LATEST ADDITIONS

Tech2
Farewell to the Great Gene Wilder
Geoffrey Morrison  |  Sep 02, 2016
A few days ago the world lost one of the great comedic actors, Gene Wilder. While I’d always considered myself a fan, it wasn’t until I really thought about the roles he’d had that I realized what a gift he had been to us all.

So to celebrate his career, here are some of my favorite moments (at least the ones with clips available online). Feel free to add yours.

Continue Reading »
3D Projector ReviewsProjector Reviews
Epson Pro Cinema 6040UB 3D LCD Projector Review
Al Griffin  |  Sep 02, 2016

2D Performance
3D Performance
Features
Ergonomics
Value
PRICE $3,999

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Crisp “4K Enhanced” picture
Ultra HD and HDR compatible
Impressive 3D performance
Minus
Some motor noise with Auto Iris active
High fan noise in certain picture modes

THE VERDICT
Epson’s Ultra HD and HDR-compatible 3D LCD projector delivers a compelling mix of performance and features for its $3,999 price.

With 4K/Ultra HD quickly taking over as the default resolution for new TVs, it seems ironic that projectors, the display type that would most benefit from 4K resolution, have been slower to transition to the new format. Sony is the only manufacturer to introduce 4K-res projectors aimed at the general home theater market, and with the cost of entry for those models stuck in the $10,000-plus range, it’s clear that 4K projection has a way to go before it becomes mainstream.

Continue Reading »
Blu-ray Movie Reviews
13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi
David Vaughn  |  Sep 02, 2016
Picture
Sound
Extras
The film begins with the words, “This is a true story,” not based on one. The screenplay by Chuck Hogan (based on the book from Mitchell Zuckoff) steers mostly clear of the politics surrounding the attack and tells the story from the perspective of the people who were on the ground on September 11, 2012 in Benghazi. Regardless of the politics, four Americans lost their lives that night; Ambassador Chris Stevens, information officer Sean Smith, and two CIA operatives, Glen Doherty and Tyrone Woods, both former Navy SEALs who were civilian contractors working out of a secret CIA annex near the U.S. diplomatic compound.
Continue Reading »
Ears On
The Changing of the Guard
 |  Sep 02, 2016
I adopted a new reference receiver recently. You've already read all about the product itself, the Denon AVR-X7200W. But it's one thing for a reviewer to evaluate a product positively. It's another thing to give it the coveted reference-receiver berth on my rack. This is a big event, so perhaps I should say a few words about it.

Continue Reading »
Audio Video News
A Cool Product Doesn’t Guarantee Crowdfunding Success
SV Staff  |  Sep 02, 2016
For crowdfunding to succeed you need a strong concept/design for a product people will want or at least deem useful and a solid plan to execute production when the money comes flowing in. But the money doesn’t always come flowing in as Sonic Blocks recently learned.
Continue Reading »
Audio Video News
August 2016 Top Picks at a Glance
SV Staff  |  Sep 01, 2016
The end of summer beckons and so do the 10 products we singled out for Top Pick status in August. From an unexpected speaker from Quad and a soundbar-based 5.1 system from Atlantic Technology to SVS’s crazy cheap subwoofer isolation system and Sony’s killer HDR-ready 4K TV, the mix is eclectic as usual but with an emphasis on speakers this time around. Appropriate, we think, considering speakers define the sonic character of any system. Let us know if you plan to make (or have already made) room for any of these gems in your home entertainment space.
Continue Reading »
Ask S&V
Why Do CDs Sound Louder Than High-Res Audio?
Al Griffin  |  Sep 01, 2016
Got a tech question for Sound & Vision? Email us at AskSandV@gmail.com

Q I recently bought High-Res Audio downloads of Fleetwood Mac’s “Rumours” and Supertramp’s “Crime of the Century” from HDtracks. When I play them with my Sony NWZ-A17 Walkman, the volume is much lower than what I hear from FLAC versions of the same music ripped from my CDs. I complained to HDtracks and they said this was normal for HD-resolution files. Can you explain why? —Jacques Simard

Continue Reading »
Throwback Thursday
Flashback 2001 – Battle of the Bookshelfs
SV Staff  |  Sep 01, 2016
Fifteen years ago Al Griffin and David Ranada teamed up to conduct a double-blind listening test with a half dozen $300-a-pair bookshelf speakers. (Gotta love those Sam Sisco caricatures!) Models from Acoustic Energy, Boston Acoustics, Jamo, KEF, Monitor Audio, and NHT were set up in two groups of three with each stereo pair situated so the “listener only had to turn his head slightly to bring the sonic image of each pair into focus.”
Continue Reading »
Speaker Tech
How Much Power Do You Really Need?
Daniel Kumin  |  Aug 31, 2016
What’s the Number One question demanded of self-styled audio experts like me? “How much power do I need?”
Continue Reading »
Streaming Device Reviews
Dish Hopper 3 Satellite DVR Review
Darryl Wilkinson  |  Aug 31, 2016

Performance
Features
Ergonomics
Value
PRICE $15/month

AT A GLANCE
Plus
16 built-in tuners
Supports Netflix 4K UHD content
Minus
Non-backlit remote

THE VERDICT
In one simple-to-operate device, the Hopper 3 combines the best of satellite TV—including 4K support—with the most compelling aspects of internet streaming. When you also consider its extensive multiroom distribution capabilities, there’s not another home entertainment device that can match the category-bending Hopper 3.

If the new satellite receiver/DVR from Dish, the Hopper 3, were indeed merely a new satellite receiver/DVR, the chances of us reviewing it would be between slim and you’ve got to be kidding me. After all, this is the age of internet streaming and cord cutting—and linear TV is just soooo last century. Since this is actually a genuine review of the Hopper 3, I guess it’s not a spoiler to say that there’s more to this third-generation, whole-home satellite DVR from Dish than time-shifting network broadcasts.

Continue Reading »

Pages

X