We know the great feeling we get when listening to good music. In this case, good music is whatever you like to listen to. One person's idea of captivating music is another's cacophony. It doesn't matter what you like; you know the rapturous feeling you experience when you hear it.

Yet music isn’t only about the emotional response. Critical listening on a high-fidelity home audio system can give you an entirely new appreciation of your favorite music or even music you're exploring as something new.

So, what is critical listening, and how can it increase your music enjoyment in your Buckhead, GA home? Let’s explore three key elements below.

In the world of high-end audio, most innovation is evolution rather than revolution. This isn’t to say there’s no innovation in hi-fi today—far from it. But the analog technology side of hi-fi is tried and true, and it doesn’t change that much from year to year. That’s why Mcintosh Audio, on its website, says that the lifespan of its components sometimes exceeds human ones. And they’re not exaggerating. Decades-old McIntosh amplifiers are passed down in families and prized by lovers of vintage audio.

Digital audio technology, however, changes more rapidly. In the past few years, high-resolution digital formats have evolved, and so has the HDMI connection standard, to name a couple. Streaming has become the standard for daily music enjoyment over digital downloads and physical media. So, it’s possible that a digital audio product from 10 years ago isn’t up to date in 2022.

McIntosh Audio doesn’t like to design products that last only a few years. That’s one reason that they have devised an upgrade path for the digital connections and capabilities of their integrated products. That’s one of the things that makes the new MA9500 integrated amplifier stand out. The analog side of this powerful amp is ready for decades of use, McIntosh style. And the digital connectivity and processing side is upgradeable when you need it down the road.

As a premier McIntosh dealer in Alpharetta and Metro Atlanta, GHT Group is excited to see this product evolution, as an integrated amp like the MA9500 might be the last one you ever need to buy for your listening room! Of course, we would hope to see you again.

Read on to learn more about the new McIntosh MA9500 integrated.

What do you get for the person who has (seemingly) everything? Sometimes, more of the same that they love! If that person is an audio enthusiast, they can never have too much good audio.

In the spirit of the holiday season, we’ll present three fantastic gifts that your special audio-lover is sure to enjoy. And if you don’t hit the holiday deadline, fret not – these products are available all year long from GHT Group, your local McIntosh dealer for Kennesaw and Metro Atlanta. And since they are from McIntosh audio, one of the most celebrated names in sound, these gifts will keep on giving, year after year. So keep reading for three hi-fi gift ideas for that special person in your life.

We at GHT Group have been offering high-end audio components for years, with such well-known and loved brands as Klipsch, McIntosh, Focal and more. A little bit newer to our thoroughbred stable of hi-fi speakers, we love Monitor Audio because it offers tremendous value and style for the price.

With the new 7G Series – the seventh generation of the middle-of-the-range Silver Series – Monitor Audio continues with its mission to “make audio human.” Monitor Audio calls the new Silver Series "speakers that speak to you." They are meant to bring the emotion back from when you first heard a favorite recording or the soundtrack from a film that has always stuck with you.

Like the new recently upgraded Bronze Series, the Silver Series 7G is a complete line of speakers that can handle anything from two-channel stereo to a full Dolby Atmos surround system. Keep reading below to see if these are the Monitor Audio speakers that speak to you for your Duluth, GA listening or media room.

In the automotive world, the old adage goes, "There's no substitute for horsepower." Indeed, if you want a car to go fast, you need an engine that delivers the beans. Fat tires, spoilers, and racy styling do nothing for speed, but an engine that delivers power to the wheels does.

But can you have too much power? In cars, perhaps, but power is good if used judiciously. After all, Dodge seems to sell all the 800 horsepower Hellcats it can make. Does anyone need 800 horsepower? No, but it sure is fun.

In high-performance audio, power is good too. With high-end speakers, the more power they are fed, the better they tend to sound. In fact, many speakers don’t sound their best unless they are supplied with copious amounts of power. That’s when you start hearing things in familiar recordings that you’ve never heard before. And it’s because the amplifier is wringing every last detail from your music.

