In the beginning Link to heading
As an IT guy having constant interactions with people and computers (same same), a quality off time (or me time) is an absolute necessity. Other than playing games that are harder than real life (survival games) I like to watch movies and TV shows with a bang. My first home theater setup was a Yamaha 6.1 AV receiver with a 29-inch Singer CRT TV. At the time (2007) it was a good setup and with a S-Video cable connection and a Toss Link cable for the audio, there were no disappointments. Then I had to move to Singapore for work and built a much advance setup with a projector, Denon AV receiver and a nice sofa bed. After some time, I had to come back to Sri Lanka and sequence of unfortunate events I couldn’t build a home theater again. However, I was experimenting with monitors and headphones to get the bass (yeah, I like to feel things) and the level of visual details from my PC setup. And then I had to go back to Singapore again!
50 Shades of.. Link to heading
My first buy was a 4k HDR monitor. After going through tons of reviews, forum posts and shop tours I bought the Dell G3223Q. It’s actually a gaming monitor with all the bells and whistles needed for a high-quality video output. There were better options with more color levels and other stuff but for my budget, this was the best option. Its screen size was 32-inch and 4k resolution with no widescreen or a curve. And the LCD panel was a IPS panel which has good color levels specially the blacks. With the viewing distance of 3-feet, screen is producing some amazing cinematics with good depth and details as you were watching something in a big cinema. Because of the aspect ratio of the monitor, the usual black strips are there. But the quality of the black levels, screen size and viewing distance is making it not that obvious.
Audacity? Link to heading
Then it was the time to please the ears. As a gamer my favorite OS is Windows and as a Windows user my favorite PC (or laptop) brand is Dell. So, I was frequently browsing their products for my next purchase, and it led me to their Dolby Atmos headphones. I was a fan of digital sound processing from the beginning by experiencing my Yamaha AV receiver converting stereo sounds of VCD’s to a 5.1 surround sound. In Dolby Atmos for headphones, it was the opposite as it was reproducing the multi-channel surround sound with a stereo headphone. With this compatibility and a good set of speaker specifications made me to buy the Alienware AW520H. It was amazing with superb clarity and good bass. (I can physically feel the speaker movements on my ears). Atmos surround effects were really cool too compared to a normal stereo mix. And positioning was at its best to my standards keeping me guessing whether the sound came from the headphones or from outside world.
Final Thoughts Link to heading
I have been using this setup for the past year and so far, only my internet and netflix connections let me down. (4k streaming seems to be too much for some scenarios). Anyhow I manage to experience most out of my contents without draining the pocket too much. It is well worth to get an 4k device specially with some good HDR because it will open up another dimension of your contents. I was amazed with some of the details in the movies even with this small 32" monitor. As for the sound, Atmos or not getting a headphone with a good speaker diameter is a must at least if entertainment is a priority. I have listed my hardware details below if anyone wants to check the specifications. And finally Live long and Prosper! or not..
My Setup Link to heading
- Laptop - Dell G15 with I5 13Gen, 16GB ram, 512GB NVMe and Nvidia 4050 graphics
- Monitor - Dell G3223Q with 4k and HDR 600
- Headphones -AW520H - Alienware Wired Gaming Headset with Dolby Atmos