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This Month's Featured Equipment Reviews |
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Loudspeaker Forum Topics: |
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Classic Loudspeaker Reviews |
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Home Theater Loudspeakers
Categories in section: Home Theater Loudspeakers
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Wednesday, 04 November 2009
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Written by
Todd Whitesel
It wasn’t too long ago that the only way to watch a movie was to journey to the local movie theater or drive-in. For many, “going out” meant “going to the movies.” Then VCRs were introduced, and soon folks were buying and renting their favorite flicks to enjoy in the convenience and comfort of home. Something was missing, though, and I’m not talking about $8 buckets of popcorn and chairs still sticky from soda spilled two matinees ago. The VCR tapes had a tendency to jam or suddenly self-destruct mid-movie, unfurling celluloid into a linguine-like tangle. You grabbed a #2 pencil, stuck the eraser in the tape roller and hoped it wind back for one more showing. TVs were big and boxy with limited audio and visual playback capabilities that often turned even the most stirring soundtracks and special effects ...
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Monday, 26 October 2009
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Written by
Dick Ward
Polk’s DSW Pro 600, the spiritual successor to the much beloved PSW 505 sub, is a powered subwoofer capable of working in both front-firing and down firing modes.
The DSW Pro 600 is the most powerful sub in Polk’s DSW Pro line. It sports a 12” woofer comprised of Composite Polypropylene Cones, and rubber, rather than foam surrounds. The MDF constructed cabinet is heavily braced to ensure a minimum of cabinet boom, and the slot loaded port helps to eliminate unwanted air noises.
A 250 watt continuous (500 watt peak) amplifier powers the Pro 600. The DSW series uses what Polk refers to as an Intelligent Digital Amplifier, which cuts down on the amount of power used while operating at low volumes or in standby mode. The DSW Pro 600 also utilizes Feed Forward anti-distortion technology to help cut down on unwanted ...
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Thursday, 08 October 2009
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Written by
Dick Ward
The Polk SurroundBar50 is the largest of the sound bars in Polk Audio’s SurroundBar series. The 51” long shell holds a total of nine 3.5” drivers with composite cones and a trio of ¾” silk tweeters. The SurroundBar50 takes advantage of Polk’s Front and Rear Stereo Dimensional Array (SDA) Surround Sound technology. Using SDA, Polk Audio’s surround sound bar line is able to create the illusion of sound coming from all angles, enabling a virtual surround sound experience. Front SDA Stage Array uses a pair of drivers, in addition to the standard left and right sound channels, to expand the sound stage. Rear SDA projects sound around the listener, and completes the 360 degree wrap around.While other sound bars do promise a similar experience, they tend to use the reflective surfaces of a room to bounce sound to the listener. ...
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Thursday, 24 September 2009
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Written by
Todd Whitesel
Imagine this scenario: You've just graduated top of your class from a well-known college of loudspeakers. You aced all your courses and now you're ready to set the audio world on fire with what could be akin to the next Klipschorn or LS3/5. Job offers pour in, and you accept one with an up-and-coming speaker manufacturer. You stride into work Monday morning ready to do anything, when the boss calls you into a meeting and asks if you'd like to take the lead on a.... before he can finish, you've already volunteered and have visions of greatness dancing in your head. Then the sentence is allowed to air. “I want you to design a 2-way passive speaker in a cabinet no larger than 9x6x6.” Your smile lessens. “It needs to work with a range of equipment, from the newer digital ...
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Thursday, 03 September 2009
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Written by
Todd Whitesel
I was skimming through a recent audio catalog that I receive regularly and was struck by the dichotomy of some of the listed products. There were complete turntables for less than $400, and even at the price touted to re-create music in a way that digital never can. On the digital side, there were CD players also under $400 that drew admiration from certain reviewers as absolute steals, with performance that belied the price tag. For contrast, I noticed some cables that cost upward of $9,000 and wondered who was buying them. I'm guessing that most folks – even those with income to drop nearly 10 large on a set of cables – are bargain hunters. We want value, and aren't afraid to pay for it, as long as the performance backs up the cost. One of the best ways ...
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