LATEST ADDITIONS

New Products
AudioXperts 4TV and EVA: High-End, Done Simply
Michael Berk  |  Aug 08, 2012

Last night we got a chance to check out the first product offerings from AudioXperts, a new lifestyle audio brand from a bunch of industry veterans, led by Eli Harary, formerly of Boston Acoustics and Infinity. The systems we heard were voiced by John Fischbach, Grammy-winning producer of projects from Stevie Wonder, Carole King, and Cassandra Wilson, to name just a few. Safe to say that the consumers AudioXperts has in mind should be well served on both the business and sonic fronts.

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Headphone Reviews
Review: Pioneer SE-MJ591 Headphone
Brent Butterworth  |  Aug 08, 2012

Pioneer’s gotta be a little PO’ed. The storied Japanese company has been making headphones for more than 50 years, yet it’s been overshadowed by upstart brands like Beats, HiFiMan, V-Moda, Phiaton, and others. But Pioneer’s fighting back with a freshly designed new line, in which the SE-MJ591 on-ear headphone is one of the top models.

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Home Theater Geeks Podcast
Podcast 123: Kevin Wines
Scott Wilkinson  |  Aug 07, 2012
Kevin Wines, Image Technology Director at THX, Ltd., talks about the future of display technology in the home and commercial cinema, including increased spatial resolution (4K, 8K), increased temporal resolution (high frame rates of 48 and 60fps), and how these advancements might be delivered to the home. He also discusses 3D, including the 3D broadcast of the Olympics, online distribution versus physical media, THX certification of displays and content, answers to chat-room questions, and more.

Run Time: 1:08:33

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This Week
New Blu-rays for August 7, 2012: Cowboys, Cops, Monsters, and Martyrs
Josef Krebs  |  Aug 07, 2012

Rio Grande and Johnny Guitar

This week Olive Films are releasing these two classic westerns from the early 1950s. Rio Grande (1950) is part of what is known as John Ford’s cavalry trilogy — along with Fort Apache (1948) and She Wore a Yellow Ribbon (1949) — based on stories by James Warner Bellah.

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This Week
New Music for August 7, 2012: Tripping The Wing Beat Fantastic
Mark Smotroff  |  Aug 07, 2012

Mike Kennealy
Wing Beat Fantastic

New Release (Exowax)

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Blu-ray Movie Reviews
Mission: Impossible—Ghost Protocol
Chris Chiarella  |  Aug 07, 2012
Picture
Sound
Extras
Interactivity
Tom Cruise returns as IMF agent Ethan Hunt for this fourth film in his big-screen Mission: Impossible franchise, and this might just be the best one yet. Hunt is the sort of fellow I secretly hope we have on the federal payroll: fearless, cool under pressure, and a quick study in almost everything. He’s a good man to have on our side when the going gets rough because he simply will not quit as long as he has a pulse.
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CinemaStyle
Together but Separate
Jamie Sorcher  |  Aug 06, 2012
Most folks envision stadium-style seating for their home theaters, but that take-me-out-to-the-ball-game approach isn’t the only way to go. For a more flexible, family-style setup, think sectionals. These aren’t the stodgy, hulking pieces of upholstered furniture of the past. Today’s versions offer unique configurations that combine love seats, sofas, chairs, chaises, and ottomans (great as additional seating or as a table for food/drink) and can work together or separately for multiple options. One more thing: Don’t forget to take the tush test when you shop for any kind of seating. Comfort is the key if you’re going to enjoy your screening experience.
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Wide Angle
Honey's Not Dead: The Jesus and Mary Chain Live
Al Griffin  |  Aug 06, 2012

It's summertime, and that means outdoor concerts. Here in the far other end of New York state, we typically get to lay out our blankets and take in a predictable bunch of touring acts from the '70s and '80s. Peter Frampton? Check. Huey Lewis and the News? Check. Yes? Yes. The Jesus and Mary Chain. Um, did you say "The Jesus And Mary Chain?"

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Tech2
iTunes vs Amazon Instant Video vs Google Play vs Sony Unlimited vs Samsung Media Hub
Geoffrey Morrison  |  Aug 06, 2012

I have been saying for ages that the only thing that matters in a tablet is the available content: What can I download to the device, and watch on a plane, train, automobuggie? Everything can stream Netflix, surf the web, etc. The number of downloadable TV shows and movies is by far the most meaningful difference between tablets.

The assumption: iTunes and Amazon offer so much more content, the other services - and thus, tablets that aren't iPads or Kindles - are pointless.

Is that assumption correct? Or more to the point, how can you tell?

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Vote
Have You Optimized the AC Power in Your Home Theater?
Scott Wilkinson  |  Aug 03, 2012
Last week's poll question asked if your home theater's AC power is protected from things like lightning strikes and blackouts. This week, I'd like to know if you have taken steps to optimize the AC power to your home theater. Such steps can include installing a dedicated circuit, establishing a common ground, and using a power conditioner, such as the Furman IT-Reference 20i pictured above.

If you use a power conditioner, have you noticed an improvement in the audio and/or video performance of your system that you can reasonably attribute to that device? Inquiring minds want to know!

Vote to see the results and leave a comment about your choice.

Have You Optimized the AC Power in Your Home Theater?
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