New Products

LG UP970 Ultra HD Blu-ray Player
A year ago, there was exactly one Ultra HD Blu-ray player. Now there are several, including LG’s first player, the UP970, which is compatible with both high dynamic range (HDR) formats— HDR10 and Dolby Vision—and facilitates 4K streaming from Netflix and YouTube. The player also supports 10-bit color and the expanded Rec. 2020 color space.
Future Vision: You’ll be able to watch the first round of 4K movies encoded in Dolby Vision when LG makes a firmware update available later this year. Warner Bros., Universal, and Lionsgate have committed to releasing movies in the Dolby format this year. In addition to a USB port, the player has an optical audio output and two HDMI outputs, one of which supports Version 2.0a. Price: $299

LG • (800) 243-0000 • lg.com

Mohu AirWave Wireless TV Antenna
Looking for a way to eliminate the ever-escalating costs of cable TV? One of the latest and most ingenious cord-cutting solutions is Mohu’s AirWave. The first-of-its-kind wireless antenna integrates live local TV broadcasts with free streaming channels in an app that works with iOS or Android and a variety of streaming devices, including Roku, Amazon Fire TV and Stick, Apple TV, and Chromecast.
App Access: The AirWave app is particularly compelling as it provides access to streaming and live TV anywhere and includes a cable-like program guide that previews two weeks of upcoming programming. The antenna also incorporates ClearPix technology, which is said to dynamically adjust reception to reduce pixellation. Price: $150

Mohu • (855) 446-6648 • gomohu.com

Echobox Explorer Hi-Res Music Player
Whether or not you like the idea of disguising your music player as a flask, you have to give it to Echobox for being original. Consider it an educational moment when you explain that the wood-encased Explorer is not a phone but a high-resolution audio player that supports PCM (up to 192-kHz/24-bit), DSD, and other file formats. The Android-based device has 64 gigabytes of storage, expandable to 200 GB via microSD, and supports Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. An onboard lithium-ion battery keeps the player’s 3.5-inch screen lit for “up to 20 hours.”
Choose Your Poison: Four solid-wood options are available: maple, mahogany, zebra wood, and ebony, all with machined aluminum trim and a matching charging dock. Nothing like a nice swig of hi-res audio. Price: $600

Echobox • echoboxaudio.com

Bluesound Pulse Soundbar
Here’s a soundbar that offers something you won’t find in other TV speakers: the ability to play hi-res music (up to 192-kHz/24-bit) and stream it to other speakers around the house. The Pulse serves as an entertainment hub offering multiple inputs and outputs, streaming over Wi-Fi or Bluetooth/aptX, and access to Internet Radio, Tidal, and a dozen other online services. Everything is controlled via the BluOS app.
Six Pack: Whether you’re watching a movie or listening to music, the Pulse divides 120 watts of power among two 0.75-inch soft-dome tweeters, a pair of 2 x 2-inch midrange drivers, and dual 2 x 4-inch woofers with a couple of passive radiators thrown in to bolster the low end. An optional wireless subwoofer is available, but you may not need it. See our review here. Price: $999

Bluesound • (855) 531-4666 • bluesound.com

GoldenEar Triton Reference Speaker
Move over Triton One, there’s a new flagship in town. Described as an evolution of the One, the Triton Reference features many upgrades, including an updated crossover and new drivers: a folded ribbon tweeter with 50% more neodymium for “improved transient response and higher efficiency;” two 6-inch midbass drivers, redesigned for better transient response; and three 6 x 10-inch woofers, boasting 40 percent more surface area plus a bigger voice coil. The three woofers are coupled to four 10.5 x 9.5-inch bass radiators that have been retooled to increase excursion.

Tall, Dark, Handsome: Standing almost 5-feet tall, the statuesque speaker is finished in gloss-black lacquer and packs an 1,800-watt amplifier for a subwoofer section that’s “flat to 20 Hz and below.” Our favorite spec: sensitivity exceeds 93 dB SPL. Talk about efficient… See our review here. Price: $8,498/pair

GoldenEar Technology • (410) 998-9134 • goldenear.com