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.Sun, 19 May 2013 13:00:00 -0000http://www.audioholics.com/news/industry-news/subscribe-dish-ipadWe've heard of new subscriber deals before, but this week DISH announced that it's offering new subscribers the choice of an Apple iPad 2 instead of first year programming discounts. This is for customers who sign up for the Hopper with Sling Whole-Home HD DVR and a qualified programming package. New customers can then use the iPad to get DISH Anywhere service. Combined with the Hopper entertainment platform, customers can use their iPad (or an iPhone for that natter) to watch live TV, DVR recordings and/or On Demand shows. The Hopper with Sling and iPad offer begins on Wednesday, May 22, 2013 and runs until September 18, 2013.Sun, 19 May 2013 13:00:00 -0000/news/industry-news/subscribe-dish-ipadIndustry NewsAV News http://www.audioholics.com/news/editorials/2013-home-year-awardsWe follow the folks over at Electronic House and are particularly enamored with their annual Home of the Year Awards. This is where they select from literally hundreds of entries to come up with the home installations that are the very best among the various categories and budget ranges. For the 2013 Home of the Year Awards we checked out the 12 different categories, some of which included several finalists in Gold, Silver and Bronze designations. I think that, after seeing them, you'll agree that any of these homes would be impressive. And that's just on the surface. Any time you're impressed with the look and layout of a home theater or whole-house audio/video system—just imagine all the work it took to design it, lay it out and, of course, install the system.Mon, 13 May 2013 10:45:00 -0000/news/editorials/2013-home-year-awardsEditorialsAV News http://www.audioholics.com/news/editorials/wisa-certifications-wireless-speakersEach wireless technology has its place, but no one is offering wireless surround sound audio for the home theater with all of the WiSA benefits such as multi-channel surround sound that is interoperable with any compliant system; transmitting uncompressed, interference free HD audio that is easy to set up and easy to use. There is also no reason that AirPlay devices and WiSA certified devices can’t work together. Basically, someone can take the stereo or HDMI output from the AirPlay receiver and plug it into an input on the WiSA certified audio hub. WiSA certification is a game-changer in the wireless speaker world. It IS the new industry standard for high quality surround sound in the home theater. WiSA speaker technology can also be used in portable speaker applications too.Mon, 06 May 2013 08:00:00 -0000/news/editorials/wisa-certifications-wireless-speakersEditorialsAV News http://www.audioholics.com/news/editorials/musicians-corner/annie-haslam-interviewThe British Progressive Band known as Renaissance was founded in 1969 by Keith Relf and Jim McCarty after the split up of their band, the Yardbirds. Renaissance was set slightly apart from other Progressive bands throughout the 70s, such as Genesis, Yes and ELP, as they emphasized more on symphonic classical music blended into their progressive themes without relying on hard hitting synthesizer or screaming guitars. But make no mistake; they were equally as popular amongst the same fans. In 2009, they got back together for their 40th year anniversary tour. We had a chance to sit down with vocalist Annie Haslam at her studio in Pennsylvania.Wed, 01 May 2013 01:00:00 -0000/news/editorials/musicians-corner/annie-haslam-interviewMusician's CornerEditorialshttp://www.audioholics.com/news/editorials/hidden-home-theater-hiding-surround-soundIn older homes, home theater really needs to be hidden. If not, then you can ruin the decor of the home. This isn't easy and we give you seven tips to achieve the hidden home theater. My grandma always told me that children should be seen and not heard. I live in an historic part of the city and when it comes to home theater, the exact opposite is true. Around here, people care about what their houses look like and home theater ruins the décor.Fri, 26 Apr 2013 09:00:00 -0000/news/editorials/hidden-home-theater-hiding-surround-soundEditorialsAV News http://www.audioholics.com/news/industry-news/imax-private-theaterDo you want a theater