We dug through all the equipment that we covered in 2010 to bring you our top picks for gear that we got our hands on this year.  Check out the Gear We Loved in 2010!Andre Marc's PicksMcIntosh MA6600 Integrated Amplifier "While not cheap at $6000, MA6600 easily competed with much more expensive units, and even higher priced separates. A solid pre and power combination from a multitude of well know high end manufacturers will cost you as much or more, and will be have very few or any of the features of the MA6600. When McIntosh says they did not compromise on the design of their integrated amps, I believe them and the proof was in the pudding; highly recommended for those searching for a top notch integrated amp in the $5000-$7000 range."Audience ClaireAudient 2 + 2 Monitors "I found my ...

When we talk about multi-room audio, we've got a certain image in mind.  We picture controlling the source for any room in the house from any room in the house.  We imagine touch control pads in each and full control over a tower of CD players, radios, computers and other music sources.  It's a great goal, but it's not as simple as just going out and buying one component.Multi-room audio systems are incredibly diverse, and come in configurations to meet a wide range of needs.  Even if you're hiring someone to take care of installation, you'll need to do a bit of research up front to figure out just what kind of setup is right for you.  Different homes will allow for different systems.  If you've got a new construction or you're willing to go through the trouble of wiring ...

We are on the cusp of Apple’s WWDC conference on June 7th where they will be announcing the much talked about iPhone 4 and a new line of iPod Touches, possibly with built-in cameras.  What hasn’t leaked out is the direction that Apple will be talking their Apple TV line.  By comparison to the iPod / iPhone / iPad, Apple TV (our review) hasn’t seen the breakout and rampant success of those products.  In many ways, the Apple TV works as a complimentary component if you already invested in other Apple products.  For instance, you can treat it as a music server and select play lists via an iPhone / iPod Touch with the Remote app.  Interestingly, Apple TV has never interacted with the App store, a fact that may change on Monday.  Apple TV is also a closed system, ...

For the serious home theater enthusiast, the concept of a home theater PC is very attractive for those who want to store all of their media in one spot and utilize it to consume the rapidly growing library of web based, high definition video.  Unfortunately, interacting with a HTPC has been reliant on a wireless keyboard / mouse setup or HTPC remotes that lack in complete functionality for navigation.   Enter the Navigator from GlideTV, a small device that is a hybrid of the keyboard and mouse.The GlideTV Navigator isn’t designed as a replacement for a home theater remote in the Logitech Harmony series, but rather for a broader form of control on the PC, Mac and Playstation 3.  The company has dubbed it a “couch mouse”, probably the most accurate description of the Navigator.  It also looks nothing like a ...

For one reason or another, home media production companies seem to operate on separate timetables for their releases. Whether it’s because they believe an item wouldn’t sell or if the costs are too high compared to the revenue it might generate, they all have their reasons.  Even with the support from enthusiasts, a film can sometime swim in an unreleased nebulous for far longer than it should.  Case in point being Paramount’s recent release of The African Queen, a great John Huston adventure starring Humphrey Bogart and Katherine Hepburn that, though it saw the light of day in the United Kingdom, didn’t hit American soil until the idea had been hammered into the studio’s minds for many years.  In order to obtain a copy of the film before that, enthusiasts either had to endlessly hope for it to hit the ...