LATEST ADDITIONS

Daniel Kumin  |  Jun 16, 2017

Signature S60 Speaker System
Performance
Build Quality
Value

PSW125 Subwoofer
Performance
Features
Build Quality
Value
PRICE $1,600 as reviewed

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Excellent range and tonal balance
Dramatic looks
Good blend from unusually low-profile center
Minus
Sub doesn’t add much to the towers alone

THE VERDICT
With the Signature Series, Polk successfully practices its long-held ethos of delivering high performance at affordable cost in a new, smartly designed lineup.

Of the three or four speaker brands that pumped the vast majority of air throughout the hi-fi boom of the 1970s, only one—Polk Audio—is still doing what they’ve always done (design and make loudspeakers), where they’ve always done it (more or less), and with very much the same ethos (value/performance, with value in italics). OK, so Polks, like virtually all other mass-market speakers sold in the U.S. are now actually manufactured overseas. But they’re still conceived here according to the old Polk standards—industrially designed in San Diego out of the corporate headquarters and engineered in Polk’s original hometown in greater Baltimore.

Josef Krebs  |  Jun 16, 2017
Picture
Sound
Extras
With Café Society, Woody Allen cleverly combines 1930s Pre-Code romantic comedies like Red-Headed Woman with the glamour-and-gangster nightclubbing of Manhattan Melodrama, all delivered with Purple Rose of Cairo–type old-school Allen evocation of era. Bobby Dorfman (Jesse Eisenberg) leaves his Bronx Jewish family to work as an errand boy for his powerful Hollywood agent-to-the-stars uncle (Steve Carell). When Bobby falls in love with his uncle’s secretary (Kristen Stewart)—despite her having a lover—things get complicated, especially on Bobby’s discovery that her boyfriend is his boss.
Chris Chiarella  |  Jun 16, 2017
Picture
3D-ness
Sound
Extras
The brave, spirited non-princess of the title is still learning how to lead her village when a when a mysterious curse befalls their island. Despite a lifetime of warnings from her father the chief, she sets sail upon an epic journey to save her people, seeking the help of a misunderstood demigod along the way. A tale of destiny, selflessness, and family, Moana is filled with beauty, magic, and wonder and is among the very finest films to ever come from Disney.
SV Staff  |  Jun 16, 2017
Whether you go wired or wireless, with or without a boom microphone, Kidz Gear of El Dorado Hills, CA says its headphones can make summer vacations more enjoyable for kids—and parents.
SV Staff  |  Jun 16, 2017
P&F USA, the exclusive licensee for Philips televisions in North America, has announced that the Philips 5000 series of Chromecast-enabled 4K/Ultra HD (UHD) TVs previewed at CES is now available in four screen sizes at prices ranging from $600 to $1,200.
Mark Fleischmann  |  Jun 15, 2017
Audio hardware sales broke records in 2016, rising to $10.2 billion, a whopping 33 percent increase, says Futuresource Consulting. Burgeoning categories include ...
SV Staff  |  Jun 15, 2017
For many of us the Groupon is a way to discover places to eat—some good, others not so much—but always at a great discount. Of course, (for us anyway) it’s easy to forget that just about every product category you can imagine is offered on Groupon—including electronics.
Al Griffin  |  Jun 15, 2017
Got a tech question for Sound & Vision? Email us at AskSandV@gmail.com

A If I use two Dolby Atmos-enabled towers as the front left/right speakers in my system, will that be sufficient to experience the format when playing discs with Atmos soundtracks? — David Lambert / via e-mail

SV Staff  |  Jun 15, 2017
Photos: The Beatles Book Monthly, Johnny Dean

It’s 1964 and you’re the guitar player in a British group trying to comprehend your meteoric success in America that began with 73 million Americans tuning into the band’s debut performance on The Ed Sullivan Show.

With your newfound fame comes fortune and the opportunity to buy things you never dreamt you could afford—like a...

Steve Guttenberg  |  Jun 14, 2017

Performance
Build Quality
Comfort
Value
PRICE $1,800

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Hyper clarity
Lighter than most high- end headphones
Made in California
Minus
They’re expensive

THE VERDICT
The MrSpeakers Ether Flow headphones combine clarity with an effortless, non-fatiguing sound that ensures long-term satisfaction.

I’ve always been into headphones, starting with my longlost Sennheiser HD 414 in the early 1970s. I love ’phones, and they keep getting better and better, but I get a lot of pushback from audiophile pals who aren’t yet ready to take the plunge. When asked about what’s holding them back, they complain about comfort and sound that feels crammed inside their heads. Sure, but that was then. It’s time to listen to some of the best new ’phones to hear what’s happening now. Take the new MrSpeakers Ether Flow: It’s so open and spacious, the sound seems to come from around your head!

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