David Vaughn

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Blu-ray Movie Reviews
Wild Target
David Vaughn  |  Feb 15, 2011  |  0 comments
Rose (Emily Blunt) is a free-spirited kleptomaniac looking to pull off the ultimate scam with some forged artwork. When things go haywire, she finds herself the target of a world-class assassin (Bill Nighy) who becomes enamored with the young woman and can't fulfill his contract. This sets off a bizarre series of events that will change their lives forever.

It's rare to find an intelligent comedy since Judge Apatow transformed the genre with The 40 Year Old Virgin and its sophomoric humor. While there are definitely sexual undertones in this story, they are subtle and aren't the central focus. On the other hand, Blunt is one of the most beautiful women in film, and seeing her in 1080p is reason enough to check out this spectacular encode.

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Blu-ray Movie Reviews
Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (Blu-ray)
David Vaughn  |  Oct 05, 2009  |  0 comments

<IMG SRC="/images/archivesart/wwonka.jpg" WIDTH=200 BORDER=0 ALIGN=RIGHT>Roald Dahl's classic story tells the tale of five kids who find a golden ticket that entitles them to visit the secretive Wonka Chocolate factory, where one worthy child will win a lifetime supply of chocolate. Charlie Bucket (Peter Ostrum), a poor kid who lives with his mother and two sets of grandparents in the shadow of the factory, is one of the lucky five. The others&#151;well, let's just say they are the result of bad parenting and poor choices.

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Blu-ray Movie Reviews
Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory - 40th Anniversary Ultimate Collector's Edition
David Vaughn  |  Oct 10, 2011  |  1 comments
Roald Dahl's classic story tells the tale of five kids who find a golden ticket that entitles them to visit the secretive Wonka Chocolate factory, where one worthy child will win a lifetime supply of chocolate. Charlie Bucket (Peter Ostrum), a poor kid who lives with his mother and two sets of grandparents in the shadow of the factory, is one of the lucky five. The others—well, let's just say they are the result of bad parenting and poor choices.

As a child, I never really connected with this film, but I've have grown to enjoy it as a parent. The behavior of the four "bad" kids provides extreme examples of what we often see in children today, and watching the film with my kids was a great way to teach them how not to behave. Charlie is a model child, and his virtuous behavior is a parent's dream. I think we all wish our children could be so respectful.

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Blu-ray Movie Reviews
World's Greatest Dad (Blu-ray) World's Greatest Dad (Blu-ray)
David Vaughn  |  Dec 07, 2009  |  0 comments

<IMG SRC="/images/archivesart/greatdad.jpg" WIDTH=200 BORDER=0 ALIGN=RIGHT>Lance Clayton (Robin Williams) learns that fame and fortune may not always be the key to happiness when in the wake of a freak accident his lifelong dream of being a famous writer comes to fruition, but at what cost?

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Power Amplifier Reviews
Wyred 4 Sound Ice Cube MC Multichannel Power Amplifier
David Vaughn  |  Aug 01, 2008  |  0 comments

Performance
Features
Ergonomics
Value
You've probably never heard of a company called Wyred 4 Sound. Neither had I until I was offered the opportunity to review one of its multichannel power amps for UAV. W4S is a California-based company whose goal is to design, engineer, and manufacture high-end audio products with audiophile performance at affordable prices.
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Blu-ray Movie Reviews
X-Men Origins: Wolverine (Blu-ray)
David Vaughn  |  Sep 22, 2009  |  0 comments

<IMG SRC="/images/archivesart/wolverine.jpg" WIDTH=200 BORDER=0 ALIGN=RIGHT>Hugh Jackman returns as the iconic character, revealing his tortured past from boy to man to mutant. Conflicts with his brother Victor Creed (Live Schreiber) his membership in Team X, his adamantium rebirth, and his memory loss all fuel his quest for revenge.

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Blu-ray Movie Reviews
X-Men Trilogy (Blu-ray)
David Vaughn  |  May 03, 2009  |  0 comments

<IMG SRC="/images/archivesart/xmen.jpg" WIDTH=200 BORDER=0 ALIGN=RIGHT><i>Mutation: it is the key to our evolution. It has enabled us to grow from a single-cell organism into the dominating species on the planet. This process is slow, taking thousands and thousands of years. But every few hundred millennia, evolution leaps forward.</i> &#151;Prof. Charles Frances Xavier

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Other Source Component Reviews
Xbox 360 Elite and HD DVD Add-On Drive
David Vaughn  |  Jul 08, 2007  |  0 comments

The past year and change has been an interesting time for home theater enthusiasts, with the introduction of two competing high-definition movie formats, HD DVD and Blu-ray Disc. The scenario is very reminiscent to the 1980's when VHS and Betamax had their own slugfest for the wallets of consumers, but in this new "war" the battleground has evolved.

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Blu-ray Movie ReviewsUltra HD Blu-ray Movie Reviews
XXX: Return of Xander Cage
David Vaughn  |  Sep 22, 2017  |  1 comments
Picture
Sound
Extras
It’s been several years since Xander Cage has been on the scene, but he’s brought back into the fold when a device called Pandora’s Box falls into the wrong hands. It has the ability to bring down any satellite and turn it into a weapon of mass destruction as it crashes down on the planet. One of his conditions for coming back to the CIA was that of recruiting his own team so he can ensure their absolute trust and his own personal safety.
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AV Receiver Reviews
Yamaha Aventage CX-A5100 Surround Processor Review
David Vaughn  |  Dec 30, 2015  |  3 comments

Audio Performance
Video Performance
Features
Ergonomics
Value
PRICE $3,000

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Audiophile sound quality
Best-in-class control for iOS and Android
Dolby Atmos and DTS:X support
Built-in MusicCast multiroom audio
Minus
Slow to lock onto HDMI signals
YPAO doesn’t equalize below 31 Hz

THE VERDICT
Yamaha’s Aventage CX-A5100 is an incredible value in the sub-$5,000 pre/pro market, with stellar audio and a suite of usable features to keep an A/V enthusiast happy until the next upgrade cycle comes around.

Amazingly, you can buy a pretty damn good AVR these days that’s Dolby Atmos–enabled for under $500, so why spend more if you don’t have to? Well, there are many reasons: better-quality DAC chips, enhanced features (such as multiple zones for both audio and video), and more channels of audio and associated amplification. You can also usually count on these upgrades when you move into the realm of the preamp/processor (also known as a surround processor), though with pre/pros, you’re left on your own for the amplification. It’s kind of like an impromptu college party that advertises BYOB—except, it’s BYOA: Bring Your Own Amp(s)!

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