Win an iPod Dock from The Speaker Company

The Speaker Company (tSc) is giving away 2 iPod docks in their “Why I need a Free iPod Dock” essay contest. Contestants need to write a 100 – 150 word essay (pretty reasonable) stating why they need a Free iPod dock.  Sounds easy enough. The contest rules can be found here. The entry form can be found here.

Outdoor Speaker Disguised as a Grecian Vase, You Gotta See This!

For those who are seeking to add a high quality outdoor speaker system to their residence, but that do not wish to go for broke in the process, there are some options that you have before you. Now factor the costs associated with purchasing and installing an outdoor speaker system in your home against finding outdoor speakers that will blend into their surroundings, virtually unnoticed, and most people will give up on trying being frugal when approaching this assignment. But not us! For the budget-minded shopper, (we being the epitome of this) the saying of ‘where there is a will there is way’ constantly rings true in the stack of deal bells inside of our collective noodles. That being said, why not find a great deal on outdoor speakers that will virtually blend into their surroundings and provide a high quality output, but not with an enormous price tag attached; easier said than done, for certain. But that did not stop us from finding this outdoor speaker that is creatively disguised as a decorative Grecian vase.

All Weather High Fidelity PS830 Omni Greek Vase Speaker
This weather-resistant outdoor speaker comes inside of a high quality Grecian vase that will look great in most outdoor residential settings. The speaker boasts two 1.5” Mylar cone tweeters, and an 8” Polypropylene Woofer that offers a 360 degree omni horizontal dispersion pattern. It is capable of booming up to 300-watts with a sensitivity of about 90dB. And, it comes with a three year limited warranty. Now typically you would pay about $650 for this puppy. But some online merchants are currently selling this outdoor speaker for around $199-$299 online.

Features & Specs
• Weather Resistant
• Two 1.5” Mylar cone tweeter
• 8” Polypropylene Woofer with 360 degree omni horizontal dispersion pattern
• Impedance: 8 Ohms
• Recommended Amplifier Power: 300W
• Frequency Response: 40Hz – 21kHz +/-3dB
• Sensitivity: 90.5 dB 
• Dimensions: 14.6″ L x 13.2″ W x 16″ H
• 3 Year Limited Warranty

The Bottom Line:
You will not find a better deal on disguised outdoor speakers than this sweet vase speaker. High quality construction and a solid warranty, not to mention being able to get your hands on it for about 40-60% off online, makes this a surefire budget-minded purchase in our books. Of course the power amplifier will cost you extra, not to mention wiring and such, but hey, who is counting!

20% off Everything at The Speaker Company

The Speaker Company is offering an incredible 20% off everything in their store with coupon code Most15 (case sensitive). Bookshelf speakers, Tower speakers, On-wall, In-wall speakers and a great selection of 5 different subwoofers including their T300 dual 10″ subwoofer with 300 watts for only $303.97 with free shipping, 30 day trial and free return shipping. You can’t loose on this one. While you’re their check out their product reviews on their site and on Bizrate.com.

The Most expensive home theatre system We Could Find!

Think life in the fast lane is expensive, lauded and posh? Yep, you are most certainly right. The lifestyles of the uber-rich are always decadent, lovely and uppity. And the rich have the financial means to enjoy some of the most extravagant toys that one could ever dream or think of. So should it really come as any surprise, to anybody that famous music engineer and producer, Jeremy Kipnis, owns a $6-Million dollar home theatre system? Not really, even though the price tag is a bit steep, hey who is counting when you rake in the dough every month right? Needless to say, we were a bit intrigued and decided to take a bit of a closer look at just what six million smackers can buy you for a home theatre these days, and rest assured it’s pretty damned fine!

Viewing
Let’s start off with the viewing. Using a Sony SRX-S110 Professional Video Projector which offers amazing 4,096-by-2,160 clarity, ten times that of a standard HD TV, and all blasted upon a very large Stewart 18-by-10-foot Snowmatte 1.0 Gain Laboratory-Grade Motion Picture Screen, movies are as big as they are in the theatre and more realistic than ever before. Of course a Blu-Ray player, PS3 console and other goodies compliment one of the largest in-home screens in the world.

