The Yamaha RX-A3020 Channel Surround Receiver is perfect for your very own professional style home theater. Constructed from top quality components this receiver allows complete audio customization for a world-class experience!

If you are looking for a great way to add to your existing audio set up, the Atlantic Technology PowerBar 235 will exceed your needs. The slim design is aesthetically impressive, however the real magic begins when you integrate this speaker into your audio setup. The multiple woofers resonate with bass reminiscent of much larger units, while the tweeters’ succinct tones balance out the effect over the entire spectrum. The PowerBar 235 is available now for a limited time at an amazingly low price!

Are you looking  for an even lower profile? The Polk Audio SurroundBar 5000 IHT is an excellent solution! The SurroundBar seamlessly integrates with your flat panel TV. In addition, it has “learning” capabilities, works with your remote, and its Bluetooth capabilities allow you to shed unnecessary cables. Check out the Polk Audio SurroundBar for an amazing deal today.

Giveaway!

Finally, we are excited to announce that we are giving away a pair of Polk Audio UltraFit 3000 headphones! These headphones offer superior durability and feature innovative design, moisture shield, and of course top-quality audio reproduction. Visit the Audioholics Store Facebook Page for your chance to win these $80 headphones!

pursuit of better sound. With the release of their first product (a phono pickup) costing 60% of a typical monthly income at the time, they firmly rooted themselves in the high-end marketplace. By 1966 they had branched out and started making stereo systems that were more affordable to the public. Their legacy of quality and innovation continued on and by 1987 they were a major receiver manufacturer. Onkyo still stands as one of the most respected and innovative audio video companies in the world, one of their most recent triumphs was releasing the first receiver to feature Dolby® TrueHD and DTS-HD® Master Audio support.

Even in the Beginning Onkyo was winning awards, and the accolades haven’t stopped. Three of Home Theater Magazine’s top picks are Onkyo, more than any other receiver manufacturer. Onkyo has also received editor’s choice awards from the likes of Cnet, What Hi-Fi?, Sound and Vision, Home Theater, and Audioholics. Onkyo’s reputation and consistent performance makes us very proud to offer their outstanding products at the Audioholics Store.

Their current lineup covers everything from a $199 iPod dock to a $2499 two-channel amplifier. Their entry-level receiver is the TX-SR313, which even at $279.00 MSRP, still supports all of the cutting-edge features that more expensive units have (ie. HDMI, 3D, 4K, on-screen display, HD Audio, ARC). As you step up the receiver line you gain many more features and higher wattage, as well as network functionality so you can control the receiver using your iPhone or Android phone or stream music through services like Pandora and Spotify. Their TX-NR818 is when you really start to step into the big boys, with support of up to a 9.2 surround sound, THX certification, 4K up-conversion, 3 zones of audio, and ISF calibration controls.

For people who demand the ultimate in two-channel performance, Onkyo has an entire line of reference gear that would fit our high-end speakers, like the MartinLogan Theos. For individuals on the other end of the spectrum they have simple shelf systems with built in CD/Radio, and iPod connectivity. And everywhere in between they have a host of different products, such as Blu-ray players and complete home theater systems.

All in all, Onkyo is one of the leading manufacturers in high quality home theater equipment and we are proud to carry their full product line at the Audioholics Store.

by Cliff Heyne (@Cliff_is)

When it comes to buying speakers for a home theater or surround sound system, there are four general sizes/styles for the main speakers in your system: satellite, bookshelf, floorstanding, and in-wall/in-ceiling. Each style of speaker has pros and cons but can work great. Keep in mind that no matter what style of speakers you choose, you will need a good subwoofer to provide deep bass.

Satellite

Satellite speakers are the smallest out of the four categories. They can be placed almost anywhere, on top of a TV stand or mantle, mounted on the wall, or mounted on the ceiling. Because of their small size they do not produce much bass and typically don’t play as loud as larger speakers. They are also geared towards movies, not music. If space is a premium, you can get great sound out of a satellite speakers system; just don’t skimp on the sub.

Recommendations: Boston Acoustics A 23 , PSB Alpha LR1

Bookshelf

Bookshelf speakers are in-between the size of satellite and floorstanding speakers. They need to be set on something, like a speaker stand or bookshelf. They provide more bass than a satellite style speaker and often times sound fuller and can play louder too. A great bookshelf speaker sounds very similar to a larger floorstanding speaker, but without the price tag or bulk.

Recommendations:  Aperion Verus Grand , Usher Audio S-520

Floorstanding

Choosing what TV wall mount to purchase can be a difficult decision because there are many different sizes, brands, and types of mounts. This guide simply breaks down the three most common types of mounts, full-motion/articulating, tilting, and low profile, and then provides a few tips on what to look for in a good wall mount.

