Home sound system: March 2015

Tuesday, March 31, 2015

Sony Playstation PS One - Video Game Console

best system out there (I mean that)
All the people who write 1-star reviews NEVER played this system. They just write stuff to hopefully be one of the top 1000 reviewers...
Now for the real review:
I had a choice to make a year ago. Xbox? ps2? gcn? gba? dc? I had considered all of these. I decided to drop xbox and gcn becuase or their terrible game selection. I dropped dc when i heard it was discontinued. So that left gba or ps2. I also dropped gameboy advance because i had gameboy pocket, the original, and gbc. Right now they are deep inside my closet collecting dust.
After much research, I finally came to a conclusion to ask for a ps2 for the holidays. I added up all necessary harware accesories and games to see how much they all cost. A console, memory card, controller, and 5 descent games costs around 600 dollars. I dont know about you, but after my parents spending 600 dollars i dont think they will be geting me new games that often.
Looking even further, i decided to take a shot with the 7 year...

PSone. It's so CUUUTE!!!
I wasn't planning on getting this at first; I've got a reserve for a PS2. But after seeing one, I had to grab!
Okay, what is it? Essentially, it's just a PlayStation (same specs and everything, minus serial and parallel ports); only smaller. MUCH smaller (take 2 DVD cases, stack them on top of each other, and you've got an idea of PSone's size!). Personally I always thought that the original PlayStation was compact, but THIS wins the prize!
You also get a Dual-Shock controller (same as the previous ones, which you can STILL use), the power supply (external now; this isn't a battery-operated portable), and an A/V cable (just like the old PS, you still need to plug this into a TV). Supposedly (hopefully), Sony will be bringing out a clip-on screen for the unit next year.
Although this isn't quite a fully-portable game system (right now, you still need an AC plug and a TV screen), it is far more TRANS-portable than any other console on the market today; much more...

All About the PS One
I really do love this system, and I'm happy I bought it, even with the Playstation 2 coming just around the corner. There are a couple of things you should know if you are considering this console, though...
The PS One is simply a Playstation, it plays all the same games, and offers no improvements in speed or graphics. If you look at the picture, the system actually is about the same size as the controller! It's very small, and yes, very "cute", but all Sony did was take the old Playstation and put it in a new case.
The PS One is not really a portable system. The LCD screens I've seen for it are the size of a CD - hardly big enough for most PS games, especially RPGs. Also, you will still need a power outlet, and the controller will always be seperate, so playing a few rounds of Tony Hawk between classes is hardly convenient. It is easier to move from TV to TV, though.
The Playstation 2 plays 99.9% of the games that the PS One does. Also, the PS2...

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Marantz SR7007 7.2 channel Home Theater AV Receiver (Discontinued by Manufacturer)

Plusses and Minuses (One big one in particular)
A little context. I previously had a dedicated 2-channel system only for music, and did not have an especially good system attached to our TV. I purchased the SR7007 to create a single music listening and video watching system. I would say that the result is average, good but not great, with some specific things that are really annoying.

▹ First the plusses.
- The video quality from a variety of different video sources is really very good. The best TV viewing experience so far. DVDs look great, as does digital HD tv, stuff off my Apple TV, Netflix etc..

- As a controller for both audio and video sources, it works very well and keeps things simple (it's really not as complicated as some make it out IMO).

- It has a Phono input, so if you're into vinyl, as we are, you'll not need to fuss with a separate phono preamp. It is only set up for moving magnet cartridges, by the way.

- The Audessey room correction system works REALLY...

High Quality Powerhouse!

Was looking to simplify my HT system as I enter the "autumn" of my years ........so when the lack of HDMI connectivity on my Aragon Stage One HT preamp became a hindrance ..........and my Acurus amp separates began to need attention .........a one box solution became appealing. The improvement in sound quality was immediately apparent and the simplified HDMI connectivity was much appreciated. Love that it supports multi-channel SACD. A fine companion to my Oppo BDP-103. My only minor disappointment is that there doesn't appear to be a "last volume" memory setting (db level) for the individual inputs ......which my Aragon Stage One had. Perhaps there is a way of doing that buried within the inconvenient .pdf manual ......but haven't discovered it yet. Overall .........the smooth high quality audio and other wonderful features make this a no-brainer 5 star rating!!!

good and complicated
heavy, well made. does all you want and more:
rich sound
loud!
accurate
i heard the run hot reviews and put a double slow speed fan with a foamy filter on top. now it runs cool. but every fat amp will get hot, so... may extend it's life perhaps.
looks bad ass
has a LAN cable connection on back, connected instantly to internet. HD radio selected... huge menu of online radio with titles by country and genre, search tools and ability to save into favourites. this all done using the TV that connects to the monitor output.
Tv is also used for a ridiculous amount GUI programming:
crossover frequency adjustments
user set up
auto equalization using a micro phone that tests all the speakers individually. have done so several times but always go back to manual programming, which is another feature.
on screen graphic equalizer
lots more. this could be done using the display on the unit, but awkward at first, so hook up the...

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Marshall Men's Stanmore Speaker, Brown, One Size

Delivers big sound with clarity
I purchased this speaker about 10 weeks ago via Amazon Prime. It arrived a day earlier than expected, which I was super happy about.

So about the speaker...

I find the Marshall Stanmore loudspeaker to be quite excellent in both build quality and sound performance. The brown casing and retro look has a handsome appeal. Highs are crisp and clear, esp in regard to voice, and lows are deep and tight. While it does not shake the room like a dedicated sub, it certainly is surprisingly deep for such a small, portable speaker, which is about the size of a small shoebox. Also, please know that this is not a stereo speaker, so the sound will be different and may take some getting use to. Certain tracks that rely heavily on stereo sound may in fact not sound so well, but I have found this to be the exception.

Recently, I was doing some industrial artwork in a warehouse that was about 20,000 sq ft and I brought over this speaker and turned it up just over half way...

If you dont like the asthetics

I got this speaker after debating about getting a battery powered bluetooth speaker for a number of months. I have been to local shops and have checked out bose, sonos, audio engine, HEOS etc.

The jambox, dre and others are not in the same league. stop comparing the battery operated bluetooth speakers with this. If you dont like the asthetics, just put a cloth over it. The speaker is handsdown the best bluetooth speaker system i have seen...even rivals the home systems. The mids are truly awesome. I have run a few dozen speaker test audio through it...it comes over very very clean.

If you are in the market for a bluetooth system, just get it. No point talking about anything else.

Great speaker for the size

Great speaker for the size - looks real cool!

Low end surprisingly good for small speaker (particularly when close to the wall), high end is crisp and clear, mid-range is slightly lacking.

No problems with Bluetooth connection, but range is relatively limited.

I have recommended this speaker to friends.

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KEF X300A Digital Hi-Fi Speaker System - Gunmetal Gray (Pair)

Many cons, one BIG pro
UPDATE OCT 2014:

In the 10 months since I wrote this review, I've continued to be thrilled with my X300A's, which I listen to very often. I've played them for friends who include classical composers, professional musicians, and recording engineers, they were all blown away by the X300A's.

Right now, Amazon and KEF Direct have marked these down from $799 to $599. (The price of the wireless model has also dropped, from $999 to $799.) Amazon doesn't reveal whether and when this sale pricing will end. At this reduced price, I think they're a steal. But even at full price, I think they're totally worth it and I wouldn't hesitate to buy them again.

You have a tough decision: You can buy them now and lock in this great sale price. The risk is that KEF put them on sale because they're about to roll out a newer, better model that addresses some of the shortcomings I and other reviewers have noted in our reviews.

Or, you can wait in hopes an...