modeled on the one used by Christopher Nolan, James Cameron, and JJ Abrams to view their movies? IMAX will build you your own Private Theater - in your own home. While the price hasn't been announced, if you have to ask, we're pretty sure you can't afford it. With custom speakers, a system that does daily speaker calibrations, a floor to ceiling, wall to wall curved screen, and dual 4k projectors, this is the theater of your dreams. Right now, IMAX is waiting to start designing your Private Theater. Will we see an IMAX certification program like THX does? Time will tell.Thu, 25 Apr 2013 01:45:00 -0000/news/industry-news/imax-private-theaterIndustry NewsAV News http://www.audioholics.com/news/industry-news/emotiva-audio-to-acquire-bob-carver-llcSorry if you had your brains explode all over your monitor, but it happened to us too. As revealed in this week's Emotiva Podcast, Emotiva has acquired Bob Carver LLC. Emotiva, long known to the Audioholics of the world as the go-to manufacturer for Internet Direct amplifiers, has a history of providing solid-state amplifiers at a fraction of the price of the brick and mortar competition. Bob Carver, a literal giant in the field of amplifiers, has a long history in the world of high-end audio through his companies which include the well-respected Sunfire. To top it all off, Bob Carver will now be working with Emotiva on R&D. The implications are mind-boggling. Wed, 17 Apr 2013 07:25:00 -0000/news/industry-news/emotiva-audio-to-acquire-bob-carver-llcIndustry NewsAV News http://www.audioholics.com/news/industry-news/dts-hd-layered-audio-technologyDTS announced something recently that didn't get much play. The company launched its new DTS-HD Layered Audio technology. What this is, is a way to allow online media services to stream (on-demand) adaptive bit-rate files from a single encode. DTS-HD Layered Audio takes the best stuff from the DTS-HD codec and uses it to create and store adaptive bit-rate audio streams—all from a single encode. So if you're streaming to a mobile product that isn't running at blazing 4G speeds yet, you can have them pull from a lower bitrate encoded stream. At the same time broadcast quality streaming is possible for those on higher bandwidth connections. DTS demoed the technology at NAB this year and it works as advertised. Tue, 16 Apr 2013 05:05:00 -0000/news/industry-news/dts-hd-layered-audio-technologyIndustry NewsAV News http://www.audioholics.com/news/industry-news/audioholics-e-store-name-changeAllow us all to introduce to you to: audiogurus.com! Audioholics and Audioholics Store have always been two separate companies, and we feel that it's now safe to end the confusion. The easiest way to do that is to rename the store and re-brand it on its very own top level domain. So after much thought, we've all decided to do just that. It's ready to fly on its own. Its wings have matured and the folks associated with the Store are ready to succeed in the world of audio and video electronics without the confusion of sharing a name with an impartial online A/V review magazine. Audiogurus will continue to provide the same great service, product selection, 30-day return and warranty policies as the original Audioholics E-Store, and Audioholics will still have a great relationship with the folks who run it. You will soon see the Store transition in name and URL from store.audioholics.com to audiogurus.com. It’s a great new direction for all parties involved and we're very excited to see the store get to this level!Thu, 11 Apr 2013 20:55:00 -0000/news/industry-news/audioholics-e-store-name-changeIndustry NewsAV News http://www.audioholics.com/news/industry-news/aereo-subscription-antenna-tv-service-televisionThe battle for television is on...in fact, it HAS been on for years now. It's been in motion ever since streaming media services like Hulu, Netflix and iTunes started infiltrated their once-protected airspace. Now, a new company, Aereo, threatens the admittedly untenable status quo. Aereo isn't a mispronounced new sandwich cookie, it's a service that, similar to PlayLater, Ivi.tv and FilmOn, justifies its existence through legal technicalities, but which nevertheless faces an uphill battle. But Aereo has some serious backing from IAC and its Chairman and Senior Executive, Barry Diller—and that's