This is a guest article by writer Amanda Winstead
Few pleasures can top watching a classic movie or listening to a concert from the comfort of your own home. You don’t have to pay a premium for popcorn and can hit pause when the postman knocks on your door.
However, if you consider yourself a cinephile, music enthusiast, or gamer, you should probably elevate your home entertainment experience. Elevating your home entertainment adds real value to your life by helping you get more out of your deepest passions.
Updating your home entertainment systems needn’t be expensive, either. Budget-friendly upgrades like homemade sound insulation can meaningfully improve the quality of sound systems and cost less than $100. With enough time and effort, this can turn your home into a haven for high-quality audio, distraction-free gaming, and cinema-grade results.
Music Rooms
Listening to high-quality music is a great way to de-stress and get more out of your passion for an artist or composer. Investing in your home stereo system or turntable setup can help you hear notes and intricacies that you may have missed when listening on lesser devices, too.
If you do decide to invest in a new set of speakers, make sure to test them with a track that you already know well. Listen to the music on your old device first, then plug the “better” speakers in and listen again. Take notes and listen out for differences in the clarity of the score. If you can’t hear a discernible difference, return the speakers and continue your research until you find a set that works for you.
A good music room should align with the mood of the music you enjoy the most, too. For example, if you love listening to pop music in the living room, consider drawing inspiration from Taylor Swift’s short films when designing the space. This brings out the mood you’re searching for and creates the right ambiance for your musical passion.
Video Gaming Spaces
A good gaming setup can make a world of difference to your enjoyment as a player. An intentional approach to your setup is particularly important if you like playing multiplayer titles like League of Legends or Apex Legends, as you’ll need a great connection to remain competitive. Start by taking care of basics like:
- Upgrade your wifi speed and install a discrete ethernet cable;
- Purchase a 24-inch gaming monitor with great resolution;
- Invest in a gaming keyboard like the Glorious Gaming custom mechanical keyboard;
- Save up for a gaming chair for peak comfort and customization.
These changes will improve your gaming experience and give you a slight competitive advantage when online. This is crucial if accurate quick-scoping and efficient kiting are important to you as a gamer.
Table Top Games
Table Top Role Playing Games (TTRPGs) are enjoying a renaissance at the moment. Titles like Dungeons & Dragons and Call of Cthulhu have garnered player bases in the millions. If you’re one of the many people who love to roll dice and create character sheets, you should seriously consider creating a game room in your garage for your adventuring party.
The garage is the perfect space for a TTRPG room, as it’s away from your house and is large enough to fit a group of people. You can turn your garage into a gaming haven easily, too. Start by decluttering, and work towards creating your dream gaming space by bringing in storage for your minis and 3D-printed maps. When the space is kitted out, bring in a large table with some storage where guests can keep their dice and store their character sheets.
If possible, rig up some mood lighting with adjustable LED lights. This can add an extra layer of excitement to your game night, as you’ll be able to adjust the mood when your players enter a tavern or begin combat. You can also pick up a cheap stereo system from a local second-hand store and rig it up around your garage to suffuse your space with the sound of adventure.
You will need to soundproof your garage so you don’t disturb your neighbors. Start by adding soundproofing material directly to the door and sealing windows with soundproofing tape. You can finish up by adding some insulation to the roofs and walls if sound is still seeping through the garage and into your home.
You can get the rest of the family involved in your passion for board games by gifting popular titles like Thunder Road and Bop. This will help you come together with friends and family regularly around your shared passion for drawing cards and strategy games.
Creating a Cinematic Ambience
Few theaters show classic movies regularly. This means that you’ll need to create a cinematic ambiance at home to get your film fix. Setting up a home cinema helps you focus on the small details that directors and producers work so hard to include, too.
It is important that if you are adding multiple electronics to one of your living spaces, you should check to see if your house needs rewiring. Old electrical systems that cannot handle large power capacities could be dangerous. If your house is over 40 years old, if your lights are flickering and dimming, or if you experience power fluctuations when using your electronics, it is best to upgrade your home electrical system.
Once you know that your electric system is safe, you can upgrade your home theater today by- Shop for a TV with 4K resolution and Bluetooth/wifi connectivity;
- Pull tape on your theater room to plan how you’ll place your surround sound speakers;
- Opt for a streaming device that carries your favorite titles and regularly adds cinematic classics;
- If you’re a homeowner, consider bringing in a professional to install 3D audio in the ceiling;
- Add blackout blinds to reduce glare on your TV screen.
These changes can turn your living room into a home cinema to be proud of. You can save some cash on monitors and speakers by reorienting the room to reduce glare and improve the acoustics. High-pile rugs and blackout blinds further enhance your viewing experience by blocking out light and dampening sound from your speakers.
Conclusion
If you consider yourself a cinephile or gamer, you should consider investing in your home entertainment setup. A great setup helps you feel comfortable while watching films or listening to your favorite album Even simple changes, like installing a high-pile rug, can drastically improve your entertainment experience. This is crucial if you regularly host game nights and want to impress your friends with your mood lighting, surround sound, or TTRPG setup.
Image via Unsplash
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