HAND-CRAFTED TECH

Hegel makes some of the best solid state electronics on the planet..   Further, they are focused on value which translates into leaders at their price points.   Case in point, the H390 integrated amp pictured here.   It won the EISA award for best amplifier of the year in 2019-2020 among many other accolades.

A hallmark of Hegel sound is energy.  The vast majority of components seem to subtly (or more) drain life from the music -- and that sucks!   Hegel components take control of speakers with what we like to call 'the sound of power' -- you know it's right when you hear it, the music sounds and feels alive.   Utilizing unique circuit topologies such as Sound Engine 2, highs are notably smooth.  And Hegel amps are among the quietest you'll find which translates into striking transparency and immediacy..   

Hegel is state-of-the-art performance without the stupid pricing that afflicts much of the audio industry at this level.   The P30A/H30A preamp/amp combo are truly state of the art components at real world prices. Designed in Norway, the equipment is rock-solid reliable and will last for years and years.  You can upgrade your speakers, but it's very unlikely that you'll need to upgrade these amps.   We have several pieces on display here at Outreach.

Paradigm is a ‘tentpole’ brand at Outreach A/V because they’re at the peak of the value curve in every category of product they build.   Pictured above is Paradigm's assault on the state of the art:  the Persona series of speakers.  Both the tweeter (high frequency driver) and midrange (mid frequency driver that typically handles voices, along w/many instruments) are made from beryllium, the fourth lightest element on the periodic chart. The ideal driver is as light as possible for quick reaction to the musical signal, and rigid enough to keep its shape and not breakup and distort the signal.  Beryllium is the ideal material for the task, and Paradigm is the only manufacturer that makes a beryllium midrange.  Cutting edge design that results in unparalleled transparency and resolution of the music.  But true to Paradigm's DNA, the Persona speakers are priced way below the top speakers of other manufacturers.

Throughout the line that spans in-wall speakers to subwoofers (Paradigm subs absolutely rock!) to complete home theater packages, Paradigm builds best-of-class speakers.   We carry the whole line at Outreach. Of particular note is the new Founders Series, a benchmark in sound and build quality at their price points. In addition to traditional Paradigm strengths of transparency, dynamics, and resolution, the Founders series adds realistic and true soundstage depth to the presentation. And with a full aluminum face plate for a rigid structure to mount the drivers on, extensive cabinet bracing and an incredibly well finished cabinet, the Founders series offers incomparable value. We have several models to listen to here at Outreach.

Now in their 40th year of operation, NAD has been making top quality audio gear for about as long as anybody.  There are trendier brands out there,  but the longevity of NAD is indicative of deep commitment to quality, and increasingly rare in the current climate, value.   From the start, the designs have always been extremely quiet with excellent power reserves providing prodigious headroom.   Your money goes into the guts that matters –  transformers, output stages, all discrete circuitry – producing components that sound more powerful and engaging than than their cost and specs suggest.  In head-to-head competitions they regularly outpoint the competition.  

Pictured is the M10 streamer/amplifier.   Its elegant industrial design and small footprint (less than a square foot), make it an easy to place package that has phenomenal capability and power to drive your speakers.  It can stream from virtually any music service including Spotify, Apple Music, Tidal and many more.  Your favorite radio stations; check.  Music on your phone, tablet or computer; check.   This is a unique, cutting-edge, thoroughly modern component that fits today's listening habits -- it'll make you happy guaranteed.   Winner of many awards including the coveted Expert Imaging and Sound Award 2019-2020 for best smart amplifier.  

We have several NAD components set up to addition, make an appointment, and come on by!

Bluesound is multiroom audio done right.   From its standalone music players and soundbars to it network streamers, it's the finest value in whole house audio today.   Quality-wise, it clearly outshines Sonos, and does so at similar price points.  Further, and unlike Sonos, Bluesound supports high resolution audio and MQA (Master Quality Audio), formats that provide the best musical signal possible.    As a music streamer or amplifier to feed your existing system or speakers, sound quality equals far more expensive components.  And the system has grown out at this point to include a soundbar and wireless surround sound.