Great speakers! Mac users: beware of Audio settings!
I wasn't satisfied with the B&W MM1 anymore since I want to have a deeper soundstage and a clearer bass (not just the booming base, but a clear, well-defined bass). I actually got the first pair of MM1 but I gave to my dad. Don't get me wrong, this first MM1 is amazing and the soundstage is awesome, but then I had to buy a replacement pair. This time I'm not as impressed. Somehow the sound came out flat and uninteresting. So this time I decided to go up a bit and upgrade to the KEF x300a. First impression? The bass is a lot fuller and "smoother" than the B&W MM1 (well, it's 16lbs per speaker vs. 2lbs something of the MM1...) at a low/medium volume. As of current, I'm still enjoying my 4th song, which is a song by Lizz Wright on her excellent The Orchard album. I'll see how the "breaking-in" goes but I'm sure it'll be a joy to listening to this pair of speakers. So far so good ...

However, I'm running a Macbook Pro with Mavericks. At first, the sound came out...

I like the simplicity--and relative compactness--of the KEFs while not giving ...
I'm not an audiophile so I'll keep my comments relatively short. I have these hooked up to a Mac Mini, playing 24-bit/96kHz lossless through iTunes. I like the simplicity--and relative compactness--of the KEFs while not giving up soundstage. And boy do they pop. I recently experimented with mid-range amp-driven headphones as an economic alternative to high-end bookshelf speakers but found that I couldn't tell THAT much of a difference between Spotify streaming and my 24 bit collection. That didn't seem right. These KEFs, on the other hand, pop with such clarity that the difference is noticeable even to my inexpert ear. Jazz, Classical, Rock, and Electronic music all sound fantastic. The vocals are warm and feel immediate. The only limitation is that orchestral music isn't reproduced all that well, probably due to the small speaker size.

Update:

After 2 months I've had more time to experiment with my setup. Initially I was disappointed by the x300a's ability to...

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World Cup Soccer

Soccer in the palm of your hand.

World Cup is an addictive game that keeps you playing for hours. It gets more challenging as you go, and has the password feature. The tackling looks very funny.

Pros: Great gameplay, good graphics, funny characters and tackles, large selection of teams and levels (if you know the codes), special unstoppable kicks, the ability to knock out your opponent's players.

Cons: Characters move rather slowly, not all true to real soccer (eg: you can punch), password save, you only control one player.

World Cup can be very humorous at times (when you tackle someone they get funny expressions on their faces). A rather slow game, I would not recommend it to the impatient. To everyone else, GET IT!

Hint: Press A and B at the same time to do a bicycle kick.

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Monday, March 30, 2015

Super Nintendo NES System - Video Game Console

Bar none, its one of the best systems ever made
After Sega unleashed the 16-bit Genesis, Nintendo was at a crossroads because their classic 8-bit Nintendo system was dying out. So Nintendo makes their own 16-bit system, but used a much better graphics and sound chip than the Genesis had, and remained the top system until Sony's Playstation came out in 1996. What made the Super NES kick so much was its outstanding library of games. The first party titles were out of this world, not to mention the system also had some of the best RPG's to date on any system. All in all, if you can find a Super NES anywhere, I highly recommend buying one, its a piece of video game history, and Nintendo has not been able to make a better system yet. Below is a list of games that are also recommended to get along with the system for the best playing experience:
Super Metroid
Super Mario World
Yoshi's Island
Super Mario Kart
Final Fantasy 3
Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
Contra 3
Super Mario...

Ah, the SNES...

If you don't like this system, there are two possibilities:
A. You are insane
B. You [didnt find the good] games
To prevent B, I shall list some games that I reccomend:
Super Mario World (It's really a mark in this system's legacy.)
Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island
Super Mario All-Stars (Or, scratch World and All-Stars, and get the version that has World + All-Stars on one cartridge)
Super Mario RPG (WONDERFUL RPG for beginners. Highly reccomended.)
Megaman X (Probably the best Megaman game ever.)
Chrono Trigger (A must for RPG fans.)
F-Zero (You know you like racing down a highway at 800 MPH..)
Donkey Kong Country 1-3 (Rare's masterpieces, how could you not love 'em?)
The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past (The only Zelda on SNES. Enjoy.)
Secret of Mana (A Gauntlet Legends-like RPG. Gotta love it.)

Nintendo at the height of gaming...
The Super NES is the best video game system by Nintendo, bar none. While it had a slower processor than the Sega Genesis (in which case future games had "FX chips" to enhance the games), it had better graphics and sound quality. Why is this system among the best? Obviously, the games are what count. No matter how advanced Nintendo gets, the Super NES has the most of the best video games ever made by anyone.
Here's a list of some of the classics: Super Castlevania IV, Contra III, the Super Mario series, Super Turrican (a rare and often overlooked gem), Super Metroid, Final Fantasy II, Final Fantasy III, Tales of Phantasia, the Mega Man X series, U.N. Squadron, Zelda: A Link to the Past, Breath of Fire I and II, Chrono Trigger, Secret of Mana, Starfox, Super Mario Kart, the Donkey Kong Country series, Super Mario RPG, Street Fighter II (probably the best one to get is Turbo, but Super Street Fighter II is also worthy) series, Ninja Gaiden Trilogy (which is basically Ninja Gaidens...

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Bose SoundTouch 20 Series II Wireless Music System (White)

Expected high Bose build and app quality, very smooth installation

As with others it took me all of 10 minutes to get the SoundTouch system setup and running on my network. It's about as easy as it gets when carefully following Bose's well written instructions. I'm using the 20 in a 15 x 15 foot living room, and it's plenty loud with lots of good bass. I'm also using it as my sound source for Apple TV. I can use it without problems with my NAS iTunes library, and have the presets programmed to my favorite radio stations. The AirPlay integration was about as easy as it gets. All in All it's taken me about a half an hour to get it 'dialed-in' precisely to my tastes and situation. We'll see how usage goes over several months but so far I couldn't be happier, it was money well invested.

Good sound and significant flaws
** Update **

I continued to have network problems with the SoundTouch 30, and you will too if you have a dual band router. Remarkably, the Bose system only works over the 2.4 GHz band, not the 5.0 GHz. Unless you configure your router so that each band has a unique network name, the Bose system will not be able to connect to the correct band consistently. If you're tech savvy, it's not a huge deal to set up two network IDs for the 2.4 and 5.0 band, but if you're a regular person who doesn't do well with home network administration, you're going to have a very tough time solving this problem. If you don't have a dual band router, you'll be fine. At any rate, I think this is a pretty significant flaw because all of the ease-of-use features of this unit count for nothing if you have to reconfigure your router.

However, after setting up a 2.4 GHz network ID just for my SoundTouch, Airplay works flawlessly. So there's that.

** Original Review **...

Simple, compact, and exceptional sound

The sound from this speaker will amaze you. It fills even a large room with rich deep sound comparable to a large speaker system. The set-up is simple and the app works great. I love the simplicity that they've engineered into this.

Pros:
+ Sound (Rich Deep Sound, that I almost want to say is as good as a separate sub-woofer)
+ Build quality
+ Instructions and Ease of Set-up
+ Excellent App
+ Very portable
+ Simple to use
+ Stereo separation (it sounds like the speakers are spread a apart)

Cons:
- Price (it is a good value considering what a full speaker system would cost you, but it is still pretty steep)

I recommend this system. I don't think that you'll be disappointed. I love mine.

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Sony HTST5 Premium Sound Bar with Wireless Subwoofer

Digital Dynamo for the Audiophile! Total Immersion!
If you're an audiophile, as I am, but don't have a space conducive to an elaborate 7.1 surround setup, or even for proper placement of a 5.1 system, the Sony HT-ST5 Soundbar / Wireless Subwoofer may be the perfect alternative. The fidelity of the sound coming from these 9 tiny speakers and subwoofer is unlike any other soundbar I've ever heard.

In my experience, most soundbars tend to have a rather flat, weak sound, without the rich tone spectrum one comes to expect of decent surround systems. The typical soundbars aren't meant to replace surround systems, but are a space-saving compromise for those who can't afford a decent surround system, or just don't have the space for one.

Sony is attempting to change that, and not doing too badly, either.

