CES 2010 South Hall

Some Mainstream and obscure products not having to do with 3D!


Elite Screens had some nice electric "pop up" screens with or without wood cabinets. With twin 2.35:1 and 16:9 format solutions, IR, RF and remote control. A very "installer friendly company, offers minimal non-finished versions of the cabineted version.



Mocomtech Co, LTD, had a 20 gain screen on display!
It was angled down a bit to avoid the lighting, but still pretty impressive.



This Wireless ipod dock and speaker combo, weird as it looks, sounded pretty good! I can't find my information on it's manufacturer, but if you see it in a store, don't run away, give it a listen.



Blue showed off their wonderful line of Microphones, including their USB Mic.



Audioengine showed off their fabulous line of speakers and wireless audio devices as well as a new mini amplifier available in March. Knowing them it will sound fantastic and will be a perfect match for their non-powered speakers. We'll have that available on the RAM website as soon as it is available.



Cables Unlimited unveiled a new series of iPhone, iPod Touch, Blackberry Bold and Storm Combo Battery Cases that should have a very nice sale price that will give you the battery life you need at a price point that can't be beat! They also have a new Wireless A/V adapter set for PC to TV (HDMI) or Monitor (VGA) connections all in one device. We'll have these available on the RAM site ASAP.



Gefen who has 3 Wireless HDMI solutions to fit your needs, debuted their new installer centric Toolbox lineup of distribution solutions with a new look and very installer friendly design. They had, as usual a multitude of new products including Speakers(!), a volume stabilizer, an HDMI audio decoder to both S/PDIF and Toslink with 6 discreet analog audio outputs as well. Plus much, much more. Of coarse we'll have these available on the RAM site as soon as they are available.



Asus booth was huge again this year. Being a big Asus fan I always browse around a bit. Everyone has touch screens all over the place this year and Asus, of course had a wide variety. I could not find a netbook with a larger than 1024 horizontal resolution, which is what I want. I know you need a certain screen size for higher resolutions, but the websites and apps I want to run require at least 1280 horizontal resolution so I don't have to scroll. They did have a nice, light "laptop" with 1366 horizontal resolution with long battery life. Works for me!


Asus also had a "Bravo" Media Center video card that seems perfectly designed for HTPC use with built in video transcoding for ipod or PSP as well as multiple modes for Theater, Gaming, Pictures and "auto" with Ambient light sensing! I'll certainly be looking into this one for my own HTPC.


CES 2010 Conclusion?
There was plenty more to see, but there are certainly many sites covering all the big names. There was significant "shrinkage" this year. No Sands convention center. The South hall was smaller. There were still pretty big crowds at times this year but not as big as usual. People are scaling back still on large purchases and with 3D on the horizon, they may use that as a pretty darn good excuse for putting them off a bit longer. Until the dust sttles and the 3D scenario is clearer for the average person to grasp, I don't see a lot of people rushing out and buying new "Primary" displays. Seems like everyone is looking for any quick cheap fix they can find for now, and pushing out major purchases into the future. More and more people may minimalise their cable/satellite subscriptions and find solutions for living off online content. That means even more PC/Mac to TV solution opportunities for resellers. While it may seem like TV vendors can keep pushing built-in solutions on TV's, with 3D looming, consumers may opt for add-on's for their current TV's rather than buying new displays except for secondary usage. At least that's my takeaway from this 2010 CES.

