http://www.audioholics.com/tweaks Pursuing the truth in audio & video. hourly 12 2006-12-01T00:00 http://www.audioholics.com/reviews/projectors/epson-pro-cinema-1080ub When we got our first glimpse of Epson's Pro Cinema 1080UB at the 9th Annual Audioholics State of the CE Union Event in Clearwater Beach, Florida, we knew we were in for a treat. We had already reviewed the excellent Pro Cinema 1080, and the UB - short for Ultra Black - only took a good projector and made it even better. This review is more of a comparison and evaluation of the new features than a full descriptive overview of everything about the 1080UB. If you want the full blow-by-blow, take a look at our review of the Pro Cinema 1080 and you'll find everything you need to help you evaluate the full complement of this projector's features. clint 2008-05-08T23:22:20+00:00 Pro Review http://www.audioholics.com/tweaks/do-it-yourself-diy-topics/schumakubins As a Do-it-yourself speaker builder I have found myself wondering many times as I perused the internet’s vast sea of home speaker builder’s selections as to what some of the DIY speaker kits would sound like. Hence I decided to check out the Schumakubins which were born on the Parts Express forum utilizing their very own Dayton drivers. The Schumakubins shined with their smooth midrange and tight bass. If you are interested in building speakers but a little reluctant the Schumakubins are a great opportunity. I recommend buying the kit with the precut front baffle. You will be on your way to getting the best sound for the least amount of money and work. Kit speakers are a great and fun way to get some really good sound enjoyment and the Schumakubins are a great way to start. ken 2008-05-07T21:39:16+00:00 Pro Review http://www.audioholics.com/education/frequently-asked-questions/too-many-hdmi-outputs Jim from Iowa asks us how in the world he's supposed to make use of all the new HDMI-capable components he has when his TV and AV receiver don't have enough inputs. It's a good question, and one that many people are asking as more and more manufacturers place HDMI into their products. We tackle it a couple of ways to give you options for maintaining a great picture and also retaining the ability to get the best audio quality possible. clint 2008-05-06T09:31:16+00:00 Tech Article http://www.audioholics.com/reviews/software/game-reviews/gta-4-behind-the-hype After all the hype and "best game in a million years" talk, I just couldn't resist. This is the first GTA game I've played mostly because of timing. I was out of gaming for all of the other GTA games so I'm looking at this through "virgin" eyes. First of all "The Best Game Ever?" Um... No. No it isn't. So far it is cool and I'm enjoying it but it is far from the best game. The sheer size of it it staggering and the thought put in to all the characters is great but the best game... sorry. tom 2008-05-05T16:23:50+00:00 Tech Article http://www.audioholics.com/news/press-releases/conservation-group The nation’s largest on-line audio-visual (A/V) magazine announced plans today to team with a leading conservation organization, the National Center for Conservation Science & Policy (www.nccsp.org), in calling for sweeping changes in government policy on global warming. Both organizations have come together to address global climate change at the Audioholics 10th Annual State of the CE Union Event at Walt Disney’s Premier Swan Dolphin Resort the week of October 22. Gene 2008-05-05T10:21:54+00:00 Press Release http://www.audioholics.com/reviews/projectors/projector-screens/focupix-hdvio-electric-rf We were more than skeptical when we first heard of the Focupix electric screens. Their retail price hovered around $799 for a 104-inch screen, however the typical street price was just $329.99. With a retail drop-off that steep we wondered how on earth anyone could pack enough equipment into the box to make this screen actually function. It turns out these electric screens must be easier to make than I thought. The overall quality and performance of the Focupix HDVio screen had us rethinking what an electric screen should truly cost the average consumer. clint 2008-05-05T08:10:56+00:00 Pro Review http://www.audioholics.com/reviews/speakers/bookshelf/mb-quart-alexxa-b-one Could the MB Quart Alexxa B-One speakers be manufactured in Hades? I ask this because, as I am sure you know, the devil is in the details. And detail is what these speakers are all