Pros:
****** Crisp, solid midrange throughout
****** Stunning Bass, with solid sound in the lowest bass ranges of the audio tested, without the bass breaking-up
****** No discernable...

Premium Sound!
I researched quite extensively for currently available sound bars. The Sony HT-ST7 came in at number 1. The HT-ST5 (this model) is the younger brother and is about 300$ cheaper. However the HT-ST5 still is of premium quality although the max sound/bass is lower than the HT-ST7. This is a great looking device with premium quality brushed metal look.Comparing the HT-ST7 to much more expensive(about 500-700$ more) Sonos, Definitive Technology and Bowers and Wilkins etc. the Sony just blew them away. The HT-ST5 also comes in very close to performing at the same levels as these other sound bars I mentioned (the price difference is even bigger then as the HT-ST5 is cheaper than the HT-ST7). The quality of music is unbelievable and does not get distorted at the max volume.I also have a Pioneer Amplifier (7.1 channel) and a Harmon Kardon Speaker system (8 speakers in total). This system is my main Home Theater and it is a mid/high-range system. So I cannot compare that system with the Sony...

A great sounding product but know that this is not for ...
This sound bar from sony gives me all the bass and sound quality you'd expect from a quality product. I dig the size and convenience factor along with the 3 inputs for hdmi as it eliminates my need for a receiver. A great sounding product but know that this is not for audiophiles or purist. The sound fills up the room nicely but not the same as a true surround setup with speakers behind you. The clear audio mode with no drc or auto volume adjustments sounds best, but voices sound low while watching blu-rays. There is no individual audio level up for the front speaker for voices. Only different voice options that give an unnatural sound to the voices along with boosted treble. Once you accept the fact your not going to get true 7.1 you will be happier. Since I live in an apt and don't want to wake the neighbors I suggest you enable drc and the autovolume to level the out the louder action scenes...but keep midnight mode off.(didn't like the equalization adjustments and lack of any...

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Large Deluxe Storage with Locking Shaker Doors

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Bose Wave Radio III

excellent product except for 3 cheap features.
Pros----robust and very well built piece of equipment. Sonic quality is excellent. Very capable of producing that room filling sound that Bose loves to brag about. Several nice features such the automatically dimming display when it is lights out time. Also when one turns on the unit the volume will gradually increase to whatever the last level was. In other words one is not blasted away. AUX input. I use it quite often with a Sirius Stratus 6 Satellite radio/remote and the Sirius Home docking station. Excellent sound! Bose remote control easy to use but ,,,,,see below!

Cons--a bit pricey, weak FM reception by using the AC line cord as an antenna, cheap on Bose's part for NOT supplying a dipole antenna. C'mom BOSE!!! Maybe the AC linecord works great as an FM antenna in some areas but not out here in the county in KY!! The biggest con is the remote control. It controls everything with the the exception of touching the top to turn on/off, ALL functions are contained...

Exceptional sound quality ~ A bit pricey, as is everything from Bose
I purchased the original Bose Wave radio back in 1994. During the course of a recent move from Florida; the carton that it was in got inundated with rain and damaged the unit beyond repair. Since I had been so happy with its performance; I decided to go ahead and purchase a new one. I've always been very pleased with Bose products, although I do feel that they're on the pricey side. As far as the new unit goes; the sound quality is equal to or better than the original version. The original one sounded phenomenal to me, so it would be difficult to improve upon that. The sound is crisp and very rich sounding, easily filling up a medium sized room with sound you would expect from much larger speakers. Since I live close to a metropolitan area; I have no trouble getting a strong signal from both AM & FM stations, a problem that some people have had. There are a few things that I find are an improvement over the original version. The radio displays text information, so I'm able to obtain...

Three Cheers for Bose
Already having a Bose radio in my bedroom, I decided that I also wanted one for the living room, and I am so glad I ordered it! If you are not familiar with the Bose sound, you owe yourself a treat. The audio in these Bose radios is all encompassing--the bass is deep and rich, while the tenor sounds are clear and distinct. I just love them!! This particular model does NOT have a CD player in it, however, which is fine, because I plan on purchasing the multi-CD player. The AM is as wonderful as the FM. Turn up the sound on your favorite stations and you are taken away. As far as operating the Bose is concerned, all tasks are very easy and well-explained in the Users Guide which comes with the product. I would also like to add that this model can display the name of the song being played, in addition to the station ID, but I turned that function off because I did not need it. DO NOT LOSE THE REMOTE! If you do, you will have to order another one. The radio has no buttons or push bars on...

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Sunday, March 29, 2015

JBL L880 4-Way, High Performance 6-inch Dual Floorstanding Loudspeaker (Black)

Dynamics way beyond the ER-6: incredible performance for the money - if you use it correctly.
I'm on record with a total rave of Etymotic's ER-6 headphones - but the ER-4P is vastly more satisfying. The difference is bass (the most immediately obvious difference). The ER-4p has phenominal bass for headphones - probably state of the art in this reguard. But what makes the ER-4p really special is its amazing dynamics. The soundstage is huge, and sonic textures leap out of velvet silence. It's hard to characterize superb dynamics. Music sounds "bigger". Quiet passages have more presence - and louder passages have more inner detail. Another strength of the ER-4p is that the extra bass energy allows the vibrant treble detail to sound balanced - not strident or analytical (as the ER-6 can sometimes sound). Between the dynamics and the bass, the ER-4p ends up sounding more musical and alive than the ER-6 (and thus virtually every other earphone). There is a touch of mid-bass ripeness - sometimes deep voices like Mark Knopfler sound a little chesty. There's also a downside...

Great bang (and crash and boom) for your bucks
The JBL L880 floorstanding towers are EXTRAORDINARY value for money compared with other manufacturer's and internet only dealers products. Many will claim to have very neutral response and dynamic potential, but JBL has been in the business of making speakers since before many of those companies were glimmers in the eyes of their founders.

You can find excellent measurements of the L880's response curves online (Stereophile has an excellent review with such measurements) and the measurements don't lie. Flat response on axis from 40KHz down to about 30 Hz (with some leeway for room reinforcement). What that means in terms of listening is that everything sounds exactly as the mixer, engineers, and musicians (or movie makers if that's your bag) intended it to; nothing is being unduly influenced by characteristics of the speakers themselves, hence the description as neutral.

I've been using these paired with an Onkyo TX-SR606, a JBL LC2 center, and some surrounds...

Hard to beat
I owned the ER-6i headphones for about a year before I left them on an airline seat and made someone's day. I loved them and most of what I liked about them factored into my decision about what to replace them with. I shopped the Shure models and several others, but I really did like the performance of the ER-6i. So why did I go for the upgrade? While the ER-6i's were overall excellent (4 stars by me), at times they seemed incapable of providing a full bass response at reasonable volumes. They either were dull at low volumes or distorted at high volumes. Yes, there are times when I play my music too loud, that's why I choose headphones, so I do not annoy others with my often odd musical tastes. I do expect a good headphone to be capable of delivering good bass.

The ER-4p excels where the ER-6i fell a bit short. With either model it matters a lot how you seat the ear pieces. A poor seal (insufficient depth) results in very little bass. Correct insertion provides the best...

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CD-200 Professional CD Player

Excellent Sounding CD Player
I just got my CD200 and wanted to write a much more in depth review then most have, to really give the end user some info about this machine in use.

I have to say I really do like how this player sounds, Note to anyone that for some reason may think this is a recorder, it is in fact a player and has only outputs. If a player is what you are looking for please continue reading my review.

All testing was done on my set of Energy Monitors made in Canada, a Carver M500t, and a Classic Urei 1620 as the mixer preamp set completely flat. This should give you a good idea of the sound to expect.

Lets get right to the sound, so how does this player sound, I would have to say it has a very smooth high end with a really punchy well defined mid and bottom. The D/A Converter in this machine sounds nice and clean. Very similar to what I loved about my classic Natural Sound Yamaha's and that I have not found in other machines.

