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Audio Video News
Best Subwoofers, Soundbars & Speakers of 2022
Bob Ankosko  |  Oct 13, 2022
There’s a good reason speakers are so popular in these pages. They make a difference! Pick the right ones and you are rewarded with an immediate improvement in sound quality. Whether you’re buying a new set of stereo speakers, upgrading an existing suite of home theater speakers, or introducing a new subwoofer into the mix, the result should be transformative. A speaker that recreates the recording space in a mind-blowingly lifelike way. A subwoofer that punches you in the gut and gives new meaning to going low. Forget subtle. Forget straining to hear a difference. This is where Sound & Vision comes in. We’ve compiled capsule reviews of our 2022 Top Picks in subwoofers, soundbars, and speakers. With any luck, one or more of our recommendations will play a meaningful role in elevating your listening experience.
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Audio Video NewsNew Products
KEF Aims for Style & Substance with Mu7 Wireless Headphones
Bob Ankosko  |  Oct 13, 2022
The audio wizards at England’s KEF are out to prove that they are not just a speaker company with today’s launch of the Mu7 wireless, noise-canceling headphones.
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SmartStream
SongCatcher Names the Tune Stuck in Your Head—And Then Plays It
Barb Gonzalez  |  Oct 12, 2022
Can’t remember the name of that catchy song stuck in your head? No worries, Deezer’s updated SongCatcher feature will not only find it for you but it will play the song, too — a first in the app world.
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Soundbar Reviews
Sonos Ray Soundbar Review
Leslie Shapiro  |  Oct 12, 2022

Performance
Features
Ergonomics
Value
PRICE $279

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Fantastic vocal clarity
Small footprint
Forward-firing design for easy placement
Minus
Trueplay tuning app only for iOS
Basic surround processing
Limited connectivity

THE VERDICT
The Ray is an affordable entry into the Sonos ecosystem—one that excels in meeting the most basic requirement for any soundbar: dialogue clarity.

Sonos always seems to be one step ahead of the competition, coming out with new products before people even realize they need them. That playbook hasn't changed with Sonos Ray, a new budget-friendly soundbar small enough to fit on a shelf or under almost any TV. While it's a simple design that lacks a ton of features and input options, its sound quality and price ($279) more than make up for those omissions.

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Media Server ReviewsAudio Video News
A Marriage Made in Movie Heaven
David Vaughn  |  Oct 11, 2022

Hands On with the Kaleidescape Strato C Movie Player and Terra 48TB Movie Server

Reviewing A/V products began as a hobby that led to some paid gigs starting 16 years ago. Years of reviewing fantastic equipment opened my eyes to two concepts: Better equipment does come with a cost, but there’s this thing called “The Law of Diminishing Returns.” For example, in the AVR world, a $1,000 receiver offers a lot more features and functions than a $300 one — more power, more HDMI inputs, more channels, more robust onboard EQ, etc. But what about a $3,000 model versus one that costs $1,000? Likely it will also offer more, but not necessarily three times the value.
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Signals
The Strange World of "Numbers Stations"
Ken C. Pohlmann  |  Oct 09, 2022
Late one night, unable to sleep, you fire up your short-wave radio and aimlessly tune across the dial. Broadcasts from close by and from distant lands, in English and in languages very much not English. Then you come across something unusual — a radio station with a voice endlessly repeating a series of seemingly random numbers. Congratulations. You have stumbled into the strange world of numbers stations.

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Ultra HD Blu-ray Movie Reviews
Star Trek: The Motion Picture – Director’s Edition 4K
Chris Chiarella  |  Oct 07, 2022
Picture
Sound
Extras
With the theatrical re-release of Star Trek: The Motion Picture earlier this year, a new generation of fans has discovered its charms, thanks in large part to an extensive upgrade to the creator-approved Director’s Edition released on DVD in 2001 — the version personally overseen by director Robert Wise to better represent the movie the way he wanted to debut it back in 1979. But, now, a stunning new version of the film has emerged in the 2022 Director’s Edition, which presents this classic movie in 4K/HDR and Dolby Atmos for the first time.
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Audio Video NewsNew Products
New Gear: Fall 2022
Bob Ankosko  |  Oct 06, 2022
Though our coverage of CEDIA 2022 dominated these pages over the past week or so, there were plenty of A/V companies that didn’t make it to Dallas. Here’s a look at some of the gear introduced outside of the annual event.
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The S&V Interview
Star Trek: The Motion Picture - Re-Energizing a Sci-Fi Classic
Chris Chiarella  |  Oct 06, 2022
Ambitious, original, yet largely underappreciated, the first Star Trek film stands alone. Rushed into theaters in December 1979 with unfinished special effects and a studio-mandated runtime of only 130 minutes, it was not the version director Robert Wise intended.
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Audio Video NewsNew Products
KEF Expands In-Wall Lineup with New THX-Certified Speakers
Bob Ankosko  |  Oct 05, 2022
Though KEF did not physically attend the CEDIA 2022 in Dallas last week, the iconic British brand was there in spirit. Hours before the Expo opened its doors, the company announced the addition of two THX-certified models to its line of architectural speakers — an in-ceiling/wall subwoofer and its first a three-way coaxial design.
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