hardware

Hi, second post much like the first. We're moving into our 'retirement house' after years in Army housing (and not bothering to upgrade our AV stuff). We just got a Samsung 55" 3D smart TV last year and that moved our 36" Sony HDTV from a couple of years before that to our bedroom. Feel pretty...

Hi, first post. We're moving into our 'retirement house' after years in Army housing (and not bothering to upgrade our AV stuff). We just got a Samsung 55" 3D smart TV last year and that moved our 36" Sony HDTV from a couple of years before that to our bedroom. Feel pretty good TV wise but...

Recently moved to Northern Virginia (Winchester) and hoping to snag DC signals and not pay monthly to get broadcast channels. Anyone have experience in the geographical area? Based on Antennaweb, the nearest CBS and FOX towers are in DC. Thanks!

Speakers are, perhaps, the most subjective piece of a home theater system. What sounds fantastic to some will sound horrible to others. For newcomers to home theater, the choices for speakers, and their prices, can be overwhelming and intimidating. So, when I was given the opportunity to review...

I finally picked up the Full Disclosure blu-ray of Apocalypse Now and went to watch disc 3, the Heart of Darkness disc, it would not load with my Oppo 103, that has the latest firmware that came down about 10 days ago, give or take. Just wondering if anyone is seeing the same issue? I got it...

Recently bought a Sony bravia Led tv 40R452A, and a home theatre system by Panasonic model SC-XH201 connected with ARC through the HDMI, while the TV can play all the videos and give the sound from the tv speakers and the through the Home theatre setup through ARC, but it cant paly DTS audio...

KEF E-305 5.1 HTIB Review Introduction I was first introduced to KEF Speakers at the dawn of the release of DVD by a neighbor who was both a huge audiophile and a laserdisk fan. At the time I had just gotten my first 'real' job and was intent on building a home theater that would be...

Sony’s BDP-S5100, which replaces last year’s BDP-S590, is loaded with features, enhancements, and a new design. Over the last four months, I’ve developed a love-hate (mostly love) relationship with the player, mostly due to Sony Tech Support’s responses to a few issues I’ve had. Overall, though...

I'm downsizing to a smaller apartment, and have finally parted ways with my beloved Panasonic HD CRT TV, and donated my fairly basic home theater system to a friend. I'm also stopping cable service. I've picked up the following new equipment, all of which is new to me, and I have a couple of...

I'm considering my first flat screen TV for my living room but from what I understand, the sound on most aren't that great. I don't know the first thing about a/v equipment and would really appreciate any advice. My current set up is a TV, a series 2 TiVo & a cable box. I know that I'll have to...

I just noticed on Amazon that the Roku 3 only outputs HDMI. I have an HDMI jack on my Panasonic plasma TV, but my a/v receiver is an older Pioneer model, with no HDMI jacks, only RCA jacks. One of the primary reasons I want the Roku is to stream Netflix (and other services) without having to...

Panasonic Viera WT60 LED LCD 47" HDTV Review If you have always associated Panasonic with plasma technology, then you should be aware of their LCD offerings also. The recently released Viera WT60 line features LED edge lighting, 3D technology with passive glass, and an ultra thin bezel (1.3"...

Power Sound Audio XS30 Subwoofer Review If you haven’t heard the name of our newest forum sponsor Power Sound Audio yet, don’t worry; it’s only a matter of time before the brand goes completely viral. Co-founded by Tom Vodhanel and Jim Farina and headquartered in Mineral Ridge, Ohio; Power...

KingRex U-Craft Y USB Cable Review I’m a horrible skeptic of cabling and its impact on sound quality in general; yet Taiwanese audio equipment manufacturer KingRex has never disappointed me, so I was interested to see how their new take on the USB cable performed when a review sample was...

Well known for their high performing yet still affordable DLP projectors, BenQ’s most recent addition to their lineup is the W1070 – a 3D, DLP projector that turns many of the conventions of the projector market on their respective heads. While there are some definite limitations to the design...

