Introduction We’ve all sat and drooled over the pages of the latest industry mag at the sights and specifications of some master designer’s latest Herculean, not to mention expensive, efforts in speaker design. And why shouldn’t we? Often, these products represent what is the pinnacle of loudspeaker design, and while no trip to Everest is free, there are other mountains worth climbing, which are rewarding in their own right. Enter companies like Radiient and their new line, or should I say line-up, of speakers, starting with the Elara compact five-speaker system. Founded by David Buuck, formerly of DVDO, and Jano Banks, the co-creator of HDMI, Radiient is out to prove that great sound and quality craftsmanship don’t necessarily have to come at a steep price. In fact, they’re out to change the way you look at, listen to and buy speakers altogether. This is why you’ll only find their products sold direct through their website, ...

Introduction I think Ferris Bueller said it best when he said, “Life moves pretty fast.” I must admit, Ferris’ statement was a bit lost on my then young ears; however, more than a decade later, his words ring true. Especially when it comes to the world of consumer electronics. It seems like just the other day I was being sold on EDTV technology and insanely long runs of component cable. High definition was just a dream that was still years away. Then the days of yore turned into yesterday and high definition was no longer just a dream. It was a whole different animal, a beast really, and it was now walking among us. All of a sudden, my once state-of-the-art system was nothing more than a really expensive picture frame. Well, I upgraded and joined the HD revolution. I bought the plasma. I got the digital cable. And with my trusty component cables ...

Introduction In today’s market of automated homes and wired (and wireless) networking, the idea of having to drag your CD collection to every room of your home is getting as outdated as a turntable. Music servers are nothing new; chances are you already own one. With the advent of the iPod, music servers have touched almost every facet of our daily lives. The ReQuest music server is by no means an iPod, but the underlining principles that drive both products are relatively the same: to organize, store and play back music with relative ease. That is where the analogy ends, as the ReQuest line of music servers are heavy-duty tools designed to faithfully recreate music and reliably broadcast the tunes throughout your home and even beyond. The ReQuest F4.500 music server is priced at $5,000. The ReQuest looks, more or less, like a single-disc CD player measuring in at 17 inches wide by 16 inches ...

Introduction Rotel’s illustrious history was started in Japan over 40 years ago by a family whose obsession with music inspired them to manufacture truly high fidelity stereo components of their own unique design. Today, Rotel engineers are known for their tendency to select only the finest capacitors, resistors and other parts from all around the globe. The goal of these searches for the best audio components is to create audio equipment that is musical and reliable, yet affordable. If a component has not met the engineer’s desired standards, Rotel is not afraid to make the actual part itself. This was the case for Rotel’s decision to make its own toroidal transformers. One of Rotel’s latest contributions to the home theater market is the RMB-1077 a seven-channel amplifier that retails for $2,500. Now, you ask, what is so great about this amplifier? Amplifiers have been around for years and much of the technology has not changed significantly. ...

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 ...