Sucker Punch—Blu-ray Review

Sucker Punch—Blu-ray Review

By Doctorr

Video: 4.5 Mo's/5
Audio: 5 Mo's/5

Mo's Take: "It's you.  You have all the weapons you need.  And now...Fight!".  Sucker Punch is a story of Babydoll (Emily Browning), Rocket (Jena Malone), Blondie (Vanessa Hudgens), Amber (Jamie Chung) and Sweet Pea (Abbie Cornish) who try to escape from a mental asylum run by Blue (Oscar Isaac), Madam Gorki (Carla Gugino) and the High Roller (Jon Hamm).  Scott Glenn is their guide through the Dream world.  In order to set themselves free they need 5 items, a Map, a lighter, a knife, a Master Key, and an unknown item.  Babydoll's imagination takes the girls on a journey through time where they fight to survive and ultimately escape from the sad realities of the asylum.  Director Zach Snyder does what he does best, uses his vision and superb imagery to create distant worlds and battlegrounds where the girls fight to aquire the 4 items and their freedom. 

Equipment Used:
Sony KDL-55HX800, Pioneer Elite SC-35, Pioneer Elite BDP-23FD, MartinLogan Vantage (Fronts), MartinLogan Motif (Center), MartinLogan Depth-i (Subwoofer), and MartinLogan Montage (Surrounds).

Video:
The script itself is nothing special but the imagery is eye catching and the audio puts you right in the middle of all the action and provides a great movie theater ambiance in your home.  The film flip flops between reality of the Asylum and imagination.  I liked how the color palette switched every time Babydoll and the gang went into the Dream world.  The image has great dimensionality and detail.  The action is highly stylized and despite the presence of some film grain the image is spectacular, or should I say "eye candy".   

Audio:
The DTS-HD Master Audio was decoded via Pioneer Elite SC-35.  The audio bit-rate maxed out at 3.31 Mbps.  My favorite scene on this movie is chapter 4.  The entire battle sequence is choreographed to Bjork's "Army of me".  That was the perfect song for this particular scene in my humble opinion.  Through the Pioneer Elite SC-35 the sound stage was wide and deep.  The surrounds were highly active with an impressive low-end that kept my room shaking.  Low bass extension is system threatening and dynamic range is outstanding.  Dialogue was clean and never became an issue even during intense battle sequences. 

I also watched the movie with the PQLS  engaged on Pioneer SC-35.  In order for PQLS to work I needed to change the audio output on the Pioneer Elite BDP-23FD to PCM (Internally Decode).  The sound with PQLS engaged was more open and the bass was less boomy.  The quieter moments during the movie had less perceived background noise.  I definitely prefer the PQLS for music but I am not sure if I prefer it for movies yet. 

Conclusion:
I must admit that the main reason why I enjoyed this movie was because of the soundtrack and the stylized action.  The video is absolute eye candy.  I highly recommend that you first rent this movie because it is not for everyone.  I on the other hand will be purchasing this movie because it is definitely a demo worthy movie.  Oh, and one last thing..."If you don't stand for something, you will fall for anything"....Scott Glenn/Sucker Punch.

Denon DBP-2012UDCI 3D Universal Blu-ray Player Review

 

 

 

 

 

Denon 3D Universal Blu-ray Player DBP-2012UDCI —Review

By Doctorr

Video: 4 Mo's/5
Audio: 4.5 Mo's/5
Media Server: 2.5 Mo's/5
Netflix Streaming: 2.5 Mo's/5

Overall: 3.5 Mo's/5

Retail Cost: $899

PROS:
-Played all my 3D Blu-ray's, SACDs, DVD-Audio discs.
-BURR-BROWN PCM-1795 192kHz/32-bit audio digital-to-analog converters are as advertised.
-Anchor Bay Technologies VRS ultra performance ABT-2015 processor does a great job with standard DVD de-interlacing.
-Blu-ray video is spectacular.

CONS:
-no built-in Wi-Fi
-Anchor Bay's solution is not as good as Marvell's video processor with Qdeo™ technology
-The player takes a long time to boot up. 
-Slow and Sluggish operation on 3D blu-rays
-On Blu-ray's the player would freeze up during layer changes.
-Audio streaming through the media player is sluggish with occasional freeze ups.

Equipment Used:
Sony KDL-55HX800, Pioneer Elite VSX-33, Emotiva XPA-3, MartinLogan Vantage (Fronts), MartinLogan Motif (Center), MartinLogan Montage (Surrounds), and MartinLogan Depth-i (Subwoofer).

Cables used:
Audioquest Vodka.

Unpacking:
The player comes with a rack mounting kit, remote, power cord, and manual.

I connected the player using my newly purchased Audioquest Vodka cable to the Pioneer Elite VSX-33.  Plugged in the power cable and hit the Power button on the remote.......and nothing happened.  I then tried to turn the player on using the power button on the player itself and........still nothing. 

So, I just sat there thinking that the unit is DOA, but after about 20 seconds or so (I have not timed it yet) the player turned on.  Prior to that there was nothing going on.  Very strange!!!!

Setup:
With the player turned on (sigh of relief) I proceeded to setup the video and audio features.  Video setup was pretty basic and standard.  On the audio side, I set player to output audio as bitstream and SACDs to DSD. 

You can select SACD layers (Multi, 2-channel, and CD) on the fly. 

You can also fine tune DNR, Mosquito Noise, Block Noise, etc. on the fly.  I actually did set that to the middle for standard DVDs. 

After that I proceeded to add the player to my network for DLNA purposes.  Setup the Netflix. 

