LATEST ADDITIONS

Audio Video News
Best Soundbars of 2019 (So Far)
SV Staff  |  Sep 25, 2019
Soundbars can be a godsend for home theater enthusiasts who crave a lively surround-sound experience but have limited space — or funds. Or for folks who want a less complicated audio setup — one that doesn’t involve hooking up six or more individual speakers and dealing with an overly complicated control interface. Whatever the reason, a good soundbar can bring a satisfying experience — for movies, TV, and music — to your main TV or the TV in your guest room. Simplicity is key. Here are a handful of soundbars we’ve reviewed in recent months — all worth a listen if you fit this profile.
Continue Reading »
Audio Video NewsNew Products
Mixcder’s New Flagship Wireless Headphones Boast Noise-Canceling for $90
SV Staff  |  Sep 24, 2019
Mixcder, the California-based maker of the $80 Top Pick-designated E9 wireless noise canceling headphones, today introduced a new flagship model featuring improved active noise cancellation (ANC), fast-charge capability, and aptX-enabled Bluetooth 5.0.
Continue Reading »
CEDIA 2019Wide Angle
CEDIA 2019: Demos to Die For
Al Griffin  |  Sep 24, 2019
Following an overriding trend that started many years back, the annual Custom Electronics Design & Installation Association (CEDIA) expo, held this year at the Denver Convention Center, showcased an abundance of home automation technologies — everything from networked, voice-controlled window shades and lighting to home security systems. The show even had “wellness rooms” that seek to bring the outdoor experience indoors via circadian lighting, purified air, and ambient nature sounds.
Continue Reading »
Headphone Reviews
Mixcder E9: Wireless Noise Canceling Headphones that Won’t Break the Bank
Bob Ankosko  |  Sep 23, 2019

Performance
Build Quality
Comfort
Value
PRICE $80 ($70 on amazon.com)

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Satisfying sound
Effective noise canceling
Light weight and not overly bulky
Minus
Sound could be fuller
Some discomfort after an hour or so of listening

THE VERDICT
If you’re looking for wireless, noise-canceling headphones that won’t break the bank, the E9s provide satisfying sound with effective active noise canceling for 80 bucks (or less).

If you’ve never heard of Mixcder, you’re not alone. The company with the awkwardly spelled name — pronounced “mix-see-der” — has only been around for a few years. It’s based in California and specializes in super low-priced headphones sourced in China with a current lineup comprising 10 models, all wireless and ranging in price from $19 to $90 for a set of full-size wireless headphones with active noise canceling (ANC).

Continue Reading »
Audio Video NewsNew Products
KLH Goes Concentric with New Monitor
SV Staff  |  Sep 23, 2019
The latest addition to the revived KLH lineup is a compact two-way monitor featuring a wide-dispersion concentric design where the tweeter is mounted in the throat of the woofer — a first for KLH.
Continue Reading »
Signals
Are Phones Finally Faltering?
Ken C. Pohlmann  |  Sep 23, 2019
I don't particularly like phones. I do not camp out in front of Apple stores. I use my phone as infrequently as possible, which isn't very often. I leave home without it. I am not a phone guy. Mainly, I disapprove of phones because they are anathema to high-quality audio and video playback.

Continue Reading »
Blu-ray Movie ReviewsUltra HD Blu-ray Movie Reviews
Do The Right Thing
Josef Krebs  |  Sep 20, 2019
Picture
Sound
Extras
Tensions, rivalries, banter, squabbling, self-aggrandizement, and, above all, putdowns add to the hot air on this day in the life of Bedford–Stuyvesant, Brooklyn as the 98 percent Black (down to 70 percent in the last census) community and small mix of Hispanics, Whites, and Asians try to get along during a sweltering summer.
Continue Reading »
Audio Video NewsNew Products
Ausounds Debuts with $150 Wireless Earphones
SV Staff  |  Sep 20, 2019
The latest brand to enter the crowded headphone space is Ausounds, a Wheat Ridge, Colorado-based startup led by CEO Michael Chen that has set out to “design accessible headphones and audio products for music creators and music lovers alike.”
Continue Reading »
Audio Video News
BluOS Is One of First to Integrate Amazon Music HD
SV Staff  |  Sep 19, 2019
NAD/PSB parent company Lenbrook International has announced that its BluOS wireless multiroom platform is one of the first to support the new Amazon Music HD streaming service.
Continue Reading »
Throwback ThursdayVintage Gear
Rare B&W Speakers Anchor Skyfi’s System of the Week
SV Staff  |  Sep 19, 2019
The super-rare Nautilus Signature 800 Edition of B&W’s iconic 800 Series speaker is the star of the show in a “System of the Week” recently featured by New Jersey-based vintage audio specialist Skyfi Audio.
Continue Reading »

Pages

X