Introduction The proliferation of surround sound in movies, music and high-definition television has made five-channel speaker systems a virtual necessity in home theater. Advances in technology and engineering have made opting for an out-of-the-box satellite speaker system, particularly smaller systems, a worthwhile investment for entry-level buyers and high-end enthusiasts more than ever before. This is especially true for consumers on a limited budget and/or with limited space. Orb Audio’s approach to satellite speakers is unique. Their core beliefs rest in offering consumers high-end audio without the high-end markup. In order to keep their selling prices low, Orb utilizes a direct sales model, selling their products only via their website at orbaudio.com. Furthermore, their product line is built on a simple foundation of only one four 3/16” diameter satellite speakers and a powered subwoofer. This should not suggest, however, that their product offering is limited. To the contrary, Orb satellites can be put together in different combinations to ...

Introduction The H79 is the latest top-of-the-line DLP projector from Optoma and one of the first on the market to utilize Texas Instruments’ new DarkChip3. The H79 is priced at $9,999, a competitive sum for a top of the line projector with the newest video chip technology. The DarkChip3 is the latest iteration in the HD2+ series of DLP chips and improves upon the prior Mustang chip by closing the gap between panels, making the reverse side of the panels more light-absorbent, as well as removing the dimple on each of the panels. Like the prior HD2+ series chips, the DarkChip3 features a HD-capable resolution of 1,280 x 720 and a 16:9 aspect ratio. These changes increase contrast and help the H79 obtain its reported 4,500:1 contrast ratio. It was not clear how this projector was measured to get such incredibly high contrast numbers, considering that many other top projectors costing many ...

AV Education on RHT Organizing Your Music On a Server Written by Bryan Dailey If you don’t yet have an iPod and are feeling a bit like an outsider, have no fear. Creating an archive of your CD collection and putting it on your computer and/or iPod can be very simple and could potentially save your collection of music in the event of a disaster. Another advantage in taking on the project of archiving your music is that by physically ripping all of your discs, you will find that you are reintroduce yourself to music you know and love but had forgotten you own. It is likely that you will even head out to the record store or iTunes to buy even more music to round out your collection. An Old Argument – Mac or PC Apple’s newfound dominance and ultra-easy-to-use interface gives them a head start as the best vehicle for archiving and managing ...

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 ...

Introduction Playing your MP3 files isn’t just for sketchy speakers and poorly developed free software on your computer any more. Sales of Apple’s iPod are through the roof and now a new category, the music server, is gaining popularity. Talk of the computer and your home theater being one and the same (AKA: convergence) has been going on for quite some time and, with the NC-500 Nettunes Audio Network Receiver, Onkyo has taken another step closer to making the personal computer a fundamental part of your home theater system. For $399 (or $499 with two D-N3XA 2-way bass reflex speakers), the Onkyo NC-500 Net-Tunes™ Audio Network Receiver gives you powerful access to audio files stored on your computer from a remote location in your home or office. It also provides enhanced support for Internet radio and allows you to listen to both WMA (Windows Media) and MP3-format Internet radio stations. An AM/FM tuner allows you ...