Secrets

Spears and Munsil HD Benchmark Setup and Test Disc – Version 2

Chris Heinonen

Readers of Secrets of Home Theater and High Fidelity are likely familiar with the names Stacey Spears and Don Munsil. They authored the Secrets DVD Benchmark and brought to light issues like Chroma Upsampling Errors, as well as our recent HDMI Benchmark for Blu-ray players. They also authored the Spears and Munsil HD Benchmark Blu-ray test disc. Version 2 of their HD Benchmark disc is now available, and reviewed here.

Technical Reviews

BenQ W1070 Projector

Chris Heinonen

I'll be blunt: I don't like 3D. I've never been able to justify paying extra to see it in the theater, and at home it has always left me cold. Most implementations give me a headache almost instantly with their crosstalk-filled images and ghosting the drives me crazy... Fast forward to CES 2013 and BenQ is in the South Hall showing off a pair of projectors that are very similar to the W7000, but scaled down: the W1070 and W1080ST.

Projectors

Dune HD

Secrets
Dune HD offers an array of high-quality digital media players for both consumer and commercial markets. The product line ranges...
AV Directory

Triad Gold Monitor Speakers and Silver Subwoofer

Chris Heinonen

Last year, I had a chance to pay a visit to Triad Speakers, which is located in my home town of Portland, OR. They showed how their speakers are designed and built, from the very beginning, to prototype testing, to building and shipping the final product. Unfortunately, the one opportunity that wasn't available at the factory was the chance to listen to their speakers, as they were doing a complete redesign of their listening room from the studs up. On my way out, they let me take home a pair of In Room Gold Monitors and an In Room Silver DSP Subwoofer for review. Now knowing how they were built and designed, I was certainly looking forward to hearing how they sounded.

Subwoofers

Stereo Bass from AV Processor or Receiver?

Scott Wilkinson

I want to use two subwoofers and keep the bass stereo for recordings that, in fact, have phase differences in the low frequencies. So I am looking for a processor or receiver that, when all the main speakers are set to "small," sends the left-side bass to the left subwoofer, the right-side bass to the right subwoofer, and splits the center-channel bass. Also, if any product actually does this, what happens when you run the auto EQ/room correction? Would the auto EQ make the subwoofers mono?

- Richard Severance
St. Paul, MN

SECRETS Home Theater Q&A

Which Speaker System is Best?

Scott Wilkinson

I am considering buying the Klipsch Reference II 5.1 home-theater speaker system, Aperion Audio Verus Grand Tower XD system, or GoldenEar Technology TritonCinema Two system. Which is the best choice? Or what would you recommend around the $4000 - $4500 price range?

- Arnel Balatbat
Auburn, WA

SECRETS Home Theater Q&A

Mitsubishi

Secrets
Headquartered in Irvine, Calif., Mitsubishi Electric Visual Solutions America, Inc. is a US subsidiary of Mitsubishi Electric...
AV Directory

Triad Speakers

Secrets
Triad is a unique speaker manufacturer that offers far more custom solutions than any other speaker company. There are so many...
AV Directory

Funk

Secrets
High quality tools for working with digital and analog sources to radio and TV stations, recording studios and demanding home users.
AV Directory