http://www.audioholics.comWhere audio and video equipment undergoes rigorous objective and subjective tests by our staff, ensuring that marketing slogans aren't the only guidelines for your home theater choices.Thu, 28 Mar 2013 08:55:00 -0000http://www.audioholics.com/buying-guides/how-to-shop/tip-of-the-day-budget-properlyFor a custom installer, one of the most important parts of any bid is to set the client's budget expectations promptly and accurately. For someone who doesn't work on home theater systems for a living, the list of components needed is typically quite small. The average consumer will budget for a display, speakers, receiver, Blu-ray player, and cables. But that leaves out a large portion of expenses that can drive up the price of the project significantly. In the professional world I used to advise clients at a 30/30/30 starting point. 30% of the budget would be spent on the display, 30% on sound, and 30% on everything else (Yes, I know that leaves 10% left over. I'm not that base). Over the years I started to modify the budget, especially thanks to decreasing display prices, but the general idea remained the same. The goal was to get clients thinking about all of the small things that are needed to successfully build a home theater. As much as we would love to spend the entire budget on speakers and a display, that would leave us with nothing to watch and no way to power the speakers. With that mindset, below is a list of things to consider when building your own home theater system.Thu, 28 Mar 2013 08:55:00 -0000/buying-guides/how-to-shop/tip-of-the-day-budget-properlyHow to ShopWhat to Buyhttp://www.audioholics.com/buying-guides/system-buying-guides/audioholics-store-2k-systemThe Audioholics $2500 system represents extreme value and emphasis on audio performance. At this price its not typical to get such high performance and beautiful aesthetics all wrapped in one package. Harman Kardon provides all of your amplification needs with solid power delivery and decoding of all the latest HD formats. EMP provides the beautifully constructed and acclaimed speaker and subwoofer solutions to transform your living room into a mega cineplex. Get ready to entertain family and friends often as once they find out you've assembled a system of this caliber they will be visiting more frequently. Make sure they bring they supply of popcorn and beer as well as the occasional Blu-ray rental. Fri, 01 Feb 2013 18:45:00 -0000/buying-guides/system-buying-guides/audioholics-store-2k-systemRecommended SystemsWhat to Buyhttp://www.audioholics.com/buying-guides/product-awards-and-gift-guides/2012-product-of-year2012 was yet a second strong year of economic recovery in the A/V industry. Many of the major A/V manufacturers built upon successes of past generation products with a model line refresh with either minimal or no cost increase to the consumer. Getting more performance without a cost increase is always a win in our book. This year we've also seen an array of incredibly high performance budget gear hit the mainstream from the likes of Emotiva and Pioneer. A newcomer subwoofer brand named Power Sound Audio headed up by former SVS founder Tom Vodhanel launched an incredibly high value performance line of subs. After a 10 year sabbatical, Status Acoustics, the high end division of RBH Sound, decided it was time to unleash a reference level, cost no object speaker system into the high end realm. Classé, a brand of solid reputation, warmed our hearts with their cool running, rugged line of amplifiers and Oppo once again reigned king of the hill with their new line of Universal Blu-ray players.Mon, 17 Dec 2012 18:05:00 -0000/buying-guides/product-awards-and-gift-guides/2012-product-of-yearProduct Awards and Gift GuidesWhat to Buyhttp://www.audioholics.com/buying-guides/system-buying-guides/2-500-recommended-home-theaterIf you have $2,500 to spend on a 5.1 surround sound we can't think of any better system to buy than this one. $2,500 is absolutely everything you will need, including cables, power protection, and Blu-ray player. Just add a TV and you will have a completely new home theater. We hand picked every product in this system because of their extremely high performance vs price ratio. You will be hard pressed to find better equipment for the money, and often times for even double the money. For $2,500 you will end up with a home theater on a budget that will make your friend's "home-theater-in-a-box" or expensive "cube" system look like toys.Thu, 13 Dec 2012 13:00:00 -0000/buying-guides/system-buying-guides/2-500-recommended-home-theaterRecommended SystemsWhat to Buyhttp://www.audioholics.com/buying-guides/product-awards-and-gift-guides/2012-christmas-gifts-guideI think Christmas is coming sooner and sooner each year. At least it sure feels that way. We've geared up our annual Electronics Christmas Gift Buying Guide in an effort to let you know about what we think is