Ken C. Pohlmann

Small Box, Big Solution

CSW SurroundWorks 200

By Ken C. Pohlmann
Posted October 3, 2005

As I unpacked the box, I kept asking myself, "Yes, but where are all the speakers?" Your friends will ask, too, when they see the SurroundWorks 200 from Cambridge SoundWorks - and might wonder if you've decamped from the 21st century and returned to the days of mono.

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JVC RX-D702B Digital Surround Receiver

By Ken C. Pohlmann
Posted November 5, 2005

Digital amplifiers are nothing new - they've been around for years in powered subwoofers and, more recently, home theater box systems. But standalone digital receivers are a somewhat new revelation.

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Reality Bytes: My Fellow Americans

Who will win the closely fought battle for home-entertainment supremacy?

By Ken C. Pohlmann
Posted August 25, 2008

Red states, blue states. Which color do you subscribe to? My fellow Americans, as November approaches, our country faces a monumental decision. Our great society must choose between two very different candidates with visions of the future that are profoundly diverse. All of us must look into our hearts, and answer the question: satellite or cable?

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The Red Menace

How much is a $200 million film worth? Ask Redbox.

By Ken C. Pohlmann
Posted February 12, 2010

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The Red Menace

How much is a $200 million film worth? Ask Redbox.

By Ken C. Pohlmann
Posted March 29, 2010

You’ve probably seen them outside the supermarket. You know — those big red vending machines. But instead of a soda for $1.25, you get a movie. For $1. Swipe your credit/debit card, and the disc is all yours for the night.

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Is Your HDMI-Connected Gear Ready for 3D?

With evolving gear and constantly changing standards, staying current is getting trickier.

By Ken C. Pohlmann
Posted September 15, 2010

Illustration by Raquel Chilson

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Review Round Up: Soundbars

We test four soundbar systems to see what’s possible when you stuff multiple speakers into one slim box.

By Ken C. Pohlmann
Posted September 16, 2010

In a perfect world, we’d all have five huge speakers circled around the sofa and a substantial subwoofer in the corner. And there’d be a Porsche in the driveway. With a Ferrari next to it.

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The Final Cut: Saying No to Google TV

Memo to Google: My home entertainment zone is off-limits.

By Ken C. Pohlmann
Posted September 17, 2010

It’s been a hard day at work. You want to unwind in front of the flat-screen. You don’t want interactivity. You don’t want infotainment. After slaving at the PC all day, you don’t want to surf. You want to watch some damn TV, do some 12-ounce curls, and then doze off. I ask you: Is that so wrong? According to companies like Google, yes, it is. And they want to change that.

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Young People Losing Their Hearing to Awful Earbuds

Hearing loss is on the rise thanks to jacked-up volume levels.

By Ken C. Pohlmann
Posted November 3, 2010

A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that one in five American teenagers has some irreversible hearing loss. That’s bad. Even worse, the number of teens with slight hearing loss has increased 30% in the last 15 years, and the number with mild or worse loss is up 77%.

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Review Round Up: iPod Docks

We test five cutting-edge docks that offer everything from solar panels to trip-tastic light shows.

By Ken C. Pohlmann
Posted December 14, 2010

What is there left to say about iPods and iPhones that hasn't already been said? These are truly iconic products that exemplify what modern music listening is all about. If the compact disc launched digital audio, then the iPod raised the sails and navigated that boat to every faraway place in the world.

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