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Wide Angle
Best TV of 2024 for Picture Quality Purists? Quantum Dot OLED
Mark Henninger  |  Dec 26, 2024
When shopping for a top-tier TV, picture quality is the big deal. You want enough brightness to make HDR content pop, plus deep blacks and accurate colors—otherwise, it’s just not going to feel like the cinematic experience you’re paying for. Right now, Quantum Dot OLED (QD-OLED) technology leads the pack on those fronts. Let’s talk about what makes QD-OLED so compelling.
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Music Reviews
Top 5 Dolby Atmos Tracks of 2024
Mike Mettler  |  Dec 19, 2024

It’s almost impossible to keep up with the sheer volume of new-to-2024 Dolby Atmos tracks available on streaming services/online listening portals like Apple Music, Tidal, and Immersive Audio Album these days—not to mention the encouraging, increasing number of physical Blu-ray-with-Atmos options that are also out there, for us completist/collector types—but it’s one holy heck of a problem to have for those of us who truly cherish the immersive listening experience. Read on to see which songs made the 360-degree cut for S&V Music Editor Mike Mettler’s Top 5 favorite Dolby Atmos tracks of 2024 list. . .

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Audio Video News
GoldenEar Joins Forces with Paradigm, MartinLogan, and Anthem
Mark Henninger  |  Dec 19, 2024
GoldenEar, which is known for making high-performance loudspeakers, is joining the Canadian parent business PML Sound International. This is a big deal for the high-end audio world. The audio industry already has some big names in this group: Paradigm, MartinLogan, and Anthem.
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Audio Video News
Epson’s Fight for Accurate Projector Brightness Specs Leads to Settlements
Mark Henninger  |  Dec 19, 2024
Epson has recently taken significant steps to promote accuracy and transparency in the projector market by addressing misleading brightness claims from manufacturers.

Note: Edited to reflect the response from AWOL, which notes that its compliance is preemptive and voluntary.

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Audio Video News
Gentex Scoops Up VOXX (and Klipsch and Onkyo) for a Song
Mark Henninger  |  Dec 18, 2024
In a move that says as much about the state of the audio industry as it does about VOXX International’s strategic ambitions, Gentex Corporation is snapping up VOXX—including its crown jewels, Klipsch and Onkyo—for a mere $178 million. That’s not just VOXX, the company: that’s Premium Audio Company, VOXX’s high-end audio division, home to two of the most storied names in the audio world.
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Audio Video News
Onkyo’s Next Verse: A Storied Audio Brand Rewrites Its Tune
Mark Henninger  |  Dec 17, 2024
We've got an especially interesting tidbit of brand news to share: Onkyo—one of the classic names in consumer electronics since 1946—just announced a brand identity refresh, setting the stage for what it calls a modern era of design and innovation. This update isn’t just window dressing; it’s part of a rebranding push that aims to engage music lovers, movie buffs, and avid gamers alike, showing that the company’s looking firmly forward.
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Audio Video News
Apple TV 4K's tvOS 18.2: A Cinematic Leap for Home Theater Enthusiasts
Mark Henninger  |  Dec 13, 2024
Apple’s upcoming tvOS 18.2 update for the Apple TV 4K brings a key enhancement for cinema enthusiasts: expanded aspect-ratio support, most notably 21:9. As reported by multiple sources, this update allows users with compatible projectors to view widescreen movies at their intended cinematic proportions.
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New Products
T+A elektroakustik’s Pulsar S 130 Loudspeakers Debut
Mark Henninger  |  Dec 13, 2024
German high-end audio specialist T+A elektroakustik has unveiled its new Pulsar S 130 loudspeaker, a floorstanding model priced at $7,490/pair. As part of a broader initiative to revamp its speaker lineup, T+A states that this design incorporates technologies and concepts drawn from its flagship Solitaire and Criterion series, pulling that engineering pedigree into a more accessible price bracket.
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Music Reviews
Saweetie: “I Want You This Christmas” and “Big Santa” in Dolby Atmos
Mike Mettler  |  Dec 12, 2024

Saweetie ain’t known as “Icy Grl” for nothing. But now, the Bay Area rapper has set her hot-but-chill sights on reveling in the holidays with a new double-stockinged single under the Dear Big Santa mantle. Read Mike Mettler’s review to find out if the Dolby Atmos mixes of “I Want You This Christmas” and “Big Santa,” the pair of festive, fresh new tracks on Dear Big Santa, are worth adding to your holiday playlist. . .

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New Products
Bluesound Ships the NODE ICON, Its New Benchmark in Wireless Hi-Fi Streaming
Mark Henninger  |  Dec 12, 2024
Bluesound has announced that its new flagship wireless music streamer, the NODE ICON, is now available at a price of $999. According to the company, this latest model is intended to build on the success of earlier NODE streamers, introducing what it characterizes as advanced engineering, design enhancements, and new features that it says set a new standard in high-resolution audio performance.
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