HAVING MUSIC FILTERING THROUGH every room of your house - and even outdoors - is no longer a pipe dream. The variety of integrated systems available means there is one to suit just about any budget, bringing you surround sound at the touch of a button.
In small Hong Kong homes, many people want to confine music to the living-room, says Kenneth Tam, of Standard Audio and Photo Supplies (Ocean Centre, 5 Canton Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, tel: 2735 0005), but they are no longer content to settle for the twin speakers of old: surround sound is a minimum requirement.
The most popular brands of Sony, Pioneer, Onkyo, Denon and Yamaha can deliver cinema-quality sound for as little as $3,500 to $6,000. This will buy a five-speaker plus sub-woofer hi-fi system with a DVD, CD, video and radio/amplifier combination. These models are compact, feature advanced sound and picture quality and are easy to set up. All cables are colour-coded and the step-by-step instructions allow them to be installed without professional help. The units are smaller than a standard VCR, says Tam, and allow basic operation from single control panels.
For a more upmarket sound, Bose is a well-known brand specialising in multi-zone capable systems (
www.bose.com). Models in its Lifestyle range vary widely from stereo only to home theatre, multi-disc or DVD integrated, enabling users to choose from a variety of loudspeakers, amplifiers and active loud speakers for any room, and outdoors. Dominic Waters of Bose Asia Pacific (50 Russell Street, Causeway Bay, tel: 2836 3181; Bose hotline: 2123 9000) says zones can be controlled using a radio-frequency remote control so there is no need to 'point and shoot' like the remotes of old; this one can operate through walls. Another benefit is you can have two or more rooms playing music simultaneously from different sources. For example, the children could be watching a DVD in the living-room while mum and dad are on the balcony listening to the radio - at the same time, on the same system, using separate remote controls.
Although simpler systems can be installed straight from the box, multi-zone integrated systems require running cables through walls or ceilings. Waters says no permit is required for installation and most handy people can do the job themselves. Cost of the Bose systems range from $10,500 to $40,000.
Another leading company, AMX (
www.amx.com), says that regardless of the size of the home, budget and individual requirements there is a level of automation that can be customised. Do-it-yourself installation is not an option with any of the AMX Lifestyles systems, says Chris Yang, general manager of North Asia region, because of the technology involved (tel: 3422 8742). AMX consultants design a system for each customer and after the software is programmed two technicians go to the home to install it. This usually takes a day, and although drilling through walls or ceilings will be necessary the disruption is minimal.