Fi Listening Room Habits for Healthy Audiophiles

By: Kyle Kolbe
Submitted: 2007-01-17 16:23:11
Print this article | Tell a friend | For publisher | Social Bookmarking
Rating:
 

I’ve made major improvements to my music listening experience over the last year, some at no cost. The following distills the top five guidelines I’ve followed to optimize my enjoyment.

1. Rip your CD collection: The last CD I played through my Pioneer DV-47ai Universal Player sounded flat, thin and hard; the last album I played through Airtunes sounded dimensional, full-bodied and airy. What’s the difference? Could be the CD optical format is flawed and by ripping the album to a hard drive and then sending the tunes wirelessly to my Airport Express and DAC I’ve removed the CD’s bad influence on the sonics.

2. Focus on the two front channels: Although I have one AV system and set of loudspeakers for both home theater and music, I’ve sacrificed neither. My Vandersteen 1c front channels benefit from my Anthem MCA-2 stereo amplifier that is fed signals from my AV receiver for movies and video games and from my Rogue Audio 99 pre-amp for music whether from Airtunes, CD or vinyl. I overcome this AV hybrid hurdle with some interconnect splitters, in-line crossovers and the Rogue’s home theater bypass.

3. Buy Used: If you’ve ever salivated over a Musical Fidelity X-DAC v3 but coughed on its $1000 price tag, then Audiogon’s used and demo classified and auction marketplace has your cough drop. You can find almost any past or current hi-fi component on Audiogon for a fraction of the suggested retail price. I saved lots of cash on my Anthem MCA-2 amp and bought and sold my old Rogue 66 Pre-amp on Audiogon. Audiophiles are fickle and quick to sell components that just never synergize with their system or were replaced by the latest model.

4. Acoustic Treatments: The room you enjoy music and movies in is acoustically flawed. You can help your ailing room with DIY acoustic treatments that cost a fraction of their equivalent commercial products.

5. Measure Your Sonics: After installing your used stereo separates, ripping all your CDs and acoustically treating your early reflections you’ll want to measure your results. The measurements will point out problems in your room and peculiarities of your equipment. If you are lucky they’ll reveal the benefits of your equipment and acoustic treatments with flatter frequency responses and faster reverberation decays.

What factors enter into your buying and building decisions when you’re trying to better your listening experience for music and movies?

Father, Husband and Geek. My geeky interests have not changed since I was a kid. I still love comic books, anime, role-playing games, console video games, indie rock, imported toys and mecha models, bad American and great British sitcoms, and all the tech that let’s me experience these hobbies to their fullest. Now that I’m married with children, I’ve had to strike a balance between supporting and pleasing my family and feeding my geekery hunger. Lucky for me, my wife is very accomodating and even geeks out with me on occasion (the ladies love Joss Whedon’s "Firefly"). My two year old likes anything that moves on the front projection screen and makes noise, so far she is easy to please. Geekwithfamily.com exists to enrich the lives of fellow geeks and the friends and family who put up with them.

Article source: Expert Articles

Most Recent Articles in Home Audio Video category

  • MP3 Players - Offer great & varied ways to stay connected with music - By: Nitin Batra
    MP3 Player is a device to play audio file. This device support specific audio format. MP3 is a formate that is supported by this player. It is a compressed version of audio format.
  • Are You Seriously Thinking About Installing Your Own Home Theater? - By: Scott Armstrong
    The home theater market in Dallas, Texas can get cofusing, let Home Theatre Dallas help you navigate the waters.
  • What consumers need to do before the digital switch on February 17, 2009 - By: Tony Luna
    On February 17, 2009 all full-power broadcast television stations in the United States will stop broadcasting on analog airwaves and begin broadcasting only on digital. This article will help you determine what you need to do to prepare yourself for the upcoming digital switch.
  • Touch screen DVD Players - By: Orson Dixon
    With many touch screen DVD players available in the market, it may be quite a challenge to choose which player suits your needs the most.
  • The Perfect Paint Job Requires Perfect Planning - By: Virginia Wherland
    You may have heard that the bulk of a paint job, is not in the painting itself, but in the preparation to paint. While this is the case, it's important to note that a solid preparation before painting will also increase your chances of a more successful and professional looking paint job. So, do not overlook the important steps involved in painting preparation. Well thought out preparation will make the job hassle-free and look as good as possible.
  • The Hype and Noise about DVD - By: Sandra Prior
    Video CDs have been around for a while, but the quality they delivered was poor. The high capacity of DVD, on the other hand, allows for really great image quality - much better than VHS - along with cinema quality sound.
  • Preparing to Install Your Home Theater System - By: Vic Metten
    So getting that new HDTV and Hi-Definition DVD player sure has you excited. Now that your home and everything is unboxed and sitting around you on the floor, you see the 50 or so colored jacks staring at you, saying, "Plug me in!" Yes, connecting your Home Theater system can be a daunting task, especially if you don't know what should be hooked up for best quality.
  • Brand Name TV Stands - Guaranteed Excellent Quality - By: Antonio Gabellone
    For high quality material, choose brand name TV stands. Your entertainment system will be safe and secure, considering the durability of these television stands. Choosing a brand name TV stand will surely be worth your time and money.
  • LCD Versus Plasma - Which One is Best? - By: Leon Drell
    A new television is high on everyone's wish list. Who wouldn't love a brand new fifty-inch flat screen TV hanging on their living room wall? These days, the battle between LCD and plasma is on, and choosing sides can be hard. Which one should you purchase?
  • The Basics of Plasma Televisions - By: Leon Drell
    Are you thinking about buying a plasma television for your home? As you may already know, Plasma televisions are becoming increasingly popular as of late, as the prices of Plasma Televisions are becoming more and more affordable each passing year. Plasma televisions can provide excellent viewing experience, and are perfect for those who want to enjoy a high quality home theater.