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HDMI Switching
"HDMI Switching" is one of those terms that sounds terribly
complicated and technical, but turn out to be relatively simple and
straight forward. In a nutshell, a receiver with HDMI switching can select a single signal from any of the HDMI inputs going into it to send through its HDMI output.
Need a little more detail? Here goes:
HDMI (High Definition Multimedia Interface) connections are designed
to handle a lot of digital data. It can carry the highest resolution video
image currently available, and up to eight discrete full-range audio channels. That’s why it’s become the connection of
choice for many high-definition TVs. That, and the fact that it lets you run a
single cable to your TV for both video and audio.
A number of HD video sources, like Blu-ray
Disc™ players, and high-def cable and satellite boxes - even some upconverting DVD players- also send video and audio
through a single HDMI cable. Without HDMI switching, you would have to plug
each one of those sources directly into your TV. On a TV with only one HDMI input, if you wanted to watch a DVD, you’d plug the player’s HDMI cable into your TV.
And then if you wanted to check out some satellite TV, you’d have to unplug the
DVD’s cable and plug in your satellite box’s HDMI cable.
HDMI switching lets you plug all those devices into your
compatible receiver, and the receiver’s built-in HDMI switcher changes the
connection internally. You simply select the appropriate source.
HDMI Repeater
Now remember, with HDMI switching, it's as if you're running a cable directly from your source to your TV. A
receiver with just an HDMI switcher never processes the HDMI audio — it just
passes it through.
If you want multichannel sound to play through your
home theater system, you’ll want a receiver with an HDMI repeater. Rather than just passing through the HDMI signal, a receiver with a repeater will process the audio portion of the signal
coming in, and then send on ("repeat") the video portion to the HDMI output going
to your TV.
Not every receiver that does HDMI switching has an HDMI repeater. But all of the receivers that do have an HDMI repeater also do HDMI switching.
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My very first accessories post was about the S&G wire stripper. I've decided to retroactively make it the start of a
series. With “Installer’s Toolbox” I’ll talk about the accessories that help us
all with car stereo system installation.
I already own most of the installation tools that we carry, and I'm happy for any an excuse to get more of them — like the Pro.Fit Wire Worm.
One of the most challenging aspects of installing a car system is running the wire. Amplifier installations are particularly difficult, but so can other projects in your vehicle, like adding a satellite radio tuner, a Bluetooth phone kit, or a CD changer (yes, people do still listen to CDs).
The difficulty comes when we try to run wire under carpet, behind panels, or through any area that's hard to access, such as the firewall or the small boot that goes from the cabin of the vehicle into the doors. More to come on this location....
Many backyard installers use wire coat
hangers to route the cables through these
hard-to-reach areas. Coat hangers can be helpful, but they
have some problems as well. It’s easy for the hanger to puncture the boots,
gaskets, and grommets that you intend to run your wire
through. This can allow dust and moisture to
enter sensitive areas and sometimes sends your
wire into areas you don't intend. And coat
hangers are also difficult to control.
The Wire Worm is a better solution for a several reasons:
- it's more
flexible, so it can make it through some challenging areas with many bends
- it's not sharp, so it's not
likely to poke through soft areas, like grommets or boots
- it's still rigid enough to muscle its way through areas where you want it to go
- it's easier to store in your toolbox
How does it work?
Tape the cable to one end of the wire worm and then push the other end through the area you're dealing with. Once the wire worm comes through to the point where your taped-on wire is accessible, you un-tape your wire and you're done. It's easier than threading a needle.
Still a little bit esoteric? I'll break it down — with pictures.
I'm putting a new sound system in my 2005 Scion tC. It's truly a labor of love, and it's truly a test of my patience and abilities. I'll be talking more about this installation when it's complete, but for now I'll show you one of the ways I used the Wire Worm.
The Details
I'm installing an entirely new sound system that includes amplifiers and
speakers. I’m running new speaker wire to each speaker rather than using the tiny factory wire. There were three basic steps to getting the wire into the doors (after removing the door and kick panels and the factory speakers):
Step 1
Identify the rubber boot that is above the kick panel which goes into the door. The factory wires all pass through there. It has grommets at each end, and it's often got a bit of an "S" shape. Tricky indeed. It's hard to reach the area where the boot meets the cabin, and if you just try to push wire through, it will get hung up in the boot and go nowhere.
