Dolby is calling Atmos “the most significant development in cinema audio since surround sound”. We had a wee think about whether we agree with that statement. The answer is: ‘Yeah, I guess so.’

Dolby Atmos, may sound like the next marketing tool and really, all you probably care about is that the movie sounds good. We’re big fans of how Dolby Atmos makes you feel like you’re inside the story, with sound coming from all directions, including overhead.

But that in itself wouldn’t necessarily be enough to convert us at this stage. There is a bit more to the whole Dolby Atmos thing that makes it attractive beyond the overhead speakers add-on. Let us explain.

Last week we received a list from a great customer with a ranking of his favorite blu-ray concerts, it got us thinking. A little search on forums and the likes revealed that our customer is by no means the only person rating concert blu-rays or blu-ray movies for that matter. The internet is buzzing with people’s opinions on this.

Just to change things up a little, and go for a blog with a little more lighthearted topic for a change, we thought we would have a go at this too. After all, we probably are not the only ones taking refuge behind the projector/television to escape the ongoing deluge.

When choosing interconnects and speaker cables, we really want brands that don’t promote expensive pseudoscience or make semi-scientific statements. With a background in science and engineering (Master of Electronic Engineering) Bart is a strong advocate of provable engineering principles . He believes that unscientific claims do not have a place in any sales environment, including AV and with that AV cables. Especially not when it is spread by companies who are knowingly trying to make money out of ordinary people like you and me, spending their hard-earned bucks on something they feel passionate about.Yes, we know that we will rub some people the wrong way with this statement. It is by no means our intention to upset people. We do however believe that as a supplier who often hands out expert information, we have a responsibility to ensure accurate information that is backed up by science is provided.

I am an audiophile.  You could say I’m a very intense listener. The audio encapsulation of my life is not just a hobby it’s my life literally: I eat, sleep and dream audio, and as I work in an audio-visual environment you can say I have the dream job. Yes, you can be jealous now.

Apart from my home reference system, a lot of the listening happens on headphones and my everyday journey to and from work provides the ideal opportunity for me to listen intently to portable music players, portable amplifiers, Digital to analog converters and of course headphones

So, when FiiO announced their new X5 3rd Gen and released info of the product launch I was interested.