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Audio Video News
Best Gear of April 2020
Bob Ankosko  |  Apr 30, 2020  |  0 comments
To help make the best of at-home entertainment, we offer up a handful of very different Sound & Vision-vetted products for your consideration: from a unique set of earphones made of wood to a reference-caliber screen that promises to propel video projection to new heights. As usual, all are recipients of our Top Pick rating.
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Stream On
Ten More Must-See Rockumentaries to Shelter in Place With
Mike Mettler  |  Apr 30, 2020  |  0 comments
So . . . seen anything good lately? Now that we have almost nothing but time on our hands as we collectively self-quarantine behind closed doors and chill in front of our screens, there's no better time than the here and now to catch up on all the great rock documentaries we've been meaning to delve into via the streaming universe. Naturally, we here at S&V assume you've already devoured—and loved—the half-dozen rock docs I recommended here just a few short weeks ago, so what should you watch next?
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Audio Video News
Luxman Introduces New Digital Audio Player
Al Griffin  |  Apr 29, 2020  |  5 comments
Who says they no longer make Compact Disc players? Exhibit A: Japanese audio component maker Luxman just announced the availability of its new D-03X, a fully loaded digital player that handles CD playback along with MQA CDs, MQA files, and up to 11.28 MHz DSD and 32-bit/384 kHz PCM files via USB input.
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Editor's Eye
S&V’s Evolution Dovetails with the Evolution of A/V
Al Griffin  |  Apr 29, 2020  |  1 comments
In a recent letter, long-time reader David K. Johnson laments the changes that have impacted the content of Sound & Vision in the years following its merger with Home Theater magazine back in 2013. My response to David attributes these changes to a resurgence in audio gear, spanning a number of categories.
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Projection Screen Reviews
Stewart Filmscreen StudioTek 130 G4 Projection Screen Review
Kris Deering  |  Apr 28, 2020  |  0 comments

Performance
Setup
Value
PRICE $1,484 (material only, as tested)

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Excellent Image Uniformity
Dramatic reduction in artifacts over previous generation
Exceptional build quality and ease of installation
Minus
Minor artifacts on images with vertical camera motion

THE VERDICT
With dramatically improved performance over the previous generation StudioTek 130 material, Stewart Filmscreen's new ST130 G4 establishes a new reference standard for a gain screen.

I often feel that the screen is the most overlooked component of a video projection system. That's because the screen material itself lacks "wow" factor, and it typically doesn't get tagged with the sexy marketing buzzwords associated with other home theater gear. But selecting the right screen for a video system is crucial since the screen ultimately will serve to either enhance or reduce your projector's performance.

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Audio Video News
Dirac Live Bass Control Now Available on Select AVRs
Al Griffin  |  Apr 28, 2020  |  0 comments
Dirac Live, a room correction technology that Sound & Vision has evaluated recently on several preamp/processors and AVRs, is a feature that lets listeners measure and correct for room-based anomalies using a simple, yet sophisticated interface on PCs/Macs and Android/iOS devices. According to the company, Dirac Live Bass Control, an add-on for Dirac Live that provides bass management for multiple subwoofers, is now available.
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Signals
I’ve Discovered a Sad, New Use for the CD
Ken C. Pohlmann  |  Apr 27, 2020  |  4 comments
Alas, poor Compact Disc! My heart is heavy, I cannot lie. It's come to this. Birds. Angry Birds.

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Audio Video News
Dynaudio Updates Contour Loudspeaker Lineup
Al Griffin  |  Apr 27, 2020  |  2 comments
The last time Dynaudio updated its mid-range Contour speaker lineup was back in 2016. Since then, the company launched a retooled version of its high-end Confidence series that uses all-new drivers and revamped baffle design, along with updated cabinets and crossovers. Some tech from that effort has trickled down into Dynaudio’s just-announced Contour i series speakers, which consists of the Contour 20i bookshelf ($5,250/pair), Contour 30i ($8,250/pair) and Contour 60i towers ($10,750/pair), and Contour 25Ci center channel ($3,750 each).
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Music Disc Reviews
Remaster Class: Yes: Close to the Edge
Mike Mettler  |  Apr 24, 2020  |  1 comments
Yes may have hit the roundabout motherlode with November 1971's Fragile, but their true zenith came with the following album, September 1972's Close to the Edge. Edge was the perfect intersection of envelope-pushing, multi-movement compositions and beyond-heady lyrical mysticism, permanently cementing Yes' status as top-tier progressive rock progenitors.
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Audio Video News
Pearl Jam’s Gigaton Comes to Apple TV in Dolby Vision and Atmos
Al Griffin  |  Apr 24, 2020  |  0 comments
Gigaton, the late-March release from 90s grunge-rock kings Pearl Jam and the band’s first album since 2013’s Lightning Bolt, was to be preceded by a one-night-only showing of the Gigaton Theatrical Listening Experience at select Dolby Atmos theaters around the world. But then, you know, the theaters closed and Pearl Jam was forced to cancel the screenings.
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