March 2011
Monthly Archives47 Labs Midnight Blue Series Headphone/Pre-Amp with USB/DAC
March 31st, 2011, In Home, by George de Sa
Looking for something new to drive those cans? For those who haven’t caught on cans = headphones and for those seriously into their cans, just an iPod will never do. So the announcement of a new headphone / pre-amp from 47 Labs, may be something that tickles your fancy. The Model 4733 Midnight Blue is … Continue Reading
Sceptre 32 inch LED HDTV
March 31st, 2011, In Home, by George de Sa
To coin a proverbial phrase, “beauty is only skin deep”, well in this case the comment might be bezel deep. With that in mind, I’d like to let you know that Sceptre has just launched a new line of 32-inch LED HDTVs in their Galaxy series. The new panels feature nickel brush bezels and are … Continue Reading
Musicmask
March 30th, 2011, In Home, by George de Sa
“I wear my sunglasses at night…” – okay, not the greatest demo tune but a catchy lyric. Maybe someone was on to something, at least when it comes to music listening that is. Audiophiles, know the benefits of closing your eyes and/or turning off the lights while listening to music. It allows for greater concentration … Continue Reading
Onkyo TX-8050 Network Stereo Receiver and C-7030 CD player
March 29th, 2011, In Home, by George de Sa
Onkyo two-channel component line-up continues to grow with the introduction of the versatile TX-8050 network stereo receiver and C-7030 CD player. These precision-crafted components represent Onkyo’s contribution to a new generation of music enthusiasts seeking excellence in two-channel performance at an affordable price. Both products embrace the purity and simplicity of stereo sound, whether it … Continue Reading
Sealed Headphone Group Test
Headphones come in all shapes, sizes and types. But with regards to full-size over-the-ear headphones, they fall into two main categories, “closed” and “open”, which refer to the acoustic seal in the ear-cups. In the case of open-back headphones, the ear-cup is open and there is no noise isolation from the surroundings and conversely the … Continue Reading
TV Refresh Rates Explained: 24, 60, 120, 240 Hz: The Meaning Behind the Numbers
March 28th, 2011, In Features, Video, by Jeremy Phan
HDTVs have gotten to the point where size, price, and specifications are relatively similar across different manufacturers, making the purchase decision take into account aesthetics, design and brand loyalty. This doesn’t mean that specifications should be ignored. Getting back to basics, one of the core numbers that should be taken into consideration is the refresh … Continue Reading
Hercules XPS Diamond USB PC Speakers
March 27th, 2011, In Home, by George de Sa
When you think of Hercules – you probably don’t think about diamonds; however, just new from the company Hercules is their XPS Diamond 2.0 USB Multimedia/PC Speakers. Interestingly enough, these speakers have been designed with female users in mind – perhaps Delilah? The new Hercules XPS Diamond 2.0 USB speaker kit has been designed for … Continue Reading
Clearaudio Magnify Tonearm
March 25th, 2011, In Home, by George de Sa
Magnify might be an appropriate name for this new tonearm from Clearaudio as that’s its objective, to magnify all that good stuff in the vinyl grooves. The Clearaudio Magnify tonearm is an all new rigid design arm that is based on and improves on, their Exact tonearm. The Magnify is said to take things a … Continue Reading
Samsung GALAXY Tab 10.1 and GALAXY Tab 8.9 Tablets
Not to be out shadowed by the second version of Apple’s iPad which became available today, Samsung Electronics has just announced two new additions to its family of GALAXY Tabs, the GALAXY Tab 10.1 and GALAXY Tab 8.9, the world’s thinnest mobile tablets, measuring just 8.6 millimeters. The GALAXY Tab 10.1 and 8.9 feature Samsung’s … Continue Reading
BlackBerry PlayBook Now Available For Preorder
There will be no shortage of tablets this year. Following in Apple’s successful footsteps, BlackBerry is yet another company that will be introducing a tablet very shortly. Customers eagerly awaiting the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet can now preorder the device online through Bestbuy in Canada and the US. The BlackBerry PlayBook with Wi-Fi will come in … Continue Reading
