Home Theater Week in Review, October 5-9, 2009: Sony Edge-Lit XBR10 LCDs; PS3 Slim.

by Oliver Amnuayphol

Another laid back week for home theater news, but Sony made a bit of a splash at CEDIA with their new XBR10 series of flat panels. Boasting truckloads of new school tech, like full 1080p resolution in an ultra thin design, wireless transmission, broadband Ethernet Bravia internet video connection, Motionflow 240Hz, and edge-lit LED backlighting, the XBR10s are stunning to say the least. Two models are currently available: a 47 inch at $4500, and a 52 inch model at $5000. Curiously though, Sony's opted not to include local dimming in the new sets; will this feature in upcoming models? Sony's always been at the forefront of video technology, so it'll definitely be interesting to see how the new flat panels compare with the last gen of local dimming sets, the XBR8. Get all the deets here.

Also, don't forget about the PS3 Slim that's been available for a minute now. Sure, there have been some  cuts as usual to get the size/weight/price down (geez, will we ever see PS2 compatibility again?), but keep this gaming unit in mind if you're an HT enthusiast: The slim now allows you to output true bitstream DTS-HD Master Audio and Dolby True HD to your A/V receiver! 'Bout time. And at $299 for an all-in-one gamer and Blu ray spinner, not a bad value either. Check out the Engadget review for all the deets here.

Movie Releases for This Week.

DVD: The Proposal; Drag Me to Hell; Legend of the Seeker: The Complete First Season; Land of the Lost; Every Little Step; The Stepfather; Happy Birthday to Me; Futurerama: The Complete Collection; Objectified; Bob Dylan; Keep Your Eyes on the Prize; Warren Miller: Children of Winter; Looney Tunes Spotlight Collection, Vol. 7.

Blu-ray: The Proposal; Drag Me to Hell; Land of the Lost; Hardware; Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas; The Craft; Screwballs; Warren Miller: Children of Winter.

All Things Vinyl, October 5, 2009: Classic Records Royal Ballet and Beethoven Symphonies on Clarity Vinyl.

by Oliver Amnuayphol

Not a lot of vinyl news this week, but still some golden nuggets to report on: Classic Records just announced two fabulous new vinyl releases, the first of which being the highly sought after The Royal Ballet Gala Performances. Recorded in 1957 at Kingsway Hall, Royal Ballet features Ernest Ansermet conducting the Royal Opera House Orchestra in one their finest performances ever recorded. Many classical-luvin' audiophiles consider this to be one of Decca's finest recordings, and now Classic Records has reissued Ballet on their wondrous 200 gram, QUIEX-SVP Clarity vinyl formulation--and on 9 45-rpm discs no less. Sure, there's a non-45 rpm version of this album available as well, but if you love this music and treasure superb-sounding classical music from the golden age of LP recordings, you'll delight at all the musical and sonic riches this 9-disc set has to offer. Look for this set to be available October 16th at around $120.

Also coming soon from Classic Records is the complete cycle of Beethoven Symphonies with Josef Krips conducting the London Symphony Orchestra. That's right--all nine glorious Beethoven symphonies in one set! Originally issued in 1959 by Everest Records, the Krips Beethoven cycle is one in a series of Everest gems originally recorded onto 35mm master tape; Bert Whyte was at the helm of the original sessions and did a fine job of capturing all of Walthamstow Assembly Hall's rich reverberant decay, sense of scale and natural tonal balance. Rest assured Classic is coaxing as much sonic goodness as possible from this one: the set will comprise 10 200-gram Quiex-SVP Clarity vinyl LPs with mastering at Bernie Grundman. Look for the set to be available around Oct. 20th, $249 MSRP. 

