Phil Speak: Acoustics: Did You Hear That?

“Did you hear that?…”

Hello again beautiful world! I have returned with more juicy tidbits of the tech world for all of you to enjoy. So relax, grab a cup of your favourite beverage, and enjoy the ride!

On my last post I talked about screens and their variety. While it’s really nice to have a huge 3D high def TV blasting bits of colorful goodness to your eyes, if you don’t have a good sound system to complement it, then your experience is only half fun! If you truly want to have your socks rocked off, then you need the boom to go with the bang(no pun intended).

If now you’re thinking, “Awesome! I want a rockin’ sound system! But where do I start?” Worry not, for good ol’ Phil is here to help you out with that one!

There are different sound setups for many different systems. You might want them for your Xbox, PS3 or Wii. Or you just want it for your TV and movie player or computer. Heck, maybe you just want some really good headphones to go with that fancy music player you got for Christmas!

If you want that truly rich, movie theater sound, you need a 5.1 or 7.1 speaker set up. That means that you have 5 or 7 speakers set up around the room you want it in, and the “.1” is for the subwoofer. That’s the black box that usually sits on the floor that goes boom when there’s a big explosion in the movie. The way it goes is this: Three speakers at the front and two at the back if its a 5.1, or three at the front, two at the sides and two at the back if its 7.1.

When it comes to price, it all depends on the brand and quality speakers. If you’re getting a bargain basement setup, don’t expect the crisp clear sound of Obi-Wan’s lightsaber clashing with Darth Vader’s in their epic duel in Revenge of the Sith. But hey, even that is better than using the tacky paper ones that come with the TV.

When it comes to brand, pay attention to detail. If you’re an audiophile like me, anything coming from Bose, Infinity Kappa or Klipsch is a nice addition. If your budget is a little tighter, anything from Logitech is good, and mind you their 5.1 setups are usually THX and Dolby Labs certified. That means you’re gonna get awesome quality sound from whatever your watching!

If what you’re looking for is just for your mobile private listening pleasure, then look for Philips, SkullCandy, or Sony headphones. If you really wanna blow the cash on a pair that’ll last and will spoil your ears forever more, then go for Bose or Sennheiser.

That’s it for now my fellow geeks & geeketes! Stay tuned for more interesting updates from moi, your gracious geek host!

Au revoir!