Total Viewing Specs:
Sony SRX-S110 Professional Video Projector (4,096-by-2,160)
Stewart 18-by-10-foot Snowmatte 1.0 Gain Laboratory-Grade Motion Picture Screen
Players and Sources:
Sony BDP-S1 Blu-ray Player
Sony PlayStation 3 Gaming Console
Toshiba HD-XA1 HD DVD Player
JVC HMDH-5U D-VHS Recorder
SATA Drive (72 HDTV Hours Total)
Mark Levinson Reference N°33 and N°33H.
Pioneer HLD-X0 Hi-Vision HDTV MUSE Laserdisc Player
Surround Processing and Decoding:
Theta Digital Generation VIII 32-bit 8x Oversampling Dual Processors (13)

Power
Using signature Mark Levinson N° 33h, McIntosh MC-2102 Amplifiers and Crown Macro Reference Gold Amplifiers, the theatre sounds come to live as each woofer, mid and tweeter has its own dialed in amplifier to direct the perfect signal at the right amounts of power. No getting out cheap here, the amplifier setup is worth its weight in gold, actually more!

Amplifiers:
Mark Levinson N° 33h Amplifiers (2)
McIntosh MC-2102 Amplifiers (30)
Crown Macro Reference Gold Amplifiers (3)

Sound
Okay, this is where it gets really crazy. The theater is equipped with count them, 16 Snell 1800 THX Music & Cinema Reference Subwoofers, 8 Snell THX Music & Cinema Reference Towers, 10 MuRata ES103A Super Tweeters and 3 Snell THX Music & Cinema Reference LCR-2800 Center-Channel Speakers. So basically, as you can see in the picture, you are entirely surrounded by some of the highest quality speakers in the world that are being driven by the best amplifiers money can buy.

Speakers:
Snell 1800 THX Music & Cinema Reference Subwoofers (16)
Snell THX Music & Cinema Reference Towers (8)
MuRata ES103A Super Tweeters (10)
Snell THX Music & Cinema Reference LCR-2800 Center-Channel Speakers (3)

The Bottom Line
This home theatre is pricey and very impressive. However for six million dollars, we would much rather own our own real theatre and be earning the big bucks off that venture. But we must say, this is the nicest home theatre system that we will probably ever see, and that it can easily rank amongst the world’s finest. Of course, stomaching the price is quite another story. But when you are uber-rich, who cares, or even thinks about money, right?

How to Select the Right Home Audio System for Your Needs (Part Four) The Run-Down!

To finalize this four-part series on how to select the right home audio system for your needs, and continuing where ‘Part Three’ left off, we will now give a brief summary of everything that has been divulged and what exactly you need to do to find the best deals and the highest quality home audio system for your needs. You always want to take your time when choosing the right home audio system, its going to be in your home for quite some time. So relax, shop confidently and shop easy, and really hunt for the best bargains and deals on the best home audio systems currently available, and you will be happy in the end that you took the time to make the right decisions on the right purchases that will give you years of listening enjoyment in the future.

Assessing Your Needs
Make sure that you read everything in ‘Part One’ and have properly assessed your needs as far as a home audio system goes.  Do you need that illustrious 1000-watt monster for your apartment living room, or will less powerful and less costly system that delivers as much clarity suffice? Don’t over buy. This generally results in a system that is far too powerful for your living room and one that you will never truly be able to utilize the full power of without getting a noise complaint filed against you. Check out the link below, as supplied in ‘Part One’ to better reassess this process. Remember, buy according to your needs, and the size of the room that you wish to place the audio system in.

How to Determine What you Need

Speaker Placement
In ‘Part Two’ we talked about the importance of speaker placement, and indeed it is the deciding factor of how great your system will sound. Remember, the center speaker should be placed above the TV, or beneath it, depending on what type of a TV you have, and should be in the direct center. Left and right front speakers should be placed at least six feet apart and should have equal distance between each speaker and the center speaker. Your rears should be placed at least 2-3 feet above ear level and towards the back of the room, generally above the couch you sit on. Any extra satellite speakers should be placed on the right and left sides of the room in the middle. Use the chart to the right for a diagram on proper speaker placement, or use the link below that was supplied in the previous entry regarding this.

