Introduction We’ve all been there. Stuck at a red light trying to enjoy our music in the comfort of our own vehicles. Maybe you play a bit of air guitar, or sing along, whatever your inner child wants, it’s okay because you’re in your car. Your bubble. Your sanctuary. That is, until, the jerk in the three thousand dollar Honda Civic with the grapefruit shooter for a tailpipe rolls up next to you and assaults you with what I can only describe as an amplified fart trapped within a soda can. Sure, he’ll call it bass. I call it automotive flatulence. That trunk rattling, muffler busting sound isn’t bass. It’s distortion. It’s noise. And if you’re one of these people…do the world a favor, turn it down. The only person you’re impressing is yourself which judging by the slapdash way you’ve snap-tightened your car isn’t saying a whole lot. If you want bass - ...

Introduction There have been many challenges in rebuilding the AVRev.com reference theater (which I have previously written about and archived for Modern Home Theater how-to features, with more details to come). One of the challenges not discussed is what I was going to do with the living room where my former reference system lived. Removing the large equipment rack thankfully created more space that allowed for the sleek installation of a lightly tinted glass wall. Removal of the floor-to-ceiling, bird’s-eye maple media storage cabinet that housed my Stewart roll-down screen also opened up some serious space. The design challenge was unique, considering the entryway to the new theater, as well as the stairs leading to the new addition, is exactly where my Wilson WATT Puppy right speaker used to be placed – how could you get great sound in a room or, in this case, a series of rooms, including the living room, dining room ...

Introduction Revel: home theater and audio enthusiasts have come to know and lust after this brand name for nearly a decade. The Revel Ultima and Performa lines of speakers compete with the likes of Wilson Audio, B&W, MartinLogan and Meridian, with favorable results in the cost-is-no-object arena. Many entry-level home theater owners have stayed awake nights dreaming of finding any way possible to get Revel speakers in their systems. Thanks to the Concerta line from Revel, the dream has become reality, with Revel speakers priced at a fraction of their big brothers. Taking many of design elements that have made Revel into a world-class speaker brand and strategically cutting costs where costs can be cut without causing a large drop in performance, Revel has created an entry-level line of speakers called the Concerta series, which are a natural progression for AV enthusiasts who are ready to move up from the mass-market entry-level speakers to something with ...

Introduction Subwoofers are perhaps the hardest speaker in an AV system for consumers to evaluate. This is due in part to the fact that the best performing subwoofer isn’t necessarily the one that creates the lowest bass response or that rattles the rafters with the greatest fury, but rather the one that best blends with your entire system. When a subwoofer is perfectly matched to your system, you are in theory unable to locate its position and rock-bottom bass would seem to be emanating from your main front loudspeakers. The in-room bass response or, more accurately, your personal room response is what you are really looking for. Herein lies the problem. Unless you are an acoustics guru with sophisticated sound-measuring equipment, you have little chance of getting your new sub to sound great in your room. Bob Carver, a man perhaps best known for making small subwoofers popular, offers his newest solution to the problem ...

Introduction Outlaw Audio has very quickly earned a fantastic reputation for selling high-quality electronics at a high value price by bypassing the retailer and using the Internet to sell factory direct. This is hardly a new business model, but the highly successful implementation and consumer appeal of their model in the audio-video industry make Outlaw unique. Outlaw Audio sells various audio electronics, including a critically acclaimed under $1,000 AV preamp and a host of power amps for music and home theater. The company has just now released their first speaker, a powered subwoofer. The Outlaw LFM-1 Subwoofer, which stands for Low Frequency Module 1, is a 12-inch down-firing dual-ported sub that retails for a competitively priced $579 for a single sub and a discounted $999 for two. The LFM-1’s enclosure measures 21.75 inches in height by 15 inches wide and 22 inches in depth. At a beefy 58 pounds, this sub has the heft you expect ...