Wednesday, July 27, 2011

7+1 Reasons to Purchase Yamaha RXV667

I've always been impressed by Yamaha products and this receiver is no exception. It's a 7.2 channel receiver that packs an insane amount of features into a modest price.

Before I made the purchase, I called Yamaha's customer service guys and asked them a few questions and they were able to answer everything for me. I got right to a person who spoke English and they knew their products (and actually said they had a full lab for testing stuff).

So I bought the receiver and hooked it up to my 3D TV setup, along with my Wii (component), X-box 360 (HDMI), DirecTV DVR (HDMI), Yamaha YDS-12 iPod dock and 3D Blu-ray player (HDMI). It was easy to install and I still have plenty of HDMI inputs left for future expansion. I ran the YPAO auto setup and it was over before I came back from getting a snack in the kitchen. It properly detected all of my 7.2 speakers and everything appears to be working as intended.

I must say that I really love the onscreen GUI menu. It's an animated display that overlays on top of whatever I'm watching, including the 3D content from DirecTV and my BD player.

I wanted a receiver with a powered Zone 2 so I could run a pair of speakers on my porch and this receiver handles that task no problem. Setup was easy, I just followed the PDF owner's manual that came in the box.

I haven't tried the HDMI Audio Return Channel yet, but I do plan on using it in the future.
You have read Yamaha RX-V667 Review. So, will this home theater receiver a right product for you? You can read another honest review HERE or you can read product description & specs below.

Yamaha RXV667 Description

Enjoy the latest in true high-definition entertainment with the Yamaha RXV667 Audio/Video Receiver. In addition to full compatibility with the latest hi-def audio and video codecs, the Yamaha RXV667 offers true 1080p upscaling, plenty of HDMI inputs for all your devices, multizone support, and more--all along with the custom features you'd expect from a Yamaha receiver, such as SCENE setup, YPAO sound optimization, and Virtual CINEMA DSP. Below is 8 reason why this great product will be the best for your home theater.

HDMI and Analog Upscaling to 1080p
Six HDMI inputs (including one front input) and two analog video inputs give you maximum flexibility in your home theater setup all with true 1080p video upscaling. Support for the latest HDMI 1.4 specification gives you rich, 3D video quality with Deep Color, x.v. Color, and Auto Lip-Sync compensation.

Advanced GUI and iPod Album Art Support and Compressed Music Enhancer
When connected to your flat-panel HDTV via HDMI, an advanced GUI overlay becomes available to control your home theater simply and easily. When your iPod or iPhone is connected to the Yamaha RX-V667 via a supported Yamaha iPod dock (sold separately), you can listen to your digital music with Compressed Music Enhancer and view album art while playing.
Compressed Music Enhancer is a sophisticated type of digital signal processing using exclusive algorithms to improve the performance of compressed music formats such as MP3 and WMA. With the Compressed Music Enhancer, highs and especially lows are richer and smoother, bringing music back to life to be as close to the original as possible.

Seven Channels of High-Definition Surround-Sound Audio
The RX-V667 receiver offers 90 watts per channel of rich, high-definition audio with support for the latest sound decoders like HD Audio, Dolby TrueHD, DTS-HD Master Audio, Dolby Digital Plus, and DTS-HD High Resolution Audio. Its discrete amp configuration minimizes signal interference, further enhanced by low-jitter PLL circuitry. The RX-V667's intelligent assignable amplifiers let you perfect your surround sound setup or push a signal to a Zone 2 connection for enjoying in another room.

Achieve Surround Realism with CINEMA DSP
Conventional multichannel audio reproduction systems base their sound on Dolby Digital and DTS decoding, using matrix and steering technologies to create surround sound effects. Yamaha CINEMA DSP is much more advanced, actually creating richly realized independent sound fields that envelop you in an unmatched surround sound experience. With dialogue, music and effects from ideally located in these separate sound fields, you will hear sound with accurate placement, smooth movement, exceptional clarity and richness, and startlingly realistic presence.

