LATEST ADDITIONS

New Products
Monitor Audio Launches Trimless Ceiling/In-Wall Line
Michael Berk  |  Feb 13, 2012

British firm Monitor Audio has introduced the new CWT series - a line of in-wall and ceiling speakers featuring not just an audiophile pedigree, but a low-profile grille design perfect for stealthy custom installations.

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New Products
New Gear: A Quartet of AVRs from Onkyo
Michael Berk  |  Feb 13, 2012

It seems that every few weeks Onkyo rolls out another round of upgrades and apps for their AVR line, but today the company announced four new receivers for 2012: two 5.1 models (the $299 TX-NR313 and $499 414), and two 7.2 models (the $599 TX-NR515 and $699 616).

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Grace Notes
Listening to The 2012 Grammy Awards
Leslie Shapiro  |  Feb 13, 2012

The 2012 Grammy Awards — "music’s biggest night" — was certainly a unique evening of entertainment. As Reba (when did she lose her last name?) pointed out, it brought together so many different aspects of the music industry. Where else would you find hip-hop newbies rubbing elbows with old-school crooners?

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Headphone Amp/DAC Reviews
Review: Firestone Audio ILTW USB DAC
Geoffrey Morrison  |  Feb 13, 2012

There is a way to make your music sound better. Well, OK, there are LOTS of ways to make your music sound better. If you're looking to improve your digital music, beyond new speakers, amps, and so on is a bit of technological wonder called the DAC, or Digital/Analog Converter. This is what turns your music files into something analog you can actually hear.

Receivers these days tend to have built in DACs, but just because they're there doesn't necessarily mean they're any good. A great sounding DAC can smooth out your digital audio, making it sound more natural and realistic.

Firestone Audio's tiny ILTW packs a lot into a tiny frame, for not a lot of money.

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Vote
Do You Wear Earplugs in Loud Environments?
Scott Wilkinson  |  Feb 10, 2012
Today's "Ask Home Theater" question regards hearing protection and earplugs. Which leads me to ask, do you wear earplugs in loud environments, such as rock concerts and loud movies? If so, do you wear custom-molded or universal plugs? If not, why not? Let us know in the comments.

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

Do You Wear Earplugs in Loud Environments?
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Ask S&V
Hearing Protection
Scott Wilkinson  |  Feb 10, 2012
I'm a listener from Lima, Peru, and I love your podcast. In episode 71, you said that you use hearing protection when you go to the movies or concerts. What do you use, specifically? I am very concerned about protecting my hearing, as I have a relatively low tolerance to loud sounds, compared to other people. I tend to cringe and almost feel pain when I'm in loud environments, more than anybody else. But I like music, so I bought a pair of in-ear monitors (Etymotic ER4s) some years ago. I like the isolation so much that I sometimes leave them in my ears with no music, just to hear nothing.

I recently ordered a pair of ER20 "high fidelity plugs" from Etymotic, a universal-fit, low-cost option ($12.95) that the company claims to reduce sound by approximately 20dB in all frequencies. Have you ever tried them? I have also ordered a pair of custom-fit sleeves for my ER4s from ACS Custom. (When I was in the US, I went to an audiologist for my ear-canal impressions.) Because I had my impressions taken, I can also order a pair of custom-fit plugs with filters. However, they are more expensive ($185). Do you recommend the custom-fit ones?

Marcos Murayama

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Tech2
Tales from Customer Service: Buy it and Shut the Hell Up
Geoffrey Morrison  |  Feb 10, 2012

Whether it's at a restaurant, buying a TV, or getting a used Blu-ray from Amazon, we all want good customer service. At the very least, we want a pleasant experience.

What's interesting is that while some companies are striving to make you feel warm and fuzzy, others couldn't care less.

The difference is incentives.

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Ask S&V
AVR and Speakers for under $1500
Scott Wilkinson  |  Feb 08, 2012
I am considering buying a Denon AVR-2112CI receiver with Bose Acoustimass 10 speakers. I chose Bose because I have a small living room (15x20 feet). I have a 46-inch Sony LCD TV, and the space to put a 5.1 speaker system is 2.5x5 feet. I've been saving for a year and cannot decide whether I should buy Bose.

I recently came across your site and found your Top Picks for A/V receivers and compact speakers. In particular, I was interested in the Pioneer VSX-1021 AVR and the Cambridge Audio Minx S215 or Definitive ProCinema 600 speaker systems because they are smaller than the Pioneer SP-BS41-LR system.

I hope you can advise me on which receiver and speaker system to get. My budget is between $1000 and $1500.

Emmanuel

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Headphone Reviews
Review: HiFiMan HE-400 and HE-500 Headphones
Brent Butterworth  |  Feb 08, 2012

Ask any group of audiophiles what kind of speakers they have, and I guarantee you at least one and probably several will answer “Magnepan.” Why do audiophiles so love this relatively obscure brand? No, not (just) because it’s obscure. They love Magnepans because of the incredible detail, soundstaging, and natural timbre of their planar magnetic drivers. For the same reason, headphone enthusiasts are embracing planar magnetic headphones.

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Music ReviewsBlu-ray Movie Reviews
This Week in Blu-rays and Music, Feb. 7, 2012
Ken Korman  |  Feb 07, 2012

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