Larry Rougas, Vice President of marketing and product planning said “Our engineers painstakingly over-engineered each section of the PRS-A900 to produce one of the most accurate and musical automotive amplifier ever created, while at the same time achieving excellent dynamics, power output or reliability. Virtually every aspect of the PRS-A900, from the components on the circuit board to the bottom of the chassis, were designed for reproducing incredible sound quality. What resulted is an amplifier that can satisfy even the critical listener.”

The PRS-A900’s reference audio quality begins with an independent, symmetrically isolated circuit board intended to prevent noise, both in the form of electrical interference and physical vibration, from entering the audio signal path. Copper shielding bars in a T-shaped pattern are used to isolate key components from the internal power supply section, blocking any potentially radiated electrical noise that may distort the signal. The copper shield layout design is also utilized in the output section, to isolate the left and right channels preventing any cross talk interference. All internal components used in the PRS-A900 were critically tested and selected for their performance and quality. Pioneer engineers conducted hundreds of listening sessions to evaluate each component selection, and even required specially designed, made-to-order capacitors when all others failed. In order to shorten the signal path and minimize the potential for signal degradation, the PRS-A900 is a filter-less design which eliminates any crossover filters or internal equalization. This simple and clean circuit design ensures that the PRS-A900 acts only to “amplify” the signal, not to alter or “color” the sound in any way. The result is pure, clean, and powerful music.

Here are the specifications for the new Pioneer PRS-A900:

• Amplifier Class: Class A/B
• Maximum Output: 200W
• 4 Ohm Power: 50W x 4
• 2 Ohm Power: 50W x 4
• Bridged 4 Ohm: 100W x 2
• Signal-to-Noise Ratio: 108 dB
• Bridgeable: Yes
• Filter-less Circuit: Yes
• Hi-Volt Input: 400 mV - 6.5V
• CEA-2006 Compliant: Yes
• Suggested Retail Price: $1500
• Available: Now

With that in mind, here are some ideas about how to spend your tax rebate check, which will arrive in your mailbox soon.

Lots of music enthusiasts, including me, still have large collections of records and in fact one reader wrote that he still has over 10,000 LPs and 45 RPM records and is still adding to his collection. If you still have records, here's a great way to preserve and enjoy your favorite recordings: convert them to digital files or CDs with Audio-Technica's new LP2D-USB digital recording system that converts LPs to digital files or CDs so they can be played on a home stereo, car stereo or portable player. Read my full review of this cool new turntable. It's easy to use, a lot of fun and very affordable. Good Listening!

When the Compact Disc was introduced in 1983, most of us stored our record collections in the garage. Here's an interesting story about the resurgence of the LP.

From Business Wire: Vinyl records and turntables, once relegated to garage storage boxes are enjoying a strong resurgence according to online vinyl record seller, GEMM. “Sales of vinyl records have increased 20% since 2005,” said Roger Raffee, co-founder and company CEO. GEMM (Global E-commerce Mega Marketplace) began selling vinyl records online in 1994. Today GEMM’s consortium of sellers has over 20 million vinyl records available for sale. Considered by music aficionados to be the grandfather of online music sales, GEMM, functions purely as a marketplace where buyers and sellers transact deals for everything from classic rock albums to recordings from current indie bands. Some suggest renewed interest in album sales is driven by the dance club DJ craze. Audiophiles claim that vinyl records produce a warmer, richer sound. Whatever the case, CD sales dropped 10% in 2006 and 20% in 2007 while sales of vinyl records have increased nearly 10% a year since the late nineties. Not just classic recordings, either. Elvis Costello recently announced that his new recording, Mokofuku set for release on April 22nd will only be available on vinyl and through digital download.

If you still have your collection of LPs, here's a new way to enjoy them - transfer them to CDs with a USB turntable. I'm having a great time reviewing the Audio-Technica AT-LP2D-USB turntable and transferring some of my favorite LPs to CD. LPs don't have the wide dynamic range of a compact disc, but it's hard to beat the warm, rich sound of a good record. Check back soon to read the full review.

In general, a high damping factor specification (approximately 200 or higher) is associated with tight, well-defined bass response, while a lower spec (50 or less) usually means less tight bass. Of course, bass is also highly dependent upon speaker placement. For more definitions, check out my glossary of terms. Please suggest any definitions you don't find and I'll add them to the glossary.

Many homebuilders offer home networking as a standard or optional feature in new homes and many homeowners install retrofit network wiring into existing homes or use a wireless system. While many of these networks are used for computers, it appears that the same networks will be increasingly used to link various entertainment devices for content delivery, control, etc. As an example of a networked audio component, read my review of the Polk Audio LC-265i-IP in-wall loudspeaker system with IP connectivity.