SILENT CINEMA and Virtual CINEMA DSP
SILENT CINEMA makes it possible to hear large-scale surround sound through ordinary headphones. This variation of CINEMA DSP technology lets you listen in private to movies and other multi-channel sources for hours without listening fatigue. Virtual CINEMA DSP lets you enjoy the effects of CINEMA DSP surround sound without using surround speakers--handy for use in custom installations where some rooms don't have surround speakers. It can be used with the front / center / presence speakers or even with just the two front left and right speakers.

SCENE Buttons for Quick Control of Your Home Theater
Four SCENE buttons make operating the receiver easier than ever. They are initially set to default settings for DVD Viewing, Disc Listening, TV Viewing and Radio Listening. Pressing a SCENE button automatically launches a number of operations that initiate play of the source controlled by that button. Other SCENE settings are also available, such as iPod Listening, XM Listening, TV Sports Viewing and Action Game Playing. Browsing and selecting the settings is quickly accomplished by changing Input via the front panel and watching the on-screen display. The settings can be selected for one-time use, or they can replace the original default settings. The SCENE names can be changed also.

Automatic Speaker Setup and Calibration with YPAO
Yamaha's YPAO system uses a small microphone and sophisticated equalization to automatically set the best sound for any room, no matter where the speakers are. First it checks the speaker connections and phase of each speaker. Then it sends out tones which are captured by the microphone to analyze the room acoustics and sets a variety of parameters, such as the speaker size, the distance of the speakers and even the sound pressure level, until it achieves the best sound conditions for your room.

+1 Reason
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Product Specification
  • Output Power: 630W (90W x 7)
  • Dynamic Power/Channel (Front L/R, 8/6/4/2 ohms): 125/160/190/230 W
  • Frequency Response (AV5, Front L/R, Sp Out): 10Hz - 100kHz +0,-3dB
  • Total Harmonic Distortion (AV5, Pure Direct, Front Sp Out): 0.06% (20Hz - 20kHz, 5W/ 8 ohms)
  • Signal-to-Noise Ratio (AV5, Pure Direct, Input Shorted, Sp Out): 100dB (250mV)
  • HDMI (Audio Input Assignable/ Output): 6/ 1
  • SIRIUS: 1
  • Analog Audio (Input/ Output): 5/ 2
  • Component Video (Audio Input Assignable): 2
  • Zone 2 Audio Out: 1
  • +12V/0.1A Trigger Out: 1
  • Dimensions (WxHxD): 17-1/8" x 6" x 14-3/8"
  • Weight: 23.1 lbs

I have write the review and research this product for you, if it is the right product for you, today you can get the best price HERE.

LG LSB316 - Read Honest Review Before Buy

Sound bar is a easy house theater, but it is powerful, generally consisting of a set of speaker systems and subwoofer.Because of its simplicity, many people prefer the sound bar system, rather than an expensive home theater system. Flat Tv has now grow to be a standard, many individuals have it in their house, and increasingly well-known as a result of the advancement of video technologies. However this advancement of video good quality is not followed by sound top quality, as a result the sound bar is usually an excellent solution to supply very good sound high quality for your Tv. Here I desire to give facts concerning the LG LSB316, which is one of the very best bars sound and inexpensive.
 
LG LSB316 Sound Bar, this powerful sound bar & wireless subwoofer are designed for optimal use with your flat-panel TV and have flexible placement options on either a wall or a tabletop.  
 
Key Technologies 
280W 2.1 Ch Virtual Surround Sound. 
This 280W 2.1 Channel Virtual Surround is a sound experience that will completely envelop you and bring your video content to life. 

Bluetooth Streaming. 
Stream music from your smartphone. 

Wireless Subwoofer. 
Installation is simple and speaker wire management is reduced with the Wireless Subwoofer System. 

SILK DOME SPEAKER TECHNOLOGY. 
Discover less distortion, clearer sound and a better sound experience with LG's silk dome speaker technology.  

WALL MOUNTABLE. 
Supplied wall bracket gives you the option of mounting the sound bar on your wall.  

