When we think of a power amp today, we think of that large, heavy, hot-running, often ugly block of metal we hide away so we don't have to look at it. Or, if it's impressively large or expensive we proudly display it on the floor—an amp that's large, impressive, and expensive enough to show off is too heavy to put anywhere else! There, we willingly subject our ankles and shins to its sharp heat sinks on the sacrificial altar of great sound.
1. I'm happy with DVD. Why should I care about high-definition discs?
While both HD DVD and Blu-ray Disc offer a number of improvements over DVD, the most obvious one is picture quality. DVD was a huge leap in both convenience and performance over VHS, but its 480i resolution is well below the 720p, 1080i, and 1080p images both high-def disc formats can produce.
How's this for a mashup: Former Utopians Todd Rundgren (second from right in photo) and Kasim Sulton (right), together with ex-Tubes drummer Prairie Prince (left), join guitarist Elliot Easton (second from left) and keyboardist Greg Hawkes to form the New Cars.
No matter who ends up "winning," the Blu-Ray and HD DVD format war has probably entered its most dangerous period. For right when new formats are launched, you'll find advocates of one system or another putting forth unsubstantiated claims and various forms of quasi- and pseudo-science to back their side.
When installer Jack Schroeder bought 52 acres of land in southeastern Wisconsin a few years ago, the previous owner had one request. Having spent 45 years planting and maintaining the thousands of trees on the property, building rocks walls, and creating miles of trails, essentially turning it into a vast park, he asked Jack to keep the land intact and development-fee.
For the past 8 years, I've been installing home-entertainment systems at Custom Theater and Audio in Murrells Inlet, South Carolina, and for the past 5 years, I've been writing about custom installation for Sound & Vision.