Even recordings that sound...

Rock solid, completely silent, high quality

I purchased this CD player primarily because of it's excellent transport, but I am so pleased to report that the entire unit is "pro quality" as advertised. Very well built and nicely finished; all controls function smoothly with a solid, high-quality feel. The internal transport is indeed top shelf - totally silent and perfectly accurate. I am utilizing the coax digital output from this CDP to my external DAC, but I've found that the internal DAC in the CD-200 is also of high quality. I have no idea whose DAC chip Tascam used in this CDP, but they picked a good one. Unbelievably high value item!!!

A great Player of many Disc's

Excellent Music player. It plays all of my CD's and Some recorded CD-RW's I made.
I hooked it up with the Optical output to my Receiver and the audio quality is High quality.

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Pyle-Home PTCDS3UIP Classical Trumpet Horn Turntable with AM/FM Radio CD/Cassette/USB & Direct to USB Recording

Just great looking vintage sound system

Love it!

I was debating for quite a while on whether to get this. There were so many others available at cheaper prices. I finally decided to go for it and am glad I did! The sound quality is great other than the cassettes, but they never sounded great anyway. I have tested all of the functions except for the USB port and recording, and everything works wonderfully. It is rather large and heavy, but it fits right into my Victorian decor dining room. So glad I went with this product, it exceeds my expectations!

LOVE IT!
I've had my eye on this piece for over a year now and finally took the plunge and purchased it. And I am more than pleased. After reading the reviews I was a little skeptical because there seemed to be some re-occurring issues in some of the units. I also purchased a used one, so I was even more on the fence, but it's been an audio and visual bliss in my living room!

Visually: It's gorgeous. Even as a decorative piece by itself, it's worth it. My husband and I collect antiques and oddities and it's pulled our whole Victorian theme in our living room together. All the other reviews are correct.. It is a LARGE piece of furniture. Our living room is rather small and it is now the focal point of the room. The base is a beautiful cherry wood and when the sun comes in the window it really brightens and pops the red in it. I love that the horn is real brass and the only "non-authentic" pieces are the plastic needle arm and the face plate. These cosmetics don't bother me...

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Saturday, March 28, 2015

Klipsch RF-82 II Reference Series Floorstanding Loudspeaker - Each (Black)

Klipsch RF82 II
Klipsch RF82 II BLACK Single 2-way Reference series black floor-standing speaker

I received these speakers from Amazon in the time frame specified. Delivery was awesome and very helpful.

The setup for these speakers was a snap. Good terminal connections. Just a simple mount for the base to stabilize the speaker from tipping. Very stable.

I am using these for a secondary viewing area and as a music studio reference speaker. The higher power handling is very good with no distortion and very very crisp high and mid-range, typical with Klipsch horn driver. The low end is slightly limited which can be offset with proper EQ without the aid of a sub-woofer. The addition of a sub, while not needed does add improved low end. (watch your cross over frequency of the sub) The Klipsch 12 inch sub is a great addition.

Overall it is a very well balanced speaker. The cabinetry is solid...

Great sound. Flat response. Very pleased
These are excellent speakers. I had a set of Infinity RSMs for over 25 years and always loved the flat response and full sound. Gave them to my brother for his studio when the woofer suspension needed replacing again. I had some JBL 3 way floor standing and was never really happy with the sound. These RF-82 II ref series floorstanding speakers more than met my expectations. Sounded great without any eq. Bumped up the highs and lows and noticed a lack of fullness in the mids at set volume. So, duh, I only increased the very lowest bass and highest treble sliders on my eq. Perfecto. I like just a touch more heavy lows and crystal clear cymbals in the mix (I'm 56) - but be careful not to over eq. I still have a JBL 12" 250 watt sub, which sounds fine (although after buying these RF-82 II's, the ref series Klipsch sub is mighty tempting... Still working to get the JBL sub crossover set where it should be, but all together, this sounds incredible. They need some power to drive them...

I've got the best wife ever!
My wife surprised me by ordering a pair of these for Valentines Day.

Unpacking was easier than I thought since Klipsch packages them upside down in the box. The feet and carpet spikes (if you need them) are right on top when you open the box so it makes attaching the feet a breeze. Once you have the feet on, flip the box on end and just slide the box off the top and there you go!. The speakers were well packed and even though the boxes took a beating in shipment, the speakers themselves were untouched.

My wife also ordered some Sewell Banana Plugs to hook these monsters up. Set up was easy since I already had speaker wire run to a pair of Klipsch bookshelf speakers and they now fulfill surround sound duty.

Once I had everything set up, I ran the calibration setup on my receiver and then loaded up Destiny on my Xbox One. HOLY COW! It was like I was IN the game. I turned the volume up a little louder than normal but by no means did I have it at earth...

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Yamaha R-S700BL Natural Sound Stereo Receiver (Black)

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Bose Virtually Invisible 791 in-ceiling speakers

For the same price I've heard much better

I give everything a fair chance and have been in the music industry for 10 years and sold retail and custom integration products for over 7 years now. These speakers don't sound horrible by any means, but you don't get what you pay for and that is the bottom line. I put them up against the B&W (Bowers & Wilkins) CCM65's for $550/pr. (the Bose 791's are $600) and they blow them away. If Bose really does want to make whats considered a high-end speaker they need to do some more work. Most people consider any in-ceiling speaker costing them over $350/pr. an (audiophile) or high-performance speaker. Bose needs to either lower their price or greatly improve their performance.

Very good speakers

These sound really good with my other surround sound speakers. They replaced a good pair of 301 Bose speakers that we were using for front speakers with our system. They also sound great with music. The installation was very easy sense I already had wires ran into the ceiling. There is a trick when aligning the speakers. They have arrows that must face each other to insure the teweeters are in the proper position. I am not a pro like the last reviewer, we just enjoy beautiful music and excellent sound in our surround sound. We did listen to several other speakers in displays at the electronics show in Vegas before we bought these and there were some better, but not in this price range. There were some as good as these Bose in this price range but we went Bose because we have enjoyed their systems in the past and they have always been good. We are very happy with these speakers.

Great Sound

The speakers are great as rear surround speakers. Not cheap but high quality. The installation was easy and the speakers are hardly noticed. Bose has outstanding products.

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Denon AVR-X3100W 7.2 Channel Full 4K Ultra HD A/V Receiver with Bluetooth and Wi-Fi

Denon AVR-X3100W
Reason for purchase:
It is replacing a Marantz SR5004 I had purchased about 2 years ago that met its demise at the hands of a 2 year old with a cup of ice. I enjoyed the SR5004 sound but it lacked enough HDMI inputs at that time.

Other product demo'd:
I had tried the Panasonic SC-81 at the urging of a big box chain store and returned it dissatisfied with the sound output. It could have been me not able to set up the speaker output properly. The iphone App for it was pretty cool though, but again I am more interested in driving my speakers.

Setup:
Setup of the Denon AVR-X3100W was pretty straight forward. The Audyssey wizard was pretty much akin to the Audyssey wizard on the Marantz. You move the microphone around to 8 different locations. The included "tripod" was a very nice touch. I plan to tweak from this initial setup point.

I signed into my Pandora and SiriusXM accounts so far (using the iphone app) and they work as...

I love this new unit which has lots of upgrades
This is my second Denon. I had to replace my original 3310 after shorting it trying to connect some wireless speakers (note turn off power before plugging things in, I dropped a metal banana plug across two outputs). The 4 star rating is for Denon service, as others noted they are freakin slow. After three months in the shop, the owner finally decided to credit my repair bill towards a replacement as he was tired of dealing with them (authorized repair center). He suggested this unit as similar to what I had. I love this new unit which has lots of upgrades: wifi, BT, built-in apps, and analog to digital zone 2 (big plus for me, as I previously had to run analog and digital from every source). Set up is simple with the Audessy self leveling. We have whole house and outdoor speakers, so the new 'all zone stereo', selections turns on both zones, single sources, and sets everything to stereo, simplifying getting the whole house into party mode. I haven't tried the Bluetooth, but...

