JVC have been the industry benchmark for projection excellence in the HD era, and they have held their place in our main theatre except for the appearance of the Meridian which was based on the JVC anyway! JVC are not a company to rest on their past reputation, and development has continued.

In recent times the mix has been enlivened by 3D capabilities, and contrast ratios have continued to climb, yielding better depth of image and differentiation of the many shades of darkness in blacks, grey and other colours. The new DLA-X90R boasts an increase in native contrast (compared to the X9) from 100,000:1 up to 120,000:1, while the DLA-X70R has increased from 70,000:1 to 80,000:1.
These two top models, the X90R and X70R, now have “4k resolution”, which means 3840×2160, double the normal HD standard of 1920×1080. How do they do this, and what does it achieve when source material is not issued in “4k”?

To continue reading about these projectors, click on the blue highlighted links in the above text to go to their product pages.

On Wednesday night of last week Len Wallis Audio was honored to receive the prestigeous SmartHouse Award for ‘Installer of the Year’.

The judges’ comments were:
‘Over the years Len Wallis has won several awards for his work.
It’s a name synonymous with excellent service and high quality installations.
At a retail level Len Wallis is constantly refining his offering ensuring he remains competitively advantageous.
Services such as taking a consumers old Hi Fi gear, refurbishing it and then offering it for sale through their second hand department, with 100% of the funds being donated to the Variety Club is just one way that he stays in touch with his customers.
Len Wallis delivers some of the biggest and best custom install jobs in Australia.
We congratulate Len Wallis and his team on winning the SmartHouse Custom Installer of the Year award.”

This means that this year we have won the trifecta – having earlier collected the CEDIA “Best installation over $500,000” award (plus also the Best Installation $250,000 – $500,000 and the ‘Best Media Room” at the same awards ceremony), and the ‘Installation of the Year’ award from Sound and Image. 

I would like to add my personal congratulations and thanks to all of our staff who put in the hard yards which then leads to recognition such as this. 2011 will be remembered as a tough year, yet despite this the LWA staff has come up with some very impressive results.
Well done.

I was impressed to read in the latest Stereophile magazine (December 2011) that their ‘Budget component of the Year’ was a dead heat between the Oppo BDP-95 Universal Blu-ray player and the Peachtree iDecco D/A integrated amplifier.

This gong resonated on a few levels. Firstly they are both products that we have a lot of respect for. Secondly it shows the shifting sands of this industry. Stereophile (as the name implies) is a die hard hi-end Hi-Fi publication. To give this award to a Blu-ray player (admittedly one that does a damn fine job of playing CD’s) and an amplifier designed to get the best out of your digital sources (and admittedly one that also does a sterling job of replaying information from analogue sources) it gives some idea of where this industry is headed.

This award coincided with a question raised by Hometheatreequipment.com whether Universal Players such as the Oppo BDP-95 has killed the audiophile source component. It was not long ago that the industry rightly preached that while your stock standard DVD or Blu-ray player had the ability to play CD’s, they did such a poor job of doing so you also needed a dedicated CD player. Products like Oppo and the Marantz ‘UD’ (Universal Disc) players have changed this. While the CD performance may not reach the lofty heights of the more expensive Krell, Meridian, Musical Fidelity or even Marantz offerings they do perform as well as any comparably priced CD player. Plus you get Blu-ray, DVD etc thrown in.

The Oppo has created its own industry with various modifications being released on the market. We have not had the opportunity to test the new NuForce mod on the cheaper BDP-93 which is reported to be excellent, but we hope to do so soon.

The Peachtree really points us to the future of audio. While this amplifier uses an ‘old school’ valve pre-amplifier pre-driver stage and has traditional analogue inputs (for CD, Tuner etc) it incorporates a high quality Digital-to-Analogue converter for the burgeoning number of digital sources. It also features a high quality headphone amplifier for all those headphone devotees out there.

Its been a good time for Peachtree. Their iDac D/A converter was a runner up in the above ‘Budget Component of the Year awards’, and the iDecco was also listed in The Absolute Sounds (considered by many as the bible of hi-end audio) ‘High-End Audios Buyers Guide.’

