RSSMix.com Mix ID 109166

Emotiva USP-1 Stereo Preamplifier

Wed, 09 Sep 2009 04:00:00 -0400

Emotiva's new USP-1 stereo preamplifier, at $399, sets a new standard in performance in low priced components. Besides the standard full range outputs, this preamp offers a split output where you can adjust the low-pass frequency for one (which goes to your subwoofer) and the high-pass frequency for the other (which goes to your main power amplifier). This allows you to essentially bi-amplify, and with the low frequencies removed from the high-passed output, your power amplifier will run more efficiantly, not having to waste power on low frequencies that your speakers cannot reproduce. And, they toss in a phono stage that has both MC and MM settings. This may mark the beginning of phono stages being a standard part of stereo preamplifiers, rather than having to purchase an outboard phono stage. Long live LP's! Oh, there's a headphone jack too.

Klipsch Icon W 5.1 Speaker System

Thu, 11 Mar 2010 03:00:00 -0500

Klipsch designed the Icon series of loudspeakers for smaller rooms and spaces. They also wanted the Icon speakers to blend well with contemporary decors. The system I reviewed here incorporated speakers from the Icon W line. These speakers have a sweet real wood veneer with a furniture-grade finish. Was Klipsch able to produce a compact, horn-loaded speaker system which epitomized these design goals while delivering the Klipsch signature sound? Read our review to see what we found.

Denon DBP-4010UDCI Universal Blu-ray player

Mon, 08 Mar 2010 03:00:00 -0500

Denon has long been a well-respected leader in the disc player market, producing some excellent universal disc players over the years. Just a few years ago, a universal disc player needed to tackle CD, SACD, DVD-Video and DVD-Audio. Todays disc player must now add Blu-ray to the list in order to claim the title of universal disc player. Such is the case for Denon's new BDP-4010UDCI. Read our review to see how it performs.

Yamaha BD-S1065 Blu-ray Player

Thu, 04 Mar 2010 03:00:00 -0500

The BD-S1065 is one of Yamahas most recent Blu-ray models (the other being the BD-S1900), and is also the least expensive model in their lineup. It is not a universal player, instead focusing simply on Blu-ray. Let's see how it performed.

CD Music Reviews - March, 2010

Tue, 02 Mar 2010 03:00:00 -0500

Singer/songwriter Yasmin Levy has built an estimable reputation as a champion of Ladino music, the ancient music of the Sephardic Jews of Spain. Singing Ladino, Beduin, and original Ladino-like songs, sometimes imbued with Turkish or Flamenco influences, Levy is on a mission to preserve and promote a language and culture facing extinction.

Movie Renter's Guide - March, 2010

Tue, 02 Mar 2010 03:00:00 -0500

Gamer (Blu-ray), Give 'Em Hell Malone (Blu-ray), Law Abiding Citizen (Blu-ray), Couples Retreat (Blu-ray)

Pioneer S-2EX Monitor-sized Speakers

Mon, 01 Mar 2010 03:00:00 -0500

My first introduction to high end audio was back in college. During my freshman year (1975) I came into contact with a kid across the hall from me who owned a Pioneer tape deck. I remember well the wooden side panels and dancing dials. Even though I can not remember the model, I remember that it was able to record on CrO2 tape for the highest fidelity. Does anyone else remember those tapes? Over the years, I have owned a Pioneer CTF-650 tape deck and at least one Pioneer CD/SACD player. But even back then, I knew that Pioneer was really only mid-fi. In fact, Pioneer was competing with JVC, Technics, Sansui and others in the entry to mid level equipment market place. Sure, today the Elite series is pretty good, but I still cant shake the feeling that it is just on the upper end of the mid-fidelity crowd. Pioneer makes speakers too, and they are very good. Here, we review their model S-2EX, which are monitor-sized, which means they are too big to go on a shelf, but not floor-standing.

Rotel RSX-1560 7.1 A/V Receiver

Thu, 25 Feb 2010 03:00:00 -0500

The RSX-1560 is Rotel's flagship receiver in their new Series 15 audio components. The new cosmetic look of the 15 series is simply stunning and very elegant. More importantly, the 1560 posses two firsts for Rotel receivers. One is the use of Class D amplifiers, specifically Bang & Olufsen ICE power modules. Second, it decodes the latest high resolution movie codecs.

Earthquake CP-8 Subwoofer

Tue, 23 Feb 2010 03:00:00 -0500

Is there a more apropos name for a manufacturer of subwoofers than Earthquake? True, they now make a fine line of speakers and their power amplifiers have won many awards, but their real claim to fame has always been their subs. During my recent trip to CEDIA last fall, I had the pleasure of meeting with Abraham Sahyoun, Earthquakes marketing director. He encouraged me to attempt to lift the Super Nova Subwoofer off its display pedestalhe grinned while I attempted and failedand then told me that it weighed in excess of 300 pounds. He then introduced me to a new sub, the CP-8, a subwoofer that is designed to fit behind or under your couch. The CP stands for "Couch Potato."

Optoma HD20 Single-chip 1080p DLP Projector

Mon, 22 Feb 2010 03:00:00 -0500

One of the difficulties in writing a series about affordable front projectors is deciding what constitutes affordable. A few years ago, that would have meant anything under $5,000 for a 1080p projector. But advances in technology, manufacturing efficiency and market demand have caused the prices of entry-level front projectors to plummet. Soon a 1080p front projector could be had for $3,000; only a year later there were $2,000 (street price) projectors that put out a surprisingly good picture. Surely $2,000 was the floor for a 1080p projector?

Audio/Video Cables: The Science and the Insanity

Thu, 18 Feb 2010 03:00:00 -0500

Over the past several years, I noticed that some A/V cable companies have expanded their lines to include interconnects and speaker cables that cost in the thousands, no make that tens of thousands, of dollars. You can actually spend about $25,000 on one pair of speaker cables about 5 meters in length. For that same amount of money, you can purchase a Blu-ray player, top notch receiver, full set of 7.1 speakers, good subwoofer, 1080p projector, a projection screen, and all the A/V cables you need to connect them - in other words, a complete home theater system. For myself, I find it insulting that a company would think we consider that the same amount of engineering research and development costs, along with the manufacturing costs, are comparable between such a set of speaker cables, and a full set of home theater components. So, we are going to start taking a look at the engineering and science behind cable design, and the costs. It will be an on-going article, like the Vinyl vs. CD series that we started publishing a while back. You will be free to express your opinions in the commenting section at the end of the article.

BG Corp Z-92 Planar-Ribbon Speakers and 210i Subwoofer

Thu, 18 Feb 2010 03:00:00 -0500

BG Corp is a speaker company known for their innovative designs incorporating planar-ribbon drivers of their own design. The company was founded in 1994 and has headquarters in Carson City, Nevada. BG Corp is sometimes referred to as BG Radia. In this review, we take a look at the Z-92 floor-standing speakers as well as their 210i subwoofer.

Audio/Video Cables: The Science and the Insanity

Thu, 18 Feb 2010 03:00:00 -0500

Joyce DiDonato: One of Todays Pre-eminent Mezzo Coloraturas

Tue, 16 Feb 2010 03:00:00 -0500

Thanks in part to her two recent EMI recital discs of the music of Handel and Rossini, mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato, 41, has been acknowledged as one of todays pre-eminent mezzo coloraturas. Blessed with an ideally flexible, beautiful voice and a stellar technique that includes a perfect trill, she is in demand throughout the world for a wide variety of lyric mezzo and mezzo coloratura roles.

Joyce DiDonato: One of Todays Pre-eminent Mezzo Coloraturas

Tue, 16 Feb 2010 03:00:00 -0500

Optoma HD8200 Single-chip 1080p DLP Projector

Mon, 15 Feb 2010 03:00:00 -0500

It seems every year projector prices fall a little more. The $4999 Optoma HD8200 single-chip DLP 1080p projector offers features and image quality that would have cost you over $10,000 just a few years ago. Though it has some stiff competition from JVC and Sony in this price category, Optoma has met this challenge with some unique motion processing and image enhancement features.

Mixing and Matching: The Paradigm C5 Center Channel Cone Speaker vs. Electrostatics

Thu, 11 Feb 2010 03:00:00 -0500

In most A/V publications, they will tell you to stick with one brand and line of speakers so that the tonality will be the same across the entire soundstage. That's true. But, if you look for neutrality in sound, you can mix and match with no problem. I have used electrostatic speakers (ESLs) in our home theater lab as a reference for years. The problem has always been the center channel. The front left and right ESL are 6 feet tall, and the center channel ESL was only 4 feet, and even then, the motorized projection screen would come down in front of it about a foot. Secondly, ESLs cannot be driven to high SPLs like cone speakers.....So, I decided to use a conventional (cone) speaker for the center channel, the new Paradigm C5 center channel speaker.....Was I disappointed in the results? Read our review to see.

Bryston 9B SST2 Multi-channel Amplifier

Tue, 09 Feb 2010 03:00:00 -0500

Bryston is known for building some of the most sought-after, powerful and dependable amplifiers in the business. For over 40 years, they have provided an incredible 20 year transferable warranty, practically unheard of in this or any industry. If you find one (that is if you can find one) on the used market, chances are it will still be under warranty. Their rare appearance on the used market has as much to do with their sound quality and dependable (high) power delivery as it does with their warranty. Here, we review their 9B SST², which is a five-channel (5 x 140 watts) power amplifier.

A Collection of New Vinyl Releases - February, 2010

Tue, 09 Feb 2010 03:00:00 -0500

I bought Hank Mobley's "Roll Call" on a whim when I saw that its normally hefty price had been reduced at my local independent retailer.

Marantz UD9004 Universal Blu-ray Player

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 03:00:00 -0500

When I hear the name Marantz, the first thing that comes to mind for me is music. From the 1950s when Saul Marantz introduced the companys first preamplifier, Marantz has been creating products which help people enjoy music in their lives. Today they create some of the best high performance audio products available as well as products which are accessible to the average home theater enthusiast. The Marantz UD9004 is their flagship universal disc player and is designed to let you enjoy every conceivable disc in your collection.

Denon DVD-A1UDCI Universal Blu-ray Player

Thu, 04 Feb 2010 03:00:00 -0500

My wife often enjoyed making fun of how many optical disc players I had in my AV setup. When it was the most out of control, I had an HD-DVD player, a PS3 for Blu-ray movies, an Oppo Universal DVD player, and a Sony SACD changer for music. While DVD-A and SACD didn't catch on with lots of the public, some of us built up a collection of the titles that we want to be able to listen to, and we would like to avoid having an AV rack full of extra players like I do. Denon's new DVD-A1UDCI Universal Blu-ray player handles every format out there, including Blu-ray, SACD, and DVD-A, outputting the signals digitally through its HDMI port.

CAVE Prize - Burson Audio PI-100 Integrated Stereo Amplifier

Mon, 01 Feb 2010 16:38:07 -0500

If you didnt win the prizes for our first CAVE contest and that means all of you except two dont despair. We are now announcing the next CAVE contest, and the prize is a Burson Audio PI-100 Integrated Stereo Amplifier.

Movie Renter's Guide - February, 2010

Mon, 01 Feb 2010 03:00:00 -0500

Surrogates (Blu-ray), The Hurt Locker (Blu-ray), The Bourne Identity (Blu-ray), The Bourne Supremacy (Blu-ray), A Serious Man (Blu-ray), Love Happens (Blu-ray), Smokin Aces (Blu-ray), Pride and Prejudice (Blu-ray), Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (Blu-ray), All About Steve (Blu-ray), Atonement (Blu-ray), Amelia (Blu-ray)

Canton GLE 5.1 Speaker System

Mon, 01 Feb 2010 03:00:00 -0500

This 5.1 speaker system by Canton hails from Germany, a country famous for the design and manufacturing of all manner of precision products: cars, medical devices, tools, and so forth. So I was really looking forward to seeing if the German engineering, manufacturing and QA/QC tradition would benefit this speaker system.

Samsung SP-A900B Single-Chip 1080p DLP Projector

Thu, 28 Jan 2010 03:00:00 -0500

What if a videophile were given total control over the design, production and distribution of a projector? You would expect a high degree of color accuracy, great optics, easy calibration for different screens and environments, no unnecessary features, consistent quality and of course a stunning image. Samsung has answered this question with the help of Joe Kane. The result of this collaboration has been a series of DLP projectors, the latest example being the SP-A900B.

Panasonic BD-60 Blu-ray Player

Tue, 26 Jan 2010 03:00:00 -0500

Panasonic has a long tradition of producing well regarded, competitively priced disc players. Many of their DVD players were among the best at producing a 480p image, and at a very reasonable cost. Panasonic was at it again with Blu-ray, being one of the main companies out there with a large line of affordable players for consumers, with some extra features that other companies don't include.

OPPO BDP-83SE (Special Edition) Universal Blu-ray Player

Mon, 25 Jan 2010 03:00:00 -0500

OPPO's BDP-83 Universal Blu-ray Player has been very successful, as it is one of only a few players that will ouput all codecs (CD, DVD-A, SACD, Dolby TrueHD, DTS-HD Master Audio) in digital format through an HDMI connection. Now, with the Special Edition of this player, analog audio performance is improved significantly, and in fact, performs like players costing much, much more.

Mirage MX 5.1 Speaker System

Thu, 21 Jan 2010 03:00:00 -0500

Ive always been intrigued by Mirage speakers. Their brand and styling are unmistakable. Having never owned a pair and only partaking in a few brief demos, I was eager to spend some time with the MX 5.1 speaker system. I knew the MX speaker system was compact but when the shipping company arrived with a box that was smaller in diameter than my reference subwoofer I started to feel a little disenchanted.

Onkyo DV-BD507 Blu-ray Player

Mon, 18 Jan 2010 03:00:00 -0500

It wasnt but about 18 months ago that Blu-ray players were still considered high end devices, selling mostly to enthusiasts, videophiles, and the like. Recently, the market for these players has really taken off, mostly due to the big box retailers dropping prices to DVD player levels. The fact that one can walk into a Wal-Mart and purchase a Blu-ray player for under $150 makes it somewhat of a commodity item at this point. Why not own one? Blu-ray discs are indeed more expensive (sometimes prohibitively so), but on the rental front, you can get them from Blockbuster or Netflix on the cheap, and enjoy your films in much higher quality.

