The Sound Room

Home Theater Week in Review, June 15-19, 2009: HDMI--Master of the Universe by 2013

by Oliver Amnuayphol

Still using component video in your HD rig? Me too--I haven't gotten to around to getting a new flat panel yet, and my old HD RPTV only features analog, 1080i component video hookups as HD compatible inputs. It looks plenty good to me, but apparently I can only procrastinate until 2013, when any Blu-ray player made after December 31, 2013 will be required to downconvert component video to SDTV (480i or 576i). The group that manages Blu ray's DRM decided 2014 was a good time plug the "analog hole" in hi-def transmissions so that copy-protected HDMI would be the only transmission method for HD signals. So if you spent boatloads of money on your hi-end CRT projector and wanna keep it; or still love your RPTV for its rich black levels; or prefer component video for its superiority over HDMI for long cable runs, you'll either have to hope and pray your current Blu ray player never, ever gives up the ghost, or stock up on 'em before 2014.

Movie Releases for Next Week.

DVD: Confessions of a Shopaholic; Inkheart; Waltz with Bashir (Criterion Collection); Last Year at Marienbad; My Dinner with Andre; The Code; Dragon Hunters; Pink Panther 2; Home.

Blu-ray: Confessions of a Shopaholic; Inkheart; Waltz with Bashir (Criterion Collection); Last Year at Marienbad; The Pianist; The Code; Dragon Hunters; Pink Panther 2; Origin: Spirits of the Past.

RIP Michael Jackson 1958-2009

by Jason Hicks

I'm not one to let celebrity deaths affect me too much, but Michael Jackson's passing today is one that hits home particularly hard.  Sure the real Michael checked out quite a while back and the increasingly bizarre shell of a man that was left behind was more than a little sad.  But for me he'll always be the epitome of cool that he was when I was a little kid during the Thriller period of the early to mid 80s.  I still remember watching the Motown 25th Anniversary special when MJ busted out the moonwalk for the first time while performing Billie Jean and instantly went from star to icon.  Seeing a little piece of entertainment history like that is not easily forgotten, and the man who created will not be replaced. 

Thriller was the first record I ever owned and I still have that scratched and worn copy.  To this day there isn't a dance party that happens at my house without me busting it out.  Me and my other DJ friends had a running joke that playing one of the hot dance tracks from Thriller in order to get people out on the dance floor was like "shooting fish in a barrel" and almost too easy.  Michael's vocals, Quincy Jones' production and nearly flawless songwriting all combined for an R&B masterpiece that was both forward looking and had the best elements of the classic soul and funk that came before it.  How many dance tracks since have shamelessly stole the perfection that is the "Billie Jean" bassline?  Too many to count.   Sure "The Lady in My Life" is kind of a clunker and the duet with Paul McCartney, "The Girl is Mine" is beyond cheesy, but the other seven tracks are undeniable classics.  Seven classic tracks on one album, are you kidding me?  Can any other artist besides the Beatles boast such a stat?  I think not. 

So I'm going home to rock my scratchy copy of Thriller one more time to pay tribute to one of the greatest performers of the 20th Century tonight.  Let's not focus on the scandal and other distractions that clouded his life, but instead let's remember the enormous talent he had and what a gift his music and dancing was to our world.  For me he'll always be in his prime, dancing like a zombie in the "Thriller" video, lighting up the sidewalks in "Billie Jean", and leading thugs in a West Side Story style dance routine in "Beat It". 

It's hard for me not to get a little teary eyed when thinking of the puppet shows my cousin and I used to perform to his music when we were kids.  I remember another time when my father, who worked at Warner Bros. at the time, gave me a stack of promo 8X10" glossys of MJ in the trademark Thriller leather jacket.  Suffice to say that when I brought them to school the next day I've never been so popular before or since.  The Thriller album will always be associated with my childhood and I feel lucky to have had such an amazing soundtrack to that special period of my life.

RIP MJ, thank you for all of the magic and happiness you brought to literally billions of people, you will be dearly missed.

All Things Vinyl, June 18, 2009: Linn Sondek SE LP12 Upgrades.

by Oliver Amnuayphol

"Just like a fine wine" is how I'd describe the Linn Sondek LP12: it really does get better with age. Seems like just yesterday Linn Products Ltd. introduced the first round of SE upgrades for the venerable LP12, consisting of the stunning titanium Ekos SE tonearm and the beautifully machined-from-solid aluminum Keel subchassis. Now Ivor Tiefenbrun and company have unleashed two new LP12 SE  products, the Urika and Radikal. The Urika is an all new MC phono stage featuring dual-mono, balanced circuitry for either RCA or transformer-coupled XLR outputs; an all new Trampolin baseboard was designed to place the Urika directly inside the Sondek's plinth for the shortest, most direct signal path possible.

