Scott Wilkinson
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Sony STR-DA5400ES & TA-N9000ES in BTL Mode
Ask Home Theater
Scott Wilkinson • Apr 11, 2012 • 10 comments
I have a B&W 600-series 5.1 speaker system and a Sony STR-DA5400ES A/V receiver and TA-N9000ES power amp. I am running the power amp in BTL (bridge-tied load) mode for the front left and right speakers and normal mode for the center channel. The surrounds are connected to the surround-speaker outputs of the receiver directly. Putting aside calibration and room size, am I doing the right thing regarding compatibility, connections, and power?

Jørgen

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Podcast 106: Bob Hodas
Home Theater Geeks Podcast
Scott Wilkinson • Apr 10, 2012 • 0 comments
Acoustician Bob Hodas discusses the process of "tuning" recording studios and home-theater rooms, the problem of overtreating a room, different types of acoustic treatments (including egg cartons!), measurements versus subjective listening, the importance of the phase relationship between speakers and a flat frequency response in a room, speaker and subwoofer placement, answers to chat-room questions, and more.

Run Time: 1:01:27

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Flat Panel Over the Fireplace
Ask Home Theater
Scott Wilkinson • Apr 09, 2012 • 18 comments
In my family room, the only place I can mount my TV is above a brick fireplace. The ceiling height is 9 feet, and the fireplace is 57 inches tall, giving me 51 inches above the fireplace with a width of 69 inches. The sofa is 12 feet from the fireplace. I get the sense that the TV would be too high, and I would like your thoughts on the height and distance.

barecomp

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Have You Cut the Cord?
Vote
Scott Wilkinson • Apr 06, 2012 • Published: Dec 31, 1969 • 23 comments
In today's SmartStream blog, Barb Gonzalez talks about her experience cutting the cord to cable TV while retaining broadband Internet access from her cable company and what might be in store for others wanting to do the same thing. And from what I can tell, their numbers are growing fast as more and more people—especially youngsters—turn to the Internet for their television programming because of its inherently on-demand nature and often much lower cost (though download overage charges can certainly mitigate that advantage).

How about you? Have you cut the cord to cable and/or satellite service in favor of online delivery (and perhaps free over-the-air terrestrial broadcasts for local channels)? Or does cable/satellite still provide something you can't get online? What led you to the decision you've made in this regard?

Vote to see the results and leave a comment about your choice.

Have You Cut the Cord?
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Pioneer Speakers with Marantz SR7005 AVR
Ask Home Theater
Scott Wilkinson • Apr 06, 2012 • 9 comments
Can you advise me on the choice between the Pioneer S-31B-LR-K, SP-BS41-LR, and SP-BS21-LR bookshelf speakers? The 41 and 21 have the Andrew Jones design going for them, but by proxy, so does the 31, being derived from the EX range. However the 31 is slightly smaller and more expensive!

Reading your review of the SP-BS41-LR system prompted me to finally replace an old Bose Lifestyle 28 system (something I regretted buying shortly after getting it). I already got the Panasonic DMP-BDT210 Blu-ray player (awesome!); next, the speakers, then the Marantz SR7005 AVR as the heart of the system. The sub will be last; don’t know which one yet.

Declan McGlinchey

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Vivitek H1085 DLP Projector
Projector Reviews
Scott Wilkinson • Apr 04, 2012 • 0 comments
Performance
Features
Ergonomics
Value
Price: $1,499 At A Glance: Poor blacks & shadow detail • Good color • Good detail with 1080p content • Very limited placement options

In my ongoing quest for low-cost projectors that perform well, I came across the H1085 from Vivitek. Unlike most such projectors, this one is available only through custom installers. How does it perform? Let's find out.

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Podcast 105: Mark Levinson
Home Theater Geeks Podcast
Scott Wilkinson • Apr 03, 2012 • 1 comments
High-end audio legend Mark Levinson talks about how being a professional musician influences his work as an audio-product designer, the importance of imparting the emotional impact of a performance through an audio system, how the high-end audio industry has evolved during the last 40 years, the goals for his latest products under the Daniel Hertz nameplate, his work restoring archived recordings from the La Fenice opera house in Venice, Italy, answers to chat-room questions, and more. He even plays a bit on the Indian sarod!

Run Time: 58:33

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LG OLED Pricing and Availability
News
Scott Wilkinson • Apr 02, 2012 • 7 comments
When LG announced the EM9600 55-inch OLED flat panel at CES last January, its price and availability were not included in the press release, leading to unbridled speculation. Well, it seems that speculation can now be put to rest. According to an article from Korean outlet MK Business News, LG plans to stage a big launch event at the Cannes Film Festival in May, moving its timetable up from the second half of the year to take advantage of the demand that will surely accompany the 2012 Olympics this summer. And the price? Approximately 9 million Korean won, which is right around $8000.

Thanks to reader johnnyd for sending me the link to the story on techbargains.com, which led to the primary source at MK Business News.

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Do You Buy HT Gear Online or In-Store?
Vote
Scott Wilkinson • Mar 30, 2012 • Published: Dec 31, 1969 • 15 comments
Yesterday, it was reported that Best Buy plans to close 50 stores and eliminate about 400 jobs over the next year due to mounting losses in the face of competition from online retailers. Of course, online buying is the ultimate in convenience, but then you have nowhere local to go for service. Also, a store provides at least the possibility of seeing and hearing a demo before you buy, though TV demos in big-box stores are typically useless because the TVs are not set up properly and the environment is nothing like any room in a home.

This news leads me to wonder about where you buy your home-theater gear—online or at brick-and-mortar stores? Why do you shop online or in-store?

Vote to see the results and leave a comment about your choice.

Do You Buy HT Gear Online or In-Store?
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Pioneer AVR with B&W Speakers
Ask Home Theater
Scott Wilkinson • Mar 30, 2012 • 6 comments
I have the following system:
  • Pioneer VSX-1021 A/V receiver
  • B&W 600-series speakers (683 front L/R, HTM61 center, 685 bookshelf surrounds, ASW610 subwoofer)
  • Oppo BDP-93 Blu-ray player
  • Sonos wireless audio system
  • Sony 55-inch XBR TV
All in all, the sound is outstanding, and the image of Blu-ray discs is also amazing. However, a friend says the overall setup is not balanced—in particular, the receiver is cheap compared to the other elements. I do not have much space for a higher-end receiver, so is there any other solution? Is this setup really unbalanced, since it sounds great to me?

Ricardo Monnerat

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