New Products

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New Products
May 2017 New Gear
SV Staff  |  May 30, 2017  | 
LG's first 4K/Ultra HD Blu-ray player, a wireless TV antenna, a hi-res music player in disguise, and more
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New ProductsPremiere Design
Finding Sonic Paradise: HiFiMan's Shangri-La Electrostatic Headphone System
Bob Ankosko  |  Apr 26, 2017  | 
HiFiMan founder Dr. Fang Bian has been crafting fine headphones for more than a decade, collecting numerous awards along the way. In the past two years alone, five of his designs have been designated Top Picks in these pages. Despite this incredible success, Bian wanted more. He had a lifelong dream to fulfill: To create the “world’s best-sounding headphone.” As he put it, “While HiFiMan has made many good headphones, and people certainly enjoy them, none has ever fully satisfied that dream.”
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New Products
April 2017 New Gear
SV Staff  |  Apr 20, 2017  | 
Integra DLB-5 Soundbar System
Object-based surround sound has advanced the art of home theater sound but at the cost of yet another set of speakers. Enter Integra’s DLB-5, which provides a simpler path. The 3.1.2-channel system comprises a passive soundbar, wireless subwoofer, and svelte 5 x 50-watt receiver that supports Internet Radio, several streaming services (including Tidal, Spotify, and Pandora), and more connectivity options than you’ll need: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, AirPlay, Blackfire’s FireConnect, and DTS Play-Fi (due via a future firmware update).
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New Products
March 2017 New Gear
SV Staff  |  Mar 05, 2017  |  First Published: Mar 03, 2017  | 
A new Onkyo receiver, a remarkable window TV, NFL-inspired workout headphones, and more.
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New ProductsPremiere Design
Come Fly With Me: Sonus faber's Super Sexy sf16
Bob Ankosko  |  Feb 24, 2017  | 
I was immediately drawn to the sf16’s neofuturistic styling. Its gentle curves reminded me of the iconic TWA Flight Center at New York’s JFK Airport—an aeronautic theme sustained by wing-like sound pods that sprout on command. Unusual and unique.
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New Products
February 2017 New Gear
SV Staff  |  Jan 31, 2017  | 
Soundcast VG1 Waterproof Speaker
If you’re looking for a speaker you can use near water—in the bathroom, by the pool—why mess around? The IP67-rated VG1 is waterproof, not just “water-resistant,” meaning it has withstood testing to ensure it’s impervious to dust and submersible in 3 feet of water.
Take It Anywhere: Described as a perfect travel companion, the speaker teams a pair of 2-inch aluminum-cone drivers with a rear-firing bass radiator and is designed to keep an impromptu party going for up to 15 hours when its battery is fully charged. The VG1 supports Bluetooth streaming via aptX and AAC codecs, or you can use its minijack for a hard-wire hookup. It also has a built-in microphone and is compatible with Siri for hands-free control. Two VG1s can be connected for a wireless stereo experience. Price: $150
Soundcast • (619) 591-0126 • gosoundcast.com
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New Products
December 2016 New Gear
SV Staff  |  Dec 02, 2016  | 
New gear from the land of AV, including a minimalist AV cabinet, 4K TV done right, and a classy turntable from...Klipsch.
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New ProductsSpecial Features
2016 Tech Guide: A Dozen Gifts to Give & Get
Bob Ankosko  |  Nov 23, 2016  | 
When you stop and think how tech-infused our lives have become, it’s no wonder electronic gadgets are the most popular holiday gifts. Technology is cool. Technology enriches our lives. Technology… (add your declaration here). As the holiday shopping season gets under way, we’ve sifted through dozens of potential gifts and settled on 12 at prices ranging from $20 to $800. Approach these pages with an eye toward matching one or more of these gems with friends and loved ones on your list. Or maybe you’ll be inspired to put one or two on your wish list. I don’t know about you, but my family is always asking me what I want for Christmas. I now have a better idea…
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New Products
Gimme Shelter: Racks, Cabinets and Mounts
Bob Ankosko  |  Oct 06, 2016  | 
What good is a shiny new state-of-the-art TV if you don’t have an appropriately classy place to put it or an acrobatic wall-mount to hang it on? Or maybe you’d rather attach it to a motorized lift so you can make it appear (and disappear) at will. And what about the rest of your electronics—the receiver, that spiffy 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray player…your resurrected turntable? Do you have a functional place in mind for all that stuff? Fear not. Whether you want to display your gear for all to see or hide it away, here are a few options worthy of consideration.
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New Products
September 2016 New Gear
SV Staff  |  Sep 21, 2016  | 
Fiber-optic-over-HDMI cable, wireless noise-canceling headphones, electronic clutter eliminator, and more.
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New Products
August 2016 New Gear
SV Staff  |  Aug 16, 2016  | 
Sony UHP-H1 Hi-Res-Certified Blu-ray Player
Video is usually the first thing that comes to mind when you think Blu-ray, but Sony has gone out of its way to build a player that puts audio and video performance on equal footing—and maybe even gives audio an edge. The Hi-Res Audio–certified UHP-H1 is built to withstand vibration and equipped to play just about any file or disc you throw at it—including SACDs and DSD or 192-kilohertz/24-bit music files. It also has built-in Wi-Fi and supports Bluetooth streaming via Sony’s LDAC codec for “higher-than-typical” bit rates. And it’s no slouch in the video department, either, offering 4K upscaling at up to 60 hertz (though no compatibility with the new UHD Blu-ray Discs). Get Connected: When you’re not connected wirelessly, you can choose between optical and analog inputs or play Hi-Res files via the front-panel USB port. Price: $350
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New Products
June 2016 New Gear
SV Staff  |  May 24, 2016  | 
A “vintage” streaming audio player, speakers with a built-in phono input, Sony’s take on UHD TV, and more.
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New Products
May 2016 New Gear
SV Staff  |  May 02, 2016  | 
A dazzling OLED TV, UHD Blu-ray player, multifunctional surround speaker, and more.
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New Products
March 2016 New Gear
SV Staff  |  Mar 16, 2016  | 
Legacy Audio Powerblock² Amplifier
“Incredible performance in a small package…at a fair price” is how Legacy Audio describes the Powerblock², the company’s first amplifier in more than a decade. Assembled in Legacy’s Springfield, Illinois factory, the amp is a dual-mono design boasting an ultra-wide 1.5-Hz to 70-kHz bandwidth and healthy power output of 2 x 325 watts into 8 ohms (or a rip-roaring 2 x 650 into 4 ohms). Ice Ice Baby: The low-profile Powerblock² is built around ICEpower Class D technology featuring self-oscillating closed-loop architecture and a robust power supply capable of supplying peak current of 30 amps per channel. High damping factor (1,000 <1 kHz) and dynamic range (117 dB) are cited as key characteristics along with low distortion (0.005% THD at rated output). Balanced XLR and unbalanced inputs are provided. Price: $1,600
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New Products
February 2016 New Gear
SV Staff  |  Feb 18, 2016  | 
Klipsch Reference R6 Headphone
A reference headphone without the reference price is one way to look at the R6, an on-ear design that weighs just over a third of a pound and costs less than a hundred bucks. Its generous 1.5-inch custom-tuned drivers are ensconced in swiveling ear cups to ensure a good fit, and they’re voiced to emulate the sound of Klipsch’s Reference Series speakers. A pretty tall order. Travel Buddy: The headphone folds flat, making it an excellent travel companion, and it has an adjustable leather headband and padded memory foam cushions for noise isolation and comfort. A carrying case is included. Price: $79 ($99 for the R6i, which adds an iPhone-compatible in-line remote and microphone)
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