Recent Home Theater Editorials
Are Aging Baby Boomers Spelling the Demise of Hi‑Fi Audio?
During COVID people spent money like water, but did audio companies learn anything from the post-pandemic AV recession? Will aging Baby Boomers embrace new technologies designed for younger consumers?
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey...into Bad HT Video Technology
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey was filmed in High Frame Rate 3D but it was criticized for looking too real – so real it looked artificial.
The Inside Story: A Prognosis of Best Buy from a Veteran Employee
I started working for Best Buy during high school and continued with them all the way through my undergrad and into graduate school. This has given me an inside view into the failings of the company.
Samsung Introduces HomeSync Android TV at Mobile World Congress 2013
Samsung has introduced HomeSync Android TV a set-top box for your home theater system that runs on Android Jelly Bean. The biggest questions are what will it cost and how quickly will it take off?
What Sony PlayStation 4 Brings to Your Home Theater System
The PlayStation 4 looks like it will deliver exactly what the gaming public wants in a big-screen media experience: More power, more connectivity, smoother frame rates and better all-around graphics
Speaker Manufacturers: Internet Direct vs Brick and Mortar
Many disagree about advantages and disadvantages of Internet direct (ID) manufacturers versus manufacturers with traditional distributions models. Here's our two-cents with our YouTube discussion.
Farewell Sony MiniDisc
Sony quietly announced the release of the stereo system to feature its MiniDisc format. Frankly, we were surprised to hear the 20-plus year old format was still alive at all. MiniDisc never caught on.
MartinLogan Interview on Electrostatic Speaker Design
We recently took a tour of the MartinLogan headquarters in Kansas and sat down for an interview with their Chief Audio Technologist, Joe Vojtko.
DIY Loudspeakers: Can You Build "Better" Than Professional Designs?
DIY enthusiasts often think they can build a better loudspeaker than a professional. This article explores why this is often the case surrounding speakers but not other devices. Share your thoughts.
Tip of the Day: The Audio Sweet Spot
The sweet spot is that one magical place in any listening room where sound waves meet to transform the lucky occupant to audio nirvana. Some tips to enjoy that location.
FCC Forces Cable Companies to Support HD Streaming on Network Devices
The FCC is forcing all cable companies to support streaming HD content from a cable box to network devices by 2014.
2012 Audioholics GTG Event Sneak Peek
This is a sneak peek of our 2012 Audioholics GTG event this October 27th that gives you an idea of the equipment being demoed and also hints at prizes and other perks. Register now
Spock's Beard Progressive Rock Band Informational & Interview
Spock’s Beard have been widely recognized as a premier progressive rock band since their first album titled The Light in 1995. This detailed interview of the band provides also background.
Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Part 1 Blu‑ray Review
Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Part 1 leaps from the pages of the original 1986 four-issue comic book series into a magnificent DC home animation on Blu-ray.
It's Official: All Pop Music is Loud and Sounds the Same
According to a report on Reuters, our original take on the shrinking Dynamic Range was spot on. Scientists in Spain were able to more or less use a database of the past 50 years of music to "prove" …
Status Acoustics Titus 8T Loudspeaker System Q&A Interview
We were fortunate enough to have Shane Rich (Chief Engineer for RBH Sound / Status Acoustics) on site to help install their new Titus 8T Flagship speaker system in our primary reference room.
Contest: Be the First to Audition the New SVS SB13‑Ultra Series Sealed Subwoofer and Win It!
Sign up and tell us why you should be selected as one of 3 Beta Sub Auditioners. If selected by Audioholics, SVS will ship you their new SB13-Ultra sub to spend two weeks testing and auditioning it!
Interview: Michael J. Koss Introduces STRIVA Wi‑Fi Headphones
Audioholics sat down with Michael J. Koss, President and CEO of Koss Corporation and son of the company’s founder, John C. Koss. The historic Koss headphone company is now producing wi-fi headphones.
Car Audio Head Units Belong in Space Shuttles, Not Cars
Our new head unit was harder to control than the space shuttle. I mean it. We were fairly certain we could land the Endeavor before we could master all of the features of our new CD receiver.
Dolby Atmos Coming to Theaters Near You
The new Dolby Atmos platform one-ups ads a new frontier in sound - the upper hemisphere. Theaters featuring Dolby’s new Atmos technology will expand sound into discrete channels above the audience.
Audioquest Cable "BoomBox" Demo: Legit Science or Slick Marketing?
Are hi-end cables, like those by Audioquest, worth the money? We sat in on an Audioquest demo to let them try to convince us of the differences. Here's what we heard and saw.
AV Rant #280: Ego Stroker
Lots of news, reviews, and updates including a comparison of iTunes Match and Mastered for iTunes to an original CD recording. Plus lots more!
Game of Thrones: The Complete First Season Blu‑ray Review
HBO has turned the Game of Thrones into a television drama masterpiece with as much care and attention to detail as the its finest work.
What Home Theater Can Learn from Apple
if Apple had designed the home theater system, the first thing they would have done is sit down in front of a TV and said, "Now, how SHOULD this work?" They wouldn't be sitting in a lab somewhere.
AV Rant #273: Interview with PJ Pesce
For this special episode of AV Rant, Tom welcomes Clint DeBoer, Editor in Chief of Audioholics and PJ Pesce. PJ is a writer, director, musician and more. Warning: mild use of language in this episode.
AV Rant #272: Badmouthing the Brits
This week, Tom admits he was wrong (don’t tell his wife) about iCloud Match. Liz liked Tom’s article on Defining Confusing Audio Terms. Why aren’t we shooting video in 120Hz? Plus lots more!
Defining Confusing Audio Terms
In any industry, you'll run into specific lexicons. These are words that may mean completely different things to different people. We've taken some and listed them, along with their definitions, here.
The Insanity of Marketing Disguised as Loudspeaker Science
This article is an opinion piece on why you simply cannot declare Speaker XXX is better than Speaker YYY based on a few measurement graphs or so called "DBT's" conducted by a manufacturer.
Why We Measure Audio Equipment Performance
This article explores the question why we measure audio component performance. We take you on a tour of the various A/V components we review, and how our measurements can/cannot relate audibly.