Setup was a breeze and there were no surprises.

Last step in the setup process was to update the Firmware which also went smoothly.

Video Performance:
I ran the player through my standard Blu-ray, 3D Blu-ray, and DVD tests using my some of my reference discs. 

Blu-ray:
The video performance on 3D and 2D blu-rays is indeed reference quality.  The image is sharp without being edgy.  The player does produce and preserve below black and above white information in the video signal.  I verified that using the HD Basics test disc by Digital Video Essentials. The player passed all my shadow detail tests from Dark Knight, Avatar, and Star Trek.  The depth and detail in the image on Rango was spectacular starting.  Especially, Scene 5, when Rango enters the Salon.  The detail in the faces/furs/beards of the various characters is just amazing.

The player did freeze up during layer changes on Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows: Part 1, Dark Knight, a couple of others that I don't remember.

DVD:
De-interlacing on standard DVDs was pretty good.  The image was clean without any artifacts.  All of my DVDs looked very good upscaled to 1080p.

Audio Performance:
I love the A/V presentation of Battle Los Angeles.  The surround mix is very aggressive. The first scene is a classic demo scene. Short and sweet. Scene 5 and 10 (highway scene) are as good as any other A/V demo scenes I have seen.  I found the audio on this Blu-ray to be a little compressed possibly because the bit rate maxes out at 3.3 MBPS. Just to give you an idea Apollo 13 Special Edition, on DVD, has a DTS audio track that is 1.5 MBPS, highest possible for DVD. So this one is only twice the bit rate of DVD. Movies like Hurt Locker (maxed out at 6 MBPS), Law Abiding Citizen had audio bit rates in excess of 8 MBPS, Pirates was at 6.9 MBPS, and Tron was at 7.7 MBPS. All of these movies sounded very open and natural through the Denon.

I also tried the internal decoding capabilities of the Denon and other than the difference in volume level I heard no audible differences in the sound mix when it was decoded Internally vs. Bitstreamed to the Pioneer Elite VSX-33.

Netflix:
This is where I started to have issues with the Denon.  Netflix video streaming was the same as my reference PS3 or the Panasonic BDT210 that I had in my system for the brief period of time.  The Denon does not support 5.1 multichannel audio for movies that have that option on Netflix instant play.  The PS3 can.  I digress....The player would freeze up when I wanted to end my Netflix session occasionaly.  It is also very slow as far as the Netflix navigation is concerned.  In comparison both the PS3 and Panasonic BDT210 are speed kings.

Media Streaming using DLNA:
This is also where I found the player to have issues.  First off, the Denon cannot play Flac or AIFF.   It will only play WAV and iTunes.  I had to convert all my Flac files to Wave.  The other issue I experienced was that after playing 24/192 files through the Denon using the DLNA feature the player would freeze up and I would have to power down and power up again. 

Having said that, music, at all resolutions (44.1, 48, 88.2, 96, 176.4, and 192 khz) sounded really good but not as good in comparison to ASUS Xonar STX audio card on my media server.

SACD and DVD-Audio:
This is where I really enjoyed the Denon.  SACD's and DVD-Audio's sound really good.  The same tracks played via digital downloads at the same resolution through the media server or using the Denon's media player don't sound as rich and open.  Go figure!  

Conclusion:
This is a tough player to rate.  Audio and video through the Denon are top notch and I would rate it fairly high in that regard.  But a player that is designed as HIGH END and carries a HIGH END price tag should not have this many functionality issues.  I can deal with slow players.  I don't put a lot of credence in how fast a player goes from Disc-In to the main menu and all that garbage.  But, Freeze ups requiring you to power down are silly and annoying. I don't expect that from a high end disc player. 

Faster—Blu-ray Review

By Doctorr

Video: 4.5 Mo's/5
Audio: 4.5 Mo's/5

Mo's Take: I am pretty sure Director, George Tillman Jr. was trying to do "The Good The Bad and The Ugly" thing here.  Dwayne Johnson, Driver (The Good), is released from prison after 10 years and right from the beginning you can see he wants to Avenge his brother's death........Faster.  Billy Bob Thornton (The Ugly), is a "bad" cop who is investigating the death toll left behind by Driver.  Killer (The Bad) is a bounty hunter who has a contract on Driver.  His phone ring even has the "The Good The Bad and The Ugly" ring tone.  

Equipment Used:
Sony KDL-55HX800, Denon DBP-2012UDCI, Pioneer Elite VSX-33, MartinLogan Vantage (Fronts), MartinLogan Motif (Center), MartinLogan Montage (Surrounds), and MartinLogan Depth-i (Subwoofer).

Video:
If you like action movies and like me are sick of the look that most action movies these days suffer from then FASTER is the perfect cure.  I am talking about that Tony Scott, Ala Unstoppable, Domino, Man on Fire, type of movie look with an almost unnatural high contrast and sharp/edgy picture quality with lots of film grain.  That style of film making was good on movies like True Romance, but now almost all action movies these days seem to have that same visual style. 

Faster is dark with lots of fine detail throughout the movie.  Colors have a natural tone.  I thoroughly enjoyed the darker look and feel of the movie aided by superb black levels and shadow detail.  I would compare the look and feel of "Faster" to "Taken".

Audio:
This was the first movie I watched on my new Denon DBP-2012UDCI and it was a blast.  The DTS-HD Master Audio mix is very aggressive with lots of surround imaging and deep bass.  The sound stage is wide and very engaging.  The gunshots, especially, from Dwayne Johnson's gun (not sure what it is) are loud and bass heavy.  The overall sound design is very natural without being over the top.  In my opinion it had enough dynamics to make the movie enjoyable and did little to distract from the film. 

