sound

High-resolution formats like Blu-ray, DVD-Audio, SACD, and LP are all capable of delivering superb sound quality, but having music in those formats doesn't automatically guarantee great sound. The recording itself would first have to sound great, or to put it another way, a great sounding MP3 would sound better than a heavily compressed and studio processed 192-kHz/24-bit Master Audio Blu-ray.

Worrying about what sounds better--FLAC, WAV, or AIFF files--is a total waste of time if you're listening to an Adele or Black Keys album: the music's processing levels are so extreme, there's nothing for … Read more

Yamaha basically created the sound bar category and continues to sell its best-in-class Digital Sound Projector line, but it can be hard to recommend the company's sound bars when they generally cost in excess of $1,000.

The YAS-101 ($250 street price) is Yamaha's entry into the increasingly crowded budget sound bar field, and it's one of the few that manages to stand out.

That's largely because of Yamaha's decision to eschew a separate subwoofer, instead using a built-in subwoofer, which gives the speaker system a more streamlined look. The YAS-101 also has a very … Read more

There are retro gadgets and then there are retro gadgets.

A contemporary take on a 1950s-style vacuum tube radio is one thing, and we suspect its monophonic sound is a warm and cozy delight. But an entirely acoustic iPhone dock--kitted out with an antique gramophone amplification horn--takes things back to another century. And the sound seems to be tinnily tantalizing.

The docks, made by Ryan Boase's ReAcoustic, rely on nothing more than a wooden base and a reclaimed metal horn to amplify music from the iPhone's (or iPad's) speaker.… Read more

If you've ever wanted a faster, sleeker way to access your computer's volume controls, look no further than Volumouse. This innovative program lets you set both mouse controls and keyboard shortcuts to access the master volume controls as well as volume settings for a variety of devices. It's easy to use, highly customizable, and hard to do without once you've gotten used to using it.

The program appears as an icon in the Windows system tray, and clicking the icon launches an options panel where you can configure the utility's many features. You can create … Read more

During CES, I got a chance to hook up with Engage, the company behind Unity, a well-built home theater system.

Unity is the brainchild of Todd Beauchamp, an ex-Apple audio engineer (he worked closely on iPhone acoustics, for example) and Mike Fidler, an individual with a strong marketing and engineering background in Sony.

The sound system looks familiar because it has a design similar to the many sound bar and subwoofer combos out there, but stacked on top of each other. Unlike most sound bars, Unity's modular design has a depth to it that can support a 60-inch TV.

I quickly learned that the idea is a "system that can be set up in little as 15 minutes," Beauchamp said enthusiastically. You can tell that a lot of time and dedication went into the first version of the home theater and future versions could be compelling as the design evolves. … Read more

You've probably already read about the latest and greatest in smartphones, tablets, and OLED displays, so let's take a look at the coolest high-end audio goodies. We've assembled some of the most promising candidates for your approval.

The Arcam rPAC is a portable USB powered digital-to-analog converter and headphone amplifier, but it can also be played over a hi-fi system. "USB powered" means there are no batteries or "wall warts," it's powered by your computer's USB port. The entire component is enclosed in a small precision-cast aluminum case.

I've loved … Read more

LAS VEGAS--Sound bars have gotten cheaper, and they sound better and have more connectivity than ever before. Now, apparently you can snap them in half, even if you never wanted to.

Panasonic and Samsung both had "splittable" sound bars here at CES 2012 and I felt like I saw more of them on the show floor. The idea is you can split the bar into two speakers, place them on a stand, and create a more traditional 2.1 speaker system.

It's a nifty-looking feature, but it doesn't solve a problem anybody has ever had with a sound bar. I get plenty of reader mail about sound bars, but nobody has ever asked about a sound bar that can transform into separate speakers, probably because when they bought a sound bar, they wanted a sound bar.… Read more

LAS VEGAS--Boston Acoustics' SoundWare XS 5.1 system is about as small as you can make a 5.1 speaker system. Unless of course you ditched three of the speakers and the need for a separate AV receiver.

That's the thinking behind the new SoundWare XS Digital Cinema Surround Sound Speaker system, which features just two tiny SoundWare XS speakers, a compact subwoofer, and built-in amplification. It comes with a credit card-style remote and brackets for wall-mounting the front speakers.

The 100-watt system features both optical and analog inputs, as well as Bluetooth connectivity, allowing you to stream … Read more

LAS VEGAS--AirPlay gets all the press, but LG is betting that Bluetooth is good enough.

LG announced three new sound bars at CES 2012 this morning, with two including built-in Bluetooth for wireless music streaming from smartphones. The choice to stick to Bluetooth could be a savvy one for a number of reasons, including compatibility with both iOS and Android devices and overall lower cost. When I reviewed LG's LSB316 last year, the Bluetooth streaming was impressive, with my iPhone 4 treating it almost exactly like an AirPlay device. Sound quality on the LSB316 wasn't as impressive, especially … Read more