audio

Monster finally ships its wireless iPod bridge

It's taken awhile, but Monster's "iSoniCast Wireless Audio Bridge" is finally shipping. The device serves as a dock that connects the iPod to a home stereo but also turns the media player into a remote control with a snap-on dongle. It first appeared on Crave after our esteemed colleague John Falcone wrote about it last summer, apparently even before it had been christened as the "iSoniCast" or had any pricing. (It will sell for $99.95, according to the Monster's press release.) Though it looks slightly different from the photos released last year, … Read more

Rolling Stone magazine discovers high-end audio

Here's the concept: It's no secret young consumers don't get high-end audio. It just seems like either total BS or an extravagance for the rich. Yes, it can be both of those things, but there's a lot of great, affordable high-end audio that's available to anyone who's truly passionate about music. Here's one quick example, Usher Audio's staggeringly good S-520 speakers that go for $400 a pair (I'll review them in this space soon).

Anyway, a high-end publicist friend of mine proposed this reach out to the youth concept through Rolling … Read more

Pagani floors it, with a branded stereo

If this trend keeps up, perhaps supercars may no longer be the Pagani Automobili raison d'etre. Like Ferrari, the Italian car manufacturer has ventured into consumer electronics with its own line of home audio equipment.

What we have here is a flashy self-contained hi-fi system, a kit that comprises a vinyl turntable, CD player, preamplifier, 150-watt amplifier and a pair of floor-standing speakers, according to Autoblog. For exotic cars enthusiasts, the four-valve port on the loudspeakers adds a unique Zonda styling, while generous applications of carbon fiber and aluminum give the entire setup a uniquely polished appearance.

This product … Read more

Porsche engineers a new audio system

We've seen everything from toasters to coffee makers developed by Porsche Design, so it's always nice when they come out with something that's a little farther along on the high-tech evolutionary scale. And the Porsche Audio System fits that bill, at least where design is concerned.

What makes it different are the three dials that control the volume, AM/FM radio, and other functions, which are hollow for a good reason: There's a speaker in the middle of each one, in a 1.5-inch cone, complementing the 3-inch subwoofer in the back, SlashGear says. A separate … Read more

Sony refreshes Bravia home theater line for 2008

In 2007, Sony extended the previously TV-only Bravia moniker to cover its flagship all-in-one home theater systems for the first time. The branding extension must've been a success, because a new round of Bravia home-theater-in-a-box systems (HTIBs) is on deck for 2008. All four 2008 Bravia models will include the following baseline features. (Where applicable, we've taken the liberty of translating many of the terms from Sony-ese into English.)

Single chassis DVD receiver: The amplifier/receiver includes a built-in five-disc CD/DVD changer, with built-in support for standard Dolby and DTS surround modes. HDMI output: DVDs can be upscaled to 1080p resolution when connected to compatible HDTVs. 5.1 surround sound: Each system includes five satellite speakers and a subwoofer. Bravia Theatre Sync: Sony's implementation of HDMI-CEC lets the system interact with compatible Sony TVs when they're connected via HDMI, automating some processes such as input switching. Digital Cinema Auto Calibration (DCAC): This is simply the company's name for the built-in system that customizes the speaker levels to the particular sonics of your room. Dialogue Audio Enhancer: Otherwise known as "midnight mode," this feature normalizes volume levels for late-night viewing. DM Port compatibility: All Bravia systems include support for Sony's proprietary DM Port accessories: the TDM-NC1 Wi-Fi music streamer, the TDM-NW1 Sony Walkman MP3 player dock, and the TDM-BT1 Bluetooth adapter, all of which must be purchased separately. Outboard iPod dock: The fourth DM Port accessory, the TDM-IP1 iPod dock, is included. Wireless rear speakers: Each Bravia model includes an option to set up the two rear speakers wirelessly. (Whether the wireless speaker accessory is included or needs to be purchased separately varies from model to model.) S-AIR compatibility: New for 2008, the Bravia systems are compatible with Sony's proprietary S-AIR wireless technology, meaning they can stream music to a small speaker system (the AIR-SA10) located elsewhere in the home. (Whether the AIR-SA10 and its companion transmitter is included or needs to be purchased separately varies from model to model.)

