Rejuvenating My 3rm 30year Old Flat In Amk

[neubie 2]

Sound System Part 2

Hi manutd, thanks for the advice. Actually, i am still very "gian" to get the 5.1HTS with a AVR. Anyhow, today brought my wife to Courts with her favorite "high-society" CDs. The intial intent is to test out the Philips HTS7200. But when we got there, we saw Rosman again. So with Rosman's advice, we decided to check out the Onkyo SR380 paired with the Jamo S 506 HCS 3 vs the Philips HTS7200. After the test, the philips actually sounded "blur" compared to the Onkyo-Jamo pair (cost $1099 without sub). Also, without any sub, the Jamo speakers actually has pretty powerful internal woofer, which is so good when playing transformers. Amazing.

However, Rosman mentioned that it is ok not to mount the 2 satelites at the rear, just leave them on top of the 2 floor standing speakers. By changing the internal settings, that is to key in the distance between the speakers vs the chair into the avr, can actually do the surround sound trick as well. Is this true?

fwah, high-society CD dun come cheap.....each piece cost $30 onwards...

if the salesman said it's ok to locate the 2 rear spkr to the front, then i would tink it defeats the purpose of a surround system, even with the built-in DSP to recreate than virtual surround effect. if that's the case u might be not getting ur money's worth and might as well get a 2.1 ch system. i got mine recently and was very happy with it.

[manutd1972 1]

Sound System Part 2

Hi manutd, thanks for the advice. Actually, i am still very "gian" to get the 5.1HTS with a AVR. Anyhow, today brought my wife to Courts with her favorite "high-society" CDs. The intial intent is to test out the Philips HTS7200. But when we got there, we saw Rosman again. So with Rosman's advice, we decided to check out the Onkyo SR380 paired with the Jamo S 506 HCS 3 vs the Philips HTS7200. After the test, the philips actually sounded "blur" compared to the Onkyo-Jamo pair (cost $1099 without sub). Also, without any sub, the Jamo speakers actually has pretty powerful internal woofer, which is so good when playing transformers. Amazing.

However, Rosman mentioned that it is ok not to mount the 2 satelites at the rear, just leave them on top of the 2 floor standing speakers. By changing the internal settings, that is to key in the distance between the speakers vs the chair into the avr, can actually do the surround sound trick as well. Is this true?

hey, ur wife also into the "High Society" series of CDs? So am I!

in any case, i wld nvr advocate testing any sound systems at those dept stores. Too many other "noise" interference frm all sorts of directions for us to really be able to focus on the finer notes of the sound. the really finer notes.

the right place to test any sound system is in an audio room. u can find these in those audio shops u saw at Adelphi. any audio shop worth their salt will have one, wif lots of speakers and amps n players in there for u to mix and match to listen to the various sound reproductions. only den, will u be able to discern the true capabilities....and limitations of each system. a really good audio room shld also have sound-absorbing foams lined on all 4 walls and ceiling to reduce the effect of sound "bouncing" off the walls interfering with those going directly frm the speakers to your ears. we can talk till the cows come home when it comes to sound engineering and audio stuff, but i only have basic knowledge....keke.

most of these salesmen wld tell u tt it's ok to mount the rear speakers in front, with the front speakers and adjust the settings blah blah blah. but the fact is, when u place rear speakers in front of us, our ears will never be able to discern the sounds coming frm them, which is suppose to simulate something happening behind us. For appreciation of music, it doesn't really matter, but for movies, it will.

imagine a movie scene where a fighter jet zooms past behind u frm your left to your right. and there's other action gg on infront of u. so the front speakers reproduce the sound of the action ahead of u, and the rear speakers replicate the sound of the fighter jet. but both ur front and rear speakers are placed at the same spot, one on top of the other just as the salesman suggested. do u think our human ear can tell that the fighter jet is behind us? seriously, would tt jet engine sound appear to come frm behind us when the speakers are ahead of us?

not to say it's impossible. it still can be achieved. but u'll need a very very good system with a very very good DSP. and no built-in DSP i know of is good enough to do that. DSPs of that quality are all standalones and for something like this situation, your DSP can easily cost more than your 5.1 system. no point spending tt kind of money just to avoid the sight of cables running frm the front to the rear. boxing up new trunking will cost less than 50% of tt DSP.

