LATEST ADDITIONS

On-Wall Speaker Reviews
PSB PWM-1 On-Wall Surround Speaker System Review
Michael Trei  |  Mar 24, 2021

Speakers
Performance
Build Quality
Value
Subwoofer
Performance
Features
Build Quality
Value
PRICE $6,193 (as tested)

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Dynamic sound for on- wall speakers
Versatile installation options
Solid build quality
Minus
Sub pricey compared with standalone units

THE VERDICT
PSB’s classy but low-profile PWM1 on-wall speakers and CSIR SUB subwoofer won’t attract attention, and they're not meant to. An excellent choice if you want a great-sounding speaker system for movies and music that won’t take over your room or your life.

A common notion among audiophiles who dismiss on-wall speakers is that speakers need to be positioned well out into a room in order to get big, spacious sound. But that kind of thinking misses the point. For many, on-wall speakers can be an excellent option if you don't want to dedicate your living room to a hi-fi or home theater audio system, but also expect dynamic and enveloping sound that's a step above what you'd get from in-wall speakers.

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Audio Video News
Qobuz Hi-Res Music Streaming Now Available on Sonos
SV Staff  |  Mar 24, 2021
Music streaming service Qobuz has announced that its Hi-Res music library is now available for streaming on Sonos wireless multiroom speakers. This makes Qobuz the first music service to deliver 24-bit Hi-Res audio streaming on the Sonos platform.
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A/V Veteran
Are Your Ready to Build Your Own Loudspeakers?
Thomas J. Norton  |  Mar 23, 2021
Building your own speakers from scratch Is an activity I've written about before. But that first blog is now accessible only by delving deeply into our Wayback Time Machine, so a revisit to this intriguing audio subculture is worth a follow-up here. Read on to find out if you have what it takes to take on a DIY speaker project.
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New Products
Polk Audio Launches Reserve Series Loudspeakers
SV Staff  |  Mar 23, 2021
Baltimore’s Polk Audio has announced the launch of its Reserve Series loudspeaker lineup. Following in the wake of the company’s premium, and correspondingly pricey, Legend Series, which debuted in 2019, the Reserve family seeks “to retain as much of the Polk Legend flagship performance as possible within a moderately priced package,” according to the company’s press release.
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New Products
Bluesound Introduces Pulse Soundbar+
SV Staff  |  Mar 22, 2021
Bluesound has announced that the Pulse Soundbar+ will soon be added to its family of wireless multiroom speakers. The “plus” in this case is the addition of Dolby Atmos immersive audio, along with a few other features including HDMI eARC that help position the company’s new offering a sizeable step above its original Pulse Soundbar.
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Music Reviews
Remaster Class: Derek and the Dominos: Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs
Mike Mettler  |  Mar 19, 2021
Eric Clapton was in pain. Deep pain. He was hopelessly in love with Pattie Boyd, the wife of his close friend George Harrison, and there was little he could do about it. Hence, Clapton did what any relatively desperate artist would to express his innermost feelings about the situation—he created an alternate identity (Derek), gathered a semi-fictional band around him (The Dominos), and channeled all of his heartache into a triumphant, sprawling double album, November 1970's Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs.
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New Products
SVS Announces 3000 Micro Subwoofer
SV Staff  |  Mar 19, 2021
‘Tis the season for micro-subs! SVS, a company known best for powerful, take-no-prisoners subwoofers, has announced the arrival of its new baby, the 3000 Micro. The latest from SVS features dual opposing 8-inch drivers in a compact 10.9 x 11.7 x 10.7-inch (HxWxD) enclosure. An 800-watt RMS, 2,500-watt peak Power Sledge STA-800D2 amplifier with discreet MOSFET output provides equal power to both drivers, which fire in opposite directions to cancel out any energy transferred to the cabinet that might result in vibration and “sub crawl.” Like other subs in the SVS family, the 3000 Micro benefits from the SVS subwoofer control smartphone app for advanced DSP tuning.
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The S&V InterviewAudio Video News
Peter Vasay: How THX Is Staying True to its Mission
Bob Ankosko  |  Mar 18, 2021
Few companies in the home entertainment electronics industry have as storied a history as THX, the company born out of George Lucas’ desire to bring the movie-going experience as close as possible to how he envisioned his theatrical creations on the big screen. Disappointed by the sonic limitations of movie theaters when the original Star Wars film was released in 1977, the celebrated screenwriter/director engaged a team of audio engineers to define a series of technical parameters theater owners could follow to achieve what we would call today an immersive experience. The theatrical program was a huge success, eventually finding its way into the home, and the rest is history. We caught up with Peter Vasay, general manager and senior VP for home products at THX Ltd., to get an update on what the iconic brand has been up to lately and where it’s headed.
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Audio Video News
SVS Virtual Audiophile Happy Hour Is Back—Again!
SV Staff  |  Mar 18, 2021
The SVS Virtual Audiophile Happy Hour returns with yet another new product announcement today, Thursday, March 18 at 6p.m. ET, live on the SVS Facebook page and YouTube channel! According to SVS, the new product is “game-changing” and will “dwarf anything SVS has done before.” Wonder what it could be?
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Integrated Amp ReviewsStreaming Device Reviews
Linn Majik DSM Streaming Integrated Amplifier Review
Howard Kneller  |  Mar 17, 2021

Performance
Features
Ergonomics
Value
PRICE $3,835

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Great sound quality
Multiple HDMI inputs (w/ARC)
Effective Space Optimisation room correction
Built-in phono stage
Minus
Dealer setup recommended
Small speaker terminals

THE VERDICT
Linn's all-in-one wireless streamer/amplifier/DAC offers impressive sound, sleek looks, and plentiful connectivity options.

According to the corporate lore of Scottish audio manufacturer Linn, in 1973 a newly married engineer named Ivor Tiefenbrun went shopping at his wife's direction to buy home furnishings. To his wife's chagrin, the story goes, he instead returned with a stereo system. After setting it up, Ivor was disappointed with the sound, but soon discovered that moving the turntable from his listening room into an adjoining room improved the system's performance since the speakers' output no longer interacted with the turntable and distorted the audio signal.

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