LATEST ADDITIONS

AV Receiver Reviews
Denon AVR-X1200W A/V Receiver Review
Mark Fleischmann  |  Nov 20, 2015

Performance
Performance
Features
Ergonomics
Value
PRICE $599

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Dolby Atmos and DTS:X on board
HDMI 2.0a with HDR video
Audyssey MultEQ XT room correction
Minus
Like other seven-channel AVRs, just two Atmos height channels
Remote volume keys undernourished

THE VERDICT
Triple wireless connectivity and excellent room correction may lure more listeners to this top-performing budget receiver than its limited 5.1.2 Dolby Atmos and DTS:X capabilities will.

The Denon AVR-X1200W is among a growing trickle of receivers that name-check DTS:X surround sound. By the time you read this, it might even be operational.

For every one of Dolby’s home surround standards, there has been a DTS equivalent. The competition began in the mid 1990s, when Dolby Digital and DTS first went head to head on laserdisc, with DVD following soon after. Dolby then added back-surround channels for Dolby Digital EX; DTS responded with DTS-ES. Dolby upgraded to lossless encoding with Dolby TrueHD; DTS shot back with DTS-HD Master Audio. Object-oriented surround—which uses metadata to map objects in a dome-shaped soundfield—is no different. In response to Dolby Atmos, which has just begun infiltrating surround receivers, DTS offers DTS:X. This is a transitional time, and you’ll find some models supporting Atmos without supporting DTS’s answer. Others are “DTS:X ready,” but not yet functional as they await the release of new firmware.

Continue Reading »
Audio Video News
Video: Mixing Mad Max in Dolby Atmos
SV Staff  |  Nov 20, 2015
The War Rig is racing down Fury Road through the apocalyptic wasteland in Mad Max:Fury Road and you feel like you’re along for the ride. The expansive soundtrack pulls you deep into the action. You start to fear for your life.
Continue Reading »
Audio Video News
Live TV Is Still First Choice
Mark Fleischmann  |  Nov 19, 2015
One-third of viewers casting around for something to watch still make live TV their first port of call, said a Hub Entertainment study. However, that’s down from 50 percent in 2013, and Netflix is making inroads among younger viewers. Millennials prefer live TV to Netflix by just 33 to 31 percent. And those 16 to 24 prefer Netflix over live TV by 40 to 26 percent.
Audio Video News
Throwback Thursday: Remember HD DVD?
Bob Ankosko  |  Nov 19, 2015
Nothing quite like a good old format war. Ten years ago this month we reported on Toshiba’s decision to postpone the U.S. launch of HD DVD from December 2005 to early 2006.

Continue Reading »
Editor's Eye
Why Hi-Res Audio Will Succeed
Rob Sabin  |  Nov 19, 2015
High-Resolution Audio is inevitable as audio catches up with the quality standards of our time
Continue Reading »
Audio Video News
Peel Smart Remote App Adds Streaming Video
SV Staff  |  Nov 19, 2015
Peel, maker of the Peel Smart Remote app that turns an iOS or Android smartphone into a universal remote control, has announced a revamped version of its Android app that provides access to Netflix, Hulu, and YouTube and allows users to switch back and forth between traditional linear TV and streaming services.
Continue Reading »
Ask S&V
Can I Avoid Using the Apple TV’s HDMI Output for Audio?
Al Griffin  |  Nov 18, 2015
Got a tech question for Sound & Vision? Email us at AskSandV@gmail.com

Q I’m using an older A/V receiver in my home theater to connect the optical digital audio outputs from a Fios TV box, OPPO Blu-ray player, and Gen-2 Apple TV. I want to upgrade to the new Apple TV, but it only has an HDMI output and no optical digital audio connection. Here’s my question: Are there any optical-to-HDMI audio converters that will let me keep using the same receiver in my setup? —Lavern Lee

Continue Reading »
SmartStream
Apple TV 2015 Review
Barb Gonzalez  |  Nov 18, 2015
The fourth generation Apple TV finally brings true apps to your TV but doesn't offer 4K. Still, new features may make it your top choice among the new media streamers.
Continue Reading »
Subwoofer Reviews
Artison RCC Nano 1 Subwoofer Review
Daniel Kumin  |  Nov 18, 2015
Performance
Features
Build Quality
Value
PRICE $999

AT A GLANCE
Plus
True bass from truly tiny sub
Highly flexible setup, including wireless option
Beautifully made and finished
Minus
Finite upper-volume limits
Display too small to discern easily

THE VERDICT
If you demand real bass from a really small subwoofer (and you have $1,000 to pay for it), Artison’s got your micro-sub.

Ever since the first hominid bashed another hominid over the head (with the femur of a third hominid), humankind has pursued one arms race or another. From the atlatl to the AR-15, man’s competitive genius always finds a way to up the ante. One rather more constructive expression of this innate drive can be seen in the long-standing contest to extract more and more bass out of smaller and smaller boxes.

Continue Reading »
The Connected Life
3 Things You Can Do to Get Bigger, Better Bass
John Sciacca  |  Nov 18, 2015
When you consider that subwoofers cover a scant 0.3 percent of the audible spectrum—from 20 to 80 Hz—it might be easy to discount just how important bass is to solid audio playback. I mean, who would complain about having a solid 99.7 percent, right? But when you take those crucial two octaves away, everything else sounds thin and diminished, showing just how important a solid low-end foundation is for your audio playback system.

Continue Reading »

Pages

X