LATEST ADDITIONS

The S&V Interview
Procol Harum Fuse Sonic Shades of Past & Present With Novum
Mike Mettler  |  Apr 19, 2017
Though “A Whiter Shade Pale” singlehandedly sealed their position in rock history 50 years ago this May, Procol Harum continued to make sonic waves from the late ’60s on into the ’70s. Fast-forward to the present day, where Procol Harum continues to shine brightly as evidenced by the sweet and salty sounds of Novum, out on April 21. I called I called PH vocalist/pianist Gary Brooker across the Pond to discuss the live approach to cutting Novum, the ongoing impact of “A Whiter Shade of Pale,” and why he still likes playing with orchestras.
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Signals
Home Audio Comes Roaring Back
Ken C. Pohlmann  |  Apr 18, 2017
Home audio is poised for a comeback and voice interaction is leading the way.
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Bluetooth Speaker ReviewsWireless Multiroom Speaker Reviews
Adcom Luna Wireless Speaker
Bob Ankosko  |  Apr 18, 2017
Performance
Features
Build Quality
Value
PRICE $599

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Solid build quality
Powered by AC or battery
Integral handle
Minus
Disappointing sound quality
Expensive

THE VERDICT
The Adcom Luna has style and pizzazz but falls short of the competition on sound quality.

Luna is not your father’s Adcom. As the first speaker to bear the familiar red logo, from a relatively recent licensee of the venerable old brand, it has no common heritage with the fine power amplifiers and preamplifiers on which the original company built its name in the ’80s and ’90s, except for its dominant color—black.

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Audio Video News
Survey: Smart Home Adoption, Awareness On the Rise
SV Staff  |  Apr 18, 2017
A growing number of consumers are planning to buy smart home devices in the future as they gain a clearer understanding of how these devices can benefit their lives, according to a consumer survey released today.
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Audio Video News
Researchers Use Infrared to Boost Wi-Fi Speeds
SV Staff  |  Apr 18, 2017
Researchers at Eindhoven University of Technology in the Netherlands have figured out how to use infrared rays to dramatically increase the speed of Wi-Fi while eliminating network congestion.
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A/V Veteran
Rethinking Home Theater's 'Money Seat'
Thomas J. Norton  |  Apr 18, 2017
In two-channel stereo playback, you invariably get the best results with the speakers set up properly—in the same plane and generally between 6- and 10-feet apart. The listening seat is normally at least as far back as the speakers are apart, or somewhat more. They’re set up to fire either straight ahead or toed in—sometimes just a little, sometimes more.

These flexible parameters allow for a wide variation in setups, depending on the speakers themselves, their radiation patterns, the room, the positions of the speakers and the listening seat in the room and, of course, the listener’s preferences. But for a solitary listener there is one fixed goal: the seating position should be dead center between the left and right speakers. This is often referred to as the “money seat,” (ostensibly in honor of the assumed founder of the audio feast). That seat invariably offers the best stereo perspective.

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Audio Video News
THX Joins Streaming Video Alliance to Advance the Online Experience
SV Staff  |  Apr 17, 2017
THX, the company founded in 1983 by filmmaker George Lucas to deliver best-in-class entertainment experiences through technical certification, has joined the Streaming Video Alliance where it will use its experience benchmarking and setting quality standards to advance the quality of streaming.

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Audio Video NewsNew Products
Next Level Acoustics Offers Custom Soundbar Cases
SV Staff  |  Apr 17, 2017
Next Level Acoustics, a Boston-based startup specializing in custom speaker systems, also offers a unique line of custom soundbar enclosures designed to provide “the perfect balance between aesthetics and integration.”
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Audio Video News
RI, DE, MD, and UT Have Fastest Internet in U.S.
SV Staff  |  Apr 17, 2017
How fast is your internet? If you live in Delaware, Maryland, Rhode Island, or Utah, congratulations! Your state is home to some of the country’s fastest internet speeds in the country, according to the Consumer Technology Association’s Innovation Scorecard.
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Audio Video News
New AI-Based Hub Ups the IQ of Smart Homes
SV Staff  |  Apr 14, 2017
San Francisco startup SmartBeings is getting ready to ship WooHoo, the “world’s first” voice-controlled, AI-based smart home hub, a Kickstarter project that beat its $30,000 funding goal by $24,000 in February.
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