i've been placing my rear speakers in line wif my front speakers for a long time at my current place cos i didn't hv the time to renovate and situate them at the rear. and i tell u, no matter how u play wif the settings, it just doesn't cut it. in the end, it'll be money down the drain. if u're after good sound, den compromise to this extent. if u do, it's money wasted. if budget is a constrain, den do it in stages like me. i started wif an integrated amp, den upgraded to pre & power, den to vacuum. its ok to slowly do it. and rmb this, the quality of ur sound system is only as good as the weakest component in ur system. and most people neglect the speaker cables. those default cables tt come wif the system are junk. really good cables easily cost $10-15 per metre. and the connectors also. compare the default ones wif those aftermarket ones u see at those audio shops in Adelphi. even merely visually, u can tell the difference in quality. dun even hv to look at the internal construction.

sorry i'm digressing. audio can be super expensive when addicted to it. tt's why i forced myself to give up this hobby....haha....

[dexufto 5]

Thanks Edward, but the reno's halt at the moment as I'm waiting for some delivery of HTS,

so it's a week of No Action. Didn't anticipate that on my part..

Yes, storage heater definitely, planned for a 30L but too bulky to fit into our puny bathroom, now downgraded

to a 15L, and a bit concerned if it's able to sustain our rainshowers.

Your reno is also going on nicely. Looks like you will be using the storage type water tank too ya?

That sounds like some delaying of sound tactic..

Sorry, not gonna be able to comment on this, you may wanna check with vicenzo70?

Sound System Part 2

However, Rosman mentioned that it is ok not to mount the 2 satelites at the rear, just leave them on top of the 2 floor standing speakers. By changing the internal settings, that is to key in the distance between the speakers vs the chair into the avr, can actually do the surround sound trick as well. Is this true?

high-society does have a quality selection of music I must say, maybe we can trade CDs in the future ;p

what say you guys?

fwah, high-society CD dun come cheap.....each piece cost $30 onwards...

if the salesman said it's ok to locate the 2 rear spkr to the front, then i would tink it defeats the purpose of a surround system, even with the built-in DSP to recreate than virtual surround effect. if that's the case u might be not getting ur money's worth and might as well get a 2.1 ch system. i got mine recently and was very happy with it.

I have my views on this; yes and no.

In an audio room; the system is set in the perfect enviroment. Soundproof undisturbed enviroment, acoustic-tuned room, you don't get this in your own home, (or at least not mine). Windows open, played in the living room, non-controlled enviroment with occasional car horns and children screaming.. this is as real as you can get. heh.

one thing for sure I realised that, the demo played at BOSE showroom will not be as good as back home.

the right place to test any sound system is in an audio room. u can find these in those audio shops u saw at Adelphi. any audio shop worth their salt will have one, wif lots of speakers and amps n players in there for u to mix and match to listen to the various sound reproductions. only den, will u be able to discern the true capabilities....and limitations of each system. a really good audio room shld also have sound-absorbing foams lined on all 4 walls and ceiling to reduce the effect of sound "bouncing" off the walls interfering with those going directly frm the speakers to your ears. we can talk till the cows come home when it comes to sound engineering and audio stuff, but i only have basic knowledge....keke.

[manutd1972 1]

for demos, we shld always use our own CDs. bring a few, mostly of those genre of music that u usually listen to.

yes, our normal listening environment is not ideal. but the purpose of using an audio room is so that we can evaluate a system in an ideal listening environment so that when we eventually decide on 1 system, it is the best that we can afford. cos ultimately, whichever system we decide on, the environment in which we deploy it is unchanged.

with too much noise around during evaluation, we can't discern whether the system is reproducing the notes accurately. hence, we might not be getting our money's worth.

[neubie 2]

That's why a hts will nv match in SQ… a better way is to invest in a good pair of cans n headphone amp, much better soundstage and tonality, less the environmental distractions… late-night listening also won't disturb anyone haaaa

[edward 0]

Thanks Edward, but the reno's halt at the moment as I'm waiting for some delivery of HTS,

so it's a week of No Action. Didn't anticipate that on my part..

