Some of the questions we get asked most often is: Do these Speakers pair well with this Amplifier? Will this Amplifier power my Speakers? How do I know these Speakers will sound good with this amplifier?As speakers and amps are such an investment, you want to make sure they work effectively and sound good! There are a few points that we think are important to consider when calculating an amplifiers power. Unfortunately, it isn’t as simple as looking up a couple of figures on the amp specs and comparing it to the speakers you intend on using it with.

There’s a lingering sentiment in the audiophile community that subwoofers are only for home theatre and the benefits to music playback are suspect or even negativeIt’s true that lesser subwoofers are not designed to optimally handle the speed, detail and nuance of certain music, but it’s certainly not the rule for subwoofers in general.A great subwoofer elevates the listening experience in a way no other audio component can.Below is a list of six different reasons why a properly engineered subwoofer, is important to music playback.

A new AVR  or AV-receiver might be on the top of your Christmas wish list. It is arguably the most important part of your AV set up and home theatre. Brands seem to launch updated version of their AVR’s just about every year. But deciding on what you really need as opposed to being pulled into the next fancy marketing thing, when it is time for an upgrade can do anybody’s head i In the end, you want to make sure you have considered every aspect so that your AVR with work in perfect unison with the rest of your set up. Nobody wants to spend unnecessary money, while at the same time, we want to get the best performance for our needs. A few weeks ago, we bumped into an excellent article on AVS forums which quick-fired 10 points to consider when shopping for AVRs. It is almost a ticking list of things to consider. We thought it was just excellent and wanted it share it with you, adding our own comments, examples and experiences.I mean, nothing beats a comprehensive (albeit a bit lengthy) overview that is specked with insider information. Right?

TVs don’t tend to sound great. That’s one of their disadvantages: as they get slimmer and more beautiful, there’s less room for proper speakers. The result is usually something that looks very nice but sounds a bit weak. Whether you have top-end 4K TV, a HDTV or something more basic, the problem is the same. Fortunately, there’s an easy solution.

Summer has arrived, Christmas is only weeks away, so now is the time to think about those BBQs you are going to have outside.  Or here’s the ultimate question: how are you going to spice up the parties with music? Excellent outdoor speakers are just a must for any Kiwi who remotely cares about their favourite sounds outside around the pool or on the deck.

SVS recently launched their long awaited Prime Elevation Speakers. While brands like Elac, Klipsch and Definitive Technology subscribe to emerging audio formats such as Dolby Atmos®*, DTS:X® and Auro 3D®, Ed Mullen from SVS has made a different argument from the very beginning of height effect speakers. What’s interesting is that Gene DelaSalla from Audioholics is entirely on the same page and he’s not hiding it either.SVS recently launched their long awaited Prime Elevation Speakers.

So you have a bookcase full of CDs, you have thousands of songs downloaded on your computer at home, maybe you have spent some time ripping the CDs to your PC and subsequently you have a music streaming subscription such as TIDAL, or Spotify.  Here is your dilemma, you don’t want to totally forget about your beautiful, collection of Compact Discs, or disregard your iTunes collection of songs. This recent problem gave birth to a new type of hi fi component: The Network Audio Player.

Once the stuff of the future, these days laser projectors are becoming more and more commonplace in the world of home theatre. Sure, they are still quite a bit more expensive than traditional light bulb projectors. But a lot is moving when it comes to projectors. Terms such as “laser”, “LED” or “hybrid” are used commonly. But what is what?  What is worth your penny at this stage? And what does the future hold?Time to shed some light in the lay of the land in light-generation for projectors.

A headphone is just a headphone, right?  I mean, yes there are in-ears and the ones that go over your ears and some have wires and some don’t but… really how different can one headphone be from the next?There are many similar terms used to describe headphones, an everyday (almost commodity) item of technology. Categories such as noise isolating, noise cancelling, on-ear, over-ear, open-back, and closed-back seem to be pretty self-explanatory terms. You may understand the differences between all the different types, but why would you choose one over the other?  What makes one headphone better than the other? Is a $1,000 headphone really worth all that money? Why can’t I get by on a $80 pair? Which one is the best choice in your specific situation and  are the bells and whistles worth the extra spending? This blog will give you the basic rundown of the types of headphones, their variations, types of drivers, the different kinds of build-it technology and how to choose the right pair of headphones for your needs.

Most people equate subwoofers with the thump-thump they hear from other cars at stoplights. Volume at the expense of quality.  There is no sugarcoating the message: it’s called bad bass. In the world of the dedicated audiophile, this is what gave the subwoofer (and with it bass) a bad rep. But the idea with any speaker system is to accurately recreate all frequencies in the audio spectrum equally, including bass. What you want from a quality subwoofer, placed correctly in a room, is a deep realistic sound, not the thump-thump. So let’s be clear that a good subwoofer doesn’t make a boom sound, but just stronger (and lower) bass than is possible with normal speakers.