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Audio Video News
Beatles in Mono Listening Sessions in NY and LA Open to the Public
SV Staff  |  Sep 01, 2014
Universal Music Group is celebrating the September 9th release of The Beatles in Mono vinyl box set with listening sessions in New York and Los Angeles. Each session will feature yet-to-be-announced special guest speakers.
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Audio Video News
Atlantic Technology Announces Dolby Atmos Speaker Module
SV Staff  |  Sep 01, 2014
Atlantic Technology announced plans to introduce by the end of the year a compact Dolby Atmos-enabled speaker module that can be added to existing speakers in its line or any existing home theater setup.
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Audio Video News
Poll Results: Surround Height Channels Make a Respectable Showing
SV Staff  |  Aug 31, 2014
With the new Dolby Atmos surround format on the immediate horizon we wondered how many Sound & Vision readers’ are using special surround processing to derive height channels in their current home theater setups. Turns out that nearly a quarter of respondents have setups with height channels—a respectable showing considering the effort involved in installing extra speakers.

Here’s the complete breakdown of answers to the question we posed: Is Your Home Theater Configured with Height Channels?

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Headphone Reviews
JVC HA-FR301 In-Ear Headphone
Steve Guttenberg  |  Aug 29, 2014  |  First Published: Aug 28, 2014
Performance
Build Quality
Comfort
Value
PRICE $40

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Lotsa bass
Comfortable lightweight design
Low price
Minus
Maybe a little too much bass

THE VERDICT
The JVC HA-FR301 isn't an accurate-sounding headphone, and fashion conscious buyers may turn up their noses at the design, but these inexpensive in-ears are a lot of fun to listen to.

Emphasized, or should I say pronounced bass is a guilty pleasure a lot of headphone loving audiophiles rarely admit to indulging in. Funny, almost all headphones, including a fair share of high-end models, have elevated bass, so what we're talking about here is a matter of degree. JVC's HA-FR301 is designed for bass fanatics who can't get enough low-end punch. Indeed, JVC markets them as part of its Xtreme Xplosives headphone line up; that pretty much says it all. But while most bassy headphones suffer from muffled highs and a missing-in-action midrange, the HA-FR301 isn't lacking in detail, not by a long shot.

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Tech2
Mo-Fi Review: The Quirky and Wonderful First-Ever Headphones from Blue
Lauren Dragan  |  Aug 29, 2014
Blue may be the last major microphone company to take the plunge into the headphone business, but they’ll tell you this was a conscious choice. Known for solid mic products with funky designs, Blue says they didn’t want to release just standard-issue headphones. One glance at the design of Mo-Fi, and you’ll see that in the quest for individuality they succeeded. Mo-Fi are simultaneously retro and modern looking with a unique hinged headband and adjustable tension knob. They also feature a built-in 240mW amp that the folks at Blue say is specifically matched to the drivers. For folks like me, who just can’t bear the idea of having to carry around one more thing, not needing a separate headphone amp is a welcome addition. Sounds great on paper. But how successful are Mo-Fi in practice?
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Streaming Device Reviews
Roku Streaming HDMI Stick
Barb Gonzalez  |  Aug 29, 2014  |  First Published: Aug 28, 2014

Performance
Features
Ergonomics
PRICE $50

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Direct HDMI connection to most TVs
Extensive content options
Suggested videos and apps on home screen
Remote with direct access to Netflix, M-Go, Amazon Instant Video, and Blockbuster

Minus
Music stops when navigating away from channel
Long start-up time
No option to group channels by category

THE VERDICT
The great features of a Roku box in a stick for half the price.

The second Roku Streaming Stick (HDMI version) is a fit-in-your-pocket HDMI dongle that is basically a Roku box on a stick. Where the previous Roku Streaming stick worked only with TVs that have an MHL (Mobile High Definition Link) HDMI port, the new Roku is compatible with most TVs’ standard HDMI connections. As with its predecessors, the Roku HDMI is easy to use and offers more than 1,700 channels (that is, apps). Notably, these now include apps that stream from pretty much any video source you can think of—the usual online streaming services, plus your home network media libraries, or live TV and recorded DVR recorded content using Simple.tv or a Slingplayer channel.

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Blu-ray Movie Reviews
Thor: The Dark World
Josef Krebs  |  Aug 28, 2014
Picture
Sound
Extras
The Dark World launches with a history lesson telling of an ancient battle between the Asgardians and the Dark Elves on their home world of Svartalfheim. The Elves, led by Malekith, not only use enhanced warriors called the Kursed, but also the Aether—a terrible force that gives them great power. Although Malekith is vanquished, the Convergence—an alignment of planets allowing travel between them—permits his return. This is all well and good and very Lord of the Rings-y, but thereafter the film’s exposition just keeps on coming; and unlike LOTR, which gave visual presentations, The Dark World relies on the mellifluous voices of Anthony Hopkins and Idris Elba intoning endlessly about unlikely mythology, leaving you begging for someone to just get on with the action. Once things get rolling, though, there are plenty of passages of great home theater.
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Ask S&V
How Do I Boost the Dialogue Level on My TV?
Al Griffin  |  Aug 28, 2014
Got a tech question for Sound & Vision? Email us at AskSandV@gmail.com

Q I want to amplify just the dialogue on my TV. Is it possible to do that? —Glenn Goudeau

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SmartStream
New N3TWORK Streaming App Matches Videos to Your Tastes
Barb Gonzalez  |  Aug 27, 2014
The new social video app N3TWORK does an excellent job of pulling together and personalizing high quality web videos. But does it have what it takes to be a hit?
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New Products
Mohu Guide Mixes Broadcast and Online TV
Mark Fleischmann  |  Aug 27, 2014
How would you like to blend local channels, apps, and Websites into your own unique concoction of cord-cutter delights? That’s the promise of Mohu Channels. This Internet-connected tuner mixes local broadcast reception with Website video and apps for Netflix, Hulu, Crackle, HBO Go, YouTube, etc. Successfully funded through Kickstarter—quadrupling its initial goal of $35,000—the product made its debut in June. Want antenna with that? Mohu suggests its own Leaf Metro ($25), which grabs 1080p goodness out of thin air within a radius of 25 miles. The company’s skinny-antenna line also includes larger models with greater range.
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