Loving it!

This was easy to set up with the instructions. We were a little disappointed with the sound at first (previously owned a Bose system that isn't compatible) but after adding a subwoofer it sounds fantastic and this might be personal taste. It has an Audyssey setup that will calibrate your speakers and subwoofer that is easy and really makes a difference. You can select different sound modes to suite the type of music or your personal preferences. I'm only giving 4 stars for right now because I haven't set up Spotify or the other features yet but I fully expect to change that because of how great everything else has been.

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Bose SoundTouch Portable Series II Wireless Music System (Black)

Expected high Bose build and app quality, very smooth installation

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Bose Virtually Invisible 191 speakers (Pair)

Don't live up to marketing hype.
Below is my initial review of these speakers. It's still basically true, but as the frustration with the initial install has faded, my estimation of the speakers has risen (a little). What seemed a thin and limited sound at the time now seems very clean. Just with very little bass compared to some other speakers. When things break on install, you do have to wonder, "who's fault was it, really...". I'll just say that the other speakers I bought at the same time had a much heavier set of clips...
----------
I am extremely disappointed with these speakers. If you read the product description carefully, you are basically getting a pair of smallish 2.5 in drivers / speakers which are only capable of a thin, limited sound. All the rest ("Virtually Invisible", "Articulated Array configuration", "Stereo Everywhere", "proprietary ported enclosure" etc.) is great marketing, but it does little to improve the sound of the speakers and a lot to increase the cost. There is no Bose...

For those considering using these in home theater, READ
I waited almost two years to write a review on these speakers. During that time I've been telling myself I could EQ the speakers better, or they have somehow not been set up right. Well, I've tried all sorts of different things with these speakers, and my experience with them hasn't been what I had hoped it would be.

History:
As a hobby I do whole-house audio/video installs. I’m not an expert, but I’ve messed with different sounds, different budgets, and I’m always trying to improve what I’ve done in the past. Bear with my review and understand that I am limited to what I can buy… I don’t have stuff that’s the best, I have stuff I can afford. Only in a few cases have I been given the opportunity to do installs with JBL Studio series type equipment.

When I installed these in January 2012, I was setting up my own second home theater. My budget in both situations wasn't great, but I was able to make a good sound in my...

Great for home theater, poor for whole-house audio

I've had these speakers for 3 years in a whole-house audio setup as in-ceiling speakers. The clarity as you'd expect from Bose is great, however if you want good bass response nothing compares to a large woofer. I'm actually in the process of replacing 2 out of 3 pairs with typical in-ceiling 8" woofers to get more bass in my living room and bedroom with high ceilings.

I highly recommend these for in-wall home theater speakers with a separate subwoofer.

I do not recommend these for in-ceiling stereo speakers.

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BeoPlay A2 - Green

PYLE PT8000CH Rack Mount 8000-Watt 8 Channel Stereo/Mono Amplifier

So far so good!!

Excellent amplifier I'm only using 6 channels 2 for the kitchen speakers, 2 for the dinning room and 2 for outside, and I'm not even using 25% of it's power THIS IS A LOUD AMPLIFIER!!!.

The only downside of the product it's that is bulky and heavy so you need to find a decent space were to put it.

I'm not getting any interference or humming sounds like other people mention in their reviews.

So if you are setting up a multi-zone sound system for your home, this is the way to go. I personally got it connected to my AVR Pioneer VSX-1021 and it's great, I even have the capability of using Airplay and don't even have to walk to the Receiver's room to change songs.

Not too shabby
First let me praise Amazon for selling this item. The price can't be beat as well as the free shipping. This product is well worth the price. It should really be described as a single 4U case with 4 built in amplifiers as each pair of speakers may have is own source of input w/ separate volume control for each pair. I did have to drop one star for three reasons. First the unit has a humming noise that can be heard through the speakers. Second it is a little misleading as it is 8000 watts PEAK power. The 8000 watts is divided by 8 channels which is 1000 watts peak / channel. There is nothing in the documentation or description that states what the RMS wattage is but is is loud enough for my needs. As for the humming noise, the manual states to remedy the hum you should try reversing the ac plugs of other components in the system. I guess I will have to try a dedicated power line conditioner. Third is that the volume controls are in the rear of the unit. This design does not make sense,...

Customer service, no stars! and Amp no stars!
First off, Pyle does not list any detailed specs about this product. I went onto there website and downloaded the user manual. Same thing, no detailed specs. I emailed their Tech support for the specs., no response. I called their Tech support to get the specs over the phone and the guy said that their customer base was 85% not interested in specs and 15% where. I said wouldn't you want to appeal to all of your customer base. He was as unhelpful and ignorant of his product as I could have negatively imagined. He did not know the specs, (frequency response, THD, delivered watts at desired ohms, signal to noise ratio, damping factor), but he did say the 8000 watts was peak power of all of the 8 channels combined and that each channel was 100 watts at 8 ohms RMS, but he did not know in what frequency range that applied to. I still ordered this product as I am going to try bi-wiring my Polk Monitor 70's to the AMP via bridging, and FMOD RCA pre AMP crossovers. I should end up with...

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Friday, March 27, 2015

Sony HTST7 HD Sound Bar with Wireless Subwoofer

King of the soundbars
****** One year update******

After having this for a full year, we are still thrilled with it. Totally satisfied with this product. Sound is still impressive, the Bluetooth link is so easy for streaming audio, and we use it often. Voice setting is a real plus and we use that feature a lot as well. For our usage (TV, movies, games, CD/streaming audio) it has been great and the simple settings available have been enough for us; we haven't felt that it's missing something important.

We've had no frustration with it, and never wished that we had purchased something else. I would buy this again in a heartbeat!

******Original full review below******

First of all, this is a *soundbar* not a full surround setup. Some other reviews take issue with the product but if you know what you want, and what you are buying, this could be a great option for you.

I didn't want something complicated, my wife hates the million-button remotes and...

Amazing

I have had this sound bar for 5 weeks now. I listened to most other sound bars and chose this one.
It's expensive but really worth the money.
Music is incredible.
Movies are also amazing to listen to. This bar really manages to place different sounds in different parts of the room.
Our sitting room is about 800 sq feet. This sound bar fills the room easily.

I have listened to other sound bars, Polk, Bose, Klipsch,and this one sounds much better.

Another neat feature is that with the movie option you have 3 voice levels. Level 3 makes the voices of people in the movie more pronounced.
I turn the bass down to 9. Maximum is 11.
Volume whilst watching movies is maximum 28~30 out of 45.
We watch movies 14 feet away from the Tv.

The "Voice" setting almost makes this bar worth it alone

Read the longer reviews for more info, but being able to up the dialogue in a movie without turning up the explosions and car crashes is a huge plus. Great sound, simple set-up, easy to use, just a bit pricey, but worth it in my book.

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RCA LED32B30RQD 32-Inch 720p 60Hz LED HDTV/DVD Combo

Daughter loved IT!

Other than the package was beat to hell when it arived, it set up and worked flawlessly. My daughter uses it as a moniter as well as a T.V. by hooking her laptop with a HDMI cable and it worked better than I expected as a moiter, Impressed by the price, DVD is nice as well. She loves it and made a great entertainment addition to her room. Easy to set up and no problems with remote, in-puts say what they are so you know TV v moniter V whatever else you may have connected. RCA LED32B30RQD 32-Inch 720p 60Hz LED HDTV/DVD Combo

RCA 32" TV/DVD bought on Amazon

The TV was a breeze to set up and connect to our cable service.
Great picture quality and the DVD player was also very easy to use.
An excellent product at a great price!

I'm in love!

