2010 Audioholics Product of the Year (POY) Awards

[admin]

Although 2010 was kind of a grim year economically for most of us, the A/V world belted out high value products improving on last year predecessors at little to no cost added. Instead, we saw some companies refocus their entire line of product with a more audio centric emphasis rather than cramming more zones or useless DSP enhancement features that most users won't care to use. Yamaha really paved the way as a shining example of this with their Aventage line of A/V receivers. Loudspeaker companies have also raised the bar by creating a more audiophile focus on their products. Aperion Audio's new Verus line is a shining example of this. The display world was not exempt from the better successor models being released from various manufacturers such as Vizio, Toshiba, Samsung and LG.

Discuss "2010 Audioholics Product of the Year (POY) Awards" here. Read the article.

 

[GlocksRock]

I'm getting a 404 when trying to access the article.

 

[Alex2507]

I'm getting a 404 ...

Is that the new Marantz?

 

[dkane360]

I think its funny that the Vizio got POY. My mom was looking for a new tv so she was sending me links to tv's that costco and bj's had. I picked that one because it was the only full array LED tv out of the bunch. She decided it wouldnt fit though, so she got the 42 inch version instead.

 

[emorphien]

Working now.

 

[KEW]

So is the choice of the SV Sound PB12-Plus DSP Subwoofer for POY award include experience gained from the Ultimate Subwoofer Shootout?

 

[shadyJ]

I would like to have seen the subwoofer product of the year being given to something more affordable to the masses. As the article began with, it was a tough year for many, yet Audioholics listed a $1400 sub for POY (well over 1500 after shipping I'm sure). Honestly, innovation in this territory isn't that big of a deal for most, since it is out of their price range, assuming they could accommodate its size and weight to begin with. Anyway, is it that radical of a change from the previous PB12 Plus to merit product of the year? The Digital EQing is something that most would do through Audyssey anyway, and those extra watts of power aren't going to add much DB to maximum output. I don't mean to be too hard on the SVS sub, I'm sure it is terrific, but SVS's pricing has been moving against the grain of the economic direction of the world, a move I think makes them less relevant than they could have been.

I would make a case for something like one of the Epik's new subs or the subs from Lava, which from many accounts are terrific little performers, a great new option for whom the SVS is out of reach. Rythmik unveiled a whole slew of very nice looking subs, most of which are much more affordable. One notable Rythmik sub looks to be the FV12, making high quality bass available to vastly more people than whom could buy the PB12 Plus. I think the new Hsu VTF-15H would be a likelier candidate too, I mean, talk about truly serious innovation.

I would use the same arguement against the Aperion speakers. I know they would be great speakers, but I think bigger things are happening in lower price brackets. The new Pioneer SP series is a far more relevant, and much more deserving of product of the year. Have you guys heard these things, they sound amazing for their price. They are the new bang for your buck leaders now that Infinity's Primus line refresh has raised their prices.

With the Pioneer speakers and Epik, Lava, and Rythmik subs, a lot more people can have terrific sounding home theaters than who were able to before. The same just isn't true for the Aperion and SVS products awarded here, at that price point there are a lot of other great choices as well.

Using this criteria, I won't argue against the Yamaha receiver as at least Yamaha is moving their price in the right direction, although their flagship receiver is still just a dream for most people. Emotiva does work though, they are great for those who aren't rich, although shouldn't product of the year go to a product introduced in that year? I won't argue with the Vizio, as I have found even poor people are willing to shell out huge amounts for a nice TV (although never an audio system!)

 

[BoredSysAdmin]

Well, It'll be very interesting to see proper full review of Aperion Audio: Verus Grand system - it's gets an award, yet it's a first time I even hear about this speaker series or any references in the forums recommendations....


(First view doesn't count for obvious reasons)

After all the Oppo praises, it curious how Lg BD player snack in

 

[Hicks]

Well, It'll be very interesting to see proper full review of Aperion Audio: Verus Grand system - it's gets an award, yet it's a first time I even hear about this speaker series or any references in the forums recommendations....