Home Theater Week in Review, September 21-25, 2009: More Arcam; LG Wireless LCDs; Toshiba Blu ray.

by Oliver Amnuayphol

If you liked the Arcam AVR600 receiver I wrote about in the previous post, check out their new pre/pro n' amp combo, The FMJ AV888 A/V processor and P777 amp. The processor checks all the right boxes with its awesome feature set: Wolfson 8741 Digital to Analogue converters across all eight channels; individual, multi-regulated power supplies; Burr Brown DRV134 balanced line drivers; and of course decoding for Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio. The P777 seems quite the brawny stunner as well: Twin oversize toroid power transformers feeding seven channels with separate secondary windings for each channel; twin transformer drive for the critical center channel; four Sanken bi-polar output transistors per channel; and over 1.6 kW of continuous power on tap, spec'd as 7 x 150 WPC into 8 ohms, or 7 x 230 WPC into 4 ohms. Here's a Cinenow video of Arcam's John Dawson waxing lyrical over this awesome pair. Both models available now.

In TV news, LG recently displayed a totally boss wireless LCD HDTV at the recent CEDIA expo, the flagship 55-inch, 55LHX. Connections from your gear are made from a supplied wireless media box then are streamed wireless to the set itself. And lest you think this set us all features, think again: the nearly inch-thick 55LHX features LED backlighting with local dimming, THX certification, TruMotion 240Hz technology, and IFccc calibration. The 55LHX should be available soon at a reasonable $4799; the H85 series debuting this fall will also feature wireless hook ups in 47-inch ($2399) 55-inch ($3199) sizes.  

With the hi-res format long over, looks like Toshiba's decided it was safe to return to the HD packaged media fold by showing off their soon to be released, first-ever Blu ray spinner, the BDX2000 ($249.99). True to their heritage of offering supreme bang for the buck performance, the BDX2000 will feature BD-Live Profile 2.0, 1080p/24fps capability, and HDMI-CEC control via Toshiba's REGZA link. Look for the BDX2000 to be available this November.

Movie Releases for This Week.

DVD: Monsters Vs. Aliens; The Wizard of Oz (70th Anniversary Edition); Superman/Batman: Public Enemies; Management; Away We Go; Ultraman, The Complete Series; The Universe: The Complete Season Three; Shrink; Sense and Sensibility; Lies and Illusions; Super Mario World: Yoshi the Superstar. 

Blu-ray: Monsters Vs. Aliens; The Wizard of Oz (70th Anniversary Edition); Superman/Batman: Public Enemies; The Texas Chainsaw Massacre; Away We Go; Labyrinth; The Dark Crystal; Management; The Universe: The Complete Season Three; Snakes on a Plane.

Home Theater Week in Review, September 14-18, 2009: Arcam A/V Gear; Denon AVR-4810CI 9.3 Receiver.

by Oliver Amnuayphol

If you've been around the audio/home theater block a couple of times, chances are you've heard of Arcam, a UK-based manufacturer of enthusiast-oriented hi-fi/home theater gear. If you haven't, it may be high time you've acquainted yourself: Arcam has a long and well-deserved reputation for very high performance gear at unbelievably sensible prices--not a bad feat considering the exchange rate premium when purchasing their gear stateside. Lately Arcam's been making waves on the home theater front, such as with their AVR600 receiver. Part of their famed "FMJ" (Faithful Musical Joy) range of components, Arcam obviously have placed high priority on sonic goodness with the AVR600; in fact, many enthusiasts consider it to be one of the best-sounding receivers currently available--even surpassing many separates. Still, to compete in today's hotly-contested A/V marketplace one has to include the latest, most relevant features, which Arcam certainly have: Internal processing for Dolby TrueHD and DTS HD Master Audio; Analog Devices ADSP-21366 & ADSP-21367 DSPs; and 5 in, 2 out HDMI 1.3 connections. Here's a clip of Arcam's CEO John Dawson talking about the new AVR600, courtesy of Cinenow. 

