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Audio Video News
BluOS Update Targets Music Lovers
SV Staff  |  Oct 07, 2016
A new update to the BluOS music-management software/operating system developed for Bluesound and NAD wireless systems allows users to index more than 200,000 tracks and access them through the BluOS Controller App.
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SmartStream
Google & Roku Plan 4K Media Players with HDR
Barb Gonzalez  |  Oct 06, 2016
The library of 4K HDR streaming moves and TV is growing. Prices on UHD TVs have dropped to that of HDTVs. It just makes sense that the next generation of streaming players will be 4K/Ultra HD (UHD) with high dynamic range (HDR). Google (Chromecast) and Roku will be releasing their next generation streaming media players within the month. Both are named “Ultra.” Here's what we know.
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New Products
Gimme Shelter: Racks, Cabinets and Mounts
Bob Ankosko  |  Oct 06, 2016
What good is a shiny new state-of-the-art TV if you don’t have an appropriately classy place to put it or an acrobatic wall-mount to hang it on? Or maybe you’d rather attach it to a motorized lift so you can make it appear (and disappear) at will. And what about the rest of your electronics—the receiver, that spiffy 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray player…your resurrected turntable? Do you have a functional place in mind for all that stuff? Fear not. Whether you want to display your gear for all to see or hide it away, here are a few options worthy of consideration.
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Throwback Thursday
Flashback 1950: Transistor Receives U.S. Patent
SV Staff  |  Oct 06, 2016
Sixty-six years ago this week AT&T Bell Laboratories researchers John Bardeen, Walter Brattain, and William Shockley were granted a U.S. Patent for a device that would become a fundamental building block of modern electronics for decades to come—the transistor.
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Audio Video NewsNew Products
SVS Announces its “Most Powerful” Subwoofers
SV Staff  |  Oct 06, 2016
SVS today announced its “largest and most powerful subwoofer line ever.”
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Ask S&V
What Amps Should I Use for a 5.1.4 Atmos Setup?
Al Griffin  |  Oct 06, 2016
Got a tech question for Sound & Vision? Email us at AskSandV@gmail.com

Q I’m running a 5.1.4 Atmos setup and am looking to upgrade the amplification because I feel that my current 9-channel receiver lacks sufficient “oomph.”...What configuration would work best for a 9 channel setup? —Dean Ellingson

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The S&V Interview
Rickey Medlocke Conjures the Next Generation of Blackfoot
Mike Mettler  |  Oct 05, 2016
Rickey Medlocke's latest pet project has been to shepherd the next-generation incarnation of his beloved Blackfoot, who have committed their hard-charging sound to the grooves of a new album, Southern Native (Loud & Proud Records), that beautifully meshes traditional tones with modern sensibilities. I got on the horn with Medlocke to discuss the genesis of Southern Native, keeping true to his analog-centric inclinations, and what it was like working with his grandfather Shorty Medlocke back in the early days. It’s a highway song that keeps going on and on...
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Soundbar Reviews
Samsung HW-K950 Soundbar System Review
Michael Trei  |  Oct 05, 2016

Performance
Features
Ergonomics
Value
PRICE $1,500

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Full surround, including Dolby Atmos, from just four boxes
Rich, punchy sound
Minus
Limited connectivity
Pricey for a soundbar

THE VERDICT
A soundbar with Dolby Atmos may seem like an oxymoron, but Samsung has done a masterful job of pulling it off. The HW-K950 delivers a hefty slice of the performance you can get from a carefully tuned component system, but without most of the complexity or a room full of speakers.

Sometimes it seems like the people who develop new surround formats are completely out of touch with what real consumers actually want in their homes. Over the years, we have seen a seemingly endless parade of multichannel surround formats, such as Dolby Digital Surround EX, Dolby Pro Logic IIz, DTS-HD Master Audio, Audyssey DSX, and now Dolby Atmos—all guaranteed to strain your domestically acceptable loudspeaker limit. It’s no wonder that so many folks have decided to just pull out of this arms race and go instead with a simple soundbar. The good news: It appears that someone at Samsung is paying attention. The company’s latest top-of-the-range soundbar-based system tries to let you have it all, combining the compactness and simplicity of a soundbar with the tangible spatial effects that only really happen when you have discrete rear speakers and the vertical expansiveness of Dolby Atmos.

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Audio Video NewsNew Products
Pyle’s Bluetooth Boombox Packs 1,000 Watts
SV Staff  |  Oct 05, 2016
Pyle USA, the company once known for its booming car subwoofers, is putting the boom in boombox with a 1,000-watt portable Bluetooth speaker system designed for partygoers.

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Audio Video NewsNew Products
B&W Debuts “Most Ambitious” Headphone Yet
SV Staff  |  Oct 05, 2016
Bowers & Wilkins yesterday unveiled its “best sounding and most luxurious headphone to date.”
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