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| What
is a Home Theater? |
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Home
Theaters have become as popular in America as popcorn at the
movies, with nearly 20 million homes currently owning a complete
Home Theater System. A Home Theater System can be as simple
as combining a TV set (usually a larger one, with a screen
size of at least 25 inches), a movie-playing device (a VCR
or DVD player), and a multi-channel audio processor with a
surround sound system.
Having
the right electronic equipment, however, is only part of the
solution. It is also important to have the right environment,
equipment set-up and control, and room ambience to achieve
the overall Home Theater Design. |
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| Do
I Need a "Perfect Room?" |
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Unless
you are designing a new home or have a basement to finish,
you are probably going to use an existing functional room
to "double" as a home theater. Family rooms, dens,
or even master bedrooms are common home theater locations.
Any room can function as your personal home theater, but its
ultimate fidelity, performance, and ambience will be determined
by the physical attributes of the room. The more constructional
design that can be built into the room from the start, the
better the room's performance as a home theater and overall
quality. |
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| Do
I Need Expensive Gear? |
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Too
many people, including retail dealers, rely on higher-performance
(and higher-cost) gear to promote high-end results. Honestly,
lower-cost systems, while offering lower performance, can
be properly set up and calibrated to your environment and
perform just as well. Whether you prefer the latest in Flat
Panel technology or a regular old tube TV, a solution exists
for you. A Home Theater can be no more complicated than adding
cost-effective surround sound to your family room, or can
be as elaborate as the ultimate high-end theme room that spares
no expense. It is likely that your needs fall somewhere in
between, and a solution for you can be created to fit your
situation and budget with quality results. |
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| What
is Electrostatic Speaker Technology? |
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| Electrostatic
speakers use the most basic laws of physics to create the purest
sound of any speaker system. Unlike the familiar paper cones
and magnetic drivers of familiar dynamic speaker systems, electrostatic
speakers move air by the electrostatic principal like charges
repel each other and opposite charges attract.
A typical electrostatic speaker panel is essentially
a three-part sandwich with an ultra-thin layer of film held
between two perforated metal plates called "stators".
As the audio signal is sent to the stators, the electrostatic
charges of each stator pushes and pulls the feather-weight
film, instantly moving the air and creating extremely precise
sound waves. Since the entire diaphragm receives the audio
signal at the exact same moment, the sound forms a single
wave-front that reaches the listener in perfect phase and
time. The result is the most open and life-like speaker precision
known in the world of high-performance audio.
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| What
is the Difference between Electrostatic and Dynamic Speakers? |
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Dynamic
speakers are by far the most common speaker used today. The
technology has been around since the early days of phonographs
and radio, and in many ways it still operates using the same
basic techniques. Dynamic speakers use cone-shaped drivers made
of paper, plastic, or even fabric and move back and forth like
pistons to create sound waves. The signal is sent to the cone
through a voice coil, which is a long, thin strand of wire wrapped
in hundreds of tight loops around a cylinder to create an electromagnetic
field. As the signal shifts from positive to negative, the energy
vibrates the paper cone and moves the air to create sound waves.
Electrostatic speakers, on the other hand, use one thin diaphragm
film held between two charged stators. There are a number of
significant performance differences between the two speaker
technologies. |
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| What
is Multi-Room Audio Distribution? |
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Multi-Room
Audio Distribution allows you to listen to one selected source
at a time throughout your home. Your home stereo system is
the "controller" in a multi-room distribution system.
Any audio sources you have connected to it (a CD player, a
DVD player, Satellite Radio, etc.) can be listened to throughout
the house simply by selecting that source on your stereo receiver.
The signal is sent to your components to be amplified and
distributed to all speakers in your home, and in-wall volume
controls let you independently set the listening level in
each room. Receivers can be added throughout the home to allow
source selection from any location. |
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