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What Kind of Outdoor Music Setup Do You Have?
SV Staff  |  Jun 02, 2014
Summertime is just around the corner even if it feels like it has already arrived in some parts of the country. Backyard barbecues, lazy afternoons, pool parties…listening to your favorite tunes on the patio or deck. All of which leads us to this week’s question. Which of the selections below best describes your outdoor audio setup? Leave a comment and tell us how you bring music to the great outdoors.
What Kind of Outdoor Music Setup Do You Have?
I just move my indoor speakers to the window and crank ‘em up.
7% (19 votes)
I run wires from an indoor stereo to the patio/deck and hook up a pair of speakers.
9% (23 votes)
I bring my battery-powered Bluetooth speaker outside and stream music from my phone.
14% (36 votes)
I put my Sonos (or Sonos-like) speaker on the patio/deck and stream music from Pandora (or another other Internet music site).
10% (26 votes)
I have a set of hard-wired weatherproof speakers mounted outside (under the eaves, etc.)
36% (94 votes)
I have weatherproof speakers hidden in the landscaping.
8% (20 votes)
I have weatherproof speakers and an in-ground subwoofer hidden in the landscaping.
7% (19 votes)
I don’t need no stinkin’ speakers — I listen to my iPod/MP3 player through earbuds/headphones.
8% (21 votes)
Total votes: 258
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Speaker Setup
The Cabinet & the Subwoofer
Darryl Wilkinson  |  May 30, 2014
I’m in the interesting position of telling you how to do something with a subwoofer that you shouldn’t do. No, it’s not illegal. But in the ears of those for whom sound quality is more important than ergonomics, décor, and/or domestic tranquility, it’s definitely heretical.
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Blu-ray Movie Reviews
Thief
Chris Chiarella  |  May 30, 2014
Picture
Sound
Extras
Interactivity
Michael Mann’s feature film directing debut, this rough-hewn caper drama fairly throbs with energy, thanks in large part to the inspired use of a Tangerine Dream musical score. Criminal or not, Frank (James Caan) is pretty difficult to like, but he’s a total professional, so naturally the Chicago mob wants to own him. They underestimated Frank, however, and his rage erupts stylishly in this unrated director’s cut.
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Audio Video News
TCL Launches Roku-Ready 3600 TV Series
SV Staff  |  May 30, 2014
Chinese consumer electronics giant TCL (The Creative Life) today announced the 3600 Series of 720p LED/LCD TVs, which kicks off with 32- and 39-inch special edition models endorsed by professional surfer Erica Hosseini.
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New Products
May 2014 New Gear
SV Staff  |  May 29, 2014
An amazing stretchable soundbar, a Wi-Fi music player, a DLP projector that's so bright you need sunglasses, and more.
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Blu-ray Movie Reviews
Fantastic Mr. Fox
Chris Chiarella  |  May 29, 2014
In 2009, one of the kings of quirky dramedy, Wes Anderson, managed to surprise us again with a star-studded, fully stop-motion-animated adaptation of Roald Dahl’s deliciously absurd Fantastic Mr. Fox. This laid-back bad boy has settled down with his wife and pup, but can a fox ever really change his nature?
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Bluetooth Speaker ReviewsWireless Multiroom Speaker Reviews
Cambridge Audio Minx Air 200 Wireless Speaker System
Mark Fleischmann  |  May 29, 2014

Performance
Features
Ergonomics
Value
PRICE $599

AT A GLANCE
Plus
AirPlay and Bluetooth
Excellent build quality and sound
Carrying handle
Minus
None!

THE VERDICT
The Minx Air 200 is a well built and great sounding compact system that supports wireless streaming from many mobile devices.

So long, Apple 30-pin docking connector. You were a prodigiously creative little jack while you lasted. You gave birth to whole new categories of iPod/iPhone accessory docks and docking systems. You even muscled your way into A/V receivers, initially with add-on docks, then with iOS-capable USB jacks, your Apple-ness embedded into the receiver’s silicon brain. But now you’re on the run. Apple’s skinny Lightning connector has made you instantly obsolete, and you’ll linger only as long as the legacy devices you serve. In fact, even Lightning, your designated successor, is practically DOA thanks to another transformative change.

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The S&V Interview
Linda Ronstadt Reveals Her Passion for True High Fidelity Sound
Mike Mettler  |  May 28, 2014
“We were united for the best sound we could get, and that was it. That was what we were chasing.” Is Linda Ronstadt revealing her high-end hopes for Hasten Down the Wind? Actually, that’s her assessment of the main goal she had for the 15 songs on her new compilation, Duets (Rhino). The ace song interpreter simply soars on songs like the tender but tough “I Never Will Marry” with Dolly Parton, the special intuitive blend she gets with James Taylor on “I Think It’s Gonna Work Out Fine,” and the complementary vocal halo she sets for Frank Sinatra on “Moonlight in Vermont.” Ronstadt has since retired from singing (in 2013, she revealed she has Parkinson’s disease), but that hasn’t stopped her from appreciating the sound of a good mix or a stellar vocal — or gently trilling a few lines of her favorite songs while we talk. Here, Ronstadt, 67, and I discuss her hi-fi proclivities, when not to use echo, how the right vocal texture tells the right tale every time, and how she learned about spotting hollow fifths.
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Audio Video News
Screen Innovations Expands Black Diamond Series
SV Staff  |  May 28, 2014
Screen Innovations (SI) has announced that it is offering its popular Black Diamond ambient-light-rejecting screen in 120- and 150-inch sizes with 16:9 and 2.35:1 aspect ratios, respectively.

The screens become the largest in the series rated for 1.4 gain and have a multi-layer optic said to reflect only the light generated by the projector resulting in a significant boost in contrast. In dark environments, the screen is designed to reduce light scatter by more than 75 percent for a sharper image with deeper blacks.

As with all Black Diamond screens, the new models are 4K ready and support active 3D. Prices start at $2,199.

Audio Video News
B&O Ultra HDTV Has All The Right Moves
Rob Sabin  |  May 28, 2014
Bang & Olufsen, the Danish firm best known for the high performance and high-tech industrial design of its audio and video gear, has introduced a unique, motorized HDTV.

In what amounts to a wow-inducing visual treat, the show on the new BeoVision Avant starts well before you begin watching TV. Pressing the power button on the set’s one-piece, milled aluminum remote control causes the stand-mounted, 55-inch Avant to begin shifting.

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