good for something. Aereo's service is based on providing an individual antenna for every subscriber, thus creating (in it's definition) a "private transmission" to the user. At that point, Aereo allows for DVR recording and playback services and, of course, access to the live antenna broadcasts available.Thu, 11 Apr 2013 19:00:00 -0000/news/industry-news/aereo-subscription-antenna-tv-service-televisionIndustry NewsAV News http://www.audioholics.com/news/industry-news/sound-united-polk-audio-def-tech-boomPolk Audio and Definitive Technologies ('Def Tech' to its fans) are brands that most audiophiles and audioholics alike are familiar with. So when parent company DEI Holdings formed a new division, that united the brands under a more visible roof, we thought, "That's some pretty significant news." And it is. Sound United is the new division and it will oversee Polk Audio, Definitive Technology and also BOOM. While the three brands will stay separate and maintain their own identities and development teams, Sound United allows the diversity of the brands to be brought together so that each can serve the same consumer in different ways. It's not that DEI wasn't already doing this, but now they have a name by which to supply solutions for all of the various areas. Mon, 08 Apr 2013 11:05:00 -0000/news/industry-news/sound-united-polk-audio-def-tech-boomIndustry NewsAV News http://www.audioholics.com/news/editorials/legacy-audio-dsp-eqWe had the good fortune this month of sitting down with Bill Dudleston, Chief Designer and Owner of Legacy Audio to discuss DSP and EQ processing for loudspeaker systems. Bill shares his views of various room correction systems, including listing a couple of his personal favorites. He also discusses the necessity of the EQ system allowing the end user to tweak and also set their own target curve to suite their room acoustics and listening preferences. Bill is a champion of full range speakers even in systems with powered subwoofers to increase room modal density while also greatly reducing system distortion and improving transient response. Some great advice is given on how to properly setup and EQ a fullrange multi-channel loudspeaker system. So, have a read and feel free to comment in our dedicated forum thread.Mon, 08 Apr 2013 00:20:00 -0000/news/editorials/legacy-audio-dsp-eqEditorialsAV News http://www.audioholics.com/news/editorials/star-trek-enterprise-season-one-blu-ray-reviewThe first season of Star Trek: Enterprise, that bastard-child of the Trek franchise, is hitting Blu-ray, presented in a six-disc set consisting of all 25 episodes, including the 2-hour pilot Broken Bow. Although the show divided the Trek-faithful like no other, its fans will be tempted to upgrade their 2005 Enterprise DVD set to get their hands on the substantial amount of new material included in the special features. Unfortunately, with the gold standard in Trek Blu-ray conversions already set by the ongoing deployment of Star Trek: The Next Generation, Enterprise just doesn't measure up.Tue, 26 Mar 2013 10:00:00 -0000/news/editorials/star-trek-enterprise-season-one-blu-ray-reviewEditorialsAV News http://www.audioholics.com/news/industry-news/svs-ultra-tower-speakers-contestThat's right, SVS and Audioholics are teaming up once again to allow YOU to enter and win a pair of SVS Ultra Tower Speakers. All you have to do is answer a few questions telling us why YOU should be one of three people to review the new tower speakers and, if selected, SVS will ship you and two other lucky contestants a pair of the new Ultra Tower speakers. Then, you'll review them and post your review online in our forums. Our forum members will vote on the best written, most useful, and most comprehensive review. The winner gets to keep their speakers!Mon, 25 Mar 2013 11:00:00 -0000/news/industry-news/svs-ultra-tower-speakers-contestIndustry NewsAV News http://www.audioholics.com/news/editorials/the-hobbit-an-unexpected-journey-into-bad-ht-video-technologyThese days special effects in movies aren’t limited to what’s happening on-screen but rather how a film is presented at the movies and on your TV. But, are some technical advances ruining video quality at the movies and in your home theater system? TV manufacturers are embracing any new technology in their quest for the next feature that will entice us to replace our aging TVs. