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Headphone Reviews
Review: Velodyne vFree Bluetooth headphones
Brent Butterworth  |  Mar 24, 2013

With the vPulse in-ear monitor, Velodyne managed a trick most other headphone brands haven’t—it created a big-bass headphone that didn’t sound dull. Now the company has launched two over-ear models: the $399 vTrue, a large, audiophile-oriented model, and the $299 vFree, a relatively compact headphone equipped with Bluetooth wireless. S&V’s Michael Berk reviewed the vTrue, while I’m taking on the vFree.

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Streaming Device Reviews
Roku Stick: Plug 'N Play Redefined
Barb Gonzalez  |  Mar 22, 2013

Performance
Features
Ergonomics
Price: $100 At a Glance: Small stick connects directly to HDMI input on TV • Same menus and channels as full-sized Roku Box • No additional power connection; requires MHL-enabled TV

That Roku box is shrinking…again. The Roku Stick looks like a thumb drive and is only about 3 inches long. For the most part, it provides the same experience as the standard Roku boxes—same menus, same performance. But to use one, you’ll need an MHL-enabled TV or other device.

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New Products
Onkyo Introduces Network A/V Receivers
HT Staff  |  Mar 22, 2013  |  First Published: Mar 20, 2013
As a service to our readers, HomeTheater.com publishes selected manufacturer-supplied announcements and press releases for products that we think might interest you. Content is posted here exactly as issued by the manufacturer and does not imply endorsement of any kind by Home Theater or any hands-on experience by its reviewers or editors. Visit our Reviews area to browse test reports for products that have been formally evaluated by our expert staff.

Built-In Wifi & Bluetooth Technology Debut in Onkyo's 2013 Entry-Level A/V Network Receivers

Onkyo Launches TX-NR727, TX-NR626, and TX-NR525 Network A/V Receivers, HT-S5600 7.1-Channel Home Theater Receiver/Speaker Package

Continuing its reign as the world's foremost creator of user-focused home entertainment products, Onkyo has unveiled three exciting network A/V receivers-along with an affordable home theater package ideal for first-time buyers-for the 2013 model year, pushing standards for performance and value to unprecedented heights at the entry-level.

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New Products
Samsung 2013 TV Preview
Al Griffin  |  Mar 21, 2013

Samsung’s product preview event, held on Wednesday 3/20 at NYC’s American Museum of Finance (who knew such a place existed?) was notable on two counts. First, the company announced a price for its 85-inch UN85S9 Ultra HD TV — the cover star of Sound&Vision’s April/May print issue. Second, it had another cover star, SI swimsuit model Kate Upton (fully clothed), along with Giants’ quarterback Eli Manning on hand to say how much they dig the company’s 2013 Smart Hub interface.

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Audio Video News
Acoustic Art: Bang & Olufsen BeoLab 12 Series Speakers
Bob Ankosko  |  Mar 21, 2013
Denmark’s Bang & Olufsen has always had a knack for style, but the BeoLab 12 Series speakers just might be the most elegant-looking speakers you can put on a stand or—even better—hang on the wall next to a flat-panel TV in a modern room.
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Audio Video News
Samsung Set to Deliver Super Plasma, Ultra HD TVs
Rob Sabin  |  Mar 20, 2013
At a press conference in Manhattan today marked by celebrity guest appearances of super model Kate Upton, Super Bowl quarterback Eli Manning, and super-rapper Flo Rida, Samsung officially introduced its 2013 TV line and availability for a new F8500 super plasma. Along with Panasonic’s much anticipated ZT plasma series that will debut soon, the F8500 is said to represent a new level of performance for a category that remains much beloved by A/V enthusiasts as the gold standard for image quality.

Simultaneously, Samsung announced that its 85-inch Ultra HD model, the UHD-S9 first shown at CES (photo above), will be available for preorders on the Samsung.com Web site at the end of March.

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Audio Video News
Rear Projection TV RIP: Mitsubishi Pulls the Final Plug
Mark Fleischmann  |  Mar 20, 2013
Back during the analog TV era, a well-regarded manufacturer offered me a rear-projection set—not for review, just for my own use. I turned it down. I didn’t want one of those big, butt-ugly things in my living room. In later years, RPTV went high def, slimmed down, and became the best buy in big-screen TV in terms of inches per dollar. But that wasn’t enough to save it. In the closing jingle-bell months of last year, the one remaining RPTV manufacturer pulled the plug, and the product category quietly passed into history.
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Blu-ray Movie Reviews
Rock of Ages
David Vaughn  |  Mar 20, 2013
Picture
Sound
Extras
If you aren’t a fan of 1980s rock music or musicals, stop reading right now and save yourself a few minutes because you’ll absolutely hate this movie otherwise. For those of you who have stuck around, you’ll absolutely love this movie—as long as you aren’t turned off by actors bursting out in song in the middle of a scene.
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Blu-ray Movie Reviews3D Blu-ray Movie Reviews
Dial M For Murder
Corey Gunnestad  |  Mar 20, 2013
Picture
Sound
Extras
Alfred Hitchcock was a supremely gifted and innovative filmmaker and master of suspense…and a bit of a psycho in his own right, according to recent biographies on him. His films are the benchmark standard that nearly every suspense thriller since has taken its cues from. And in 1954, Hitchcock shot Dial M for Murder in the 3D format at a time when the novelty of 3D films was waning.
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Power Amplifier ReviewsSurround Processor Reviews
Sherbourn PT-7030 Surround Processor & PA 7-350 Amplifier
Kris Deering  |  Mar 20, 2013
PT-7030 Surround Processor
Audio Performance
Video Performance
Features
Ergonomics
Value
 
PA 7-350 Amplifier
Performance
Features
Ergonomics
Value
Price: PT-7030, $1,799; PA 7-350, $2,799 At A Glance: Audiophile focus • Great dynamics • Lacks some bells and whistles

We’ve all heard the old saying, “less is more”, but that doesn’t always translate well to audio surround processors. While audiophile processors of yesteryear concentrated more on core components for the best possible sound quality and less on crazy surround modes and other digital processing, today’s market seems to demand these features.

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