Audio Video News

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Audio Video News
Best Subwoofers, Soundbars & Speakers of 2022
Bob Ankosko  |  Oct 13, 2022  | 
There’s a good reason speakers are so popular in these pages. They make a difference! Pick the right ones and you are rewarded with an immediate improvement in sound quality. Whether you’re buying a new set of stereo speakers, upgrading an existing suite of home theater speakers, or introducing a new subwoofer into the mix, the result should be transformative. A speaker that recreates the recording space in a mind-blowingly lifelike way. A subwoofer that punches you in the gut and gives new meaning to going low. Forget subtle. Forget straining to hear a difference. This is where Sound & Vision comes in. We’ve compiled capsule reviews of our 2022 Top Picks in subwoofers, soundbars, and speakers. With any luck, one or more of our recommendations will play a meaningful role in elevating your listening experience.
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Media Server ReviewsAudio Video News
A Marriage Made in Movie Heaven
David Vaughn  |  Oct 11, 2022  | 

Hands On with the Kaleidescape Strato C Movie Player and Terra 48TB Movie Server

Reviewing A/V products began as a hobby that led to some paid gigs starting 16 years ago. Years of reviewing fantastic equipment opened my eyes to two concepts: Better equipment does come with a cost, but there’s this thing called “The Law of Diminishing Returns.” For example, in the AVR world, a $1,000 receiver offers a lot more features and functions than a $300 one — more power, more HDMI inputs, more channels, more robust onboard EQ, etc. But what about a $3,000 model versus one that costs $1,000? Likely it will also offer more, but not necessarily three times the value.
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Audio Video News
Audio Advice Offers Free Video-Projection Setup Tool
SV Staff  |  Sep 26, 2022  | 
Home theater builders listen up: the Raleigh, NC-based consumer electronics specialty retailer Audio Advice has created an online tool for calculating ideal projector placement and is making it available for free.
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Audio Video NewsNew Products
Apple Unveils AirPods Gen 2 with Custom Spatial Audio
Mark Henninger  |  Sep 09, 2022  | 
Apple’s AirPods Pro are some of the best-selling headphones of all time. Now the company has unveiled its AirPods Pro 2nd generation ($249) featuring a new H2 chip, new driver, new amplifier, improved noise cancellation, personalized spatial audio, and various ergonomic-plus-usability enhancements. Apple clearly seeks to maintain its dominance in the headphones category with a comprehensive update to its most popular model.
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Audio Video News
Sony and LG Prevail in Annual TV Shootout for the Second Year in a Row
Michael Antonoff  |  Aug 02, 2022  | 
The results of the Value Electronics 18th Annual TV Shootout held in New York City over the weekend are in and it’s Sony and LG by a hair in the 4K and 8K test categories, respectively. For each brand, the win is a repeat performance of last year’s Shootout when Sony was crowned king of 4K TV and LG king of 8K TV.
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Audio Video News
Audio Advice to Host Live Audio/Home Theater Event
Bob Ankosko  |  Jul 27, 2022  | 
The countdown to Audio Advice Live has begun. In just over three weeks, the 44-year-old specialty consumer electronics retailer Audio Advice is hosting a three-day high performance audio and home theater event in its hometown of Raleigh, NC to showcase the latest and greatest gear from more than 60 brands, including many marquee names in A/V.
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Audio Video News
DTS Play-Fi Gets a Home Theater Upgrade
Joe Palenchar  |  Jun 16, 2022  | 
DTS Play-Fi technology, known primarily for home-wide wireless multiroom-audio distribution, is getting a variety of upgrades that could make it a bigger player in wireless home theater.
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Audio Video News
Best Gear of May 2022
Bob Ankosko  |  May 26, 2022  | 
Ready for a subwoofer that can play very low and very loud in very large spaces? Or how about a versatile set of headphones that put excellent noise cancellation and sound expanding spatial processing at your fingertips as you look ahead to that awesome summer vacation you just locked down? Both made our Top Picks list in May along with an affordable smart projector that will take movie time to the next level and a trio of high-end speakers from a brand you never heard of that will leave you speechless.
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Audio Video News
Study Finds a Thriving Market for Vinyl Records
Bob Ankosko  |  May 12, 2022  | 
In the age of streaming where you can summon any song, band, or music genre in the snap of a finger, the lingering presence of vinyl records seems quaint — a fad embraced by hipsters, nostalgia seekers, and aging hippies. But the latest statistics from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) show that the rebirth of vinyl that began more than a decade ago has real staying power.
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Audio Video News
An Evening With Satchmo at the KEF Music Lounge
Howard Kneller  |  May 04, 2022  | 
KEF’s April 30, 2022 “An Evening with Satchmo” event, featuring special guest Grammy winner Ricky Ricciardi, Director of Research Collections at the Louis Armstrong House Museum and Archives, marked the first time that I wore a suit since the pandemic’s start. Although the manufacturer events that I’ve recently attended have each raised the bar on luxury, this one promised to significantly up the ante. It featured not only a semi-formal dress code, but high-end food and spirits and Louis Armstrong music and video clips in an elegant setting—KEF’s Marlboro, New Jersey Music Lounge, which the company describes as an “idea, training, and experience center” that’s physically attached to its U.S. corporate headquarters.
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Audio Video News
Best Gear of April 2022
Bob Ankosko  |  Apr 28, 2022  | 
As April winds to a close, we review our Top Picks for the month, which include a budget soundbar system from a well-known American speaker brand, top performing integrated amplifiers in two price categories, and the latest THX-certified subwoofer from an accessory-turned-audio-brand that’s growing by leaps and bounds.
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Audio Video News
Best Gear of April 2022
Bob Ankosko  |  Apr 28, 2022  | 
As April winds to a close, we review our Top Picks for the month, which include a budget soundbar system from a well-known American speaker brand, a top performing integrated amplifier, and the latest THX-certified subwoofer from an accessory-turned-audio-brand that’s growing by leaps and bounds.
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Audio Video News
New Lotus SUV Gets Super-Charged KEF Sound System
Bob Ankosko  |  Apr 18, 2022  | 
KEF has extended its partnership with Lotus to bring killer sound to the new Eletre Hyper-SUV, the carmaker’s first all-electric “lifestyle” vehicle.
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Audio Video NewsNew Products
News & Gear: Spring 2022
Bob Ankosko  |  Apr 14, 2022  | 
As spring hits stride, we take a look at some of the latest home entertainment news and gear.
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Audio Video News
Best Subwoofers, Home Theater Speakers of 2021-22
Bob Ankosko  |  Apr 07, 2022  | 
Tired of putting up with anemic bass while you miss out on the visceral excitement that comes with owning a bad-ass subwoofer? Or maybe it’s time to replace a lowly soundbar (or, heaven forbid, the speakers built into your TV) with a full-on home theater speaker system. Help has arrived. We present capsule reviews of our Top Picks in subwoofers and home theater speaker systems for all of 2021 and so far in 2022.
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