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Articles tagged with: High-Fidelity Audio

What to Listen to on Your Whole Home Audio System What to Listen to on Your Whole Home Audio System

Comparing the Most Popular Streaming Music Services

We live in a world of almost limitless content. In cable TV, an old joke was, "we have 300 channels, and there's nothing to watch." You'd be hard-pressed to make that joke today with the wonderful world of streaming content so readily available to us. With Netflix, Amazon Prime, HBO, Apple TV+, Disney+, and so many more, it's difficult to think about not finding something you want to watch.

But this blog is about audio, not video! And the amount and range of music we can call up with a few flicks on a touchscreen are equally amazing. Today’s streaming music services boast 40 million-plus tracks of recorded music available in an instant, whether it’s from 60 years ago or today’s top hits. It’s equally difficult to imagine not being able to find some music you like to listen to on a streaming service. 

You might be wondering, what's the difference in streaming services? Isn't the music library much the same? The short answer is yes. But the way you find that music, and how you interact with it is different. Some folks feel very strongly about their preference for Spotify over Apple Music or vice-versa.

So which service should you use on your whole-home audio system in Atlanta? GHT Group isn't here to tell you which one is best – that's up to you. The good news is that all the ones we'll discuss here work with whole-home audio systems we recommend like Control4. 

Read on for a brief overview of five of the most popular streaming services to see which ones are for you.

SEE ALSO: Upgrade to the Luxury of Whole Home Audio with Control4

How The New McIntosh C2700 Will Enhance Your Home Media Experience How The New McIntosh C2700 Will Enhance Your Home Media Experience

McIntosh Expertly Blends Analog and Digital Audio Technology with this Versatile Preamp

Note: We drafted this wildly popular blog last year and generated a lot of curiosity about this McIntosh preamplifier. Now that you’re at home, and you rely on home audio and entertainment for your lifestyle, it’s time to take a second look at the McIntosh C2700.

Many would describe the McIntosh lineup as “iconic,” largely due to its glossy design, vintage logo and time-tested sound quality. Not to mention, they have built a sonic legacy since they started in 1949 and have continued to develop their product offerings since. Fast-forward to the 2020s, and McIntosh keeps making audio technology that never fails to seem modern. That’s why the brand is still a trusted source for speakers, amps, receivers and preamps alike. Keep reading to learn more details about their C2700 preamplifier and the specific features you’ll appreciate for many years.

Looking to Upgrade Your High-End Audio Rig? Looking to Upgrade Your High-End Audio Rig?

Here Are Two Options to Get Your Creative Juices Flowing

Some say this is the golden age of audio, and we think they’re right. We cannot think of another time when there were so many options to choose from for great sound. It doesn’t matter whether you’re into the ease of wireless speakers like Sonos or the legendary quality of McIntosh equipment; there is excellent audio quality to be had at every end of the price spectrum.

We've had several blogs featuring various high-end audio products from Klipsch and MartinLogan speakers to turntables and amplifiers.  In this blog, we wanted to highlight a couple of options that deliver the sound quality that any Atlanta audio enthusiast could applaud at two ends of the budget spectrum. As we're talking about hi-fi audio here, budget does not mean inexpensive. As any enthusiast knows, truly great sound does not come cheap.

Of course, these are but two options to get you thinking about your high-end audio upgrade; GHT Group has many others. But these two can start the creative juices flowing!

Thinking about Installing an Outdoor Sound System? Thinking about Installing an Outdoor Sound System?

Here’s What You Need to Know

You might be very familiar with indoor audio, having been purchasing stereo and multichannel audio systems for years. You might even be familiar with the nuances of different electronic components and speaker designs. But what happens when you want to take your music outside?

Outdoor spaces can present different challenges. Rather than a room with four walls, your outside area might contain a hardscape patio, grassy lawns, gardens, or many trees. How does this affect how your music will sound outdoors?

If you’re looking for an outdoor sound system for your Johns Creek, GA home, and you like high-fidelity sound, keep reading for some key things to consider.

 

SEE ALSO: Use Outdoor Speakers to Create the Perfect Al Fresco Ambiance

McIntosh’s Turntable Brings Vintage Looks and Stunning Performance to the 2020s McIntosh’s Turntable Brings Vintage Looks and Stunning Performance to the 2020s

McIntosh Audio Brings the Perfect Mix of Convenience and Performance with their MTI100 Integrated Turntable

Will the turntable trend continue into the new decade? The turntable’s history is long and storied, reaching all the way back to the phonograph’s invention in the 1800s. Next came the hand-crank-powered gramophone, which traced grooves onto a cylinder with a needle. When the cylinder was replaced by a flat disk, the turntable as we know it was born. 