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey was filmed in High Frame Rate 3D (HFR 3D). Of the moviegoers lucky enough to view Peter Jackson’s giant film in a theater capable of displaying the elevated frame rate, many complained of an artificial quality to the video and said that the so-called enhancements only made the film look suspiciously like a soap opera. LCD displays have been employing artificially enhanced frame-rates for years with features bearing such inventive names as "Motion Flow" and "Clearframe". Many of us find it annoying. So, let’s take a closer look popular video effects you’ll find on new TVs today and we’ll leave it up to you to if you see enhanced motion in stunning 3D, or if your eyes only see a cheesy soap opera effect.Wed, 06 Mar 2013 13:55:00 -0000/news/editorials/the-hobbit-an-unexpected-journey-into-bad-ht-video-technologyEditorialsAV News http://www.audioholics.com/news/editorials/best-buy-prognosis-employeeI started working for Best Buy during my senior year of high school and stayed with them up until graduate school. Through that span of six years I saw the company fall from a spot of power and strength and repeatedly fail to get back up. It seems that every story about Best Buy in the past four or five years has been one of defeat. As a former employee I have a unique view on why they are failing. It's easy to blame the changing market, but Best Buy's dysfunction is rooted much deeper than an external economic decline. Throughout my tenure at the organization I have observed a failure in their pay system, an inability to attract qualified employees and a lack of a single vision.Mon, 04 Mar 2013 12:20:00 -0000/news/editorials/best-buy-prognosis-employeeEditorialsAV News http://www.audioholics.com/news/editorials/homesync-android-tvAt Mobile World Congress 2013 this week Samsung has introduced HomeSync Android TV. No, it’s not a soap opera about artificial humans, it’s a set-top box for your home theater system that runs on Android Jelly Bean. We don’t usually see set-top boxes unveiled at Mobile World Congress, but in this era of crossover technology Samsung has decided to do show off the versatility of the Android operating system. Samsung promises your ‘droid phones or tablets (not just Samsung) will be able to take control and stream media to its glossy little home-cloud bridge that’s no bigger than a wireless router.Thu, 28 Feb 2013 11:10:00 -0000/news/editorials/homesync-android-tvEditorialsAV News http://www.audioholics.com/news/editorials/sony-playstation-4Sony finally unveiled PlayStation 4 with all the hype and showmanship we expected. A lot of time was spent emphasizing the company's commitment to a social gaming experience, mobility and an anywhere/anytime gamer-centrism. My initial response as an Audioholic: No mystical social experience controls my destiny. It sounded like a lot of simple tricks and nonsense. When it comes to getting the most out of your home theater system; hokey touchscreens and social sharing is no match for good hardware specifications by your side, kids. So, let's dig into what PS4 is really going to mean to us.Sun, 24 Feb 2013 10:15:00 -0000/news/editorials/sony-playstation-4EditorialsAV News http://www.audioholics.com/news/editorials/internet-direct-vs-brick-and-mortarMany disagree about advantages and disadvantages of Internet direct (ID) manufacturers versus manufacturers with traditional distribution models (brick and mortar store sales chain). Some claim that ID brands have lower overhead costs and skip the middleman; therefore they can produce products for less. Others argue that traditional manufacturers tend to sell more units so they can buy parts cheaper, and save on costs by shipping in bulk, so they are in a position to provide better products. There are good points on both sides of the argument as well as some not-so-good points. This article isn’t the definitive word on the debate, but we offer a few ideas to give you a more well-rounded viewpoint.Wed, 13 Feb 2013 12:00:00 -0000/news/editorials/internet-direct-vs-brick-and-mortarEditorialsAV News http://www.audioholics.com/news/editorials/farewell-sony-minidiscSony quietly announced the release of the last stereo system that will ever feature its MiniDisc format, effectively