AT A GLANCE Plus
Outstanding dynamics and headroom
Equal power to all channels
Seven-year transferable warranty
Minus
Very, very heavy
Recommended for two independent 20-Ampere power outlets
THE VERDICT
This amp never broke a sweat driving my 4-ohm speakers at insanely loud levels.
There are quite a few people in the audio world who have become household names, at least among audiophiles. I’m talking about legends like Paul Klipsch, Amar Bose, Saul Marantz, Henry Kloss, Bob Carver. But these aren’t the only influential contributors to the business and history of hi-fi. Among the lesser-known audio icons is Morris Kessler, the founder of ATI.
After an onslaught of Real American Heroes and Robots in Disguise, we often meet a new toy-inspired movie with the lament, “It’s just a two-hour commercial!” And so it is with no small measure of shock and awe that I watched The Lego Movie. The immensely talented filmmaking duo of Phil Lord and Christopher Miller has managed to tell an engaging story with boundless wit, originality, and even audacity, while still embracing what we know and love about these little bricks and the many associated characters.
American cable subscribers get way more cable channels than we really want. In 2008, according to Nielsen’s Advertising & Audiences Report, U.S. households received an average of 129.3 channels and viewed 17.3 of them. In 2013, the number of channels jumped to 189.1, of which 17.5 were viewed. So the number of channels went up 46 percent, but the number viewed rose only 1 percent. Why are cable systems jamming so many channels down our throats? Their dilemma is that channels travel in packs—and a network that owns a popular channel will always insist that cable operators buy all of its channels. “However,” says the Los Angeles Times, “the rising cost of sports programming is starting to lead to louder calls that at least some content should be sold to consumers who want it and not forced on everyone.”
Service to Include HD Music Videos and Editorial Content from Music Journalists
WiMP HiFi, the Scandinavian music streaming service, today announced it will introduce Tidal, a high fidelity streaming service in the U.K. and U.S. later this fall with a monthly subscription of $19.99.
Walkman NWZ-A17 Hailed as “World’s Smallest and Lightest” Hi-Res Audio Player
The iconic Walkman name will appear on what Sony is calling the “world’s smallest and lightest” high-resolution digital music player, the Walkman NWZ-A17, slated to hit store shelves in November with a suggested retail price of $300.
Vizio today announced its expansion into the Canadian market. Beginning September 12, the company’s TV and audio products will be available in-store and online at Best Buy and Future Shop locations throughout Canada.
Vizio has also expanded its customer service to the Canadian market.
Jack Wayman in the early days of the Consumer Electronics Show (CES).
International CES founder and consumer electronics (CE) industry legend Jack Wayman died Saturday, August 30 of natural causes at the age of 92, announced Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) President and CEO Gary Shapiro.
I am not a cheapskate. I am, however, very careful with my money. Okay, actually I am a cheapskate. In my weak defense, I work hard for the money, and I feel bad, real bad, when I underutilize its value. The continual drip, drip, drip of monthly fees particularly drives me nuts. Thus cord-cutting greatly interests me. Aereo was shining bright on my radar until the Supreme Court shot it out of the sky. Hmm, how can I get a cable experience with an antenna? Enter the TiVo Roamio OTA.
Universal Music Group is celebrating the September 9th release of The Beatles in Mono vinyl box set with listening sessions in New York and Los Angeles. Each session will feature yet-to-be-announced special guest speakers.
Atlantic Technology announced plans to introduce by the end of the year a compact Dolby Atmos-enabled speaker module that can be added to existing speakers in its line or any existing home theater setup.