Recent Home Theater Editorials

We live in an audio world of cliché, hyperbole, misinformation, lies, factoids, and general horsehockey. And those of us who toil in this arena are all somewhat guilty. It’s hard to come up with “new stuff” to say about audio and video. In this article we guide you through some of the most commonly overused audio terms in the industry. The thing you have to remember is that a tired, worn out cliché is…a tired, worn out cliché. Be sure to share your favorites in the related forum thread.

After success at the box office, the Star Trek franchise reboot has proven it's profitable to turn out forgettable action movies that bear only superficial similarity to the Star Trek universe. Meanwhile, fanfiction like Axanar Productions have earned recognition with high production quality this becoming easier to obtain with today's digital technology. So, why is Axanar being sued instead of hired to make the next Trek movie? Why do some Trek fans think Axanar is bad for all fanfiction? Bad rap or is Axanar Productions getting the shaft from BIG Corp?

After months of planning and executing a UHD/4k upgrade to my home theater, it was time to implement the final piece of the puzzle; a firmware update to my Yamaha RX-A2050 AV receiver that enables two key elements - DTS:X and HDMI 2.0a (for HDR). This article takes you through the process of the firmware upgrade and summarizes my experiences and listening tests of the new DTS:X format and how the upmixer compares to DSU and Yamaha's own DSP modes.

Audioholics is always at the forefront when it comes to finding innovative new audio products. Our industry experts search out the latest and greatest, and we separate the serious, significant products from the snake oil and the frivolous. Here is just a sampling of some of the ingenious new custom speaker items (and more) we have an advanced scoop on that will debut at next year’s Consumer Electronics Show that may just revolutionize your two-channel audiophile experience. Remember you saw it here first!

The wait is over. DTS:X is finally here and the Denon AVR-X7200W/WA has the distinction of being the first AVR to get the DTS:X firmware update. With our Denon X7200WA on-hand, we took DTS:X for a spin, providing the real story about its supported speaker layouts, and our listening impressions of DTS' next generation audio codec. We also checked out DTS Neural:X upmixer, which coverts legacy content to 3D immersive audio; and interactive dialogue control for up to 11.2 channels.

Circuit City is getting the band back together. Yes, that Circuit City. Once the largest consumer electronics retailer in America turned cautionary tale for executive mismanagement, has announced that it will begin opening new retail outlets and an online store in June 2016. The stores will include a mix of in-store products and kiosks on which visitors to the new stores can order from a library of over a million products. Do you think they will succeed this time? Read on and please share your thoughts in our forum discussion.

Audiophile drama is unfolding as an Audioquest HDMI cable demo, featuring an Audioquest employee showing unrealistic changes in sound, was seemingly debunked as fraudulent by Mark Waldrep, aka Dr. AIX, in a recent blog post. A subsequent "Open Letter" from Audioquest owner William Low admitted he heard the video a year ago, found the audio difference "unbelievable", but did not ask to have the video removed until after Mark Waldrep published his findings a year later. Is this an isolated incident, or just the latest in a string of misleading behavior perpetuated in the high-end cable industry? Read on to find out and be sure to watch our recently added YouTube video discussion for further insights.

It's safe to assume that Audioholics readers are the kinds of people who choose headphones, or any audio equipment, on the merits of sound quality first. But headphones are one of the oldest wearable technologies that have become highly mobile in recent years, so it makes sense they have also morphed into one of the fastest growing fashion trends in recent years. Although our primary requirement from a pair of headphones is sound quality, these days is it even possible to totally avoid headphone fashion trends?

One of the highlights of the CEDIA show are the demos. There was no shortage this year of Atmos demos and the ones we've heard have been pretty spectacular. We were also pleased to hear the very first DTS:X demos from JBL Sythesis and Denon. Immersive Audio was abound at the show and it came in many forms via discrete box speakers all around, in-walls, in-ceiling and the less impressive Atmos reflection speakers. In case you missed it, our demo show report includes our experiences with MartinLogan, Paradigm, RBH Sound, and JBL. Also check out our recently added Goldenear, Triad and Auro 3D demo experiences and our YouTube video discussion of new products and various DTS:X demos.

Apple iPhone 6S and 6S Plus users are complaining about their phones 3.5-mm headphone jacks failing. Meanwhile speculation is circulating that Apple may do away with the standard connector altogether in future iterations of the iPhone, starting with iPhone 7. Where does that leave all those people who spent a little extra to upgrade their headphones? How thin do our phones really need to be when we wrap them in thick protective cases anyways?

Are the glowing memories of vintage audio gear and vintage automobiles justified, or were they just mediocre machines whose performance has somehow "improved" over the decades? Read this old-timer's assessment of both vintage muscle cars and vintage audio, based upon hands-on experience with both. Let us know in our forum if your still running vintage gear or if you ditched it to embrace the new.

While some focus on minutiae to “improve” the fidelity of their home theater or Hi-Fi playback system with esoteric tweaks and snake oil exotic cables, we instead suggest focusing on the big three that matter most; the quality of the source, the room acoustics, and the speakers. If you don’t get those three things right, you're just rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic. Read this article to get the facts.

Tidal has earned notoriety as a new online music business since it arrived last spring. But, unfortunately, it’s making headlines for everything but its CD-quality music stream. Sadly, a Tidal Hi-Fi subscription is your only option (known today) in North America for an all-you-can-hear online music service that provides greater than 320Kbps. It’s nothing less than a crime that CD audio resolution is what the music industry now refers to as Hi-Fi, and that it’s so rare.

In this latest YouTube video, Hugo and I discuss the art and science of audio as well as which is the right way to approach. If you think measurements don't matter or everything can be equated down to a neat little formula to determine product superiority , then I'm sorry to say you are sorely mistaken. In order to have a Zen line balance in audio and in life in general, you must embrace all aspects of the art and science of sound. Let us know your thoughts in our forum after watching our YouTube video and reading this article.