LATEST ADDITIONS

Subwoofer Reviews
OSD Audio Nero TubeBass 10 Subwoofer Review
Al Griffin  |  Apr 14, 2021  |  0 comments

Performance
Features
Build Quality
Value
PRICE $179

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Inexpensive
Compact form factor
Good extension and output
Minus
Limited features
No wireless option

THE VERDICT
There’s nothing fancy about OSD Audio’s Nero TubeBass 10, but if you’re looking to get decent bass performance in smaller-size room without a paying a premium, it’s well worth a listen.

As someone who appreciates the benefit deep bass brings to music and movie soundtracks, I've come to accept that having a box the size of a small refrigerator in my living room is a reality of life I need to contend with. That box, of course, is a subwoofer, and welcoming one into your space is the deal you must strike in order to get deep bass. Some cleverly engineered models use innovative DSP-driven solutions, along with serious amplifier power, to coax extended bass from compact boxes— certain subs we've reviewed from JL Audio and KEF come to mind. And while such models definitely make a better fit with non-mancave-like interior spaces, you'll pay handsomely for the tech wizardry that brings about the bass miniaturization.

Continue Reading »
Audio Video NewsNew Products
JBL Announces Studio Monitor Bookshelf Speaker
Bob Ankosko  |  Apr 14, 2021  |  0 comments
JBL, one of the crown jewels of Harman’s portfolio of audio brands, has announced a retro-styled bookshelf speaker that draws on decades of experience building professional monitors for recording studios.
Continue Reading »
SmartStream
Roku Launches New Voice Remote, Express 4K+ Streamer, and Soundbar Pro
Barb Gonzalez  |  Apr 14, 2021  |  0 comments
Roku has announced its Spring 2021 product line and new updates to the Roku operating system, Roku OS 10. There are a few new exciting products and features—some playing catchup with other systems' capabilities, and others that are leapfrogging ahead.  
 

Continue Reading »
Signals
How Napoleon Bonaparte Invented the Compact Disc
Ken C. Pohlmann  |  Apr 12, 2021  |  0 comments
You can admit it. You are intrigued. Of course, it can’t be true. But is it purely nonsensical? Is it a “pigs can fly” kind of declaration? Or is there someway, somehow, a grain of truth in it? And if that’s the case, how on earth could you conceivably connect the dots between the Little Corporal and the Compact Disc?
Continue Reading »
Blu-ray Movie Reviews
Three Films by Luis Buñuel
Josef Krebs  |  Apr 09, 2021  |  0 comments
Picture
Sound
Extras
Closing an almost 50-year career that began with Un Chien Andalou, writer-director Luis Buñuel—aided by screenwriting partner Jean-Claude Carrière—created a trio of subversive amusements that savagely poke fun at pillars of French society, including church, military, and figures of the establishment. The master surrealist did so by playing with and disrupting conventional narrative structures, questioning the validity of his protagonists' rationality, and reducing their self-serving behavior and values to nonsense while upsetting cinematic expectations of viewers.
Continue Reading »
The Connected Life
Help Me Help You
John Sciacca  |  Apr 09, 2021  |  2 comments
I’ve been doing my “Connected Life” (originally “The Custom Installer”) column every issue now for almost 20 years. Over that time, I’ve covered numerous how to’s, tips and tricks, walk-thrus, and suggestions for virtually anything related to the custom installation world. But now, after roughly 200 columns, features, and blog posts, I’m wondering what kinds of posts will resonate and be most helpful to you, the Sound and Vision readers.

So, I’m asking for your help and input.

Continue Reading »
Audio Video News
Best Gear of 2021 (So Far)
Bob Ankosko  |  Apr 08, 2021  |  0 comments
We’re barely three weeks into spring and we’ve already amassed an impressive lineup of S&V-approved A/V gear for the casual enthusiast and grizzled veteran alike. Topping the list at either end of the spectrum is an AVR that delivers a surprising number of cutting-edge features for 600 bucks and a spectacular, 11-piece Dolby Atmos-capable speaker system from one of England’s finest brands. And we’re just scratching the surface…
Continue Reading »
Ask S&V
Can You Get Atmos Sound Using an Analog Link Between a BD Player and AVR?
Al Griffin  |  Apr 08, 2021  |  0 comments
Got a tech question for Sound & Vision? Email us at AskSandV@gmail.com

Q I am planning an upgrade to Panasonic DP-UB9000 Ultra HD Blu-ray player. Can I can connect the player’s 7.1 analog output to my Yamaha AVR’s multichannel input (like I currently do with my Oppo player) and hear Atmos/DTS:X? —Rick Poage, Fairfax, VA

Continue Reading »
Headphone ReviewsSurround Sound System Reviews
JVC Exofield XP-EXT1 Personal Home Theater System Review
Daniel Kumin  |  Apr 07, 2021  |  0 comments
Performance
Features
Ergonomics
Value
PRICE $999

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Solid headphone-surround
Impressive Dolby Atmos, DTS:X effects
Long battery life
Minus
Substantial vocal tonality shifts
Uneven bass presentation

THE VERDICT
JVC’s Exofield XP-EXT1 delivers an impressive rendering of effects in immersive soundtracks, but it comes up short as an all- around wireless home theater headphones solution.

True surround sound from headphones has been an audio holy grail for decades, but with the ever-increasing power and value of digital signal processing, we're now getting closer to drinking from that particular chalice. JVC's latest effort is the XP-EXT1 Personal Home Theater System, a set of wireless over-the-ear cans with a slim processor/transmitter that uses the company's Exofield DSP processing to digitally rejigger surround-encoded soundtracks, including Dolby Atmos and DTS:X, for your in-head listening pleasure.

Continue Reading »
Audio Video News
BluOS Adds Streaming Options, Access to MQA Music
Bob Ankosko  |  Apr 06, 2021  |  0 comments
Lenbrook International today announced a significant update for its BluOS multi-room music platform that adds native support for three new music streaming services and provides exclusive access to MQA-encoded music through Radio Paradise, an eclectic listener-supported internet radio station based in Southern California.
Continue Reading »

Pages

X