On October 1st 2010, Denon turns 100.  That is an amazing feat in the AV world.  We have sold and installed Denon for decades because of the quality of their products and longevity of the company.  Since they began in 1910, Denon has been a leader and an innovator with numerous patents and audio components.  From turn tables, cartridges, professional cassette tape recorders, and the pressing of high quality LP records to CDs, DVD players, Surround Receivers, and Blu-ray players, Denon has continually been at the forefront of the industry. 

AVR2311CI

One of Denon’s more recent innovations is the creation of the ‘CI’ (Custom Integration) products.  Denon put in place a certification program for Authorized Dealers like Sound Ideas that sell, integrate and service these specialized products.  It is an extensive and annual program that includes many hours of in person and on-line training, as well as constant updates about the products.  Starting with the AVR2311, The CI line up from Denon adds some really cool features that we can use to fine tune the receiver for any room layout.  Audyssey EQ Pro and Auto Room Correction allow for detailed audio calibration, and there are settings in the menu that allow for even furthur customization.  The receiver also has IP connectivity to give you hundreds of internet radio stations and services such as Rhapsody.  Add a Denon iPod dock and you get an onscreen menu to control iPod.  With so many other brands putting out cookie cutter receiver designed for the masses, it is refreshing to see a company commit to providing a high level of customization at reasonable prices.

Check out the cool features at Denon’s website and stay tuned here for more reviews and updates.

In November 2003 I saw Master and Commander: Far Side of the World.  It was a really good movie.  The cinematography was stunning but what really drew me in was the sound.  The sound mix was so incredible that at times I lost all sense of the theater and found myself inside the movie.  Richard King won numerous awards including an Oscar for his sound editing.   I remember thinking this movie would be great for showing off Home Theater Systems.  I was right.   The DVD quickly became one of my reference demos.

The first 15 minutes of the movie is the best sequence.  It has an incredibly wide range of audio: the soft sounds of the ocean; the creaks, cracks, and pops of a wooden ship; soft and loud conversations; and an explosive cannon battle.  This movie will give your system a workout and really show off  the dynamic range of your speakers.  Here are some of the highlights:

Chapter 2 at 2:35 – This is one of the best scenes for surround sound.   We board the HMS Surprise just before dawn, and as we travel through the belly of the ship, we hear creaking, groaning and popping all around.  We move past the sailors snoring in their hammocks, and above us we hear the men moving on the deck in preparation for the changing of the watch.  The sounds of early morning on the ship are all around us, and it feels as if we are really on board the Surprise.   

Chapter 3 at 6:20 – The officer of watch sounds the alarm and the crew beats to quarters.  This is a major transition from a soft scene with no action to the controlled chaos of the crew preparing for battle.  As the action moves left to right and behind the sounds swirl around us.

Chapter 4 at 8:54 - Captain Jack Aubrey sees flashes of light within the fog bank and yells for his crew to get down.  A fraction of a second later we hear the muffled thump of cannons being fired and then the cannon balls crash across the deck of the Surprise sending schrapnel and splinters flying.   This is another sudden transition from a calm scene filled with dialogue to loud explosions and shouting.  We are taken all over the ship from the deck to the where the cannons are being prepped down to the ship’s surgeon’s quarters.  The audio places us right in the heart of the battle. 

Chapter 4 at 11:45 – As Aubrey is rushing back onto the deck a cannon ball explodes nearby momentarily stunning him.  The audio becomes muffled as if we are hearing through his ears.  When he recovers himself and surges back to to his feet, the audio snaps back into crisp focus, and we are back in the action with Captain Jack.

Chapter 5 at 13:13 – With the ship rudderless and the sails in tatters, Aubrey decides to make a run for the fog bank.  The long boats are lowered and the crew struggles to pull the Surprise toward the fog.  The sounds of the battle recede, and the musical score swells creating a real test for all of your speakers. 

Chapter 5 at 14:46 – They make it into the fog bank, and the sounds from the pursuing ship fade away.  The fog envelopes the ship, and the audio becomes muted.  The music dies down; conversation and sounds become  muffled.  It is as if the fog shrouds not only our eyes but also our ears.

If you really want to show off your system or just see what it can do, I highly recommend the first 15 minutes of this movie.

Two of the most enjoyable things in life are music and coffee. No matter what kind of music you listen to, the challenge is always deciding what to listen to. So what is the solution to that challenge? Answer…use an Escient music manager. An Escient device will let you store all of your music on their hard drive, sort the music and automatically download cover art and meta data from an online database. With Escient, you will never go looking for that lost cd, or iPod again. Sound Ideas is an authorized Escient dealer and we have the experienced installers to get it running in your house seamlessly.
Official Escient Website

Now that your music is up and running, it’s time for a good cup of joe. Well, we would like to encourage you to consider a company called Grounds4Good to supply your coffee needs.

“Grounds 4 Good has a heart for people that beats to the core of every coffee bean. We believe we can make a difference in this generation. We believe our grassroots movement not only provides revenue for sustaining worthy causes doing good, but one that changes the way you think, the way you live, the way you buy.” -grounds4good.com 

Grounds4Good is a great company that is seeking to make a real difference in the world by harnessing the power of an informed and caring consumer. Not to mention they have great coffee!
Official Grounds4Good Website

Some people question if it is “worth it” to upgrade from their current DVD only system to a DVD + Blu Ray system. The answer is, “It is absolutly worth it.” The picture quality of a good blu ray movie far surpasses that of the same movie in the DVD format.