killing the format. Frankly, we were surprised to hear the 20-plus year old disc format was still alive at all. MiniDisc never caught on with the mainstream and outside of a few professions that regularly use digitally recorded audio, it was living as quietly as it has thus passed. Hearing of the end of MiniDisc, Audioholics presents a eulogy for a format that most of you may have ignored but one that long ago etched a magneto-optical pitted groove into the hearts of many music fans through the 1990s.Wed, 06 Feb 2013 11:45:00 -0000/news/editorials/farewell-sony-minidiscEditorialsAV News http://www.audioholics.com/news/industry-news/svs-sub-review-contest10 lucky contestants were given the opportunity to write reviews on two brand new SVS subwoofers. Five wrote reviews on the SVS SB-1000 sub, and the other five on the PB-1000 sub. Well the reviews are IN! Vote for your favorite (best-written, most thorough, schnazziest, etc) review in the poll above and make any comments to substantiate your vote (and perhaps sway others) in the corresponding thread. Check out the links to the reviews below, which are in the same order as the polls.Fri, 01 Feb 2013 20:45:00 -0000/news/industry-news/svs-sub-review-contestIndustry NewsAV News http://www.audioholics.com/news/industry-news/mount-your-tv-childrenSanus has an interesting PR campaign going on this week. The company is exposing a little-known safety concern with flat panel TVs: They can fall on your kids. Flat Panel TVs are cool, but when your toddler of yesteryear used the ole' 32" CRT o pull himself up into a standing position there was no danger of the thing falling on top of him... it weighed 150 pounds (and wouldn't budge). Not so with today's flat panels, which can tend to be tipsy and, on average, weigh anywhere from 30-60 pounds (or more, of course) depending on the size.Tue, 29 Jan 2013 12:00:00 -0000/news/industry-news/mount-your-tv-childrenIndustry NewsAV News http://www.audioholics.com/news/industry-news/japan-broadcast-4k-2014What do you do when you want to sell a lot of 4K televisions but there's no content? Simple. You just have the government mandate 4K broadcasts. At least, that seems to be Japan's solution. The Japanese government has scheduled July 14th as the date is will produce the worlds first 4K TV broadcast. While that may seem like a long way off (it doesn't to us) it's actually a full 2 years ahead of schedule. Japan has a high stake in the success of the new 4K televisions as it represents a potential for increased consumer demand and, unlike the 3D bombstravaganza, may be a legitimate reason for existing HDTV owners to upgrade. The news about the ultra high-definition broadcast comes, unfortunately, from a Japanese newspaper that didn't cite any specific sources.Mon, 28 Jan 2013 01:10:00 -0000/news/industry-news/japan-broadcast-4k-2014Industry NewsAV News http://www.audioholics.com/news/trade-show-coverage/ces-2013-trade-show-coverageWe're bringing you the latest updates straight from the show floor of CES 2013. This is the largest electronics trade show of the year and, while several large home theater companies have pulled back to make CEDIA their primary show, CES remains the place to get all of the important gadget, technology and display news for the industry as a whole. With an eye for what's hot, we will update this page throughout the week to bring you the latest and greatest products and revelations from the show floor as they appear.Mon, 07 Jan 2013 03:06:27 -0000/news/trade-show-coverage/ces-2013-trade-show-coverageTrade Show CoverageAV News http://www.audioholics.com/news/editorials/martinlogan-interview-hq-tourWe recently swung by MartinLogan's headquarters in Lawrence, KS for a tour around the facility and an interview with Joe Vojtko, the company's Chief Audio Technologist. While anyone in the audio industry should know of Martin Logan, there is still a lot of mystery surrounding electrostatic loudspeakers (ESLs). Additionally, many people have preconceived notions about ESLs that don't take into account advancements made over the last 50 years. We covered some of this in our review of the MartinLogan Theos, but we decided to go straight to the source for the best answers possible.Wed, 02 Jan 2013 13:00:00 -0000/news/editorials/martinlogan-interview-hq-tourEditorialsAV