Home Entertainment & Automation Services in Matthews, NC.
Home Entertainment & Automation Services in Matthews, NC.
Home audio and Video Services in Matthews, NC.  TV installation, Surround Sound, Home Entertainment Systems
Sharing in the Vinyl Groove

C.I.S. - Charlotte NC's Source For New & Old Home Technologies!It’s easy to get swept back into the world of analog by adding turntables and a slew of cheap records to your audio rig.

This website is usually for discussing new technology. Recently, though, I rediscovered an old technology that still qualifies as new for many readers, and one that I can’t recommend enough as an addition to your audio system, especially if you consider it mid-to-high end: vinyl.

A Sony turntable I bought 10 years ago served me well at the time but had long been removed from my theater system when I got lazy about replacing its bum needle. Plus I’d become enamored with surround sound. But thanks to some electronics and speaker upgrades, and reading constant vinyl evangelism from Stereophile’s thirtysomething (my age) blogger Stephen Mejias and his “Elements of Our Enthusiasm,” the analog bug began biting again.

But aren’t turntables, cartridges and needles the kind of pricey gear that only so-called “audiophiles” invest in, you’re thinking? Yes, there are many types of ’tables, and cost can quickly escalate well into the thousands.

This time around, I figured I’d start at the very entry level. After a $50 Technics turntable find on Craigslist and $100 Cambridge Audio phono preamplifier purchase (you’ll need one if your processor or receiver lacks a phono stage), I wasn’t into the vinyl experiment for much money.

Plus, there are several respectable turntables in the sub-$400 range should I decide to upgrade. In fact, Mejias moderates the Stereophile forums, including an “Entry Level” thread with a sticky post called “Since this comes up a lot. Turntables under or $1,000” with all kinds of great turntable suggestions.

As much as I enjoyed spinning records 10 years ago, the analog epiphany really cold-cocked me this time. Perhaps my job as a custom electronics writer/editor has given me a greater appreciation of sound quality (especially when it comes to hearing demos at tradeshows), but listening to old LPs through this new setup was nothing short of nirvana. It didn’t matter that some albums crackled more than Rice Krispies—the instruments also snapped and popped a whole lot better, too.

Even while lacking the “golden ears” of some reviewers, it was easy for me—and my wife—to hear the differences between CD and vinyl versions of songs. The vinyl soundstage was wider, instrumentation was more defined, bass was tighter, hi-hat drum cymbals were thicker and livelier, and dynamic range was fuller. “I wonder if more people would the like music they say they hate if they listened to it this way,” my wife said after I forced Yes’ prog classic Roundabout on her.

And record hunting is almost as fun as record playing. I’ve bought LPs purely for the artwork; some include fancy lyrics booklets; Bookends came with a giant Simon and Garfunkel poster! You can discover gems at flea markets, tag sales, the Salvation Army and, if you’re fortunate, a local record shop. At Divinyl Revolution in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., this weekend I picked up 14 albums for $24.99, the majority of which cost $1—or the equivalent of a single, compressed song download from iTunes.

Not to mention that when I went to the Craigslist seller’s home to pick up the turntable, he gave me a small stack of records, including perhaps the most listened-to LP of all-time, Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon, with a sweet Dark Side pyramids poster up its sleeve. How’s that for good karma?

We know records have been making a comeback in recent years, to the point where Best Buy has added shelf space for vinyl and artists are appealing to younger-generation listeners by releasing vinyl albums that include free digital downloads of the same in MP3 format.

Of course, it’s places like Divinyl Revolution that predominantly keep the format alive and well. Even in summer tourist destinations like Saratoga, record shopping is a year-round excursion. “This is the only place like it, for about 40 miles in each direction,” explained super-cute shop proprietor Brittany Nasser, who’s kind of the anti-Jack Black in High Fidelity. “We have a bunch of loyal customers who can’t wait to hear what just came into the store.”

I’ll look forward to visiting again next summer.

by Arlen Schweiger
http://www.electronichouse.com/article/sharing_in_the_vinyl_groove/

Custom Installation Services, LLC – Charlotte ’s Home Theater & Technology Experts!

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Facebook, Google Maps Come to Samsung TV Apps

If you were the type of person to spend countless hours in front of a TV as it is, how much time do you kill now with the added video streaming and web access that today’s connected TVs deliver?

Or maybe you just plug away hours in front of your computer instead?

We keep getting closer and closer to a glorious combination of the two, so soon we’ll have no reason to leave the couch. Toward that end, Samsung wants to make sure you stay planted by bringing more cool services to its Samsung Apps platform, which was announced at CES this year.

Its latest two additions to the Apps lineup are a couple of cool time wasters you may have heard about—Facebook and Google Maps.

You can download the apps directly from all 2010 Samsung Blu-ray players, Blu-ray Home Theater Systems (HTIBs) and the majority of Samsung TVs with screen sizes 40 inches and bigger, the company announced.

We’re sure you’ll have a blast hosting guests for dinner parties, too, when you can pull up everyone’s Facebook pictures and then show them the aerial and street views of their houses on a big-screen TV.

And you thought staying up to date with Facebook on your tiny smartphone screen was cool.

by Arlen Schweiger

Custom Installation Services, LLC – Charlotte ’s Home Theater & Technology Experts and Your Place For Sales & Installation Of Samsung TV Products!

CIS is Charlotte NC Favorite Place to Shop For Samsung Flat Screens!

C.I.S. is Charlotte NC's Favorite Place For Sales & Installation of Samsung Flat Screens!

