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General Asylum General audio topics that don't fit into specific categories. |
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General Asylum General audio topics that don't fit into specific categories. |
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In Reply to: Poll: Dedicated or Integrated Audio space? posted by Steve Cortez on February 16, 2007 at 21:24:05:
In your situation, where you're currently living on your own, you have a lot more flexibility and choice than those of us with significant others (and progeny). You don't have to consider any potential conflicts in preference (audio vs movie, musical taste, etc.)What you probably will need to consider is more to do with when you entertain at home and the differing needs between when you do entertain and when you're on your own and doing your own thing.
Which brings me the two major categories of audio usage:
1) Active listening - focused attention on the music being played with no distractions
2) Passive listening - where some other activity (eg reading, cooking, eating, entertaining, etc) is the primary focus and the music is secondaryAnother way of differentiating between these two categories:
a) Foreground Music
b) Background MusicIf you have a fair balance between these two categories, the choice becomes a bit more difficult, but if the balance is not that equal, then:
a) Predominant focus = Foreground Music -> Dedicated Environment
b) Predominant focus - Background Music -> Integrated EnvironmentThe rationale behind this based on some mandatory trade-off situations when electing to go with an Integrated Environment:
- aesthetics vs ideal sonics
- conversation-enabling vs speaker-centric (room orientation)
- serving-space vs music-storage spaceWhere total space-availability is a key factor, then the dedicated space can tend to be too small to be ideal, and an integrated space makes more sense - particularly as a single living alone.
So, assuming that total space is NOT a constraint, I would shoot for the dedicated space for a main system (to support the "2-Channel Purist Mode") and then look at alternatives around how best to provide "Background Music" in the rest of the house.
Mention has been made of "wiring during the build" to provide multi-room and this is the best time to do it - if wired connections were the only option. What we are beginning to see emerge from various manufacturers are solutions to providing multi-room audio WITHOUT the need for purpose-installed wiring:
a) True "wireless" "music servers" with RF links to "music clients" such as those from Arcam and Yamaha
b) Systems that use the mains power circuit in the house as a "carrier" for both audio and system control links such as the recent release from Marantz
For a "Background Music" application, when the priorities are more biased towards convenience and remote-controllability, the option of using a wireless music server (usually with a large hard disk holding up to 200+ hours of uncompressed music) and multiple clients positioned in those rooms where indicated, you get the right balance.
The beauty of non-wired solutions is that you also get to take it all with you when you move.
So, to answer your question "Given a choice, which way would you go and why?":
I would create a dedicated 2-channel listening room for "Active Listening" to "Foreground Music" (nice and selfish approach) PLUS I'd go for a wireless music server with clients in lounge, dining area, patio/porch/deck, kitchen, bedroom(s) and bathroom to provide for "Passive Listening" to "Background Music".
This approach would permit you to retain the "purist" aspect, while providing for lifestyle support at the same time and in the same dwelling.
Of course, this all totally ignores any HT/AV aspect - something that is also best stuck away in it's own environment... :-)
My $0.02 worth...
"Don't roll those blood-shot eyes at me!"
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Follow Ups
- Re: Dedicated vs Integrated Audio space - DevillEars 05:25:26 02/17/07 (0)
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