rmgthatsme

Hi ynwa88, as I said I'm no expert but my 2 cents worth as follows: to do a good calibration you need a decent decibel meter and a test tones CD. Both don't need too cost much at all or can be borrowed if you have friends who are into the hobby. If you will develope the hobby worth buying your own, if not borrow. For how to use the kit, read up your specific manual for your amp/speakers and also search online where there are many audiophile sites offering detailed step by step instructions for calibration. You would enjoy trying to do it yourself and maybe then having an experienced friend come over to check your settings. More fun this way and you also will learn something. With regard to the Centre speaker stand, style (good looks) often does not go hand in hand with function/performance. Basically anything solid, dense and heavy will work well as a support on your concrete plinth. Avoid stands which are tubular in design as while they may look pretty, you may get resonance or distortion. Also lightweight normally equals flimsy in stands so heavy is better. For your issue with sub woofer or rear speaker wires, a nice rug often helps with "wife friendly" wire disguise. Whatever method you choose, do make sure the wires are secure and out of the way as you have a young child who may otherwise trip and hurt herself. Hope this helps and sorry if I have bored any other members in this renovation thread. Cheers

Really lovely house and daughter, thank you for posting all the pics! I enjoy playing around a little with AV as well though by no means any sort of an audiophile. A small suggestion to benefit from your equipment investment would be to raise your centre speaker to the height approximating your head height when seated, this will greatly assist the placement of the voices on screen more accurately. Also if you are short of space on your platform, you may experiment by moving the sub-woofer away from the front since sound at this spectrum level is not very directional at all. You will get great sound effects from many locations in the room so long as you avoid the room corners where you may get "boomy" unpleasant base. Hope you enjoy your new place! Cheers

Hi Reiki, thanks once again for the very comprehensive answer, the reason I am asking in such detail is because I have never used the recirculating type of hood and so am uncertain of it's usefulness. It's good to know that when you do need it, it actually does have some use. We don't deep fry ever but if you're grilling steaks or roasting a joint or chicken, you can't avoid generating smoke/smells. We are very much into cooking so guess the hood will come in useful. Thank you again for taking the time to explain your experience. Cheers RMG

A lovely and spacious layout, congratulations and look forward to your reno story. May I ask where you bought the kitchen and bathroom items, I really like them and would be interested to see other items of a similar style. Cheers RMG

Hi Reiki, thanks so much for the very detailed response. The photo you attached explains very clearly the issue with the hood design and getting adequate exhaust flow if the ducting is shortened. I'm a little puzzled over why you rarely use the hood now after all the effort and expense to install it? Is it because it doesn't do a good job i.e. inefficient unit design or you rarely cook or your rarely cook food which produces smoke or oily vapours or you find that without using it, the air in the kitchen is still fine and surfaces remain clean? I do hope it doesn't spoil your enjoyment of such a lovely kitchen! Regards RMG

Hi, been a lurker here for the longest time and this is my first post. May I compliment you on your lovely flat, you have achieved a well balanced and relaxing look which is modern without being clinical/cold. In reading through your blog, you made a comment that you had issues with the installation of your island style suspended cooker hood and referred to "good" ceiling height. May I ask you to elaborate on this and to give me some pointers on measurements to take in the flat and specifications to check for any prospective hood choice? I am intending to have an island in my flat too. Cheers RMG

Hi Terry, thank you for your very quick response. Actually the 2 National dryers that I have been using for the past 8 years both have this function. A tube runs from the condensor in the dryer to the washer which is stacked below it. Thank you for the contact regarding the stacking kit in the meantime. Cheers Roy

Hi Terry, would like to ask you if Bosch dryers have a condensing system for water which can then be channeled into the sperate Bosch washing machine. Also does Bosch sell the stacking shelf or rack suitable for your units. Cheers Roy