Hot on the heels of Onkyo announcing their "00" line of 9.2 capable receivers comes Denon's 9.3 channelreceiver, the AVR-4810CI ($2999). In addition to offering 3 sub inputs, the 4810 features the latest Dolby Pro Logic IIz and Audyssey DSX processing in addition to the now standard mix of A/V receiver features--like onboard Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio decoding; HDMI 1.3 ins/outs with Anchor Bay VRS upconversion; Audyssey MultiEQ XT 8-point room acoustic measurement and correction; and Dynamic Volume and EQ. What's more, word on the street is this Denon features something the latest Onkyos don't: simultaneous operation of height and width channels. Whoa. With 12-channel preouts and a host of other featuers too numerous to mention, the Denon should prove to be a home theater tinkerer's delight. Look for the 4810 to drop sometime in October.

Movie Releases for This Week.

DVD:  Star Trek: The Next Generation Motion Picture Collection; Wallace and Gromit: A Matter of Loaf or Death; Ghosts of Girlfriends Past; Observe and Report; Wallace and Gromit: The Complete Collection; Adam Resurrected; Lymelife; O'Horten; Tulpan; Mandie and the Secret Tunnel; Rage.

Blu-ray: Star Trek: The Next Generation Motion Picture Collection; Shaun of the Dead; Wallace and Gromit: The Complete Collection; Observe and Report; Ghosts of Girlfriends Past; The Complete Monterey Pop Festival - Criterion Collection; Pierrot Le Fou - Criterion Collection; Lymelife.

Home Theater Week in Review, September 7-11, 2009: Anthem AVS and Statement series; Harman Kardon Receivers; Peerless Mounts.

by Oliver Amnuayphol

If you're looking for the cream of the crop in home theater electronics, be sure to put Anthem on your short list. They've been making fine quality, performance-oriented gear for years, and many A/V enthusiasts consider their Statement series among the best HT components available. They've recently updated their reference-quality D2v and AVM50v processors with the latest hi-res goodies, like internal Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio processing, 8 (!) HDMI 1.3c inputs and dual outputs, proprietary ARC room correction, and top-shelf Sigma Designs VXP video processing. Get all the deets courtesy of the Cinenow video clip here.

Speaking of quality A/V gear, Harman/Kardon's been known to make some themselves. Ever the sensibly-spec'd, value-focused brand, it's tough to beat H/K when it comes to sound quality-per-dollar, even if they've been slower than most to adopt the latest hi-res features. Well no more. With the hi-res capable AVR 3550HD and AVR 7550HD already in their stable, Harman/Kardon's added three more cracking new A/V receivers to their mix: the AVR 1600 ($599), AVR 2600 ($799), and AVR 3600 ($1199). All three models feature on board Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio decoding, HDMI 1.3 ins/outs, and of course high-current, all-discrete amplifier circuitry. The 2600 adds Faroudja Torino upconversion and Dolby Volume, while the 3600 add those features plus the Bridge III for your iPod/iPhone and second zone/mulltiroom capability. All three models available now.

As flat panel TVs get thinner, it's only natural their wall mounts should become more sleek and svelte as well. The folks over at Peerless have intro'd their new Flatwall series flat panel mounts designed to get your TV as close to wall as possible. Available in a range to fit virtually any flat panel size, the Flat wall mounts are also fairly easy to install. Check out the Cinenow video here for the skinny on the skinny mounts.

 

 

Movie Releases for This Week.

DVD:  X-Men Origins: Wolverine; Doctor Who: The Next Doctor; Wagon Master; Easy Virtue; Fame; Knights of Bloodsteel; Grace; Note by Note: The Making of Steinway L103; Essential Art House: Le Jour se Leve; Army of Darnkess Screwhead Edition; Trumbo; Nightwatching; Camille; Stick It.

Blu-ray: X-Men Origins: Wolverine; Van Helsing; An American Werewolf in London; Army of Darkness Screwhead Edition; Misery; Hero; Deep Impact; Easy Virtue; Amadeus; Grace; Varsity Blues; The Legend of Drunken Master; The Blind Swordsman: Zatoichi; Iron Monkey; Camille.