(First view doesn't count for obvious reasons)

We must have just barely crept in under the wire since the Verus line just started shipping at the end of October.

Hopefully you will be hearing many more good things about them over the next few months!

 

[Alex2507]

Well, It'll be very interesting to see proper full review of Aperion Audio: Verus Grand system - it's gets an award, yet it's a first time I even hear about this speaker series or any references in the forums recommendations....

I've seen Aperion discussed here a few times but not necessarily that series. The discussion usually goes like this ... "They sound good." ... "They look mah-veh-lous, dahling ... you must try them." ... and then we go back to talking about subwoofers.

I won a pair of Aperion surrounds that I have not taken apart ... that's a huge statement.

 

[KEW]

I would like to have seen the subwoofer product of the year being given to something more affordable to the masses. As the article began with, it was a tough year for many, yet Audioholics listed a $1400 sub for POY (well over 1500 after shipping I'm sure). Honestly, innovation in this territory isn't that big of a deal for most, since it is out of their price range, assuming they could accommodate its size and weight to begin with. Anyway, is it that radical of a change from the previous PB12 Plus to merit product of the year? The Digital EQing is something that most would do through Audyssey anyway, and those extra watts of power aren't going to add much DB to maximum output. I don't mean to be too hard on the SVS sub, I'm sure it is terrific, but SVS's pricing has been moving against the grain of the economic direction of the world, a move I think makes them less relevant than they could have been.

I would make a case for something like one of the Epik's new subs or the subs from Lava, which from many accounts are terrific little performers, a great new option for whom the SVS is out of reach. Rythmik unveiled a whole slew of very nice looking subs, most of which are much more affordable. One notable Rythmik sub looks to be the FV12, making high quality bass available to vastly more people than whom could buy the PB12 Plus. I think the new Hsu VTF-15H would be a likelier candidate too, I mean, talk about truly serious innovation.

I would use the same arguement against the Aperion speakers. I know they would be great speakers, but I think bigger things are happening in lower price brackets. The new Pioneer SP series is a far more relevant, and much more deserving of product of the year. Have you guys heard these things, they sound amazing for their price. They are the new bang for your buck leaders now that Infinity's Primus line refresh has raised their prices.

With the Pioneer speakers and Epik, Lava, and Rythmik subs, a lot more people can have terrific sounding home theaters than who were able to before. The same just isn't true for the Aperion and SVS products awarded here, at that price point there are a lot of other great choices as well.

Using this criteria, I won't argue against the Yamaha receiver as at least Yamaha is moving their price in the right direction, although their flagship receiver is still just a dream for most people. Emotiva does work though, they are great for those who aren't rich, although shouldn't product of the year go to a product introduced in that year? I won't argue with the Vizio, as I have found even poor people are willing to shell out huge amounts for a nice TV (although never an audio system!)

I think ShadyJ has a good point.
Perhaps, in future years, both, an "Ultimate" product, and a "Budget Buy" product could be designated.

 

[GranteedEV]

I would use the same arguement against the Aperion speakers. I know they would be great speakers, but I think bigger things are happening in lower price brackets. The new Pioneer SP series is a far more relevant, and much more deserving of product of the year. Have you guys heard these things, they sound amazing for their price. They are the new bang for your buck leaders now that Infinity's Primus line refresh has raised their prices.

Good point. if we're getting into stuff i can't afford anyways we might as well give the award to the Soundscape 12

 

[FirstReflection]

I'd hate to see POY awards limited to only budget-priced gear. Value is not the same thing as price. POY awards should be given to high value products. That doesn't mean they have to be inexpensive.

I find it really funny that someone is suggesting Epik or Rythmik subs over the SVS PB12-Plus. Have you actually heard any of those three? I have. It isn't even a close contest.