Urika phono stage

Perhaps most importantly, the Urika can only be powered by the Radikal--which may indeed be Linn's most, ahem, "radical" design evolution ever for the LP12, as it features a DC motor in addition to its motor control and power supply circuitry. Long noted for being staunch advocates of AC powered motors, the Radikal's brushed DC motor is further isolated in a low vibration/low resonance housing and uses Klimax DS-sourced on-board speed management for smooth, stable, noise-free operation.

Radikal power supply and motor control unit

All this cutting-edge tech doesn't come cheap however: The Urika will set you back about 2250 GBP (about $3700 us) and the Radikal either 2500 GBP (about $4000) or a much dearer 4500 GBP ($7400) if you spring for the machined from solid aluminum Klimax chassis. But hey, at least you can save some scrilla when you buy 'em both at once: The combo purchase will set you back either 4200 GBP ($6900, standard Radikal chassis) or 6200 GBP ($10,200, Klimax Radikal chassis). Both products available now.

Oppo's BDP-83 initial impressions

by Mark Alt

Well, it's been about two weeks since my Oppo BDP-83 has arrived and set up in my home, so I figured it's high time to give my initial impressions on the player.

First, let me say that I have an older Onkyo TX-SR703 which does not have HDMI.  So I connected the HDMI out from the Oppo to my Samsung DLP TV for video and I am using the multichannel analog audio inputs on the 703 for the audio portion.  Since the Oppo has an on-board decoder for both Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD (and, obviously, my 703 does not), I can still enjoy the higher quality audio with my older 703 through the multichannel inputs.

The Oppo is really easy to set up.  It has an initial setup that walks you through the basics.  And then a more extensive menu for tweaking the setup.  The menu is one of the best I've seen.  It has a really simple layout and very helpful menu tips that describe what each setting does.  In my case, since my DLP is 1080p capable, I am enjoying the best picture available.  And since I am using the on-board decoder, I needed to set up the speakers specifics on the Oppo as well (very similar if not the same as what you need to do on your A/V receiver to calibrate the speakers).  The multi-channel inputs on the receiver are essentially pass-throughs, the receiver does not do anything to the signal aside from controlling the volume.

Loading a Blu-ray disc to display on the screen is the fastest I've seen of any Blu-ray player.  I've seen first generations players take almost a minute (if not more) to start to display a picture from the disc - worse if it is a BD-live disc.  The Oppo takes mere seconds for a non-BD-live disc (virtually as fast as a standard DVD) and about 15 to 20 seconds for a BD-live disc - although I have not done any actual timing as of yet so those are estimates.

Picture and audio are top notch.  Even my wife is starting to come around when I did an A/B comparison with Disney's Cars first with a DVD version, then with the Blu-ray version.  The detail on the Blu-ray disc is amazing.  Maybe it was because it was my personal setup, but it seemed to me that the picture quality from the Oppo was even better than most of the players that I've seen.

Granted, I've had the player about two weeks now, but over that short time, I can say that I am extremely well pleased with the Oppo and am looking forward to incorporating it in my home theater system for years to come.

If anyone is curious about certain features or specs about the Oppo, let me know and I'll try to include them in future posts.

Grizzly Bear Exceed Hipster Expectations with Veckatimest

by Jason Hicks

If Animal Collective's Merriweather Post Pavilion was the most anticipated album of early 2009, then the prize for the most hyped album of the summer of 09 undoubtedly goes to Brooklyn foursome Grizzly Bear's latest album, Veckatimest.  The group made a modest splash amongst hipsters, including this one, with their well crafted 2006 release Yellow House.  That album even garnered a slot in pitchfork's top ten albums of the year, which put them in rarified music snob company to be sure.  So with the advance word of an even stronger follow up, the blogosphere has been abuzz about the folky band's newest effort.

While for me the jury is out on whether they have topped the sheer beauty of Yellow House, Veckatimest is without a doubt a leap forward in terms of ambition and attention to detail.   While previously the band primarily relied on songwriting and simple melody, this time around Grizzly Bear has given us an album of stunning intricacy laced with lush arrangements and interesting production choices.  Take the epic album opener "Southern Point", that starts out as a muted hymn of acoustic guitar, bass, drums and keyboard.  However by its end it has swollen to a churning stew that includes flutes, banjo, backwards cymbals, a string quartet and wah guitar leads all intertwining and darting in and out of the mix.  If that sounds like a lot to digest, indeed it is, but each part integrates seamlessly and none of it detracts from the underlying strength of the song itself.  