great and enticing in the market. It may not be largely home theater-based, but that's because this is the time of year when we branch out into other areas and just include what we think is compelling, innovative, or well... just plain bizarre. In either case we hope this electronics buying guide serves you well as you prepare for the Christmas buying frenzy.Mon, 19 Nov 2012 00:30:00 -0000/buying-guides/product-awards-and-gift-guides/2012-christmas-gifts-guideProduct Awards and Gift GuidesWhat to Buyhttp://www.audioholics.com/buying-guides/how-to-shop/choose-a-wall-mountChoosing a TV wall mount can be a difficult decision because there are many different sizes, brands, and types of mounts. This guide breaks down the three most common types of mounts, full-motion/articulating, tilting, and low-profile, and then provides a few tips on what to look for in a good wall mount. Ultimately, as long as the wall mount you purchase is rated to handle your TV you shouldn’t worry about the TV falling off the wall. All of the extra features we talked about are great to have, but not always necessary. The real trick is knowing how to install the TV so it is secure and looks good. There are a lot of specialty mounts not covered in this article. The best place to find detailed information is on the manufacturer's website. If you take a look at some of the major manufacturers like Peerless, Sanus, Chief, and Omnimount you should be able to find a solution that fits your needs.Fri, 16 Nov 2012 06:05:00 -0000/buying-guides/how-to-shop/choose-a-wall-mountHow to ShopWhat to Buyhttp://www.audioholics.com/buying-guides/how-to-shop/internet-direct-comparisonInternet direct (ID) speaker manufacturers are often considered to provide the ultimate value in audio. However, sometimes there are hidden costs associated with their products that may nullify the advantage of cutting out the middle man. Going from a vinyl to veneer finish may significantly increase price. Speaker grilles may cost extra or shipping might add few hundred dollars to the bill, and what about the ability to return the speakers if you don't like them? We decided to compare the policies of most major Internet direct brands in an effort to help consumers make an informed decision about what they buy and whom they buy it from. We put together a table that directly compares each brand and then wrote a detailed description of their associated policies. We hope this article will help you make a more informed decision when purchasing speakers from an Internet direct manufacturer. You may be surprised at what we found and please share your experiences with these brands in the dedicated forum thread for this article.Sun, 04 Nov 2012 22:55:00 -0000/buying-guides/how-to-shop/internet-direct-comparisonHow to ShopWhat to Buyhttp://www.audioholics.com/buying-guides/system-buying-guides/store-1000-audioThe $1000 system from The Audioholics Store delivers a solid 5.1 surround sound experience for a bargain price. While the $1000 system won't include a flat panel display, it does feature great components such an AirPlay-compatible A/V receiver and a Blu-ray Disc Player that supports NetFlix streaming. This level of system will present a more than subtle upgrade of the audio and video capabilities of a television or even a soundbar. For those looking to make the move into a true 5.1 home theater system, this is going to be a major upgrade.Mon, 08 Oct 2012 22:00:00 -0000/buying-guides/system-buying-guides/store-1000-audioRecommended SystemsWhat to Buyhttp://www.audioholics.com/buying-guides/system-buying-guides/recommended-2-000-budget-2.0-two-channel-stereo-systemEach of our buying guides has a different set of goals, sometimes we go for ultimate performance in loo of looks, other times aesthetic appeal is very important. This $2,000 two-channel stereo guide strikes a balance between performance, looks, and price. We wanted to put together a system that most people could afford financially and could convince their spouse would look good in the home. With that target in mind, we put together a list of everything you would need, from speakers to speaker cables. Additionally, if you want to customize the system to your specific tastes, there are alternative options listed for each product category that can be mixed and matched to modify the system to your needs.Mon, 08 Oct 2012 02:25:00 -0000/buying-guides/system-buying-guides/recommended-2-000-budget-2.0-two-channel-stereo-systemRecommended SystemsWhat to Buyhttp://www.audioholics.com/buying-guides/system-buying-guides/2-channel-stereo-recommendations-high-end-2.0-musicFor many people, listening to music on a great two-channel system for the first time is like rediscovering their music collection. There are innumerable combinations of equipment that one could choose and it can be a very daunting task for anyone to sift through the options and put together a well rounded system. In our recommendations, we