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Reviews

Denon AH-NC732 Noise Canceling Headphones

Piero Gabucci

I suppose in this iPod generation we shouldn't be surprised by the explosion of new headphone options. Breaking it down, there are 3 types of headphones really: in-ear, on-ear and over-ear. In-ear offers the best solution for portability while over-ear is typically large and cumbersome and generally provides the best reproduction and comfort, it is usually reserved for the audiophile or studio engineer. On-ear however may offer the best of both worlds, especially if they travel easily, offer comfort, clean fidelity and outside noise cancellation - hence the new AH-NC732 from Denon.

Headphone and Earphone Reviews

THIEL CS3.7 Floor-Standing Speakers

Chris Groppi

THIEL is one of the most well known and long lived high end loudspeaker companies. Jim Thiel founded Thiel Audio in 1976, building his company's reputation on speakers that are time and phase coherent. All of THIEL's full range loudspeakers have followed this recipe, including the new CS3.7. Where the CS3.7 differs is in its level of execution. The CS3.7 is almost double the price of the older CS3.6 model, and approaches or exceeds the price points of the larger CS5 and CS7 speakers of the past. While the speaker follows the same recipe as past THIEL models, it is reinvented in almost every way. For some (at least those who haven't heard it), the increased price was a big disappointment. I call this sour grapes for people who thought they could afford the CS3.7 but then had to realize they couldn't. The CS3.7 is worth every cent, and is a strong contender versus pretty much any full-range loudspeaker in the under-$20k price category.

Floor Standing Speakers

Sunfire Cinema Ribbon CRM-2 Bookshelf Speakers

Greg Mahoney

When I first heard about the Sunfire Cinema Ribbons, I was very intrigued with the product, as I own the 6' tall Carver Amazing Platinum IVs that are the acoustic benchmark the diminutive 8" tall Sunfire Cinema Ribbons are supposed to mimic. I have kept the Amazing Platinum IVs these last 19 years because I have not found a pair of stereo speakers under $10K that will outperform them in the areas of resolution, sound staging, bandwidth, and the ability to play at elevated levels with an extremely low level of distortion. The Cinema Ribbons use the same ribbon length as found in the Carver Amazings, and fold it so that it fits into a bookshelf size. How do they compare? Read Greg Mahoney's review and be enlightened.

Bookshelf Speakers

Squeezebox Duet Wireless Music Streamer

John E. Johnson, Jr.

UPDATED November 16, 2009 - We have all noticed the proliferation of media servers on the market over the past several years. The problem is, they are quite expensive, usually in the thousands of dollars, and some in the tens of thousands. Well, finally, there are some products that will let you play your music in any of those rooms you want, by ripping your CDs to a music directory on your PC and using a wireless "Streamer" in the room where you want to listen to them. There are several music streamers on the market, including Squeezebox, which has several models. Their newest entry is the Squeezebox Duet, which is the subject of this review.

Please take a particular look at the end of the review where I updated my opinion about this product on November 16, 2009.

Media Streamer

Emotiva XPA-1 Monoblock Power Amplifier

Chris Groppi

ADDENDUM - 4/1/09 I (JEJ) was so impressed with Chris' review of the XPA-1 (published in January, 2009), I asked Emotiva to send me one so I could run some of my own tests. I borrowed a different power amplifier from a friend that cost more than 6 times the price of the XPA-1, which I will call Amplifier "X" here. I ran the same tests on both amplifiers. Click on the photo to see the results (go to Page 4: Emotiva XPA-1 On the Bench, and my results are down near the bottom of the page).

Power Amplifiers

Affordable Projectors for Non-Dedicated Home Theater Rooms – Mitsubishi HC5500 & Elite Cinema Screen

Ross Jones

I am continuing my journey into the world of affordable front projector systems, with a special emphasis on systems that are suitable for multi-use rooms.  My first foray, the Sanyo PLV-Z2000, was a success. But I didn't have anything to compare it to, at least in my own home environment. Now comes the first challenger, the Mitsubishi HC5500, another affordable 1080p projector. These projectors use the same basic display technology (LCD panels), so provide a pretty good apples-to-apples comparison. We also review the Elite Screens ezCinema Plus Pull-up Projection Screen.