In the 1930s, wind-up players were being replaced by their electric-powered successors, and after the increasing popularity of bulky turntable systems with built-in amplification and speakers, came the rise of the dedicated hi-fi record player. Given its long history, there’s something about a turntable that feels like a time capsule, even now. Will you still see it in smart homes throughout the 2020s? We think so, especially with the modernized technology we see from audio giants like McIntosh.

Here is our review of this turntable from last year

 

McIntosh Audio Raises the Bar for Home Theaters McIntosh Audio Raises the Bar for Home Theaters

The MX170 and MX123 Stand at the Pinnacle of AV Processors

McIntosh Audio has a long history, celebrating 70 years of innovation in high-end audio. Like Klipsch, this is an American audio brand that has always stayed true to its roots. In McIntosh’s case, they focus on building impeccable products for the most discerning customers. 

Some McIntosh products are more affordable than others, and in the past few years, the company has branched out into headphones and other lifestyle products. But with McIntosh, there’s no “low end.” Every product offered is designed to compete at the highest echelons of audio performance.

While McIntosh is well known for hi-fi two-channel audio, the company has long made stellar home theater components, too. In this blog, we'll tell you about the latest iterations of their AV processor line, the MX170 and MX123. If you're looking for the ultimate in home theater or media room audio and video performance, look no further.

Keep reading to see why!

Act Fast – A Rare Monitor Audio Sale Is Happening Now Act Fast – A Rare Monitor Audio Sale Is Happening Now

The Affordable Monitor Audio Bronze Series is on Sale Through January 31st!

High-end audio brands rarely go on sale. Maybe it’s because the best products don’t need price reductions to move off the shelf. People know what high-performance products can do and appreciate the value; when they’re ready to buy, they don’t wait for a sale.

That said, occasionally high-quality brands go on sale. This past year we were proud to bring British speaker brand Monitor Audio to GHT Group. We’ve prominently featured them in our Marietta showroom, including the architectural Controlled Performance Series. And now, we’re running a sale on the most affordable Monitor Audio line, the Bronze Series.

If you’re looking for new speakers for either a two-channel or multichannel surround setup in Marietta that won’t break the bank, you won’t have to travel far. But to take advantage of the special savings – 25% off of MSRP – you need to hustle, because the offer is good only through January 31st, 2019.

Without further ado, let’s recap why the Monitor Audio Bronze line is such a great entry point into the world of hi-fi audio.

No-See-Um Speakers for Home Audio No-See-Um Speakers for Home Audio

You Can’t See ‘Em But You Can Feel the Sound from These Speakers

Unfortunately for the Atlanta area, our humid southern climate is a breeding ground for those pesky biting insects dubbed no-see-ums. Also called Biting Midges they are the ones that bite, but you can't see them to avoid it.

What does this have to do with home audio? Stick with us for the analogy here. We have many customers that love great music and top-notch sound quality. For them, we carry an excellent array of speakers like Bowers & Wilkins, the Klipsch Heritage line, and more. Many of these customers love the look of speakers and make them an integral part of their room’s décor. Indeed, some of these speakers are quite large and are meant to be prominently displayed.

Other customers love great audio but don't want speakers – no matter how exquisitely finished – as part of the room furnishings. Of course, architectural speakers have been around for many years with in-ceiling and in-wall models that offer great sound with no intrusions on floor space. Typically, those speakers have paintable grills to match a wall or ceiling finish to be very unobtrusive.

And then there are customers whose interior design demands even more stealth from a home audio installation, because even painted grills are too much. These customers prefer the speaker to virtually disappear. We’ll call these speakers no-see-ums, because you may not see them, but you will definitely hear the sound quality.

 

Read on for more about two no-see-um speaker lines for your home audio installation in Dunwoody.

Product Overview: The New McIntosh C2700 Preamplifier Product Overview: The New McIntosh C2700 Preamplifier

McIntosh Expertly Blends Analog and Digital Audio Technology with this Versatile Preamp

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

See Updated Post

Last month, we introduced the McIntosh MA352 integrated amplifier. If you’re an analog purist, there’s much to love about the MA352, which combines the warmth of a tube powered preamp with the raw power of a solid-state amplifier.

With the new C2700, McIntosh Labs brings more options on the table. The MA352 is an all-analog design, with no digital circuitry—anything digital, like a CD player or a streaming audio player—is external. The C2700 mixes it up a little, making for an extremely versatile preamp that you can use for all your two-channel sources, including TVs. While it still uses a tube preamp for that smooth, warm sound purists love, it comes out-of-the-box ready to connect to all your digital sources.