Free Guide To Practical Home Speaker Placement

Shopping for Bargains & Deciding On A System
You never want to rush into a decision to buy a home theatre or a home audio system. Rather, take your time and shop around. Make sure that you purchase only high quality speakers that are encased in wood and match the finish of your home interior. Assure that the domes are made of high quality silver or aluminum and that the speakers provide the maximum amounts of magnetic shielding. Finally, make sure that your speakers provide at least a 125 Hz – 20 kHz frequency range, or better. And lastly, assure that the subwoofer you are purchasing is self-powered and that your speakers match the impedance rating and ohms of the amplifier that you purchase. 

In ‘Part Three’ we also talked about shopping for the best deals on speakers. Do this by taking your time and looking around at the best deals to be had on the internet. Never just buy locally. Generally you will overpay, have to pay sales tax and have to pay for their ridiculous retail markup. Loop for free shipping deals and use shopping comparison search engines to find the deals for you, like this shopping comparison search engine. Finally, our last bit of advice here is to make sure that the system that you buy comes with a solid all-parts and all-labor warranty, so you do not have to worry about it breaking on you in the future.

The Bottom Line
You can easily find and buy the best home audio or home theater system for your needs. But you want to make sure that you know what you are doing and what you are looking for by first educating yourself on the best systems, the best deals and what to look for in speaker quality. By doing this, and by taking your time to shop around for the right system at the right price, you will be able to net yourself an awesome deal on a home audio system that you can enjoy for years to come.

How to Select the Right Home Audio System for Your Needs (Part One)

We have commonly heard people fretting over what the best home audio system is for their residence. Many times we see people run out to the store and purchase an illustrious system that costs thousands of dollars and they will never even get to enjoy half of the features or the true spectrum of sound that the system is capable of. Essentially, we feel, this is money that is wasted. So, instead, we decided to create this multi-part blog about how to select the right home audio system for your needs, and with a budget in mind. No more over-buying that tower of speakers that you will never use half the power of. Learn how to shop for and purchase the right home audio system for your needs, on your budget, and start enjoying true home cinema today.

Determining your needs
Before you run out to the store and spend all of your hard earned loot on the home audio system that you may not really need, the first step is determining exactly what your home audio needs truly are. What type of a home do you live in: apartment, condo, house, mansion and so on? Obviously, those with a smaller domicile are going to need a system that delivers less power and takes up far less space than those whose living room has thirty foot tall ceilings.

How to Determine What you Need

Deciding on the speakers
Take this into consideration. You want at least 50-watts of power per speaker and you want a subwoofer that has its own power supply so that it does not drain power from your amplifier. Generally smaller rooms will be louder than a war with 50-watts pumping out the speakers. But medium-sized and larger rooms and rooms that have vaulted ceilings are going to require a bit more amps to really sound good. For a medium-sized room considered a 100-watts per speaker and a 150-watt subwoofer and for those monster living rooms with vaulted ceilings consider 150-watts+ per speaker and a monstrous, booming 250-watt sub.

More Speaker Tips

The Bottom Line
You never want to spend more than you have to for more than you need, that is just wasting money. Buy assuring that you are buying the power outputs that you need, you will both maximize your listening experience and minimize the impact of your purchase on your budget. We will delve into how to find deals on speakers and equipment in ‘Part Two’ of this blog. For now, just keep in mind that more is not necessarily better. And that name-brands offer about the same quality as less-known brands that charge less and equally deliver.

Get More FREE Home Audio Advice Here

Video Advice and Tips on Shopping for a Home Audio Theatre System
This shopping professional demonstrates the ins and the outs, the dos and the don’ts when it comes to shopping for and finding the best deals on the best home audio and or home theatre systems for your needs. Don’t let yourself fall pretty to the high prices of the local retail juggernauts. Instead, take this guy’s advice and learn how to find the best deals that can ever be found, the highest quality home audio equipment to be found. And kick back, and enjoy the best home audio experience that you money can buy you.

