Impulse Man

The Speaker Dilema

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OK, so as you probably realize, at any bar whether it’s public or your home bar, music is usually one of the main staples of entertainment besides drinks and people. One question that I hear come up a lot when people are in the planning stages of their home bar or even after the fact sometimes, is where is the best place to put my speakers and what kind should I get?? Well unfortunately there’s not one answer for everybody because, no person, home and bar combination are ever going to be exactly the same.

So you will have to evaluate what’s important to you and what kind of entertaining you plan to be doing. For example, if you picture that you’re likely going to be watching a lot of movies or sporting events where good surround sound is key or cranking up the music and getting down with your bad self, then you probably want to use find a receiver with some decent surround sound capabilities in the form of floor standing or bookshelf speakers etc. to strategically place them in your bar or entertainment area.

This may sound obvious, but a lot of people seem to want to get these built in speakers above the bar in the ceiling or in the walls etc, but the problem is that it’s more work, you often have to pay someone to install those, and once they’re in, they are a pain to deal with if they aren’t living up to your standards. In addition, they usually get placed in a place that is less than optimum for watching sports or dancing and people’s conversations start getting drowned out. Not to mention, I’ve heard from many people that once they are cranked up, they often sound like crap up in the ceiling for some reason.

I agree it’s cool to have built in sound, I’m not saying it’s not, but you just have to make sure you understand it’s limitations and better purpose. I think if you just want to have some lower level music playing in the background or just a bit of extra sound for watching sports at your bar, then it may be a perfect solution. Especially if space is a concern! You could also go with some kind of floor standing or bookshelf speakers in the front and then have the rear speakers in the ceiling. But still the ceiling speakers unless somewhat high end are likely to not perform as well.

So with all that being said, all I can really offer is the obvious…make sure you think through what you want and analyze your situation to the fullest, don’t be one of those people that just go with what you think is cool without really knowing how it will work!

Man Cave Ideas: Where to Put Yours

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The man cave is the escape that most men need to provide them a chance to unwind and relax. It can be a simple sanctuary, to an elaborate shrine to sports teams and friends. Every man’s man cave is different. Once of the most important things to determine, when working on a man cave, is where to build it.

The obvious choice is to keep a man cave located in the home. It has electricity, air conditioning, heat and easy access to bathrooms. The problem is where in the house to build it. Keep in mind the ultimate goal of the man cave. Is it going to only be used by you as a workshop and place to unwind? Do you want to entertain others in your man cave?

You will have to choose a room that provides the space to fit your needs. Avoid rooms that are in traffic areas. The idea of the man cave is to be isolated or to have only a core group of people. If the wife and kids come through every few minutes then it is hardly a island of solitude. Some rooms are simply too small, such as bathrooms and storage closets.

Unfinished or finished basements make great man caves. They offer the promise of creating your personal sanctuary from the ground up. They are more work to set up, if they are not finished but often provide a good level of privacy from the rest of the house. Depending on the condition of the basement this could be an expensive endeavourer, but the finished product will be a man cave large enough for entertainment, hobbies and alone time.

Spare bedrooms are good, because they are already finished. You simply need to decorate. They are usually around other rooms so noise may cause others to invade the sanctity of the cave. Man caves that use unused bedroom space are often taken over if there are guests in town. This limits decoration capability and may make the man cave inaccessible when it may be most needed, to escape company.

Detached or attached garages are excellent areas of the home. With a little work; soundproofing, power and even plumbing can be added to create a fully functional man cave. If the garage is big enough, it can even still be used for the car. This is especially nice for men who like to spend time working on cars. Smaller garages have one major disadvantage. That is the garage may not be usable for storage and parking, so consider the functional need of the garage if a small garage is all that is available.

Man caves that are outside the house offer a great deal of privacy, but are vastly more work to set up and outfit. Sheds ranging from simple tin with dirt floor to custom made fully finished wooden structures can provide the ultimate cave away from home. These are more expensive to build and take a good bit of knowledge to build one to have power, cable or other escapes that a man may desire.