The tv shipped quickly and was very easy to set up. I'm so glad I picked a tv with a usb port and dvd combo the quality is sharp and clear. The sound is also great, I was worried I would have to order speakers after I got my tv but I won't :)

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Prepac 60-Inch Plasma TV Console with Media Storage, Black

Good Value and Budget Friendly
We read numerous reviews on other sites for this item, with a fair percentage being somewhat negative. Reading between the lines, I guessed that these were from people who were either in a hurry, incapable of following directions, or had unrealistic expectations. We gambled, and ordered this product. It arrived in a timely manner, in two large boxes. All the parts were in great condition. It took about two hours to assemble, while watching Austin Powers during the assembly process (a distraction, to say the least.) My fiancee helped me several times, setting the top on, holding the doors in place while I attached them, and so on...it was definitely easier with a second set of hands for these phases of the assembly. I took my time, making sure to use a small blanket to protect the face, while turning it on its top and sides during assembly. Although there were a LOT of parts, I was short only one screw (attaches one of the metal plates on the door for the magnetic catch.) I...

You get what you pay for...

This looked like a great unit, boy the price was right and I loved all the DVD storage. Got it quick, put it together with no major hassles. The legs for leveling worked great! Again I have to say I loved this unit!! With that being said a year and 1/2 later I have to get rid of it! Ugh!! Now I have wasted my money, the doors don't open or close properly because they can't handle the weight of the dvd's, so if you're planning on buying this unit, DON'T put dvd's in the doors!! The other reason for my complaint is because the product is NOT made of real wood. When you now look at the front of my unit, it sags on either side of the middle leg! it has actual curves on the unit :( Even the top piece looks warped and I put the correct size TV on it...so please keep looking I know the unit looks nice, but it's not worth the money!!

Great Item for the Price.

It takes about 2.5 hours to put together with 2 people. I have mine on soft carpet so there is a bit of wobbling... but it should be pretty sturdy on hardwood or commercial carpet. There's enough room to fit over 200 DVDs inside the doors. I have a 50" Plasma on it and it looks fine. My only complaint is that it takes a bit of strong rubbing to get the smudges and fingerprints off when your done assembling it.

But it's a great Item for the price.

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Thursday, March 26, 2015

Bose® SoundLink III Portable Bluetooth Speaker and Charger Bundle

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BeoPlay A2 - Black

Marshall Acton Wireless Bluetooth Digital Speaker Loudspeaker System Black

Classic Marshall!
I have had this speaker for about a month now and it is impressive! Don't let the small size fool you because it has a BIG sound, especially the bass. I can hear things in songs that I could never hear before in my Harmon Kardon Sound Sticks. I like the options of using the 3.55mm input jacks or bluetooth. I played the Outlaws "Green Grass and High Tides" and Led Zeppelin's "Bring it on Home" which played to 95db @ 90 percent using the 9.5mm jack from my HP desktop, using the Winamp to the Acton with no distortion or clipping. I then ran the bluetooth with my HTC One M8 with the same two songs using the Poweramp app and activating the hearing assistance program to ensure max volume. The results were nearly identical db wise. It is good to use a music player that has adjustable tones as you may like a little more bass on the quieter volume settings. Even if you have a source that does not have bass/treble controls don't worry, the Marshall Acton has you covered. I have...

Marshall Quality

I purchased this speaker to use in my garage when I'm working outside, and also to take with us when my wife and I travel on vacation. I considered the Bose Soundlink series, but I selected the Acton because I didn't need a battery powered speaker, and I wanted something with serious volume.
Plus, the Acton looks really cool. I considered the Stanmore, but it was too big for traveling.
I only use it direct wired to my iPhone or Macbook, so I can't comment on the bluetooth capability.
But hardwired, the sound is excellent. When listening to my iTunes or Pandora One indoors, I actually use the Acton instead of my home stereo system. For one room coverage, it does the job.

I love the Marshall home speaker

I love the Marshall home speaker, it only gets 4 Stars due to the terrible bluetooth technology. With that said, I knew about the bad connection via bluetooth and the bad quality it produced when you try to "air play" audio to it. But I still bought it because when you connect it to the provided cable it turns into a true "Marshall" the sound is near perfect. I use Sonos around my house for all my music needs, but I added this one to my living room because its a work of art. It belongs framed around wood and metal its such a sexy device... Everyone that walks in ask about it. If you're a true music fan and know the history of Marshall you will not be disappointed.

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Audio Technica AT-LP1240-USB Direct Drive DJ Turntable

Audio Technica AT-LP1240 turntable
I have always owned Technics turntables, and had never considered buying anything else.
Then one of the Technics turntables that I had given to my daughter soon developed a speed regulation problem that could not be corrected by simple cleaning and adjustment. This problem made me realize that I had waited too long to replace my ageing Technics turntables, because Technics had suspended production of their turntables in 2009, and the last few remaining Technics turntables on the market were selling at premium prices. So I began searching the internet for a deal on the best available equivalent turntables. My search narrowed to a choice between a used Technics SL-1210M5G, and the new Audio-Technica AT-LP1240. I wanted to buy two turntables to replace two of the old ones that I own, and I could not justify the cost of buying two Technics SL-1210M5G at once, at present-day prices: so I finally decided to buy one new Audio-Technica AT-LP1240 and one slightly used Technics SL-1210M5G...

Two shortcomings

The AT LP1240 is a good solid piece of equipment, and I have only two criticisms:
1. A minor point, but no cartridge mounting screws are included. The screws that come with some carts, (example the suggested Shure M97xE)have heads a bit too large to fit into the adjusting slots of the headshell.
2. More serious, the set-up instructions make no mention of setting up for cartridge alignment (overhang). This should be done before setting tracking force, since the position of the cartridge in the shell will affect tracking force. Only by looking in the specifications do we see that overhang should be 15mm, but someone unfamiliar with setting up turntables might not think to look there.

AWESOME FOR THIS PRICE RANGE
I've had my turntable for some 5 months now along with a Shure M97xE cartridge and I've been nothing but pleased with it.
I have been disappointed with the sound of many (though not all) CD's I've purchased and have gotten to the point where I have re purchased many of my favorite albums on vinyl. Clean mint/near mint vinyl's sound quality is more consistent, a least for me. Also, I have taste that ranges through the entire LP history and there are still LP's which haven't gotten a CD release anyway. I actually have three cartridges. The one mentioned for LP's & 45's, a Shure M78S for 78's and a cartridge I had on an old turntable which I only use for records with visible scratches thus protecting my better cartridge.

I don't do any DJ ing, so I rate this strictly as a home entertainment turntable. I did take my time when setting it up, using a separate weight gauge, a round level and cartridge alignment protractor. I did have to have my cartridge slightly off angle...

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Wednesday, March 25, 2015

KEF LS50 Mini Monitor - High Gloss Piano Black (Pair)

Amazing little virtuosos...
I got curious about these when Stereophile gave them a much coveted A rating (with the caveat of "extreme" bass extension). A ratings are typically reserved for speakers in the (in average) $20k category. You also have to know I do own a 15 year old Accuphase + tower speaker rig worth $30k+ that I worshiped - I speak in the past because it is mostly in storage. I used to have an audio room that was large and tower speakers looked and sounded good there. But I have moved into a new place, and decided I needed something more space efficient - plus it is my conviction that good bookshelf speakers will beat towers in accuracy and staging most of the time, since they resemble that ideal audio source vanishing point more than anything else - and especially when you are sitting less than 8 feet away from them.

So I got these KEF LS50, and right out of the box... they blew my mind. First of all they look and feel awesome, I don't think i have ever seen bookshelf speakers as solidly...

Wonderful Hifi speakers for any room
My first introduction to KEF was a home theater system I setup for a relative. My biggest impression was the high audio quality and sound quantity coming from a few compact sized speakers. Granted, the speakers were being driven from an average consumer grade AV receiver, but it blew me away. The whole Uni-Q arrangement really worked wonders and made me a believer.