The next track is the piano driven "Two Weeks", which is probably the closest thing to a pop song on the album, and singer Edward Droste's falsetto brings to mind a rootsy version of Tears for Fears crooner Roland Orzabal.  Even though it's Grizzly Bear's version of a catchy tune, there's still quite a bit of minutiae to be dissected.  With its clanging percussion, a harpischord-like synth, fuzz bass, soaring backing vocals and finger snaps what seems to be a simple ditty on its surface is in fact a very nuanced composition.

The band's other chief songwriter and singer, Daniel Rossen, gets his chance to shine on the next couple of tunes, "All We Ask" and "Fine for Now", both of which are excellent showcases for his songwriting style which tends to begin delicately and build quietly until reaching an ecstatic peak.  His vocals also bring to mind John Lennon's contemplative persona, a la "Across the Universe". 

On the whole Grizzly Bear are fairly restrained, usually going for rococo sophistication over intensity.  But while their music can lack brawn, they have indeed mastered the ability to pack quite a bit of passion and density within their aesthetic.  Even though their songs have a tendency to take the indirect route to express their ideas, more often than not the payoff that they provide makes the journey one that is worth taking.

Home Theater Week in Review, June 8-12, 2009: DTV Official; Toshiba LED/LCD TVs; LG TVs + Netflix.

by Oliver Amnuayphol

Ding dong, the analog witch is dead! At least for TV anyway: June 12 marked the official DTV switch from analog television broadcasts to digital, so unless you were one of the 2.8 million folks holed up in a cave somewhere and unaware of the A to D switch, chances are you either have some sort of pay TV service or a digital converter box. If you're reading this blog and happen to be one of those 2.8 mil, you can find out what to expect for DTV reception in your area here and learn how to go digital or (set and forget those rabbit ears) here.

And speaking of digital TVs, Toshiba recently announced their LED-backlit LCD TVs will soon be available, two screen size options to start: a 46" at $2299 and a 50" at $2999. Both 1080p models feature local dimming, quasi-240hz refresh and improved upconversion. Both models should be available end of the month at a dealer near you.

Trying to scale down the number of STBs for your HDTV? LG's got the answer with two new flat panel TVs, the LCD 47LH50 ($2100) and the PDP 50PS80 (also $2100). These two are the first Netflix enabled sets on the market, meaning you can say goodbye to that Roku or other such STB for Netflix instant viewing. The 47LH50 features full 1080p resolution, 70000:1 contrast ratio, 120 Hz refresh and LG's improved NetCast feature. The 50PS80 also sports 1080p and NetCast and features a 2000000:1 contrast ratio, THX certification and picture mode, and 600 Hz sub-field drive. Both models available now.

Movie Releases for Next Week.

DVD: Friday the 13th; Transformers: The Complete First Season; John Adams; The Seventh Seal (Criterion Collection); Sword of the Stranger; Cherry Blossoms.

Blu-ray: Ghostbusters; Spaceballs; Friday the 13th; Dr. Strangelove; John Adams; The Seventh Seal (Criterion Collection); Sword of the Stranger; Miracle; The Diary of Anne Frank.

Hi-Res Focus: SACD Specialty Labels Pentatone Records, Alia Vox, and Caro Mitis

by Oliver Amnuayphol

Remember SACD? Once upon a time, the format was the audiophile’s great hi-res hope for two and multi-channel, lifelike sound. I recently read one of our forum threads, “Who buys SACDs?” that got me thinking about my history of hi res music purchases. Unfortunately the format has lingered in near obscurity since its introduction almost ten years ago, reduced to a niche format for that increasingly endangered species, the quality conscious music lover. But ask any classical-luvin’ audiophile and he’ll tell you (it’s almost always a “he,” isn’t it?) that SACD is far from dead. Everyone knows I'm a vinylhead first but, when it comes to newer classical releases, nothing beats SACD. I've found that, for classical music afficionados, there's an embarrassment of super riches out there in the super audio format.

Take for example Pentatone Records, who releases only SACD titles of first rate classical performances. A large majority of their recordings are also multi-channel and recorded direct to DSD; if you have a multi-channel SACD set up with direct from DSD conversion, you'll be amazed by the realistic, warm and rich sonics of their recordings (two channel playback is equally impressive if you're so inclined). You can purchase Pentatone discs at a variety of locations, but my fav is Arkiv Music. Hands down I'd say they are the best classical e-tailer ever: you can also search/browse exclusively within the SACD format, and they've got over 2000 SACDs available. Of course, you can also purchase Pentatone's discs from their own site (if you're a member). 

