John Lennon: Imagine: The Ultimate Edition

Performance
Sound

“Imagine there’s no heaven. It’s easy if you try.” That profound statement set the table for the visceral round of revelations John Lennon had in store for us on his second proper solo album following his departure from The Beatles, September 1971’s Imagine. Whereas “God,” the critical denouement on Lennon’s galvanizing December 1970 solo debut Plastic Ono Band, served as a gasp-inducing, barrier-breaking declarative manifesto, “Imagine” proffered more of a “what if” scenario that embodied an inclusively universal yet concurrently subversive scope.

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The Tree Of Life

Picture
Sound
Extras

Writer-director Terrence Malick’s remarkable, poetic The Tree of Life tells the story of a family in 1950s Texas and the impact that losing a son has on them. Using a stream-of-consciousness flow of images and sounds, the film authentically captures a childhood remembered by centering on the lyrical day-to-day, moment-by-moment experiences of the two surviving young brothers. The film examines, from many angles, the questioning of God and the meaning to life in an evolutionary sense. Relationships with Him are expressed in whispered voiceovers and through a long sequence that visualizes the creation of the world.

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GoldenEar Launches Less Expensive Follow-Up to its Flagship Triton Reference

GoldenEar Technology has introduced a slightly scaled-down, less expensive follow-up to its flagship Triton Reference speaker, one of Sound & Vision’s 2017 Top Picks of the Year.

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How Can I Create a Stealth Setup for Playing Discs on 2 Wall-Mounted TVs?

Got a tech question for Sound & Vision? Email us at AskSandV@gmail.com

Q I am planning to buy two TVs, a 65-inch LG OLED and a 49-inch Samsung LCD, both of which will be wall-mounted. I also want the option to play Blu-ray discs and DVDs with both TVs. My initial plan was to buy disc players and hide them behind the wall-mounted sets, but I can’t find a player with a vertical orientation. My goal is to see nothing but the TV on the wall. The one option I’m contemplating at this point is sticking a PlayStation 3 Super Slim game console behind the TV. Do you have any other suggestions? —Steve Knot, via email

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Flashback 1996: U.S. Grants MP3 Patent

Twenty-two years ago this week, few people noticed an event that would forever change the course of distributed music when Germany’s Fraunhofer Institute was awarded a U.S. patent for a ground-breaking “digital encoding process” known as MPEG Audio Layer III, a.k.a. MP3.

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Hands On: Fire TV Cube - If Amazon Echo and Fire TV Had an Offspring

Although the Fire TV Cube was released by Amazon in June, it has not yet received the recognition or hype it deserves. The Cube is a cross between a smart speaker and a Fire TV media player. Like an Amazon Echo speaker, the Cube can hear commands from across the room and has a built-in speaker to play back its reply. Like a Fire TV media player, it streams from all the same apps as other Fire TV models and can play 4K HDR content. 

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Sony VPL-VW295ES 4K Video Projector Review

Performance
Features
Ergonomics
Value

PRICE $5,000

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Excellent resolution
Good HDR brightness
Quiet
Minus
Middling black level
Limited BT.2020 and P3 color coverage
No 10-point white balance adjustment

THE VERDICT
Sony’s VPL-VW295ES isn’t significantly different than last year’s VPL-VW285ES, but it’s still a tempting entry in the limited world of affordable true 4K home projectors.

Until recently, most home 4K projectors used lower-than-4K-resolution imaging chips and employed various types of time-offset pixel shifting to display a 4K image on a screen. Such projectors are affordable and widely available, and they can be remarkably effective. True, full 4K projection, on the other hand, has remained something of a golden goose, priced out of the range of mere mortals.

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Jean-Michel Jarre Dives Deep Into Equinoxe Infinity

We got on the line with electronic music maestro Jean-Michel Jarre to discuss his adventurous new album Equinoxe Infinity, his far-reaching “multi-mono” surround sound goals, how to best harness the way music moves through space, and how he fielded a “spatial” performance suggestion from noted sci-fi author Arthur C. Clarke.

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https://www.soundandvision.com/content/jean-michel-jarre-dives-deep-equinoxe-infinity

Puro Sound’s Latest Kid-Safe Headphones Boast Active Noise Cancellation

Puro Sound Labs, the San Diego-based company “dedicated to fighting the growing epidemic of noise-induced hearing loss,” today expanded its line of volume-limited headphones for kids with a wireless over-ear model featuring active noise cancellation (ANC).

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Klipsch Updates ‘The Three’ Wireless Speaker with Google Assistant

Just in time for the holidays, Klipsch has announced that it is now shipping the next generation of its Top Pick-designated wireless speaker, The Three, which has been updated with Google Assistant voice control.

