BUILD YOUR
H
aving a place for “the boys” to come hang out, kick back and watch the
game, shoot some pool, or throw some darts is the dream of 92% of men,
according to an unscientific poll I just conducted in my imagination.
So why do so few men actually have one of these coveted Man
Caves? Is the reason intimidation? It shouldn’t be. Because creating a
great space for the man of the house is a lot easier than you think
Pay attention to these tips, tricks and ideas to kick off
the perfect pad for watching the big game, drinking
great beer and gadgets to keep your man cave safe
from intruders. So study up, because even though
there won’t be a quiz, you could still lose your
man-card if you’re space fails to pass muster.
Most of all, remember that this is YOUR
space. So make it yours and
have some fun!
HOME THEATER
FUNDAMENTALS
Step back in time into your own private
saloon. Perfect for mixing home-distilled
cocktails and smoking the finest cigars.
Pa g e 1 0
Love cars and wine? Show off both in this
man cave designed for car and wine
aficionados everywhere.
First of all, there are all kinds of 'home theater
in a box' kits on the market today. These kits
are already put together in order to help you
get the home theater you desire in one fell
swoop. While you can get perfectly good home
theater systems in this manner, I honestly
believe you will get better value for your
money by building your own system one
component at a time. If you are impatient in a
hurry or simply do not wish to spend the time
researching your options then the home
theater systems that are sold on the market
may be a good idea for you.
Now that we've gotten past that, you should
notice that some people consider the actual
television to be a part of the home theater
system. You can go many routes when selecting
a television that will work with your home
theater needs. It is entirely up to you what kind
of television you select. I do however
recommend that you seriously consider the
lighting in any given room before choosing your
television. Projection televisions do not do well
in rooms with a great deal of light. Otherwise,
go with what works within your budget and
the overall look you prefer for your home
theater viewing.
Sound is another important component of
most home theater systems. The amount you
spend on your sound system should depend
entirely on how much sound impacts your
enjoyment of movies. You can spend a lot of
money on a good set of speakers and sound
system or you can seriously cut costs by
spending less on this particular component.
Building a home theater depends entirely upon
your personal preferences and the overall system
you wish to build.
In order to get the greatest benefit from your
speakers you will need a receiver in order to
process the sounds and present them in the best
possible light. The receiver basically receives
information from all manner of devices and sends
the signal where you tell it to go. Your receiver is
one place that most people tend to spend a good
portion of their budget and with good reason. This
is by far one of the most important components
and one that many people do not already own.
Your DVD/DVR is another thing that can impact
your viewing experience. You shouldn't opt for a
high definition DVD or DVR unless you have a high
definition television and only then if you plan to
purchase high definition DVDs rather than the
regular DVDs you will find on the market at the
moment. Doing so will only result in a waste of
money while the technology is new. Instead, wait a
year or two until the prices drop and upgrade
slowly rather than buying the top of the line most
expensive component that the remainder of your
system cannot keep up with.
Only you can set your budget and decide how
much you are willing to spend on each individual
component.