Recently Filed in Speaker Systems

During a recent trade show, I was re-introduced to the idea of mounting built-in speakers close to the floor. I had seen it done before in homes that we’ve featured online and in Electronic House magazine, but hadn’t really stopped to consider the merits this unconventional speaker placement. It’s easy to understand why you’d want a speaker mounted in the ceiling or in the wall: The sound hits you right where your ears are. So why on earth would you want to install your speakers… View this story
Floor Standing Speakers • On-Wall Speakers • Speaker Systems • Info and Answers

Music and iPod fans don’t have to get dazed and confused, or go to California to climb the stairway to audio heaven to buy a stylish, compact, performance-oriented audio system. But enough with the Led Zeppelin puns ... Bower & Wilkins’ (B&W) new Zeppelin Mini is the newest audio solution from the well-respected British company.  The new Mini is a smaller version of the company’s popular Zeppelin iPod/iPhone audio system and the Internet retailer Amazon.com is offering pre-order sales on the Zeppelin Mini, which is… View this story
Speaker Systems • Docks & Cradles • Product News

There’s many ways to define efficiency and in the case of Atlantic Technology’s new Hybrid Pressure Acceleration System (H-PAS) design, the word can be applied to more than how easily the speaker converts amplifier power into sound. The Boston-based company kicked off the 2009 CEDIA Expo by introducing the technology, which Atlantic Technology’s president and founder Peter Tribeman described as a breakthrough that can be applied to everything from computer speakers to freestanding speakers. “This technology is scalable ... you can use it to build… View this story
Speakers • Speaker Systems • Product News

Filling a room with sound without adding conspicuously large speakers that end up throwing off the room’s aesthetic is always a balancing act (especially when there is a significant other’s opinion involved). There are tons of option to keep the AV footprint to a minimum. Small satellite speakers are the most common compromise people make, but efficiency (how loud a speaker plays given a certain amount of power) is usually major compromise ... but that’s not in the case of Klipsch’s perennial favorite Quintet line… View this story
Speakers • Speaker Systems • Deals • Product News

French loudspeaker manufacturer Focal knows how to run the gamut when it comes to products, providing options from the low hundreds to the six-figure Grand Utopias. One thing that always signifies to me, when speaker companies carry such a wide range, is that you can trust their technology to be superb at just about any level, because those $180K whopper speakers don’t just come out of nowhere. So I kept that in mind when I recently had the opportunity to set up Focal’s chic Dome… View this story
Bookshelf Speakers • Speaker Systems • Subwoofers • Product News

Q. I have a poolhouse that has been previously equipped with ceiling speakers and outside speakers. We just bought a new TV for my father for his birthday to put in there and are looking to upgrade our sound equipment. The problem is, the wires for the speakers come out of the wall in a different location than the TV ( a pretty large distance). I would rather not run cables through the walls/ceilings but want to hook those speakers into an AM/FM/CD (maybe iPod… View this story
Speaker Systems • Wireless Speakers • Exterior • Ask a Pro • Info and Answers

Home theater audio applications continue to be intensified—from 5.1 surround channels to 7.1, to even 9.1 these days when you add new “height” speakers, plus you can accommodate THX certified systems and the latest lossless high-def audio codecs. Atlantic Technology tends to stay ahead of the curve—unleashing the likes of IP-ready speakers and those with THX Select2 certification—so it’s no surprise that the company has come up with three new and improved theater speaker systems, plus some new subwoofers, to get the latest and greatest… View this story
Speaker Systems • Subwoofers • Surround Sound • Product News

High-end audio is alive and well across the pond, and lucky listeners in our own Pacific Northwest will have a chance to hear it for themselves. Stereotypes Audio, a 15-year-old hi-fi shop in Portland, Ore., will host the U.S. unveiling of the new Radiance loudspeaker line from British manufacturer Acoustic Energy. The special event Acoustic Energy open house—refreshments will be served—at Stereotypes will take place from 2 to 6 p.m. on Saturday, May 16. Acoustic Energy has recently released the likes of $5,000/pair limited edition… View this story
Speaker Systems • Dealers • Audio • Product News

Onkyo has introduced two entry-level HTiBs, the HT-S5200 and HT-S3200, both consisting of an HDMI-equipped receiver and 5-7 surround-sound loudspeakers. Both systems offer 1080p resolution, HDMI Pass-Thru, Deep Color and x.v.Color. There’s four DSP gaming modes: rock, sports, action, and role-playing. The 7.1-channel HT-S5200 uses 130-watts-per-channel amps and a 10-inch 290-watt bass-reflex subwoofer. It’s also Sirius satellite radio ready, includes Onkyo’s Music Optimizer to enhance MP3 and AAC files, an iPod dock and charging station, and can process Dolby Digital EX and DTS-ES Discrete/Matrix surround… View this story
Speaker Systems • Home Theater • Product News

Sony wasn’t done introducing products at CES 2009. It just added two Blu-ray disc players, including one with Wi-Fi capability for BD-Live access, among several other products at its line show in Las Vegas. The two stand-alone players (BDP-S360, BDP-S560) are joined by new BRAVIA Internet-video-ready LCD TVs and BD theater systems with S-AIR wireless audio. The BDP-S360 and BDP-S560 deliver full HD 1080/60p and 24p True Cinema output, decode the latest advanced audio codecs and are BD-Live capable with a broadband Internet connection and… View this story
Speaker Systems • Home Theater • Product News • Slideshows

With the economy hovering around the toilet rim, it’s difficult to consider some new audio purchases. Klipsch wants to change that way of thinking, with three new recession-priced home theater packages. All three are 5.1 systems, which include left, center and right front channels, two surrounds, and one powered subwoofer. The HD Theater 1000 ($899.99) has five identical speakers, each with dual 2.5-inch fiber composite woofers and a MicroTractrix Horn-loaded 0.75-inch aluminum dome tweeter. Standing 8.6 inches tall, each one can be set on a… View this story
Speaker Systems • Audio • Product News

Scandyna offered up a nifty design twist on the old iPod speaker when they first came out. Like their competitor, iHome, we are always amazed at the amount of iPod-related options the company can crank out.  CES 2009 saw a few of the company’s newer selections, including the Bigpod and the Smallpod. These have the Scandyna design, in two different packages.The Bigpod is a 17-inch speaker designed to sit on your floor, while the 10-inch Smallpod works nicely in more compact spaces. However, the one… View this story
Speaker Systems • Docks & Cradles • CES • Audio • Product News