Featured Research Article Archives
FAQ: Does My AV Receiver Have Enough Power for Speakers?
This week's FAQ question deals with AV receiver power and if it's sufficient to drive a full home theater speaker system. Start with our power quiz and consider a model with preouts for later use.
FAQ: Where Did My Multi-Channel Analog Inputs Go?
Are you looking at a new AV receiver and realize there are no multi-channel analog inputs on it to play multi-channel SACD files in native DSD format. Are you out of luck? Read on to find out.
PRO Audio Technology / Trinnov 23-Channel Dolby Atmos/DTS:X Demo Experience
Whether it be a two-channel system or a full 23-CH Dolby Atmos/DTS:X Home Theater, the demo we heard hosted by PRO Audio with Trinnov processing proved you could have both with equal measure.
Pros & Cons of Various Center Channel Designs
This article and YouTube Video takes you on a tour of the most common center channel driver arrangements and discusses their strengths and weaknesses to help make the best selection for your needs.
Audio Measurements: The Useful vs. the Bogus in Consumer Audio
Manufacturers and most A/V publications love to publish ruler flat frequency response curves to highlight product positives. This article and YT video explores the limitations of these measurements.
History of Multi-Sub & Sound Field Management (SFM) for Small Room Acoustics
Solving bass problems in small rooms have historically been done with low frequency absorption (ie. bass traps). This article discusses an alternative/complimentary solution using multi-sub and SFM.
Loudspeaker Drivers: Identifying Legitimately High Fidelity Parts
This article focuses attention on loudspeaker drivers defining the basic core elements that make up the drivers & trade offs associated with various design approaches. Better parts MAKE a difference!
Bass: the Physical Sensation of Sound
Ever wonder why you can feel bass? We take a look behind the science of bass waves and the tactile sensations that they cause. Our bass experiments were quite revealing but don't try them at home.
Speaker Wire: How to Choose the Right Gauge Type for Best Performance
We discuss speaker wire gauge and how to choose the best audio cables based on your loudspeaker impedance and distance to your amplifier to achieve best performance.
Dipole vs Bipole vs Monopole: Which Surround Speaker is Best?
We explain the various surround speaker types such as dipole, bipole and direct radiators and discuss the pros and cons of each applicable to new immersive surround formats like Dolby Atmos and DTS:X.