John E. Johnson, Jr.

Eggleston Works The Nine Floor-standing Speakers

Jason Victor Serinus

Sometimes a disappointing start can lead to a glorious finish. Such has been my experience with Eggleston Works' The Nine, a beautiful loudspeaker that more than deserves the copious amounts of praise it is receiving here and abroad. I have spent a long time – far too long, with The Nines. I have done so for purely selfish reasons. I have grown quite fond of these babies, and will be sad to see them go. But other speakers are on their way, and there's only so much room at the Inn.

Floor Standing Speakers

Nordost Thor Power Distribution Center

Jason Victor Serinus

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 weren't simply arranged or staged; they belonged together.

Power Conditioners

JL Audio Fathom f112 Subwoofer

Colin Miller

"Seriously, thanks. I haven't had anything this refreshing from audio equipment since a long, long time. This is the kind of $#^+ that makes me want to believe again. As sincerely as a junkie can get."

Subwoofers

Classe CDP-502 DVD Player

Adrian Wittenberg

For a player as expensive as it is, the Classé 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, as there 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 a player 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.

DVD Players

Movie Renter’s Guide – April, 2008

John E. Johnson, Jr.
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (SD DVD), Noble House (SD DVD), Independence Day (Blu-ray), Cloverfield (SD DVD), The Lives of Others (Blu-ray), The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (Blu-ray), I Am Legend (Blu-ray), AVP Requiem (Blu-ray), 27 Dresses (Blu-ray)
Movie Reviews

Marantz SR8002 7.1 A/V Receiver

Lee Hower
The Marantz SR8002 7.1 receiver adds HDM 1.3 support and some other things that make it a product that you should audition if you are ready to spring for a new unit. It decodes all the new high def audio formats from Blu-ray discs, so get your tail in gear.
Receivers

Von Schweikert VisiUN Center Channel Speaker

John E. Johnson, Jr.

******** BENCH TEST RESULTS HAVE BEEN ADDED 3/17/08 ******** Von Schweikert's new VisiUN center channel speaker is nirvana, with its detailed, powerful sound that does not diminish for off-axis listeners. Expensive? Yes, and worth every penny. For those of you who want the ultra-cool, it's got the same paint finish as the USA Stealth Bomber. Read this exclusive review to find out why.

Center Channel Speakers