Home Cinema Guru's Tips And Observations
Audio
Finishing Off Your Man Cave Home Theater
Jul 9th
Your home theater is not complete until you have had it properly quality checked and calibrated. Without this you are likely not getting anything close to the performance that your equipment can deliver. This process involves the following items.
System Benefits:
- Stunning color
- Improved image detail
- Reduced video artifacts
- Stunning sonic realism
- Proper bass level
- Clear dialog
- Verify More >
Incredible New Subwoofer
Jun 13th
JTR Speakers has added a new subwoofer to their lineup. The Orbit Shifter is an amazing product. This is a $3400 high efficiency horn subwoofer with a 4000 watt amplifier. The sound quality demonstrated in a system I recent worked on was incredible. This unit is 30″ tall, 22.5″ deep, 45″ wide and More >
Common Surround Processing Errors
Apr 25th
When selecting and setting up surround sound it is important to realize that many key features do not work as advertised in a large number of products. Common faults in many receivers, preprocessors and players include the following.
- Bass management drops bass that should be redirected to subwoofer causing the system More >
PLIIz and Audyssey DSX Height Channels
Apr 24th
I have worked on several systems now with the additional height channels available with Dolby PLIIz and Audyssey DSX. Based on listening to several setups these channels can significantly improve the sound field for movies. I found this most successful where the front main speakers must be placed closer together More >
Front Projection For Great Sound
Apr 22nd
Many people are in search of great sound along with a great picture. One thing many do not realize is the impact that a large flat panel display has on sound. Going to front projection can dramatically improve your systems sound performance by eliminating that very acoustically reflective LCD or plasma between the More >
Room Acoustic Designers
Mar 19th
A few weeks ago I had an opportunity to work on a theater designed by a well known acoustical design firm. The RT60 for this theater measured at 360 ms. It had a strong slap echo and was way too reverberant for quality theater sound.
The installation had too many diffusers compared to More >
Matching Preamplifiers and Amplifiers
Mar 19th
When you purchase a preamplifier from a different manufacturer than the amplifier you need to be sure they are compatible. The amplifier will need a certain number of volts to drive it to full current. The preamplifier needs to supply that level of voltage for the amplifier to deliver its power rating. This More >
Emotiva USP-1 2.1 Channel Preamp
Mar 9th
Emotiva has released a 2.1 channel preamp priced at $399. This preamp is unique in it’s ability to manage a subwoofer in a 2 channel system while allowing the same speakers to be part of a home theater system.
It does this by incorporating an analog two channel preamplifier with bass More >
Airfonix Wireless Audio
Feb 11th
High quality wireless audio is available for those who cannot run wires to those difficult locations. Check out this link for more information on these products.
Energy Take 5 Classic
Feb 4th
Today I had the opportunity to hear the Energy Take 5 Classic speaker system. This 5.1 speaker package sells for near $200 with a $600 MSRP. The subwoofer and speakers in this package are an amazing value for $200. I would consider these if you are looking for a HTIB More >
