Gramophone’s Favorite Things

PSB Imagine Minis: There’s Nothing Mini About Them

There’s always that kid in elementary school who gets bullied for being on the short side. He’s probably picked last during gym when the class breaks up to play basketball, and he probably gets a neck ache for always having to look up to his peers. But being small doesn’t always mean you’re not good enough. In fact, it’s usually the small kid who has the best jokes, wins the science fair, or is just a great person to be around. What we’re trying to say is that you shouldn’t judge someone by his size. So when we were introduced to the PSB Imagine mini speakers in the Gramophone showroom, we held back our judgements, docked our iPod, and let the speakers to do talking.

The Sound

As soon as we heard our music we stepped back and listened. The sound was so clear, so expansive, and definitely not something either of us expected. Were we really listening to our music on the PSB minis? Every note seemed to exude effortlessly from the speakers, as if sound, even at a higher level, was as nothing to break a sweat over. The PSB minis definitely caught our attention. Even songs with higher and lighter notes blended right in the complexity of the the deeper tunes, creating a harmonic balance that was new to our ears. The reproduced sound equalled that of floor-standing speakers over 3 times their size!

The Looks

We must admit, we’re definitely not fond of speakers, well, their looks that is. The boxy awkward things that overpower a desk or clutter the sleek line of a cabinet is definitely not our favorite. But after searching the showroom floor for 5 minutes trying to find the PSB Imagine minis, we were awestruck. They had been right in front of us the whole time, in fact, we had listened to them last week! The Imagine minis were part of the Peachtree iDecco display. Measuring just under 6” wide, just over 9” high, and 8” deep, the curved modern forms blended in. The tapered back and sloping top with rounded edges gives the minis a sophisticated twist, and definitely not a boxy cluttered look. We even took the fabric screen cover off the front to expose the B&W-looking face and they were still discreet. The minis are lightweight and come in a variety of finishes to match you existing decor and avoid the overpowering feeling speakers are all to familiar with.

The Integration

We listened to the minis with the iDecco but they can also be integrated into a home theater system or just used as computer speakers. Their versatility speaks for itself and at a low price point for such high, uncompromised quality. The minis also come with matching stands and custom brackets to help the integration process run smoothly and seamlessly.

 

Check out the PSB Imagine minis or, even better, come in to Gramophone today to hear them for yourself!

-Julia and Ela

 

Beat the heat and throw a pool party your friends will never forget!

As the weather warms up forget cranking up the AC to stay cool. Instead, take your party outside and make your backyard the place to be!

What To Keep In Mind

 

The size of your pool and backyard are the first things to consider when planning your guest list.  Every pool has a maximum capacity, so don’t try to fit the entire Ravens team in your 12’x24’ family pool. You’ll end the night with only half of the water you started out with. Next, keep in mind the size of your backyard. Do you have a deck where most of your guests will be sitting and relaxing? Do you have enough seating spaces for everyone?

It is also important to start planning about a week ahead and regularly treat your pool and skim the surface of the water to keep it free of debris and to eliminate discoloration. These few and easy tasks will keep your pool looking fresh and appealing to your guests to swim in (because that’s the focus of your party, right?!).

 

Bring On The Games

 

If your guests bring their children make sure to provide a variety of toys that will be entertaining to all age groups. Children love simple and inexpensive water toys such as diving rings and foam noodles. These toys will keep kids busy for hours as they invent their countless new games to play. Also consider purchasing an extra set of inflatable rafts or kick boards to keep the kids afloat!

For the adults an across-the-pool volleyball net or a poolside basketball hoop can create a friendly rivalry among friends. To keep drinks cool, purchase a Mega Chill, an inflatable floating cooler that holds up to 24 cans of your favorite beverage and includes six cup holders along the outer ring.

 

 

Keep It High Tech

 

To get the best out of your outdoor space, consider amping up your backyard with weather-proof technologies- all of which are sold at Gramophone!  

