http://www.audioholics.com/rss.xml Where 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. hourly 12 2006-12-01T00:00 http://www.audioholics.com/static/logo.jpg http://www.audioholics.com/ http://www.audioholics.com/education/surround-sound/7-1-surround-sound Almost everyone loves surround sound, (except for an eccentric actor whom I know who actually prefers mono!) and what’s not to love? Our ears are on each side of our head, canted forward, but we hear sounds from every direction with almost equal precision. For that reason multi-channel sound reproduction is intrinsically more realistic and believable. But how many surround speakers are required to present a plausible illusion of the real thing? Alan Lofft 2009-07-03T09:12:52+00:00 Tech Article http://www.audioholics.com/news/press-releases/win-ed-a7-700-subwoofer Starting as of July 1st, 2009 and running until July 14th, 2009 Elemental Designs is running a contest in which they are offering up one A7-700 subwoofer. The A7-700 powered subwoofer features dual 15” high output drivers, the LT/1300 amplifier featuring ICE Power design, integrated bracing, and even with its weight tipping the scales at 250 lbs they are shipping it in the 48 CONUS free. clint 2009-07-03T07:50:05+00:00 Press Release http://www.audioholics.com/reviews/furniture/speaker-and-display-mounts/auton-1001-lcd-motorized-projector-lift You've already purchased your front projection system and all your components, and now you're left with a daunting task. How do you mount the projector, without hearing an earful from your significant other; or in this case, in a conference room with a commercial drop-ceiling? Many mounts and stands can be not-so-appealing to the female eye, such as a pole dropping from the ceiling, a stand behind the couch, or a box sitting on the conference room table. You ask yourself: does visual perfection really have to come at such a price? Tim Johnson 2009-07-02T08:28:30+00:00 Pro Review http://www.audioholics.com/reviews/speakers/bookshelf/snell-lcr7-xl The LCR7 XLs are one of their premier speakers that feature a design by Snell Chief Engineer Joe D’Appolito memorializing the 30th anniversary of Snell Acoustics. Utilizing a D'Appolito array (or Mid-Tweet-Mid, MTM for short, design) and the renown SEAS XL drivers, the LCR7 XL represent the pinnacle of what you can achieve through components and experience. At $6000 a pair, they certainly seem to be sparing no expense. Performance-wise, they are tops with a fantastically clear high end and nearly limitless power handling. These are speakers you can drive practically until your amp gives out since they seem to have no real upper limit. tom 2009-06-30T07:40:00+00:00 Pro Review http://www.audioholics.com/education/acoustics-principles/listening-room-acoustics-1 Room modes cause standing waves that can cause three acoustical problems: a level boost at some frequencies, an extent of the duration of sound at those same frequencies (resonance) and some profound dips at other frequencies. This article explores methods of reducing the problems of standing waves in your home theater room and also works real world examples for greater clarity. Don’t settle for acoustical compromises. Learn the facts, and arm yourself with the right tools to enhance your movie watching and music listening experiences. Michel Leduc 2009-06-30T00:00:00+00:00 Tech Article http://www.audioholics.com/education/surround-sound/audyssey-dsx-10.2 Audyssey as a company is sort of a brain trust that creates and licenses signal processing solutions. They employ the sciences of psychoacoustics, acoustics, signal processing and use highly complex mathematical algorithms to put those Mega Flop DSP chips to work to do dynamic equalization and derive extra channels for surround sound. Paul Apollonio 2009-06-29T13:26:35+00:00 Tech Article http://www.audioholics.com/news/industry-news/nht-is-back Now Hear This wants you to know it’s coming back to business. The much-loved American speaker manufacturer’s hiatus only lasted a few months – about as short lived as the death of a comic book Superhero before being brought back to life by a miraculous plot-wrinkle. But the comeback for NHT as it relates to its dealers is sure to have a few plot-twists of its own. wayde 2009-06-29T08:35:00+00:00 News http://www.audioholics.com/news/editorials/downloads-vs-discs There seem to be two camps in the AV field in regards to content - downloads or physical media. The download camp says that physical media is quickly becoming a thing of the past. The other side holds their discs up high and scream, "You'll take my disc from my cold dead hands!" So, who will be right? An analysis. tom 2009-06-25T06:10:00+00:00 Editorial