LATEST ADDITIONS

Spatial Audio File
Hungry for Spatial Audio From Heaven
Mike Mettler  |  Mar 11, 2022
It only took Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith, a.k.a. the twin towers of Tears For Fears, 18 years to follow up what was thought to be their final album (September 2004’s Everybody Loves a Happy Ending), but February 2022’s The Tipping Point might just be the release that resides at the apex of four decades’ worth of their creative push-pull partnership. (Incidentally, you can head on over to The S&V Interview later today to catch my deep-dive conversation with Orzabal about the making of the new album and his thoughts about TFF’s long penchant for serving up great surround sound releases.)
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Audio Video News
Best Gear of Late 2021 and 2022
Bob Ankosko  |  Mar 10, 2022
Time for a new set of speakers or subwoofer? An AVR with the latest features? Or maybe it’s time to bring your audio setup into the 21st century with a new music streamer. Wherever your home entertainment path is leading, click on to the next page for capsule reviews of more than two dozen products — all awarded Sound & Vision Top Picks in recent months.
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Headphone Amp/DAC ReviewsMedia Server Reviews
HiFi Rose RS150 Streaming DAC Review
Howard Kneller  |  Mar 09, 2022

Performance
Features
Ergonomics
Value
PRICE $4,995

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Outstanding performance and build quality
Stunning 14.9-inch high-def color touchscreen
Highly customizable operation
HDMI ports for connecting to a TV
Minus
Lacks headphone output, phono input, and room EQ

THE VERDICT
Gorgeous design, audiophile-grade sound, an alluring touchscreen, and 4K video output make the HiFi Rose RS150 a high-value item despite its premium price.

My listening room has seen components from three different South Korean audio manufacturers over the past year, and in each case the performance, build quality, and aesthetics of the product have been uniformly superb. But what really impressed me about them is the extent to which each used software and/or circuitry developed in-house rather than purchased off-the-shelf. Call me slow, but I think something special is going on south of the 38th parallel.

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New Products
Denon Launches Wireless Home Subwoofer
SV Staff  |  Mar 09, 2022
In her recent review of Denon’s Home Sound Bar 550 soundbar, Sound & Vision’s Leslie Shapiro commented that, while the bar had “good bass for its size…adding a wireless subwoofer would help.” Fortunately, help has just arrived in the form of Denon’s new Home subwoofer ($599), a Wi-Fi connected model featuring an 8-inch woofer housed in a sleek, compact enclosure that matches the Sound Bar 550’s design.
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Headphone Reviews
Technics EAH-AZ60 Noise-Canceling True Wireless Earbuds Review
Al Griffin  |  Mar 08, 2022

Performance
Features
Ergonomics
Value
PRICE $230

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Great sound quality
Impressive noise cancellation
Compact form factor
Long battery life
Minus
Somewhat pricey compared to other true wireless earbud options

THE VERDICT
Technics’ AZ60 earbuds pack useful features plus advanced ergonomics, and they’re extremely easy on the ears when listening to music.

My first stereo system was a full-on Technics rig, right down to the turntable and cassette deck, so I've always harbored a fondness for the brand. And while the recent comeback of Technics to the hi-fi scene has had a decidedly high-end spin—its SU-R1000 Digital Integrated Amplifier costs $9,499—they've also branched out into accessible gear like wireless all-in-one speakers and headphones.

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The Connected Life
Big Screen Decisions
John Sciacca  |  Mar 08, 2022
When I started out as a custom installer back in 1998, a “big screen” was a 60-inch rear-projection TV, with high-end models available from the likes of Mitsubishi and Pioneer Elite. These were 4:3 aspect ratio, cathode ray tube-driven sets with 480i resolution, and they were physically hulking beasts weighing upwards of hundreds of pounds. Boy, have things changed over the past 20-plus years.
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Audio Video NewsNew Products
Perlisten Audio Expands THX-Certified Speaker Lineup
Bob Ankosko  |  Mar 07, 2022
PerListen Audio, the Wisconsin-based startup that brought us the first THX Certified Dominus speaker system last year has introduced a new, lower-priced line of speakers based on those flagship models.
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Signals
In Space, No One Can Hear You Scream, Alexa!
Ken C. Pohlmann  |  Mar 07, 2022
Amazon is close to achieving its goal of world domination. Much like Alexander the Great, Mr. Bezos is surely weeping because he has no more worlds to conquer. But cheer up, good sir. Amazon's most talkative progeny will soon go to the final frontier, where only a few men have gone before.

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Blu-ray Movie ReviewsUltra HD Blu-ray Movie Reviews
Eternals
Chris Chiarella  |  Mar 04, 2022
Picture
Sound
Extras
When you're all-in with the Marvel Cinematic Universe, you take the good with the bad, and Jack Kirby's lesser-known 1970s comic book has yielded the latter. With Eternals, we are introduced to a diverse team of never-aging otherworldly protectors, each with a different superpower, who are tasked with defending humanity from some nasty creatures.
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Music Reviews
The BBB Featuring Bernie Dresel - The Pugilist
David Vaughn  |  Mar 04, 2022
Performance
Sound
In all honesty, I had never heard the name Bernie Dresel until I was sent The Pugilist, the latest disc from his jazz band, The BBB Featuring Bernie Dresel, to review. The outfit is a collection of studio musicians who play together at Los Angeles-area jazz clubs, but chances are you've heard their various talents before. For example, Dresel has 25 movie credits to his name, with A-list soundtracks such as Mission: Impossible III, Star Trek (2009), and Spider-Man: Far from Home, just to name three. Other members of the band also have extensive backgrounds with various Hollywood productions, and this ultimately brought them together back in 2014.
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