LATEST ADDITIONS

Rob Sabin  |  Apr 28, 2017
Vizio officially showed off its new 2017 flat-panel display line-up in New York this week, with an emphasis on demonstrations designed to show off their improved technology and, as usual, high value.

Mark Fleischmann  |  Apr 28, 2017

Audio Performance
Features
Ergonomics
Value
PRICE $2,199

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Nine amp channels
HEOS multiroom compatibility
Audyssey, ISF, Control4, Crestron
Minus
No PC-friendly USB jack

THE VERDICT
The Marantz SR7011 is a state-of-the-art receiver with excellent room correction, fine overall sound, and the potential for HEOS multiroom extension.

The D+M Group was formed in 2002 with the merger of Denon and Marantz, each a powerhouse in A/V receivers and other audio categories. Through several changes of ownership, the two brands have remained distinct, with different cosmetic looks, slightly different feature sets, and slightly different voicings; each team has its own sound-tuning engineers and expert listeners. But as a reader once pointed out, popping the lid on comparably priced models from the two brands may reveal a close kinship in circuit layouts, suggesting certain economies of scale. And the new top-of-the-line AVR from Marantz further mimics its sister brand by adopting HEOS multiroom connectivity, a feature previously associated with Denon. Our review sample of the receiver arrived with Denon’s HEOS 7 and HEOS 1 speakers, and we put them through their paces together.

Chris Chiarella  |  Apr 28, 2017
Picture
Sound
Extras
Anchored by a disquietingly reserved performance from star Michael Rooker (The Walking Dead, Guardians of the Galaxy), this Portrait is an artful character study of a very bad man. Loosely based upon documented events, Henry explores the unspeakable crimes of an unrepentant murderer, a dark soul whose bleak existence is punctuated by frequent acts of violence. And when he brings his particularly loathsome roommate into the fold, no one in Chicago is safe. The matter-of-fact dramatic style makes the instances of gore hit that much harder, and yet plot developments are sometimes revealed in clever, original ways.
Thomas J. Norton  |  Apr 28, 2017
Picture
Sound
Extras
Max is living a great dog’s life. But one day his owner brings home Duke, a huge, stray shaggy-dog from the pound. Duke makes himself at home, much to Max’s chagrin. But one day, when the apartment house’s loopy dog walker is distracted, both Max and Duke get into a tussle, break free, and end up lost in New York.
SV Staff  |  Apr 28, 2017
While April didn’t necessarily shower us with gear goodness, it turned in a lucky seven lineup of Top Pick recommendations. From two mind-blowing speaker systems and the world’s first planar-magnetic in-ear headphones to a spectacular Ultra HD Blu-ray player and a pair of projectors that meet different needs, there’s something here for everyone.
Leslie Shapiro  |  Apr 28, 2017
I have never been a fan of soundbars. How can a little row of speakers replace the full-range sound of a true home-theater speaker system? It just can’t. However, soundbars heavy-set cousin, the soundbase, provides an interesting middle ground. I was skeptical of the Fluance AB40 Wide Angle soundbase when it first showed up, but after spending some time getting to know it, my opinion has changed—dramatically.

Mark Fleischmann  |  Apr 27, 2017
Back in the days before Blu-ray, companies like ClearPlay and TV Guardian offered parents a way to filter their children’s DVD viewing to screen out material deemed offensive. Some may call it censorship; others, a necessary tool for parents.
SV Staff  |  Apr 27, 2017
Twelve years ago this month, Jawed Karim uploaded the first video to the new YouTube video-sharing website he and his partners Chad Hurley and Steve Chen had just created.
SV Staff  |  Apr 27, 2017
DC Entertainment, home of the iconic superheroes Batman and Superman, is teaming with Warner Bros. to launch a streaming service with Warner Bros. next year.
Al Griffin  |  Apr 27, 2017
Got a tech question for Sound & Vision? Email us at AskSandV@gmail.com

Q I own an Epson 5040UB projector that is high dynamic range-compatible and has “4K Enhancement Technology.” But it’s my understanding that projectors are unable to deliver all the benefits of HDR. If that’s true, is it worth it for me to upgrade to an Ultra HD Blu-ray player to use with my 5040UB? —Harry Torres

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