Will XM & Sirius Unite?
FCC chairman Kevin Martin told reporters a ruling on the XM - Sirius merger could be a reality by the end of second quarter 2008. The question that remains is, will the FCC tie too many strings to the deal? With XM reaching deep to cover obligations with Major League Baseball, a merger would lighten the load a bit. According to SEC filings both companies are loosing money and lots of it. A merger would be beneficial to both and hopefully you and me too. Check out my previous post Satellite Radio: XM or Sirius to learn more about what satellite radio has to offer. Take a look at these links to read more about the merger.
As embarrassing as it might be for the FCC to have taken more than 15 months — and counting — to rule on the merger, we’re close to the point where there may be blood on the regulators’ hands.
Most of the betting in the radio biz is that it will be approved with some conditions - like a set-aside of some stations for minority programming, which both services already provide.
The public version of the filing is heavily redacted, but the “highly confidential documents” C3SR is concerned with appear to have to do with the FCC requirement that XM and Sirius design interoperable receivers, a requirement the satcasters have never fulfilled.
A merger would not affect subscribers at all for a while. Eventually, a merger would affect subscribers who would like to have both signals.
Napster is DRM-Free With Over 6 Million MP3 Files
Napster has gone back to its roots with its offering of 6 million MP3 songs in its new storefront. Napster joins Amazon in offering MP3s, which downloaders have craved for their iPods and other MP3 players. 
The size of the song libary gives Napster the honor of having the world’s largest MP3 store. While the songs aren’t free like they were back in the day, most can be had for the popular $0.99 price point. Additionally, the standardized MP3 format means all of the songs downloaded from Napster will play on your iPod forever - no worries of incompatibility due to Apple’s iPod updates like happened in the early days of Napster’s commercial endeavors. Read more
Onkyo TX-SR705 7.1 Channel Home Theater Receiver
The Onkyo TX-SR705 is one of the best-selling receivers on the market now . . . and for good reason. The TX-SR705 features 100 watts/ch, HDMI 1.3a compatibility (and 3 of those inputs), internal 
decoding for the latest lossless high-definition audio formats, XM and Sirius Satellite Radio compatibility, and HDMI-based system control integration. Additionally, it is capable of accommodating single-cable pure-digital audio and video transfer from HDMI sources, including 1080p and Deep-Color capability. While it carries a suggested retail price tag of $899, it can be had for a modest street price of about $500 or so. Now, for the proof . . . check out the reviews below. Read more
Satellite Radio: XM or Sirius
Do we really need it?; Which is better, XM or Sirius?; and What kind of radio do I need? Answers: Of course we need it!; Well, it depends; and You have to ask yourself a few questions. Do I listen to the radio? What kind of radio do I listen to or would like to listen to? Where do I spend most of my time? The first question is an easy one. Most all of us listen to the radio, but do you listen to music, news, sports, etc…? I will point out some basic facts about the two players in this arena (North America) and give you my two cents on the pending merger. Read more
Studiophile AV40 Desktop Speaker System
The M-Audio Studiophile AV40 powered speaker system features 4″ woofers and 3/4″ tweeters for punchy lows and crisp highs on your computer or iPod. The Studiophile AV 40 monitors are magnetically shielded to protect your electronic equipment on your desktop from unsoundly interference. The AV 40s feature a front-panel volume control, along with front aux-in and headphone inputs. At 20 watts per channel, they deliver plenty of power for just about any desktop’s needs. As you can see from the reviews below, they are highly regarded as solid sound performers. Read more
Bose Wave Music System
Bose is offering a $50 discount on their Wave Music System with multi-CD changer through June 30, 2008. Experience the Bose standard in audio performance from a tabletop music system with elegance, ease of use and portability. With the add-on CD changer you can enjoy hours of your favorite music CDs and MP3 CDs.
Step up to the Acoustic Wave Music System II with 5 CD changer and Bose will throw in a pair of their around ear headphones. The Bose Acoustic Wave Music System II with 5 CD changer lets you easily load and unload CDs without interrupting your music. This CD changer features a multi-input audio source selector to connect two addition
al sources such as a TV or Ipod, as well as play them anyway you like - normal, random or repeat.
You can connect your Ipod using a Bose Ipod connect kit, which is also available for the Wave Music System as well.
On top of their promotional offers Bose is offering 0% financing.
I can personally vouch for these Bose music systems and headphones. They are world class products that live up to their reputation.
ORB Audio Home Theater Systems
Add some visual sophistication and superb audio performance to your flat panel TV or music selections with an ORB Audio speaker system. ORB offers four basic home theater systems with the Mod1, Mod1 Plus, Peoples Choice and Mod2. They also have everything in between. Big sound, small speakers. Fill your room with sound not boxes. If you want to shrink the size of your speakers without sacrificing sound quality these speakers will end your search. Great Sound. Great Looks. Compact size. An elusive combination of features captured in one great expandable system. The great news is that you can get your hands on a home theater system starting at under $800.