Conclusion:
I really enjoyed this film on blu-ray.  I was not expecting much from this movie, but was pleasantly surprised.  Dwayne Johnson was perfect in this role because he did not have to talk much, just shoot people up..........Faster

Oppo BDP-93, Denon DBP-2012UDCI, Samsung BD-D6700, or Oppo BDP-95

Which one should I buy?  Over the last 3 weeks I have been struggling with which one of these fine blu-ray players I should buy next?

My music/movies split is pretty much 50/50.  My number one and two choices are Denon DBP-2012UDCI and Oppo BDP-93 respectively because both are Universal Players and will play all formats including SACD, DVD-Audio, and HDCD.

Here are the Pros and Cons of these players and you can help me decide which one I should go with by taking the survey above.  I don't care about streaming capabilities so those are not listed.

#1 Denon DBP-2012UDCI ($899):
Stay Tuned for my upcoming review
My first universal player was a Denon DVD player DVD-2910 which I purchased back in 2003 for $600 from Crutchfield.  I loved that player because of its excellent Audio and Video capabilities.  No player has remained in my system longer than the 2910.  I sold it (big mistake) in 2007 to pay for the PS3 (fatty) which is about to beat the 2910 in terms tenure in my system this October.  I have also owned a host of other blu-ray players (between $400 and $1000) since the format was first introduced back in 2007 including the top of the line Pioneer Elites, Sony, Samungs, and Panasonics.

PROS:
-3D, Universal Player (SACD, DVD-Audio, and HDCD)
-BURR-BROWN PCM-1795 192kHz/32-bit audio digital-to-analog converters.  Same DACs as the Onkyo TX-NR5007 which I have first hand experience with and loved.
-Independent Block Construction isolates electronic circuits for faithful playback of audio and video tracks
-Direct Mechanical Ground Construction suppresses vibration and ensures high-quality sound and video
-Standard definition content from DVDs is deinterlaced and scaled up to HD via Anchor Bay Technologies VRS ultra performance ABT-2015 processor

CONS:
-no built-in Wi-Fi
-The front plate is plastic
-Anchor Bay is good but I prefer Marvell's video processor with Qdeo™ technology
-Previous Generation Denon's have been a little sluggish and slow with firmware issues

#2 Oppo BDP-93 ($499):
Oppo has made quite a name for themselves since they first burst on the scene with their upconvert DVD players in the mid 2000's.  I personally have not tried an Oppo yet and have always been curious.  I chose the Pioneer Elite BDP-23FD over the Oppo BDP-83 last year after reading Tom Norton's Blu-ray shootout on UltimateAVmag.com, in which he compared the video on the 23FD to Marantz 7004 and the Oppo 83.

PROS:
-Fast Load times
-Solid Build
-3D, Universal Player (SACD, DVD-Audio, and HDCD)
-Plays FLAC, WAV, and other media through USB and eSATA.
-Dual HDMI, but only HDMI-1 uses Marvell processing while HDMI-2 uses the Mediatek decoder.  
-Wi-Fi (with provided USB adaptor)
-Qdeo by Marvell
-Best Customer Service in the World

CONS:
-Cirrus Logic DACs.  Not a fan
-I think I have seen multiple firmware versions since the release.  Makes me wonder a bit

#3 Samsung BD-D6700 ($399):
This one is interesting.  I just read a review of this player in the July 2011 issue of the Hometheater magazine by Kris Deering.   He said and I quote "the BD-D6700 provided all the picture and audio quality I get from even Oppo BDP-95.  Images were razor sharp, with jaw-dropping levels of detail and dimensionality.  The audio experience was second to none."  This is what has made me add the BD-D6700 to this list.  Pretty impressive! 

PROS:
-Superfast load times
-Gorgeous Looks
-3D
-Dual HDMI,
-built-in Wi-Fi
-2D to 3D upconversion

Cons:
-Samsung? I do not like Samsung Blu-ray players
-If you are looking for solid construction, look elsewhere.
-no name DACs and Video Processor
-not a Universal player
-no Analog outputs
-subpar DVD-upconversion
-Did I mention it is a Samsung

#4 Oppo BDP-95 ($999):
Review and First Impressions coming soon as I just purchased the BDP-95.  Stay tuned!
Pretty much the same as the BDP-93 but with upgraded Audio Section for 2-channel and Multi-Channel analog audio.  The upgraded audio is available in the form of ES9018 SABRE 32-bit Reference DACs.  That is true high-end Turf. 

PROS:
-SABRE³² Reference Audio DAC delivers an impressive DNR (Dynamic Range) of up to 135dB and THD+N of -120dB. 
-Toroidal Power Supply for Analog
-XLR Balanced Stereo Output
-Competes with players that cost 4 times or sometimes 10 times as much, e.g. (AYRE DX_5 $9,950)

CONS:
-Hometheater magazine mentioned BDP-95 and Samsung BD-D6700 in the same sentence and stated that the digital Audio and Video performance of the Samsung was just as good as the Oppo BDP-95.  Things that make you go hmmm!

Black Swan - Blu-ray Review

Black Swan (Blu-ray)

By Doctorr

Video: 4 Mo's/5
Audio: 4 Mo's/5

Black Swan is a twisted fantasy tale that is so creepy that it reminded me of "Event Horizon".  Just like Event Horizon, it has managed to stay with me well after the movie is over.

