LATEST ADDITIONS

The S&V Interview
Hello, It’s Todd Rundgren. Can We Still Be Hi-Res Friends?
Mike Mettler  |  Dec 23, 2015
Restless creativity, thy name is Todd Rundgren. The always adventurous singer/songwriter/guitarist/producer found time in 2015 to not only release two albums of new music — the electro-melodic Global (Esoteric Antenna) and the even-more EDM-driven Runddans (Smalltown Supersound) — as well as embark on a few legs of a solo tour, but he also managed to write some material for and play on Ringo Starr's Postcards From Paradise (UMe) and be a part of the current touring incarnation of Ringo's All-Starr Band to boot. During a tour break, I called Rundgren, 67, at his Hawaiian homestead to discuss the differences between audience and artist expectations, the merits and demerits of vinyl, and his Beatles listening preferences. He saw the light, alright.
Continue Reading »
4K TV ReviewsTV ReviewsLCD TV Reviews
Vizio Reference RS120-B3 LCD Ultra HDTV
Thomas J. Norton  |  Dec 23, 2015
PRICE $130,000

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Bright!
Good blacks
Respectable out-of-box calibration
Minus
Clips above white and below black
No 3D
Expensive!

THE VERDICT
If you want a really big screen that’s more than bright enough for a well-lit room, and you have a bank account that’s flush enough (or a very understanding loan officer), this 120-inch Vizio incorporates all the bells and whistles.

In early October, Vizio invited me to New York City to join other digital-stained A/V scribes in the official launch of the company’s new Reference series Ultra HDTVs. The featured attraction was the RS120B3 ($130,000), loaded up with more than 8 million pixels on its 120-inch-diagonal (10-foot!) screen. The considerably more affordable, 65-inch RS65-B2 ($6,000) joined in the festivities.

Continue Reading »
Subwoofer ReviewsSurround Sound System ReviewsTower Speaker Reviews
Elac Debut F5 Speaker System Review
Daniel Kumin  |  Dec 23, 2015

Debut F5 Speaker System
Performance
Build Quality
Value

S10EQ Subwoofer
Performance
Features
Build Quality
Value
PRICE $1,470 as reviewed

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Superb sonics, neutral tonal balance
Decently finished, simple look
Unapproachable value
Minus
Some off-axis center-channel tonal shift
Audible thump on sub’s auto turn-off

THE VERDICT
Elac’s Debut series reintroduces a near-forgotten brand with a design by a well-known name—Andrew Jones—and a value/performance factor to be reckoned with.

As longtime S&V readers have doubtless come to understand, I believe that cheap, as Gordon Gekko definitely did not say, is good. Any $10,000 pair of loudspeakers makes me vaguely uneasy, while a $50,000 pair leaves me ready to join the Che Guevara Brigade and start lining up oligarchs. So the arrival of a new family of cheap—err, high-value—serious loudspeakers from Elac U.S., designed by tech’lebrity engineer Andrew Jones, caused a certain amount of excitement hereabouts. (For more on Elac and Jones, see “Man on a Mission”.)

Continue Reading »
Blu-ray Movie Reviews
Pitch Perfect 2
Chris Chiarella  |  Dec 23, 2015
Picture
Sound
Extras
In an era when Glee was everywhere, moviegoers understandably didn’t flock to see the seemingly similar Pitch Perfect on the big screen, but Blu-ray/DVD and TV showings ultimately brought the charming comedy the audience it deserved. Three years later, the mettlesome young songstresses from Barden University are back, eager to win an international competition with the help of a new recruit. Returning co-star/producer Elizabeth Banks also makes a triumphant directorial debut with Pitch Perfect 2, seamlessly maintaining the ongoing franchise’s breezily mean-spirited humor while staging many memorable new cover versions of eclectic pop tunes.
Continue Reading »
The Connected Life
The State of Immersive Audio
John Sciacca  |  Dec 23, 2015
As we get ready to head into the new year, 3D "immersive audio" is the driving force behind home theater. A rundown of where things stand with the three competing formats: Dolby Atmos, DTS:X, and Auro-3D.
Continue Reading »
HDTV Buying TipsHDTV Tech
The New TV Tech: What You Need to Know
Al Griffin  |  Dec 22, 2015
TV shopping has become vastly more complicated over the past decade. Buyer confusion used to revolve around issues of 720p versus 1080p, LCD versus plasma, edge-lit versus full-array, 3D or not 3D, and “What’s a smart TV?” All manageable problems, in retrospect.
Continue Reading »
Headphone Reviews
Sennheiser RS 185 Headphone Review
Steve Guttenberg  |  Dec 22, 2015

Performance
Build Quality
Comfort
Value
PRICE $400

AT A GLANCE
Plus
New lossless wireless audio technology
Two-year warranty
Lightweight design
Minus
Wireless ’phones can’t play loud

THE VERDICT
The Sennheiser RS 185 raises the bar on audiophile-grade wireless headphone sound quality.

I’ve auditioned a number of wireless Sennheiser models over the years and was always satisfied with the sound. Sennheiser claims their latest ’phones are better than ever, and the RS 185 is the best sounding of the twelve wireless models the company currently offers. No other brand has as broad a range of wireless headphones, starting with the $99 Sennheiser RS 120.

Continue Reading »
A/V Veteran
Have a Blu(-ray) Christmas: 8 Gifts Ideas
Thomas J. Norton  |  Dec 22, 2015
‘Tis the Season—for last minute, desperation shopping. But what could be easier than one or a few Blu-ray discs for that stocking by the fireplace. So here are a few recommendations...
Continue Reading »
Audio Video News
Marantz to Offer DTS:X Upgrades in Early 2016
SV Staff  |  Dec 22, 2015
Marantz has announced that free DTS:X firmware updates for the SR7010 and SR6010 AV receivers and AV8802(A) and AV7702mkII surround processors will be available early next year.
Continue Reading »
Audio Video News
LG to Update 2016 Smart TV Platform
SV Staff  |  Dec 22, 2015
LG has announced that its 2016 smart TV lineup will have an updated webOS 3.0 Smart TV platform designed to make it "simple and fast" to find and switch between content from broadcast TV, streaming services, and external devices.
Continue Reading »

Pages

X