Step 2
Tape the speaker wire to the end of the Wire Worm. I had great results using
electrical tape. I wrapped it fairly tight, and made sure I had at least 1/2" of tape on the Wire Worm past the end
of the speaker wire and, conversely, on the speaker wire, past the end of the worm. That extra tape on each side makes the
connection stronger so it doesn't disengage while you're pulling through the
problem area.
Step 3
Push the Wire Worm from the kick panel, through the boot, and into the door
of the car. I had to work it a little bit,
pushing in and pulling out, in order to get it through, but it was much simpler than I had
expected.
You can start on either side. It only depends on what area gives you the
easiest access. In fact, when I did the driver's side, I started inside the
door, and pushed the wire through the boot into the cabin.
Accessing the doors was the primary way I used the
Wire Worm in my installation, but there were other times it came in handy. I used the worm
to pull 2 AWG power wire (technically known as "big, honkin' power
wire") through the firewall, I also used it to pull both speaker wire and
the Alpine Ai-Net control cable through the rear side panel area behind the
seatbelt assembly and into the hatch area.
At the end of the day, I'm glad I bought the Pro.Fit Wire Worm. It won't catch any fish, but it definitely made my day a lot
easier, and it helps me get more bass.
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It's been a little over two months since I started this series on the Wii Fit. Now I'd like to finish up with a look at the aerobics and balance games. I've grouped them both together because there are fewer exercises in these two categories than in the yoga and strength training exercises, and because they both remind me more of games than of real exercises.
 The aerobics exercises are basically divided into three groups: jogging, step aerobics, and the hula hoop. The hula hoop and super hula hoop exercises are my favorite in this group. They're essentially all the great ab-working, cardio-inducing motions associated with twirling a hula hoop without the anxiety involved in trying to keep it on your waist.
The hula hoop was the first exercise that my boyfriend made me try when he brought the Wii Fit home. We had a lot of fun laughing at each other while we both took turns at it. I know I must have looked ridiculous going through the motions, but it did give me a nice work out.
 I was less impressed by the step aerobics, although I've never been that into step to begin with. Step seems to be the most natural exercise with the Wii board, and the setup on a stage with the music is nice. I'm also grouping the one boxing exercise into this group, because it's
essentially step but with the Wii remote and nunchuk to simulate
punching.
My mother really liked step when she tried it, but she wanted better music and the ability to go faster, like she was used to in her step classes at the gym. I had a similar complaint about jogging. It was pleasant, but I wanted to go faster than the person pacing me in front. Plus I like to run to stay fit, and running in place just felt too weird for me to be able to truly get into it.
 I liked the balance games a lot more, because doing them didn't feel like it took any work (although some of them were a little challenging for me). These were also the exercises that the Wii board told me to work the most on, because my balance wasn't where it should be.
The games in this group include heading soccer balls, ski jumping and the ski slalom, a more challenging snowboard slalom, table tilt, tightrope walking, the balance bubble, the penguin slide, and the lotus focus. I just recently started playing recreational soccer for Crutchfield, and so I loved the exercise where I had to head soccer balls. It helped me learn where to place my head, and even gave me enough courage to try it out on the soccer field with some great results.
I also really liked the ski jump and ski slalom. I haven't been skiing in years, so this was a great way to get back into the feel of the slopes without having to wait for the snow.
I wasn't as big a fan of the lotus focus, however, because it essentially involves sitting still for thirty seconds and I do that a lot at work. I also didn't like the balance bubble, but that's largely because it was really challenging for me. I usually ended up popping the bubble on a cliff before I made it all the way down the rapids.
In the end, I can't say that I use the aerobic exercises that much. I'm pretty fit, so I can get my cardio workout on a run outside or at the gym before I hit Wii Fit. I do use the balance games from time to time, though, to break up my yoga and strength training routines. I'm not really sure if they've truly helped me with my balance, but my body results seem to have shown some improvement since I started.
