MUSIC - THE REAL AIM OF HI-FI

Our aim must be to buy a hi-fi system that will prove musically satisfying, reliable and deliver true value for money. If the system doesn’t excite you musically you’ve wasted your money. What is even worse is that you may not even realise you’ve bought a bad egg – you’ll just switch the TV on instead and your desire to listen to music will gradually atrophy. Have you ever been in a pub or club where you realise it’s very difficult to conduct a conversation, even to the extent of being really tiring? A poor quality system continuously distorts but I don’t mean it necessarily reaches the point of audibly breaking up. With a top quality system you can play music very loudly and still hold a conversation because it’s free of distortion. A poor system is tiring to listen to even when it’s played at low volume. If you want proof, go into a shoe or clothes shop where they play background ‘music’ and try to enjoy listening. It’s odds on you’ll fail. Specialist hi-fi dealers are rmostly running their business because, above all, they love music. They spend a large portion of their time listening to music and comparing systems to get the best possible results. They know the component combinations which don’t gel together and, conversely, they know the combinations which give the best performance within a given price range. But they all also know the system must suit you. These long-established specialist dealers are totally committed to putting the customer first. Their idea of ‘selling’ is to discuss your requirements, offer their advice, give you the best options, then play the systems for you and allow you to be the judge. Listening to your choice of music in a peaceful, well organised demonstration room, you may be surprised and, almost certainly, relieved to discover how easy it is to hear the differences between components and between systems. You’ll be able to make a clear and informed decision about what to buy. It comes down to trusting your own judgement rather than the opinion of a reviewer you’ve never met …and who won’t refund your money if you’re not satisfied or be at the end of a phone to sort out any problem you might encounter. The story doesn’t end there. These shops won’t abandon you once you’ve put your hand in your pocket. They won’t leave you to set up the system you’ve selected as best you can. They’ll install it in your home, make sure it sounds great, and make sure you’re entirely happy with the way it works. Why? Because a high proportion of these dealers’ custom comes through people who have bought from them before, either directly or by recommendation. It’s vital to them to get it right for you.

GETTING THE BEST DEAL

Oscar Wilde wrote “too many people today know the price of everything and the value of nothing.” Specialist retailers know that not all potential purchasers will seek them out. They tend to attract the more discerning, thoughtful customers. After all, a good deal is about a great deal more than just price. Unless you’ve got money to burn, you’ll be living with your new system for years. Most of these dealers offer much longer equipment guarantees than provided by the manufacturer, a very worthwhile benefit, but it also makes it in the dealer’s interest to ensure high build quality and reliability. Maybe you could save a few pounds by buying piecemeal but you’ll lose out on the overall package. As far as these dealers are concerned, they believe that taking care of their customers properly is a nicer way of doing business than just handing over boxes. Listed on this site are the top hi-fi shops in the country. They have been selected because they are known to do an excellent job in guiding customers towards hi-fi that will give them years of musical enjoyment and total satisfaction.

CHOOSING A HOME CINEMA SYSTEM

Choosing a Home Cinema, or AV, system is not a straightforward proposition. There is a bewildering choice of components on the market today, there are also different ways in which components can be installed and connected together. Which sort of visual system do you go for? Projector and screen, plasma or LCD, conventional wide-screen CRT or back-projection TV? And on the audio side do you plump for a 5.1 or 7.1 speaker system, passive or active sub, and where do you site them for the best results? The choice of home cinema amp raises even more questions. Will you be listening to music through the same system? If so, you need an amp that approaches the performance of a decent 2-channel hi-fi amp, which is not that easy to find. Do you need SACD, DVD-Audio, or HD-DVD capability? How many inputs do you need for video, s-video, component, coaxial digital, optical digital? The above are just a small percentage of the decisions that must be made. In short, it’s complicated and very fertile ground for getting it wrong.