James Loudspeaker offers a great set of concealed outdoor speakers that can make any space sound great without the worry of water damage.  The 70 volt Landscape Speaker set can be concealed in a flower planter and can be placed up to a quarter mile from the receiver without experiencing any signal loss.  The sleek and modern Outdoor Satellite speakers are also a great option when trying to blend your desire for fantastic sound quality with a family-friendly space.

If you are looking for an outdoor television, The SunBrite TV series, also sold at Gramophone, is perfect for your backyard paradise. The SunBrite televisions are rain, dust, and insect proof and resist the damaging effects of extreme temperatures. All models come with full HD and the anti-reflective screen reflects glare.

To put your outdoor space together Color Kinetics lighting systems, such as the Intelliwhite (iW) fixture, lets you adjust the range of outdoor lighting in your space from warm, neutral, to cool white LEDs. You can easily alter the mood of your space by controlling your lights on the external wall-mounted device.  

So get out there and enjoy your summer! Your backyard may just be your new go-to vacation paradise!

-Ela

 

 

Dads and Grads...on a budget

Looking to get dad an awesome Father’s Day gift that he can’t put down? Need to get your grad something extra special without breaking the bank? Father’s Day is just around the corner and graduations are recent news so here are a few cool items you can pick up right here at Gramophone that are sure to please even the biggest gadget guru.

Headphones

Beats by Dr. Dre

 

Beats are a must have for any college bound music enthusiast but even dad whose still into the golden oldies will absolutely love these incredible headphones. With noise cancelling features, ultra light design, and clear crisp HD sound, Beats are more than just headphones. They provide a stellar music listening experience every where you go! Beats on-ear start at just $199 in either red, black, silver, or white and come complete with a sturdy traveling case and cable connector to ensure durability.

 

 

Bowers and Wilkins P5

Now dads and grads can enjoy the same luxurious experience they love about Bowers & WIlkins everywhere they go with the  P5 noise-isolating, mobile hi-fi headphones. At an incredible price for the B&W quality, wow your dad and grad for under $300!

Looking for a review? Check out what Wired Magazine says about the B&W P5: “Heavenly Headphone Create Symphony Hall for Your Ears”.

 

iPod Docks & Speakers

Geneva Sound System Model S

Receiving the highest marks in its class, the Geneva Model S is as compact, portable, and high tech as it gets. When the iPod/iPhone is removed, the motorized PowerDock spins closed to protect it. Any dad or grad would be proud to own this powerful little box with easy to use touch light controls and a built digital clock radio.

Looking for a review? Check out what Wired Magazine says about the Geneva Model S: “iPod Dock Has Killer Looks, Sound to Match”.

Bowers and Wilkins Zeppelin Mini

Give your dad or grad the gift of music, elegant, compact, and advanced music with the streamlined Zeppelin mini. Perfect for the office, dorm room, or new apartment, dads and grads alike will love the incredible sound delivered once again by B&W. Same great sound as the Zeppelin or Zeppelin Air with a much smaller price tag, only $299!

 

 

 Television

48-Month Special Financing Available from Sony*

Receive a Sony Internet TV Blu-ray Disc Player powered by Google TV when you buy a qualifying LED Sony BRAVIA HDTV listed below.  Valid to July 9, 2011.  Eligible Models: KDL-46HX729, KDL-55EX720, KDL-55HX729, KDL-55HX820, KDL-55NX720, XBR-55HX929.

*See store for details. Subject to credit approval.

Is your dad or grad more about catching the football game? Gramophone is proud to carry the latest in LCD TVs from Samsung, Sony, and Sharp with crisp, ultra clear displays. Starting in the $200 price range, the 19” LCDs are a perfect fit for any dorm room or office.

 

Sonos Wireless Home Sound System

Is this Father’s Day the time to get dad something extra special that he’s been wanting but, until now, your budget couldn’t fit? Visit Gramophone to check out the latest in wireless full-house music entertainment. Whether you plan to start dad out with a single one-room unit  or upgrade throughout the house, the Sonos Wireless Multi-Room Music System is the perfect solution to affordable zoned music.