Revel Performa F52 Tower Speakers, C52 Center Channel Speaker, S30 Surround Speakers, and Concerta B120 Subwoofer

Thu, 14 Jan 2010 03:00:00 -0500

In 1996 an announcement was made about a new speaker company being formed under the very large umbrella of the Harman brand. One could say a perfect storm was created when Harman committed their considerable resources, and Kevin Voecks; a protg of legendary audio engineer Dr. Floyd Toole, was brought on as Head Engineer. Harman wanted a speaker brand to match the quality of its Levinson electronics. These speakers would be designed using pure science and only released to market when proven to out-perform the competition in double-blind listening tests. We know that brand today as Revel.

A Collection of New Vinyl Releases - January 2010

Tue, 12 Jan 2010 14:31:43 -0500

I made a discovery recently that was both terrific and terrifying. Terrific because I have a whole slew of new records that I can look forward to exploring.

SECRETS Coverage CES 2010

Thu, 07 Jan 2010 14:31:50 -0500

SECRETS Coverage of CES is full of pictures from the main CES venues.....the Convention Center and Venetian, along with some private showings! Check out Reports from Piero, Ross, Stephen and Cynthia in the CAVE!! Tried out some video this year.......just posted in the CAVE!

SECRETS Coverage CES 2010

Thu, 07 Jan 2010 14:31:50 -0500

Bowers and Wilkins Zeppelin iPod Amplified Speaker Dock System

Thu, 07 Jan 2010 03:00:00 -0500

The iPod dock/speaker market continues to grow every year and more high end speaker manufacturers are joining the game. Products range from cheap and flimsy $20 plastic models to higher end models such as the Fatman iTube Red-i that lists for $649. Bowers and Wilkins, renowned British loudspeaker company, has created their own high end iPod speaker dock system called the Zeppelin, which lists at $599, and is the subject of this review.

Bowers and Wilkins Zeppelin iPod Amplified Speaker Dock System

Thu, 07 Jan 2010 03:00:00 -0500

Gefen HDMI Detective Plus

Mon, 04 Jan 2010 03:00:00 -0500

I caught the HTPC bug sometime back and went about building one after receiving component recommendations from Sandy Bird, one of our Senior Editors. The installation went smoothly. Then, one day I encountered an issue I had not seen before. Switching the source input from the HTPC to some other source, such as my DVR, and then back to the HTPC would sometimes give a small 800x600 window centered on the display. The output was no longer 1080p, the resolution I started out with.

Gefen HDMI Detective Plus

Mon, 04 Jan 2010 03:00:00 -0500

Movie Renter's Guide - January, 2010

Sun, 03 Jan 2010 14:21:01 -0500

The Hangover (Blu-ray), The Marine 2 (Blu-ray), Mamma Mia! (Blu-ray), Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs (Blu-ray), Extract (Blu-ray), Jennifer's Body (Blu-ray), Horton Hears a Who! (Blu-ray), Command Performance (Blu-ray), 9 (Blu-ray), A Perfect Getaway (Blu-ray), Taking Woodstock (Blu-ray), Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian (Blu-ray), CSI: The First Season (Blu-ray), 10 Things I Hate About You (Blu-ray), Fighting (Blu-ray), Love Actually (Blu-ray), American Pie Presents: The Book of Love (Blu-ray), Funny People (Blu-ray), Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (Blu-ray)

NuVision NVU65FX5 65" LCD Flat-Panel HDTV

Thu, 31 Dec 2009 03:00:00 -0500

PRICE DROP AS OF 1-18-10. When shopping for an LCD panel, NuVision is not one of the first manufacturers that come to mind. Sold only through a network of CEDIA-member dealers, NuVision is firmly in the category of boutique brands. Their line of televisions are built by connoisseurs for connoisseurs to quote their website. Here, we review the NuVision 65" NVU65FX5, which is their 65" LCD Flat-panel HDTV. At an MSRP of $10,499 ($9,999 for black bezel version), it is a pricey HDTV. Read our review to see if it cuts the mustard at the checkout counter.

PrimaLuna DiaLogue Seven Tube Monoblock Power Amplifier

Thu, 31 Dec 2009 03:00:00 -0500

PrimaLuna is a Dutch-based company that released its first products, the ProLogue One and ProLogue Two integrated tube amplifiers in 2003. Then, in 2006, they released the ProLogue Three preamplifier, and ProLogue Five, Six, and Seven power amplifiers. Late in that same year, the PrimaLuna DiaLogue series hit the market, which had the DiaLogue's basic features, but with upgraded parts and additional capabilities. Here, we review the DiaLogue Seven, which is a monoblock power amplifier, capable of delivering 40 watts RMS in triode mode, and 70 watts RMS in ultra-linear mode (see review for an explanation of what this means). The bottom line is that the PrimaLuna DiaLogue Seven monoblock is more than capable of delivering a clean, detailed, and lush sound (ah, those tubes are responsible for that).

Centronics DHCT5 Cat 5 HDMI Extender

Mon, 28 Dec 2009 03:00:00 -0500

For those of us who need to get a high definition program that is stored or being broadcast from a satellite or cable receiver in one room to an HDTV in another room that may be at the other end of the house, simply using a long HDMI cable won't work due to signal loss. However, several manufacturers are now producing HDMI extenders that use Cat 5 (or Cat 6 if you like) cable. Some that I took a look at but chose not to review needed two Cat 5 cables, so I waited. Now, Centronics offers an extender that requires only one Cat 5 cable and will send 1080p up to 100 feet from the source to your HDTV. You plug a short HDMI cable from your satellite box into the Centronics transmitter and another short HDMI cable into the receiver and HDTV at the other end. Custom installers take note: You will want to have a couple of these in your van when you start on a project.

Centronics DHCT5 Cat 5 HDMI Extender

Mon, 28 Dec 2009 03:00:00 -0500

Emotiva X-Series A/V Cables

Wed, 23 Dec 2009 03:00:00 -0500

Emotiva, which started out marketing amplifiers, expanded to include preamplifiers, SSPs, speakers, and now, to complete the line, a complete series of cables. These include coaxial analog RCA, coaxial digital RCA, digital Toslink, balanced XLR, HDMI, and speaker cables. They come in two models, one being the X-Series that we review here, and the Ultra-Series, which is the entry level. I found the cables to be extremely well constructed, with gold-plated contacts, and rugged enough to be man-handled through the typical maze of wires that we all have behind our equipment racks. The sound in my reference system using the Emotiva cables was excellent. The prices are very reasonable, and are a better value than what I see in blister packs at various mass market electronic stores.

A Collection of New Vinyl Releases - December, 2009

Tue, 22 Dec 2009 03:00:00 -0500

I came to Miles Davis's "Birth of the Cool" with expectations. Expectations which were shattered more or less as soon as the needle hit the groove. It didn't take me long to realize the error of my ways, and it's a mistake I've vowed not to revisit.

VIZIO VF551XVT 55" LCD LED HDTV

Mon, 21 Dec 2009 03:00:00 -0500

VIZIO has introduced a 55" (diagonal) LCD HDTV (1080p) that uses 960 LEDs in 80 control blocks as the backlighting. The control blocks change their brightness according to the brightness of the part of the scene that they responsible for illuminating. The result is absolute black, where there is supposed to be black. We measured a contrast ratio of nearly 300,000:1. It also has 240 Hz refresh rate (120 Hz plus backlight scanning) which allows for interpolated frames in between actual frames, and this delivers smooth motion during panning or objects moving across the screen. Best of all, it is available (street price) at $1,899 which is not an increase over last year's technology at the same screen size.

Monster PowerNet 200 and 300 Kits for Audio and Video Streaming Through Your House AC Wiring

Thu, 17 Dec 2009 03:00:00 -0500

Two years ago, there wasn't a single device in my home theater that required an internet connection. Speed ahead to today, however, and my home theater now needs more internet connections than the rest of my household. Two BD Live Blu-ray Players, a DLNA Receiver, a PlayStation 3, Nintendo Wii, Tivo HD, and a plasma with Internet Widgets all want to be online for either content downloads, media streaming, firmware upgrades, or more, and many of these require a lot of bandwidth to work well. Monster Cable's PowerNet 200 and 300 packages allow you to connect your music and video server to your hi-fi system in another part of the house by using the household AC wiring.

Monster PowerNet 200 and 300 Kits for Audio and Video Streaming Through Your House AC Wiring

Thu, 17 Dec 2009 03:00:00 -0500

December CD Reviews - Holiday Recordings to Savor - Part II

Tue, 15 Dec 2009 03:00:00 -0500

Its that time again, boys and girls. Santa, egg nog, menorahs, craziness, last-minute shopping, and empty bank accounts to ring in the New Year. Youre going to need some good music to get through it all, and even more to entertain family and friends. Whatever your family situation, if youre looking for music appropriate to the holidays, you need look no further. There are some really goodies in the list of mostly new releases that follows. Enjoy!

PrimaLuna DiaLogue Two Stereo Integrated Tube Amplifier

Mon, 14 Dec 2009 03:00:00 -0500

The PrimaLuna brand needs no introduction to the tube-loving community, but I do (did). Though Ive heard plenty of good sounding tube gear at shops, at various friends houses and of course at shows, I generally listen to solid state equipment. So, having the PrimaLuna Dialogue Two here for review was a new, and very pleasant experience.

December CD Reviews - Holiday Recordings to Savor - Part I

Thu, 10 Dec 2009 03:00:00 -0500

Esperanza, founded by the Hispanic Clergy of Philadelphia in 1987, works to bring a sustained response of hope to the barrio. To raise funds for their work, theyve put together this Christmas compilation with performances by Marcos Witt, Alejandro Sanz, Miguel Angel Guerra, Jose Carreras, Santana, and others. Michelle Bonilla sings quite the O Holy Night. The sound quality of the transfers leaves something to be desired, but the joy this will bring to its target audience is great.

Secrets Best of 2009 Product Awards

Tue, 08 Dec 2009 03:00:00 -0500

The Secrets Best of 2009 Product Awards, featuring the following categories: Accessories, Small Accessories, Headphones, Shaker Packages, Blu-ray Players, Budget CD Players, Budget DACs, High End DACs, Flat Panel HDTVs, Home Theater in a Box, Small Audio Systems with iPod Dock, Value in Power Amplifiers, Stereo Power Amplifiers, Power Conditioners, Budget Stereo Preamplifiers, Stereo Preamplifiers, Surround Sound Processors, Budget Projectors, High End Projectors, Mid-Level A/V Receivers, Budget Receivers, High End A/V Receivers, Floor Standing Speakers, 5.1 Speaker Packages, In-wall Speakers, Bookshelf Speakers, In-Floor/In-Ceiling Subwoofers, Large Subwoofers, Mid-Size Subwoofers, Small Subwoofers, Media Processor System-on-Chip, High Definition Video Cameras, Emotiva Cables, High End SACD Players.

Secrets Best of 2009 Product Awards

Tue, 08 Dec 2009 03:00:00 -0500

WINNER ANNOUNCED!!...WIN A LEXICON MC-12B FULLY BALANCED SSP WITH MICROPHONE KIT AND ROOM CORRECTION UPGRADE

Mon, 07 Dec 2009 03:00:00 -0500

Thank you to all of the CAVE Members.......we have awarded the Lexicon, as announced in the CAVE.......The winner of the Blu-ray discs will be announced on Friday!! The next CAVE award will be "Officially" announced in next week's Newsletter.....(HINT: something special from our friends Downunder!!) So if you haven't signed up for the Newsletter, please do so now.....

Sign up as a member in the Secrets CAVE and you will have a chance to win our reference Lexicon MC-12B SSP (we are changing it out for a different product because we need HDMI audio inputs). This SSP is a superb product that can be used as a two-channel preamp if you wish.

NextGen Twister 360 Degree HDMI Connector

Thu, 03 Dec 2009 03:00:00 -0500

For those of us who use A/V equipment with HDMI jacks, we all have experienced issues with the cable being forced to bend at stressful angles to go to the next piece of equipment in the signal path. NextGen has solved this difficulty with the Twister, which is an HDMI jack and plug, connected together using a 360⁰ ball joint.

NextGen Twister 360 Degree HDMI Connector

Thu, 03 Dec 2009 03:00:00 -0500

Movie Renter's Guide - December, 2009

Tue, 01 Dec 2009 03:00:00 -0500

Star Trek (Blu-ray), The Taking of Pelham 123 (Blu-ray), Angels & Demons (Blu-ray), Santa Buddies: The Legend of Santa Paws (Blu-ray), A Charlie Brown Christmas (Blu-ray), How the Grinch Stole Christmas (1965, Blu-ray), Wrong Turn (Blu-ray), An American Werewolf in London (Blu-ray), How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000, Blu-ray), The Office: Season 5 (Blu-ray), Battlestar Galactica - The Plan (Blu-ray), District 9 (Blu-ray), The Inglourious Basterds (Blu-ray)

Sennheiser HD-800 Headphones

Thu, 26 Nov 2009 03:00:00 -0500

2009 is a good time to be a headphone fan. The supply of high-end headphones is exploding. At the head of the pack is the new Sennheiser HD-800. This is a cost-no-object assault on the state of the art in headphone listening. They are more than twice as expensive as Sennheisers previous top of the line, the HD-650.

Sennheiser HD-800 Headphones

Thu, 26 Nov 2009 03:00:00 -0500

Denon AVR-3310CI 7.1 A/V Receiver

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 03:00:00 -0500

When shopping for a receiver, most consumers either get the bargain of the week at $499 or the macho machine at $2,499. But, what about those receivers in the middle, as in $1,499. Not cheap enough for the bargain hunter, not "impressive" enough for the high end. Maybe you should take a second look. At that middle price, you can still get the hot features, but not break the bank. Here, we review Denon's AVR-3310CI which clocks in at 120 watts x 7 and decodes everything, even that new kid on the block . . . height channels.

Canton Reference 5.2 DC Floor-Standing Speakers

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 03:00:00 -0500

Back in mid-2005, I auditioned Cantons new Vento line of speakers with an entire surround package, (although the matching sub had yet to be released). I found them impeccably designed and crafted, and they sounded terrific. In this review, I take a look and listen to the Canton Reference 5.2 DC tower (floor-standing) speakers. More-terrific is what I found.

The Ongoing Career of Baritone Benjamin Luxon

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 03:00:00 -0500

English baritone Benjamin Luxon remains prized for the intelligence of his portrayals, and his unfettered directness of expression. Now 72, and devoting much of his time to theater, Luxon came to fame as a member of Benjamin Brittens English Opera Group. After creating the title role in Brittens Owen Wingrave, he proceeded to perform a wide variety of roles in many of the worlds leading houses.

