Klipsch's nifty ProMedia 2.1 does bona fide stereo, and its subwoofer belts out more and better bass than single-box iPod speaker systems.
(Credit: Klipsch)I don't know why, but it seems like almost every iPod speaker I hear here at CNET is a wretched-sounding thing. Most have screechy treble, lumpy bass, and vocals never sound remotely human.
As always, you get what you pay for, and the cheapest ones tend to be the worst offenders, but hey, they're cheap.
Some, going for upward of $300 are somewhat less horrible, but for three hundred bucks, you could actually buy a nice set of hi-fi speakers.
The A2 speakers
(Credit: Audioengine)And since most iPod speakers are one-piece systems, they don't do stereo all that well. Sure, many incorporate some sort of processing to simulate stereo separation, but that usually messes up their already pitiful sound quality even more. With separate speakers, you can place them far enough apart to make stereo sound like stereo. Which stereo speakers, you ask?
I like Klipsch's little 2.1-channel iPod solution, the ProMedia 2.1 iPod/Computer Speaker system that goes for $150. It features a pair of two-way satellite speakers and a 6.5-inch powered subwoofer. Separate speakers means it does bona fide stereo, and the sub is big enough to generate real bass.
The larger A5 speakers
(Credit: Audioengine)For $199 you could buy a pair of Audioengine A2 speakers and hook them up directly to your iPod. In my opinion, the A2 sounds at least as good as any single-box $400 iPod speaker I've heard. Granted, the $600 high-end iPod speakers make a lot more bass, but it's still on the thick, boomy, and bloated side of natural. And they're $600! For that kind of dough, you could buy a small stereo receiver and actual hi-fi speakers.
You can read my complete A2 review here.
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The new preamplifier looks amazing.
(Credit: Einstein Audio Components)We're not talking about Albert Einstein, the legendary theoretical physicist; we're talking about Einstein Audio Components, a Germany-based high-end audio manufacturer.
Its advanced audio equipment designs use vacuum tubes. Its latest stereo preamplifier, The Tube MKII, uses a total of (gulp) 19 tubes. That's a lot of tubes! Most tube preamps only use four, five, or six tubes. However, here's the cool part about the new Einstein preamp: only 10 of the 19 tubes operate at any given time. Eight are used all the time, and two are selected for whichever audio source happens to be playing.
The rear panel of The Tube MKII.
(Credit: Einstein Audio Components)This feature makes The Tube MKII the only preamp in the world that lets users tailor the sound from each audio source by selecting the specific "flavor" of tube dedicated to each source. Some owners might opt for "warm" sounding tubes for the CD input, and superdetailed tubes for the phono input. Tweaky? You bet, but I guarantee a lot of wealthy tube-obsessed audiophiles will love that feature.
The 33-pound preamp has two large controls on its front panel: one for source selection and one for volume. On its rear, it has three pairs of XLR inputs, two pairs of RCA inputs, and two tape outputs.
Its build quality is superlative and is reflected in The Tube MKII's $17,800 MSRP. The preamp will make its U.S. market debut at the 2010 CES next month.
(Credit:
Marantz)
Marantz currently offers a full line of stereo and home theater components, but in the 1950s, the company was one of America's most prestigious hi-fi brands. Early Marantz products were designed and built by Saul B. Marantz in his home in Kew Gardens, New York. Those hand-built components now fetch huge dollars on the used market.
So naturally, I was interested in what Home Entertainment magazine's Richard Ames had to say about the Marantz UD9004 "universal" player. The $6,000 machine spins Blu-ray, SACD, DVD-Audio, and CDs.
The UD9004's rear panel.
(Credit: Marantz)It certainly looks the part: the Marantz UD9004's copper-plated chassis, thick aluminum/resin front panel, and aluminum-and-zinc die-cast parts are many steps above the build quality of mainstream Blu-ray players. The UD9004 tips the scales at a hefty 42.3 pounds, more than many receivers.
