Fate pushed me into taking the first step towards a complete home theater renovation recently. While the changes are planned for this summer, I suddenly found myself without  front left and right channels. My Magnepan 1.6Q's suddenly just stopped in the middle of a late night, drunken, music fest with my wife. Once the initial shock had passed, I tracked the culprit down to the demise of the front channel amps in my Kenwood Sovereign receiver.

               The history of the receiver has been one of love/hate for years. Priced with the most expensive receivers when I bought it in 2001, it was a high quality unit with all of the current bells and whistles. I have brought in flagship receivers from Denon, Onkyo, Yamaha, Sunfire, and more, all in an attempt to bring the newer technologies, like HDMI, into my theater. Sadly the sound quality of these other receivers left me flat and the Kenwood always found itself back in the rack.

                My wife and I agreed that we should rebuild the system as part of a larger home remodeling. It was then that I decided separates were the way to go. While almost all of the receivers I have tested were adequate (not perfect) for home theater, I was finding myself listening to considerably more music than in the past. This is where the receivers, several costing upwards of $5,000, left me wanting. Even my prized Kenwood (The Sovereign series was an acclaimed product in its day) was never up to the task of serious stereo listening.

                I had already started researching options for a pre/pro and amplifiers before the demise of the front amps. I had even brought a few home from a local shop to test and I found a few I really liked. The prices however started around $3,000 for 2 channels, which meant I would have to wait until the summer renovation when it was financially feasible.

                I decided to take my own advice from an earlier article and look at the direct online manufacturers. Having already tested the Outlaw Audio 7500, a 5 channel amp with 200W per channel, I knew it wasn't for me. While the additional power to the Magnepans was welcome, the sound was chaotic, the amp simply wasn't going to take control of these speakers the way the more expensive amps did.

                I jumped over to the Emotiva Audio website and after careful deliberation, selected their XPA-3 amp.  This amp offers 200W into 8 ohm and 300W into 4 ohm. I expected a repeat of my experience with the Outlaw amp and made sure the box was ready for a return trip...Boy was I surprised.  I don't want to get ahead of myself here, so I will walk you through the entire setup.

Getting Started

                When I placed my order, late in the evening, I didn't expect more than a quick "We received your order" email. I in fact received several emails and they were automated. This isn't unusual in itself, what was unusual was that they came from the email addresses of real, living, breathing Emotiva employees. This really gave me a good feeling about Emotiva as a company and backed up everything I had heard about their amazing service.

                After placing my order, I spent the next few days tearing my system apart to make room for the new amp. I built a flexy rack a few years ago and being as I am not a carpenter; my placement of the supporting rods limited the width of usable space on each shelf more than I had anticipated. After taking careful measurements, I rearranged the components and prayed. I was also worried about the racks ability to house this beast, at 57lbs, without collapsing and making me cry.

                When the red faced, FedEx driver kicked at my door (I have no idea why he didn't use a dolly) I answered and let him quickly unburden himself. Everything I ordered was there in separate boxes. In addition to the amp, I ordered the Emotiva ET-3 trigger module as the Kenwood's triggers were unreliable with non-Kenwood products. The third box contained the Emotiva X-Series RCA cables, which were offered at 20% off.

                I opened the trigger first, mostly because the size of the boxed amp scared me. I was expecting a plastic, light toy inside... it wasn't. I was immediately impressed with the solid metal heft of this little item. If they build a trigger module like this, what the hell is the amp going to be like?

                Next came the cables. They looked fancy and all on the website but they are even more impressive in your hand. I learned a long time ago not to make a determination of cable quality based on looks. These are sure pretty though and I will talk more about them later in the article.

                Now it was time, everything was set in place and I spent a few minutes ensuring I had a clear path to the rack, cables handy, and picked up the amp. I should mention that I failed in my first attempt, it seems I am getting old, yet still believe I can toss linemen aside like swatting flies. I can't. I was ready on the second attempt and waddled through the house to the theater. This thing is heavy!

                I generally could care less when a reviewer describes the packaging but in this instance, it is noteworthy. The amp was double boxed and not like every other component I have had delivered over the years. The inner box is designed to fit perfectly into the outer box, no ghost turds (packing peanuts) used in the hope that everything will be alright. There is no chance of movement at all. The inner box opens up to what appears to be a third box, it is however a heavy cardboard cover attached to the molded Styrofoam container. Another nice touch is the inclusion of 2 notches in the base of the packaging, designed to allow your hands to slide under the amp and pull it out. No shaking the component to release it from the package, no swearing, no broken back, I simply bent my knees (highly recommended) and lifted the amp out.

                Because of its weight I headed right for the rack and wiggled it into place before looking at it. After a sigh of relief that the rack never even groaned and patting myself on the back for building such a sturdy piece of furniture, I stood back and admired the unit. If nothing else its build quality is breathtaking and in my opinion, so is its understated looks. The traditional Emotiva black with silver trim is elegant and also screams power. I would be proud to display a rack filled with these products based on looks alone.

                I unplugged the Kenwood (which will be my temporary pre/pro) and began searching the amp box for the manual. It only took a few seconds to determine, it didn't come with one. It seems that Emotiva is currently revising their manuals and current editions are available online. This wasn't a problem but I really like to have a hardcopy of my manuals stored in my very organized manual file. OK, it isn't organized as much as it is a haphazard stack in the box, but I can always find what I am looking for.

               Emotiva did include something I never expected though, an Emotiva T-shirt and even if I wasn't a sucker for a free T, which I am, it is a very nice touch.

                Just to ensure I didn't do anything stupid in my haste, I pulled up the manual on my netbook. As expected, setup for an amp is very simple and I made the connections in less than 2 minutes, including reading through the included manual for the trigger. I double checked my connections and plugged the amp and Kenwood into the wall. I sighed in relief again at the complete lack of smoke, fireworks, or electronic crackling. Standing back I took a deep breath and pressed "Listen to Music" on my Harmony 670 remote.

