I’ve head about JL Audio before and knew they’re famous in the automotive industry, but their recent release, the Fathom F212 home subwoofer, just changed my mind. Designed by pros (for pros) this is the most powerful and the most refined 12-inch woofer in the Fathome lineup. But what makes it so special and why would you buy it? Here’s a quick review o Fathom F212.

Here are a couple of the most interesting specs for the F212 :

• packs a dual massive 12-inch drivers (12W7 drivers) for better performance
• features an active subwoofer that packs an immense 3000 Watts integrated amplifier (with on-board switching) and has ARO (Automatic Room Optimization) technology
• offers “mind-blowing bass with enhanced output, reduced distortion and even greater transient accuracy than the single-woofer Fathoms,” as the company says.
• measures 31.96 inches H x 14.92 inches W x 20.39 inches D and weights 220 lbs

The new JL Audio Fathom F212 subwoofer will be offered in Satin Black and High Gloss Black finish for $6,000 and $6,100 respectively. It will be available from this October, so better prepare the money you’ve been saving for a super hi-tech audio system.

For more technical data please check out JL Audio

I can come up with a couple of reasons why I would need a power amplifier and the best of all is my crazy neighbor that lives at the ground floor. I really like to play it out loud for a couple of minutes and see her driving insane, therefore I need something really powerful. How about SONAMP ASAP3D SE from Sonance?

Engineered to be a custom installer’s dream, the recently announced versatile amplifier uses IcePower® digital-amplifier technology to bring high efficiency and remarkable performance.

All wrapped up in a 1U high by ½-rack the new ASAP3DSE manages to boast 25W RMS per channel @ 8 ohms and 50W RMS per channel @ 4 ohms and has a frequency response of 20Hz – 20kHz ±2dB. Causing very little heat generation and thanks to its small size (it only weighs 7.0 lbs or about 3.2kg) this power amplifier can be placed anywhere in the room, even on the wall behind a flat-screen TV.

I’m pretty sure those passionate about sound and stuff like that will be really interested to know more so here it is:

• Total Harmonic Distortion
  0.10% (1kHz, 8 ohms);
  0.25% (1kHz, 4 ohms)
• Signal to Noise Ration
• -94dB (w/22kHz filter, A-WTD); -88dB (with AC-sensing trigger)
• Input Sensitivity
  0.9V for 25W RMS output
  0.7V w/BBE ON (+3dB)
  0.5V w/BBE ON (+6dB)
• Input Impedance
  13k ohms
• Maximum Source Voltage Input
  2.3VAC RMS
• Voltage
  1.3VAC RMS w/ BBE ON
• Power Consumption
  200 Watts
• Heat Output
  187 BTU/hr
• AC Fuse
  2A (T2AL ~ 250V)

Just from the specs, everything looks amazing and I’m pretty sure the $399 you’d have to pay for ASAP3D SE are really worth it. Are you an audio geek? What do you think?

Now that I finished renovating my apartment is time to bring in the furniture. Uhh excuse me, but when I say furniture I’m actually talking about all sorts of gadgets, because I already have a couch and it’s all I need for a geek I am. Right? Therefore I asked our good friends at TestFreaks to suggest me a few home theater systems, that I could review (and maybe buy). They did and the one that promised the most, was LG HT902TB.

After reading more stuff about it and comparing it with other home theater systems, I got the idea that it’s really going to do the job for me if I need style and performance at an extremely wallet-friendly price system. And yes the 1,000 Watts (rated at 5 x 155W plus 225W for the subwoofer) can really scare your neighbors if you’re throwing in a party.

If it were to nominate just a few things that I really liked about LG’s HT902TB then that would be the:

• decodes Dolby Digital and DTS soundtracks
• it can play DVD-R/-RW and DVD+R/+RW discs, and MP3, WMA, JPEG and DivX files
• it has an XTS Pro Digital Amplifier
• the DVDs look great with images upscaled to 1080i (not 1080p, too bad)
• it also features a Virtual 10.1 Ch Sound that takes sound to a whole new level
• lots of ports: HDMI, 3.5mm audio input, USB port, an RGB-capable SCART, composite video output and optical digital audio input
• a lovely large remote with a tidy arrangement that becomes very useful when you have a lazy day
• a very good price (just check your local guys for a quote, or Amazon?)

Too bad:

• it doesn’t support MP3 long filenames
• there seem to bee some dotting noise when it displays images and things doesn’t seem to improve when switching from 720p to 1080i

I’ll be honest that this little monster would fit really really nice in my new geek crib and I’d definitely buy one with such specs and price.

There’s a new home theater system from Sony, dubbed Bravia BDV-IT1000. But it’s not just any home theater, it’s a Blu-ray home theater system that manages to output 700 W of total power from it’s tall and slim speakers that use a brand new finger-sized full-range speaker drive unit to be able to boast that much.

Other than the output, the Blu-ray player and receiver seems quite capable, featuring BD-Live readiness, a couple of HDMI inputs, optical digital and analog stereo audio inputs, Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD support, and Sony’s trademark Digital Media Port to accommodate a range of add-on devices.

There isn’t anything official yet, so we don’t have a price to tell, but we’re pretty sure Sony is going to do it soon. We can’t wait.

via Sony Insider

I’m not really sure if you are going to need a couple of crystal USB desktop speakers, but I’m going to mention them anyway. Why, you may ask? Because of the looks.

These crystal designed speakers can be connected to your PC or laptop via USB 2.0 and should output (only) 1 watt per channel even though, the producer considers them as “audiophile” grade. Talking about the producer, it’s not a big company or anything but even if it doesn’t sound THAT good we’ll take the looks for a $39.99 price.