News http://www.audioholics.com/news/industry-news/free-lfm-1ex-outlaw-audio-subwooferOur friends at Outlaw Audio are gonna help you Shake Rattle & Slam into the New Year by entering to win a brand new Outlaw LFM-1EX Subwoofer. All you need to do is be a registered forum member, meet the eligibility requirements, and answer a few questions in the contest thread on our forums. What you could win: The LFM-1 EX continues the tradition of maximum output, linear response and deep authoritative bass at a value oriented price. Now, you can achieve output to 16 Hz in large listening rooms without emptying your wallet. If you have never experienced truly deep bass, or felt you could never achieve chest pounding bass reproduction in your larger listening room you owe it to your theater to audition the LFM-1 EX. This contest ends with the beginning of the New Year so be sure ENTER by 11:59pm (EST) December 31st for your chance to win!Sun, 30 Dec 2012 16:00:00 -0000/news/industry-news/free-lfm-1ex-outlaw-audio-subwooferIndustry NewsAV News http://www.audioholics.com/news/editorials/diy-loudspeakersLoudspeakers are in a class by themselves. No matter where you find yourself on the audio enthusiast spectrum, there is no doubt that people have very strong feelings about them. This article discusses why so many enthusiasts feel like they’ve got a grasp on making their own loudspeakers. The speaker industry is probably unique in the high-tech consumer products field in that its followers—amateurs, admittedly—actually think they can design and build the product themselves. They often think they can do it better than the loudspeaker company itself! Do you have what it takes to be a loudspeaker designer? How would you build a better speaker system? What design aspects are important to you. Please share in our Forum and Facebook page.Thu, 27 Dec 2012 20:45:00 -0000/news/editorials/diy-loudspeakersEditorialsAV News http://www.audioholics.com/news/editorials/the-audio-sweet-spotEvery experienced listener knows exactly what I'm talking about. That one magical place in any listening room where sound waves meet to transform the lucky occupant to audio nirvana. Ideally one should set up their theater room so every seat is a good seat but the stars will always align in one or maybe two locations in your room where sound perfection is achieved. Here are some tips to live by regarding the sweet spot to get the most enjoyment out of it.Thu, 20 Dec 2012 04:02:57 -0000/news/editorials/the-audio-sweet-spotEditorialsAV News http://www.audioholics.com/news/industry-news/svs-review-win-1000-series-subwooferThis is insanely cool. SVS is partnering with Audioholics to allow 10 lucky people to review a 1000 Series subwoofer and tell the world what you think about it. All you have to do is enter your name and some basic information (tell them about your home theater and how connected you are in the A/V "community") and then select whether you're interested in the PB-1000 or SB-1000. Those who are selected get to try out the sub for 2 weeks and then post their thoughts on the Audioholics Forums for all to see. Then the fun part begins—the community votes on the top two reviews and the winners get to keep their subs! Note: This isn't a vote for the two most favorable reviews, it's a vote for the most thorough, enjoyable, readable, or otherwise engaging reviews. If you've wanted to try your hand at reviewing a home theater product, this is your big chance!Tue, 18 Dec 2012 21:20:00 -0000/news/industry-news/svs-review-win-1000-series-subwooferIndustry NewsAV News http://www.audioholics.com/news/industry-news/kaleidescape-deal-warner-bros-downloadKaleidescape, purveyors of high end movie servers, has penned a deal with Warner Bros. Digital Distribution to provide bit for bit downloads of their Blu-ray and DVD catalog. This multi-year agreement has led to Kaleidescape to open their own online store. The new Kaleidescape service will only work within the Kaleidescape ecosystem meaning you'll need to purchase a Kaleidescape system (which can cost into the five figures) in order to partake. Warner Bros. will be providing 3,000 premium films and over 8,000 television episodes for the service. In addition, Kaleidescape has also licensed UltraViolet rights for includion with the purchase of most titles. This