Al Griffin

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Plasma Panorama
Al Griffin  |  May 19, 2005  |  0 comments

For a long time, flat-panel TVs were linked with the future in the popular imagination. And when they finally became a reality, they were still out of reach for most people, costing ten grand or more. But these days it's a different world. For less than $3,000, you can bring home a 42-inch plasma HDTV.

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Plasma Power
Al Griffin  |  Sep 22, 2002  |  0 comments
Photos by Tony Cordoza
Check it out: In the Lab Features Checklist
At the height of the stock-market bubble a few years back, I'd occasionally field a call from a rich guy - or his assistant - seeking advice on the cool, new flat-panel plasma TVs he'd been hearing about.
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Ask S&V
Plasma Screens Bigger Than 65 Inches?
Al Griffin  |  Nov 25, 2013  |  1 comments
Q Why at this time of near-perfect plasma TVs are there no sets available in the 65-to-85-inch range? I would like to consider one of the new Panasonic or Samsung models for my home theater but require a set with a screen size larger than 65 inches.—Steve Stolte / Cedar Rapids, IA
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Other Tech
Plasma vs. LCD
Al Griffin  |  Feb 01, 2005  |  0 comments

Way up on the list of reader questions we field on a regular basis is, "Which is better, plasma or LCD?" Compared with more affordable tube-type TVs, both technologies are relatively new. But their flat form factor, combined with an ultra-bright picture that looks good from any position on your couch, gives many folks a spasm of techno-lust.

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New Products
PlayStation 5: Your New Ultra HD Blu-ray Player?
Al Griffin  |  Jun 15, 2020  |  0 comments
While interest in movies on disc continues to be strong even with the massive growth of streaming, there’s been a deficit of new disc players to choose from. We’ve recommended models from Panasonic and Pioneer semi-recently, but with no new Ultra HD Blu-ray players unveiled at CES 2020, there's nothing from that category in our review queue at present. Hmm, what about this new PlayStation 5 thing everyone’s been talking about?
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New Products
Polk Audio Introduces $499 MagniFi 2 Soundbar
Al Griffin  |  Jul 10, 2020  |  0 comments
The latest soundbar to emerge from Polk Audio is the $499 MagniFi 2, a 2.1 model featuring a six-driver array (four 1-inch by 3-inch full-range drivers, two 0.75-inch tweeters) and an 8-inch ported wireless subwoofer. It also features Chromecast built-in and Bluetooth for audio streaming. But what’s most notable about the MagniFi 2—aside from its affordable price—is the inclusion of the company’s patented Stereo Dimensional Array (SDA) technology, along with a new 3D Audio Mode that works with SDA tech to “create even more convincing immersive surround and height effects,” according to the company.
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Tower Speaker Reviews
Polk Audio Legend L800 Loudspeaker Review
Al Griffin  |  Oct 23, 2019  |  9 comments

Performance
Build Quality
Value
PRICE $5,998/pair

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Enveloping soundstage from SDA-Pro tech
Dynamic, full-range sound
Flush-mounted elevation module option
Minus
Somewhat bulky cabinet design
Requires SDA-Pro interconnect cable

THE VERDICT
SDA-Pro, the latest refinement of Polk Audio's proprietary tech, elevates the performance of its impressive flagship speaker.

Many years ago (the early 1980s, to be precise), Polk Audio produced the first speakers to feature a technology it had developed called SDA (Stereo Dimensional Array). The idea behind SDA was to eliminate a problem called interaural crosstalk that's a necessary artifact of typical two-channel speaker configurations. Basically put, when listening in stereo, your left/ right ears hear not just sound emanating from the respective left/right speakers, but sound coming from the other speaker as well. According to Polk Audio, this has a constricting effect on the presentation, with the width, height, and depth of the stereo image coming across as a pale representation of what's actually contained on the recording.

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Bookshelf Speaker ReviewsSurround Sound System ReviewsTower Speaker Reviews
Polk Audio Reserve Surround Speaker System Review
Al Griffin  |  May 05, 2021  |  1 comments

Performance
Build Quality
Value
PRICE $3,195 (as tested)

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Crisp, near full-range performance
R900 module delivers immersive sound
Impressive build quality for price
Excellent value
Minus
Revealing sound can be slightly bright with some sources

THE VERDICT
Packed with tech developed for Polk Audio’s flagship Legend series, this Reserve series speaker package delivers dynamic and immersive sound at a budget-friendly price.

Back in 2019, Polk Audio rolled out its Legend series speakers. For a brand known to maintain a laser-like focus on value, the Legends, with their finely constructed cabinets (featuring real wood veneer) and fully redesigned driver complement, not to mention an enhanced version of the company's SDA (Stereo Dimensional Array) technology in the line's flagship L800 tower, seemed an atypically cost-no- object offering.

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Other Tech
Powered-Subwoofer Rating Standard
Al Griffin  |  May 02, 2007  |  0 comments

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Munich 2019
Pro-Ject Audio Systems Thinks Beyond the Box
Al Griffin  |  May 09, 2019  |  0 comments
Pro-Ject Audio Systems’ Box lineup has grown substantially since the company first started offering the mini-sized components. Although the RS Series represents the best boxes Pro-Ject makes, it is now being exceeded by a new series called RS2 that consists of a CD transport and DAC.
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