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Audio Video News
It’s Official: Toshiba Exits TV Business in U.S.
Bob Ankosko  |  Feb 02, 2015
In contrast to years past, TVs were in short supply in the Toshiba booth at the recent CES 2015 trade show.

Toshiba will no longer develop and sell TVs in North America as part of a restructuring and will license the TV business to Taiwan’s Compal Electronics. According to a press release issued in Tokyo, Compal will begin delivering Toshiba brand TVs to the North American market in March.

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Headphone ReviewsGrace Notes
Harman/Kardon Soho Wireless Headphones Review
Leslie Shapiro  |  Feb 02, 2015
It’s rare for a product to “wow” me right out of the box. So I surprised myself when I let out an audible “Ohh” as I opened the box containing the Harman/Kardon Soho Wireless headphones. They just oozed class and elegance—in fact, I’m reminded that I had a similar reaction to the Harman/Kardon Esquire Mini Bluetooth speaker. Black leather, stainless steel, and a hefty dose of panache. Could the Soho Wireless possibly sound as good as they look?

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Audio Video NewsTop Picks
2014 Top Picks Of the Year
Rob Sabin  |  Jan 30, 2015
2014 was an interesting year for AV enthusiasts. On the video side, plasma went away, while LCD technology, particularly the edge-lit models, took a leap forward, and OLED grew its presence. In audio, a slew of new competitors went chasing after Sonos in the app-based multiroom audio genre, high-res audio began to emerge from its audiophile obscurity, vinyl continued on its comeback path, Atmos came to the home theater market, and the best soundbars kept on getting better. Read on for our list of the crème de la crème...
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Editor's EyeTrack One
The Top of the Crop
Rob Sabin  |  Jan 30, 2015
And Some Personal Faves…

We’ve just posted our annual Top Picks of the Year list of the best products from among all those we tested in 2014, culled from all the Top Picks named throughout the year in consultation with our staff of reviewers. Even from among this list, though, there are a few that really stand out for me, not just because of their performance but because of what I think they represent in the evolution of our hobby and the AV marketplace. Here are some of my personal highlights...

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SmartStream
Dish Offers "Reverse AutoHop" Ad Skipping Feature for Super Bowl
Barb Gonzalez  |  Jan 29, 2015
Dish Network is offering a special feature for this year’s Super Bowl. Not everyone watching the Super Bowl is a football fan. There have been many years that I’ve been guilty of talking through the game only to stop and watch the commercials. The AutoHop feature on Dish’s Hopper DVR typically skips commercials but has been re-engineered for the Super Bowl game.
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Dolby Atmos Speaker ReviewsSurround Sound System ReviewsTower Speaker Reviews
Definitive Technology Atmos-Enabled BP-8060ST Speaker System Review
Daniel Kumin  |  Jan 29, 2015

Performance
Build Quality
Value
PRICE $5,693

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Awesome potential for clean loudness
Impressive tonal fidelity and finesse
No subwoofer required
Atmos!
Minus
Requires generous spacing and AC power
Connectivity is a bit complex

THE VERDICT
A one-stop, state-of-the-surround loudspeaker solution, especially apt for any who prefer not to accommodate a subwoofer—with the bonus of being Dolby Atmos enabled.

Definitive Technology’s BP-8060ST has remained a highlight of the Baltimore-area maker’s lineup for several years—a dog’s age in the new-and-improved, series-II world of high-end loudspeakers. The longevity suggests that Definitive considers this slim “power tower” a fully evolved design, and indeed it’s hard to argue the point.

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Blu-ray Movie Reviews
Free Fall
Chris Chiarella  |  Jan 29, 2015
Picture
Sound
Extras
After the apparent suicide of a key player at a major investment firm, up-and-coming financier Jane Porter (Sarah Butler, 2010’s remake of I Spit on Your Grave) is racked by grief but also struck by the strange behavior of her bosses. They seem to be increasingly interested in some recent high-level investments, but also in who might know about them. Were more sinister forces at work? And if so, will she be the next employee to meet a sudden end? Tensions mount with the after-hours arrival of the company crisis manager (D.B. Sweeney, looking like Chris Cooper), whose friendly interrogation grows more insistent. The building is locked down for the night with almost no one else inside; Sarah finds herself on the run for her life but is soon trapped inside the elevator, and a twisty game of cat-and-mouse ensues.
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Blu-ray Movie Reviews
Maleficent
Chris Chiarella  |  Jan 29, 2015
Picture
Sound
Extras
Has the iconic villainess of Sleeping Beauty gotten a bum rap all these years? In this grand live-action reimagining of the classic tale, we learn of the longstanding hatred between a human kingdom and a nearby realm of magical beings. Maleficent, the most powerful fairy and their de facto leader, begins life full of wonder, but after she is bitterly betrayed by the only human she ever cared for, she becomes the angry, formidable opponent we thought we knew.
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Ask S&V
What’s the Correct Crossover Setting for My Sub?
Al Griffin  |  Jan 29, 2015
Got a tech question for Sound & Vision? Email us at AskSandV@gmail.com

Q I have owned receivers from Onkyo, Pioneer and Yamaha. With each one, the sound always seemed muddy after I used the auto-calibration function for speaker setup. In my experience, I get much better sound when setting all speaker crossovers to 200 Hz, or the highest available setting. Expert opinions I’ve read on the subject say this is wrong, though I’ve adjusted two friends’ systems in this way and they agree with me that the sound is better. Am I correct? —David Bone

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The S&V Interview
Former BoDeans Vocalist Sam Llanas Owns the Sound of the Night
Mike Mettler  |  Jan 28, 2015
“I’ve always been a fan of records that tastefully use effects to enhance the listening experience,” says Sam Llanas, former vocalist/guitarist for roots-rock pioneers BoDeans, now ensconced in a full-time solo career. Llanas’ distinct vocal tone — which resides somewhere between gravel and grace — has touched the soul of indelible songs like “Closer to Free,” “Feed the Fire,” and “Rickshaw Riding,” and on The Whole Night Thru (Llanas Music), Llanas opens up his palette on deeply personal tracks like “Deja Vu” and “I’m Still Alive” to achieve an even more honest aural identity. “We did decide early on that we would like to make a record that would be engaging on headphones,” he reports. Here, Llanas, 53, and I discuss the importance of equipment choices and microphone placement, how to make a record that hits “hard and fast,” and his favorite BoDeans album. The man is very much still alive and kicking.
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