 

If you love renaissance, consort or Baroque music (or any early music for that matter), you'll surely agree that record label Alia Vox is like mana from the gods. I mean, how can you not love the label Jordi Savall calls home? I need a daily dose of French and English Baroque to survive, and Alia Vox's catalog is loaded with superb performances of works by Couperin, Marais, Lully, Hume and Lawes among many others. If you've ever heard a theorbe or bass viol up close and in person, you'll marvel at how sumptuously realistic these instruments sound on Alia Vox's recordings. Where to buy? Again, Arkiv Music is a great source, as is Amazon.

 

Also, a shout out to my peeps at Caro Mitis, a classical label specializing in SACDs of Russian and European musicians, ensembles and orchestras. Many releases are world premier recordings, and their selection of exclusive oboe works featuring oboist Alexei Utkin are first class. Check out their recordings featuring the Pratum Integrum Orchestra with authentic period instruments as well. Purchase these fine discs again at Arkiv, or at special prices from MA Recordings, another fine label who is closing out their selection of Caro Mitis discs.

 

 

 

Got your own suggestions for where to buy SACDs? Leave a comment, or hit up the above referenced forum post.

Phish Fan Webcasts Concert from His iPhone

by Jason Hicks

The concept of a webcast, a live broadcast of audio and/or video over the internet isn't a new one, the idea goes back to the late '80s and the first actual webcasts occurred in the late '90s.  These days there are tons of webcasts that you can watch, from BBC news programs to live concerts.  AT&T in particular has been broadcasting decent quality streams of major music festivals at their blue room website for a few years now. 

But two days ago a first occurred, an audience member webcast nearly an hour of a Phish concert live from New York to over 2000 viewers using only his iPhone and a streaming site called Ustream.  In contrast to a professional webcast using digital video cameras and huge amounts of bandwidth, the stream did break up a few times and the video was fairly blocky.  The audio wasn't great either but it was listen-able, and the stream came through uninterrupted for over 15 minutes at times. 

While there are major copyright issues and it's likely that Ustream will be receiving a cease and desist order any day now, it was indeed pretty incredible to be able to experience some semblance of the performance in real time merely due to the efforts of one audience member and his phone. 

Apparently the webcast made such a stir that spammers on twitter are now using the keywords "phishtube broadcast" to post links to pages with adware and fake antivirus products.  "Phistube" is the name of the Ustream account that was used to stream the webcast.  While that's an unfortunate consequence it doesn't diminish the precedent that was set, and I bet we will see a proliferation of one man (or woman) mobile broadcasts in the very near future.

Phish play their next show tonight at 8 PM EST, so check out phishtube's page to see if he can pull it off again. 

Oppo's new BDP-83 Blu-ray Disc player

by Mark Alt

For my first blog post, I figured I would write a teaser about the new Oppo BDP-83 Blu-ray Disc player which is currently being released to those lucky few who signed up for a pre-release.  That includes yours truly.  Mine is currently on its way to me and should be here tomorrow.

For those of you not in the loop, the BDP-83 is being touted as the first to be released "universal" Blu-ray player.  It isn't the first announced, Denon took those honors with their DVD-A1UD.  Unfortunately, that one has been delayed, so the Oppo gets the prize of "first one in the wild."

What's a universal Blu-ray player you ask? Well, it is a player that not only plays Blu-ray, DVD, and CD, but also plays SACD and DVD-Audio. Sorry, no HD-DVD support though.

The Oppo, which has undergone two rounds of "beta" testing, features some other impressive features such as on-board decoding of Dolby TrueHD and DTS HD with both HDMI and 7.1 analog outputs for those of us with older non-HDMI receivers such as myself, full 1080p upscaling via an Anchor Bay VRS processor, and the ability to play music or display pictures from USB drives via two USB ports (one conveniently located in the front).  Of course, it is BD-Live compatible with 1GB memory onboard and an Ethernet port on the back which also allows for easy firmware updates.  Oppo also has an optional add-on for a wireless adapter if necessary. Couple this with Oppo's impressive customer service and reputation for quality DVD players and it is shaping up to be a winner.

I am eagerly anticipating the arrival of my player and will follow up in the coming weeks with my thoughts on it after I get a chance to play with it.