================================================ Posted here in hope of finding audio-experts missing from uk.rec.audio ================================================
------------------------------- Hi all, Just getting to the end of a loft conversion, one room of which will be the home office/den.
I've had speaker cable laid from the desk to either side of the room, but now have to think through how to use it......
From my desk, I'd like to be able to do the following:
- listen to Radio 4
- play CD's (from the computer or from some new appliance)
- play games from the computer in surround sound
- play DVD's on the computer
- view TV on the computer, listen through speakers
- have a single "master" volume control.
I've got a PC with an optical output, a TV-card, and DVD-player drive. I'm looking to purchase some speakers (to replace the 2.1 speakers I've got), and somekind of appliance to connect them all togeher. Ooh, I've also bought some 2-way ceiling mounted speakers from CPC:
I currently intend embedding the speakers into the eaves of the loft either side of the corner where the desk is, in typical "surround sound" locations.
I'm no audio-phile, and probably wouldn't recognise a great sound if I heard it - but would like to find the best "way-ahead". From some brief investigation I'm thinking of getting a dvd-player with integral radio tuner, then sending the Rear outputs to my wall-mounted speakers, and using my 2.1 output to cover front and bass channels, and some other speaker for the centre. Yes, this sounds really cobbled together. My first immediate concern is that the rear speakers for surround sound are normally tiny, and my 2-way speakers may not receive enough juice to make it worthwhile. If the dvd-player outputs it's FM radio mostly through the centre and front speakers, I presume it wont sound as good as if the sound was being sent to my larger rear speakers.
Anyway, enough rambling, I look forward to any input any body has, Cheers, Ian