Epik is purely about output. Care about delineation, musicality, over-hang or distortion? Forget it. Epik will give you output and extension. That's it.

Rythmik is the polar opposite. Their "direct servo" technology guarantees that as you turn up the volume, you exponentially increase the distortion! Works great at under-85dB levels - which are the only measurements they ever release. Try to hit reference 115dB peaks though? Forget it!

So what if you want output, extension, delineation, lack of over-hang AND low distortion? Well that's where SVS' higher-priced models - such as the PB12-Plus DSP - come in. It's still a ported design. You're still going to get cabinet colouration and resonance and some phase issues. But it's about as good a ported design as can be made and sold for its price!

So the PB12-Plus DSP is a very worthy selection, IMO. We're talking about performance and value here. Sorry that it's simply impossible to cram that down into a sub $1000 subwoofer!

If you're willing to give up a tiny bit of output and extension, then point yourself towards HSU. They are the most budget-friendly subwoofer maker out there who actually produce good products that aren't laiden with serious compromises to certain aspects of performance.

And what about speakers? Well, when $30,000 RBH flagship towers are your reference, it's kinda hard to go down to the sub-$500/pair level and say that they are the bee's knees. Again, it's all about value, not price. If these new Aperion Verus speakers are hitting above their sub-$2000/pair price point, then that is priority news and worthy of them being selected as a POY. Are we really supposed to all settle for, "hey, these aren't half-bad, considering their price" type of performance? If your budget is tight, go get yourself some Axioms...it's pretty simple. But POY should be about something new! Something that moves the goalposts. Nothing is really doing that in the entry-level and budget price points anymore. It's just shuffling the compromises and some folks will find one set of compromises more acceptable than another. I want POY to be about a product that REMOVES a previously unavoidable compromise. If the product that does that this year happens to be closer to $2000 than $500, then that's just the way things go!

We shouldn't always bow down to the lowest common denominator. I'm not saying there isn't anything worth buying in the lower price brackets. I'm just saying there isn't anything that's really exciting. The exciting stuff is all happening in the $1000-$2000 range this year. That mid-level stuff is starting to perform better than the $5000-$10,000 stuff from a few years ago. And that's a pretty damn big deal!

 

[shadyJ]

Those are some good points, but still, something must be said about accessibility, especially in this economic climate. In any case, do the POY selections even meet your own criteria of removing a previously unavoidable compromise? The Pioneer SP speakers certainly do that and so do the subs I mentioned. Not having heard the products Audioholics did select, I can't say they don't meet your criteria, but I would be surprised if they did to the same extent as the ones I named if price is to be a factor at all.

 

[zieglj01]

Well, It'll be very interesting to see proper full review of Aperion Audio: Verus Grand system - it's gets an award, yet it's a first time I even hear about this speaker series or any references in the forums recommendations....

(First view doesn't count for obvious reasons)

They may be good speakers - however, I would like to read a full
printed review - before an award is given to the product.

 

[zieglj01]

The new Pioneer SP series is a far more relevant, and much more deserving of product of the year. Have you guys heard these things, they sound amazing for their price. They are the new bang for your buck leaders now that Infinity's Primus line refresh has raised their prices.

They are the best entry level speakers that I have heard. And they
are built well for the price.

 

[Coult_45]

Why no bi/di polar surrounds from aperion

Are bi/di polar surrounds going to be a thing of the past? Did someone discover they are not effective or as useful. I know in multichannel audio situations they are not the best option but I thought the tech was superior in theater settings. I am only asking because this is the speaker line of the year. And I have noticed that EMP Tek doesn't sell any bi/di pol speakers.

Does any one have any insight for me?

 

[GranteedEV]

Are bi/di polar surrounds going to be a thing of the past? Did someone discover they are not effective or as useful. I know in multichannel audio situations they are not the best option but I thought the tech was superior in theater settings. I am only asking because this is the speaker line of the year. And I have noticed that EMP Tek doesn't sell any bi/di pol speakers.