Home Theater Week in Review, August 24-28, 2009: NAD Receiver Upgrades; New Onkyo Receivers.

by Oliver Amnuayphol

Flash! NAD recently announced HD-designated upgrades to three of their highly acclaimed "5" series receivers: the T785 ($3999), T775 ($2999), and T765 ($2499). All three models now feature the latest in hi-res A/V processing, such as internal Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio decoding, HDMI cross conversion and Audyssey calibration thanks to what NAD calls MDC, or Modular Design Construction. This open architecture design effectively future proofs these three receivers via removable processing boards that can be further upgraded in the future. Initially, four different plug in boards will be available, two each for audio and video processing: the AM200/AM100 for audio and the VM200/VM100 for video. The AM200 features twin dual-core, 32-bit TI Aureus DSP engines, Audyssey MultEQ XT room correction (with support for Audyssey MultEQ Pro), and Dynamic Volume; the AM100 includes a single Aureus chip and standard Audyssey correcton. On the video side, the VM200 boasts a Sigma Designs VXP processor for reference grade picture quality, while the VM100 includes an Analog Devices processor. Current owners of MDC capable (but non-equipped) NAD receivers can purchase the AM200 or VM 200 for $600 each; the AM100 or VM100 will run $400 each. All processing boards and updated receiver models available now.

It's no secret we here at Aperion are big fans of Onkyo receivers and for good reason: they've been turning out some great high-value, performance-oriented receivers as of late, and their recently announced top-tier receivers only serve to reinforce their focus on quality. Say hello to three new "double-O" series models, the TX-NR1007 ($1599), TX-NR3007 ($2099), and the top dawg TX-NR5007 ($2699). All three models are THX Ultra2 Plus certified and feature 9.2 channels of amplification, Dolby Pro Logic IIz and Audyssey DSX surround modes, networking and internet radio capabilities, and three TI Aureus DSP chipsets. What's more, all three models also feature Burr Brown DACs for conversion duties (with the 5007 utilizing 32-bit DACs), and 6,7, or 8 HDMI inputs in the 1007, 3007, or 5007, respectively. Whoa. The top two models also feature Dolby Volume--an Onkyo first. Look for all three new Onkyo receivers to hit stores by the end of September.

Movie Releases for This Week.

DVD: State of Play; Disney Nature Earth; Impact; Meteor; People Like Us: The Complete Series; The Meerkats; Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye; Earth Day; G.I. Joe A Real American Hero: The M.A.S.S. Device; Homeboy. 

Blu-ray: State of Play; Braveheart; Gladiator; Disney Nature Earth; Impact; M*A*S*H*; The Girl Next Door; Monster; High Crimes.

 

Home Theater Week in Review, August 10-14, 2009: Lexicon THX Blu ray spinner; Toshiba goes Blu.

by Oliver Amnuayphol

A couple of Blu-centric news vittles this week: Lexicon recently announced their first Blu ray spinner, the THX-certified BD-30 ($3500, due September). Sporting universal disc playback, Anchor Bay VRS video processing, and built-in Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio decoding, the BD-30 will hit the streets as the first THX-certified Blu ray machine so there's sure to be some great picture quality. But exactly how great that picture quality will be remains to be seen: word on the street is the Lexicon unit will be sourced from and based on Oppo's $499, rad-tastic BDP-83, so it will be very interesting to see what enthusiast HT folks think once they get to compare Lexicon's tweaked machine vs. the ridiculously-good Oppo. Watch this space.

Remember HD-DVD? Now that Blu ray's the big dawg on the hi-res campus, maybe you forgot about it already. Looks like Toshiba wants to forget their ill-fated format as well: They recently applied for membership of the Blu-ray Disc Association (BDA) and plan to introduce Blu-ray players and notebook PCs integrating BD drives by the end of this year. Product details and official release dates are still unknown, but if Toshiba's track record for quality sources is any indication, their BD spinners are sure to please.

Movie Releases for This Week.