I hope this has given you a little more in-depth information into the Wii Fit. If you have any questions that I haven't addressed about any of the exercises, feel free to post them.
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I lose things. A lot. I have elaborate rituals to help me keep up with my employee ID, my keys, and the fact that I've held onto my most recent pair of glasses for 4 months is a major victory. Most mornings, the only way I can find my cell phone is by getting one of my kids to call it. I couldn't tell you how often I've wished I could find the rest of my stuff by calling my cell phone. Or better yet, using GPS to locate it. But they don't make stuff like that yet...
...or so I thought. We've just started carrying a new tracking device that combines GPS and cell phone technology, called the Zoombak GPS Locator. This small, lightweight device (about half the size and weight of a pack of cards) communicates with Zoombak's GPS tracking system using an emitter much like the ones used in cell phones, so you can track and locate things that are important to you.
Naturally, I volunteered to check it out.
It comes with one of three kits--one to put in your car, one that allows you to attach it to your dog's collar, and a universal one with a keychain clip, which was the first thing I checked out. As a keychain bobble, it's a little clunky, but it does slip nicely into the coin pocket of a purse or backpack.
I'm really excited about getting to play with this locator. It's such a cool idea, and I'm sure it's just going to get cooler over time. Did I mention you can set up your cell to text you with automatic alerts, or to run immediate searches and text the results to you? I can't wait.
They've put some limitations on the tracking to safeguard against the Zoombak being used inappropriately, but kept it flexible enough that you could track a lost dog. Although you can run searches any time day or night, it's not really designed to do the kind of 24/7, minute-by-minute, super-spy surveillance that we see in movies or on TV (I'm sure the technology is out there, but I'm also pretty sure you'd need a permit to use it). Even so, I've got this Zoombak GPS Locator for the next few days, and my husband's volunteered to carry it around for me one of those days, so... I'll let you know what I discover.
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Bluetooth® connectivity is becoming more popular these days, as evidenced by two new products: the Panasonic
KX-TH1211 and the XLink ITC-BTTN. Essentially they both wirelessly link
your cell to your home phone, so when you walk in the door all of your cell phone calls start
going to your home phone, courtesy of Bluetooth technology.
The Panasonic does this with a base unit and a handset
giving you a sort of all-in-one package. The XLink uses a plug-in
wall unit that routes your cell phone calls to your existing home phone setup.
Great features that make your life easier
The cool thing is that for either product, having a land line is optional. So if
you’re the kind of person who only has a cell line, you can get the weight
and convenience of a home handset without the additional cost of a land
line. And if you’ve got both a cell and
land line, then these products combine the two into a single phone system for your home.
These systems are great if you frequently forget to turn your cell phone off of
vibrate mode when you walk in the front door (like me), or if you tend to lose your cell
phone in your house. If you set up a Bluetooth phone system, you can simply leave your cell phone in one, easy-to-find location, and use your home phone handsets conveniently located in their docks. And if you only get cell phone
reception in one area of your house, then you can leave your cell phone in that
"hot spot" and still make calls through it anywhere
in your house with a handset.
Another cool feature — these products work with more
than one cell line. The Panasonic
connects up to two cell phones and an optional land line, while the XLink
connects up to three cell phones and an optional land line. So everyone in your house can take advantage
of it. Both products even offer
different ring tones, so you can tell which cellphone the call is coming
through.
A few considerations
Even though the benefits are great, there are a few things you
should keep in mind about the way these products currently work, and about the
way that Bluetooth works in general.
 Just having Bluetooth activated on your cell phone drains the battery faster, so it's a good idea to keep your cell phone plugged into its AC power cord while connected to one of these devices. Also keep in mind that these devices can’t boost your cell’s
reception if you don’t get great reception at your house in the first
place. They’re a good idea if your
cell phone only works in your kitchen or living room, and you can leave your
cell plugged into a wall socket. But if your cell’s hot spot is in the middle
of your kitchen floor, then they won’t really help you.
