Onkyo getting acquired

[JJB70]

The Yarra is being shipped now.

Interesting, it would be good to listen to one as if it lives up to some of the promise it will be an ideal solution for many.

 

[PaulZH]

Interesting, it would be good to listen to one as if it lives up to some of the promise it will be an ideal solution for many.

https://www.kickstarter.com/project...advanced-3d-audio-system-in-the/posts/2511427.
I will report when I have received mine.

 

[Sal1950]

The only thing in this post I would take issue with is that I think that comparing labels at Best Buy is probably a more rational way to select a receiver than reading magazine reviews.

What magazine reviews? Ah, that's the problem, for the most part no one is holding the manufacturers feet to the fire.
But there are some good guys out there. Gene DellaSala and Audioholics is one you can mostly count on and if folks do their homework there is some solid info. (sadly not near enough). A couple examples on the issues we've discussed.

"Instead of publishing unclipped full bandwidth power with at least two-channels driven into 8 ohm loads per FTC mandate, many of the major AV receiver manufacturers are now touting power with only one-channel driven, at 1kHz, into a 6 ohm load at up to 10% distortion."

https://www.audioholics.com/audio-amplifier/power-manipulation-in-av-receivers
https://www.audioholics.com/audio-amplifier/product-managing-receiver-platforms-power-ratings

But even there, you have to read between the lines. I believe advertiser power is still having some influence.
https://www.audioholics.com/how-to-shop/best-receivers-2018

 

[GGroch]

Absolutely Sal. In the 70s-90s objective measurement was an expected part of nearly all mainstream magazine reviews. Google Hirsch-Houck Labs. The linked article mentions Hirsch copying his measurements manually into spreadsheets. I remember copying them into comparative spreadsheets to provide to my salespeople. Seems quaint now. My guess is that as Audio/Video enthusiast magazine circulations dropped it became harder for them to be objective with reviews of advertiser's products.

Stereophile is one of the few that regularly measures...but note while they measured the PSaudio Sprout in 2015, they left that out of their 2018 review of the Sprout100, which I guess they now consider a lifestyle accessory rather than serious audio component. If a Hirsch or Amirm report was attached to every subjective review products would be designed and advertised quite differently.

 

[LightninBoy]

Never said a soundbar couldn't sound good. With quality drivers, amplification, and well designed digital manipulation some amazing wizardry is possible. But consider the big picture of multich playback, both music and movie based. The engineer at the board was placing objects in a soundfield not only L & R, but front to rear creating a 360 soundfield of a specific nature that was the engineers intend. Without speakers placed in the full 5.1 channel positions no amount of digital wizardry is going to reproduce the 360 image with a small spread of speakers front and center. I won't even bother to discuss the immersive effects possible with overhead speakers and Atmos or DTS-X coding.
Simulating the 360 imaging of a good 5.1 or better rig with a single small box up front can't be done. It's like trying to make a single mono speaker create a full stereo image just by adding some digital tricks.. Soundbars are a major compromise of the intended multich reproduction designed for the lifestyles, not a quality surround sound replacement.

Tell Dr Floyd Toole he can dump his system for a $299 soundbar. LOL

Ok ... did anyone else experience a little vertigo when looking at that picture? I'm not used to seeing full size speakers mounted upside down.

 

[RayDunzl]

Ok ... did anyone else experience a little vertigo when looking at that picture? I'm not used to seeing full size speakers mounted upside down.

Shhh!

You're not supposed to notice that!