                I watched the Kenwood light up and awaited the delayed startup of the amp. After several seconds the room filled with a blinding blue glow as the trigger powered up. I am not exaggerating when I say blinding, the LED lights on the trigger could be used for landing airplanes, far too bright for theater application by a thousand fold. When I had regained my sight I stood dumbfounded as the front of the XPA-3 continued to glow orange. I scratched my head for a moment, checked all of the wires and was about to cry when I remembered that the amp has a power button on the back.

                I turned everything off and turned the power switch to on and started the process again. I had enough sense to push the trigger behind some other components this time and watched with glee as the amp face began to glow blue. The LED indicator lights for each amp flashed red in turn before all three turned blue.

                I verified that the amp was working by pumping 30 seconds of music through it and was immediately amazed. I had promised myself I would do a full calibration for every component before sitting down for serious listening so I turned off the tunes and calibrated the Kenwood followed by my  Sony BDP-550 and Pioneer Elite DV-79AVi. Now it was time for some dedicated listening.

The Experience

                I sat down next to the touch screen jukebox I had recently built using an older computer with an added Xonar Essence STX soundcard with ASIO4 drivers to bypass windows completely, providing bit perfect playback of my FLAC collection, all ripped using EAC. The GUI chosen is Ultimate Jukebox and this combination is capable of outstanding audiophile playback. I have heard few dedicated players that can match it and they all cost an arm and a leg.

                David 'Fathead' Newman's, Skylark, from the Diamondhead CD began. This song is full of breathy saxophone and has become a regular reference song in my collection. The soundstage was forward and wide, pleasantly so. I began to notice more of David's raspy reed as he held onto the final note of short passages. The intake of his breath was clearly audible and his position in the room was clearly defined. The bass, drums, and other instruments all appeared across the room, separated as I have only heard with the highest quality amps.

                The XPA-3 was taking control of the Maggies, and forcing them into submission. By their nature, Magnepans display an incoherence when underpowered or with lower quality amps. The Maggies need an amp that can own them; I would go as far as to say the Emotiva simply made the 1.6Q's its bitches.

                I continued being amazed as I worked my way through Il Divo's, Hallelujah, and many others. I recently picked up Susan Boyles new CD and was less than impressed with the sound quality. I decided to give I Dreamed a Dream a try and I am glad I did. Susan's voice swam in front of the orchestra, each note beautifully detailed, filled with life, and powerful. What I had dismissed as a lackluster recording was in fact wonderful and the Kenwood was simply unable to bring it to its full potential.

                The speakers themselves had lost the shrill high end and the bass is simply fantastic. I now turned to my reference DVDs, starting with Peter Gabriel's well recorded, Growing Up concert.  I jumped to Sky Blue, which never fails to impress through quality amps. I can gauge the quality not with my ears alone, when the Blind Boys of Alabama are lifted onto the stage, it is a powerful vocal display that raises the hairs on the back of my neck. The XPA-3 sounded as good on this piece as any amp I have heard, at any price.

                Moving on now, I worked through my collection and was thrilled with the quality of sound and improved detail in every scene I selected. Equally important, there was a significant improvement in the sound of the rear channels. Without the need to drive all 5 speakers, the Kenwood was able to drive the MMG rears with authority. The MCC3 center channel was also more intelligible through the Emotiva, adding weight to dialog.

                Last night my wife joined me for the first full movie since installation. Inglourious Basterds is a master work in my opinion. The Blu-Ray version offers a DTS-HD Master audio soundtrack that is very dynamic. The heavy dialog that makes up most of the movie is always, eventually, punctuated by the tearing of bullets, the cracking of heads, or bombastic explosions. The XPA-3 displayed the dynamics skillfully, with surgical precision. The dialogue was clean and crisp leading up to the inevitable explosion of violence, which the Emotiva handled with ease and recreated perfectly.

                The best way I can describe the difference between the dynamic differences of this amp and any receiver I have tried is to picture a rubber band. Lay the rubber band on a table and draw a series of lines across it to represent dynamic volume levels. In its static form on the table the dynamics are compressed, now stretch the rubber band. The lines spread out and this is how the addition of a high quality amp changes the sound. The range of dynamics are much greater, the changes more defined and realistic.  The better definition of each dynamic point makes the soundtrack come to life.

                I did some testing between the X-Series cables from Emotiva VS my Bluejean reference cables. I don't buy into the high dollar cable market but I do know there is a difference between low end analog cables and the middle market, which is where I place these cables. I found no difference in sound between the two but based on cost and looks, I will be using the X-series cables from now on.

Conclusion

                As far as the XPA-3 is concerned, I am keeping it. It easily bests any receiver amps I have ever heard and gives higher dollar amps a real run for their money. I won't claim that they are as good as the Macintosh, Bryston, or other high dollar amps but unless you really want to pay 3 or 4 times as much, these amps can't be beat. Truth be told, I would bet that damn few of us have the speakers and other equipment to notice a difference, these amps are simply fantastic and even if it was $2,000 instead of $600, it would be one hell of a bargain.

                 Emotiva is a solid company with a great reputation. Read their story here and take the time to look over their impressive products. Emotiva also has a forum filled with helpful owners and dreamers. I spent considerable time lurking there and found it both entertaining and insightful.

                Emotival also makes speakers and pre/pros, including the long awaited UMC-1 which began shipping this week. If their pre/pro is anything like their amps, I will be a new owner this summer however I may hold out for the XMC-1, which will be their flagship model. If Emotiva reads this, I would be happy to run the UMC-1 through its paces and offer a review. It can't hurt to wish you know.

Tiered pricing for internet access based on your bandwidth usage is right around the corner for many, already in place for some, and bringing big changes for everyone. Time Warner is the largest ISP I have heard of going this route so far but more will follow soon.

If you are currently or have been planning on streaming video from online sources such as Netflix or Hulu.com, you better think again. The pricing I have seen from Time Warner has 40Gb of downloads costing $40 - $50 per month. That sounds like a lot of bandwidth but if you stream video you are going to blast past your limit in the first week of  the month.

