LATEST ADDITIONS

Chris Chiarella  |  Jul 21, 2025
Sinners
Picture
Sound
Extras

Sinners is a joy to watch and a challenge to review simply because it manages to tread new ground in such an entertaining fashion. Set in the Jim Crow South of 1932 Mississippi, the story is very much about Black empowerment as twin brothers Smoke and Stack (both played with simmering intensity by Michael B. Jordan) return home from adventures in Chicago and elsewhere, looking to open a juke joint for their old community.

Brandon A. DuHamel  |  Jul 21, 2025
Lethal Weapon
Picture
Sound
Extras

Lethal Weapon reignited the buddy cop genre in 1987, setting a high-octane standard few have matched since. At its core is career-defining chemistry between Mel Gibson and Danny Glover. Gibson's Martin Riggs, a volatile, suicidal widower, is pure, traumatized chaos—a live wire. Glover's Roger Murtaugh, the stable, family-man detective "too old for this s**t," is weary exasperation incarnate.

Michael Hamilton  |  Jul 18, 2025
Performance
Features
Ergonomics
Value
PRICE $2999

AT A GLANCE
Plus

  • RGB triple-laser light engine capable of impressive light output
  • Best uncalibrated performance tilts in the Dolby Vision direction
  • Supports Dolby Vision, HDR10+, HLG, and IMAX Enhanced
  • Supports Dynamic Tone Mapping
  • Low-latency gaming lag eliminates poor player excuses
  • Motorized auto-focus on par with a CIA satellite
  • Well-made and virtually silent when operating
Minus
  • Calibrated (or uncalibrated) color adjustments vary constantly
  • Lacking lens shift, keystone-free placement requires SpaceX precision
  • Laser speckle and faint rainbowing are detectable on multiple screen surfaces
  • Frequently referred to as a "Long Throw" projector. Well, uh, about that
  • Enough chrome trim to make a '57 Chevy Bel Air envious
  • Ambitious feature set outpaces and outprices most Lifestyle PJs
  • Remote lacks a single-button menu "exit"

THE VERDICT
For what (and how) Valerion markets the VisionMaster Pro 2 as being, its stability-challenged color reproduction, as detailed in the review, for me, neuters its attributes and aspirations. Its hang tag price is nearly double the amount required of consumers who might otherwise pause and ponder a casual lifestyle projector purchase from competitors.

Chris Chiarella  |  Jul 18, 2025
The hot weather’s here: Skip the beach and catch a cool wave of new SteelBooks instead. No pesky sand, seaweed or seagulls, just a refreshing splash of movies and TV, mostly in 4K and all in distinctively designed, collectible metal cases that are cooler than an icy tallboy straight out of the Yeti.
Mark Henninger  |  Jul 06, 2025
KEF has unveiled the XIO Soundbar ($2500), a 5.1.2-channel all-in-one system designed to bring the company’s HiFi pedigree to a living room-friendly surround-sound system. With 12 Class D amps delivering a combined 820W of power and support for Dolby Atmos, DTS:X, Sony 360 Reality Audio, and AirPlay Spatial Audio, the XIO is engineered to turn flat-panel TV sound into full-scale immersive playback.
Mark Henninger  |  Jul 04, 2025

Performance
Features
Ergonomics
Value
PRICE $449

AT A GLANCE
Comfortable fit
Excellent sound
Physical button controls
Travel case
3.5mm adapter cable included

THE VERDICT
The S3 delivers 30-hour battery life, cutting-edge Bluetooth technology, and useful personalization while maintaining B&W's signature refined sound and premium feel. The combination of comfort, build quality, and features make these some of the best wireless headphones you can buy.

Mark Henninger  |  Jul 02, 2025
Nothing and KEF have announced the release of Headphone (1), an over‑ear wireless headphone made possible by their new partnership. It is Nothing's first full‑size headphone and the first product in the "Sound by KEF" line.
Chris Chiarella  |  Jul 01, 2025
Seems like only five years ago we were celebrating Jaws’ 45th anniversary, and now it’s officially golden. Yes, we’re still talking about Steven Spielberg’s adaptation of Peter Benchley’s novel half a century later, simply because it’s that good: It still thrills. It still scares. It still makes us laugh. OG fans re-watch it and generations of first-timers are newly enthralled.
Chris Chiarella  |  Jun 29, 2025
Dark City
Picture
Sound
Extras

There's a pretty nifty mystery at the heart of Dark City so I'll tread lightly in my plot summary. Alex Proyas' film draws largely from science fiction tales before it, most notably The Matrix and Blade Runner, yet giving us something uniquely his. We meet our hero, John Murdoch (if that is his real name) unconscious in a bathtub with no memory of how he got there. He soon finds himself in a world of trouble and on the run in an oddly old-fashioned city where the sun never shines. Everyone he meets in his quest for the truth behind his increasingly bizarre predicament is a little bit sus, making curious little comments that tease the brain but ultimately make sense when all is revealed.

Mike Mettler  |  Jun 28, 2025

Summertime, and the listening’s easy . . . or something like that. What better way to get into the listening swing of thing by checking out some choice Fleetwood Mac reissues—namely, their 1975 to 1987 6LP/5CD collection and Mobile Fidelity’s 180 45rpm 2LP remastered upgrades of Mirage and Tango in the Night. Read music editor Mike Mettler’s in-depth review of each of these mighty Mac offerings to see which one(s) you need in your collection ASAP. . .

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