Natalie Portman plays the role of a ballerina who has been chosen to be next Queen Ballerina for her NY City ballet company.  She finds herself involved in a strange relationship with Mila Kunis's character, Lily, who is a complete opposite of herself.  The role requires Nina to play the White Swan (innocent and graceful) and the Black Swan (sensual and guile).  Nina is perfect for the White Swan but has trouble playing the Black Swan which incidentally is a role Lily could play perfectly.  This leads to rivalry between the two which leads to friendship and ultimately leads to Nina becoming more in touch (ahem!) with herself as a dancer and allows her to play the Black Swan to Perfection!

Throughout the movie I kept on thinking that Nina's mother did not exist and that Lily was really Nina.  I am still not sure! 

Video:
The director intended a grainy look for this movie and the blu-ray presentation is spot on in that regard.  There isn't much to say except that the look and feel of the movie totally convey the true intent of the director, Darren Aronofsky, which was to provide a washed out, at times soft, and grainy documentary look.

Audio:
The soundtrack is perfect for this movie.  The sound design adds to the mood and atmosphere of the movie.  The sound stage is wide and very natural. 

There is a scene towards the end of the movie which freaked me and my wife out completely.  Without giving away too much, there is quite a bit of action in the front stage, and by the time the action stopped, we were so immersed in the movie that during silence there is a knock on the door, and both of us turned towards back-right of the room because we thought someone was knocking on our outside wall.  That is a great example of the what great sound design can do, provided your speakers are dialed in correctly. 

Conclusion:
This is a dark movie that is so powerful that I felt the urge to write about it in an effort to get the movie off my mind.  Maybe I'll go and watch Tropic Thunder now! 

Highly recommended.

Do you still use a CD player for listening to most of your music?

I commented on this question on UltimateAV.com. 

My question to you is, if you don't use a CD player, what do you use?  Please take the above survey.  Thanks.

My response was:

Music: Ripped WAV 44.1khz, and Hi-res 96/88.2/176.4/192 downloads
Storage: Dedicated PC based Server
Media Player: Windows 7 running Foobar, XBMC
Soundcard: ASUS Xonar Essence STX
Remote: iPad app for XBMC and Foobar
Music Streamer: Sonos
Remote: Sonos Controller and iPad app.

I use a custom built PC based Server for all my media. The server was custom built for the purposes of listening to high resolution downloads from Linn and HDTracks. I use Windows 7 to run Foobar into an ASUS XONAR STX soundcard running ASIO bit perfect drivers that support Sample Rates: 44.1 / 48 / 88.2 / 96 / 176.4 / 192 kHz.

In addition to HDTracks and Linn, I also use iTunes to download music, but create Apple Lossless versions of the files that I download.

I have ripped my CD's into Wav files.

Emotiva XDA-1 DAC vs. Pioneer Elite SC-37 Burr-Brown DACs

I was recently asked a question on MartinLoganowners.com about my thoughts on the Emotiva XDA-1 DAC. Here is the question which is followed by my answer. I think this Q&A can make a very interesting debate.

 

Question:

How do you like the XDA-1? I realize you said you aren't really sure how to best use it yet, but how is the sound? One of my co-workers just ordered one and is a bit nervous about how it will perform. He is running all Emo gear into a pair of Vienna Mozarts if that helps. He was between the DacMagic and the XDA-1, but chose XDA-1 of course.

I am also in the same boat as you, I am using the Marantz SR7005 and I am not sure if I should even get another DAC, so I am also curious.

 

Doctorr's Response:

Thanks for the question. I have tried this DAC in 2 configurations.
1) As a Preamp. (Server, CD player, and Sonos) connected to the DAC and the DAC directly connected to the XPA-2.
2) As a standalone DAC. (Server, CD player, and Sonos) connected to the DAC and the DAC connected to the SC-37 via analog output and the SC-37 preamp output to XPA-2.

I preferred the all digital configuration in #1. As I noted earlier the DAC is silent in this setup and there is no background noise. The sound is richer with extended highs and solid bass. There is definitely more air to musical instruments and voices. The midrange is also good but I found the midrange better in option #2. However, with option #2 the quieter passages in music are not completely quite like they are with the DAC operating as a digital preamp in the digital domain.

I have not had any issues with the XDA-1 possibly because I received the 2nd batch after the kinks with volume control had been worked out.

DacMagic vs. XDA-1: DacMagic is a Stereophile class B recommended product and I have no doubt that it is a very good DAC. I chose the XDA-1 over the DacMagic for the simple reason that it can used as a preamp and the fact that it can handle 24bit/192KHZ downloads. The DacMagic maxes out at 96K. While that may not be an issue for most people, it was something that I wanted.

After having listened to the XDA-1 for a couple of months I do like the sound of this DAC over the SC-37 DACs. In my opinion the sound will ultimately depend on how you use the DAC.

After trying this both ways, i.e. receiver DACs and standalone DAC, my recommendation would be to use a standalone DAC because of the overall improvement in sound.

Hope this helps!

 

MartinLogan Vantage vs. MartinLogan Montage

Just for the heck of it I decided to give my Vantages a break for a week. I moved my Montage left and right floor standing speakers from the rear to the front of room in the spot that was previously occupied by the Vantages.

Source Equipment: Pioneer Elite BDP-23FD, PS3 (3D), Media Server feeding an Asus Xonar STX sound card, and Sonos.

Amplification: Pioneer Elite SC-37, Pioneer VSX-33. I am in the market for a new amp because I have sold the Emotiva XPA-2.

Music:
The Montage created a wide sound stage. The sound was well off to the right and left of the speakers with an excellent center image. While listening to 2-channel music the speakers completely disappeared in the room and never really drew any attention to themselves. The bass was plenty and the mid-range was very good. I did have to increase the low pass crossover to 45Hz from 30Hz on the Depth-i to get the low end closer to my liking.