At the same time the unheralded Peachtree product has to be their Design 5 speakers. These small bookshelf speakers are nothing short of amazing. Team these with a good amp and source and they are capable of reproducing gorgeous music. At $995 a pair these are one of the bargains of our industry.

Kryon Audio's innovative Gaia speaker.

It’s been 18 years since the last one (and I believe this was the first one in Melbourne for decades) but the Australian Hi-Fi Show was held in Melbourne last weekend. Given that the last show was held before the release of the iPod and iTunes, and while CD sales were as still as strong as an Ox there was some reason for trepidation. Just how relevant was a show promoting audio quality over convenience and content (although they still both featured large) going to be in this new convergent musical age?

As it transpired there was no need for the organisers – Next Media in Australia and the Chester Group from the UK – to have been concerned. Very long lines had formed before the show opened, and the crowds kept coming through for the three days. The attendance exceeded expectation, and the good news is that based on the success of this show the rumors are that it will be held in Sydney next year. Let’s hope so!

There was plenty to keep attendees entertained. Interestingly the only TV screen manufacturer who decided there was any value in exhibiting was the up-market brand Loewe, although there were a handful of projectors on display. There was an abundance of turntables and valve electronics, interspersed with DAC’s and digital streaming devices.

There were products to suit everyone. At one end of the scale Audio Marketing was showing Focal Scala Utopia speakers driven with an up-market Krell rig, and they were not on their own showing product of this caliber. Where else could you hear Focal Utopia, Wilson, Kef Blade, Magnepan, Audio Physic, Cabasse L’Ocean, Von Schweikert, Martin Logan, B&W 800 series, Sonus Faber etc speakers all under the one roof? At the other end of the scale I was gob-smacked by the new (yet to be released) NHT SuperZero2.0, a small speaker channeling their famous Super Zero of years gone by, which will sell for $115 each.

Despite my 40 years in the industry there were brands I had never heard of (or in some cases brands I knew of but have never heard). The show suffered from the usual drawbacks of holding it in a hotel – too many people trying to cram into small rooms, and the difficulties in getting your equipment to sound half decent in that environment. Some people succeeded (Bill McLean did a great job of getting the best out of his Magnepans) while most did not.

To me the most interesting product was the product launch from Australian company Kyron Audio. Their Gaia Dipole Loudspeaker System is never going to rate highly in the WAF (Wife Acceptance Factor) rating. Secondly it is a very different approach to system building with the speakers and the amplifier both coming as part of the system. As you can see from the image above this is hardly a conventional system. It is also a power house, with the amplifier chassis boasting 2 x 200 watt amplifiers for the high frequencies, 2 x 500 watt amps for the mids and 4 x 250 watt amps for the bass drivers.

The result – in my opinion Kyron presented the best sounding system at the show.

We are very proud to announce that Len Wallis Audio received the award for the ‘Installation of the Year’ at the Sound and Image awards which was held at the Windsor Hotel in Melbourne last Saturday night.

This installation also received both the CEDIA ‘Best Integrated Home over $500,000’ and ‘Best Media Room’ awards earlier this year.

The project covered many facets of our industry, the most important being automation. Everything from door locks, window reed switches, floor heating, air-conditioning control and distributed audio and video were to be integrated. Ease of control and product control was the number one priority.

Quality content was also high on the list of priorities so a Sooloos Music server & Kaleidescape Blu-Ray movie server with 3 zone players was used. This was all distributed with the Crestron digital media system to 9 zones of vision & 22 zones of audio.

In one particular zone we have used a 103’ Panasonic Plasma built into a joinery unit along with Speakers from Krell & Velodyne this makes for an entertainers delight. This room has electronics doors which from one touch on the Crestron screen opens up to a large terrace area.

The backyard & pool areas also incorporate a James Audio sound system which includes 2 X underground subs & 16 X Satellite speakers all controlled from a waterproof Crestron remote.

In terms of security we have incorporated 15 X fixed cameras & 1 X Panasonic PTZ camera with a 300x zoom to the Crestron digital media system so any camera can be viewed at any location via the Crestron touch screens & plasma/LCD displays. Via the touch screens the user can monitor internal PIR status which changes state when movement is detected. The status of windows, doors and gates is also displayed here.