Tips on Choosing the Right Outdoor Speakers

There is no better way than to compliment your pristine backyard, and add a soundly fervor to your parties and get-togethers, and all social hosting that you take part in, than by purchasing and installing some high quality outdoor speakers to compliment your backyard and really bring some tunes to it. Think about what you are missing out on. Saturdays by the pool with your favorite music playing, or parties that you host every so often, no need to pull the boom box out of the closet. No matter what your needs for quality outdoor speakers are, you will surely want to know what you are looking for when the time comes to buy them. So we thought it relevant to guide you with this blog.

 

What types of outdoor speakers are right for your needs?

There are hundreds of varieties of outdoor speakers, and they come in all shapes and sizes, some even disguised as rocks or bushes. First identify what your needs are, and keep in mind that the crazier the speakers are disguised, and the more power that they can handle, generally the more costly that they will be. Here are some good things you want to keep in mind before purchasing any outdoor speakers. And, before you pull out that credit card, make sure you know what you are looking for. Check out this handy outdoor speaker guide.

 

Some things to consider when buying outdoor speakers

• How much money do they cost, versus power they emit and speaker size?
• Are they easily installed or do you have to pay for professional installation?
• Are they water and weather-proof/resistant?
• Will they look good in your backyard or stand out?
• What type of warranty do they come with?

Differences between weather-resistant and weather-proof

You want to look for outdoor speakers that offer the maximum amount of insulation around the speaker cone itself. While it is nearly impossible to entirely protect any outdoor speaker from moisture seeping in, you can find ones that offer better protection than others. Look for weather-proof versus weather-resistant. Generally, the outdoor speakers that are weather-proof will have a higher amount of insulation around the cone and the wires and will offer more protection and longevity than those that are merely weather-resistant; think along the lines of water-proof watches, versus water-resistant watches and you will have the right idea in mind. Here are some good lines of weather-proof and weather-resistant speakers to consider.

 

Installing Those Outdoor Speakers

This awesome video (below), courtesy of Audioholic Magazine, demonstrates step-by-step exactly how to install in-wall and on-the-wall speakers, including those that you would buy for outdoor usages. Now that you are in the know of what types of speakers you should buy for outdoor speakers, know how to install them properly the first time, when the pros teach you how a simple and easy step at a time. Your parties and get-togethers will never be the same again.

 

We Compare Two Home Theatre Speaker Combos, Lower Cost Wins!

When it comes to buying a home theatre speaker system setup you want to look for several things for sure. One, what are the consumer reviews on the current product set and are they favorable? Two, how much does this home theatre speaker system cost and how does the price compare to other home theatre setups. Finally, what warranty does it come with and is the brand reputable? And, how do the speakers stack up to speaker reviews? Well we are pleased to show you two more picks that we found. And while there is indeed a noticeable price gap, we found these two to be our picks of the day.

ACHT-200 5.1 Home Theater Speakers
These slick, black beauties are certain to compliment any home theatre perfectly. Made of finished hard wood, and consisting of a six piece, 5.1 surround sound speaker set that is capable of both clarity and power, but will not drain your wallet. Power 6.5” subs will bring to life the intensity of the movies that you are watching. Magnetically shielded satellite speakers assure minimum inference. And the industry standard warranty covers you on parts and labor, so no worries. Oh yeah, they also come with a thirty day trial period, where you can send them back if you are not happy with the sound; they hook up to any audio receiver. Well priced online from $100-$200.