Panasonic 3d demo CES 2010

I waited in line for quite some time. Thank the smart phone gods for me having the ability to sit and read on and on about the Eagles/Cowboys upcoming game and the possible total meltdown of the entire city of Philadelphia if the Eagles don't find some miracle way to come back and beat the Cowboys who are playing about as well as any team in the NFL, except, perhaps the Chargers. Sorry for bringing it up, but this is playoff time. HDTV's are partly as popular as they are in this country due to FOOTBALL. I'm pretty sure the top 3 HDTV sales spikes are: right before the football season, Christmas time (er, "holiday time?) , and Super Bowl time (not in order). 3D is going to need Football as well, so NOT sorry for going off topic.
Anyway....
Finally, I got in there to see this, the most hyped 3D demo at CES. Missed it last year.
The beginning is pretty much a Panasonic feel good promo thingy, which is ok, I mean they put a LOT of money into this setup. Then came the clips. And, well, they were at times scarily impressive. I mean weirdly, freekily like being there. At other times, and I mean this changed from moment to moment, they were less impressive. Sometimes showy. Sometimes gave you that 3d cardboard cutout in front of other stuff in the background kind of feeling. But then, suddenly, there was a 3D landscape right in front of you that looked so real! It was slightly annoying that it was not quite as seemless as it could have been. But they were jumping around from impressive clip to slightly less impressive clip to amazing, etc. Overall I was very impressed. Some clips were more impressive than Avatar in 3D iMax. Some quite a bit less.
The worst part of this for me was after leaving. What if my polarized glasses were messing things up! Oh no! I should look into that! I started looking at my own perspective of 3D in actual real life. Hmmmm, how much depth perspective do I see in those people across the street? Jeez, they look a bit flat from here.... Depth perception goes only so far, and I certainly need a new glasses prescription... My reality 3D is no good! Wow, these waitresses at burger bar look very 3D up close! Not as much from a distance... Somebody needs to 3D video record these waitresess so I can compare!
OK, you get the picture. I have some issues....
Still, I am sold. I want to see the next Eagles Superbowl in 3D. Of course by then they may have some new ultra-hyper-reality type thing with my luck. Thankfully the Phillies in another world series would look great in 3D. Unfortunately there are no cheerleaders in baseball...

CES 2010 Day 1 - 3D Heaven and Hell and Toshiba's revenge?

CES 2010 Day 1
3D Heaven and Hell and Toshiba's revenge?

Central Hall

3D is everywhere this year, from the big booths to the smaller ones. It's almost scary. It seemed like every major display manufacturer had a 3D demo, some quite impressive, some more or less pretty good, and some pretty boring. 3D glasses of many types are all over the place. Expensive shutter types on chains or other tethers, plainer polarized glasses, and real cheap cardboard ones depending on the 3D technology used for the demo. In the 3D area in the back of the hall as well as at interspersed throughout the hall there were other 3D demos, some good, some bad, and some downright silly.

My first 3D was from JVC in their DiLA Theater. The first was, a fantastic looking clip from Couples Retreat. Then some 4k video clips that looked great, but were rather boring. Then came 3D glasses time for a a very impressive 3D short.


Panasonic's 3D Theater line was too long, so I'll try to catch it later. They did have a nice boot with an amazing 145"(?) Plasma that was pretty amazing. They were focusing on showing their gains or (losses?) in creating lower power consuming plasmas.


LG's booth was very impressive, as usual, a huge video wall greeted you, the most impressive video wall type thing I think I have seen. They had a great booth. I should have taken pictures!

Sharp has a new line of Quad pixel - RGB+Y (yellow) LCD technology. I'd like to get to the bottom of that. No time now.

They also had a interesting demo of their new UV2A panels showing why they have whiter whites and blacker blacks. I'm pretty sure other variations on this theme exist with other manufacturers.


Toshiba

Toshiba is pushing their new "Cell TV's" which are 3D ready, but also have built-in technology to take standard TV and convert it to 3D with a click of your remote. While having a very fast cell processor in the TV surely has lots of varied advantages, what strikes me is the whole "easiness" of having 3D conversion of standard TV built into the TV for the mass market. Many people are going to be so overwhelmed at the thought of new source devices, new source discs, new TV's that have to be compatible and the complications and stress that all of that entails, they are quite likely to say, "hey, all I need is this Toshiba TV and some glasses and I've got 3D?, screw that other stuff!". The demo, was from demo material and not actually working prototypes, or so they said, but it was interesting enough, if not nearly as good as the "real thing". Still it seems they are onto something here. Keep it simple, stupid. And the masses may follow?

Fujifilm had a 3D picture demo and 3D digital picture frame demo, which was, er, 3D.

There were some awful 3D things to be found as well, usually with very nice, actual 3 dimensional booth babes helping out with the demonstration or sales.

Intel previewed their new line of Core Processors, i3, i5, and i7. Can't wait to see some benchmarks!



