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Bookshelf Speaker ReviewsWireless Multiroom Speaker Reviews
KEF LSX II Wireless Speaker System Review
Daniel Kumin  |  Sep 28, 2022

Performance
Build Quality
Ergonomics
Value
PRICE $1,400 (system)

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Highly accurate tonal balance
Superb imaging
Sub output for instant upgrade
All-in-one solution with HDMI ARC for TV sound
Minus
Limited output in large rooms
No physical controls

THE VERDICT
The little KEF LSX II is a remarkably capable and versatile speaker that will amaze you with big, audiophile-caliber sound.

KEF's little LSX II exudes quiet sophistication, which begs a question: Is it a lifestyle speaker or an audiophile speaker? It's both, actually—and why not? The cantaloupe-sized wireless speaker is the British audio titan's latest self-powered "just add music" solution and it packs a punch, drawing on extensive signal processing to optimize performance, with the goal of delivering near full-range reproduction to a very high standard. The system also boasts a proprietary app that integrates setup, control, and streaming from virtually every important service—including Tidal, Spotify, Qobuz, and Amazon Music—or your own file- or disc-based music collection.

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Audio Video NewsNew Products
B&W Evokes its Iconic Flagship in 700 Series Update
Bob Ankosko  |  Sep 27, 2022
In the never-ending quest for sonic perfection, Bowers & Wilkins has concluded a three-year, top-to-bottom development program designed to elevate the performance of its five-year-old 700 Series of speakers.
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Stream On
Revisiting the Concert Streaming Site Nugs.net
Mike Mettler  |  Sep 27, 2022
We revisit nugs.net, the concert streaming site that continues to provide new and vintage hi-res live recordings from a wide swath of name artists.
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Blu-ray Movie Reviews
The Beatles: Get Back - Collector's Set
Mike Mettler  |  Sep 26, 2022
Picture
Sound
Extras
Subtitle it, Let It Breathe. When The Beatles: Get Back initially aired across three consecutive nights on November 25, 26, and 27, 2021 on the Disney+ streaming platform, it was, to say the least, a cultural phenomenon. Not only did Get Back grant a new generation access to many of the sights and sounds required to understand the full scope of the ongoing impact of The Fab Four to this day, but director Peter Jackson's almost-8-hour docudrama also served as a redemption of sorts for the lingering, decidedly mixed reactions to the 1970 band documentary directed by Michael Lindsay-Hogg, Let It Be.
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Audio Video News
Audio Advice Offers Free Video-Projection Setup Tool
SV Staff  |  Sep 26, 2022
Home theater builders listen up: the Raleigh, NC-based consumer electronics specialty retailer Audio Advice has created an online tool for calculating ideal projector placement and is making it available for free.
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Signals
How Cool is Software-Defined Radio?
Ken C. Pohlmann  |  Sep 26, 2022
With all due respects to all the great analog engineers out there, it is my opinion that anything an analog circuit can do, software can do better. You don't agree? Fight me. Case in point: software-defined radio.

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Headphone Reviews
Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) Review: Superior Sound and Fit
Mark Henninger  |  Sep 22, 2022

Performance
Features
Ergonomics
Value
PRICE $249

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Noticeably better active noise cancellation
Improved audio fidelity
Superior fit with four ear tip sizes
Adaptive Transparency
Personalized Spatial Audio for better immersive sound
Touch-sensitive control
Easier to find when misplaced
Minus
Requires an iPhone to set up
Touch controls occasionally fidgety
Spatial audio with head tracking sometimes lost track of my head
Uses a Lightning connector instead of USB C

THE VERDICT
Just like the originals, AirPods Pro 2nd Gen up the ante on what to expect from a pair of true wireless earbuds, including better fit, better sound quality, and superior active noise canceling capabilities.

AirPods and AirPods Pro together constitute the most successful line of wireless earbuds in the world. Now, after three years of wait, Apple offers the AirPods Pro 2nd Generation ($249). With a couple of weeks of hands-on experience, I can attest that the company’s newest true wireless flagship earbuds are a technological tour de force. They represent a sizeable upgrade over the originals, even if they look largely the same. When it comes to performance and features, it’s what’s inside the iconic white enclosures that counts, and the new model is packed with technology that takes the AirPods experience to a higher level.

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Projector Reviews
Hisense PX1-Pro 4K DLP Laser TV Projector Review
Michael Hamilton  |  Sep 22, 2022

Performance
Features
Ergonomics
Value
PRICE $3,500

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Ultra-wide color gamut
Terrific lens for impressive focus
Built-in (ATSC 1.0) tuner
Minus
No dynamic tone mapping
Netflix not part of the Android bundle
Tuner doesn’t support ATSC 3.0

THE VERDICT
With its onboard streaming capability and TV tuner, the Hisense PX1-Pro comes about as close as you can to the proverbial “Home Theater in a Box” concept—one that that lets you savor big-screen fun without leaving home.

Hisense is known by Sound & Vision cognoscenti as a brand taking ambitious steps to spotlight itself as an innovator in leading-edge television technologies with pricing it terms affordable. For those who do not peruse our pages, the Hisense name may be more closely identified with refrigerators and other home appliances. But as a manufacturer in the consumer electronics space, especially one in the business of making flat-panel televisions and projectors, you can legitimately claim to "have arrived" when your products occupy rack space in Costco alongside the best-known brands in TV.

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CEDIA 2022Audio Video NewsNew Products
CEDIA 2022 Preview: A Return to Normal
Bob Ankosko  |  Sep 22, 2022
Some 15,000 residential technology professionals will descend upon the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center in Dallas next Wednesday to attend CEDIA Expo 2022 where they will learn the latest tricks of the trade and explore new gear from more than 300 brands, nearly two-thirds of which specialize in audio/video and home theater. Here’s a sneak peek at what some of this year’s exhibitors are planning.
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Media Server ReviewsStreaming Device ReviewsAudio Video News
Your Tunes Anywhere: Roon Releases 2.0 and ARC Mobile App
Mark Henninger  |  Sep 22, 2022
Roon is an impressive software music playback system that runs as a core (i.e. server) on a dedicated PC in your home, which you can access from various playback devices. It allows you to merge streaming through Tidal or Qobuz with local music files to provide a seamless listening experience. However, until now Roon only worked in the home.
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