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Headphone Reviews
Technics EAH-AZ60 Noise-Canceling True Wireless Earbuds Review
Al Griffin  |  Mar 08, 2022

Performance
Features
Ergonomics
Value
PRICE $230

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Great sound quality
Impressive noise cancellation
Compact form factor
Long battery life
Minus
Somewhat pricey compared to other true wireless earbud options

THE VERDICT
Technics’ AZ60 earbuds pack useful features plus advanced ergonomics, and they’re extremely easy on the ears when listening to music.

My first stereo system was a full-on Technics rig, right down to the turntable and cassette deck, so I've always harbored a fondness for the brand. And while the recent comeback of Technics to the hi-fi scene has had a decidedly high-end spin—its SU-R1000 Digital Integrated Amplifier costs $9,499—they've also branched out into accessible gear like wireless all-in-one speakers and headphones.

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The Connected Life
Big Screen Decisions
John Sciacca  |  Mar 08, 2022
When I started out as a custom installer back in 1998, a “big screen” was a 60-inch rear-projection TV, with high-end models available from the likes of Mitsubishi and Pioneer Elite. These were 4:3 aspect ratio, cathode ray tube-driven sets with 480i resolution, and they were physically hulking beasts weighing upwards of hundreds of pounds. Boy, have things changed over the past 20-plus years.
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Audio Video NewsNew Products
Perlisten Audio Expands THX-Certified Speaker Lineup
Bob Ankosko  |  Mar 07, 2022
PerListen Audio, the Wisconsin-based startup that brought us the first THX Certified Dominus speaker system last year has introduced a new, lower-priced line of speakers based on those flagship models.
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Signals
In Space, No One Can Hear You Scream, Alexa!
Ken C. Pohlmann  |  Mar 07, 2022
Amazon is close to achieving its goal of world domination. Much like Alexander the Great, Mr. Bezos is surely weeping because he has no more worlds to conquer. But cheer up, good sir. Amazon's most talkative progeny will soon go to the final frontier, where only a few men have gone before.

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Blu-ray Movie ReviewsUltra HD Blu-ray Movie Reviews
Eternals
Chris Chiarella  |  Mar 04, 2022
Picture
Sound
Extras
When you're all-in with the Marvel Cinematic Universe, you take the good with the bad, and Jack Kirby's lesser-known 1970s comic book has yielded the latter. With Eternals, we are introduced to a diverse team of never-aging otherworldly protectors, each with a different superpower, who are tasked with defending humanity from some nasty creatures.
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Music Reviews
The BBB Featuring Bernie Dresel - The Pugilist
David Vaughn  |  Mar 04, 2022
Performance
Sound
In all honesty, I had never heard the name Bernie Dresel until I was sent The Pugilist, the latest disc from his jazz band, The BBB Featuring Bernie Dresel, to review. The outfit is a collection of studio musicians who play together at Los Angeles-area jazz clubs, but chances are you've heard their various talents before. For example, Dresel has 25 movie credits to his name, with A-list soundtracks such as Mission: Impossible III, Star Trek (2009), and Spider-Man: Far from Home, just to name three. Other members of the band also have extensive backgrounds with various Hollywood productions, and this ultimately brought them together back in 2014.
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Spatial Audio File
Spatial Audio, You’re One of My Kind
Mike Mettler  |  Mar 04, 2022
All-channel mixing maestro Giles Martin shared some truly key insights during his sitdown with Apple Music’s Zane Lowe in a global virtual live event this past Monday, in celebration of the Atmos mix Martin had recently completed for The Beatles’ November 2000 collection of (count ’em) 27 U.S. and U.K. chart-toppers oh-so-appropriately titled 1—as well as for their groundbreaking double-A-sided February 1967 single, “Strawberry Fields Forever/Penny Lane.”
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New Products
Bowers & Wilkins Launches Panorama 3 Soundbar
SV Staff  |  Mar 03, 2022
The latest soundbar to come from Britain’s Bowers & Wilkins is a gen-3 version of its Panorama model that adds Dolby Atmos processing plus upfiring drivers for a 3.1.2 configuration. The $999 bar is an all-in-one immersive audio solution that the company says will deliver “room-filling, powerful sound no one-box rival can match.”
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SmartStream
NBC Shows May Leave Hulu
Barb Gonzalez  |  Mar 02, 2022
Fans of NBC’s TV shows may soon need to subscribe to Peacock to stream current episodes. In February, Comcast had a window to get out of a content licensing agreement with Hulu that would allow them to remove NBC shows from the service.
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Projector Reviews
Sony VPL-VW325ES 4K LCOS Projector Review
Al Griffin  |  Mar 02, 2022

Performance
Features
Ergonomics
Value
PRICE $5,499

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Excellent detail
Vivid color reproduction
Motorized focus, zoom, lens shift
Minus
Relatively limited light output
No dynamic iris
Basic HDR tone-mapping adjustment

THE VERDICT
Sony's entry-level full 4K projector delivers detailed, seamless images and is a great option for dedicated home movie theaters.

Sony's projector lineup is notable for its use of the company's full 4K-resolution (4,096 x 2,160-pixel) SXRD (Sony-speak for LCOS) chips. It's also been notable for featuring a 5K model—5K as in $5,000, the price for the line's entry-level projector. Back in 2021, the company replaced that model, the VPL-VW295ES, with the VPL-VW325ES, an updated version offering a few new features, though at a higher $5,499 price. Are the updates worth the extra coin? Let's find out.

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