LATEST ADDITIONS

Michael Berk  |  Oct 31, 2012

Scottish headphone manufacturer RHA hasn't had much of a stateside presence, but this week marks their arrival in Apple stores, with the MA450i in-ear ($49.95) and SA950i on-ear ($59.95) set to appeal to budget-minded consumers looking to accessorize their iDevices. And appeal they may.

Brent Butterworth  |  Oct 31, 2012

At the Rocky Mountain Audio Fest in Denver earlier this month, I must have visited at least 100 demo rooms and booths. But DEQX impressed me more than any of the scores of headphones, speakers, and electronics I heard.

Michelle McCarthy  |  Oct 30, 2012
Since the goal is to re-create the local cineplex in your living room, you might as well go the whole nine yards and include concessions. What’s a movie-going experience without popcorn? And we’re not talking about the kind you drop in the microwave or shake over an open flame till it expands. We mean the authentic, buttery goodness that is often devoured before the first preview rolls. And there’s an added bonus to popping kernels in the privacy of your home theater: You can always press pause when you need a refill. Here are a few of the best popcorn makers on the market.
Timothy J. Seppala  |  Oct 30, 2012

Criterion Games wants wanted their latest open-world crashathon racer Need for Speed: Most Wanted (out today for PC, PS3, Vita, Xbox 360) to be a more film-like experience. So they hired BAFTA Award nominee Vanesa Lorena Tate to take on audio lead responsibilities. She’s been composing since she was four years old and has worked on such films as Hellboy 2: The Golden Army and two Harry Potter flicks: The Order of the Phoenix and The Deathly Hallows part 2 in addition to Criterion’s last Need for Speed, 2010’s Hot Pursuit.

Mark Smotroff  |  Oct 30, 2012

Neil Young: Psychedelic Pill

What a musical treat 2012 has been so far : new music from XTC's Andy Partridge (via Mike Keneally and Peter Blegvad), three new Guided By Voices albums and now a second new Neil Young album - out today - called Psychedelic Pill.

Michael Antonoff  |  Oct 29, 2012
Ever seen a TV set disco? Retailers see TVs dance off the shelves two or three times a year as manufacturers refresh their lines.

Welcome to the secret language of consumer electronics (CE) retailing. To the public, a set that discos should be mounted on a turntable so that the screen can be swung around by viewing partners from opposite directions. But to those who sell TVs, the term is shorthand for discontinued.

Brent Butterworth  |  Oct 29, 2012

Like wine, sushi, and plumbers, headphones can get a lot more expensive than most people realize. At Sound+Vision, we focus on under-$500 models. But when Dr. Fang Bian, the visionary entrepreneur behind the HiFiMan headphone company, asked if I’d like to try the company’s top-of-the-line, $1,299 HE-6 headphone and its new $1,599 EF-6 headphone amplifier, I thought it’d be a great chance to give our usual listening panel a sample of what only the most devoted and/or wealthy headphone aficionados usually get to hear.

Ken C. Pohlmann  |  Oct 29, 2012

The Beats Pill is another portable stereo speaker launched onto an ocean of portable stereo speakers. But it features cool cosmetics, upscale tech features, and best of all - that unbeatable Beats logo. Alert the hipster audiophiles, stat!

Chris Chiarella  |  Oct 26, 2012
In honor of a certain scary holiday, we present an assortment of new Blu's intended to quicken your pulse in more ways than one.
Barb Gonzalez  |  Oct 26, 2012

Performance
Features
Ergonomics
Value
Price: $200 At A Glance: Bluetooth and IR universal remote control • Lighted extended keyboard • Access live TV and streaming sources in one place • Global search includes live TV

When I decided to review two Google TV media streamers back to back, I thought there would be little difference between them. After all, Google TVs run on an Android platform, and both the Sony Internet Player with Google TV and Vizio’s Co-Star would have most of the same apps— pre-loaded apps or those available through the Google Play Android Market. I was surprised to find that there was more difference than I had expected. Sony knows home theater, and as with its other media streaming devices, low-quality video appears nicely cleaned up for viewing on a big screen. I’ve been unable to get a straight answer from Sony on what’s under the hood that improves the picture. Still, picture quality of identical content is noticeably better with the NSZ-GS7 than its competition.

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