LATEST ADDITIONS

The S&V Interview
Tommy Shaw on Mixing Styx’s ‘The Mission’ in 5.1
Mike Mettler  |  Sep 26, 2018
Some long-gestating sonic missions are simply worth the wait. Case in point: Styx’s June 2017 studio concept album The Mission (Alpha Dog 2T/UMe), which recently entered into the 5.1 stratosphere via the 24-bit/96kHz surround sound mix found on the just-released two-disc CD + Blu-ray Edition of the album. As good and enveloping as The Mission sounds in stereo, it sounds even better in its hi-res 5.1 mix — and that’s due in no small part to the creative synergy between the record’s three chief sonic architects: Styx guitarist/vocalist Tommy Shaw, producer/guitarist/vocalist Will Evankovich (Shaw-Blades, The Guess Who), and producer/engineer Jim Scott (Tom Petty, Wilco, Dixie Chicks). I spoke with Shaw and Evankovich to delve into the making of the surround sound mix of The Mission.
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Audio Video News
Sony A9F OLED Crowned ‘King of TV’ at 2018 Shootout
SV Staff  |  Sep 26, 2018
Sony’s new XBR-65A9F 4K/Ultra HD OLED TV was declared the reigning “King of TV” by a panel of expert judges and video enthusiasts at the 14th Annual TV Shootout hosted by Scarsdale, NY-based AV retailer Value Electronics.
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Signals
Sony's Aspirational Audio Player
Ken C. Pohlmann  |  Sep 25, 2018
Rolex, Tiffany, Ferrari. And now, Sony.

Depending on your point of view, Sony is doing something wonderful, or deplorable. Either way, I'm sure the Internet will be outraged.

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Audio Video NewsNew Products
Klipsch Updates the Klipschorn — the Speaker that Started it All
SV Staff  |  Sep 25, 2018
Klipsch had updated the iconic Klipschorn, the first speaker founder Paul W. Klipsch designed and built in 1946-47 and the “only speaker in the world to be in continuous production (and remain relatively unchanged) for more than 70 years.”
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Projector Buying TipsAudio Video News
Ultra-Short-Throw Projectors and Ambient-Light Rejecting Screens: Perfect Together?
SV Staff  |  Sep 24, 2018
All illustrations courtesy of Elite Screens.

You might think so. But Elite Screens’ Dave Rodgers says not so fast. It wouldn’t be wise to automatically assume that any ambient-light rejecting (ALR) screen is the best choice for ultra-show-throw (UST) projectors like the Hisense Laser TV system Al Griffin reviewed earlier this year or Sony’s extravagant VPL-VZ1000ES.

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Audio Video NewsNew Products
Sony Announces PlayStation Classic for the Holidays
SV Staff  |  Sep 24, 2018
If you’re a planner who’s already started thinking about gifts for the holidays, here’s a cool one to consider.
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Grace Notes
True-Fi Headphone Calibration Software More Popular than Ever
Leslie Shapiro  |  Sep 24, 2018
Ever get a pair of headphones that you love for their style or comfort, but you’re just not in love with the sound profile? Sonarworks True-Fi makes it easier than ever to get “reference” studio-quality sound for over 200 headphone models.

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3D Blu-ray Movie Reviews
Beyond the Arthouse
Chris Chiarella  |  Sep 21, 2018
The monthly announcements of upcoming Criterion releases often list films I can’t pronounce, let alone recognize. But in truth, the esteemed specialty label splits its attention between lesser- known cinema and popular movies, and this recent Blu-ray menagerie holds a pair of Oscar-winners, an enduring 1985 hit, and a singular genre classic.
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Audio Video News
Best Audio Gear of the Year (So Far)
SV Staff  |  Sep 21, 2018
As summer gives way to fall, it’s a great time to take stock of the audio goodness bestowed upon us in the form of 25 top performing audio products we have reviewed so far this year — all recipients of Sound & Vision’s prestigious Top Pick designation. In the following pages we offer plenty to chew on: eight speakers systems, five AV receivers, three subwoofers, three amplifiers, two soundbars, two music players, a music server, and a turntable. In other words, there’s something for everyone.
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Ask S&V
Can I Get High-Def Via a Component Connection to My Legacy AVR?
Al Griffin  |  Sep 21, 2018
Got a tech question for Sound & Vision? Email us at AskSandV@gmail.com

Q I would like to use an Oppo BDP-93 as the Blu-ray player in my system connected to an Arcam AVR350 A/V receiver. Since the Arcam is a legacy AVR with no HDMI switching, I will need to use the Oppo’s component video output. Here’s my question: Will I be able to get high-definition resolution from Blu-ray discs with this setup? I have read that Blu-rays have embedded ICT (Image Constraint Token), which forces the player to downscale the video resolution to DVD quality. Also, are there any workarounds, like using an Oppo player with early (pre-ICT) firmware? —Lisa Kaye, via email

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