Recently Filed in Audio

These homeowners have catapulted a 50-year-old ranch-style home into the 21st century with modern, minimalist design, with the help of custom electronics pro London Audio. Blonde woods, glistening stone, premium leathers and polished chrome replaced the Cold-war design elements during this complete home makeover. And the basement bonus room has taken on new life as a dedicated screening room. “This young and stylish couple had little interest in an Art Deco or traditionally styled theater,” says London Audio’s Rick Ho. “They wanted their screening room… View this story
Home of the Year Awards 2009 • Home Theater • Audio • Cool Homes

Almost everyone that’s visited a dealer in search of an audio system has experienced the boring audiophile music that’s used to highlight a system. Without stereotyping their musical preferences for equipment demos too much, that dedicated group of traditional audiophiles usually choose from classical and jazz, to vocal wares from artists like Diana Krall, Patricia Barber and Peggy Lee, to test high-performance systems. The problem with these choices however is that young people—Gen X and Gen Y— generally prefer the more energetic rock music genre.… View this story
Movies and Music • Audio • Info and Answers • Slideshows

Unless you grew up on a farm, the thought of jumping on the back of a horse stirs up plenty of apprehension in most people. Words of encouragement can help, but there’s no better form of comfort than music, says Shery McDonald-Galbreath. The owner and president of the SaddleUp! Foundation and Riding Academy, a non-profit therapeutic horseback riding organization in Parker, Colo., Shery plays music during every riding class she teaches, helping her mostly disabled students relax and enjoy the freedom of mobility. “It’s particularly… View this story
Miscellaneous • Audio • Cool Homes

I just had a home theater system installed by MyerEmco in my great room – an open contemporary room with vaulted ceilings. I want to take up the old wall-to-wall rugs and install hardwood floors. A large sectional Persian rug will be put down. How will it affect the sound bounce and what alternatives are available to capture the perfect sound from the new system? By the way, I have leather furniture. - Mike, Lorton, VA A. Mike, this question is right up my alley.… View this story
Acoustics • Media Room • Audio • Ask a Pro

Q: I want to add surround sound to my living room but my problem is where do I place my front speakers. I have a rectangle room and at the front left corner my 40” LCD display is mounted above my wood burning fireplace. To the right of the corner fireplace is a window and at the other end of the room is the entrance to the dining room. Would I get better sound if I use in-room floor speakers and move the display off… View this story
Speakers • Surround Sound • Audio • Ask a Pro

How do you fit a surround-sound system in a bedroom that has concrete floors and ceilings—plus walls of glass? “The homeowner wanted a 5.1 surround system with a large screen plasma, while making the entire installation as clean, as simple, and as subtle as possible,” says Shane Seira of custom electronics company Sensory Environment Design (SED). The homeowners also didn’t want gear like the speakers to hang on the walls. SED had to come up with a novel solution, so the company designed and manufactured… View this story
Bathroom • Bedroom • Home of the Year Awards 2009 • Audio • Cool Homes • Slideshows

People are fixated on video. After all, it’s the most obvious part of the home theater. But it’s a huge oversight if your system’s audio doesn’t match the quality of its video. Why this happens is obvious: The video guys have done a better job of educating consumers on the benefits of a calibrated video system. Led by the efforts of people like Joel Silver of the Imaging Science Foundation (ISF) and Joe Kane of Joe Kane Productions (JKP), video experts and manufacturers have enlightened… View this story
Receivers • Home Theater • Audio

My husband and I are losing friends fast. It’s not that we’re horrible people. It’s just that they can’t stand to listen to our music system anymore. Whenever we get together with our friends—and typically happens at our place—the tunes get turned on. We’ve got a great music collection, nobody complains about that, but the playback is horrible. During the summer, most get-togethers happen outside, so we’ve tried everything to make the music sound better. We invested in a pair of wireless speakers a few… View this story
Outdoor Speakers • Deck and Patio • Exterior • Audio • Info and Answers

Architectural (in-wall and in-ceiling) loudspeakers have become the leading product sellers for many companies. Their popularity is driven by the desire to be heard and not seen. It’s much easier to get the wife’s approval when the speakers are blending and not clashing with a room’s decor. Professional electronics installers have responded to this trend by pushing their manufacturing partners to develop more ergonomically friendly, better sounding solutions. Through all of this, several manufacturers have emerged with “go to” products for installers.  Here are the… View this story
Speakers • In-Wall Speakers • Manufacturers • Audio • Info and Answers • Slideshows

Q. I am looking for a speaker selector I can utilize through my computer. I do not want to add a volume knob in each room. I want control over the power and volume via my computer. Any suggestions? - Steven, WI A. While you don’t specifically mention whether or not you are willing to spend the money on a separate stand-alone music server, I believe that is your best option. There is a system that will do exactly what you want, although it’s much… View this story
Speakers • Digital Media Servers • Audio • Ask a Pro

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