 

Ask Julia what she would recommend for your Dad or Grad!

McIntosh & Gramophone Celebrate the Good Life With “DIAMONDS ARE A GUY’S BEST FRIEND” Evening OF Music, Martinis, And Fine Food

McIntosh Laboratory, a global leader in home entertainment and ultimate-quality audio for over 60 years, will be the featured performer at a special Gramophone home entertainment and music celebration on May 18 from 6:00 to 8:00 PM at the Timonium location (4 West Aylesbury Road) and May 19 from 6:00 to 8:00 PM at the Columbia location (8880 McGaw Road). The event will provide a first-hand look at some of McIntosh’s legendary audio gear and allow people to experience the intense emotional impact made possible by true no-compromise music reproduction. In addition to the McIntosh experience, the event will feature product demonstrations from Runco and Bowers & Wilkins. 

Guests will enjoy powerful high fidelity demonstrations from several McIntosh systems. Attendees are encouraged to bring in their favorite nostalgic vinyl records to experience listening to their music on a world-class audio system. 

Find Out What the “McIntosh Experience” Is All About
The Gramophone celebration will give area music lovers a taste of why discerning listeners have long considered McIntosh to be the “diamond standard” of great sound. Each McIntosh component is meticulously handcrafted in the U.S.A. at the company’s Binghamton, NY factory – and music lovers around the world regard the iconic “McIntosh Blue” front panel meters as the hallmark of unmatched quality, performance and reliability.

In fact, McIntosh has built a cult-like following around the world that has long included many of the world’s most discriminating audio enthusiasts and musicians – members from The Rolling Stones and The Grateful Dead, as well as John Mayer, Rob Thomas, Antonio L.A. Reid to name just a few.

RSVP to diamonds@gramophone.com, or call 410.308.1650

About McIntosh Laboratory
Since 1949, McIntosh Laboratory’s unwavering commitment to excellence, innovation and quality continues to define the state-of-the-art in high fidelity and provide discriminating consumers around the world an elevated home entertainment experience. McIntosh high-performance audio and video products are handcrafted at the company’s Binghamton, New York headquarters. Its products reflect unmatched levels of performance, superlative engineering and hand craftsmanship. Built to last for decades, McIntosh components demand nothing less than an equal level of commitment to customer support and service. McIntosh Laboratory, Inc. is a D&M Holdings company. For more information visit www.mcintoshlabs.com, join us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/mcintoshlabs or follow us on Twitter by searching for McIntoshLabsInc. All product and brand names with a trademark symbol are trademarks or registered trademarks of McIntosh Laboratory, Inc. 

DISCLAIMER
Statements in this news release that are not statements of historical fact include forward looking statements regarding future events or the future financial performance of the company. We wish to caution you that such statements are just predictions and that actual events or results may differ materially. Forward looking statements involve a number of risks and uncertainties surrounding competitive and industry conditions, market acceptance for the company's products, risks of litigation, technological changes, developing industry standards and other factors related to the company's businesses. The Company reserves all of its rights. 

10 Reasons To Join Us for a Martini Night...

Dear Readers,

I can imagine that maybe you're sick of me writing about all my product encounters...I can understand that; therefore, I'm going to move in a different direction.  We have an event rapidly approaching that will be: EPIC (that's what the kids are saying these days, right?) And we want you to join us.

On May 18th (at Timonium) and May 19th (at Columbia), we will be hosting an event titled: Diamonds are a Guy's Best Friend.  

