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Projector ReviewsProjection Screen ReviewsSmart Speaker ReviewsSoundbar ReviewsStreaming Device Reviews
Valerion VisionMaster Pro 2 Projector: Hypestyle, Lifestyle, Worthwhile?
Michael Hamilton  |  Jul 18, 2025
Performance
Features
Ergonomics
Value
PRICE $2999

AT A GLANCE
Plus

  • RGB triple-laser light engine capable of impressive light output
  • Best uncalibrated performance tilts in the Dolby Vision direction
  • Supports Dolby Vision, HDR10+, HLG, and IMAX Enhanced
  • Supports Dynamic Tone Mapping
  • Low-latency gaming lag eliminates poor player excuses
  • Motorized auto-focus on par with a CIA satellite
  • Well-made and virtually silent when operating
Minus
  • Calibrated (or uncalibrated) color adjustments vary constantly
  • Lacking lens shift, keystone-free placement requires SpaceX precision
  • Laser speckle and faint rainbowing are detectable on multiple screen surfaces
  • Frequently referred to as a "Long Throw" projector. Well, uh, about that
  • Enough chrome trim to make a '57 Chevy Bel Air envious
  • Ambitious feature set outpaces and outprices most Lifestyle PJs
  • Remote lacks a single-button menu "exit"

THE VERDICT
For what (and how) Valerion markets the VisionMaster Pro 2 as being, its stability-challenged color reproduction, as detailed in the review, for me, neuters its attributes and aspirations. Its hang tag price is nearly double the amount required of consumers who might otherwise pause and ponder a casual lifestyle projector purchase from competitors.

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Ultra HD Blu-ray Movie Reviews
Summer in Steel
Chris Chiarella  |  Jul 18, 2025
The hot weather’s here: Skip the beach and catch a cool wave of new SteelBooks instead. No pesky sand, seaweed or seagulls, just a refreshing splash of movies and TV, mostly in 4K and all in distinctively designed, collectible metal cases that are cooler than an icy tallboy straight out of the Yeti.
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Soundbar Reviews
KEF Launches XIO Soundbar with 5.1.2 Spatial Audio
Mark Henninger  |  Jul 06, 2025
KEF has unveiled the XIO Soundbar ($2500), a 5.1.2-channel all-in-one system designed to bring the company’s HiFi pedigree to a living room-friendly surround-sound system. With 12 Class D amps delivering a combined 820W of power and support for Dolby Atmos, DTS:X, Sony 360 Reality Audio, and AirPlay Spatial Audio, the XIO is engineered to turn flat-panel TV sound into full-scale immersive playback.
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Headphone Reviews
Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3 Headphones Review
Mark Henninger  |  Jul 04, 2025

Performance
Features
Ergonomics
Value
PRICE $449

AT A GLANCE
Comfortable fit
Excellent sound
Physical button controls
Travel case
3.5mm adapter cable included

THE VERDICT
The S3 delivers 30-hour battery life, cutting-edge Bluetooth technology, and useful personalization while maintaining B&W's signature refined sound and premium feel. The combination of comfort, build quality, and features make these some of the best wireless headphones you can buy.

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New Products
Nothing and KEF Launch Co‑Branded Headphone (1)
Mark Henninger  |  Jul 02, 2025
Nothing and KEF have announced the release of Headphone (1), an over‑ear wireless headphone made possible by their new partnership. It is Nothing's first full‑size headphone and the first product in the "Sound by KEF" line.
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Ultra HD Blu-ray Movie Reviews
Jaws Turns 50
Chris Chiarella  |  Jul 01, 2025
Seems like only five years ago we were celebrating Jaws’ 45th anniversary, and now it’s officially golden. Yes, we’re still talking about Steven Spielberg’s adaptation of Peter Benchley’s novel half a century later, simply because it’s that good: It still thrills. It still scares. It still makes us laugh. OG fans re-watch it and generations of first-timers are newly enthralled.
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Ultra HD Blu-ray Movie Reviews
Dark City 4K Limited Edition Review
Chris Chiarella  |  Jun 29, 2025
Dark City
Picture
Sound
Extras

There's a pretty nifty mystery at the heart of Dark City so I'll tread lightly in my plot summary. Alex Proyas' film draws largely from science fiction tales before it, most notably The Matrix and Blade Runner, yet giving us something uniquely his. We meet our hero, John Murdoch (if that is his real name) unconscious in a bathtub with no memory of how he got there. He soon finds himself in a world of trouble and on the run in an oddly old-fashioned city where the sun never shines. Everyone he meets in his quest for the truth behind his increasingly bizarre predicament is a little bit sus, making curious little comments that tease the brain but ultimately make sense when all is revealed.

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Music Reviews
Fleetwood Mac’s 1975 to 1987 6LP Collection, Mobile Fidelity’s Mirage and Tango in the Night 180g 45rpm 2LP Sets
Mike Mettler  |  Jun 28, 2025

Summertime, and the listening’s easy . . . or something like that. What better way to get into the listening swing of thing by checking out some choice Fleetwood Mac reissues—namely, their 1975 to 1987 6LP/5CD collection and Mobile Fidelity’s 180 45rpm 2LP remastered upgrades of Mirage and Tango in the Night. Read music editor Mike Mettler’s in-depth review of each of these mighty Mac offerings to see which one(s) you need in your collection ASAP. . .

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Power Amplifier ReviewsSurround Processor Reviews
Command Central: Marantz’s AV 20 and AMP 20 Japan-Built AV Separates Review
Tom Norton  |  Jun 28, 2025  |  First Published: Jun 25, 2025

Performance
Features
Ergonomics
Value
PRICE
AV 20 Preamplifier: $6,000
AMP 20 Power Amplifier: $6,000

AT A GLANCE
AMP 20 power amplifier
- 200 watts of power per channel
- Bi Amp and Bridging options
- AV 20 Preamplifier
- Incredibly Flexible Setup Options
- Audyssey and (extra cost) Dirac room correction
- HEOS multi room/streaming

THE VERDICT
A do-it-all preamp + 12 channel amp combo (available and usable separately) that can accommodate virtually any system and desired setup. But using it to its fullest capabilities does entail a significant learning curve.

Home theater separates don't always get the attention they deserve. Two channel only audiophiles rarely give them a glance, much less serious consideration.

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Ultra HD Blu-ray Movie Reviews
Drop 4K Blu-ray Review
Ralph C. Potts  |  Jun 27, 2025
Drop
Picture
Sound
Extras

Drop tells the story of Violet, a widowed mother who has worked up the courage to go on her first date in years with a charming photographer named Henry, whom she has never met in person and only known through social media. The couple's instant chemistry is rudely interrupted by a series of anonymous drops to Violet's phone, giving her instructions that she must follow to the letter. The messages make it clear that if Violet fails to do as instructed, her loved ones will die. Her unseen tormentor's final directive? Kill Henry.

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