Ken C. Pohlmann

Grace Notes
Dark Victory: The Dark Knight Rises
Ken C. Pohlmann  |  Jul 23, 2012  |  0 comments

Above all, we admire mastery. A painter, sculptor, athlete, musician, actor, scientist — whatever the profession, there is nothing quite like witnessing someone working at the top of their game. The expression of professional confidence, ease, and poise is a joy to behold. You sit back and let it wash over you, and think to yourself — this is really good.

Continue Reading >
Signals
Bye Bye, Best Buy?
Ken C. Pohlmann  |  Jul 17, 2012  |  0 comments

Gee, who could have predicted this? The Internet is creating entirely new industries, and decimating others. Big-box electronics retailer Best Buy is among the latest bricks and mortar companies to be decimated by the web.

Continue Reading >
Signals
Blind as a Brit
Ken C. Pohlmann  |  Jul 10, 2012  |  0 comments

As Mark Twain (and other others) have noted, “There are lies, damn lies, and statistics.”

Blu-ray looks a zillion times better than DVD, right? Are all of those British viewers blind, or are we asking the wrong questions?

Continue Reading >
Signals
Is the Nexus Q Cool?
Ken C. Pohlmann  |  Jun 28, 2012  |  0 comments

Google had revenue of $38 billion last year. So why would they mess around selling a consumer electronics gizmo? Frankly, I don't have the faintest idea. But they have served up a juicy meatball of a nice product.

Continue Reading >
Signals
Audio History
Ken C. Pohlmann  |  Jun 19, 2012  |  0 comments

It’s easy to think of sound recordings in the present tense. Thanks to modern marketing, we’re fixated on this week’s downloads, who’s doing well on America’s Got Talent, and what Lady Gaga is wearing. (Whatever happened to that meat dress, anyway?) But a very cool thing happens once something is recorded.

Continue Reading >
Headphone Amp/DAC Reviews
Out and About Audio
Ken C. Pohlmann  |  Jun 06, 2012  |  0 comments

Aah, summertime. Lather on sunscreen, pump up the bike tires, and you’re almost set. What’s missing? Music! And we’re not talking about those antisocial earbuds that cocooned you through the dark winter. We’re talking about actual speakers that you can take along with you on outings.

Continue Reading >
Signals
To Have and Have Not
Ken C. Pohlmann  |  Apr 25, 2012  |  0 comments

I recently received a thoughtful e-mail from S+V reader Michael Kiley. He commiserated with my perception that the general level of sound quality has declined. Like me, he worried that the rise of mobile phones as our preferred playback source, the popularity of listening to compressed files stored or streamed (and through earbuds), isn't exactly making for audiophile heaven. Mr. Kiley's letter provided some perspective and got me to thinking…

Continue Reading >
Signals
Is Neil Young off his Rocker?
Ken C. Pohlmann  |  Apr 05, 2012  |  0 comments

Neil Young likes to criticize things: war, environmental abuses, indifference to homelessness, the plight of small farmers, Presidents of the United States, etc.  Name an activist topic, and you can probably find several well-crafted lyrics, ranging from subtle to confrontational, on the issue. Neil Young is also critical of sound quality. Highly critical.

Continue Reading >
Signals
Audio Quality Lives!
Ken C. Pohlmann  |  Mar 26, 2012  |  0 comments

Everything runs in cycles, and audio has passed its nadir and is now trending back up. And high-fidelity audio — for heaven’s sake! — is moving back onto the radar screen. Consider these 10 points:

Continue Reading >
Signals
The Physics of Unphysics: Walmart Takes to The Cloud
Ken C. Pohlmann  |  Mar 14, 2012  |  0 comments

You’ve got to hand it to Walmart. First, they make a zillion dollars selling DVD and Blu-ray discs to everyone. Now, they’re set to make another zillion dollars so you don’t have to actually use the discs. Brilliant, simply brilliant.

Continue Reading >

Pages

X