LATEST ADDITIONS

The S&V Interview
Cream of the Crop: Bass Wizard Jack Bruce
Mike Mettler  |  Apr 17, 2014  |  First Published: Apr 15, 2014
The bottom end has never been quite the same since Jack Bruce picked up his first bass over 6 decades ago. The vaunted Cream bassist wrote the book on the art of the low-end hook, as his syncopated approach to playing bass helped shift pop music’s bottom-end emphasis away from just laying down root notes and fifths, in turn opening the door to a more adventurous yet melodically inclined style that laid the foundation for the rock explosion of the ’60s. Turns in both Manfred Mann and John Mayall’s bands set the table for Bruce to connect with Eric Clapton and Ginger Baker and forge Cream, wherein the super Scotsman set the heavy-blues power-trio standard with epic runs and full-band interplay in songs like “I Feel Free,” “Spoonful,” “Politician,” and “Sunshine of Your Love.”
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Ask S&V
Do All Blu-ray Players Perform the Same?
Al Griffin  |  Apr 17, 2014
Q I am in the market for a new 3D player and have been looking at the Oppo 103 and 103D.  But the various online forums I’ve visited all say that there is hardly any picture quality difference between the Oppos and other Blu-ray players like those from Sony and Panasonic. Is that true? —Joe Montanez / via email
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Audio Video News
Sony Announces Pricing and Availability of 4K/Ultra HD Bravia TVs
SV Staff  |  Apr 16, 2014
Sony continued to push 4K/Ultra HD as it announced pricing and availability for its new Bravia 4K Ultra HD TV lineup, a 4K media player, and new 4K content options.
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The Connected Life
Spring Cleaning: Give Your System Some Spit and Polish
John Sciacca  |  Apr 16, 2014
A few weeks ago I got an email notification from my Kaleidescape movie server saying temperatures has exceeded safe operating range and the server would be shutting itself down if temps didn’t soon return to normal. “What the hell?!” I wondered. Nothing had changed in my rack, I hadn’t added any new gear or changed anything with the ventilation and the server was exactly where it had always been sitting and working fine for the past few years. Of course, I immediately blamed my 7 year old daughter, accusing her of all manner of destructive behavior, but when she assured me she was (in this case) innocent, I searched further.
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Audio Video News
Sam’s Club Launches Ambitious Service Program for TVs and Electronics
SV Staff  |  Apr 16, 2014
Sam’s Club has announced a $99 service program that gives members who purchase a TV worth $500 or more a four-year protection plan that includes delivery, set-up, haul-away, and recycling of old TVs.
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Vote
Do You Have a Wireless Music System at Home?
SV Staff  |  Apr 15, 2014
Wireless music systems are all the rage these days with new entrants and options coming along every few weeks. And it’s no surprise: What’s more convenient than being able to enjoy music in and around the house without having to worry about running wires all over the place? Take a few moments to tell us what kind of wireless system you have and, as always, feel free to leave a comment and tell us about your setup.
Do You Have a Wireless Music System at Home?
Yes, I have an Apple AirPlay-based system and I love it.
15% (75 votes)
Yes, I have an Apple AirPlay-based system and it’s okay.
8% (40 votes)
Yes, I have an Apple AirPlay-based system and I don’t like it.
1% (7 votes)
Yes, I have a Bluetooth-enabled system and I love it.
5% (28 votes)
Yes, I have a Bluetooth-enabled system and it’s okay.
4% (22 votes)
Yes, I have a Bluetooth-enabled system but I don’t like it.
1% (4 votes)
Yes, I have a Sonos system and I love it.
32% (165 votes)
Yes, I have a Sonos system and it’s okay.
3% (15 votes)
Yes, I have a Sonos system but I don’t like it.
0% (2 votes)
I don’t have a wireless music system but my whole house is hard-wired for sound.
4% (21 votes)
I don’t have a wireless music system but my AV setup has wireless surround speakers.
1% (4 votes)
I don’t have a wireless music system but I have a wireless subwoofer in my AV setup.
0% (1 vote)
Nope, my stack of audio gear is hard wired.
25% (129 votes)
Total votes: 513
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Signals
Will Beats Music Measure Up?
Ken C. Pohlmann  |  Apr 15, 2014
Beats Music is a new subscription music service that is an offshoot of the wildly popular hardware company (mainly headphones) founded by Jimmy Iovine and Dr. Dre. Beats Music is a logical extension: if people love the headphones so much, maybe they’ll extend the affection upstream and into content selection. Recently launched (January 21), the early numbers for Beats Music are in....

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Audio Video News
Panasonic Announces Entry-Level Smart TV Pricing
SV Staff  |  Apr 15, 2014
Panasonic has announced pricing and availability of its entry-level Life+Screen AS530 Series of 1080p smart TVs, featuring 39-, 50-, 55-, and 60-inch screen sizes.
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Headphone ReviewsGrace Notes
Review: BlueAnt PUMP HD Wireless Waterproof Sportbud
Leslie Shapiro  |  Apr 14, 2014
As someone whose life seems to revolve around the outdoors, I’m all ears whenever I hear about a new “active” piece of electronics gear. The new BlueAnt PUMP HD wireless waterproof sportbud promised to deliver audiophile-grade performance in a rugged, IP67-waterproof rated Bluetooth-compatible package.As soon as it arrived, I charged it up and hit my favorite bike trail.

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Ask S&V
Optimizing Sound Quality with a High-Performance Blu-ray Player
Al Griffin  |  Apr 14, 2014
Got a tech question for Sound & Vision? Email us at AskSandV@gmail.com

QI have an Oppo BDP-105 Blu-ray player, a Marantz AV7701 preamp, five Marantz monoblock amps, and Definitive Technology speakers. Given the rave reviews of the Oppo player’s built-in DACs, how would you recommend I set my system up to optimize sound quality? Should I bypass my preamp and hook the Oppo up directly to my monoblock amps, or should I use an HDMI connection to run everything through the Marantz? —Dick Costello / via e-mail

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