LATEST ADDITIONS

Thomas J. Norton  |  Feb 25, 2020
When I was a lad I served a turn as a Hi-Fi looker with no bucks to burn…

With apologies to Gilbert & Sullivan, I’d venture that more than a few veteran audiophiles began that way. Back in the day every city of medium to large size had at least one hi-fi shop. Big cities had dozens....I’m not sure exactly when it happened, but by the mid ‘90s there were far fewer shops than before...

Bob Ankosko  |  Feb 25, 2020
There’s no denying the lure of powerful, deep, visceral bass. How it pulls you into the action. How it scares the living hell out of you. How it makes music real. We were so intrigued by the beastly 6-foot-tall SMSG50 super subwoofer designed and built by Germany’s Ascendo Immersive Audio that we had to dig deeper. We wanted to know what it takes to design and build a subwoofer of this caliber — one capable of producing peak levels up to 140 dB and deliver 105 dB of sound pressure at 5 Hz. Is a subwoofer that weighs 441 pounds and uses a single 50-inch (!) driver to plumb the infrasonic depths really better than a model of more manageable size with maybe a few 18-inch drivers? We caught up with Geoffrey Heinzel, partner and director of international sales and marketing for Ascendo, to learn more about this modern marvel.
SV Staff  |  Feb 24, 2020
Can physical media continue to prosper at a time when streaming has all but consumed today’s music industry while the likes of Spotify and Amazon sign up subscribers at unprecedented rates and the distribution chain responsible for shipping most catalog classics and new releases on LP and CD implodes?
Mike Mettler  |  Feb 21, 2020
Performace
Sound
Which one's Pink? It's a question the mighty members of Pink Floyd have answered more than once throughout their unmatched 50-plus-year career. No matter who's been at the helm—the wide-eyed lysergic-minded guitarist/vocalist Syd Barrett, the uncompromising iconoclast bassist/vocalist Roger Waters, or the melodic linchpin guitarist/vocalist David Gilmour — the mantra of delivering music that's always high fidelity, first class has been at the core of Pink Floyd's production values from the very beginning.
SV Staff  |  Feb 21, 2020
Owners of Vizio SmartCast-enabled smart TVs dating back to 2016 will soon have direct access to the new Disney+ streaming service via an app on the home screen.
SV Staff  |  Feb 20, 2020
Players Media Group, a Dallas-based startup specializing in sports-centric entertainment, today announced the creation of PlayersTV, a new network dedicated to sports lifestyle and culture entertainment that will launch next month on Samsung TVs.
SV Staff  |  Feb 20, 2020
Ready for an upgrade? The editors of Sound & Vision have singled out nine speaker systems that deserve a listen if you’re getting the itch to take your home theater to the next level. All made our coveted 2019 Top Picks of the Year list, meaning they all deliver exceptional sound. Product summaries appear in ascending price order.
John Sciacca  |  Feb 20, 2020
In my last blog, I discussed the generational improvements my custom installation company has witnessed since we started installing whole-house distributed audio systems back in 1995. Of course, almost everything has gotten better — and cheaper — over time, but one thing often overlooked in modern installations is operational simplicity for the guests who visit your home.
SV Staff  |  Feb 19, 2020
Denmark’s Lyngdorf Audio has introduced a compact streaming amplifier that can be fully controlled using a free app.
Leslie Shapiro  |  Feb 19, 2020

Performance
Features
Ergonomics
Value
PRICE $999

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Very good dialogue intelligibility
Wide stereo imaging
Multiple color options
Minus
Lacks front indicator lights
Pricey

THE VERDICT
The DALI Katch One 2.0 soundbar combines impressive TV sound with an attractive design and multiple color options.

DALI (Danish Audiophile Loudspeaker Industries) isn't a well-known brand in the United States, but the company may get more notice once word of its Katch One soundbar gets out. Stylish and simple, DALI's soundbar ($999) strikes an interesting balance between price and sound quality—it's undeniably pricey, but since the Katch One fulfills the promise of an audiophile loudspeaker, you get what you pay for.

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