will allow users to view their purchased titles with their mobile devices.Thu, 13 Dec 2012 03:15:00 -0000/news/industry-news/kaleidescape-deal-warner-bros-downloadIndustry NewsAV News http://www.audioholics.com/news/editorials/fcc-forces-cable-companies-streamingSometimes I feel that we are too critical of cable companies, but the FCC surely doesn’t feel that way because they are forcing all cable companies to support streaming HD content to network devices by 2014. This means that you will be able to watch your shows, live and recorded, on any device on your home network. Additionally, cable companies are required to allow you to record HD content on any device in your home. We think cable companies should already be supporting this technology, but in typical fashion they are resisting change and trying to keep the status quo. Mon, 10 Dec 2012 14:00:00 -0000/news/editorials/fcc-forces-cable-companies-streamingEditorialsAV News http://www.audioholics.com/news/industry-news/watch-first-run-movies-at-homeWould you pay $35k + $500/movie to watch first-run movies at home? Prima Cinema seems to think there is a market for that - and we'd have to agree. No, not for you and me, but there are certainly an elite group pf people who will pay the money simply for the potential to be able to do such a thing. Now, it seems, Prima's plan, which they began talking about a full two years ago, is finally coming to fruition. So what IS the plan? Well, there is the hardware component, a BMW-built chassis (their U.S. design team in California handles the manufacturing apparently) and streaming media server that runs $35,000 and streams 1080p movies and full surround audio at a quality the company declares will top Blu-ray. Fri, 30 Nov 2012 20:00:00 -0000/news/industry-news/watch-first-run-movies-at-homeIndustry NewsAV News http://www.audioholics.com/news/industry-news/2014-acura-rlx-krellAcura and Krell have partnered together to design a high-end sound system for the 2014 Acura RLX. Although the Krell name badge is on the side of the speaker grilles and the amp contains some parts used in Krell's home theater amps, it remains unclear how much of this system is actually designed by the high-end audio manufacturer. We fear this may just be another attempt to slap a name on the system, read on to see why we have some reservations.Fri, 30 Nov 2012 13:20:00 -0000/news/industry-news/2014-acura-rlx-krellIndustry NewsAV News http://www.audioholics.com/news/editorials/musicians-corner/greg-lakeOne of the most legendary voices of Progressive Music and a master at writing and singing emotional ballads, Greg Lake is continuing his “Songs of a Lifetime” tour in 2013 and is about to release a book about his life in music. One cannot deny his influence during the 70s with bands that included King Crimson and Emerson, Lake and Palmer. Yet, four decades later, ELP, King Crimson and other amazing 70s Prog-Music Bands continue to be shunned by The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. We asked Mr. Lake how he felt about this during our exclusive Audioholics one-on-one interview with the father of Progressive Music. Read our interview and find out what's new with Father Christmas. Thu, 29 Nov 2012 20:45:00 -0000/news/editorials/musicians-corner/greg-lakeMusician's CornerEditorialshttp://www.audioholics.com/news/industry-news/thiel-aquired-by-equity-firmIn what seems like a growing trend among A/V manufacturers, THIEL Audio is being acquired by a private equity firm. The firm intends to expand THIEL's engineering department and keep most existing employees in place. They will push to improve product development and marketing processes and expand product lineup. THIEL will continue to produce high-end products, but also focus on distributed audio and architectural speakers. Thu, 29 Nov 2012 17:00:00 -0000/news/industry-news/thiel-aquired-by-equity-firmIndustry NewsAV News http://www.audioholics.com/news/industry-news/dish-whats-hot-bluetoothDISH recently added a What’s Hot feature to the Hopper/Joey DVR system which we reviewed earlier this year. This new update displays the popular programs people are currently watching in their local market and also nationally. Then, social media highlights which shows are trending based on viewer posts. What that means is that DISH's "What’s