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Can I Use Back Surround Speakers If My Couch Is Against the Wall?
Al Griffin  |  May 02, 2019
Got a tech question for Sound & Vision? Email us at AskSandV@gmail.com

Q I’ve got a smallish 10 x 12-foot viewing room. The room’s size isn’t necessarily a problem, but the seating is a modular couch set all the way against the back wall. Can I get any value out of in-wall surrounds right behind or beside the seating? —Robert Greenwalt, via email

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Blu-ray Player Reviews
Pioneer UDP-LX500 Ultra HD Blu-ray Player Review
Kris Deering  |  May 01, 2019

Performance
Features
Ergonomics
Value
PRICE $1,099

AT A GLANCE
Plus
High-quality HDR to SDR conversion
SACD and DVD-Audio disc support
Detailed Info screen
Minus
No streaming apps or wireless connectivity
Somewhat tedious user interface
Occasional playback glitches

THE VERDICT
The UDP-LX500's universal disc support, high-quality onboard HDR tone mapping, and formidable build quality make it a welcome addition to the Ultra HD Blu-ray player scene.

It has now been a full year since Oppo Digital ceased production of its popular Ultra HD Blu-ray player lineup. Up until that point, Oppo was one of the few high- performance player options in a market concentrated on budget models packed with streaming features. We've since seen a few companies step up to fill the high-end player void, among them Pioneer, a company that produced numerous reference-level players back in the regular Blu-ray and DVD days. Pioneer's new offering, the UDP-LX500, is a universal disc player that supports playback of SACD and DVD-Audio discs. As you might expect, it sports both the Pioneer Elite logo and the high-end look and build associated with that iconic badge. At $1,099, it certainly has flagship pricing, so let's see if it measures up.

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Audio Video NewsNew Products
EliteProAV Announces New Ambient-Light-Rejecting Screen Options
SV Staff  |  May 01, 2019
EliteProAV, a division of Elite Screens, has announced that its Saker Tab-Tension retractable electric projection screen is now available with material designed to counter the “wash out” effect of ambient light.
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Music Reviews
Remaster Class: Queen: A Night at the Opera
Mike Mettler  |  May 01, 2019
Queen’s fourth studio effort, November 1975’s A Night at the Opera, was a masterstroke of mid-1970s multitrack recording. We dissect the ins and outs of the groundbreaking album's fair share of multiple-format releases over its 44-year lifespan (and counting).
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Audio Video News
Atmos Remix of 'Kind of Blue’ to Premiere in Munich
SV Staff  |  May 01, 2019
Dolby Atmos remixes of the classic Miles Davis albums Kind of Blue and Sketches of Spain will be premiered at the upcoming High End show in Munich.
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Audio Video News
Best Gear of April 2019
SV Staff  |  Apr 30, 2019
When it comes to AV gear worthy of Sound & Vision’s prestigious Top Pick designation, April turned in a 4K projector videophiles will drool over, an impressive home theater speaker system from a venerable brand that can be had for less than two grand, another super subwoofer from SVS, and our latest Top Value Pick — a set of powered Bluetooth speakers that delivers shockingly good sound for $200.
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Audio Video NewsNew Products
Astell&Kern Previews New Hi-Res Music Player
SV Staff  |  Apr 30, 2019
Hi-res audio specialist Astell&Kern (A&K) has announced a more upscale, second generation version of its Kann high-resolution music player, one of Sound & Vision’s 2018 Top Picks.
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Audio Video NewsNew Products
Audirvana Unveils Improved MacOS Audio Player
SV Staff  |  Apr 29, 2019
Paris-based audio software specialist Audirvana has introduced a new version of its high-performance MacOS audio player.
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Audio Video NewsNew Products
Antelope Ships Reference-Grade A/D-D/A Converter
SV Staff  |  Apr 29, 2019
Digital audio specialist Antelope Audio, the company that pioneered the adoption of atomic clock generators in audio, has announced that its “mastering-grade” Amári analog-to-digital/digital-to-analog (AD/DA) converter is now shipping.
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Blu-ray Movie Reviews
Stranger Than Paradise & Night on Earth
Josef Krebs  |  Apr 26, 2019
"What are we doing here?" "I don't know." Stranger Than Paradise, the delightful deadbeat breakout film by writer/director Jim Jarmusch with its whack-character studies, unactorly acting, absurdist deadpan humor, and minimalist style brilliantly captured the mood of its time. It also established him as an instant auteur of the $100,000-budget, low-production-value indie-film scene and inspired many others to do likewise.
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