LATEST ADDITIONS

Subwoofer Reviews Tower Speaker Reviews

Focal Chora 826-D Speaker System Review

Al Griffin | Oct 28, 2020

Speakers
Performance
Build Quality
Value

Subwoofer
Performance
Features
Build Quality
Value

PRICE $8,360 (as tested)

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Great overall sound with movies and music
Integrated Atmos Elevation speakers
Impressive clarity from center speaker
Minus
Pricey sub with limited features
Boxy design for Focal speakers

THE VERDICT
Focal's 5.1.4 Chora system delivers impressive performance for the price and is equally adept at movies and music.

Some may see France's Focal as a maker of $100,000-plus speakers and $4,000 headphones. But while the company does maintain a high profile in the high-end through products like its Utopia towers, the reality is that Focal makes speakers—and headphones—that cover a wide range of price points. It's been nearly ten years since Sound & Vision reviewed a full-scale Focal home theater speaker system—a $25,000 rig with beryllium tweeters. This time out we're looking at the company's affordable new Chora series, a lineup that notably includes speakers with upfiring drivers to handle Dolby Atmos and other immersive audio formats.

New Products

Epson Announces Affordable Ultra Short Throw and Mini Laser Projectors

SV Staff | Oct 26, 2020

Epson has added a trio of projectors to its lifestyle-oriented EpiqVision 3LCD projector lineup. The new ultra short throw and streaming-friendly models join the company’s EpiqVision Ultra LS500, which became available in September.

Signals

Here Come the Trust Busters, Part 2

Ken C. Pohlmann | Oct 26, 2020

Alert readers will recall that in my previous blog I questioned whether Big Tech/Big Data had monopolistic motives. And lo and behold, last week the DOJ went full antitrust nuclear. First I inspire Superman to build a computer, and now I cause the U.S. Government and eleven state Attorneys General to file suit against Google. Never, ever, underestimate the power of Sound & Vision magazine.

Music and Soundtrack Features

The Making of John Lennon's Gimme Some Truth. The Ultimate Mixes

Matt Hurwitz | Oct 23, 2020

When Yoko Ono and Sean Lennon set out to create a music collection to honor the late John Lennon's 80th birthday, they knew that another greatest hits collection wasn't something fans needed or wanted. Instead, together with the core team that crafted 2018's highly successful Imagine The Ultimate Collection box set, they delivered John Lennon. Gimme Some Truth. The Ultimate Mixes. Released by Capitol/UMe on October 9, Lennon's actual birthday, this box set includes not only new stereo mixes drafted from the original multitrack session tapes, but also high-resolution 24-bit/96kHz stereo, 5.1 surround, and Dolby Atmos mixes of each, available on an additional Blu-ray audio disc in the album's deluxe box set.

The S&V Interview Audio Video News

NextGen TV: A Progress Report

Bob Ankosko | Oct 22, 2020

15 Minutes with ATSC President Madeleine Noland

Most Americans don’t know it yet but NextGen TV is already on the air in many markets across the country with dozens more gearing up to launch the service in the coming year. NextGen TV, also known by the technical name ATSC 3.0, greatly expands on the capabilities of the ATSC 1.0 standard that put HDTV on the air 20 years ago. In addition to enabling broadcasters to deliver free, over-the-air access to 4K Ultra HD programming with high-dynamic range (HDR), enhanced color, and immersive surround sound, NextGen TV also allows them to stream local content such as news, weather, and sports updates as well as offer features that enable viewers to personalize and customize that content. A lot has happened since we spoke with Mark Richer, president of the Advanced Television Systems Committee (ATSC), back in 2017, so we sat down with his successor Madeleine Noland to get an update on how things are progressing with the new TV broadcasting system and what we can expect in the near future.

Ask S&V

Will My AVR Decode Atmos from My TV’s HDMI ARC Port?

Al Griffin | Oct 22, 2020

Got a tech question for Sound & Vision? Email us at AskSandV@gmail.com

Q My new Denon A/V receiver has an eARC (enhanced Audio Return Channel) HDMI connection, and my TV has a regular HDMI ARC connection. Here’s my question: Will the Denon A/V receiver be able to decode both Dolby Atmos/Dolby True HD and DTS:X/DTS-HD Master Audio soundtracks that are routed to it from the TV’s HDMI ARC port, or do I need to connect sources such as an Ultra HD Blu-ray player and streaming box directly to the AVR to make that happen? —Andrew Last, via email

Surround Processor Reviews

Monoprice Monolith HTP-1 Surround Sound Processor Review

Kris Deering | Oct 21, 2020

Performance
Features
Ergonomics
Value

PRICE $3,999

AT A GLANCE
Plus
16-channel processing and output
Extensive customization options
Dolby Atmos, DTS:X, Auro-3D support
Dirac Live with Bass Control sub integration
Minus
Setup may intimidate casual users
No onscreen display

THE VERDICT
With support for all key immersive audio formats, 16-channel output, and Dirac Live room correction, the Monolith HTP-1 surround sound processor punches well above its price class.

It's been interesting to watch the evolution of Monoprice in the home theater market following the introduction of its Monolith product line. Monolith encompasses a broad range of components, including speakers, subwoofers, and amplifiers, all produced in partnership with big names in A/V product design and development, and all offering impressive performance at a strikingly low cost. The company's latest market disruptor is the Monolith HTP-1 surround sound processor, a stunning freshman effort that includes features typically seen only on components that cost significantly more than the $3,999 HTP-1.

A/V Veteran

What Defines a Home Theater?

Thomas J. Norton | Oct 20, 2020

The other day I was fiddling with my car radio in an attempt to find an interesting station, not an easy exercise in my end of the woods. I landed on a real estate broadcast. I’m not in the market to buy or sell property, but I stayed with it rather than dial while driving. My car doesn’t have one of those all-singing, all dancing, voice activated in-car entertainment systems—”Alexa, play soft jazz.”

The subject being discussed was what sort of home improvements homeowners were investing in these days. In the current environment it may seem odd that some folks are putting in swimming pools, adding bedrooms, and remodeling here and there. But if it keeps contractors in business and their workers employed I’m happy for them. One question asked of the commentator was if these upgrades included an uptick in home theater installations. Given the current (non) status of commercial movie theaters, this seemed logical. The answer given, however, was a definite no. With the ability to now watch and listen on portable devices such as smart phones and tablets, the responder claimed that some current home theater owners are even converting their entertainment spaces to home offices or other more pressing needs. Yuck.

New Products

AudioQuest Introduces 48G HDMI Cables

SV Staff | Oct 19, 2020

Do your existing HDMI cables support 8K? Maybe that’s not something you need to panic about right now, but if you are putting together a system and need cables, you may want to consider Ultra High Speed certified ones like those in AudioQuest’s new 48Gbps lineup.

The S&V Interview

Ryan Ulyate on Mixing Tom Petty's Wildflowers in Dolby Atmos

Mike Mettler | Oct 16, 2020

"See? I told ya!"

It was April 2010, and I was sitting across from Tom Petty in the living room of his home in Malibu, California, where we had just spent a few hours talking about his journey west from Gainesville, Florida in the mid-1970s to the recording of June 2010's Mojo for a Sound & Vision cover feature that would appear later that summer.

Search form

LATEST ADDITIONS

Pages