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Remember SE2 Labs, the company that brought us the ultimate home theater in a box with AMX automation, Bryston audio, Vidikron video processing, iPod dock, Xbox 360, Blu-ray and more? At CEDIA 2009, the company is packing one more thing into that $30,000+ ITC (Integrated Theater Console) One box: multiroom audio. The new ITC 1.2 and ITC 1.5 distribute audio to two and five zones, respectively. They ship with the required keypads. SE2 created the audio system with the help of Bryston, Canadian manufacturer of… View this story
AV Components • Amplifiers • Blu-ray • Digital Media Servers • Multiroom Audio • Multiroom Video • Product News

Q. Is it possible to use two different amplifiers or tuners on the same set of speakers if they are never used simultaneously? The example is that we have two floors with the wiring and speakers to play music in multiple rooms on both floors. We would like to use a tuner for music in the main floor rooms but still have the ability to use the downstairs speakers as part of a home theater setup. - James/Hilliard, Ohio The following tips come via CE… View this story
AV Components • Amplifiers • Preamplifiers • Speakers • Home Theater • Ask a Pro

Q. I have several hundred DVDs and an old Philips MX 5600D receiver/DVD player that I would like to replace with a unit that could store my DVD collection and take the place of the home theater amp/receiver that won’t break the bank. - Jack, Texas A. I think you, like many people, are on the search for the Holy Grail: A DVD movie server that is inexpensive and reliable. We’ve spent a lot of time at my company looking at all kinds of DVD… View this story
AV Components • Amplifiers • Digital Media Servers • Receivers • Ask a Pro

Krell has embraced Apple’s iPod, taking the iconic music player to new heights with a dedicated iPod/iPhone docking and playback solution. Krell’s Papa Dock amplifier and KID (Krell Interface Dock) iPod Dock is a two-piece system that has been engineered to extract the best possible performance from an iPod, giving installers a dedicated audio/video solution that is easy to control and looks nice. System Features The Papa/KID combination brings a lot to the table, including an amp capable of delivering 150 watts of power through… View this story
AV Components • Amplifiers • Docks & Cradles • Portables

Electronic House and sister publication CE Pro recently had an exclusive listening session with a prototype version of the new Master Series M2 Direct Digital Amplifier from NAD Electronics. The M2 (MSRP $5,999) is a sophisticated digital-to-analog converter (DAC) that directly drives a set of loudspeakers, the company says. It features the industry’s first closed-loop digital amp and works by using a reference signal and traditional pulse width modulation (PWM) technologies in conjunction with nano-second fast error-correction technologies and a 100MHz clock. The amp incorporates… View this story
AV Components • Amplifiers • Audio • Product News

There’s something magical about tubes and how this old analog technology contributes to the music making and playback process.  Despite some efforts to bury tube amplifiers next to 8-track tapes and Digital Audio (DAT) players, the technology is relevant again thanks to manufacturing improvements as well as new circuit designs that extract the best possible sound from these products. These updates improve ease of use and provide a musicality that is difficult for solid-state devices to replicate. A modern tube amp can be used for… View this story
Amplifiers • Audio • Info and Answers

It’s not hard to see that I’m impressed with the Seymour AV Ice Block 5001 500watt Monoblock Amplifier. It has plenty of power, great aesthetics, and near perfect functionality. Most of all, it provides esoteric components, looks, and construction at near enthusiast prices. That alone should be a huge selling point for those with smaller wallets but refined tastes. Plus, you’ll have an amp that is not only a show piece for the uninitiated but also sports all the “extras” that will impress your esoteric… View this story
Amplifiers • Reviews • Audio • Product News

As a consumer there’s a lot out there for you to choose when it comes to home theater electronics. Starting with source components do you buy a CD player, a Blu-ray player, a media server or all of the above? When it comes to managing these sources and powering your speakers do you buy a single-box A/V receiver that incorporates everything anyone could possibly ever need or do you buy “separates,” which in audiophile speak means an amplifier and preamplifier/processor. A good case can be… View this story
AV Components • Amplifiers • Home Theater • Audio

As much as we love home theater and Dolby and DTS surround sound, we know two-channel audio is still alive and well. Manufacturer Rotel realizes this as well, so after introducing its 15 Series components last year heavy on the multichannel side of things, it’s kicking the lineup old school with a half dozen two-channel additions. The new models include two power amplifiers, two preamps, an integrated amplifier and a CD player, with model names: RA-1520 integrated amplifier RC-1580 preamplifier RC-1550 preamplifier RB-1582 power amplifier… View this story
Amplifiers • CD Players • Integrated Amplifiers • Preamplifiers • Audio • Product News

Emotiva is a name that is up-and-coming in the world of audio electronics. Manufacturing amplifiers and now loudspeakers, Emotiva is a brand that is moving beyond the fascination of the Internet Direct crowds and settling into the living rooms of mainstream consumers. These days manufacturers are adding more and more features into mid-fi and budget-level A/V receivers. The trade-off, however, is usually in respect to amplifier power and quality. So what’s a consumer to do if they want to achieve the maximum features with the… View this story
Amplifiers • Reviews • Audio • Product News

Goldmund, the Swiss company who is “dedicated to the accurate reproduction of sound and image,” is now offering a product three years in development: the Telos 5000, a $189,000 amplifier. Wow. I never realized sound and image cost that much. There’s really not much I can add to (what I’m sure is) your initial reaction to the price tag, besides what this amp offers: 16 separate high-power transformers developing a power close to 10’000 Watts Distortion: THD + N input stage analog: 0.0005% (1 Vrms… View this story
Amplifiers • Home Theater • Audio

One of the most amazing developments to occur from the rise in popularity of digital music is the revival of analog technologies.  It’s been well documented that vinyl sales have surged over the past several years with a number of smaller record store chains reporting sales increases as high as 20 percent in the records category.  Music fans have also rediscovered tube-based components and manufacturers like North Carolina-based Cary Audio Design. Cary has earned a reputation as one of the finest manufacturers of tube and… View this story
AV Components • Amplifiers • Product News