Keep in mind that you're going to get some of the
range (only about 30-feet) and connection issues associated with any Bluetooth device. For me, this translated to my Bluetooth
unlinking and relinking at times, and to it occasionally dropping a call. Also, with these products you’re essentially making a "rest stop"
between the source (your cell) and the destination (the home phone’s
handset), so there might be some
delay when you’re talking or making a call.
With either product, you’ll be using the
menus on your home phone's handset, which means that you won’t be able to access options or even phone
numbers in your cell phone using the handset. This may change in the future, but as of now if
you need your cell’s phone book to make calls, you'll need to
reprogram them into your home phone’s handset — or start memorizing your phone numbers again.
If you do decide to make the switch to one of these products — either the Panasonic
KX-TH1211 or the XLink ITC-BTTN — keep some of the above considerations in mind. It will help you maintain realistic expectations of what these products, and of what Bluetooth technology in general, can and cannot do.
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It's Over
I'm in mourning. After a year and a half of almost continual use, an earsleeve post broke off my beloved Shure E3C
portable earphones, and there's no way to fix it. Oh, I can still hear through them (kinda) but it's just no good any more. I have to retire them, and I don't want to. You may think it silly, getting worked up over a set of portable earphones. Well, you get emotionally attached to equipment you use every day (at least, I do), and I practically lived in those 'phones.
Honest Work
Crutchfield's Creative Department is housed in a pleasant, skylit office, well-suited to the type of work we do here — the atmosphere's cool, serene, with plants everywhere and subdued lighting — my husband says it reminds him of a library. But 22 people jammed into a space not much bigger than a large classroom gets rather crowded. While we do our best not to disturb each other, noise distraction is inevitable.
Most of us solve the problem with headphones. When you spend 8-10 hours a day in headphones, finding the right pair for you is as important as finding that perfect-fitting pair of jeans. If you don't love them, you're not gonna wear them.
Crazy Love
I really fell in love with my Shure E3Cs. I took them to the gym, the office,
home — anywhere I could. I picked them up two years ago, to replace the unwearable set my MP3 player came with. Since Shure made some of the equipment I use in my home recording
studio, I was willing take a chance on the name and pay a little more
than I normally would for portable 'phones.
The E3Cs are sound-isolating, in-ear 'phones. Some big-eared folks (like my husband) can't get past the "in-ear" idea, but I love it. I have comparatively tiny ears and the in-ear style means my 'phones stay put — my E3Cs didn't fall out, shake out or get in my way the way earbuds do and because there was no headband to contend with, they didn't interfere with my glasses or my hairstyle.
And they sounded so good! It was nice, owning something that special. And they were definitely special — Shure uses studio-grade microdrivers with an extended lower range, so when they were seated correctly (in-ear 'phones really do go into the ear, like earplugs) I got audiophile-level sound. I even tried wearing them to master music in my home studio with good results.
Can't You Hear Me Knockin'?
They weren't kidding about being sound-isolating — when music played, I absolutely could not hear anything else. Great feature! Concentrating on my work was so much easier — I was in my own little musical wonderland. But I've discovered that's not necessarily the best place to be, at work. Sure, I couldn't hear the phone conversation going on in the next cube any more, but I also couldn't hear my own phone ring, or my office mates asking me questions.
Adding to the confusion, my sound-isolating Shures not only made it impossible for me to hear people talking to me, the E3C's unobtrusive profile made them disappear under my long hair, so no one could tell I had headphones on.
If I Should Love Again
Although I'm very, very sad about my broken headphones (I can't bring myself to throw them away), I must admit, this is an opportunity to find a set specifically for the office. I considered upgrading to the Sure SE-420s (which have 2-way drivers and even better range and definition), but given the drawbacks I discovered with the E3C's, I think I need something a little less sound-proof and a lot more obvious to wear at work.
I just checked, and Shure doesn't make on-ear and over-the-ear style 'phones so, I'm (reluctantly) searching for a new brand. But that's a post for another day. Right now, I need to go borrow a pair of headphones.