The Ongoing Career of Baritone Benjamin Luxon

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 03:00:00 -0500

Pioneer SC27 7.1 A/V Receiver

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 03:00:00 -0500

Over the past few years, Class D amps have been gaining in popularity for many reasons including their much smaller size, their incredibly high efficiency, and the much smaller amount of heat that they put off compared to a standard Class A, AB, or B amplifier. More and more high end audio companies such as Rotel, Bel Canto and PS Audio have come out with Class D products that offer high performance in a much smaller form factor than was possible with standard amplifier technologies.

JVC GZ-HM400U High Definition Video Camera

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 03:00:00 -0500

Up until the past year, the sensors in HD video cameras were just barely enough in pixel count (2,073,600) to get 1920 x 1080 video. That has changed now, and camera manufacturers are putting sensors in their HD video cameras that have a much higher pixel count. The main reason is so that consumers can take high resolution snapshots with their video cameras, similar to the high resolution photos they can get from dedicated digital snapshot cameras. The serendipity is that the high resolution image can be downsampled to 1920 x 1080 rather than there being only just over 2 megapixels to start with, and this gives a sharper video image. The JVC GZ-HM400U is just such a camera, with its 10.3 megapixel sensor. Have a look at our review to see how it performed.

Paradigm Reference Millenia 300 Tower Floor-standing Speakers, Millenia 30 Center Channel Speaker, Millenia ADP Surround Speakers, and Studio Sub 15 Subwoofer

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 03:00:00 -0500

Talk about mixed feelings! I need to unload all of my biases first since they are sufficient to taint this review. First, Im a longstanding fan of Paradigm speakers and over the years, I have either owned or listened to a wide range of their products, right from the diminutive Atoms to their flagship Signature models. In this review, I tested the Millenia series.

Atlantic Technology 4400 Speaker System

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 03:00:00 -0500

Started in 1989, Atlantic Technology's main goal has been to provide an immersive surround sound experience. They target seamless pans from right to left, and crisp clear dialog in their speaker setups along with dynamic powerful bass from their subwoofers.

Rotel RMB-1575 Five-Channel Class D Power Amplifier

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 03:00:00 -0500

Class D switching amplifiers are more and more common. Manufactures have made great strides in overcoming the high-frequency shortcomings found in the early models. Rotel in particular has been involved with this technology for a few years, with a significant portion of their line-up now using this.

PS Audio Power Plant Premier Power Regenerator

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 03:00:00 -0500

The PS Audio Power Plant Premier (PPP), the companys latest version of the Power Plant P300 that company head Paul McGowan first introduced in 1997, is a true power regenerator. The PPP takes "dirty" and variable AC power from the wall socket, converts it to DC voltage, and then regenerates a new AC sine wave signal at 120 volts. It also serves as a surge protector and all-around power distribution system.

NAIM Audio Recap Tour

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 03:00:00 -0500

In my recent review of the Primaluna Dialogue Two I complained that tubes require maintenance. I didnt complain much as Primaluna does a great job of minimizing those requirements. I should have held my complaint for my solid state gear. Thats right, even power supplies require maintenance. Thats the message that Naim is sending out with their Recap Tour. Thats Recap as in Replace the Capacitors.

PS Audio Power Plant Premier Power Regenerator

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 03:00:00 -0500

NAIM Audio Recap Tour

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 03:00:00 -0500

Energy RC-Micro 5.1 Home Theater in Box Speakers

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 04:00:00 -0400

Do you fault a Mini Cooper for being a Mini and not a Honda Odyssey or a Porsche 911? In evaluating product, a question that is often unasked is "What is the reference?" Often times, particularly in audio or video, the question is unasked because the answer invariably is reality.

McCormack LD-2 Preamplifier and DNA-250 Stereo Power Amplifier

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 04:00:00 -0400

In 1997, McCormack Audio was purchased by Conrad-Johnson, known primarily for their fine tube amps and preamps. They have the same high quality and value that Steve McCormack put into his designs in California, but these current products are basically an entirely new line (and are built in Virginia). In this review, we take a look at one of their line-stage preamps, and a stereo (two-channel) power amplifier.

Legend Acoustics Tikandi Speaker System with DEQX HDP-3 Processing

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 04:00:00 -0400

Room correction technology for audiophiles has existed for over a decade now, but this technology has not yet seen wide adoption. Many audiophiles just cant stomach a processor messing with the signal. Never mind their speakers might have terrible frequency and phase response, at least when compared to their other electronics! On top of that, interaction with the room causes frequency response errors of well over 10 dB in all but the most acoustically perfect rooms. Still think your signal is pure?

Marantz AV8003 SSP and MM8003 8-Channel Power Amplifier

Mon, 19 Oct 2009 04:00:00 -0400

The first receiver that I remember having in the house was a classic Marantz model. Unfortunately I was too young back then to realize the quality of that component, or even recognize the name, and at some point that receiver was replaced with a much more generic, mass market model with newer features. I am old enough now to know the impact that the name Marantz has on the A/V community, and just about everyone realizes that it commands respect. Here, we review their new AV8003 A/V processor and MM8003 eight-channel power amplifier.

Emotiva ERC-1 CD player

Thu, 15 Oct 2009 04:00:00 -0400

The first thing youll notice about the Emotiva ERC-1 CD player is that it looks great. The faceplate of the player and the remote are brushed aluminum painted black accented with unfinished brushed aluminum at the edges. Nice. When its turned on the buttons on the face of the player light up with blue halos. This player would look right at home next to Macintosh gear.

Telluride 2009 Film Festival

Wed, 14 Oct 2009 04:00:00 -0400

The year before last was the last year that longtime Telluride Film Festival founders Bill and Stella Pence were part of the festival organizing team. The rumor last year was that the crop of movies at last years festival was diminished somewhat due to their absence, the idea being that they had pull in Hollywood to bring the block buster films to Telluride.

Telluride 2009 Film Festival

Wed, 14 Oct 2009 04:00:00 -0400

Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival

Mon, 12 Oct 2009 13:22:37 -0400

Warren Hellman is a man with deep pockets and a deep appreciation of traditional bluegrass music. The fact that he lives in San Francisco is just a matter of good luck for its citizens. This year marked the ninth consecutive year that he's gifted Shaky Town with his Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival, and it's an event that locals are loathe to miss and travelers are eager to see.

Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival

Mon, 12 Oct 2009 13:22:37 -0400

Paradigm Reference Studio Speaker System

Mon, 12 Oct 2009 04:00:00 -0400

The speaker business has got to be a challenging one.On the one hand, unlike most other CE devices, speakers don't have any inherent rapid obsolescence to them. In fact, good speakers by definition should be viable, literally, for a lifetime. Paradigm's Reference Studio Speakers fit such a definition.

Rocky Mountain Audio Fest 2009 Show Report

Wed, 07 Oct 2009 04:00:00 -0400

By many accounts this year's show was busier than last. Some exhibitors saw their visitors increase three-fold. Curiously, in my opinion the entry level of value components moved up a notch despite the economy. There were still plenty of sub $3K components to be had, but for the most part, components weren't bundled by price, with a few exceptions. There were plenty of $3K electronic components paired with $10K speakers, and vice versa. The rooms displaying $100K amps were getting plenty of action. Secrets' Coverage from Ed Becker...Ed will be adding pics and comment throughout this week....

Rocky Mountain Audio Fest 2009 Show Report

Wed, 07 Oct 2009 04:00:00 -0400

Rocky Mountain Audio Fest 2009 Show Report

Focal Dome 5.1 Speaker System

Mon, 05 Oct 2009 04:00:00 -0400

Many loudspeakers today are marketed more for their ability to blend into a space or make an aesthetic statement than to provide high performance. Since they are the most visible AV component after the television, sizes and styles vary as much as colors of the rainbow. With many lifestyle products come compromises in audio quality; not so with the Focal Dome system.

Vinyl vs. CD - A Running Commentary - Parts 6 - 9

Fri, 02 Oct 2009 04:00:00 -0400

When attending CES and Rocky Mountain Audio Fest over the past couple of years, I noticed that turntables are starting to be the majority of sources for exhibit rooms. We all have heard about the vinyl renaissance, but I just did not realize how strong it is. I mean, LPs are being played everywhere at hi-fi shows. So, we decided to compare Vinyl LPs to CDs in terms of the recording process, manufacturing, and the sound. Here are Parts 6: In the Groove; Part 7: THD-plus-N Test Results, Part 8: Phono Preamplifiers, and Part 9: A Few Bits About DACs.

Interview with Steve Hoffman - Remastering Classic Recordings on Vinyl

Wed, 30 Sep 2009 04:00:00 -0400

World-renowned studio mastering engineer Steve Hoffman is currently working on the re-mastering and re-release of many legendary rock and pop titles including classic Nat King Cole albums on SACD and 45 RPM vinyl for Acoustic Sounds/Analogue Productions and 24 Karat Gold CDs (The Doors, Linda Ronstadt, The Pretenders, Alice Cooper, etc.) for Audio Fidelity (among others).

Onkyo TX-SR607 7.1 A/V Receiver

Thu, 24 Sep 2009 04:00:00 -0400

I have to admit, Im a sucker when it comes to having the latest and greatest toys. As my wife can attest, Im always looking for excuses that will allow me to spring for that next upgrade. In recent years, Onkyo has been at the forefront of new A/V receiver technology and features, releasing new models at an almost breakneck pace in order to stay one step ahead of the competition. The TX-SR607 continues that technological advance as the first product in the world to sport Dolby Pro Logic IIz.....The bottom line is this: you need to pay quite a bit more money to dramatically improve upon the performance of the TX-SR607.

Paradigm Millenia 20 Hybrid In-Wall speakers

Mon, 21 Sep 2009 04:00:00 -0400

Ahh summer time. Time for pools, get togethers with friends and tearing apart walls in search of audio and aesthetic excellence for your flat screen TV. While this may not be the average summer activity for most Ill wager more than a few Secrets readers are in the midst of their own audio-video inspired renovations. Heres my story of an in wall audio adventure courtesy of the new Paradigm Millenia 20 Hybrids.

JL Audio Fathom F110 Subwoofer

Thu, 17 Sep 2009 04:00:00 -0400

It would truly surprise me if anyone reading this review had not heard of JL Audio. Notwithstanding JL Audios stellar reputation in the car audio world, its Fathom and Gotham series of subwoofers have set the home audio/video world on fire like few products in recent memory.

CEDIA 2009 Show Report

Fri, 11 Sep 2009 13:55:23 -0400

The SECRETS CEDIA 2009 Team is reporting in the CAVE.....do join us for all the latest news and pictures from the floor....We have a large team covering CEDIA 2009....Joining me are John, Editor in Chief, and Piero Gabucci, Adrian Wittenberg, Chris Eberle, Chris Heinonen, Jim Clements and Jim Milton.......This is our first photo upon arriving at CEDIA 2009.....and it does seem that there are fewer attendees this year than in previous years.

Jim Clements reports.....I really enjoyed the scale and spectacle of my first day at the 2009 CEDIA Expo. The Georgia World Congress Center is an excellent venue for this type of event. My mission is to track down and report on gear that might be assembled into affordable systems. This includes source components, receivers, satellite speakers, subwoofers and accesories.

Join us in the CAVE

Sony BDP-S5000ES Blu-ray Player - Benchmark

Mon, 07 Sep 2009 04:00:00 -0400

The Sony ES line has always represented the very best of what Sony has to offer. The ES stands for Sonys Elevated Standard and the BDP-S5000ES is Sonys premier Blu-ray/DVD player, offering a host of features targeted at the audiophile and videophile who is looking for the very best.

PSB SubSeries 6i Subwoofer

Wed, 02 Sep 2009 04:00:00 -0400

The PSB Subseries 6i subwoofer is a very unassuming-looking product, albeit a little on the large size by todays standards. It has a single 12 driver in a ported enclosure. There are two ports that exit at the bottom front of the cabinet. The volume and crossover controls are mounted along the bottom of the front part of the cabinet as well. This arrangement allows the 6i to be mounted inside a cabinet.

The Legendary Pianist Menahem Pressler

Wed, 02 Sep 2009 04:00:00 -0400

For over 50 years, pianist Menahem Presslers name has been indelibly associated with the Beaux Arts Trio. As the founder of the trio, it is Presslers pianism that is the constant in the trios over 50 benchmark recordings of Schubert, Brahms, Beethoven, and other great composers.

NAD T 747 AV Surround Sound Receiver

Wed, 02 Sep 2009 04:00:00 -0400

The NAD T747 AV Surround Sound Receiver is a 7-channel two zone receiver that is capable of decoding bitstream inputs of all the latest high-resolution audio formats. I like its understated styling a la NAD. The minimalist front panel has a simple two-line VFD display in the center of the panel. The characters on this display are about 3/8 high. This is a major improvement over the super small logos that are commonly found in so many of todays receivers and processors.

NAD T587 Blu-ray Disc Player - Benchmark

Wed, 02 Sep 2009 04:00:00 -0400

The NAD T587 represents NADs first foray into the Blu-ray arena. NAD started big by building the T587 to the Blu-ray Profile 2.0 spec. The T587 can also handle CD and DVD discs among other formats such as DiVX. It is not a universal player and will not spin DVD Audio or SACD discs. Its circuitry is based on the Broadcom decoder. A nice touch is that the player comes with auxiliary feet that closely resemble Vibrapods. This player is reviewed as one of the Imagine Affordable System components.

Flagship Home Theater - Part 2: Anthem Statement D2v Audio/Video Processor and Statement A5 Five-Channel Power Amplifier

Mon, 31 Aug 2009 04:00:00 -0400

In Part 1 of Flagship Home Theater, I covered the video side with Anthems LTX-500 LCoS 1080p projector and the Black Diamond II screen from SI Screens. Now lets look at the other half of the home theater equation: the sound. To round out my Flagship Home Theater experience, I tested the Anthem Statement D2v A/V Processor and A5 five-channel power amplifier.

