Ry Rule wiaN take 2 on th ine pent rane i" ie on "ace oc oeea “1oe aa. Nth rane te& a bref aiARex ."hsoy “tle a snavcted Hl ston d a“A. aAy an tontacgf nsae n ied af walG fUPe Sqr a rewind “aesCa we oer ae i.‘na OF HOME IMPROVEMT Taking Center Stageint In Home Theaters (NAPSA)—Now hear this—the materials that home theater systems are designed from are an important factor in the quality of the sound these systems deliver. Serious home theater enthusiasts will tell you that just adding speakers to the family room VCR doesn’t cut it. To truly do it right, you need only two things: racks of highly specialized A/V equipment and a custom-designed room. Home theater designers agree that the best home theater settings rely heavily on environmentally friendly medium density fiberboard (MDF) throughout. In high-end speaker cabinets, 100 percent MDF construction is usually a given. As a dense, rigid, acoustically inert construction material, experts say that it can help create speaker cabinets capable of delivering high fidelity, high-volume audio. A properly designed MDF speaker cabinet will focus the maximum “acoustic energy” at the listener, while keeping vibration transmission to a minimum. In some cases, designers even use MDFfor wall panels, strategically using fabric covering to control acoustic reflections in the room. MDF maybe a wiser choice for home audiophiles who like higher sound pressure levels, which are capable of literally shaking drywalloff its screws. “MDFis also the best choice for the cowling that houses the projection unit,” says Rob Sugar of Auras Design in Washington, D.C. “Tt’s more rigid than even plywood, and more workable. You can create curved edges for more of a custom look. MDFis also less susceptible Environmentally-friendly MDF brings movies to life in home theaters. to the effects of heat generated by projectors and behind-the-scenes gadgetry. I make equipment racks from MDFbecause plywood tends to warp from the heat.” In addition to being versatile, MDF makes environmental sense because it is made from recycled wood and other agricultural fiber residues. MDF and other composite wood products, like particleboard, help divert over 12 million tons of residual wood from North America’s landfills each year. Home theater enthusiasts who need to really feel those explosions can try putting “tactile transducers” under the theater floor. “These are piston-driven devices, connected to your bass channel,” says Mike Newmanof CHT Systems in Dallas. “They'll shake the whole room, but they need to be mounted undera rigid platform. We invariably use double layers of MDF when we do these installations.” To learn more about MDF applications, contact the Composite Wood Council at (801) 6700604 or visit the their website at www.pbmdf.com.
