How do you go about selecting a projector screen? Can’t you just blast the image onto a white wall? How about getting a big white  sheet stretched onto your wall? What exactly do you need to know about choosing a projector screen for your awesome new home theatre system?

The problem with all-encompassing generalizations is that even if they’re correct in some cases, they’re wrong in other cases. In our desperate quest for definitive conclusions, we often seek for black-and-white answers. When someone asks us what the best amplifier is, we have to ask them what speakers they’re using, what their budget is, how big their room is, how far away from the speakers do they sit, what are the room acoustics like, how loud do they like to listen, what music do they listen to, etc. There is no “best” but there definitely is a “most appropriate.”Few topics among audio enthusiasts have ended more friendships than the subject of surround speakers. (Ok, not quite. But still….) Should you use five (or seven) identical speakers? Should you use dipole surrounds? Bipoles? How about monopoles? And what do these terms mean?

Now summer has turned its back on us, for many time has arrived to tackle the house rather than the garden. While I’m sure there are many bathrooms waiting for a revamp, there is plenty to be done to improve your home theatre experience that won’t cost you a cent (!!!) and is far more exciting.  I mean, what better way to spend a rainy weekend with your favorite tools and reap the immediate results in the evening with popcorn and a movie?  We lined up 5 tips that will make a really big impact on the performance of your home theatre (whether dedicated or not). All that is required is a bit of your time, a Rapallo blog and a manual or two.

If you are anything around my age, you remember the Elac logo from a long and distant time ago. German brand Elac goes back 90-years to be exact. Last time we heard of them was a few decades ago as purveyor of the long-extinct Elac/Miracord turntables. But Elac is back and we are about to know it!

Despite the proliferation of Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and mobile (GSM), there is still plenty of cable around. HDMI cables and products in general are core to our offering and with the advent of more affordable 4k TVs and (hopefully soon) 4k projectors, it is time to give you an update of where the future lies for 4K HDMI products.

Quite often we meet people who want to connect 4,6,8 or more speakers to their amplifiers. Only a few days ago, we were asked to help someone who had bought a house that had 8 speakers built in the ceiling. The customer wanted to have 6 of those speakers (spread across the kitchen and dining area) to be connected in such a way that the 6 speakers would play the same music, but separate from the other 2 speakers (that would be used for the audio coming from the TV).

Which subwoofer type is better – sealed or ported? An ever returning and extremely popular discussion topic on the forums and blogs, there is no shortage of opinions on the subject. Add in a few die-hard myths and generalizations, and it’s no surprise this is one of the most commonly questions asked. You might hear some people say that ported subwoofers are no good for music, and are only useful for delivering big sound effects, or conversely that sealed subwoofers are “musical”, but lack the depth to deliver the bass called for in today’s blockbusters. While some subwoofers may certainly fit these stereotypes, the truth is considerably more complex. The strengths of each subwoofer type are discussed below, along with the recommended applications and listening environments which will result in optimal performance. 

Last week we posted a blog on the bookshelf vs floor stander dilemma. We briefly touched on bass management and by golly did we open a can of worms! The amount of questions we received about digital bass management is dizzying – and it certainly can be a confusing subject. But you know how we tackle problems like that: we write a blog and explain a little further. Remember that all questions are good questions and we are more than happy to explain further if you get stuck with your set-up.

While Ultra-HD and 4K gets us all pretty excited, it probably also gets your head spinning with all the audio-visual lingo and new technology that goes with it.  You sure are not alone in this frustration. Who’s got the time to keep up with everything the audiovisual world comes up with? We know first hand that you have a lot of questions around the Ultra-HD changes that may or may not happen. As we talk to you on a daily basis, we know you are wondering about: How will HDMI 2.0a, HDCP 2.2 and Ultra HD Blu-ray change things? What bandwidth do I need? And how do you implement all this Ultra HD technology?

War of the projectors: DLP vs LCD vs LCoS. Projectors are awesome. Ultra-huge screen, reasonably low price. If we can Read More