Does any one have any insight for me?

Ever go to a real theater and look up at the surrounds? Do they use bipole/dipole speakers? no.
They use spaced horizontal arrays of monopoles.

In a movie mixing setting, they also use monopole speakers.

people like dipoles because they're spacious sounding, but they're also very unnatural. If you assume surround channels will only be used for rain and crickets chirping, maybe it's fine, but as soon as you try to send a real audio signal to it like a car whizzing by it's just not right.

FWIW, though, Emotiva makes a really nice bi/dipole speaker.

 

[zieglj01]

Ever go to a real theater? Do they use bipole/dipole speakers? no.
They use horizontal arrays of monopoles.

In a movie mixing setting, they also use monopole speakers.

For 7.1 - that is the way to go, and for sure with music.

 

[FirstReflection]

Bi/di-pole speakers are often avoided by manufacturers for several reasons:

First and foremost, they are difficult to make - at least difficult to make RIGHT. A proper di-pole isn't just two monopole speakers facing in opposite directions with one out of phase with the other. Nor is a bi-pole just two monopoles facing in opposite directions and in phase with one another. The cross-over has to be very carefully designed in order to get the perfect balance of direct and reflected sound so that the sum total that reaches the listener's ears is still flat in frequency response. Paradigm does it right...that's about it.

Almost every other manufacturer who makes a "diffuse" surround speaker uses some sort of tri-pole or quad-pole design, with di or bi-pole tweeters (and perhaps mid-ranges) and then a direct-firing, single bass/mid-woofer. This is a simpler design and it can be effective.

But the true point of any di-pole speaker is to mimic the sound of an array of speakers. Contrary to what was written above, some movie theaters use diffuse surround speakers, which have drivers that fire both straight ahead and to either side. But, regardless, movie theaters use an array of speaker on either side of the theater and at the back of the theater to create a very enveloping, but not very directional surround sound environment. The point is to "blanket" the audience with sound in an even and uniform manner.

You could do the same thing at home, but you'd need a large room and at least three speakers for each surround channel. So, since most people aren't going to do that, a di-pole speaker makes a heck of a lot of sense!

The second reason that manufacturers are avoiding di-pole surrounds is because they are more expensive to make than a simple two-way bookshelf. You need twice the number of drivers and a much more complicated cross-over. People are cheap. They see a physically small surround speaker and can't figure out why it's more expensive than a bookshelf of about the same physical size.

The third reason is that people don't know what surround sound is supposed to sound like. They think the surround speakers are "back" speakers and they expect to notice sound coming from behind them. Monopole speakers draw attention to themselves and most people like that. It isn't what surround sound is supposed to sound like, but that's what people want. So why make an expensive and difficult-to-make di-pole surround when most people aren't even going to like it or buy it?

Then there's the whole SACD/DVD-Audio thing. Thanks to the folks behind those formats only thinking of themselves and not the greater industry at large, they decided to engineer a separate surround sound scheme that calls for monopole surround speakers, placed at ear height, and 30 degree behind the listener! This is totally different from the movie surround sound layout. So, if you really want proper sound for both movies and 5.1 music, you need two separate sets of surround speakers!

THX Ultra's approach is the best compromise - di-pole surround speakers and mono-pole surround back speakers, with the surround back speakers placed very close together directly behind the listener. This allows the THX Ultra Music Mode to play a trick on the listener and combine the sound of the di-pole surrounds with the mono-pole surround back speakers so that it SEEMS as though the sound is coming from the rear corners of the room. You basically wind up with a 6.1-type sound for movies...which is perfectly fine.

Companies that target the budget-level crowd have to carefully consider what products to introduce. For all the reasons I mentioned above, they just aren't bothering with di-pole speakers anymore. Blame the ignorant masses. This is what we get based on the way they vote with their dollars.