Venetian High End Audio and THE Show High End Audio

Venetian High End Audio

I usually wait until my ears bounce back from the torture of flying to check out the high end audio, but I have a tight schedule this year, and had to squeeze things in when I could. So from the central hall I got a quick lunch and hit the Venetian to listen to some high end audio. I generally only talk about the speakers I listen to since talking about the Amps, Dacs, CD or LP record players would just get silly, especially since I only get a few hours to enjoy listening, and want to listen to a lot of lovely speakers.
A couple of things always bother me when trying to listen and compare things. The listening material is always picked out to show off certain aspects of the system, and in most rooms they are trying to push how "detailed" the system is. Things often sound like someone threw an equalizer in there with the 3kHz-4kHz frequency spectrum boosted. I am sure it's often just the CD's or LP's they pick out to play, but it's annoying that I listen to speakers that should sound great, and very smooth and musical, but they seem a bit too detailed and unnaturally so. Sometimes I think they might go overboard on cables and use them as filters, but this seems a poor explanation since it seems quite impossible to make a cable that acts as a finely tuned bandpass filter with slopes and shelves built in. OK, enough of that silly thought. On to it.

Scaena had a wonderful "Line Source" speaker (and I'm always a sucker for a line source) that were awesomely detailed (of course) but they positively seemed to "Yank" me into the music. I remember extremely good, articulate bass, but I don't remember much low bass, but they were absolutely lovely in the sweet spot, really involving. No idea what they cost, but it can't be less than what I currently owe for my condo. Quite nice looking as well to me, but WAF appeal for a big speaker like this is tricky!



Electrocompaneit speakers from Norway had nice, custom, top of the line Scanspeak and Seas drivers and sounded very impressive, but I couldn't get into the music. Why do Europeans always have some completely different music esthetic that us dull, cro magnon Americans just can't get into? I hear so many nice speakers with weird music. I mean, how about some "normal music" like Tom Waits? (haha) Plus, a name that is a little easier to deal with would be nice. Still, I hope to see a review, they are a very well made speaker.



QUAD - I always go to this room and it always makes me want them.



THE SHOW

How weird is it that the first amazing thing I came across at a high end audio show was an amazing Projector screen? DNP Screens (www.dnpscreens.us) had an amazing demo of a very nice, large Projector screen that looked absolutely unbelievable in an obscenely well lit big room with no seeming ill effects. Not washed out in the least. Check them out for the technology involved. Although, the idea of the technology is just that, a technology idea, that they pull it off so amazingly well with a real product? Priceless!!! Plus, even better still, the price is only incrementally higher than than what you would pay for a similar screen size of high quality. I'm not kidding to say that I was shocked by this demo.


Magnepan
As a Maggie lover and owner, I like to see what's new in the Magnepan universe. I got to listen to the new MG1.7 demo with the gorgeous and impressive CCR center channel. Quite an amazing demo. Something seems impossible about the tweeter in the 1.7. Of coarse something always sounds so impossibly "real" when it comes to maggies. It's a stunning looking speaker as well, with a new, sharper look from the 1.6QR. Around $2k.

I also heard the mini Magnepans which absolutely blew me away. As a computer desktop speaker or small system speaker for small rooms or low volumes it is that real magnepan "big sound" in a very small overall form factor.



Electrostatic Speakers from Sanders Sound Systems. Very big and loud Electrostatic System from Roger Sanders. Very impressive volume. Electrostatic detail. Well matched with dynamic bass driver for lows. Impressive demo, but I would have liked to hear some music I was familiar with.



Reference 3A - Big fan, I am. I have Dulcets. Heard the new Grand Veenas. Strange old 60's tune, sounded absolutely fantastic. I can't help feeling that their big speakers don't image quite like the Dulcets (what does?) because of their big, broad surfaces. I should have stuck around for more but I desperately needed a Margarita immediately!

Super Sale on our Custom made iPod/iPhone Cables

We are having our first sale ever on our custom made in the USA iPod/iPhone eXtreme series Cables!
These might make a nice Holiday gift for anyone who enjoys listening to their iPod/iPhone and wants the best sound quality possible. They are 100% compatible with any iPod or iPhone with a Docking connector. They come in many different versions. With Mini plugs for car "Aux" port connections, with dual RCA's for Home Stereo Connections, and our latest includes USB for Syncing and Charging.