about. They present a very detailed reproduction of music, and there is also great detail in the fit and finish. But fear not, I will not be forced to consider damnation after all, as the Alexxas are not the handiwork of Beelzebub, but rather that of a storied team of engineers in Germany. (But they are one hell of a pair of bookshelf speakers.) jclarke 2008-05-01T16:24:35+00:00 Gear Corner http://www.audioholics.com/news/editorials/blue-jeans-followup We've received a lot of encouraging words, questions, and concerns from our customers over the heavily-publicized threats made against our company by Monster Cable recently, and wanted to give everyone an update and an explanation. Our view of this situation is that, apart from revealing things like litigation strategy which, for obvious reasons, we need not to speak about publicly, we want everyone to know exactly what this is about, why it's going on, and what the merits of the case are. Whether we have war is, of course, entirely up to Monster; we will not start a war, but we are not the least bit hesitant to fight one if it comes. Don't fear the bully! Kurt Denke 2008-04-29T23:18:02+00:00 Editorial http://www.audioholics.com/news/editorials/the-evolution-of-digital-music-on-demand Think back to a time when you couldn’t log onto the Internet and download any song you wanted in little or no time at all. It seems like that was an eternity ago, right? Once MP3s became more popular, users needed MP3 players to listen to their digital music. MP3s and MP3 players brought about the beginning of the digital music age, where music is downloaded, streamed, given away as prizes, ad-supported, and listened to everywhere. Mary Sekerak 2008-04-28T15:25:51+00:00 Editorial http://www.audioholics.com/reviews/receivers/pioneer-vsx-94txh The last Pioneer receiver review I personally did was in 2005 on an entry-level product (the VSX-815) which struck me as a good balance between available features and power. It will seem pretty obvious when I say that this flagship Elite AV receiver product trumps my last experience by quite a bit. It also, however brings a certain amount of expectation. Being a top of the line model, the VSX-94TXH has a lot of competition and is going to need to distance itself in some areas before being crowned the leader in any particular department. clint 2008-04-28T06:55:00+00:00 Pro Review http://www.audioholics.com/education/display-formats-technology/thx-video THX Display Certification primary goals are to drive quality in manufacturing and help simplify consumer buying decisions. According to THX, having a single testing methodology and specification enables display manufacturers to standardize on one benchmark that is recognized by both industry insiders and consumers alike. We put THX to the test with a series of questions we had about this program to ensure it wasn't just another logo branded on a product to pimp sales. Gene 2008-04-25T15:38:23+00:00 Editorial http://www.audioholics.com/education/frequently-asked-questions/hdmi-output-component A reader asks Dr. A why he can't view some of his material on the TV he bought. Lots of people run into this problem, so we figured we'd take it to Dr. A for a solution. clint 2008-04-25T10:04:32+00:00 Tech Article http://www.audioholics.com/reviews/cables/planet-wave-cable-kit The Planet Waves DIY Home Theater Kit proved to be a versatile product for the end user and custom installer alike. It’s probably the easiest self terminating system I have come across and the fact that you can pretty much utilize any conceivable analog termination on the market with a simple twist on connector and fastening screw is something every home theater aficionado and cable installer should have in their bag of tricks. If you’re looking to customize/shorten your cable lengths while clearing out the cable spaghetti in the back of your rack, this is an excellent solution to consider. Gene 2008-04-24T13:44:02+00:00 Pro Review http://www.audioholics.com/news/editorials/hate-crimes-against-geeks-on-the-rise The long running joke of high school is beating up the geek. It's in practically every movie in the genre. For many geeks it was considered a "right of passage" that gave them the drive and motivation to be successful academically so that they could later fire that tormentor and watch him degenerate into alcoholism and poverty. For many, this thought is the only thing that gets them through this most trying of times. tom 