Installing Your Home Stereo System - DIY Or Professional
If you've just gone out and bought yourself a few thousand dollars worth of home stereo and video equipment then you might be wondering if you should install it yourself or get a professional to do it.
To get an answer to this conundrum you need to work out how complex your system is. Do you have multiple speakers to set up? Do cables need to go through the walls. Is the TV going on a stand, in a cabinet or is it going to be mounted on the wall?
A lot of box kits on the market these days are fairly simple and can be installed by an amateur fairly easily. There are software programs available these days which allow you to map out your room on the computer and do a virtual installation before you start straining your muscles.
Take a note of the power outlets. You don't want to have unsightly power cables running all over the room so you'll need to plan around these. If they aren't in the correct positions and you can't work your way around it you may need to call in an electrician to install more power points. It's usually not very expensive to get this done and will save you from a lot of grief later on.
A good tip is to have a seperate power outlet for each piece of equipment. This will help prevent any overloads and surges when everything is running off the one socket.
Make sure you have enough cable. Measure your room beforehand and get more cable than you think you'll need. There's nothing worse than placing all of that heavy audio equipment and furniture only to find that the cable is 2 cms short.
Don't get the cheap stuff. Fork out a bit extra
for some heavy duty cable. Thicker cable
prevents signal loss because of the extra shielding. More
signal means better quality sound. It doesn't make much
sense to spend a small fortune on some good audio
visual gear only to skimp on the cable.
Label all of the cables so you know where they come from. Usually when your installing a system in a TV cabinet all the cables will funnel through one small hole. Labeling them will stop any confusion and you'll always be able to get the right output to the right input when you're mucking about behind the cabinet with a torch.
If you are one of those types who never read instructions and have decided to do your own installation throw that attitude out the window now. Not following instructions on some expensive equipment could end up costing you your warranty. Always, always read the instructions before you so much as pick up a screw driver. Read them through once in their entirety first so you get a good idea of what your up against and then refer to them regularly as you progress.
When going for the professional installation it pays to shop around. Some retailers will offer free installation so take that into consideration when purchasing your equipment. Make sure you examine the price of the equipment elsewhere without installation to see just how much the professional installation might be costing you.
A lot of people don't pay too much attention to the lighting, which is a shame because it can improve your viewing and listening pleasure. Too much light will wash out the picture and too little light will cause eye strain. The best place is to have soft lighting behind the TV but this can be inconvenient for a lot of setups. The next best thing is to have soft lighting along the sides. Kind of like a movie theatre.
Finally, when it's all setup it's still not time to sit down and watch or listen. Test out the system with some music or movie that will really take advantage of your audio video system. Fine tune your system and balance out the sounds first. When it's all tested and working you now officially have bragging rights so invite a few friends over to show off your new gear.
For tips on choosing the right stereo system for your home check out Home Stereo Receiver.