I always said streaming video wasn't going to take off for years to come and this is one good reason why. The kind of bandwidth required means your ISP is going to need to make some dramatic changes. As pricing goes up, streaming is quickly going to return to the back of the bus.

If you are using the DirecTV On Demand service, as I am, you will have a problem under this new pricing. I for one will be unhappy, but that is pretty much my normal state. I am not using Tine Warner but AT&T will likely follow suit if Time Warner is successful in putting this new pricing in place.

If you are currently experiencing a change to pay per byte internet access speak loud and clear when you dump your ISP. Time Warner is in the awkward position of losing cable customers and watching its bandwidth use climb but is that really my problem? I dumped Time Warner years ago because of terrible customer service, outrageous prices and the final nail, they could never get me a reliable internet connection. Make a stand for progress and fair business practices and find another ISP.

Blu-Ray firmware updates are a regular part of life with a Blu-Ray player. Unlike DVD players, where firmware updates were a very rare occurrence, Blu-Ray players require constant updating in order to play the latest movies and the Java based extras they hold. Firmware also updates the audio and video capabilities of the player.

For some of us, the process is as simple as plugging a CAT 5 cable into the back of the player and letting the unit update itself. Others may have to turn their player on, prolonging the already long wait to see the movie menu start. The last way to update the firmware requires the user to either wait for the update in the mail or download it and burn it to a CD. Prior to setting u0p my wireless Ethernet bridge, I was the burn and update kind of guy.

Failure to update the firmware can cause movies to be unplayable or cause all kinds of unforeseen problems. Manufacturers commonly add features which keep the players somewhat future proof. It also allows them to bring a bug filled wreck of a product to market and fix it as they go along. I have not heard of any players that were bug free and just to make you scratch your head, the firmware updates often introduce additional bugs that have to fixed by later upgrades.

The firmware upgrade system isn't clean or even easy in many cases but it does allow Blu-Ray to continue to grow towards being a mature technology. Updates are a fact of life if you have a player and should be done on a regular basis to ensure your player continues to work properly. I don't see an end to the update cycle but hopefully, they will become far less frequent in the future.

The HDMI confusion is exasperating for everyone. How did something designed to make things easier become a simmering caldron of confusion? Lets try to sort out the facts from the myths.

As I look behind my component stand, I slowly lower my head in shame. The rat’s nest of cables is beyond comprehension and the worst thing is that I did my 6 month rewire just a week ago. I dream of the day I finally step up to a complete HDMI system that uses a single cable between every component, a magic cable that send both the video and audio. I could go from what looks like hundreds of cables down to less than 10. That my friends, would be a miracle.

Every time I step into an electronics store, I am confronted with $60, $70, even $150 HDMI cables, and that is for a 2-meter one. How is it that the HDMI cables I use and cherish are less than half that and the fact is you can get them much, much cheaper… Like for under $15 and it will work just as well as the marketing marvel from Monster Cable that sells for well over $100.

Part of the problem comes from the early versions of HDMI, version 1.0, 1.1 and 1.2 are all capable of transmitting 1080p video at the same time as the lossless DTS and Dolby formats. This is more than enough for 95% of the people, in fact is well beyond their systems capability.  That brings us to version 1.3.

HDMI version 1.3 comes in 3 flavors, 1.3a, 1.3b, and the top of the line 1.3c. They all do the same great job of handling HDCP, 1080p and lossless audio, not a bit better than the previous versions however. Where you do want to consider the 1.3c cables is if you wish to pass a DVD-A, SACD or uncompressed audio signal to your receiver. Keep in mind that both the source and the receiver must meet 1.3c requirements, if anything in the system is less than 1.3c, you lose all benefits of having that cable version.

In addition to the audio formats I mentioned, 1.3c is also capable of passing the new extended color formats, Deep Color and x.v.YCC. Currently neither of these is built into the Blu-Ray spec. and although a number of players claim to have the capability, it is wasted since the discs don’t carry the additional color signals. Several HD camcorders do record in this format however so the capability may be useful if you have one of these and a TV that is capable.

 The bottom line is that getting a higher version cable won’t hurt you, it just won’t help you except in a very small number of circumstances, if you have the equipment that matches from source to Receiver and TV, or you just want to pay more for a cable.

Don’t fall for the Monster marketing system that grades each cable based on bandwidth. Every one of their cables does a great job of passing every possible format, their grading system is an all out lie and one you will pay for if you purchase the more expensive cables. An HDMI cable can’t change the quality of the image like a processor in a receiver or TV, it just passes along a digital signal. Do your wallet a favor and find the less expensive cables and spend the rest on a few new movies.

More and more I hear, “there is no difference between DVD and Blu-Ray” and I am shocked, dismayed and can do nothing more than scratch my head. How can anyone with eyes not see the improvement over upscaled DVD? Is Toshiba working behind the scenes to brainwash people as payback for losing the format war?

I will admit to the fact that I do not always see the financial benefit to HD sound or 1080p source material but I sure as hell can see and hear the difference. I think a fly, with its multi-faceted view of the world can see the difference. When I have to consider budget however, many times the DVD wins out. I have discussed my buying criteria in previous articles so I won’t rehash it here.

I did find a clue to at least one person’s unfavorable review of DVD VS Blu-Ray however and just so no one else makes this mistake… You cannot connect your Blu-Ray player to your HDTV with a composite cable (the yellow one) and see 1080p or even good 480p. You must use at least a component cable (red, green, blue) for 1080i and HDMI or DVI cables for 1080p.

I understand that to many people, connecting anything to a TV or receiver is akin to launching the space shuttle, but you spent a lot of money for your system, read the manual and get what you pay for. If you don’t want to, can’t or the manual isn’t available in your native language get help from a friend!

