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Signals
2014: Does the 4 Stand for 4K?
Ken C. Pohlmann  |  Dec 31, 2013
Attention all you early adopters: It may be time to pull the trigger on a 4K Ultra HD TV. If you act now, you can still hold the coveted title of First On Your Block. If you wait, you’ll have only yourself to blame. 2014 may be the break-out year for the new TV format.

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Remotely Possible
Seasons' Beatings
Darryl Wilkinson  |  Dec 30, 2013
“Use only as directed” is great advice when it comes to not taking Tylenol if you’re drinking alcohol and then not smearing Preparation H on your puffy eyes the next morning (when it’s okay to take Tylenol to relieve the effects of the previous night’s imbibing). But I don’t always do things as directed. I don’t even do a lot of things as suggested. Half the time I don’t even look at an instruction manual until I’ve encountered a near fatal error whenever I’m putting something together or learning how to operate it. (This often includes power tools. It’s a wonder I still have all my fingers…and toes.) So it’s no surprise that I forgot to put the protective dust cover on the outdoor TV sitting on my back deck before winter set in...
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Ask S&V
Should I Use an Analog Connection to Tap Into My Blu-ray Player’s DACs?
Al Griffin  |  Dec 30, 2013
Q My Panasonic DMP-BDT500 Blu-ray player has four 192-kHz/32-bit Burr-Brown DACs. To take full advantage of these, should I use analog RCA cables to connect the player to my Denon AV receiver? I would only use an analog connection to the receiver’s CD input for music and would still use an HDMI hookup so that the Denon could decode high-resolution soundtracks on Blu-ray.—Paolo Fiorentino via e-mail
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Tech2
2013 Highlights (and some things you may have missed)
Geoffrey Morrison  |  Dec 27, 2013
It has been an interesting year for tech. Which is a pretty dumb thing to write, since every year is an interesting year for tech, and more interesting than the year before.

But a year is a lot to take in. So here are some highlights you may have missed.

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Ask S&V
How Can I Play Music from My Android Phone Through My System?
Al Griffin  |  Dec 26, 2013
Q My Onkyo HTS-S5400 home theater system has a front USB input where I plug in my iPhone to play music. I recently bought a new Sony Xperia L Android smartphone, however, and would like to use that for music playback instead. The Onkyo’s manual says the USB input is for iPhone/iPod playback only. Is there any special cable or app that I can use to play music through the system with my Android phone? —Mila Arasu via email
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SmartStream
Streaming Tech Roundup 2013
Barb Gonzalez  |  Dec 25, 2013
The streaming media innovations of 2013 continue to change the way we watch TV, movies and listen to music. Here is a roundup of what was new and trending in the past year.
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3D Blu-ray Player ReviewsBlu-ray Player Reviews
Panasonic DMP-BDT500 Blu-ray 3D Player
Kris Deering  |  Dec 24, 2013
Performance
Features
Ergonomics
Value
PRICE $350

AT A GLANCE
Plus
High-resolution audio chops
Reference-quality 2D and 3D Blu-ray playback
Streaming-video paradise
Minus
No support for SACD, DVD-Audio, or DSD formats

THE VERDICT
Spectacular video performance at a budget price point, but not the best choice for true audiophiles.

How things have changed since Blu-ray arrived on the scene. Debut players from the larger electronics companies were pretty full-featured, with substantial build quality. Now it seems that most mass-consumer players are in a race to the bottom when it comes to price and build. While I understand that’s probably the market most of the country buys in, I’m always surprised that most of the big names in consumer electronics don’t keep at least one model for enthusiasts who don’t want to buy a featherweight piece of plastic for a principal player in their home entertainment system. Panasonic evidently feels the same way this year.

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Music ReviewsReference Tracks
The Band: Live at the Academy of Music 1971
Mike Mettler  |  Dec 24, 2013
Performance
Sound
Besides knocking the psychedelic movement off of its puffy cloud at the end of the ’60s with the seminal roots-based rustic albums Music From Big Pink (1968) and The Band (1969), The Band was also known for being a supernaturally gifted live act, having honed its stagecraft through many arduous but rewarding years on the road. Highlights from a magical four-night stand at New York’s Academy of Music were set in stone—or rather, on wax and disc—with 1972’s Rock of Ages. The album was a critically acclaimed best seller and a triumph in the eyes of everyone it touched. Well, almost everyone.
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Home Movie Theaters
The Ultimate Escape: A Pilot’s Dream Getaway
Kim Wilson  |  Dec 24, 2013
Photos Julie Lalonde

It took several years for airline pilot Ian Rothwell to formulate the ideas for his ultimate home theater. However, once he collaborated with longtime friend Mark Imbesi of Trymark Enterprises, it only took eight months for them to complete that vision.

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Headphone Reviews
Sennheiser IE 800 In-Ear Headphone
Steve Guttenberg  |  Dec 24, 2013

Performance
Build Quality
Comfort
Value
PRICE $1,000

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Best-in-class sound
Minus
Bass sounds more full than accurate

THE VERDICT
One of the best-sounding in-ear headphones to come along in a long time. The IE 800 is a game changer.

I’ve heard most of the world’s best in-ear headphones, and frankly, those custom-molded models fitted to my ear canal from the likes of JH Audio, Ultimate Ears, and Westone regularly trump the universal-fit models. So before I popped on the Sennheiser IE 800, a universal-fit earphone, I wondered if the sound would justify its $1,000 MSRP. I shouldn’t have worried; the IE 800 is a game changer.

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