Introduction Sound comes from the movement of air – short pulses of wind, so to speak. So it’s no surprise that the newest speaker line from the German speaker manufacturer, Canton, derives its name from the Italian word for wind: Vento. Four audiophiles founded Canton in 1973 with the mission of making the best speakers possible, and through the years they have remained dedicated to this principle. The Vento line employs technologies learned from experience, as well as computer modeling and extensive listening tests. The Vento 5.1 surround sound speaker system that I received for review consisted of a pair of Vento 809 DC floor-standing speakers that retail for $2,500 each, an 805 CM center channel with a retail price of $1,500, a pair of 802 compact speakers that retail for $2,000 and the AS 850 SC subwoofer that lists for $2,500, bringing the total system price to $11,000. They are available in a dark ...

Introduction The mighty Monster Cable is diversifying. The company that successfully taught mainstream consumers the value of high-performance cables is now taking extraordinarily measures, like buying naming rights to sports stadiums, to teach consumers that they now sell home automation products, cables (of course) and, believe it or not, loudspeakers. Head Monster Noel Lee knows exactly how competitive the loudspeaker business is and, armed with 20 years of trendsetting industry experience, he is not holding back. Consumers should be excited. The Monster speaker line consists of a tower speaker, two monitors, a dipole surround and two different subwoofers. The system I reviewed was comprised of the Monster THX Select Tower 200s for the front left and right speakers, a Monster THX Select Monitor 200 in center position, Monster THX Select Dipole Surround Sound Speaker 100 in the rear and two Monster THX Select Subwoofer 200s on the LFE channel. The speakers are priced at $800 for ...

Introduction There is a war going on, and it’s waged every day in living rooms across this country, where the casualties can often be found sleeping on the couch. I’m talking about a war between good and evil. Right and wrong. You vs. her. I’m talking about the war over the WAF, or Wife Acceptance Factor. For years, you’ve wanted those towering, monolithic speakers of yore, capable of shaking your house off its very foundations and coming in every color so long as it’s black. And she wants, well, Bose. Let the games begin. Time and time again, manufacturers have attempted to bridge the gap between the sexes, creating pocket-sized speakers in every shape and color, only to produce pocket-sized sound, which is great for the bedroom or office but not for your living room. Still manufacturers persist, and some succeed: my former reference Definitive Technology ProCinema 80 system is one such success story. ...

Introduction Zvox Audio may sound like a new brand name, but President Tom Hannaher is no stranger to the high fidelity electronics industry. Tom has worked at Advent, with such industry pioneers such as Henry Kloss, the inventor of projection television and high fidelity cassette decks. Later, Hannaher went on to run the marketing of Cambridge Soundworks before eventually transferring his energy to Zvox. What this impressive resume boils down to is that Hannaher knows both the audio and visual side of the home theater business. Even better news is that Hannaher surrounds himself with talent that can create an incredible-sounding miniature amplifier/speaker system that can be easily set up and enjoyed. The Zvox Mini can provide amply rich sound in virtually any room, with the simplest of connections and fine-tuning, for a modest $199. What is so special about the Zvox, you ask? The Zvox is a simple preamp, amplifier and speaker array that ...

Introduction Ever since HDTVs started working with Richard Simmons and eating a healthy diet, their significant others (high-performance speakers) have been forced to follow suit. Before you break out the drywall saw to bury some in-walls in your 2x4s, B&W has a creative new loudspeaker system that has audiophile soul and, as James Brown would say, are “super bad” (“bad” meaning “good” in this case). The Mini Theater concept from Bowers and Wilkins comes in three different configurations, depending on the level of subwoofer in the package. Each of the three levels uses the same identical complement of five identical M-1 speakers. The MT-10 package is mated to the 85-watt AS1 subwoofer at $1,250 for the package. The MT-20 utilizes the 150-watt AS2 at $1,499 (which B&W sent for review), while the MT-30 that sports B&W’s much-heralded 500-watt PV1 at a cost of $2,500 for the 5.1 package. The M-1 speakers priced at $200 ...