When I started to hunt for some replacement speakers for my office, I kept seeing glowing reviews about the LS50s and my favorable experience with KEF in the past kept them in my short list. Unfortunately, there were no dealers in my local area that had these for a demo. I thought long and hard for several months, tried out a bunch of other brands at showrooms, but I kept coming back to the LS50s. So knowing Amazon's great return policy and a good amount of nervousness, I finally pulled the trigger, along with a Peachtree Nova125 to power these bad boys.

My previous setup was a pair of...

The best speakers I have ever owned

It's a bit hard to say that almost anything that costs $1,500 is a great bargain, but that's exactly what we have here. The sound that's produced by these little gems is so good it's hard to describe. The clarity, the punch, the range, the imaging and the overall sound quality are simply extraordinary. The only thing I'm sorry about is that the review won't let me give it more than five stars.

If you have $1,500 of discretionary income to spend on audio equipment, I can't imagine anything better to buy with it. All of the rave reviews that I've read about the LS50s, from both professionals and consumers, are true and then some. Kudos to KEF. I expect to be enjoying these speakers for a long time.

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ZVOX SoundBase 670 Home Theater Sound System

Great new product from ZVOX!
Set out to identify a solution for my home stereo due to a failing speaker while also considering an upgrade to my 12 year old receiver with the thought to add a bluetooth solution so I might enjoy my iTunes library from my MacBook Air or iPhone.

Discussed my needs with a buddy who is an audiophile and owner of a pair of ZVOX SoundBase 580s. As I reviewed the specs and features of the various ZVOX models on the ZVOX website, my buddy and I came to conclude that the new Platinum series models and, specifically the 670, might not only serve as a replacement for my stereo speakers but also as a big upgrade on my Sony Bravia TV speakers and provide me with a home theater experience. After further discussing my needs and getting some great perspective/guidance from ZVOX customer support, I ordered (free shipping) and received my 670 in just a few days.

Unpacked, placed it under and connected the 670 to my 52" TV in less than 15 minutes with the optical digital cable...

Sonos Killer for one room audio
If you're looking for a music solution and a movie solution, the 670 is worth considering. The built-in Bluetooth is a little flaky connecting to my i-Phone 5S but after a few tries, it's solid. The Accuvoice feature for movie watching is fantastic. Gone are the garbled voices behind the movie soundtrack. The base coming out is simply staggering. Everyone who hears the sound out of this relatively small box is astonished. I'm filling a 20X20X20 foot room with a complete range of music notes. If you have the budget and ability to run wires everywhere, I'm sure a true 5:1/7:1 surround sound system would be better, but I don't want wires and I don't have $2500 to spend on those solutions. Check out (2) Digital Audio inputs, separate composite inputs, option for separate sub, although I can't imagine anyone needing it unless they want to break the windows. The engineers at ZVOX have done a great job delivering super sound on a budget. As far as I'm concerned this is the Sonos...

Awesome sound, comparatively speaking
The Zvox SoundBase 670 was a breeze to get up and running, at least with the basic features. It comes with most of the cables that you might need. I used the optical cable from the TV to the Zvox and it worked just fine. But, when the 670 arrived, it came with a dead remote control, so all I could do to set up the system was use the limited control set that is on the front of the Zvox box. That worked okay for initial setup and the sound was significantly better than what I had been getting out of the TV speakers. But I couldn't test the 2 things that caused me to purchase the 670, the Accuvoice and Output Leveling features.

So, I contacted Zvox support via email. Those folks were great, responding very quickly, often within minutes. They sent me a new remote immediately. Meanwhile, I looked around for a remote that would work all of my devices and I found out that the folks at Zvox use the Logitech...

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Harman Kardon Aura Wireless Stereo Speaker System (Black)

Very nice speaker. Except I will be returning it.
I really like this speaker a lot. Sounds really good and has great features. It also looks great on my shelf. My main problem is that when you are using one audio source. All the other sources stay active. What I mean by that, I am using the speaker linked to my PC with an AUX cable, but the bluetooth stays on in pairing mode, you can not disable it. This is a problem for me as I live in an apartment and I do not like the idea of anybody that can detect this speaker be able to connect to it. Not for any security reasons, But one can simply connect to it and start blasting their music at max level during night time and the only control you will have over it is to simply unplug it or turn it off! Also, if you are not using it in WIFI mode, the wifi light stays blinking fast until it connects to a wifi network! It gets very annoying very quick that the light is always blinking and you can not turn it off. I know I could probably put a black tape on top but thats not a solution when you...

Great design, decent sound, but bad customer experience
What I liked:
This unit looks great, super design.
I love the fact that it has airplay, wireless and dlna connectivity.
I could connect all Apple devices vie bluetooth and wifi without a problem. However, I didn't like the fact that the speaker was visible for other devices outside the house. Meaning, our neighbors could connect to the speaker and start playing their music (??)

What I didn't like
The sound is not great, but decent. Not sure the $400 price tag is justified.
Also, there is no way to equalize the sound output.
I also didn't like the fact that the remote control app disconnects after 10-15min so every time you want to use the remote control you need to "shut down" the app and restart it. Not cool.
The speaker often disconnects from the sound source so you end up listening to your iOS device only. This is very annoying, especially for such an expensive device.
Now, what really bothered me is that there is no remote...

Beautiful design and great sound without blowing the budget
Finding a decent all in one speaker system that looks as good as it sounds is surprisingly difficult. Add a limited budget, wireless streaming as well as the need for a conventional aux-input option to the wishlist and there are very few choices left. However the HK Aura managed to deliver on all of these requirements. The design is outstanding (the LED light is a particularly cool touch) and the sound performance of the HK Aura rivals my Loewe AirSpeaker (which also sounds pretty amazing) - but at half the price with twice the functionality. Downloading the HK remote app opens up a bunch of extra features, including the ability to adjust the bass (something the Loewe AirSpeaker doesn't offer). Set-up with the HK Aura is also effortless - whether via bluetooth or wifi, from my iPhone, iPad, macbook or my friend's android phone. I had been deliberating between the Sonos Play 3 or two Sonos Play 1 speakers but the lack of aux-in (and the dependency on a third party app to stream sound)...

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Onkyo HT-S9700THX 7.1-Channel Network A/V Receiver/Speaker Package with Dolby Atmos

UPDATE: NO AUDYSSEY BETTER 4K HDMI SLIGHTLY MORE WATTAGE
I do not own the 9700thx product but this is in response to another reviewer who said this product has less wattage than the previous onkyo ht-s9400thx model which I own myself. At first glance I also thought this newer 9700 model had a lower wattage rating but looked closer at the specs and realized it's actually a little more wattage for the speakers on this newer model from my knowledge and i'll explain below feel free to add to the comments if you have any more audio knowledge than I do or to clarify anything. I do want to purchase this product out when it becomes available and give my finding on the differences between the 9700 vs the 9400 model

I am not an expert on audio but I do know quite a bit. Info taken from the onkyo.com us website

the specs of the 9400thx says 130 W/Channel (6 ohms, 1 kHz, 1%, 1 ch driven))

the specs of the 9700thx says 115 W/Channel (6 Ohms, 1 kHz, 0.7%, 2 Channels Driven, FTC)

the key on the two specs is the...

Great All in One Package

This is a great all in one package with awesome sound. I bought this to use with in ceiling speakers as a 5.1.2 setup.

I find myself immersed in the movie with the setup. I bought an all in one package for the convenience of not having to piece together a system.

I do recommend purchasing your own speaker wire as what came with is a small gauge and not nearly enough for a living room.

Beautiful hardware, beautiful sound!
Just got the new HT-S9700THX surround system today. Wow! This system is fantastic. I am in love with this new receiver and all its features! Being able to play iTunes radio via bluetooth on my iPhone is awesome! The sound after calibrating this thing is superb, beats the pants off my old Onkyo system! The iOS remote app is very handy, the pairing the universal remote to all my devices via onscreen directions & codes was awesome, the wireless firmware update was very smooth, and what a beautiful looking set of speakers! It made my Wii, Xbox, Cable Box, and Blu-Ray player sounds amazing! Good packaging, nothing was scratched or damaged.

