(OT) Audio/PC setup for "Den"

================================================ 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:

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're:" A 2-way speaker for mounting into walls or ceilings. The speaker consists of a 4" woofer and a 1 3/4" polycarbonate tweeter. Quick and easy to fit. "

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

Reply to
Ian Mayo
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Hi Ian,

We've just done a discussion like this on the 22nd, started by your good self. Didn't you get enough answers?

-- cheers,

witchy/binarydinosaurs

Reply to
Witchy

Morning witchy, yes, I know - this supplemental question was about the power requirements for the speakers I've bought to embed into the wall (and has received precious little response).

I finally did have some response from the uk.rec.audio NG though, and feel slightly better educated in the matter.

Cheers, Ian

Reply to
Ian Mayo

If it's this bit you're worried about :-

Small speakers are invariably less efficient than larger ones, so you should be ok on that bit.

It might be worth splitting the whole question into chunks as it's a bit daunting to read.

Reply to
Dave Plowman

Thanks for this Dave,

over lunch-time I had a brain-wave (which I really should have thought of before), I wired the wall-mountable speaker in as one of the rear-speakers on our lounge-based home cinema. Next to nothing came out when playing a DVD - though on reflection that was because in that "segment" of the film nothing was happening "behind the viewer". On changing the audio-mode of the DVD (no, I don't really understand what mode I changed or what it meant) it worked just as I'd hoped for, and sounded fine.

All seems fine now, I've just got to persuade the builders to cut me a hole in the plaster for the speaker - now that'll take some guts....

Cheers, Ian

Reply to
Ian Mayo

Why not do it yourself, then you can ask here for tips on sealing up the holes :o)

-- cheers,

witchy/binarydinosaurs

Reply to
Witchy

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