decided to focus on proven brands and equipment that most people can find or order at a local HiFi shop. We also wanted to allow you to play all of the music you can find, so we included SACD and USB functionality. Each piece in this system is matched in quality with the other components, and a couple of alternatives for each piece of equipment are provided. This is certainly not a budget system, but rather a system that will allow someone to take a leap into high-end audio with confidence that the end result will be sonic bliss.Wed, 03 Oct 2012 18:00:00 -0000/buying-guides/system-buying-guides/2-channel-stereo-recommendations-high-end-2.0-musicRecommended SystemsWhat to Buyhttp://www.audioholics.com/buying-guides/product-awards-and-gift-guides/fathers-day-electronics-gift-guide-2012Dad doesn't need more gadgets this Father's Day, but you know he wants them. Here is our annual gift guide where we go beyond home theater to bring you the latest and greatest gadgety gizmos gifts and great products that your Dad will be sure to love... or at least like better than a tie.Interspersed you'll find some more traditional home theater recommendations as well. This year one of my friends' wives bought him a flat panel TV. Now THAT is a Father's Day gift! What are you planning to do? Look at the list below and let us know if any of it appeals to you - and tell us what you ended up buying for Dad this year.Mon, 11 Jun 2012 13:40:00 -0000/buying-guides/product-awards-and-gift-guides/fathers-day-electronics-gift-guide-2012Product Awards and Gift GuidesWhat to Buyhttp://www.audioholics.com/buying-guides/how-to-shop/right-loudspeakersThis is a simple, direct (but accurate) guide about everything an inexperienced shopper needs to know when choosing speakers for their home theater system. We discuss the various speaker options that are best suited for particular applications or budgets along with citing examples. If you’ve got an family member or friend that needs advise on a pinch, just print this article out and hand it to them. It even has nice pictures to supplement the text making for a more pleasant read. Your brother-in-law will be so grateful that he’ll buy you dinner (for once!) and you’ll look like the pro that you are for explaining it so clearly and thoroughly. Help a budding Audioholic today by empowering them with the knowledge of choosing the right speaker system for their needs. Wed, 06 Jun 2012 01:01:48 -0000/buying-guides/how-to-shop/right-loudspeakersHow to ShopWhat to Buyhttp://www.audioholics.com/buying-guides/system-buying-guides/home-theater-accessoriesA new TV, speakers, A/V receiver, or subwoofer might be the most exciting pieces of equipment to purchase for a home theater, but there are a plethora of accessories that are truly needed in order to complete a system. From HDMI cables and speaker wire to surge protection, it can be difficult to sift through all of the different products and figure out what to buy. Well, we have done the leg work for you. We used to do it a lot - right within our other buying guides... which made us think: Shouldn't we split out the necessities into their own guide? Now we have. This article guides you through everything you will need to get your system up and running properly.Thu, 31 May 2012 04:20:00 -0000/buying-guides/system-buying-guides/home-theater-accessoriesRecommended SystemsWhat to Buyhttp://www.audioholics.com/buying-guides/product-awards-and-gift-guides/mothers-day-gift-guide-2012Every year I take it upon myself to educate you in the art of bringing our collective mothers into the 21st century properly. And lest you think that's going to be accomplished by brainwashing her into listening to uncompressed music on a separates system while waxing eloquent on the merits of 10 gauge lamp cord speaker cables... well, let's start a bit smaller. The larger items on our list will be there simply because they represent a way to deliver "audio-creep" into your living space in a way that is attractive to a mom, thus enabling you to get a foothold and encourage her to enjoy a little bit more of the hobby. Other items are just cool gadgets that we think she'll really enjoy. Still others are items designated for moms already well-integrated into the digital age. If you've got that kind of mom, or wife, then consider yourself fortunate!Wed, 02 May 2012 14:00:00 -0000/buying-guides/product-awards-and-gift-guides/mothers-day-gift-guide-2012Product Awards and Gift GuidesWhat to Buyhttp://www.audioholics.com/buying-guides/system-buying-guides/6k-home-theater-systemPutting together a complete home theater system from soup to nuts can be a daunting task. Just how much should one budget? What are the best products for the price? And what is right for your needs? These are common questions you may have or should have when assembling a home theater system. We can't always give you the right answer, but we can throw in and at least give some