Features:

• Silver plated Teflon insulated conductors to limit negative effects of oxidation
• Dual, Tight Twisted Pairs for superior noise free performance
• Extremely low Capacitance for excellent frequency response
• All contacts are Professionally Silver Soldered with medical grade silver solder
• Quality Neutrik mini Connector with Gold Plating
• Strong Strain Relief on both ends for durability
• Techflex Jacket


Get them before the sale ends!

Black Friday Begins Today at RAM Electronics!

Black Friday Deals every Day at RAM!
We are starting Black Friday early. Starting today we are offering great deals on Cables, accessories, and other products.


Get them while they last. All deals are for a limited time only. Once they're gone they're gone!
Stock up now on cables if you're getting a new HDTV, Home Theater system or Blu Ray Player over the holidays. Let RAM hook you up!

Link:
Black Friday Deals page

IR Distribution/Sticking it to Comcast

I just finished installing the Calrad 92-160 IR Distribution System and I couldn't be happier.
My goal wast to extend my Comcast cable box from my living room to an HDTV that is in my basement. I wasn't too keen on picking up another Comcast box, so I was looking for other options.
All I needed was a 25ft component cable, the Calrad 92-160, a 25ft stereo cable, and a 25ft 3.5 to 3.5 extension cable.

I attached the IR emitter to the Comcast box, connected it to the 3.5 to 3.5 extension cable and ran it through the floor to the TV in the basement. I then plugged this cable into the IR connecting block along with the IR receiver, and plugged the block into an AC outlet. I also ran a 25ft stereo cable from the Comcast box to the stereo input on the back of my TV. Now the moment of truth....I hit the "All on" button on the Comcast remote, saw the blue LED light flash and the TV powered up and ESPNHD appeared on the screen. I changed some channels, played with the volume and checked out the ON DEMAND features and everything worked perfectly!

We won't be able to watch different channels on both TV's simultaneously, but as I only use the basement TV when I workout, this shouldn't be a problem. The good news is I have all the functionality of my Comcast HD/DVR box in two locations and am only paying for one!

Take that Comcast!

Audioengine S8 Subwoofer review

Audioengine S8 Subwoofer review

Subwoofers have trade offs. Small Subwoofers especially. With no limitations on size, and no limitations on driver quality or cabinet price you can make products that provide extraordinary low frequency performance at low distortion and high sound pressure levels (SPL's). Tweak it down price wise and size wise and you still have a formula that makes sense - price per performance vs cost. Taking it a step further, where size becomes the paramount factor, things become far trickier. You start pushing the laws of physics hard upon their boundaries then. The slightest improvements are incredibly hard to acquire. Add price into that? Why not add anti-gravity, or something equally absurd? Squashing the laws of physics, somehow, is not possible, but something speaker designers (an under appreciated group) are always expected to achieve.
Shrink it, and they will buy it? Due to "WAF" (wife acceptance factor) making these boxes smaller, or more attractive makes them easier to fit into the living room. With computer based setups, making them smaller also makes them easier to fit into the computer based setups area.

Subwoofer Setup
The key with any subwoofer is finding out how to make it work in your situation. Where is your main speakers 3-6dB down point and at what type of slope? Ported speakers tend to drop off drastically, while acoustic suspension speakers tend to slope down more smoothly, if designed properly. While you can't select the slopes of the crossovers on most subs, you should still take the main speakers slope and subs capabilities into consideration when choosing the crossover point for maximum smoothness in frequency response. If you're using it in a home theater setup with a receiver, what kind of bass management do you have available on the receiver or processor? This can help you out by enhancing the sub woofers crossover settings. How is it placed in the room? Audioholics has a very nice article on that.

So what is the S8 and how does it fit in?
The S8 is a small, nice looking 8" Sub with a port. The speaker fires down with a front mounted flared port. Build quality is excellent. It has a 250 watt class AB amp with adjustable crossover from 50-130Hz. It weighs 30 pounds and looks very nice in a utilitarian sort of way, with very nicely beveled edges and a nice, opaque black finish. It has a very nice level of connectivity options at its price point with 3.5mm and RCA L/R inputs, RCA L/R full range outputs. Audioengine also makes a wireless Audio extender, which works with this, or Stereo L/R main speakers to give you an outstanding sounding wireless connection option.

