Speakers

JL Audio have always been masters when it comes to producing high powered subwoofers, and that doesn’t change with the introduction of the new Fathom f212 subwoofer – their most impressive Fathom yet!

The Fathom f212 features a pair of 12W7 subwoofer drivers in a sealed enclosure, centered around the most powerful motor systems JL Audio has ever used on a 12-inch woofer. What do you get from this? How about some of the best mind-blowing bass you will ever hear, reduced distortion and even greater transient accuracy than JL Audio’s single-woofer Fathoms.

Carl Kennedy, Director of Home & Professional Products for JL Audio said, "The f212 actually outperforms a pair of our stacked f112's, without taking up any more space." Read more

More and more people are buying flat-panel TVs for their excellent picture quality and slim design. But what do you use for a sound system? The TV speakers don’t give you the high quality sound you want, yet you don’t want to clutter your living room with speakers, wires and subwoofers. To the rescue is the ZVOX 425 home theater system.

The ZVOX 425 combines five speakers, two powered subwoofers, a 133-watt amplifier and the ZVOX exclusive PhaseCue virtual surround sound system – all in one cabinet not much larger than center channel speakers. It is a wall mounted surround system, perfect for use with flat-panel TVs.

To make it even better, the 425 is easy to install. It uses only one cable to hook up to the audio outputs or headphone jack of a TV. With its front-panel input, it can also be used with iPods, PCs, satellite radios, portable CD players, game consoles – anything with a headphone jack. Read more

It has been a long standing American tradition of bigger is better. This association comes from the intuition that bigger also means more powerful. But modern technology has been steadily working to disprove this common perception, giving consumers the power they demand through space saving mediums. It seems that everywhere you look products are getting smaller by the minute, laptops, cell phone, iPods, and now even Atlantic Technology’s In-Wall Subwoofer has gone mini.

The IWTS-8eSub is a THX Ultra certified in-wall subwoofer system. It is not the first subwoofer system that the Atlantic company has released, breaking new ground in 2001 with their first in-wall bass installment, but the new format and design of the IWTS-8eSub promises better performance in a smaller package with easier 3 step installment. First the IN-WALL-8e is installed beneath the Sheetrock, after the structural build is complete, the duel woofer 8e Subwoofer module is installed at floor level, lastly the SA-380 subwoofer amplifier is installed to the component rack for optimum sound quality. Read more

Harman Kardon just announced their latest home cinema loudspeaker systems, the HKTS 18 and HKTS 15. Both 5.1-channel speaker systems feature an elegant design and offer exceptional performance, installation flexibility, and come at an incredible value. The HKTS 18 and HKTS 15 include four wall-mountable satellite speakers with swivel wall-mount brackets, a center channel speaker and a subwoofer.

The systems have premium-quality woofers and dome tweeters to deliver expansive multichannel sound, and their appearance, with subtly contoured enclosures, a black finish and metal-mesh grilles, fit beautifully into any décor. Read more

One of the best--- and one of our favorite--- loudspeaker manufacturers, THIEL featured some great new loudspeakers in a live multi-channel music system at this year's big CEDIA Expo in Denver. This convention is where you'll find many of the better custom installers looking for the latest and greatest in home theater products.

For those of you that may not be aware of THIEL, the company is a thirty-year old, privately-held organization based in Lexington, Kentucky. The company performs research, design, and manufacturing of loudspeakers for the highest quality home music and video sound reproduction. Its products incorporate a variety of technological advancements in driver design, acoustical construction techniques, and crossover design. All this is directed toward one end: to provide the most realistic sound reproduction possible. Read more

This line up of the Source, Purity, Motif, and Grotto i are some of the most impressive items I have seen from Martin Logan in some time. They deliver on what Martin Logan craftsmen do best in an affordable price range for the new audiophile, or any audiophile for that matter. If you have never heard lossless music through high-end speakers then you are missing out on what your ears can truly do for you… Read more

Audioaccess brings great sound outside with its new AAS36AW all-weather loudspeaker. Music lovers can enjoy clear and accurate sound quality outdoors from a compact, wall-mountable speaker. The speaker is weatherproofed and has a sealed enclosure that provides protection from rain and snow. It can also be used in high-humidity indoor environments such as a hot tub area. Read more

The AAS36AW features advanced technologies to deliver outstanding sound quality over a wide listening area, and offers expansive sound from a compact enclosure. It's perfect for use in back yards, on apartment balconies and terraces, and many other locations.

I am a KEF fan. I was out of law school when I finally saved up enough money to buy some really good stereo loudspeakers; and they were KEFs. Back then, you only needed two speakers for stereo. Fast forward to today, and you have surround sound (which is a must to really enjoy a good movie at home) and blending a multi-channel home theater speaker system into your media room can be a daunting undertaking. Often you must compromise performance to obtain installation flexibility and stay within your budget. KEF’s unique five two series speakers provide an elegant solution to this dilemma.

I spoke to Alec Chanin, president of KEF America, who told me, “The five two series speakers build on our award winning KEF Instant Theatre technology and bring it to new applications and levels of performance,” said Alec , who also added “The five two series Model 7 and Model 11 offer a unique solution to those who either cannot or would prefer not to accommodate five separate speakers and the associated wiring spread around their room, but would still like to enjoy the exciting experience of true 5.1 channel home theater sound.”

He said it better than I could. Read more