Introduction Satellite radio has been gaining lots of attention the past few years, as millions upon millions of consumers continue to discover its benefits over traditional radio broadcasts. Nationwide availability, commercial-free music stations and vast amounts of talk shows are just part of satellite radio’s attraction. XM and Sirius are the two major companies providing satellite radio content for a combined population of nearly nine million subscribers in the United States and Canada. Many of the satellite radio products have been focused on portable and car deployments of the technology until recently, when Polk introduced one of the first home audio systems. Antex Electronics saw this vacancy in the growing satellite radio portfolio and produced a high fidelity XM radio receiver of its own. Based in Torrance, CA, Antex is no stranger to the audio industry, boasting over 20 years of experience. In fact, Antex introduced the world’s first PC soundcard with 16-bit stereo CD quality sound ...

AVRev.com's Top 100 Awards are back for 2005 with the absolute best gear money can buy for home theater and beyond. While there are many big ticket products to represent the absolute cutting edge of AV technology - value plays a huge role in our editor's decision as to what products make the list and how they are ranked. Make no mistake - to get on the list at all is one heck of a feat considering how many products are released each year. Enjoy reading reviews of each component as well as seeing how much of your system is on the Top 100. Happy Holidays!

Introduction The Statement A5, little brother to Anthem’s top of the line Statement P5 multi-channel amplifier, has many of the best qualities of the Anthem flagship powerhouse in a smaller, less pricey package. From the sleek black brushed aluminum face with blue accent lights outside to the Advanced Load Monitoring (ALM ) technology inside, it doesn’t feel like corners were cut, yet this feature-packed 180 watts per channel amplifier has a retail price of $2,499. For two-channel enthusiasts, a two-channel version of this amp, appropriately named the A2, is available at a retail price of $1,299. The design philosophy behind the Statement line of amplifiers is “keep it simple”: use as few parts as possible, use the best quality parts available and keep the price within the Earth’s atmosphere. Although there is a laundry list of features that make the Statement A5 and A2 amplifiers unique, to the lay person, the end result is one ...

Introduction There is no question that flat and wall-mounted HDTVs are driving the home theater market in 2005. Today, a consumer can invest in an under-$2,000 HDTV plasma or fairly large yet thin HDTV and get one hell of a picture. The problem is that the speakers historically best known for recreating the best music and movie soundtracks are not necessarily the best fit in rooms increasingly designed to make your system “out of the way.” Leading the way in the Bose-killer category is Anthony Gallo Acoustics. Their vast array of unique, round and colorful speakers literally fit in places where traditional speakers don’t with a sound that lures in even the most jaded audiophiles, thanks to some very creative engineering, choice of materials and implementation. The Anthony Gallo Nucleus Micro speaker system reviewed here is a 5.1 surround sound system for movies and music, comprised of five identical four-inch spheres to use for ...

Introduction Adcom has carved an undeniable niche in this industry by manufacturing rock solid high-end electronics at budget prices. In fact, many music enthusiasts with mega-dollar systems fondly recall Adcom as one of their first high-performance audio investments back in the late 1980s. Decades later, Adcom is still providing consumers with quality components at a fraction of the price of many of its higher-end peers. The GFA-7805 is a 300-watt, five-channel amplifier designed to drive your 5.1 home theater or multi-channel music system, retailing for $2,599. As model numbers go, the GFA-7805 amp from Adcom is one of the easiest to remember. As if it were conceived in bar by a couple of dudes who each had a beer in one hand and darts in the other, GFA simply stands for “Great F’ing Amp.” There’s a model number that will set it apart for an otherwise conservative industry. The GFA-7805 tips the scales at 88 pounds ...