Kenwood VRS-N8100 Audio/Video Control Center with Network Function Review

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(More customer reviews)After 7 years with my old Kenwood 1080VR, I was in the market for a new receiver to take me through the next several years of technology. This VRS-N8100 Networked receiver does just that. Its all digital processing delivers amazing sound and the ability to stream media files from your PC or home network is a great addition.
PROS:
- Sound performance is great, while auto-detecting all the major surround audio signals
- Network capabilities ... allows you to take advantage of your PC media files without the need for a media hub
- Extremely easy on-screen setup process!!!
- 4 digital audio inputs (2 opt, 2 coax) are completely assignable via the on-screen setup
- Composite, S-video, and component video ins and outs ... HDTV ready
- Fully 7.1 compatible with LB and RB pre-outs (Surr Back speaker outs)
- Slim attractive design
- Many gaming and headphone options to enhance game play
CONS:
- Could always have more inputs, but the slim design limits space. I had plenty for my setup, but it is fewer than other high end models.
- I didn't see this one coming ... but the remote now controls both the old 1080VR (which is powering speakers in other rooms) and the VRS-N8100 simultaneously. I don't know if there is a way around this.
In all, you will be happy with this receiver. Just with my 5.1 setup and Dolby Digital movie, I could tell a substantial difference in sound quality over the 1080VR Dolby Digital. Maybe it's the ease that you can adjust the speaker settings or the state of the art digital processing. But what is for sure is that this little receiver packs a lot into its small frame.
I highly recommend the VRS-N8100 as a truly future-ready receiver, already!

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The digital age has brought new forms of entertainment to your computer screen, but it certainly has not overshadowed the surround sound home theater experience. The Kenwood VRS-N8100 Audio/Video Control Center with Network Function seamlessly merges your entertainment system with your home computer. The rear-panel Ethernet connector lets you stream audio and video files from your computer to your home theater system. With the VRS-N8100, your entire family can enjoy the multimedia digital files stored on your computer through the sound quality of your home entertainment system.
Kenwood has thought of all the possibilities with this control center. Plug a game console into the front-panel game audio/video input (complete with a digital audio connection) and the VRS-N8100 will detect when you turn on the game console, and automatically select that input and the proper surround sound processing. The Single Zone Dual Source function lets you listen to your game's sound through headphones, while the rest of the family can enjoy music through speakers. Plus, this function features Dolby headphone processing that creates a totally out-of-the-box 5.1-channel surround sound effect through any pair of ordinary stereo headphones, so you won't have to sacrifice sound quality to play your favorite games. And the included universal pre-programmed remote control is ready to go with Xbox and PlayStation2 codes. With the Kenwood Control Center, your family can quit fighting over the home theater, and everyone can enjoy the system at the same time.
Of course, the control center is also a great general receiver with plenty of inputs for a wide array of components. When you watch movies, the VRS-N8100 puts you right in the middle of the action with Dolby Digital EX and DTS-ES 96/24 surround sound, and Dolby Pro Logic IIx transforms ordinary two-channel stereo music sources -- CDs, cassette tapes, and radio -- into a 6.1-channel surround sound experience. The PurePath digital power amplifier delivers 130 watts to each of six channels, so your games, movies, and music will really rock the house. And with the ADI SHARC 32-bit DSP processor, high-resolution digital volume control, and rigid chassis construction rounding out the VRS-N8100's features, you can rest assured that this control center will deliver accurate performance at all signal levels.
What's in the Box VRS-N8100 control center, remote control, and user's manual

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Sony BRAVIA DAV-HDX265 Home Theater System Review

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(More customer reviews)I spent weeks listening to high end audiophile systems and was dismayed to learn that to be happy with these systems I had to spend over $3000 on amp and 2 speakers, which I had no intention of doing. On the way home I bought one of these for under $300 and was shocked to find I liked it better!
The sound is quite good, amazing on DVDs and very good on CDs. The speakers are attractive and unobtrusive. However, there are some drawbacks:
1. no digital audio input. Multi-channel audio is limited to the built-in 5 disc changer, no chance for upgrading to new DVD formats or to connect a digital input from a satellite receiver.
2. the style of the main unit left me wanting something different (your tastes may vary)
3. the speaker wire uses proprietary connectors- need a few more feet than are included in the box? you'll be splicing.
4. I read that the digital audio connector to computers only plays windows formats- no iTunes connectivity.
5. The 5-disc changer loads one at a time and takes a long time to switch; I found myself forgetting what was in each slot and it took a long time to switch around and find out.
But, like I said the sound is very good. So if you can live with the feature limitations this is a very very good deal for the price.

