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Headphone ReviewsTech2
Super Awesome Happy Headphones
Geoffrey Morrison,  |  Dec 12, 2013
All other headphones bow to these. All other headphones are NOTHING compared to these. These are, to put it simply, a collection of the greatest headphones on Earth.

One of them even looks like bacon.

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Ask S&V
The Pros and Cons of TV Calibration
Al Griffin  |  Dec 12, 2013
Q What are the pros and cons of having a 2013 Panasonic plasma TV such as the TC-P55VT60 professionally calibrated? And what should I look for in a calibrator? —Scott Oakley / via email

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SmartStream
Ten New Apps You Can Stream to Chromecast
Barb Gonzalez  |  Dec 11, 2013
Another ten mobile apps can now stream to Google's Chromecast dongle. Find out if it's time to add the Chromecast to your home theater.
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Sweepstakes
Cambridge Audio Minx Air 100 Wireless System Sweepstakes
SV Staff  |  Dec 11, 2013
Register to win a Cambridge Audio Minx Air 100 Wireless System ($449.95) we are giving away.

According to the company:

Benefiting from Cambridge Audio’s vast Hi-Fi expertise, Minx Air 100 is designed to deliver stunning audio quality from stored tracks and streaming services. Patented BMR (Balanced Mode Radiator) speakers create a rich sound that’s more room-filling than similar-sized traditional speakers.

[This Sweepstakes is now closed.]

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Soundbar Reviews
Sony HT-ST7 Soundbar System
Mark Fleischmann  |  Dec 10, 2013

Performance
Features
Ergonomics
Value
PRICE $1,299

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Well made metal bar
Wireless sub, Bluetooth
Solid performance
Minus
Pricey for a soundbar

THE VERDICT
A high-performing soundbar with HDMI connectivity and lossless-surround support.

Like a pilot fish feasting on a shark’s leftovers, the soundbar has occupied a secondary role since its inception. You might imagine a TV without a soundbar but never a soundbar without a TV. Even so, secondary doesn’t necessarily have to mean second-rate. What if your soundbar were as good at producing audio as your TV is at producing video? What if it were better than your TV?

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Ask S&V
How Do I Equalize Volume in My Streaming Setup?
Al Griffin  |  Dec 10, 2013
Q My friend uses an iPod touch to stream Pandora Internet Radio over a speaker system at his outdoor tiki bar but is having a problem with some songs playing louder than others. I have gone into his iPod’s General Settings menu and activated the Sound Check button, but that feature only seems to work for tracks played in iTunes. Is there an in-line device with 3.5mm connectors that can hook up to the iPod’s headphone jack to level the audio output?—J. Glemming / Calabash, NC
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Grace Notes
Rule Britannia, Rule Sony
Leslie Shapiro  |  Dec 09, 2013
“When Britain first, at heaven's command, arose from out the azure main, this was the charter, the charter of the land, and guardian angels sang this strain: Rule Britannia! Britannia rule the waves!”

Those lyrics, set to rousing music by James Thomson in 1740, declared that Great Britain was the emerging world superpower. Fulfilling the patriotic acclaim of the song, Britain did indeed soon rule the waves, and in fact, the sun never set on the British Empire. Similarly, Sony Corporation ruled the waves of consumer electronics....

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Ears On
Demos: King Crimson's The Road to Red
Mark Fleischmann  |  Dec 06, 2013
I never got to see the 1973-74 version of King Crimson. It played its final concert in New York's Central Park just over a year before I moved to the city. I always wished I could go back in time to attend one of those concerts. Well, be careful what you wish for.

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3D Projector ReviewsProjector Reviews
Mitsubishi HC8000D 3D DLP Projector
Thomas J. Norton  |  Dec 06, 2013
2D Performance
3D Performance
Features
Ergonomics
Value
PRICE $3,999

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Excellent color
Crisp detail
Punchy image
Minus
Dim 3D
So-so blacks and contrast

THE VERDICT
You won’t find the deepest blacks in this price class, but the HC8000D’s bright, sharp, pleasing 2D picture is worth a look.

It seems like only yesterday that Mitsubishi ended its solitary status as the last holdout in the rear-projection DLP business. Oh, wait, it was only yesterday—at least in geologic HDTV time. But this was by no means the twilight of Mitsubishi Electric’s DLP video ambitions. These live on in a wide range of projectors, including the HC8000D single-chip DLP—a key player in the company’s consumer lineup.

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Bluetooth Speaker Reviews
Review: Harman Kardon Nova Wireless Desktop Speakers
Lauren Dragan  |  Dec 06, 2013
The latest in the Harman Kardon line of aesthetically pleasing home electronics, the Nova are small, powered 2.0 desktop speakers designed for flexibility of use. Each about the size of a cantaloupe, they have 2.5” drivers,1.25” tweeters, and a passive bass radiator. Not only can you connect with an ⅛” jack and optical line, but with Bluetooth and NFC; so no matter what you want to hear, they can connect to it. And for little speakers, they get a surprising amount of volume without distorting. While they are not a substitute for a full receiver-based home theater sound system, they are perfect for an office, small apartment, or bedroom, and can fill any mid-sized room with sound rather comfortably, even in a cocktail party situation.
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