LATEST ADDITIONS

The S&V Interview
Chicago Asserts Its 4.0 Sonic Authority
Mike Mettler  |  Jun 22, 2016
To say it’s been a banner year for Chicago might be a bit of an understatement. Not only is the band in the midst of its (yes) 49th consecutive year on the road, but it’s also celebrating a well-deserved induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, which took place back on April 8 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. “Rather than limping into our 50th year, we are sprinting uphill,” observes Chicago co-founding member and trumpeter Lee Loughnane (pronounced “Lock-nane”). Not only that, Rhino has just released Quadio, a collection of the band’s first eight studio albums plus their first greatest hits compilation in 192/24 DTS-HD Master Audio 4.0 mixes on nine Blu-ray discs. Recently, Loughnane, 69, called me to discuss quad and surround, the challenges of mastering digitally, and the unique way the band recorded its most recent studio album, 2014’s Chicago XXXVI – “Now.” In many ways, it feels like it’s only the beginning.
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Subwoofer Reviews
RSL Speakers Speedwoofer 10S Subwoofer Review
David Vaughn  |  Jun 22, 2016

Performance
Features
Build Quality
Value
PRICE $399

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Exemplary value
Clean, punchy bass
Optional wireless transmitter works like a charm
Minus
Doesn’t go quite as deep as the big boys

THE VERDICT
When I heard I was going to review a budget $399 subwoofer, I dreaded the month I’d miss my reference subs. I couldn’t have been more wrong!

There are two things that I really love in life. The first is the entrepreneurial spirit that grows within someone and inspires them to take a chance with an idea, create a company, and do their best to make it succeed. The second is great bass. As longtime readers know, I’m a bass-oholic—and if my wife would let me, I’d have four (or more) subwoofers in my media room, because there’s no such thing as too much bass!

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Audio Video News
Live Streaming Poses Potential Perils
SV Staff  |  Jun 22, 2016
Millions of people use free live-streaming websites to watch sports and other live events online, but this comes with a considerable security risk, according to a new study.
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Audio Video NewsNew Products
Epson Announces Projectors with 4K Enhancement and HDR Capability
SV Staff  |  Jun 22, 2016
Epson introduced four home theater projectors featuring 4K signal input with pixel-shifting 4K enhancement and high dynamic range (HDR) playback at prices ranging from $2,699 to $3,999. One of the models is equipped with a WirelessHD transmitter for cable-free video transmission.
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A/V Veteran
Back to the Movies, Back to LA
Thomas J. Norton  |  Jun 21, 2016
On a recent visit back to Los Angeles I took in the 2016 Newport, California hi-fi-show, more properly known as T.H.E. (The Home Entertainment) Show Newport (though it’s now actually held in Irvine). You can read my observations on the show, along with those from other Stereophile contributors (I write occasional reports and reviews for Stereophile, though Sound & Vision is my main beat) at Stereophile.com. Like virtually all such events (of which there are several in the U.S. each year under various management), this was a show for 2-channel audiophiles. Count me among them, but no more so than for multichannel music, movies, video, and home theater.

The only show in the U.S. that features video as it relates to home theater is September’s CEDIA Expo...

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Audio Video News
DirecTV to Stream—Free!
Mark Fleischmann  |  Jun 21, 2016
AT&T-owned DirecTV is launching its own video streaming service. It will use both home and mobile broadband networks to reach smart TVs, tablets, phones, PCs, and streaming devices. Unlike DirecTV satellite service, it won’t require an annual contract, set-top box, or dish installation.
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Headphone Reviews
Tube Amps for Pocket Change
Geoffrey Morrison  |  Jun 21, 2016
Ever browse Amazon late at night? Like, really late at night? Maybe you’re bored. Maybe you need a new pair of socks, and you go down a rabbit hole. Maybe you’ve downed a fifth of Crown Royal Maple whisky because it’s Tuesday in the middle of February and you’ve broken your leg in two places and the Vicodin is finally kicking in, and OMG, I need a vacuum-tube headphone amp! Just an example. Whatever.
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Audio Video NewsNew Products
Denon Announces $999 Receiver for X Series
SV Staff  |  Jun 21, 2016
Denon has announced plans to add a $999 4K-ready 7.2-channel model to its X Series lineup of AV receivers in July.
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Audio Video News
Emotiva Announces Updates for XMC-1 Processor
SV Staff  |  Jun 21, 2016
Franklin,TN-based Emotiva Audio has announced an HDMI 2.0/HDCP 2.2 upgrade for its flagship XMC-1 preamp/processor.
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Headphone ReviewsGrace Notes
Optoma NuForce BE6i Bluetooth Earphones
Leslie Shapiro  |  Jun 20, 2016
Every week a new pair of wireless Bluetooth earphones seem to appear on my doorstep. Usually, I have to take a long, hard look to find anything noteworthy to make one pair stand out from the others. The newly updated NuForce BE6i earphones feature aptX technology for better playback quality and that, my friends, is noteworthy enough.

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