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Audio Video NewsNew Products
Sonus faber Looks to Spring with 1st Outdoor Speaker
Bob Ankosko  |  Feb 09, 2023  |  0 comments
Sonus faber, the Italian company known for its striking speaker designs, previewed its first outdoor speaker at last week’s Integrated Systems Europe (ISE) show in Barcelona.
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Soundbar Reviews
Samsung HW-Q990B Atmos Soundbar Review
Rob Sabin  |  Feb 08, 2023  |  1 comments

Performance
Features
Ergonomics
Value
PRICE $1,500

AT A GLANCE
Plus
11.1.4-channel Atmos/DTS:X with wireless rear surrounds and sub
Audiophile sonics for movies and music
Superb dynamics
Extensive adjustability
SmartThings app for control

Minus
Some functions hard to reach with remote
No Atmos/DTS:X indicator on app

THE VERDICT
Samsung's HW-Q990B is a high-performing Atmos soundbar that easily substitutes for a full AVR-speaker setup.

I've had the liberty of reviewing some very high-performance soundbars in the last couple of years that take advantage of the height information in object-based Atmos or DTS:X soundtracks to effect a more engaging soundstage. These are sweet-sounding systems adept at both movies and music, but all were equipped with only a pair of front-height channel drivers that bounce off the ceiling and no rear surrounds.

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SmartStream
Where to Stream Super Bowl LVII, Puppy Bowl XIX or the Great American Rescue Bowl
Barb Gonzalez  |  Feb 08, 2023  |  1 comments
As we increasingly ditch our traditional ways of watching broadcast TV, we're no longer switching on the TV and watching the game. It's just as likely that you'll stream Super Bowl LVII, and here's where to find it. If the big game isn't your thing, perhaps you'd prefer to stream one of the furry games like Puppy Bowl XIX or the Great American Rescue Bowl.
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Director's Intent: Kaleidescape 4K
The Fabelmans
David Vaughn  |  Feb 08, 2023  |  5 comments
Picture
Sound
Kaleidescape Scenes
Extras
We first meet Sammy (Gabriel LaBelle) as a young boy in New Jersey venturing out to the movie theater to watch The Greatest Show on Earth. After witnessing the horrific train crash in the film, the young man experiences nightmares and decides the only way to get the image out of his head is to recreate the crash using the Lionel train set his parents gave him for Hanukkah while capturing it on film using his father’s 8mm camera. This stoked a creative spirit in the young boy that would last a lifetime.
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Audio Video NewsNew Products
MartinLogan Remakes Motion Series Speakers
Bob Ankosko  |  Feb 07, 2023  |  0 comments
MartinLogan has introduced an avalanche of new speakers in its Motion Series, which dates back more than a dozen years. When the line was launched in 2010, Motion represented a new direction for the Kansas-based company known for the magnificent sounding electrostatic and hybrid electrostatic speakers it had been producing since 1983.
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Audio Video NewsNew Products
Samsung Gets Ready to Ship 77” QD-OLED TV
Bob Ankosko  |  Feb 07, 2023  |  3 comments
Samsung today announced that the 77-inch S95C Quantum Dot (QD) OLED model shown last month at CES 2022 will be available later this month for $4,500 and is now available for preorder at samsung.com.
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Audio Video NewsNew Products
KEF Showcases Flagship Tech in New R Series Speakers
Bob Ankosko  |  Feb 07, 2023  |  0 comments
KEF today introduced an updated R Series of speakers that incorporates key technologies from its flagship Reference Series, which is topped by the $22,000/pair Reference 5 Meta tower.
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Signals
Is Your TV Green?
Ken C. Pohlmann  |  Feb 06, 2023  |  0 comments
Every square inch of your roof is occupied with a solar panel. There is a wind turbine in your front yard, and another in the back yard. You laugh at the cost of electricity. However, Luddites like me are confronted with a monthly power bill. Which brings us to the question of televisions, kilowatts per hour, and your hard-earned cash.

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Blu-ray Movie ReviewsUltra HD Blu-ray Movie Reviews
Nope
Chris Chiarella  |  Feb 03, 2023  |  1 comments
Picture
Sound
Extras

Rather than spoon-feed moviegoers, writer/director Jordan Peele opts to challenge us with his stories, so much so that upon first viewing, I didn't quite grasp what Nope was really about. Yes, a softspoken horse wrangler's father dies suddenly and mysteriously, leaving the future of the struggling generations-old family business—supplying four-hooved stars to show business—in doubt.

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Streaming Device ReviewsTurntable Reviews
Victrola Stream Carbon Turntable Review
Leslie Shapiro  |  Feb 02, 2023  |  42 comments
Performance
Features
Ergonomics
Value
PRICE $800

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Easy streaming to Sonos
Automatically turns on
Included Ortofon 2M Red cartridge

Minus
App is finicky
Lacks phono output
Dust cover feels cheap
Complex music can overwhelm codec
Expensive

THE VERDICT
The Victrola Stream Carbon Turntable is a fun, convenient, albeit expensive way to stream directly from vinyl into the Sonos ecosystem. With RCA line outputs, it's also a simple, solid turntable for a traditional analog system.

If you've wandered by some iterations of Victrola turntables on the shelves in Walmart, Bed Bath & Beyond, or Crate & Barrel, you wouldn't set high expectations for the sound quality of those suitcase record players. However, in a bold move, Victrola hit the market with the Stream Carbon Turntable VPT-3000 (MSRP $799), designed for the serious vinyl enthusiast who also craves the convenience of streaming into their existing Sonos ecosystem.

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