Sony ES Super Audio CD Player w/HDMI Output Review

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(More customer reviews)This player makes my CDs sound better than an SACD. I also have the Sony SCD-XA9000ES and this unit is even better for both formats. Even if you do not have SACDs I highly recommend you find and buy the SCD-XA5400ES because I cannot imagine another player with better CD performance at any price. And if you have SACDs, this player is a must because it looks like HDMI is here to stay for a while and future hardware may not support SACD. I can only vouch for the digital performance because analog, for me, lacks pizzaz and the correct instrumental timbre and decay. The tray mechanism is not as perfectly smooth as the 9000ES but is still better than any other I have used (Oppo, Marantz, Denon, other Sonys). I hope this helps.

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IntelliTracks Digital Jukebox Featuring LCD Touch Screen Technology, Supports IPod/MP3, Wireless Internet, Radio Streaming, CD's & DVD's. Review

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(More customer reviews)I bought the Intellitracks Jukebox back in the spring from Game Cabinets. Before making a big purchase, I wanted to get more info. I called the factory (Game Cabinets)and talked to the factory Tech. This guy was very nice and able to answer anything I could throw at him. I wanted to have something at a party where people could pick the songs they like but still have preselected dance songs playing. It was a big hit at my last party. It has plenty of power to push a big set of speakers and subwoofer. I have it ready to hang on the wall outside on our deck but will buy another slide bracket for inside too. Game Cabinets did an excelant job on the construction. This is a very nice piece of equipment. The software will take some getting use to, but if you have any problems they can troubleshoot it remotely.
All and all I am very happy with this product.

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Furman Elite-15 PF i 13-Outlet Linear Filtering AC Power Source Review

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(More customer reviews)Amplifiers, except those made by NAD, are overwhelmed by the peak performance of demanding music like classical symphonies or rock bands in full production so the top and bottom range is cut off and the mid-range detail is lost in the vain struggle to use the available power to get out as much music to the speakers as possible. You may have wondered why single instruments sound great and large numbers or groups sound flat? Well, it's simply a lack of power available to meet peak amplifier demand.
You have probably heard of Panamax and it is their sister company, Furman, highly regarded in the professional music industry for thirty years, that's has a number of products to address this problem. The least expensive is the Furman Elite 15 PFi but they all regulate the voltage, clean up the power and most importantly in this particular connection add capacitors to store power for peak amplifier demand. So when Beethoven Fifth or your favorite rock band starts opening up and you expect to hear that strangled, flat sound of old, prepare yourself for a transformative experience. Your old amplifier will suddenly start belting the music out on steroids, the treble and bass range will be greatly extended and the clarity of the mid-range detail will open up. Now that's what I call a great $600's worth of investment! I had to work really hard to discover this information since Furman does not market to consumers so take advantage of my research and enjoy the benefit.
Obviously, if you have a CD/ DVD player, music server or Internet radio, you will also benefit immeasurably by stripping out the 'jitter' or vibration degrading the quality of sound coming out of digital-analog converters by also investing $1,200 in a Peachtree Audio Nova. That will give you back the clear separate recorded sounds that got merged together and that clarity will be a source of great joy. High quality speaker cables will also extend the range and subtlety of the sound from the speakers but the Furman is the first transformative building block!

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For over 33 years, Furman has pioneered the development of AC power products for the most demanding audio, video, and broadcast professionals. Though the need for pristine AC power is nothing new, the Elite-15 Power Factor i's technology and its unique implementation are revolutionary and without peer. With Furman's exclusive Linear Filtering Technology, televisions, projectors, DVD players, amplifiers, and processors are fed linearly filtered AC power. This dramatically reduces noise, ensuring consistent peak operation regardless of load conditions or the time of day. For the first time, you will see and hear your theater or audio system as it should be--uncompromised. Another critical feature is Furman's exclusive series Multi-Stage Protection. This virtually maintenance-free surge suppression assures the highest level of AC protection possible, without sacrificing itself when the offending surge is severe. Further, the famous retractable front panel LED lamps allow easy viewing of either a rack or cabinet full of equipment, even when your theater lights are off. The Elite-15 PF i also features remote control capability via 12V triggering, compatible with the 12V triggering devices commonly found in power receivers and pre-amp processors. At the center of the Elite-15 PF i is Furman's unique Power Factor Technology. For the first time, low-level analog, digital, and video components are not modulated or distorted via the power amplifier's extreme AC current demands. Further, the power amplifier sees a highly filtered, extremely low-impedance supply of AC power. The Elite-15 PF i, in fact, has in excess of 3 Amps of continuous current reserve (over 45 amps peak charge) for the most extreme peak power demands. This technology enables power amplifiers and powered subwoofers to operate at peak efficiency, reaching levels of performance previously unattainable.