http://www.audioholics.com/news/industry-news/elemental-designs-a7-450-update A little bit back Elemental Designs took some time to redesign their A7-450 powered home theater subwoofer. With this redesign they moved forward with the idea of using the power provided by the LT/1300, featuring B&O Ice power module design, and matching it up with a custom hand built 18” driver built right in Iowa. This move, fueled by the desire to advance the platform in a new direction led to a few interesting design changes. clint 2009-06-24T22:39:36+00:00 News http://www.audioholics.com/news/trade-show-coverage/electronic-entertainment-expo-e3-part-2-great-hardware Game consoles come and go every few years, but peripherals are eternal. Yet this mainstay of the video game scene has been challenged by a new category - hardware that is designed for and made to enhance specific games and genres. And nowhere was this more evident than at E3 2009. In part 1 we discussed the games, check out part 2; the hardware. marshal 2009-06-24T13:10:00+00:00 Editorial http://www.audioholics.com/news/industry-news/redbox-threatens-netflix-in-video-rental-iii-rise-of-the-vending-machines Netflix has long been recognized as the top online video-rental business. Despite competition from perennial business-model imitator Blockbuster, the competition continues to be stymied. But wait – one decidedly low-tech business Redbox, is growing at such a rapid pace it poses a serious threat to Netflix. This relatively new competitor has been quietly laying red vending-machine boxes all over America, over 15,000 by its latest count and its growing fast. wayde 2009-06-23T07:35:00+00:00 News http://www.audioholics.com/reviews/speakers/subwoofers/jl-audio-f110 The JL Audio Fathom f110 may be small in size, but its not lacking in the performance department. While there are certainly much larger subs from other brands at the same price or less, you will be hard pressed to find all of the performance attributes the f110 has to offer in such a compact box. Not once did I find the f110s output lacking as they were always able to rattle my walls and shake my couches when the source material required it. It’s clear to me that JL Audio is as serious about high fidelity in the home environment as they have been in mobile audio since their inception. Bassaholics rejoice as JL Audio has produced a reference level product that will thump, and thump well, without requiring a refrigerator sized box that you neither have the space nor the accepting wife to accommodate. Gene 2009-06-22T23:16:33+00:00 Pro Review http://www.audioholics.com/news/industry-news/axiom-audio-ep800-subwoofer-first-review Hometheater.com.il, an Israeli home theater website has published a review on the Axiom Audio EP800 flagship subwoofer. Penned by Itai Hazum, the review is rather in-depth, and if you can handle the Hebrew-English translation via Google Translate, you can glean some pretty cool info about the new product. clint 2009-06-21T11:20:00+00:00 News http://www.audioholics.com/news/trade-show-coverage/the-electronic-entertainment-expo-part-1-great-games Let me start by confessing that I never liked video games because they taught hand/eye coordination or social skills - I liked playing them because they were fun. So the opportunity to attend E3 at the Los Angeles Convention Center was irresistible. Even more so because the nonsense of trying to turn it into a business event over the last two years was rolled back so that glitz and glamor could once again lead the way. And why not? Times may be tough but games touch on so many genres that there’s sure to be something for everyone. Which explains why the video gaming industry has continued to be so profitable through the years. marshal 2009-06-18T11:00:00+00:00 Editorial http://www.audioholics.com/reviews/cables/gefentv-wireless-hdmi-extender-5-ghz-review GefenTV uses wireless 802.11n to do its thing and operates in the unlicensed 5GHz band to transmit HDTV. For sure the GefenTV isn't for everyone; if your HDTV isn't wall mounted or your A/V components aren't separated away from the display, there's little need to pay this price just to hide the cables. But if you're looking to cut loose without giving up on HD, it sure beats running cables under carpets or along baseboards, or poking holes in walls or ceilings. So while it might be called a "one-trick pony", it's fair to say that the GefenTV does a competent job of delivering high-definition video and multichannel audio through the airwaves. marshal 2009-06-18T10:00:00+00:00 Pro Review http://www.audioholics.com/news/industry-news/sencore-spectracal-calman Sencore, Inc. and SpectraCal, LLC announced a strategic partnership to develop and