Is your sub-woofer where it should be?

In most Home Theatre setup's the sub-woofer is shoved in a corner or where it cause's the least aesthetic problems; Interestingly, in most Home Theatre setups, the sub-woofer is not where it should be! If the sub-woofer is in the correct place you should hear no obvious bass, it should just seamlessly blend in with the surrounding audio but should still be able to pack a punch when needed in those big explosions. It should be smooth and even.

You could spend a bit of money buying an audio reader which you wave around like a wand finding peaks and nulls and and keep moving the sub until the sound level is perfect in your seat. You could spend even more money paying someone else to wave the magic wand and tell you where to put it. If you're anything like me though, you hate spending more money than needed and so there is one final option for you. You can do the "sub-woofer crawl"!

What the hell is the "sub-woofer crawl" I hear you ask? Ahhhh..., it's what those magic wand wavers don't want you to know about. Basically, you place the sub-woofer in the spot where your seat is (some lifting required) and while playing back a movie or audio track, you crawl around the room like a goose with your head at your seated listening level and find the place where the bass sounds smooth and even. This sweet spot will not be the loudest bass but the cleanest. There may be a few sweet spots in the one room. Once the place is found, you place the sub-woofer in that spot and return your chair to its position. Sit down, and enjoy the perfect sound.

In each room the best spot for the sub-woofer may not be the nicest looking place so I found it handy to find the places in my room where I could live with the look of it. I then listened specifically in these spots and chose from these. It was amazing where my sweet spots were!
The beauty of this system is that it doesn't cost anything, it will fix any shape room even those with open walls and larger windows, and it will most importantly make your current setup sound its best. You may draw a few questioning looks or even open mocking but that is something I am willing to take if I can improve my system without spending a dollar or even leaving the house!

3D HDMI Cables with ETHERNET and AUDIO RETURN!

We finally have the new HDMI cables that everyone is asking about!
The new leads include the two new channels; the Ethernet channel and the Return Audio channel.
The Ethernet channel allows you to share an internet connection between two units. This is especially useful when connecting sources like the PS3 where normally you'd have to plug in another lead to get the internet working. It also allows easier home entertainment networking and provides easier content distribution. Devices connected in this way will be able to exchange digital content in its native format enabling recording, storage and playback options across a connected system.
The Audio return Channel will connect compatible TV's with an amplifier/ receiver. This channel allows the digital audio from your TV (from the built in tuner or DVD player) and sends it to your receiver to give you real home theatre audio without the need for an extra lead.

All our HDMI cables are compatible with 3D devices and will send 1080p and 4k x 2k resolution up to 10 meters. They are ideal for PS3, Xbox 360, BlueRay, 3D BlueRay, 3D TV, HDTV, DVD, HD-DVD, the list is endless! They are 99.99% oxygen free, solid copper high purity conductors to reduce signal distortion. The quad-shielding isolates from outside noise and the abrasion resistant, flexible PVC jacket maintains integrity even when bent. The 24k gold-plated connectors create precise contact for low signal loss.

But are they v1.4 you ask. Well, yes. However, the official HDMI licensing body have declared that HDMI products "may no longer use HDMI version numbers in the labelling, packaging or promotion of any cable product". The correct terms for the different types of v1.4 HDMI cables are "standard", "standard with ethernet", "high speed" and "high speed with ethernet". Please refer to the HDMI v1.4 FAQ at http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?llr=5xnoiccab&et=1103662530150&s=1441&e=001ICwy9MbTl9daHtZUWqzbEFArX4emtoK0kj0oJ3L6RmAjEED6Fezor-I98tz8V_A5pJ8arTy_4mDM_vWgQYO5r_TyBCopHlpjIbDzhtDA8Xs= for futher information.

We stock them in 50cm, 75cm, 1m, 1.5m, 2m, 3m, 4m, 5m, 6m, 7m, 8m, 9m and 10m lengths in our online store.

An eveing of Scope @ Selby Acoustics...

Well the night was a huge success!

You can read the thread from the start here: http://www.dtvforum.info/index.php?showtopic=86932

I think everyone had a great time and there was a lot of information being shared amongst the group.

Speacial mentions go to KRIX, JVC, ONKYO, OPTOMA and CAVX for their use of products for the night.

Looking forward to the next night soon!

twitter & Selby Acoustics...

Well the time has come to take the leap of faith into the world that is twitter...

You can follow us here: www.twitter.com/selbyacoustics

New year - new team members...

Hi all,

For the last 2 years I have had great pleasure in getting to know you all on the phone, in the shop and in person and it is with much trepidation that I move into my new role with Selby Acoustics.

From the 1 of March 2010 I will be taking on the role of Training and Development Manager at Selby Acoustics taking me into a completely new role and a new challenge for the future.

Rest assured though I am leaving you in good hands.

As usual you will still have Abby on the phones and email’s but we have 2 new team members joining us.

Firstly I would like to introduce you to Mimo. Mimo comes to us with 10 years home theatre and Hi-Fi experience and has a background that includes many years of speaker building and design.

Our other new team member is Jarrod. Jarrod is comes to us with a high degree of technical knowledge and a professional audio industry background. He has worked with a few of the larger electronics companies and has a great ‘willing to help’ attitude.

Please join me in welcoming Mimo and Jarrod to the team and please … be gentle.