Review Categories

Audio Players

Amplifiers

Speakers

Receivers & Processors

Vinyl

All-In-One Systems

Audio Cables

DACs

Audio Accessories

Headphones & Earphones

Headphone Amplifiers

Video Displays

Video Players

Video Accessories

Product Previews

Home

Reviews

Second-Generation Apple TV Media Streamer

Chris Eberle

Ever since Louis Daguerre took the first photograph and Thomas Edison lowered the needle on the first phonograph, media has been a part of our lives. The reproduction of still and moving images and sound is an art form that we are unlikely to see the zenith of in our lifetimes. Since the early part of the twentieth century, sound and video reproduction usually came in the form of magnetic tape, film or vinyl records. Now with the proliferation of digital storage methods, evolution has accelerated. The Apple TV second generation media streamer tosses the hard drive storage from first generation model. What does it add? Read our review to see for yourself . . . .

Media Streamer

Paradigm MilleniaOne Satellite Speakers (Set of Five)

Secrets

Paradigm has made a name for itself around the globe for delivering speakers that are consistently strong in accuracy, gigantic soundstage, very precise imaging, deep, powerful bass (which usually significantly increase the cost of other speaker manufacturers offerings) all while keeping the cost below the competition. They do all engineering in house, all speaker component manufacturing in house, all assembly in house and all testing in house. #1 Best Price/Value for 20 years in Inside Track Magazine and #1 Overall 6 times. The MilleniaOne is a satellite speaker that can be used in all five (or seven) channels, along with a subwoofer. Only the MilleniaOne satellite speakers (set of five) are reviewed here.

Surround Sound Speaker Systems

Pass Labs XA-100.5 Pure Class A Monoblock Power Amplifier

John E. Johnson, Jr.

Most amplifier manufacturers produce power amplifiers that are biased as Class AB, meaning that they run a few watts in Class A and the rest in AB. This is usually a push-pull configuration, and the AB moniker refers to a slight overlap in the + portion of the waveform that is delivered by one section of the amplifier with the - portion handled by the other amplifier section.

Power Amplifiers

Emotiva XPA-3 Three-Channel Power Amplifier

Ross Jones

The term "separates" was once reserved for the upper crust of the home theater world. Only those with the most discerning ears (and fattest wallets) considered purchasing a separate preamp/processor and multi-channel power amplifier. That time has long gone, thanks in part to the rise of Internet-direct firms such as Emotiva. They manufacture monoblocks (single-channel amplifiers) and multi-channel amplifiers, up to the XPA-5 which has five channels. The current review explores their three-channel amplifier, called the XPA-3.

Power Amplifiers

MartinLogan Ethos Hybrid Electrostatic Speakers

Jim Clements

MartinLogan has recently expanded its line to include the Ethos, which is a hybrid electrostatic speaker, meaning that it has not only an electrostatic panel, but a cone woofer. Using woofers to handle the bass is necessary in smaller electrostatic speakers because the surface area of the panel is not large enough to move much air at the lowest frequencies. In the case of the Ethos, the woofer has a built-in amplifier to drive it.

Floor Standing Speakers

Bryston BP-1.5 Phono Preamplifier

John E. Johnson, Jr.

With vinyl experiencing such an incredible comeback over the past few years, so have phono preamplifiers, a.k.a., phono stages. They are required because the output of a phono cartridge is so low - on the order of 0.3 mV to 5 mV - that the inputs of preamplifiers that don't have phono stages can't amplify the signal enough for the power amplifier down stream.

Phono PreamplifiersPreamplifiers

Velodyne DD-18+ Subwoofer

John E. Johnson, Jr.

Just when you think a product can't get any better, it gets better. Velodyne, renown manufacturer of subwoofers from the very small to the very large, has released its latest very large sub, the DD-18+. It has a 1,250 watt RMS power amplifier (3,000 watts peak) and a frequency response of 14.4 Hz -120 Hz ± 3 dB. The magnet, at 40 pounds, weighs as much as some small subwoofers themselves. The subwoofer uses a Windows software interface, via USB, for setting the room EQ, and the bench test results are the best I have ever seen from Velodyne.