Orb speakers are modular and you use 1, 2 or 4 Orbs per speaker to create our Mod1, Mod2 and Mod4. There home theater speakers and stereo speaker systems are all designed with their exclusive compact, round satellite speakers and one of their high-performance audiophile subwoofers, the Super Eight and Uber Ten. You can upgrade or downgrade the speakers between Mod1, Mod2 and Mod4 at any time, so it’s possible to start with a small system and upgrade it over time to their top of the line system. This is a great choice if you are on a budget or if you plan to move the system to a different room in the future.
Orb speakers and subwoofers feature top of the line components, like those usually found only in much more expensive systems. These include high-power neodymium magnets, advanced high excursion speaker drivers and gold-plated binding posts, as well as state of the art BASH hybrid digital amplifiers in all of their subwoofers. The result is great sounding speakers and robust compact subwoofers that produce output on par with much larger models. Additionally,their satellites are assembled in the United States by skilled craftspeople, and they look as good as they sound.
Orb offers a variety of finishes for their speaker enclosures including: black. white, hand polished steel, hand antiqued copper and hand antiqued bronze.
Reviews
The most affordable full-range speaker system I can think of that also offers audiophile-grade reproduction.
A winning entry in the micro speaker class.
Top 100 products of the year.
A new global power.
Little Orbs from heaven. Can replace full-range bookshelf/monitor speakers. Listening is believing.
New Pioneer Elite AV Receivers
Pioneer has just dropped the bomb with four new Elite 7.1 AV receivers, the SC-07 and SC-05. Additionally, Pioneer announced two lower-end receivers, the VSX-03TXH and VSX-01TXH. The new AV receivers are designed to work hand-in-hand with Pioneer’s 2008 KURO displays and Blu-ray players. The SC-07 offers two HDMI inputs and all models offer flawless 1080p reproduction. The low end models start at $750 and the SC-07 tops out at $2200. For more info, check out the press release below.
Press Release:
New Pioneer Elite AV Receivers Deliver Unprecedented Sound Experiences to the Home Theater
Designed Specifically to Complement 2008 KURO Displays and Blu-ray Disc Players, Pioneer Elite Receivers Revolutionary Amplifier Technology
New York 5/7/2008
Pioneer Electronics (USA) Inc. today introduces four new A/V receivers delivering high-definition (HD) audio and video experiences for emerging home theaters - the Elite® SC-07, SC-05, VSX-03TXH and VSX-01TXH. Acting as the HD control center, Pioneer®’s full line of A/V receivers work seamlessly with Pioneer’s 2008 KURO displays and Blu-ray Disc® players to deliver the ultimate HD picture and sound performance for a truly emotional response in the living room.
Pioneer’s flagship A/V receiver, code named “Susano,” has set the industry standard for home theater performance and its 2008 top-of-the-line receivers, the SC-07 and SC-05, continue to incorporate the Direct Energy HD Amplifier with ICEpowerTM analog class D amplification technology to produce a level of multi-channel power output, fidelity, and efficiency never before seen or heard in a home A/V receiver. Supported by the Company’s legacy sound-tuning technology, the SC-07 and SC-05 were designed from the ground up to produce a 3-dimensional aural experience that will take listeners to the next level of high resolution multi-channel surround sound in the entertainment room.
The Elite VSX-03TXH and VSX-01TXH join Pioneer’s leading receiver from 2007 - the VSX-94TXH - to round out the entire 2008 offering. All three models flawlessly pass a 1080p picture with full reproduction capabilities of all new high resolution audio formats.
“Our flagship A/V receiver, the Susano, represents the pinnacle of high-end design and engineering in home theater equipment. We are now delivering that premium experience into our core line of Elite A/V receivers,” said David Bales, audio marketing manager for the home entertainment division of Pioneer Electronics (USA) Inc. “The new Direct Energy HD amplifier with ICEpower technology was integral for us to provide the full impact of new uncompressed audio soundtracks now available on Blu-ray Discs. Just as HDTV and Blu-ray have brought new levels of high definition video performance to consumers, the new high resolution surround sound formats coupled with our expertise in multi-channel amplifier design truly deliver a high-definition, multi-channel A/V experience far beyond anything we have produced before.”
Built for High Definition Surround Sound
The SC-07 and SC-05 in Pioneer’s line of Elite receivers deliver robust, realistic sound quality as a result of the exclusive Direct Energy HD Amplifier. Pioneer combines its industry-leading amplifier design and sound tuning technologies with the most advanced digital signal processing (DSP) to produce high resolution surround sound at unprecedented efficiency levels. Now the receiver can operate at extraordinary output levels with extremely low distortion and virtually no wasted energy; all in an effort to develop the most advanced home theater amplifier to date.
Entertainment enthusiasts can take advantage of internal decoding of new advanced lossless surround sound formats - DTS-HDTM Master Audio, DTS-HD High Resolution, Dolby® TrueHD and Dolby® Digital Plus - to finally experience the full impact these high resolution audio codecs deliver to the viewing experience with ultra-rich surround sound that complements, and completes, on-screen imagery.