The rear panel hosts two HDMI outputs, so you can send the audio to the receiver without having to route them to the TV. On the analog side, you get XLR balanced outputs for the main left/right, and eight channels of RCA outputs for surround.
Inside, there are 32-bit Analog Devices SHARC processors for the HD audio decoding and up to 192 kHz/32-bit digital-to-audio conversion on all channels.
The luxury feel of the disc drawer, and the way it silently slides in and out, doesn't happen with most Blu-ray players.
Ames found the sound to be "incredibly lifelike; you can hear the notes reverberate though the recording space, not just the initial notes."
Some may quibble about the "need" for a $6,000 Blu-ray player, but the same guilt trip could be laid on any number of luxury products. No one needs a $122,000 Porsche Panamera 4S to drive to work, or a $7,000 Canon EOS-1Ds Mark III digital SLR camera to take a picture. But some people who can afford the best buy it, and the Marantz UD9004 is for them.
I'm not a big fan of small speakers or subwoofers.
They tend to sound, well, small, and most of them squash the life out of films and music.
Thing is, people like tiny speakers and subs, so lots of speaker companies make, and sell tons of iffy-sounding 5.1 systems.
The Definitive Technology ProCinema 600 system.
(Credit: Definitive Technology)But they're not all bad, I've cherry-picked three truly exceptional alternatives from Definitive Technology, Energy Speakers, and Mirage. My complete reviews are all on CNET, but I'll run down the highlights here.
The Definitive Technology ProCinema 600 System is a six-piece package with four 7-inch tall satellite speakers, one 10.5-inch wide center speaker, and a minisubwoofer. The injection-molded mineral-filled polymer cabinets have more of a high-end feel than your typical plastic or fiberboard cabinets. Can you say "rock solid?"
The subwoofer is a conventional, matte-finished medium-density-fiberboard box. It measures 13 by 10.3 by 13 inches. Its side-mounted volume control is a convenient design touch.
The satellites are two-way designs with a 1-inch aluminum-ceramic dome tweeter and a 3.25-inch midrange driver. Ah, but the midrange driver is acoustically coupled to a 3.25-inch pressure-driven planar low-frequency radiator on the top panel (so when the midrange driver moves in, the passive radiator moves out, and vice-versa).
The passive radiator effectively doubles the bass radiating area of the tiny midrange driver. The same technique is employed on the center channel speaker; it has a pair of 3.25-inch midrange drivers flanking a 1-inch tweeter--and there's a 3.25-inch radiator on each side of the speaker.
The subwoofer's 8-inch polymer cone woofer is acoustically coupled to a bottom-mounted 8-inch passive radiator. The combined radiating area of the driver and radiator is almost equivalent to a single 12-inch woofer. This little sub kicks butt!
... Read moreThink about it: turntables are electro/mechanical devices that transform LPs' grooves into sound. OK, that's not exactly right, it's the phono cartridge's job, but the turntable provides the platform to make that happen.
Phono cartridges are incredibly sensitive transducers, so they don't just convert the grooves undulations into sound, cartridges can also pick up bad vibes from footsteps, dancing, etc, and even the rumble of the turntable's motor. Those background noises muddy the sound.
A Rega P3 Mk. 24 turntable
(Credit: Rega)The turntable's placement can negatively affect its sound quality. Wobbly furniture is a huge no-no; put the turntable on a solid shelf or stand. If you can move the cabinet, even a little with a push of your finger, try this: tightly wedge a few paperback books between the back of the furniture and the wall. The goal here is to eliminate any possible lateral movement. Wobble elimination can improve the turntable's sound; bass will be deeper, better defined and overall clarity will be enhanced.
Next, if you have a bubble level, use it to make sure the turntable platter is perfectly level (side-to-side, and front-to-back). If your turntable doesn't have adjustable feet, try placing coins under the feet to level the turntable.
If you have a belt-drive turntable and know how to remove the belt, take it off. Wash it with warm water to clean off debris that's accumulated over the years. Then put it back on. Might make a small difference.