decent recommendations based on our knowledge of what's got excellent "bang for the buck" qualities as well as what we've determined simply performs in accordance with what we want our readers to expect. We set forth to put together a complete system on a budget of around $6.5k (including the Display) with the following goals in mind: 1) Have the ability to play cleanly at high output levels, 2) Make sure the system was reasonably priced, and 3) Incorporate "classy" looking products for high WAF.Tue, 27 Mar 2012 16:00:00 -0000/buying-guides/system-buying-guides/6k-home-theater-systemRecommended SystemsWhat to Buyhttp://www.audioholics.com/buying-guides/product-awards-and-gift-guides/valentines-day-electronics-gift-guide-2012This Valentine's Day why not dazzle your loved one with a gift that will make her life easier? Or perhaps just give her a new convenience he or she never had before? or beautify the home theater room with a new accessory or connectivity device? There are numerous ways to send an electronics gift that will say "I love you" - and most of them cost far less than a diamond tennis bracelet or anniversary ring! (though we doubt this will have exactly the same level of impact on the female of the species...) Following are a few of our favorite recommendations that will impress, update, or even (heaven forbid) help your loved one feel the love - audioholics-style...Sat, 04 Feb 2012 15:00:00 -0000/buying-guides/product-awards-and-gift-guides/valentines-day-electronics-gift-guide-2012Product Awards and Gift GuidesWhat to Buyhttp://www.audioholics.com/buying-guides/product-awards-and-gift-guides/5-media-christmas-gift-ideas-2011Media makes a casual and affordable Christmas gift. Sure, everyone wants brand new hi-fi gear, there’s nothing like receiving a new subwoofer or receiver as a Christmas gift. But those elite-level gifts are given and received among few on your list. But everyone loves receiving new disc-based or downloadable media. It’s the media we play-back on the audio/video system we’ve worked so hard to perfect that gives it its value. An unexpected sleeper-pick on Blu-ray can breathe new life into your surrounds and re-introduce the pop into your display that you may have been missing watching Netflix and over-compressed on-demand Cable TV. While we won’t claim this is a definitive list but it does contain, in no particular order, some sure winners for nearly anyone on your Christmas-list this Holiday Season. Thu, 15 Dec 2011 11:00:00 -0000/buying-guides/product-awards-and-gift-guides/5-media-christmas-gift-ideas-2011Product Awards and Gift GuidesWhat to Buyhttp://www.audioholics.com/buying-guides/product-awards-and-gift-guides/2011-audioholics-poy2011 proved to be a year of economic recovery in the A/V industry. It seemed apparent to us that many of the major manufacturers came out of hiding with a slew of new and improved products to entice fellow Audioholics to upgrade their A/V systems. Velodyne, for example, saw the high-end subwoofer market passing them by and decided to revamp their entire Digital Drive line to put everyone in checkmate. Yamaha took a good thing and made it better. Sherbourn got a much-needed restructuring in management and subsequently a new series of high performance products at competitive prices were born. RBH Sound took their highly successful Signature Reference line and updated their aesthetics - birthing the SX/R series. Oppo kept doing what they do best and made it even better by producing incredibly high value, high performance Blu-ray players that do everything right. If you are contemplating an upgrade to your home theater, the following products should help you accomplish that goal of achieving sonic and visual nirvana.Mon, 12 Dec 2011 12:30:00 -0000/buying-guides/product-awards-and-gift-guides/2011-audioholics-poyProduct Awards and Gift GuidesWhat to Buyhttp://www.audioholics.com/buying-guides/product-awards-and-gift-guides/2011-christmas-gifts-guideWe love this time of year - when we bring out some of the most unusual, compelling, cute, different, or just plain interesting products across a wide swath of the consumer electronics industry. To help us sort them out, we took each product and assigned it as a thoughtful gift for him, her, "that person who has everything" - you get the idea. Many of the products here are different from that which we'd typically review, but this is the time of year we get to play and expand our horizons. The result is this Christmas Electronics Gift Guide which we hope you find enjoyable, entertaining, helpful... shop well!Tue, 15 Nov 2011 14:00:00 -0000/buying-guides/product-awards-and-gift-guides/2011-christmas-gifts-guideProduct Awards and Gift GuidesWhat to Buyhttp://www.audioholics.com/buying-guides/how-to-shop/buying-right-kindle-coverSo you bought a Kindle. Welcome to the new way to read. The Kindle is a phenomenal product that is revolutionizing the way we read and store