LATEST ADDITIONS

Home Movie Theaters
California Dreamin’
SV Staff  |  Dec 18, 2017
Photos and system overview courtesy of Custom LA.

When homeowners in Rancho Palos Verdes, California, hired Custom LA to replace the existing home theater in their 6,500-square-foot home, they wanted an advanced system capable of delivering jaw-dropping audio and video performance but it had to be dead simple to operate and capable of controlling AV systems in two other areas of the sprawling home.

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Remotely Possible
Gifts for Yule and Yours
Darryl Wilkinson  |  Dec 18, 2017
If you’re still shopping for a Christmas or other holiday gift, you know time is of the essence right now.
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Bluetooth Speaker ReviewsWireless Multiroom Speaker ReviewsGrace Notes
Review: Amazon Echo 2nd Gen with Updated Audio
Leslie Shapiro  |  Dec 18, 2017
Smart speakers are all the rage at the moment, and companies can’t afford to let customers slip away. I had a chance to check out the new Amazon Echo ($100, currently discounted to $80) complete with the updated software that improves audio performance.

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Audio Video News
10 Smokin’ Deals at Shop Sound & Vision
SV Staff  |  Dec 15, 2017
As we get down to the wire for online gift orders, here are 10 smokin’ deals worth checking out at Shop Sound & Vision.
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Blu-ray Movie ReviewsUltra HD Blu-ray Movie Reviews
Ghost in the Shell (2017)
David Vaughn  |  Dec 15, 2017
Picture
Sound
Extras
In a world where people are enhanced with technology, Major (Johansson) is rescued from near death, or so she believes. Her cybernetic implants make her the first of her kind as she fights criminals with an upper hand, but things are not always what they seem to be. She begins to have visions of her past and starts to believe that the corporation that “saved” her is actually trying to control her. She makes it her personal mission to unravel her mysterious past and find out what truly happened.
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Blu-ray Movie Reviews
Free Fire
Chris Chiarella  |  Dec 15, 2017
Picture
Sound
Extras
Although Martin Scorsese is listed as one of the executive producers, Free Fire actually seems to exude more of the DNA from Reservoir Dogs. This impressively tight hour-and-a-half plays out as essentially one long scene—an arms deal gone bad—with a diverse group of tough guys (and gal) brought to life by a well-chosen international cast.
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The Connected Life
Mount a TV Like a Pro: Part 2
John Sciacca  |  Dec 15, 2017
Last month’s blog, Mount a TV Like a Pro: Part 1 detailed the first part of mounting a flat-panel TV onto a wall. To recap, it covered determining the size and location of where the new TV will go, figuring out the needed wiring for the install, making a plan for powering the TV, making sure there’s a clear path in the wall for routing the cabling to the TV, and then cutting wall boxes into the sheetrock and running the wiring.
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Audio Video NewsNew Products
McIntosh Updates its Flagship Tower Speaker
SV Staff  |  Dec 14, 2017
McIntosh today introduced an updated version of its flagship column speaker, the XRT2K.
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Ask S&V
Should I Upgrade My Amplifier or AV Processor?
Al Griffin  |  Dec 14, 2017
Got a tech question for Sound & Vision? Email us at AskSandV@gmail.com

Q I was planning to replace my 225Wpc Anthem Statement A2 amplifier with a 300Wpc McIntosh MC302 amp to improve my system. It was suggested that I would get more bang-for-the-buck by instead replacing my Integra DHC 80.3 surround preamp/processor with a new McIntosh MX122 surround preamp/processor. The reason given was that upgrading to a marginally more powerful amp wouldn’t result in a significant difference in my system, but a state-of-the-art processor would. Do you agree with that viewpoint? The speakers I am using are Definitive Technology Mythos STS Super Towers with a Mythos center channel and surrounds. — KJ King

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Headphone Amp/DAC Reviews
Korg DS-DAC-10R Hi-Res Digital Recorder Review
Michael Trei  |  Dec 14, 2017

Performance
Features
Ergonomics
Value
PRICE $500

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Transfer analog sources to high-resolution digital including DSD
Phono preamp with variable EQ settings
Built-in headphone amplifier
Minus
No input for low-output moving-coil cartridges
No software-based vinyl noise reduction

THE VERDICT
The Korg DS-DAC-10R lets you move your music from LP records into state-of-the-art high-resolution PCM or DSD files, all while retaining their essential vinyl character.

Ten years ago, who would have figured that almost every major new music release would also get issued on vinyl? Every day more and more people are learning to appreciate the appeal of vinyl records, but sadly the lack of portability means that for most of us it’s a stay-at-home listening experience. That can be frustrating in a world where we’ve become so accustomed to digesting our music on the go, so lots of new vinyl records come bundled with a lossy-compressed Digital Copy as a free download. Of course, at that point you’re no longer getting the vinyl experience at all, so really, what’s the point? But, what if you could capture some of that analog goodness in a portable hi-res audio version that you can take with you, instead of those crappy MP3 files we’ve endured for so long? That’s the idea behind the DS-DAC-10R, a handy little box developed by the pro-audio mavens at Korg and distributed by Essence.

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