Myths and Reality: How to make audio equipment an element of the interior
Last week we began a series of publications , in which we will examine the most frequently asked questions and myths from the field of audio. As a starting point, we use the most interesting moments that listeners of our audio program “ Sound ” pay attention to in reviews and stories about their own audio systems.
In the first article, we touched upon the differences between professional and amateur audio systems. Today we will talk about what a modern audio equipment is from the point of view of interior design, for the home and not only. / An example of our installation in a country house
Hi-Fi class speakers have long ceased to be a luxury item and have become an indispensable attribute of a modern home. Being a full-fledged element of interior design, acoustics can become its harmonious continuation or completely destroy its perception.
It is advisable to take care of this at an early stage of repair. To do this, even there are specially trained people who can give advice on the installation of equipment, based on information about the size, shape of the room, finishing materials and interior.
One of the most common problems that worries our customers is wires. The fact is that the windows of most stores do not show all the technical nuances that can arise with the direct use of audio systems.
The buyer sees beautiful photographic materials and simply forgets about such trifles as cable management. Of course, today there are wireless systems on the Hi-Fi and Hi-End equipment markets, but they also work from the network, so there is no way to get rid of all the wires.
There are many solutions to this problem. For example, there is specialized furniture, which provides a convenient location of "iron" and the possibility of laying the cable in the hidden walls of furniture. In this case, the manufacturer of such furniture takes into account all the nuances, including the possible heating of the equipment.
In most situations, this approach allows you to reduce the time for preparatory work, not shtrobit walls and most importantly - to arrange the audio system so that it not only sounded good, but also looked decent.
Today it is not customary to parade bulky equipment, as was fashionable in the 80s. People think primarily about ergonomics and efficient use of space. Some solutions can be easily ordered and built into the interior, but in certain situations it is worth consulting with a specialist.
/ Ready projects of Audiomania
If we continue the topic of convenience, then it is worth noting a huge number of hardware management solutions using smartphones and tablets. We in Audiomania use a system called Bitvise, which solves the necessary tasks and does not cause inconvenience in customization.
Such systems provide enough flexibility to adapt the controls to your own design. The system works via Wi-Fi, and we can turn on music from anywhere in the house.
Thus you can work with the management of the entire home theater system, and if you do not want to buy specialized furniture, you can move all the equipment to another room. Such a room can be quite compact, the only condition is sufficient ventilation.
Unfortunately, very often the owners of bars, restaurants and cafes do not pay enough attention to the acoustics of the room. There is a myth about expensive professional equipment, so often people buy home or car audio equipment and use it for other purposes. As a result, it quickly fails, because only professional equipment is designed for a long permanent load.
It is worth considering the conditions of the environment in which the system will be used. For open air need waterproof and frost-resistant speakers. Here it is necessary to consider the class of protection against moisture. It's one thing when it comes to an open veranda of a restaurant, and another thing if it’s about a sauna with a completely different level of humidity.
/ Visaton FRS 10 WP / 8 speakers are made in plastic cases with an integrated protective mesh, which gives them a neat appearance and good moisture resistance.
Design and installation of professional audio systems require appropriate knowledge and experience. Therefore, if you are worried about the comfort of the guests and the image of your establishment, you should contact a specialized company.
Home system here just does not fit. For the background sound, as well as periodic voice announcements, so-called “broadcasting” equipment is usually used. Sometimes it is called "100-volt." Abroad there is an established term - “public address”.
Such systems allow you to transmit sound over distances up to several hundred meters. If in traditional Hi-Fi systems it is necessary to pull a separate cable to each column, then in the case of “public address” systems this is not required. You can connect as many speakers in parallel as you need.
Special multiroom players , microphones and other sound sources can be used as a sound source. The mixer amplifier , to which the speakers are connected, amplifies the signal supplied to it and, if necessary, distributes it.
You can have a separate outdoor veranda with your own music or a VIP room where no alerts will sound. When choosing an amplifier, it is recommended to consider a small power reserve so that it does not work at the limit.
PS Additional reading on the topic: What you need to know about modern audio systems .
In the first article, we touched upon the differences between professional and amateur audio systems. Today we will talk about what a modern audio equipment is from the point of view of interior design, for the home and not only. / An example of our installation in a country house
A tangle of wires and bulky home acoustics cabinets - what to do with all this?