Full-Motion / Articulating

Full-motion wall mounts provide you the ability to pull your TV out from the wall and swivel it any direction. They can also tilt up or down, and push back flat against the wall when you want. These are great for corners or mounting a TV in a cabinet. The arm allows the TV to be pulled to the front of the cabinet. These wall mounts are typically more expensive and slightly more difficult to install than low-profile or tilting options. The length of the arm can vary from 10” to over 30” long. If you plan on mounting in a corner, we recommend at least a 20” arm. Keep in mind that you will need longer cords with a full-motion mount. Also, even when pushed flat against the wall the TV will not be as close to the wall as with a tilting or low-profile mount.

16” to 37” Full-Motion Mount

32” to 47” Full-Motion Mount

37” to 65” Full-Motion Mount

Low-Profile

A low-profile mount is used when you want the TV as close to the wall as absolutely possible. They do not tilt or swivel at all. Low-profile mounts are typically the cheapest of any type of wall mount. Make sure to check the back of your TV before purchasing one of these, in some cases inputs on the TV will prevent you from using a low-profile mount. Furthermore, sometimes the cords can push the bottom of the TV out, making the TV tilt up slightly. Unless you need your TV as close to the wall as possible, we tend to recommend tilting wall mounts over low-profile designs.

13” to 30” Low- Profile Mount

26” to 47” Low-Profile Mount

37” to 65” Low-Profile + Tilting Mount

Tilting

A tilting wall mount is the right choice for most installations. It mounts very close to the wall; in fact many tilting wall mounts are considered “low-profile tilting”. These mounts can typically handle more weight than a full-motion mount and are easier to install. They cannot pull out from the wall, but can tilting up or down so the TV is pointing directly at you. The TV does not actually move higher or lower on the wall. This is a great choice if the TV the being mounted above eye level (which is most of the time).

13” to 30” Tilting Mount

32” to 70” Tilting Mount

27” to 84” Low-Profile + Tilting Mount

Choosing The Proper Size Wall Mount

Every TV and wall mount we carry adheres to the VESA standard for bolt pattern. This means that each wall mount lists what bolt patterns (ie. 100mm x 100 mm up to 280 mm x 150 mm) it works with. By looking at your TV’s manual you can find what bolt pattern your TV has and match that to a compatible wall mount. This method takes out of guess work of wondering if a mount will work for a certain TV. Also, take a look at the weight that the mount supports and make sure that the weight of the TV is within that range

With a little research you should have no problem finding the right wall mount for your situation.

Beats By Dre: The Pill

You already know the iconic Beats By Dre portable headphones. Now the company is launching an ultra-portable speaker known as the Pill. Priced at $199, the speaker isn’t shy about announcing itself as a direct competitor for the Jambox. For more on the Pill, check out this article from TechCrunch.

Where Are We Using Tablets?

Surprise, surprise… Google has the answer. Google researchers have come up with some interesting graphs that show just what people are doing with their iPads and Nexus 7s – and where they’re doing it.

Who knew that playing games on the couch was so popular? Or emailing in bed? Check out more from Google, and see if they have your iPad habits figured out.

iPad Mini Announced

We were all expecting it, but now it’s actually happening. The iPad mini is officially announced, sized at 7 inches, and priced at $329. Though Apple was at first reluctant to enter into the mini-tablet market, the company is now totally on-board. And, we can probably expect them to dominate this market in the future.

New Mac Minis, iMacs, and MacBooks were also announced this month. Just in time for the holidays, right?

Windows Fail

Poor Microsoft. They work so hard, but get no recognition at all. According to research firm Gartner, 90% of businesses will not be using Windows 8 until at least 2014. Bummer, guys. Time for some Angry Birds on the iPad?

What tech news got you most excited this month?

Apple Announces New iPhone 5

Mid-September kicked things off when Apple unveiled its new iPhone 5.  Many experts are touting the new iPhone 5 as the best thing to happen since the iPhone was first introduced.  (Apparently the “sliced bread” benchmark is out.)

There are definitely more changes between the iPhone 5 and its predecessor than between any other versions of the phone.  New features include an extra half-inch of screen space (4 inches long), 20% less weight, a much faster processor, and an impressive 8MP iSight camera.  The phone was officially made available on September 21.  Time will tell how it fares in the hands of the consumer!