Comparison with the MartinLogan Vantage:
I moved the Montage back to their designated surround duties and listened to the same material again on the MartinLogan Montage.  Right off the bat I noticed that the Montage were more forward sounding and brighter than the Vantage.  The cymbals had a tad bit more sparkle to them on the Montage, but on the Vantage's, to my ears, they were more natural and less fatiguing over time.  The soundstage on the Montage was wide but did not extend vertically as high as the MartinLogan Vantages.  The alarm clocks and bells in Pink Floyd’s “Time” had more height to them on Vantage then the Montage. 

The Vantage retail for $5,600 whereas the Montage retailed for $1,500.  So, it was clearly obvious to me that in this case the extra dollars actually resulted in better sound, even in my modest system.  The MartinLogan Montage overall are very good speakers and hold there own when it comes sound staging and imaging and that is one of the reason’s why I will always keep them. 

MartinLogan ElectroMotion Speakers and Denon AVR-4311 - Mo's Take

MartinLogan ElectroMotion series consists of the ElectroMotion ESL front speakers and matching Center and Surround that feature the Folded Motion™ XT tweeter.  The floor standing ESL speakers are true audiophile-grade speakers that cost only $1,995 per pair.  Add in the Center (EM-C2), Surround (EM-FX2), and a MartinLogan Dynamo 1000 and you have a system that is designed for both 2-channel and Home Theater duties for under $5,500. 

The best part about this system is that the ElectroMotion ESL Speakers have a rated sensitivity of 91 db and a nominal impedance of 6 ohms which means that receivers such as the Denon AVR-4311, Pioneer SC-37/35, Marantz SR-7005, or a Yamaha A-3000 would mate well this package.  Of course if you want the best from your Electrostats I recommend separate Power Amps that can dip down into the 2 - 4 ohm range. 

I recently passed my Magnolia Level 2 - Tier 1 assessment.  The assessment was given by our Magnolia Brand Manager.  2 Channel demo is a huge part of the assessment.  Needless to say the Demo left him speechless.  I used the MartinLogan ElectroMotion ESL speakers in my Demo along with the Denon AVR-4311.  The source for the Demo was a High Res 24bit/96khz recording of Steely Dan's Gaucho.  I downloaded this album from HDTracks.com.  I played "Hey Nineteen" via a USB flash drive plugged directly into the USB input of the Denon.  The Denon 4311 can play FLAC files with sample rates up to 96khz and bit depths up to 24 bits via it's USB and 24/192 via it's digital inputs (digtial coax and HDMI).

Setup: I set the speakers to "full range" in the speaker menu and set the impedance to 4 ohms on the Denon.  The speakers were pulled out 3 feet from the back wall and were toed in using the flash light technique.  In the end the speakers were 8 feet apart, 12 feet from the listening position, and 3 feet from the back wall.  This is the best I could do in the Sound room.  I would prefer 6 feet apart, 9 feet from the listening position and 4 feet from the back wall.

Sound: The volume was at -5db during the demo.  My Brand Manager's eyes absolutely lit up when "Hey Nineteen" came on.  There was a "wall of sound".  The front stage was wide and extended well beyond the plain of the speakers.  The imaging was unbelievable.  The bass was tight and free of the boom that some of our other speakers in the room exhibit.  Donald Fagan's voice was right/center, i.e., a little to the right of center.  The rhythm guitars flanked the right and left but floated around the left and right speakers.  On a sub par speaker system you would hear them coming directly from the speakers.  The Electric Guitar floated between the left and right speakers and Donald Fagan's keyboard/synthesizer was right center as well. 

The demo impressed the brand manager so much that as soon as the demo was over he got up and shook my hand and said that was the best demo he has ever heard. 

Comparison and Conclusion:
Later, I compared the ElectroMotions to the Definitive Technology Mythos STS.  The STS are a Stereophile "Class B - Full Range" rated speakers and compete with speakers that cost 10 times as much.  Trust me.  As impressive as the Mythos STS are they cannot create the same Soundstage that the ElectroMotion ESL's can.  Sure the highs are silkier on the STS and the STS are more dynamic in the low end, but the natural midrange of the ElectroMotions and the fast response that is a trademark of the ESL speakers is hard to beat.  As for me, I could live happily with these speakers for a very long time.

Tron Legacy: Blu-ray 2D and 3D Review

Tron Legacy (Blu-ray)

By Doctorr

Video: 5 Mo's/5
Audio: 5 Mo's/5

I have to tell you the truth.  The only reason why I decided to watch this movie in 3D was because a friend of mine had told me that he and his wife walked out of the movie theater during the movie.  My sister on the other hand loved it.  I found it hard to believe that a movie released during the Christmas and New Year Holiday season could be that bad.  I have fallen asleep in movies but I have never walked out on one.  For that reason, I wanted to watch Tron - Legacy in both 3D and 2D, but the only way I could watch it in 3D was to buy the damn thing.  So, I bought the whole set, i.e., 3D Blu-ray+2D Blu-ray+DVD+Digital copy.

And, boy am I glad I did.   

The script itself is nothing special but from an audio/video presentation stand point this movie is nothing short of reference quality. 

Associated Equipment: Sony 55HX800 (ISF Calibrated), Pioneer Elite BDP-23FD (2D), PS3 (3D), Pioneer Elite SC-37 (Center and Surrounds), Emotiva XPA-2 (Fronts), MartinLogan Vantage (Fronts), Depth-i (Sub), Montage (Rear), Motif (Center). 

