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Integrated Amp Reviews
Outlaw Audio RR2160MkII Stereo Receiver: Retro Power, Modern Edge
Daniel Kumin  |  Sep 07, 2024

Audio Performance
Features
Ergonomics
Value
PRICE $999

AT A GLANCE
Plus
• Very impressive amplifier has the dynamics and quality for serious sonics
• Free Outlaw Audio app is basic but functional Hi-rez streamer
• Fully two-way bass management/sub output
• Well-engineered Loudness function, plus Speaker EQ option
• Solid onboard phono stage has both moving-magnet and -coil settings
• Lots of inputs and outputs, including pre-out/main-in; 12-volt trigger out, IR in/out
Minus
• Supplied remote control’s ergonomics lacking
• No signal-data display from streaming sources
• No on-board Bluetooth, HDMI, or volume-bypass input

THE VERDICT
A classic, thoughtfully designed stereo receiver updated with Wi-Fi, streaming, and an app, but retaining satisfying power and performance.

Is the stereo receiver still relevant? Outlaw Audio certainly believes so: its newly updated RR2160MkII re-thinks a long-running basic design for the streaming age with onboard Wi-Fi and Ethernet connectivity, a free iOS/Android app, and a (very) modest power update.

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Immersive Audio FileSpatial Audio File
Alan Parsons Tells Us Tales of Atmos Remixing and Imagination for The Alan Parsons Project’s Deluxe Pyramid Box Set
Mike Mettler  |  Aug 30, 2024

Alan Parsons has long been acknowledged as a pioneering surround-sound mixer/producer all the way back to the early days of quad, and now he’s finally triangulated his sights on the kind of project we’ve all been waiting for—namely, by taking the maiden Dolby Atmos remixing voyage into his own deep catalog as the co-mastermind behind The Alan Parsons Project. Parsons’ initial APP-in-Atmos foray appears on the Blu-ray that’s included in the new 4CD/1BD/2LP Super Deluxe Edition box set for their May 1978 release, Pyramid, via the ironically named Cooking Vinyl label. During a recent Zoom interview, Parsons and music editor Mike Mettler discussed his overall Atmos goals for Pyramid, what he was able to “correct” in Atmos, and his dream Atmos mixes for other artists. . .

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Audio Video NewsNew Products
Denon Announces New High-End AVR a Step Down from Flagship AVR-A1H
SV Staff  |  Aug 30, 2024
Denon is expanding its A-Series receiver lineup with a new upscale model based on the flagship AVR-A1H.
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Ultra HD Blu-ray Movie Reviews
Godzilla X Kong: The New Empire
Ralph Potts  |  Aug 30, 2024
Picture
Sound
Extras

Godzilla X Kong: The New Empire is the latest entry in the Monsterverse film franchise, pitting Kong and Godzilla, against an undiscovered threat while delving further into the histories of these Titans and the mysteries of Skull Island and beyond.

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Audio Video NewsNew Products
Marantz Introduces its First Reference Series of Audio Components in 8 Years
Bob Ankosko  |  Aug 29, 2024
Marantz today announced a reference-level series of stereo audio components — its first high-end statement offering since 2016.
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The Connected Life
The Big Clean: How to Keep Your A/V Gear in Good Working Order
John Sciacca  |  Aug 29, 2024
Chances are you probably don’t think about the state of your electronic devices too often. Oh, you might think about all the upgrades you would like to make and where you would put those new tower speakers, but how often do you actually think about the well-being of your system?
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Subwoofer Reviews
KEF KC92 Subwoofer Review
Tom Norton  |  Aug 28, 2024

Performance
Features
Build Quality
Value
PRICE: $2,000

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Tight, clean, deep bass
Small size
Minus
Pricey
No app

THE VERDICT
The KEF KC92 is ideal in a situation where space is a serious consideration but deep, impactful bass is a must. While it will be best suited to modestly-sized home theater spaces, it can also offer impressive performance in larger rooms, even at challenging output levels.

Most audiophiles today are familiar with the KEF brand. It's one of the most widely recognized names in loudspeakers, offering products ranging from the relatively affordable to the high-end. Established in the U.K. in 1961 by Raymond Cook, the company's name was derived from its original location, the Kent Engineering and Foundry. The Hong Kong-based Gold Peak Group acquired KEF in 1992. All of its products are currently designed and engineered in the U.K., but today most of them (including the KC92 subwoofer), are manufactured in China. One major exception to this are the KEF Blades, the company's highest-end loudspeakers that are still built in Kent.

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SmartStream
Goodbye Chromecast, Hello Google TV Streamer 4K
Barb Gonzalez  |  Aug 28, 2024
Google is replacing the Chromecast with the Google TV Streamer 4K. It's the end of an era for the value-priced dongle. The new streamer will take advantage of Gemini, Google's A.I.
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Audio Video News
Yes, RadioShack Stores Still Exist
Bob Ankosko  |  Aug 28, 2024
You probably won’t find a RadioShack in your local mall anymore but you might find one in a small town...like Sitka in southeastern Alaska.
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A/V Veteran
Visiting the Past
Thomas J. Norton  |  Aug 27, 2024
Cranford is an outstanding 2007 BBC series-length drama in multiple episodes spanning a total of 291 minutes (approximately 5 hours). It's U.S. broadcast at that time was on PBS' Masterpiece Theater. I first watched it years ago on Blu-ray. For this blog re-watched it again from beginning to end.

It's certainly no action adventure story. Don't expect to see a sequel, Aliens in Cranford at your local multiplex. But even if historical dramas aren't your thing it's nevertheless well worth a trial run. You can find the entire Chapter 1 of the seven chapters on YouTube. The picture quality there is a definite step or two below the quality on the Blu-rays, but it's watchable. Note that there are 2 very short breaks on the YouTube transfer that might lead you to think that it's only a teaser. But it continues with the entire chapter after two interruptions of a few seconds.

Don't be surprised if you're hooked and immediately buy the Blu-ray to experience the entire story in significantly higher video quality

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