2008-04-24T12:01:47+00:00 Editorial http://www.audioholics.com/news/editorials/hd-radio-next-big-thing HD Radio makes sense. Digital music with meta information similar to mp3, but with even more flexibility. As the digital transition looms nearer for televisions, radio - for the most part seems bent on staying analogue, even though the same fuzzy AM and FM radio has been annoying us for decades. HD Radio proved to change all that, but similar to HD DVD, there seems to be only one main technology player in town - iBiquity and they aren't exactly having adopters sign up in droves for a non-mandatory digital radio transition. clint 2008-04-21T07:57:12+00:00 Editorial http://www.audioholics.com/news/editorials/cable-a-la-carte It seems to make intuitive sense - why should you have to pay for cable channels you never watch? It's not hard to see the benefit for the end user - only pay for the channels you actually watch. In my house this means no more Lifetime, TLC, MTV, VH1, BET, anything related in any way to country music, and a host more. But would I really save any money? tom 2008-04-18T12:56:18+00:00 Editorial http://www.audioholics.com/news/trade-show-coverage/an-insiders-look-to-the-audioholics-sotu-ce-event The necessity to walk over and line up along many others, waiting just like me, inundated my body as I got closer to the main hall. Lights, noise and chatter from the crowd filled my senses and elevated my expectations even higher. Music filled my ears as I grew closer. Anticipation escalated and I could barely resist at this point. I felt like just pushing everyone around me out of the way, but that would only create more havoc and delay my vision. It wasn’t long until I realized I made it. Bertica Molinares 2008-04-18T11:50:46+00:00 Editorial http://www.audioholics.com/education/loudspeaker-basics/dayton-audio-wt3 The WT3 Woofer Tester by Dayton Audio is a fast, accurate and affordable measurement tool that’s about as easy to use as it gets. Just load the included software, plug the probe into the nearest USB port, calibrate, and you’re good to go. It’s that simple! It’ll measure driver impedance and derive the all-important Thiele/Small parameters - critical to the loudspeaker design process. It will also measure the impedance of various components commonly used in the construction of passive crossover networks such as resistors, caps & inductors. Rounding out this feature set, the WT3 sports some useful extra utilities you’ll likely find handy. All in all, this is one item likely to be a favorite of the DIY community for a long time to come. mark 2008-04-17T22:50:34+00:00 Pro Review http://www.audioholics.com/news/editorials/paperless-society-on-the-horizon Japan has many long and established traditions, not the least of them is paper. That isn't stopping Japanese scientists from trying to do away with this resource dependent form of communication. Reuters is reporting today that new "electronic" paper is being displayed (forgive the pun) that vary from fairly thick and sturdy to thin and bendable. Will we finally get away from paper and trust our tech? tom 2008-04-17T13:46:58+00:00 Editorial http://www.audioholics.com/tweaks/calibrate-your-system/hdmi-black-levels-xvycc-rgb When trying to get the most performance out of your home theater, few things are more important than proper display calibration. Sure, setting up your speakers correctly and room acoustics are important, but if your display is calibrated wrong, even the most clueless of friends are bound to notice. Audioholics has written a wealth of information on tests and calibrations that are more general and that cover a broad range of topics, but this article is more targeted. It has come to our attention that many of you utilizing an HDMI connection might have your black levels incorrectly set. Why the sudden confusion? Options have changed with the introduction of HDMI 1.3 and its tag-along partners: Deep Color and the new xvYCC color space. Read on. clint 2008-04-16T10:43:39+00:00 Tech Article http://www.audioholics.com/reviews/speakers/floorstanding/emp-tek-ef50-speaker-system While the EMP EF50 speaker system does sacrifice a bit of performance at the altar of aesthetics, it is very little performance for a whole lot of aesthetic gain. The tiny sub belies its performance and impact and the surround speakers sound too good to be surrounds. The removable faceplates may be a bit gimmicky, but it's a good gimmick. If this is your