McIntosh is an audio company that needs no introduction to hi-fi enthusiasts. The company recently celebrated its 70^th anniversary, and while today it offers a full array of high-end components, nothing has cemented its reputation more than its beefy, iconic amplifiers.

Where can you find McIntosh amplifiers? GHT Group is proud to be a McIntosh dealer serving Cumming, GA and the metro Atlanta area. Keep reading below about two of our favorite McIntosh amplifiers to bring the power to your system.

Home audio systems tend to last a long time. Good quality hi-fi audio gear sometimes may not be replaced for 15 years or more. Analog components like preamplifiers, amplifiers, and speakers don’t need to be replaced unless they falter or you simply want something newer and different.

So why ever upgrade a home audio setup? While the analog side of audio hasn't necessarily changed that much, digital technology is another story altogether. As we know, almost any digital technology moves forward at a breakneck pace. Today's TVs offer astounding performance advantages over those of a decade ago. And your smartphone is nearly obsolete after about five years.

So why might you take another look at your audio system and decide to step it up? Let GHT Group, metro Atlanta’s home audio installation expert, give you three reasons to nudge you into something new.

Audio enthusiasts come in many stripes. Some are continually upgrading every part of their sound system, looking for their ultimate dream setup that sounds "perfect." Others enjoy rotating equipment in and out of their system, looking for a tweak or two to improve sound quality or give it a different nuance. Many simply enjoy the audio journey, knowing there is no audio nirvana, but the ride sure is a lot of fun.

Now, you might think that this constant search for aural perfection can get expensive. And it can, but there is an amazing amount of excellent audio gear that fits many budgets. Many of the hi-fi brands we offer at GHT Group – Monitor Audio, Klipsch Heritage, B&W, and more – have affordable options. But if you already have a set of high-end audio speakers in your Alpharetta, GA listening room that you like, there are some simple tweaks you can do to extract that extra ounce of oomph you may be looking for in your setup.

Keep reading for some simple tips you can try to improve your sound. And afterward, if you still think you need an upgrade, we’ll be happy to assist you with that!

The audio world is full of terminology and buzzwords. There are the traditional ones, like preamplifiers, amplifiers, woofers, tweeters, crossovers, and more. If you’re into audio at all, you know what these are. Then there are words that describe how a speaker or system sounds, like soundstage. If you're an audio fan, you know what that means, too.

Then there are the terms that came in with digital audio. How about lossless vs. compressed, MP3 vs. AAC, 16bit/44 kHz vs. 24bit/192 kHz sampling? For some people, they might have little to no meaning, other than they might surmise lossless is always better than compressed. The reality is, like in most things related to audio, there are not always absolute truths.

If you are familiar with all this as you sit in Johns Creek, GA listening to music on your whole-home audio system, you might wonder if high-resolution audio is something essential or a feature you can blissfully ignore. Keep reading to see which side of the fence you may fall.

The audio world is full of terminology and buzzwords. There are the traditional ones, like preamplifiers, amplifiers, woofers, tweeters, crossovers, and more. If you’re into audio at all, you know what these are. Then there are words that describe how a speaker or system sounds, like soundstage. If you're an audio fan, you know what that means, too.

Then there are the terms that came in with digital audio. How about lossless vs. compressed, MP3 vs. AAC, 16bit/44 kHz vs. 24bit/192 kHz sampling? For some people, they might have little to no meaning, other than they might surmise lossless is always better than compressed. The reality is, like in most things related to audio, there are not always absolute truths.

If you are familiar with all this as you sit in Johns Creek, GA listening to music on your whole-home audio system, you might wonder if high-resolution audio is something essential or a feature you can blissfully ignore. Keep reading to see which side of the fence you may fall.

Note: We first wrote this high-performing post in summer of 2019 and have since updated it to fit the times. And yes, though one year has passed since we drafted this article, soundbars still don’t generate as much praise from audio enthusiasts as some other sound technologies, like, say, architectural speakers.

