10 4 09

Here are our 10 most popular stories from the past 364.

Dolby Pro Logic IIz vs. Audyssey DSX vs. DTS
Wall of Sound: Three new surround formats from Audyssey, Dolby and DTS aim to bring your theater sound to a whole new dimension. Literally.
You want me to buy more speakers? Yeah, I get that. To be honest, that was my first thought when I heard about height speakers. Just a gimmick, right?

Well, to find out, I journeyed up and down the California coast visiting the headquarters of the formats’ creators.

Along the way, I learned a little something about height channels, and a little about myself.

Ha. Just kidding. But how funny would that article have been? more... 

WooAudio WES Electrostatic Headphone Amplifier and Stax SR-007 Mk2 Electrostatic Headphone Review
All ears!
Lucky me, I recently reviewed three of the world's very best headphones, the Audio Technica ATH-W5000, Denon AH-D7000 and Sennheiser HD 800 for Home Entertainment.

But the advancement of high-end headphones doesn't stand still and now I've heard something even better: The WooAudio WES headphone amplifier and Stax SR-007 Mk2 headphone. more... 

Krell Modulari Duo Speaker Review
Masters of Reality

Maybe it’s a leftover habit from my days as a high-end audio salesman, but I’m always on the lookout for great demo material. Funny, I never really thought about Prince’s Diamonds and Pearls CD that way before, but I’d never heard it over Krell’s Modulari Duo Reference speakers.

They have the sort of sound that stops you from merely thinking about music — you feel it. The Purple One was definitely in the house. more...

240 Hz and Beyond
With claims of decreased motion blur, better detail, world peace, and smoother motion, LCD manufacturers are drastically increasing refresh rates. But why?
First it was 120 Hz. Now it’s 240 Hz. Already manufacturers are talking about 480 Hz. I mean, 60 Hz is so 20th century. Are there really any advantages to these faster refresh rates? If so, how do they work? more...

Anamorphic Widescreen - 2.35:1 in the Home
Real Wide Screen and No More Black Bars
One of the most common questions I get is about the black bars that appear above and below the image with many movies.

After all, a spiffy new HDTV and Blu-ray player will banish the black bars we had with DVDs and old TVs, right? Nope.

But with the right projector, screen, and lens, you can have CinemaScope in your home. And no more black bars. more...

High-End Headphones
Head Games
Headphones sound fundamentally different than speakers. The sound is, after all, all in your head; with speakers, it's in the room. And that's the problem. more...

iPhone Home Automation Control Apps - Power in your Pocket
Your iPhone now controls everything those big home automation touchscreens can — from anywhere in the world.
A recent innovation is going to make your life a whole lot better — or a whole lot worse.

It all depends on how you feel about the iPhone. more...

Selling Sound
Five high-end audio sales people tell it like it is.

My high-end sales career started in the late 1970s at Sound By Singer in New York City. I had a grand time playing with the world's best audio gear for 16 years, and then switched gears and became an audio reviewer. I quickly learned that my sales experience was terrific preparation for my second act in the business and that reviewers don't have access to anywhere near the variety of products that salesmen do. That took some getting used to. Nowadays when I want to know what's going on, I head to the stores. more...

True Blue Home Theater
A new addition designed for lap swimming morphs into this nautically-inspired home theater.

Call of the Wild Home Theater
Theater design luminary Jeff Smith collaborates with a style-savvy client in creating a glamorous home theater for a South Florida vacation home.