The quality of your phono cartridge is not only very audible; an old or worn stylus (needle) can permanently damage record grooves. When in doubt, buy a new cartridge. I like Audio Technica's AT-95 ($50) and Grado's Prestige Black ($60). These two are standard-mount cartridges, and they will work on many turntables, but some 'tables require "P Mount" cartridges. If you're not sure, read the manual or check with the turntable manufacturer.
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If you listen to music over your iPod or computer, it's safe to say you're listening in stereo.
Cars are a different story; they can have speakers in all sorts of places, so I'll grant that music in the car may not be in stereo.
But the music itself at least started out as stereo; MP3s and CDs are strictly stereo, so unless you listen to a lot of 5.1 channel SACDs or DVD-Audio discs, stereo is where it's at.
For around the same money, which sounds better?
Most, but not all post-1980 films are available in 5.1. So if you have a 5.1-channel home theater, surround is where it's at. But there's a catch; most people, I'm guessing at least 75 percent, listen to movies with the speakers built into their TVs. Which are, after all, stereo speakers.
So again, stereo wins the popularity contest. And if you're watching movies on a portable device or computer, yup, you're listening to stereo.
The movie companies are certainly aware that once their film leaves theaters most folks will be listening to the stereo mix. They make sure it sounds great.
My personal home theater is a 2.0 (no subwoofer) system. I'm no fan of special-effects-driven films; I go for dramas and concert films. What can I say? Stereo fits my lifestyle/aesthetic perfectly.
I'm not claiming 5.1-, 6.1-, or 7.1-multichannel sound is "bad"; not at all. In fact, I think the quality of movie surround mixes has steadily improved over the years. I listen to them when I'm reviewing gear all the time, but I don't need to hear surround at home. For me film is about the quality of the story, acting, and cinematography. The sound? Sure, it's extremely important, but it's there to support the picture.
How about you? Do you listen to movies in stereo?
The best of today's home theater in a box systems are excellent, but how do you find the one that's right for you?
First, read my CNET reviews; they're loaded with information about how easy the HTIB is to use and how well it performs. It may be a dubious honor, but I probably hold the record for testing more HTIBs for magazines and Web sites than any other reviewer.
Most HTIBs come with Blu-ray or DVD players, receivers, and five or more speakers and a subwoofer. Right, HTIBs also come with lots of wires and setup chores, so they're almost as complex to install as separate receiver, player, and speaker-based home theater systems.
Onkyo's HT-S9100THX is the best-sounding HTIB on the planet.
(Credit: Onkyo)If that's more than you bargained for, maybe you should be looking for something simpler: a single-speaker surround system? That would eliminate most of the wiring and setup hassles. Check my CNET reviews to see if one is right for you.
For small bedrooms or dorm rooms, a budget HTIB or single-speaker surround system may be ideal. Family-size home theaters may require larger systems with larger speakers and powered subwoofers.
Connectivity varies a lot in this category, so don't assume all HTIBs have what you need. If you don't want to switch inputs on your TV every time you select a different video source, say from a game system to a Blu-ray player, make sure the HTIB has enough HDMI and other video inputs. Some HTIBs don't switch video at all. Some have USB inputs and iPod-docking capabilities.
HTIBs tend to sound best with movies; music comes in a distant second place. I always refer to HTIBs' performance with movies and music, so if you plan on listening to a lot of music over your new system, definitely look for that in the reviews. Don't assume the sound will be equally good for music and movies; it rarely is.
... Read moreI've recently reviewed most of the contenders for the world's best headphones: the Audio Technica ATH-W5000, Denon AH-D7000, Sennheiser HD 800, Grado PS-1000, Ultrasone Edition 8, and the best headphones I've heard so far, the Stax electrostatic SR-007Mk2. I listened to the Stax with the Woo Audio WES headphone amplifier. If you want and can afford the best, go for the Stax-Woo combination.
The HE-5. real wood earcups, innovative technology, and awesome sound quality!
(Credit: Hifiman)But now I have yet another headphone to check out, and this one is a very different-sounding design. Oh, and it's less than half the price of the least expensive of those models!
