LATEST ADDITIONS

3D Blu-ray Player ReviewsBlu-ray Player Reviews
Panasonic DMP-BDT500 Blu-ray 3D Player
Kris Deering  |  Dec 24, 2013
Performance
Features
Ergonomics
Value
PRICE $350

AT A GLANCE
Plus
High-resolution audio chops
Reference-quality 2D and 3D Blu-ray playback
Streaming-video paradise
Minus
No support for SACD, DVD-Audio, or DSD formats

THE VERDICT
Spectacular video performance at a budget price point, but not the best choice for true audiophiles.

How things have changed since Blu-ray arrived on the scene. Debut players from the larger electronics companies were pretty full-featured, with substantial build quality. Now it seems that most mass-consumer players are in a race to the bottom when it comes to price and build. While I understand that’s probably the market most of the country buys in, I’m always surprised that most of the big names in consumer electronics don’t keep at least one model for enthusiasts who don’t want to buy a featherweight piece of plastic for a principal player in their home entertainment system. Panasonic evidently feels the same way this year.

Continue Reading »
Music ReviewsReference Tracks
The Band: Live at the Academy of Music 1971
Mike Mettler  |  Dec 24, 2013
Performance
Sound
Besides knocking the psychedelic movement off of its puffy cloud at the end of the ’60s with the seminal roots-based rustic albums Music From Big Pink (1968) and The Band (1969), The Band was also known for being a supernaturally gifted live act, having honed its stagecraft through many arduous but rewarding years on the road. Highlights from a magical four-night stand at New York’s Academy of Music were set in stone—or rather, on wax and disc—with 1972’s Rock of Ages. The album was a critically acclaimed best seller and a triumph in the eyes of everyone it touched. Well, almost everyone.
Continue Reading »
Home Movie Theaters
The Ultimate Escape: A Pilot’s Dream Getaway
Kim Wilson  |  Dec 24, 2013
Photos Julie Lalonde

It took several years for airline pilot Ian Rothwell to formulate the ideas for his ultimate home theater. However, once he collaborated with longtime friend Mark Imbesi of Trymark Enterprises, it only took eight months for them to complete that vision.

Continue Reading »
Headphone Reviews
Sennheiser IE 800 In-Ear Headphone
Steve Guttenberg  |  Dec 24, 2013

Performance
Build Quality
Comfort
Value
PRICE $1,000

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Best-in-class sound
Minus
Bass sounds more full than accurate

THE VERDICT
One of the best-sounding in-ear headphones to come along in a long time. The IE 800 is a game changer.

I’ve heard most of the world’s best in-ear headphones, and frankly, those custom-molded models fitted to my ear canal from the likes of JH Audio, Ultimate Ears, and Westone regularly trump the universal-fit models. So before I popped on the Sennheiser IE 800, a universal-fit earphone, I wondered if the sound would justify its $1,000 MSRP. I shouldn’t have worried; the IE 800 is a game changer.

Continue Reading »
Premiere Design
Magico QSub-18 Subwoofer
Bob Ankosko  |  Dec 24, 2013
It’s not every day you come across a $36,000 subwoofer. That’s right, thirty-six big ones. That’s about as rare as finding a submonster with dual 18-inch drivers and a 6,000-watt digital amplifier housed in an enclosure made of aircraft-grade aluminum so robust that it can withstand internal sound-pressure levels of up to 175 decibels (akin to standing on the tarmac while a commercial jet takes off) with less than 1 percent the displacement of an ordinary enclosure.
Continue Reading »
Blu-ray Movie ReviewsA/V Veteran
Farscape Far Away
Thomas J. Norton  |  Dec 23, 2013
Picture
Sound
Extras
Interactivity
If you’re a fan of science fiction and haven’t heard of the TV series Farscape (1999-2003) you don’t get out much. If you’re not a sci-fi fan, this series might just make you one. It offers more compelling characters, action, humor, drama, weird plot twists, sudden mood shifts, poignancy, and stunning performances than any other dozen TV shows you might name.

It all begins when astronaut John Crichton encounters a wormhole on an experimental mission. He’s flung to a distant quadrant of the galaxy, encounters a gigantic vessel nearby, and docks with it. It turns out to be a living ship, know to the locals a leviathan, operated by a bonded pilot. The ship’s occupants are alien prisoners escaping from their captors. The latter, the Mr. Bigs in this area of space, call themselves the Peacekeepers, and from all appearances (externally at least) appear indistinguishable from humans.

Continue Reading »
Streaming Device ReviewsGrace Notes
Amped Wireless BTSA1 Bluetooth Speaker Adapter Improves Wireless Performance
Leslie Shapiro  |  Dec 23, 2013
Hitting the market this late in the game, Amped Wireless better have something special with their BTSA1 Bluetooth speaker adapter. Yes, like so many other adapters, it lets you to turn any audio playback system into a Bluetooth-enabled system. But the adapter also delivers a few unexpected, and welcome, surprises.

Continue Reading »
Audio Video News
Poll Results: OLED & Video Projection Top Ultimate Holiday Wish List
SV Staff  |  Dec 23, 2013
We asked you to take a moment out of your busy (shopping) schedule to vote for your ultimate holiday gift. The results are in and spread out among the 16 categories. Surprisingly, there were no break-out categories...
Continue Reading »
The Connected Life
Trends that Stood Out in 2013
John Sciacca  |  Dec 23, 2013
As 2013 winds down, it seems appropriate to share the trends—tech and otherwise—that struck me at the annual CEDIA (Custom Electronic Design & Installation Association) Expo this past September in Denver.
Continue Reading »
LCD TV ReviewsTV Reviews
Panasonic TC-L55WT60 3D LCD HDTV
Al Griffin  |  Dec 20, 2013
2D Performance
3D Performance
Features
Ergonomics
Value
PRICE $2,999

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Very wide viewing angle
Accurate out-of-box color
Great GUI and Smart features
Minus
Some picture-uniformity issues
Pricey compared with high-end LCD competition

THE VERDICT
Panasonic’s LCD boasts an impressive array of Smart features and decent picture quality, but some uniformity issues on dark movie scenes prevent it from stacking up to the high-end LCD competition.

Panasonic is a company that has stuck with plasma TV tech through thick and thin. In the thick column, you’ll find loads of great reviews and general raves from videophiles. In the thin column, there are claims (largely unfounded) of burn-in damage generated by everything from video games to stock tickers; more crucial, there’s bruising sales competition from LCD. What’s less known about Panasonic is that the company actually does sell LCD HDTVs—quite a few of ’em, in fact. If you were to check Panasonic’s Website right now (do it!), you’d see that its TV lineup is divided equally between plasma and LCD. And with rumors circulating about the company’s imminent departure from the plasma manufacturing biz (say it ain’t so!), that balance could soon swing fully over to the LCD side.

Continue Reading »

Pages

X