Yes, storage heater definitely, planned for a 30L but too bulky to fit into our puny bathroom, now downgraded

to a 15L, and a bit concerned if it's able to sustain our rainshowers.

I got the 25L tank. I am more kiasu, worried that if i have got guest staying over, I may not have enough hot water to go around. Also, My friend told me to get the slightly bigger one. He rationalised that if we cannot use up all the water at night, the water can be used the following morning for washing face and brushing teeth.

[edward 0]

Sound system part 3

Thanks neubie, manutd, dexufto, for all the sound system advices. Haven had time to do much updates. Have been running around excitedly looking for furnitures, appliances etc etc.... And I am proud to say that I have finally bought a sound system. Dont know if it is good or bad, but at Best Denki, the sound it play seem very clear for both music and movie. kekekeke.....

And now i shall unveil my purchase.....

drum rolls

drum rolls

It is the Onkyo TX-SR508 (AVR) + Jamo S506 HCS3 (5.0) combine Sadly doesnt come with a sub......

+ = $1099

While I know I will have problems mounting the 2 satelites speakers at the rear to give surround, the sound it produce is too good to be ignored and the price is really competitive vs the likes of philips, samsungs.... So we have decided to leave the wire for the 2 satelites "moveable". Whenever we need to watch movie, we will move the 2 satelites to the back of our sofa and place it on a makeshift stand such as chair...

Suggestions?

Edited November 18, 2010 by edward

[edward 0]

Hand Over Delayed

Sian, last week told Yen I wanted to "move-in"to the house last Sat. But there are still quite a few outstanding items which they cant finish on time, so decided not to "move-in". Also dont want to rush him, in case he does a bad job. Anyway, now my next "move-in" date is set in Dec 10. So he has plenty of time to make sure the house is fully done up, and I have plenty of time to buy all my furniture and appliances

Anyway, below are some pictures took last week. My Fridge, washer, gate, Basin tap, wardrobe parts as well as my dining table.

S/S Hitachi Fridge bought from Everjoint, didnt see that there were 2 small dents on the door when it was unpacked on Sat monrning. Called Everjoint in the afternoon to ask if could do anything, they say call me back, till date no sound no nothing.

Toshiba washer from Everjoint

Wrought iron gate from CNS. They used the spray on type paint. They brought along the spray can (you can buy from any hardware shop) and spray on-the-spot anywhere that is not colored. I think I will re-paint the gate myself, considering the quality of paint they use.

My pole system parts for my WIW from Ikea. Yen say will get his carpenter help me fix it this coming weekend

My dining set from Ikea. The table, 4 chairs and 4 cushions cost less then $250. Hope it can last for a while.

Edited November 18, 2010 by edward

[dexufto 5]

hmm.. I'm only concern about the flow rate of my rainshower. I hope that the 15L can tahan enought hotwater.

I got the 25L tank. I am more kiasu, worried that if i have got guest staying over, I may not have enough hot water to go around. Also, My friend told me to get the slightly bigger one. He rationalised that if we cannot use up all the water at night, the water can be used the following morning for washing face and brushing teeth.

You are welcome Sir.

Waaa, it looks impressive. I'm sure you can get a Sub from else where in the near future?

In the meantime, you can enjoy your hts. My HTS just arrived to my doorstep as well. Love it!

Sound system part 3

Thanks neubie, manutd, dexufto, for all the sound system advices. Haven had time to do much updates. Have been running around excitedly looking for furnitures, appliances etc etc.... And I am proud to say that I have finally bought a sound system. Dont know if it is good or bad, but at Best Denki, the sound it play seem very clear for both music and movie. kekekeke.....

And now i shall unveil my purchase.....

It is the Onkyo TX-SR508 (AVR) + Jamo S506 HCS3 (5.0) combine Sadly doesnt come with a sub......

While I know I will have problems mounting the 2 satelites speakers at the rear to give surround, the sound it produce is too good to be ignored and the price is really competitive vs the likes of philips, samsungs.... So we have decided to leave the wire for the 2 satelites "moveable". Whenever we need to watch movie, we will move the 2 satelites to the back of our sofa and place it on a makeshift stand such as chair...

Suggestions?

hmm if you are not gonna mount it,

A quick fix is hidding the wires underneath a carpet/ rug. Do becareful of tripping.

