Fun Times at CES

Well, it was quite a time at CES in Las Vegas. It was the largest attendance in CES history. Here are some thumbnails on what we saw. Video: We spent an entire day at the LVCC which is dedicated to the big names in all things video (Sony, Samsung, LG, Panasonic etc). Two "walk-aways" from that day. Every manufacturer is trying to solve doing 3D without glasses. They have a ways to go yet. We saw a number of flat panels that had some version of 3D - no glasses. They all had off angle viewing problems in oru opinion. The industry will solve this but its going to be sometime yet in our view before flat panels with acceptable viewing angles hit the market. The second item is streaming. It seems that every device we saw streamed Netflix, Blockbuster, and all of the audio services. Check in that box. They have streaming down cold. We actually saw a refrigerator that streamed. I will let you decide if that is over the top.

We spent two days at the Venetian which is the CES headquarters for audio. We heard many excellent systems during those 2 days. We remain convinced now more than ever, that we have excellent brands. PSB was showing a new mini-monitor, the Imagine mini, pictured right which was incredible. At $700, the pair, they sounded great. We will have a pair in March.

NAD Introduced new A/V receivers with additional power in the upper end units. The T787 HD-2 will have 200wpc if my memory serves me. And they expanded the MDC architecture down to their classic series of 2 channel products.

Our friends at Totem introduced a complete new line of speakers, the Element series (pictured below). The Element will come in monitor and 2 floor standing versions. They sounded rich; a liquidy sound that Totem is known for. We had a good meeting with Vince Bruzzese, the president of Totem, who stepped us through the making of the Speaker and the new torrent drivers in them. We think that these speakers will sell well.

We spent Friday morning with team from Magico Loudspeakers. This included a dealer only meeting with Alon Wolf, Totems president and designer. Irv Gross, VP of Sales, stepped us through the new Q3. The Q3 is a aluminum cabinet with new drivers. We listened to the Q3's for over an hour. They're an incredible speaker. We loved them and in fact ordered a pair. Our pair will be here in late April. If you love music, you must here the Q3.

VTL showed the new MB-185III monoblock tube amps. Wow- talk about eye candy. The glow of the tubes in the dark room was very neat.

If have any questions or comments, always feel free to call us (336.340.3945) or email us bigkidmike@triad.rr.com. Great week to all

CES 2011

We're packing for CES, that annual gathering of 150,000 people who love all things video and audio. We're scheduled to meet with: Samsung, JVC Pro, LG, VuTec Screens,Bryston, Magico, Totem Acoustic, Thiel Audio, Onkyo, NAD, PSB, VuDu and many many more.

Last years' theme was 3D. Let's see what happens this year. If any of you wish us to visit any manufacturer on your behalf, just drop us a line. Adam or myself will be glad to do so.

We have daily updates for you. Happy New Year to all.

The crew at Big Kids Toys
336.340.3945

The Big Kids Toys Crew went to Atlanta for the CEDIA show. Everyone has an Ipad app and 3D going on. Items that impressed us were the new Totem ultra-thin sub woofer which we now have at here. It's 4" thick and can be placed under your furniture. It comes in 4 designer colors as well as Black Gloss. We also liked some of the new products coming out from bel canto designs and Bryston Audio. Suffice it to say that the trend towards voice, video and data convergence is happening at a faster rate than anyone thought.

Big Kids Toys is undergoing major renovation currently. We are teaming with Professional Home Cinemas. Our "big rig" room which is based on overhead projection is undergoing complete redesign. The walls are coming down and new embedded equipment is going in. Our aim is to make this room a showcase for all of the new equipment across all price ranges. Pepper, our dog, is supervising the work closely.

Referral Program: The best thanks we can get from our customers is referrals is to their friends and families. We will make it worth your while with store credit or gift certificates of your choice.

Summertime and the Living is Easy

All of us here at Big Kids Toys are busy doing a multitude of new things. We've introduced our new media servers dubbed the Kahuna Series. "Big Kahuna" can store over 4000 CD's ripped lossless (FLAC) and it's completely video ready when you are. "Baby Kahuna" can hold 2000 CD's ripped or downloaded lossless. The Kahuna servers can use any DAC. We use Berkeley Audio, bel canto designs and Devil Sound DAC's.

Totem Acoustic is coming out with a brand new ultra thin subwoofer that can be placed under a sofa or on a wall. It features twin 8" woofers and a 500 watt Bash amp. We have one coming in in early August. We saw renderings of their new floor standing speaker at the Montreal Son et Image show in March. We expect this model to be available in October 2010. www.totemacoustic.com

Sonos continues to be a best seller for us. Sonos can do up to 12 rooms wirelessly. It comes with Pandora, Rhapsody, LastFM and Internet Radio standard. Look into Sonus. www.sonus.com

We're pleased to have the opportunity to write a monthly column in Men Today Magazine. We take a not so serious view at all things A/V. Pick up a free copy at Harris Teeter's or any number of stores and gyms in the area. www.mentodaymagazine.com

Stay cool !

Jonathan, David, Robbie, Diane, Chris and Mike -- the Big Kids Toys Crew

Summer Happenings at Big Kids Toys

Happy Summer to All: Lots going here at Big Kids Toys.

• We're busy installing a new product that we're delighted with, Luxul Wi-FI amplifiers. This Wi-Fi amp can increase your signal strength by 15db. It uses your existing wireless router. www.luxul.com Call us to come check out your Wi-Fi system.
• Big Kids Toys will be at the Stonefield Winery in Stokesdale NC on Fathers day June 20th talking about Audio and Home Theater and showing some items. There will be many exhibitors and a car show as well. Please join us for an an afternoon of fun.
• The Bryston electronics are here. We have the 7Bsst2 driving the Magico V2's. At 600wpc, these monoblocks light up the 2's.
• Please Remember to recycle your old electronics. The City of Greensboro has a recycling center on West Patterson street.

Spring is here at Big Kids Toys

Lots going on here....

The new VTL IT-85 integrated amp is here. Sweet warm sound that only tubes can do.

DEMO's for Sale: We occasionally have demo gear to sell. We currently have the LSA 2 Signature speakers on sale for $1995 ($4500 retail). They're in great shape. www.thelsagroup.com We also have the matching center channel for sale for $395 ($750 retail)

You'll be having parties on your deck or porch soon. We sell outdoor speakers by Niles, Infinity and Boston Acoustics.

A/V racks and Pro-Stands by Billy Bags are. They look really cool.

We have a new shipment of Berkeley DAC's coming in shortly. Yes the Alpha DAC makes a huge difference.

New Lines at Big Kids Toys

“We hope everyone is well. Big Kids Toys is now a VTL dealer. There's nothing like hearing great music played by tube amps. Warm and Luscious sound.

Trade-ins -- We do take trade ins on new equipment. If you are interested in this, please call us 336.340.3945

We're thinking of doing a pilgrimage to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in the Summer. More details to follow.

Thanks to everyone who came to hear Parke Puterbaugh talk about his new book PHISH. It was a great time.”