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Upgrade Time: Speakers then Receiver or Vice Versa?
Al Griffin  |  Mar 12, 2015
Got a tech question for Sound & Vision? Email us at AskSandV@gmail.com

Q I plan to purchase a new AV receiver and a set of 5.1 speakers. What strategy will deliver a better all-around experience: spending more on the speakers or on the receiver? Should I splurge on speakers, with the idea that my receiver can be upgraded in a few years, or vice-versa? Simon Bolster / via e-mail

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A/V Veteran
Hints for Better Viewing
Tom Norton  |  Mar 12, 2015  |  First Published: Mar 10, 2015
Mark Fleischmann’s recent blog on ways to improve your system’s audio inspired me to do something similar for video. Of course you, the loyal readers of Sound & Vision already know much of this. But for those who don’t, or for (welcome) newbies, those who are helping friends avoid common mistakes, it’s useful to periodically emphasize that there’s more to getting you money’s worth from a flat screen set than merely plunking it down in what may at first appear to be the best location and turning it on. Getting your HDTV to sing is serious business. Here, of course, I’m referring primarily to flat screen sets; a projector with a screen is, in many ways, a different topic.
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Blu-ray Movie Reviews
The Giver
Corey Gunnestad  |  Mar 11, 2015
Picture
Sound
Extras
In the utopian community of The Giver, citizens have been relieved of the burden of having memories beyond their own lives. Human history has been erased. The logic being that if you have no memory of the past, you won’t be doomed to repeat it. Daily mandatory injections chemically stifle personal ambition, curiosity, and primordial urges, and Big Brother is ever watchful. The established rules are these: Use assigned language, wear the approved clothing, take your daily medication, obey the curfew, and never lie.
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Blu-ray Movie Reviews
The Skeleton Twins
Chris Chiarella  |  Mar 11, 2015
Picture
Sound
Extras
Surely Bill Hader and Kristen Wiig are two of the more interesting people working in Hollywood right now. With his diverse mile-long résumé and her Oscar nomination (for co-writing Bridesmaids) and indie cred, plus their shared Saturday Night Live pedigree, we never know quite what we’ll get next from them. The Skeleton Twins is not their first big-screen pairing, but it’s their most significant, as they play same-age sibs Maggie and Milo, estranged for the past 10 years and now suddenly reunited as they grapple with their own issues.
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Audio Video News
Smart TVs: Who’s Watching Who?
Mark Fleischmann  |  Mar 10, 2015
“I’m terrified of my new TV,” said legal eagle Michael Price in his blog for the New York University School of Law’s Brennan Center for Justice. His Samsung Smart TV came with a camera and microphone for gesture and voice control—and a 46-page privacy policy.
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New Products
March 2015 New Gear
SV Staff  |  Mar 10, 2015
The most stylish DAC/amplifier you'll ever see, an AV cabinet made of reclaimed teak from a sunken naval vessel, another Atmos-enabled speaker, and more.
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Signals
Meditations on Meridian's MQA
Ken C. Pohlmann  |  Mar 10, 2015
Meridian Audio Ltd. does some pretty cool stuff. Its hardware products are well known in audio circles, but it is their innovation at the further reaches of audio frontiers that really catches my eye. The latest example of Meridian's creativity, via Bob Stuart, is Master Quality Authenticated (MQA). MQA is an infrastructure of technologies designed to promote a high-quality signal path from the master recording to playback loudspeaker. More specifically, MQA is designed to stream hi-res files more efficiently than a brute-force transfer, and Meridian claims that it can improve the playback quality of the original file.

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Vote
What Kind of TV Do You Plan to Buy Next?
Bob Ankosko  |  Mar 09, 2015
When it comes to TV, we’ve never had it so good. So many options and so many picture-enhancing technologies to choose from in screen sizes from medium to mondo (small is not in the S&V lexicon) at prices that can satisfy any budget. From 1080p to 4K/Ultra to OLED, there’s no shortage of models to mull with screens that are flat, curved, and/or super thin. All of which brings us to our poll question: When it’s time to upgrade, what kind of TV do you plan to buy? Leave a comment and tell us about your next TV.
What Kind of TV Do You Plan to Buy Next?
Ultra HD LED/LCD TV with a flat screen
28% (592 votes)
Ultra HD LED/LCD TV with a curved screen
3% (60 votes)
1080p OLED TV (curved screen)
4% (73 votes)
Ultra HD OLED (curved screen)
19% (395 votes)
1080p LED/LCD TV is good enough for me
10% (217 votes)
I love my plasma TV and plan to stick with it for the foreseeable future
36% (747 votes)
Total votes: 2084
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Headphone ReviewsTech2
Sennheiser Momentum Wireless Headphone Review
Lauren Dragan  |  Mar 06, 2015
There’s a new member of the Sennheiser Momentum family. The Sennheiser Momentum Wireless are Sennheiser’s answer to the Parrot Zik and Samsung Level Over; they’re Bluetooth, have active noise cancelling, and are looking to appeal to fans of higher-end audio. They also come with a higher-end price tag: nearly $500. So what, exactly, does your money get you?
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3D Blu-ray Player ReviewsBlu-ray Player Reviews
Sharp SD-WH1000U Wireless Universal Player Review
Daniel Kumin  |  Mar 06, 2015
Audio Performance
Video Performance
Features
Ergonomics
Value
PRICE $5,000

AT A GLANCE
Plus
State-of-the-art wireless (WiSA) audio performance
Includes full WiHD Wireless-HDMI link
Substantial, very high- quality design
High-res audio compatible—wirelessly
Minus
File-streaming feature not fully baked
No mixed wired/wireless multichannel output
No video processing on HDMI inputs
Limited system control features

THE VERDICT
The SD-WH1000U is beautifully built and an outstanding A/V performer wired or wireless, but it’s not quite up to service as a full-system hub controller.

Trundle down to your local big-box store, and you will find quite literally dozens of Blu-ray Disc players on offer, starting well under $50. Big ones, little ones, skinny ones, flat ones, cheap ones, and cheaper ones.

None of these will be Sharp’s new SD-WH1000U, a Blu-ray player with a difference. Two differences, in fact: First, it has a jaw-slackening price tag of $5,000; second, Sharp’s design is wireless-centric, being the first WiSA-compatible player to appear, and one of the very first WiSA sources of any description.

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