A PC Aqualine pool control system was used, and this system was also integrated into the Crestron, providing full control of all pool functions (water temp, air temp, filter on/off etc.) Heater on/off, spa on/off, water feature on/off were also controlled via the Crestron touch screens.

All Windows include reed switches which are monitored on the Crestron touch screens.  All Doors include reed switches which are monitored on the Crestron touch screens and electronic locks were utilised on all external doors (12 in total).

Yamaha has now released the second version of their highly acclaimed Aventage range of Home Theatre products. The top of the line RX-A3010 was the last of this series to be released, but it was eagerly awaited following a flurry of very positive press coming out of the overseas markets.

The RX-A3010 finally arrived last Friday, and 80% of the shipment was snapped up over the weekend. On Monday morning I received a copy of a letter that one of our clients had forwarded to Yamaha, following only a couple of days with the product.

I’m pleased to be able to let you know that the audio and video performance of this receiver is truly outstanding.

This is a superb range, and there is no better critic than the client who has one in their system at home, particularly someone such as this client who over the years has owned a number of A/V receivers, from a variety of manufactures.

It only seems like yesterday that 3DTV was the must-have technology of the future – this has quickly given way to IPTV – TV that accesses the internet. 3D TV was a fun product, let down mainly by a lack of software. IPTV on the other hand will change forever the way that we watch TV. At LWA we have long held the belief that the traditional methods of accessing our entertainment are quickly going the way of the Dodo. We will soon access all of our music, movies, documentaries, games etc on-line. For an increasing number of people purchasing physical DVD’s, CD’s etc is a thing of the past. Similarly we are also going to witness a change in the way we watch TV. Increasingly we will access programs that we want to watch on-line, via our TV set. We will be able to watch what we want, when we want to watch it.

If you need proof of who rapidly this category is growing the European Imaging and Sound Association (EISA) have an award category for ‘European AV Streaming TV’ (The EISA awards are becoming one of the most prestigious awards in our industry). It is no surprise that the 2011-12 award in this category went to Loewe for their Individual 46 Compose 3D TV. While connectivity is obviously a very important factor in this award, much was made of both the picture quality and the audio performance of this TV, or as the jury worded it ‘superior sound and picture quality with unlimited connectivity’.

This screen is packed with technology. Based on a full HD 400 Hz LCD panel with LED backlighting it features an in-built 500GB hard drive recorder.

You can steam content from the Individual 46 Compose to any other compatible Loewe screen, and with their Follow Me function viewing can be resumed at any time, irrespective of when the film or program was paused, or for how long it was paused. You can watch a program via the in-built in this screen and at the same time stream from the on-board hard-drive to a secondary set.

Their Loewe MediaPortal allows you to access other sources sitting on your home network, such as digital radio, or photos, movies or music stored on external hard-drives. Loewe MediaNet opens up the world through access to the internet.

This is a very attractive TV, giving a great picture, better sound than we have come to accept from the vast majority of screens out there, plus all the convenience of connectivity. Loewe screens come at a premium (the Individual 46 Compose sells for $6,990), but once you see, hear and play with this TV you will understand why.

The stunning JVC DLA-X9 3D projector.

There has been continual chatter in the popular press, on forums etc about the relationship between pricing in Australia and overseas. While I am not looking to get into a lengthy discussion here on the subject there are a number of reasons why we will never reach parity with overseas prices on the vast majority of products:

1) Our buying power. We are a country of just over 20 million people, and constitute between 2 – 3% of the worlds economy.

2) The tyranny of distance – it is expensive to ship product to Australia (and within the country).
 
3) Most importantly, in many cases there is a third party involved. If you are a Musical Fidelity dealer in the UK you buy Musical Fidelity from the factory. In Australia there needs to be a third party, a distributor that organises shipping, local distribution, advertising, service etc, and hopefully along the way makes enough profit to make it all worth while.

There are many other contributing factors. However the fact remains that we are living in a contracting world, and local pricing needs to reflect this. We have been working closely with our suppliers on this subject for some time, some have been sympathetic, others not. We believe that the market can justify a 15 – 25% premium above overseas prices. By the time and individual pays freight, duty and GST (provided the goods are over $1,000) you have almost added this amount to the purchase price anyway. Plus you get local warranty and support service. However I have seen cases where products have a recommended retail price on the local market of 50 – 100% above overseas prices. These are unrealistic and unsustainable expectations.
 
