LATEST ADDITIONS

This Week
This Week in Music, April 2, 2013: The Band Perry makes The Album Killer
Ken Richardson  |  Apr 02, 2013

The Band Perry: Pioneer

New release (Republic Nashville; tour dates)
Photo by Robby Klein

Continue Reading »
Wireless Multiroom Speaker Reviews
Review: Pioneer A4 Wireless Speaker
Geoffrey Morrison  |  Apr 01, 2013

I've reviewed a few of these types of speakers. Pioneer calls this one a "Wireless Speaker" but that's not really adequate for the category. Music streaming speaker (MSS?) is probably more accurate, if less pithy.

Either way, my experience has been that for most, it's function first, quality second. As in, you get sound, but it's not very good. Unless the MSS has some sort of special attention paid to sound quality, I try to avoid them.

What got my attention with this one, then? Well, the A4 has been tuned by none other than Andrew Jones, and given how amazing his inexpensive Pioneer speakers are, I figured this doodad was worth a look.

Continue Reading »
AV Receiver Reviews
Harman Kardon AVR 1700 A/V Receiver
Mark Fleischmann  |  Apr 01, 2013
Audio Performance
Video Performance
Features
Ergonomics
Value
Price: $499 At A Glance: Switch-mode power supply • Full Apple functionality • Unique Media Manager app

If you don’t enjoy paradox, life is no more fun than a sack of dirt. Here’s a long-running paradox in the home theater sphere: Some folks are turned off by audio/video receivers because they are so complex and loaded with features. So how do the people who design AVRs make them more appealing? Add more features!

Continue Reading »
Remotely Possible
Researchers Use Quantum Entanglement to Create Wireless, “Invisible” Speakers
Darryl Wilkinson  |  Apr 01, 2013
Einstein disliked it, famously calling the phenomenon “spooky action at a distance”; but if a team of scientists at the Linear Research Particle Accelerator (LRPA) facility have their way, the bizarre effects of “quantum entanglement” could bring about loudspeakers that are both truly wireless and totally invisible.
Continue Reading »
Headphone Amp/DAC Reviews
Review: Lirpa Labs Ts1-Lirpa iPad app
Geoffrey Morrison  |  Mar 31, 2013

There is no audio company in the world more revered, feared, disputed, or discussed than Lirpa Labs.

Continue Reading »
Audio Video News
Phil Ramone: 1934-2013
HT Staff  |  Mar 31, 2013
In memory of legendary music producer and engineer Phil Ramone, who passed away on Saturday, March 30, we present Steve Guttenberg's 2006 interview with Ramone.
Out Of The Blu
Criterion Triple-Play: Badlands, Monsieur Verdoux, The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp
Chris Chiarella  |  Mar 29, 2013
The Criterion Collection serves up another eclectic batch of classic, near-classic and neo-classic films, all restored for high-def disc.
Continue Reading »
Audio Video News
Coming Attractions
HT Staff  |  Mar 29, 2013
Cool stuff to check out: Invisible speakers, super-charged home theater PC, voice-controlled media streamer, screwdriver remote and some seriously quirky earbuds. And that's not all...
Continue Reading »
Track One
Justified Riffing: Olyphant and Goggins Talk High-Def TV Magic
Mike Mettler  |  Mar 29, 2013

Why is Justified so damn good? Simply put, it’s one of the best written, best acted, best sounding, and best looking shows there is, season in and season out. Based on a character sprung from the brilliantly unique mind of Elmore Leonard, Justified stars Timothy Olyphant as U.S.

Continue Reading »
Bookshelf Speaker ReviewsWireless Multiroom Speaker Reviews
NuForce S3-BT Wireless Speaker System
Bob Ankosko  |  Mar 28, 2013
Performance
Features
Ergonomics
Value
Price: $299 (accessories: Air DAC Receiver, $149; iTX Transmitter, $79; uTX Transmitter, $59) At a Glance: Easy setup • Excellent wireless performance • Good sound from compact speakers

The promise was enticing: A compact wireless speaker system offering “exceptional” performance with the option of using an outboard digital-to-analog converter (DAC) to achieve a “much needed, audiophile-grade alternative to mediocre wireless sound.” Amen. The last thing the world needs is another pair of bad-sounding wireless speakers.

Continue Reading »

Pages

X