After months of blood, sweat and tears, Andy and Kathy Evans are the proud owners of a fully refurbished kitchen and brand new conservatory. Andy even had the presence of mind to lay speaker cable in the cavity walls of both rooms to allow for a hi-fi hook-up once the work was completed. Well, that time has now arrived and this is where we (and the Yamaha MusicCAST) join the party.
Andy and Kathy are unsure of what kit will allow them to listen to both CD and radio in the kitchen and conservatory independently of each other. But, before we start recommending new gear, Andy and Kathy have a few things they'd like us to take into consideration.
As with many homes we come across, space is a major concern. They feel that there isn't enough room in the kitchen for a full-scale hi-fi, so Andy would prefer components of more petite proportions. He mentions his admiration of the KEF ‘eggs' and throws into the ring the ultra-stylish Apple iPod. The jukebox idea is brought about by another concern: having a CD player could turn the kitchen into a dumping ground for empty cases and scratched discs. ‘Something to record CDs onto would be great,' is the hint we receive. On paper, it sounds like a job fit for the multiroom maestro from Yamaha.
We suggest…
We arrive bright and early at the family home. Our time is limited, but one bonus of the MusicCAST is its easy set-up. We manage to navigate a safe path through the sea of children's trainers at the front door, at which point we're given a quick, guided tour of the problem rooms.
First of all, there's the kitchen and adjoining conservatory. Stepping into the kitchen it's immediately apparent the rooms' acoustics may play havoc with the sound from the client. The combination of tiled floors and large glass windows can result in a nasty, bright edge to music. Will the MusicCAST's speakers be up to the job?
Just before we start unboxing kit, we are taken to the living room situated just a couple of doors down the hall. Andy lets us in on their future plans: ‘Once we've redecorated in here, we'd like to get a home cinema set-up.' The family has recently invested in a Philips television and DVD player. We notice a couple of ageing Rodgers speakers either side of the TV, and when we follow the speaker cable to the other side of the room we reach a small cabinet. Andy opens it to reveal a CD player, tape deck and amplifier. ‘It doesn't get much use,' he says: even though there's a couple of reputable brands on show, they're at least 10 years old. It seems the children have hijacked the living room, which explains the jigsaw puzzles and toys strewn over the floor.