Testing/Listening
I find the sub does indeed have usable output down to 27Hz, as specified, and it does have usable 30Hz output in a small room. That's not too shabby for a relatively inexpensive 8" sub! There seems to be a bit of a peak in the 50Hz region, and a slow slope down to 30Hz, then a quick droppoff. Ported Subs almost always have a peak at speaker resonance and then a slow dropoff until the port resonance kicks in, so it is pretty normal, if not the ideal.
I used the Sub with some unusual choices for my computer setup, which I use for near field monitor listening as well as full room listening. I used them exclusively in 2.1 setups using a Denon 3805, and switched between Reference 3A Dulcets and NHT Classic 2's. This is probably not the typical setup for this sub. I'd guess it would most often be used with Audioengines excellently reviewed powered speakers and as a replacement or add-on to HTIB (home theater in a box), inexpensive surround systems, and computer speakers. The Sub performed quite well with both sets of speakers once I found the ideal crossover frequency for the sub with the speakers, and a good sounding placement. I had to set the crossover rather low (much lower than with most HTIB or computer speakers, 50-60Hz) with the speakers I used since they have pretty good low frequency extension. While I can't say the sub was in the same league as my SVS sub I use in my main system, I'd definately say they improved both setups substantially making them into real full range systems with clean, tight, undistorted bass. They made my Reference 3A Dulcets, which are wonderful high end mini monitors sound like much larger and even more expensive speakers. I had to keep the crossover very low to preserve the Dulcets perceived "quickness", but once I settled on crossover and placement the overall sound was admirably tight and fast. With the NHT 2 classics, it was a bit more tricky, since they are a bit boomy in the same range as the S8 seems to get a bit peaky. Setting the sub crossover at 50Hz worked pretty well to alleviate the issue to an extent, but placement of both the mains and sub, a sub equalizer, or receivers with automatic room adjustments are your only hope in this type of scenario for best results.

Conclusion
This sub will do a great job upgrading just about any HTIB or computer speaker system and is probably a perfect match for the Audioengine Speakers. The S8 provides you with quality bass down to 30Hz in a reasonably small room or computer area. For higher end setups in small rooms, it does a very nice job, with proper placement and proper setup. It's not perfect, it should be matched with speakers that have little response at 50HZ and lower. Most small speakers of the surround sound variety drop off at 80-130Hz, and it's excellent for those. It's not exactly cheap at $350, but all but the highest priced subs have their bumps and dips and other trade offs. This one has some trade offs as well, but it certainly has its high points. Small size and good looks and extremely good connection options make it a winner with the right partners.

Specifications:
Frequency response:27Hz - 180Hz (+/-1.5dB)
Dimensions (HxWxD):11.25” x 11.25” x 11.25”
Power Output:250W peak power total (125W RMS), AES
Amplifier type:Dual Class AB monolithic
Inputs:1/8" (3.5mm) stereo mini-jack and RCA L/R
Outputs:RCA L/R, full-range
Crossover Frequency:50Hz - 130Hz
Weight:13.6kg (30lbs)

Some of the music listened to:
Trilok Gurtu & Robert Miles - Miles Gurtu
Patricia Barber - Cafe Blue
Beatles - Sgt. peppers Lonely hearts Club Band
Miles Davis - Kind of Blue
King Crimson - The Compact King Crimson
Nine Inch Nails - Year Zero
Grover Washington Jr. - Greatest Performances
Coldplay - Viva La Vida
Highperspice - Weapon of Choice
Be Bop Deluxe - Axe Victim
Skip Heller - Homegoing
and more Classical, Jazz, Rock and R&B.

random author thoughts:
Cool? It will fit in a small space under your workstation and pump out bass that will make your pants move. Where is any big subwoofer who can do that?

While audibly superior to have the sub centered underneath between speakers, the pants fluttering effect is eventually annoying with the front fired port. As this is primarily designed to be a computer subwoofer, it should be rear ported?

A nice bedroom or computer sub, or low power system sub. Not for big rooms and high levels.


Note:
The Audioengine S8 Subwoofer sample was provided to us for review and returned after the review. We sell Audioengine products. The author does feel the review is a fair and impartial review of the product.

RAM's New High End iPod and iPhone Dock Connector cables now have USB for Sync and Charging

Brand New! iPod eXtreme Ulti-Mate Dock to mini Plug or Dual RCA iPod and iPhone Cables are the ultimate IPod/iPhone Cable for your Car or Home.

