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Using home theater furniture is a great way to safely store your electronics while keeping them out of sight and preserving the aesthetic of your living space. When buying your furniture, there are many factors that come into play, but one factor in particular is often overlooked: the ability to keep your electronics cool and prevent them from overheating.

There are many different wireless audio systems available, using both open and proprietary standards. The two most common standards today are Bluetooth and AirPlay. Bluetooth is universal and comes with almost every phone, tablet, and computer currently made. AirPlay is a proprietary Apple format that works over Wi-Fi with iPhones, iPads, and MacBooks. There are important differences between the two. Bluetooth Bluetooth is a near-field standard, which limits communication between a mobile device and the speakers to no more than 30 feet apart (the ideal distance is 15 feet or less). Consequently, if you leave the room with your smartphone, the music...

A DAC is a must for anyone who truly appreciates content delivered as it was intended to be heard. Utilizing a DAC may be very different than the audio setup you are already familiar with. A DAC is not really an audio source, nor is it an output device or a pre-processor. A DAC converts digital content to an analog format for playback on a home stereo system. The quality of the conversion process differs by the quality of the DAC. While some newer audio/video receivers like Sony’s ES line and Yamaha’s Aventage line boast high-quality internal DACs, this is not the case for most other products with built-in DACs.

Gizmodo recently published a controversial article claiming that the coming of 24-bit audio to iTunes "will be bad for users."  We immediately went to Brian, president of Gramophone, for a response, and here's what he has to say: "This ain’t so simple. At first glance 16-bit should be more than enough. There are 65,536 gradations of volume (just like gradations of color across the spectrum) possible with 16-bit audio. That’s a whole lot. 16-bit audio (what we currently have) is reported to have a dynamic range of 96 decibels. Once again, that’s a lot. Who can possibly hear that many gradations? No one. But there’s a...

By Lauren Dragan Music lovers looking for the ultimate headphone listening experience have more options today than ever. Many high-end audio aficionados prefer the sound of open-backed headphones above all others. What makes open-back so special? How do you know if they’re right for you? Here are a few pointers to get you acquainted. First, a word on what open-back means: open-backed headphones have exterior shells that are not made of solid material in the way that most headphones are commonly designed. Whether it’s mesh or fabric, open-back headphones allow air into (and some sound out of) the space between...