2 OPTICAL INPUTS. 
 
Review 
LG LSB316 Review, Reviewed by James D Whitby 
I saw on an online post in a tech blog about a year ago that LG was going to launch a sound bar product. I was intrigued because I had purchased three LG lcd TV's in the past couple of years for different rooms in my home. I think they make a good product that is competitively priced. Sound performance has never been a strength of any flat screen product, and until you get a set in place in your home, in a specific room and live with it for a while, you really don't understand how good or how bad the TV performs.  
 
My 47" family room TV was underperforming, but I did not want to go the whole distance and install an AV receiver and expensive speakers as I had done in the "man cave" that my son has since taken over for XBox and other teen activities. So, when I finally saw the pre Consumer Electronics press release from LG late last year that a sound bar product was in fact coming in 2011, I was interested. I did not see a lot of exposure from CES 2011, but knew it was only a matter of time before it popped up in stores given spring product launch/introduction cycles.  
 
So last weekend the Best Buy circular in the local paper came and showed a free LG sound bar with the purchase of a 55" LG TV, stating the retail value to be $329. The sound bar from LG was available, but I doubted the retail price if Best Buy was offering it as a freebie, as a new prodcut (the LG and BB marketing guys really know how to kill a new product margin...but to my benefit). I quickly went to the web, looked at the Best Buy site ($329), the LG site ($329), Amazon ($256 sourced through World Wide Stereo ... went to their site, $269) and then did a broader Google search....nobody less money than Amazon, with shipping inlcuded!  
 
WOW, Amazon is living up to their price leader reputation I thought. I had been through this before with Amazon. Sometims they hit a price point, and it only lasts for a few days or a week or two, and then the price goes up and you know you have missed the opportunity to buy for a low price. I didn't know if this would be the case with a brand new product, but I thought, based on other sound bar products I had looked at, that this was a good product at a good price. So, bought it on Saturday, it was delivered on Monday. Can't do much better than that Amazon.  
 
Oh yeah, the sound bar. Came in a big box. Nicely packed to avoid damage shipping all the way from South Korea or wherever LG built this. The sound bar is small in size. They say it is built to match up to a 42"; makes me think they must have a larger version coming out next. But the 39" wide version looks good sitting on my console in front and beneath my 47" LG TV. Set up was very fast and easy (can be wall mounted, bracket included). Plug in the optical cable to the Comcast DVR and the sound bar. Set the wireless sub woofer on the floor next to my TV console and plug it in. Turn on both devices (TV and DVR). Everything works, first time, less than ten minutes, amazing! Also nice that they included at least one optical cable so you can get the system working right away.  
 
The remote is small, intuitive and if you have an LG TV, automatically controls both (wish it controlled my LG BluRay...but I guess I'll be looking at a Harmony remote next), was easy to use. After it was all set up, I looked at the instruction manual! The sound was good, not great, but much better than we had from the TV. It can really pack a punch though when you turn up the volume. There are different settings for the sound depending on the type of programming you are watching. I have always thought this was kind of gimmicky, but since having something similar on a new AV receiver, I realize that there is real value in the way they have rigged these electronic chips. We look forward to the much improved experience watching BluRay movies or streming Netflix or just watching regular TV. Definitely happy with my purchase and the price I paid. Good product, good value. Glad I waited for this and didn't buy a bigger much more complex 5.1 type set up with all of the hassel extra wires and need for an AV receiver. I know the sound could be better, but in a smallish sized room, this is perfect for what we need.  
 
The absolute icing on the cake is the BlueTooth connect. We have several Apple iTouch and iPhone devices in the house and a big library of iTunes and music on our home server. I have been looking at a Sonos set up to stream music through the house but want to see what Apple does with AirPlay before I make a final decision and investment. The sound bar BlueTooth, although it is by no means a hi fidelity device, gives you a little more freedom to unlock your music from a sound dock or ear buds. The LG LSB317 once again worked flawlessly connecting to the iPhone and iTouch and the music didn't sound half bad.  
 
The worst part of the whole experience was the stupid label that LG placed on the front surface of the sound bar. It did not peel off easily, and it probably took longer to take it all off with rubbing alcohol that it took to unpack the box and set up the system......go figure! I guess LG doesn't have any packaging engineers?  
 
I think LG has a winner on its hands with this product.