For accurate, natural surround sound reproduction of all connected HD and SD devices, Pioneer employs its exclusive room tuning feature in all four new Elite receivers. Advanced MCACC ensures studio quality surround sound regardless of the room configuration. This feature makes subtle adjustments to optimize the audio experience for even the most discerning ear. In addition, Pioneer’s Elite SC-07, SC-05 and VSX-94TXH incorporate the exclusive Full Band Phase Control, which eliminates “phase lag” or group delay between all speakers in a home theater system. This innovative DSP maintains soundtrack synchronization, ensuring the most accurate multi-channel sound reproduction is achieved and heard. All models include new symmetric equalization (EQ) for the most precise speaker calibration.
Pioneer’s new Elite receivers (SC-07, SC-05 and VSX-94TXH) include Neural-THXTM allowing for encoded content to be delivered in a two-channel stereo format and decoded for dispersion among up to 7.1 channel surround sound. In addition, the full line of Elite receivers includes dialogue enhancements, a wide range of listening modes, Mid-night Listening and Lip-Sync A/V synchronization. For the ultimate digital signal processing, all Elite receivers utilize anti-jitter technologies. The SC-07 is equipped with a professional level Burr Brown Sampling Rate Converter (SRC) to scale all digital audio signals up to 192 kHz 24-bit resolution.
HD Digital Connectivity
Pioneer brings HDMI 1.3a with full support of 12-Bit Deep Color to deliver a stellar picture from connected sources with a range of hues and shades not previously possible. In addition, for analog video sources, Pioneer’s Elite receivers are engineered for 1080p video processing with a Pioneer digital video converter and Faroudja video scaler chip that ensures up to full 1080p resolutions to best match the incoming video signal to the native resolution of a connected display.
Pioneer Audio Synergy
Pioneer’s engineers developed unique settings in its A/V receivers to harmonize audio performance like never before. Pioneer created jitter-free playback and dynamic sound quality for music CDs. When connected to a new Blu-ray Disc player via HDMI, Pioneer’s SC-07 and SC-05 receivers utilize a proprietary Precision Quartz Locking System (PQLS) that synchronizes data between the Blu-ray Disc player and the receiver, providing listeners with the ultimate precision in CD playback.
Networking and Consumer Convenience Features
Home Media Gallery
The SC-07 and SC-05 enhance the home theater experience with the exclusive Home Media Gallery. Pioneer’s home networking feature enables users to select and playback personal digital music and JPEG photo files direct from a PC hard drive or USB for playback in the living room through the main HD home theater system.
Through the receiver, users can easily access and stream digital media files directly from a connected home PC or laptop computer with IP networking capability. Home Media Gallery is compliant with Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA), Windows Vista or Windows Media Connect as well as Microsoft playsforsureTM DRM technology.
Additional Connectivity Options
Pioneer continues to provide full-feature entertainment connectivity with Advanced Digital iPod® USB for pure digital audio fidelity. It allows users to navigate and select personalized music playlists from their iPods. Users can control these digital components player with the receiver’s remote control and on-screen display.
The proliferation of portable music devices has resulted in reduced audio file sizes that have negatively affected the reproduction quality of audio entertainment. Recognizing this, Pioneer employs its proprietary Sound Retriever DSP technology, which works by “filling in” and compensating for the audio data removed from the compressed files (WMA, MP3, MPEG-4 AAC) for music playback that is near CD quality.
Full Custom-Installation Ready
Pioneer’s full of Elite A/V Receivers are ready for custom installation with the following features:
- Multi-zone, multi-source capabilities allow Pioneer’s Elite receivers to serve as the entertainment centerpiece of up to 3 A/V zones in the home
- The SC-07 has dual HDMI video output and second zone component video output for zone 2 HD video capabilities
- RS232 Port for PC and 3rd party custom control and connectivity
- Advanced Direct Construction ensures enhanced reliability and performance
- New product cosmetics synchronizes with design of the KURO displays and Blu-ray Disc players
The VSX-01TXH and VSX-03TXH will be available in June for a suggested price of $750 and $1,000, respectively. The SC-05 and SC-07 will be available in August for a suggested price of $1,800 and $2,200, respectively. The VSX-94TXH is currently available for $1,600.
Pioneer Elite VSX-91TXH AV Receiver Reviews
The VSX-91TXH Elite receiver from Pioneer features 7.1 channels, 1080p HDMI connectivity, and multi-zone, multi-source capability and THX Select2 certified sound. The Pioneer Elite VSX-91TXH AV Receiver generally scores well among reviews for its impressive features and sound quality, which excel at the price range for which it is offered.
Reviews
The Pioneer Elite VSX-91TXH AV receiver delivers excellent audio quality and a host of cutting-edge features, but competing models offer even better values at this price point.
The Pioneer VSX-91TXH is a very musical AVR and I was impressed at how effortlessly it handled material with a wide dynamic range. Designed for this new generation of high-definition audio, it offers features and compatibility you might think more costly.
One of the indicators of a good receiver is the ability to perform well with both music and movies. I found the audio quality of the VSX-91TXH, with both music-only and video sources (such as DVD), was quite good, making it acceptable for both extensive music listening as well as for home theater use.
I put Pioneer’s Elite VSX-91TXH through its paces and found it to be a high-performance home theater receiver that’s not only affordable but easy to set up and use.