Specific details for each system are as follows:… Read more

Sony's new budget AV receivers packed with features

When Onkyo released the budget TX-SR605 AV receiver last year, it rocked the industry with its low price and high-end features such as Dolby TrueHD and DTS-Master Audio decoding. Other manufacturers pretty much had to stay on the sidelines as TX-SR605s flew off the shelf, but it looks as if Sony is ready to fight back with its new line of budget AV receivers. The company's 2008 line of AV receivers includes four new affordably priced models--the STR-DG520, STR-DG720, STR-DG820 and STR-DG920--and they look pretty good from the spec sheet. Here are the details:

The STR-DG520

Key features of the Sony STR-DG520:

5.1 channels, 100 watts of power Two HDMI inputs Supports 1080p pass-through at 60 and 24 frames per second Available in March for about $200

The STR-DG720

Step-up features on the STR-DG720:

7.1 channels, 105 watts of power Three HDMI inputs… Read more

New Sony Blu-ray players: Better than PS3?

Sony has announced two new Blu-ray players scheduled to be released in the second half of the year: the entry-level BDP-S350 and the step-up BDP-S550. We haven't been the biggest fans of Sony's recent standalone Blu-ray players (the BDP-S300 was really slow and the same price as the PlayStation 3). Fresh off its victory over HD DVD, however, the company has announced two new Blu-ray players for 2008, both of which sport considerably more attractive feature sets and prices. Here are the details:

Key features of the Sony BDP-S350:

Supports BonusView, which means it is Profile 1.1 … Read more

Hansen Audio's $39,000 Prince V2 Speaker: Sound fit for royalty

The Hansen Audio Prince V2 speaker's liquid curves and physical presence demands respect--it all but shouts "this is very serious audiophilia," made for those with ears who appreciate the very best. Well, not just ears, but the means to indulge their vices. The 42 inch high speaker is small enough to fit in an apartment, at least an apartment with floors that can support the 540 pound weight of a pair of these $39,000 speakers.

Fellow Brooklynite Wes Bender, Hansen Audio's Senior Director and National Sales Manager, had me over to audition the speakers. Too bad he didn't have the top of the line King V2s that run $84K a pair, but if that's too rich for you, the Elixirs will set you back a mere $18K. So you see high-end audio is not so different than high-end cars... Lamborghini's new supercar, the Reventon is fourteen times more expensive then the fastest Corvette, but only a little bit faster. That wasn't a problem for Lamborghini, the entire production run sold out before the car was even built. Hansen Audio is likewise pushing the limits of what's possible in speaker design, and that's an inherently expensive proposition. Get over it.

Every aspect of these speakers' design was conceived with performance in mind, so that means not only are most of the drivers designed, engineered, and built in Hansen's Canadian factory; extraordinary efforts were expended on the speaker cabinets to better serve the sound. Which in the case of speakers, the best cabinet is the dead cabinet (acoustically inert), so the only sound you hear with Hansen speakers is the sound created by their drivers. Mass market speakers never get close to that ideal, their cabinets' "sing along" with the drivers, substantially coloring the sound.

The Hansen speakers' paint job also deserves special mention, it's the only element of the design not handled directly by Hansen. It's outsourced to a world famous luxury car manufacturer's factory in Toronto. Painting a pair of speakers takes five days and is a sixteen step process.

The "Hansen Composite Matrix" cabinet is a three-layer composite formulation (proprietary to Hansen) -- each layer is a different thickness from the other. Hansen's "Cloaking Device," the forth and final layer and is applied by hand to the internal cabinet. This sort of no holds barred design fanaticism is what separates high-end from mass-market brands, the drive to make the very best at any cost. … Read more

Killer Download: Organize, tag music collections

I get my music from several places. Over time I've ripped most of the CDs in my collection and have also bought songs on iTunes. Though file sharing is tempting--and fairly popular judging by our Most Popular list--I've only used those applications a couple of times over the years for long lost remixes. I guess I try to stay legal out of respect for the musicians, but this article isn't about the legality of file sharing.

The problem is, when you get your music from a lot of different sources, you end up with strangely tagged tracks … Read more