It's called the Hifiman HE-5, and it uses planar-magnetic drivers to create sound. A planar magnetic driver is a large, flat Mylar diaphragm, coated with superthin aluminum, suspended between rows of slender bar magnets. The HE-5's diaphragm is therefore driven over its entire area, which dramatically reduces distortion; conventional dynamic headphone drivers are "driven" by a voice coil on the outer edge of the diaphragm, so the inner portion is more likely to distort.
The HE-5's driver is similar to the Stax electrostatic 'phones in that way, but the HE-5 doesn't use the bias charging scheme that all electrostatic headphones use, which also means the HE-5 can be used with standard headphone amplifiers. The Stax cannot.
The HE-5 is incredibly detailed sounding, but at the same time it's very smooth and laid back. Swapping between the HE-5 and the Sennheiser HD 800--considered by many to be the world's best dynamic headphone--the two headphones are opposites. The HD 800 is brighter, crisper, with more apparent treble detail; the HE-5 is softer, warmer, and more natural-sounding.
... Read moreWhen the CD was introduced in 1982, everyone thought the LP's days were numbered, but it's still here. Now it's starting to look like the LP might outlast the CD.
(Credit:
Steve Guttenberg)
Of course "record stores" are also on the endangered species list; here in NYC, Tower, Virgin, and Sam Goody are long-gone, but J & R Music World in lower Manhattan is the last remaining full-size outfit. Smaller shops are hanging in there, too.
You can still buy CDs and LPs online, and vinyl's selection is getting better and better. So if you're a music lover, what should you buy, CD or LP? First, it depends on whether you can get the music you want on vinyl.
Sound quality issues aren't black and white. CD wins in terms of noise-free listening, though clean records, played on a decent turntable can sound amazingly quiet. But even then, there will be occasional clicks and pops. That's a deal breaker for some, but if you've never heard records played on a decent turntable, you don't know how quiet records can be.
LPs can sound warmer, fuller, and more natural than CDs, and way better than low-bit MP3 and AAC variants. LP sound seems to engage listeners in a very different way than digital recordings do. It's not that digital sounds bad, but vinyl is more fun to listen to. Music on LP seems more immediate and realistic than digital. Oh, and it's worth noting that most people who use vinyl actually listen to music, while digital listeners rarely do. Digital makes do as background sound. That's just the way it is. If you can't see yourself ever really listening to music--without talking, reading, working on the computer, etc--sure, CDs and MP3s are perfectly fine.
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"Bowie: A Biography" by Marc Spitz (Crown, 429 pages) isn't just about David Bowie.
After the Beatles, there was David Bowie. I'm not equating them, not by a long shot, but Bowie's music felt like a big change from what preceded it in the 1960s.
Born David Jones in the suburbs of London in 1947, Bowie had a huge impact on the music of the 1970s. If you're old enough to remember you know "Space Oddity" made him a star, and "The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust" and his spiky haircut put him over the top.
I can't claim to be the biggest fan, but I love the way Spitz recounts when Bowie signed a record deal with RCA he met Andy Warhol, and that led to hooking up with Lou Reed, and that brought him to Iggy Pop. And according to Spitz there's a bit of Iggy in the creation of Ziggy.
Like all great stars lucky enough to have long careers, Bowie had a knack for continuously reinventing himself; he fused pop music with art, glam, synth, ambient, dance, rock, and soul. Bowie kicked heroin, sang a duet with Bing Crosby, starred in one of the great space oddity films of the 1970s, "The Man Who Fell to Earth," and "The Hunger" in 1983. He acted on Broadway in "The Elephant Man" in 1980.
Granted, reading about faded rock stars can be a big waste of time. Thing is, Spitz's book had me listening to a lot of Bowie, and I came away with a new appreciation for his music. And some of it, like "Low," the album that marked Bowie's first collaboration with Brian Eno, sound amazing. "Pin Ups" was definitely a high point for me.
"Bowie: A Biography" isn't just for fans, but it may spawn some new ones.
