Our Blog – Technical Articles
The latest updates and product reviews from the team @ Rapallo. Includes insights and technical tips to help your Audio or Visual project.
Customer Story: Problems are there to be solved
We get requests to design a free AV plan for our customers on a regular basis. Most of the time it is the budget, the room and some preferences in use and brands that do the talking, but every now and then there are some additional requests on the wish list. So what do you do…
Does money buy better performance for AV products?
A few weeks ago we bumped into an article claiming that most audiophiles and home theatre lovers actually do not live on a big budget. It is just where their priorities are. It is what they choose to spend their ‘sanity money’ on. It got us thinking however; for which purchases do you splash out…
Dual magic
One of the suggestions sometimes made on forums when discussing subwoofers is ‘going dual’. Subwoofer specialists SVS are big fans of running dual subwoofers whenever possible, and they recon they can be a great upgrade to any home theater or music system. We were allowed to borrow this excellent SVS newsletter on dual subwoofers to…
How to calculate the correct power for your amp? (part2)
How to calculate the correct power for your amp? (part2) Last week we chewed our way through the technical background…
How to calculate the correct power for your amp? (part1)
How to calculate the correct power for your amp? (part1) This is a question that we get on a regular…
Controversial and important-Cables and stuff
Here’s a question for you: What is the oldest profession in the world? Nah…not what you think: it is the cable guy! How else did God get the light to go on that very first day of creation?Now that I have your attention and all joking aside… a factor that is commonly overlooked in choosing…
Introducing the SVS Prime satellite 5.1 Speaker System
Compact speaker systems have a reputation of being easy on the eye and budget, but compromising on sound quality. Wrong! We introduce the SVS Prime satellite 5.1 system.
Home theatre projector buyer’s guide part I
Buying a home theater projector can seem daunting. There are many models on the market at any given time. But where do you start in determining which projector is the right one for you? The key, as with anything, is to find out what you need. What it boils down to is to determine your…
Home theatre projector buyer’s guide part II
The second part of our Rapallo Home Theatre Projector buyers guide. We discuss LCD/DLP/LCoS, budget and installation in this blog.
Epson LS10000 demo night
The invitations had gone out a few weeks before. It was the first demo night for Rapallo at its new location in East Tamaki. On June 18th, Nick, Bram and Bart showcased the new Epson LS10000 laser projector. Due to the strong interest from our Rapallo customers, the Rapallo team organised 3 sessions at 5,…
The Art of 3D Sound and how your projection screen matters
Remember how the world of audio was turned upside down when Stereo sound was introduced and Mono was abandoned? Well, we are about to experience a similar sound revolution.We are talking about 3D sound or Immersive Surround Sound, which comes in 3 formats you may be familiar with: AURO-3D, which hasn’t really caught on in…
How to choose a projection screen?
When it comes to setting up a great video projection system in your home theatre, the screen is nearly as important as the projector. A white wall or sheet simply won’t do, except in a pinch as a temporary stopgap. There’s no substitute for the real thing.But choosing the right real thing requires research, together…
Projectors versus big TV
Even though movie tickets can run $20 a pop, people still line up for premieres. One reason: The enormous screen. It’s so much easier to lose yourself in a movie when the action takes place on a 200-inch screen than when it’s displayed on the 50-incher you might have at home. So do you choose…
HDMI Converters & Cables
HDMI, in its all its glory, has profoundly changed the audio video world offering high resolution audio and high definition video through a single cable.HDMI has been out for sometime, has gone through a few updates and advancements, and is well set to become the one and only standard on your display devices as time…
HDMI over Cat 5/6 Extender’s
When wanting to send an HDMI signal over greater distances within your home there are three common options to go for: direct HDMI cable, wireless HDMI and HDMI over Cat 5/6 extenders.The best solution so far in my opinion would be using a quality HDBaseT or similar single cat extender for a number of reasons,…
HDMI Matrix Switchers
Home automation and sound distribution is no longer in the realms of science fiction – nowadays it is possible to have complete control of lighting, media systems, home audio, heating/air con, security systems, all nicely integrated into an easy to control software available at your fingertips anywhere throughout the home.
HDMI Audio Return Channel (ARC)
What is ARC (Audio Return Channel)?Audio return channel, or ARC, is a technology which allows sound to travel back to your ARC enabled AV receiver or sound bar, from your television.How does it work?
Do projection screens really differ?
One person wrote recently that he was looking at three fixed-frame projector screens. All of them white, all of them the same size. One was $1800, one was $1200, and one was $600. Is there really any difference between them, or is it all just marketing?
The Cabinet & the Subwoofer
I’m in the interesting position of telling you how to do something with a subwoofer that you shouldn’t do. No, it’s not illegal. But in the ears of those for whom sound quality is more important than ergonomics, décor, and/or domestic tranquility, it’s definitely heretical.
The Art of Subwoofer Placement
What’s the best location for my subwoofer? Like many things in life, subwoofer placement often involves compromise, and is typically driven by competing variables like décor and visual impact considerations, available floor space, and of course optimal sound quality.
Subwoofers: The Guts and the Glory
Subwoofer design has undergone a revolution. No, the physics of woofers, amplifiers, and enclosures haven’t changed. But new technologies have made it possible to push the bass-ic laws of nature to their limits, such that the best of today’s inexpensive subwoofers can outperform many of the top models from 15 or 20 years ago.
What is HDBaseT?
HDBaseT™ is a technology that delivers high-definition video, audio, Ethernet networking, control signals, and power over a single Category 5E or Category 6 computer networking cable. The technology is meant to be used with consumer electronics and home theater equipment, and has a few benefits that are not offered by other types of connections. The…
Projector Lamp Longevity
Question: Do you have any idea why the colors of an InFocus projector have turned green-blue (or rather lost red) after only 250 hours? Is this an indication of lamp aging?