Learn This Before You Purchase Schwinn Midmoor Hybrid Bike

I've ridden this bike for 4-5 months, a few miles a day. It's a nice (fast!) commute bike, best for roads (but it's fun to drift around on dirt), and it has good, quality parts. I haven't yet gotten the derailleur set correctly, but for the most part I don't care and I'm too busy. It hit the good-enough point and I'm content.  
Coming off of a cheap WalMart mountain bike, this thing is heaven. If anybody's looking for a step up from a basic ride-it-sometimes bike, this one is nice. If you're still only going to ride it sometimes, then why bother?  
It's a little heavy to be called a road bike, which is probably why it's not, and I'm still wondering why exactly there needs to be a suspension (which must have added a fair share of useless weight). Also, the handlebar isn't as adjustable as most would like, and if you're 6' tall and one of those people who likes their legs to be fully extended when pedaling, it might not be possible on this bike.
 
You have read some of customer review about Schwinn Midmoor Men's Hybrid Bike. So, will this bike be fit for you? You can read another honest review HERE or you can read product description & specs below. 
 
Schwinn Midmoor Men's Hybrid Bike Description 
 
The Schwinn Midmoor Hybrid Bike is a comfortable, practical ride that's ideal for commuting and trips around town. The bike features an aluminum hybrid frame, SR Suntour suspension fork that helps cushion your ride, EasyFire 21-speed shifters, Shimano rear derailleur, alloy linear pull brakes, smooth-riding 700C wheels, swept-back handlebar, and a padded Schwinn saddle for comfort.  

Product Specifications 
  • Men's hybrid bike with aluminum hybrid frame is great for commuting through town or by trail  
  • SR Suntour suspension fork cushions your ride   
  • EasyFire 21-speed shifters and Shimano rear derailleur   
  • Alloy linear pull brakes; smooth-riding 700c wheels   
  • Swept-back handlebar; padded saddle for comfort  
 
Warranty Schwinn bicycles include limited manufacturer's warranties of lifetime on the frame while owned by the original purchaser, one-year on proprietary components (excluding tires, tubes, and cables), and warranty coverage of non-proprietary components will be covered by the warranty stated by their original manufacturers.  
 
About Schwinn 
Founded in 1895, Schwinn is an American icon that has been synonymous with quality and innovation. They have built some of the best-known and best loved bikes of numerous generations--Aerocycle, Paramount, Phantom, Varsity, Sting-Ray, Krate and Homegrown. Today, Schwinn continues to be a leader in the industry with innovative bikes such as the new Sting-Ray, Rocket mountain bikes, and Fastback road bikes. With a continued dedication to quality, forever synonymous with the Schwinn name, America's most famous bicycle brand looks forward to providing another century of innovation, freedom and performance to people of all ages.  
 
I have write the Schwinn Midmoor Review and research this product, if it is the right product for you, today you can get the best price HERE.

GMC Denali Bike - Read a Honest Review Before Buy


If you want buy a road bike, then you have to understand that there are many factors you have to be considered.The first important thing that you have to consider is specifications of a bicycle., such as: frames that are used, fork, shifters, tires, saddle, pedals, weight, etc. Then the price was a consideration, must not buy because they are cheap, but see also the brand of the bicycle, kent bicycle company is well-known and trustworthy, they spend a lot of good bike models, such as the GMC Denali Road Bike, a bicycle is not only good , but also robust and affordable. You can see the details and GMC Denali Bike Review from people who've ordered it below. 
 
The GMC Denali Road Bike is built around a lightweight aluminum road bike frame for racing or commuting. You'll stop on a dime with the alloy calipers and brake levers, and the high-profile alloy Vitesse racing rims look as good as they perform. The Shimano derailleur and Shimano Revo shifts make sure it is easy to change gears quickly and smoothly, and the high-performance 700c tires are up to the challenge of rigorous street racing. Lastly, this road bike can help you stay hydrated with all the included alloy water bottle cage. 
 
