LATEST ADDITIONS

Ask S&V
Can I Use Bipolar Side Surrounds in an Atmos Setup?
Al Griffin  |  Nov 17, 2021
Got a tech question for Sound & Vision? Email us at AskSandV@gmail.com

Q I read your response to a reader who asked about using dipolar speakers as surrounds in an Atmos system. You recommended “losing any side-mounted dipole surround speakers in the system and replacing them with properly positioned direct-radiating models.” Does that same advice hold for bipolar surrounds? —Darryl Brooks, via email

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Soundbar Reviews
Denon Home Sound Bar 550 Review
Leslie Shapiro  |  Nov 16, 2021

Performance
Features
Ergonomics
Value
PRICE $599

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Convincing DSP-based surround
Excellent sound quality
Compact footprint
Minus
Built-in Amazon Alexa
Limited front panel feedback
Requires HEOS app for best results

THE VERDICT
Denon’s soundbar scores with convincing virtual Dolby Atmos and DTS:X sound, along with excellent performance on music playback.

I rarely have very much good to say about soundbars with DSP-based simulated surround. But the Denon Home Sound Bar 550 ($599) instantly impressed me by delivering convincing immersive sound. Add in the built-in HEOS multiroom platform, which lets you stream from music apps over Wi-Fi, and Denon's Sound Bar turns out to be a winning proposition.

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A/V Veteran
Movin' On Out
Thomas J. Norton  |  Nov 16, 2021
I wrote about moving cross country back in 2015, but there's always more to say on the subject, particularly as it applies to home theater fans with expensive gear to transport safely. No, I'm not moving again, but what with Covid and other incentives, more folks are moving today than ever — particularly out of a few big and management-challenged states such as New York and California.

Moving from the wilds of Glendale California to the (different) wilds of western Florida in 2015 presented me with a number of challenges. But that was nearly seven years ago. Those challenges are somewhat different now, but the basics haven't changed. Moving remains one of life's more disorienting experiences.

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Audio Video NewsNew Products
Monoprice Expands Monolith Series…Again
Bob Ankosko  |  Nov 15, 2021
Monoprice is expanding its Monolith by Monoprice series of affordable high-end audio products yet again — this time with three speakers, ranging in price from $250 to $800/pair.
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Music and Soundtrack Features
Remaster Class: Roxy Music: Avalon
Mike Mettler  |  Nov 12, 2021
Considering how much Roxy Music were deemed outliers in the 1970s as a band pioneering the blend of glam jams with progressive elegance, Avalon, their May 1982 masterpiece of rock chic, is truly a musical entity unto itself. Avalon lays bare the aural tenets of the très-cool Roxy aesthetic, taken to their most go-for-baroque extremes—all of it in the most ear-pleasing of ways.
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Vintage Gear
The Mighty Marantz 2500: A Commanding Presence
Bob Ankosko  |  Nov 11, 2021
In this edition of Sound & Vision’s Audio Time Machine, we highlight the Marantz Model 2500, one of the most powerful receivers of the late 1970s.
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4K TV ReviewsLCD TV ReviewsTV Reviews
Vizio M70Q7-J03 LCD Ultra HDTV Review
Thomas J. Norton  |  Nov 10, 2021

Performance
Features
Ergonomics
Value
PRICE $1,000

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Good image contrast
Crisp picture detail
Affordable price
Minus
Limited off-center viewing angle
Limited HDR brightness
Cluttered screen interface

THE VERDICT
When it comes to TVs, Vizio has always been serious about keeping the quality high and the prices low. That program continues with the company’s new M-Series Quantum, making this set worthy of serious consideration.

Veteran videophiles will recall the days when flat-panel TVs were almost impossibly expensive. But bigscreen set prices have dropped dramatically in recent years. We might "blame" Vizio for that, as it was among the first companies to challenge the status quo. Today it's not the only one offering affordable TVs, but its newest M-Series Quantum models make a strong case for the company's continued design and marketing savvy.

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Home Movie Theaters
Media Room Insider: Seneca Cinema
Bob Ankosko  |  Nov 09, 2021
Mike Baturin is an avowed technology enthusiast and proud owner of a Tesla Model 3, one of his "favorite pieces of tech." As cool as the Tesla is with its cutting-edge all-electric design and ability to rocket to 60 mph in 3.1 seconds, it still ranks second behind his most prized possession—a dedicated theater he designed and built from scratch for his new home in the New Jersey Pine Barrens.
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Audio Video NewsNew Products
Optoma Adds 4K Laser Projector to Home Theater Line
Bob Ankosko  |  Nov 09, 2021
Optoma has added a DLP laser projector to its 4K home theater lineup, bringing the number of laser-lit models in the line to four.
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Signals
Revenge Spending
Ken C. Pohlmann  |  Nov 08, 2021
I hate Covid. You hate Covid. We all hate Covid. But we love home theater. That creates the circumstances for an interesting scenario that economists refer to as “revenge spending.”

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