 |
 |
 7/2009 - Aperion Audio Intimus 5T-DB
Hybrid HD Home-Theater Speaker System by Kevin East - When the
loonies (no, really -- read on) at Aperion Audio shipped the review system, they sent me
an e-mail: "While Kelli was carefully hand-packing your shipment, we all sang a song
of farewell and blew confetti about the warehouse. Then we packed your speakers on the
truck, snapped to a smart salute and sent them on their way. If any confetti remains in
your box, please dispose of it carefully. One can never fully trust confetti."... (more) |
|
 |
6/2009 - Genesis S2/12t
Subwoofer by Howard Kneller - My new home theater was under
construction for the past several months. When it was finally completed, I turned to the
boxes of gear waiting to be reviewed, and eventually got to the Genesis Advanced
Technologies S2/12t subwoofer ($4200). While I’d heard of Genesis, I knew little
about the company, and nothing at all about the S2/12t.... (more) |
|
 |
6/2009 - Sherwood
BDP-5003 Blu-ray Player by Jeff Van Dyne - When I began researching
the Sherwood brand, I was surprised to learn that they’ve been around since 1953.
I’d known about them for several years, but had no idea they went back that far.
I’d never owned any of their products, but several years ago I bought an inexpensive
Sherwood stereo receiver and CD player for my then in-laws.... (more) |
|
 |
5/2009 - Definitive
Technology ProCinema 1000 Home-Theater Speaker System by Vince Hanada -
Definitive Technology, founded in 1972 by veteran speaker designer Sandy Gross, is one of
the most respected brands of American loudspeakers. My first experience of DefTech was of
its line of bipolar speakers, specifically the BP10, some 15 years ago. One look at their
current lineup shows consistency and evolution -- the BP10 is still available, now as the
BP10 B. The BP10 was and... (more) |
|
 |
5/2009 - Paradigm
Signature Sub 25 Subwoofer by Randall Smith - My love for home
theater has greatly altered my taste in movies, and not necessarily in a good direction.
Before I became addicted, movies like The Terminator and Die Hard
weren’t really my thing; I considered myself above that sort of shoot-’em-up.
Instead, I preferred films that had great actors in them, that could be filed under... (more) |
|
 |
4/2009 - SVS PC-12 Plus
Subwoofer by Howard Kneller - I’m a home-theater enthusiast
and equipment reviewer -- a lot of gear passes through my modestly sized home. But since
the day I became involved in the hobby, nothing has grabbed the attention of
guests, neighbors, and assorted workmen as has the PC12-Plus subwoofer from ... (more) |
|
 |
4/2009 - Parasound A 52
Multichannel Amplifier by Jeff Van Dyne - I’ve always admired
Parasound products. I was introduced to the brand years ago, at a small, independent audio
dealer in the Peoria area -- one of those places that makes the case for bricks-and-mortar
stores by its policy of ... (more) |
|
 |
3/2009 - AV123 ELT525
5.0 Home-Theater Speaker System by Randall Smith - With TV’s
analog era about to end, consumers who haven’t already purchased a new
high-definition TV will soon do so. As this happens, I expect the home audio industry will
enjoy a rebirth of sorts. When people spend thousands of dollars on a TV, many are... (more) |
|
 |
3/2009 - Cambridge Audio
DVD99 SACD/CD/DVD-Audio Player by Roger Kanno - Machines that can
play SACDs and DVD-Audio discs in addition to DVD-Videos are becoming somewhat rare these
days. A few years ago, many mass-market electronics companies offered such models, but
"universal" players today are primarily... (more) |
|
 |
2/2009 - Yambeka Audio
5-Speaker Home-Theater Speaker System by Kevin East - I’ve
been at this audio thang a long time -- not as long as some, but long enough -- and I tell
ya, it takes forever to build up your cred, and only one misstep to have it come crashing
down around you. Make a wrong call and you’re bloggin’ it, a fate worse than a
rejected manuscript.... (more) |
|
 |
2/2009 - Angstrom
Loudspeakers Obbligata Renassaince Home-Theater Speaker System by Vince Hanada -
You may not have heard of Angstrom Loudspeakers, but this relatively small Canadian
speaker maker, based near Toronto in Markham, Ontario, has been in business for 30 years.
My knowledge of the company goes back more than 20 years, to when I was a budding
audiophile. I remember spending hours at a local audio shop comparing a.... (more) |
|
 |
1/2009 - TEAC DR-H300
DVD Receiver by Kevin East - In the decade or so that I’ve
been reviewing audio and video equipment full-time, I’ve seen and heard so many
components that there’s very little that I get all that excited about anymore. So
when I see a component and say Ho-hum, some may think I’m cynical. But
it’s simply a byproduct of seeing so much stuff over the years.... (more) |
2008 Product of the Year: Speakers
|
 |
Originally
published 11/2008 - Hsu Research HB-1 Mk.2 / HC-1 Mk.2 / VTF-3 Mk.3
Home-Theater Speaker System by Jeff Van Dyne - Hsu
Research is one of the true pioneers in the area of direct sales. Its products date all
the way back to 1991, with the HRSW10 and 12 subwoofers. These were, famously, the first
commercial "water heater" subs built using large paper-cylinder forms. Many ...
