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Top Picks
2013 Top Picks of the Year
Rob Sabin  |  Jan 29, 2014
Here’s a happy problem: Following the merge of Sound & Vision and Home Theater last year, selecting our 2013 Top Picks of the Year involved culling through more than 120 products that had been granted HT Top Pick or S&V Certified status—13 issues’ worth, plus dedicated online reviews. While it was still easy to pluck out the stuff that really rose to the top, the end result was more standouts than usual. You’ll find several recommendable entries equally sharing the various category honors this year. Of course, we’ve still identified a single, very special piece of gear as our ultimate Top Pick of 2013. Care to take a guess?
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Vote
What Was the Most Compelling TV Story of CES?
SV Staff  |  Jan 27, 2014
Home entertainment has been the mainstay of CES since the show began more than 40 years ago and the 2014 event was no exception as television grabbed more than its fair share of headlines. In particular, 4K/Ultra HD TVs capable of displaying images with four times the resolution of standard HDTV made a big splash with virtually every major brand and many lesser-known brands rolling out Ultra HD smart TVs in screens sizes ranging from 50 to 110 inches. But there was plenty of other TV news, leading us to this week’s question: “What Was the Most Compelling TV Story of 2014 CES?”

If you need a quick refresher, here are links to some of the big TV stories:

Cast your vote and, by all means, expound on your selection in Comments.
What Was the Most Compelling TV Story of CES?
The explosion of 4K/Ultra HD TVs, which were introduced by virtually every brand
19% (72 votes)
The explosion of “smart TVs”—sets with built-in Internet capabilities and new user interfaces
1% (2 votes)
Sony’s introduction of its first consumer 4K camcorder
2% (7 votes)
The announcement that Netflix will begin streaming 4K content
9% (34 votes)
Samsung’s announcement of a 110-inch Ultra HD TV (that will sell for $150,000)
1% (2 votes)
Dolby’s demonstration of a glasses-free 3D system in which 3D depth can be adjusted
2% (7 votes)
LG’s announcement of a 77-inch hybrid OLED/Ultra HD TV
17% (62 votes)
TV makers embracing curved screens for many of their new 4K/Ultra HD TVs
0% (1 vote)
Sets designed for high dynamic range, or “HDR,” which aims to replicate the real-world “pop” of bright areas in an image
13% (49 votes)
The lack of OLED TVs and the fact that OLED took a (way) backseat to Ultra HD
29% (109 votes)
When hotshot Hollywood director Michael Bay walked off stage at a Samsung press conference when the teleprompter failed
5% (17 votes)
Other (please tell us what we missed in Comments)
3% (12 votes)
Total votes: 374
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Bluetooth Speaker Reviews
Soundmatters DASHa: A Kindle-Specific Bluetooth Speaker
Leslie Shapiro  |  Jan 26, 2014
As a non-iPhone user, the preponderance of iPod-ready devices gets a bit old. I’m over it. So it was a welcome relief when Soundmatters announced the DASHa, a Kindle-ready version of their very popular (and rightly so) DASH7 Bluetooth speaker. The DASHa is “Certified Made for Kindle” and it only comes in a matte black finish that matches the Kindle. It’s currently only available through Amazon, although other Kindle distributors might be added. It is compatible with Kindle Fire HD and Kindle Fire HDX.

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4K TV ReviewsLCD TV Reviews
Samsung UN65F9000 3D LCD/LED Ultra HDTV
Thomas J. Norton  |  Jan 24, 2014

2D Performance
3D Performance
Features
Ergonomics
Value
PRICE $5,000

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Accurate color
Excellent resolution
Good black level and shadow detail
Minus
Expensive
No full-array backlight

THE VERDICT
As with all of the new Ultra HD sets, the Samsung might not give you everything that the future of the technology will throw at it, but for now it’s an exceptional performer.

With a resolution of 3840 x 2160—four times as many pixels as in standard HD—Samsung’s UN65F9000 is one of the first so-called Ultra HD sets to hit the market and the company’s first such TV at 65 inches.