Earthquake Titan Telesto Floor-standing Speakers and Supernova MKVI 10" Subwoofer

Thu, 27 Aug 2009 04:00:00 -0400

Earthquake Sound has just introduced the Titan Telesto floor-standing speakers. They are 50" high and have a unique horn-loaded tweeter as well as a conventional dome tweeter. Two 4" drivers handle the midrange, with a side-mounted 8" woofer dealing out the low frequencies. They are beautifully finished in black piano lacquer and are priced at $4,999 for the pair. Earthquake also sent their Supernova MKVI 10" subwoofer, because I had been so impressed with the 15" version, and I wanted to see how the smaller one performed. Well, it performed! And so did the Telestos . . . .

Ultrasone Pro 900 Over-the-Ear Headphones

Wed, 26 Aug 2009 04:00:00 -0400

Recently, I have started to put more of a focus on using headphones in my office instead of speakers. I enjoy listening to music while working, but my cubicle neighbors don't necessarily appreciate the same type of music that I prefer. When a pair of Ultrasone Pro 900 headphones became available for review, I obtained them to see how they would work in my setup and how they compare to my current reference headphones, the AKG K701's.

Ultrasone Pro 900 Over-the-Ear Headphones

Wed, 26 Aug 2009 04:00:00 -0400

Sony VPL-HW10 LCoS Projector

Mon, 24 Aug 2009 04:00:00 -0400

This is the third in a semi-regular series looking at affordable front projector systems, particularly projectors that dont require a dedicated theater space. So far, weve looked at Sanyo and Mitsubishi projectors. Until recently, I had not considered Sonys SXRD front projectors as candidates, for a couple of reasons. First, Sony projectors were not what I would classify as affordable, with MSRPs typically starting at $5,000. Plus, the Ruby and Pearl models were really designed for dedicated rooms; they have limited lens adjustments and are not known for exceptionally bright output.

Panasonic AG-HSC-1UP 3-CCD 1080p High Definition Video Camera

Thu, 20 Aug 2009 04:00:00 -0400

Panasonic's AG-HSC1UP High Definition Camcorder has 3 CCDs, records at 1080p in the AVCHD format, and comes with a portable hard drive to transfer your videos when you fill up the included SD memory card that holds about 1.5 hours of video recorded at the highest quality (13 Mbps). It has a 12x optical zoom, and is very compact.

Bryston 4B SST2 Stereo Power Amplifier

Mon, 17 Aug 2009 04:00:00 -0400

Bryston Ltd. is a Canadian company which has been designing and manufacturing audio equipment for over 35 Years. While there are many companies competing in their market, Brystons gear is coveted by enthusiasts and professionals alike. They have earned the reputation of providing bullet-proof reliability, high performance and value. Bystons value is not due to a bargain basement price. It's the sound and their 20 year guarantee of high performance that can make a Bryston purchase a value. This remarkable warranty speaks to Bryston's confidence in their own quality standards, and it is definitely the exception versus the rule in the A/V industry.

Tyler Acoustics D4M Bookshelf Speakers

Mon, 10 Aug 2009 04:00:00 -0400

Tyler Acoustics is a family owned and operated business located in Owensboro, Kentucky. All of their engineering, construction and testing goes on in house, where they build some of the finest crafted speakers in the business which can be obtained in custom finishes off their website. Their newest model, the D4M, is a bookshelf (monitor) design, with a single tweeter and woofer. It's beautiful, sounds terrific, and is priced competitively. Although we classify them here as "Two-Channel Speakers", as we tested them here that way, they could certainly be used in a home theater as the mains (you would need a subwoofer), or as the surrounds.

Cambridge Audio 840 Series CD Player, Stereo Preamplifier, and Stereo Power Amplifier

Thu, 06 Aug 2009 04:00:00 -0400

My wife, who I affectionately refer to as the music Anti-Christ often calls me He without Brains when it comes to purchasing audio gear. Our latest interchange of pleasantries began when I announced that I needed a new CD player in the $1500 to $2000 range. She found one at Costco for considerably less than a hundred bucks and thought I would be very pleased. You just dont get it I said, to which she replied Neither will you. I think she meant it in so many ways.

Benchmark ADC1 USB Analog-to-Digital Converter (ADC)

Mon, 03 Aug 2009 04:00:00 -0400

The pro-audio company Benchmark has a firm foothold in the audiophile world with their digital to analog converter/headphone amp the DAC1 and DAC1 USB. These have been universally well reviewed, including here at Secrets, and Ive been able to listen to them myself, and I concur with the positive reports.

Benchmark ADC1 USB Analog-to-Digital Converter (ADC)

Mon, 03 Aug 2009 04:00:00 -0400

Spendor A5 Floor-standing Speakers

Thu, 30 Jul 2009 04:00:00 -0400

Ah...British Hi-Fi. Say no more and an entire wing of audiophiles suddenly get giddy. When I was offered a pair of speakers for review from Spendor, renowned speaker manufacturer since 1969, I simply had to take advantage and hear for myself the state of British Hi-Fi today.

Flagship Home Theater - Part 1: Anthem LTX-500 LCoS Projector and SI Black Diamond II Screen

Mon, 27 Jul 2009 04:00:00 -0400

Flagship Home Theater. The very words evoke the highest quality in audio and video reproduction. Anthem, a well-established maker of high end audio products has just released their first display, the THX-certified LTX-500 LCoS Projector. Like their audio gear, Anthem is marketing this unit as a reference quality piece. In their own words, A full HD 1920x1080 Reference point of view brings the scale and excitement of the Cinema experience home. Have they achieved their goal? Boy did I ever have fun finding out! In this review, which we call Flagship Home Theater - Part 1, I take a look at Anthem's top of the line projector, and also an SI Black Diamond II projection screen.

Paradigm Reference Signature Sub 25 Subwoofer and Perfect Bass Kit Software (PBK-1)

Thu, 23 Jul 2009 04:00:00 -0400

Not so long ago, the word subwoofer meant one thing: a squat, black cube-shaped box sitting in the corner of your listening room. These days, subwoofers are made to fit in walls, ceilings, floors, even tucked under a couch. There are cylinder-shaped subs, wireless subs, and itsy-bitsy subs sure to please the wife. But there will always be a place in the hi-fi world for the mega-sub, the Beast, the Mother-of-All-Subwoofers.

Next Generation Home Products Remote Extender

Wed, 22 Jul 2009 04:00:00 -0400

I love products that solve irritating problems simply and inexpensively. The Next Generation Home Products Remote Extender is one such product. With a five-minute installation you can eliminate the need to point your remote control at your gear. You can also control components in closets or even in other rooms. The best part is any remote that accepts AA or AAA batteries can be converted in seconds.

Next Generation Home Products Remote Extender

Wed, 22 Jul 2009 04:00:00 -0400

Sherwood RD-7503 7.1 A/V Receiver and BT-R7 Bluetooth Adapter

Thu, 16 Jul 2009 04:00:00 -0400

The Sherwood RD-7503 A/V Receiver is one of the newest offerings from Sherwood aimed at controlling all the latest devices in your home theater. The RD-7503 A/V receiver provides 7 channels of amplification at 100 watts per channel, 3 HDMI 1.3 inputs with repeater, on-board decoding of DTS-HD Master Audio and Dolby TrueHD high resolution audio formats, automatic room setup and support for a second zone. The RD-7503 also provides optional support for their DS-10 iPod dock, SIRIUS Satellite, and Bluetooth support which I will discuss later in the review.

CalMAN Video Display Analysis System

Mon, 13 Jul 2009 04:00:00 -0400

If you want to get the most accurate picture from your television or projector you need to calibrate it. The question then becomes do you hire a professional or do it yourself? It is now quite feasible to do your own calibration with tools that dont cost much more than a pro calibrators fee. The product that is squarely at the forefront of this market is CalMAN from SpectraCal. CalMAN is a package that can be used by anyone interested in display calibration from the hobbyist to the professional.

conrad-johnson Classic Vacuum Tube Preamplifier with Phono Stage

Thu, 09 Jul 2009 04:00:00 -0400

conrad-johnson (lower case c and j) was formed in the mid-seventies, shortly after I became seriously interested in audio gear. Im sure the two events were entirely unrelated. Their first product, a preamplifier, was immediately recognized as state of the art, and so their storied history began. I encourage you to visit their website for more details. There, they provide a long list of products that have been reviewed as "Best of Class", and even Best in the World.

The British Choral Group Stile Antico Talks About its U.S. Debut

Thu, 09 Jul 2009 04:00:00 -0400

On June 12, 2009, the English early music choral ensemble Stile Antico made its much-anticipated U.S. debut at the Boston Early Music Festival. The entire concert debut was recorded by NPR, and can be heard online.

After Stile Antico won the 2005 Early Music Network International Young Artists Competition, the young ensembles debut disc for Harmonia Mundi, Music for Compline, won the Diapason dOr, Choc du Monde de la Musique, and a Grammy Award nomination. Their second disc, Heavenly Harmonies, received the Preis der deutschen Schallplattenkritik and another Diapason dOr. Attention from NPR, and a tour with Sting in Europe and the Far East in support of his Dowland lute song project, Songs from the Labyrinth, elevated them into company rare for an early music ensemble, and helped project their most recent CD, Song of Songs, into the Top 15 of the Billboard Classical Chart.

In anticipation of Stile Anticos U.S. debut, I spoke by phone with one of the groups founding members, towering bass Olly Hunt. Chief among my queries was the genesis of the groups marvelously fresh, oft-sensual sound.

Pass Labs XA30.5 Stereo Power Amplifier

Mon, 06 Jul 2009 04:00:00 -0400

What do a 30 watt stereo solid-state amplifier and a 500 watt solid-state monoblock have in common? A lot, it turns out. The seemingly diminutive Pass Labs XA30.5 weighs 75 pounds, has an enormous toroidal power transformer, and uses 20 output transistors to deliver 30 watts of pure class A power. It turns out these specs are similar, or in some cases, better than my recently reviewed Emotiva XPA-1 monoblocks. The XA30.5 proves that rated power is by no means everything. In fact, if you have speakers of even moderately high sensitivity, the XA30.5 renders any discussion of power output irrelevant. When paired with the right speakers, this may be one of the best amplifiers there is, regardless of price.

Velodyne SC-600 IF/IC In-Floor / In-Ceiling Subwoofer

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 04:00:00 -0400

For those of you new to the home theater game Velodyne has been making subwoofers for longer than some directors have been making movies. They make big ones, small ones, loud ones, and even louder ones. They were also one of the first to recognize the importance of room correction in the subwoofer domain and have many products that feature equalization and digital sound processing. The subwoofer featured here is part of the SubContractor line of subwoofers.

NAD C565BEE CD Player

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 04:00:00 -0400

I well remember the day I got my first NAD product back in the 70s. I have long since forgotten the model number, but it was a stereo receiver. I remember listening to it and thinking how great it sounded compare to the old Marantz it was replacing. I knew back then that moving up to the NAD meant that I was no longer just listening to tunes. I had moved up into the realm of being a lover of music, an audiophile.

OPPO BDP-83 Universal Blu-ray Player - Benchmark

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 04:00:00 -0400

There has been a lot of anticipation for OPPO Digital's brand new BDP-83 Blu-ray player. This is in part because OPPO has had an excellent track record for producing top notch affordable DVD players, such as the DV-983H (one of the only players in Secrets's history to score a perfect 100 on Secret's rigorous DVD Benchmark) and in part because the BDP-83 is the first Blu-ray player to hit the market offering the features to make it a truly all-in-one solution media solution for high definition playback. These include the ability to handle SACDs as a bitstream or PCM, and the ability to play DVD-Audio discs. The BDP-83 also decodes Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio internally, giving you the option of using the 7.1 analog pre-outs on the rear panel if you have an older receiver, or use the HDMI output to deliver these high resolution movie soundtracks to your receiver in digital form.

Sennheiser HD 238 Precision High Resolution Stereo Headphones

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 04:00:00 -0400

Let me start this review by getting a few things clear: I am not, or was not anyway, what I would consider a true audiophile. I also am not (or was not) much of a headphone user. All this changed when I got the chance to spend a couple months with the Sennheiser HD 238 Stereo Headphones. Have you ever had a toy or product that just made you giddy every time you got to use it, and you ended up loosing track of time because it was so enjoyable? The HD 238s have been that for me.

Integra DTR-8.9 7.1 A/V Receiver

Mon, 22 Jun 2009 04:00:00 -0400

Integra keeps putting out high-quality, value-priced products year after year. The company, which is the high-end of the Onkyo brand, sells primarily to custom installers and boutique A/V resellers rather than Internet and big-box stores. In this review, we examine the new DTR-8.9.

Marantz PM8003 Stereo Integrated Amplifier

Mon, 15 Jun 2009 04:00:00 -0400

Marantz is a name that has been around for a long time; refreshingly they continue to produce quality two channel gear despite branching out into both budget and high-end home theater. My own listening experiences have found their budget home theater receivers to be the most musical for the price. Where other budget offerings can do movies well, most make for mundane music reproduction.

Cambridge Audio DacMagic

Thu, 11 Jun 2009 04:00:00 -0400

Cambridge Audio has come up with a product that has wowed everyone: the DacMagic. For $479, you get a DAC that is fully differential (a stereo DAC on each of the two channels), upsampling to 24/192, very low specified distortion, and selectable output filters. Does it perform as claimed? Read our review to see for yourself.

KEF XQ10 Bookshelf Speakers

Mon, 08 Jun 2009 04:00:00 -0400

Founded by Raymond Cook in the 1960s on the premises of Kent Engineering & Foundry (from where the name KEF is derived), KEF speakers have been a popular loudspeaker brand in Europe for many years. With interest in expanding their presence here in the States, KEF is introducing their XQ series which ranges from the XQ10 bookshelves to the XQ40 towers. What I consider to be their most innovative design is the Uni-Q, a point source that consolidates the tweeter into the mid range driver.

Totem Mite Bookshelf Speakers

Thu, 04 Jun 2009 04:00:00 -0400

A couple of years ago, a friend and I were on a quest for the perfect bookshelf speaker. With a budget of $1100 a pair this quest certainly had its challenges. Although our needs were slightly different, I was geared more towards hometheater and he towards two channel, we did agree on one thing; the little speaker had to sound big.

Yamaha RX-V665 7.1 A/V Receiver

Mon, 01 Jun 2009 04:00:00 -0400

Part of what I enjoy most about this hobby is helping other people get into it. Given that, Im a big fan of mid- to entry-level home theater equipment, since most people asking for advice about their first system are not looking to dole out beaucoup bucks, especially in this economy. Yamaha has a great history with their A/V receiver product line, with many excellent products in the mid- to entry-level range.