Introducing the latest Cable in our iPod eXtreme Series of cables - The "iPod eXtreme Ulti-Mate".
All of the iPod eXtreme Ulti-Mate Cables are 100% iPod, iPod touch, and iPhone Compatible for Audio, Sync and Charging.

All iPod eXtreme models feature heavy gauge Silver plated Conductors and Pro quality Neutrik Gold plated 3.5mm mini Connectors or Neutrik Gold RCA's.
Read the Review from Audioholics

Features

• The breakout between the Audio and USB Cables can be adjusted with sliding Beads, for a neat, clean appearance
• Fully Compatible with Ipod, iPod touch and iPhones
• Silver plated Teflon insulated conductors used for all audio wiring to limit negative effects of oxidation
• Dual, Tight Twisted Pairs for superior noise free Audio performance
• Extremely low Capacitance for excellent frequency response
• All contacts are Professionally Silver Soldered with medical grade silver solder
• Quality Neutrik Dual RCA's with Gold Plating
• Strong Strain Relief on both ends for durability
• Techflex Jacket





Connecting your head phone jack on an iPod to any sound amplifying system is a poor solution. Line level signals have superior audio quality and are only accessible from the docking connection. Using the Docking connector Line level outputs typically improves frequency response and reduces distortion levels. This docking cable provides a line-level auxiliary output for connecting to your 3.5mm mini phone plug auxiliary input on car stereos, mobile recorders, Mini Stereo Systems and marine units that accepts a mini plug input.

This is a true performance "High End" iPod, iPhone and iPod Touch Audio Cable, at a regular cable price - custom made in the USA.

Link: High End iPod and iPhone Dock Connector cables with USB for Sync and Charging

Get your Game on!!!

We have Game Cables, Controllers, Charging Docks, LAN adapters and replacement AC power adapters for the best Game Consoles available. Upgrade to an HD connection, or replace the damaged cable of your PS2, PS3, Wii, Xbox or Xbox 360.
















All the cables are high quality, come with our usual 30 day "return for any reason" policy, and come with great low cost shipping options.

Here's the Link:
Game Console Cables

Review Audioengine AW2 Wireless iPod Adapter

Review Audioengine AW2 Wireless iPod Adapter


OK, first the warning. This review was delayed for some time waiting for the new Ipod Touch update to 3.1.1.
I originally got my iPod touch just as the 3.0 update came out. I immediately upgraded from what the Touch came with to the new 3.0 firmware. Classic bad move. Never install a "point zero". Sure, there were lots of cool new features but the one thing I ended up wanting most ended up being hosed.
Don't get me wrong, I absolutely love the Touch. I love the Apps! I love sitting out on the porch, or anywhere with a wifi connection and being able to browse the Net (provided the fonts were big enough) , or iTunes, or work with the Apps. Not having an iPhone, it's like having one without the connection costs and um, the phone.
But - I was dieing to hook it up with one of these Audioengine wireless thingies to be able to sit back on the couch and use my Touch as a controller to play back my music podcasts, internet radio, etc, in extremely high quality on my awesome Home Theater system. Alas, it was not to be. At least for a little while.
So after the original 3.0 update using the Audioengine AW2 ended up with me hearing sound from the iPod Touch's "Speaker" (if you could call it that) not from the stereo. I talked with Audioengine and they confirmed the "hosing". They suggested i go back to the original firmware, which, of course, I had not bothered to back up. They did promise that Apple would fix the problem on a new software release. Which they finally did.

So, now after a torcherous month or two, Apple has finally released 3.1.1 which fixes everything. I'm sure there are other "exciting" features and fixes, but to me the only thing that matters right now is that my Audioengine AW2 Wireless iPod Adapter is now working perfectly.

As far as I know the following ipods only are supported:
• iPod Classic
• iPod Touch
• iPod Touch (2nd generation)
• iPod Nano (2nd generation)
• iPod Nano (4th generation)
• iPod Nano (3rd generation)

So what does it do, how does it work, exactly?
What it does is this:
Connect the receiver device to your stereo, home theater receiver, powered speakers, or wireless powered speakers. Connect the small transmitter device to your iPod Dock connector. Go through a very simple "sync" procedure involving pressing a small button on the transmitter and receiver. Done.

