Al Griffin

Audio Video News
AXPONA Goes Virtual With Facebook Livestream Event
Al Griffin  |  Apr 15, 2020
AXPONA, the largest high-end audio event in North America, has been pushed back from April to August for 2020, but you can get a sneak peek at the new products audio manufacturers have in store by “attending” the show’s Facebook Live event this Friday, April 17—the day AXPONA 2020 was originally scheduled to open at the Renaissance Schaumburg Hotel and Convention Center in Chicago, IL.
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Audio Video News
Hi-Fi World Mourns Passing of Stereophile’s Art Dudley
Al Griffin  |  Apr 14, 2020
Art Dudley, deputy editor of Sound & Vision sister publication Stereophile, has passed away.
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New Products
2020 TV Review Preview
Al Griffin  |  Apr 13, 2020
Many of us stuck at home have been watching lots of TV lately (too much!), but some may also be wondering about buying a new TV. Spring is when the new sets show up, and while you might not be able to wander into a Best Buy or other store to browse them at present, you’re probably itching to check out the reviews. To that end, here are the models Sound & Vision currently has in the review pipeline, along with the sets we anticipate testing as they arrive in the months to come.
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Audio Video NewsNew Products
LG Announces Pricing & Availability for 2020 LCD TVs
Al Griffin  |  Apr 09, 2020
LG announced today that the 2020 lineup of NanoCell LCD TVs it first showed at CES in January is starting to become available. The lineup includes 4K sets with screen sizes ranging from 49 to 86 inches, plus a pair of 8K models.
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Audio Video News
HBO Offers Free Streaming of Select Shows
Al Griffin  |  Apr 06, 2020
Good news for those of us in the U.S. on lockdown who have already blazed through all the good stuff on Netflix and are seeking something different: HBO is offering free streaming of select shows including The Sopranos, The Wire, and Six Feet Under through April 30 on its HBO NOW or HBO GO apps. So, if you happen to be one of the few who for some reason missed out on these early gems from the New Golden Age of Television, you’re now in luck.
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Bookshelf Speaker Reviews
GoldenEar Technology BRX Bookshelf Speakers Review
Al Griffin  |  Apr 01, 2020

Performance
Build Quality
Value
PRICE $1,599/pair

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Detailed, dynamic sound
Powerful bass for a bookshelf
Compact form factor
Minus
Requires careful setup and placement for best performance

THE VERDICT
GoldenEar Tech’s compact, passive BRX proves that the company known for powered towers can also make a better bookshelf speaker.

At some point when I reviewed GoldenEar Technology's Triton Reference tower in early 2017, it hit me that the company may have backed itself into a marketing corner with its new offering. After all, how do you push the performance envelope further after developing a "Reference" speaker? The company's agenda, as it turned out, was to scale its $8,500 flagship down in order to deliver variations on the Reference experience.

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Ask S&V
How Do I Know When to Change My Projector’s Bulb?
Al Griffin  |  Mar 26, 2020
Got a tech question for Sound & Vision? Email us at AskSandV@gmail.com

Q I made the decision to buy an Epson PowerLite Home Cinema 2045 3LCD projector about three years ago...I know I’ll need to change the bulb out at some point and would like to know how to tell when the lamp has dimmed to the point of needing replacement. I have no idea how many hours we’ve used it, or how to find out that information. —Scott Miller, via email

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Bookshelf Speaker ReviewsSubwoofer ReviewsSurround Sound System ReviewsTower Speaker Reviews
Monitor Audio Silver 300 Speaker System Review
Al Griffin  |  Mar 18, 2020

Performance
Build Quality
Value
PRICE $5,975 (as tested)

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Crisp, detailed sound
High-performance center speaker
Subwoofer with room correction
Minus
Subwoofer pricey compared with competition

THE VERDICT
Monitor Audio's revamped mid-range Silver system brings notable improvements with no notable increase in price.

In 2020 many of us will get to witness the summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan—on TV at least. Why do I mention that in the first line of a speaker review? Because, like the medals handed out to Olympian champs, speaker lines from Monitor Audio tend to come with names

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Ask S&V
Do All 4K Discs Support High Dynamic Range (HDR)?
Al Griffin  |  Mar 12, 2020
Got a tech question for Sound & Vision? Email us at AskSandV@gmail.com

Q I own a Sony UBP-X800 Ultra HD Blu-ray player and want to know if all the 4K discs I buy provide high dynamic range (HDR). I’m also wondering if all 4K discs with HDR deliver it in both the HDR10 and Dolby Vision formats. —Steven Ganno, via email

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How Do I Get Dolby 5.1 from My TV’s Streaming Apps to My Old Receiver
Al Griffin  |  Feb 27, 2020
Got a tech question for Sound & Vision? Email us at AskSandV@gmail.com

Q I’m using the built-in apps on my Sony XBR-55X850C TV for video streaming. The set’s optical digital audio output is connected to an older Denon AVR-4306 receiver. My problem is that I only get Dolby Digital 5.1 sound from the TV’s Netflix app; no other app (HBO Now/Go, Sony Crackle, Hulu, or Disney+) provides DD 5.1. My local AV shop suggested using another streaming device or upgrading to a high-quality optical cable. Any advice or suggestions? —Ken Ashlock, Colorado Springs, CO

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