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Reviews

Samsung BD-D5500 Blu-ray Player

Chris Heinonen

At the CEDIA Expo last fall, the big push for everyone was 3D and online connectivity. We all knew that 3D was going to be everywhere, but also, everyone seemed to have an iPhone or Android Application, and was trying to offer as much online content to the user as possible. Samsung's new BD-D5500 is 3D-capable, and does a pretty good job with regular Blu-ray movies as well, all for less than $200.

Blu-ray Players

Runco LS-10i 3-Chip DLP Projector

Chris Eberle

I am often asked when recommending projectors why some models cost upwards of $20,000. The simple answer is – light output. You can get a state-of-the-art projector for $8000 and have a superb image, as well as excellent build quality. But you won't be able to fill a 180-inch screen from 25 feet away and achieve 20 foot-Lamberts. For this you need a high output model, preferably a 3-chip DLP like Runco's new LS-10i. But, you will need that $20,000.

Projectors

Pioneer BDP-43FD Blu-ray Player

Chris Heinonen

The first Blu-ray players that I reviewed for Secrets many years ago were Pioneer models. Up until then, the only player I had used was a PlayStation 3, and was looking forward to a regular box that my universal remote could control and would be easier for my wife to operate. While the Pioneer players did fulfill those requirements, they were also far slower in use than the PS3 was, and as was common for most players then offered no online capability at all. Skip ahead a few years and at the CEDIA Expo, Pioneer was displaying players that were not only much faster and smaller that those early models, but had online streaming capabilities and other features as well. I asked them to send along a unit as soon as they could, and they happily provided me with their BDP-43FD model from their Elite line.

Blu-ray Players

Klipsch Reference II 5.1 Home Theater Speaker System

Jim Clements

At last year's CEDIA Expo in Atlanta, Klipsch set up their demo in a room that was more than just a little bit off the beaten path. Undaunted, I was able to find my way there and boy was I glad that I took the extra time to seek them out! The Klipsch Group, Inc. owns a total of four speaker companies – Klipsch, Jamo, Mirage and Energy. Each company had some new products on display. In this review, we take a look at the Klipsch Reference II 5.1 Speaker System, which includes RF-82 II floor-standers (towers) as the Mains, an RC-62 II Center, RS-52 II Surrounds, and SW-311 Subwoofer.

Surround Sound Speaker Systems

Bryston BDP-1 Music Server and BDA-1 DAC

John E. Johnson, Jr.

Media servers usually contain a hard drive on which you store your music (ripped CDs). Bryston's new BDP-1 Music Server utililzes USB thumb drives or external USB hard drive. This way, you can carry your music around with you on a thumb drive and use with multiple devices to play the music. This music server is actually a computer with full operating system, and can be connected wirelessly to your iPod or iPad to choose and play albums. In fact, it really is designed to be used that way, so that the server itself can be a low profile component in your equipment rack. In this review, we test the BDP-1 along with Bryston's BDA-1 DAC, which is capable of handling 24/192 bitstreams.

Media Servers

Pioneer BDP-430 3D Blu-ray Player

Stephen Hornbrook

The cost of Blu-ray players has plummeted over the past couple of years, and numerous models from various manufacturers are available for $300 and less. Pioneer's ne BDP-430 is only $299. It is 3D-capable and includes several Internet apps. It is also a player that we tested with our new Blu-ray HDMI Benchmark.

Blu-ray Players

Paradigm Signature S2, Version 3 Bookshelf Speakers and Anthem Integrated 225 Amplifier

Chris Heinonen

The CEDIA Expo isn't really a show for audiophiles. Most of the setups are geared towards in-wall speakers, projectors, and other various forms of home automation, but there are always a few vendors there that have some nice demonstrations. This year, one of my favorite demonstrations came from Paradigm, who had a complete home theater built with their Signature S2, Version 3s as the front speakers.

Integrated Amplifiers

Paradigm Signature S2, Version 3 Bookshelf Speakers and Anthem Integrated 225 Amplifier

Chris Heinonen

 

The CEDIA Expo isn't really a show for audiophiles. Most of the setups are geared towards in-wall speakers, projectors, and other various forms of home automation, but there are always a few vendors there that have some nice demonstrations. This year, one of my favorite demonstrations came from Paradigm, who had a complete home theater built with their Signature S2, Version 3s as the front speakers.

Bookshelf Speakers

Vizio VBR231 Blu-ray Player with Wireless Internet Apps

Chris Heinonen

Vizio initially made their mark by being one of the first companies to offer a plasma panel that was both affordable and a good performer. Since then they have continued to serve this niche by offering products that have very good performance for the price, but also have branched out to offer some truly high end home theater equipment. Remember when Blu-ray players first came out, they were all at least $500? The Vizio VBR231 sells for only $179. How does a < $200 Blu-ray player perform? We put it to our new Blu-ray Benchmark tests to find out. (P.S. It even has wireless Internet apps.)

Blu-ray Players

Mark Levinson Nº 531H Monoblock Power Amplifier

Jim Clements

Mark Levinson is one of the world's great high end audio manufacturers. They make a wide variety of electronic components, including pre amps, DACs, CD transports, SACD players as well as a surround sound processor they call a "Media Console". Levinson has also teamed with luxury auto manufacturer, Lexus so you can take their audio products on the road. Nonetheless, Mark Levinson is almost certainly best known for their very large, very powerful and very expensive power amplifiers. They enjoy a well deserved reputation for making some of the best - if not the best - solid state power amps around. The Nº 531H is the subject of the current review, and it delivers 300 watts RMS into 8 ohms.

Power Amplifiers

Harman Kardon HK 990 Integrated Amplifier and HD 990 CD Player

Tyler Stripko

Most likely recognized in today's market as a purveyor of home theater receivers, desktop/PC speakers, iPod docks, and factory-installed automotive sound systems, Harman Kardon is a name that is also well-recognized in traditional 2-channel audio. While the history of the company is quite interesting (see the "about us" link on the company's webpage), one thing has remained constant at Harman Kardon over the years: they produce an aesthetically pleasing product that delivers the high-sound quality sought after by the brand's customers. Here, we review their 990 Integrated Amplifier and HD 990 CD Player.

Integrated Amplifiers

Marc Audio Red Line (Signature) and Black Line (Reference) RCA Interconnects and Red Line Speaker Cables

John E. Johnson, Jr.

Marc Audio - Update:  Black Line RCA Interconnects - The Reference Line.

Marc Audio is another new audio cable manufacturer that has just set up shop in October. I received a sample of their first product, an RCA interconnect that is going to be their mid-level line of audio cables, called the Red Line (as of June, 2011, they renamed them as the Signature Line). I thought it might just be more of the same. But, it turned out this one is different, and it is not even their top model. For one thing, it is totally a USA product.

Audio Cables