Introduction Home theater enthusiasts never had it so good. It used to be that the choices for a good 5.1 speaker package were either far beyond most people’s means, or so inexpensive that you had to wonder how the manufacturer could ever make money selling them. Then there are speaker packages (you know the which ones I am talking about) which have incredible marketing behind spectacularly mediocre products that the unenlightened seem to be enamored of due to the diminutive size of the items. High-end manufacturers over the past few years have heard the cry from folks begging to step up to higher-performance speakers, questioning why products have to cost so much to sound so good. When the companies trickle down their very expensive technologies into more affordable products, they offer an opportunity for the masses to expose themselves to the high-end performance arena. NHT is one of those companies, and their latest effort is ...

Introduction When purchasing your audio/video system, there is no component that better defines its character than your speaker system. Speakers define both the sonic and aesthetic personality of your sound system. With the better part of the audiophile era behind us, a time when a good-sounding product in a hideous package seemed acceptable, the importance of combining performance with an attractive look has never been greater. Several months back, I approached RBH about reviewing their loudspeaker systems. RBH is hardly a newcomer to the audio/video industry having just celebrated their 25th anniversary. Having seen and heard their speakers at CES 2001, I was intrigued with their products, as they appeared to perform very well in an environment that is less than optimal, and because their speakers looked to be well-built at an affordable price. Finding products of value is a high priority for AudioRevolution.com. After speaking with RBH, we selected a speaker system that was felt to ...

Introduction There are some of us who want to get into a happening home theater system but don’t have a lot of disposable dinero. There are some of us who don’t have physical space for six speakers due to room size and marital limitations. And there are some of us who don’t want to clutter our rooms with gigantic speakers and subwoofers, yet desire the dynamic sound you get with bigger equipment. Energy has come up with a very compelling product that will fit these types of situations with their Take 5.2 5.1 loudspeaker system ($900). The Take 5.2 system replaces the venerable four-year-old Take 5 system and therefore has some pretty big shoes to fill. There are a few fairly significant changes on the new version. The 2.2 satellites and the 1.2 center channel are slightly larger and are front-ported instead of a sealed design. The one-inch dome tweeter is also larger than ...

Introduction Monitor Audio has had a presence in the development and manufacture of high-quality speakers since 1972. Monitor has also been an early pioneer in metal driver technology that started some 16 years ago. Other notable speaker manufacturers have recently migrated to metal driver configurations, for good reason. The benefits of using metal are pretty significant, including the ability to control speaker driver distortion. The new Gold Reference Series utilizes the latest advancements from Monitor Audio in metal driver technology. The Details The speakers involved in the Monitor Audio 5.1 system I received are the Gold Reference GR 20. I used these for the main channels. The Gold Reference GR 20 is a floor-standing loudspeaker system ($2,995 a pair). Each speaker sits 37.5 inches tall, is eight-and-seven-eighths inches wide and 12.5 inches deep. They weigh 44 pounds each. The GR 20 is second from the top in the Gold Series and benefits from many of the advanced technologies ...

Introduction With summer approaching and the weather getting warmer, many music enthusiasts including myself are looking forward to barbecuing on the patio and some outdoor relaxation. Fine wine, gourmet food and great friends, and of course let’s not forget the ingredient that no party is complete without – fantastic tunes. The SA-3 is the largest in Klipsch’s All-Weather speaker line, measuring 16 inches wide, 11 inches tall, 10 inches deep and weighing 15 pounds per speaker. The cost of ownership is $699 per pair in either black or white finish. Having just re-landscaped my backyard, I’ve been looking for some serious outdoor speakers to provide the much- needed finishing touch. I looked at many speaker systems, including some that resembled rocks. The opportunity to review an outdoor speaker could not have come at a better time. When asked which model I wanted to review, I said, "Give me the biggest ones." Ask and you shall receive – ...