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A/V Veteran
Mummy Musings
Thomas J. Norton  |  Jun 20, 2017
I haven’t seen the latest Tom Cruise iteration of The Mummy. And with its crushing reviews I doubt that I’ll even invest in the inevitable UHD Blu-ray version that, judging from the current domestic box office returns for the film, should show up on Amazon in about two weeks.

The subject isn’t exactly a treasure trove of classic tropes, but has its fans. The original was, of course, the 1932 Boris Karloff classic (in Hollywood, anything that old is deemed a classic). Three other entries turned up in the ‘40s, followed by 1955’s Abbot and Costello Meet the Mummy (the latter is definitely on my Bucket List). There was also a quadrilogy (did I just coin a word?) of Mummy movies in the ‘50s from Britain’s Hammer Films, and several animated versions...

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Bluetooth Speaker ReviewsBookshelf Speaker Reviews
Audioengine HD3 Loudspeaker Review
Mark Fleischmann  |  Jun 20, 2017

Performance
Features
Ergonomics
Value
PRICE $399 pr

AT A GLANCE
Plus
For desktop or in-room listening
PC-friendly USB and line inputs
Class A/B analog amp
Minus
Limited (but adjustable) bass

THE VERDICT
Audioengine, always a champ in powered compact speakers, sweetens the deal on this one with a PC-friendly USB input and headphone jack.

Twelve-year-old Audioengine is best known for active compact speakers, though the company also makes passive compact speakers, a subwoofer, a small amplifier, a USB stick DAC, and a couple of streaming DACs. The HD3 loudspeaker is more or less an amalgamation of most of those products, infusing a sweet little speaker with a Class A/B amp, DAC, Bluetooth streaming, and a couple of less common features that just might make it irresistible to those in the market for a pair of small wireless speakers.

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Audio Video NewsNew Products
LG’s Unveils “Ultimate Gaming Monitor”
SV Staff  |  Jun 20, 2017
LG’s newest 34-inch HD gaming monitor boasts an ultra-wide curved screen and other features to provide an immersive experience that pulls gamers into the action.
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Audio Video News
From Smart Home to…Smart Person?
SV Staff  |  Jun 20, 2017
If you could take home security features with you in the form of a wearable device when you left the house, would you feel more secure?
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Remotely Possible
B&O Play’s “Sound Matters” Podcast Is a Masterful Exploration of Sound
Darryl Wilkinson  |  Jun 19, 2017
Not long ago, I stumbled across an unusual podcast series, called Sound Matters. I had some hesitation before listening to what was, at the time, the most recent episode (Episode 10: Sounds From Outer Space) because the podcast series is sponsored by B&O Play...
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Audio Video News
Klipsch Renews Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame Partnership
SV Staff  |  Jun 19, 2017
Klipsch has renewed its three-year partnership with the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame to “preserve and celebrate the live music experience.”
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Audio Video NewsNew Products
Pioneer Introduces New ‘Hi-Res Headphones’
SV Staff  |  Jun 19, 2017
Pioneer has announced a lower-priced addition to its high-end SE line of headphones.
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Grace Notes
The Apple HomePod: The Coup D'état to Home Stereo
Leslie Shapiro  |  Jun 19, 2017
Last week Apple released its own Siri-powered speaker, the voice-assisted HomePod. It’s Apple’s attempt to muscle its way into a market already dominated by Amazon’s Echo with Alexa, and the Google Home. The HomePod is touted as an audiophile-grade speaker with excellent performance. Sound quality? Really? Let’s do a quick reality check on this.

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Audio Video NewsNew Products
Optoma Previews $5,000 Laser Phosphor 4K Projector
SV Staff  |  Jun 19, 2017
Optoma has announced that it will deliver a 4K/Ultra HD (UHD) projector built around a laser phosphor light source this fall at a “projected street price” of $4,999.
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Subwoofer ReviewsSurround Sound System ReviewsTower Speaker Reviews
Polk Signature S60 Speaker System Review
Daniel Kumin  |  Jun 16, 2017

Signature S60 Speaker System
Performance
Build Quality
Value

PSW125 Subwoofer
Performance
Features
Build Quality
Value
PRICE $1,600 as reviewed

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Excellent range and tonal balance
Dramatic looks
Good blend from unusually low-profile center
Minus
Sub doesn’t add much to the towers alone

THE VERDICT
With the Signature Series, Polk successfully practices its long-held ethos of delivering high performance at affordable cost in a new, smartly designed lineup.

Of the three or four speaker brands that pumped the vast majority of air throughout the hi-fi boom of the 1970s, only one—Polk Audio—is still doing what they’ve always done (design and make loudspeakers), where they’ve always done it (more or less), and with very much the same ethos (value/performance, with value in italics). OK, so Polks, like virtually all other mass-market speakers sold in the U.S. are now actually manufactured overseas. But they’re still conceived here according to the old Polk standards—industrially designed in San Diego out of the corporate headquarters and engineered in Polk’s original hometown in greater Baltimore.

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