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Bookshelf Speaker Reviews
Klipsch Reference RB-41 II
Brent Butterworth  |  Mar 26, 2013

Usually, a sub-$400/pair minispeaker is part of a manufacturer's entry-level line, but the RB-41 II ($299/pr) is part of Klipsch's Reference line. It uses the horn-loaded tweeter that has been a Klipsch hallmark since the 1940s - in this case, a 1-inch titanium-dome model - and a ceramic/metallic-cone 4-inch woofer in a rear-ported enclosure.

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Bookshelf Speaker Reviews
KEF C3 Bookshelf Speaker
Brent Butterworth  |  Mar 26, 2013

Audio cognoscenti won't recognize the C3 ($350/pr) as a KEF because it doesn't have KEF's trademark concentric tweeter-inside-woofer design. Its 0.75-inch aluminum-dome tweeter sits above its 5.25-inch polypropylene-cone woofer in an 11.4-inch-high front-ported cabinet.

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Bookshelf Speaker Reviews
Hsu Research HB-1 MK2 Bookshelf Speaker
Brent Butterworth  |  Mar 26, 2013

Hsu Research ranks high on home theater enthusiasts' "most favored brands" list, largely because of its high-performance, low-priced subwoofers. Indeed, the HB-1 MK2 ($318/pr) seems to be designed primarily as a home theater bruiser: At 15.4 inches high, it's the largest speaker in this roundup, and its 6.5-inch, polypropylene-cone woofer gives it more bass real estate than any but the Axiom M3v3.

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Bookshelf Speaker Reviews
Axiom Audio M3v3 Bookshelf Speaker
Brent Butterworth  |  Mar 26, 2013
A longtime fave of home theater enthusiasts, Axiom sells its speakers direct through its Web site. The M3v3 ($378/pr) features a 1-inch titanium-dome tweeter and a 6.5-inch aluminum-cone woofer, crossed over at 2.2 kHz and mounted in a rear-ported cabinet. At 13.5 inches high, it's one of the largest speakers in this roundup.
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Vintage Gear
The Grado Phono Cartridge: A Classic Lives On
Steve Guttenberg  |  Mar 26, 2013  |  First Published: Mar 20, 2013
In the days before the CD arrived in 1982, LPs were the format of choice for music lovers. While the turntable played a significant role in determining sound quality, you also needed a great phono cartridge to get the music out of the grooves.
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This Week
This Week in Movies & TV, March 26, 2013: Presidents, Popes, & Prisoners
Josef Krebs  |  Mar 26, 2013
January 1865, with the American Civil War in its fourth year, two months after Abraham Lincoln's re-election, there is much to be done, a nation to be remade in a new form. Lincoln - directed by Steven Spielberg from Tony Kushner's screenplay, based in part on a biography by Doris Kearns Goodwin - depicts the true events confronting the president and his monumental political challenge to amend the United States Constitution to permanently abolish slavery.
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Desktop Speaker Reviews
Review: Audioengine P4
Brent Butterworth  |  Mar 26, 2013

Audioengine is the darling of the desktop audio set, producing mostly small, affordable powered speakers that tend to be used on desks and credenzas. The P4 is the company’s sole passive speaker, with a 0.75-inch silk-dome tweeter, a 4-inch Kevlar-cone woofer, and a front-slotted cabinet. At 9 inches high, it’s the second most compact model in this roundup.

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Soundbar Reviews
Polk SurroundBar 9000 IHT Soundbar
Darryl Wilkinson  |  Mar 26, 2013

Performance
Features
Ergonomics
Value
Price: $800 At A Glance: Learns commands from your TV’s or other remote control • Wireless subwoofer with automatic pairing • Built-in Dolby Digital and DTS decoding

Addicted, as millions of us are, to the near instantaneous gratification of loaded DVRs and streaming services capable of providing lifetimes of mindless entertainment, it’s no surprise that we want speed and simplicity to apply to the entire process of watching TV. In fact, digging the remote control out from under the couch cushions ought to be about the limit of the physical and mental effort involved.

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This Week
This Week in Music, March 26, 2013: Welcome to the “Machines” of the Strokes and Depeche Mode
Ken Richardson  |  Mar 26, 2013

The Strokes: Comedown Machine

New release (RCA)
Photo courtesy of RCA

I had pretty much given up on the Strokes some time ago. The band’s early, early promise just wasn’t bearing fruit anymore. But here we have Comedown Machine, and waddayaknow, things would seem to be looking up.

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This Week
This Week in Music, March 26, 2013: Welcome to the "Machines" of the Strokes and Depeche Mode Page 2
Ken Richardson  |  Mar 26, 2013

The Strokes: Comedown Machine

New release (RCA)
Photo courtesy of RCA

I had pretty much given up on the Strokes some time ago. The band's early, early promise just wasn't bearing fruit anymore. But here we have Comedown Machine, and waddayaknow, things would seem to be looking up.

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