Page 12 - AV & Home Cinema

The technology in the hi-fi and AV world has gradually improved to a certain point. Once upon a time, seperation was the only way to achieve the closest thing possible to perfection. Now, that isn't strictly true. In fact, one-box (or at least, fewer box) solutions are becoming ever more desirable, and that's not just down to convenience. Now it's possible to have something that will sound the part regardless of the source... and look the part too.

Case and point...

The Oppo BDP-105D Blu Ray Player

Atmos is the kind of term you'd expect to have a pretty price tag attached to it, afteral Atmos is the full potential of Dolby: three dimensional sound that moves around you. Exactly what all modern cinemas are equipped with to fully immerse the listener in the most realistic way. If you want the truest experience of cinema at home, Dolby Atmos enabled speakers are a wise choice, so naturally it's going to cost... right?

Well, not quite it would seem.

Those are the Onkyo SKH410 Atmos Speakers,

Being wireless has untold benefits, especially in a home AV set up which is likely to already be lousy with wires. Unless you have the time, the room and the budget necessary to build a cinema room with cables behind walls and ceilings, you're going to be dealing with a lot of wires a lot of the time. So knowing that there are wireless options out there must be quite the comfort.

... but not at the detriment of the picture quality. Any true AV fan would take an excess of wires over diminished picture

Much like their namesake, Dali have never been one to go quietly. Their entire brand is full of funky, fresh shapes and even funkier colours, designed to catch your eye just as much as they catch your ear. It was only a matter of time before they joined the soundbar market and added their own unique twist on an already unique concept. And, as the headline suggests, it's available in a whole host of lovely colours.

See?

Those are Dali Kubik One Soundbars One soundbar, many colours. It may well

I have been writing about hi-fi and AV for a few years. When I first started doing so, I would have to explain - at great length - what a soundbar was whenever one came up. Now, they have become such a staple, I no longer need to do so. And they get better and better all the time.

Case and point...

The new Yamaha YSP-2700 Soundbar - a soundbar so advanced and refined, it's being regarded as a new benchmark in the niche.

This sleek model replaces the hugely popular YSP-2500, a soundbar which really

The Yamaha Aventage series is one that we keep coming back to, and for a very good reason. The same reason that Yamaha keep making them better and better, we're sure! Well, home-cinema-lovers, this month is a good month. It sees the release of several new/and or upgraded models within this somewhat legendary series of AV receivers.

They are due to land with us within the next few days, and we're already making some room in stock as we're expecting them to be very popular indeed. There are lots of

A few weeks ago I told you that Focal had added another, larger floorstanding model (the No.3 - read the blog by clicking here) to their high-end Sopra range, which up until that point had consisted of the Sopra No.1 (a bookshelf) and the No.2 (a smaller floorstander). In the same blog, I very unsubtley alluded to Focal's plans to release the models necessary to turn them into a 5.1 system.

Well, guess what? They're here. Three new models which match the current Sopra setup, giving you the makings

When putting together your perfect home cinema set up, it's important not the skimp on the detail. It's too easy to get carried away with the sound systems, the receivers and all of the various options within... so have you stopped to consider which projector would be best for you? We may be hi-fi specialists, but we're keen AV enthusiasts too, so we know our stuff... and we know what usually gets overlooked!

Don't fret, we've done the research, and we have a recommendation that, if you have the

We pride ourselves on showcasing everything both the hi-fi and AV worlds have, from the great value through to the ludicrously and lavishly expensive. Well, I'm happy to report, that today we're focusing on the latter. Although ludicrous is probably the wrong word. Yes, this particular system is expensive, but my my it's worth every pound.

... all 25,000 of them.

That is the KEF Reference 5 5.1 Package, and yes it costs £25k. Well, £24,495 to be more precise, but we like our numbers round and

The Focal Sopra range has enjoyed immense popularity so far with the No. 1 and No. 2 ranges - so it was only a matter of time before there was a new addition to the Sopra family. A high end and rather exquisite addition, as you will see...

There we have it, in its five glorious finishes: the Focal Sopra No. 3 Speakers. High end and yes, high priced, yet worth every penny.

The first speaker within the Sopra range came out just over 12 months ago. It began with the lower-end (for this range) Sopra