Projectors

Velodyne Optimum-12 Subwoofer

Jim Clements

I remember marveling at the sound being produced by a pair of small bookshelf speakers during a recent visit to a local high-end dealer's shop. I asked the salesman, "The bass extension on these speakers is amazing for their small size. How do they do it?" "Technology" was his reply. I sat there stone faced for a second while the wheels turned. Great bass extension with useable output is still governed by the laws of Newtonian physics. Technology can't violate those laws. The designer must work within the framework of the laws to produce a design that will fulfill their objectives. Velodyne has worked within these laws to produce a compact subwoofer that will surprise you with its amazing bass output. Read more about what Jim Clements has to say.

Subwoofers

DVDO Edge Video Processor

Ofer LaOr

Many years ago, CRT projector owners had an annoying problem, if they increased their projection area, scan lines would become visible. The idea of line doubling – duplicating the number of lines to avoid the empty spaces between the scan lines became the first consumer video processing technique available. Since all of our video sources at the time were video, but were originally film – Yvves Faroudja introduced the world to the concept of 3:2 pulldown de-interlacing. De-interlacers were able to double lines but effectively turned the image into a progressive one – a single image that contained data from both interlaced fields at once. Many video processors have come to market since that time to improve on this basic technology, adding many more features than simply de-interlacing. Anchor Bay Technologies has produced numerous processors over the years, and the DVDO Edge is their latest model. It is priced at only $799. Ofer LaOr dissects this new processor and gives us his views on its performance.

Video Processors

Aperion Audio Intimus 4T Hybrid SD Speakers

Jared Rachwalski

The question I am asked most often regarding stereo systems is “what speaker should I buy”? My answer is usually “the one that sounds best in your room”. If you have a good relationship with your local HiFi dealer, you just may be able to audition in your own home. Not all of the good speakers are sold in stores and sometimes to get the best value you need to purchase online. The problem is, you will have to at least pay shipping one way to get the speakers into your home. This can get pricey. What if you could audition in home, risk free? How about a ten year warranty? While we are at it, toss in a 100% credit trade up program.

Surround Sound Speaker Systems

Focal Chorus 700 5.1 Speaker System

L. Richard Stevens

While not sold in big box retail stores nor shipping Internet-direct to consumers, Focal has built and maintained a solid reputation in the audiophile community by offering top tier sound quality. Being very familiar with the brand, it was with great anticipation that I agreed to review the Chorus 700 speaker system. The Chorus 700 series is at the lower end of Focal's speaker lineup, and the review system consisted of a pair of 726V three-way tower speakers, a CC700V center channel speaker, a pair of 706V bookshelf speakers for the rear, and a SW700V subwoofer. At roughly $3,600 for the package, I was eager to see how the Chorus system compared to its mass-market competitors. Furthermore, can the 700 series live up to the reputation of its higher priced siblings?

Surround Sound Speaker Systems

Denon AVR-2309CI 7.1 A/V Receiver

Gabe Lowe

The Denon AVR-2309CI is the entry level product in Denon's Custom Integration line, which includes receivers specifically designed with custom installers in mind.  It offers extras like an RS-232C port for integration with automation and advanced control systems such as Crestron, and a 12 volt trigger to automate things such as a front projection screen lowering when the system is powered on.

Receivers

Jaton Operetta 2300a Class A/B Amplifier – First Look

Jared Rachwalski

The Jaton company has been around for over 25 years. They started with manufacturing PC video cards, and have since branched into home theater and hi-fi gear. Lyra's HD-661 DX speakers were recently reviewed at Secrets, and their interesting design and great sound made me want to try out their amplification. George from Jaton was kind enough to send me a rather large and heavy Class A/B Stereo amplifier capable of putting out 300 watts RMS per channel into 4 ohms. Initial problems with the amplifier has required Jaton to redesign it, and the revised version will be sent to me for review In the meantime, here are some initial observations on the unrevised unit.

Power Amplifiers

Onkyo TX-SR576 7.1 A/V Receiver

Matthew Abel

Last year Onkyo introduced a truly stunning product, the TX-SR605, which offered HDMI 1.3 inputs, HD audio processing and a host of other advanced features at the amazing price point of $599. As 2007 has moved to 2008, Onkyo has now introduced their TX-SRxx6 series receivers and a new model, the Onkyo TX-SR576, that looks to move some of the TX-SR605's novel features to an even lower $479 price point.

Receivers