Recent Home Theater Editorials

Nobody saw COVID-19 coming until it was ready to kick our collective butts in early 2020. All of us being stuck at home thanks to COVID-19 has changed our way of life in so many impactful ways. 20 years ago, owning a home theater was an extreme luxury. Today you get a much better home theater experience than ever before at a fraction of the cost. In this article we briefly look at how home theater has changed over the last 20 years FOR THE BETTER.

After 45 years Onkyo USA closes its doors handing distribution duties over to the owner of another popular audio brand, Klipsch. In theory the new "strategic distribution alliance" changes nothing for Onkyo dealers and customers. But could arrangements like this be symptomatic for the post-COVID A/V industry?

Over and over again, the supply chain again is hammered here in the United States, with global overtones. It is affecting all sorts of businesses, within and beyond the AV industry. If you are in the market for some new AV gear, and you have the chance to make a purchase, you might want to do it now as it isn’t clear when the next shortage or shipping delay might get in your way. Read on to find out how this is going to affect you and your beloved hobby.

With rumors floating that AT&T might spin-off, merge, or outright close DirecTV - the news that 954,000 subscribers left the service in Q2-2020 isn’t a good sign. Mainstream as well as enthusiasts are looking at “cord cutting” more than ever before. But before you sink your scissors into your COAX cable, you'll want to take a careful look at the state of cable and satellite TV versus the growing number of powerful streaming services on the market today.

The day we get big, impressive new speakers is an important day to us audiophiles. We’ve spent years researching them, listening to all the contenders, planning, plotting, saving. No one else really understands, except other audiophiles. Here’s the story of what are probably my last pair of loudspeakers.

The hobby of audio has gone through a lot of changes over the years. Whether you call it hi-fi, stereo, audio, home theater, immersive, the interest and pursuit of high-quality reproduced sound in the home has long been an enduring interest for a very large number of people. Is there one time period that can be said to be audio’s “Golden Age?” Does any particular era stand out from the rest? We take you on a tour of the decades in audio starting from the 60's until today to answer those questions.

I recently tested positive for COVID-19 after struggling with what I thought at the time was a stomach bug or flu on and off for 8 straight days. While I'm in quarantine until I produce 2 consecutive negative test results, I decided to write up this little Coronavirus survival guide from the perspective of an Audioholic. I offer some treatments that helped relieve my symptoms while also suggesting some good audio and visual reference materials to entertain you while you get better. Check out my Youtube discussion of symptoms and treatments for COVID-19 for more information.

The coronavirus strain known as COVID-19 has dominated the news as of lately. You can’t open a newspaper, read a news app, or turn on the television without some reference to this disease. But what of my beloved electronics? What will happen to our industry? I was shocked to see the devastating impact that this virus, in China, was having on American electronics companies. How will this affect the distribution of the electronics industry and how has it impacted Audioholics so far? Read on to find out.

Ted Denney who owns and operates a company called Synergistic Research. Synergistic Research is an audio company specializing in expensive, exotic cables and audio tweaks based on pseudoscience. Ted Denney not only mocked my COVID-19 situation publicly, but also threatened to report our GoFundMe to the IRS. High-end audio maybe, but low integrity, definitely.

If you are an Audiophile, then you are probably familiar with the years of hard work and stress your ears go through. The goal for every audiophile should be to enjoy hi-fi for a lifetime. But, in order to do that, care must be taken to not over stress or abuse your ears with sustained excessively loud sounds. This article talks about the importance of hearing safety and how to combat tinnitus using active hearing aids and soundscapes. Checkout our recent Youtube video were we discuss safe daily listening doses to preserve your hearing.

It's amazing how many online A/V websites fit the mold laid out herein which gives one pause to wonder if they actually have product in hand when conducting their "reviews". Did they actually do any objective analysis or measurements? Did they discuss the inner details of how the products function? Did they furnish their own images of the product under review? As a reader, this is something you must decide for yourself. Things are getting even foggier now that it seems apparent Google is actually rewarding "comparison" style articles monetized with embedded Amazon affiliate links. Are fake reviews the new norm? Be sure to watch our recently added YouTube discussion.

What happens when your pre/pro separates are a hair too big for your entertainment center and your new replacement amp fails after a year and a half? Follow the saga of finding just the right amplifier for a three zone house. The journey will take you to an unexpected ending that leads to a vintage audio piece saving the day. Buckle up and enjoy the ride...

The rivalry between Marvel and DC is still alive and well through the three major conglomerates that now own all of the most popular characters that were born in comics. But the next battleground for popularity will be in the digital delivery of Marvel and DC characters to your favorite screen. The decision-makers behind the capes and cowls may sit in the air-conditioned offices of AT&T, Disney and Sony but the contest remains as fierce as it ever was in print-publishing as our favorite heroes do battle in the new business-arena of Streaming Video on-Demand. The stakes couldn't be higher, the objective is nothing less than the total subjugation of rival SVoD apps.

Netflix has launched a “high-quality audio” feature that promises studio-quality sound for 5.1-channel and Dolby Atmos soundtracks. Netflix is now streaming audio at much higher bit rates in order to deliver sound that is indistinguishable from the original master, according to the company. When bandwidth is limited, the audio quality is automatically downgraded to prevent playback interruptions. Read on to learn more.