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Philips HE591 Surround Sound Earbuds (Black) Review

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(More customer reviews)NOTE: I've NOW had the HE591's now for almost two years and just had to replace my original pair because of a short. Considering I used them 3-4 days a week cutting grass, painting, etc., I think that is great! My new pair has the newer case, and I actually like it better than the old wrap-around one, and I noticed that the cord is thicker now, so maybe this set will last even longer. I would like to mention a negative, at least it could be perceived as a negative by some.... The music sounds so much better than with other ear buds, that I am often tempted to play the music louder, so one needs to discipline themselves with the volume. Actually, I find I can usually play my iPod, or other devices, at a lower volume and still have a great sound, so maybe these might be just the thing to have for children to use (and, of course, limiting the volume on their device, too). When I originally bought these I had the 60 GB Photo iPod and now I have the 80 GB one. The sound is even better on the newer iPod. My opinion is still high on these, even though I occasionally try to use the Shure and xTreme buds. In fact, I put those $99 Shure ones on just a week or so ago, and before I had even left the room, I took them off and put on the HE591's. Phillips has come-out with a new container for them, and it's OK, but that's not the real issue. No matter what I use, I go back to the HE591 (black)/592 (white). I've only had one problem with using them, a slight tenderness in my ears canal one time, but I turned the buds 30 degrees in my ear and everything was fine. And, now, I don't even have to do that. What follows is my original review.
Do yourself a favor and try these before forking over $100.00 on something that has great highs, but no lows... and what's really amazing is the the equalizer on my iPods actually do something with the HE591's. Here's my original review....
In reading the reviews of this product, I am having to ask myself, "Are they using the same earbuds that I'm using?" because I didn't have the issues that others have had. In fact, I've spent well over $500.00 trying to find a decent sounding pair of earbuds, and the Phillips HE591's give me exactly what I am wanting.
Before going any further, though, let me say, I'm an older reviewer, (age 56) who early in life really appreciated the sound of a good set of headphones. To put everything in perspective, I judge anything I put into my ears on these two sets of KOSS headphones: 1) the KOSS HV1A+, a lightweight set with foam cushions on the ear sets that allow one to hear good sound and still hear if someone in the room is calling to you, and 2) the KOSS PRO4AA, a heavy, recording studio-type of pair with air cushions around the ear sets that along with a heavy-duty spring on the headphones keeps out all sound and turns your ears blue after 20 minutes of using them. The HV1A+ has, what I thought, a good sound. The PRO4AA a great sound.
Now that I've said all of that to put things into perspective, what the hell does that have to do with these earbuds? EVERYTHING! Because if the sound isn't good, why bother? And, because I've used mine with iPods, which I thought didn't have that great of a sound to begin with, I had sort of lowered my expectations of what kind of quality in sound I could get with my iPod. Lower them no more. The Philips HE591 has everything I wanted in an earbud for my iPod. It gives me the highs, the lows, and sort of an ambiance of background sound, too, that makes the music come through GREAT. And, as if I might be stretching things a bit, when you go to use the equalizer function on your iPod, the sound actually, and very noticeably, varies, like it should.
What other earbuds have I used before the Philips HE591:
Xtreme Mac IPD-FSE00FS1, which you can find between $99 and $150.00. These give great high sounds, and you realize that there were notes and instruments being played that you hadn't heard before. The low sounds, though, were under-represented. The equalizer settings on the iPod (my current one is the 60GB Video unit, but I also have the 60 GB Photo one) didn't seem to change the sound much.
Shure E2c, which you can find between $99 and $125.00. These also gave me great high sounds, like the Xtreme Mac, and the equalizer settings varied more, but it, also, had issues with producing the low sounds.
Sony earbuds. I tried several versions from $20 to $49.00, with the $29 version and the $49 version seemingly having the same sound. I don't have the material on these, but the best ones cost around $29.00, or so, at Wal-mart. They had a great bass sound, but not much treble. The equalizer setting didn't make it vary much.
Now, I know I don't have the ears of a 20 year old, but I do have "perfect" pitch, and I know sound: my receiver unit at home is a Denon AVR-4802R. I like my DVD DTS sound system at home with it's 7 channel sound (counting the subwoofer) that I've augmented with two side channels, and I like the 5-channel DVD DTS sound in my car.
The Philips HE591 is not only a better buy, but to me, it gives you a better sound.
Other aspects of it:
The primary cord is heavy, but after the split the cords for the earpieces are normal in size. The earbuds come with two sets of rubber ear pieces. They look the same size, but one may be smaller. Whatever the case, it is nice to have an extra set. The ear pieces have a hard extension that you can use to set the earbuds into your ears.
The cords for the earpieces are of different length, so it easier to deal with if you wear your device on one of your hips.
The case is rubberized and seems less clumbersome than some units, and about as easy to use as the Shure case. The Xtreme Mac case will allow you to either roll-it-un and wrap it, or just roll-it-up and tuck it in, which wasn't too bad of an idea.
All-in-all, I am elated to have found the Philips earbuds, and I hope that anyone who tries them will be as satisfied as I am.
On a sad note, though, having done all of this listening, I am not as enamoured with my KOSS HV1A+ headphones as I used to be.They still let me listen to much and hear what's going on in the room (someone had an issue with that with the Philips, but I didn't), but the HV1A's just didn't have the crispness of the Philips earbuds, so I'm saddened that I've now lowered that KOSS unit off of its pedestal.
At a price of $19 to $29, these are a bargain, and it comes in white as model HE592