However, few can deny the convenience of connecting one speaker to the TV and hearing impressive sound. And when you witness the state-of-the-art craftsmanship like the Klipsch Heritage Soundbar, we think you’ll respect their capabilities. If you’ve never tried a Klipsch product before, we consider this speaker a great introduction to how superior engineering can do more with less volume.

These days, home entertainment consumes much of our days. We might wish for more media in more spaces; the easier the better. Maybe you have the full surround-sound configuration in your dedicated home theater but want something simpler to connect when you view movies in your bedroom. Keep reading to see why Klipsch’s soundbar might make you reevaluate soundbars altogether.

Even in 2020, decades after high-end names like Klipsch started producing speakers, we’ve associated the best audio with the most exorbitant price tags. While there is some truth to the statement, “You get what you pay for,” that doesn’t mean that spending more is always the way to go. Klipsch’s new RP-600M bookshelf speakers deliver without breaking the bank.

In fact, RP-600M costs about 10% of what the mid-level Heritage Cornwall model sells for. Klipsch wants every owner of their speakers to be proud of their purchase, which shows in the way these bookshelf speakers look and sound.

Working out of a tiny shed in Hope, Arkansas, Paul Klipsch’s creativity and artistry helped him design a speaker that set an entirely new standard for music reproduction in the home. Now, over 70 years later, many of his original designs are still highly sought after by music lovers, while the company he founded has grown to be one of the largest speaker companies on the planet.

Speakers are not like automobiles or smartphones – a new model doesn’t emerge every year. With some exceptions in the realm of wireless and powered speakers, digital technology isn’t driving significant change as it does in cars and mobile devices. As you can see from this blog, which was originally written last year, updated speaker releases aren’t just a passing trend: They truly stand the test of time.

See the Original Post Here!

When it comes to the high end of the speaker spectrum, change comes even more slowly. Most hi-fi speaker manufacturers have a house sound that is a result of unique design approaches to audio transducers. As a result, manufacturers prefer evolution rather than revolution, and it’s a reason that an investment in a quality speaker can last you for decades.

So it is with Klipsch and their Heritage line of speakers. Heritage speakers hew closely to Klipsch design traditions but are updated with evolution in speaker material, electronics, and design. The Klipschorn is an excellent example; it’s the only speaker that has been in continuous production for over 70 years.

This month, as Atlanta’s exclusive Klipsch Heritage dealer, we’re excited to tell you about a new edition of Klipsch speaker – the Cornwall IV. What’s new, or should we say, evolved? Read on below to find out. And after that, come to our Marietta showroom to hear it in person.

This blog has now been updated; you can view this updated post here.

Klipsch is one of America’s oldest names in HiFi audio. Started in 1946 in a tin shed in Hope, Arkansas, by Paul Klipsch, the company has been finely honing its patented horn-based designs for decades. Paul Klipsch’s goal was to recreate the sound of live music in the home, and it remains the guiding principle of the company to this day.

Klipsch speakers have always had a forward, lively sound, one that holds true to the company's goal of audio that sounds like you are really in the room listening to the artist record music. It tends to be a sound that you feel, with deep bass and high frequencies that remind you of a live performance and not something that has been filtered in some way.

Today, Klipsch is still headquartered in the U.S., and the Hope, Arkansas, shed is the site of the factory that produces classic speakers like the Klipschorn or the Klipsch Heritage Series. Klipsch Audio Technologies now manufactures speakers at a variety of price points and also owns the brands Jamo, Athena, Mirage, and Energy. The company understands how to build both high-end and lower-end speakers that outperform their price points – and usually people's expectations as well.

Klipsch’s newly redesigned Reference Premiere RP-600M bookshelf speaker is a case in point. Its performance has surprised and astounded professional reviewers considering its amazingly affordable price of $550 a pair.

If you are looking to upgrade your HiFi stereo system in the Vinings area or are looking to build one in your home without spending next month’s mortgage payment, let’s take a closer look at the RP-600M.