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Lomography Petzval: Funky Old School Lens for Canon, Nikon Mount—Bring Back the Bokeh

Posted on July 28, 2013 by worthgrabbing
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Perhaps digital imaging has reached the point where artistic intent can finally be free of technological angst. A fancy-looking, decidedly old-school lens from the Russian company Lomography is the subject of a highly successful Kickstarter campaign. The 185-year-old, 85mm focal-length lens looks and plays the part of an old-school antique, with a brass barrel and a manual focus knob that set a new standard for retro. Even changing aperture requires the photographer to replace little sliding inserts, and the maximum aperture is f/2.2. No accommodation was made for modernity, aside from the lens mount itself.

However, the images produced by the Petzval have artistic merit; mainly because of the swirly, dreamy bokeh (background blur) seen in the images. I’m not sure I’d want the swirly backdrop for every photo, but what a way to make instagram shots stand out. Read more about this “new” lens in Wired. Check out the Kickstarter page here.


Photo from Wired.com

petzval-new-lens_11
Note the swirly bokeh

Categories: Cameras & Lenses, Electronics

Chromecast: Google in the Living Room, Take Two

Posted on July 24, 2013 by worthgrabbing
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Google takes another stab at providing your living-room TV with a “smart” home screen thanks to a tiny HDMI dongle called Chromecast. Interested owners of Android phones and tablets, Apple iOS devices, and Chromebooks can order the newly announced device as of today for $35—a price point that reportedly had reporters audibly gasping at the press event.

I already grabbed one from Google, should be here in a couple of days—I plan on penning a review for AVS Forum.

Categories: Electronics

Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan — Worth Grabbing on Blu-ray?

Posted on July 14, 2013 by worthgrabbing
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Star Trek II received a complete restoration for the latest Blu-ray release. Is it worth watching the Trek classic one more time, in order to see it in full cinematic splendor? I compare Blu-ray to various online-delivery formats in this article on AVS forum.

Categories: Electronics, Videos

Sony BDP-S5100 Blu-Ray Player is a Box of Goodies

Posted on July 14, 2013 by worthgrabbing
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Sony’s mainstream line of 2013 Blu-ray players tops out with the BDP-S5100. Packed with the latest smart features and 3D capability, it’s one box that can serve as the multimedia core of a home system. The feature I like most is how quickly it loads discs. My review of the S5100 is on AVSforum.com

Categories: Electronics

Monster Clarity HD Model One Speakers — Big Sound, Bigger Value

Posted on July 13, 2013 by worthgrabbing
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I recently reviewed the Monster Clarity HD Model One, a speaker so good, it displaced a pair of DIY speakers I had been working on for over a year. On clearance, they are quite a bargain and definitely worth grabbing.

MSPCLYMTR-DK_YE_132733_GLAM_3

Monster is a brand that I felt was tainted by its association with “Beats” headphones. It turns out that Monster-branded audio products are rather sophisticated and high-fidelity. The Clarity HD One puts on a virtuoso performance, relative to its price point. The best part is that they are portable—doing double-duty as my main stereo’s Hi-Fi speakers, and as a “party” speaker.

I have a review of the Clarity HD Model One on AVSforum.com

Categories: Electronics

Pioneer SE-A1000 Lightweight Audiophile AV Over-Ear Headphones: Truly Worth Grabbing

Posted on July 13, 2013 by worthgrabbing
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After a lengthy process of auditioning numerous high-end headphones, I have settled upon a new favorite: Pioneer’s SE-A1000. The purchase was impulsive, driven by a shockingly low clearance price of $46. After performing some critical listening, I realized the Pioneer headphones outperformed some far more expensive headphones I had recently purchased. The SE-A1000 now my favorite pair of cans for critical listening, regardless of price.

SE-A1000_alt

Check out my more extensive review on AVSforum.com

Head-fi.org has a thread celebrating the absurdly great value the Pioneer headphones represent. Get them while you still can.

Categories: Audio, Electronics | Tags: audiophile, avs forum, avsforum, fidelity, headphones, hi-fi, pioneer, se-a1000, worth grabbing, worthgrabbing

Soundbar Solutions: 3 Choices for a Compact Stereo System

Posted on July 13, 2012 by worthgrabbing
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So, you want to buy a soundbar, and have great bass at the same time? Here are options at three different price points.

 
$250: Yamaha Soundbar Home Theater Speaker System

This Yamaha sound bar is best described as ‘full range’ because it has tiny subwoofers built-in. It has HDMI input, two optical inputs and a co-ax digital input, plus a wired subwoofer output. That all makes it quite versatile compared to other inexpensive sound bars. There is unbeatable value in this unit — after all, Yamaha invented the sound bar.
 
 
$400: Energy Power Bar Soundbar with Wireless Subwoofer
At the under $500 price point, the top choice is this Klipsch unit, which will perform better than the above, sound-wise, but is very limited in terms of connectivity (only one optical input).
 
 
 
 
Sky’s the Limit:  Polk SurroundBar 500 Component Home Theater Speaker System

Currently on sale for $600, this is just a soundbar and DSP processor. You will need a stereo receiver and a subwoofer to complete the system, and the bar cannot be more than a 15-foot cable run from the receiver. However, if you’ve already got those things and are dedicated to having a mind-blowing surround-sound experience, this is what to buy.
Categories: Audio, Electronics | Tags: Amazon, Best Buy, Klipsch, Polk, soundbar, subwoofer, Yamaha

Dub King – Worth a Listen

Posted on April 25, 2012 by worthgrabbing
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Dub King’s trippy dubtronica instrumentals are like a massage for the mind. http://dubkingdom.com/

Categories: Electronics
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