Use & Enjoy Your A/V Gear : Ralph

Searching for SACDs

Ralph — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 19:02:00 GMT

"So what's the deal with SACDs?" a friend asked recently. "I'm looking for a new disc player, but I never see SACDs in the stores. Should I even bother getting an SACD player?" He had a lot of questions, and I answered them...(read more)

The point of point-and-shoot cameras

Ralph — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 19:02:00 GMT

Kathy, our customer support manager shared these pictures with us the other day, and with her permission, I'm sharing them with you. These pictures are her son at the beach. Last year, he was afraid of the water. Not now! You can see his new-found...(read more)

The Audiophiliac Poll

Ralph — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 18:59:00 GMT

A post on Steve Guttenberg's The Audiophiliac caught my attention the other day. In "What's Wrong with High-End Audio ?" Guttenberg, audio reviewer and record producer, puts forth a theory, and then asks for feedback. The problem, as...(read more)

Tech Terms Demystified: Impedance

Ralph — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 17:37:00 GMT

Impedance is one of those tech terms whose meaning is just close enough to its general definition to cause some confusion. In everyday language, an impedance is a hindrance — an obstacle to be overcome. Electrically, impedance is a neutral term...(read more)

Travel essentials -- in my opinion

Ralph — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 19:53:00 GMT

I've traveled quite a bit over the years, mostly for work. And while it's always exciting to go and visit new places, lugging excess baggage around isn't. So over time, I've learned what things I really need, and what things I can do without...(read more)

Tech Terms Demystified: Walled Garden for HDTV

Ralph — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 14:21:00 GMT

"Walled Garden" — it conjures up images of a lush, exotic, and beautiful garden isolated from the rest of the world by a high stone wall with a single locked door to limit access. And in many ways, it's an accurate image for the kind...(read more)

Three things I learned from dad's DTV transition

Ralph — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 15:43:00 GMT

The final transition for DTV occurs this coming Friday [June 12, 2009]. A few months ago I helped my dad get his TVs set up for the switch, and in the process discovered a few things that might help others. Armed with the Crutchfield DTV Converter Guide...(read more)

Hi-Fi 2.0 and the Gizmodo audiophile

Ralph — Tue, 12 May 2009 13:17:00 GMT

A recent post to Gizmodo, the Gadget Blog articulated part of what we're striving for with Hi-Fi 2.0 . In " Why We Need Audiophiles " associate editor John Mahoney chronicles his visit to equipment and music reviewer Michael Fremer . Mahoney writes about...(read more)

Adding Great Sound to your TV, Tip#4 - Component surround sound systems

Ralph — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 19:30:00 GMT

In previous posts we've discussed getting great sound from your TV by adding a soundbar , or an easy three-speaker system , or even a pre-matched surround sound system . But in the end, nothing does quite the job of a component surround sound system ...(read more)

Adding Great Sound to your TV, Tip#3 - Pre-matched surround sound systems

Ralph — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 20:29:00 GMT

Intuitively, it makes sense: if you want to be fully immersed in sound, you should be surrounded by speakers. That's the concept at modern movie theaters, and it's an ideal way to experience movies with your home theater system. But for many of us, having...(read more)

Adding Great Sound to your TV, Tip#2 - Easy 3-Speaker Systems

Ralph — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 14:16:00 GMT

You may be enjoying outstanding picture quality from your new high-definition TV — but chances are you're sensing something's lacking in the sound. And your instincts are good. Most speakers built into flat-panel TVs do an adequate job, but can't really...(read more)

Students send Nikon Coolpix to the edge of space

Ralph — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 19:11:00 GMT

So what can you do with a Nikon Coolpix point-and-shoot camera ? Well, many people take them along when they travel, but seldom like this. High school students at the IES La Bisbal School in Spanish Catalonia sent their Nikon Coolpix into the stratosphere...(read more)

Better home audio, Tip #15: Upgrade to high-performance speakers

Ralph — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 20:54:00 GMT

The last tip in our series seems intuitive: to improve the sound of your system, improve the part that actually makes the sound. That is, the speakers. But keep in mind that the speakers are just a part of your audio/video system -- a link in the chain...(read more)

Better home audio, Tip #14: Use an outboard DAC

Ralph — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 14:29:00 GMT

A common misconception is that there's no difference between an inexpensive and a top-of-the line CD player. After all, they're both just reading digital code off of a disc, and since it's binary, it's either there or it isn't, right? Well, partially...(read more)

Better home audio, Tip #13: Use high-quality source components.

Ralph — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 21:55:00 GMT

The best place to deal with any problem is at the source. While you can tweak your home audio system to optimize the sound it produces, the quality of the source signal can determine how successful your efforts will be. Tip #13: Use high-quality source...(read more)