Video:

Like "The Dark Knight" the aspect ratio of the movie switches between the original (2.35:1) and IMAX (1.78:1) aspect ratio.  It might bother some people but it did not bother me at all. 

Blu-ray 2D Presentation: The 2D Blu-ray video is beautiful.  The skin tones in the real world are natural.  The color palette in the real world is intentionally warm.  The digital world is dark with a blueish tint, again done so intentionally and superbly.  The detail is top notch.  I did not notice any video grain.  If your display is not properly calibrated you will miss out on all the amazing shadow detail.  The action is stylized and choreographed to Daft Punk’s awesome soundtrack.  My brother commented afterwards that it was like watching a "music video". 

Audio:

The audio is presented in 7.1 DTS-HD Master Audio.  The bit rate peaks at 7.67 MBPS.  That my friends, is reference-quality bit rate.  Daft Punk's soundtrack is powerful with lots of room filling electronic bass.  The LFE is again reference-quality.  Simply put, awesome! I was smiling while listening to this soundtrack.  The dialogue is intelligible.  The surround sound presentation is so good that in order to enjoy the soundtrack and the surround to the fullest you need full size rear speakers. 

Best Audio/Video Demo Scenes:

Scene 16, 1hr 40min mark, "Building an Army":  Sam, Quorra, and Kevin Flynn escape.  The drums in the Rear Speakers are loud and room filling.  There is great dynamic range in this scene.  Did I mention Full Size Rear Speakers are a must.

Scene 17, "Air Battle":  All channels comes alive, lots of LFE, lots of surround imaging.  The musical score again makes this scene work.

Scene 18, "Flynn's Sacrifice": This scene is all about Daft Punk and how the score makes the Climax work.  Loved every minute.

3D Presentation:
Well, this is the weak link.  3D is OK but not great.  3D is less brighter and therefore the image looses some of the pop from 2D.  3D adds more depth to the image and does not get in the way of the beautiful sound track.  I'd rather watch the movie in 2D. 

Highly Recommended.

The musical score, sound design, and video make this movie a MUST OWN. 

Wal-Mart plans to reduce space for Electronics...LMAO!

"Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (WMT), the world’s biggest retailer, plans to cut back on space for electronics as sales in that category have declined, contributing to the company’s two-year U.S. sales slump. The company, which is based in Bentonville, Arkansas, will reduce the floor space devoted to items like flat-screen televisions and give some of that space to apparel, according to Rosalind Brewer, who runs the Wal-Mart East division. Brewer spoke at a retail conference in Atlanta today. The reduction is a reversal of Wal-Mart’s 2009 move to allocate 21 percent more floor space to entertainment gadgets and comes after electronics contributed to a 1.8 percent decline in sales at U.S. stores open at least a year in the fourth quarter, its seventh consecutive drop. “It’s something Wal-Mart has needed to do for a year,” said Craig Johnson, president of Customer Growth Partners, a New Canaan, Connecticut-based consulting firm, in an interview. “You don’t need as much space in that area with products shrinking and purchases going online, and electronics has narrow profit margins. Floor space is a scarce commodity.”   Courtesy Hometoys.com"

Is One Sub Better than Two?

I just read this on AVSForum. 

"If your room has typical dimensions--20 x 14 x 8 ft., about 2,100 cu. ft.--one well-designed subwoofer with an internal amplifier equal in size to the full output of your receiver (full power for 1 channel + 1/8 power x the number of other channels) and a 10-inch or 12-inch driver should deliver solid deep bass extension and ample output for music and movie soundtracks. On the other hand, if the room is larger than usual (4,000 to 8,000 cu. ft. or bigger) or has a vaulted or cathedral ceiling, you should definitely consider running an extra subwoofer."

So, doing the math, my receiver is 140 watts:

140 + 17.5 (1/8th of 140) x 5 = 787.5 watts.  I have a MartinLogan Depth-i which is spec'd at 900 watts Peak.  Therefore going by the AVSForum post my sub is ideal for my 20x12x8 room.

Blu-ray review: The American—Universal (Blu-ray)

The American (Blu-ray)

By Doctorr

Video: 5 Mo's/5
Audio: 4 Mo's/5

Synopsis: The movie opens in the mountains of Sweden.  Jack, an American abroad is enjoying a walk in the calm and quite mountains of Sweden with his female companion.  The sound field in quite and calm but then all hell breaks loose.  Shots are fired.  surrounds come alive and Jack ends up shooting his companion and the assassin who was sent to kill him.  It turns out that Jack himself is an assassin.  After this job does not go so well and his cover blown, he has no choice but to hide in the Italian countryside until his contact figures out how the Swedes found him.  His contact offers him a job and he takes it.  He becomes friends with a local Priest and gets involved in a relationship with Clara.  Jack senses that he might be loosing his edge, but still decides to break the rules.... 

I watched this movie last week but did not want to write about it because I felt that I would not do justice to it.  Here it is anyway. 

Video:

This blu-ray has to be the most beautifully filmed title that I have ever seen.  The photography is gorgeous.  The Italian country side shots are eye candy.  The detail is amazing and stunning in every shot.  The town where Jack is hiding out is a medieval town and it is captured beautifully on camera.  The color palette is intentionally stylized and created a great mood and atmosphere which pulled me right in to the movie.  I am telling you, man, the video is a must see.  The wide screen shots of the Italian countryside are absolutely amazing.  

