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Does Your ISP Throttle Your Bandwidth?
Scott Wilkinson  |  Sep 16, 2011
A few weeks ago, Home Theater editor Rob Sabin posted an editorial about the growing number of Internet service providers that throttle the bandwidth of any subscriber who sends and receives more than a specified amount of data. Typically, the limit is 150 or 250GB per month, which seems like a lot—until you stream a few high-def movies and perform cloud-based backup of your entire hard drive, after which you find yourself slogging along at dial-up speeds or paying much more for your Internet access. With some ISPs that are also content providers, such as telecom and cable companies, accessing their content does not count toward the limit, but venturing outside their ecosystem does.

Does your ISP engage in any of these pernicious practices? If so, I'd love to know what your limit is and what happens when you exceed it. I encourage you to leave a comment with these details.

Vote to see the results and leave a comment about your choice.

Does Your ISP Throttle Your Bandwidth?
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Custom Installation How-ToHome Movie Theaters
Proper Balance
Kim Wilson  |  Sep 16, 2011
Photos by Michael Graydon Pictures

As we've demonstrated so many times, Home Theater isn’t just about the A/V products; it's about the entire design. This month's theater is an example of a project starting from the interior design and worked its way out from there. The homeowner hired renowned Robyn Clark from Toronto, Canada, to handle the classic-contemporary décor throughout the house, which was then translated into the design of the home theater and a special music lounge.

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AV Receiver Reviews
Denon AVR-2112CI A/V Receiver
Mark Fleischmann  |  Sep 16, 2011
Audio Performance
Video Performance
Features
Ergonomics
Value
Price: $650 At A Glance: AirPlay and direct iDevice link • Expansive Audyssey suite • Browser control, network audio features

In A/V receivers, there are two prevailing philosophies when it comes to certain must-have features—room correction and dynamic volume modes being good examples. Some manufacturers prefer to develop their own in-house versions. This gives them the ultimate control over what they sell to consumers, sometimes offering greater versatility or an unusual spin. Others are content to license features from other companies. The advantage of resisting the “not invented here” philosophy is that technology licensors such as Audyssey devote all of their attention to making their stuff work and are constantly improving it.

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On-Wall Speaker Reviews
KEF T305 Speaker System
Darryl Wilkinson  |  Sep 16, 2011

Performance
Value
Build Quality
Price: $2,000 At A Glance: Super-slim on-wall mounting • Twin-layered flat-diaphragm bass drivers • Tangerine waveguide to control high-frequency dispersion

According to a recent (and somewhat controversial) translation of a Dead Sea Scroll fragment, “Thou shalt not alloweth the tail to waggeth thy dog” was the eleventh commandment. Evidently, Moses ran out of room on the tablets and was understandably a little reluctant to ask the Big Guy to “hold that thought” while he scrounged around for another flat rock to chisel on. I think Moses was banking on the fact that he could always make a note in the margins later, but then there was that unfortunate idol-worshiping and throwing-of-the-tablets incident at the bottom of Mt. Sinai. When all was said and done, Moses completely forgot about adding that final admonition.

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Grace Notes
Moving to the Music
Leslie Shapiro  |  Sep 16, 2011

It's become ubiquitous. Anytime you see a person jogging, there's always a cord flapping in the breeze and on closer look, you'll see their earphones. They're having an endorphin rush, zoning out to their favorite tunes. But - you have to wonder - can earphones designed for the rigors of exercise really sound okay? And more important, how safe are they to wear?

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Ask S&V
PSB Image & Marantz AVR
Scott Wilkinson  |  Sep 16, 2011
Will my new Marantz SR5005 receiver pair well with the PSB Image series speakers? When I bought the receiver, I thought I would be getting lower-end speakers, but I ended up wanting more, and I'm fairly determined to get the PSBs. (My dream speakers are the Revel Ultima2 Salon2s; maybe someday I can find a used set.) I am thinking of T6s for the front and B6s for the surrounds.

Also, I recall you saying that center channels with dual side-by-side woofers aren't ideal due to combing issues as you move off-axis. Should I still get one of the side-by-side PSB Image center channels, or can I use a third B6 bookshelf speaker as the center channel?

Shane Pluta

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Tech2
Spotify and MOG: What They Mean for Artists, Round 2
Geoffrey Morrison  |  Sep 16, 2011

A few weeks ago I laid out all the reasons why I thought the "free" music streaming services Spotify and MOG were ghastly, malicious succubi suckling at the teat of artistic talent.

Since that post, I've been presented countering opinions by musicians and music producers alike, and I've come away with a slightly different opinion. Perhaps I went too far.

Perhaps they're not ghastly.

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Signals
Harman Picks Up Aha, Expanded In-Car Streaming on the Way
Ken C. Pohlmann  |  Sep 15, 2011

Well, it's official: the 1.65 million students of the high-school class of '11 have set a new record. They collectively racked up the lowest SAT reading scores ever. Moreover, their score compared to the '10 score represented one of the biggest declines in 20 years. So not only are today's kids terrible readers, they are rapidly getting more terrible.

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Headphone Amp/DAC Reviews
Bose SoundLink Wireless Mobile Speaker
Michael Berk  |  Sep 15, 2011

Today Bose introduced the latest unit in its SoundLink line of wireless speakers, the SoundLink Wireless Mobile.

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Media Server Reviews
Autonomic Mirage MMS-2 Media Server
Darryl Wilkinson  |  Sep 14, 2011

Performance
Features
Ergonomics
Value
Price: $1,995 At A Glance: Upload and download content from Internet services • Excellent user interface • Designed to integrate with a variety of home-automation systems

There are some days when you’re just not sure it’s a good idea to get out of bed in the morning. Enjoy a few days like that, and you’ve made a week that’s rotten enough to justify drowning your sorrows in a pool of bourbon and absinthe. Now put a couple of those disastrous weeks on your calendar, and you’ll lay off the bourbon and go straight for the absinthe.

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