Gramophone’s Favorite Things

Have You Forgotten How Music Is Supposed To Sound?

I'm not your typical audiophile who can talk for hours about the technical aspects of the music I love.  In fact, people who know me, know that I'm more of a casual music listener. I listen to talk radio in the car, and I'm usually forced to listen to Hannah Montana and High School Musical at home. (Guess who lives in a house with a 10 year old girl...) My boss and I differ on our musical taste. Let's just say: I'm a little bit country, he's a little more rock 'n roll. So, when I come in early on Saturday mornings, I take some time to sit down, relax, and listen to what I enjoy. 

We just put together a new display at our Timonium location: The new NAD M2 Direct Digital Amplifier and the PSB Syncrony One loudspeaker towers.  This morning, I decided to see what this setup could do for Patsy Cline.  I'm a sucker for "Crazy", and I think the tape hiss enhances the listening experience.  When music is played through great equipment, the image that you can create in your mind is crystal clear.  So, when all was quiet, I dropped the disc* into the tray, sat down in one of the comfortable Classic Leather chairs and re-experienced "Crazy"  It was as though I was in a smoky studio in Nashville in the 60's, looking through the glass into the booth, where Patsy and the Jordanaires were laying down the tracks while I sat at the board.  I was hearing things in this classic that I had never heard before.  When in came to the end, I knew I had to grab my other current favorite, Tony Joe White singing "A Rainy Night in Georgia."  The kickdrum is tight. Tony's voice is gravely and low.  You can hear each string being played.  But most of all, you can feel what he's feeling.  That's what music is about.  Have you really heard your music how it's supposed to sound?

It wouldn't surprise me if you're not familiar with NAD or PSB, not everyone has them on display and ready for you to experience.  For the quality and value, though, it's amazing that they're not a standard household name.  NAD & PSB Speakers are part of the Lenbrook Group, a Canadian company that has been producing great audio equipment since 1978 (almost as long as Gramophone's been in business!).  Together they make beautiful music.

Just the look of the components will let you know what you're in for.  The industrial design of the M2 is rock solid with a simple faceplate showing that performance does not have to be complicated.  The PSB speakers are beautifully constructed, reminiscent of the construction of fine furniture.  These are not speakers that your wife will want hidden from sight.

Come in and be reminded of how music is supposed to sound.

Bruce Spivey
410-308-1650

*Don't want to use CDs? Not a problem.  We can play your iPod through these speakers.  We'll just hook up Peachtree's iDecco and you'll be good to go!

Resources:

• Bruce's Playlist on Grooveshark
• Grooveshark on Facebook
• Grooveshark on Twitter
• NAD Electronics
• NAD Electronics on Facebook
• NAD Electronics on Twitter
• PSB Speakers
• PSB Speakers on Facebook
• PSB Speakers on Twitter

Portable Music

Before you know it, summer will be here, and we'll be heading outside to play, eat, swim, and soak up the sun. Great news: your portable music now has a great portable speaker it can connect to. Soundcast presents the Outcast, a truly wireless & weatherproof speaker that connects right up with your iPod. I know that for the audiophiles out there these features send up red flags about sound quality, but I'm here to tell you, the quality is quite good. And with a battery that runs the speaker for up to 10 hours per charge, you can take it with you to the park and play your music all day without a problem. Want to listen to satellite radio or your favorite local station? It can do that too.* Since it's weatherproof, don't worry about doing a cannonball into the pool, the Outcast can take it.

Take out your earbuds, and share your music this summer. The Outcast turns your afternoon in the sun into an event you'll want to repeat.

-Bruce Spivey

*Tech-Speak: Want to know how the RF dock (iCast) works? The iCast has a rear panel analog audio connection. When you don't have an iPod docked in it, the rear panel connection is an INPUT. It can accept analog audio from any source. Here's the catch: if you plan to use the iCast as an iPod dock - for both the soundcast speaker AND your a/v receiver - then that rear panel connection becomes an OUTPUT. Think of the iPod as a mechanical switch. Insert it, and the connection becomes an output, remove it, and the connection becomes an input.

Make This Year's Father's Day Stand Out From All the Rest.

With only 10 Days until Father's Day, these are some of our top picks!

It is almost impossible to write about the "Top Three Gadgets for Father's Day"  There are far more gadgets that Dad would love to have than just three.  How to decide? Headphones top our list of great Father's Day gifts, but there are also great iPod Dock solutions.  And we didn't limit ourselves to picking just three.  We'll let you figure out which of the following would make this year's Father's Day stand out from all the rest.

Better than a tie, but not quite a set of nice cuff links.

Sennheiser's line of headphones offers a great gift for dad for when he goes to the gym.  The adidas Performance headphones with volume control are portable, washable, and simply the way to go when it comes to athletic headphones. Wired Magazine's Product Review Section says: The Sennheiser/Adidas PMX680s provide "Exceptional sound quality. Marvelous bass. Stays put securely. Water resistant and dog-proof."

Better than the really nice cuff links, but not quite his dream golf club set.

At less than $300, this gift is far better than a set of nice cuff links , but not quite at the level of a really nice set of golf clubs.  For the Dad whose music taste is stuck back in time somewhere, these headphones will take him back and let him relive those days -- without causing the whole family to cringe.