first foray into home theater and you want to do it right this is the set for you. tom 2008-04-15T13:45:00+00:00 Pro Review http://www.audioholics.com/news/press-releases/hdtracks-music-downloads Announcing the Launch of HDtracks.com, The Web’s Premier High Resolution Music Store Created by renowned audio pioneers David and Norman Chesky, HDtracks.com is the world's first high resolution digital music site offering DRM-free music in multiple formats, as well as cover art and complete liner notes. clint 2008-04-11T08:49:07+00:00 Press Release http://www.audioholics.com/news/editorials/high-definition-downloads In this new era of high definition TV and high speed Internet, it's almost ludicrous to think that in the coming years people will be content to wait for a physical disc to show up in the mail. Still, there are some challenges to the world of HD downloads and a lot needs to happen in order to meet those challenges. We took some time to outline what we think it will take to bring HD downloads to the living room. clint 2008-04-10T14:08:09+00:00 Editorial http://www.audioholics.com/reviews/receivers/harman-kardon-avr-147 With slick and modern aesthetics, conservative power rating and quality digital signal processing, the Harman/Kardon AVR-147 is a full featured A/V receiver. For around $500 you get HDMI switching, one button EzSet/EQ auto calibration and the signature sound that Harman Kardon fans rave about. jeff 2008-04-08T23:50:00+00:00 First Look http://www.audioholics.com/news/editorials/the-future-of-computers-and-entertainment As much as I love to bash Steve Jobs (and I really, really do), you got to give the man his props. The iPhone had barely hit the market before people were coming up with new and interesting uses for it. This year at CES, we saw an iPhone being used as a remote for a receiver. Scientists at CERN are even now discussing potential of their "Grid" - a new internet that has the potential to be 10,000 times faster than what we know today. Not only that, but they are thinking that someday everyone will store all their information online. Now, security issues aside, let's think about the ramifications of that... tom 2008-04-08T15:18:49+00:00 Editorial http://www.audioholics.com/reviews/receivers/yamaha-rx-v463 At a rock bottom price of only $349.95, the Yamaha RX-V463 is an incredible value for those looking to get into a home theater receiver on the cheap without making a huge sacrifice in quality or features. jeff 2008-04-08T15:03:03+00:00 First Look http://www.audioholics.com/buying-guides/system-buying-guides/the-3500-balanced-av-system The following is an entry-level system designed to balance the desire for optimal quality of both audio and video aspects of the room. Key things to note are that this could be a front projection system (no screen, DIY screen, or an inexpensive pull-down “starter” product), or a flat panel or rear projection system depending upon the desired screen size. clint 2008-04-08T11:30:00+00:00 Tech Article http://www.audioholics.com/reviews/portables/griffin-technology-evolve-review The Evolve wireless sound system from Griffin Technology brings yet another iPod speaker system to a crowded market category. But the Evolve stands alone as the first truly wireless speaker system I have reviewed, and it proved to be a great little product that any iPod owner will be interested in checking out. jclarke 2008-04-06T18:59:18+00:00 Gear Corner http://www.audioholics.com/buying-guides/system-buying-guides/the-25k-home-theater-system Now we're talking home theater... The $25K recommended system takes some of the best equipment for the money and puts it together for an impressive immersive environment. Whether you're a two-channel nut or a fan of movies on the big screen, this system will deliver the satisfaction for all types of source material. These products are some of the best performers available that won't make you take out a second mortgage. clint 2008-04-04T23:05:00+00:00 Tech Article http://www.audioholics.com/news/editorials/file-sharing-not-the-devil Just when you thought you'd never hear a scrap of reason from the big record labels, recently acquired ex-Google employee Glen Merrill who now heads up EMI's digital strategy department said that file sharing was "not necessarily bad" . While not exactly a crowning endorsement, it is a big step away from the usual practice of suing the pants off file-sharers. tom 2008-04-04T12:04:30+00:00 Editorial