Guitarist David Russell Chats About Music and Recording Techniques

Wed, 27 May 2009 04:00:00 -0400

Classical guitarist David Russell was born in Glasgow in 1953, and raised in the town of Minorca. Upon studying the guitar at the Royal Academy of Music, he twice won the Julian Bream Guitar Prize. Wins at the Andrs Segovia Competition, the Jos Ramrez Competition, and Spain's Francisco Trrega Competition helped to further propel him to an international career, which continues strong.

Onkyo TX-NR906 7.1-Channel Home Network A/V Receiver

Mon, 25 May 2009 04:00:00 -0400

Onkyo has broken new ground by introducing two receivers to be the first in the world with isf video calibration. The TX-NR906 is the flagship of the Onkyo receiver line and the step up from the equally ISF-capable TX-SR876. Several features set the 906 apart from the 876. The 906 having more power supplies including a toroidal power transformer for the amplifier section.

DreamVision DreamE 1080p LCoS Projector

Mon, 18 May 2009 04:00:00 -0400

It has been my privilege recently to sample DreamVisions latest addition to the 1080p LCoS front-projector market, the DreamE. With attractive Euro-styling, a choice of case colors, excellent performance, and suitability for medium to large theaters, the DreamE deserves a serious look by those wanting to satisfy their big-screen desires without breaking the bank.

Yamaha RX-V3900 7.1 A/V Receiver

Thu, 14 May 2009 04:00:00 -0400

There has been a huge boom, over the last few years, in the number of devices for your A/V system that stream or play music. These devices include many things, from gaming consoles like the Xbox 360 to standalone boxes such as Yamaha's own MCX-2000. In the past year, we have been seeing these types of features creep into traditional consumer electronics components, such as Blu-Ray players and A/V Receivers. The Yamaha RX-V3900 is one such component.

Pioneer BDP-09FD Elite Blu-ray Player - Benchmark

Mon, 04 May 2009 04:00:00 -0400

Many people have been waiting for Blu-ray players to hit the magic price point of $200, where people think mass adoption will start to take place and it will slowly overtake DVD as the dominant home video format. However, theres also another range of players that are starting to come out now, those of reference quality designs with virtually no expense spared. The BDP-09FD from Pioneer is their entry into that arena.

(Check out the video tour of the player's features at the bottom of Page 2.)

Denon AH-D7000 Headphones and Headroom Ultra Desktop Headphone Amplifier

Thu, 23 Apr 2009 04:00:00 -0400

My first high end system consisted of Sennheiser HD-580 headphones, an original HeadRoom headphone amplifier, an Audio Alchemy DAC in the Box, and a Sony Discman with an optical digital out. I was a college student at the time, and there was no way of having a real, properly set up hifi system in my dorm room. It was clear to me at the time, listening to both my system and uber high end Hifi in shops, that my little headphone setup blew away many high dollar loudspeaker based systems.

Dynaudio X16 Bookshelf Speakers

Mon, 20 Apr 2009 04:00:00 -0400

The Excite is Danish manufacturer Dynaudios second least expensive speaker line, comprised of five different models: two towers, two bookshelves, and one center channel. The X16 is the larger of the two bookshelf speakers, with a 1 hand-coated silk dome tweeter and a single 6.5 mid/woofer configured in a classic two-way ported design.

Velodyne SC-600 In-Wall Subwoofer

Mon, 13 Apr 2009 04:00:00 -0400

The name Velodyne is practically synonymous with subwoofers. They have been creating innovatively designed subs since the 1980s with such features as high gain servos, anti-clipping, dynamic driven control systems and digital drive accelerometers to produce high volume, low distortion sound. Their latest product is part of their SubContractor Series. The SC-600 IW and SC-600 amp are a smaller, more affordable version of their SC-1250 in-wall design. Does this sub live up to its slogan of Cut, Plug and Play? Can a subwoofer that is less than 4 inches deep produce powerful bass?

Furman IT-Reference 20i Power Conditioner

Thu, 09 Apr 2009 04:00:00 -0400

Ive been suspicious of power conditioners ever since they first appeared sometime in the Jurassic Park period I think. Just like the science in that movie is a little glossed over, so is the science of AC power glossed over by wild claims for power conditioning products. Besides, when we shell out the big bucks for good hifi a lot of what were paying for is the power supply. Thats why we pick it up before we buy it. A good power supply means a big transformer, which is heavy. And big capacitors which wed like to see neatly arranged. I was willing to give Furman a try however because for one thing, they got their start in pro-audio. I dont necessarily think that the pro-audio world has an advantage over the retail audiophile crowd (thats you and me) when it comes to good ears.

Cadence CSX-15 Subwoofer

Mon, 06 Apr 2009 04:00:00 -0400

I remember building my first home theater system many moons ago. I can still feel the agonizing pain of shopping for a subwoofer. Of all the components in my system it was the one item I obsessed over the most. Being the newbie that I was I had two basic requirements, big and loud. Over the years as my tastes refined I started to care less about size and subwoofers that go boom and began to care more about detail, finesse and accuracy.

Earthquake Supernova MKVI 15" Subwoofer

Thu, 26 Mar 2009 04:00:00 -0400

Earthquake Sound, renown for powerful subwoofers, unleashes their Supernova MKVI, with its 15" driver, 15" passive radiator, and 600 watt amplifier. It will produce 110 dB at 15 Hz, and has low distortion. And did I mention it is in a not so huge enclosure?

MK Sound M Series Speakers

Mon, 23 Mar 2009 04:00:00 -0400

Theyre baaaaack! A long time ago (1973 to be exact), Walter Becker of Steely Dan asked Ken Kreisel to design a reference subwoofer suitable for mixing their Pretzel Logic album. For more than three decades, Miller & Kreisel was the name in speakers for music and motion picture studios. M & K also developed a tremendously loyal following in consumer audio, the MK 150 series speakers in particular creating fanatical devotion among owners.

Denon DVD-1800BD Blu-ray Player - Benchmark

Thu, 19 Mar 2009 04:00:00 -0400

The Denon DVD-1800BD is Denons newest and least expensive Blu-ray player. For the $599 MSRP you get a Bonus View (profile 1.1) compliant player with HDMI 1.3a and component video outputs, bit-streaming (not decoding) of all the latest lossless surround formats, a front panel SD card memory slot for the playback of MP3 and JPG files, and full Divx and Windows Media Audio playback support.

SUNDANCE Film Festival 2009

Tue, 17 Mar 2009 12:59:35 -0400

The Sundance festival is very much an industry festival compared to most others that Ive attended. Films are selected with the expectation that there will be some interest from film distributer and it seems like most of the attendees are somehow in the business.

Bel Canto S500 Stereo Power Amplifier

Mon, 16 Mar 2009 04:00:00 -0400

Let me first state I like this amp, I really do. What does Class A, A/B, D, ICEpower mean to the average audiophile? Will there be an audible benefit by upgrading to the newer technology? If I am making an initial purchase will this technology satisfy me? Does the amp du jour really make a difference in the listening experience for the average listener?

Definitive Technology Mythos STS Supertower Speakers

Thu, 12 Mar 2009 04:00:00 -0400

Definitive Technology made a big splash with the introduction of the innovative Mythos ST tower speaker back in 2007 - its sleek elegant design and proportions along with some serious technology and integral powered race-track shaped subwoofers made it an instant hit. And oh boy it sounded smooth! Of course this was nothing new for current President Sandy Gross who founded DT back in 1990 and introduced one successful speaker after another.

Earthquake Sound iQuake IQ-52B iPod Dock

Thu, 05 Mar 2009 03:00:00 -0500

There are plenty of iPod Docks out there for you to plug in your iPod and listen to your music using speakers instead of earphones. Some of them are very inexpensive and others somewhat more, but what sets the Earthquake Sound iQuake IQ-52B apart from the rest are its sound quality and features. Read our review to see how flexible this little package really is.

The Pacifica Quartet Snares a Grammy

Wed, 04 Mar 2009 03:00:00 -0500

On February 8, 2009, the Pacifica Quartet snared a Grammy for Best Chamber Music Performance for their Naxos recording of Elliot Carters first and fifth string quartets. Three days later, I was on the phone, interviewing the quartet second violinist Sibbi Bernhardsson for a series of articles.

SVSound PB-12 Plus Subwoofer

Fri, 27 Feb 2009 12:51:00 -0500

In todays economy, good value in audio is more important than ever. To that end SVSound (SVS) has created a line of subwoofers that address every possible need in home theater and music listening without breaking the budget. I recently spent some quality time with their big box model, the PB12-Plus. This superbly-built sub includes quality amplification, a sweet-sounding 12-inch driver and plenty of adjustability. I would venture to say that most bass issues can be resolved with the PB12s tuning and EQ controls.

Theta Generation VIII Series 2 Digital-to-Analog Converter/Preamp

Thu, 26 Feb 2009 19:00:00 -0500

Many moons ago, in March 2003, Secrets published one of the first reviews of Thetas then state-of-the-art two-channel DAC/preamp, the Generation VIII (aka Gen. VIII). Close to six years later, after umpteen advances in digital chip technology, Theta has released a significant, Series 2 upgrade to the original Gen. VIII. The upgrade, which can either be easily installed at home or purchased as part of a new unit, renders such significant improvements to the sound as to demand a new review.

Parasound Halo P7 Preamplifier

Tue, 24 Feb 2009 19:00:00 -0500

The Parasound Halo P 7 Preamp is a problem solver. The problem is the gap between home theater systems and hi-end stereo systems. Many home theater buyers are fond of the stereo systems that they already own (and paid big bucks for), those that dont already have a stereo might find that they can afford a lot more two channel gear than 7.1 channel gear and since 90-100% of their music collection is two channel.. well, you get the idea. But unless you are a hifi nut like me, you dont have a room dedicated to the stereo and another dedicated to the home theater.

Toshiba XD-E500 DVD Player - Benchmark

Thu, 19 Feb 2009 19:00:00 -0500

I can remember a time when Toshiba offered entry level DVD players and also high dollar flagship models like the SD-9200. As DVD players became a commodity Toshiba logically focused on mainstream consumer players much like the XD-E500 reviewed here.The XD-E500 is a main stream DVD player priced at $99.99 and offering the features a player of this price offers. This includes the obvious DVD playback, the almost universal support amongst new DVD players for DivX playback, Mp3 and WMA.

Pioneer BDP-51FD Blu-ray Player - Benchmark

Thu, 12 Feb 2009 03:00:00 -0500

The Pioneer BDP-51FD is currently the only non-Elite Blu-ray player that Pioneer offers, but it is far from a budget model. Pioneer has a well deserved reputation for offering high quality DVD players in the past and is certainly trying to continue that tradition with their Blu-ray lineup, even if it means that their lowest end player is priced above that of other manufacturer's models. However, since the release of the BDP-51FD, complaints about its performance has led to multiple firmware updates being released as Pioneer tries to maintain its position as a purveyor of high end electronics. This review examines the player with the latest firmware update applied.

Aperion Audio Intimus 6T-DB Hybrid XD 5.1 Speaker System

Sun, 01 Feb 2009 19:00:00 -0500

When I was just getting started in hi-fi back in college, going to look for a new piece of equipment was both exciting, and annoying. Venturing out with a collection of CDs to evaluate speakers at different shops would often lead to two results: salespeople that would totally ignore me based on my perceived age and income, or salespeople that would try to steer me away from the speakers I could reasonable afford to something far more expensive. In those rare cases that I found a store with a salesperson that actually respected that I wanted a nice set of speakers but did have limited funds and tried to help, I would return there later as my finanaces allowed.

Focal XS 2.1 iPod Amplified Speaker Dock

Wed, 28 Jan 2009 19:00:00 -0500

The past seven years has seen rapid proliferation of the iPod dock market. Unfortunately, while many of the products have succeeded in following the Apple aesthetic, rarely is there substance behind the flash. Is the entry by Focal merely more eye candy or is there something more compelling? The XS 2.1 distinguishes itself by offering something beyond your typical iPod speaker dock.

Denon AH-NC732 Noise Canceling Headphones

Wed, 21 Jan 2009 19:00:00 -0500

I suppose in this iPod generation we shouldnt be surprised by the explosion of new headphone options. Breaking it down, there are 3 types of headphones really: in-ear, on-ear and over-ear. In-ear offers the best solution for portability while over-ear is typically large and cumbersome and generally provides the best reproduction and comfort, it is usually reserved for the audiophile or studio engineer. On-ear however may offer the best of both worlds, especially if they travel easily, offer comfort, clean fidelity and outside noise cancellation - hence the new AH-NC732 from Denon.

THIEL CS3.7 Floor-Standing Speakers

Sun, 18 Jan 2009 19:00:00 -0500

THIEL is one of the most well known and long lived high end loudspeaker companies. Jim Thiel founded Thiel Audio in 1976, building his companys reputation on speakers that are time and phase coherent. All of THIELs full range loudspeakers have followed this recipe, including the new CS3.7. Where the CS3.7 differs is in its level of execution. The CS3.7 is almost double the price of the older CS3.6 model, and approaches or exceeds the price points of the larger CS5 and CS7 speakers of the past. While the speaker follows the same recipe as past THIEL models, it is reinvented in almost every way. For some (at least those who havent heard it), the increased price was a big disappointment. I call this sour grapes for people who thought they could afford the CS3.7 but then had to realize they couldnt. The CS3.7 is worth every cent, and is a strong contender versus pretty much any full-range loudspeaker in the under-$20k price category.

CES 2009 The Rest of The Story-New Updates!

Mon, 12 Jan 2009 04:13:29 -0500

Builder's Showcase Home featuring Paradigm and other vendors just added......

Squeezebox Duet Wireless Music Streamer

Sun, 11 Jan 2009 20:00:00 -0500

UPDATED November 16, 2009 - We have all noticed the proliferation of media servers on the market over the past several years. The problem is, they are quite expensive, usually in the thousands of dollars, and some in the tens of thousands. Well, finally, there are some products that will let you play your music in any of those rooms you want, by ripping your CDs to a music directory on your PC and using a wireless "Streamer" in the room where you want to listen to them. There are several music streamers onthe market, including Squeezebox, which has several models. Their newest entry is the Squeezebox Duet, which is the subject of this review.

Please take a particular look at the end of the review where I updated my opinion about this product on November 16, 2009.

