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DSpeaker Anti-Mode 8033 review
Ed Selley  |  Jan 20, 2011  |  0 comments
Smoothing the sound waves Martin Pipe lets this Finnish bass 'doctor' tame his sub’s room modes

It’s a sad truth, but the average living room isn’t suited to sub-bass. Room modes (aka standing waves) can create havoc with the lower frequencies, and can contribute to a response that is often far from smooth. However, insert this useful device between the amp’s LFE output and your sub’s line-level input, calibrate the listening area with the supplied mic, and a series of test tones will allow the 8033 to analyse the response and apply correction, so that the overall LFE response is as flat as possible.

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Accessories
Keene KLAB20D review
Ed Selley  |  Jan 20, 2011  |  0 comments
Discretely off the wall An in-wall module solved Martin Pipe’s Zone 2 audio issues

This ingenious stereo tuner-amplifier module is the same size as a double mains socket and is designed to fit into a surface or flush-mounted wall box. The KLAB20D includes a FM-only tuner with 10 presets, auxiliary inputs and an efficient 20W per channel Class ‘D’ amp. One of the auxiliary inputs is a 3.5mm socket, accessible from the unit’s front panel and thus ideal for plugging in iPods, personal CD players and so on.

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Accessories
Vogel's Thin345 Wallmount review
Ed Selley  |  Jan 20, 2011  |  0 comments
Pride of the mounties Chris Jenkins hangs out with a super-thin wallmount

There’s little point in wall-mounting an ultra-thin flatscreen TV if the bracket is so bulky it makes the set stand out from the wall; hence the demand for thin and flat wallmounts.

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Accessories
Western Digital WD TV Mini review
Ed Selley  |  Jan 20, 2011  |  0 comments
Tiny TV terrier just wants to play Chris Jenkins checks out the latest and dinkiest media player

As the baby in the WD TV lineup, the Mini is perhaps best connected to your SD bedroom TV, rather than to your HD living room set.

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Loudspeakers
Stealth Acoustics LR Series 7.2 (£7,000)
Ed Selley  |  Jan 19, 2011  |  0 comments
Incredible speaker vanishing act Martyn Williams auditions a totally invisible, full-range home cinema speaker system

There are plenty of ‘almost’ invisible systems about, but Stealth Acoustics has produced a range of flat panel speakers which cover all ranges and can all be flush-fitted into a wall.

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Subwoofers
Velodyne CHT-15Q (£1,200)
Ed Selley  |  Jan 19, 2011  |  0 comments
I love a purist. When I buy kit I want it to be the offering of those obsessive designers, who create trends that get the ultimate kudos of being copied. That’s why I love Velodyne – for its approach and its purity. A company run by utter bass heads.
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Accessories
Sling Media Slingbox Pro HD review
Ed Selley  |  Jan 19, 2011  |  0 comments
Get HD on the go Kevin Gallucci catches up with TV remotely thanks to Sling Media

Sling Media’s Slingbox PRO-HD is finally available in the UK, after being on sale in the US for over a year. Its key advantage over the original Slingbox Solo is HD support; where the original model was restricted to only streaming standard-definition, the PRO-HD is capable of streaming 1080i hi-def via component. In addition, Sling Media has added a Freeview tuner to enable users to stream over-the-air broadcasts as well. This is a handy feature that allows those who don’t have a set-top box to still enjoy the convenience the Slingbox provides.

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Blu-ray Players
Yamaha BD-S667 review
Ed Selley  |  Jan 19, 2011  |  0 comments
Connected Blu-ray Yamaha’s BD-S667 Blu-ray player is a whizz at multimedia file playback, reports Steve May. It’s not a bad disc-spinner, either

It’s perhaps ironic that Yamaha, the original proponent of home cinema and multichannel sound, came to the Blu-ray party a little late in the day. But the brand has been playing catch-up fast.

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Onkyo HTS-330S review
Ed Selley  |  Dec 29, 2010  |  0 comments
Space-saver savvy It's not quite a home cinema in a box, but Martin Pipe finds much to recommend Onkyo’s alternative to fully pre-packaged systems

Onkyo has built up an excellent reputation for its AV receivers. And here we have something intended to leverage this accumulated experience: a budget yet full-blown AVR, packaged with a matching 5.1 sub-sat speaker set.

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Subwoofers
XTZ 99 W12.18 ICE - £550
Ed Selley  |  Dec 29, 2010  |  0 comments
Newish Swedish manufacturer XTZ only sells its subwoofers online in the UK. This practice often means good value, but as you can only audition the kit by paying a deposit for a two-week trial, it has to review well and beat most in its class, irrespective of price.
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