Groupon Payment Service Launches

You can now pay at all of those Groupon-affiliated businesses you know and love with more ease than ever before.  Groupon has just launched a payment service that allows businesses to use their iPhones and iPads to accept customers’ credit cards.  Say sayonara to your cash-only woes!

Twitter – New Profile Page Design & iPad App

You can still expect plenty of spam on your Twitter page, but at least it’s going to look better than ever before.  Thanks to some remodeling, the social network is looking pretty snazzy.  Also, a beautiful new iPad app makes Twitter cleaner-looking for tablet fans.

Amazon Kindle Goes Hi-Def

September started off strong with Amazon announcing a high-def version of their popular Kindle device.  Expect to see 62% more pixels on the Kindle Paperwhite e-reader than the current Kindle Touch.  Prices start at $119; devices ship on October 1.

Windows 8 Release Date Announced

October is going to be a big month for Microsoft.  Go ahead and check out this blog post so you know when to mark your calendars.  But, the most exciting news is that the upcoming launch of Windows 8 is slated for October 26.

What September tech news are you most excited about?

Apple vs. Samsung

August was a big month for technology, pulling us up out of a summer slump of slow news. It seems that the Apple vs. Samsung courtroom debacle hogged most of the spotlight (which we’ll get to later), but many other exciting things happened in the final month of summer!

We’d like to start things off with a piece of technology that points fingers at one of the world’s easiest targets: the hipster. iOS app developer, Joe Macirowski, has released an app called Normalize, which reverts Instagrammed pictures back to their original filter-less state. Simple, but clever; we love it!

Also, there have been some official studies released, revealing what we all intuitively knew all along: Windows phones will soon overtake Blackberry phones in the U.S. Of course, how could they not? With the seemingly stagnant Blackberry market festering on the vine, it’s no surprise that Windows’ newer platform is producing many conversions.

But, the real competition is between Apple and Samsung, a competition which Apple quickly won with flying colors (the first verdict, at least). Shortly before the verdict was official, Apple was declared the most valuable company in history, attached to a price tag of $621.64 billion. The company’s valuation is on the rise with the anticipation that’s building behind new products like the iPhone 5 and iPad mini.

Rumors are flying about the new iPad mini, and – as always – the debate rages on about whether this new product will be a success or flop for Apple. Though, given the company’s impressive track record, the former is to be expected.

Speaking of new products and phones, we are especially impressed by this article that discusses five different ways to pay for dinner with your phone. The article reports that mobile transactions are expected to reach an unfathomable $1.3 trillion per year in 2017. Until then, we can count on Square, Google Wallet, Bump, and LevelUp!

That’s it for August, but check in with us in a few weeks, and we’ll cover even more industry changes and news!

PSB Speakers is celebrating its 40^th Anniversary this year. In the four decades since its inception, PSB has grown from a small business into a worldwide operation. The company has earned countless accolades and awards for its products from Stereophile, Sound & Vision, Electronics House, CES Innovations, and several other respected audio publications. PSB has stayed true to its philosophy, and has maintained the same manufacturing integrity and principles since it was founded. Their unwavering dedication to sound quality has yielded exceptional speakers that can hold their own against any of the top brands in the world. PSB’s customer base has always been fiercely loyal, and it continues to grow as its name has become synonymous with quality in the audio industry.

PSB’s lineup of speakers begins with the entry-level Alpha series, which provides exceptional “bang for the buck” and a host of installation options. Its CLR1 can be used in a variety of applications, as a center channel, or front channel speaker. The Alpha series also features a T1 tower speaker, C1 center channel, B1 bookshelf and a smaller LR1 monitor that is well suited for surround and wall-mount applications.

The Image series offers exceptional value with technology inherited from PSB’s flagship Synchrony and Imagine series models. The Image speakers feature slender cabinets with high-output woofers and titanium tweeters. There are a full range of options with two sizes of towers and center channel speakers, three sizes of bookshelf speakers and a dedicated surround speaker with a bipole design. These options allow you to build a home theater system for any application. We have put together some recommended PSB home theater packages, but you can mix and match components to create your own system for any sized room.

The Imagine Series of speakers is truly beautiful, with elegant compound curved cabinets that will look remarkable in any interior. These speakers sound even better than they look, producing jaw-dropping performance in two-channel and home theater applications. The Imagine series has earned many awards and accolades, earning an Editor’s Choice award from Sound & Vision, as well as making the Stereophile list of recommended products.

PSB speakers represent the pinnacle of authentic live-sound reproduction. If you are in the market for top quality speakers and equipment that does not sacrifice quality for price, shop at Audioholics Store for the complete selection of PSB Speakers!

