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Blu-ray Movie Reviews
RoboCop
Chris Chiarella  |  May 07, 2014
Picture
Sound
Extras
Interactivity
There are many reasons to enjoy RoboCop, still beloved (and now remade) after 27 years. If you don’t like the brilliantly executed action, there’s the biting statement about ’80s greed in America. If you don’t appreciate the scathing satire, there’s the poignant struggle of a good man trying to regain his identity.
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Headphone Reviews
NAD Viso HP50 Headphone
Steve Guttenberg  |  May 07, 2014

Performance
Build Quality
Comfort
Value
PRICE $299

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Superb sound
Elegant good looks
Comfy to wear for long trips
Minus
Non-hinged headband doesn’t collapse for compact storage

THE VERDICT
NAD’s first headphone scores high on every front—style, sound, comfort, and value.

This was an easy review to write; the NAD Viso HP50 sounds as smooth as silk, with excellent detail retrieval, a big soundstage, and bass with the perfect balance of speed and low-end oomph. As a long-term NAD fan, I wasn’t surprised. The company has always made fuss-free, great-sounding, affordable gear; why would the Viso HP50 be any different?

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The Connected Life
Listening for Life
John Sciacca  |  May 07, 2014
Good listening is safe listening. Here are three sets of headphones that add to your (and your kids) enjoyment of music without blowing out your eardrums.
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Blu-ray Movie Reviews
12 Years a Slave
Shane Buettner  |  May 06, 2014
Picture
Sound
Extras
12 Years a Slave is the true story of Solomon Northup (Chiwetel Ejiofor), a free black man kidnapped into slavery, the inhuman condition in which he languished for 12 years, enduring unimaginable sorrow and torment but ultimately making it out the other side, regaining his freedom. Director Steve McQueen is a fearless and unflinching filmmaker, and this film of Northup’s book is the most personal I’ve ever seen about slavery.
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New Products
Airborne 4K
Bob Ankosko  |  May 06, 2014
NanoTech Entertainment has a little something owners of 4K/Ultra HDTVs might be interested in: the Nuvola NP-1 4K Ultra HD streaming media player, a versatile 3 x 1 x 4-inch device that supports 3D game playing, Web browsing, and 4K streaming. Connect the tiny box to any network with a bandwidth of 6 megabits per second or greater—via Wi-Fi or hard-wire Ethernet—and you’re ready to go.
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Audio Video News
Sony to Launch 350 ‘Sony Experience at Best Buy’ Stores Nationwide
SV Staff  |  May 06, 2014
Sony announced it will open home theater retail spaces at approximately 350 Best Buy locations nationwide starting in mid May. The ‘Sony Experience at Best Buy’ shop-in-shops are designed to provide an enhanced shopping experience through interactive demonstration areas and a dedicated team of product experts.
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Signals
Earbud Generation
Ken C. Pohlmann  |  May 06, 2014
The decades-long transition from home loudspeakers to earbuds as the preferred listening technology is well documented. Now we have another data point to help us examine the question of whether the same downward spiral is happening to television screens. The short answer is: Yes. The long answer is: Yes, and quickly.

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Ears On
Demos: How Sweet It Bis
Mark Fleischmann  |  May 02, 2014
Bis is a Swedish music label with a large catalogue of Super Audio CDs. Among them are two releases that have become my go-to choices for major works in the orchestral repertory: Beethoven's nine symphonies and Bach's six Brandenburg Concertos. Both are DSD recordings, less than a decade old, with surround and stereo soundtracks. They'll cost you more than most CD box sets of the same works. But the chance to hear these vibrant performances in high-res DSD via SACD is well worth the price. Think of surround as icing on the cake.
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SmartStream
Amazon Prime to Offer Unlimited Streaming of Many HBO Shows
Barb Gonzalez  |  May 02, 2014
Many HBO shows will be available for unlimited streaming on Amazon Prime Instant Video, but not all shows will be included in the May 21st launch. While this breakthrough licensing agreement grants exclusivity to Amazon for free streaming, shows will still be available on other streaming services.
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Tech2
Review: Goldilocks and the New Beyerdynamic T 51 i Headphones
Lauren Dragan  |  May 02, 2014  |  First Published: May 01, 2014
On-Ear headphones are making a comeback. Once banished to the 80s with the foamy-coated walkman-style ‘phones, the audiophile set are once again embracing the power of the tiny cans. I’ll admit, at first blush I didn’t get it. Over-ears, in-ears? They made sense to me. Over ears with their full, lush soundstage for home and studio, and in-ears for portability… those were my two needs fulfilled. So where do on-ears fit into the picture? Answer: In Goldilocks territory. For those who hate that stuffed in-ear feeling, but don’t want to be stuck sporting full-sized and possibly heavy over-ear headphones while out and about, on-ears can be a really great option. And the market has caught up, with some great higher end options. I’ve written already about the V-Moda XS, and now Beyerdynamic have a brand new offering out this week, the T 51 i. Are these baby Beyers a good fit?
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