Logitech Harmony Ultimate Remote & Mobile Device Interface I’ve been a Logitech Harmony user for quite a while. For the last 7 years I’ve touted the ease of setup and use of the Harmony line to my friends, family, and anyone who would listen on most A/V related forums. My stance the whole...

If you happen to be a follower of the online AV community, chances are that at some point you have seen the name Salk mentioned. Mentions of Jim Salk’s name and his products have grown more frequent over the past few years, and for good reason. Jim Salk and his company Salk Signature Sound...

This review will highlight the People’s Choice speaker systems from Orb Audio. Before I get into the specifics of the Orb system, let me note for the record that I've been a working musician for several decades and a guitar maker for about 12 years, with forays into speaker and amp design...

Skullcandy enters the gaming arena with their new line of headsets made specifically for both Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. Their PLYR1 headset features wireless connectivity, Dolby Digital 7.1, a flip-up boom mic, and onboard Voice Balancing. Skullcandy PLYR1 Wireless Headset Specifications 2.4...

Ceton InfiniTV6-ETH Network Cable Card Adapter Equipment Review From the beginning, I've followed Ceton. I received one of the very first InfiniTV4, in the first batch, as soon as they had them. I participated in the Echo and App Betas. And from the beginning, I loved the direction that...

Axiom Epic 80 System Review In the small but innovative world of Internet direct audio manufacturers, Canadian manufacturer Axiom Audio has been steady and consistent presence in a rather tumultuous industry. In 1980 Axiom Audio was born and by 1981 had released its first product. Founder...

Ceton InfiniTV 6-ETH Cable Card Adapter From the beginning, I've followed Ceton. I received one of the very first InfiniTV4, in the first batch, as soon as they had them. I participated in the Echo and App Betas. And from the beginning, I loved the direction that Ceton was taking...

Panasonic TC-P55ST60 3D Plasma HTF Equipment Review I’ve spent a lot of time this year focusing on our new theater room. In putting together that room, I wanted the best that I could get.. within reason, and I wanted to be able to have a theater that really brought the movie experience home. As...

Yamaha’s entry-level receiver in their 2013 line, the RX-V375, is a simple, non-networked, 5.1 model featuring lossless audio decoding, 70 watts per channel, 4K and 3D pass-through, and Yamaha’s YPAO sound optimizer. Home Theater Forum received a sample from Yamaha to review, and we put it...

I should have known better. Anyone even kind of experienced with speakers knows that you should break them in[1] before even thinking about evaluate them. It’s day one of How to be a Home Theater Equipment Reviewer 101, which they should totally offer in college. Over the years I’ve heard...

SVS SB13-Ultra Subwoofer Review For a good portion of the last few years, the home theater subwoofer market has remained fairly static in terms of the players and their offerings. Some companies have come and gone, while others have endured and continued to innovate. One of the companies that...

TIVO ROAMIO Reviewed by Ronald Epstein October, 2013 For years I have been enjoying the pains and gains associated with being a Tivo owner. I started with the brand well over a decade ago when the company first introduced an integrated DVR for DirecTV set top boxes. When that association...

I am looking for suggestions on a 60-70" LED Smart TV. My price range is say 1000-1500. As a reference I found this: Vizio 65" M651D-A2 Theater 3D Smart for $1300. Is this any good? Are there better for the same price? Suggestions please.

So I have an Onkyo RC360 setup with Energy RC-LCR Fronts, VS Surrounds and RC-10 rears. I have had this setup for a about 7 months now and love it. I calibrated everything with Audassay when I first bought and things were great. I have been away for a few weeks and haven't played games or...

Polk working with Microsoft to Create Customized Audio Products for Xbox One Company brings 40 years of sound expertise to the next generation of living room entertainment Baltimore, MD (June 3, 2013) – Polk today announced it is working with Microsoft to create premium audio products for the...