Amplifiers are complicated machines that require a fair amount of engineering. What goes on inside the bowels of your amplifier Read More

If you’ve never installed a projector or screen before, the process can be quite intimidating and maybe even confusing. The general idea is simple, and you probably already have a good idea of where you want each piece to go, but the specifics are unclear. Which is mounted first, the screen or the projector? How far back should the projector be from the screen? How high should the screen be? How do you fine tune the projector’s position to fill the entire screen? This guide answers all of those questions, and hopefully any others you have about how to mount a projector and screen as well.This guide answers all of those questions, and hopefully any others you have about how to mount a projector and screen as well.

Us Kiwi’s do outdoor entertaining like nobody else. We love spending time outdoors; whether it’s pottering in the garden, reading on the patio, or firing up the BBQ with a bunch of friends, outdoor speakers make total sense with our outdoor Kiwi lifestyle. After all, the fun shouldn’t stop at the back door. 

Outdoor entertainment is a bit of art on its own (I mean, there are no walls to start withJ), but just like with any AV set-up, planning is the word if you want to do a half decent job. 

Last week, we got asked the following question: ’Do audio cables go bad?’

Now you may find the answer to that question a very obvious one, fact is that when you type in this exact question in Google, it comes up with quite a long list of exact this question on forums. 

Clearly, it’s on a fair amount of peoples mind. And it is a question that actually has a short plain-and-simple-answer AND a long there-is-more-to-the story-answer. 

So let’s get cracking. 

A couple of weeks ago, one of our clients came in for a demo of an amplifier. The wise man brought his own speakers in to see how they would match with the Yamaha he had his eyes on. The thing was, he wasn’t overly happy with his speakers, so he was tossing up between a new amplifier or alternatively tossing out the speakers and replacing those. Sadly, he could only afford one or the other. 

Until good old Deano showed him that his speakers weren’t that bad at all. There were was actually nothing wrong with them, all that was needed was some decent tracks to review the speakers with. If your source is bad, there is no speaker in the world that will make it sound good.

Which tells us something about how important tracks are; not only when you relax at home, listening to some music. But also when you audition speakers (or headphones) for a future purchase. 

And that brings us to the point: what tracks do you use when auditioning potential new speakers? 

There are a few certainties in life when it comes to AV installations. One of them is that most people find it a bit daunting to mount their new flat-screen television on a wall. Not only do we know because of the amount of times we have people ask to do it for them, but also because an old(er) blog on the topic is one of our most popular blogs… ever. We do understand the appeal, though. I mean, just compare these two photos and tell me you prefer the second set-up.:-)Time to update that old blog, we say!

Turntables are funny things. If you have reached middle age, you may remember the turntable from your parental place…or not. The thing with turntables –and we agree; it is part of the attraction- is that you don’t just set-up a turntable with a click of a button. There’s actually quite a bit of tweaking and fiddling involved. If you are taking your first steps into vinyl heaven, it might be a pretty helpful if somebody just takes you through a few guideline as to how to approach your new passion.We found out exactly that a couple of weeks ago, when Deano did the whole set-up for one of our customers. Passionate as he is about his precious vinyl, he felt inspired to pick up his pen.Here’s what Deano has to say about how to approach a turntable set-up if you are new to the game. 

The world of amplifiers is riddled with terminology that-unless you been wandering the audiophile jungle for years- does your head in. It should come as no surprise really, considering amplifiers are complicated electronic devices where a lot goes on. While we have no intention whatsoever to make this blog a highly technical piece of reading that belongs in an electronics course syllabus, we do want to give you an idea what a lot of the words that get thrown around mean in layman’s terms. They are by no means scientifically accurate definition, but we really tried to keep it as close as possible to what a science purist could tolerate.

When it comes to setting up a great video projection system in your home theatre, the screen is nearly as important as the projector. A white wall or sheet simply won’t do, except in a pinch as a temporary stopgap. There’s no substitute for the real thing.But choosing the right real thing requires research, together with examination of your individual needs.