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Reviews

Sennheiser HD 238 Precision High Resolution Stereo Headphones

Kieran Coghlan

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.

Headphone and Earphone Reviews

OPPO BDP-83 Universal Blu-ray Player – Benchmark

Adrian Wittenberg

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.

Blu-ray Players

Integra DTR-8.9 7.1 A/V Receiver

Ross Jones

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.

Receivers

The Synergistic Research ACOUSTIC ART Real-Time Analogue Room Treatment

Jason Victor Serinus

Vibratron, Gravitron, Magnetron, and Bass Station: the sci-fi names alone are enough to raise eyebrows. But when you add in the fantastic appearance of the resonating bowls, and the claims that they can tune your listening room and ameliorate most commonly encountered speaker-room interactions, it's hard not to think that someone is either toying with you or daring you to entertain a new paradigm of acoustic science.

Stands/Racks/Furniture/Room Treatment

Marantz PM8003 Stereo Integrated Amplifier

Jared Rachwalski

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.

Integrated Amplifiers

Cambridge Audio DacMagic

John E. Johnson, Jr.

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.

DACs

KEF XQ10 Bookshelf Speakers

Jim Milton

Founded by Raymond Cook in the 1960's 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.

Bookshelf Speakers

Totem Mite Bookshelf Speakers

Richard Stevens

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".

Bookshelf Speakers

Yamaha RX-V665 7.1 A/V Receiver

Kieran Coghlan

Part of what I enjoy most about this hobby is helping other people get into it. Given that, I'm 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.

Receivers

Dynaudio Excite Home Theater Speakers

Larry Hryshko

Long before I ever dreamed of owning a genuine set of Dynaudio speakers, I've lusted after their raw drivers. Dynaudio speaker components have always been highly regarded in the do-it-yourself (DIY) community for their exceptional fidelity and bullet-proof construction. Notably, the DIY crowd isn't exactly known for their extravagance or pretentiousness, so the huge popularity of Dynaudio is quite telling.

Surround Sound Speaker Systems

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

Brian Alvarez

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.

Receivers

Canton GLE 490 Floor-standing Speakers, GLE 455 Center Channel, GLE 430 Bookshelf Speakers, and AS 105 SC Subwoofer

Andrew Yang

Amidst the many dividing lines in the world of audio and video is the line between those that believe speakers must be single purpose, and those that believe speakers can be multi-purpose. The purposes in question are often music and home theater (alternatively music or home theater depending on what side of the line you are on.) A more pertinent question for this review might be: "How well Canton goes from Pure Music to surround sound in one package?"

Surround Sound Speaker Systems

DreamVision Dream’E 1080p LCoS Projector

Chris Eberle

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

Projectors

Yamaha RX-V3900 7.1 A/V Receiver

Gabe Lowe

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.

Receivers

Energy CF-70 Floor-standing Speakers

Greg Zakrzewski

I first encountered the Energy line of speakers in the late 90's when I helped a friend setup her new Take 5 system paired with a Denon receiver. My recollection of the event is of some skepticism as to the sound quality given the small size of the speakers but I ended up being grudgingly impressed with them. They certainly blew away any HTiB solution! It was perfect for her condo.

Floor Standing Speakers