Introduction Parasound has been producing high-quality audio components at a reasonable price for over 20 years. The new HALO line represents a dramatic improvement in both appearance and performance for Parasound. The HALO series represents a departure from Parasound’s traditional black box styling and is clad in a silver brushed metal finish. Each component in the series has a groove, forming an accent line across the bottom portion of each unit. The end caps of each front panel are slightly off-color from the panel itself. Each of the HALO components has a red "P" at the top center that lights up when power is present. I give the front panel the utter coolness award for its faint blue light emanating from behind the buttons which forms like its namesake -- a halo effect. The T 3 retails for $600 and is a full-featured tuner, measuring 17" inches, by four-and-one-eighth inches in height, 13" inches ...

Introduction The arrival of affordable DVD recorders – and certainly their acceptance – has been delayed by that good old audio industry phenomenon, a format war. There are no less than four different recordable DVD formats, with apparently very little difference between them. It’s even quite difficult to tell them apart, as several have very similar names. A big consideration for many people (it certainly would be for me, if I were considering buying one of these units) would be compatibility with other players. I want to be able to record my home movies on a DVD in the machine, finalize it (turning it into a DVD-Video disc), send them to friends and know that they will play back on their regular DVD player. The format most likely to succeed in this respect in the minds of many pundits is DVD-R, which is also used by the Pioneer SuperDrive CD/DVD burners provided in Apple ...

Introduction Newly formed company Portal Audio recently introduced their first offering, the “Panache,” a no-frills integrated amplifier with aspirations of offering high-end performance at a reasonable cost. Its main objective is to provide a platform for a simple audio-only system, one which will require minimal processing or switching of limited audio inputs and outputs. The Panache is priced at $1795 and is currently available via Internet direct. Portal Audio offers a 60-day risk-free trial period, taking advantage of a growing Internet model, allowing potential buyers to audition the unit in their own systems to ensure that their needs and expectations are met. The Panache incorporates a passive line stage with a high gain dual mono Class A/AB amplifier in an attractive, somewhat minimalist package. The passive line section consists only of an input selector that routes the incoming signal through Alps volume and balance controls. The Amplifier section is rated at 100 watts per channel ...

Introduction As an audio enthusiast for over 20 years, I was surprised to learn that Phase Technology has been building speakers since the 1950s. Unlike many speaker companies in today’s global economy, they build nearly every part of the speaker themselves. This includes the speaker cones, baskets, voice coils, inductors and enclosures. They go so far as to actually coat their own wire for the voice coils. Even if you have not heard Phase Technology speakers, you most certainly have heard their speaker drivers in other manufacturers' products. They have manufactured drivers for nearly every major brand-name speaker manufacturer in the world. Phase Technology holds a number of influential patents, including that of the soft dome tweeter, a product that they introduced and patented in the 1960s and later licensed to a vast number of companies. The Phase Technology theater speaker package reviewed here comes from their Premier Collection series. This package included three PC 3.1 ...

Introduction Piega is a loudspeaker manufacturer based in Switzerland, already well known to European audiophiles and definitely a striking-looking relative newcomer (5+ years) to the crowded U.S loudspeaker market. Piega has developed their most loyal following with a line of high-end speakers that incorporate unique ribbon tweeters designed and manufactured by Piega, along with traditional dynamic drivers. The Piega speakers are slender and modern in appearance, with a very refined sound. The speaker package I reviewed featured two affordable pairs of Piega S4 floor-standing loudspeakers ($1,795 per pair), a S4C ($795) center channel speaker, and their pricier P Sub 1 subwoofer ($3,095). The S4s are part of Piega’s less expensive “S” line of speakers, a design that utilizes conventional electromagnetic drivers. Piega’s unique ribbon tweeters are only available in their more expensive “P” line of products. The Piega speakers are very handsome and relatively small in size compared to other speakers in their price range (Energy, B&W, Sonus ...