Universal Players

Arcam UDP411 Universal Blu-ray Player Review

If you're looking for a high-end audio player that happens to play DVDs and Blu-rays, British boutique manufacturer Arcam has a new component for consideration, the UDP411 Universal Blu-ray Player. With premium Burr-Brown DACs and a balanced analog output, it might just be the ideal complement to an audiophile-grade system.

Pioneer BDP-62FD Universal Blu-ray Player

Every year Pioneer updates their Blu-ray players, and every year I wind up happy yet disappointed with them. Each year performance and features seem to improve only to have a flaw, like edge enhancement or poor colorspace support, derail the Pioneer from being really top notch. This year Pioneer is offering the BDP-62FD, a $400 universal Blu-ray player that carries the Elite badge and features dual HDMI outputs among other features.

OPPO BDP-105 Universal Blu-ray Player Review

OPPO continues its tradition of being leader of the pack with the introduction of the BDP-105 Universal Player. It has every type of input that one could want, making it truly a player that can handle all types of media and sources. The video quality is superb (video results coming in Chris Heinonen's review of the 103 which has the same video circuit as the 105), and the audio quality (tested in this review) is what we have come to expect from OPPO: audiophile-grade.

Paiste 18″ RUDE Thin Crash Cymbal

Paiste's RUDE cymbal line was developed as part of the need for a heavy cymbal line that could take a pounding and produce volume that would cut through the high output amplifier stacks that were piled on the stages for Metal band performances. In this review, we take a listen to the RUDE 18" thin crash.

Paiste 24″ RUDE Mega Power Ride Cymbal

Paiste's RUDE cymbal line, which debuted in 1980, and went through being incorporated into several other model names, emerged again in 1999 with its own separate identity. It was developed as part of the need for a heavy cymbal line that could take a pounding and produce volume that would cut through the high output amplifier stacks that were piled on the stages for Metal band performances. It has endured over the years, and the king of this line is the 24" Mega Power Ride. It has a ping that is razor sharp and will have the guitarists trying to turn their volume knobs past the end point.

Kordz EVO, EVS, and EVX HDMI Cables

HDMI cables have two basic issues that are somewhat different than with audio cables, namely that they tend to be much longer, and also, the HDMI connector has turned out not to be very robust. So, if the HDMI cable that came with your new HDTV or DVD player is not doing the job for you, Kordz makes cables that will deliver the goods under any conditions. We review here their pure copper model, the EVO, as well as the EVS which has a thin coating of pure silver, and the EVX, which has a thicker coating of silver.

Denon AVR-3310CI 7.1 A/V Receiver

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.