LATEST ADDITIONS

Vote
How Often Do You Listen on Headphones at Home?
Scott Wilkinson  |  Jun 10, 2011
As a die-hard home-theater geek, I love listening to movies, TV shows, and even music on my multichannel speaker system. But speakers must overcome several obstacles—room acoustics, placement issues, and a sleeping family late at night to name a few. Of course, you can avoid all these problems by listening on headphones, the main subject of our new website InnerFidelity.com. On the other hand, headphones mostly provide a 2-channel experience, though systems such as Dolby Headphone, which is available in several AVRs, and the Smyth Research Realiser (profiled here) simulate surround sound in a pair of cans.

These musings lead me to wonder how often you listen to headphones in your home theater? Do you prefer them over speakers, or do you use them only to promote domestic tranquility after everyone else has gone to bed? Do you have an AVR with Dolby Headphone, and if so, do you use it? What make and model of headphones do you have? I really hope you leave a comment after voting with some of these details.

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

How Often Do You Listen on Headphones at Home?
Continue Reading »
The Big Picture
Super 8
Scott Wilkinson  |  Jun 10, 2011
It's been almost 30 years since Steven Spielberg brought tears to the eyes of moviegoers with E.T.: The Extraterrestrial. Now, J.J. Abrams tells a very similar story for a new generation in Super 8, which opens today. This movie is being shown in 2D only, and like X-Men: First Class, I didn't miss 3D at all.
Continue Reading »
Blu-ray Movie Reviews
Just Go With It (Blu-ray)
David Vaughn  |  Jun 10, 2011
After telling his new girlfriend that he's married as a means of avoiding real commitment, a plastic surgeon (Adam Sandler) must recruit a fake family to prove his honesty. His loyal assistant (Jennifer Aniston) agrees to play the soon to be ex-wife in order to score a free trip to Hawaii, but things don't go according to the plan when the two discover there's more to their friendship than meets the eye.

After Friends, many people wondered which of the ensemble cast would be the most successful and Aniston has been the most visible with movie projects. Here she plays the same character we've seen hundreds of times before in the romantic comedy genre as the loyal friend who discovers she's fallen in love and must overcome long odds in order to fulfill her dreams. Yawn!

Continue Reading »
Audio Video News
Blu-ray Nipping at DVD's Heels
Mark Fleischmann  |  Jun 10, 2011
Blu-ray is making new friends at a healthy pace, according to figures from the NPD Group, while DVD is dead in the water.

Fifteen percent of U.S. households used a Blu-ray player in a six-month period spanning 2010-11, a big improvement from nine percent in 2009-10, while the percentage using DVD remained unchanged at 57 percent. So while Blu-ray remains behind DVD, it is catching up.

Continue Reading »
The Big Picture
Scott on The Tech Buzz
Scott Wilkinson  |  Jun 09, 2011

In addition to my own Home Theater Geeks podcast, I'm an occassional guest on Thirsty Thursday Tech, a podcast with Stephen Heywood and Slick from The Tech Buzz. Check it out!

Run time: 1:00:35

Continue Reading »
Premiere Design
Meridian 810 4K Projector at T.H.E. Show
Scott Wilkinson  |  Jun 09, 2011
Video demos were mighty scarce at T.H.E. Show last week. One notable exception was located in a ballroom hosted by Digital Ear, a high-end dealer in Tustin, CA. The centerpiece of the demo system was the 810 4K D-ILA projector from Meridian (profiled here) in its first public showing.
Continue Reading »
Music Reviews
Rave On, Raveonettes
 |  Jun 09, 2011

My current favorite all-format album is the Raveonettes' Raven in the Grave (Vice), which sounds smoky-fab whether I'm listening to it via CD, MP3, or LP. I asked Raveonettes co-founder Sune Rose Wagner, 38, how the band (Wagner and co-conspirator Sharin Foo) corrals the backbeat for its 21st-century-cool Wall of Sound. Read on for his answers (and for a listen to "Forget That You're Young," a track from the new album.)

Continue Reading »
Premiere Design
Vivid Audio G2 Giya Speaker at T.H.E. Show
Scott Wilkinson  |  Jun 09, 2011
Last week at T.H.E. Show in Newport Beach, CA, I heard the G2 Giya speaker from Vivid Audio for the first time. This is the newer, smaller sibling to the original G1 Giya, both of which I profiled here.
Continue Reading »
LCD TV Reviews
Eyes on with Sony's PlayStation 3D Monitor
Timothy J. Seppala  |  Jun 09, 2011

One of the key directives brought up during Sony's media conference at the Electronics Entertainment Expo this year was the company's desire to drive home their commitment to 3D gaming. They've focused on dismantling one of the biggest roadblocks in the way of mass consumer adoption: the price of the TVs themselves.

Continue Reading »
Ask S&V
Panasonic VT25 vs. GT30
Scott Wilkinson  |  Jun 09, 2011
Last year's Panasonic TC-P54VT25 and the new TC-P55GT30 are about the same cost. Which do you think is the better set?

Chris Wilson

Continue Reading »

Pages

X