market a combination of SpectraCal CalMAN video calibration software with Sencore ColorPro calibration features. The new Sencore ColorPro by CalMAN Professional Display Calibration Software (try saying THAT in one breath!) is designed as a comprehensive software measurement and management tool for professional display calibration. clint 2009-06-17T16:05:00+00:00 News http://www.audioholics.com/reviews/speakers/architectural/mc-6aw At first I was mainly thinking of the RBH Sound MC-6AW as patio speakers but upon setting them up for some listening tests I discovered “indoor” possibilities as well. They shared many of the sonic virtues of my larger floorstander reference speakers and their performance absolutely bellied their asking price. As I listened, over and over I kept forgetting that these were small indoor/outdoor speakers and kept thinking they sounded better than some speakers I’ve reviewed from more prestigious brands costing several thousands of dollars. The MC-6AW’s can be used in multiple environments. They would be great mounted on the wall next to an on-wall television in either a bedroom or a family room. You could also class up your pool parties by using them on your pool deck or any patio. Just be careful not to make your audiophile friends too envious when they hear such great sound outdoors which ordinarily wouldn’t seem possible. ken 2009-06-16T23:07:38+00:00 Pro Review http://www.audioholics.com/news/industry-news/lg-netflix-hdtv Look ma, no boxes! You won’t you need a set-top-box or computer to stream web-enabled movies to your Home Theater system anymore. The shelf-space and connection conscious mages over at LG have seen to it that you don’t need a box to get streaming content like Netflix into your living room. LG has just introduced two Ethernet-HDTVs with more on the way this summer. wayde 2009-06-16T13:22:45+00:00 News http://www.audioholics.com/reviews/projectors/benq-joybee-gp1-led Projectors have gone through several iterations in the time I've been around. From old, clunky CRT systems to DLP and LCD systems, projectors have gotten brighter, smaller and more feature-rich. But with the introduction of the BenQ Joybee GP1, LED lighting is now taking front projectors where they have never been. With LED lighting, even a DLP projector can be smaller, lighter and more versatile than its UHP or similarly lighted counterparts. The projector is literally smaller than a stack of CDs, smaller than a Mac Mini, and smaller than my outstretched hand. Yet this incredibly tiny projector puts out 100 lumens from its single LED lamp, making it bright enough to light up an 80 inch screen in a darkened room. clint 2009-06-16T08:06:20+00:00 Pro Review http://www.audioholics.com/news/editorials/environmentally-friendly-tvs-its-easy-being-green Earth Day’s over, but if you were a little negligent on your roadside cleanups or incorporating hemp clothing into your wardrobe, there are still things you can do to green up your image – starting in your living room with the energy consumption of your TV. alissa 2009-06-15T06:10:00+00:00 Editorial http://www.audioholics.com/reviews/speakers/subwoofers/tSc-t300 Overall the tSc T300 subwoofer has really impressed me. Usually, with an online retailer, a well performing sub is either huge in size or huge in price. The T300 manages to pack a lot of performance in a very small box. For a smaller to perhaps medium sized room, the T300 is too good of a deal to pass up. For larger rooms, you will most likely need to step up to a more powerful subwoofer or consider running two or four of these. tom 2009-06-11T19:05:00+00:00 Pro Review http://www.audioholics.com/news/industry-news/last-call-for-analog-tv-signals Ready or not the analog deadline is almost here. Although many TV networks have already switched to digital broadcasts there are still many hold-outs among major networks that have kept analog service. It seems the government is serious about Friday’s deadline. Even President Barack Obama promises it’s for real this time. wayde 2009-06-11T11:25:00+00:00 News http://www.audioholics.com/news/industry-news/hdmi-1-4-cables-spec After a couple of teaser press releases, one at CES and one just a short while ago, the HDMI Licensing organization has released the final version of the HDMI 1.4 spec. This is the first major HDMI spec revision since 1.3 was issued back in June 2006, and there's been a lot of speculation as to what it would contain. The spec document itself is available for download at www.hdmi.org. However, since it's 425 pages long, we'll take a short spin through it to see what's there, with a particular emphasis on the impact of the new spec upon our products: HDMI cables. Kurt Denke 