Fish or steak? Form or function? Vacuum tube or solid-state? Vinyl or CD? Why are we always faced with so many decisions?

With the MA352 hybrid integrated amplifier, McIntosh Labs has tried to solve some of those decisions. Fish or steak will remain a problematic dinner choice, but the MA352 beautifully balances form and function while giving you the best of both audio worlds—it deftly blends the smoothness of vacuum tube technology with the power of solid-state amplification, while being an audio showpiece you can proudly display at the center of your listening room.

Audio enthusiasts have long argued the merits of traditional audio technologies like vacuum tubes vs. solid-state componentry. Like the vinyl vs. analog or CD vs. digital music debates, it can create heated discussion regarding what constitutes better sound. With the original MA252 integrated amplifier and now with the new MA352, McIntosh uses its seven decades of audio know-how to use each technology for its highest and best use.

The McIntosh MA252 was an instant success at Georgia Home Theater when it came out in early 2018. The MA352 promises to be just as popular. If you are planning a two-channel upgrade or new audio system in your favorite Smyrna listening space, you will want to pre-order one now. Read on to see why this is such an exceptional high-fidelity audio product.

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

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.

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.

Georgia Home Theater is so excited to tell you about our next hi-fi event that we can barely contain ourselves. Recently we wrote about adding MartinLogan’s inimitable speaker line to our ever-expanding stable of high-end audio brands. This month we are one of the chosen few dealers - not in Atlanta, but the world - to debut seven new MartinLogan speaker models.

On Tuesday, August 20^th at 6 PM, you can be one of the first to see and hear these new MartinLogan speakers. But please RSVP, because space is filling up quickly. Aside from an unforgettable audio experience, the evening will include hors d’oeuvres, drinks, door prizes, and the chance to enter a drawing for MartinLogan speakers.

While we can’t tell you about the new speakers yet, you’ll also have a chance to listen to MartinLogan’s flagship Neolith electrostatic speakers. If you haven’t heard electrostatics before, or even if you have, you owe it to your audio enthusiast-self to listen to the Neolith.

To whet your audio-appetite keep reading below to learn more about the Neolith.

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

Soundbars sometimes get a bad rap. Audio enthusiasts tend to downplay these integrated speaker systems as fashion items with inferior sound quality. There are many soundbars on the market, and the bad rap, unfortunately, holds true for a great number of them. 

Soundbars, however, are incredibly popular for a variety of reasons. Some rooms don’t have a great deal of space for separate speakers. In some older homes, it may be challenging to retrofit wires for architectural speakers. Some people don't want to see more than one speaker in their room and prefer only a sleekly mounted speaker under the TV where it doesn't draw too much attention. The soundbar is a neat solution for all those scenarios. 

What about sound quality? The soundbar has benefited from over a decade of refinement in engineering. Digital signal processing, as well as better quality drivers and construction, enable today's higher-end soundbars to rival the sound quality of multi-speaker systems. Last month, we told you about Leon custom soundbars, an excellent choice for minimalist media rooms.  

This month, we have another customizable soundbar to tell you about, from none other than Klipsch. You know Klipsch as a classic American audio brand that’s been in business for over 70 years. Georgia Home Theater is proud to be Atlanta’s only Klipsch Heritage dealer, carrying audio enthusiast speakers like the Klipschorn as well as the affordable Reference Premier line. We’re excited to tell you about the new Klipsch Heritage Soundbar, which offers discreet, elegant looks with the robust sound quality you expect from Klipsch. Keep reading below for the details!

The British seem to have a way with hi-fi audio. Brands like Bowers & Wilkins, KEF, Meridian, NAD, Linn, and others are renowned for engineering and craftsmanship in the field of audio reproduction. Another brand that sometimes doesn’t get as much mention - but should - is Monitor Audio.  

For over 40 years, Monitor Audio has been building a complete range of speakers for home audio, which today encompasses 16 product ranges from custom install to high-end home theater speakers. Like most British audio makers, they have their unique slice of expertise that they apply to their speaker designs.  

Monitor Audio is one of the world's foremost experts in crafting speaker drivers from metal, which is not the easiest material to fashion into an audio transducer. For example, the RDT (Rigid Diaphragm Technology) in the Platinum speaker cones is made from ceramic-coated aluminum/magnesium in the front skin, with carbon fiber in the back. This high-tech combination of materials results in a speaker that responds to transitions quickly with ultra-low distortions, which all translates to better sound. 

Georgia Home Theater is proud to be one of Monitor Audio’s select dealers in the Atlanta area, adding to our extensive collection of high-end speakers for hi-fi and home theater. Read on to learn more about the unique aspects of Monitor Audio speakers. 

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.

Sometimes we have champagne tastes, but our budgets tend to favor the price of beer. Music enthusiasts with big budgets are known to spend significant dollars trying to extract that last ounce of performance from their system. Whether it's the speakers, the amplifier, the preamp, the music player, or the cables, the HiFi enthusiast’s quest is for the perfect sound. Sometimes the search is never-ending, but indeed, that's part of the fun and the hobby.

But what if you are a music lover with other responsibilities and can't devote a large piece of your disposable income to the search for your perfect sound? The good news is that we are in a bit of a "golden age" for audio, with a plethora of great sounding gear available at affordable prices.

One of those pieces of gear comes from Paradigm. Paradigm is a Canadian company with a rich history of speakers. The company's founders believed in custom-designing their speakers based on science, not the prevailing conventional wisdom. They used audio research from the National Research Council of Canada to guide their original designs. The other major tenet the founders wanted to uphold was accessibility – they wanted to make audiophile speakers regular folks could afford.

While Paradigm now makes some high-end speakers like the Persona Series, the company is still known for delivering serious audio performance for the dollar. If you are an HiFi enthusiast on a budget in the Vinings area, Paradigm speakers should be on your short list to evaluate.

Let’s take a closer look at the Paradigm Monitor SE Series, where high-performance audio and affordability happily intersect.

Some pieces of HiFi gear are simply classics that stand the test of time. And when it comes to speakers, one of the great things about them is that while speaker technology has advanced, it also hasn’t. What do we mean by that?

While digital technology has revolutionized audio electronics, including components that were once purely analog like amplifiers, its effect on traditional speakers is less so. DSP (digital signal processing) has made small speakers sound like big ones, but when it comes to traditional hi-fi speakers, the technology behind the woofers, tweeters, crossovers, and cabinet design hasn't changed as much. Of course, there have been advances, but a great speaker from 20 or even 30 years ago is still a great speaker – it is not obsolete, unlike other audio components.

When it comes to classic speaker designs, Klipsch is a company true to its heritage. Their horn designs have been around since Paul Klipsch designed all the speakers himself. Georgia Home Theater recently partnered with Klipsch, which is also one of the world’s largest speaker manufacturers, to bring their classic Heritage Series to the Atlanta area.

In this blog, we’d like to introduce you to the most classic of Klipsch speakers – the Klipschorn. This is the only speaker in continuous production for over 70 years, which says volumes about the durability of its design.

What makes the Klipschorn a fantastic centerpiece for your classic Atlanta HiFi stereo system? Read on to learn more.