Pete's Write

In the quest for solid bass, and an even response, one should avoid simply buying bass traps and then placing them in your HT room, without some simple measurements. If you are familiar with the microphones, and software like REW, that's good, otherwise a simple option is just to run a sine wave frequency sweep, use a SPL meter and write down what the readings are at each 10hz increment from 10Hz upwards to 20Hz. Plot it down using basic pen and paper and you will have a rough idea of what's happening in your room, then tackle the peaks and troughs, and add traps and other treatment accordingly. Or get a pro who can sort all this out for you... I have no financial interest or other interests in any of the items / events I write about.

 Sound demo (Opening with some nice DTS - HD effects) 1) 3 Musketeers 2) Battleship Yamato (Jap) 3) KungFu Panda 2 4) Underworld Awakening 5) War Horse 6) John Carter 7) Ghost Protocol 8) Red Tails 9) Immortal 10) Real Steel 11) Battleship 12) Avengers 13) Super 8 14) Safe House 15) The Great Magicians (HK) 16) Gantz (Jap) 17) RIO 18) Jurassic Park 1 PQ 1) BBC (5 - 10 mins of screenplay) I have no financial interest or other interests in any of the items / events I write about.

1) Unstoppable 2) HP7 3) Jonah Hex 4) Source Code 5) The Pacific 6) I am number 4 7) Tron Legacy Resident Evil After Life 9) Vanishing on 7th Street 10) The Rite 11) The Pirates of the Carribean - On Stranger Tides (Documentaries) 1) BBC - The Human Planet 2) IMAX - The Ultimate Wave 3) BBC - Yellowstone: Battle for life 4) Nat Geo - Forces of Nature (HK) 1) Let the bullets fly (HK) 2) Reign of assassins (HK) 3) Connected (HK) 4) 14 blades (HK) I have no financial interest or other interests in any of the items / events I write about.

KEF X300A review An audiophile's desktop computer speaker  The term computer speakers covers a wide variety of equipment, and we have come a long way from using built in speakers on a laptop to fancy hi fi based setups that can cost upwards of a few thousand dollars. You can get sound from a nasty $50 pair of plasticky speakers, or you can hookup up your regular stereo system or even a home theatre system to your computer. Whichever way, one key principle is that, crap in garbage out. So use the best source you can. Lossless music will sound better than mp3 and other compressed sources. If you are willing to go beyond the usual self-powered stuff you see in computer shops, the audiophile slanted companies such as Dynaudio, B&W and now KEF have offerings which do cost more but also offer more for the music orientated computer user, who doesn't want to put up with inferior sound, but doesn't want to clutter his desktop with a who...

A movie franchise always has it's highs and lows, and each person will remember the best of a series of movies and regret watching the lows. Robert Downing Jr IS the Ironman, and he has added the personal touch to the man in the metal suit, with his larger than life megalomaniac style, and it will be hard to think of another person who can play this superhero better. Nevertheless, the high in the franchise, most will probably agree, is the first movie or the combination Avengers movie, helmed superbly by Josh Weldon. The trouble with the third installment is perhaps the need to break out of the same mold with more of the over the top larger than life RDJ swagger, and new cool gadgets and the like. So they bring in Shane Black, best known for his efforts in writing Lethal Weapon, and he tries to add a more human factor in, plus a bit of conspiracy into the show, and he throws in heavyweights like Ben Kingsley, expands Gwyneth Paltrow...

GI Joe will sell a certain number of tickets regardless of it’s actual quality, since there are a considerable number of economically viable folks now in their 30s or 40s who remember the old cartoons and toys very fondly. The first remake about 3-4 years ago, didn’t do too badly either, and was a commercial if not a critical success. The formula is simple, get some fine, handsome, fit young men, partner them with the latest weapons and gadgets, throw in some equally fine hot ladies with outrageous figures, and add plenty of explosions, and viola, you have a movie that even Michael Bay could endorse. You will see some of the old main stars from the first movie back here, plus some new additions, and I have to say getting Bruce Willis in the picture and let him have some fine quips (“my cholesterol is a little high”) is a hoot. There is little character development time, but who cares? This isn’t Oscar winning fair, and revels in the booms per minute, and ...

A couple lived for many years together... a long life, fulfilling and happy. During this time, the wife kept a metal box which she told the husband never to open, and he dutifully obeyed. One day after almost sixty years of marriage, as the wife lay on her deathbed, she called the husband over, feeling it was time he knew what was in the box. He brought it over and opened it for her. Inside the box, there was a couple of knitted sweaters, and a big wad of cash, worth almost $100 000. The wife then explained, that before they were married, the grandmother of the wife had advised her, that whenever she felt angry with the husband, she should knit a sweater... At this point, the husband smiled proudly and in his heart, he was glad that she was only angry with him only twice. He nodded, told her he understood what the sweaters were about, and asked about the big pile of money... She replied "oh, that the money I got from selling all the other sweaters.." Married ...

This post is a good reminder for all readers to avoid any unhappiness and misunderstand. After all, you just spend a whole ton of green on that shiny new flatscreen TV. First, before you leave the store, get in writing what you want. Take note of the sale person's name, and better yet, get his contact number. We are not talking about a generic store phone number, which no ones tends to pick up, but his or her own cellphone. Check the delivery date. Write down on the deliver invoice on what you expect: Installation required? Wall Mount? Cabling or extra trunking or even electrical work? Type of socket (USA or UK socket - get the right plug) Timings of delivery and installation Narrow down the time frame, so you are not stuck at home the whole day. Check on the actual number of years of warranty, and what they cover. If you buy extra insurance or coverage, see what they cover, and if the entire set is spoilt, will they replace it and with what kind of set of and are th...