2009-06-11T05:05:00+00:00 News http://www.audioholics.com/reviews/power-conditioners/cyberpower-pr1500lcdrtxl2u When you invest in electronics, be it for the home theater or for the home office, battery backup is something that should not be left out of your budget. In these days, when time equals money, it's unthinkable that a lightning strike, random brownout or other electrical snafu could cost you hours of work or even thousands of dollars in equipment. CyberPower's PR1500LCD UPS will guarantee your work doesn't get wiped out when someone down at the local power station decides to trip over an extension cord, or a squirrel forgets that running the Nutty 500 race across a wet power line might not be the best decision he's made all week. clint 2009-06-10T06:25:00+00:00 Pro Review http://www.audioholics.com/news/industry-news/destination-audio-speaker-package Occasionally we come across a hot deal and we want to let you know about it. Destination Audio is a sister company to RBH and EMP - both of which are known for their high bang-for-buck offerings. Well, they are at it again with a few new 5.1 deals. Now, while supplies last, you can get a pair of their F300T towers (sister to the RBH TK-5CTs), a pair of F300R bookshelves (sister to the RBH TK-5Cs), and a R300C center channel with a 10" Velodyne Impact-10 subwoofer for $999 or a 12" Velodyne Impact-12 for $1049. This is too good of deal to pass up. tom 2009-06-10T06:05:00+00:00 News http://www.audioholics.com/education/loudspeaker-basics/crossover Have you ever wondered how the tweeter and woofer have their responses combined in a speaker system, or what the crossover network is and how it works? This article sheds some light on the least seen and perhaps most undervalued part of the speaker system, the crossover network. While passive crossover components and materials and construction have changed over time, the underlying theory and practice has not. In the real world, capacitors, inductors and resistors exhibit behavior which is neither ideal or perfect. In this article, we considered the importance of real loudspeaker impedance, and how it acts as a monkey wrench to complicate and frustrate the function of constant resistance type crossover networks. Paul Apollonio 2009-06-09T22:28:24+00:00 Tech Article http://www.audioholics.com/reviews/portables/roundup-of-portable-travel-speakers With summer here, many of us will find ourselves on the road. Lately I have been spending countless nights in hotels, so I thought it was time to bring you a roundup of portable travel speakers for your laptop, iPod, iPhone, or other MP3 player. There are a wide range of choices that include tiny solutions that sound tiny, as well as some pricey options that are well worth every penny. Most of the speakers I tested fit easily into a backpack or small suitcase. From this roundup, you are sure to find a good fit for your needs. jclarke 2009-06-09T05:05:00+00:00 Tech Article http://www.audioholics.com/reviews/furniture/accessories/human-touch-ht-1650-acutouch-massage-chair-review Home theater chairs are the finishing polish on a room that really makes an impact. While a good audio and video system is imperative to a quality experience, having a good set of leather chairs will really make a big splash on your guests. They really differentiate the dedicated rooms from those who simply shove a bunch of gear into a room. But what about replacing the typical high-end home theater chair with a massage chair from Human Touch? The possibilities are endless. For roughly the same price as a high-end custom chair you can have a robotic masseuse at your fingertips… now that's something to consider. clint 2009-06-08T05:05:00+00:00 Pro Review http://www.audioholics.com/news/industry-news/xbox-360-natal Microsoft has been on a roll at E3 2009: Dropping bombs and shooting stars all in the name of Xbox 360 has been Microsoft’s game this year. Microsoft’s press conference dropped jaws with shocking announcements: Spielberg pitches Natal. Beatles reunite to talk about Rock Band. Microsoft promises 1080P resolution for Xbox 360 movie streams. James Cameron even talked about an upcoming game by Ubisoft called Avatar. Microsoft even took time to rub salt in Sony’s wounds by nabbing a PS3 exclusive. wayde 2009-06-05T08:30:00+00:00 News http://www.audioholics.com/news/industry-news/e3-2009-nintendo Tis the season for gamers to be jolly as E3 '09 is in full swing. This week Microsoft, Sony, and Nintendo all had their big press releases bragging about themselves, their games, their upcoming peripherals, and basically trying to convince all of us that their console is the best. This is a summary of what Nintendo revealed. tom 2009-06-04T08:05:00+00:00 News