Specs:
• 6 Piece 5.1 Surround
• 3 3/4 ” Woofer Satellite
• 3 3/4 “Woofer Center Channel (x2)
• 3/4″ Silk Dome Tweeter (per speaker)
• 40 Hz – 20 kHz System Frequency Range
• 6.5″ inch Sub Woofer
• Magnetically Shielded (Satellite’s)
• Industry standard all-parts all labor warranty

Onkyo SKS-HT240 Home Theater Speaker Kit
The speakers are pretty and come in the standard black lacquer finish. Consisting of two front speakers, two surround speakers, a center speaker and powered subwoofer. They come with all of the necessary cables, so hooking this system up is a breeze. Each speaker can blare 100-watts at 8-ohms, and the woofer is monster powered 150-watt juggernaut. A good warranty also compliments these but there is no trial period for returns, so once you buy them, their yours! You can find these speakers online but expect to pay handsomely for the clarity and power: To the tune of $399-$499.

Specs:
• Speaker System includes: 2 x Front Speakers / 2 x Surround Speakers / 1 x Surround Back Speaker / Center Speaker / Subwoofer / Speaker Cables / Subwoofer Cable / Onkyo
• Each of 6 Channel surround speakers is capable of handling up to 100 Watts per channel at 8 Ohms / The subwoofer has its own power, rated at 150 watts
• 2 Front Speakers: 3 1/8″ Cone Woofer x 3, 1″ Balanced Dome Tweeter – 5 1/8″ x 19 11/16″ x 3 9/16″ / 1 Center Speaker: 3 1/8″ Cone Woofer x 2, 1″ Balanced Dome Tweeter – 17 5/16″ x 5 1/8″ x 3 9/16″ / 3 Surround Speakers: 3 1/8″ Cone Woofer x 1, 1″ Balanced Dome Tweeter – 5 1/8″ x 13 3/8″ x 3 9/16″
• Frequency Response: 55 Hz – 35 KHz (Front Speakers) / Frequency Response: 65 Hz – 35 kHz (Center and Surround Speakers)
• Powered Subwoofer: 150 Watt Amplifier, 8″ Cone Woofer, Auto Standby Function – 10 13/16″ x 20 3/8″ x 16 3/16″
• Frequency Response: 27 Hz – 150 Hz (Subwoofer)
• Industry standard all-parts all labor warranty

The Bottom Line
While both speaker systems for home theatre come from reputable brands that offer clarity, high quality construction and decent warranties, the price is the biggest farce we have seen. How can two systems that are so comparable in many features be so differently priced? So while we don’t want to knock the Onkyo system, we will say that if it was our in-store charge card being run up, the ACHT-200 would be what the receipt read.

Learn How to Setup that Brand New Home Theatre System
So you just ran out and dropped a decent amount of your money on a brand new, state-of-the-art home theatre system, only there is one problem: You have no clue on how to hook everything up properly. No worries, we hear this all the time, which is why the below video, courtesy of Expert Village, details exactly how you do this.

Find the Best Deals on Audio Products Online, Here is How!

Amidst these times of economic turmoil, it is for certain that most consumers out there are biting the bullet when it comes to opening their checkbook up and spending money. In turn, many of the people who are shopping tend to veer away from the local superstores that may offer a nearby convenience but which amenities are also dwarfed by the industry standard 200-300% retail markup on their products. As a result of the recent credit crunch, many people who are seeking new home audio systems, devices or theatres, are actually turning to the World Wide Web in droves, trying to find the best products. But sometimes the best “Advertised” deals on the internet are not really in ‘your’ best interests. So we thought it necessary to cut you in on the real shenanigans that take place online, to better help you to find the best home audio deals available.

Finding Bargains
The first step in getting great deals home audio online is how you conduct your shopping schemes. You want to actually find several shopping comparison search engines, and let them do the work for you. Shopping comparison search engines are search engines that only shop for products on major websites that sell them. They rate the merchant and the customers can enter feedback, which you can read and determine which merchants are the most reputable and which ones are offering the best available price and terms, like shipping and returns, etc.

Here are some good shopping comparison search engines to help get you started:
• www.netrate.com
• www.bizrate.com
• www.shopping.com
• www.shopzilla.com

Look for online coupons and deals:
You can generally find plenty of great deals on popular coupon portals that will offer you a one-time, online bargain. Deals like free shipping, 20% and so on.