books. On top of that, it's gaining even more traction as "cloud computing" becomes more and more mainstream and consumers look to digital consolidation for all of their reading materials. This is especially true for students and those who would need a large amount of reference material. But like all new implementations of portable electronic technology, the Kindle needs to be protected - unless you don't mind having to buy a new one if you drop it accidentally. We surveyed the landscape of Kindle covers and located 5 solid solutions that we really feel top the charts for users of all different walks of life.Mon, 24 Oct 2011 12:20:00 -0000/buying-guides/how-to-shop/buying-right-kindle-coverHow to ShopWhat to Buyhttp://www.audioholics.com/buying-guides/how-to-shop/led-lamps-replace-incandescent-bulbsHave you been keeping up with the LED lighting movement? I'd even go so far as to call it a "transition". The future is here - it's just a tad expensive right now. What is driving consumer and professional fascination with LED bulb technology is that it lasts longer, uses less power and should, eventually, cost less. LED lamps produce more light than heat - and that means they are more efficient. They are also safer - both for you (they don't shatter) and for the environment (they are toxin-free). You can also run LED lighting with existing dimmers. Right now they have a higher threshold for dimming than their incandescent counterparts, but they do indeed dim. The other thing we like about LED lighting is that it doesn't require the expense or bulk of a ballast system. That's less to troubleshoot, and less to pay for. It also makes LED lamps smaller - giving them the potential of being used in some pretty creative and compact scenarios where fluorescent technology fell flat on its face. For home theater, LEDs represent the next logical step for projectors - and they've already made their way into the backlighting systems of flat screen televisions.Mon, 03 Oct 2011 08:10:00 -0000/buying-guides/how-to-shop/led-lamps-replace-incandescent-bulbsHow to ShopWhat to Buyhttp://www.audioholics.com/buying-guides/system-buying-guides/2011-3.5k-recommended-systemThere are as many ways to build a $3500 home theater system as there are people. Chances are, you have some of this stuff already. You aren't likely to be starting from scratch. That means, you can either ignore the parts of the recommended system you already have or take a gander at some of our alternates to make up the difference. Don't worry, we'll help you spend that hard-earned money. Building the perfect system is a very personal thing, but we think our list is a great place to start.Mon, 19 Sep 2011 09:00:00 -0000/buying-guides/system-buying-guides/2011-3.5k-recommended-systemRecommended SystemsWhat to Buyhttp://www.audioholics.com/buying-guides/system-buying-guides/2011-1k-recommended-5.1-systemTo put together a $1,000 system for a new user can be a bit daunting. A system of this price is going to require some cost cutting measures. For $1,000 you are going to have a hard time finding anything but small, satellite speakers. Receivers will have HDMI and 3D but not much else. But we've managed to put together a system that not only has all 5 speakers and a sub, but also a Blu-ray player, Netflix and more streaming, and a full fledged receiver. If you have one or more of the components already, you can really improve on this system with some of our Alternate Suggestions. Mon, 22 Aug 2011 10:30:00 -0000/buying-guides/system-buying-guides/2011-1k-recommended-5.1-systemRecommended SystemsWhat to Buyhttp://www.audioholics.com/buying-guides/how-to-shop/2011-2000-a-v-receiver-comparison-guideYou asked for it, and now you have it. The new AVENTAGE RX-A3010 from Yamaha has got a lot of people asking, "How does it stack up?" Well, we'll tell you. We took the top offerings in the $2000 price point from Denon (AVR-4311CI) and Onkyo (TX-NR3008) and weighed them up. While we didn't really find any of them lacking, we're sure you have an opinion on them. Wed, 27 Jul 2011 10:00:00 -0000/buying-guides/how-to-shop/2011-2000-a-v-receiver-comparison-guideHow to ShopWhat to Buyhttp://www.audioholics.com/buying-guides/product-awards-and-gift-guides/2011-back-to-school-gift-guideIt's that time again. Kids are going back to school and parents are looking for the perfect items to stick in their bags to equip them for the many tasks and experiences they will face in the big beyond. While not all of the electronics we'll suggest here will be task-oriented, they will all guarantee to at least put a smile on your favorite student's face. From headphones to iPhones, we cover all of the goodies that are sure to be huge hits this back-to-school season. Without further ado, hold on to your hall passes and be sure not to miss the bus as we take you on a tour of some of the greatest gizmos hitting the shelves this year. Expect some new, and some not-so-new, but