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Headphone Reviews
Audio-Technica ATH-M50 Professional Studio Monitor Headphones
Steve Guttenberg  |  Apr 17, 2013

Performance
Features
Ergonomics
Value
Price: $199 At a Glance: Basic styling with solid build quality • Supremely comfortable to wear • Sounds swell with tablets and receivers

Universally loved audio products are rare, but you won’t find too many folks with a bad thing to say about the Audio-Technica ATH-M50 headphones (it has around 800 five-star and just nine one-star ratings on Amazon). The headphone consistently garners raves, but the mundane styling won’t cut it with folks craving the latest fashion statements from the likes of Beats by Dr. Dre, V-Moda, or Bowers & Wilkins. While the ATH-M50 is mostly made of plastic, it feels remarkably durable, and its two-year warranty offers double the length of coverage of most headphones, even higher-end models.

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Tech2
Parrot Asteroid Smart Review, Part 1: The Install
Geoffrey Morrison  |  Apr 16, 2013

I love my car. My car is old. Eleven years old this week, actually. When I bought it, in-dash cassette players were on their way out, and CD players were all but standard. Mine even had the upgraded "Audiophile" system, which had an in-dash 6-disc changer.

The stupidity of a in-dash CD changer aside, the one thing my car didn't have was any ability to add an external source. None. So imagine my annoyance, my near-decade-long annoyance at not being able to play my iPod in my car.

Well with one fell swoop, not only can I play my iPod, I can voice dial, hands free talk, stream music from my phone, navigate via GPS, and do all the other fancy things people who buy new cars can do. I got (Asteroid) Smart.

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Signals
Who Killed Radio?
Ken C. Pohlmann  |  Apr 16, 2013

Back in the day, as you drove off the dealer's lot, you turned on the radio. And that radio stayed on, all the time, for the life of the vehicle. Whether or not you were actually listening to it, the sound of the radio was as reassuringly present as the purr of the motor. That is changing.

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Blu-ray Movie Reviews
Flawless 1080p? ParaNorman on Blu-ray
David Vaughn  |  Apr 16, 2013
Picture
Sound
Extras
Interactivity
In many ways, Norman Babcock is a typical kid trying to find his way in the world. He enjoys watching TV with his grandma, gets bullied at school, and what he wants more than anything is acceptance. Unfortunately, Norman has a certain ability that seems to turn people off—he can see and speak with the dead. In fact, his grandma has been dead for a while, and whenever he mentions to his family that he enjoys spending time with her, Mom and Dad kind of freak out. Poor Norman is considered the town freak of Blithe Hollow because of his ability, but little do the townspeople know that the young man is about to save them from a witch who was executed more than 300 years earlier and is seeking her pound of flesh.
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Blu-ray Movie Reviews3D Blu-ray Movie Reviews
Review: The Amazing Spider-Man
Thomas J. Norton  |  Apr 16, 2013
Picture
3D-ness
Sound
Extras
It’s not exactly a secret that Sony Pictures produced a fabulously successful trilogy of Spider-man films from 2002 to 2007. All three were directed by Sam Raimi and starred Tobey Maguire as the resident arachnid. Though the last of the three laid something of a critical egg, it was nevertheless a golden one at the box office. The Amazing Spider-Man is not a sequel but instead a complete reboot, origin story and all. Clearly, Sony was hoping to re-invigorate the franchise. Judging from its commercial success, I’d say it succeeded.
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This Week
This Week in Music, April 16, 2013: Different drones for Flaming Lips
Ken Richardson  |  Apr 16, 2013

The Flaming Lips: The Terror

New release (Warner Bros.; tour dates)
Photo by George Salisbury

Telepathic surgery. Ego tripping at the gates of hell. I’ve allowed the Flaming Lips to take me deep inside myself and pull me far afield. But I can’t submit entirely to The Terror.

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New Products
Report: New York Audio Show, Part II
Al Griffin  |  Apr 16, 2013

 

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SmartStream
A No-Go for M-Go Video Rental Service
Barb Gonzalez  |  Apr 16, 2013
M-Go promised to have the technology for better search and recommendations of movies. When it launched it didn't make good on its promises. Find out which streaming services and devices do a better job.
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New Products
Seiki Digital debuts with a $1,499 4K TV
SV Staff  |  Apr 15, 2013

It's tough for a new TV brand to get attention unless they launch with something really special. And in today's TV world, making something really special is really tough. Seiki Digital, a brand new to the U.S. market, seems to have done it with its very first TV: a 50-inch model with 4K resolution and a low list price of $1,499.

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Grace Notes
Review: Alan Parsons’ Art & Science of Sound Recording
Leslie Shapiro  |  Apr 15, 2013

Alan Parsons’ Art & Science of Sound Recording is a series of videos available on DVD, online streaming, or download that offer a fascinating look into the recording industry, hosted by legendary producer, engineer and performer Alan Parsons. With years of experience at Abbey Road Studios and credits including Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon, Parsons is an eminently qualified host.

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