(more) |
2008 Product of the Year: Electronics
|
 |
Originally
published 11/2008 - PS Audio Power Plant Premier Power Conditioner by Randall
Smith - Each month, I’m treated to an informative e-mail
newsletter from Paul McGowan, founder of and chief designer for PS Audio, a manufacturer
of audio equipment based in Boulder, Colorado. One great thing about the newsletter is
that McGowan ... (more) |
Previous Reviews
|
 |
12/2008 - Classé Audio
Delta CA-5200 Multichannel Amplifier by Doug Schneider - In the
decade or so that I’ve been reviewing audio and video equipment full-time, I’ve
seen and heard so many components that there’s very little that I get all that
excited about anymore. So when I see a component and say Ho-hum, some may think
I’m cynical. But it’s simply a byproduct of seeing so much stuff over the
years.... (more) |
|
 |
12/2008 - Richard
Gray’s Power Company SubStation and 1200 Custom Power Conditioners by Howard
Kneller - Richard Gray’s Power Company has been around for about
ten years -- impressive when you remember that power conditioners themselves haven’t
been around for much longer. In that time, RGPC products have been used by a number of
audio manufacturers in their reference systems and at trade shows. In ... (more) |
|
|
11/2008 - Hsu
Research HB-1 Mk.2 / HC-1 Mk.2 / VTF-3 Mk.3 Home-Theater Speaker System by
Jeff Van Dyne - Hsu Research is one of the true pioneers in the area of
direct sales. Its products date all the way back to 1991, with the HRSW10 and 12
subwoofers. These were, famously, the first commercial "water heater" subs built
using large paper-cylinder forms. Many ... (more) |
|
|
11/2008 - PS Audio Power
Plant Premier Power Conditioner by Randall Smith - Each month,
I’m treated to an informative e-mail newsletter from Paul McGowan, founder of and
chief designer for PS Audio, a manufacturer of audio equipment based in Boulder, Colorado.
One great thing about the newsletter is that McGowan ... (more) |
|
 |
10/2008 - Polk Audio
RM95/DSWPRO 400 Home-Theater Speaker System by Jeff Van Dyne - Polk
Audio has been a leading innovator in American speaker design for the better part of three
decades. Founded in 1972 by Matthew Polk and three graduates of John Hopkins University,
Polk Audio has an extensive speaker line that includes ... (more) |
|
 |
10/2008 - Rotel RSP-1069
Audio/Video Processor by Jeff Van Dyne - I’d just reviewed a
150-pound home-theater rack, and my back was seriously contemplating the wisdom of my
having agreed to review Outlaw Audio’s Model 7900 seven-channel power amplifier,
which weighs only five pounds less. But there it was in ... (more) |
|
 |
9/2008 - Outlaw Audio
Model 7900 Multichannel Amplifier by Howard Kneller - I’d just
reviewed a 150-pound home-theater rack, and my back was seriously contemplating the wisdom
of my having agreed to review Outlaw Audio’s Model 7900 seven-channel power
amplifier, which weighs only five pounds less. But there it was in ... (more) |
|
 |
9/2008 - Rotel RB-1085
Multichannel Amplifier by Jeff Van Dyne - Rotel has long had a
reputation for building high-quality electronics for reasonable prices. Until recently, I
owned a Rotel RB-976 multichannel, multizone amplifier that I used for several years in a
variety of ...(more) |
|
 |
8/2008 - AV123 x-series
x-mtm encore / x-cs encore / x-ls encore / MFW-15 Home-Theater Speaker System by Kevin
East - Home-theater speakers are ubiquitous -- a search for an exotic
model can yield as many dividends as a search for a compact one. We’ve found this
recently with speaker systems as diverse as the Audes Credo (the exotic) and the Energy
Take Classic (the compact). If, however ...(more) |
|
 |
8/2008 - Torus Power RM
10 Power Isolation Unit by Roger Kanno - Torus Power is a brand of
power-isolation products from Plitron, a manufacturer that’s likely unfamiliar to
most A/V enthusiasts. Plitron, who specialize in the design and manufacture of
high-quality toroidal transformers, claim that their transformers are widely used in the
audio ...(more) |
|
 |
7/2008 - Vudu Box
Movie-on-Demand Service by Randall Smith - Now that the
high-definition disc war is over and Blu-ray is the lone survivor, the next challenge --
and the next great competition, in my opinion -- will be download services....(more) |
|
 |
7/2008 - Steve Blinn
Designs 3-Shelf Extra-Wide Equipment Rack by Howard Kneller - Back
in the day, TVs were so bulky that they had to be placed on a piece of furniture that was
