High-end audio
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HARMAN Wins BMW Contract for New High-End Audio Systems
Business Wire Technology News &bull Dec 15, 2011
STAMFORD, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--HARMAN, the premium audio and infotainment group (NYSE:HAR), announced today that it has been awarded a long-term, multi-million dollar contract by BMW AG, to provide the High-End Surround Sound System for its compact class luxury vehicle platforms. The new branded audio system will offer BMW customers… Full Story »
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How to make your LPs sound better than ever
The Audiophiliac on CNET &bull Dec 4, 2011
Mainstream audio products aren't designed that way; they're sold mostly on the basis of features like Bluetooth or AirPlay that consume an ever larger part of the design engineer's focus and budget. No, high-end audio in its purest form is all about superlative sound. Jolida's JD-9 tube phono preamplifier is such a design. The selection of newly released LPs is growing day by day, and I loved Nick Lowe's "The Old Magic"… Full Story »
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Are you finished with physical media?
The Audiophiliac on CNET &bull Dec 3, 2011
It was just the other day when I had a conversation with CNET Senior Editor David Katzmaier about movies, and he told me he was getting rid of nearly all of his DVDs and Blu-rays. Whoa, that news hit me hard; Katzmaier has reviewed a gazillion TVs and loves movies, but he no longer feels a need to keep… Full Story »
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Will the iPad kill the big-screen TV?
The Audiophiliac on CNET &bull Nov 30, 2011
I keep hearing that more and more people are watching movies and TV shows on their iPads or other tablets. That's amazing; every single one of these folks probably owns a large flat-screen display, but the "convenience" of watching a tablet in bed or on the train is a better fit. It's a lifestyle issue, where size really does matter. Sure, they haven't completely stopped… Full Story »
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Viola Labs: America's 'secret' high-end audio brand
The Audiophiliac on CNET &bull Nov 28, 2011
American companies dominate the worldwide high-end audio market, but those brands are known only to the most passionate audiophiles in their home country. Like most American high-end brands, Viola Labs, based in New Haven, Conn., has just a few retail outlets in the U.S. Audiophiles in Asia and Europe have made up the majority of Viola's… Full Story »
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Top 10 music Blu-ray discs
The Audiophiliac on CNET &bull Nov 27, 2011
A lot of them didn't make the cut; just because a Blu-ray has a high-resolution soundtrack doesn't automatically mean it sounds great; the variables of the original recordings and mixing can make or break the sound. For example, Tom Petty's "Mojo" Blu-ray doesn't sound much better than the CD version of the same music, but it does have an uninspired 5.1 surround mix. All of the following discs are distinctly better than Petty's, but my list is in no particular order of sound quality. All of the Blu-rays have lossless, DTS Master Audio soundtracks, but not even one had a… Full Story »
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CD box sets: It's that time of year again
The Audiophiliac on CNET &bull Nov 19, 2011
For a prime example of the state of the art of the box set, check out the extra-thick album sleeves and gorgeous slipcase on Pearl Jam's "vs. Vitalogy Deluxe Edition" three-disc set. The third disc is a live show from Boston's Orpheum Theatre in 1994. The band is peaking, and it's great to hear this fierce, passionate music sounding this good. To get the full effect, you'll want to play it loud. The remastered "vs." The folks at Sony Legacy pulled out all the stops for the… Full Story »
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Is music too loud?
