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SmartStream
Why Westworld and Other Titles Will Be Removed From HBO Max
Barb Gonzalez  |  Dec 14, 2022
Following this past year’s merger of HBO Max and Discovery, it appears the new service will be called simply “Max.” This could be a foretelling of the new service, as many series, including Westworld, were canceled and will soon be removed from the service altogether. CEO David Zaslav is taking a radical stance to reduce costs and make investors happy.
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Headphone Reviews
Bowers & Wilkins Px8 Headphones Review
Leslie Shapiro  |  Dec 14, 2022

Performance
Features
Ergonomics
Value
PRICE $699

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Excellent sound quality
Beautiful fit and finish
Very good noise-cancellation algorithms
High-quality streaming codec
Minus
Expensive, and even more expensive for the James Bond special edition
Very snug fit might not be comfortable while wearing glasses
Increased bass boost in noise-cancellation mode

THE VERDICT
I tried, honestly, I did. I closed my eyes; I listened in the dark. However, try as I might, I could not separate the absolutely stunning fit and finish of the Bowers & Wilkins Px8 headphones from their sound quality. That initial feeling that this would be something special pervaded throughout my review experience. Bottom line: the Px8 sounds exactly as good as you would expect from something that looks and feels so luxurious.

There's a certain expectation when you pay up for a product. Buy a premium car, and you'll expect a certain feel, fit and finish to every aspect, from the dashboard to the tailpipe. Buy a luxury watch and every component—the links, clasp, and crown—feels deluxe. The Px8 gives you that instantaneous expectation of quality. The Bowers & Wilkins Px8 headphones are the newest flagship over-ear noise-canceling headphones, firmly placed at the top of their "reference" quality lineup. While the price is a gut-punching $699, the build and sound quality just might be worth it.

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Special Features
King(s) of Long Throw Projectors Crowned
Mark Henninger  |  Dec 13, 2022
JVC swept the field at the inaugural Projector Shootout evaluation event, put on by Dealerscope and Value Electronics at 335 Madison Avenue (NYC) on December 11, 2022. I attended to see all the competing projectors do their thing in person and for the excellent conversations with people who know their stuff when it comes to projection.
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Audio Video News
LG to Preview Invisible Car Speaker at 2023 CES
Bob Ankosko  |  Dec 12, 2022
With CES 2023 now less than a month away, advance news is starting to trickle in. LG Display has announced that it will preview a new low-profile sound producing technology for cars it calls the Thin Actuator Sound Solution.
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Signals
Should I Buy This Turntable?
Ken C. Pohlmann  |  Dec 12, 2022
I am doing spring cleaning. Yes, it is currently winter. But I live in Florida, and it's too damn hot to do manual labor in the spring. Ergo I am currently cleaning out my storage locker. As a result, I think I have to buy this Audio-Technica turntable. I'll explain.

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Sponsored
Miracle Workers
Mike Mettler  |  Dec 09, 2022
Checking in exclusively with the producers behind the massive new box set for Queen's stunning May 1989 album The Miracle, to learn why you'll want it all—and you'll want it now.
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Audio Video News
10 S&V-Approved Holiday Gift Picks
Bob Ankosko  |  Dec 08, 2022
Yes, we know… You haven’t finished your holiday shopping. You’re not alone and if you’re like me, you haven’t even started. Yet, the clock keeps ticking: 16 days ’til Christmas with only days left to order online and ensure gifts get where they need to be in advance of the Big Day. In the spirit of helping you (and me) check an item or two off the ’ol shopping list, here are 10 potential gifts to give (and get) — all Top Picks, vetted and approved by your friends at Sound & Vision — 11 if you count our just-posted Top Value Pick: the Monolith THX-certified 5.1 minispeaker system.
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Audio Video NewsNew Products
Audeze Introduces Wireless Gaming Headset with 80-Hour Battery Life
Bob Ankosko  |  Dec 08, 2022
Audeze, the Santa Ana, CA-based company specializing in planar-magnetic headphones, today introduced two versions of a new “ultra-low-latency” wireless gaming headset dubbed Maxwell — one for Xbox and one for PlayStation.
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Bookshelf Speaker ReviewsDesktop Speaker ReviewsSubwoofer ReviewsSurround Sound System Reviews
Monolith M518HT 5.1 THX Sub/Satellite System Review
Mark Henninger  |  Dec 07, 2022

Performance
Build Quality
Value
PRICE $799.99

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Compact
Clear and precise sound
Wall mountable
Tunable subwoofer EQ
Minus
4 ohms impedance
Low sensitivity

The Verdict
This 5.1 HTiB speaker system combined with a suitable AVR offers a high-performance yet compact alternative to soundbars. The concentric driver satellites provide pinpoint imaging that results in cohesive surround-sound envelopment. Even with stereo music you get a listening experience that defies expectations for a system this small in size and cost.

Home Theater in a Box Done Right
The classic HTiB—an all-in-one subwoofer/satellite speaker system—was long ago supplanted by soundbars as the go-to upgrade for TV audio. But a solid HTiB system, with the speakers properly placed and paired with the right AVR, is a great way to get superior surround-sound on a budget—so long as the components are high quality.

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A/V Veteran
Exploring the Early Days of Home Hi-Fi
Tom Norton  |  Dec 07, 2022
A few years ago a friend acquired a heavy, bound volume of all of Audio magazine's 1960 issues. Riffling through the issues was fascinating as writers dealt with the introduction of the stereo LP and the associated equipment needed to create 2-channel stereophonic sound, which represented a significant leap over the single-channel mono format. Let’s see what else those early days of home hi-fi reveal.
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