DVD is a wonderful media and I still buy movies on it. The picture is great and for many of the movies I purchase, quite adequate. Blu-Ray is amazing and many of my purchased go to HD. The point is, there is in fact, a huge difference between the formats for movies that are well produced. I understand that Blu-Ray doesn’t fit into everyone’s budget and that many people do not have a display that is HD capable. Down the road when prices are right or there is a beautiful new HDTV in your living room, I hope you make the smart choice and jump onto the Blu-Ray train, it is better in every way.

Will using a receiver with a higher power rating than my speakers cause a problem? I remember worrying about the speakers in my first system as I had a 130 watt rated receiver with 100 watt speakers. There are several reasons I didn’t need to worry, and several more reasons why I should.

While very low end speakers are unlikely to show any benefit based on a higher powered, quality amp, better speakers can see a very big difference. At lower volumes the detail of the music or movie soundtrack become clearer, the bass is more powerful and the highs are light and enjoyable.

At reference volume the bass retains its form, is clear and distinct, never muddy. The highs never become shrill or strained, which is a sign of a struggling amplifier. More power gives you more headroom, which means the amplifier is breezing along through everything you throw at it.

The second reason I needn’t have worried is because I was under the misguided belief that power ratings were accurate, my 130 watt receiver was never capable of going beyond 70 or so watts. To learn more about amplifier power ratings click here.

Now to the reason I should have worried. Even inexpensive speakers can handle clean power well beyond their ratings. The enemy of any speaker however is power clipping, the act of a struggling amp or a poor power source that begins to cut areas of the frequency range out, send distorted  audio, or begin doing both in a on, off series of high power blasts. This will tear a speaker apart faster than using a sledgehammer. If you are hearing distortion of any kind TURN IT DOWN!

Using an amp rated well above the speakers rating requires some will power however, you don’t want to turn it up above the reference level, there is never a reason to turn anything up past this point, it is the exact volume the sound is engineered for, anything louder morphs the vision of the artist.

Amplifiers ramp up power by doubling the output at every notch. Turning the volume knob from 30 to 29 doubles the watts and creates 3 decibels more volume. This means that you are well below the amps power rating all the way to zero. In most amplifiers and receivers, zero marks the rated output of the unit. In a 100 watt receiver that means you jump from 50 watts at 1, then go to 100 watts at zero.

This of course assumes the manufacture is providing accurate power ratings, which is highly unlikely. Give your speakers what they crave, clean power and enjoy the clear, distortion free sound as the artist intended.

Why are the studios waiting for Blu-Ray profile 3.0 to begin seriously releasing Blu-Ray music only discs? For those of you who are not familiar with profile 3.0 it is a simple update to the existing Blu-Ray versions. Profile 3.0 allows an audio only disc to start by itself, without menus when placed into the Blu-Ray player.

While skipping all of the menu nonsense sounds great, I ,and I am sure many of my fellow audiophiles would happily buy music only Blu-Ray discs now and wait for the upgrade for auto start. Profile 3.0 uses the existing formats, including the lossless Dolby TrueHD and DTS Master Audio along with uncompressed audio in stereo and multi-channel. This is a huge leap over the current Redbook CD and even DVD-A and SACD.

DVD-A and SACD have essentially killed each other off with a little help from downloadable music formats. It doesn’t take a quantum physicist to see that the public has moved towards mobile media but there is still a strong demand for solid medias. Vinyl continues to grow as a new generation becomes aware of its superior sound quality and CD sales, while slowing are still the choice for many of us.

Get it right this time and start selling the profile 3 discs now, they work just fine on any Blu-Ray player. Getting the media out there now will create an enthusiastic following, which will make the advent of profile 3.0 players a marketer’s wet dream. Give the early adaptors something special for their loyalty, bring out the profile 3.0 media today.

HDTVs are becoming a commodity again, much like the lackluster sets of the 90s, when prices fell to a level that CRT sets above 30 inches became the norm. Like then, it signals an end of an era where the quality of the picture, features and innovation stood still.

Pioneer announced last week that it will be discontinuing its line of plasma and LCD televisions and this saddens me greatly. While I was never in a position to afford one of Pioneer’s Kuro sets, they were the standard in the industry, a high standard that guaranteed the best of the best.

Television prices have fallen to the point that no company can create a great product and make money. Once again, the market has spoken and dictated that price is the only consideration. I agree that budget minded televisions are needed but companies need to set realistic prices that allow them to build quality while maintaining a reasonable profit. Yes the market has spoken loudly and it has simply repeated exactly what the electronics companies have trained us to believe, price is the end all, be all.

Is it time to go Blu-Ray? The answer is, well, that depends. Blu-Ray is a superior format, better than DVD in every way except price. With entry level, Blu-Ray players found for $200 or so from major brands like Sony, Samsung and Panasonic the time has come for many of us to jump in.

Prices on Blu-Ray players are dropping as quickly as they did with DVD, which means we have a few years before the players and media reach current, or close to current DVD prices. This depends a lot on Blu-Rays ability to continue making its way into homes. If sales slow because of the economy, we will have a longer wait.

One thing to avoid when purchasing a new Blu-Ray player is bargain basement machines. I was shocked to see that Consumer Reports listed the Sylvania player as their best buy. This player and others from brands like Insignia will not play newer Blu-Ray discs and will continue to become more useless with each day. You don’t need a 2.0 Profile machine but it must absolutely be capable of accepting firmware updates.

Blu-Ray players are Java based which allows them to be easily upgraded by the consumer (Free of charge) as new features are added. Unlike DVD, Blu-Ray can and does change, you have to be able to upgrade or your fancy new machine will sit unused after just a few months. Fortunately, most players are upgrade friendly.

The advent of 2.0 Profile Blu-Ray players allows the consumer to connect directly to the internet for automatic updates which makes their use much easier overall. In the event you have an older player or are unable to make an internet connection, manufacturers provide upgrade discs through the mail or you can download the update on your computer and burn it to a CD.