The Audiophiliac on CNET &bull Nov 2, 2011
In real life a folk singer isn't as loud as a rock band, but once her recording is compressed she might be as loud as Metallica. Of course, with most types of music the sound isn't turned up to 11 all of the time. There are quiet passages, and only the loudest parts, like the hardest drum hits, are really loud. We have the technology to accurately record music, but few record companies choose to make lifelike recordings. The Loudness Wars refers to mixing and mastering techniques that squash music's natural… Full Story »
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The best headphones in the world
The Audiophiliac on CNET &bull Oct 22, 2011
The Rocky Mountain Audio Fest 2011, held last week at the Denver Marriott Tech Center Hotel, not only showcased a vast array of high-end audio designs, there was a special headphone-oriented show within the show called CanJam. It was a fantastic opportunity to sample the world's best headphones and headphone amplifiers. The energy in the CanJam ballroom was palpable. There's no doubt the headphone market is still expanding at a rapid rate, and anyone who spent some time listening to the latest crop of cutting-edge products had to come away from the experience shaken and stirred. I've raved about the… Full Story »
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Denver's high-end audio show wows audiophiles
The Audiophiliac on CNET &bull Oct 19, 2011
The Rocky Mountain Audio Fest 2011, held last weekend at the Denver Marriott Tech Center Hotel, showcased a vast array of affordable and high-end audio designs. Hundreds of manufacturers from North America, Europe, and Asia were represented at the show. RMAF has a very different vibe than the Consumer Electronics Show held in Las Vegas every January--RMAF is more of a grassroots affair. I noted a trend to more stylish audiophile speakers, like the 28-inch tall… Full Story »
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Toshiba Expands Line of All-in-One Desktops with New 23-Inch Model
Business Wire Technology News &bull Sep 27, 2011
IRVINE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Toshiba's Digital Products Division (DPD), a division of Toshiba America Information Systems, Inc., today expanded its line of All-in-One PCs with the introduction of the Toshiba DX735, featuring a 23-inch Full HD multi-touch display1. A complete entertainment hub for the home or dorm room the DX735 offers high-end audio, video and computing performance as well as premium computing capabilities to manage and create content. The DX735 features a vivid 23-inch diagonal touchscreen display that… Full Story »
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Magico's heavy-metal speakers
The Audiophiliac on CNET &bull Sep 24, 2011
I recently dropped by EarsNova's spacious new high-end audio store, which has the best-looking showrooms I've seen in a long while. The vibe was relaxed, and the demo rooms' sound was pretty special, but it was the little Magico Q1 speaker… Full Story »
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High-end audio sounds great, lasts decades
The Audiophiliac on CNET &bull Sep 18, 2011
At the end of the 1960s it looked like transistors had completely replaced vacuum tubes for hi-fis, musicians' amplifiers, recording gear, etc., but then a handful of American high-end companies began designing new tube components. Audio Research was in the… Full Story »
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Integra Launches High-End Audio Trio
Home Audio News on TWICE &bull Sep 6, 2011
DTR-70.3 A/V receiver are 9.2-channel THX Ultra2 Plus certified systems. Integra's $2,300-suggested DHC-80.3 AV preamp processor will join two new A/V receivers at the CEDIA Expo. Rhapsody, vTuner and Sirius XM Internet Radio. Full Story »
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Audio Research: The first 'high-definition' company
The Audiophiliac on CNET &bull Aug 13, 2011
Audio Research Corporation (ARC), based in Minnesota, was in the vanguard of the American high-end audio movement in the early 1970s. By then mass-market transistor electronics had all but killed off the vacuum tube, but ARC's founder, William Z. Johnson,… Full Story »
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SiC JFETs from SemiSouth target high-end audio
Business Wire Technology News &bull Jul 29, 2011
STARKVILLE, Miss.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--SemiSouth Laboratories, Inc., the leading manufacturer of silicon carbide (SiC) transistor technology for high-power, high-efficiency, harsh-environment power management and conversion applications, has launched a new family of low cost SiC JFETS with very good linearity targeted at high-end audio applications. These… Full Story »
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Fine Sounds Buys Sumiko
Home Audio News on TWICE &bull Jul 18, 2011
MILAN, ITALY - High-end audio supplier FineSounds has purchased Sumiko, the... Full Story »
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Topics:
- High-end audio
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Audio Arts: NYC's newest high-end audio emporium
The Audiophiliac on CNET &bull Jul 13, 2011
Audio Arts may be NYC's newest high-end audio shop, but you can tell it isn't really competing with the more established stores in the area. You see, the others carry a mix of high-end and mainstream brands to cater to… Full Story »
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A bevy of high-end audio beauties premiere at NYC show
The Audiophiliac on CNET &bull Jun 26, 2011
The Axpona (Audio Expo North America) high-end audio show came to NYC on Friday and Saturday. It was a fairly small affair, but I managed to find more than a few astounding sound demos. The most amazing of all came from a… Full Story »
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The House of Marley Prepares for Late Summer Launch of Premium Headphones
Business Wire Technology News &bull Jun 22, 2011
COMMERCE TOWNSHIP, Mich.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--United by music for a better world, The House of Marley today announced at Consumer Electronics Week in New York City that the premium, eco-friendly personal audio electronics line from the family of Bob Marley is prepared to ship its first wave of MARLEY products to retailers on August 15, 2011. The House of Marley will showcase their collection of MARLEY… Full Story »