Here are a few good coupon portals:
www.couponmountain.com
www.mycoupons.com
www.retailmenot.com

What to Look For
Once you have an idea of the type of home audio products that you are seeking to purchase, you want to keep your eyes peeled for several things that will assure you have the most successful online shopping experience. Always look at the rating of the merchant and the customer reviews on the products that you are looking to buy. Customers, like you and me, will tell you the whole truth on whether or not a product is worthwhile. Finally, make certain that you only do business with reputable online speaker merchants that offer a high level of customer service and the best deals, not to mention a secured website.

Here is your online merchant checklist:
• Secured website, hacker tested daily
• Favorable customer rating
• Favorable merchant rating
• Dense inventory of quality products
• Comparable online deals
• Free shipping
• Satisfaction guaranteed policy
• Easy returns policy
• Offers tollfree number and customer support
• Accepts all forms of online payments
• Has a history of being in business at least five years
• Is local to the United States, or your country of origin
• Sells products that come with a good warranty

How to Find the Best Online Shopping Deals
This dynamic duo reviews all of the dos and the don’ts when shopping online for bargains. Learn from the insiders the best ways and places that you can find the greatest deals and savings. No longer must you wonder how to do it. This video teaches you how and it’s free to watch!

Two In-wall and In-ceiling Speakers That Are Nearly Invisible and Cheap!

For those of you who are looking to modify your existing home theatre setup at home and without breaking the bank in the process, there are some nifty ideas that you can toss around in that noggin of yours. One of the most frequented complaints that you will hear about home theatre systems is the amounts of space that they take up in the home and that the speakers can tend to get in the way. No problem. What you need are some handy in-wall or in-ceiling speakers that both pack a punch, offer easy installation and will not break your wallet into pieces. With that being said, here are two alterative options that will allow you to effectively minimize the space that your speakers take up by using these speakers by TSC.

 

IC-8 – Pair 8″ In-Ceiling Speakers
This awesome pair of in-ceiling speakers certainly will make your ears think twice. That is because the sound that emanates from them is so clear you will swear you are hearing sound from a larger speaker. These IC-8s use an 8” polypropylene woofer, which commands loud and resonating booms, complimented by a 1” silk dome tweeter which easily balances the mid’s and the highs. The best part, aside from easy installation, is the price; well priced online from about: $59.99.

Specs:
• Bass Driver(s)
• Mid-Woofer(s) 8″ Polypropylene
• Midrange Driver(s)
• Tweeter type 1″ Silk Dome
• Magnetic Shielding No
• Performance
• Frequency Response 65 Hz – 20 kHz
• Impedance in Ohms 8
• Power handling (watts) 35 – 70
• Sensitivity 87 dB
• Dimensions
• Diameter 10 1/16″
• Depth 3 3/16″
• Weight per speaker 3.75 lbs

 

IW-8 – Pair 8″ In-Wall Speakers
For those who are seeking optimal customization of their home audio or home theatre system, these nearly invisible in-wall speakers will do the job perfectly. Like the above speakers we just talked about, amazing bass clarity is heard through the 8” polypropylene woofers, and the highs are as clear as they come using a 1” silk dome tweeter. These puppies also come with a mounting kit, but the best part is their low online price. Well priced online from about: $69.97.

Specs:
• Mid-Woofer(s) 8″ Polypropylene
• Tweeter type 1″ Silk Dome
• Magnetic Shielding No
• Performance
• Frequency Response 60 Hz – 20 kHz
• Impedance in Ohms 8
• Power handling (watts) 35 – 70
• Sensitivity 87 dB
• Dimensions
• Outer Dimensions H/W/D 14 1/16 ” X 10″ X 3.4″
• Inner Dimensions H/W* 12 6/8″ X 8 6/8″
• Weight per Speaker 4.7 lbs

How to install in-ceiling and in-wall speakers
This awesome video—courtesy Audioholics Magazine—demonstrates how to professionally install high quality in-wall or in-ceiling speakers like the two above we have reviewed. Now that you have your hands on the quality speakers that you need, it is time to get those screamers installed, here is how you do that!

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