LATEST ADDITIONS

Audio Video News
iCloud rolls in
Michael Berk  |  Jun 06, 2011

As expected, Steve Jobs took to the stage at the close of this years WWDC keynote to introduce the highly anticipated iCloud service.

Continue Reading »
Audio Video News
Xbox, set (at last) to take over your living room
Michael Berk  |  Jun 06, 2011

Microsoft's keynote was the hot ticket this morning at the E3 Expo, and the company didn't disappoint. While a few had held out hopes for a hardware surprise (the company dominated last year's event with the Kinect motion controller), no such thing was forthcoming from Redmond.

Continue Reading »
Ask S&V
In-Wall Speakers in the Ceiling
Scott Wilkinson  |  Jun 06, 2011
I'm setting up a home-theater area in our living room, and there can't be any freestanding speakers. I don't have side walls for surrounds, only ceiling space. Can in-wall dipoles be used in the ceiling? If so, what is the ideal placement and configuration? I'm setting up a 5.1 system, which is all the space will allow for.

Theo Nikolakis

Continue Reading »
Gadget Gary
See It Now!
Gary Dell'Abate  |  Jun 06, 2011

Everybody loves to post fun videos of the cool things they’re doing on Facebook, YouTube, and even Twitter. Sometimes, though, you miss the coolest, funnest stuff because it’s hard to record all the time. But wait. What if you could?

Continue Reading »
New Products
Hi-Fi Returns to L.A.
Brent Butterworth  |  Jun 06, 2011

We seem to be going through a mini-renaissance in the hallowed tradition of the American hi-fi show, what with this year's burgeoning crop of existing shows and welcome upstarts. Yet Southern California audiophiles, despite living in what some would consider the nexus of the audio industry, haven't been treated to a good show for years.

Continue Reading »
Blu-ray Movie Reviews
Happy Gilmore (Blu-ray)
David Vaughn  |  Jun 06, 2011
When a failed hockey player (Adam Sandler) discovers he can hit a golf ball 400 yards, he must check his pride at the door and play the "sissy" sport in order to save his grandmother's home from the IRS. With the help of a retired golfer (Carl Weathers) and a new love interest (Julie Bowen), he must adapt to life on tour in order to win enough prize money to save the day.

I wouldn't call myself a huge fan of Sandler, but I have to admit his juvenile humor makes me laugh. His star was brightest in the 1990s and this is probably his biggest hit. The pacing is excellent at 92 minutes and there's enough of a story to keep it interesting.

Continue Reading »
Ears On
In Progress: Pioneer's Push/Pull
Mark Fleischmann  |  Jun 06, 2011
While we await the news from today's Apple event, I'd like to toss out an observation connected to a yet-to-be-published review. This may be the first such piece in a continuing series. Or not. You never know.

What struck me about the Pioneer VSX-1021-K ($549) is the way it accommodates both push and pull of iTunes content via AirPlay. You can push content from computers or portable iDevices into the receiver. The receiver will even turn itself on and select the appropriate input. But it can also pull content from other router-connected devices using DLNA.

Continue Reading »
AV Receiver Reviews
Test Report: Onkyo TX-NR509 A/V Receiver
Daniel Kumin  |  Jun 05, 2011

Difficult though this may be to believe, not everyone in 2011 America can afford to earmark $1,500 for an A/V receiver — or even $500. Still more shockingly, not every person who can would even choose to. Well, then, how about $400? Onkyo apparently sees this figure as being a bit more like it.

Continue Reading »
Test Report: SVS SB13-Plus Subwoofer
Brent Butterworth  |  Jun 04, 2011

I would never do what SVS did with its new subwoofer, the SB13-Plus. The company originally sent me a review sample last fall, but then asked me to hold the review. How come? Because the engineers tweaked the sub’s Sledge STA-1000D amplifier. It took months for the new amplifier to arrive. That’s months of revenue lost for the sake of slightly better sound.

Continue Reading »
Test Report: Sharp XV-Z17000 3D DLP Projector
Geoffrey Morrison  |  Jun 03, 2011

Sharp was once king of the $10,000 projector class, a class that has nearly disappeared. With the 3D era under way, it returns to the game with this $4,995 offering, only to find the market far more competitive than before.

Continue Reading »

Pages

X