Audioholics 2009 Product Of Year Awards

[admin]

2009 was much like 2008 for consumer A/V in regards to the lack of advancement in technology as much as bringing existing technologies into more affordable platforms for greater mass appeal. It seems like every week flat panel display prices are dropping and the latest technologies of these displays trickle down to the more affordable models. LED backlit technology is finally starting to creep its way into the mainstream and traditional front projector bulbs are lasting longer and longer. A/V receivers are getting more packed with critical features such as the latest in HD Audio decoding (Dolby TrueHD, DTS HD, etc) as well as network streaming and more HDMI inputs.


Discuss "Audioholics 2009 Product Of Year Awards" here. Read the article.

[stevo238]

What I love about Audioholics is that you can not only read about their products of the year but that you can also "Buy it now" at the Audioholics Store.

[Adam]

What I love about Audioholics is that you can not only read about their products of the year but that you can also "Buy it now" at the Audioholics Store.

I'm guessing that was sarcastic. If so, I'd like to say this. You can't buy them all at the AH Store, but even if you could, what would be so strange about that? The AH Store aims to carry good products, right? So, it stands to reason that they'd try to carry the products that Gene considers to be the best of the year.

Besides, people here are smart enough to shop around and decide which vendors supply the best overall value.

[itschris]

I don't have a problem with the store stocking goods they recommend. In this industry it's about reputation. You can't hawk junk and get away with it. Also, most folks have any number of vendors they buy from. I bet any number of those items would be listed on any other publications "best of" lists.

[majorloser]

The AH Store aims to carry good products, right? So, it stands to reason that they'd try to carry the products that Gene considers to be the best of the year.

That was actually a goal of Gene and Clint's when they came up with the idea for the Store. But they also carry a whole bunch of items that would likely never make it to any "Best of" list. These are things people have either asked for or items you'd expect to find with this type of business.

Hell, it wasn't very long ago that the AH Store wasn't carrying Epson Home Theater projectors and they raved about them in reviews. Now they carry the products.
(of course after I bought mine)

[stevo238]

That was actually a goal of Gene and Clint's when they came up with the idea for the Store. But they also carry a whole bunch of items that would likely never make it to any "Best of" list. These are things people have either asked for or items you'd expect to find with this type of business.

Hell, it wasn't very long ago that the AH Store wasn't carrying Epson Home Theater projectors and they raved about them in reviews. Now they carry the products.
(of course after I bought mine)

The Audioholics Store is just a client and just like any other advertiser on the site. Gene and Clint don't profit from it then. Do I have that right? And I'm not trying to be a wise guy here. Merry Xmas all.

[Alex2507]

Gene and Clint don't profit from it then.

Gene and Clint profit from everything ... especially Clint.



... just kidding. No telling what goes on around here.

All I do know is that I am now intensely aware of that Onkyo 707. I need a rec'r with HDMI already! One of the things about the AH Store that I became aware of talking to one of our mods is that purchasing from them gets you real tech support. A paid guy answers your stupid questions from here on in ... forever! It took me two years to figure out my first and current rec'r. I really could have used the 'professional' help.

Erotic cables? Have you guys got Tom tied up again?

Cool list. I'm interested in a few items and curious about a few more. It's nice to have an article like that cover a few points on a few items without going 3 degrees past my pay grade on techno-speak.

[Adam]

Just an FYI, the Onkyo 707 is $499 at Amazon, and you know that we'll always talk you through your issues - paid or not.

[pfarrell77]

Gents,

Just a quick word to request you please be careful. As a daily reader for many years, the fact that all but 2 items on the list are carried at the store gave me pause. I say that as a repeat store customer. I love everything you do, but this isn't a good idea.

In today's media climate, this will be used against you by your competitors/detractors. Honestly, your lists should contain more items that aren't available in the store than are for perception, even if you have to expand the categories to low, mid and high-end or to categories you don't carry.

As an Air Force Officer/Pilot, I have to be incredibly careful of perception. To the masses (or at least gotcha-media), perception is reality. I've had several compatriots get in extremely hot water (of the permanent-record paperwork type that hurts their careers forever) for doing tiny things that weren't in any way wrong, but could have caused a negative perception. For example, we do weekend training sometimes - not a great deal as you work all week, then all weekend, then all the next week. It doesn't matter where you go as long as you fly x amount of hours and do x amount of landings at unfamiliar fields. This crew went to some cities to watch baseball games. They got exactly the same training as they would have if they went to cities and didn't watch games, they didn't waste any money and absolutely nothing was improper, but their leadership was so fearful of the "60 Minutes Effect" that could occur due to an honest or willful misinterpretation of the facts that the crew was severely punished. We honestly assess almost every decision we make by how 60 Minutes would portray it. It has some good aspects, but on average, it is quite a negative factor in keeping us overly cautious.

Like it or not, that's the way the world is. It concerns me that if you don't play by the rules (regardless of whether you agree with them), that you may become a casualty as well.

[Alex2507]

Just an FYI, the Onkyo 707 is $499 at Amazon, and you know that we'll always talk you through your issues - paid or not.

It's only another $100 bucks here just in case you got stuck on the MSRP. That includes extra warranty that I assume AH picks up. I'm just kind of impressed that AH does pay somebody to answer questions. I know you like to give it away and that's cool 'cause I don't like paying for it but the Union Guy in me likes to see people get paid. Just don't ask him for nothin' during break. That would run you time and a half.