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Ask S&V
Can I Split Audio From Video via Bluetooth?
Al Griffin  |  Feb 05, 2015
Got a tech question for Sound & Vision? Email us at AskSandV@gmail.com

Q Is it possible to mirror videos (YouTube or Netflix) from my iPad to my Panasonic Viera TV while simultaneously using Bluetooth to send the audio to my receiver? —John Geloso

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Headphone Reviews
HiFiMan HE-560 Headphone Review
Steve Guttenberg  |  Feb 05, 2015

Performance
Features
Comfort
Value
PRICE $899

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Transparency to die for
Planar magnetic drivers
Lighter and more comfy than most planar headphones
Minus
A stay-at-home headphone

THE VERDICT
HiFiMan’s heavily revised planar magnetic headphones take the sound closer to the ever-elusive goal of reproducing reality.

The very first planar magnetic headphone I heard was a HiFiMan HE-5. That was five years ago. As luck would have it, I had just finished a series of flagship headphone reviews from nearly every major manufacturer, but it was the HE-5 that made a lasting impression. While it wasn’t the most transparent or dynamic, or best imaging, it was the one I kept returning to. The key was balance; it just sounded more “right” than the others. Oh, it was also significantly less expensive than any of the other top-of-the-line models. All of the brands have stepped up their game over the last few years, and now HiFiMan has completely redesigned its planars as well. If you haven’t heard a high-end headphone in years, this would be a great time to check out what’s going on.

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SmartStream
Amazon Adds Spotify Control & More to Echo, the Talking Speaker
Barb Gonzalez  |  Feb 04, 2015
Amazon updates its Echo intelligent speaker with Bluetooth music controls, a much-needed iOS app, and a few fun features.
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Blu-ray Movie Reviews
Sex Tape
Anthony Chiarella  |  Feb 04, 2015
Picture
Sound
Extras
Jay (Jason Segel) and Annie (Cameron Diaz) have lost the spark. The couple’s college sexcapades are a distant memory, as marriage and children have snuffed their sex drive… until, fueled by tequila shots, they decide to make a three-hour porno wherein they attempt every position in the classic handbook, The Joy of Sex. When Jay saves their video to his iPad, however, he mistakenly sends it to friends and family, then spends the remainder of the film trying to reverse his mistake. Jake Kasdan, who directed Diaz and Segel in Bad Teacher, completes the Power Trio here.
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3D Blu-ray Movie ReviewsBlu-ray Movie Reviews
Live Die Repeat
David Vaughn  |  Feb 04, 2015
Picture
3D-ness
Sound
Extras
Although he’s never seen combat, Major William Cage crosses the wrong general and finds himself on the front lines of a D-Day-like battle in France where he stands no chance of survival against an onslaught of ridiculously superior alien invaders. Within minutes of landing on the beach, he’s killed by one of those aliens, but instead of heading toward a white light, he instantly wakes up the day before the attack, and now he is destined to live that day over and over. In lieu of becoming alien fodder again, he hooks up with a heroic Special Forces warrior, and they hatch a plan to get Cage trained for battle and embark on a journey to rid the planet of the aliens for good.
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New Products
February 2015 New Gear
Bob Ankosko  |  Feb 03, 2015
A swiveling TV pedestal, stand-alone Atmos-enabled speaker, tiny subwoofer, and more...
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Audio Video News
Will Tablets Kill TVs?
Mark Fleischmann  |  Feb 03, 2015
Until now, strong tablet sales and weak TV sales have suggested a massive shift from TVs to tablets. But a slowdown in tablet sales may bring the two categories into a different balance.
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Audio Video News
It’s Official: Toshiba Exits TV Business in U.S.
Bob Ankosko  |  Feb 02, 2015
In contrast to years past, TVs were in short supply in the Toshiba booth at the recent CES 2015 trade show.

Toshiba will no longer develop and sell TVs in North America as part of a restructuring and will license the TV business to Taiwan’s Compal Electronics. According to a press release issued in Tokyo, Compal will begin delivering Toshiba brand TVs to the North American market in March.

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Headphone ReviewsGrace Notes
Harman/Kardon Soho Wireless Headphones Review
Leslie Shapiro  |  Feb 02, 2015
It’s rare for a product to “wow” me right out of the box. So I surprised myself when I let out an audible “Ohh” as I opened the box containing the Harman/Kardon Soho Wireless headphones. They just oozed class and elegance—in fact, I’m reminded that I had a similar reaction to the Harman/Kardon Esquire Mini Bluetooth speaker. Black leather, stainless steel, and a hefty dose of panache. Could the Soho Wireless possibly sound as good as they look?

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Audio Video NewsTop Picks
2014 Top Picks Of the Year
Rob Sabin  |  Jan 30, 2015
2014 was an interesting year for AV enthusiasts. On the video side, plasma went away, while LCD technology, particularly the edge-lit models, took a leap forward, and OLED grew its presence. In audio, a slew of new competitors went chasing after Sonos in the app-based multiroom audio genre, high-res audio began to emerge from its audiophile obscurity, vinyl continued on its comeback path, Atmos came to the home theater market, and the best soundbars kept on getting better. Read on for our list of the crème de la crème...
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