ACHIEVING POTENTIAL

So how do you select a system? You could choose a collection of ‘Best Buy’ components in the hope that it will be a great system. But it probably won’t be. You could buy a pre-packaged all-in-one system from one manufacturer. This is almost certainly not the best route either as you will miss out on enormous potential. From informal surveys conducted, it appears highly likely that the majority of home cinema systems selected and installed on a DIY basis, that is without professional input, are performing at way below their optimum level. To compound matters, most are also ill-matched to the room in which they are installed and are, in reality, the wrong system. Without considerable knowledge or experience, high quality home cinema is not a suitable DIY activity. Our aim must be to buy a home cinema system that will provide an excellent picture quality plus an audio delivery that will match, or even better, the commercial cinema experience. It must be exciting, reliable and deliver true value for money. So where do you start? There is only one way to give yourself the best chance of getting it right first time, and that’s through a specialist AV dealer. There are dealers around, web based or otherwise, who will sell you anything you are willing to pay for. They may be a bit cheaper but that’s all they offer. The specialist AV dealers on this web site have been selected because they have devoted a huge amount of time and effort in acquiring the knowledge necessary to get the best out of home cinema. They know the component combinations which give the best performance within a given price range. Very importantly, they know how to get a system working to its optimum. These selected dealers are known to do an excellent job in guiding customers towards home cinema systems that will provide years of superlative performance and total satisfaction.

WHAT IS CUSTOM INSTALLATION ?

Custom Installation is the specifying, supply and installation of a bespoke system to meet the requirements of each individual client, normally for an individual property. Every home is different and every individual has differing personal tastes and needs. Systems are therefore customized to meet these very specific requirements. The skills and expertise required are very specialised, and in-depth technical knowledge is also required of a wide range of equipment to ensure clients are offered the most suitable options.

Custom Installation often involves whole-home control capability although it can also be an in-depth installation in one or two areas. Miniaturization of electrical components and the development of micro-processors, together with remote control systems, has provided the capability of installing home entertainment systems with awesome potential. A high quality sound system can be accessed from any room, such as the kitchen, bathroom, or master bedroom, and the radio can be listened to in one room while a CD is accessed in another, or even a different CD in another room - all at different volume levels. Video signals, such as provided by a DVD player or satellite TV source, can be distributed for viewing in any room. The aim is to add fun, convenience and excitement to your lifestyle.

You can totally integrate hi-fi, home cinema, lighting, security, communications, home automation and PC systems in any room in your home. These technologies can be linked together so they 'talk' to each other, and it remains easy to use. Most installations will normally include a music system and probably also a home cinema system. The most important element is having the correct cables installed in the right configuration to take advantage of the latest system developments and this will help ensure the integration of different components so they work in conjunction with each other.

The dealers who appear in this listing will have personnel who specialise in Custom Installation and who are amongst the most knowledgeable and highly trained in the industry. These dealers are listed because of their level of expertise and have invested the time, effort and financial input to ensure the necessary skills are employed and they will advise, design and install a system that meets your exact requirements.

Most of the dealers in the TOP 20 Custom Installation Dealers listing are members of CEDIA, the Custom Electronic Design & Installation Association. This organisation is dedicated to keeping abreast of current technological advances and provides safeguards for consumers.

Below are brief details of a few areas that many Custom Installation systems will include :-

Multi-Room Audio systems can be simple stand-alone solutions to those who want access to music wherever they wish in the home. They can also be linked to other home automation systems. There are a number of different multi-room control systems available and, with most of these systems, the only visible part visible in the room apart from the speakers, is a remote control or a wall-mounted keypad. The keypads are usually similar in size to a conventional light switch but they have the ability to control, for example, the hi-fi, home cinema, or lighting. Products are now available that can store hundreds of CD's in their memory, catalogue all the tracks automatically in seconds by connecting to a web site, and permit almost immediate retrieval of any track to play through the main system. Very clever and excellent quality.

Home Cinema is an area that has expanded very rapidly over recent years. This can be a relatively simple system based around a conventional television, often with speakers located in the lounge ceiling, but installers are increasingly asked to design and specify a system for a dedicated room, often utilising a plasma screen or a projector and screen. There is no doubt that the advent of DVD gave a tremendous boost to this market, mainly because full feature films, together with superb sound tracks, are available on one CD sized disc.

Lighting Controls are now often included as an important part of customized systems. Good lighting can transform the ambience of a home, and smart lighting controls can facilitate virtually instant lighting scene changes within a number of different zones. There are a great many options available, including linking a lighting control system to motorised blinds and curtains, a home cinema system, or a touch-screen remote command panel.

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