Song title references:
- It's Over — Simon & Garfunkel
- Crazy Love — Van Morrison
- Honest Work — Graham Parker
- Can't You Hear Me Knockin'? — The Rolling Stones
- If I Should Love Again — Dean Martin
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In this video, Crutchfield's Sales Operation Coordinator and avid motorcyclist Ed S., talks about how he outfitted his bike for sound with the Cycle Sounds metric model Sound System. Ed shares some tips about safe installation, such as using a Wavetek Meterman 15XP Multimeter to test his connections. And because he's picky about his bike's appearance, Ed also shows you how to hide those unsightly wires!  Format: wmv
Duration: 3:36
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In addition to being a graphic designer here at Crutchfield, I’m also a volunteer firefighter. I often help my department with recruitment and fund raising efforts, and obtaining content for the station’s website. As pictures show what we do so much more effectively than words, I’m often looking through the view finder of my camera snapping shots while on the scenes.
A typical duty shift for our volunteers runs through the night. That makes reflective objects tricky to shoot because the object can bounce too much of the flash back to the camera, washing out detail in the rest of the frame. Fire engines are especially difficult as they’re equipped with Scotchlight™, a highly reflective striping.
Here is an example with flash (on left), and the same view without flash (on the right)
While this is a great safety device for the firefighters and EMTs working the scene, it poses an interesting challenge for photographers. Do you use the flash and run the risk of the reflection bouncing light back to the camera, or do you work without the flash and possibly get grainy images from the lack of light?
Bounce flash can sometimes be an option, but it requires a surface to bounce the light off of, and it often results in the same reflective issues. The best alternative I’ve found is to turn off the flash and try to hold the camera steady while shooting. At low light levels, this can add some grain to the picture, but it also gets more information of the scene and surrounding area.
In this comparison you can see the difference of the flash (top) and without (bottom)
A camera with image stabilization helps you with this but you can also try to find something to brace the camera against to keep it still. When lighting is really low, I’ll use a post, sign or even the side of another vehicle to steady the camera and keep shake to a minimum. Then I’ll turn off the flash and take my shot.
With flash (top), you can't see the building, but you can without flash (bottom)
As you can see from my examples, I still end up with some graininess, however I also get more of the surrounding scenery—and shots that are worth more than 1000 words!
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If you're like me, then chances are you've got more than a few electronics lying around at home. I've got my cell phone, my digital camera, and usually a camcorder or two that I'm trying out for work — and if you double that by all the devices that my boyfriend has, then we've got quite a jumble. Since each of these devices take memory cards, my boyfriend recently decided to get us a memory card reader to make life a little bit easier — and I love it.
Before, when I wanted to hook up my camera or camcorder to my PC, I had to struggle to bend under my desk and reach behind my computer's tower to plug in my camera or camcorder via USB. And in the case of the high-def camcorders I tested a couple of weeks ago, I also had to reach for the corner of the wall to plug the camcorder into the AC outlet for power.
Now instead of wasting time straining under my desk, I simply
leave the memory card reader connected to my computer via USB, and leave it on my desk. When I want to add photos or music to my phone, store photos from my digital camera on my computer, or transfer videos from the camcorder I'm testing to my computer, I just plug the device's memory card into the card reader.
And since various companies stick to their own propriety memory card
(like Sony's Memory Stick), it's nice to have something that works with
them all. The card reader that we have accepts CompactFlash® cards, SD™ cards, MultiMediaCards™, Sony Memory Sticks®,
Memory Stick PRO™ Duo cards, and xD-Picture Cards™. Our memory card reader is a simple, inexpensive device that ties all of our electronics together.
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Your new digital camera probably has you taking more pictures than ever before. The instant results are great — but the pictures pile up quickly, clogging your hard drive. And it's not easy to find that great picture you took last month at the family reunion. Since digital photography is supposed to be easy, how can you organize that virtual shoebox full of pictures?
Fortunately, there are some easy, free ways to get your growing collection under control. And some of them may already be installed on your computer. Please forgive me if some of these suggestions seem obvious:
1. Use the software that came with your camera
The software bundle that came with your camera is pretty good. Some sort of editor/organizer is almost always included. Why not give it a try? Even the most primitive photo capture software organizes your photos by the date they were taken. You'll be able to tell the program what folder to copy the photos to, even straight onto an external hard drive.