[neubie 2]

It is the Onkyo TX-SR508 (AVR) + Jamo S506 HCS3 (5.0) combine Sadly doesnt come with a sub......

try out first w/o the sub. from what I know, floor standing produces more fuller bass than bookshelfs, much like my mickey mouse missions... ... my mission bookshelves still produce sufficient bass w/o the need of getting sub for LFE, so i tink your floorstanders will far reduce the desperateness of needing a sub... the downside is the bigger speakers are (1) visually humongous and (2) provides a hindrance during mopping the floors.... but u get much better sound.... haaaaaaa

[gimz63251073 0]

Wrought iron gate from CNS. They used the spray on type paint. They brought along the spray can (you can buy from any hardware shop) and spray on-the-spot anywhere that is not colored. I think I will re-paint the gate myself, considering the quality of paint they use.

My pole system parts for my WIW from Ikea. Yen say will get his carpenter help me fix it this coming weekend

woohh we have the same gate and pole system for wardrobe!

i love the wardrobe system, loved the industrial looks. (though the majority will be covered by clothes anyway)

u getting any doors or plan to use anything to reduce dust in the WIW area...?

on the door:

yeah the paint does not stick well and mine started to rust soon, especially my area has quite high salt content.

oh yes, the rust coverter and oil based paint will surely come in handy. Do also check the area around the gate handle, mine got rust there...

looking on the bright side, at least the gate is still cheaper than elsewhere after buying paints.

[manutd1972 1]

try out first w/o the sub. from what I know, floor standing produces more fuller bass than bookshelfs, much like my mickey mouse missions... ... my mission bookshelves still produce sufficient bass w/o the need of getting sub for LFE, so i tink your floorstanders will far reduce the desperateness of needing a sub... the downside is the bigger speakers are (1) visually humongous and (2) provides a hindrance during mopping the floors.... but u get much better sound.... haaaaaaa

wif those floor-standing speakers, no need sub oredi. generally, most branded speaker makers make such big, floor-standing speakers to be able to produce noticeably more bass than those small satellite speakers.

if u wanna be sure, den check the frequency range of your floor-standings. look at the low frequency number. if it's anywhere between 20Hz to 180Hz, u're good enough. dun nd a sub liao.

[edward 0]

wif those floor-standing speakers, no need sub oredi. generally, most branded speaker makers make such big, floor-standing speakers to be able to produce noticeably more bass than those small satellite speakers.

if u wanna be sure, den check the frequency range of your floor-standings. look at the low frequency number. if it's anywhere between 20Hz to 180Hz, u're good enough. dun nd a sub liao.

manutd, you r really an expert leh.... I looked at the spec, it says freq bet 40-20,000 hz. Does it mean it is good enough? Also do you have any idea what is the impedance for, should it be higher or lower?

[edward 0]

woohh we have the same gate and pole system for wardrobe!

i love the wardrobe system, loved the industrial looks. (though the majority will be covered by clothes anyway)

u getting any doors or plan to use anything to reduce dust in the WIW area...?

on the door:

yeah the paint does not stick well and mine started to rust soon, especially my area has quite high salt content.

oh yes, the rust coverter and oil based paint will surely come in handy. Do also check the area around the gate handle, mine got rust there...

looking on the bright side, at least the gate is still cheaper than elsewhere after buying paints.

Heyo, i wanted to have a more open concept for the WIW, so I chose the pole system. I also like the industrial kind of feelin which makes it look really solid and also the clothes rail is adjustable makes it even more flexible for my tiny WIW.

As for the gate, I agree with you, paint + gate is still cheaper then anywhere else good deal. think i better paint the gate over soon before the rust starts coming out. Its a busy weekend ahead.

[edward 0]

try out first w/o the sub. from what I know, floor standing produces more fuller bass than bookshelfs, much like my mickey mouse missions... ... my mission bookshelves still produce sufficient bass w/o the need of getting sub for LFE, so i tink your floorstanders will far reduce the desperateness of needing a sub... the downside is the bigger speakers are (1) visually humongous and (2) provides a hindrance during mopping the floors.... but u get much better sound.... haaaaaaa

Yr cambridge audio sound system looks beautiful, I like the color. Too bad mine cannot choose color. How much did you play for it?