1. There will be Custom-Colored Martinis.
2. Experience the difference that diamond makes in B&W's 800 series speakers.
3. Exclusive Promotions from B&W, McIntosh, and Runco on their hottest products!
4. Meet Charlie Randall, Presdient of McIntosh.
5. Learn how McIntosh uses garnet dust to manufacture their products.
6. Discover why a custom-colored TV from Runco may be in your future.
7. Delicious catering from a local restaurant.
8. Complimentary Valet Parking (who doesn't love to have someone else park their car?)
9. To the ladies: You'll definitely want to find out why your man is in love with diamonds too...
10. It's free to attend.

We know you want to attend, so send us your RSVP to diamonds@gramophone.com.

Cheers!

Kate

Diamonds & Hearing Clearly

Back when I was about 8 years old, I got my first pair of glasses.  I still remember the first time I was able to distinguish the leaves on the trees.  Up until that time, I had known trees to be clumps of green blurs; but, when I put on my first pair of (blue clear plastic framed) glasses, I discovered what everyone else had been seeing all their life.  

I had another "seeing clearly" moment today when I got a demo of the B&W 800 series speakers (what B&W refers to as their Diamond Series, as the tweeter contains diamond!).  It was as Barenaked Ladies' "Brian Wilson (Live)" played and I could hear the clapping of the audience.  For the first time, I was able to hear the variety of distinct sounds in the clapping.  Impossible? Not on these speakers. We've become accustomed to hearing blurs of sound as our speakers don't fully reproduce the sounds of our music -- to the point that we're not even hearing the full songs.  There's something absolutely exhilerating about actually hearing the music - the strings of the guitar, the drumsticks hitting the drums, the rasp in the voice.   

The speakers, to say the least, are shaped interestingly.  These are not your typical rectangular, box speakers.  These have curves, are spherical on top, with tweeters (that have been mistaken as microphones) resting on top.  For me, they take some getting used to, but when the music plays, the shape just makes sense.  I can't explain why, because I haven't figured that out yet.  These aren't small, compact, or bookshelf speakers in the least, but the power of the sound that plays is worth every square inch of floorspace occupied by their footprint.

I haven't met a single person who doesn't enjoy hearing music live, and these speakers have the horsepower to give that experience from the comfort of your home.  In one word: Amazing.

-Kate

Let Your Music Play Outside

Having lived in Maryland for my entire life, I understand that it is possible to experience the 4 seasons over the period of 4 days: Snow on Friday and 80 degrees & sunny on Monday.  If you're not from the area, you may be surprised by this fact, but trust me: it's possible.

The good news is that it looks like we may be heading into a very spring-like weekend, with temperatures reaching 70 degrees.  Which means it's going to be the perfect time to head outside...with your music.  But don't limit the experience to your headphones: share it with your friends & family on a pair of outdoor speakers.  

When you add the Sonos ZonePlayer 90 to your system, along with a pair of Sonance outdoor speakers, you'll have easy access to your entire music collection and be able to play all your music outside.  We can even set it up so that you can choose which music to play from your iPod or smartphone.  Just imagine: you're lounging outside.  The music's on.  Your friends are over.  And all of a sudden, someone makes a song request.  In 5 seconds, you've quickly found the song, and set it to play without having to move!  How simple is that?

Dancing at My Desk

 

My office doesn’t have a door - kind of like a cubicle (with four walls and a ceiling).  I’m not looking for pity, seriously.  But, it makes jamming to music - one of the few methods of motivation - more difficult to do without forcing my co-workers to also rock out to my favorite music.  Luckily, though, there’s a solution.  (If there wasn’t a solution, this would be a pretty pathetic blog post.)  Headphones.  Ever since Apple released its first iPod, headphones have been the solution to independant music consumption.  Unfortunately, those little earbuds can get pretty uncomfortable after 8 hours at a desk.  My ears feel like they need some fresh air.  Maybe you like the feeling, and I’m not going to hate on you for it, but my ears were just not constructed to hold a piece of plastic for the duration of the workday.  