2. iPhoto, Picasa, and similar programs
iPhoto comes already installed on Mac computers, and is like the "iTunes" of photo organization. It makes smart decisions about how and where to store images, which you can tweak as needed. Google's Picasa is another nice tool, and it works with both Mac and Windows computers.
Both programs allow you to "star" or "rate" your photos, so when you're going back through them months later, it's easy to find your best shots. Other programs like Irfanview do this, too.
3. Web galleries
There are any number of sites where you can upload photos for sharing with friends (Flickr, Shutterfly, etc.), but they can also function as a sort of backup for your best shots. They're a great way to share your pictures, since you don't have to attach large files to an email. Many of these sites offer printing services — you just choose what you want printed, pick the size, and they come in the mail a few days later. And for a nominal fee, many of these sites offer large or unlimited amounts of storage space.
4. The manual method
This is not automated, but you can do this on any computer without installing any software. Basically, you pull the files off your memory card and put them into folders you name yourself. For instance, name a folder "2008-6-12 Family Reunion," and you put all such folders in the same place on your hard drive. Putting the date first helps you find the folder easily among many other folders.
When the folders pile up, throw them onto an external hard drive & copy them to a DVD or CD at the same time. After that, you can delete them from your computer's internal hard drive to save space. Need a photo from last year? It's on your external drive. And if that drive should fail, you've got it on a disc.
Always make sure your camera's date/time settings are accurate. If not, the incorrect date will be recorded to each picture, which in turn will confuse the organizing software you use.
On a similar note...
Ralph's great post on backing up your files is right on target. Hard drives fail, and if it hasn't happened to you yet, it will. Photos are such precious memories (sorry, went all Kodak on you there) and deserve to be backed up with extra care. I lost 6 months of photos once because I wasn't diligent about this. Don't let it happen to you. Hard drives and discs are fairly cheap.
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In my previous posts, I've talked about getting started with Wii Fit and doing the yoga exercises. Now that I've had the Wii for a few weeks, my new favorite exercises are the strength training exercises. I like running and
biking, and I love playing recreational soccer. But those activities don’t really focus
on muscle toning, especially my upper body. I’ve never really been a big fan of
muscle toning — it’s always made me think of those funny body building caricatures
that you see in cartoons. But I really like stretching, and some of the strength training exercises on Wii Fit don’t seem that much different from intense stretches.
I still like the yoga stretches for winding down after a run, but on days
when I just want to do more or when my body is too tired to withstand the
impact of running, then I like to spend some time doing the strength training
exercises.
I’ve got a few favorites right now: torso twists, the jack knife,
and lunges. To do the torso twists, I have to stand with my arms out and
twist side to side for x number of times, and then do the same twists
diagonally for x number of times. It’s so simple, but I can always feel my body
using ab muscles that I never knew I had.
The jack knife is a more traditional
way to work out my abs, because like a crunch, the aim is to bend using the abs and then release. Only in this version, I have to hold my legs
vertical while bending, making it slightly harder and way more interesting. I've never been into lunges before, but after trying them, I've decided that they seem like
more of an interactive leg stretch to me. They're easy to do and really work my muscles.
Like I said, most of my activities aren’t focused on my
upper body, which is probably why I find some of those exercises to be
the most challenging. I’m still on the beginner’s level in the push-up and side
plank. It’s basic — after a push-up, I raise up one arm and reach vertically
while crossing my legs to stretch out my side — but without the proper arm strength, I find it strenuous to hold myself up for that long. The single-leg extension is also a pretty good workout that
challenges my balance, which the Wii has already indicated I need to work
on. And the parallel stretch tests my stamina by seeing how long I can hold
myself on my lower arms and toes.
What really makes these exercises
difficult, though, is that my performance is measured by my balance and shifts in
weight. The Wii knows when I’m working by whether or not my center of
balance moves, and as in the case of the lunges, by how much pressure I apply to
the board.
