Rob Sabin

4K TV ReviewsTV ReviewsLCD TV Reviews
Panasonic TC-65AX900U LCD Ultra HDTV Review
Rob Sabin  |  May 06, 2015  |  1 comments
2D Performance
3D Performance
Features
Ergonomics
Value
PRICE $7,199

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Stunning color
Gorgeously detailed 4K playback
A boatload of picture tweaks
Minus
Not quite plasma-like blacks and shadow detail
3D ghosting
The price

THE VERDICT
Panasonic’s statement Ultra HDTV sucks you in with its alluring image and doesn’t let go, but its high price is a deterrent.

When Panasonic left the plasma market in late 2013 to the whimpers of videophiles worldwide, the company committed to delivering an LED-backlit LCD that would rival the image of their best-ever TV—the ZT60 that was their plasma swan song. The first Panny Ultra HD LCD to follow, the edge-lit TC-65AX800U, was a fine TV, though hardly a breakout set. But in late 2014, Panasonic rolled out their flagship AX900U series at 55 and 65 inches, the latter of which we now review here.

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Editor's Eye
What Projection and Hi-Res Audio Have in Common
Rob Sabin  |  Apr 29, 2015  |  1 comments
We’ve recently spent time covering two very different audio/video technologies. One is long-established but in some ways breaking new ground. The other—well, I suppose that’s also long-established and breaking new ground, though with a fresh spin.
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Editor's EyeAudio Video News
Netflix in Tow, LG Rolls Out Ultra HD OLED
Rob Sabin  |  Apr 09, 2015  |  2 comments
‘Tis that time of the year when all the big TV makers start shipping their new lines to retail, which means members of the press get to see them up close for what amounts to the second time, the first being January’s CES. No surprise that the star of the show at LG Electronic’s New York press conference this week was the 65EG9600, the company’s new 65-inch Ultra HD-resolution OLED.

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Editor's EyeTrack One
Are U Ready For 4K?
Rob Sabin  |  Feb 23, 2015  |  7 comments
UHD Blu-ray and HDR on the Horizon

As I reflect back on our annual pilgrimage to CES last month in LasVegas, the most exciting news for home theater buffs was around Ultra HD (UHD), both the launch of the first HDR (high dynamic range) UHD televisions and the announcement of details on forthcoming UHD Blu-ray Discs.

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Audio Video NewsTop Picks
2014 Top Picks Of the Year
Rob Sabin  |  Jan 30, 2015  |  4 comments
2014 was an interesting year for AV enthusiasts. On the video side, plasma went away, while LCD technology, particularly the edge-lit models, took a leap forward, and OLED grew its presence. In audio, a slew of new competitors went chasing after Sonos in the app-based multiroom audio genre, high-res audio began to emerge from its audiophile obscurity, vinyl continued on its comeback path, Atmos came to the home theater market, and the best soundbars kept on getting better. Read on for our list of the crème de la crème...
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Editor's EyeTrack One
The Top of the Crop
Rob Sabin  |  Jan 30, 2015  |  0 comments
And Some Personal Faves…

We’ve just posted our annual Top Picks of the Year list of the best products from among all those we tested in 2014, culled from all the Top Picks named throughout the year in consultation with our staff of reviewers. Even from among this list, though, there are a few that really stand out for me, not just because of their performance but because of what I think they represent in the evolution of our hobby and the AV marketplace. Here are some of my personal highlights...

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CES 2015
iHome's CES "Power" Play
Rob Sabin  |  Jan 09, 2015  |  Published: Jan 10, 2015  |  0 comments
iHome has put a "powerful" spin on the classic Bluetooth speaker with a clever line of Kineta systems that integrate a removable 2600 mAh battery pack whose purpose is to charge your other portable devices.

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CES 2015
GoldenEar Wows 'Em With Triton Five Demo
Rob Sabin  |  Jan 09, 2015  |  0 comments
After achieving success with 2013's passive Triton Seven mini-tower ($700 each) and last year's powered Triton One flagship ($2,500 each), GoldenEar Technology has plans to introduce another affordable passive tower, the Triton Five.

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CES 2015
Panasonic Announces 4K Blu-ray, New Flagship UHDTV, and the Return of Technics
Rob Sabin  |  Jan 05, 2015  |  1 comments
The first announcement of a 4K Blu-ray player and the return of the storied Technics audio brand, along with word of a new flagship UltraHDTV, were the big headlines for AV enthusiasts at Panasonic’s CES 2015 press conference this morning in Las Vegas.
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Editor's EyeTrack One
A Theater and a Gentleman
Rob Sabin  |  Jan 01, 2015  |  1 comments
The Closer Is a Class Act

Last summer, Sound & Vision was invited to visit retired Yankee relief pitcher Mariano Rivera to profile a renovation that had been done, with JBL’s help, to his private home theater. Baseball fans know Rivera as the Major League’s all-time leader in saves, and undoubtedly a future Hall of Famer. As a New Yorker, I knew him as a fixture in my city for the nearly two decades he played here, when, on any given day from April through September (and frequently, October), he might be the figure gracing the back-cover sports page of the New York Daily News or Post. The very nature of Rivera’s work as a closer—to be trotted out in the late innings to hold a slim lead or demoralize the competition and give his team a chance at the tying or walk-off run—made him an exciting figure.

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