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Music and Soundtrack Features
Remaster Class: Chicago Transit Authority
Mike Mettler  |  Apr 15, 2022
The seven-man band then known as Chicago Transit Authority were at the forefront of the horn-driven jazz-rock movement when they emerged in April 1969 with their self-titled double-length debut album, thanks in no small part to the knob-turning efforts of their semi-Svengali producer James William Guercio.
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Spatial Audio File
What a Wonderful Spatial Audio World
Mike Mettler  |  Apr 15, 2022
British supergroup Asia consisted of four virtuosic musicians who shared an uncanny knack for distilling their progressive-leaning chops into pop rock for the masses. The evidence is on full display all over their chart-topping self-titled March 1982 debut album, and the Atmos version of its popular lead track “Heat of the Moment” makes it even more appealing across the board.
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Audio Video NewsNew Products
News & Gear: Spring 2022
Bob Ankosko  |  Apr 14, 2022
As spring hits stride, we take a look at some of the latest home entertainment news and gear.
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Soundbar Reviews
Polk Audio Signa S4 Soundbar Review
Rob Sabin  |  Apr 13, 2022

Performance
Features
Ergonomics
Value
PRICE $399

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Atmos height effects from a high value soundbar
Easy to set up and use
Well-integrated small subwoofer
Good sonics for TV and movie watching
Minus
No expandability for surrounds
No network connection for music
No height channel level adjustment
Better for movies than music

THE VERDICT
Polk Audio’s Signa S4 makes some canny compromises to bring immersive audio to the masses at an affordable price.

When it comes to hi-fi and home theater, I'm a space hog. Some folks zero in on tight, room-shaking bass, others seek immaculate midrange accuracy or high frequency extension with gobs of etched detail. For me, it's always been about imaging and soundstage first. I can forgive a lot of sins if a system conveys the sense of a three-dimensional instrument, voice, or sound object in the listening room. This is what makes things real for me.

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A/V Veteran
Hands On: Aperion Audio Super Tweeters
Thomas J. Norton  |  Apr 12, 2022
All full-range loudspeakers have a tweeter, apart from relatively uncommon, single driver designs. A tweeter's performance can vary widely, but generally reflects the budget and/or the intentions of the designer. Most buyers are happy with the tweeters in their loudspeakers, but are they missing something?

Aperion Audio believes they are. They offer three different super tweeters as add-on devices to your current loudspeakers. There are other super tweeters on the market, but as a category they're rare. Aperion sent me one of each — the pure Aluminum Ribbon at $649 (shown in the photo above), the Planar-Ribbon at $399, and the pure Dual Aluminum Ribbon (radiating toward both the front and the back) at $999.

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Audio Video NewsNew Products
Nakamichi Promises 360° Immersion with New Soundbar System
Bob Ankosko  |  Apr 11, 2022
Nakamichi has expanded its Shockwafe series of high-end soundbar systems with an upgraded version of its flagship Ultra 9.2 SSE, an advanced version of the Pro 7.1 system we reviewed back in 2017.
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Signals
What Would Music Sound Like on Mars?
Ken C. Pohlmann  |  Apr 11, 2022
Congratulations! You are one of the first humans to walk on Mars! That is so awesome! But then you suffer an unfortunate wardrobe malfunction – your helmet comes off and there you are – completely exposed to the Martian atmosphere. As you lose consciousness, you hear the sound of a piano.

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Blu-ray Movie ReviewsUltra HD Blu-ray Movie Reviews
Halloween Kills
Roger Kanno  |  Apr 08, 2022
Picture
Sound
Extras
Halloween Kills, the twelfth film in the Halloween franchise, picks up immediately following the events in the 2018 reboot of the original film of the same name. These latest entries were directed by David Gordon Green with a third installment, Halloween Ends, also to be directed by Green, planned for release later in 2022.
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Spatial Audio File
Please Don’t Leave Me, Spatial Audio
Mike Mettler  |  Apr 08, 2022
To certain observers, jazz multi-instrumentalist Jon Batiste’s March 2021 passion project We Are was the surprise winner of Album of the Year at the 64th Annual Grammy Awards last weekend. But to these ears, this multi-layered, genre-defiant album displays the best of all musical worlds—as in, everybody can find something to love within the grooves of its wide-ranging sonic palette.
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Audio Video News
Best Subwoofers, Home Theater Speakers of 2021-22
Bob Ankosko  |  Apr 07, 2022
Tired of putting up with anemic bass while you miss out on the visceral excitement that comes with owning a bad-ass subwoofer? Or maybe it’s time to replace a lowly soundbar (or, heaven forbid, the speakers built into your TV) with a full-on home theater speaker system. Help has arrived. We present capsule reviews of our Top Picks in subwoofers and home theater speaker systems for all of 2021 and so far in 2022.
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