Mark Fleischmann

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Greg Lake: Like the Low End of a Steinway
EARS ON
Mark Fleischmann  |  Feb 04, 2017  |  3 comments
2016 was a brutal year for rock fans and especially for progressive-rock fans. We didn't lose just Prince and Bowie. We lost Keith Emerson's keyboards, and in the final month of the year, the extraordinary voice, not to mention the bass and guitar, of Greg Lake. The year before we lost Chris Squire's Rickenbacker bass. If you recall my ELP in 5.1 review and Keith Emerson tribute, you might be a little tired of hearing about the keyboard-based power trio that was one of my boyhood heroes. But I can't let Greg Lake's death at age 69 pass unremarked.

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Focal Dôme Flax 5.1 Speaker System Review
BOOKSHELF SPEAKER REVIEWS
Mark Fleischmann  |  Feb 02, 2017  |  0 comments

Dôme Flax 5.1 Speaker System
Performance
Build Quality
Value

Sub Air Subwoofer
Performance
Features
Ergonomics
Value
PRICE $1,999

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Flax cone woofer
Aluminum-magnesium inverted-dome tweeter
Wall-hugging sub
Minus
Limited bass from sats

THE VERDICT
Unique driver materials, overall quality of construction, and adroit voicing make the Focal Dôme Flax 5.1 one of the best-sounding compact sat/sub systems I’ve heard.

As the home theater milieu increasingly divides into Atmos and non-Atmos camps, the satellite/subwoofer category seems destined to remain part of the old guard, usually sold in a set of five little speakers and a sub or two. Is it possible for a satellite speaker to retain its merciful compactness if it’s also to include an Atmos-enabled upfiring driver? I’d love to review such a product, but right now it’s a figment of my imagination and hopes. Focal, the prodigious French speaker manufacturer, does now offer a 5.1.2-channel Atmos-capable sat/sub system that takes a different approach (see below), but you’ll be happy to know that plain ol’ 5.1 is still alive and supported by this and other fine speaker makers. Even now it remains the bedrock configuration of surround sound.

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Sound & Vision Tech Tidbits January 2017
AUDIO VIDEO NEWS
Mark Fleischmann  |  Jan 25, 2017  |  1 comments
Sony Spiffed Up PS4 Pro with Ultra HD and HDR capability and content, including upconversion of non-native 4K content. However, the $399 device’s Blu-ray drive does not support UHD...

Vizio’s SmartCast has received improvements including Google Play Movies and TV, a new Quick Start mode over Wi-Fi, and improved navigation...

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Cable-Readiness Delayed Again
AUDIO VIDEO NEWS
Mark Fleischmann  |  Jan 23, 2017  |  4 comments
In a blow to pay-TV subscribers, the Federal Communications Commission has postponed a vote on its effort to create a new cable-ready standard. The vote would have followed a two-year process in which every possible angle was considered. An app-based solution had the conditional support of the cable industry.
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CES 2017: The Ultimate Audio Wrapup
CES 2017, EARS ON
Mark Fleischmann  |  Jan 10, 2017  |  0 comments
I have been attending the Consumer Electronics Show nearly every year since 1985. Every year I promise myself that this year's CES will be my last.

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SPL Headphone Amp Keeps Stage Out Front
CES 2017
Mark Fleischmann  |  Jan 07, 2017  |  0 comments
SPL's Phonitor X headphone amp includes a crossfeed mode designed to keep the soundstage in front of you, rather than in your head.

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Polk Shows Affordable Bar
BLU-RAY PLAYER REVIEWS
Mark Fleischmann  |  Jan 07, 2017  |  0 comments
At $179, Polk Audio's Signa S1 soundbar is definitely affordable.

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An Epique Tale Is Spun
CES 2017
Mark Fleischmann  |  Jan 07, 2017  |  0 comments
The story of how the Epique CBT24 came to be was unlike any other at the show.

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GoldenEar Unveils New Triton Reference Flagship
CES 2017
Mark Fleischmann  |  Jan 07, 2017  |  1 comments
The Triton Reference is GoldenEar Technology's new flagship speaker, nudging aside the Triton One for the top slot.

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Solus Serves Up Entré II with H-PAS Bass Tech
3D BLU-RAY MOVIE REVIEWS
Mark Fleischmann  |  Jan 07, 2017  |  0 comments
Solus Audio introduced a 5.2-channel system the size and shape of a desk at this year's CES. But though the StreamAV was present at the exhibit, the product actually playing was the Entré II monitor, which uses the company's H-PAS bass extension technology.

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