New Hegel HD20 DAC
March 23rd, 2011, In Home, by George de Sa
How do you spell “smooth”? Some might say “D.A.C”. When it comes to trying to play USB sourced music files on anything mid-FI, there’s no doing it without a DAC. Hegel Music Systems, based in Norway is adding to their DAC product line with their new in-house designed HD20. The HD20 is a 24-bit/192kHz USB … Continue Reading
Panasonic’s 2011 TV Line-up Details in Canada
Panasonic is the latest manufacturer to announce the details about its 2011 VIERA HDTV line-up for the Canadian market. For this year, Panasonic has introduced three VIERA Full HD 3D NeoPlasma model lines – the VT30 series, GT30 and ST30 series – and expanded its 3D line-up with the addition of two LED-LCD HDTVs to … Continue Reading
Canadian Availability of Sharp LE835 and LE830 LCD TVs
Yes, it’s that time of the season again when new TV models start coming out. Sharp is among the first companies to release its 2011 line-up which includes the new LE835 Series of AQUOS Quattron 3D TVs and LE830 Series of AQUOS Quattron 2D TV models in 60-, 52-, 46- and 40-inch screen sizes. Both … Continue Reading
CANADA HiFi April/May 2011 Digital Edition is Now Available!
The digital edition of the April/May 2011 issue is now online in the Digital Editions section! We’ve got both a flash version for computer users and a high quality PDF to download for iPad users. Here’s what you’ll find inside this issue: • A Complete Guide to Choosing a Home Theatre Projector: LCD, DLP or … Continue Reading
Naim FraimLite Audio Racks
An attractive, high quality audio rack will not only give your audio system a visual appeal, it can also improve the performance of your audio system. Naim’s equipment support system Fraim, first launched in 2002, has just been expanded to include a new entry-level variant: FraimLite. The range now consists of two models: the reference … Continue Reading
Samsung RMC-QTD1 QWERTY TV Remote
The first steps toward accessing web content on your TV were taken by companies like Samsung and Panasonic with their last year’s TV models. The online content was however very limited and typing in any search terms was cumbersome with the regular TV remote. But this year some Samsung TVs are expected to offer a … Continue Reading
SunBriteTV’s New 46-inch All-Weather Outdoor HDTV
March 20th, 2011, In Home, by George de Sa
Singing in the rain….that’s what I imagine some purchasers of this new product from SunBriteTV will be doing. For myself, I’d like to think of basking in the sun. SunBriteTV has just recently announced their new 4610HD, a 46-inch “all-weather” 1080p LCD television. Engineered for the outdoors, the Model 4610HD has a corrosion resistant, powder-coated … Continue Reading
Antique Sound Labs – MG SI 15 Integrated Tube Amplifier
March 20th, 2011, In Home, by George de Sa
When it comes to vacuum tubes – what’s old is new again. That goes for this newly upgraded integrated amplifier from Antique Sound Labs. Their new MG SI 15, now has upgraded transformers, larger extruded aluminium chassis and better quality connectors. The MG SI 15 incorporates a single ended class ‘A’ topology with triode and … Continue Reading
Krell Phantom Preamplifier
March 19th, 2011, In Home, by George de Sa
The new Phantom Preamplifier builds on the performance-levels of the Evolution Two model, while providing an active crossover option (a first for Krell). The crossover allows for independently assignable crossover frequencies as well as high and low pass filters. Choices include 40Hz, 55Hz, 75Hz, and 100Hz crossover points with 12dB, 24dB, and 48dB Butterworth or … Continue Reading
MartinLogan ElectroMotion ESL Speakers and Dynamo 300 Subwoofer
MartinLogan has just began shipping of the all new ElectroMotion-ESL (EM-ESL) speaker models as well as the Dynamo 300 subwoofer in the US. The subwoofer is available now in Canada and the speakers will ship this April. Not a traditional tweeter and woofer-based design, the EM-ESL features the most affordable full-size (34-inces tall) XStat electrostatic … Continue Reading