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 | Samsung PN58B860 58" 1080p Plasma TV |
 | "It came today..." | 2009-10-28 |
From reading AVS forum I was ready to pull the trigger on a Panasonic G10. Then went to Best Buy to see them in person and this thing was just so much nicer in every way. I'm sorry Panny fanboys but the picture on the current models just looks dingy. The older ones were much nicer. Maybe they made too many compromises for the "eco" thing. And WAY reflective. Anyway, the Samsung came today, no more calibration that setting it to "movie" mode (will wait til after break-in for that). Watching a show about quasars & pulsars on DirecTV HD Channel (720p) and we are saying "whoo" and "wow" just like watching fireworks. The colors are vivid, but not harsh (like LCD's can be). No banding, jaggies. Incredibly detailed, but smooooth. It's just amazing. Flesh tones so natural it's like you're looking at a real person. This replaced a calibrated Samsung 56" DLP, which I preferred to anything I'd ever seen before (had it's caveats but LCD RPTVs were positively hazy at that time so I went with DLP since the rainbow thing was rare and didn't bother me - kind of pretty actually.) But this just blows it away. It's like the fog has lifted. Hot? Yes, it's putting off some heat; but I live in a cold climate (SF) so no big deal. Buzzing? If you put your ear right next to it (the hard drive in my DVR is way louder) but then I'm essentially at sea level, supposedly higher altitudes worsen that. Reflections? Yes, but nowhere as bad as CRT or (ahem) the current generation of MacBooks. It's glossy but subdued. For the first time I have an in-home viewing experience superior to a movie theatre. Just can't emphasize how natural the picture is. I hope Samsung & Panasonic will continue this technology. I love LCD TV for the kitchen, it's fine for watching the news, and great on the computer for static images, but this is a true videophile experience. Like MP3's (which sound great) vs full uncompressed quality digital sound. I can see how (especially sports oriented viewers) might prefer LCD - it's bright, sharp, vivid (especially if you're looking straight on - not so great off center). But if you want to see subtlety in light, shadow, cinematography - this new tech plasma is the way to go. Maybe the key is you need a technology where the pixels are producing their own light. The last time a picture was so smooth, natural, detailed to my eye were the last generation of Sony CRT Trinitron Wega sets. Perhaps OLED will be the next step up but I'm very happy with this. And Amazon's price, white-glove delivery, return policy can't be beat.The guys from Pilot unboxed it and made sure it was working before they left. Hauled it up 2 flights of stairs. I can't believe this marvel of technology was cheaper than a decent laptop.
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 | Sony MDR-V6 Monitor Series Headphones with CCAW Voice Coil |
 | "Not for enjoyment listening" | 2009-09-27 |
I have a lot of headphones. And have had for many years. I have these, and love them. These are closed-ear, clinical, precise sounding cans. They are hot on your ears. They are harsh. They are good for mixing recordings because they consolidate a lot of listening experiences. When you're mixing music, you need to listen on a variety of sources, sources you expect your music to be heard on: iPod earbuds, car stereos, AM radios, Disco sound systems etc. These are great because they relentlessly show detail. If your mix sounds good on these things, it'll sound good on anything. BUT If you are looking for a comfortable, moving listening experience; check out Grado. Audiophile quality, rich and beautiful. Recordings mixed with these Sony's will sound spectacular on Grados. These are an incredible tool, but they are built for a purpose, and it's work, not pleasure.
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 | Grado SR60 Headphones |
| "Welcome to the world of audiophile addiction" | 2009-09-27 |
I was first introduced to Grado in the early 80's shopping for a "cartridge" for my turntable. (Translation for young folks: a needle that travels in the grooves of a vinyl record - they wore out every year or so). I was looking at an $80 Audio Technica - a lot of money then - and the salesrep said "try this Grado for $36. It's the best thing you can get for under $100". Wow. I heard stuff on my records I never knew was there. You get detail AND warmth. Unheard of. Flash forward and the same is true of these cans. You cannot do better for less than $200. The sound is rich and engaging. If you've never heard of Krell, Marrantz, Martin Logan, anything audiophile - buy these. You are about to get hooked on heroin. Nothing out of Japan or China can make you feel like this. Oh yeah, and you'll be saving up to up-grado. They are using the same business model now that they did with those cartridges in the 80's. These cans are an incredible deal, but they WILL get you hooked on great sound.
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 | OPPO DV-980H 1080p Up-Converting DVD Player with HDMI and 7.1 Channel Audio |
| "Oppo is the best" | 2008-06-03 |
I bought this model on Amazon because it's recommended for my 720p DLP set, and it's been incredible. The picture quality easily rivals the older $1000 Arcam it replaced. The upconverting is superb - AVI files played off a USB thumb drive (there's a handy USB jack on the front) look almost as good as commercially produced DVD's. I also have a Blu-Ray player & have to say the difference between a good quality DVD on the Oppo and a Blu-Ray disc is pretty minimal. A few months into using it, the player began to freeze up with higher bitrate AVI files. Oppo's communication in troubleshooting the problem (I sent them a disc) was fast and personal. They asked me to send the player back - emailed a prepaid label the same day, dropped it off at FedexTuesday, had a replacement Saturday (yep, they paid for Saturday delivery Fedex). Great product and great people to do business with. Watch out Sony & Samsung.
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 | Packet8 VoIP Business Phone Service |
| "Virtual Office is EXCELLENT value" | 2007-06-07 |
I rely on Virtual Office every day for my business and continue to be amazed by the versatility and programmability. Features other providers charge for are simply included. I've read other reviews on here comparing Virtual Office poorly against another service, but that's a residential service, I'm not sure that makes sense. We have a rock-solid DSL connection through Earthlink and 5 people can be on the phone and on the net and we've never had any problems with quality. In dealing with customer service I find I pretty much get the kind of treatment I give out, but then I've never really had any serious problems and haven't needed to contact them after the initial installation phase. This is definitely worth giving a try for a small business that wants the image and features a zillion dollar corporate phone system offers, but at a fraction of the price.
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