While we are on the subject please keep in mind that while it is the retailer who gets the flak for high prices, in most cases they are purchasing from a local distributor, and paying for the goods in Aussie dollars.

However there are the occasional bargains to be had on the local market. I have just returned from the CEDIA show in the USA, and while I was there got talking to the local distributors for JVC – who as many of you know manufacture our favourite mid-priced projectors. I was pleasantly surprised to learn that not only are we competing with USA prices on this product, but on one model we are selling it for well below their prices.

The DLA-X3 retails for $4,495 in both countries, but we offer it for $3,999. However the real value is in the stunning DLA-X9. This retails for $11,995 in the US, compared to $9,995 in Australia. Even better news is that we currently have this unit on special for only $7,995 – including two pair of glasses and an emitter. That is a saving of over 30% compared to US pricing.

Does this mean that these items are overpriced in the US? It appears not to be so – I understand that even at $12,000 the DLA-X9 is the biggest selling projector in its class.

There was an article posted yesterday on channelnews.com.au which really piqued my interest. It was headed ‘Plasma Still the Superior Display Technology’, which is something that we have been preaching, often in the wilderness, since the whole LCD/LED/Plasma argument raised its head. As it turns out this was based on the writings of an organisation with a vested interest in the technology. However this is a statement which is becoming much more common amongst industry reviewers, commentators and experts.

Its’ interesting what impact marketing can have on perception. The marketing reach and prowess of the large LCD manufacturers, who have vast sums at their disposal to preach the superiority of their product, is (or was?) enough to convince the public, and in the past many of the press, that what they were saying was gospel. What I always found to be amazing is that it was not even necessary to read what people had to say to form an opinion on the subject, all that was required was to stand in front of the two technologies, side by side, and look for yourself. I recall once being asked by a journalist for my feelings on the subject, and I suggested that instead of sitting behind a desk and ringing people with vested interests for their opinion to go out and have a look for himself. To his credit he did so, and was one of the first journalists to suggest that Plasma was the superior technology at a time when the LCD juggernought had successfully convinced the marketplace to the contry.

This controversy once led to what I consider to have been one of the more ridiculous statements made in this industry. When asked of which technology he thought was better the CEO of one of the largest Electronics chains in this country stated that it was not up to the dealers to decide which technology was superior, but that decision would be made by the public. What a load of crap! No wonder people are turning to the internet if the people who market and recommend the product do not have the guts (or the ability) to make informed decisions on behalf of their clients.

Lyndon Hughes from CNet summed the comparison up pretty well. ‘Plasma is the superior technology. It (unfortunately) got a bad rap in it’s infancy due to burn-in issues and short life span. BUT THESE PROBLEMS ARE COMPLETELY GONE!!!! It is up to people like me and other plasma owners to let the world in on what we are experiencing. LED refresh rate, response time, black level, side angle viewing and color accuracy can’t compete with plasmas. Period. They are making great strides, but are still trying to catch up and mirror the picture quality of a plasma.’

Yes, these comments were written over a year ago, and yes LCD/LED performance has improved since then. However, so has Plasma, in fact possibly more so. If you don’t believe me go out and have a look at the recently released Panasonic THP50ST30A. Forget the 3D capability and its IPTV connectivity (these are bonuses). This is one hell of an image for a 50” screen selling for less than $2,000 (and surely it’s all about the picture quality.)

To rub salt into the wound Panasonic has recently released a less expensive version of this screen. It does not do 3D, but it still boasts IPTV connectivity. The picture quality is not as impressive as its bigger brother, but it sell for less than $1,000. This is a very, very impressive 50” TV for very little money.

We have some searingly good specials on several of the most popular (read “affordable”) and excellent Yamaha surround receivers. These are current models, although they are due to be replaced soon, with plentiful HDMI inputs, 3D throughput and auto EQ via the Yamaha YPAO system. For full details on each model click through to our Product section via the link on each model name. These obviously will not last, so be quick for your chance to get into a fully up-to-date surround receiver at unbeatable prices.

RX-V567 was $899 now $599
RX-V667 was $1099 now $699
RX-V767 was $1299 now $999