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HDTV Buying TipsHDTV Tech
How Smart Are Current Smart TVs?
Al Griffin  |  Jan 24, 2014
There’s no doubt that Smart TVs have been getting smarter. While the earliest Smart TVs were limited to streaming movies and basic Web browsing, today’s models may encompass voice or gesture commands, the ability to “throw” your favorite photos to the screen from your smartphone, facial recognition for customized user menus, or even the ability to recommend shows based on your past viewing.
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Tech2
Torque App and Parrot Asteroid Together
Geoffrey Morrison  |  Jan 24, 2014  |  First Published: Jan 23, 2014
This is a bit of an odd review. This is a review of two products I’ve already reviewed.

What’s cool is these two products are finally together, and they really deserved to be together.

One is an in-dash entertainment system, the other is a cool automotive data app. Together they’re awesome.

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AV Receiver Reviews
Harman/Kardon AVR 3700 AV Receiver
Daniel Kumin  |  Jan 23, 2014

Audio Performance
Video Performance
Features
Ergonomics
Value
PRICE $1,000

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Powerful yet lightweight
Fast, HD onscreen menus
Built-in Wi-Fi
Minus
Limited audio streaming formats
Unfriendly DLNA streaming navigation
Surround-mode selection a bit clunky

THE VERDICT
A highly competitive audio and video performer in the kilobuck range, H/K’s AVR 3700 should do any home theater justice.

Harman/Kardon is among the quartet of major brands of American audio launched following World War II. (McIntosh, Marantz, and Sherwood are the others.) It’s further distinguished as the only one continuously retained by its owners as a U.S. company—though H/K today is just one brand of the sprawling Harman International empire. (History sidebar: During the Carter presidency, H/K was sold to Beatrice Foods while founder Sidney Harman served as Carter’s Under Secretary of Commerce; Harman then reacquired the company.)

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3D Blu-ray Movie ReviewsBlu-ray Movie Reviews
Monsters University
Chris Chiarella  |  Jan 23, 2014
Picture
3D-ness
Sound
Extras
Interactivity
Ever wonder how Monsters, Inc.’s Mike and Sully met? Me neither, since their friendship is so well defined in that vastly superior original film. But Monsters University takes us back to their college days anyway, when the optimistic Mr. Wozanski and the cocky Mr. Sullivan first crossed paths. Since childhood, the bookish, hardworking Mike has dreamed of becoming the greatest scarer ever, but after a disastrous first semester, he must win the campus Scare Games if he’s to have any hope of continuing his education. That means teaming up with a ragtag bunch of underdogs—and with Sully, who is rather a shallow jerk before he learns to play nice. This prequel is fraught with clichés and soon feels too darned long. As we used to say back when I was in school, that’s a bummer.
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New ProductsPremiere Design
McIntosh MA8000 Integrated Amplifier
Bob Ankosko  |  Jan 23, 2014
The audio world has undergone dramatic change since stacks of McIntosh amplifiers powered the iconic Woodstock Festival in 1969. One thing that hasn’t changed much is the signature VU meter that’s become synonymous with McIntosh Labs, which has been making high-performance audio gear since 1949 when Frank McIntosh set out to build a better amplifier. His legacy lives on behind the glowing meters that adorn the elegant glass faceplate of Mac’s latest masterpiece, the MA8000 integrated amplifier.
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New Products
Benchmark THX Amp Tech Bears Fruit
Mark Fleischmann  |  Jan 23, 2014
The Benchmark AHB2 is the first power amplifier to use energy-efficient technology developed by THX. The two-channel amp is rated at 100 watts per channel into 8 ohms, 170 watts into 4 ohms, or 340 watts into 8 ohms with vanishing low total harmonic distortion of less than 0.00013 percent at 1 kilohertz. “Benchmark is a great partner to roll out THX’s patented all-analog amplifier technology,” says Laurie Fincham, THX senior VP and audio éminence grise. It uses low-profile components to achieve high-power amplification and, if THX’s hopes are fulfilled, may be used in audio/video receivers, TVs, powered speakers, car systems, and handheld devices.

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