Custom Installation How-To

<I>An installer tackles his own home, including the attic.</I>

In the early 1980s, as an audio salesperson for a Chicago-area A/V retail/custom-install store, I fielded a phone call from Godehard Guenther, the founder and president of a/d/s/. We were one of the largest dealers for their fine line of automotive speakers, and he wanted photos of some of our high-end auto-sound installations featuring a/d/s/. "We don't even have a car-stereo department," I responded, freezing him mute. "We're installing your speakers into the walls of homes." This brilliant former NASA engineer and one-time employee of Wernher von Braun was dumbfounded. Car speakers cut into the walls of houses—what a concept.

Kaleidescape and I go way back. This is the fifth time I’ve had one of its systems in for review, and I must say, the company’s products just keep getting better and better.

Ever wish you could afford a Kaleidescape system? Well, now it's more affordable than ever before to bring their intuitive and comprehensive products into you living room with the introduction of Cinema One, a stand-alone DVD Movie Server, which is their first offering to a broader audience and features kid-friendly operation.

If ordinary surround processors don't get your juices flowing, then the Krell S-1200 Surround Sound Preamp/Processor is sure to get you fired up. Known for their substantial industrial designs and superb sound and video performance, Krell's new state-of-the-art processor is designed for reference level Home Theaters, employing the company's finest audio and video engineering plus the latest in connectivity technology.