GRACE NOTES

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Grace Notes
Coros Omni Cycling Helmet: Safe with Sound
Leslie Shapiro  |  Mar 05, 2018
I know what you’re thinking. This is Sound & Vision Magazine. Why the heck is a bicycle helmet reviewed here? Simple. The Coros Omni Smart Helmet has built-in bone-conducting headphones. That’s why.

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Grace Notes
Dark Victory: The Dark Knight Rises
Ken C. Pohlmann  |  Jul 23, 2012

Above all, we admire mastery. A painter, sculptor, athlete, musician, actor, scientist — whatever the profession, there is nothing quite like witnessing someone working at the top of their game. The expression of professional confidence, ease, and poise is a joy to behold. You sit back and let it wash over you, and think to yourself — this is really good.

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Grace Notes
David Versus Goliath: Internet Radio Takes On the Music Industry
Leslie Shapiro  |  Nov 15, 2012

We all know the story. Underdog David takes down the giant Goliath with his tiny slingshot, giving little guys throughout the centuries a glimmer of hope.  This time, it’s Internet radio providers versus the three major record labels, but in an interesting twist, it could be time for Goliath to take a stand.

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Headphone ReviewsGrace Notes
Decibullz Custom-Molded High-Fidelity Earplugs Can Protect Your Hearing
Leslie Shapiro  |  Aug 20, 2018
Next time you’re at a concert, look around. Want to know how to spot the audiophiles? They’re the ones with cotton balls and Kleenex sticking out of their ears. Anyone concerned with protecting their hearing knows how dangerous loud concerts and even movie theaters can be. Usually, the only options were earplugs that blocked frequencies unevenly, making it hard to understand lyrics and dialogue. Want to be a cool audiophile? Check out Decibullz Professional Filters, Earplugs, and Earphones.

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Grace NotesAudio Video NewsNew Products
Dirac Research Releases Dirac 3D Audio Solution for Headphones
Leslie Shapiro  |  Jun 03, 2019
When Dirac Research releases a new product, it always causes our ears to perk up. The company that made great strides in reference room-correction software has just released Dirac 3D Audio, an software solution that delivers 360-degree surround sound via any standard headphone or gaming headset.

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Grace Notes
Don't Rain on My Parade: Thanksgiving Day Parade Fallout
Leslie Shapiro  |  Nov 26, 2018
Who doesn’t love waking up on Thanksgiving morning and turning on the Macy’s Day Parade? It’s a tradition in our house, even as adults. The clowns, the floats, the marching bands, the performers, and of course, Santa. What could possibly go wrong with an almost 3-mile long moving performance that goes on live, with most of the nation tuned in to watch? Well, plenty.

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Grace Notes
Dust & Grooves: Adventures in Record Collecting
Leslie Shapiro  |  Jun 09, 2014  |  First Published: Jun 08, 2014
In a new 416-page coffee-table book, part-time DJ and photographer Eilon Paz takes an intimate look at over 130 vinyl collections and collectors , exploring the beauty and passion behind each treasured trove. The book is a glorious celebration of vinyl records, and showcases the wide variety of collections along with the people and stories behind them.

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Headphone ReviewsGrace Notes
Ears On Test: Do Custom Tips Make a Difference?
Leslie Shapiro  |  Feb 06, 2017
Nothing steps up your game like a pair of custom earphones. They’re usually priced so high that customs were reserved for only the most devoted audiophiles. Snugs, a company out of London, England is making them accessible to the masses by creating custom ear tips, and partnering with Echobox to match them to the Nomad Titanium Earphones(MSRP $399).

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Bluetooth Speaker ReviewsWireless Multiroom Speaker ReviewsGrace Notes
Ears On: JLab Audio Party Series Wireless Speakers
Leslie Shapiro  |  Feb 20, 2017
When JLab Audio launched their new Party Series wireless Bluetooth speakers last month, they quickly created quite a stir. After they won a 2017 CES Innovations award and a 2017 Dealerscope IMPACT! Award, I knew I had to check them out in person. I’m certainly glad I did.

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Grace NotesAudio Video News
Enthusiast Perspective — Captain America: Civil War
Leslie Shapiro, Ken C. Pohlmann  |  May 05, 2016
Marvel is unleashing its latest Captain America saga, hoping that the recent disappointing Superman/Batman outing by DC Comics has not diminished the public’s enthusiasm for comic-book mayhem. Last night, resplendent in my superhero costume and not pulling any punches, I heroically battled supervillain Ken Pohlmann at the press screening of Civil War....

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Grace Notes
Epic, or Epic Fail?
Leslie Shapiro  |  Feb 09, 2014
Live TV is one of the most anxiety-inducing tasks facing artists, producers, and engineers, not to mention corporate and political types. In the past two weeks, the NFL’s cash cow, the Super Bowl on Fox and Russia’s pride and joy, the Olympic’s Opening Ceremonies on NBC tried their darndest to impress the world. Both the NFL and Russia took extreme precautions to ensure a flawless show. But in the end, the best way to wow the crowd is to fake it.

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Grace Notes
Everything Big is Small Again: Nyne's New Docks
Leslie Shapiro  |  Apr 24, 2012

For years, TV manufacturers have been striving to make the biggest and best TV displays. Every year in Las Vegas, the Consumer Electronics Show has been a competition to see who could show off the most ridiculously humongous TV screen.

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Grace Notes
Fair Use Ain’t As Fair As It Used To Be
Leslie Shapiro  |  Nov 05, 2012

While it’s easy to imagine that the federal government (in this case, the Copyright Office) is a bunch of Luddites, sticking to making laws about ancient or obsolete technologies and ignoring the new, the opposite is actually true. 

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Grace NotesAudio Video News
First Listen: Tidal Hi-Fi Music Streaming Service
Leslie Shapiro  |  Nov 10, 2014
A few months ago, we reported that Tidal High Fidelity music streaming was going to be launched in the US. It’s now up and running, and we had a chance to check it out. It’s the first full-resolution music streaming service available to US consumers. (Deezer is also full resolution, but only available for Sonos users.) Blah, blah, yet another music streaming service. Is it really that much better than Beats, Spotify, Slacker, or Pandora? Is it worth the $19.99 monthly fee? After some intensive listening, I say without hesitation, enthusiastically “YES” on all accounts.

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Grace Notes
Goldilocks and the Three Chairs
Leslie Shapiro  |  Feb 24, 2014
Life is good. Having just moved into a house with a room for a dedicated home theater, it was time to get set up. More to the point, time for shopping. Usually, the last thing I want to do is to buy furniture, but the search for the perfect chairs for my home theater became my quest. Seeking perfection, I pored over furniture catalogs, websites and scoured any furniture in my path. A woman’s home theater is her castle, right? I already had furnished my girl-cave, I mean home office, and the A/V room, although last on the decorating list, was in my mind, the most crucial.

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