LATEST ADDITIONS

Power Amplifier Reviews
NAD Masters M28 Seven-Channel Power Amplifier Review
Thomas J. Norton  |  Jan 27, 2021

Performance
Features
Ergonomics
Value
PRICE $4,999

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Exceptional performance
Exceptional build quality
Dimmable power indicator light
Minus
Pricey

THE VERDICT
It doesn’t come cheap, but NAD’s Masters M28 is a genuinely unique product designed to compete sonically with some of the highest-end amps on the market, regardless of how many channels they offer.

Whether you fall into the "all well-designed amps sound the same when used within their limits" camp or the "amp selection is critical" army of true believers, it's arguable that prior to the turn of the millennium amps designed for high-performance audio had fallen into a rut. They were so good that the advertising for them had to become increasingly creative. But a parade of skilled designers remained convinced that the new concepts they had come up with were superior, and audiophiles still lined up to buy them. The turf was always familiar: tubes remained tubes with their lovable quirkiness, and solid state was dominated by class-A/B designs as it had been since the transistor was invented.

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Ask S&V
Will I Lose Pixels & Brightness When Zooming a Projected Image?
Al Griffin  |  Jan 27, 2021
Q I ordered an Epson 5050UB LCD projector with 10 lens-shift memory settings and am looking for a projection screen. Information on one screen manufacturer’s website says you lose 25 percent (over 2,000,000 pixels) and up to and 25-30% of brightness when using a lens-shift memory setting to zoom images to fill a 2.40:1 “scope” screen…and when a projector blacks out pixels during this process, it absorbs the light energy, creating excess heat. Is this information accurate? Also, should I instead consider using an anamorphic lens with the projector? —Douglas Bien, via email
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A/V Veteran
Audio/Video Gear: When to Upgrade...or Not
Thomas J. Norton  |  Jan 26, 2021
I recently bought a new car. It wasn't planned, though perhaps long overdue. Old Betsy...um Mazda...took it on herself to make a frontal run on a low curb at a high enough speed to rip into the oil pan and take out one of the engine mounts. No injuries to this or any other humans, nor any perceptible damage to the curb, but my insurance company decided that it was time to send my 15-year-old filly to pasture.

But, you ask, how does this apply to A/V gear. For starters, the latter tends to last a long time unless the winds blow, the ground shakes, a fire intrudes, or the crick rises.

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New Products
Polk Audio Readies React Sound Bar
SV Staff  |  Jan 26, 2021
Polk Audio has launched its latest soundbar, the $249 React. The 2.0 model supports Dolby Digital and DTS 5.1 virtual surround sound and, according to Polk Audio, is the most advanced Alexa-enabled sound bar available today. It can also be mated with the company’s React Sub ($199) and SR2 surround speakers ($199/pair) to create a full wireless surround system.
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Blu-ray Movie ReviewsUltra HD Blu-ray Movie Reviews
The Lord of the Rings Trilogy
Chris Chiarella  |  Jan 22, 2021
Picture (all)
Sound (all)
What a journey. Originally conceived as a simple sequel to his popular children's book, The Hobbit, J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings grew to become the epitome of epic fantasy. Set in the far-off, long-ago realm of Middle-earth, it introduces the good-hearted, vertically-challenged Frodo Baggins (wide-eyed Elijah Wood), tasked with destroying a cursed ring in order to stop a great evil from conquering the world.
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CES 2021New Products
CES 2021: Headphones Hold Down the Audio Fort
Bob Ankosko  |  Jan 21, 2021
Once upon a time, CES was a huge show for audio but those days are long gone and showed no signs of returning in the virtual world that was CES 2021, with one possible exception: Wireless headphones, a category that has made incredible strides in just the past year or so. A number of companies — some familiar, many not-so-familiar — used the world-class venue as a showcase for new headphones you can buy now and models you can expect to see online and in stores in the coming months. Prominent among the new entries were earbuds and full-size headphones with active noise canceling and features designed to improve wireless performance and the sound quality of music and phone calls. Wired models, as you might expect, were few and far between. Here’s a look at what a few of the more familiar brands are bringing to market.
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New Products
KEF Introduces KC62 Uni-Core Subwoofer
SV Staff  |  Jan 21, 2021
After teasing a new subwoofer-related tech in an announcement last week, KEF has revealed details of the first product to feature its Uni-Core technology: the KC62 subwoofer. According to the company’s release, the KC62 actually incorporates three new tech innovations, all packed in a curved extruded aluminum enclosure measuring a mere 9.68 x 10.07 x 9.76 inches.
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SmartStream
Apple TV+ Offers Free Subscriptions Through June
Barb Gonzalez  |  Jan 20, 2021
Free annual subscriptions to Apple TV+ will again be extended, this time through June 2021. The next six months will be free for all subscribers as Apple builds up a long list of original programming.
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Surround Sound System ReviewsTower Speaker Reviews
Monitor Audio Bronze 200 Surround Speaker System Review
Thomas J. Norton  |  Jan 20, 2021

Speakers
Performance
Build Quality
Value

Subwoofer
Performance
Features
Build Quality
Value
PRICE (as tested): $4,010

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Affordable price
Detailed overall sound
Good envelopment with Atmos soundtracks
Minus
Towers have limited deep bass
Ordinary cosmetics

THE VERDICT
Monitor Audio's Bronze 6G system is a remarkable testament to how much speaker you can get today for a reasonable price.

Britain-based Monitor Audio offers a wide range of loudspeakers at prices spanning from the bargain basement up to the penthouse that are cleverly named for a variety of metals: Platinum, Gold, Silver, Bronze. The company must have run out of suitable metallic names when its Monitor series was introduced a few years ago— Steel or Aluminum (or Aluminium!) clearly wouldn't do. But while that budget-priced series represents the entry point to the Monitor Audio's offerings, our saga here covers the next step up: Bronze 6G, the sixth generation of the Bronze line.

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CES 2021HDTV Tech
TV Trends of CES 2021
Al Griffin  |  Jan 19, 2021
The annual CES tradeshow put on by the Consumer Technology Association was an "all-digital" event for 2021. On the plus side, that allowed us to report on the show from the comfort of our homes dressed in hoodies and sweatpants instead of suits. On the negative side, we didn't get proper "screen time" with the array of new TVs introduced, many of which hold the promise to be pretty spectacular.
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