How it works? Audioengine has a quite long and, for geeks, interesting explanation on their website. The main thing is, unlike most wireless devices, it sounds great!

I spent quite awhile comparing between my wired (Ram M2RCA cable) Ipod classic and my iPod Touch with the AW2 listening to Allen Holdsworths "The Sixteen Men of Tain" CD. I expected to hear some compression or artifacts from the AW2. I have heard this CD many times, and I listened HARD. I had to really listen hard to believe I heard a real difference. In the end I could not say if the differences in sound qualities were due to differences in the outputs of the Classic and Touch, or differences in the "connections". The Touch has always seemed more trebly to me. Therefore a bit noisier. The Classic always seems warmer and with more stage depth and dynamic range. (probably imagination) Seems the same with these connections so I cannot come to any conclusion. I'd like to try comparing the touch with the Audioengine AW2 and our Ram Docking connector cable, (I-Extreme iPod Docking to Stereo RCA Cable) and see if I hear anything different. That would be more of an apples to apples comparison. I'd love to try a blind or double blind A/B test, but it would be tricky.

Audio With Video
Video Podcasts worked fine. I could see the video on the Touch while listening on my stereo.

Downloaded iTunes Videos worked fine. I could see the video on the Touch while listening on my stereo.

Youtube? No good. I got the video but no audio. Hope they fix this issue! Many of my subscribed videos will not currently work on my Touch, anyway.

The conclusion?
The most fabulous thing? It gives you sound from Videos, podcasts, music, etc (I'm guessing games) with no hassles. The sound quality blows away other wireless solutions.

This thing amazes me. Go ahead and listen to it with high end speakers, quality components and quality cables. See if you can hear a difference. If you do think you can, just think about how much of a difference there might be. How much this costs. How bad most every other option seems to be. How cool it is to use the iPod interface as your controller. Wirelessly. The alternatives are, to say the least, pricey. I hope they fix the youtube issues, not a deal breaker for me with all of the other positives, but c'mon! You will have to pry this baby out of my cold, dead hands.

PS. Another factor here is WAF. Set up a Harmony or other remote control for the proper connection ("play ipod") and anyone can use this to play music and podcasts

Want one?
Audioengine AW2

All about Audio/Video Wall Plates

All you need to know about Audio/Video Wall Plates


Everyone likes the idea of making their cables as invisible as possible. Granted, it's not so easy unless you get someone to do it for you. Still, it is not necessarily as hard as you may think. If you are somewhat handy, and more than a little bit brave, you can learn to cut into your drywall, install a box, run your cables in the wall and finish it all off with a nice A/V wall plate with the necessary connectors. Lets start it off with an explanation of the types of wall plates and the terms that are used for them.

Some of the common words thrown around but rarely explained are "Decora®", "Keystone", "pass-thru" (or pass-through) "balun", "passive", "active" and "insert".
OK, lets start with Keystone.
Keystone Wall plates are a standardized, modular, "snap-in" system for low voltage cable and wire connections.
"Standard" Keystone Wall Plates:


"Decora®" Keystone Wall Plates:

Decora®?
Decora® is a style of wall plate invented by Leviton with a center part as seen above (although not necessarily keystone) , and then a surround portion that is installed over it. Decora® plates are also available in non-keystone style with connectors permanently installed.
Decora® non-keystone:

The above has a VGA (or "HD15", or most accurately "HD DB15") as well as a 3.5mm mini phone plug connector.

Decora® "Surround" or "Cover" Plate:


The important part of the Keystone scheme, is , of course, the modular connector inserts.

Keystone "Inserts" or "Modules":

Below are some RCA jack, pass-thru keystone inserts.
They are "pass-thru" (often called "pass-through" or "passthru") because they are female connectors in the front as well as the back. This allows you to avoid having to do any cable termination yourself. You just plug in your pre-made cables.
Note: You should only use "in-wall" rated cables within walls. What fire-code rating you need in your particular area and installation type varies. It's a long subject for another time.

More Keystone insert module types? The common ones are:
RCA, F, BNC, Binding Post, Banana, Toslink, S-Video, and of course, Telephone and network "RJ" types RJ45 (Cat5 Ethernet) can be either pass-thru or punch down. RCA can be RCA female to female or RCA to "F" for using common RG6 cable connections within walls.
RCA Jacks:

RCA Jacks are used for Stereo or multichannel audio, Composite Video, Component Video and Digital Audio coax.

