Crash Cymbals

Home Theater Movie Renter’s Guide – March, 2011

Sword of War (DVD), The Last Unicorn (Blu-ray), Bambi (Blu-ray), Memento (Blu-ray), Dances with Wolves (Blu-ray), For Colored Girls (Blu-ray), Thelma & Louise (Blu-ray), Raging Bull (Blu-ray), Skyline (Blu-ray), Les Miserables: The 25th Anniversary Concert (Blu-ray), The Miracle Maker (Blu-ray), Rainman (Blu-ray), The Switch (Blu-ray), Last Tango In Paris (Blu-ray), Moonstruck (Blu-ray)

Paradigm Mini-Monitor 5.1 Speaker System

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.

An Interview with Conductor Alondra De La Parra

Less than nine months after her dynamic 2009 San Francisco Symphony debut conducting the symphony's annual Day of the Dead concert, conductor Alondra de la Parra, 29, returned to lead four consecutive concerts with the orchestra. Her wide-ranging repertoire â€" two nights of American and America-associated music, one all-Russian eve, and a refreshing Dolores Park afternoon that mixed Dvorak's New World Symphony with some of Mexico's finest compositions â€" was as diverse as her roster of top-flight soloists.

NextGen Copperhead Xtreme HDMI Cables

Ah HDMI. This now commonplace interface has had a storied history of controversy and confusion. Now evolved, it is still far from perfect but at least we A/V enthusiasts are living with it now. The most misunderstood part of the equation has traditionally been the cable. How long can it be and not cause signal deterioration, or even drop the signal altogether? NexGen addresses these questions with their Copperhead Xtreme HDMI Cable.

Panamax M4320-PRO AC Power Conditioner

The Panamax BlueBOLT version 1.2 Remote Power and Energy Management Platform really caught my eye at the 2010 CEDIA Expo. This newest version of the BlueBOLT AC power conditioner system expands on the energy management features and provides new control options. With BlueBOLT, custom electronics installers, integrators and end-users can remotely monitor and control power to their equipment by accessing power management components over the internet from anywhere in the world. Here, we review the Panamaz M4320-PRO AC Power Conditioner.

Sabian 18″ Vault V-Crash Cymbal

Sabian's Vault series, from their description, represents cymbals that came about through experimentation. Some work out, and others get tossed back into the melting pot. The present review is on the 18" Vault V-Crash. It has an intense bright sound that will cut through guitar amp stacks. It also rides well and has an excellent bell sound.

Home Theater Movie Renter’s Guide – February, 2011

Buried (Blu-ray), Saw The Final Chapter (Blu-ray), Alpha and Omega (Blu-ray), Amazing Alphabet (DVD), Numbers Ahoy (DVD), Virus X (DVD), Soul Kitten's Cabaret (DVD), Ray (Blu-ray), Piranha (Blu-ray), "My Soul to Take" (Blu-ray), Almost Famous (Blu-ray), Out of Sight (Blu-ray), Beverly Hills Chihuahua 2 (Blu-ray), Alice in Wonderland 3D (Blu-ray), RED (Blu-ray), Merlin: Season Two (DVD), You Again (Blu-ray), It's Kind of a Funny Story (Blu-ray), Death Race 2 (Blu-ray), Let Me In (Blu-ray)

DIY Calibration Software – Update: CalMAN 4.1

Since our DIY Calibration software round-up was originally published in May, the CalMAN software has undergone a major upgrade. When we met the SpectraCal folks at CEDIA in September, they were eager to have us try this new software package. I already had some hands on time with CalMAN 4 at the Calibration Bootcamp that I attended earlier this year CalMAN Calibration Bootcamp: A Crash Course in the Science of Calibration, but I hadn't had enough time to really explore the software on my own system and without the guidance of the SpectraCal training team.

OmniMount LEDP75 Wall Mount Kit for Flat Panel HDTV’s

While at CEDIA last September, I witnessed a demonstration of the OmniMount LEDP75 wall mount kit and was fascinated with the ease of installation and the uniqueness of the design. From the initial cutting to mounting took the technician about 15 minutes. The fact that they were also giving away a free LCD flat panel from Samsung did not dissuade me from watching the demo either. (No…I did not win).

Sabian 18″ HHX Evolution Crash Cymbal

Sabian's HH line represents the dark side of the force, and the HHX are classified as "Modern Dark", with the Evolutions being a specific set of crashs, splashes, high hats, and rides that have special dynamics that make them easy to play. They only come in several diameters, not specified weights, and a Sabian distributor told me that they vary in weight depending on the particular style (Evolution, Legacy, X-Plosion, Studio, etc.) The 18" HHX Evolution Crash is reviewed here.

CD Reviews for the Audiophile – January, 2011

Bi-coastal jazz saxophonist Jason Robinson, 35, an Assistant Professor of Music at Amherst College and former musician with the San Francisco Mime Troupe, seems to be blowing non-stop these days. No less that three albums that showcase the seemingly limitless range of his versatile musicianship hit the literal and virtual shelves in the fall of 2010. Each album shows Robinson on the cusp between tradition and experimentalism, with a strong emphasis on the latter.

Pioneer SC27 7.1 A/V Receiver

Over the past few years, Class D amps have been gaining in popularity for many reasons including their much smaller size, their incredibly high efficiency, and the much smaller amount of heat that they put off compared to a standard Class A, AB, or B amplifier. More and more high end audio companies such as Rotel, Bel Canto and PS Audio have come out with Class D products that offer high performance in a much smaller form factor than was possible with standard amplifier technologies.