Subwoofers

Toshiba BDX3000 Blu-ray 3D Player

Chris Eberle and Stephen Hornbrook

By now you've heard lots about 3D TVs. Every manufacturer has at least one 3D-capable model and even the projector companies are offering new products that include this technology. The display is not the only component required to view 3D however. You will also need, at a minimum, a new Blu-ray player. The format itself has not changed but a 3D model is required to view Blu-ray 3D discs. No matter what the brand, every 3D flat panel has a companion player. In the case of the Toshiba WX800 Cinema Series LED panel, recently reviewed at Secrets, that player is the BDX3000.

Blu-ray Players

Rotel RSX-1550 7.1 A/V Receiver

Piero Gabucci

Almost 50 years at Rotel has culminated in the 15 Series relatively new and was highly anticipated from 2009. The RSX-1550 arrived at my home in mid-2010. Admittedly, I'm a little behind on my review of the Rotel receiver and although this is an apology to the good people at Rotel for their patience, it speaks volumes about the product I've had it in my system for many, many months.

Receivers

Phase Technology CineMicro One 5.1 Speaker System

Richard Stevens

I have no problem admitting that I like a certain type of manufacturer. I've always had admiration for companies that specialize in one area. I'm not saying that manufacturers who throw their hats into multiple rings don't make solid products, many of them do. If I'm being honest though, if my favorite brewery started manufacturing headphones I'd probably take a step back to evaluate the situation. There's no question that Phase Technology is a speaker company, one with deep roots at that; dating back to 1955. It's safe to say that they know a thing or two about high-fidelity. While not necessarily a household name, odds are you've probably come across their speakers in demo rooms, trade shows or publications. The CineMicro One is the company's attempt to pack their audio expertise into a compact, easy to use 5.1 home theater system. Knowing the company well and being a "big speaker guy" myself, I was interested in hearing how these little guys stacked up.

Surround Sound Speaker Systems

Crystal Acoustics TX-3D12 5.1 Home Theater Speaker System

Ross Jones

It was five years ago that I first heard Crystal Acoustics speakers. Crystal is a British-based OEM speaker manufacturer that started making THX certified speakers under its own name. Because Crystal sells direct through the Internet without the costs of a distribution network, it offers very low prices for its products. I was quite impressed by the price/value proposition of its TX-3D12 THX Select certified 5.1 speaker system.

Surround Sound Speaker Systems

Simaudio Moon 700i Integrated Amplifier

Greg Zakrzewski

As a Quebec, Canada based company that has spent the last 30 years manufacturing some pretty outstanding gear, Simaudio has (like some other Canadian companies) made its name via its products' performance levels rather than hype and huge marketing spending. The unit reviewed here, the Simaudio Moon 700i Integrated Amplifier maintains that standing.

Integrated Amplifiers

Paradigm Mini-Monitor 5.1 Speaker System

Andrew Yang

Paradigm is increasingly becoming a unique entity in the world of audio equipment manufacturers. The industry continues to conglomerate itself into ever larger multinational corporations in the hopes of leveraging economies of scale, and optimizing cost of goods by outsourcing components and sub-assemblies. Paradigm, by contrast, remains thoroughly vertically integrated. With rare exceptions, the entirety of any given product, from the voice coil to the enclosure, is manufactured on-site at Paradigm's headquarters in Ontario, Canada.

Surround Sound Speaker Systems

Earthquake Titan Tigris Floor-standing Speakers

John E. Johnson, Jr.

Earthquake Sound is a company best known for producing knock your socks off subwoofers and amplifiers for home theater. They also manufacture several lines of speakers, including the Titans. The Titan Tigris weighs 89 pounds each and stands nearly 5 feet high, with an MSRP of $9,500 per pair. They are certainly imposing speakers that look the part, and are priced to compete with the crème-de-la-crème of tower speakers. In this review we'll see how they perform.

Floor Standing Speakers

Classe CA-M600 Monoblock Power Amplifier

John E. Johnson, Jr.

Classé updated their Delta power amplifier series in late 2010, including the CA-M400 which is now the CA-M600. The entire amplification signal passes on a single circuit board, and they have introduced a new cooling system called ICTunnel™, which utilizes a fan on the inside front panel of the amplifier that draws aire into the chassis and over some fins that absorb heat fromt the circuit boards. In use, I found the fan to be whisper quiet, with just a gentle breeze coming from the front amplifier port. This kept the entire chassis cool, but also, the temperature of the circuit board is electronically controlled by adjusting the fan speed, to optimize the performance, which turned out to be stellar.

Power Amplifiers