As important, the Bluesound app is mature at this point; stable and easy-to-use unlike many music control systems out there.  It integrates seamlessly with most music services such as Spotify and Tidal, bringing all your music into one place, easily accessed.    All the components have a clean, sleek and unobtrusive industrial design -- they fit into any household environment.    NAD is the engineering mind behind Bluesound and they've show the rest of the industry how multiroom/whole house audio should be done. 

Bluesound has won 2016 What Hifi award for best multiroom system, the third year in a row it's done so.  Call to scehdule a demo of this impressive system..

Anthem started life as Sonic Frontiers, a maker of high performance vacuum tube and solid state stereo gear.  Although their focus now is home theater, the emphasis remains on sound quality.  You can find more features per dollar, but not better sound.  And hey, 95% of the non-essential features on most home theater gear goes unused anyway.  Go with Anthem -- they put the money into the signal path and amps, the stuff you hear, the stuff that makes movies, tv and sports exciting and immersive.  Further, the Anthem Room Correction (ARC) system in their home theater equipment (and Paradigm subwoofers) is second to none in dealing with inevitable room modes that muddy bass response and the presentation as a whole.  You don’t have to be a gearhead to immediately hear and appreciate the difference.   The AVM60 11.2 Atmos Prepro is unrivaled at its price point, and there is high value throughout the receiver line.

These are as a fine a loudspeaker system as you can buy.  The band or orchestra appears in three dimensions in front of you as if carved in the air. Add in concert-like dynamics and power, deep, clean bass, and very low distortion – it is a transporting experience.   

I'll be frank, at every audio show I attend, I check out all the heavy hitters:  Wilson, Focal, Magico, et. al.   All are big and bigger boxes, all are obviously good speakers, but none disappear and give the sense of live performance like the Scaenas.  I go with an open mind, but this is what I've found year in and year out.   This is why I'm a dealer and an owner.     Regarding the 'live' experience, see the comments by Andrew Quint below, noted reviewer for The Absolute Sound.

Details:  the speakers are’ Iso-Linear Arrays’.  Line arrays (multiple stacked drivers) are common at concerts, and the Scaenas capture the excitement of live music.  Advantages to this design include a dispersion pattern that minimizes deleterious floor and ceiling reflections in the room and greater signal to noise ratio over single driver designs.  Scaena takes the design further by foregoing the big, resonant, vibrating box these designs are often housed in.  Instead, each midrange driver is in its own small, inert molten glass 'pod' (hence the 'Iso') shaped to eliminate vibration and optimally project the driver's sound.  A programmable digital crossover seamlessly blends the powerful woofers into the system.

Come by and we'll tell you more.  Or better yet, we'll shutup and you can just listen.  As you will see, they work extraordinarily well in a home theater setup as  well as for music only.

Regular winners of ‘Best of Show’ awards, they are also the coolest-looking speakers on the planet, available in any color you can imagine.   

Note the header on the website: ‘No Nonsense’.   We like that here at Outreach. This means high quality design, materials and construction, without the frankly stupid pricing that permeates much of the A/V cable industry.  Whereas some cables are ‘voiced’ to provide a particular sound, Supra cables transmit the music (and video) signal purely and neutrally without loss or noise.  This is exactly the job of a cable – nothing less and nothing more.  Let the rest of your components do the talking.

Designed and built to precise standards in Sweden.

This is the best surround sound processor on Earth; there is no better controller for your home theater, no better way to experience movies, television and sports.   It combines exceptional sound quality and functionality with a peerless user interface that allows anyone -- not just the installer -- to harness all that power.    It's a product that is more than the sum of its parts -- the software and hardware merge holistically into something elegant in use, not unlike the best Apple products.

The result is an immersive cinematic experience; every detail is heard within the 360 degree soundfield created; you are in the movie, in the stadium.  The effect is transporting... and a lot of fun!    Further, the processor is completely upgradeable so obsolescence is off the table..  As standards change; new HDMI specifications, new surround codecs such as Dolby Atmos or IMAX Enhanced,  the Storm can be updated with a simple software download or swap of a hardware card.