LATEST ADDITIONS

New Products
Apple's New AirPods Pro 3: Quieter Sonic Canvas, Smarter Tricks
Mark Henninger  |  Sep 15, 2025
I was in Cupertino for Apple’s AirPods Pro 3 reveal, brought a pair home, and did some early listening away from campus. The pitch lines up with what I’m hearing so far: a quieter backdrop and firmer low end. Apple’s explanation is straightforward. The buds use a new multiport acoustic architecture that controls airflow into the ear canal, paired with foam‑infused ear tips (now five sizes, including XXS) to improve the passive seal.
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Ultra HD Blu-ray Movie Reviews
Jurassic World: Rebirth 4K Review
Ralph Potts  |  Sep 12, 2025
Jurassic World: Rebirth
Picture
Sound
Extras

Jurassic World: Rebirth takes place five years after the events seen in 2022's Jurassic World: Dominion. The story follows high stakes security operative Zora Bennett, who is hired by a representative of the world's leading pharmaceutical companies to lead a team to the most dangerous place on Earth, an island research facility for the original Jurassic Park, which was abandoned after a horrific accident 17 years earlier.

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Audio Video NewsNew Products
Premium Subscribers Get Spotify's Long-Awaited Lossless Audio
Mark Henninger  |  Sep 11, 2025
Spotify Premium subscribers can now stream lossless audio, with the service beginning its rollout September 10 across multiple markets. The feature delivers up to 24-bit/44.1 kHz FLAC quality and works with smartphones, tablets, computers, and a range of connected audio devices.
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Soundbar Reviews
Sony BRAVIA Theater Bar 9 Review: 360 Degree Sound
Barb Gonzalez  |  Sep 07, 2025
Performance
Build Quality
Ergonomics
Value
PRICE $1399

AT A GLANCE
Plus

  • 360 Degree Spatial Sound Mapping calibrates to your room and your exact listening spot
  • 360 Degree Reality Audio expands music to fill the room
  • Voice Zoom boosts dialogue for better clarity and Audio DRC brings up soft sound effects
Minus
  • No clear status display without Sony Bravia TV or Sony Bravia Connect app
  • Not as good for music as movies - compressed sound when not using 360 Reality Audio or Dolby Atmos
  • Inconsistent connectivity

THE VERDICT
For those with Sony products including a Sony Bravia TV, the Sony BRAVIA Theater 9 is a good choice for a fun surround sound experience that fills the room.

Introduction

The Sony BRAVIA Theater 9 is a home theater soundbar that mimics Dolby Atmos surround sound by creating "phantom speakers" through 360-degree spatial sound mapping. Home Theater is more dramatic when paired with wireless rear speakers and a subwoofer.

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Ultra HD Blu-ray Movie Reviews
Best of the Sets, Summer Edition (Updated)
Chris Chiarella  |  Sep 07, 2025  |  First Published: Aug 04, 2025

Any fireworks left over? Whatever the theme—a movie star, a character, a single title or an entire genre—collections like these are a celebration of film and music, catering to a wide variety of tastes. With painstaking restorations, remixes, remasters and rediscoveries on 4K, Blu-ray, CD and delicious vinyl, this sweet summer crop has been fresh-picked for our enjoyment, many with new supplements that only deepen our appreciation.

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OLED TV Reviews
Samsung Smart Monitor M9 Review: The Do-Everything OLED That Delivers
Mark Henninger  |  Sep 04, 2025

Performance
Features
Ergonomics
Value
PRICE
$1,599.99

AT A GLANCE
Plus
• Excellent OLED contrast and high color accuracy out of the box
• 165Hz/VRR and very fast response for smooth gaming
• True Smart TV experience (Tizen), Gaming Hub, and an actually-useful remote
• Integrated 4K webcam/mics, USB-C with 90W PD

Minus
• Premium pricing
• HDR pop limited by the panel's inherent brightness envelope
• Only two downstream USB-A ports are 2.0, not 3.x.

THE VERDICT
Samsung's 32-inch Smart Monitor M9 (model LS32FM902SNXZA) is a feature-packed 4K OLED display that blurs the line between a high-end monitor and a smart TV. It delivers exceptional picture quality. Rich, inky blacks and vivid colors that are impressively accurate right out of the box. It is just as suited for critical creative work as it is for entertainment. The M9 produces a striking image that immediately grabs your attention, whether you're editing photos, binging on Netflix, or battling through the latest games.

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Audio Video NewsNew Products
XGIMI Launches HORIZON 20 Series; Previews Pro-Grade TITAN at IFA 2025
Mark Henninger  |  Sep 04, 2025

At IFA 2025, XGIMI announced the HORIZON 20 home projector line and previewed TITAN, its first projector aimed at professional installs and enterprise use. The company will show both at ShowStoppers on September 4 and at booth H21-117, September 5–9. Preorders for HORIZON 20 start September 4 with retail availability slated for October 15.

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Audio Video NewsNew Products
Klipsch Courtyard Landscape Speaker System Debuts: 4.1 Outdoor Kit, Expandable to 8.2
Mark Henninger  |  Sep 04, 2025
Klipsch has introduced the Courtyard Landscape Speaker system, a full‑range outdoor package built around four horn‑loaded satellite speakers and a low‑profile 10‑inch subwoofer. The single‑box 4.1 kit includes mounting stakes, hardware, and accessories; a two‑satellite expansion pack supports larger spaces, and two systems can be combined for an 8.2 layout.
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Audio Video News
Dolby Announces Dolby Vision 2; Hisense First TV Partner
Mark Henninger  |  Sep 03, 2025
Dolby Laboratories announced Dolby Vision 2, the next iteration of its HDR video platform for TVs. Dolby says the update centers on a redesigned image engine and new “Content Intelligence” features that adapt playback to the content and viewing environment.
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Music Reviews
Norman Greenbaum: “Spirit in the Sky” and Jon Batiste: “Angels” in Dolby Atmos
Mike Mettler  |  Aug 31, 2025

With Labor Day Weekend upon us, a pair of “spiritual” Dolby Atmos tracks—one old, one new—honor the divine connection many of us have with the now-passing summer season: Norman Greenbaum’s forever holy Top 5 hit “Spirit in the Sky,” and N’Awlins royalty Jon Batiste’s brand-new “Angels.” Read Mike Mettler’s review to find out if the Atmos mixes of “Spirit” and “Angels” truly reach for the heavens as the almighty 360-degree gods surely intended. . .

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