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Seeking Guidance on Vintage Amps and Receivers
Al Griffin  |  Feb 18, 2016
Got a tech question for Sound & Vision? Email us at AskSandV@gmail.com

Q I’m on a vinyl kick. I recently purchased an Audio-Technica LP120 USB turntable and am converting a few of my old LPs. I have it connected to a Sony AVR and am listening through my Klipsch Reference RB-5II bookshelf speakers. Now I’m thinking about searching for a vintage amp or receiver. I’ve read good things about the Marantz 1060 integrated amp (circa 1975), which is rated at 30 watts per channel. I also hear good things about some of the old Pioneer gear. I want to crank old classic rock, and I know the RB-5IIs can handle it. Any suggestions on what I should set my sights on? — Lew Collins/Via e-mail

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How Do I Connect an Equalizer to My AV Receiver?
Al Griffin  |  Feb 10, 2016
Got a tech question for Sound & Vision? Email us at AskSandV@gmail.com

Q Is there any way to connect my old Technics SH-GE90 Equalizer/Digital Sound Processor to my new Onkyo TX- NR838 receiver? The Technics is capable of signal manipulation, but what I really miss is the graphic display of audio waveforms on its front panel. If this is not possible, are there any similar devices that connect via HDMI?—Mark Goldberg, Rochester, NY

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How Do I Set Up My Blu-ray Player When Using a Soundbar?
Al Griffin  |  Feb 08, 2016
Q I recently purchased a Bose SoundTouch 130 soundbar and have a Samsung BDP7500 Blu-ray player connected to it. Here’s my question: There’s a setting in the Samsung player’s menu for speaker size and distance. Since I’m using a soundbar that gets calibrated using a headset in five positions, is it necessary to also adjust the Blu-ray player’s speaker size/distance settings, or should I just leave those alone? I called Bose tech support, and they had no answer for me. —Peter Palagonia/Las Vegas, NV
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Can I Use iTunes to Play Hi-Res Music?
Al Griffin  |  Feb 03, 2016
Got a tech question for Sound & Vision? Email us at AskSandV@gmail.com

Q I want to check out the world of High-res audio, but being a Mac and iTunes user presents challenges in that arena. I have spent hours researching Hi-Res-friendly computer music playback alternatives, but each seems to have drawbacks (and costs). Is there a way to use iTunes for Hi-Res playback, or do I have to wait for Mother Apple to eventually condescend to selling and supporting Hi-Res music? —Scott Oakley, Phoenix, AZ

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What Is a Home Theater Bypass?
Al Griffin  |  Jan 27, 2016
Got a tech question for Sound & Vision? Email us at AskSandV@gmail.com

Q I have a Denon A/V receiver hooked up to a 5.1-channel speaker system. The setup works fine for movies, but every now and then I want to listen to good ol’ stereo recordings ( I have a modest collection of CDs stored as Apple lossless audio files).  I am tempted to purchase a high-end integrated amp for just this purpose. Which gets me to my question: Can I hook both my receiver and the integrated amp to my front L/R speakers? —Nick Gruin

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How Do I Connect my iMac to My Blu-ray Player?
Al Griffin  |  Jan 21, 2016
Got a tech question for Sound & Vision? Email us at AskSandV@gmail.com

Q I own an Integra receiver, Polk Audio speakers, and an Oppo BDP-105D Blu-ray player with a high-end DAC. I recently bought an iMac and am using it to download and store high-res audio files. What’s the best way to connect my iMac to the Oppo player? Both are set up in the same room about 20 feet apart. —Neil Levy

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What’s the Point of HDMI?
Al Griffin  |  Jan 13, 2016
Got a tech question for Sound & Vision? Email us at AskSandV@gmail.com

Q In a picture accompanying S&V’s recent article on VIZIO’s Reference UHDTV, I noticed a coaxial cable input on the back panel next to the HDMI connections.  This made me wonder why coaxial cable is used to convey over-the-air and cable HD signals, but HDMI connections are used to carry them the last six feet to our screens. Is the issue copy protection in the HDMI cable?  Or is it about compression/decompression? —Ben Hurwitz / Greensboro, NC

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CES 2016Ask S&V
Interacting with Panasonic’s 8K Tabletop Display
Al Griffin  |  Jan 09, 2016
With TV makers focused on releasing 4K TVs with an expanded range of capabilities (HDR, wide color gamut, etc.) at CES 2016, the idea of a consumer 8K TV seems far off. Japanese broadcaster NHK has been demonstrating 8K for several years now at trade shows, however, and it plans to use the Tokyo 2020 Olympics as a platform to debut an 8K-res TV broadcast format.
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CES Marks World’s First 4K Broadcast with HDR
Al Griffin  |  Jan 09, 2016
If there’s one thing we know for sure about an Ultra HD broadcast standard, it’s that its still under development. But will TV stations really end up broadcasting 4K-resolution programming? Will the average viewer even care?
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CES 2016Ask S&V
ELAC Previews Wireless Interactive Music Experience
Al Griffin  |  Jan 09, 2016
What you’re looking at is ELAC’s forthcoming wireless speaker. In truth, it’s a wireless powered speaker module—the company hasn’t settled yet on which of its bookshelf speaker models, the B5 or B6, will eventually get the wireless treatment.

Also shown is ELAC’s Discovery Music Server...

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CES 2016Ask S&V
HiSense Offers Its ULED Alternative to OLED
Al Griffin  |  Jan 08, 2016
OLED TV. Maybe you’ve heard of it. In the HiSense booth at CES, the company made a point of displaying the lauded technology to great disadvantage. What does it offer as an alternative? ULED.
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CES 2016Ask S&V
Dynaudio Debuts a Next-gen Wireless Speaker
Al Griffin  |  Jan 08, 2016
Dynaudio’s first- and second-gen Xeo wireless speakers were previously reviewed in Sound & Vision. Long story short, we liked ‘em. Now the company has a new wireless speaker, the Xeo 2, that adds a few features the previous versions lacked, and is also considerably more affordable.
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CES 2016Ask S&V
ViewSonic Streams the Light
Al Griffin  |  Jan 08, 2016
CES isn’t much a platform for launching video projectors (that’s why there’s CEDIA), but one company not typically known for home A/V products did use the show to introduce a pair of models designed for home theater, rather than classroom, use.
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CES 2016Ask S&V
Flipping Over Libratone’s Zipp
Al Griffin  |  Jan 08, 2016
Buried deep in the Mobility zone of the LVCC’s North Hall, Libratone’s minimalist wood and glass-lined booth seemed an oasis of Scandinavian design amidst the electronic(s) noise.
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CES 2016Ask S&V
Sony “4K HDR” UHDTVs Light Up the Grid
Al Griffin  |  Jan 08, 2016
For Sony’s CES exhibit, the company put the focus on its proprietary TV technology, rather than trot out an extended lineup of 2016 models. The model it used for the demos, which encompassed its new Slim Backlight Drive, 4K Processor X1, and X-tended Dynamic Range PRO, was the XBR X930D.
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