The Bad

Sony Smart Watch

There’s no better place to begin than with the brand new Sony Smart Watch, touted as “maybe the worst thing Sony has ever made” in one of the funniest product reviews of all time, written by Sam Biddle over at Gizmodo.

As one commenter points out, “So it’s an iPod nano with a wriststrap.”  Biddle is quick to reply, “Not at all – this thing is complete garbage, the Nano is not.” Essentially, the idea behind Sony’s watch was to create a smartphone that you could wear on your wrist.  However, you have to keep your phone tethered to the watch at all times, which means you’re still carrying it with you.

On top of the fact that Sony expects everyone to be able to maintain a Bluetooth connection (have they ever tried this themselves?), the touch screen on the Smart Watch just doesn’t work.  Watching the Gizmodo video is painful, as they can’t even get proper product demonstrations.

The Good

Fortunately, it hasn’t been a month of tech flops.  Here are a few of the exciting happenings going on in the tech world:

OS X Mountain Lion

Apple launched its most powerful operating system yet, OS X Mountain Lion.  One of the coolest features is the ability to dictate text (a feature previously only available with the iPad and iPhone). Also, the new iCloud technology built into Mountain Lion is pretty amazing!  If you love your iPhone, you’ll love this new operating system. Mountain Lion is more concrete evidence that smartphone technology is shaping the look and feel of computing in the future.

Google Fiber

Also exciting is the announcement of Google Fiber, which supports bi-directional internet connectivity at 1 gigabit per second (roughly 100 times faster than most broadband connections).  For now, this super-fast internet is only available in the Kansas City area.  Not only does Google Fiber offer incredibly fast Internet speeds, but Google is also using their new technology to provide television service.  Those lucky customers who buy Google Fiber now will also receive a free Nexus tablet.

Internet Explorer for Xbox

Gamers are pumped to hear that the Xbox Live is coming up in the world with Internet Explorer.  You can currently sign up for beta testing with Microsoft.  This is big news for Microsoft/Xbox fans who have previously been restricted from full Internet browsing.  Microsoft is finally catching up with the Wii and PS3 (who both have more than 5 years of web-browsing experience under their belts). Hooray!

What tech news has excited you in July?  Any major flops you see in the forecast?

Here’s the run-down on what’s new:

Apple

The MacBook Pro now boasts the iPad’s stunning Retina display.  With 2800 x 1800 resolution on the 15-inch MacBook Pro, this display is superior to anything ever seen before.  Additionally, the MacBook Pro boasts 2.3 and 2.6 GHz processors that pack plenty of power for nearly all users.

The new iOS 6 also packs a lot of features for iPhone users.  Siri has seen some serious upgrades, integrating with already popular platforms like Yelp and OpenTable.  But, the real news for iOS 6 is Apple’s new mapping software.

Apple fans are eagerly anticipating the new OS X Mountain Lion this July, which will be available at an incredibly affordable price, $19.99.

Windows

Windows fans are excited about all of the new Ultrabooks soon to hit the market.  The dual core 17-watt Ivy Bridge chip is highly anticipated.  The power behind this processor is expected to double the speed of video encoding!

And, of course, we’d be remiss not to include Windows 8, Microsoft’s latest operating system.  While it still isn’t making it’s official debut until the fall, there’s been a lot of hype surrounding the product this past month.

Lastly, Microsoft gets the final word with their newly announced Surface, a tablet with an integrated keyboard.  It will be interesting to see how this product does against Apple’s popular and recently updated iPad.

All in all, it’s a big summer for the world of tech.  And, as usual, the public’s appetite is partially sated.  However the enticing promises of July and this coming fall are keeping everyone on the edge of their seats!

Ford

For something that drives a little bit away from the world of computers, check out Ford’s latest additions to the technological marketplace. Ford has actually had a relatively negative presence in the automotive world recently – most notably due to the fact that the 2000 Ford Focus has been recalled a whopping 10 times this year.

But recently Ford has had more positive things to add to the equation, including the potential addition of a car that drives itself in traffic jams.  Of course, the car has not been released yet – Ford has just announced that such a thing could be a reality in five years, however!

This will definitely keep car enthusiasts on the edge of their seats – or perhaps sitting back more comfortably in traffic jams, as the case may be!

Google

To get back into the world of computer technology, you might be amazed at Google’s new computerized glasses.  That’s right – Google has just made living in a virtual world a reality.  Of course, the glasses are only available to developers who attended Google’s I/O conference earlier this week, but the possibilities are clearly endless.

The developers were able to test “sky diving” while wearing the glasses and the response was overwhelmingly positive.  Who knows what Google will come up with next?