CES 2009 Day One

Thu, 08 Jan 2009 11:40:58 -0500

So I guess I jumped the gun when I said CES was packed. (For my personal taste, more then 5 people in a room is enough) It was only packed according to who had the latest model of whatever was on display. CES 2009 will definitely show lower numbers of attendees than in the past. But one thing is for sure. Home Theater and the latest electronics have a niche in the economy.

We are taking a different approach on ourCES 2009 Show Report. We have asked our team to spend their time on overall impressions of the developments in hometheater and audio technology, takepictures along the way, and identify the best products for our review team over the next few months.

Emotiva XPA-1 Monoblock Power Amplifier

Sun, 04 Jan 2009 20:00:00 -0500

ADDENDUM - 4/1/09 I (JEJ) was so impressed with Chris' review of the XPA-1 (published in January, 2009), I asked Emotiva to send me one so I could run some of my own tests. I borrowed a different power amplifier from a friend that cost more than 6 times the price of the XPA-1, which I will call Amplifier "X" here. I ran the same tests on both amplifiers. Click on the photo to see the results (go to Page 4: Emotiva XPA-1 On the Bench, and my results are down near the bottom of the page).

Secrets Best of 2008 Product Awards

Tue, 30 Dec 2008 05:33:44 -0500

The Secrets Best of 2008 Product Awards, featuring the following categories: High End Turntables, High End Complete Turntable Package, Video Switching Technology, Best Wireless Music Transmitter/Receiver, Best High Definition Digital Video Cameras, Best Value Monoblock Power Amplifier, Best Mid-level 7.1 A/V Receiver, Flat Panel Speakers, Best Value Stereo Power Amplifiers,High End Two-Channel Speakers, Best Value 1080p Digital Projectors, Compact Subwoofers, Power Conditioners, Entry Level Turntable, Best Value Speakers, Full Size Subwoofers, Entry Level Bookshelf Speakers, Surround Sound Processors, High End 5.1 Speaker System, Most Innovative Bookshelf Speaker Design.

Affordable Projectors for Non-Dedicated Home Theater Rooms - Mitsubishi HC5500 & Elite Cinema Screen

Fri, 26 Dec 2008 20:00:00 -0500

I am continuing my journey into the world of affordable front projector systems, with a special emphasis on systems that are suitable for multi-use rooms. My first foray, the Sanyo PLV-Z2000, was a success. But I didnt have anything to compare it to, at least in my own home environment. Now comes the first challenger, the Mitsubishi HC5500, another affordable 1080p projector. These projectors use the same basic display technology (LCD panels), so provide a pretty good apples-to-apples comparison. We also review the Elite Screens ezCinema Plus Pull-up Projection Screen.

Canon VIXIA HF11 1080p High Definition Video Camera

Wed, 24 Dec 2008 20:00:00 -0500

Just when you thought high definition video cameras couldn't get any smaller, Canon comes along and releases the Vixia HF11. It is full high def (1,920 x 1,080) and will record it as 108060i, 108030p, or 108024p. It uses SD memory cards instead of tape, DVD-R, or hard drive, so it has no moving parts other than the zoom lens and focus. It has 32 GB of memory built-in, which will record nearly 3 hours at the highest bitrate option. Ladies and gentlemen, this is some video camera.

Velodyne Optimum-12 Subwoofer

Sun, 21 Dec 2008 20:00:00 -0500

I remember marveling at the sound being produced by a pair of small bookshelf speakers during a recent visit to a local high-end dealers shop. I asked the salesman, The bass extension on these speakers is amazing for their small size. How do they do it? Technology was his reply. I sat there stone faced for a second while the wheels turned. Great bass extension with useable output is still governed by the laws of Newtonian physics. Technology cant violate those laws. The designer must work within the framework of the laws to produce a design that will fulfill their objectives.Velodyne has worked within these laws to produce a compact subwoofer that will surprise you with its amazing bass output. Read more about what Jim Clements has to say.

DVDO Edge Video Processor

Wed, 17 Dec 2008 20:00:00 -0500

Many years ago, CRT projector owners had an annoying problem, if they increased their projection area, scan lines would become visible. The idea of line doubling duplicating the number of lines to avoid the empty spaces between the scan lines became the first consumer video processing technique available. Since all of our video sources at the time were video, but were originally film Yvves Faroudja introduced the world to the concept of 3:2 pulldown de-interlacing. De-interlacers were able to double lines but effectively turned the image into a progressive one a single image that contained data from both interlaced fields at once. Many video processors have come to marketsince that time to improve on this basic technology, adding manymore features than simply de-interlacing. Anchor Bay Technologies has produced numerous processors over the years, and the DVDO Edge is their latest model. It is priced at only $799.Ofer LaOr dissects thisnew processor and gives us hisviews on its performance.

Emotiva XPA-2 Stereo Power Amplifier

Sun, 14 Dec 2008 20:00:00 -0500

Everyone would like a "good deal"in the world of audio, but theres usually a lot of skepticism involved because of the tendency for such products to be made with cheaper components and outsourced labor. Its not unusual for these kinds of cheaper goods to break, in even short periods of time. Well,you get what you pay for. On the other side of the spectrum are very high quality products that come at astronomical prices that, while providing the ultimate experience, are often way out of many consumers budgets. Somewhere in the middle of all this though, there are still a few companies that make products that have high performance and are also affordable. Emotiva, over the years, has been one of these companies and they have gained a favorable reputation with audiophiles because of it.

Professional Display Calibration: What It Is and What It Means to Your Home Theater Experience

Sun, 23 Nov 2008 20:00:00 -0500

For the past three years or so, we have seen a tremendous surge in display technology. During this time, the last rites for the venerable CRT have been read, 50" displays have become the new 32", and 1080p has become the de facto standard for resolution. One thing hasnt changed however and that is the need for precise calibration of your HDTV. Despite tremendous advances in consumer displays, the specifications for color, grayscale, and gamma have not changed since the 1950s. With all these new features available, it has become more confusing than ever for the typical home theater enthusiast to achieve a correct calibration and realize the best performance from yourflat panelor projector HDTV.

An Interview with Concert Violinist Vadim Gluzman

Wed, 19 Nov 2008 20:00:00 -0500

"Im afraid that if you took the violin away from me, I wouldnt be able to breathe"

When my editor at American Record Guide learned that I was about to interview Vadim Gluzman, he was jealous beyond belief. Having just listened to Gluzmans latest recording, an acoustically superior hybrid SACD on the BIS label of violin concertos by Tchaikovsky and Glazunov, he was astounded by Gluzmans virtuosity and musicianship.

Jaton Operetta 2300a Class A/B Amplifier - First Look

Wed, 19 Nov 2008 20:00:00 -0500

The Jaton company has been around for over 25 years. They started with manufacturing PC video cards, and have since branched into home theater and hi-fi gear.Lyra's HD-661 DX speakers were recently reviewed at Secrets, and their interesting design and great sound made me want to try out their amplification. George from Jaton was kind enough to send me a rather large and heavy Class A/B Stereo amplifier capable of putting out 300 watts RMS per channel into 4 ohms. Initial problems with the amplifier has requiredJaton to redesign it, and the revised version will be sent to me for review In the meantime, here are some initial observations on the unrevised unit.

Electric Bamboo AC Line Purifier

Wed, 29 Oct 2008 21:00:00 -0400

The gloves were off, and the gauntlet thrown. On May 26, 2008, Jim Pierce of Amazing Audio sent me (Jason Serinus) a major challenge via e-mail.

Denon AVP-A1HDCI Surround Sound Processor and POA-A1HDCI Power Amplifier

Sun, 26 Oct 2008 21:00:00 -0400

Denon's new AVP-A1HDCI sports 12 configurable XLR fully balanced output channels. It handles all the newest codecs, including DTS-HD Master Audio and Dolby TrueHD. Using its Denon Link, along with a DVD player that also has the Denon Link, you can play SACDs with the native DSD bitstream being sent to the processor for decoding (no conversion to PCM like most other systems do). Weighing in at nearly 60 pounds, the A1HDCI has massive built quality, and has wireless network capabilities that will allow it to be receive firmware updates. The A1HDCI's performance and features make it the finest SSP Secrets has ever tested. The accompanying POA-A1HDCI is a 10-channel power amplifier that is designed specifically to go with the SSP. At 132 pounds, it is a monster. Together, these represent state-of-the-art surround sound technology.

Sigma DP1 Compact Digital Camera with DSLR-Sized Sensor

Wed, 22 Oct 2008 21:00:00 -0400

Sigma's new DP1 compact digital camera has the same large Foveon sensor as in the SD14 DSLR, yet it can fit in your pocket. Read Secrets exclusive, detailed bench test report to see how it compares with its larger SLR cousins.

Rocky Mountain Audio Festival Show Report

Mon, 13 Oct 2008 04:36:12 -0400

This year was the first time at the Rocky Mountain Audio Festival for secrets writers Chris Groppi and Rick Schmidt. Unlike many of the other trade focused shows, the RMAF is open to the public. Both manufacturers and retailers show products here, and displays are focused on listening demonstrations. This year, there were more than 160 display rooms each usually showing equipment from several manufacturers. Rooms were from both retailers as well as manufacturers and distributors, with a wide range of equipment from around the world. All the big hitters were here, plus many companies we had never heard of.

In addtion to the rooms, seminars on topics ranging from turntable setup to digital recording technologies are offered. This is an intimate show, focused on 2 channel audio, and everyone has a chance to see every room. The show was great fun for both of us!

Telluride Film Festival 2008

Sat, 11 Oct 2008 21:00:00 -0400

Interest in the Telluride Film Festival (Aug 29 Sep 1) was at an all time high for 2008 as the rather expensive Festival Passes ($680) sold out early in the summer andeven the ultra expensive Patron Passes ($Dont Ask) were sold out before the festival started. As usual the film line-up would not be revealed until the first day. What we did know was thatSlavoj Zizek was to be the guest director, meaning the historical films were likely to be foreign, and interesting. And we knew that Laurie Anderson had created the poster, meaning that we might spot Lou Reed wondering in the hills around Telluride. Im not sure nature was ready for that. I was ready to have him sign my records except for the fact that Id have to carry them around. My moviereviews are posted in my report of the festival....it will be interesting to see if my picks for 2008 are as popular in the theater as last year's picks!

Stereo Dave's Creation 650 Reference Speakers and Genesis Subwoofer

Wed, 08 Oct 2008 21:00:00 -0400

Many audio designers report that they design their components by listening, making a change, perhaps as small as a resistor, and then listening again. These are the guys you want making your stereo equipment. Even mass market audio equipment can be made to compete with uber-expensive models given the same treatment.

Meet the Industry Professionals

Mon, 06 Oct 2008 07:05:43 -0400

Welcome to the Secrets page called "Meet the Industry Professionals". Here you will be able to see and hear the company executives who design and sell home theater and audio components. This will let you put a face with the companies whose products you buy. Secrets is the first A/V publication anywhere in the world to have such a page. Clicking below will take you to the companies we have interviewed at different times.

Show Report - Audio Engineering Society (AES) - October 2-5, 2008 - San Francisco, California

Sun, 05 Oct 2008 21:00:00 -0400

The Audio Engineering Society (AES) 125th Convention met in San Francisco, California, October 2-5, 2008, at the Moscone Convention Center. Unlike CES, which is oriented towards the display of consumer electronics products, the AES meeting is a scientific one, where the goal is to present papers on audio topics. The subjects included Audio Coding, Analysis and Synthesis of Sound, Loudspeaker Design, Spatial Perception, Psychoacoustics, Audio DSP, and other things. This is the first AES I have attended (Ross Jones joined me for the day), and although we did not attend any paper presentations, we did get a chance to browse the exhibits.

Torus RM-10 Power Conditioner, Isolation, and Protection Unit

Sun, 28 Sep 2008 21:00:00 -0400

Torus Power makes as wide an array of isolation transformers as I have ever encountered. The 100 amp version (RM-100) would be a great addition for supplying isolated AC to an entire home theater in custom install situations, but a small one like the RM-10 is useful especially for digital sources and projectors, the total power of which does not exceed 10 amperes.

Rotel RSP-1069 7.1 Surround Sound Processor

Wed, 24 Sep 2008 21:00:00 -0400

Rotel made some interesting choices with their RSP-1069 7.1 SSP. There is an obvious attention to build quality, the processor is heavy, solid and uses quality components throughout. However it is missing some key features found on many processors today, most obvious is the lack of room correction.

ISTAR Mini Network Media Tank

Sun, 21 Sep 2008 21:00:00 -0400

Every now and then you run into a product you are so impressed with you just have to share. The ISTAR Mini Network Media Tank is one of those products. By all accounts the product is another media extender set top box that you plug into your TV that plays video, music and photos from an attached hard drive or home network. There are lots of these products on the market.

Affordable Projectors for Non-Dedicated Home Theater Rooms - Sanyo PLV-Z2000 1080p Projector

Wed, 17 Sep 2008 21:00:00 -0400

Front projectors have been the gold standard in home theater for many years. But until recently, front projection meant a CRT-unit the size of a coffee table mounted to the ceiling. It only looked good if you turned your room into a bat-cave, was very finicky about set-up, needed regular calibration, and probably cost more than the family sedan. Well, now front projectors are very affordable and are small and easy to set up. Perfect for that family room that has other uses than just home theater. Secrets takes a look at the Sanyo PLV-Z2000 as the first in our series on affordable projectors that you can use in just about any room of your home.

Denon DVD-2500BTCI Blu-ray Player - Benchmark

Sun, 14 Sep 2008 21:00:00 -0400

The DVD-2500BTCI is one of several Blu-ray players that Denon is offering in their current lineup. Unlike the DVD -3800BDCI which features a Realta HQV video processing solution and internal decoding of Dolby TrueHD and dts-HD Master Audio, the DVD-2500BTCI is billed as a digital-only transport that offers playback of BD discs as well as output of the audio signals on the disc in raw bitstream format using its HDMI 1.3a compliant connection.

Logitech Harmony One Advanced Universal Remote

Tue, 09 Sep 2008 21:00:00 -0400

Harmony has been building universal remotes for a number of years now. Honestly a couple of years ago, with the release of the 880, Harmony converted me from years of using Phillips Pronto remotes. The Harmony remotes were simply easier to program and faster to change when a new component was introduced or swapped.

