Al Griffin

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Can I Stream MQA Tracks to My Amp via Bluetooth?
Al Griffin  |  Feb 18, 2021
Got a tech question for Sound & Vision? Email us at AskSandV@gmail.com

Q My LG V30 smartphone has a high-performance Quad-DAC audio system capable of decoding hi-res files encoded with MQA. I want to use the LG phone as a source to stream Masters-quality music from Tidal via Bluetooth (aptX HD) to my new NAD integrated amplifier. Will this work for MQA, or do I need an external digital-to-analog converter to “unfold” the MQA-encoded files? —Joel Johnson, via email

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Editor's Eye
Stream Theater
Al Griffin  |  Feb 10, 2021
Home video streaming received a boost in 2020 for obvious reasons, while movie theater attendance took a dive for equally obvious reasons. But even with a massive paradigm shift in the way people experience movies and other forms of entertainment clearly taking place in real time, it still came as a shock when WarnerMedia announced in early December that its full slate of theatrical releases for 2021 would drop day and date on the company’s HBO Max streaming service.
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Bookshelf Speaker ReviewsSubwoofer ReviewsSurround Sound System ReviewsTower Speaker Reviews
Elac Uni-Fi 2.0 Surround Speaker System Review
Al Griffin  |  Feb 03, 2021

Speakers
Performance
Build Quality
Value

Subwoofer
Performance
Features
Build Quality
Value
PRICE $3,000 (as tested)

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Clean, well-balanced sound
Consistent off-axis performance
Subwoofer control app with Auto-EQ
Excellent value
Minus
Basic looks; black-only finish option

THE VERDICT
Despite its low-key exterior, Elac’s 5.1 Uni-Fi 2.0 system delivers the goods for movies/music and represents an excellent value.

Germany's Elac is a brand that has greatly expanded its presence in the hi-fi and home theater worlds over the past five or so years. While the company itself has been around for considerably longer, back in 2015 it brought on former KEF, Infinity, TAD, and Pioneer chief speaker engineer Andrew Jones to develop new product lines. First out of the gate for Jones was the Debut Series, followed by the Uni-Fi series, both affordable lines designed to pull fresh recruits into the audiophile ranks. New speakers arrived in quick succession, including the upscale but still affordable Adante passive and Navis powered models.

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Ask S&V
Will I Lose Pixels & Brightness When Zooming a Projected Image?
Al Griffin  |  Jan 27, 2021
Q I ordered an Epson 5050UB LCD projector with 10 lens-shift memory settings and am looking for a projection screen. Information on one screen manufacturer’s website says you lose 25 percent (over 2,000,000 pixels) and up to and 25-30% of brightness when using a lens-shift memory setting to zoom images to fill a 2.40:1 “scope” screen…and when a projector blacks out pixels during this process, it absorbs the light energy, creating excess heat. Is this information accurate? Also, should I instead consider using an anamorphic lens with the projector? —Douglas Bien, via email
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CES 2021HDTV Tech
TV Trends of CES 2021
Al Griffin  |  Jan 19, 2021
The annual CES tradeshow put on by the Consumer Technology Association was an "all-digital" event for 2021. On the plus side, that allowed us to report on the show from the comfort of our homes dressed in hoodies and sweatpants instead of suits. On the negative side, we didn't get proper "screen time" with the array of new TVs introduced, many of which hold the promise to be pretty spectacular.
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CES 2021New Products
Hisense Pushes the Outer Limits of Laser TV
Al Griffin  |  Jan 13, 2021
China’s Hisense announced plans to launch a range of TriChroma Laser TVs with 55- to 100-inch screen sizes in 2021 at its virtual CES press conference. The announcement, made by Fisher Yu, Vice President of Hisense Visual Technology, is the first indication that the tech, which has been displayed in prototype form at previous CES events, will make it into actual ultra short throw projection TV products destined for the U.S. market.
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CES 2021New Products
LG Launches HU810P 4K UHD Laser Projector
Al Griffin  |  Jan 13, 2021
Previously announced in September 2020 at the European mega-electronics tradeshow IFA, LG Electronics said its new HU810P CineBeam 4K UHD laser projector will now launch the week of January 18. The latest addition to the company’s DLP projector lineup is notable for its HDMI 2.1 connections (with Auto Low Latency Mode and Enhanced Audio Return Channel), built-in webOS 5.0 platform, and WiSA support for a high-res wireless audio link with WiSA-compatible speakers.
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CES 2021New Products
JBL Synthesis Unveils SCL-1 Speaker and SSW-1 Sub
Al Griffin  |  Jan 13, 2021
JBL is upping the ante on its Synthesis Custom range with the addition of two flagship models: the SCL-1 loudspeaker and SSW-1 subwoofer. The new offerings are designed to complement each other in custom-installed “ultra-premium, high channel count immersive audio deployments” that also feature the company’s SDP-75 immersive surround processor and SDA amplifiers.
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CES 2021New Products
Panasonic Introduces Flagship JZ2000 OLED TV
Al Griffin  |  Jan 12, 2021
Panasonic used CES to announce a new OLED TV for 2021, the JZ2000. Available in 65- and 55-inch screen sizes, the company’s latest TV will serve as its flagship model and is aimed at both gamers and movie fans alike.
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CES 2021New Products
Konka Announces 2021 Ultra HDTV Lineup
Al Griffin  |  Jan 12, 2021
Chinese manufacturer Konka is mostly focused on launching its new smart home products at CES, but the company did also provided some specs for its forthcoming TV 2021 lineup. There are four series of LCD models in all, including 4K sets featuring LG’s webOS smart TV interface and bigscreen models with quantum dot tech for extended color reproduction. Konka is also thinking big for 2021, with an 82-inch Android TV-powered model on the way.
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