Q Last year, Nakamichi introduced a home theater/audio speaker system bearing the iconic Dragon nameplate. What’s the latest news on the system and what are your impressions of it? — John Werner
AT A GLANCE Plus
Nice selection of games
Everything needed to play is in the box
Ability to upgrade controllers/games
HDMI port for connecting to a TV
Minus
Missing some key titles
Awkward controller button layout
Questionable longevity of controllers
THE VERDICT
For Gen X-ers, the My Arcade Atari Gamestation Pro is a blast-from-the-past in an affordable package that allows you to relive some of your favorite games from childhood. Probably the best under $100 purchase I’ve made!
Here’s the TL/DR: this review is mainly for Gen-Xers. If your first gaming console was an NES or Genesis, or PlayStation or X-Box, then you’ll probably do better just to move on. But for those of us who grew up in the Atari Generation, when the home gaming market was born and really started to take off, this box is a time machine that will transport you to simpler times when all you needed to worry about was a stick and a button!
Q I’m wondering which upgrade will make a more significant audible difference in my home theater: upgrading the power amplifier or treating room acoustics? — Michael (last name withheld)
Summer may be over but there’s still plenty of time for outdoor entertaining before the winter sets in. In Creating an Audio Oasis in Your Backyard, I discussed outdoor audio solutions. Now it’s time to add a little V to the A.
Q Essentially this is a two-for-one, as both Ed Mendelson and Sam V had very similar questions about connecting an external amplifier to a Marantz AV receiver. Ed wants to add a 3-channel amp to his Marantz SR7012 to power his L/C/R speakers. Sam wants to use his Marantz SR5013 for the audio processing but use a Yamaha RX-A3020 for the amplification. How do we do this?
When you think of “entertaining” with your AV system, chances are the first thing that comes to mind is your home theater or media room. But what about your backyard? Is it setup for outdoor entertaining?
Q I have a follow-up to a previous question from one of your readers about connecting a subwoofer. Once the sub is correctly connected, how do you make sure it is set up to be fully integrated in a stereo system? —Benoit Blond
Q After several decades of renting and townhome ownership, I’m finally at a point where I’m looking to buy a single-family home. When I look at houses, I’m trying to find an area that will eventually become a dedicated home theater. What factors should I be looking at? What sizes and shapes of rooms are best? Should I be considering what materials the walls (and maybe the floor?) are made from? Are there modifications that are best done before we move in for sound isolation purposes or to improve the acoustics of a room? —Michael Brown