Too bad we can’t get more specs from the manufacturer, except the “these are amazing speakers” line.

via Random Good Stuff

Noise canceling headphones are not new to the market and we showed at least a couple of them in the past, but this time we took Creative’s Aurvana X-Fi for a test drive and will definitely tell you everything about it.

Weighing about 250 grams, with a great design using the black and silver scheme, these headphones use two AAA batteries and have on-ear controls to switch the device on and off or to adjust volume levels. But these are somehow standard, so why not get deeper and see why it would be worth it to buy and why wouldn’t.

PROs on the new Creative Aurvana X-Fi Noise Cancelling Headphones

• The noise canceling feature is great. It cancels out ambient noise really well and makes your music sound much more clearer.
• The “cans” are larger, extremely easy to wear and will offer the great comfort we all need when listening to music.
• Aurvana X-Fi is adjustable for a variety of different head sizes and comfort levels
• The X-Fi Xtreme Fidelity feature will restore detail and will expand your music and movies to surround sound.
• The X-Fi CMSS-3D feature is a virtual surround-sound effect that you’ll want to use with movies and games because it gives the sound a sense of physical depth
• The X-Fi Crystalizer feature really makes music sound better - it really does work with lossy files
• There’s the possibility to turn on and off the noise-canceling and other features.

Of course there are disadvantages so here’s what could have been built better:

• We would have appreciate a li-ion battery instead of two AAA even though it means it works just right after taking it out of the box
• The size and the weight of the headphones, are a big drawback. However I do agree that comfort and great noise-canceling need larger cans.

Price is somewhere at $300 so if you’re picky with your headsets, that would be a great solution.

It’s that time of the month again when we get great products to review, and this time we got the Creative GigaWorks T20 to please our ears. They are a standard 2.0 speakers solution for desktop PCs that every gamer or computer user will appreciate because they offer quality sound at an affordable price. It’s the best in the GigaWorks brand so far, so you may want to stay on and read the rest.

With a sleek and eye-catching design, with a mid/low range driver and a high range tweeter, finished in smart dark metallic grey plastic with rounded corners, GigaWorks T20 speakers are pretty large. But, and there’s a but, wish they wouldn’t be THAT rounded. Might be a bit unstable. All in all, I like the looks really much, so let’s go on.

It has the Bass, Treble and Volume controls as well as the headphone jack and auxiliary-in (for easy connection to an MP3 player) on the right channel speaker. It also features a twin phono to 3.5mm adapter and a two metre 3.5mm cable for connection to a PC, so you can only imagine that game consoles or other devices can be linked to it, easily.

Though you may believe a 2.0 system without a subwoofer to give the bass that extra ‘oomph’ wouldn’t perform well, you got that wrong. Really wrong. Most of the time the subwoofer is usually responsible for problems involving poor bass and resulting in a lot of cross over between the speakers. This is why the GigaWorks T20 feature a porthole - dubbed a BasXPort by Creative - in the top of their slender, that will offer a fuller sound and compensating for a subwoofer.

The best thing about the Creative GigaWorks T20 is obviously the quality you get for its price. Some $80 in the US. You may want to buy that set of speakers yourself and see they’re great.

Some could say CD players are outdated, but believe me there are some budget audiophile who need high quality sound from their Compact Discs. A very good solution if you’re one of them keep in min that Marantz CD5001 could be the ideal CD player to upgrade your system with. The main specs are:

• Plays CD, CD-R/RW Discs
• Super Audio CD Grade 192kHz/24-bit Cirrus Logic CS4392 D/A Converter
• Pitch Control
• CD Text Compatible
• Newly Designed Headphone Amp. with Buffer Circuit

Pros
Great sound. Low price. Good for all music types.

Cons
Cheesy build quality. No balanced output.

Overall, the new Marantz CD5001 is a real entertainer with an inviting sense of life, and the kind of crisp, relentless timing that works wonders with rhythm-driven music

is a great buy and stands as proof that great hi-fi doesn’t have to cost a fortune.

Sony DR-BT140QP are the new wireless Bluetooth hedphones the company has recently built. These are smart headphones or at least that’s what the $138.89 price tells me and the fact that it support Bluetooth 2.0 and A2DP/AVRCP/HFP/HSP profiles. It has a frequency response of 16Hz-24,000Hz, 30mm in diameter driver unit, a built-in lithium battery for 12 hours of continuous use and should be available in black, pink silver and white from July 25th, when pre-orders start.

I’m not really a fan of Bluetooth headphones and to be honest,  but I’ll have to at least try this one before telling you if it’s good or not. Sony has a brand to defend, so this better be great, not good.

via Akihabaranews

Yamaha is renowned for building HiFi speakers and the latest they’ve announced is the NS-6HX model. It’s a 3-way and 3-speaker bass-reflex floor standing tower speaker, includes a 20cm WSD cone woofer, a 13cm WSD midrange driver and a 3cm Aluminum dome tweeter. The weight is only 30.5 kgs and the dimensions of the new Yamaha NS-6HX are 364 x 1,062 x 397 mm.

If you’re paying very much attention to the sound quality you’ll probably get a pair of these ground standing speakers, if the $3,300 won’t scare you too much.

The official specs are:

• Type : 3-way, 3-speaker bass-reflex floor standing tower speaker for main channels. Aluminum diecast stand included.
• Woofer : 20cm WSD cone
• Midrange Driver : 13cm WSD cone
• Tweeter : 3cm Aluminum dome
• Input Power (Max/Nominal) : 300 W/100 W
• Sensitivity : 91 dB/2.83 V/m
• Frequency Response : 45–50,000 Hz
• Impedance : 6 ohms
• Dimensions (W x H x D) : 364 x 1,062 x 397 mm
• Weight : 30.5 kg

If you buy a pair, make a quick review and let us know if it’s divine, or not.