If you guys listen close enough to fix the parts that slowed me down during setup, maybe you could improve them for others? Here were my issues.

1) Your website still says "Coming Soon!" on the product info page, but it is available in your store. You should change this so others know to buy it!
2) When connecting my...

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Teac LP-R550USB CD Recorder with Cassette Turntable

Happily recording cd's

Since I received my Teac LP-R550USB CD recorder, I have played the lp's, cassette tapes cd's and radio to make sure everything was working. Then I recorded one of my lp vinyl records to a CD and was very pleased with the result. My next step was to record a cassette tape to a CD and again I was pleased with the outcome. The directions are easy to follow and I am happy with my purchase which is enabling me to record to cd's some of my records and tapes.

Teac LP-R550USB CD recorder
After considering less expensive USB turntables I decided to give this unit a chance since it also allowed me to record from other sources including cassette, AM/FM and auxiliary source. My wife still has a lot of cassettes and our album collection has been sitting in a closet collecting dust for many years so I thought this would be a good opportunity to digitize our collection of old music. The unit is well built and sounds surprisingly good for the low wattage speakers. It has auxiliary speaker outlets which can be used to feed into another amplifier or an extra set of speakers. I was a little skeptical about the ability of the unit to properly increment the track number between songs on an album but it works surprisingly well and offers 3 different noise settings that trigger the track to increment. I found that the -40 db setting works best for albums. It is not perfect but since I am still learning how best to use the unit I may have had it on another setting, reading the...

IT'S EASY!

The LP-R550 lives up to the advertising regarding ease of use. I've recorded some 20 albums onto CD over the past few weeks with no issues at all. I also recorded a prized 24 year old Linda Williams cassette from the tape unit and that process went smoothly. The PAUSE feature on the recorder comes in handy when flipping over a record or cassette tape. The tone arm has the appearance of being flimsy or sensitive but operates quite well.

I tried recording directly into my computer a few years using an AT-PL50 turntable and Cakewalk software and it didn't go well. Although the method of recording to CDs and then ripping them into Windows Media Player may seem tedious, with the TEAC recorder it is more foolproof. The equipment is solidly built and to my ears the speakers are plenty adequate. I highly recommend the product.

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Bowers & Wilkins T7 Portable Bluetooth Speaker - Black

Not even worth half of the asked price
My expectations for the T7 were extremely high when it was announced. My hope was that the highly regarded audiophile brand B&W finally managed to build a perfect portable speaker. The specs were promising, so I directly ordered one from the B&W store to have a listen.
To spoil all the suspense I already contacted B&W for a return label, because the T7 is one of the most disappointing speakers I have heard during the last years.

It is not bad sounding per se, but you can meanwhile get better performance for less than half the price.
Maybe it took B&W so long to design this speaker with their questionable "Micro Matrix" which doesn't seem to be of any use, so that they forgot to look at what the competition has to offer in the meantime.
I have heard nearly all available portable speakers from many different companies, but the T7 seems to be just another one of those without improving on any of the aspects where portable speakers suffer from which rely solely...

Great speaker
I have had this speaker for a couple of months. I have also had hands on experience with the bose Soundlink 3 as well as the B&O Beoplay A2 . I can honestly say the T7 is the best but ill explain . 1st the Bose is a great speaker with the ability to give good bass which is it's strong point as well as its weakness. It's capable of very clean bass but times can be very muddy with bass over doing the vocals . I found this was great for playing games which added to the gameplay . I'm not a big gamer but I can see how this would be beneficial to game play .
I found the beoplay A2 had a very clean sound as well as the T7 . They both had very clean bass and never had that muddy sound I found with the Bose . Maybe never achieving the bass like Bose but as I've said that can be a good and bad thing.
What we have to realize is that these speakers will never take the place of a bigger bookshelf speaker but placed in the right position they do a pretty great job as trying...

B&W brilliance in a very small package

Unbelievably good. I've been a big fan of B&W speakers since the 70s, when I bought a pair of DM7 speakers. I later upgraded to a pair of Matrix 1E and am still using them. This little gem is worth every penny. I have previously used the Bose mini sound link which is very good, but the B&W beats it hands down for depth, clarity, pure sounding bass and battery life.
My only complaint - as yet no one has brought out a carry case. C'mon people this speaker deserves a really nice carry case!!

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BeoPlay A2 - Grey

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Yamaha Natural Sound Custom Easy-to-install In-Ceiling Flush Mount 2-Way 120 watts Speaker (Set of 4) with 1" Tweeters & 8" Woofer for Large Room or 2 Smaller Rooms

I like these speakers a lot.
Installation was easy and they sound great. I installed these for TV watching and music listening in my living room and they work well. I am not an audiophile and this is not where we watch movies, so all I needed was the basics. These were a good deal IMO and I would recommend them to anyone looking to install speakers with low profiles. I am using them with the Yamaha RX-V375 AV Receiver.

Tools:
Data Shark 70029 Unviersal Stripper Cutter (must have for any electrical work)
Monoprice 50ft 16AWG CL2 Rated 2-Conductor Loud Speaker Cable (For In-Wall Installation)
GLS Audio Safe-Connect "Generation 4" Gold Connector Banana Plugs Banana Clips - 8 Pack (4 Red & 4 Black)
Generic electrical pliers with cutters, crimpers,a nd strippers.

Tips:
Use the banana plugs because it is difficult standing on a ladder threding the wires into the connector and then tightening down the screws IMO.
Use a dremel tool with a sheetrock cutting...

Very nice speakers

Bought theses for my sister. She wanted a new found system. But she did not want to see r
Them hanging. Fairly easy to install..(she had an attic) she loves the way they sound. Also bought a ysmaha sub to complete the install.

Will be buying more of these.

We used these in our conference room at our store and the sound is crystal clear with a decent amount of bass. Easy to install, there is a template that comes to help with cutting them in. Lightweight enough to put in regular ceiling tiles.

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Tuesday, March 24, 2015

Polk Audio RTI A1 Bookshelf Speakers (Pair, Black)

Listening Pleasure

I researched bookshelf speakers for two months. I wanted a speaker that would fill the room with clean, rich sound for all types of music, especially jazz, classical, bluegrass, and rock. Everything sounds great on these speakers. I had Boston Acoustic floor speakers. I still love the the BAs, but I have not lost anything with the Polk and I have gained space. The speakers sit on top of a bookcase, about 6' off the ground, in a 14' x 14' room. I could not be happier.

Polk RTi A1 versus Wharfedale Diamond 10.1
This may sound a bit like a Wharfedale Diamond 10.1 review, but read on, be patient, and you'll see where I'm going with this...

When researching which new speakers to buy, I read a number of reviews. I eventually waffled between the Wharfedale Diamond 10.1s and the Polk RTi A1s - both overwhelmingly favorably reviewed. In the end, I decided to take a chance on the Wharfedales. I spent hours trying to find them for sale online in the US, finally did find them, and made the purchase. There are no dealers that carry them in Oklahoma, and due to a lack of Stateside online retailer options, I paid full price, which made me a little nervous. To make matters worse, the day after I purchased the Wharfedales, Amazon slashed the price on the Polks by $75. Not wanting to pass on a great deal and knowing I could return whichever speakers I liked the least, I went ahead and got them too. The speakers arrived within a day of each other, and the first thing I did was test them in...

Beautiful aesthetics and unbelievable performance at a remarkable price

I also own the previous generation RTi6 bookshelf speakers by Polk and was able to do a direct comparison. The 6s have larger drivers so their slight mid-bass advantage is to be expected, but in all other ways the RTi A1 is an improvement. The sound projects further outside of the cabinets, or rather the cabinets disappear and throw a great, wide sound-field outward. Instruments sound like they should, male voices aren't nasal or chesty, and the highs are soothing rather than sibilant and tinny (as the previous RTis could get under pressure). I have never heard a speaker this nice at a price this low.