As with the other exercises, the better I get at
something, the more levels open up to me. So I now do torso twists for six
repetitions each instead of three, and I can hold the parallel stretch for
longer than thirty seconds. But since I’m so bad at push-ups and side
planks, I can’t move on to the next level until I show some improvement in my
scores. I've also opened up some challenges in which I
compete against my trainer to see who can do more jack knives or who can stay
parallel the longest. I haven’t tried them yet, but they’re next on my list
when I feel confident enough about my abilities.
I seriously doubt these exercises are going to make me buff,
but they do make me feel stronger. I already feel like my core muscles have
gotten harder from these exercises, and I’m a lot more aware of my body and how
it can (and cannot) move.
Next time I’ll wrap up the series with the aerobics and balance games. Until then, check out some of these cool videos and articles on
Nintendo’s official Wii Fit website to actually see how some of the
exercises are done and learn more about the technology involved.
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Before I started working at Crutchfield, I associated car subwoofers with punk kids that roll up on you at traffic lights, sporting that low-frequency rattle that reminds you of the Space Shuttle taking off.
But after a tall glass of Crutchfield Kool-Aid, I started learning more about them and realized that car subwoofers aren't just for scaring everyone over 30 out on the road — they're vital to well-balanced sound. Inherently I knew this, since I appreciate the low tones — I'm a bass guitar player, after all. I also appreciate what my "home theater in a box" subwoofer does for movie sound. But for some reason, my mind never made the connection that a subwoofer in my car could be a good thing.
I replaced the stereo and all four speakers in my 1996 Honda Accord about six months ago, which sounded great, but it became apparent that the low end was lacking. And I like to hear what the bass player's doing when I listen to music. But I was still hesitant to add a sub, because (a) I didn't want to become a public nuisance, and (b) I have a bit of a phobia when it comes to wiring.
Well, I took the plunge recently and put an Alpine PLT-5 powered sub in my trunk. My goodness, what a difference. I could feel the kick drum hits, just like when you see a band play at a club. The bass was prominent, but not irritating. I was going for a realistic balance, not just bass for the sake of it, and once I got there by fiddling with the crossover/gain, etc., I had a big smile on my face (still do!) All the songs on my thumb drive that I had grown tired of were given new life. In fact, I started putting music on there that I knew would sound good with the sub.
The Alpine PLT-5 fits nicely in the trunk of my '96 Honda Accord.
The Alpine PLT-5 turned out to be just what I wanted. It puts out tight, clean bass that enhances pretty much any piece of music I listen to. My Dual XHD-6425 receiver doesn't have a dedicated subwoofer output or a low-pass filter, but the PLT-5 has a wired gain knob that I mounted within reach for any needed adjustments. If I had been thinking ahead, I'd have looked for some subwoofer-friendly features when I was shopping for receivers, but thinking ahead isn't a strength of mine.
Installation was pretty easy. I printed out a Learning Center article, got a Streetwires amp wiring kit, and went to work. The process was pretty straightforward, even for a beginner like me. I got it all hooked up, finally, and...it wouldn't turn on. I called Crutchfield Product Support, and within three minutes the rep identified my shaky ground connection and recommended a better spot. Problem solved. Those guys really are good.
I may be over my fear of wiring now. This wasn't too tough.
Now I see the light — a subwoofer makes pretty much every piece of music sound better. They're not just for loud music. Anything with bass and drums will do, or even an orchestra — think of the increase in presence a cello would have. Old country tunes with a stand-up bass sound incredible, too. Add a sub to your car stereo rig, and you'll find yourself listening to more music than ever before.
And I apologize to all the bass junkies I used to think were crazy — now I know you were just trying to get me to understand how much more fun it is to listen to music in your car when you've got a sub kicking out the low notes. So now that's me, with the Alpine PLT-5 in the trunk. Public nuisance? No. Public service.
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Gain, Level, Volume...aren't they the same thing?
Everybody knows a volume control makes your music louder (or quieter), so why do there seem to be so many different ways to describe it? If you're used to dubbing, or if making mixtape cassettes was your thing, you may remember "level" has something to do with volume. If you're into car audio, you may believe "level" and "gain" are just different names for "volume".
