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SmartStream
Orbi Voice Melds Smart Speaker Tech with Mesh Networking
Barb Gonzalez  |  Aug 30, 2018
Netgear’s Orbi Voice is a melding of smart speaker technology and mesh networking that makes sense.
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Audio Video NewsNew Products
Samsung Will Deliver First 8K TV in October
SV Staff  |  Aug 30, 2018
Ready or not here it comes. Samsung today unveiled an 85-inch 8K TV that will become the first 8K set available for sale in the U.S. when it ships in October.
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Remotely Possible
New Sonos Amp Is a Wireless Wonder
Darryl Wilkinson  |  Aug 29, 2018
Less than a week before the CEDIA Expo 2018 is set to begin in San Diego, Sonos has taken the wraps off of the company's all-new Amp. Replacing the CONNECT:AMP, one of Sonos's earliest products (originally called the ZP120) that has been in its lineup for 12 years, the Sonos Amp is more than twice as powerful (125 watts per channel) and features an entirely revamped design—both on the inside and the outside—enabling it to be used in more custom applications (including powering up to 4 speakers in stereo or mono, a feature often requested by custom integrators) and within more decors (as well as AV racks) than its predecessor. In addition to more power...
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AV Receiver Reviews
Yamaha RX-V685 AV Receiver Review
Daniel Kumin  |  Aug 29, 2018

Performance
Features
Ergonomics
Value
PRICE $599

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Class-leading DSP surround
5.1.2-channel Dolby Atmos/DTS:X decoding
Useful Scene memory feature
Wireless surround speaker (and multiroom) option via MusicCast speakers
Minus
No 9-channel (front- and rear-height) Atmos/DTS:X expansion option
Slow DLNA audio streaming respons

THE VERDICT
Yamaha’s unique DSP-surround technology sets apart what is otherwise still a strong A/V receiver in a highly competitive market niche.

I get to review a lot of A/V receivers. Familiarity breeding— well, familiarity— I confess that I tend to sort new examples into one of three classes. The flagship models cost a lot, pump out 140 or so watts from each of at least nine and often more channels, and they tend to cram in every conceivable feature. Entry-level jobs are cheap, five- or seven-channel affairs that usually top out at 65-or-so real watts per channel and incorporate more basic feature sets.

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Audio Video News
Panasonic and Samsung Deploy HDR10+ in 2018 TVs
SV Staff  |  Aug 29, 2018
HDR10+ Technologies, the joint venture between 20th Century Fox, Panasonic, and Samsung, stepped up its game in the fight for HDR supremacy yesterday with the announcement that Panasonic and Samsung have deployed HDR10+ firmware in 2018 TVs.
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Audio Video NewsNew Products
Acurus to Unveil Surround Processor and Amp at CEDIA
SV Staff  |  Aug 29, 2018
Indy Audio Labs (IAL), owner of the high-performance brands Aragon and Acurus, has announced that it will showcase an upgraded 20-channel version of the Acurus ACT 4 home cinema processor and three other products, including a new lower priced surround processor, at next week’s CEDIA Expo.
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Audio Video NewsNew Products
Yamaha Announces AI-Infused AV Preamp and Amp
SV Staff  |  Aug 28, 2018
Yamaha today announced that it will ship its third-generation Aventage-series CX-A5200 AV preamplifier in September and follow up with the companion MX-A5200 amplifier in December.
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Audio Video News
Theory Audio Design to Make Its Debut at CEDIA
SV Staff  |  Aug 28, 2018
Paul Hales, AV industry veteran and founder of Pro Audio Technology (a.k.a. PRO), today announced the launch of a speaker company specializing in bringing “large-scale sound to residential and commercial installations where aesthetics and compact size are paramount.”
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Signals
And You Thought Apple CarPlay Was Just for Cars
Ken C. Pohlmann  |  Aug 28, 2018
The most hi-tech piece of electronics on my (vintage) BMW motorcycle is the magneto ignition or, possibly, the brake light. But I fully admit that electrical engineering has come a long way since 1962. Thus, today's motorcycles have somewhat more sophisticated do-dads. Way more sophisticated.

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Audio Video News
Wireless Audio Association Expands its Roster
SV Staff  |  Aug 28, 2018
The Wireless Speaker and Audio Association (WiSA) is on a roll with the announcement of its newest members — Taiwan audio design company Eastech and the Sound United stable of brands, which is rejoining the association.
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