John Sciacca

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CEDIA 2016

Monitor Audio Previews Extreme Weather Speakers

John Sciacca | Sep 18, 2016 | 0 comments

You’d expect the British to know a thing or two about inclement weather, which is maybe why it took England-based Monitor Audio so long to come up with a right proper speaker designed to handle the elements with a stiff upper lip. The company proved it was more than ready to take on Mother Nature with the launch of its new All Weather in-ceiling speaker series.

The new line-up will feature four models, both a 6-inch and 8-inch version in stereo and single stereo-summing options. All speakers incorporate Monitor’s C-CAM (Ceramic-Coated Aluminium/Magnesium) driver system which has been ported from the company’s critically acclaimed loudspeakers, utilizing 1-inch C-CAM Gold dome tweeters.

Other Tech

Monster Cable Monster Central Control AVL300

John Sciacca | Nov 02, 2006 | 0 comments

•Photo Gallery

The Connected Life

Mount a TV Like a Pro: Part 1

John Sciacca | Nov 17, 2017 | 2 comments

In my last blog I listed some essential tools for tackling various DIY custom install projects around the house. This time, we’ll put that toolkit to work mounting a flat-panel TV! I’ll cover running the wiring to your new TV, and in my next blog we’ll tackle the physical mounting of the set.

The Connected Life

Mount a TV Like a Pro: Part 2

John Sciacca | Dec 15, 2017 | 2 comments

Last month’s blog, Mount a TV Like a Pro: Part 1 detailed the first part of mounting a flat-panel TV onto a wall. To recap, it covered determining the size and location of where the new TV will go, figuring out the needed wiring for the install, making a plan for powering the TV, making sure there’s a clear path in the wall for routing the cabling to the TV, and then cutting wall boxes into the sheetrock and running the wiring.

Custom Installation How-To The Connected Life

Multiroom Audio Made Simple

John Sciacca | Jan 30, 2012 | 0 comments

Many people love the idea of a house-wide audio system, but they may not love the idea of paying to have one installed. Plus, the fancy features that come with dedicated multiroom audio systems — such as keypad controllers with metadata feedback, and the ability to divide a home into numerous listening zones — might be more than what many people actually need.

In fact, for the way many people actually live, two listening zones may be the perfect amount: a “main” zone linked to the TV/surround system and a secondary zone for playing music, radio, or something else in a different room. Think one person watching Oprah’s Life Lessons, while a second seeks refuge on the patio with ESPN radio and a beer. If a two-zone audio system sounds like it would fit your bill, chances are that you’ve actually got most of the components for it already on hand.

Other Tech

Music Around the House

John Sciacca | Jan 11, 2005 | 0 comments

For years, "whole-house" music meant either a pair of speakers in the living room blaring loud enough to be heard everywhere or bad-sounding radio playing through intercom panels. Most people confined their listening to a single room and used table radios and portable music systems in other rooms.

Other Tech

MX-450 Remote: Back to the Future?

John Sciacca | Aug 26, 2008 | 0 comments

The Short Form

$249 / UNIVERSALREMOTE.COM / 800-901-0800

Snapshot

Other Tech

My DIY Home Theater Makeover

John Sciacca | Feb 09, 2009 | 1 comments

We had a saying back when I worked in the golf business: "Those who can, do. Those who can't, teach." For a while, I felt like I was getting into the rut of teaching and not doing. While my Custom Installer column strives to help you get the most out of your system, I allowed technology to pass my system by.

AV Receiver Reviews

NAD T 778 AV Surround Sound Receiver Review

John Sciacca | May 27, 2020 | 14 comments

Performance
Features
Ergonomics
Value

PRICE $2,999

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Striking front panel display
Excellent sound quality
Effective Dirac Live room correction
Future-ready MDC chassis
Minus
No analog video inputs
HDMI Out 2 only supports 1080p

THE VERDICT
Those who value sound quality will find much to love about the T 778, which features BluOS multiroom music streaming and Dirac Live room correction, along with an upgradeable chassis to prevent obsolescence.

While entry-level surround systems move increasingly toward less complicated designs that pair soundbars with wireless speakers and subs, the A/V receiver remains the steadfast workhorse of the media room. As such, it is arguably the most important component in your system, handling all audio/video switching, amplification, audio and room correction processing, and often much more. And as systems move from 5.1- to 11.2-channels-plus, the AVR is being called on to do even more.

CES 2018

Netflix 'Altered Carbon' Booth is Your Next Binge

John Sciacca | Jan 11, 2018 | 0 comments

Walking through South Hall of the LVCC I saw a booth that was covered in posters proclaiming the need to Boycott Psychasec. The posters were then covered in graffiti. Around the front of the booth were skimpily clad, incredibly lifelike male and female mannequins. Total WTF.

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