Profile 2.0 players are also able to take advantage of all of the BD-Live functionality, which brings interactive features to the experience. I am not blown away by BD-Live, at least not yet but I have found some fun games and in the case of Sony, a fan club where I can register my Blu-Ray discs and receive points towards additional purchases or even free Blu-Ray discs. If you can afford the little bit extra for a 2.0 Profile player, it is worth it for ease of use but certainly not a deal breaker in my opinion.

Blu-Ray disc prices are also a consideration but I have found that waiting for bargains pays off. In addition, I rent many Blu-Rays from Blockbuster. Netflix also carries Blu-Rays and both services will automatically update your queue so that you don’t have to mess with doing it yourself.

If you have an HDTV, it is probably time to upgrade just for the difference in picture quality. If you have an HD audio capable receiver, you should really go ahead and jump. I know the movies cost more right now but you can always rent and in the end, we are having this discussion because we want the best possible picture and sound available. DVD is far from dead and I weigh my buying decisions on the type of movie and the benefits I can expect to see if I buy Blu-Ray.

Do yourself a favor and treat that fancy HDTV to a completely new level of amazing, even if you can’t start collecting the media, you can still enjoy the magic that is Blu-Ray.

For years I believed the best universal remote was the one I used, the Pronto from Philips, and for many years it was the go to remote for home theater enthusiasts who fell in between a budget remote and a complete house system like a Crestron. I dutifully spent hours and hours programming the macros for any situation, testing each series of commands. I even designed a Star Trek theme so the interface looked like the controls on the Enterprise, geeky I know but I was drunk with the control and power I had in my hands.

Jump forward 10 years and I haven’t bothered programming any of my new devices into the remote and the best universal remote ever, well ,I use it on rare occasions in one of the bedrooms. It was a marvel of technology when it came out and it fit everything I could want into one package.

For most users a universal remote only has a few things is must do. It must control all of the devices, be super easy to use for everyone in the family, and not require days of programming to make it work. The answer is now much clearer and for most folks, no programming is required.

The Harmony Universal Remotes from Logitech are a huge leap forward, even for those of us that have very complicated systems. The Harmony remotes don’t use macros because they are not needed and the database of devices it controls is very, very impressive.

 The Harmony remotes are not your $20 Rat-Shack remotes but they can be found for around $50 on sale with heavy duty, super fancy models going for around $500. I have two of the remotes, the lower end, 550 and the middle of the road 670 and they are both wonderful in their simplicity.

I use the Harmony 550 in the living room where my needs are basic, at least by my standards. It must control a DirecTv receiver, HD-DVD, Blu-Ray, and CD player along with the Harman Kardon receiver. In addition, I added an activity for my iPod and to listen to music from the Sat receiver. It handles them all, with no additional programming or tweaking, and here is why.

Harmony remotes break everything you want to do into activities, such as watch TV, Watch Blu-Ray or Listen to Music. You can customize the name you give each activity, which makes complex systems easier for the rest of the family.

Now here is the cool part, there are no macros, which seems impossible but the Harmony remotes remember what devices are on and make the changes to your system based on this information. Jumping from watching a movie to watching TV is a single button push, the media player turns off, the Cable or Sat receiver turns on and the correct ports on the TV and receiver are changed. The nice thing here is that it actually works.

In the unlikely event one or more of the devices doesn’t change as needed, you don’t have to go through a difficult series of button pushes, instead, you hit the “Help” button. When the “Help” button is used, the remote asks a series of questions to determine what went wrong. “Is the DVD player off?” “Is the TV set to HDMI 2?” and so on, what could be easier? No matter how much time I spent programming my Pronto, my wife always found herself on a screen she didn’t understand and lord help us if a device failed to turn on. Now she runs all of our systems like a pro, every time.

The Harmony Universal Remotes are easy to set up. You load a small program onto your computer and tell it about the devices you have. Logitech maintains a huge database of devices, it found every device in my house, and I have some very old and some very new equipment.

The software leads you through setting up the devices and activities by asking simple questions about how you use your system. After answering all of the questions, you connect the remote via a USB cable and it loads everything up for you. If you add or remove equipment, all you need to do is tell the software and reload the remote.

The only problem I have ever encountered is when programming the remote from a laptop. The updates just wouldn’t fully load onto the remote. After considerable research I discovered that many laptops don’t provide enough power through the USB ports to make the transfer, I simply moved to my desktop and loaded it without a problem.

That leads to my final comment. The Harmony software stores your configuration in their database so you don’t have to worry about losing it and it is available from any computer with an internet connection.

I can’t say enough about the Harmony remotes, they solve problems and make my wife smile. That is enough to make me a believer and retire my Pronto for good.

Logitech      Amazon

Online reviews are a necessary evil for anyone with an interest in electronics or technology, it is where everyone goes to get information. The internet is a powerful tool for anyone doing research, it is also their worst enemy. Knowing where to look and who to trust is important when making purchasing decisions and thankfully, there is a lot of good information, from knowledgeable people out there, you just have to know which rocks to look under.

An important thing to understand about even the best made, most loved products is that there will always be a unit with a problem. Not every electronic device does everything well and it is important to understand the strength and weakness of any piece of equipment. Owners who have a negative experience are much more likely to jump online and voice their problem while happy owners sit quietly, enjoying their equipment.

The next thing to know is that people are, well, people and the internet allows them to show a side of themselves that isn’t always nice or even truthful. It is human nature to love what you have and more importantly, to poo-poo the competition.

 Shortly after the birth of the internet and the refinement of search engines such as Google, webmasters, retailers and marketers began to understand what a powerful tool the internet is. In addition they needed to devise ways to drive users into their websites where they can sell and market their products. One way to improve your ratings on a search engine is to allow comments and reviews for the product you offer, and this is the root of all review evil.

Online reviews can be very valuable but I have a few rules when I do research. Disregard 90% of the comments on any sales website. Good or bad you are dealing with a high percentage of fan boys and naysayers who may or may not have used the product. Anything written on these sites should be suspect at best. I do pay attention when I see the same comment made over and over however and do additional research on a site with more experienced users, preferably a forum of enthusiasts.

