Crisp New Component Ideas for the Season

One new feature or fresh take can change everything- Neil Young

Neil Young said it best, adding a new component to your hi-fi system can revitalize the whole listening experience. Heres a few suggestions for top-shelf components that will make a difference in overall sound.

The Right Receiver for Your Home Theater

Find a receiver that is going to properly drive the amplification of your speakers. Of course youll always consider impedance, frequency range and total harmonic distortion. Choosing the right receiver can recreate every subtle detail of recorded music movies.

The Marantz SR7013 A/V receiver, for example, employs precision audio engineering to bring you a powerful listening experience. It features Dolby Atmos, DTS:X, Auro-3D and DTS Virtual:X decoding, the immersive, three-dimensional surround formats for a home theater and proprietary HDAM circuit boards for more detailed, dynamic sound. The 9-channel amplifier cranks out 125 watts per channel of pure, clean power to satisfy your speakers. This particular receiver allows you to listen to all your favorite music from your smart devices via Bluetooth, AirPlay 2 or the HEOS app, which gives you access to popular streaming music services, Internet radio and digital files stored on your hard drive. And you can operate the SR7013 via voice control with Amazon Alexa. The SR7013 is currently $1,500, which is $600 off the regular price.

Speakers with Soaring Highs and Booming Lows

Add in an intense sound experience with an elevated design with the Klipsch RP-8000F floorstanding speaker. Proprietary Tractrix horn-loaded technology will ensure that the high-frequency energy is aimed directly at the listener to reduce unwanted reverb caused by indirect sound bouncing off walls. Youll experience the clearest, most detailed sound possible.

Dual 8-inch copper-spun Cerametallic woofers are the speakers signature statement for bothsound and aesthetics. This extremely light, rigid material holds its shape while being able to deliver lower frequencies with maximum efficiency. And the vented titanium tweeter design reduces standing waves behind the tweeter diaphragm for smoother high frequency reproduction.

A Touch of Vinyl

Turntables and record purchases have exploded over the past few years as many are rediscovering the warmth and engagement of the analog experience. The Pro-Ject Debut Carbon is the perfect starter turntable. Its easy to set up and use, and lets you upgrade parts over time. Its two latest iterations, the Debut Carbon DC and Debut Carbon EVO continue this legacy of value with new features and elevated performance.

The Carbon DC improves upon the original Carbon by upgrading to a carbon tube for the tonearm, which increases stiffness and decreases unwanted resonance. Along with an increase in platter size and weight to realize even smoother rotation, the overall sound quality is greatly improved. The Debut Carbon DC comes with a factory-mounted Ortofon 2M Red cartridge and a dustcover, so youll be playing your LPs in no time!

Pro-Ject just introduced the new Debut Carbon EVO a couple of months ago, which offers several advantages over the Carbon DC. It now has an electronic speed-change switch to make it easier going back and forth between 33-1/3 and 45 rpm. The Debut Carbon DC already came with a substantial metal platter (3.6 lbs.) that was great for its mass and speed consistency, but to make this part better theyve added a TPE (thermoplastic rubber) ring to the underside, which adds weight to the platter and helps absorb vibrations caused by the motor. The motor and feet have both been upgraded, and the EVO now comes with a higher performance Sumiko Rainier cartridge.

Sub Performance that Exceeds Price Point

In a relatively short time, SVS has gone from a niche brand to one of the most popular subwoofer and speaker manufacturers in America. The companys products are universally lauded for their performance-per-dollar ratio, meaning that you literally get more bang for your buck.

The new 2000 Pro models replace the most popular SVS subwoofers of all time, and they are an upgrade in every way. Reference subwoofer performance has never been available near this price from a cabinet of this size, ever. Elevated levels of deep bass extension and massive output with stunning musicality will delight both audiophiles and home theater fans.

A sophisticated 550 watts RMS, 1,500+ watts peak power Sledge STA-550D DSP amplifier, innovative new 12-inch high-excursion SVS driver, and optimized sealed cabinet design take control of a space with deeper bass and more room-filling output than what is typically possible from a subwoofer with such compact dimensions. And theres convenient control and custom presets via the SVS subwoofer DSP smartphone app for Apple, Android and Amazon devices.

Get Amped

Cambridge Audio has pursued one simple goal: to engineer products that bring the Great British Sound into your home. However you listen, whatever your budget, this brand is dedicated to giving you the best possible sound at the fairest possible price. The CXA61 is 60 watts per channel of pure excitement. Its a punchy and upfront listen without giving away detail or precision so its just as much at home in the mosh-pit as it is in the conservatory. Designed to deliver the maximum musical experience no matter where the music is coming from, the CXA61 has an entirely re-engineered digital board featuring the industry-standard ESS Sabre ES9010 K2M digital-to-analog converter. The CXA61 can bring digital audio files up to state-of-the-art 32-bit/384kHz and DSD256 resolutions vividly to life, combining convenience with performance in a way unheard-of until now. Connect digital sources directly via TOSLINK, Coaxial USB inputs, and there are four RCA connections for analog components. Bluetooth aptX HD is built in for high quality wireless connection.

It always helps to chat or talk with a fellow audiophile who knows the gear the way you do. Or if youre simply looking for guidance, learn more about these products here.