first a TV stand, and only second an audio rack. You know the kind: They had short shelves
typically made of glass, and a small hole in the back to thread cables ....(more) |
|
 |
6/2008 - RealTraps
MondoTrap, MiniTrap and RFZ Panel by Randall Smith - Over the last
few years I’ve tried to make the most important upgrade possible to my audio system:
a new listening room. I felt that every dollar I’d spent on my system had been well
worth it, but at this point, what I was seeing and hearing from it were a bit
overwhelming. I began to think that my sound ....(more) |
|
 |
6/2008 - Axiom Audio
A1400-8 Multichannel Amplifier by Roger Kanno - The name Axiom
Audio will be familiar to most readers. Their high-value loudspeakers have been favorites
among SoundStage! Network reviewers for years and have won many awards, from us and other
....(more) |
|
 |
5/2008 - DH Labs Silver
Sonic HDMI 1.3 Cable by Roger Kanno - I love how the HDMI format
allows me to transmit high-definition digital video and audio signals through a
single cable. I used to connect my universal player to my surround processor with a set of
component-video cables and six analog audio cables. Now, not only can I send hi-rez
signals digitally ....(more) |
|
 |
5/2008 - Panasonic Viera
TH-50PZ77U Plasma HDTV by Jeff Van Dyne - This is a great time to
buy a new TV. There are plenty of choices available, and the competition for your dollar
is higher than ever. Flat panels are all the rage, and for good reasons. They’ve
steadily improved in recent years -- the picture quality of most of them is more than
acceptable. But if you just walk into ....(more) |
|
 |
4/2008 - NuForce
MCH-3SE-C7 Multichannel Amplifier by Randall Smith - When you think
of high-end, class-D power amplifiers, which manufacturers’ names pop into your mind?
Without a doubt, NuForce has to be among them. Over the last few years, this
California-based company has taken the reins of class-D amplifier design, stripped away
....(more) |
|
 |
4/2008 - Halcro Logic
MC50 Multichannel Amplifier by Howard Kneller - Say
"Halcro" in a crowd of audiophiles and you’ll get their attention. The
company’s Reference products -- particularly their power amplifiers -- have been
touted by some to be the best made. Pretty heady stuff for a company founded as recently
as 1997....(more) |
|
 |
3/2008 - Dynaudio Focus
200/140/200C/Sub 250 Home-Theater Speaker System by Kevin East -
There is a legend on each of the Dynaudio Focus system’s packing crates: "Danes
don’t lie." While this sentiment no doubt was put into wider practice following
the reign of the Thane of Elsinore, its efficacy is easily verified by the function of a
loudspeaker: to reveal sound straightforwardly, faithfully ...(more) |
|
 |
3/2008 - Morel Encore
Mk. II Home-Theater Speaker System by Roger Kanno - When I was told
I’d be receiving a Morel speaker system for review, I didn’t know much about the
Israel-based company. From reviews I’d read in the past, I knew that they made some
pretty expensive speakers, but I could remember little else about Morel or its products. I
didn’t even know which ...(more) |
|
 |
2/2008 - Onkyo TX-SR805
Audio/Video Receiver by Jeff Van Dyne - Onkyo has been a leader in
quality mass-market electronics for many years now. Their products have traditionally been
reliable, capable, and solidly engineered. Their receivers generally lack the multitude of
surround formats of a Yamaha or the high styling of a Harman Kardon, but make up for it
with ...(more) |
|
 |
2/2008 - Paradigm
Reference Studio 100 v.4 / CC-690 v.4 / ADP-590 v.4 / Seismic 12
Home-Theater Speaker System by Randall Smith - This is the third
review of a product made by Paradigm or its subsidiary, Anthem, that I’ve written in
the last 12 months. My reviews of the Anthem AVM 50 A/V processor and the Paradigm
UltraCube 10 subwoofer were both overwhelmingly positive, and the AVM 50 received a Home
Theater Sound Reviewers’ Choice award. So when I’m notified that I’ll
be ...(more) |
|
 |
1/2008 - Energy Take
Classic Home-Theater Speaker System by Kevin East - I have a
fondness for little speakers -- not the 10"-high bookshelf variety, but the truly
dinky ones that can sit in the palm of my hand, and especially really small
speakers that do big things. I still have a pair of RadioShack Optimus 7s, marvels of
speaker engineering in their day, still in service here as outboard TV ...(more) |