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Panasonic SC-BT330 5.1 Channel Cinema Surround Home Entertainment System Review

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(More customer reviews)I have been in the market to get streaming content on my TV for a while now. I compared this unit against the LG-LHB535. The LG has some added features.
1. Built in Wifi
2. Streaming software... which means you can stream from your computer.
3. HDMI inputs.
Otherwise the Panasonic works awesome. It's fast and responsive, easy to setup, small and sleek, and it's cheaper than the comparable LG unit.
It includes the following features.
1. Amazon video rentals... Awesome.. However it's $3 for most regular rentals and then more for HD. I'm still a bigger fan of RedBox $1 for anything... Amazon I might be holding out on your steep prices.
2. Netflix the same as everything else... other than the interface is really simple and ugly like the PS3 interface. It's not as easy to navigate and search like the X Box 360 or on your computer.
3. Youtube which is cool.
4. Picas pictures which is neat but almost useless in some cases.
5. iPhone/iPod doc that allows audio and video playback. Very cool, it charges and doesn't display the "this accessory is not made to work with your device" message.
6. Blue ray, DVD, burned DVD's etc.
7. Two fiber optic inputs that allow you to plug in your infamous HD DVD player or some other audio sources. Would have liked to see HDMI here... LG has it.
8. Viera Link which is cool if you have a Panasonic TV like I do. It turns the stuff on off etc by communicating over the HDMI cable.
9. The sound is AMAZING for as cheap as this unit is. The speakers are crisp and clear. Very nice surround sound. I had a Sony STR-K750P, and this Panasonic system is way better.Overall the packaging was slick with everything well packaged for shipment. I couldn't find the electronic version of the manual online anywhere. The specs say it's wireless ready, which means it has a USB port on the back that you have to pay $100 to get the $5 Panasonic WIFI dongle. Total rip off. I just hard wired.
The menus are not quite as elegant as the Apple TV, it also has this hard switch thing.. Basically if you need to adjust any settings, it unloads the web content dashboard thing, then takes you back to the DVD menu. So there is a bit of a lag making adjustments. I don't understand why they just didn't layer the menus and then reload if your settings require it. It also has some sort of quick on feature. Basically if you start it up from scratch, AKA no power supplied, it takes about 30 seconds to boot.. So they added this quick boot thing which makes the unit run in some kind of a standby. It tells you it will consume slightly more power while in this mode. I did have a couple times where the web interface streaming thing had garbled text, I tried powering on off, but it doesn't fully reboot if you use the quick boot. In order to get it to fully reboot, you have to turn it off, then unplug the power and re-connect.
The manual isn't very descriptive and there is a lot of technical jargon as you wade deeper into the settings. Lots of color control, bit level, sound stuff, display stuff etc.
It does have the capability to adjust the surround and EQ levels while playing. It's not entirely intuitive, and the manual is wrong, but it works. When you use the buttons on the bottom of the remote to adjust the surround, it displays on little screen on the unit, the levels. In the manual it tells you to use up and down to adjust these. I must have wasted 20 minutes on this part before I tried left and right and then it worked. Looks like Panasonic needs an updated manual. The firmware on the unit is 1.0 which hopefully means there will be some software updates sooner than later. It would be nice to see layered settings menus, and they have some room on the dash board for new content.
The unit is so new that if you use a Logitec Harmony remote, it won't detect your unit yet. I had to use the older model Bt-300 or something to get my Logitec remote to work.
anyhow.. thats my review... Enjoy!

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Get your home theater going right out of the box with the Panasonic SC-BT330 home entertainment system, which includes a Blu-ray Disc player/amplifier plus a complete 5.1-channel surround sound speaker system. The Kelton subwoofer adds impact to your movies and music with dramatic deep bass, while the two tallboy front speakers add dramatic visual impact to your home theater.

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Cambridge Audio Azur 350C CD Player, Silver Review

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(More customer reviews)I'm a huge fan of Amazon.com, and I've been a faithful shopper for years. I have a +20-year-old system composed of a Carver receiver and Bose 901 speakers. My CD player recently went bad, and I did some research online and came across Cambridge Audio. As I didn't want to spend a lot of money, I finally decided on the 350C, as the ultimate compromise and value for the money. It came quickly and the set up was a snap. And, oh what a difference it made to my system! What a quality increase! What excellent value for the money! I highly recommend this CD player. On the first CD that I played, I could tell a huge qualitative improvement over my older CD player. The background was silent and the soundstage improvement was audibly noticeable. The 350C really made the Bose 901s pop! There is real punch there, particularly in the mid-range and hi freq area. Bass is fine and not overbearing (as it was with my previous CD player). I was so impressed that I bought new speaker wire and interconnects. Again, another improvement. My older system sounds like it's brand new! I am now thinking that I will upgrade my present system with a Cambridge Audio amplifier to replace the old Carver. It's about time to retire it, as it's been a true workhorse. Full disclosure: I have a very high-quality hi-fi system (Rega Saturn and Elicit and Linn Majik speakers) that I spent a lot of money on; but, for most of the folks who listen to my music, they are unable to really distinguish any real differences in the sound. In fact, most prefer the Carver/Bose/Cambridge Audio lineup to the much more expensive system, as it can really put out some sound-and-music!

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