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Philips Blk Vir Surr Earbuds

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Creative Labs Sound Blaster Wireless Audio Transmitter and Receiver Bundle Review

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(More customer reviews)
Having used a myriad of devices from the squeezboox boom and the squeezebox duet system -- as well as a few other devices that are not worth mentioning, I'll say that this is by far the easiest to use, install and operate.
Let me walk you through my set-up ... which took about 10 minutes ...
1. Unpacked the box and did away with all the plastic detritus.
2. Installed and registered the software on my laptop.
3. Plugged in the transmitter to a USB port in the back.
4. Rebooted my laptop, turned on iTunes and played a U2 album.
5. Plugged in the receiver (using a nicer set of cables) to my Sony Stereo Receiver on Aux 3. Was tempted to go optical.
6. Hit the find button on the underside of the little device and walked away.
7. 15 seconds later -- music played.
8. Stuck the batteries in the remote and turned it up.
That simple and absolutely no stumbling blocks to speak of.
Sound Quality? -- Better than I expected for this, but I wasn't looking for Mark Levinson to come out of my office and sit down on the couch with a glass of wine. The sound quality is more than adequate for casual home listening and the better your system is, the better the device will sound to you.
Responsiveness? -- I'm constantly unplugging the transmitter from my laptop and taking off somewhere, only to come back replug it back in, and find it working almost instantly and flawlessly. Windows and iTunes are not always asking questions or looking for drivers. It seems that whatever iTunes needed to do to make this thing be compatible with itself, was worked out ahead of time by Creative Labs and Apple. That's a first.
The Software -- is quite good and quite simple. You can customize it to play in zones, if that's your thing or adjust the quality of the sound and other minor changes. The software, from what I saw, doesn't appear to be a resource hog, nor has it been the culprit of crashes or bluescreens. If you don't use iTunes , you don't like to, or don't want to, this may be the only *real* problem one could face. The good thing is that it doesn't require you to depend on it as a player like other companies, or other devices do.
I can find no fault with this and I'm happy with the success of this device. I use it everyday now and I'm thoroughly pleased.
Well done ... a great idea to give as a gift for young or old as the ease of use with this is simple and the learning curve low. How about that for innovation?
...

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This bundle includes the Creative Labs Sound Blaster wireless audio transmitter and receiver giving you everything you need to set up a premium wireless sound system.The Creative Labs Sound Blaster for iTunes upgrades your PC or Mac to a premium wireless sound system. Simply plug into any USB port, connect an optional Creative Wireless Receiver to your powered speakers or home stereo system, and play your iTunes or other digital music wirelessly no cables or networking required. You can add Sound Blaster Wireless Audio ready speakers with built-in wireless receiver and in the future wireless headphones to play music wirelessly in multiple rooms. Plus, Sound Blaster for iTunes features Creatives award-winning X-Fi audio enhancement technology that improves the quality of iTunes media, MP3s and movies. Package Contents: Sound Blaster for iTunes USB Audio Transmitter, Audio cable (1/8" to stereo RCA), Installation CD, Quick Start Leaflet.The Creative Wireless Receiver plays the songs from your Creative wireless audio products across the room or around the house. The wireless system is designed for music, so there are no delays, no dropouts and no home network needed. Setup is a breeze, just plug the Creative Wireless Receiver into any powered speakers or your home theater receiver, the wireless connection is automatic. The wireless remote control lets you navigate through the music on your Notebook, PC or iPod;playing, pausing and skiping from wherever you are. And it's expandable so you can add as many Creative Wireless Receivers as you like within the 100' range.