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Sennheiser HD 569 Headphones Review

Performance
Build Quality
Comfort
Value

PRICE $149

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Lightweight yet rugged design
Smooth overall sound balance
Two-year warranty
Minus
Isolation from external noise could be better

THE VERDICT
Audiophiles on a budget need look no further than Sennheiser’s HD 569 headphones.

My long-running fascination with Sennheiser headphones dates back to the first ones that I bought in 1972: the HD 414 with canary yellow ear pads. I can’t remember how or why they vanished from my collection decades back, so I recently bought an ancient pair of HD 414s on eBay, and the sound was even better than I remembered. I still have the company’s HD 580, which I bought in 1994—another model I keep coming back to. Listening to the company’s relatively new HD 569, I have the feeling they’ll still be cherished by their owners decades from now. They’re that good.

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https://www.soundandvision.com/content/sennheiser-hd-569-headphones-review

Astell&Kern Introduces High-End Headphones, In-Ear Monitors

Hi-res audio specialist Astell&Kern has announced limited-edition headphones developed in partnership with Beyerdynamic and a set of universal-fit in-ear monitors (IEM) designed by IEM pioneer Jerry Harvey.

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I Fought the Mall and the Mall Won

Black Friday has a lot in common with circumcision. In both cases, they generally occur whether you like it or not. And I am not a fan of things in which I have no say-so. Both of them also inflict sensations ranging from mild discomfort to outright pain. Although, women don't seem to mind it as much as men. One key difference between Black Friday and circumcision is that after Black Friday, at least you have a new TV.

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LG’s Unveils $300 Smart Display Speaker

LG has introduced a compact smart display speaker/entertainment hub developed in collaboration with Google and Meridian Audio.

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Don't Rain on My Parade: Thanksgiving Day Parade Fallout

Who doesn’t love waking up on Thanksgiving morning and turning on the Macy’s Day Parade? It’s a tradition in our house, even as adults. The clowns, the floats, the marching bands, the performers, and of course, Santa. What could possibly go wrong with an almost 3-mile long moving performance that goes on live, with most of the nation tuned in to watch? Well, plenty.

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KEF’s LSX Speaker Gets Spotify and Roon Streaming

KEF has announced a V3.0 firmware update for its recently introduced LSX wireless speaker system that adds support for the Spotify music streaming platform and Roon music management system.

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Cyber Monday Deals Are Here

Black Friday has come and gone and early reports indicate it was a record-breaker — not for in-store sales, which were down slightly compared with 2017, but for online purchases. That consumers took to their phones on Black Friday to the tune of $6.2 billion bodes well for today — Cyber Monday. If the pundits at Adobe Analytics are correct, U.S. consumers will buy a record breaking $7.8 billion worth of goods online today. Will you be one of them?

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What Did You Do on Black Friday?

So did you join in on the Black Friday frenzy with the intention of jumpstarting your holiday shopping? Or did you partake in another, more cunning plan? Your fellow readers (and we editors) want to know! Don’t forget to leave a comment if you have a deal-of-the-century story to share.

What Did You Do on Black Friday?

Choices

I wasn’t about to wait until Friday so I skipped the pumpkin pie and hit the stores Thursday evening.

I got up insanely early and made the retail rounds, hit list in hand.

I got up insanely early and made the retail rounds with no particular plan in mind.

I stayed home but searched out the best Black Friday deals online.

I stayed home with the intention of seeking out the best online deals on (Cyber) Monday.

To hell with Black Friday…I stayed home, watched college football, and ate leftovers.

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Hands On with Qobuz Hi-Res Music Streaming

Qobuz makes a play to own the U.S. hi-res music streaming market — but does it have the goods to pull it off?

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Bowers & Wilkins 603 Speaker System Review

603 Speaker System
Performance
Build Quality
Value

ASW610XP Subwoofer
Performance
Features
Build Quality
Value

PRICE $4,399 as reviewed

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Engaging, transparent sound
Powerful, tuneful bass
Clean, contemporary look
Minus
Treble can overwhelm with some music
Center speaker tonal match could be better

THE VERDICT
The latest update to the Bowers & Wilkins 600 Series brings technological improvements trickled down from the company’s 700 and 800 Series speakers. This system delivers engaging, upfront sound and good value.

Maybe it’s because our country is still young, but Americans tend to think of the British as having lots of long-standing traditions. Is that impression still valid? These days, Jaguar Cars is owned by India’s Tata Motors. Mini Cooper, Rolls Royce, and Bentley are owned by German companies. Even Marmite, that most British of toast toppings, is half-owned by the Dutch. Following that trend, it should come as no surprise to learn that a quintessentially British hi-fi company like Bowers & Wilkins is owned by a Silicon Valley, California-based startup called EVA Automation. Engineering and design still takes place at the company’s headquarters in Worthing, England, even if most of the actual production now takes place in Asia.

