FeaturesFeatures
CES 2009 Day One
- Written by Cynthia Johnson
- Published on 09 January 2009
So I guess I jumped the gun when I said CES was packed. (For my personal taste, more then 5 people in a room is enough) It was only packed according to who had the latest model of whatever was on display. CES 2009 will definitely show lower numbers of attendees than in the past. But one thing is for sure. Home Theater and the latest electronics have a niche in the economy.
We are taking a different approach on our CES 2009 Show Report. We have asked our team to spend their time on overall impressions of the developments in hometheater and audio technology, take pictures along the way, and identify the best products for our review team over the next few months.
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Secrets Best of 2008 Product Awards
- Written by Staff
- Published on 30 December 2008
The Secrets Best of 2008 Product Awards, featuring the following categories: High End Turntables, High End Complete Turntable Package, Video Switching Technology, Best Wireless Music Transmitter/Receiver, Best High Definition Digital Video Cameras, Best Value Monoblock Power Amplifier, Best Mid-level 7.1 A/V Receiver, Flat Panel Speakers, Best Value Stereo Power Amplifiers, High End Two-Channel Speakers, Best Value 1080p Digital Projectors, Compact Subwoofers, Power Conditioners, Entry Level Turntable, Best Value Speakers, Full Size Subwoofers, Entry Level Bookshelf Speakers, Surround Sound Processors, High End 5.1 Speaker System, Most Innovative Bookshelf Speaker Design.
Meet the Industry Professionals
- Written by Staff
- Published on 06 October 2008
Welcome to the Secrets page called "Meet the Industry Professionals". Here you will be able to see and hear the company executives who design and sell home theater and audio components. This will let you put a face with the companies whose products you buy. Secrets is the first A/V publication anywhere in the world to have such a page. Clicking below will take you to the companies we have interviewed at different times.
Behind the Scenes at Secrets - Number 3 - December, 2008
- Written by John E. Johnson, Jr.
- Published on 01 December 2008
Welcome to the Secrets December 2008 Newsletter. In reading our reviews that contain bench tests, you may have noticed in the past that we usually had a large number of graphs.
Show Report - Audio Engineering Society (AES) - October 2-5, 2008 - San Francisco, California
- Written by John E. Johnson, Jr. and Ross Jones
- Published on 06 October 2008
The Audio Engineering Society (AES) 125th Convention met in San Francisco, California, October 2-5, 2008, at the Moscone Convention Center. Unlike CES, which is oriented towards the display of consumer electronics products, the AES meeting is a scientific one, where the goal is to present papers on audio topics. The subjects included Audio Coding, Analysis and Synthesis of Sound, Loudspeaker Design, Spatial Perception, Psychoacoustics, Audio DSP, and other things. This is the first AES I have attended (Ross Jones joined me for the day), and although we did not attend any paper presentations, we did get a chance to browse the exhibits.
Professional Display Calibration: What It Is and What It Means to Your Home Theater Experience
- Written by Christian Eberle
- Published on 24 November 2008
For the past three years or so, we have seen a tremendous surge in display technology. During this time, the last rites for the venerable CRT have been read, 50" displays have become the new 32", and 1080p has become the de facto standard for resolution. One thing hasn’t changed however and that is the need for precise calibration of your HDTV. Despite tremendous advances in consumer displays, the specifications for color, grayscale, and gamma have not changed since the 1950s. With all these new features available, it has become more confusing than ever for the typical home theater enthusiast to achieve a correct calibration and realize the best performance from your flat panel or projector HDTV.
Rocky Mountain Audio Festival Show Report
- Written by Chris Groppi and Rick Schmidt
- Published on 13 October 2008
This year was the first time at the Rocky Mountain Audio Festival for secrets writers Chris Groppi and Rick Schmidt. Unlike many of the other trade focused shows, the RMAF is open to the public. Both manufacturers and retailers show products here, and displays are focused on listening demonstrations. This year, there were more than 160 display rooms each usually showing equipment from several manufacturers. Rooms were from both retailers as well as manufacturers and distributors, with a wide range of equipment from around the world. All the big hitters were here, plus many companies we had never heard of.
In addtion to the rooms, seminars on topics ranging from turntable setup to digital recording technologies are offered. This is an intimate show, focused on 2 channel audio, and everyone has a chance to see every room. The show was great fun for both of us!
CEDIA- Thursday and Friday from the Show Floor
- Written by Staff
- Published on 04 September 2008
CEDIA 2008 is meeting in Denver, Colorado from September 3-9. Our show report will be a running commentary as Secrets staff uploads their comments and photos here.
Telluride Film Festival 2008
- Written by Rick Schmidt
- Published on 12 October 2008
Interest in the Telluride Film Festival (Aug 29 – Sep 1) was at an all time high for 2008 as the rather expensive Festival Passes ($680) sold out early in the summer and even the ultra expensive Patron Passes ($Don't Ask) were sold out before the festival started.
San Francisco Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival
- Written by Jason Crawford
- Published on 02 September 2008
San Francisco's Outside Lands Music & Arts Festival , August 22-24, seemed like a big deal to me from the time I first heard about it. Maybe too big. It was a huge event with giant main stage acts that would cover a large area of Golden Gate Park with a wide variety of events & diversions. Sounds swell. It also seemed like a big risk to me for some reason. We have other festivals in the Park (Hardly Strictly Bluegrass is right around the corner...), but this one seemed perilous. Is it gonna be a madhouse? How are we gonna get there? Are people gonna pay that much money? Is the Park gonna be left standing? Why has there never been a "legal" nighttime concert in Golden Gate Park before?