F Connectors:

"F" connectors are used for CATV (cable TV), Satellite, and Antenna connections.

HDMI Keystone:

HDMI keystone jacks are used for HDMI connections for Digital Audio and Video.



OK, what about "Baluns" and "Active" wall plates?
Baluns take an unbalanced signal and convert it to a balanced signal. What this means in practical terms is it allows you to use CAT5 cable to send the signal over long lengths with very low pickup of noise and signal loss. The Balun is commonly built into the keystone insert module, Decora® connector, or installed on a standard wall plate. They are a great way to save money on expensive cables while enabling long cable runs. "Active" solutions can be thought of as either amplified balun type devices or proprietary technologies which actively convert the signal to some sort of balanced signal enabling very long cable runs over CAT5 (normally actually Cat5e or Cat6 solid cable) .

Questions? Please comment or contact us.
Please see our Audio/Video Wall Plates page for our current lineup which is constantly expanding.

Let us Build your A/V Wall Plate

Let us build you an Audio/Video Wall Plate for free.
Just choose the Keystone Audio/Video or other inserts you need , Pick your Keystone Regular or Decora style Wall Plate, and select the "Build It" option and we will put it together for you before we ship it.



Please see here for more details.

i-extreme Generation 3 Cables are 100% iPod and iPhone Compatible

RAM's i-extreme Dock connector cables now 100% iPod and iPhone compatible!

That's right, no weird messages, no "airplane mode", just great sound with no distortion or noise.
The i-extreme cables are made in three types:

• Dock to Dual RCA connectors for Home Stereo or powered speaker connections
• Dock to mini plug for Car line input connections
• Dock to right angle mini plug for Car line input connections

Get one now!

Ram Electronics is giving away the chance to one (1) pair of Audioengine 2 Monitors

Ram Electronics is giving away the chance to one (1) pair of Audioengine 2 Monitors to Audioholics Forum members!


Features:

• 2 audio inputs (RCA and mini-jack)
• Built-in power amps (left speaker)
• Kevlar woofers for super low end
• Silk tweeters for smooth highs
• High-quality speaker connectors
• Auto-sleep power-saving mode
• Hand-built cabinets with high-gloss finish
• Video-shielded
• All cables included

To be eligible to win, you must: 1) Be a registered Audioholics forum member, 2) Have USA or Canadian Residence

See here

A FUN FILLED WEEK

THE WEATHER WAS GREAT, AND THE FLEA MARKET DAY
WAS A LOT OF FUN.

YOUR DONATED ITEMS HAVE BEEN POPULAR.

MORE ELECTRONIC ITEMS ARE NEEDED, DISHES ARE GOOD, LAMPS, FANS, CLOCKS, RADIOS, TV'S.

WE NEED MORE RAM PEOPLE TO COME OUT TO SUPPORT. JUST COME OUT AND YOU WILL ENJOY
WHAT IS GOING ON.


THERE ARE LOTS OF VENDORS AND STORES IN THE AREA. HEY SHOPRITE IS ACROSS THE STREET IF YOU NEED TO GROCERY SHOP. THERE IS A CHINESE BUFFET, A LOEWS AND WALGRENS TOO.











THE NEXT FLEA MARKET WILL BE HELD AUGUST 15, COME OUT AND ENJOY.....

















WEDNESDAYS' LUNCH WAS Mmm, Mmm Good.









THANK YOU TO ALL THAT WHERE INVOLVED, WALT ON THE GRILL, EDITH AND EDDIE WITH THE ORGANIZING, SANG, CHAU, SARAN, KIM, DUNG, RITA, MARTIN, ED LAFFERTY AND VANITA WITH HELPING OUT WITH WHATEVER YOU WERE ASKED TO DO.

WE WOULD LIKE TO SEND A SPECIAL THANK YOU TO ALEX FOR ALL THE DONATIONS OF FOOD AND CONDIMENTS YOU PROVIDED.


WE HOPE TO DO THIS AGAIN FOR THE MONTH OF AUGUST. PLEASE SEND FEEDBACK AND SUGGESTIONS. WE LOVE THE VARIETY THAT IS PRESENT THIS YEAR...