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More Early Black Friday Deals

The early bird Black Friday specials keep rolling in. Here are the latest deals to hit our inboxes. Happy Thanksgiving and, of course, happy hunting.

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Electronic Music Pioneer Klaus Schulze Emerges Anew With Silhouettes

We check in with Berlin-born electronic-music maestro Klaus Schulze about his excellent new ambient album Silhouettes, his view of surround sound, how the many significant socio-political changes in Germany over the past 60-plus years have affected his creativity, and what future generations might make of his endlessly fascinating “picture music.”

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https://www.soundandvision.com/content/electronic-music-pioneer-klaus-schulze-emerges-anew-silhouettes

2018 Holiday Gift Guide, Part 1

Yes, it’s that time of the year again — time to start putting together a holiday shopping list, not to mention your own personal wish list. Here we present the first installment of our 2018 Holiday Gift Guide series, featuring gear that grabbed our attention for one reason or another. With any luck you’ll be able to kick off the holiday season by crossing one or two names off your list. Unless otherwise noted, we haven’t done any hands-on testing, so be sure to check return policies and, if possible, take items of interest for a spin.

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https://www.soundandvision.com/content/2018-holiday-gift-guide-part-1

Black Friday Cometh

I have little experience with Black Friday mania, having studiously avoided any contact with Best Buy, Costco, Sam’s Club, Walmart, or Targea on that frenzied day. Black Friday doesn’t mean a day of mourning, but is rather named for the day of the year when retailers anticipate their annual sales will finally go positive—out of the red and into the black.

And there’s no denying it to be an important day to people with plastic and a yearning for good stuff at fire-sale prices. For them it’s a Holy Day of Obligation. They line up outside at closing time on Thanksgiving (the day before the main event) to spend a cold night bundled up outside hoping to score that new flat screen TV (though Black Friday Vigil sales late on Turkey Day are now a thing)...

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Helm Audio Launches $350 Planar Headphones in U.S.

Hong Kong-based Helm Audio is making its debut in North America with three products, including “audiophile-grade” over-ear planar-magnetic headphones that sell for $350.

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Black Friday 2018: The Sale Is Already Underway

SVS, Klipsch, LG, and others get the BF party started.

LG got Black Friday sales rolling a week ago when it announced its “Best Prices” of 2018 sale, and momentum continues to build this week as companies decide to get the Black Friday party started now rather than wait until after Thanksgiving.

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LG Unveils its ‘Most Powerful Gaming Display Yet’

LG unveiled its “most powerful gaming display yet” at a competition it co-hosted over the weekend with the popular esports team FaZe Clan at DreamHack Atlanta 2018.

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MQA Adapter Now Available for Essential Smartphone

Palo Alto, CA-based startup Essential Products has announced that the digital-to-analog (DAC)/adapter that enables its Essential Phone to stream Master Quality Authenticated (MQA)-encoded music via Tidal is now available in the U.S. and Canada.

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American Psycho 4K

Picture
Sound
Extras

The controversial 2000 film American Psycho from co-screenwriter/director Mary Harron (Alias Grace) was based on the novel by Bret Easton Ellis. Set in the fast-paced 1980s, it follows the privileged, handsome, and narcissistic Wall Street executive Patrick Bateman (Oscar winner Christian Bale) who is all about greed and self-aggrandizement. By day he builds on the fortune and material things he has already accumulated, but at night the eviler demons inside him slip out to experiment with a dizzying array of sex and violence.

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Let’s Get Physical

Even though streaming long ago supplanted playing discs as my go-to method for listening to music, physical media is still relevant.

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Dolby Targets Binge Watchers with its First Product

You know Dolby Labs as a long-time provider (licensor) of technologies that enhance home audio and home theater experiences, including most recently Dolby Vision high dynamic range (HDR) and Dolby Atmos surround sound. In the ‘60s and ‘70s it was Dolby noise reduction and, of course, Dolby technology extends to movie theaters and pro audio. But did you know Dolby also makes home entertainment products?

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Riva’s Alexa-Enabled Smart Speaker Hits Amazon Today

Riva Audio today announced that its new Alexa voice-enabled Riva Concert Smart Speaker is now available on amazon.com for $199.

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Anthem STR Integrated Amplifier Review

Performance
Features
Ergonomics
Value

PRICE $4,499

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Effective, easily configured room correction
Flexible bass-management
Powerful stereo amplifier
Extensive phono input settings
Minus
No built-in network streaming capability

THE VERDICT
ARC room correction on Anthem’s STR integrated amp makes it a must-audition option for anyone putting together a high-performance stereo system.

