Fred Manteghian

Sort By: Post Date | Title | Publish Date
CEDIA 2013
Yamaha Takes the Aventage
Fred Manteghian  |  Sep 27, 2013
The CX-A5000 is the new crowning jewel of the Aventage series introduced by Yamaha a few years ago. The 11 channels (not even counting the subs here folks) pre-pro uses Yamaha’s proprietary YPAO room correction software, four distinct zones and more ins and outs than the revolving doors in Washington D.C. The extra channels are a Yamaha trademark, you know the old, you bring a knife, I’ll bring a gun chestnut. But they are used to create front and rear “presence” channels which, if your room and budget allow, could make your movie experience all that much more intense.
Continue Reading >
CEDIA 2013
KEF says: Mia KASA500 e sua KASA500
Fred Manteghian  |  Sep 27, 2013
KEF gets more diverse each year, which I suppose is a good idea. The Extreme Home Theater line of in wall speakers looks very promising, almost too good to hide. The Ci5160RL-THX has four 6-1/2” low frequency drivers and a Uni-Q based midrange and tweeter, and will probably retail between $2,500 and $3,000. In the picture you’re also seeing an in wall subwoofer, the Ci3160RLb-THX with three 6-1/2” bass drivers. To drive them, KEF will introduce the KASA500 stereo amplifier. In fact, that amp can be coupled to other KEF in wall subwoofers via its internal DSP. The estimated price target for this dual channel Class D amp is $1,000.
Continue Reading >
CEDIA 2013
The Appropriately Named GoldenEar
Fred Manteghian  |  Sep 27, 2013
I had to stop in and listen to the $699/each GoldenEar Triton Seven speakers. They’re such an easy recommendation for somebody looking for instant audiophilia. Thanks Sandy, now back to work. . . .
Continue Reading >
CEDIA 2013
From the Inventors of the Subwoofer a, er, Subwoofer!
Fred Manteghian  |  Sep 27, 2013
M&K’s X12 is a solid piece of form following function. I love the back panel, that’s why you’re seeing it too. You’ll see left/mono and right channel inputs, in both RCA and XLR form, as well unfiltered, pass through outputs. Low pass with the amp can be turned off, set to 80 Hz, or specified by a continuously variable dial that stretches from 50 Hz to 125 Hz. M&K is huge on THX and this X12 is no exception, with a THX reference switch that bypasses the level control.
Continue Reading >
CEDIA 2013
Size Doesn’t Matter, It’s How You Mount It
Fred Manteghian  |  Sep 26, 2013
Sonance announced Soundbar, a non-powered center channel with adjustable widths meant to exactly match your TV. Soundbar are available in two sizes, one to match TV in the 50” to 65” diagonal range, the other for TV’s in the 70” to 80” diagonal range. However both are true three-way designs, offering six 4.5” Kevlar + Nomex lower frequency drivers and three 4.5” coaxial (midrange / tweeter) drivers. The units ship with all required mounting hardware. Pricing has not been finalized but expect at or under $2,000.
Continue Reading >
CEDIA 2013
V is for Vertically
Fred Manteghian  |  Sep 26, 2013
The KEF V300, part of a KEF’s new V series, is a nice desktop system for anybody with a tall monitor. The three piece system is comprised of two tall, narrow and relatively thin (about 3”) free-standing speaker panels. Driving them is a control unit that features two 50 watt Class D amplifiers. Each speaker has two 3-1/4” low frequency drivers and between them a 3-1/4” Uni-Q driver that fills in the midrange and high frequencies. The control amplifier has a single HDMI input and an optical digital input. Hooked to your TV’s HDMI audio return channel, you would control the volume by your TV’s remote. This ensemble looked very attractive, and being KEF, I would expect a clean seductive sound, albeit one unable to alter the laws of physics in the bass. For that, KEF has left you with a subwoofer output (RCA) on the rear of the control amplifier.
CEDIA 2013
The Vutec from the Top!
Fred Manteghian  |  Sep 25, 2013
Vutec broke the brightness barrier on the eve of CEDIA 2013 by announcing SilverStar2.2, a high gain (2.2:1 gain) screen that is ISF (Imaging Science Foundation) certified. High-gain screens typically lack in picture quality what they make up in brightness and the ability to move to a large screen with the same amount of projector light. Delivering better than double unity gain while still securing ISF certification is a huge deal.
Continue Reading >
Power Amplifier ReviewsSurround Processor Reviews
Bryston SP3 Surround Processor and 9B SST² Amplifier
Fred Manteghian  |  Jan 06, 2013

SP3 Surround Processor
Audio Performance
Video Performance
Features
Ergonomics
Value
 
9B SST² Amplifier
Performance
Features
Ergonomics
Value
Price: $17,595 At A Glance: No-compromise musicality in a home theater • Clean and powerful • No-frills design

If you’ve ever spent an afternoon at a big-box store courting eye strain and knee pain comparing the lineup of AVRs, then you’ve doubtless discovered that, superficially at least, the offerings have more in common than not. Sure, the more you spend, the more buzzwords are silk-screened across the front panel, the more HDMI connections you find around back, and, when it comes to power, the more exaggeration you get. One thing about Bryston and power—it’s not within theirs to lie. My first audiophile speakers, Magnepan MG-IIIa speakers, didn’t turn amazing until they met a Bryston 4B amp. If current is what your speakers crave, a Bryston amp could be their best friend.

Continue Reading >
Power Amplifier ReviewsSurround Processor Reviews
Cary Audio Design Cinema 12 Surround Processor & Model 7.125 Multichannel Amplifier
Fred Manteghian  |  Jan 27, 2012

Cinema 12 Surround Processor
Audio Performance
Video Performance
Features
Ergonomics
Value
 
Model 7.125 Amplifier
Performance
Features
Ergonomics
Value
Price: $8,990 At A Glance: Excellent detail and resolution • Music jumps alive • No video processing

Over a decade ago, while writing for a now-defunct audio magazine, my editor shipped me a pair of monoblock Cary tube amps he’d never gotten around to reviewing. Something must have shook loose during transit, because instead of music, all I got when I powered them up was a wisp of smoke as one monoblock sadly committed hara-kiri! The Cary Cinema 12 and Model 7.125 are an eternity of light years away from those fragile forays into bottle socketry. They exude an air of quality and reliability that physically and musically justify their significant price.

Call me weird, but I get excited when I see XLR connectors on my audio gear. Time spent in my fledgling home studio has taught me why pros prefer them. The Cinema 12 offers both single-ended RCA and true, differentially balanced XLR outputs, an arrangement and circuit design mirrored on the Model 7.125 amplifier. The Cinema 12 even offers a pair of stereo analog XLR inputs and a single balanced digital input beyond the roster of seven single-ended analog input pairs. Audio purists will appreciate the fact that you can bypass all digital conversions for your analog sources, including the 7.1 analog input you might use with an SACD player.

Continue Reading >
AV Receiver Reviews
NAD T 757 A/V Receiver
Fred Manteghian  |  Nov 14, 2011
Audio Performance
Video Performance
Features
Ergonomics
Value
Price: $1,600 At A Glance: Future-proof modular construction • Great ergonomics • Trades features for performance

Oh, it’s coming, all right. Are you ready for it? That’s right, Smell-O-Vision! I’m not talking about old-school scratch-n-sniff cards, but the real, electrified olfactory emitters specified in the HDMI 1.5 standard. OK, I’m clearly exaggerating the contents of the next HDMI version, but even if that travesty comes to pass, NAD’s Modular Design Construction topology means the T 757 can be upgraded by your dealer, instead of a forklift.

Continue Reading >

Pages

X