Be it headphones, receivers, turntables, MP3 players or a car, there is a forum of enthusiasts who are more than happy to help you understand any purchasing decision. They will help you understand the real world factors of owning a, b or c product and how one may be better for your system specifically.

When I find a new forum I read through a number of threads to determine the legitimacy of the site. There are good and bad forums. Good forums contain civil, helpful and knowledgeable users. It is fairly easy to pick out the good from the bad based on the intelligence level of the posts. If it appears that every other post is filled with text speak, U R sumwere occupied by teens, which can be helpful but extra care must be taken as a considerable amount of misinformation is likely.

Reviews are not the end all of making purchasing decisions, especially if you are looking at a big dollar purchase or adding equipment that could affect the rest of your system. Any respectable dealer will let you test drive equipment, in your home long enough to decide what is right for you. Take advantage of this to ensure you make the best possible decision for your system. Online reviews are helpful to pinpoint the number of products you need to look at when making a decision but you should never buy blind based on the random information scattered across the internet universe.

Receiver power ratings are a tricky business that baffles even the most knowledgeable enthusiast. Many electronics companies spin their power ratings until they are unrecognizable from the truth and the public rarely has a clue. In testing many popular receivers from the likes of Onkyo, Pioneer, Kenwood, Denon and other major brands, it becomes clear… 100 watts is very rarely 100 watts except in the fairytale land of electronics marketing.

To fully understand how watts work in a home theater we need to delve into some engineering, scientific, brainiac stuff. Since I am not an engineer, a scientist or a brainiac, I will do my best here and keep it simple.

One important thing to understand is that watts are important, to a point. The differences between a 50-watt system and a 100-watt system is small, 3 decibels to be precise. Every 3 decibel increase in volume requires that the power output from the receiver doubles. In other words, every time you bump the volume up one notch, say from 30 to 29, the receiver doubles its output watts.

If a watt is a watt, why do equally rated receivers sound so different, why spend $1,000 when you can get the same watts from a $200 receiver. To illustrate how the power ratings game is played I am going to pretend we are selling cyclists, high end brand A is selling the Lance Armstrong model and low end brand B is selling me.

Both brands use a meter on the back wheel of the bike to compile peak output. Brand A does their test while Lance is climbing the steepest mountain in France and find his back wheel is putting out 100 watts and he is moving at 7 MPH. Brand B puts me at the top of a very steep mountain that has no curves and finds that despite my appearance I am capable of hitting 70 MPH and put out 130 watts. Of course if you put Lance and myself anywhere on earth and have us race, I will lose sight of Lance in less than a minute, followed shortly by a heart attack and quite possibly my death.

If Lance was a receiver, Brand A would put his rating down in a very accurate and meaningful way like this:  "100W/ ch. @ 8 ohms, with no more than 0.1% THD, from 20-20,000 Hz, all channels driven." This tells us that the receiver was tested over the full frequency range, just like we use it, all speakers driven and using the full frequency recorded.

Company B however gives us a specification like this: "130W/ch @ 8 ohms, at 1 kHz, one channel driven." Unless you enjoy listening to test tones through one speaker at 1kHz, this is not a meaningful specification and doesn’t give us any idea of what the system is capable of.

There is no standard for stating power ratings, which allows electronics manufacturers to legally lie to us. Knowing this fact helps and the sad fact is many of us can’t afford a super high end system so your own judgment has to come into play, you have to listen to the receiver, in your home, on your speakers and decide if it works for you.

Many moons ago the marketing teams discovered that 100 watts was the trigger for the general public and they found a way to get that rating without building a better receiver. The fact is however that unless you have an enormous room or very power hungry speakers, these receivers are more than enough for you. There is a very good reason to consider higher watt amps however.

Higher power gives an amp more headroom, which equates to better detail, truer bass and more pleasant sound even at low volumes. Home theater enthusiast often find they have to turn their receiver up, beyond reference volume to get the detail they seek. This is a sign of a straining system. Doing this also makes the bass muddy and the highs shrill, it is the sound of a struggling amplifier.

One affordable electronics manufacture consistently under rates the power of their receivers and they lose business because of it. Harman Kardon makes high power amps with flagship models showing ratings of 75 and 80 watts, these receivers however easily outperform many models that state 120, 130 or even 150 watts.

The moral of this story is that every purchasing decision requires research, by doing your homework your hard-earned money will buy more receiver. Most stores have a 30 day return policy so you can listen to the receiver in your environment, where it counts, take advantage of this and make a decision based on your ears, just make sure they are located in your favorite chair at the time.

Getting Ethernet to your Blu-Ray player, satellite receiver or any other device is difficult if your house isn’t already wired in the room and on the wall you need. In my house, built in the early 70s, I have firebreaks in every wall, which makes running Ethernet an extreme gymnastic sport because of the flexibility involved.

 I could hire someone to come out and do it or I could even do it myself but the effort and cost are just not worth it. I did find a solution however and it is both budget friendly and works like a dream. A wireless Ethernet bridge, also known as wireless print servers, work very well and I am surprised that nobody has picked up the ball and started marketing these as a home theater solution.

Yes, these do require a wireless network to connect to but most people have one, if not they need to get one, besides they are not terribly expensive. Most models have a USB port, it is important that the model you select also have an Ethernet port. My final solution is the Netgear WGR614 Wireless-G Router which has an amazing 4 port Ethernet hub built in which means I don’t have to also add a hub.

The Netgear WGR614 is the only wireless print server I have found with more than 1 Ethernet port and at under $40, it is an incredible bargain. In the rooms I have set these up in I have multiple devices that need to be connected. In my primary theater, I connect my DirecTV HD-DVR, HD-DVD and Blu-Ray and I am sure I will need one for the next receiver I buy. Having extra ports is great but many new products make use of Ethernet now so I am sure I will be forced to add a hub within the next year or two.