More from CEDIA

Fri, 05 Sep 2008 13:24:41 -0400

CEDIA- Thursday and Friday from the Show Floor

Wed, 03 Sep 2008 21:00:00 -0400

CEDIA 2008 is meeting in Denver, Colorado from September 3-9. Our show report will be a running commentary as Secrets staff uploads their comments and photos here.

Sony PMW-EX1 Prosumer 1080p High Definition Video Camera

Sun, 31 Aug 2008 21:00:00 -0400

The Sony PMW-EX1 is a Prosumer HD video camera that is quite affordable ($7,499) when you take into account that it will record 1080p30. That's right. Remember how we have all been talking about the day when HDTV programs might begin broadcasting in 1080p instead of 1080i? Well, if it isn't actually part of program broadcasting yet, you can have it for all your home videos. Those birthday parties, daughter's wedding, trip to Europe . . . . you can record them in 1080p30 with a camera that is reasonably portable (it comes with its own small suitcase).

No, it's not one of the pocket sized HD cameras, but you can carry it around without too much difficulty. And, as you will see, the image quality is vastly superior to any consumer HD camera of the past. It's studio quality, affordable to the aficionado.

Rotel RMB-1085 Class D (Switching) Five-Channel Power Amplifier

Wed, 27 Aug 2008 21:00:00 -0400

Class D switching amplifiers are here to stay.The RMB-1085is a five channel home theater amplifier that usesICE power modules which stay cool and deliver very efficient high power, all from asmall chassis.

San Francisco Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival

Wed, 27 Aug 2008 21:00:00 -0400

San Francisco's Outside Lands Music & Arts Festival , August 22-24, seemed like a big deal to me from the time I first heard about it. Maybe too big. It was a huge event with giant main stage acts that would cover a large area of Golden Gate Park with a wide variety of events & diversions. Sounds swell. It also seemed like a big risk to me for some reason. We have other festivals in the Park (Hardly Strictly Bluegrass is right around the corner...), but this one seemed perilous. Is it gonna be a madhouse? How are we gonna get there? Are people gonna pay that much money? Is the Park gonna be left standing? Why has there never been a "legal" nighttime concert in Golden Gate Park before?

McIntosh MA6300 Integrated Stereo Amplifier

Wed, 20 Aug 2008 21:00:00 -0400

Although I have always been interested in McIntosh products, I was really intrigued by the McIntosh MA6300 because I could finally afford one. Modest power output and all solid state construction will let you into the world of McIntosh ownership for just $3,000.

Avia II Guide to Home Theater

Wed, 13 Aug 2008 21:00:00 -0400

Whenever I receive a new system to evaluate, Avia (on DVD) has traditionally been one of the first tools I utilize to properly configure the system. Secrets took a look at the latest version, Avia II.

Vinyl vs. CD - A Running Commentary - Parts 1 - 5

Mon, 11 Aug 2008 21:00:00 -0400

When attending CES and Rocky Mountain Audio Fest over the past couple of years, I noticed that turntables are starting to be the majority of sources for exhibit rooms. We all have heard about the vinyl renaissance, but I just did not realize how strong it is. I mean, LPs are being played everywhere at hi-fi shows. So, we decided to compare Vinyl LPs to CDs in terms of the recording process, manufacturing, and the sound. Here are Parts 1: Introduction; Part 2: The Technology; Part 3: Turntables, Tonearms, and Cartridges; Part 4: The RIAA Curve; and Part 5: Setting up the Turntable.

Lumagen Radiance XD Video Processor

Mon, 04 Aug 2008 21:00:00 -0400

My long romance with Lumagen processors started quite a few years ago when image processing was still considered something so uniquely bizarre, the only place you could actually read about it was on Internet forums. I was a frequent forum visitor, and after a lot of reading I ended up with the first generation of Lumagen processors. In this review, Secrets takes a look at their latest iteration, the Radiance. It's expensive, but what a picture!

Panasonic 65PY700 65" 1080p Plasma HDTV

Thu, 31 Jul 2008 21:00:00 -0400

A typical display will go quite easily into my house. When I call up the local importer,they are usually quite inclined to lend me their displays. The 65PY700 was no exception, but it did require quite a bit of work to verify that it would fit into my test lab area. The hallway and staircase leading up to the second floor are quite tight, and Ive never actually tried a display larger than 55 in height . . .

An Interview with Frederica von Stade

Wed, 30 Jul 2008 10:59:47 -0400

In the spring of 2008, Bay Area resident Frederica von Stade and I had an extended phone conversation. The ostensible purpose was her forthcoming participation in the U. S. premiere of a unique salon, Pauline Viardot and Friends.

The Vacuum Tube State of the Art Conference

Sat, 26 Jul 2008 21:00:00 -0400

The Vacuum Tube state of the Art Conference has been out of commission since 2003 but it made a comeback this year in Vancouver, WA - right across the river from my home town of Portland, OR. Cant miss an opportunity like that so I wrangled a press pass. If you are thinking of attending a future VSAC, dont fret the price . . . . ! !

Meridian F80 Compact System - Radio/CD/DVD Player

Wed, 23 Jul 2008 21:00:00 -0400

I really don't know what else to say here. The F80 is a very simple, very elegant, andfantastic way to play incredible sounding music from your favorite FM stations as well as CDs and iPod, all from an enclosure not much larger than a shoebox.

DViCO TViX HD M6500A Media Streamer

Sun, 20 Jul 2008 21:00:00 -0400

I found both video and audio quality of the TViX M6500A to be exceptional, and over the last few months, some of the firmware updates have already made this unit significantly more stable and better than its previous versions. Given that DViCO has been quite adamant in providing support for existing products and continually improving them, I have no doubt they will succeed in turning this unit into an ever more powerful item over the upcoming months.

Audioengine AW1 Wireless Music Transmitter/Receiver

Sun, 13 Jul 2008 21:00:00 -0400

So there you have it how I solved my yearly summer outdoors music problem with a terrific economical device from Audioengine, the AW1. I hate to sound like an advertisement, but order one, give it a try, and send it back if you dont agree with me that its a flexible, highquality, and very usefulproduct.

A Video Interview with Joseph Sahyoun of Earthquake Audio

Sun, 06 Jul 2008 21:00:00 -0400

I interviewed Joseph Sahyoun, President of Earthquake Audio Corporation, about several of their newest technological developments, includingnew voice coil cooling that will allow more power to be delivered from subwoofer drivers.

Toshiba Regza 46RV53OU 46" 1080p LCD HDTV

Thu, 03 Jul 2008 21:00:00 -0400

If an HDTV like this had been available three years ago, it would have been spectacular. However, this is mid-2008, and there are lots of excellent 1080p units out there. In short, although the contrast ratio on the Toshiba 46RV53OU was exceptional, the overall performancewas disappointing.

Canon HG10 Hard Disc Drive High Definition Video Camera

Sun, 29 Jun 2008 21:00:00 -0400

Canon's new HG10 is a hard disk drive (HDD)-based high definition (1080i) video camera that can be had for less than $1,000. It takes very nice videos, but how does it compare to Canon's HV20 which uses tape and a different compression algorithm, at about the same price?

Jazz Great Karrin Alysson Talks with Secrets

Thu, 26 Jun 2008 21:00:00 -0400

It's the special qualities of Karrin Alysson's instantly recognizable, slightly hoarse vocalism that set her apart. Her careful attention to words, the phrases molded with an intelligence that declares her total involvement, the impeccable pianism that illuminates a good share of her performances, and her overarching desire to tell a story all unite to pull listeners into her songs. Whether she's singing about poet Robert Frost or a lover's embrace, the warmth, depth, and honesty of Alysson's artistry catapults her into the same august company as three of her jazz idols, Carmen McCrae, Nancy Wilson, and Dinah Washington.

Lyngdorf SDAI-2175 Integrated Amplifier

Wed, 18 Jun 2008 21:00:00 -0400

If the SDAI-2175 power amplifier has flaws, they were invisible in my system. Every other amplifier I have had sounded like "something", while this one simply does not. This product has no sound characteristics of its own, and thisis a remarkable achievement.

HD Digitech HDX900 HDTV Media Streamer

Sun, 15 Jun 2008 21:00:00 -0400

The HDX900 is an HDTV streamer based on the Network Media Tank (NMT) middleware platform by Syabas. If you dont know what a streamer is yet, think of the AppleTV but without any of the Apple restrictions. Consider a player that will play all of your movies, in file format, including Blu-ray, DVDs, or any popular format you might have on your computer hard drive, as well as pictures and audio, but doesnt require you to pay a monthly iTunes bill.

Marantz VP-11S2 Single-Chip DLP 1080p Projector

Wed, 11 Jun 2008 21:00:00 -0400

Remember back a few years when projectors were 720p resolution, had modest brightness, not so great contrast, and you could spend $15,000 to get one? Well, you can still spend that kind of money and a lot more, but it gets you a lot more too. The buzzword now of course is 1080p and HDMI all theway. Marantz' latest donation to this category is called the VP-11S2. Ithas two HDMI inputs, willaccept and project native 1080p, has Deep Color capability, and is built like a tank.

Marantz TT-15S1 Turntable

Sun, 08 Jun 2008 21:00:00 -0400

The Marantz TT-15S1 has me so excited about vinyl again that it has me scrambling to find old LPs. A friend recommended that I check out a used CD store, and, "Oh yeah," he says, "they sell vinyl too!" Tunes in Hoboken, NewJerseyhas become a favorite destination when I can find parking and have a bit of time to kill searching through their ever growing collection. Inever stop to look at the CDs by the way, but go straight to the 12 x 12 disc-size.

Parasound 2100 Stereo Preamplifier and 2250 Stereo Power Amplifier

Sun, 01 Jun 2008 21:00:00 -0400

As I said at the beginning of this review, now is a good time to be an audiophile. The Parasound 2100 preamplifier and 2250 power amplifier offer sound quality across the board so good I would have thought youd have to pay at least $3,000 to get them. But, at a mere $1800, the Parasounds are a steal.

Sony Bravia KDL-46X3500 46" 1920x1080p LCD HDTV

Mon, 26 May 2008 05:49:07 -0400

When the local Sony dealer asked me which model I wanted to check out, I wasnt sure if I should get the smaller 40or the larger 46 model. On the one hand, statistics say that the 40 model will be a lot more popular, but they also suggest that the 44-50 segment, particularly in the US, is growing at an amazing rate.

Anthem Room Correction (ARC) for the Anthem D1 and D2 SSP

Wed, 14 May 2008 20:00:00 -0400

ARC, or Anthem Room Correction, has been a long time in coming. Its origins can be traced back as far as 1990 to research conducted at Canada's NRC (National Research Council). Was it worth the wait? Our Brian Florian finds out!

A Video Interview with Marvell's Dr. Nikhil Balram

Wed, 30 Apr 2008 20:00:00 -0400

Dr. Nikhil Balram is Vice President and General Manager of the Digital Business Entertainment Unit at Marvell Corporation, which is located near San Jose, California. In this interview, I speak with him about their new Qdeo video processing chipset, what it does, and where the technology is headed.

mStation 2.1 iPod Dock Amplified Tower Speaker System

Sun, 20 Apr 2008 20:00:00 -0400

The mStation 2.1 tower is an all in one solution for taking your iPod music out of your ears and into your room. The tower consists of one down firing 5.25 woofer, and two speaker modules with 2 2 midrange and 1 1 tweeter per speaker. There is a docking station a USB port and a 1/8 (3.5mm) stereo miniplug jack. All in a four foot tall, 14" wide aluminum tower.

Nordost Thor Power Distribution Center

Wed, 16 Apr 2008 20:00:00 -0400

Nordost's new power distribution center is called the Thor. In my system, it took music reproduction to an entirely different level. Within minutes, I felt that everything I had heard before was merely play-acting. What changed? Images that had previously floated in their correct little spaces in that classic, somewhat disembodied audiophile way now seemed to hold together in a far more realistic manner. They werent simply arranged or staged; they belonged together.

Classe CDP-502 DVD Player

Wed, 09 Apr 2008 20:00:00 -0400

For a player as expensive as it is, the Class CDP-502 could stand for some improvement in its core video performance. Its de-interlacer performance is very good though, and the National Semiconductor AVC 2510 chip set handles most material very well, asthere were really only a few minor hiccups it experienced in our DVD Player Benchmark tests. It would be hard for me to recommend this DVD player based on its video performance alone, but people in the market for aplayer in this price class will undoubtedly be looking at it for its ultra high-end audio performance. That, combined with a robust video feature set and the ability to up-convert any material to various HD resolutions through HDMI, makes the CDP-502 an impressive offering overall.

PS Audio GCPH (Gain Cell Phono Stage)

Sun, 23 Mar 2008 20:00:00 -0400

Vinyl is back!!! If you get a new turntable, you will likely need a nice phono stage to connect the cartridge to your preamplifier. PS Audio has a good one. Read our review to see what we found. Note that this will work to make excellent music files for your portable music player.

Panasonic AG-HVX200 Digital Video Camera with P2 Card Storage

Thu, 20 Mar 2008 20:00:00 -0400

The Panasonic AG-HVX200 video camera is standard equipment for shooting TV commercials. How did it perform in our tests? Read our review to find out.

Samsung BD-P1400 Blu-ray DVD Player - The Rest of the Story

Wed, 19 Mar 2008 04:00:00 -0400

TheBD-P1400 is Samsung's latest Blu-ray model. We have already reviewed its overall performance, but how did it handleour Secrets DVD Player Benchmark tests? Click to find out.

Pioneer Elite BDP-95FD Blu-ray DVD Player - The Rest of the Story

Thu, 13 Mar 2008 20:00:00 -0400

The Elite BDP-95FD is Pioneer's latest Blu-ray DVD player. You have read the Secrets DVD Player Benchmark review, and now here is the rest of the story (Blu-ray performance and audio performance).

Pioneer Elite BDP-95FD Blu-ray DVD Player

Wed, 12 Mar 2008 20:00:00 -0400

The Elite BDP-95FD is Pioneer's latest Blu-ray DVD player. How does it perform with SD discs? Read our review to find out.

Oppo Digital DV-983H DVD Player - The Rest of the Story

Thu, 06 Mar 2008 19:00:00 -0500

You have read our Secrets DVD Benchmark review of the Oppo Digital DV-983H DVD player that showed you how good the player is at delivering video. Now read about its audio performance.

Sony Playstation PS3 FW 2.1

Fri, 29 Feb 2008 03:22:31 -0500

The Sony PS3 is a good Blu-ray player, but is it also a good SD DVD player? Read our Secrets DVD Player Benchmark review to find out.

