LATEST ADDITIONS

December 2017 Top Picks at a Glance

SV Staff | Dec 31, 2017 | First Published: Dec 30, 2017

We reviewed 13 products in December but only eight made the cut. Among them are three exemplary projectors ranging in price from $2,200 to $6,000, a fabulous sounding set of compact speakers with built-in power, excellent planar-magnetic headphones from a classic audio brand, a unique hi-res digital recording system that disciples of vinyl will love, and a separates-based 5.1-channel system that gives you everything you need except a source for just over two grand. As we ring in the New Year, any of these products would be a fine addition to your 2018 AV lineup.

Smart Speaker Reviews Wireless Multiroom Speaker Reviews

Sonos One Wireless Smart Speaker Review

Rob Sabin | Dec 29, 2017

Performance
Features
Ergonomics
Value

PRICE $199

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Typical Sonos build and sound quality
Alexa voice control
Minus
No Bluetooth
No hi-res audio

THE VERDICT
Sonos was slow to deliver a voice-controlled smart speaker, but with integrated Alexa (and Google Assistant arriving soon) in what amounts to a redesigned Play:1, they've created a nearly irresistible, low-cost intro to their wireless ecosystem.

The full impact of the home-based voice-actuated assistant, invented first by Amazon in the guise of Alexa, then followed by Google and now Apple with its Siri-driven HomePod, has yet to be felt. The category has loosely evolved into what we are now calling the "smart speaker," though it is not the speaker, but the microphone (or mic array) in conjunction with a network connection that imbues these devices with their extraordinary power. Sure, the speaker plays music, perhaps the simplest of its voice-controlled functions and (according to a recent study by NPR/Edison Research, the activity a smart speaker is still most frequently used for). But the opportunity presented by an artificially intelligent device that can respond to human language and trigger any number of events in our environment possesses extraordinary potential for transforming our lives. The fact that the most sophisticated of these voice interfaces to date, Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant, are offered in open, licensed platforms and being constantly advanced and promoted by two of the world's richest tech giants, suggests that we are on the verge of an explosion of innovation. The best is yet to come.

Projector Reviews

Epson Home Cinema 4000 4K Enhanced 3LCD Projector Review

Thomas J. Norton | Dec 29, 2017

Performance
Features
Ergonomics
Value

PRICE $2,200

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Good resolution in HD and UHD
Impressive HDR
Low price
Minus
Contrast and black level could be better
Manual HDR/SDR switching

THE VERDICT
The Epson 4000 offers an effective combination of HDR and SDR projection at a price that seemed impossible a year ago.

Native 4K imaging—where the chips display all 8.3 million individual pixels (3840 x 2160) in each frame simultaneously—is still rare in an affordable consumer projector. Currently, the entry price is $5,000, for Sony’s new VPL-VW285ES. But last year, Epson introduced two 3LCD models that use pixel shifting to achieve an apparent resolution close to 4K. The less expensive of the two was the PowerLite Home Cinema 5040UB, still selling, as I write this, for around $2,700. (Its virtual twin, the Pro Cinema 6040UB, was reviewed in the October 2016 Sound & Vision.)

New Products

December 2017 New Gear Part 2

SV Staff | Dec 28, 2017

Electrocompaniet Tana SL-1 Wireless Speaker
Recently introduced to North America, the Tana SL-1 from Norwegian high-end audio maker Electrocompaniet is built to deliver hi-res music over an existing Wi-Fi network. The two-way bass-reflex speaker is housed in a compact 10 x 7 x 7-inch aluminum cabinet along with a 150-watt Class A/B amplifier, 192-kHz/24-bit digital-to-analog converter (DAC), and 32-bit floating-point digital signal processor.

Ask S&V

How Do I Switch Between an AVR and Stereo Amp?

Al Griffin | Dec 28, 2017

Got a tech question for Sound & Vision? Email us at AskSandV@gmail.com

Q I currently use a receiver for watching movies in 5.1 surround and for listening to stereo music. I’d like to expand my system with a dedicated stereo preamplifier and amplifier for music playback but have realized that I would need to switch the cables of my main left/right speakers from the receiver to the amplifier every time I changed over from movies to music. Is there some type of switchbox that would enable such a setup? If so, is there an audiophile-grade version that wouldn’t negatively affect the sound? One more question: Would I be able use my subwoofer with both configurations? —Raphaël Rainville / via e-mail

SmartStream

Best Streaming Devices of 2017

Barb Gonzalez | Dec 27, 2017

This past year has seen the maturing of many features that were formerly only hopeful ideas. Streaming 4K, streaming live broadcast TV, cloud-based DVRs, and voice control are all readily available.

Soundbar Reviews

Paradigm PW Soundbar Review

Michael Trei | Dec 27, 2017

Performance
Features
Ergonomics
Value

PRICE $1,299

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Wide array of wired and wireless connections, including Play-Fi
Room correction with included microphone
Wireless subwoofer connection
Minus
Confusing and non-intuitive setup
Soft-sounding highs

THE VERDICT
Paradigm’s PW Soundbar ticks a lot of boxes with its long list of desirable features, but its complicated wireless setup and ergonomic difficulties make it frustrating to use.

Consolidation is one of those things that can be either a good deal or a bad deal, depending on the context. For example, with big corporations, consolidation often means less competition, which can be a bummer for the consumer. Just ask the guy who pays through the nose for 2,000 cable channels he’ll never watch, or the guy who has tried to make a mini-sized bag of peanuts last through a six-hour transcontinental flight on one of the four remaining major U.S. airlines. But when it comes to consumer electronics, consolidation can be a wonderful thing.

Bluetooth Speaker Reviews Bookshelf Speaker Reviews

Klipsch The Sixes Powered Speaker System Review

Bob Ankosko | Dec 27, 2017

Performance
Features
Build Quality
Value

PRICE $799

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Solid build quality
Handsome fit and finish
Easy setup
Good overall sound quality with bountiful bass
Minus
No Wi-Fi streaming
No tone controls
Disappointing phono preamp

THE VERDICT
Klipsch’s beautifully crafted Sixes deliver fine sound with the bonus of onboard power, but vinyl playback is shortchanged by its pedestrian phono preamp.

I’ve been talking about pulling my old turntable out of mothballs since I moved to my current home, oh…20 years ago. Which is why I jumped at the chance when asked if I had any interest in auditioning The Sixes, the latest entry in Klipsch’s Heritage Wireless series and big brother to The Three, the superb all-in-one wireless music system we reviewed in May. I know what you’re thinking: What does reviewing speakers have to do with setting up a turntable? Bear with me.

Audio Video News

Dirac Announces Next-Gen Room-Correction System

SV Staff | Dec 26, 2017

Dirac Research, the Swedish company specializing in sound optimization technology, has announced that it will demonstrate several major updates to its acclaimed Dirac Live room-correction platform at CES 2018, which kicks off in Las Vegas on January 9.

Signals

What My Treasured Watch and Audio Have in Common

Ken C. Pohlmann | Dec 26, 2017

I was late to class that morning. So I was a bit over the speed limit, astride my trusty BMW R50/2 motorcycle, heading into town and onto campus. I spotted something shiny lying in the middle of the highway. No time to explore — I was late. But on the way home that night, my weak headlight (6-volt, you know) saw that glimmer again, now on the side of the highway. I braked and circled back...

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