Mark Henninger

CEDIA 2022Audio Video News
Sony VPL-GTZ380 Projector Demo Delivers Goosebumps
Mark Henninger  |  Sep 30, 2022
The highlight of my visit to Sony’s booth at CEDIA 2022 consisted of a high-powered demo session in a blacked-out theater, featuring the 10,000-lumen VPL-GTZ380 4K projector featuring Sony’s own SXRD three-chip projection technology as well as the X1 Ultimate for Projector processor.
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CEDIA 2022Audio Video NewsNew Products
Epson’s Impressive LS800 UST Projector Demo at CEDIA 2022
Mark Henninger  |  Sep 30, 2022
It’s been three years since I last attended CEDIA and one of the most notable changes in the product mix is the prevalence of 4K UST (ultra-short throw) projectors. These projectors are designed to sit right underneath the screen and project a big image. At this show, the standout UST demo belonged to Epson and its new EpiqVision LS800 projector, a new model that offers several advantages over its predecessor, the LS500. It’s my first hands-on experience with one and what I saw left a strong positive impression.
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Audio Video News
World’s Largest OLED TV Makes U.S. Debut
Mark Henninger  |  Sep 29, 2022
The custom installation industry is squarely aimed at affluent customers willing to pay the price of early adoption. So, it is perhaps fitting that LG chose CEDIA 2022 to mark the U.S. debut of its G2 97” OLED. This epic TV brings a home theater-like viewing experience to any room and offers image quality that even the most advanced home theater projectors will struggle to emulate.
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Audio Video News
Samsung’s New QN100B Flagship 4K TV Hits 5000 Nits
Mark Henninger  |  Sep 29, 2022
CEDIA 2022 is off to an exciting start, the show floor is buzzing and there’s a lot of impressive AV technology on display. Much of what’s on display is hyper-focused on the custom install market, which of course is CEDIA’s raisin d’être. But the newly introduced Samsung QN100B 98” 4K Neo QLED is of interest to anyone eyeing a supersize TV in the newly competitive “100-inch class.”
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Headphone Reviews
Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) Review: Superior Sound and Fit
Mark Henninger  |  Sep 22, 2022

Performance
Features
Ergonomics
Value
PRICE $249

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Noticeably better active noise cancellation
Improved audio fidelity
Superior fit with four ear tip sizes
Adaptive Transparency
Personalized Spatial Audio for better immersive sound
Touch-sensitive control
Easier to find when misplaced
Minus
Requires an iPhone to set up
Touch controls occasionally fidgety
Spatial audio with head tracking sometimes lost track of my head
Uses a Lightning connector instead of USB C

THE VERDICT
Just like the originals, AirPods Pro 2nd Gen up the ante on what to expect from a pair of true wireless earbuds, including better fit, better sound quality, and superior active noise canceling capabilities.

AirPods and AirPods Pro together constitute the most successful line of wireless earbuds in the world. Now, after three years of wait, Apple offers the AirPods Pro 2nd Generation ($249). With a couple of weeks of hands-on experience, I can attest that the company’s newest true wireless flagship earbuds are a technological tour de force. They represent a sizeable upgrade over the originals, even if they look largely the same. When it comes to performance and features, it’s what’s inside the iconic white enclosures that counts, and the new model is packed with technology that takes the AirPods experience to a higher level.

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Media Server ReviewsStreaming Device ReviewsAudio Video News
Your Tunes Anywhere: Roon Releases 2.0 and ARC Mobile App
Mark Henninger  |  Sep 22, 2022
Roon is an impressive software music playback system that runs as a core (i.e. server) on a dedicated PC in your home, which you can access from various playback devices. It allows you to merge streaming through Tidal or Qobuz with local music files to provide a seamless listening experience. However, until now Roon only worked in the home.
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Audio Video NewsNew Products
Apple Unveils AirPods Gen 2 with Custom Spatial Audio
Mark Henninger  |  Sep 09, 2022
Apple’s AirPods Pro are some of the best-selling headphones of all time. Now the company has unveiled its AirPods Pro 2nd generation ($249) featuring a new H2 chip, new driver, new amplifier, improved noise cancellation, personalized spatial audio, and various ergonomic-plus-usability enhancements. Apple clearly seeks to maintain its dominance in the headphones category with a comprehensive update to its most popular model.
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Soundbar Reviews
Sonos Beam Gen 2 Soundbar Review
Mark Henninger  |  Dec 15, 2021

Performance
Features
Ergonomics
Value
PRICE $449

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Compact, with exceptional build and sound quality
Built-in Google Assistant and Alexa voice control
Expandable with Sonos speakers and SUB
Minus
Modest bass output
Single HDMI input
No display for volume level or sound mode

THE VERDICT
The next-gen version of the Sonos Beam soundbar is remarkably full-featured considering its size. It’s also attractive, great-sounding, and a snap to set up.

Both the original Sonos Beam and the company's new Beam Gen 2 soundbar use beamforming, a technology that combines an array of drivers with advanced signal processing, to create an enveloping audio experience without need for multiple speakers. With the Beam Gen 2 ($449), Sonos builds upon the virtual surround sound abilities of the original by adding Dolby Atmos processing to up the sense of immersion it can create. The cost for this upgrade: a mere $50 premium over the original's $399 price.

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