MartinLogan Motion Vision Soundbar

Jim Milton

I have always wanted to experience the MartinLogan planar speaker systems, but I lack the room size that is needed to really allow them to breathe. ML's new Motion® series allows for a planar speaker that is designed to resemble a more conventional box speaker, and is designed for placement under a flat panel HDTV.

Soundbars

Vanatoo

Secrets
Vanatoo aims to create affordable, versatile audiophile quality speakers for today's digital music enthusiast. Our goals are to create speakers with impeccable sound clarity and transparency...
AV Directory

Definitive Technology AW 6500 Outdoor Speakers

Jim Clements

Today's consumers have lots of choices to fill their home with music inside and out. I, for one, have a rapidly growing digital music library and I've been on a quest to find better ways to enjoy this music while in the great outdoors ("My Backyard"). Definitive Technology's AW 6500 might just be the answer.

Bookshelf Speakers

How to Fix Subwoofer Boominess?

Scott Wilkinson

I have a Velodyne CHT-10 subwoofer connected to my Denon receiver's pre-out. I love it very much except for one thing—it sometimes sounds boomy. Do you know what could cause that and whether or not there's a setting I could change to make it always sound crisp?
- George P.
Mississauga, Ontario
Canada

SECRETS Home Theater Q&A

Universal Classic Monsters

Jim Milton

Since the era of silent movies through present day, Universal Pictures has always been known as the home for the greatest movie monsters. This review will showcase a collection...

Movie Reviews

Universal Classic Monsters: The Essential Collection

Jim Milton

Since the era of silent movies through present day, Universal Pictures has always been known as the home for the greatest movie monsters. This review will showcase a collection of 8 of the greatest, most iconic movie monsters every enshrined on celluloid by Universal Pictures and Carl Laemmle and his son: Dracula (1931), Frankenstein (1931), The Mummy (1932), The Invisible Man (1933 ), The Bride of Frankenstein (1935), The Wolf Man (1941), The Phantom of the Opera (1943), and The Creature From the Black Lagoon (1954). Full high definition 1080p and they all sound fantastic.

Movie Reviews

Pass Labs XP-10 Stereo Preamplifier

John E. Johnson, Jr.

 In the past, we reviewed the Pass Labs XP-20 and XP-30 stereo preamplifiers. Now, we come full circle with a review of the remaining member of their preamplifier trio, the XP-10, which is the least expensive model. It is fully balanced, and has a slightly different sound character compared to the other two, which also sound different from one another. All three are great products, so you can choose based on price and/or sound characteristics.

 

 

Preamplifiers

Classe SSP-800 Surround Sound Processor

John E. Johnson, Jr.

Classé is considered one of the finest audio product manufacturers in North America. They market preamplifiers, power amplifiers, and surround sound processors (SSPs). The SSP-800 is their current processor. It's been around for awhile, and they have no plans to replace it with a new model in the near future, but there have been some firmware updates along the way. So, I decided that Secrets should have a look and listen to what I was sure would be a fine product. Was I right?

Processors