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The home bar sound system |
LoriLovesTiki
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Jul 03, 2011
Posts: 471
From: NJ
|  Posted: 2012-06-04 7:26 pm Permalink
Can anyone recommend a website where I can learn more about equipment in general? I'd like to set up a stereo system with different zones for volume and maybe MAYBE do something with 2 types of sounds like described above but I don't know what any of the equipment mentioned like an amp vs. a receiver, etc actually does or what I'll need.
Thanks in advance!
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Lori
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Bonj
Tiki Centralite
Joined: Nov 17, 2008
Posts: 26
From: Brisbane, AU
| Posted: 2012-06-04 7:48 pm Permalink
Quote:
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On 2012-06-04 19:26, LoriLovesTiki wrote:
Can anyone recommend a website where I can learn more about equipment in general? I'd like to set up a stereo system with different zones for volume and maybe MAYBE do something with 2 types of sounds like described above but I don't know what any of the equipment mentioned like an amp vs. a receiver, etc actually does or what I'll need.
Thanks in advance!
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Hi Lori,
An amp is an amplifier, which just makes a signal (your music) louder. They come with single to multiple channels. Stereo is 2 channels, one for each side. Surround sound is minimally 4 channels: front left, front right, rear left, rear right. A subwoofer is generally not referred to as a channel because they usually have their own amplifier and only amplify the low frequency bass sounds... sound you can feel 
An amplifier can optionally have a pre-amplifier which boosts the signal from devices like vinyl turntables, but can also be used on other sources. Pre-amps usually have bass, mid-tone and treble control so you can adjust the tone of the signal to your personal liking.
Some pre-amps also contain mixers, but mixers can also be found by themselves. Mixers allow multiple sources to be mixed into a single signal, to be amplified all at once. This is one way to do the constant ambient noises.
Some amplifiers, as said by someone earlier, can have multiple zones. This is where you can sent the sound to multiple sets of speakers, usually with their own volume controls. Really, this is just more channels, so you can do this with either a multi-zone amp, or multiple individual amps.
Some amps do their own virtual surround from a stereo source by doing some funky phase shifting and stuff on the audio waves (delaying, inverting, etc) to make it sound like it is surround sound, when the source is not. Dolby Surround is, I believe, one such method. DTS 5.1 (and higher) and Dolby Digital 5.1 are not. These are digital streams that contain multiple channels. These streams require a decoder to decode them. Most Receivers these days contain the digital decoders. A Receiver is historically just a radio receiver, but has become a multi-use device, containing digital decoders, mixers, pre-amps, multiple zones, amplifiers, video switches, HDMI (a digital Audio-Visual (AV) system), splitters, ipod docks etc. The features are largely determined by the price range you're looking at.
I hope that goes some way to helping you understand the parts. I will see if I can find a website that explains it in a clear and concise manner for you.
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VampiressRN
Grand Member (5 years) 
Joined: Nov 23, 2006
Posts: 5086
From: Sin City Lincoln Hills (NorCal)
| Posted: 2012-06-04 7:56 pm Permalink
Hey KK65...good to know I'm not the only one out there with that baby. I have a 14 foot ceiling in the lounge and my Crosley is facing into the lounge so that the sound can bounce off the 3 walls in there. It backs up to a short 1/4 wall so it doesn't fill my home with sound, but does a nice job of providing a decent play for the lounge area. I think it is important to use your acoustic surroundings to enhance whatever stereo equipment you have. I also bought it for the looks as it has such a lovely retro feel.
The rest of my home has 12 foot ceilings and is very well insulated, so there are great possibilities if I ever get motivated. Sadly I do not even have a sound system for my TV, just the standard speakers (it's a chick pad...what do you expect...LOL).
I have to say the most wonderful sound I ever had in my home occurred a couple of years ago when I hosted for the Sacramento Crawl and had the Martini Kings play in my dining room. You can't get any better sound than that!!!
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LoriLovesTiki
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Jul 03, 2011
Posts: 471
From: NJ
| Posted: 2012-06-05 08:41 am Permalink
Thanks Bonj!
I have SO much to learn.....
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VampiressRN
Grand Member (5 years)
Joined: Nov 23, 2006
Posts: 5086
From: Sin City Lincoln Hills (NorCal)
| Posted: 2012-07-14 11:30 am Permalink
This was posted on FB today and think it is pretty kewl.
http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/282aON/inhabitat.com/ibamboo-is-an-electricity-free-iphone-speaker-made-from-a-piece-of-bamboo/
iPhone users aren’t exactly at a loss when looking for a place to dock their phones these days. But even in a market that’s flooded with a myriad docking and music amplification systems, the iBamboo Speaker by designer Anatoliy Omelchenko of Triangle Tree manages to separate itself from the pack. The simple-yet-chic design consists of a single piece of bamboo — one of the world’s greenest natural materials — with a slot cut into it where the iPhone is placed. The natural shape of the speaker amplifies the tunes, producing a pseudo-stereo effect that requires no electricity.
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MaukaHale
Tiki Socialite
Joined: May 07, 2012
Posts: 134
From: The base of the Volcano
| Posted: 2012-07-14 11:39 am Permalink
http://ibamboospeaker.com/index.php/please-notify-me-when-ibamboo-speaker-becomes-available-for-ordering/
And they are currently sold out!
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~ Adam Troy
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VampiressRN
Grand Member (5 years)
Joined: Nov 23, 2006
Posts: 5086
From: Sin City Lincoln Hills (NorCal)
| Posted: 2012-07-14 1:23 pm Permalink
DARN...want one!!!
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Tiki Wachee
Tiki Centralite
Joined: May 30, 2012
Posts: 19
From: Tampa Bay
| Posted: 2012-07-14 2:31 pm Permalink
And just in case you missed it, for you urban sophisticates, don't miss the iBamboo Urban...
http://ibamboospeaker.com/index.php/ibamboo-urban/
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~cs
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