Looking for a review? Wired Magazine's Product Review Section says: Heavenly Headphones Create Symphony Hall for Your Ears

Dad has an iPod?

Actually, this gift will be something an entire family enjoys...if Dad's the sharing type.  Starting at less than $400, you can get dad the B&W Mini-Zeppelin or the "big-daddy" of the two, the B&W Zeppelin.  These two are both iPod docking stations that are easy to use and have great sound quality. He'll love the fact that they have digital signal processing, digital amplifiers, as well as s-video & composite outputs. But in addition to that, they just make his music sound amazing. 

Don't take our word for it: Wired Magazine's Geek Dad Section says: "B&W Zeppelin: Still Soaring Above The Crowd After Three Years"

Dad Deserves Quiet Time.

Noise canceling headphones might just be the gift every dad has been wanting. Sennheiser's PXC310 noise canceling, collapsible headphones might just improve Dad's mood when the dog's barking, the baby's crying, and the kids are squealing with delight.  We won't tell if you use them every once in a while too!

 

Dad Wants To Spend As Much Time Outside As Possible (But he still loves movies...)

There's only one choice for this Dad: Epson MovieMate.  "Epson's MovieMate 60 combines an HD projector, A CD/DVD player, microphone unit, and stereo speakers in one portable unit" (And it comes with parental controls, so the kids can't watch movies you don't want them to see!

For less than $700, you can create your very own drive-in movie theater, have a karaoke night, watch a slideshow of family pictures, and more on a picture that can be 120"!

Want to know more about it?  The Today Show featured it!

Dad Hates Digital Music, But It's Time He Move Into the 21st Century

He needs the Peachtree iDecco. Hands Down. The best thing to do is experience the difference it makes in taking the flat sound of digital music and allowing it to breathe and have depth again.  Certainly, you can read reviews. Or, you can just come in and see how simple it is to make your digital music sing!

Dad Needs To Relax In His Very Own...Motorized Chair.

Sometimes Dad just needs to take a seat.  Oh, and this seat will make him feel like a king!  This chair is available in more than 20 colors of high grade woven fabric, and 25 colors of top grain, aniline leathers. With cupholders for his favorite drink, possible snack table, and cushions that will force his body to relax.  Don't go with the La-Z-boy, go with the VIP line of seating that offers so much more!

Dad Loves The Kids And Wants To Spend Lots of Family Time With Them

Is it time to splurge on Dad & the family at the same time?  Spend quality time with Dad while letting him win Wii Golf, snuggling on the couch as a family watching the latest blockbuster, or cheering on your favorite sports team on a 100" screen.  If this sounds like the perfect gift for Dad, they you'll want to check out the Epson Ensemble HD Theater System.  For $5999, it's an all-inclusive investment in Family Time, and what better time to start that investment than Father's Day?  The teenagers just might stay at home to watch movies with the family every once in a while too, but we won't make any promises on that!

We could offer so many other great ideas, such as:

• the portable, wireless, outdoor speaker Dad can take with him anywhere (tailgating included!). Oh, and it links right up with his iPod!
• the outdoor tv for the Dad who loves watching baseball and early season football, but also wants to be outside with the kids!

You want more? Give us a call. Stop by.  We want Dad to be thrilled!

Going Outside: my new project

This is the year, the year we make the great outdoors even greater.  We love music, and we're excited by the idea of outdoor television and movies.  Our challenge now is making the space fit you and your family.

   


We provide all sorts of solutions and ideas for you to peruse, from our online gallery to our state-of-the-art showrooms.  Let us help you design your great outdoors.

Are these some questions you have?

• Do I want to include a Sunbrite weatherproof TV?
  
• What type of speakers do I want?  Do I want them to fit right in with the surroundings?  Madison Fielding Planters could be one option, but then there are the Speakercraft Rock Speakers. 
  
• Of course, there's always the question of sound quality: James Landscape Series or B&W weatherproof speakers?
• What about if I want to have a party and want to play my music outside the patio?  Should I look into the quality, portable, wireless speakers by Soundcast to use during those times?
• Do I want to go back inside to control the outdoor system?  There are several systems that I could use outside (that are also weatherproof) so I wouldn't end up running in and out of the house: Crestron and Control4 are two of them.
  
• What about when a party goes into the later hours and it gets dark outside?  Should I go with lighting control?  Color Kinetics looks like a great idea, but I'm still not sure.

Let's work together to make this year, the year of the great outdoors!  Give us a call or stop by to speak with sales representatives, designers, engineers & programmers to see what they think is best for you!

Timonium 410-308-1650

Columbia  410-381-2100

B&W Zeppelin - the speakers your iPod® has been waiting for.

B&W, makers of the world's best speakers, now make the world's best way to listen to your iPod® or iPhone®. Zeppelin is an integrated iPod speaker system from Bowers & Wilkins, makers of the speakers that are used in recording studios around the world (including the Abbey Road studios). B&W creates technologies and systems that world-leading studios depend on and that find their way into even its most affordable speakers. Zeppelin will fill a room with crisp, deep, lifelike stereo sound, and deliver musical detail that you won’t believe your iPod could deliver. That’s because the two have so much in common: blissfully simple design and world-leading technologies that let you get the most out of your music.