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Audio Video News
Soundcast’s VG7 Flagship Now at Best Buy’s Magnolia
SV Staff  |  Aug 24, 2017
Soundcast today announced that for the first time shoppers can demo the Top Pick-designated VG7 outdoor speaker at Magnolia Home Design Centers and Home Theater Showrooms in Best Buy stores around the country.
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4K TV ReviewsLCD TV ReviewsTV Reviews
Samsung QN65Q9 LCD Ultra HDTV Review
Thomas J. Norton  |  Aug 24, 2017
Performance
Features
Ergonomics
Value
PRICE $6,000

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Bright and punchy HDR
Excellent resolution
Stunning color
Minus
No Dolby Vision
Edge-lit instead of full-array backlight dimming

THE VERDICT
Samsung’s new top-of-the-line QLED flagship brings first-rate brightness, brilliant color, and crisp resolution to the Ultra HD party, but enthusiasts might notice its lack of a full-array, local dimming backlight.

Now that we’re awash in high dynamic range (HDR) material on Ultra HD Blu-ray, Samsung is determined to make the most of it with two new TVs, the 65-inch QN65Q9 reviewed here and the 75-inch QN75Q9 for buyers who prefer a bigger (and, at $10,000, pricier) set. Each has a screen that’s flat, not curved.

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Ask S&V
What HDMI Splitter Should I Use With an Xbox?
Al Griffin  |  Aug 24, 2017
Got a tech question for Sound & Vision? Email us at AskSandV@gmail.com

Q I recently upgraded my TV to an LG 65B7P OLED. My receiver is an older Pioneer model that I'm loathe to give up. I plan on using an Xbox console, either the One S or the forthcoming One X, as my 4K source. Here’s my problem: both Xbox versions provide only a single HDMI output. I know I could use the TV’s HDMI ARC port to route audio back to a receiver, but my Pioneer doesn’t support that feature. Another problem is that HDMI ARC doesn't support the Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD MA lossless audio codecs. Which gets me to my question: Is there some kind of HDMI splitter I can buy that will let me route the Xbox’s output separately to the TV and AVR? —David Becker

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Audio Video News
Onkyo Announces Hi-Fi Minisystems
SV Staff  |  Aug 24, 2017
Onkyo today announced plans to ship two compact hi-fi systems in September.
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SmartStream
Google Home Gets Bluetooth, Phone Calling
Barb Gonzalez  |  Aug 23, 2017
Google has added features to its Google Home smart speaker. Find out how to pair a phone using Bluetooth and make phone calls directly from the voice-activated speaker.
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Music Reviews
Midnight Oil: Full Tank: The Complete Album Collection
Mike Mettler  |  Aug 23, 2017
Performance
Sound
It was one of the most galvanizing live experiences of my life. The instant WNEW-FM announced Midnight Oil would be performing live on a flatbed truck on Sixth Avenue in the heart of New York City in front of the Exxon Building around noontime on May 30, 1990 to protest the mishandling of the March 1989 Exxon Valdez oil-spill disaster in Prince William Sound, Alaska, three colleagues and I sprinted the entire length of the two long city blocks from the Stereo Review and Audio offices at 50th and Broadway to get as close as we could. Success! Each of us wound up standing no more than 10 people deep from the flatbed’s perch upon our out-of-breath Sixth Avenue arrival.
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New ProductsPremiere Design
Steinway Lyngdorf S-15 Speaker System
Bob Ankosko  |  Aug 23, 2017
It’s not new but Steinway Lyngdorf’s S-15 remains stunning in its aesthetic and technical design. Visually, this tiny treasure has little in common with your garden-variety box speaker—nor should it, considering its pedigree. For starters, it’s 10 inches tall, 8 inches wide, and only 3 inches thick—or about a half-inch wider and an inch thicker than the 1997 Webster’s New World College Dictionary collecting dust on a shelf in my office.
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Audio Video NewsNew Products
LG 4K/Ultra HD Blu-ray Player Now Available
SV Staff  |  Aug 23, 2017
LG today announced the availability of the UP970 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray player it previewed at CES 2017 last January.
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Audio Video NewsNew Products
Yamaha Introduces $350 Stereo Receiver
SV Staff  |  Aug 23, 2017
Yamaha has announced that its new R-N303 stereo receiver is now available online and in stores for $350.
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Audio Video News
Super Nintendo Pre-Order Sells Out
SV Staff  |  Aug 23, 2017
The Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) Classic Edition, a miniaturized remake of the popular ’90s console slated for release September 29, sold out within minutes of it being offered for pre-order yesterday on Amazon.com, BestBuy.com, and other sites.
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