Enter the around-the-ear headphones.  I’ll probably get some flak for this, from my serious audiophiles out there, but I spend my day with the Dr. Dre Beats (Studio).  Sure, there are plenty of other options, but it’s a personal choice, and I love my Beats.  The music doesn’t feel like it’s being pushed into my ears, rather it just lives in its own space - that I happen to be a part of.

We had a headphone challenge in the Marketing Department, and while we all agreed that anything is better than the Apple earbuds, each of us found our own personal favorites: from the on-ear B&W P5s and Grado headphones to the around-the-ear noise-cancelling Sennheisers.  And while we were challenging the headphones, we weren’t rudely spreading our music throughout the office without care for the preferences of others.  And while there was discussion of the amount of bass and the highs and lows, what it really came down to was: Do I think my music sounds great, and am I comfortable wearing these?  And that’s what it should be about.  Honestly, I don’t care if you prefer your music to be bass-heavy, club beats, classical, or opera, just don’t force me to listen to it through your itsy-bitsy computer speakers.  The only thing that should show me you’re listening to your favorite music is you dancing in your chair at your desk.

 

-Kate

From The Desk of Guest Blogger: Mick Lee from Z104.3

 

Being a radio DJ I think it would be pretty obvious, but I'm a big music/audio dude. And, I get so excited at the thought of even stepping foot into Gramophone's huge showroom….so when I heard about Peachtree Audio's musicBox, I wanted to be one of the first to try it out! My friends at Gramophone set me up with one to try last month, and it was hard to let it go when the month ended. Such amazing audio quality (which is typical with all of Peachtree products). 

It's sleek, shiny, and small enough to fit on any shelf….but packs a punch with clarity and volume. With the iPod dock on it, I was able to connect my iPod and iPhone (yes, the tech geek that I am has both) instantly and enjoy music at any moment of the day. Great to just chill, or for background music when I have friends over. Even cooler was that I could connect my HDTV to it for amazing sound from my favorite shows and movies. Good stuff. 

Definitely head to the Gramophone showroom to see it for yourself! Oh, and don't forget to bring your own iPod so you can put it to the test!

- Mick Lee (from Z104.3)

*Note from the Gramophone Team: It's on display for a limited time only, so swing by before March 31st!

 

Why Should You Care About 24-Bit Audio?

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 dirty little secret to those numbers. 32,500 of the 65,000 gradations are used on the loudest 6 decibels of the 96 decibels of dynamic range. 16,000 are used on the NEXT 6 decibels of range. In other words 75% of the gradations are devoted to the loudest 12% of the range. The other 88% of the range gets 25% of the bits devoted to it. That’s where the problem comes in.

 

A 24-bit solution increases the number of gradations by over 500 times! That’s especially important in quieter passages. It’s where the difference between a Stradivarius violin and a student violin are found. It’s where the difference between a Stratocaster and a Telecaster are. Now maybe you don’t care, but some of us do.

 

Sure, 24 bits will take more storage space than 16 bits. Storage space is a commodity that is ALWAYS coming down in price, so who cares? Should the studios charge more for 24 bit? Probably not, especially if they’re already recording in 24 bit.  

 

When Edison demonstrated the gramophone, he did a live versus recorded test to show that no one could tell the difference between his recorded wax cylinders and a live orchestra. Reportedly no one could tell the difference. Do that today and you would be laughed out of the room.

 

Video for years was 480i. Then we got 480p and it mattered. Then we got 720p and it mattered. Now we have 1080p and it matters. Soon we’ll have 2160p and having seen it, it matters!

 

As Bob Dylan wrote years ago, “Then you better start swimmin’ or you’ll sink like a stone, For the times they are a-changin’ ”

 

Recordings, audio and video, are a permanent record, an historical document. Should we throw out some of the document to save space on digital storage, or should we treasure all of it and make sure we preserve it at it’s very best?"

 

What are your thoughts on the issue?  Is this a simple matter of one more way to take up more space or is there something more complex at the root?  Should we care about the quality or is it something that should be let go? Leave a comment with your thoughts on this issue.