Audio:

The soundtrack is laid back but is very effective in creating an atmosphere of tension.  In scenes where Jack is testing his handmade weapon, the gun shots seemed very real (not that I know what real gun shots sound like).  Nevertheless, I felt the sound in my chest.  There was one scene where me and my wife jumped out of our seats.  If your system is correctly calibrated you will literally hear the bullets being fired towards you from the front of the room.  Amazing!

Highly Recommended.

2-channel vs. Multichannel

A well-mastered, high-bitrate, multichannel recording played on a good surround system blows 2-channel out of the water, creating a much more solid (i.e., stereo) soundfield. That's only an opinion.  I would like to know what you think.  Please take the survey below.

Projector vs. Flat Panel display

I have been thinking of setting up a Projector in my room for some time now.  Every time I come close to making a decision something new comes out on the flat panel display side or I end up buying speakers or receivers. 

I think this is it.  I think I am going to bite the bullet and go for it. 

Umm...Maybe not and here is why.

Setting up a Projection system in your home is not that simple.  Sure, you can buy a cheese ass Projector Screen from Projecta and a dinky ass Casio business projector and call it a Theater.  Hell, you can even save the $99 that you would have spent on a screen and project that same dinky ass Casio projector on a wall.  Who needs a screen?  This is where majority of the people who inspire to have a Theater go WRONG. 

Then there are those who go with a $500 screen and a $1300 projector and call it a (Insert Your Name)'s Theater, and post pictures online.  That is a little closer to the real thing.  Still a similarly priced 65" Panasonic S2 Plasma would laugh at the shadow detail, viewing angles, performance with ambient light, and the overall picture quality of the $1500 projection system. 

In my opinion there are several things that need to be considered before setting up a Projection System in your home and I am not talking about the seats or curtains or any of the peripheral stuff here.  I read a very good article on Hometheater.com by Thomas J. Norton in March of last year.  Tom is one of my favorite writers on Hometheater.com.  I took the key factors that he talked about in his article and have compiled a Mo's MUST-DO List:

Room and the Screen placement:
This is a key factor.  The room MUST be rectangular.  You must allow enough space on either side of the screen.  Try to keep the speakers close to the screen and at least a couple of feet away from the corners of the room.  Speakers, like humans, need space to breath and operate.  Secondly, the last row of seats MUST be a few feet from the back wall. 

Lighting:

If you want the best projection setup, then you better find a way to make the room completely dark.  Room light washes out the image on the screen.  Simple as that! 

There are no two ways about it.  Some people recommend screens that are specifically designed for use with some ambient light, but I say, quit messing around!  The only way to get the full benefits of a projection system is with a completely dark room.  It’s also a good idea to paint the room as dark as possible, especially if your ceiling is low and white!

Screen Gain:
The other important factor when choosing a projection screen is the screen Gain.  For 3D consider higher screen gains, for example the Screen Innovation Black Diamond with a 1.4 gain.  However, for 2D a screen with a lower gain is preferred, e.g., the Screen Innovation Black Diamond Screen with a gain of 0.8.  Generally, I say a screen with a 1.3 Gain should work better for both 2D and 3D.

Projector:
Finally, the type of projector also matters.  There are many resources available online that can help you decide the type of projector you would want.  You can choose between LCD, LCOS (Sony’s SXRD is an LCOS variant), single-chip DLP, and three-chip DLP. All of these can produce a stunning image.

When deciding on a Projector you need to consider the color accuracy, black levels, gamma, and resolution.  There is nothing worse than a $5000 projector with a iffy gamma or contrast.  I go back to my original statement, if an entry level Plasma can beat the picture of a projection setup, you might as well not do it.  You are better off saving the coin and taking the family out to the Local Theaters for a family night.  There is more ROI associated with that than building a shotty theater in the basement.

More on the way!  Stay tuned.....

Pioneer Elite VSX-33 vs. Marantz SR6005

I recently purchased the Marantz SR6005 and here are my initial thoughts. 

Ratings based on similarly priced Receivers.
Audio: 2 channel 4 Mo's, Multichannel 4 Mo's
Video: 3.5 Mo's.  Sub par upscaling.

The Marantz replaced my Pioneer Elite VSX-33.  The main differences between the two AVRs are:
1) Dual HDMI Ouputs on the Elite vs Single HDMI Output on the Marantz
2) True Onscreen GUI overlay on the Marantz.  The Elite's GUI blacks out the source picture.
3) The Marantz has multichannel inputs for use with an older SACD player whereas the Elite is all digital and does not have this option.
4) The Elite is THX Select2 certified and the Marantz is not.  I prefer the THX bass management and prefer watching movies with THX engaged. 

I have the Marantz powering my center (Motif) and surrounds (Montage) just like the Pioneer.  As was the case with the Elite, the Marantz feeds the Emotiva XPA-2 via preamp outputs which powers the fronts (Vantages).

The Marantz had no problems with the Directv 3D channels, n3D and ESPN 3D.  I have not gotten those crazy EDID errors that I was experiencing with the Elite (at least till now).  Same was true with 3D via the PS3.  I used to get the "resolution not supported" errors with the Elite on the 3D channels.  PS3 would simply say that the TV was not a 3D TV.

I ran Audyssey for 3 positions using the supplied mic and my trusted DYNEX tripod.  As usual I got the Phase check error for the fronts and as usual I ignored it.  Audyssey detected all the speakers correctly but like the Elite's MCACC set the MartinLogan Montage speakers incorrectly as Large.  The Vantages were set to full-band which is what I want.  In my room the Vantages produce usable output down to 31hz (verified using a RadioShack SPL meter).  The crossover for the Motif was set to 60hz which is fine I suppose but I changed it to the THX recommended 80hz for both the center and surrounds.