Why not just pick one term for the controls and cut down on the confusion? Because while these controls have similar effects, they accomplish different goals.
Gain:
A gain control can be a beautiful thing if you like loud music, but it shouldn't be used as a volume control. I talked a little about gain in my last post, and explained that a gain control doesn't change your audio signal, it just changes how well your amp picks the signal up. Better sensitivity makes it easier for your amplifier to pick up signal accurately. The richer, fatter signal is easier to amplify and less prone to distortion, so you don't have to use as much power to get a good result.
In other words, when you turn up your gain, you signal strength also improves, which makes your sound louder at lower power levels. Because of this, "gain" and "level" are often used interchangeably. While confusing, this usually isn't going to cause you problems (but if you're not sure a control does, always check your owner's manual — most are available online these days).
Level:
Audio level simply indicates signal strength. Signal strength is what lends substance to sound waves, so they hold together better and are easier for your amp to push. Level controls modify signal strength. As we mentioned above, this is sometimes done by changing input sensitivity (gain), but a more straightforward way is to change the amount of power a signal is fed. Volume controls work the same way.
I know what you're thinking: If they work the same way, what's the difference?
Ah, I was getting to that. You'll find a level controller most often in home audio equipment and professional recording gear, where it shines at tasks like volume leveling. Leveling can compensate for
sound issues in an original recording, smoothing effects, or changing the emphasis of a
particular track. Volume controls... well, volume. It make sound louder of softer, that's all.
A simple way of looking at level and volume is this: level controls fixed loudness (the volume going to the input side of your system), while volume controls variable loudness (the signal being output to your speakers).
If your TV (or cable) sound is hooked up to a receiver, try this experiment:
set the volume using your TV remote, then lay it to one side. You've just fixed your signal's loudness level. Now, pick up your receiver remote and use it to change the volume going to your speakers. This is your variable volume control.
Volume:
We've already explained that a volume control works by manipulating the amount power going to your outgoing signal. The entire purpose of a volume control is to affect signal loudness — the amount of air in a sound wave times force it takes to push it. Turning a volume control up increases the force pushing your signal, so it sounds louder. Loudness is also that impact you feel when a big bass note hits — it's the physical component of your sound.
Remember that volume controls don't create new power, they just control the output. If your system doesn't have enough power to back up the volume you ask of it, turning up your volume will actually make your sound attenuate (that is, fade away to nothing).
If you want a really rockin' system but don't have a lot of cash, put your money into a solid, powerful amp and build from there. You'll get more bang for your buck, your music will sound better and the whole system will thank you.
And it's more effective than just making your amp go to eleven.
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 OK, I admit I’m something of a gadget geek. But when I go on a business trip, there are just some things I gotta have on my journey. Like my laptop, and cell phone, and digital camera, and iPod, and portable speakers.
I’ve been in too many hotel rooms where I’ve had to choose between keeping the floor lamp plugged in or using it for my cell phone charger. So I was happy to give the Monster Power Outlets To Go a try after Chris’s recent misadventure.
I took her advice and packed an adapter, but fortunately, I didn’t need it (this time). The Outlets To Go’s wide-spaced sockets let me plug all of my odd-shaped AC adapters in without any trouble. As you can see from the photo, the power strip accommodated it all, and still left an outlet for the room's coffeemaker (going clockwise from the bottom of the photo, is my laptop's AC adapter, cube speaker AC adapter, cell phone charger, camera recharging dock, and iPod charging cable).
 And don’t worry — all of these devices draw very little power, so I wasn't overloading the wall outlet.
Although it looked a little messy with everything hooked up, the Monster Power Outlets To Go was a handy device to bring along. Because all of my devices were plugged into a single source, I didn’t have to sweep the room when I checked out to make sure I didn't forget something I'd plugged in behind the bed, or under the desk or some other out-of-the-way place.
All in all, the Monster Power Outlets To Go worked much better then some of the other power strip/extension cord solutions I’ve tried. A big plus was its compact design, which kept the cord flat against the body for travel. I’ll be adding this little gem to my permanent travel kit.
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