Connecting the Netgear WRG614 to a PC network is as easy as connecting the Ethernet, identifying your network and entering your security code. It connects and you are off and running. I have found streaming HD material from my DirecTV DVR to my computer is flawless from across the house and I have never had to touch it in more than a year. It connects, stays connected and I don’t even have to think about it.

For my friends who only have a Mac, well, you need to borrow a PC laptop to do the initial settings but once connected you are all set and have no reason to touch it ever again.

Any wireless Ethernet bridge will work and most network hardware companies have at least one model available. I have found the Netgear WRG614 on sale for as low as $20 if you are willing to do a little hunting, which makes it a serious home theater bargain that lets you take advantage of all the Ethernet features your system provides.

I was given the challenge of building a good home theater for under $1,000. In addition, the premise was that I had received a $1,000 gift card from Amazon and needed to build a complete, 5.1 home theater system that met my previous definition for what a home theater is and offered some kick ass quality.

Building a home theater for under $1,000 while making it a solid performer, is indeed a challenge that requires a considerable amount of thought, bargain hunting and a little compromise. The compromise comes in the form of a smaller display and a lack of Blu-Ray. For many this won’t be seen as a compromise however.

I started by locating an acceptable display that met my requirements for being a real home theater, that meant a screen size of at least 36 inches. In order for the system to be future proof, it needed to be HD and have HDMI capability. This is a pretty tall order if I wanted to spend $1,000 on the TV alone and have a quality display.

I found the Sharp Aquos LC37D44U 37-Inch 720p LCD HDTV that has 2 HDMI ports and a brilliant picture. At 37 inches, the lack of 1080P is unnoticeable and this TV is a bargain at the moment. Cost: $570.99

Now I needed the heart of the sound system and it was clear this years models were out, I needed a refurbished unit from last year. I found a number of Sherwood and Sony receivers that fit my budget but I wanted good sound I could build on, not a system that would be stretched right out of the box. I decided on the Yamaha HTR-5840 XM-Ready 6.1-Channel A/V Surround Receiver. This receiver claims 100 watts per channel, a mark I find extremely suspect and would guess the real specification if tested would be closer to 60 watts, but that is more than enough to drive a well thought out home theater system. It decodes all of the standard Dolby and DTS formats currently available on DVD.

The compromise here is a lack of HDMI switching and no HD audio support but that can be remedied using the 6 channel analog inputs when it is time to upgrade to Blu-Ray. Cost: $129.12

To make the most of the Yamaha receiver I knew it would be best to stick with bookshelf style speakers and I wanted a package that included the sub so that the entire system would remain consistent wherever the sound panned during a movie. I expected this to be a tough search but to my amazement, the Polk Audio RM10 Speaker System fit my budget thanks to a great sale. These speakers offer a considerable upgrade from your home theater in a box speakers or your budget brands. Cost: $211.36

The DVD was going to be easy as the prices for very good upscaling players have dropped substantially. I did want HDMI and 1080i support at the minimum, 1080p wasn’t a consideration since the display is 720p. What I found is the Samsung DVD-1080P8 1080p Upconverting DVD Player, a solid performer at a great price. Cost: $35

Now I just needed my cables and speaker wire. As I have mentioned before, you don’t have to spend much for a good HDMI cable and to prove my point I selected the Premium HDMI - HDMI Male to Male Gold Plated v1.3 Certified Category 2 - 6 ft / 2M for PS3 HDTV LCD TV Blue-Ray cable. Despite the lengthy name and PS3, Blu-Ray claim, it is a simple HDMI cable that is 1080p capable and it more than enough to provide a perfect picture. Cost: $1

Since the Yamaha receiver doesn’t support HDMI I need a optical, digital cable, again, I don’t need anything fancy, an optical cable is an optical cable and any one will do. The 2 pc 6' Digital Audio Optical Optic Fiber Toslink Cable was the perfect answer. Cost: $4.15

Now I just needed speaker wire and following my own advice, it had to be 12 gauge, oxygen free. The product I chose is the Acoustic Research PR221 Speaker Wire 12 AWG Oxy Free Copper, 50 ft spool. Acoustic Research makes good speaker wire without breaking the bank and 50 feet of wire will easily cover most home systems. Cost: $30.53

The final cost of my home theater came to $982.15 and gives me a solid performing home theater for under $1,000. The products and prices on Amazon change often but I am confident that you can go there any day of the week and build a similar system for under $1,000.

One consideration I didn’t address is the value of a projector if you have the right room. A projector system is the bargain way to get a big image for a low price and should be considered if it can work for you.

My next challenge will be to see what kind of system I would put together if money were no object. I am looking forward to this one.

I was deeply saddened to see that Samsung is discontinuing production of DLP televisions, a format I found superior dollar for dollar over both plasma and LCD. DLP televisions have a fantastic, life like picture in a lightweight, slim line form. You can’t mount it on a wall but studies indicate the vast majority of flat panels are sitting on a stand which is where a DLP set shines.

In researching the demise of DLP I found very little up to date information, the articles were all terribly outdated and in no way reflected today’s reality. This is truly sad, as there was no better bang for the buck, dollar per inch rival to the DLP technology. Can you imagine walking into your local mega store and telling them you wanted a 73-inch LCD or plasma for under $2000, they would laugh you out of the store.

Based on my experience in these same stores they would also fail to mention that a DLP would give you what you want. The DLP sets, especially Samsungs newer LCD, DLP sets have a breathtaking picture and in my opinion, a much more film like recreation for movies. The DLP sets however were left out of the way and unless you specifically ask, don’t seem to exist in the salesperson’s memory.

The rainbow effect was a problem for a small percentage of the public when watching inexpensive, older model DLP projectors but is not an issue with today’s DLP sets. DLP sets last a very long time as the moving parts and lamp are easily replaced by the owner at very reasonable prices. There is no down side to a DLP set unless you absolutely must hang the set on a wall.

