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Accessory Reviews
Audyssey MultEQ-X Room EQ Software Review
Thomas J. Norton  |  Jun 02, 2022

Performance
Features
Value
PRICE $199

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Superb setup flexibility
Adjustments shown in simplified parametric EQ format
Processing can be applied to full or limited frequency range
Minus
Requires a PC to run program
Steep learning curve
Not compatible with all AVRs featuring Audyssey
Software not transferrable

THE VERDICT
Audyssey's latest version takes room EQ processing to the next level via a PC software app offering an unprecedented degree of options to tune all channels in your system.

Electronic correction for the flaws common to any listening room wasn't always a thing. My first exposure to it came over 20 years ago with the Snell Acoustics RCS1000 Room Correction System, a complex device that never made a splash in the market before that innovative company folded. It wasn't until 2002 that room EQ took off with the launch of Audyssey, which was founded at the University of Southern California by USC professors Chris Kyriakakis and Tomlinson Holman, the latter famous for his work in the development of THX while at LucasFilm.

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A/V Veteran
The Ups and Downs of the Hi-Fi Show
Thomas J. Norton  |  May 31, 2022
Spring is traditionally prime time for the audio industry to dust off the cobwebs and bring out their best and latest gear at a hi-fi show for the public to see, hear, and touch. But the pandemic of the past two years wreaked havoc on the show front.
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Blu-ray Movie ReviewsUltra HD Blu-ray Movie Reviews
Le cercle rouge
Chris Chiarella  |  May 27, 2022
Picture
Sound
Extras
The title of Le cercle rouge is derived from a Buddhist proverb about people coming together in fateful encounters—a theme pertinent to recently released convict Corey (Alain Delon) who crosses paths with escaped suspect Vogel (Gian-Maria Volonte). Along with alcoholic ex-cop Jansen (Yves Montand), they team up for a big-franc jewel heist—sophisticated for its time—unaware that determined detective Mattei (André Bourvil) and his snitches are on their trail. While similarities inevitably exist, anyone expecting the visceral intensity of a more recent Heat or a Reservoir Dogs will be in for a surprise.
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Spatial Audio File
Stay With Me, Spatial Audio
Mike Mettler  |  May 27, 2022

As we head into the long weekend ahead, might I respectfully suggest you open your ears to a fine quintet of all-new Atmos recommendations on display here in our latest weekly installment of Spatial Audio File? Each track has been lovingly test-driven via personal listening sessions on both my home system and headphones alike. And, hey, if your weekend winds up being somewhat travel-oriented in spots, you can tap directly into the very best of the immersive Spatial Audio and Dolby Atmos universe available in the always expanding Apple Music library to serve as your perfect on-the-road-again soundtrack companion. Win-win, I say!! And this week’s five superstar tracks are. . .

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Audio Video News
Best Gear of May 2022
Bob Ankosko  |  May 26, 2022
Ready for a subwoofer that can play very low and very loud in very large spaces? Or how about a versatile set of headphones that put excellent noise cancellation and sound expanding spatial processing at your fingertips as you look ahead to that awesome summer vacation you just locked down? Both made our Top Picks list in May along with an affordable smart projector that will take movie time to the next level and a trio of high-end speakers from a brand you never heard of that will leave you speechless.
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Headphone Reviews
Cleer Alpha Noise-Canceling Headphones Review
Leslie Shapiro  |  May 25, 2022

Performance
Features
Ergonomics
Value
PRICE $250

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Soundstage-widening Dirac Virtuo processing
Adjustable Ambient Sound mode
Smart Noise Cancellation
Solid build quality
Minus
Overly sensitive touch controls
Bass lacking in certain modes

THE VERDICT
Cleer's Alpha Noise Canceling headphones are a good-sounding, airplane-ready offering packed with enough features to make them a top value compared with similar models from Sony and Bose.

Cleer Audio's new Alpha headphones, the company's flagship wireless noise-canceling model, is jam-packed with extras to augment its very good overall sound quality. At $250, the Alpha isn't a budget offering, but its many advanced and customizable features make it worth the price. With everything from app-controlled ambient audio level adjustment to smart noise-cancellation and Dirac Virtuo processing, the Alpha is primed to take on any travel adventure.

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SmartStream
Roku's OS11 Upgrade Is Here at Last
Barb Gonzalez  |  May 25, 2022
After a two-month rollout, the new Roku OS11 operating system upgrade has finally arrived. It brings new customization features, including new content discovery and recommendations on the home screen, a voice keyboard for login, a slideshow screensaver featuring your photos, and new sound modes. The features may seem subtle, but they change and enhance the Roku experience.  
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Ask S&V
Single Driver vs. Multiple Drivers: Which Is Better?
Al Griffin  |  May 24, 2022
Got a tech question for Sound & Vision? Email us at AskSandV@gmail.com

Q I’m still using my first system that I bought in the late 1960s. Time for an upgrade! I’ve seen speakers with four drivers and speakers that use only one driver. Can you explain the advantages of one design over the other? For example, is it possible for a tower speaker with a single driver to sound better than one with three or more drivers? —Michael Oleson, Fort Worth, TX

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Audio Video NewsNew Products
Denon and Marantz Preview New CD Players and More at Munich Audio Show
Bob Ankosko  |  May 23, 2022
Denon and Marantz showcased new CD players at the High End Munich audio show that wrapped up yesterday, with Denon also previewing a pair of integrated amplifiers, one with built-in wireless streaming capability.
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Signals
The End of the iPod
Ken C. Pohlmann  |  May 23, 2022
One minute you are the Shiny Object that everyone is clamoring for. Then the next minute you are Yesterday's News, thrown onto the trash heap of history, in favor of the next Shiny Object. Alas, the iPod.

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