My stance on the crossover deal is simple.  If the SPL does not produce usable (at least 60db at 40 hz) output in your room then the speakers need to be set to Small.  Failure to do so comprises the low frequency reproduction.      

Early impressions (2 channel):
The Marantz can accept sample rates of 44.1, 48, 88.2, 96, 176.4, and 192 khz through the digital coax inputs.  I listened to a number of high resolution and CD quality tracks via my media server and Sonos ZP90 on the Marantz.

Like the "Sound Retriever" on Elite, Marantz uses M-Dax for compressed music.  I prefer the sound of the Elite's Sound Retriever over the M-Dax.  I left this setting off.

The bass seems more well rounded compared to the Elite.  The highs are slightly silkier than the Elite, but the midrange was better on the Elite.  Most of the listening to this point has been in the Pure Direct or Direct mode.  I prefer the Direct mode over the Pure Direct mode because the former keeps the bass management in play. 

My early impression is that Marantz is slightly more musical than the Elite.  However, I reserve the right to change this early opinion.

Topsy (Dick Hyman) and Dacoit Duel (A. R. Rahman) sounded just as good via the Marantz as they did through the Elite.  The difference between the two is subtle, for example, the drums on Topsy were more further back on the Marantz then on the Pioneer, where they sounded more forward.  My professional drummer brother in-law, Mr. White, has also previously commented on the slight forward sounding drums on this track via the Elite.  The correct sound is when the drums are set well back behind the plane of the speakers.   The double bass sounded rich on the Elite but on the Marantz had a more richer and rounded tone to it. 

Multichannel Music:  Pink Floyd, Dark Side of the Moon, is one of my favorite SACDs.  I used the PS3 (Fatty) to send the 5.1 channel, 176.4 khz - PCM signal to the Marantz.  The clocks at the beginning of "Time" were accurately placed high, low and wide.  Surround imaging was good and not too distracting.  I heard more in the surrounds with the Marantz than I have ever heard with any of the Pioneer Elites that I have used in my system.  The Sax Solo by Dick Parry on "Money" is powerful and the Marantz brought out all the highs and lows in the solo. It's a great sax solo but it gets overshadowed by a strong guitar solo that follows.  Needless to say I had fun listening to Pink Floyd on the SR-6005.  I can only imagine how good the SR-7005 or the pre-amp AV-7005 would sound like. 

Movies:  DVD upscaling through the advanced Anchor Bay video processor on the Marantz is decent but not as good as the Marvell's advanced Qdeo video processing used on the Elite.  Elite's upscaling is a notch above.  Bollywood DVDs like Sathiya looked good enough and didn't impress as much as the Elite.  Blu-rays on the other hand were more even.  The biggest difference for me was on the surround mix end, where again I am hearing more in the surrounds with the Marantz than I have ever heard with any of the Elites.  DTS Master Audio track on Master and Commander and True HD track on the Dark Knight were impressive with lots of surround effects all over the damn place.

Conclusion: The Marantz delivers solid audio performance for the money.  Aside from the less than stellar upscaling performance you would be hard pressed to find an AVR better than the SR-6005 in the sub $1000 category.

Resident Evil: Afterlife 3D Blu-ray Review

I have to admit, the only reason why I bought this 3D blu-ray was because I was getting sick of watching animated 3D content.  The 3D was shot with the same 3D camera system that was used in Avatar, but that does not automatically mean that the 3D effects were as good.  After all this movie IS directed by Paul W. S. Anderson (Alien Vs. Predators)    

Equipment used in Review: Sony 55 HX800, PS3 (3D), Pioneer Elite BDP-23FD (2D), Pioneer Elite VSX-33 (Center, Surround), Emotiva XPA-2 (Front Left and Right), MartinLogan Vantage, Motif, Montage, and Depth-i.

Audio: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1.  The bit-rate maxes out at 3.56 MBPS, which is not that impressive, but will give your surrounds and sub(s) a pretty good workout.  The overall sound was open and had some low frequency effects to keep the sub satisfied for one night.  The soundtrack is not as good as the first Resident Evil but manages to get the job done.

Best Demo Scene(s):

Chapter 11. 

This is the sequence on the roof top when Alice is running towards the exit.  Watch for the coins (we find out why she likes to collect them) as they jump out of the screen after being shot out of a shot gun via a couple of Zombie heads.  A little bit later in the chapter Alice and Claire battle the giant Zombie.  The video in this scene is simply awesome and full of dimension.  In an overhead camera shot the water from the sawed off plumbing is literally spraying outwards.

3D presentation:

The 3D effects on the Sony HX800 were actually a lot better than the digital 3D presentation that I had seen at the local cinemas.   The video presentation was crisp with plenty of detail. The black levels and shadow detail was excellent too.  Crosstalk (between right and left image) or ghosting was minimal compared to digital 3D presentation.   

Audio Rating: 3.5 Mo's (on a scale of 1 to 5, 5 being kick ass)

Video Rating: 4.5 Mo's (on a scale of 1 to 5, 5 being kick ass)

I would not have seen this movie for a second time (at home) if not for the 3D.  Overall, I would recommend this movie for 3D purposes only.     

Pioneer Elites to return as Sharp Elite's

WTF....When I first heard about it, the only thing that came to mind was "Is this a nightmare?....have I been transported to Elm Street?....Freddy's blades were replaced by 4 pixels, Red, Green, Blue, and that God forsaken Yellow pixel. 

Seriously, this must be Karma!  For years, us Audio and Video Enthusiasts, have made a living making fun of two brands, BOSE and SHARP.  Serves us well!