Hot" feature actually shows you what viewers are really watching... unfortunately, it's apparently still reality TV... Oh well. In either case, to see which TV shows, movies and sports are popular, you just select 'What’s Hot' from the Main Menu. Mon, 26 Nov 2012 20:15:00 -0000/news/industry-news/dish-whats-hot-bluetoothIndustry NewsAV News http://www.audioholics.com/news/trade-show-coverage/emp-speakers-2012-gtgWe walked into the first room which was the EMP room and the first thing we saw was that they were playing Battleship - which if you have or haven't seen it, well, it's like a long series of explosions that lasts about 2 hours. It's the perfect movie to show off what a 5.1 system can do with respect to directionality, soundstage, bass response and overall system coherence. We also enjoyed hearing the clear dialogue which we could credit to the excellent EMP Impression E56Ci Center Channel. Let me back up and tell you a little bit about this system that we demoed. First of all we had the E55Ti Tower speakers, which we are very familiar with and have reviewed. The surrounds were the E55Wi surrounds. Bass was powered by the new ES1010i powered subwoofer, which uses a dual 10-inch poly-matrix cone driver and goes down to 35Hz.Thu, 15 Nov 2012 12:00:00 -0000/news/trade-show-coverage/emp-speakers-2012-gtgTrade Show CoverageAV News http://www.audioholics.com/news/trade-show-coverage/aperion-audio-aris-speaker-videoAperion Audio made an appearance at the 2012 Audioholics Get Together Event in Tarpon Springs, FL with its Aris Wireless Speaker for Windows. The speaker uses four active and two passive internal drivers, including a pair of 1" neodymium soft dome silk tweeters, two powered 4" fiberglass woofers and two 4" passive radiators. The frequency response is 65Hz - 20kHz. We got a chance to listen to this speaker and it was really immersive and loud - in fact, the way it filled up the room we were in was quite impressive given its relatively small size. The Aperion Audio Aris has three different listening modes including Natural, Bass Boost and Enhanced Stereo. The mode we listened to the most is Natural - and the one you want if you want to get the best (most accurate) sound. If you absolutely want more bass you can certainly play with Bass Boost, but we'd leave it in the default.Wed, 14 Nov 2012 16:00:00 -0000/news/trade-show-coverage/aperion-audio-aris-speaker-videoTrade Show CoverageAV News http://www.audioholics.com/news/trade-show-coverage/angel-city-audio-2012-gtgAngel City Audio showed off their new Trinity LR speakers at the 2012 Audioholics Get Together event. This is a left/right bookshelf model which has a frequency response of 30Hz - 35kHz and a sensitivity of 90dB @ 1w/m. They are about 16" deep but there is also a Trinity Center model that has a slightly reduced frequency response. It plays down to around 55Hz, but it's also reduced in depth (to just 12") so you can better place it on its side as a center channel. Now the great thing about these speakers is that you can combine them in a 2-channel, 3-point, 5-point or whatever type of system you want. The LR can disperse evenly enough to be used as a center, or you can grab the Center model for that. Or you could use a whole system of the Center model if you want something a bit smaller in depth all-around and you plan to use a subwoofer to fill in the missing low end.Wed, 14 Nov 2012 14:40:00 -0000/news/trade-show-coverage/angel-city-audio-2012-gtgTrade Show CoverageAV News http://www.audioholics.com/news/editorials/legacy-audio-interviewWe managed to sit down with Bill Dudleston, founder of Legacy Audio for a one-on-one interview about his brand and loudspeaker designs that have garnered so much industry respect over the years. This was a particularly exciting interview for me as I’ve been watching Legacy Audio evolve since my teenage years dreaming one day of owning a pair of their finely crafted speakers. Their core philosophy and no-nonsense approach to loudspeaker design has always resonated with me and has been a personal inspiration to learn more about the art and science of loudspeaker design. Combine top quality parts, excellent craftsmanship and engineering and you're left with... a Legacy product.Mon, 12 Nov 2012 19:00:00 -0000/news/editorials/legacy-audio-interviewEditorialsAV News