Is this the McIntosh audio preamp any audio enthusiast, analog purist, or digital music maven could love for their two-channel Marietta rig? There are two ways to find out—visit our 20,000 square-foot showroom in Marietta or continue reading below for the pertinent details. Either way, you win.

Can High-End Audio Fit with Your Home’s Décor? Can High-End Audio Fit with Your Home’s Décor?

With the Right Installation, It Can

Some audio enthusiasts revel in the look of their equipment. Speakers in elegant wood finishes, tube amplifiers, hefty turntables that look like industrial art can all add to the hi-fi audio experience. Even the cables are often exquisitely finished, and quite expensive.

On the other hand, not every audio aficionado wants a massive array of equipment to be visible. Call them minimalist; they want the sound without having to figure out where to place all that equipment. They may very well also have a wife, husband, or significant other that simply doesn't want to incorporate audio equipment into the décor. Or they may have small children that could wreak havoc with expensive equipment left unattended.

Those enthusiasts needn’t suffer with subpar sound. Yes, Alpharetta and Atlanta music lovers, you can have your cake (great audio) and eat it too (hide it). Georgia Home Theater has an extraordinary array of practically invisible home audio installation solutions for great sound in a listening room or throughout your whole house.

 

Georgia Home Theater Invites You to a Special Monitor Audio Event Georgia Home Theater Invites You to a Special Monitor Audio Event

With Food, Live Music, and Monitor Audio Demos, What’s Not to Like?

If you’ve been following our blogs, you may know that Georgia Home Theater is a roll when it comes to audio. We have recently added some of the best brands in audio like Martin Logan and Klipsch Heritage to our repertoire. More recently, we announced adding esteemed British speaker brand Monitor Audio to the fold.

Georgia Home Theater is excited to continue bringing the best audio brands under one roof in the Atlanta area. In the age of online commerce, it's rare for a dealer to make the investment in the physical showroom, training, service and support so customers can see, touch, and hear high-performance audio products.

In case you need an excuse to visit our Marietta showroom and experience the magic of real hi-fi sound, we've got one for you! On October 12th at 5 p.m. you’re invited to join us for an evening of live music and Monitor Audio speaker demonstrations. With light food and beverages and the unique psychedelic folk musical stylings of Seafoam Green this is an evening you shouldn’t miss if you love music.

To whet your appetite a little – for the speakers, not the food – read on to learn more about the Monitor Audio lines you will get to hear. Did we mention this is a free event? Just hit that RSVP button now as you continue reading.

Incredible Surround Sound, Sight Unseen Incredible Surround Sound, Sight Unseen

Monitor Audio Architectural Speakers Deliver Immersive and Discreet Sound

We recently added Monitor Audio to our burgeoning collection of hi-fi audio brands, already one of the most extensive in Atlanta. While their Platinum series is highly regarded and well-reviewed, their broad architectural (built-in) speaker line is one that also deserves your attention. They offer the same accurate, detailed Monitor Audio sound in a package discreetly hidden in the walls.

Many different types of speakers can work for home theater and media room duty. Floor standers, stand-mount bookshelf and mini-towers, on-wall, in-wall, and in-ceiling can all be used. The choice depends mainly on your design and style preferences and sometimes on the layout and construction of your media space.

While in-ceiling speakers are de rigueur for height effects from Dolby Atmos and DTS:X immersive soundtracks, some people think architectural speakers represent a compromise in sound quality for the sake of style. Once upon a time, that may have been true - but no more. This month, we have a case in point - Monitor Audio’s Controlled Performance Series. Simply put, they produce some of the most incredible sound we’ve ever heard from architectural speakers at Georgia Home Theater. So if you are looking for a surround sound system for your media space in Alpharetta or Atlanta, you owe it to yourself to listen to these.

Read on to learn more about the Monitor Audio Controlled Performance line.

Get Ready for an Exclusive MartinLogan World Premiere in Atlanta Get Ready for an Exclusive MartinLogan World Premiere in Atlanta

Georgia Home Theater Will Debut 7 New MartinLogan Speakers

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 20th 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.

Introducing Monitor Audio at Georgia Home Theater Introducing Monitor Audio at Georgia Home Theater

Another Great Speaker Brand Joins the Fold

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. 

Product Overview: Paradigm Monitor SE Series Speakers Product Overview: Paradigm Monitor SE Series Speakers

Paradigm Speakers That Will Rock Your House, Not Your Bank Account

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.