Anthem AVM series preamplifier/processors have been part of my home theater toolkit going back as long as I can remember. Though they perform A/V switching, audio processing, and video upscaling as well as anything else on the market, the main feature I’ve come to depend on is the company’s proprietary ARC (Anthem Room Correction), a Windows and iOS/Android app that lets you measure the effect of your listening environment on your speakers using either a calibrated microphone or the one built into your phone or tablet.

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Nakamichi’s 2019 Soundbar Lineup Is Loaded with Tech

Nakamichi has announced plans to add three new Dolby Atmos/DTS:X-enabled soundbar systems to its popular Shockwafe series, which includes the Top Pick-designated Pro 7.1 soundbar system Sound & Vision reviewed in 2017.

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Hands On: Roku Wireless Speakers and TCL Roku TV

In line with Roku’s goal of keeping entertainment simple, the company is turning its sights on adding better quality audio to Roku TVs. This month, Roku is releasing wireless stereo speakers that work in conjunction with any Roku TV.

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McIntosh Unveils Scaled Down Version of its Flagship Speaker

McIntosh today introduced an “equally impressive but more accessibly sized” version of its 7-foot XRT2.1K flagship speaker.

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2018 Blu-Ray Gift Guide: Boxes of Joy

As a year packed with wonderful new high-definition and 4K discs comes to a close, we’ve selected ten standout box sets that are certain to bring a smile to the home theater buff in your life. Each box is special in its own way: some are hefty with gravitas, others have actual heft. All are sure to deliver ample audio/video pleasure plus a bounty of bonus features to enjoy through the new year and beyond.

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New SVS Subwoofers Offer Flagship Tech and App Control at Lower Prices

SVS today introduced a mid-priced line of app-controlled subwoofers that borrows technology from its flagship 16-Ultra series to “set performance benchmarks at their price range and well beyond.”

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LG Preempts Black Friday with ‘Best Prices' of 2018

Black Friday used to be a big deal. Die-hard shoppers waited with great anticipation to see what kind of crazy deals retailers would come up with the day after Thanksgiving. These days you have to wonder about the fate of The Big Sale Day considering how retailers have been invoking Black Friday” in their advertising for months now. Black Friday is certainly not what it used to be.

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A Victrola By Any Other Name

I don't usually shop for pasta bowls, but when I do, I shop at Bed Bath & Beyond. On the other hand, I never, ever shop for audio gear at Bed Bath & Beyond. Thus I was shocked, and almost dropped my damn pasta bowl, when I spotted one of the most venerable names in audio in their check-out area.

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Global Outlook for Advanced TV Tech Is Strong

New data from IHS Markit, the London-based information services company, shows the global TV market moving rapidly toward larger screen sizes, which will help boost adoption of 4K and 8K TVs.

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Naim Adds AirPlay 2 and Siri to its Music Systems

Naim Audio has announced a software update that adds Apple AirPlay 2 multiroom streaming and Siri voice control to its award-winning Mu-so and Uniti wireless music systems.

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CTA Announces CES 2019 Innovation Awards

The Consumer Technology Association (CTA) has announced the winners of the annual CES 2019 Innovation Awards program that celebrates outstanding design and engineering in 28 wide-ranging consumer electronics categories.

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Amazon Echo Plus: The Second Generation

After checking out the Amazon Echo Sub recently, I thought the sound and features of the new Amazon Echo Plus (2nd generation) deserved a review of its own. It certainly performed admirably when paired with a second Plus and the Echo Sub, but how does it sound as a stand-alone player?

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Norway’s Hegel Unveils Monoblock ‘Flame-Throwers’

Hegel Music Systems of Norway has unveiled a series of high-performance modular amplifiers based on 150-watt high-current Class AB monoblock modules.

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Ant-Man and The Wasp

Picture
Sound
Extras

The most fun thread in the Earth-bound tapestry of the Marvel Cinematic Universe owes much to the presence of star/co-writer Paul Rudd, whose comedic charms and dramatic sensibilities embiggen an otherwise diminutive hero. Two years after the fallout from Captain America: Civil War, when ex-con Scott Lang (Rudd) illegally fought as Ant-Man, he’s nearing the completion of his house arrest and ready to get his life back on track.

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HDMI 2.1 Features Start Trickling into AV Gear

Enhanced audio return channel (eARC), a key HDMI 2.1 feature that supports high-bandwidth audio formats, has begun rolling out in select 4K TVs, AV receivers, and soundbars as a firmware update, but the HDMI 2.1 feature supporting high-bandwidth video formats such as native 8K won’t appear in TVs and audio products until late 2019 or 2020, says the organization that licenses HDMI technology.

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