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Speaker Buying TipsSpeaker Tech
Just the Facts: Speaker Shopping & Tech Tips
Rob Sabin  |  Oct 25, 2012
Looking for that perfect set of speakers? Before you hit the stores, here’s everything you need to know in a quick-read format. See our Top Picks for Floorstanding and Compact Speakers and Subwoofers.

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Surround Sound System ReviewsStreaming Device ReviewsTower Speaker Reviews
B&W 802 Diamond Speaker System
Thomas J. Norton  |  Oct 25, 2012

802 Diamond Speakers
Performance
Build Quality
Value
 
W DB1 Subwoofer
Performance
Features
Build Quality
Value
Price: $32,000 At A Glance: Clear, sparkling highs • Tight, extended bass • Broad, deep soundstage • Stunning fit and finish

If you’re unfamiliar with the British speaker company Bowers & Wilkins, perhaps that’s because it’s more commonly known simply as B&W. Founded in the mid-1960s by John Bowers and Roy Wilkins, it’s now one of the most respected loudspeaker manufacturers in the world, with products ranging from budget-priced to Olympic.

The 800 Diamond series is the third generation of Bowers & Wilkins’s most sophisticated range, with iconic looks that date back to the late 1990s. The 802 Diamond is one step down in price from the company’s current flagship, the $24,000/pair 800 Diamond. And while B&W’s lower-priced speakers, like most, are manufactured in China, the 800 is built in the company’s facilities in England.

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Wireless Multiroom Speaker Reviews
Review: Logitech UE Smart Radio and Phorus Play-Fi Wireless Speakers
Michael Berk  |  Oct 25, 2012

It's a given that smartphones and tablets are at the heart of today's digital media experience. The latest wave of small, mobile devices provide access to every streaming service under the sun and enough file storage to make not only portable media players, but pretty much every other part of the traditional listening rig obsolete. Big systems are going the way of the dodo - little wireless table radios are where it's at nowadays. Enter the Logitech UE Smart Radio and Phorus' Play-Fi system, two worthy contenders with very different design philosophies.

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SmartStream
Boxee TV to Feature "No Limits" Streaming DVR
Barb Gonzalez  |  Oct 24, 2012
Boxee announced the launch of the Boxee TV that will receive live TV and record it on the system's "No Limits" streaming DVR.
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Audio Video News
Show Report: 2012 Rocky Mountain Audio Fest
Thomas J. Norton  |  Oct 24, 2012
Denver may seem like an odd place for a high-end audio show. As a medium-sized city, you wouldn’t expect it to be a hotbed of passionate audiophiles. But when you add the attendees who drive or fly to the mile-high city to a core of local enthusiasts you have what has become the biggest consumer audio show in the U.S. Last June's Orange County (CA) show reportedly drew bigger crowds (no surprise given the huge Southern California market). But the RMAF appeared to attract more exhibitors.
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Premiere Design
Woo Audio WA-234 Monoblock Headphone Amplifier
Bob Ankosko  |  Oct 24, 2012
This may well be the most regal headphone amp you’ll ever lay eyes on. Make that amps, as in a pair of Class A monoblocks—one per channel—which is how the WA-234 is sold. But its majestic looks and meticulous industrial design (60 sheets of aluminum are used to create those wavy side panels) tell only part of the story.
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AV GlossaryHDTV Tech
Ultra High Definition: What’s in a Name?
Ken C. Pohlmann  |  Oct 24, 2012

“What’s in a name? That which we call a rose. By any other name would smell as sweet.”

Quick! Name the play! It’s Romeo and Juliet, of course. And it’s certainly one of Bill Shakespeare’s best lines, particularly in the way it encapsulates Juliet’s whole Montague/Capulet dilemma.

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Tech2
Better With Age: The Coolest Vintage Gear
Brent Butterworth  |  Oct 24, 2012

Every time I visit Vancouver vintage gear dealer Innovative Audio, I find it difficult to keep my mind focused on anything.

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Other Tech
DLNA Certification: What It Means for Streaming Video
Barb Gonzalez  |  Oct 24, 2012
Digital media streaming has exploded in recent years. It’s everywhere—from sharing digital photos (does anyone print photos anymore?), to streaming a missed TV show on Hulu Plus, to watching high-definition movies on Vudu. Internet and router speeds have increased to accommodate streaming high-quality audio and video. Find out what DLNA certification means and why it's important.
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The S&V Interview
The S+V Interview: Devolver Digital's Nigel Lowrie Talks Hotline Miami
Timothy J. Seppala  |  Oct 23, 2012

Hotline Miami (released today on Steam) is a dark and sordid 16-bit trip through 1989 South Florida and its seedy underbelly. It mixes a retro aesthetic with more violence than you're used to (think last year's cult hit Drive). It plays like earlier entries in the GTA series - but without the tedious driving between missions.

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