Samsung’s Apps store has added the popular social network site and slick map service to its Blu-ray players and connected TVs.

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Review: Marantz SR6004 A/V Receiver

marantz-sr6004 is available at Custom Installation Services!

The Marantz SR6004 is available at Custom Installation Services! Call Us For More Details!

If you’re looking for a midpriced receiver with respectable power reserves and audio performance, the Marantz SR6004 is a top contender.

Marantz has been going at it for over 50 years producing audio equipment. Like any company that’s been bought and sold over the years, they’ve had their share of up and down cycles. Lately it seems Marantz is back on the up cycle, releasing a series of high-performance receivers that have the critical features everyone wants while packing the punch necessary to drive a full surround system to theatrical levels. 

I was interested in checking out their middle-of-the-road product, the SR6004, which retails for $1,249. At this price manufacturers must choose the right balance of performance and features. My job was to see how well Marantz executed this delicate balance while holding true to their strong audio-focused heritage.

The SR6004 is what I call a midsized receiver. It doesn’t take a forklift to move, yet it has a solid feel to it which implies a decent sized power supply to amply drive a full 5.1 or 7.1 speaker configuration. The SR6004 employs a class A/B power amplifier design and is rated for 110wpc x 7.

The back panel is laid out quite nicely. It’s not a cluster of connections like you find on many other receivers these days partly due to the absence of S-video connections. There are binding post connections on all nine pairs of speaker terminals, four HDMI inputs and dual HDMI outputs. The SR6004 doesn’t have the typical boxy feel you get with most receivers. Instead it sports some sexy curves, giving it the feeling of a high-end gear not dissimilar to their beautifully crafted two-channel reference gear. The front panel has an array of buttons and inputs. 

It certainly isn’t the most feature-laden receiver in its price class, but the SR6004 has the most important performance ones expected in today’s market such as full Dolby TrueHD / DTS HD decoding and Pro Logic IIz post processing for front height channels. Unfortunately you can’t simultaneously use back channels and height channels even with external amplification for a full 9.1 setup like some of the higher end competitor models provision for. 

The Yamaha and Onkyo receivers, for example, have a huge advantage over the Marantz in that they are both networking receivers that allow music streaming from sources such as Rhapsody and Pandora (Onkyo only). The Marantz, however, has the ability to link up with its Bluetooth receiver to stream music from any capable Bluetooth device provided that it’s within line of sight and a distance of 30 feet.

The RC007SR remote control is fully backlit by simply pressing pressing the right side button. Ergonomics are good as the remote can be controlled an operated using a single hand. There is a central circle pad of buttons allowing for easy navigation through the menus of the OSD.

It’s also important to note that the SR6004 is equipped with only seven internal power amplifiers. Thus, during speaker setup if you enable “Front Presence” and “Surround Back” speakers, the SR6004 will send signal to only one of those respective speaker groups depending on the post processing being selected (i.e. PLIIz will enable the front height speakers, while PLIIx or Dolby EX will enable the surround back speakers).

The Marantz SR6004 offers analog i/p and component to HDMI upconversion but no ability to adjust picture settings or noise reduction as some of its more expensive competitors. The SR6004 is equipped with three zones of audio. The main zone provisions for 5.1 or 7.1 which can be assigned for front height or surround back channels, zone A for secondary analog audio and A/V switching (no HDMI) and Zone B for digital audio output only.

 Click here to read the full review and continue on with listening and viewing tests, on Audioholics.com.

C.I.S. Is Charlotte NC's Dealer For the Marantz SR6004

Marantz-SR6004 - Now Available @ Custom Installation Services!

Specifications
RX101 Bluetooth/IR Receiver included
Front USB audio input for iPod/iPhone digital connection or USB Memory
Dolby TrueHD/Pro Logic IIz, DTS-HD Master Audio Decoder
Audyssey Dynamic EQ, Dynamic Volume and MultEQ Auto Calibration
Sophisticated aluminum/reinforced resin front panel with Front door design for Clean Panel
HDMI (v1.3) Repeating: Four Inputs, Two Outputs
Graphical User Interface (GUI) for Setup
GUI through HDMI out
110 watts x 7 (8 ohms)
Analog, Digital Independent PWBs design to minimize mutual interference
Component Video output for 2nd Zone
Marantz Custom High Quality Block Capacitor
Full 10-bit Video Processing
M-DAX(Marantz Dynamic Audio eXpander)
2nd Zone Analog audio output (Individual source) w/discrete command
3rd Zone Digital audio output (for Digital input source)
SIRIUS & XM Ready with discrete IR commands
Bi-Amp Drive Capability for Front L/R
RS-232C, DC Trigger out, Flasher In and Marantz D-BUS (RC-5) In/Out
LCD Learning Backlight system remote
Available Option Rack Mount Kit RMK6504SR
Dimensions: 17-3/8” W x 6-3/8” H x 15-3/8” D
Weight: 28 lbs

Pros
Excellent sound quality
Easy to setup and operate (main zone)
Compact and attractive design

Cons
Confusing multi zone operation
Mediocre HDMI video upconversion
No networking

 by Audioholics.com

Custom Installation Services, LLC – Charlotte ’s Home Theater & Technology Experts and Your Place For Marantz Electronics!

Posted in Home Theater, Media Rooms, Multi Room A/V, News, technology | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment


Custom Installation Services, LLC | P.O. Box 132 Matthews, NC 28106 | 704-400-8701 | dmiller@cis-nc.com
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