I've always been able to negotiate something by demonstrating my handyman skills and my meticulous record keeping (pictures before & after, receipts, time, etc.). Usually something to the effect of "You're nice and I'm nice, but let's be honest we don't want to hear from each other unless something is very wrong. I'll…

Also keep dog food with you when you walk off leash; the dog won't stray too far

I had an older version of this, and one warning I would give before upgrading is the limited power. Whatever the specs say, the power with all channels driven is usually a decent amount less than advertised (especially when powering the subwoofer, which does not have a dedicated amplifier), and you have to pay close…

I had an older version of this, and one warning I would give before upgrading is the limited power. Whatever the…

You should have him run pink noise through the speakers for about a week at a moderate/high volume while no one is using it (while at work or while asleep usually); the drivers will break in, loosen up and get their full shine on in a fraction of the time instead of a few months.

You should have him run pink noise through the speakers for about a week at a moderate/high volume while no one is…

That said, you could just get a dumb amplifier and a pair of speakers (or speakers with built-in amps), with the variable audio output from your TV feeding the amp, if stereo is all you really need. I've got a TV in my bedroom using a set of old computer speakers so I can hear it better.

That said, you could just get a dumb amplifier and a pair of speakers (or speakers with built-in amps), with the…

I would tend to steer you away from the typical "Home Theater in a Box" systems that you'll find at places like Best Buy and Target - in general the power is low, the speakers aren't constructed well and will vibrate and clip even at moderate volume, and you may not be able to swap out components down the line. If…

I would tend to steer you away from the typical "Home Theater in a Box" systems that you'll find at places like Best…

It's worth noting that you can add a Sonos Sub to any zone if you want to upgrade the performance of the Play:3 in the future, or swap out for a Connect and use your own speaker/amp setup. If it's out on a shelf, you may want to check out AudioControl's Rialto 400 amplifier instead of the Connect:Amp if you've got the…

It's worth noting that you can add a Sonos Sub to any zone if you want to upgrade the performance of the Play:3 in…

Debatable on B&W being the best (although it is pretty damn good, a top 3 contender), but thank you for pointing out the higher-end options. I would also throw Leon, James and Revel into the mix.

Debatable on B&W being the best (although it is pretty damn good, a top 3 contender), but thank you for pointing out…

You could also run your stereo's line out into a spare analog input on your TV. The TV would have to be on to route the audio to the PlayBar via the digital output, but it's much cheaper than $350 for a Sonos Connect.

You could also run your stereo's line out into a spare analog input on your TV. The TV would have to be on to route…

At one of my old jobs, it was a requirement that anyone new had to do at least 2 weeks in the field alongside the full-time technicians. Tangentially-related positions like accounting and warehouse were exempt but sales, project managers, designers, programmers, etc were all required to know what goes on in the field…

Agreed on pretty much all points. Still gotta represent the high end lest people forget that it exists; some commenters are comparing plastic $200 trinkets to "theater quality" speakers.

Agreed on pretty much all points. Still gotta represent the high end lest people forget that it exists; some…

I know this isn't a properly formatted nomination but no one else is going to vote it up, because no one wants to spend money for quality gear. Almost anything from Leon's Horizon series will blow the rest of these away, including the powered HzOTO - you get what you pay for. Custom-matched to your TV for both fit and…

I know this isn't a properly formatted nomination but no one else is going to vote it up, because no one wants to…

I don't think that's correct. Changing from 5.1 format and forcing it to stereo simply takes the previously discrete center, surrounds & subwoofer channels and mixes them into the left and right.

It is, depends on the game and region. Areas with large Hispanic populations are increasingly getting Spanish-language announcers.

Lots of people I know mute the TV audio and listen to their local AM radio broadcast. The problem with killing your center channel is that a.) the results are heavily dependent on the mix your particular broadcaster uses (sometimes the announcers are mixed heavily to the center but also decently into the L/R), and b.)…

Looks like we are in the same boat brother. Don't forget about Savant, AKA "ooh shiny!"

I have worked residential AV for about 15 years, with a couple years of Computer Science college classes right after high school before dropping out. I first started as a wire pull and basic installation/configuration monkey by playing up my limited previous IT experience (low-level web dev, server/network…

The "free" additional checked baby bags have lower weight limits than regular checked bags; I don't think it leaves enough room for any real abuse, especially considering the much lower number of travelling infants compared to the rest of the flying public.

"... free of political cost." In a city where tourism is a primary source of income and the hotel/tourism lobby is strong, things like that can definitely have a political cost.