DVD: Hannah Montana the Movie; Sons of Anarchy: Season One; Kagemusha - Criterion Collection; Tyson; Husbands; The Last House on the Left; Playtime - Criterion Collection; The Last Starfighter 25th Anniversary Edition; Surveillance.

Blu-ray: Hannah Montana the Movie; Sons of Anarchy: Season One; Kagemusha - Criterion Collection; Tyson; The Last House on the Left; Playtime - Criterion Collection; The Last Starfighter 25th Anniversary Edition; Surveillance; Go.

Home Theater Week in Review, August 3-7, 2009: Paramount puts Blu ray first; Cooler Guys Fan.

by Oliver Amnuayphol

If you're an impatient person and still own a standard def DVD player, now may be the time to go Blu: Paramount recently announced they'll be releasing Blu ray discs for retail sales before their DVD counterparts in an attempt to drive Blu ray sales. Both hi and standard-res rentals will still be available simultaneously as Paramount expects growth to continue in the rental sector. Dance Flick, Paramount's first Blu ray-prioritized release, will hit shelves on Sept. 8th with the DVD version following some 4-8 weeks later. Paramount's move echoes an earlier one by Disney, who started the whole Blu-priority ball rolling with both Bolt and Bedtime Stories streeting on Blu ray a few day before the DVDs. Unfortunately for Disney, many retailers failed to comply with the staggered release schedule and made both DVD and Blu ray versions available the same day. Looks like Disney's learned an early lesson however: They'll be releasing Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs on Blu ray with a lead time of seven weeks--which should be more than enough time to gauge whether folks are willing to put hi-res first. Will other studios be following suit? Stay tuned.  

With today's A/V cabinet/rack shelves getting smaller and receiver height becoming taller, getting proper ventilation to your receiver is becoming more of an impossibility. What to do? Pick up a Single Component/Single Cabinet fan from Coolerguys.com. This is the best add-on cooling solution I've seen yet, what with its slim, low-profile and quiet design. User reviews seem to be very positive and the price is right--only $29.25 (not including shipping and sales tax), so if you've been in search of the right fan for your slim and sleek A/V cabinet, check out the coolerguys.com solution.

Movie Releases for This Week.

DVD:I Love You, Man; 17 Again; The Ninth Gate; Michael Jackson: Moonwalking - The True Story of Michael Jackson; The Class; 90210: The Complete First Season; Katyn; Are You Being Served? THe Complete Collection; Gigantic; Chaos; Paris 36; The Final Inch. 

Blu-ray: I Love You, Man; 17 Again; The Ninth Gate; The Class; Cutthroat Island; Starman; Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Film Collection; Blue Thunder; Chaos; Alien Trespass; St. Elmo's Fire; About Last Night...; Replicant.

All Things Vinyl, August 7, 2009: Phono Cartridge Wear and Retipping.

by Oliver Amnuayphol

Here's a bit of trivia: What do red roses, Maxim's Hot 100, and phono cartridges all have in common? They're all beautiful creatures, and they all possess a finite lifespan. Sad, I know! So if you weren't aware of that last bit about cartridges, I'm sorry to be the one to have to break it to you: your cart's suspension and stylus will eventually wear out because of normal, everyday use. Unfortunately, it's tough to say exactly when this will happen; variables like stylus/record cleanliness, proper cartridge set up/alignment, and durability of your cartridge's various bits will all be critical in determining its lifespan (estimates typically range anywhere from 1000-5000+ hours). Of course, this is assuming you haven't done anything clumsy to your precious cartridge, like break off the stylus/cantilever assemby while being scratchmaster DJ at your local college house party (if this sounds like you, chances are you're already familiar with worn out cartridges) . Either way, after a certain point your precious pickup head will no longer be fit for use. So, what can you do if/when this happens?