Hi-Fi class speakers have long ceased to be a luxury item and have become an indispensable attribute of a modern home. Being a full-fledged element of interior design, acoustics can become its harmonious continuation or completely destroy its perception.
It is advisable to take care of this at an early stage of repair. To do this, even there are specially trained people who can give advice on the installation of equipment, based on information about the size, shape of the room, finishing materials and interior.
One of the most common problems that worries our customers is wires. The fact is that the windows of most stores do not show all the technical nuances that can arise with the direct use of audio systems.
The buyer sees beautiful photographic materials and simply forgets about such trifles as cable management. Of course, today there are wireless systems on the Hi-Fi and Hi-End equipment markets, but they also work from the network, so there is no way to get rid of all the wires.
There are many solutions to this problem. For example, there is specialized furniture, which provides a convenient location of "iron" and the possibility of laying the cable in the hidden walls of furniture. In this case, the manufacturer of such furniture takes into account all the nuances, including the possible heating of the equipment.
In most situations, this approach allows you to reduce the time for preparatory work, not shtrobit walls and most importantly - to arrange the audio system so that it not only sounded good, but also looked decent.
Today it is not customary to parade bulky equipment, as was fashionable in the 80s. People think primarily about ergonomics and efficient use of space. Some solutions can be easily ordered and built into the interior, but in certain situations it is worth consulting with a specialist.
/ Ready projects of Audiomania
If we continue the topic of convenience, then it is worth noting a huge number of hardware management solutions using smartphones and tablets. We in Audiomania use a system called Bitvise, which solves the necessary tasks and does not cause inconvenience in customization.
Such systems provide enough flexibility to adapt the controls to your own design. The system works via Wi-Fi, and we can turn on music from anywhere in the house.
Thus you can work with the management of the entire home theater system, and if you do not want to buy specialized furniture, you can move all the equipment to another room. Such a room can be quite compact, the only condition is sufficient ventilation.
I have my own restaurant, but the old acoustics from the house looks strange. What am I doing wrong?
Unfortunately, very often the owners of bars, restaurants and cafes do not pay enough attention to the acoustics of the room. There is a myth about expensive professional equipment, so often people buy home or car audio equipment and use it for other purposes. As a result, it quickly fails, because only professional equipment is designed for a long permanent load.
“People are trying to reinvent the wheel. Probably, they are guided by the fact that professional equipment, and the word “professional” always scares everyone, will be worth more.
Professional speaker systems that are designed for voice and background music are cheap, ”says Timofey Shikolenkov , director of marketing and business development in Audiomania.
It is worth considering the conditions of the environment in which the system will be used. For open air need waterproof and frost-resistant speakers. Here it is necessary to consider the class of protection against moisture. It's one thing when it comes to an open veranda of a restaurant, and another thing if it’s about a sauna with a completely different level of humidity.
“There are very interesting and beautiful landscape solutions. It is necessary to carefully read, for which application they are, external or internal. If the column looks like a beautiful pebble, it does not mean that it can be put on the track. We need to see what class protection from moisture.
If it is assumed that the column will be placed in the lowland, then the equipment must be of the appropriate class, or else it is necessary to reorient and move the column to another place. In principle, nothing will change, plus or minus half a meter is not very important, and the system will delight you and guests for much longer, ”Timofey shares his experience.
/ Visaton FRS 10 WP / 8 speakers are made in plastic cases with an integrated protective mesh, which gives them a neat appearance and good moisture resistance.
Design and installation of professional audio systems require appropriate knowledge and experience. Therefore, if you are worried about the comfort of the guests and the image of your establishment, you should contact a specialized company.
Home system here just does not fit. For the background sound, as well as periodic voice announcements, so-called “broadcasting” equipment is usually used. Sometimes it is called "100-volt." Abroad there is an established term - “public address”.
Such systems allow you to transmit sound over distances up to several hundred meters. If in traditional Hi-Fi systems it is necessary to pull a separate cable to each column, then in the case of “public address” systems this is not required. You can connect as many speakers in parallel as you need.
Special multiroom players , microphones and other sound sources can be used as a sound source. The mixer amplifier , to which the speakers are connected, amplifies the signal supplied to it and, if necessary, distributes it.
You can have a separate outdoor veranda with your own music or a VIP room where no alerts will sound. When choosing an amplifier, it is recommended to consider a small power reserve so that it does not work at the limit.
PS Additional reading on the topic: What you need to know about modern audio systems .