Answers to the contest questions
1. How do you buy your high-end audio products today? Why?
I generally buy my products from a specialty realtor. The reason is that I can demo the equipment first, take it home and make sure that I like it. So, for me that makes a big difference.
2. What three consumer electronics products in the market today are you most excited about and why?
The three consumer products I'm most excited about are:
a) AppleTV and Roku. These types of IP-devices that provide for instant streaming content and purchase and download are sensational. Couple that with the ability to stream my entire iTunes library through my home theater system via Apple TV and there's nothing better.
b) SONOS. I don't have a sonos setup, but it is simply spectacular. I've sampled it several times at a friend's house and it is just amazing--from the UI to the instant creation of zones on the fly, etc. It just rocks.
c) The new Integra 80.3. WOW. The video processing and the new Audyssey XT32 is just amazing. I read the review on hometheather.com and was salivating.
3. What is your most treasured audio component? Probably my Anthem AVM/20. Yes, it's getting close to 10 years old, but the audio is simply spectacular through the unit. While I'll probably be in the market for an upgrade soon, I've setup an entire HDMI switching environment outside the Anthem because I just love the unit so much. The quality, flexibility, UI, and performance of the unit is just second to none... unless I had the Anthem D2, of course
4. What areas of the consumer electronics industry (specifically audio/video) do you feel are untapped and offer the most potential from new technology?
a) The first area that I think has tremendous potential is the ability to aggregate, organize, and deliver the varied online content. I've played extensively with AppleTV, Roku and Boxee and I see what the smart TVs are doing and I subscribe to Netflix and have Amazon streaming. All these "options" are too fragmented and the user experience is lacking. Of all, the Apple TV is the best device from the experience and interface perspective and it's Neftlix interface is the best. However it's still not perfect and I think that the ability to have apps developed and deployed to deliver content is going to be a big thing.
b) Anywhere A/V solutions. The iPad really showed that mobile and integration can happen in one devices. From cable apps streaming live shows to controlling equipment to lighting, you can do it all from one devices. However, again, the experience is somewhat fragmented and not integrated and it's not perfect. My higher-end harmony remotes are still more functional that any of the solutions on the iPhone and iPad... but that gap is closing. Soon one will be able to watch anything, anytime, anywhere on any device.
c) CAT5/6: I HATE HDMI. The lack of good distance and the inflexibility of some of the cables (the good ones) rated for in wall use makes installations a pain. The HDMI baluns over Cat5/6 are helpful but draw unnecessary power with bricks and again aren't always perfect. So I thin that interconnecting digital components across Cat5/6 is completely open for some great future products and solution. The network today is everything. I should be able to control all my devices from an ethernet network, power and interoperate everything from an Ethernet cable. I know there are movements to do this but so far no major products on this front yet but I'm anxiously looking forward to it. I've wired my entire house with Cat6 in ready anticipation of distributed audio and video solutions going over Cat5/6.
Thanks for the opportunity and Happy New Year!
