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Details: Written by: Doug Schneider; Category: Features; Created: 10 September 2011

Anyone who's followed me around an audio show knows that my short attention span precludes me from sitting through a demo that's four minutes long, let alone one that's 40 minutes. But that's the amount of time it took for QuantumLogic Surround Lab's demonstration in Harman International's mobile sound room, which was parked at the back of the exhibit hall.

Details: Written by: Doug Schneider; Category: Features; Created: 10 September 2011

Not that many people know how to throw a great party, and likewise, not many companies know how to make a great trade-show exhibit. Most of the booths and displays I saw at CEDIA Expo 2011 were dark, drab, and really ho-hum, but two really stood out this time: KEF and Digital Projection, for quite different reasons.

Details: Written by: Doug Schneider; Category: Features; Created: 09 September 2011

Most audio reviewers get excited about the really expensive equipment -- the stuff that costs in excess of ten grand. Invariably, that's what they look for at shows. It's the kind of gear that most people can't afford, so maybe this fixation lets these reviewers live in a fantasy world of lavish expense. On the other hand, I get really charged up about the affordable gear because it represents what I can buy. Fantasizing, at least for me, isn't all that much fun -- I want the real thing to be within my reach.

Details: Written by: Doug Schneider; Category: Features; Created: 09 September 2011

Light traffic is a good thing if you're talking about roads and freeways. In fact, in Indianapolis the road traffic is lighter than I've ever seen in any major city, making it a snap to get from the Courtyard Marriot near the airport, which is where we're stationed, to downtown, which is where CEDIA Expo is. It's almost as if everyone in the city left just to make it easier for us out-of-towners to get around. We like that.

Details: Written by: Doug Schneider; Category: Features; Created: 08 September 2011

It's been a while since we've heard much from Canada's Anthem, which is a subsidiary of Paradigm, Canada's largest and best-known speaker manufacturer. That changed just a couple of days before CEDIA Expo 2011, when the company sent out a press release about the new Statement M1 monoblock amplifier, which retails for $3500. It's a doozie, even if at first glance it doesn't impress. The design is basic black with styling similar to other Anthem products, but when I read the specs, my jaw dropped.