There is a quiet epidemic lurking among us - a disease so awful and destructive that it can kill the thrill and excitement that define home theater. It's the consumer electronics industry's dirty little secret: an ugly mold that festers behind closed media-room doors, eating away at the power and majesty of the best movie soundtracks.
Mention the word "headphones" to the average audiophile geek, and the name Ultimate Ears is hardly the first to come to mind. In fact, it probably won't come to mind at all.
It's that special time of year: Everything's blooming and getting greener. Which is really cool - unless you're talking about your HDTV picture, in which case those things are really bad.
Still, spring is a relevant time for A/V gear re-birth.
<IMG SRC="/images/archivesart/403unbreakable.jpg" WIDTH=200 BORDER=0 ALIGN=RIGHT>Bruce Willis stars as David Dunn, the sole survivor of a horrific train accident who escaped not only with his life, but without any injuries to speak of. Dunn's survival prompts a visit from Elijah Prince (Samuel L. Jackson), a crazed man who believes that David possesses superhuman strength and is a comic-book hero come to life.
<IMG SRC="/images/archivesart/403magorium.jpg" WIDTH=200 BORDER=0 ALIGN=RIGHT>Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium is a toy store like no other, where imagination comes to life and magic is in the air. But after 243 years, it's time for Mr. Magorium (Dustin Hoffman) to hang it up, so he bequeaths the store to its manager, Molly Mahoney (Natalie Portman), an insecure young lady who feels she has never lived up her youthful potential. The store recognizes her doubt and begins to undergo a change of its own. Its reluctant new owner will need the help of a loyal patron and a "mutant" accountant to save Mr. Magorium's wonderful store.