Signals

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Ken C. Pohlmann  |  Nov 02, 2011  | 

Clearly, everything is spinning out of control. More specifically, the End of Days has finally arrived. Exactly as predicted in the Bible, we're seeing foul and loathsome sores, water turned to blood, scorching sun and intense heat, total darkness and great pain, and preparations for the final battle between good and evil.

Ken C. Pohlmann  |  Jul 12, 2016  | 
It is summer. Soon it will be fall. That means Apple will introduce a new iPhone. Reportedly, the new phone will be thinner, more water resistant, have a better camera, have more memory, and not have a headphone jack. Wait. What?

Ken C. Pohlmann  |  Jul 19, 2016  | 
If the rumors hold true, the next iPhone, iPhone 7 or whatever Apple calls it, will not have a headphone jack. As Chicken Little noted, "The sky is falling!" Or is it? Is it possible, just possible, that losing the headphone jack could net us a nice step forward in audio playback quality?

Ken C. Pohlmann  |  Mar 04, 2014  | 
Apple has announced that it is bringing its iOS to a dashboard near you. The CarPlay system will link your iPhone 5S, 5C or 5 to the vehicle’s in-dash controls and display. Think of the phone as the brains of the operation, and the car as the touchscreen, and speakers. With CarPlay, you’ll be able to access the phone’s maps, traffic information, music, and messages. For music streaming, CarPlay will support iHeartRadio and Spotify. Also, as you might expect, Siri will be on board.

Ken C. Pohlmann  |  Jan 08, 2016  | 
ARCHT Audio (pronounced “ark” as in “architecture”) arrived on the audio scene last year with its ARCHT One wireless speaker, following its Kickstarter campaign in 2014 that raised $242,000 from over 500 backers. Following on that success, ARCHT is debuting the Mini speaker.

Ken C. Pohlmann  |  Sep 23, 2019  | 
I don't particularly like phones. I do not camp out in front of Apple stores. I use my phone as infrequently as possible, which isn't very often. I leave home without it. I am not a phone guy. Mainly, I disapprove of phones because they are anathema to high-quality audio and video playback.

Ken C. Pohlmann  |  Nov 17, 2015  | 
Remember when flat-screen TVs first appeared? Whoa! That was the coolest thing ever! They were so flat! And so big! We couldn't get rid of our CRT TVs fast enough. We all bought them. Then when the prices dropped, we upgraded to bigger and better ones. Now we all have really nice TVs. So, are you planning to buy yet another new TV this holiday season?
Ken C. Pohlmann  |  Apr 14, 2015  | 
So anyway, I was standing in line at my local FedEx store. I’m there quite a bit, returning review products from whence they came. A nice lady comes up behind me with a box measuring about 12 x 12 x 12. It looks heavy, so I offer to hold it for her. “I hope it’s not too heavy,” she says. “It’s my old records—for my 16-year-old nephew. He loves records.” Hmm, I think to myself. Is this an omen—has she handed me some kind of business opportunity?
Ken C. Pohlmann  |  Oct 14, 2014  | 
I am excited. I am thrilled. I am checking my credit-card balance to make sure I can afford an upgrade to the audio side of my home theater. When Leslie Shapiro and I reviewed the theatrical release of the Atmos mix of Oblivion in April, 2013 at soundandvision.com, we were blown away. We wrote, “If you wisely see this film in Atmos, you will experience true state-of-the-art sound design and theatrical playback. It’s an open secret that Dolby will roll out Atmos to home theaters. When will that day come?” That day has come. Hallelujah.
Ken C. Pohlmann  |  Aug 19, 2014  | 
I am a huge fan of Dolby Atmos in commercial movie theaters. I routinely specifically choose to see movies in theaters that are Atmos-equipped, and will gladly pay a little extra if necessary. The immersion provided by Atmos playback, particularly from the array of ceiling speakers, is remarkable and in my opinion measurably improves the movie experience.

Thus I was overjoyed when the rumors of Atmos at home came true. The prospect of hearing Atmos soundtracks in my home theater suddenly made me excited about home-theater audio again. I could hardly wait for the specifications to be released, so I could install the necessary speakers, and buy whatever gear I would need. Now, comments from a Dolby heavyweight have made me a little nervous.

Ken C. Pohlmann  |  Jun 19, 2012  | 

It’s easy to think of sound recordings in the present tense. Thanks to modern marketing, we’re fixated on this week’s downloads, who’s doing well on America’s Got Talent, and what Lady Gaga is wearing. (Whatever happened to that meat dress, anyway?) But a very cool thing happens once something is recorded.

Ken C. Pohlmann  |  Mar 26, 2012  | 

Everything runs in cycles, and audio has passed its nadir and is now trending back up. And high-fidelity audio — for heaven’s sake! — is moving back onto the radar screen. Consider these 10 points:

Ken C. Pohlmann  |  Jan 06, 2016  | 
Everyone and their brother (and mother) are making headphones these days, but Audio-Technica has been doing it for far longer than most. They continue to refine their designs, and are showing five new or upgraded headphones in their High Fidelity line.

Ken C. Pohlmann  |  Dec 07, 2020  | 
Good morning students and welcome to Backstabbing for Beginners. In this class, you will learn how to betray like a pro. As we will see, there are many ways to screw over another party. But all backstabbing can be boiled down to two easy steps...
Ken C. Pohlmann  |  Feb 05, 2024  | 
It may surprise you to learn that yesterday was not the past, and tomorrow will not be the future. In fact, it is the opposite. Yesterday will be the future, and tomorrow was the past. I would not make such a bold claim unless I have proof. And I have proof.

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