in all cases, we'll cover the best things you can purchase for little Suzie or Johnny as they head off to school or college.Tue, 26 Jul 2011 07:06:02 -0000/buying-guides/product-awards-and-gift-guides/2011-back-to-school-gift-guideProduct Awards and Gift GuidesWhat to Buyhttp://www.audioholics.com/buying-guides/how-to-shop/2011-600-a-v-receiver-comparison-guideIt's that time of year again and we're taking a look at the new receivers. At the $600 price point we have offerings from Onkyo, Yamaha, Pioneer, Marantz, Denon, and Harman Kardon (the TX-NR609, RX-V671, VSX-50, NR1602, AVR-2112CI, and AVR 2650 respectively). Most of these are within $50 of the target price though we gave a slight edge to the Harman offering by choosing an $800 offering. Will they crush the comparison with their extra MSRP? Things to expect at this price point - 3D, Audio Return Channel, HDMI upconversion, networking, tons of power, and two zones of audio. Wed, 13 Jul 2011 09:50:00 -0000/buying-guides/how-to-shop/2011-600-a-v-receiver-comparison-guideHow to ShopWhat to Buyhttp://www.audioholics.com/buying-guides/how-to-shop/revealing-flaws-in-the-loudspeaker-demo-double-blind-testWhat is the point of a listening test? For the listener, the intent is easy to identify. They are (often) thinking of buying a product. But when a short demo isn't enough, what options do you have? The obvious solution is third party validation. Manufacturers will often try to sell you the line that their speakers are as good as speakers many times their price. They'll even run their own tests (often Single or Double Blind) to prove that the participants couldn't hear a difference between their and another speaker. But what are they really saying? We break it down for you and show how these claims prey on people's lack of statistical understanding.Tue, 28 Jun 2011 10:00:00 -0000/buying-guides/how-to-shop/revealing-flaws-in-the-loudspeaker-demo-double-blind-testHow to ShopWhat to Buyhttp://www.audioholics.com/buying-guides/product-awards-and-gift-guides/fathers-day-electronics-gift-guide-2011Every Father's Day we attempt to structure an electronics gift guide with items that will bring him into the 21st century. I mean, that's our job, right? So here it is... 2011, and this year we've got a whole host of products, ranging from the small to the large. We've attempted to hit all price points and, to keep things fair, we didn't sort this list in any particular order. If your Dad is lost in the 80s or, worse, thinks high tech is perfectly represented by that new Dell you bought him last year, well... these products should help to broaden his horizons. So without any further ado, here are our electronics picks for 2011. Here's to hoping that your Dad encounters some upgraded products that will make his life easier, bring him happiness, and tickle his fancy this Father's Day.Fri, 03 Jun 2011 03:40:00 -0000/buying-guides/product-awards-and-gift-guides/fathers-day-electronics-gift-guide-2011Product Awards and Gift GuidesWhat to Buyhttp://www.audioholics.com/buying-guides/product-awards-and-gift-guides/mothers-day-electronics-gift-guideOK, it's Mom. We get it... she may not be all that technical - at least I know that MY Mom certainly isn't. But isn't that the point? I mean, isn't that why YOU'RE around? If you're going to lift you Mom about of the retro state she's in, then you have to know what's out there and what are the key products for this year's Mothers day. Well we're here to help bring your Mom into 2011 with style. I mean, seriously, we can help. Whether it's a new TV, or a stereo system she can actually use, Audioholics has - for years - prided itself on keeping an eye to what's hot, and what's relevant in the entire realm of consumer electronics. Hey, we may be all cables, speakers, receivers and TVs by day - but we can also tell what the good cameras, mp3 players, headphones and gadgets are as well. And while my favorite fruit may be the Apple, I can hold myself over with a Blackberry from time to time. Read on and enjoy.Fri, 22 Apr 2011 18:05:00 -0000/buying-guides/product-awards-and-gift-guides/mothers-day-electronics-gift-guideProduct Awards and Gift GuidesWhat to Buyhttp://www.audioholics.com/buying-guides/product-awards-and-gift-guides/valentines-day-electronics-gift-guideThis Valentine's Day why not dazzle your loved one with a gift that will make her life easier? Or perhaps just give her a new convenience he or she never had before? or beautify the home theater room with a new accessory or connectivity device? There are numerous ways to send an electronics gift that will say "I love you" - and most of them cost far less than a diamond tennis bracelet or anniversary ring! (though we doubt this will have exactly the same level of impact on the female of the species...) Following are a few of our favorite recommendations that will impress, update, or even (heaven forbid) help your loved one feel the love - audioholics-style...Fri, 04 Feb 2011 14:28:20 -0000/buying-guides/product-awards-and-gift-guides/valentines-day-electronics-gift-guideProduct Awards and Gift GuidesWhat to Buyhttp://www.audioholics.com/buying-guides/product-awards-and-gift-guides/2010-audioholics-poyAlthough 2010 was kind of a grim year economically for most of us, the A/V world belted out high value products improving on last year predecessors at little to no cost added. Instead, we saw some companies refocus their entire line of product with a more audio centric emphasis rather than cramming more zones or useless DSP enhancement features that most users won't care to use. Yamaha really paved the way as a shining example of this with their Aventage line of A/V receivers. Loudspeaker companies have also raised the bar by creating a more audiophile focus on their products. Aperion Audio's new Verus line is a shining example of this. The display world was not exempt from the better successor models being released from various manufacturers such as Vizio, Toshiba, Samsung and LG.Wed, 15 Dec 2010 19:25:00 -0000/buying-guides/product-awards-and-gift-guides/2010-audioholics-poyProduct Awards and Gift GuidesWhat to Buyhttp://www.audioholics.com/buying-guides/how-to-shop/iphone-4-case-roundup-buying-guideWith the announcement that the iPhone is likely coming to Verizon shortly, there is sure to be an influx of new iPhone 4 users in the next quarter. Those users will come from one of two places: either new users who are jumping ship from AT&T to experience iPhone use on the Verizon Network, or existing Verizon customers who are going to take advantage of renewing their contracts with an iPhone 4. In either case, there are going to be lots of new iPhone 4 consumers who will need to protect their new investment. We solicited cases from most of the major players and experienced a near-full array of what's available for the iPhone 4. Some cases really impressed us. Others came across as more or less standard fare and nothing short of what you'd expect for any new smart phone. To make this process simple, we'll list each case here and talk briefly about our experiences, giving an overall opinion as well as the general pros and cons of each product.Fri, 10 Dec 2010 07:00:00 -0000/buying-guides/how-to-shop/iphone-4-case-roundup-buying-guideHow to ShopWhat to Buyhttp://www.audioholics.com/buying-guides/how-to-shop/2010-1000-a-v-receiver-comparison-guideFor many years now, you could say you weren't really playing with the big boys until you stepped up to a $1000 receiver. All of these receivers will have HDMI 1.4 inputs and outputs, all of which support 3D. You're going to get an onscreen display over HDMI standard and can expect video upconversion and scaling from analogue to HDMI 1080p. While your entry level receivers have to cut a lot of corners and at the $500 price point you find manufactures picking a focus, here, you get a lot more. Networking, multizone, THX certification, auto setup and calibration, and tons of extras. To help you out with your decision, we're taking a close look at offerings from Denon, Marantz, Yamaha, Onkyo, Pioneer, Sony, and Harman Kardon.Wed, 01 Dec 2010 18:50:00 -0000/buying-guides/how-to-shop/2010-1000-a-v-receiver-comparison-guideHow to ShopWhat to Buyhttp://www.audioholics.com/buying-guides/how-to-shop/2010-entry-level-a-v-receiver-comparison-guideWhile we tend to think that the sweet spot in receivers is the $500 price point (hence the reason we started with that comparison article), the fact is, some people are just looking for something. Anything. Maybe it's for them and they are on a serious budget. Maybe it's for their parents or their kids or some other secondary use. The key is that it has to be cheap. While a few years ago, the entry level receivers had little more than stereo inputs and Dolby ProLogic, these days you can get 3D capable HDMI inputs, discrete amps, and onscreen displays. We've again hit all the major players (except for Harman Kardon, their "budget" surround receiver was in the $500 comparison) with Denon, Marantz, Yamaha, Onkyo, Pioneer, Sherwood, and Sony in the mix. Prices range from a low of $229 to a high of $399.Fri, 26 Nov 2010 01:00:00 -0000/buying-guides/how-to-shop/2010-entry-level-a-v-receiver-comparison-guideHow to ShopWhat to Buyhttp://www.audioholics.com/buying-guides/how-to-shop/2010-500-receiver-comparison-guideWe love a good comparison so you'll forgive us if we got a little exuberant with this one. The ~$500 price point is a popular one for A/V receivers and just about every manufacturer has a receiver around that price. Instead of leaving out manufacturers that had a receiver a little under or over the price point, we just included everyone's offerings.This year's models range in price from a low of $479 to a high of $599. While that's only a $120 variance, it's an over 20% difference. If you'd paid 20% more for your car, you'd expect a serious