If you're using a moving magnet cartridge, often the answer is quite simple: since most moving magnet  carts have detachable stylus assemblies, get a replacement one and swap the old with the new. Easy Peasy! In fact, for a good chunk of MM carts out there, you can upgrade the stylus to a better performing assembly when replacement time comes. But what if you own a moving coil cartridge? Since the stylus/suspension assembly on MCs is permanently fixed, there's really only three options once it's worn: Throw away the cartridge; get a measly sum for it as a trade in towards a much more expensive cart; or get it re-tipped. That's right folks: there's actually a way to get your stylus and/or suspension replaced by someone, somewhere who specializes in this sort of microscopic thing. And it can cost as little as $150. Brilliant! And since most of us work for living and can't afford to keep upgrading our pick up heads every few years, getting your MC cart re-tipped would seem the more cost effective option--especially in light of what some MC carts can cost, with or without trade in value.

So, is re-tipping worth it? Does the cart come back to you good as new? Or better? Or heaven forbid, worse? Beats me. While I've almost exclusively used MC carts for the past 15 or so years, I've always taken immaculate care them, cleaning the stylus after every record side. And since I have a few carts in rotation, the cartridges I have now are still in pristine condition: the oldest member of the pickup head family is nearly ten years old, a lovely Ortofon Jubilee--the best cartridge I own. But after years of fairly heavy use, its stylus isn't quite what it used to be, and I'll be darned if I'm going to throw it out or buy an even more mucho expensivo cart anytime soon. Therefore it's time for my first Official Moving Coil Cartridge Re-Tip.

After hearing about their stellar services for years, I promptly contacted The Soundsmith who, in addition to offering their own cartridges and other sundries, are reputed to offer one of the finest re-tipping services around. Prices for re-tipping usually range from $150 to $450, and the offer a nice variety of stylus and cantilever options. I spoke at length with owner Peter Ledermann, the lone re-tipping technician at the Soundsmith, about my cartridge, needs, and sonic preferences. He was very patient, thorough, and answered all of my questions in detail, helping me to settle on the top of the line, $450 "re-tip only" service that retains my cartridge's super-wicked, high quality boron cantilever but adds a new Optimized Contour Nude Contact Line stylus. Feedback has been very positive on this option, and the stylus profile is reportedly a huge performance improvement over the Jubilee's stock Shibata design. I'll be issuing a full review and verdict once I get my cartridge back, but it may be a while: though I sent in my cart about four weeks ago, due to high demand for the service (and the fact that Ledermann is the sole re-tipper), approximate time frame for a proper re-tip is 10-12 weeks. See you on the other side!

Home Theater Week in Review, July 13-17, 2009:

by Oliver Amnuayphol

This week, Best Buy announced they'll be test driving a new category of consumer electronics items--literally. The CE chain says they'll be offering electric vehicles for sale, such as electric bicycles, motorcycles, scooters and Segways. The move into non-traditional consumer electronics items is nothing new for Best Buy, who last year began offering musical instruments with much success. Is it possible we may one day look to our local CE giant for things like electric/hybrid cars? Only time will tell. 

Apparently you home theater enthusiasts luvs your HD sources and have fully embraced all things Blu ray: The Digital Entertainment Group recently reported its midyear Blu ray stats and the outlook is good--sales are up 91 percent over last year, and rentals are up 62 percent as well. With both software and HD hardware sales trending upwards for '09, now's a great time to buy: prices on HDTVs and Blu ray spinners are lower than they've ever been, and the quality keeps getting better and better. Carpe Diem!

Movie Releases for This Week.

DVD: Watchmen; Coraline; Prison Break: The Final Break; Stargate SG-1: Children of the Gods; Made in U.S.A. (Criterion Collection); The Great Buck Howard; This American Life: Season Two; Echelon Conspiracy; Visioneers; an Empress and the Warriors.

Blu-ray: Watchmen; Coraline; Prison Break: The Final Break; I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry; The Great Buck Howard; Echelon Conspiracy; Midnight Express; Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow; The Truman Show; The Manchurian Candidate; Nacho Libre; Coach Carter; Black Rain.