Expert Advice
441 ARTICLES
Kaleidescape Strato Movie Player Review
The Kaleidescape Strato is the world’s finest movie player. Movie lovers can enjoy their favorite films in the best quality available anywhere.
Ekornes Stressless Mayfair Review
From the cold, bent tubular steel frame, to the hand-stitched genuine Italian leather, the Ekornes Stressless Mayfair Recliner is built for perfection.
Lexicon MC-10 Home Theater Processor Review
Lexicon's MC10 is one of the best home theater processors on the market. It includes Logic7 Immersion Upmixer, Dirac Live Room Correction and great DACs.
Roon: Everything You Need to Know
If you’re like us and you love audio, you’ve probably heard of Roon. After first hearing it mentioned for the first time a few years ago, its popularity recently has skyrocketed. We have to admit that we were a little late to the party, but after fully absorbing ourselves in it over the last several months, we’re definitely believers!
We’re still learning and things change all of the time, but if you’re looking for a good beginners guide to Roon, you’ve come to the right place.
The Rise of the Casual Audiophile
Does it really matter that an exciting driving experience is easier to achieve with a Tesla than with a ‘68 Mustang you painstakingly restored yourself? It’s still just that – an exciting driving experience. Tesla man and Camaro man are made of the same stuff.
So, too, are the millennial graduate student with a hard drive of FLAC files and the baby boomer with a stack of separates.
They’re not totally the same, but they are the same where it counts. Neither way is right or wrong, and neither audiophile is more real than the other. Times, they are a-changin’.
Lighting Control & Design: Pathway Lighting
A well-designed lighting control system focuses not only on the aesthetics of the home but how you use your home as well. Start by thinking through your daily routine and the areas you walk between most frequently, particularly in the dark.
Not only does pathway lighting look great, but it’s incredibly convenient, conserves energy, and helps ensure the safety of you, your family, and your guests.
How Technology Enables Immersive Film and TV Experiences
When you’re reading a book, you create images of the story in your mind. You envision how the characters and settings appear. Movies and TV aren’t like that. Instead, a director and the actors have control over the characters, their movements on screen, and the visual elements you encounter (or don’t).
How Does Lighting Control Impact the Design of a Home?
The goal of designers and architects is to design beautiful homes for their clients — inside and out. Well-planned lighting can play a major role in achieving the look that these professionals and the homeowners are looking for.
Whether it’s highlighting certain detail or accents in the home, or simply providing the right ambiance, good lighting is important.
Sony Music to Produce Records for the First Time in Nearly 30 Years
After several years of surging vinyl sales, today Sony Music Entertainment announced that they will begin producing their own vinyl records for the first time in nearly 30 years.
Sony is scrambling to find older engineers familiar with the manufacturing process and plan to open their new vinyl production facility in Tokyo, Japan in March 2018.
Integrating Technology in Your Home Without Compromising Design
Since the first consumer electronics arrived in homes across America, there has always been a struggle to find the perfect balance between the functionality that home electronics provide and maintaining the aesthetic of the home.
Today, there are more options than ever before that enable us to merge high-performance tech seamlessly with the aesthetic of a home.
Why We Listen to Music
Scholars have sought to discover the reasons behind our shared joy of music. Their findings, though far from definitive, are nonetheless insightful. From escapism to health to social cohesion, the reasons behind our shared love of music are as numerous as the genres in your local record shop.
And at least one of them probably aligns with your own reasons for listening.
Training Your Ear: Learn How to Listen Like an Audiophile
Just as the nascent coffee aficionado suddenly has a hard time settling for powdered creamer, you’re ready to move beyond consumer-grade audio formats and equipment. You know there’s a deeper listening experience out there, and you’re embarking upon a lifelong journey to discover and appreciate it. It’s time to train your ears – and your brain – to hear new sounds in your favorite recordings.
But where do you begin?
Audio Nirvana: Recreating the Original Performance
What are you trying to achieve when you tap “play” on your tablet or place the stylus on a cherished record? For audio enthusiasts, the answer is simple. They’re trying to recreate the musical performance of their favorite artists. It’s not just about hearing a recording – it’s about experiencing true-to-life sound.
The Audio Advice Story: How it All Started
In the early 70s, things were still “60s groovy.” Electric Ladyland was still fresh on everyone’s mind. The Beatles weren’t together anymore, but the former members were releasing solo albums. This was the world Leon inhabited when he arrived at Wake Forest University to begin his freshman year. Rock and roll, vinyl LPs, Jimmy Page, Keith Moon, the Stones.
Classic Rock wasn’t classic yet. It was just Rock.
Listening Rooms: Todays Hottest Home Trend
Over the last several years, interior design has trended toward more openness and fewer unused rooms. People want to use their homes. In new construction, buyers are opting for open floor plans that all but force them to use every precious square foot.
Listening rooms, or dedicated spaces for enjoying music, are part of this larger “use your home” trend.
Rega Planar 3 Turntable Setup Guide
It took them two years to develop the all new Planar 3. Their team improved every aspect of this turntable; offering first and foremost, incredible sonic performance, and improved ergonomics and usability. With just a few simple steps, you will be able to hear your vinyl like never before on the new Planar 3.