Specifications: 
  • Frame: Aluminum 7005 straight gauge
  • Fork: GMC Series 7000 steel
  • Chain: KMC Z 51
  • Crankset: Prowheel Alloy 335P6 28X38X48 170mm  
  • Front Derailleur: Shimano FD-TZ 31 Index   
  • Rear Derailleur: Shimano RD-TZ30GS 7SPD  
  • Shifters: Shimano Revo SIS L2/R7  
  • Brake levers: Promax BL-250AP Aluminum   
  • Brakes: Promax 501A Alloy Caliper Brake   
  • Rims: Vitesse Alloy black 700CX14GX36H   
  • Tires: Kenda Black With Grey Band 700X28C   
  • Stem: Aluminum black EXT:100mm 0D.   
  • Handlebar: Maesbend W: 430mm D:22.0mm   
  • Saddle: Cionlli Black   
  • Seat post: HL Aluminum Micro Adjust 27.2 X 300mm   
  • Pedals: VP-990S plastic body with steel cage   
  • Weight: 29.0 lbs   
Review
Very solid construction of the frame and materials. The gear shifting appears to be fine overalll to me, and conveniently placed on the handle bars. Because the bike is solid alumnium, it is fairly light and very durable. But a caveat emptor is that it is a bit heavier but stronger than other standard (bianchi, trek, giant) commuter road bikes since those tend to have a skinier aluminum frame while this one seems to follow Ford Motor Company's "built tough" motto. (lighter frame materials would be either titanium, carbon, some kind of composite: carbon and titanium frame bikes WILL cost you over $1500 new, at least) Another aspect people will easily miss is that the forks, unlike the frame, is made of steel so they're heavier than normal--but this is because while alumnium is lighter than steel, it is also stiffer which would make for a bone-jarring ride; the only real solution to this is to get 200-300$ all carbon forks that are super light and shock absorbing.
 
A previous review complained about missing parts. That's not a serious problem since there is a full year's warranty on all parts: just give Kent a call. Also, the bike assembly is almost fool proof and can be easily done with an hour--there's literally maybe half a dozen big pieces to be assembled once you open the box, and the only free screw in for connectiong the rear light deflector.  
 
There 3 problems with the bike that may be minor to some: 1)the pedals feel awkward (maybe they're too small?) so that in order for your feet to stably and comfortably rest on them, you have to make an almost conscious effort to put your feet very close to the crank; the solution of course is to get some decent pedals 2)the shifting mechanism, as a previous review noted, is flawed. Only Shimano's own scale, it isn't even good enough to rank under their basic, introductory line (the revo shifters are more suited and designed for mountain bikes). The rear dereilleur is a bit off so that while upshifting is easy and smooth, downshifting by one gear is not possible. Solution, upshift 2 and then downshift by one gear, a bit more annoying but not exactly a difficult/lengthy task. For me, the shifting doesn't matter much. I use it in the city and there aren't any hills really demanding low gears; I go for speed, so if anything, I upshift (:-) 3)Lastly, although the bike is very good looking with a solid blue/black design, the paint on the seat seems a bit iffy. While the frame is certainly built like a rock, the seat paint has been continuously and consistently rubbing off on the sides so that strips of white underlying paink can be seen on the blue sides; of course, the actual material is still as strong as ever. I went online to check; turns out the brand, Cionlli, is actually a new taiwan manufacture who "propitiously" chose an Italian sounding name--you got to give it to them for trying! My solution to this was to go on ebay, and spend 25$ buying a top of the line, slightly used Bontrager racing seat, which, needless to say, is much lighter and more comfortable and durable.  
 
Other than these minor inherent material flaws, there are some potentially irritating assembly flaws. I believe that an earlier reviewer wisely (I didn't pay heed to him at first) that for any good bikes that is meant to last, proper assembly is vital (that means getting a bikeshop to assemble it). Now, I thought that he had meant small insignificant stuff like say tightening the screws with the proper amount of torque and etc....turns out there are other bigger problems. First, when I got the bike, the brakes were slightly misaligned so that when I used the brakes, one pad would hit the rim first, wearing it out much faster than the other. The next two problems are a great deal more irritating. My fork (preinstalled) had been installed backwards. This would seem to make a difference at first until I realized after looking at many bicycles that forks are bent forward ever so slightly in bikes; if you have it on backwards, the forks would be bend backwards slightly; this actually makes a huge difference: before I had the forks reinstalled correctly, the wheels were really close to the frame and pedals so that every time I turn the handle even a little (more than 20 degrees) to either side, my shoes or pedal would rub/catch against the wheels. The other problem deals with the shifting problem I mentioned earlier. Turns out the error was the the rear wheel had not been properly aligned with the frame so that the rear deraileur was a little off: the result was that shifting between adjacent gears was some times rough and often wouldn't work unless you did the shift 2 and then 1 back thing I did.  
 