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JVC Deck with Built-In HD Radio Tuner Review

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(More customer reviews)I went shopping around and compared the JVC to the Kenwood and the Alpine radios with builtin hd tuners. The Kenwood radios biggest problem is you have to activate the satellite radio to use the radio. The Alpine radio was the cost. For the money the JVC KD-HDR1 provides all the features and versatility to make it the best radio for the price and for the capabilities it offers. Once you listen to High Definition radio you will not enjoy regular FM broadcasts again. Alot of stations are going to High Definition radio. I am very happy with this product and would recommend it to anyone who wants a good sounding radio without paying for satellite to get it. The surround sound it offers is even a better enticement and the EQ settings will make it worthwile even on a stock system without a amplifier.

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Zoom H2 Handy Portable Stereo Recorder Review

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(More customer reviews)A year ago, I wrote a lengthy comparison of the Edirol R-09 WAVE/MP3 Recorder, Black and the Zoom H4 Handy Recorder + 2GB Accessory Kit (pre-accessory kit). I wanted a high quality, easy to use recorder, so even though the H4 had all of the features of the Edirol and sold for considerably less, I kept the Edirol because it was so much easier to use.
Zoom has responded with the H2, a scaled down version of the H4 with all of the features of the R-09 and all of the controls right where you need them. The H2 even has additional features over the R-09, but they don't get in the way. For example, there's a choice of a 90 degree recording pattern, a 120 degree recording pattern, and even a surround sound option. Samsontech has some nice video demonstrations on its website.
One big complaint I've had with the Edirol is the cost of its add-on stand. Unlike the Edirol, the H2 comes with a simple stand. In addition, the H2 has a threaded hole so that it can be mounted on a standard digital camera tripod! On a separate note, it's much easier to replace batteries with the H2 than the Edirol.
Recently, I got together with friends and recorded the same live acoustic music on both the Edirol R-09 and the Zoom H2. I used Adobe Audition only to normalize both tracks (that is, equalize their loudness). The first time we played them back, I thought I detected a VERY slight preference for the Edirol, with the overall opinion of the group split between the two units. The second time we played them back, my preference was for the H2, with overall opinion continuing to be split. We all agreed that the differences were so small as to be negligible if there were any at all. The sound files can be found at [...] for those who'd like to hear for themselves. We were sitting in a circle with the recorders located next to each other on a mantle above and outside the group.
I do prefer the Edirol's control buttons to the H2's membrane and I'm not about to sell the Edirol, perhaps because I am more familiar with the Edirol and don't want to give it up just yet. Also, the Edirol R-09 is the darling of the moment. However, if I owned neither, I couldn't justify the huge bump in price of the Edirol over the H2 and would opt for the H2. When I went to a music party last weekend and knew I'd need only one recorder, I grabbed the H2.

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The Zoom H2 is a must-have for anybody doing podcasting to almost any type of mobile recording situation. An affordable 2-track recorder using a 4-mic capsule configuration and digital signal processing, the H2 allows a variety of polar patterns and even supports 5.1 surround sound. Record at 96kHz, 48kHz, 44.1kHz or MP3. Archive files to your computer using the USB port. Use as a USB mic to record your guitar or vocals directly to computer. A Time stamp feature facilitates production. The H2 has an approximate 4-hour running time on 2 AA alkaline batteries. It includes earbuds, stereo adapter cable, mic clip adapter, tripod stand, USB cable, AC adapter and a 512MB SD card. Now the Zoom H2 can accept up to a 16 GB SD cards with the latest firmware installed. Have an older version? Update easily and for free at Zoom's website, www.zoom.co.jp. Click here for listing of compatible SD cards! Who Needs the H2 Handy Recorder from Zoom? Everyone who craves brilliant stereo recordings. It's a simple idea: provide brilliant stereo recording in an easy-to-use, ultra-portable device. Now everyone can record pristine audio in an infinite variety of applications. From seminars and conferences, to electronic news gathering (ENG) and podcasting, to musical performances, songwriting sessions and rehearsals, the H2 provides amazing recording quality. And no matter what kind of music you perform or the instrument you play, the H2 can effortlessly record it in high-quality stereo. Zoom H2 Features W-XY mic patterns with 4 mic capsules and signal processing allows Front 90° cardioid, Rear 120° cardioid and 360° polar patterns Finally record 360° sound as 2ch data or 4ch data simultaneously Built-in USB 2.

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