In conjunction with Rives' Audio dealer Aurant in the Park City area of Utah, we converted a raquet ball court in a client's home into the ultimate home theater experience.

The result: A gold medal from CEDIA design awards.

"Befitting its pro-audio lineage, Rives' PARC appears to be bombproof. Its settings are accurately calibrated, and its excellent technical performance conforms to the First Law of Outboard Processors: 'First, do no harm to the signal.'" John Atkinson, Stereophile, July 2003

"....the results of the PARC were subtle but undeniably worth the effort. High frequencies seemed a bit brighter, deep bass was unmuddied, and the pulse and meter of complicated passages of music were enhanced, while the midrange and treble range remained untouched"

"....the PARC was completely transparent in both the critical midrange and the revealing treble range," Kalman Rubinson, Stereophile, July 2003

The original Stereophile Review by Kalman Rubinson, July 2003

The Products of the Year, Accessories, December 2003

Rives Audio PARC Room Equalizer:

"In conclusion, I think that the PARC unit from Rives Audio is an interesting piece of gear, one that appears intelligently designed; it ought to do its job with minimum of fuss - to reduce predominant low frequency peaking in one's sound system's room response. If you need such work done in your listening room, and most all of them need something like this, then consider the PARC." Bascom H. King. Audiophile Voice, Volume 9, Issue 4

Rives Audio Test CD:

"The Rives disc takes the 40-dollar Radio Shack meter and turns it into a highly accurate test instrument." "Rives Test CD is both inexpensive and quite effective." Ron Nagle. Audiophile Voice, Volume 9, Issue 4

The Audiophile Voice may be ordered on line: Audiophile Voice.

Subwoofer Calibration using Rives Audio Test CD 2

"So armed with your trusty Radio Shack SPL meter an EQ and the Rives Audio Test CD 2, you now have an inexpensive and more accurate way to meld your sub into the rest of your system." Jeff Lawson, Audioholics

Continue to the Full Article.

"...audiophile satisfaction in the ubiquitous chaos of compromised room acoustics no longer remains elusive; nor need it cost an arm and a leg" - Srajaen Ebaen, 6 Moons

Continue to the Full Article.

Download a reprint version (PDF 2.5 Mbytes - does not contain all the photographs)

Reprints of most of our reviews are available free HERE

Read more about the PARC

Read more about the Test CD 2

"But with proper EQ from the PARC, you can have it all--bass power, fullness, and clarity all at the same time."

"If you want to do analog EQ of the bass of a full-range system, with the kind of signal purity that high end calls for, then the Rives PARC is almost without competition. The problem it solves is very real and it solves it remarkably well. In the analog world there is nothing else like it. To say that for its intended use it is highly recommended would be to understate the case. For analog devotes, PARC could change your audio life as almost nothing else will." Robert Greene, the Absolute Sound, Oct/Nov 2004

Read the Review at AV Guide

"After enjoying DVDs and CDs in Payne's listening room—and hearing him play drums in his Rives-designed practice room—I cannot argue with the results Bird and his team have achieved. And after witnessing Hollander's joy at leaving the room details up to Rives while he gets the gear working, I am convinced that using outside acoustical consultants to design home theaters is a trend more and more homeowners—and more and more dealers—will soon embrace." Brent Butterworth, Home Entertianment-Robb Report

Read the Review HE Magazine

PFO Oasis Award

"On behalf of the creative community at Positive Feedback Online, and in recognition of truly superior room sonics & musical experience, thus providing a needed haven for the weary audio traveler at RMAF 2007, this award is hereby presented to VAC/Talon Loudspeakers/ Wadia Digital/ Rives Audio in order to encourage further excellence in fine audio, to the greater good of all who love it." David W. Robinson, Editor in Chief

Rives Audio Level 3 Design Services, winner of the Writers Award 2004

"The ultimate audio indulgence?

$100,000 speakers... nope! 10,000 rare LPs... not bad, but not the ultimate. There is no doubt in my mind that the ultimate audio indulgence is a properly designed, dedicated room. Even relatively modest gear will bring every recording to life in a room that gets out of the way of the music. Until you hear a room like that, it would be difficult to understand why I feel that way.

I just spent 7 months planning and building a ‘clean-sheet-of-paper,' no-holds-barred dedicated 2-channel audio room designed by Rives Audio. I had done quite a bit of research into design alternatives and settled on Rives... and the result is nothing short of miraculous. It's not perfect... but it easily far outdistances any other room I've ever heard. Richard Bird and Chris Huston of Rives Audio have an unmatched combination of science and real world experience in acoustics, as well as in complete pro and audiophile listening room design

Rives offers different levels of design support, starting at less than $1000. I choose level three, which is the top level of design support, and includes two or three on-site visits. Any construction project has its challenges ... an audio room has a few unique ones. If you are going to go to that trouble... you might as well choose the right design approach. Rives believes in the diffusion approach, as opposed to absorption... ‘live-end/dead-end' (LEDE) is wrong thinking in the Rives Audio book.

The Rives Audio level 3 room design therefore has my vote as a Positive Feedback Online Writers' Choice Awards for 2004."

Mike Lavigne, Positive Feedback

Continue to the Awards.

Read the Article on Building the Room.