All and all, still a bargain, especially compared to other Walmart bikes of the same price, and I've had quite a few of those not mention a few dozen problems associated with those disgusting contraptions. Wish the shifters were like the more expensive integrated Shimano Sora or 105 systems that are placed under the brake handles, but this was the best choice in my price range and those premium Shimano packages alone cost way more than this entire bike. This bike is definitely well worth it for the price and as long as nothing breaks, I'm more than elated with the purchase.

Thursday, July 7, 2011

Sony Sound Bar HT-CT150 - Sound Bar that Make Your Home a Theater


Sony Sound Bar HT-CT150 will make your home a Theater and add room-filling sound to your Television viewing expertise. Sound bar systems had been developed for those who desire to take pleasure in the complete surround sound knowledge without the classical hassle supplied by 5 or 7 speakers along with a subwoofer. A straightforward sound bar can offer the same sound excellent with a single piece of equipment and an optional subwoofer. In most instances, the sound bar itself will probably be located someplace near your flat screen Tv, possibly mounted on the wall. The illusion of surround sound is supplied by way of different technologies, like bouncing the sound off the walls. Other technologies can supply total surround audio by changing the orientation of every driver and cancelling out certain noises. The method can be fairly difficult, but the outcome may be the identical: you might delight in watching HD films with out obtaining to buy a large audio system. 
 
The require for a sound bar appeared lately, when people today realized that a flat screen Television can supply high quality video, however it cannot deliver appropriate sound. No matter just how much you're going to spend for the Television set, the built-in speakers will under no circumstances perform properly. Rather than trying to make space for a sizable five.1 channel audio method and setting up cables all more than your area, you'll be able to only get a fantastic sound bar which gives the same sound high quality, without having taking so much space. 
 
This 3D sound bar delivers immersive audio not having running wires across the room or setting up added speakers, so you may full your 3D residence entertainment practical experience with straightforward, nevertheless highly effective surround sound. The HT-CT150 32" 3D sound bar household theater system features 3D compatibility and can also be turned into your entertainment hub by connecting multiple HD or 3D devices working with a single HDMI cable per device (sold separately). Along with the most recent audio decoding technological innovation, this beautifully sleek sound bar could be simply mounted straight to pick BRAVIA® TVs, hung on your wall, or placed separately on a shelf. 
 
Using surround sound, a DVD can replicate the movie theater experience, with bullets flying for the left and right, crowds sounding as if they're behind you, and vehicle brakes squealing from the back of your living area for the front. Home theater can mean anything at all from a basic setup meant to create surround sound, to a theater literally within the property -- a recreation of a commercial film home with top-of-the-line projection and audio gear. 
 
Among the very best components concerning the Sony Sound Bar HT-CT150 could be the simple fact that it supports 1080p HDTV, Dolby Digital, DTS and 3D. If you're planning on watching several films, you need to concentrate on receiving a soundbar that gives these functions. The design and style of this soundbar is also very attractive as well as the three HDMI inputs shouldn't be overlooked. Most systems that fall in to the similar category as the HT-CT150 don't offer you these numerous connectivity possibilities and such exceptional constructed top quality. 
 
Where the best place to buy Sony HT-CT150 
 
You can Purchase Sony HT-CT150 from several major retailers offline or on the web like Amazon, Best Acquire, Target, Walmart etc. But which a single is the very best? We've accomplished function for you, we discover the most effective place to buy the Sony HT-CT150 3D Sound Bar is at Amazon.com. This giant on the web retailers give the top price tag which integrated Free Shipping (in US only) for this vacation season.

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