Category Archives: Eclectic

The Best Home Sound Systems

If you’re like me and love to have high quality audio in your home whenever you are listening to music or watching a movie, then this list is for you. I’ve put together some of the best sound systems that you can put in your home, and they are all affordable. Of course, if you don’t want to spend more than $150, then you may be stuck with a more basic soundbar placed underneath your TV. But, if you are looking to take the extra step into a more immersive audio experience anywhere in your home, then here are a few choices:

Sound from audio systems will vary dramatically if you are in a very open room versus a closed in or slightly crowded room. The dynamics will change from space to space. These soundbars are some of the better choices for you.

First up is the Sony HT-NT5. This is a very attractive soundbar and has a very great sound to it. The mid range and lows are very good for a soundbar and with a price of $400 give or take, this soundbar is definitely worth a look.

The best soundbar for the money is the Samsung HW-K950. Now, this soundbar does not come cheap. At $1,500, you will be dropping a bit of cash on this set. But, with the price comes the sound and bass you expect from a high end soundbar. This sound bar has Atmos sound and it can not be beat by anything at the same price, and beats many soundbars that cost even more.

The last soundbar I will include is the Razer Leviathan. This may actually come as a surprise, but this soundbar is an amazing soundbar for the price. While you do give up having a remote to directly control it, it is a great soundbar and looks good too. For gaming or for TV, this soundbar is small, and its sub woofer pumps out impressive bass. All of this for around $200. If you want a smaller soundbar to keep somewhere for music purposes, this is the one to get.

Alright, now we can move to AV setups. I won’t go into stereo setups because honestly, they are a bit older now. Don’t get me wrong, stereo setups can be great, but I will keep this post to soundbars and AV receiver setups to touch on just two ends of the spectrum.

The Yamaha YHT-390UBL. Oh, what a great home theater setup. The amount of speakers and great sound you get for around $450 is unbeatable. The subwoofer is powerful and the speakers are amazing if you get the placement just right. There are tons of setup options for the speakers depending on how much space you have as well.

I will go ahead and just put an AV receiver only right here. The Sony STR-DN1080 is a simple to use, yet highly effective receiver that fits its price perfectly. The functionality is amazing for $600 and the sound it can put out with the right speaker setup is amazing.

Last up is the Samsung HT-J5500W 5.1. You will need to pick up a receiver for this to be an AV setup option, so you should see the above. Once you get these speakers and the sub plugged in, the sound for the value is outstanding. There are also tons of options if you don’t end up getting a receiver, so you should be set in any case.

These are just a few great audio options for your home that I have listened to and tested out.

 

Best health trackers compared

Are you sleeping enough? How many calories are you taking in? How exhausted does your body get during various daily chores? Knowing the details of our everyday lives can help us understand our bodies better, but tracking all this information by your lonesome can get difficult.

Cue health trackers: these small and handy devices exist to track your body’s state at all times and provide a plethora of information that answers the ‘why’ of your health. As it turns out, there’s a lot of these devices to choose from: while some offer only bare functionality, others promise to turn you into the world’s first cyborg. Which do you get? Here’s an overview of the best health trackers on the market. Continue reading

How to repair a pet damaged carpet

Everyone loves pets: their ability to brighten up a person’s day is unparalleled. Yet for all the joy they’re capable of producing, pets can also cause quite the headache.

Of course, most pet incidents are simply the result of playfulness, but the objects around your home won’t feel any better from that: your carpets and similar cherished surfaces are under constant risk of being permanently ruined due to how joyful your pets are. Continue reading

How to keep your carpets in top shape

Owning a carpet and keeping it in good shape are two very different things. Anyone can go out and buy a nice carpet for their living room and bedroom, but what happens when it’s cleaning time?

As it turns out, most people don’t have it in them to regularly maintain one or more carpets which translates to dirty floor covering wherever you look. In reality, keeping carpets in top shape isn’t so hard even for the average home owner – most of the time, it all comes down to having a good cleaning routine. Continue reading

How to set up a home theater

Going to the movies used to be the ultimate cinematic activity: buy a ticket, get some popcorn and hope that the people around you aren’t talking too loud. But with advancements in mass production, the option to have a home theater recently became available to almost everyone. No tickets, no lines, no strangers – just top-notch sound and video inside your own home.

Unfortunately, with choices also came a difficulty of making the right pick. Home theater systems can cost anywhere from a couple hundred dollars to tens of thousands: how can you know what’s right for you and your family? Continue reading