I am hoping Mitsubishi will continue its production of the DLP sets and keep moving the technology forward. I have serious doubts they will continue much longer however. My grieving is the budget minded consumers gain. Take advantage of the lower prices while you can and get that big, beautiful picture you always wanted at a reasonable price.

Analog audio cables differ from their digital friends in purpose alone. The same cables that work well for your coax digital connection works just as well for any other audio/video connection, provided it is a 75-ohm cable. Unlike digital signals however, the cable used can color analog signals.

The changes made by analog cables are subtle at best and with most systems, no difference can be detected. Audiophiles spend years finding the perfect cable match for the sound they desire, be it warm, flat, expanded bass or any number of other characteristics. For those of us on a budget however, spending a thousand dollars a foot on cables won’t noticeably improve your sound.

You do want quality interconnects however but you don’t need to spend a lot of money, you just need to make sure the cables are well constructed, 75-Ohm, shielded models. I prefer the custom cables from Blue Jeans Cables, and in case you were wondering, I have no affiliation with these good folks, I just love their products and for the money feel they are the way to go.

Monster Cable, as I have stated before are well built and reliable but you pay a heavy price to cover their marketing and they are simply, very overpriced. Don’t spend any more than necessary on analog cables, just make sure they are 75-ohm and well shielded to avoid signal crossover to other cables and avoid picking up noise from power cables and RF signals in your home.

Speaker cables are where I am willing to spend a little more but I don’t go crazy.  I only use 12 gauge, oxygen free cable in my main system. That may sound expensive but the bulk cable found at Home Depot is high quality and inexpensive.

If you must go to a smaller gauge, never go below 16 gauge. If you have a large room where cable runs go beyond 20 feet, I wouldn’t try anything below 12 gauge unless there is simply no way to use it.

Choosing Digital Cables

What cables do I need? This is one of the most common questions in home theater and it is one surrounded in myth and marketing deception. This article will focus on digital cables, HDMI, Coax and Optical cables to be precise.

Digital cables have the simple job of passing along a signal, and this is the important part, it is a digital signal. Digital signals make it to the destination or they don’t, the cable can’t add warmth or bass, it can’t bring out the high end or improve the image on your HD Television. Digital either works, or it doesn’t.

Bandwidth is the only factor that matters when buying digital cables like HDMI, Coax or Optical. HDMI cables carry both the audio and video in a single, easy to use cable. Marketing by stores and manufacturers (I am looking at you Monster Cable) implies that you need an expensive cable to make that new Blu-Ray look and sound right on your new 1080p display.

This is where they begin to flat out lie to the public, as I said above, a signal either makes it or it doesn’t, any HDMI cable will work, you get a picture or you don’t. HDMI cables are self-checking for errors so they work, period. There is no magic cable that improves the picture or sound, so one last time for those in the cheap seats, YOU EITHER GET A SIGNAL OR YOU DON'T, it is digital.

Digital audio cables are a little different however the general facts remain true, the cable doesn’t improve or change the sound of a digital signal, they simply pass on the ones and zero’s which cannot be colored or changed by the cable. The only thing that is different here is that you need to ensure the cables are 75 ohm, which gives more than enough bandwidth for digital audio.

Not all cables are 75 ohm, the skinny cords that came in your DVD player box are NOT 75 ohm, they should not be used for anything. Coax and optical digital cables do not error check but again, as long as you are looking at a 75 ohm cable you don’t need anything else.

Radio Shack offers these cables at a reasonable price, Monster Cable  is outrageously priced but there is not anything physically wrong with them, they are a good cable brand. I prefer Blue Jeans Cables, they are hand made and look great, all for a very reasonable price.

Blue Jeans Cables can be ordered in different colors to make component identification behind a rack easier. They also carefully match the ends so you know exactly which cable in a bundle does what without tracing it back to the source. I use them for my digital cables so that all my cables match but I could easily save a few bucks by going to Radio Shack.

Analog cables require a bit more consideration than digital, I will be discussing them in the next article.

Choosing Analog Cables

Big, Bigger, Biggest is the reason I have a front projector in my theater. I want a picture as big as the sound my system produces. I looked at LCD, DLP and CRT televisions but to reach the size I wanted the cost was way out of line with my budget. I was fortunate that InFocus had recently released the X1 800x600 projector. The reviews, based on its very good HD capabilities for under $1000 sold me and I have been content through 2.5 lamps or about 8,000 hours of use.

I won’t pretend that the picture competes with a 1080p projector but it is as good as some of the 720p projectors I have run across. My point here is that you can have a big picture for a lot less than a 42” television and unless you must have the absolute best possible picture you will be happy, even amazed at the latest sub $1,000 projectors.

My projector is almost 6 years old now and I will need to replace it soon. I have seen the same model on Ebay, new, for around $400 recently. The InFocus 4800 and X3 are also about the same cost and there are many options now for under $500 that will give you the picture you crave with a very nice picture.

For those willing to spend a tad more, the options for 720p and 1080p projectors has fallen below $1500 and continues to drop. Sanyo, Optima, Panasonic and Mitsubishi all have excellent models in this price range.

There are a few considerations to discuss before making a swap though. If you can adjust to the requirements of a front projector, do it, you will not be disappointed.

Things to consider:

• A projector needs a screen or does it? I have found http://goosystems.com/screen paint rolled onto a flat wall is as good as any screen I have seen. Goo also provides a reference tool to assist in selecting the exact mixture that will work best for your projector.
• It isn’t a television and some projectors have a delay between being turned off and turned back on again. This has never been an issue for me but it is different than most of us are used to.
• Long cable runs. This is a problem in both additional cost and aesthetics. Most projectors are ceiling mounted and hiding the cables is difficult unless your room is pre-wired for it. Once you set up you never have to think about it again though.

Some people believe the need to replace lamps after 3,000+ hours of use is a hassle but it is very easy and much better than tossing out a TV and buying a new one.

If a front projector can work in your room, go for it, it is cheaper than a TV half the size and todays technology gives you a great picture at any price point.