Oppo Digital DV-983H DVD Player

Tue, 26 Feb 2008 19:00:00 -0500

The Oppo Digital DV-983H is finally about to arrive (March 10, 2008). The Secrets Benchmark test results are spectacular. For $399, this is a player that everyone should consider.

Panasonic DMP-BD30 Blu-ray Player - Full Review

Thu, 21 Feb 2008 19:00:00 -0500

The Panasonic DMP-BD30 Blu-ray player is a fine product, but you need a modern receiver to take advantage of its advanced audio codec digital output support. You read about its Benchmark performance. Now read the rest of the story.

Wireworld Eclipse 5 and Silver Eclipse 5 Audio Cables

Sun, 17 Feb 2008 19:00:00 -0500

Wireworld's Eclipse 5² cable line is an example ofdefinitive electrical engineering and physics principles applied to conduction in the world of audio. Specifically, their cables are based on the Heaviside condition. Read on to see an explanation.

MartinLogan Purity Floor-standing Electrostatic Hybrid Speakers

Thu, 14 Feb 2008 19:00:00 -0500

MartinLogan electrostatic speakers are renown for their sound quality, and now, with the Purity, they are affordable for everyone. The built-in 200 watt power amplifier for both the ESL panel and the woofers makes them easy to drive, and the small footprint allows them to be used in any room

Panasonic TH-50PZ77U 50" 1080p Plasma HDTV

Tue, 12 Feb 2008 19:00:00 -0500

Christmas shopping is over, and this could be just the right time to walk into a store and say, "I want to buy a flat panel TV." Here is one that could end up on your shopping list. Plasma, 50", 1080p. Nice, very nice.

How to Replace the Hard Drive in Your iPod

Sun, 10 Feb 2008 19:00:00 -0500

Now that the Apple Lossless codec is available, do you wish you had a larger hard drive in your iPod? Or, is your iPod hard drive just not working anymore? Here is how to switch it out.

Blaupunkt Velocity 2 Go Powered Speakers for Portable Players

Thu, 07 Feb 2008 19:00:00 -0500

The Velocity 2 Go is an indoor stereo system designed for use with MP3 players, and it can also be used as a subwoofer that to be placed in a vehicle, and finally it's a portable battery-operated stereo system that provides musical ambiance for any outdoor get together, be it afternoon picnic, backyard party, or summertime barbeque.

Qsonix Q110 Media Server

Sun, 03 Feb 2008 19:00:00 -0500

The Qsonix Q110 is a media server meant to be put in by a custom installer, but you can do it yourself because it is very easy to work with. It has a 250 GB hard drive that will hold hundreds of CDs in lossless compression format and serves four zones simultaneously. Theuser interfaceis a dream and employs a touchscreen that has drag and drop functionality, using your finger to bring music into the que for playback.

Microsoft Zune 80GB Portable Music Player

Tue, 29 Jan 2008 19:00:00 -0500

The portable music player (PMP) or digital audio player (DAP) market is evolving in a major way. Many DAPs are actually better described as personal media players or PMPs, with as much focus on functionality in video and additional features as the core audio performance. Another major paradigm shift is the move to flash memory based devices, and correspondinglyaway from hard drives, but for some users, flash still doesnt offer the needed storage capacity.

Benchmark DAC1 USB

Sun, 27 Jan 2008 19:00:00 -0500

My initial review of the DAC1Digital-to-Analog Converter appeared in these pages toward the end of 2003. As I wrote at that time, Allen Burdick of Benchmark Media explained that the DAC1, then retailing for $850, was designed with the recording engineer in mind.Since then, the DAC1 has continued to make waves in the audiophile community. Benchmark Media has responded accordingly, embracing the home entertainment market by significantly upgrading the units performance while keeping the cost of the basic unit under $1000.

Zektor CVS4 4x1 Component Video Switcher Used as 5.1 Analog Audio Switcher

Thu, 24 Jan 2008 19:00:00 -0500

The Zektor CVS4 4 x 1 Component Video Switcher can be used to switch 5.1 analog audio from two or more DVD players to your SSP or receiver, so you can listen to the new high definition audio soundtracks from HD DVD and Blu-ray movie discs.

Generosity - The Making of an Indie Film - Part II - Pre-production

Tue, 22 Jan 2008 19:00:00 -0500

Generosity is an Indie film in the process of being made. In August of 2007, we talked about Part I - The Writing, and in Part II, we cover Pre-production. If you want to see what a zoo it is to make a movie, get a load of this.

Marantz VP-15S1 1080p Single-Chip DLP Projector

Fri, 18 Jan 2008 11:22:16 -0500

The Marantz VP11S1 is one of the best projectors Ive had the opportunity to review. It recently won our Secrets Best of 2007 award in the projector category, and in my opinion is still one of the best reference projectors on the market today. But the 11S1 does come with a steep price tag compared to a lot of the 1080p projectors on the market. Well, Marantz decided to trim the design down just a touch and bring most of what made the 11S1 such a great design into a more affordable package, the VP15S1. I think you will be very interested to see what I found . . .

Canon HV20 One-Chip HDV High Definition Video Camera

Fri, 11 Jan 2008 05:22:09 -0500

When Canon released its HV10 HD video camera on the heels of the first consumer HD video camera that Sony marketed, well, maybe it was just a bit too fast. There were a couple of things missing, such as an HDMI output and external microphone input. At least that was what consumers complained about on the various forums out there. The HV20 has added both those features and is a fantastic consumer video camera, so if you are in the market for one . . . .

Boston Acoustics - "Play Smart"

Fri, 04 Jan 2008 10:06:22 -0500

You knew Boston Acoustics had something special in mind when they unveiled a new slick logo replacing their longstanding conservative emblem as a symbol of things to come. Introducing three significant new concepts in the audio world, BA has developed in the last year or so some new and hip concepts. So come play!!

A New Way to Plot Speaker Impedance: the Smith Chart

Fri, 04 Jan 2008 09:25:44 -0500

Impedance is the extension of the idea of electrical resistance to AC signals (like music). In high school, we all likely learned Ohm's law at some time or another. Whether we remember it or not is another story! Luckily, the refresher course is easy. Resistance is a way of relating voltage and current in a simple DC circuit.

Oppo DV-980H Universal DVD player: Audio Performance

Wed, 02 Jan 2008 12:22:10 -0500

Oppo Digital is a very rare light among the stifling mediocrity found in most low to middle priced digital audio and video electronics. Readers of this website know that we all have a virtually uniform love for their products, and it is for extremely good reason.

APC S20 Power Conditioner with Battery Backup

Wed, 02 Jan 2008 08:49:57 -0500

When I was asked to review the APC S20, a power conditioner with battery backup, I didnt fully appreciate how important or perfect this unit would be in controlling and protecting the gear in our Home Theater, but after using it for a few months, I now consider the APC S20 an essential part of our setup.

Secrets Best of 2007 Product Awards

Mon, 31 Dec 2007 19:00:00 -0500

The Secrets Best of 2007 Product Awards, featuring the following categories: Video Processing Technologies, Subwoofers (full size), Subwoofers (compact), DVD Video Players, HD DVD Players, Blu-ray Disc Players, Wireless Music Servers, Surround Sound Processors, Video Processors, DLP Projectors (1080p), Cables (high end), Speakers (bookshelf), Earphones, Speaker Stands, HDMI Cables, Speakers (planar), Shakers, Subwoofers (in-wall), Cables (budget), Video Cameras (high definition), LCD Projectors (1080p), Speakers (floor standing), HDTVs (LCD), HDTVs (Plasma), AV Receivers, Video Servers, Preamplifiers, Subwoofers (mid-size)

Integra DTC-9.8 THX Ultra2 7.1 SSP

Fri, 28 Dec 2007 07:22:24 -0500

The SSP (Surround Sound Processor) world has been a sad place for the last couple of years. All the mass market companies were implementing HDMI on just about every model of receiver they had, but all the high-end SSP companies hesitated, because HDMI versions kept changing.

Whitworth Design Pulse Carbon Fiber Speaker Stands

Fri, 28 Dec 2007 05:53:14 -0500

When you are out shopping for a home theater system, and you take your DVD player, receiver, speakers, and subwoofer home, two of the things you might realize when setting it all up are (1) you didn't get enough cables and the cables you did get are not long enough; and (2) the bookshelf speakers don't fit very well on the shelf.

Interviews: CEDIA - 2007

Thu, 27 Dec 2007 19:00:00 -0500

For CEDIA - 2007, we recorded four different segments to try the HD format out. They are encoded as *.wmv files, so you will need the latest Microsoft Windows Media Player to view them in HD.

DVD Benchmark - Part 6 - DVD-Audio

Mon, 03 Dec 2007 07:18:16 -0500

In mid-2000, after a long delay for a variety of issues, DVD-Audio(DVD-A) was given an inauspicious launch with the arrival of the firstDVD-Audio players. It's been over a year since the first players havehit the market, and this marks our first foray into a backgroundarticle explaining the technology behind DVD-Audio . . .

Atlantic Technology 8200e 5.1 Speaker System

Fri, 30 Nov 2007 19:00:00 -0500

Having grown up a big fan of the Star Wars films, as many of us home theater enthusiasts did, the label THX has always had an air of gear-head royalty due to its origins. The Lucasfilm spin off has long represented a certain standard of excellence when it comes to home theater equipment . . .

Legenburg Zeus Interconnects and Speaker Cables

Fri, 30 Nov 2007 19:00:00 -0500

Over the past few years, several new companies that manufacture A/V cables have emerged. Most of them sell these cables at entry-level prices. The cables are good, basic designs. Legenburg, although a new cable company, is definitely not in the entry-level arena. It is high-end.

DViCO TViX HD-M4100SH Media Streamer

Fri, 30 Nov 2007 19:00:00 -0500

Over the last two years, the Korean company DViCO has proven to be a worthwhile player in the media streamer market. The company is now producing its third generation in the TViX family of products: the TViX HD-M4100SH.

Outlaw Audio BLS Bookshelf/Monitor Speakers and LFM Subwoofer

Fri, 30 Nov 2007 19:00:00 -0500

Outlaw Audio, those "Internet only" rebels lead by head wrangler Peter Tribeman, have finally satisfied a large following by entering the speaker market.

VIZIO VP50 50" Plasma HDTV

Fri, 30 Nov 2007 19:00:00 -0500

To say that VIZIO owns the flat panel display market right now would be an understatement. And, the reason is simple: the price. Only a couple of years ago, to get a 50" plasma HDTV, you would have had to shell out about $5,000, even at Costco.

Auditioning Speakers

Tue, 27 Nov 2007 10:33:36 -0500

When auditioning speakers, listen primarily for detail without...

Current

Tue, 27 Nov 2007 09:13:05 -0500

In order to understand what the various parts in an amplifier do...

CLV and CAV

Tue, 27 Nov 2007 07:31:11 -0500

There are a number of features on the. . .

Class of Operation

Tue, 27 Nov 2007 07:25:17 -0500

High Fidelity Amplifiers operate in what is known as Class A...

Aspect Ratio

Tue, 27 Nov 2007 05:11:08 -0500

With High Definition Television (HDTV) upon us...

Introduction to the Primer

Wed, 21 Nov 2007 19:00:00 -0500

When Secrets of Home Theater and High Fidelity first began publishing in 1994, we organized what eventually became The Primer, which had various sections dedicated to principal areas of audio and video, such as receivers, amplifiers, and speakers.

Amplifier

Wed, 21 Nov 2007 09:00:03 -0500

A preamplifier takes the source voltage and. . .

Connectors

Wed, 21 Nov 2007 09:00:03 -0500

Input jacks (sockets) are very important...

Crossover Networks

Wed, 21 Nov 2007 09:00:03 -0500

Inside the speaker cabinet is an additional component called the...

Encyclopedia of Words, Terms, and Concepts

Wed, 21 Nov 2007 07:49:19 -0500

amplifier	aspect ratio	auditioning speakers	B/S	cables	cie	class of operation
CLV and CAV	compression	cone	connectors	crossover networks	current	DAC
damping factor	digital sampling	DILA	dolby digital and dts	dot crawl	DVD	DVD-A
ear buds	ear phones	equalizers	Five.1, 5.1, 7.1	flying erase head	harmonic distortion	harmonics
HDCD	HDTV	head phones	high voltage & high current	IDTV	impedance	interlacing
jitter	laserdisc	LCD	LCOS	line conditioner	line doublers, quadruplers, interpolators	media server
monoblock	MP3	multibit dacs vs 1 bit dacs	multichannel	negative feedback	oversampling	overscanning
planar	planar magnetic	plasma	PLB	power conditioner	power supply	projector screens
projectors	push pull amp	quantization error	remote control	resolution	ribbon & electrostatic speakers	SACD
scanning	shakers	single ended amp	slew rate	soundstage, ambience,accuracy	speaker sound coloration	speaker driver
speaker enclosure	speaker placement	speaker sensitivity	subwoofers	surround sound - what is	surround sound 2	surround sound 3
switchersflat panel = tv	THX	transistor amplifiers	tubes	upsampling	VCR	viewing distance

Rebuilding an A/V System with House-Wide Networking

Sun, 30 Sep 2007 20:00:00 -0400

I will start out by saying that this is a feature article primarily for fellow geeks interested in the process of building or rebuilding an A/V system. My home isn't exactly a showcase in design or high fashion, and the A/V system that's going back in is aiming for function ...

Rogue Audio Perseus Tube Preamplifier

Sun, 30 Sep 2007 20:00:00 -0400

If I have my Greek mythology correct, Perseus was the slayer of Medusa, the serpent-haired Gorgon monster. Using his sword to view her reflection (because we all know a mere glance directly at her would turn you into stone instantly), he was able to slay her in her sleep.

ONIX H6550 Integrated Tube Amplifier

Mon, 30 Apr 2007 20:00:00 -0400

Following a product as revered and successful as the SP3 integrated amplifier, ONIX steps up and produces the new H6550. How could I possibly resist the temptation to request one for review? The good people at AV123 graciously offered to send it to me.

High Definition 1080p TV: Why You Should Be Concerned

Wed, 28 Feb 2007 19:00:00 -0500

1080p, or 1080 progressive, is a very high resolution video format and screen specification. It is one of the ATSC HDTV specified formats which includes 720p, 1080i, and 1080p . . .

The Preamplifier Review Archives