improvement. Hitting the ~$500 price point means that the convenience features are going to be key since manufacturers will have to pick and choose what is most important to them. Read on for our take on the receiver offerings around $500 from Denon, Pioneer, Onkyo, Harman Kardon, Sherwood, Marantz, Yamaha, and Sony.Wed, 17 Nov 2010 16:00:00 -0000/buying-guides/how-to-shop/2010-500-receiver-comparison-guideHow to ShopWhat to Buyhttp://www.audioholics.com/buying-guides/product-awards-and-gift-guides/2010-consumer-electronics-christmas-gifts-guideEach year we put out a consumer electronics Christmas Gift Guide for our readers. This is simply a guide that takes a wide swath of products from all over the industry and compiles them here to let you know what we think is cool and new. You may see products here that we'll likely never review - that;'s because we're not just limiting the guide to home theater products. Since little Suzie may not need a new Blu-ray player (or you may not be able to afford it) we like to throw in a mix of gadgets, products and equipment that's simply interesting to us. Read on, and let us know what you think of our picks and be sure to add your own suggestions in the forum thread.Tue, 02 Nov 2010 06:00:00 -0000/buying-guides/product-awards-and-gift-guides/2010-consumer-electronics-christmas-gifts-guideProduct Awards and Gift GuidesWhat to Buyhttp://www.audioholics.com/buying-guides/product-awards-and-gift-guides/2010-a-v-receiver-hot-picks2010 is proving to be a hot year for A/V receivers. We are seeing virtually all the new models armed with full HDMI 1.4a support (including 3D and audio return channel) all sprinkled with plenty of HDMI I/O's and legacy connections. Gone are some of yesterdays wimpy models to be replaced with beefed up successors offering more features and better performance without an increase in price. The higher end models are now incorporating networking features for audio streaming, top of the line video processing and 9.2 channel support to expand your surround field. The sky is the limit, or more importantly, your wallet in determining just how far you want to go. So explore our picks from the likes of Marantz, Yamaha and Denon while we get ready to conduct formal reviews of these superstars.Thu, 02 Sep 2010 03:10:00 -0000/buying-guides/product-awards-and-gift-guides/2010-a-v-receiver-hot-picksProduct Awards and Gift GuidesWhat to Buyhttp://www.audioholics.com/buying-guides/product-awards-and-gift-guides/fathers-day-2010-gift-guideThis Father's Day it's time to tech your Dad. That's right, you know your dad is still living in the dark ages. He probably asked you within the last year how to transfer his VHS tapes to DVD, or maybe this is the first year he discovered Facebook or how to text on his cell phone. In either case you owe it to your father to give him a gadget that will stretch his horizons and bring him just a little bit closer to 2010. It doesn't have to be a robot with laser beams or a voice activated 3-D holographic digital video recorder, but at least put something into his life that will keep him from embarrassing himself (or you!) at the next family picnic. Better yet, use him as a catalyst to upgrade your whole family!Wed, 16 Jun 2010 00:20:00 -0000/buying-guides/product-awards-and-gift-guides/fathers-day-2010-gift-guideProduct Awards and Gift GuidesWhat to Buyhttp://www.audioholics.com/buying-guides/product-awards-and-gift-guides/mothers-day-2010-gift-guideThis Mother's Day, why not bring your beloved parent up to speed through the carefully-planned insertion of choice tech gear into their daily arsenal? We're not talking James Bond tech here, just your standard circa-2010 fare that will make your Mom the coolest one on the block and give her the ability to dazzle her friends with the brilliance of her son or daughter's choice in gifts... But now Mother's Day is coming. And this is your chance to plant a gadget into your mother's hand that is sure to level the playing field and restore dignity to the family name.Wed, 05 May 2010 18:23:52 -0000/buying-guides/product-awards-and-gift-guides/mothers-day-2010-gift-guideProduct Awards and Gift GuidesWhat to Buyhttp://www.audioholics.com/buying-guides/product-awards-and-gift-guides/2009-consumer-excellenceDespite the sluggish economy of 2009, manufacturers still managed to innovate and release new and improved products. The prestigious Audioholics Consumer Excellence (CE) Awards program recognizes the most advanced and forward-thinking products in crucial CE categories submitted for consideration by the industry's leading manufacturers. Awards are given to products which serve consumers directly and also those products which serve to improve the business and success of the custom installer. Check out this years winners here.Wed, 24 Feb 2010 06:00:00 -0000/buying-guides/product-awards-and-gift-guides/2009-consumer-excellenceProduct Awards and Gift GuidesWhat to Buy