Amazon’s Share of Smart Speakers Projected to Drop in 2019

The popularity of voice-assisted smart speakers will continue in 2019 but the balance of power will begin to shift as Amazon’s leading two-thirds (66.6%) market share declines to just over 63%, while Google’s inches up from 29.5% to 31%, according to the latest forecast from the market research firm eMarketer.

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What Was the Best AV Gift You Received?

As the holiday season draws to a close and we look ahead to 2019, we’re wondering if any of the AV-related gifts on your wish ended up under your tree? Or maybe you treated yourself to some audio/video goodness. Either way, we (and your fellow readers) want to know if Santa was good to you this holiday season and, more to the point, what was the best AV gift you received (or treated yourself to)? Be sure to leave a comment and tell more about your special gift. Happy New Year!

What Was the Best AV Gift You Received?

Choices

AV Receiver

Separates (preamp or power amplifier)

Speakers (home theater or a stereo pair)

Subwoofer

Soundbar

Multiroom-capable wireless speaker system

Portable wireless speaker

Smart speaker with built-in voice assistant (Amazon Echo, Google Home, etc.)

Amp/DAC (digital-to-analog converter)

Portable hi-res audio player

Blu-ray player

Turntable

Headphones (full-size or earbuds)

Something else entirely (check out my comments!)

Leave this field blank

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65 Years Ago Today: The First Color TVs Arrive

The RCA CT-100 and Admiral C1617A were the first color TVs offer for sale on December 30, 1953. Both had a 15-inch screen.

Even though 4K TVs have been on the market for less than five years, numerous companies will announce they’ll start selling 8K TVs at CES next week. This despite the fact that less than half of U.S. homes own a 4K TV, and there’s no 4K programming available yet on U.S. broadcast TV networ

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2001: A Space Odyssey

Picture
Sound
Extras

Director Stanley Kubrick's seminal sci-fi epic, co-written with author Arthur C. Clarke, takes the whole of human history as its subject—from the initial flicker of intelligent thought in hominids, to the present day where humans live with the assistance of computer-generated artificial intelligence. The film literally works as a space opera: long stretches pass dialogue-free with just classical music serving to enhance the hyper-realistic images of ships and passengers aloft in the cosmos. (2001: A Space Odyssey won an Oscar for best visual effects, the only one it managed to take home from the 1969 ceremony.)

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Mastercard: Holiday Sales Were the Strongest in Years

For those who worry about the demise of local retail stores and malls turning into ghost towns, here’s a bit of good news: U.S. retail sales grew 5.1 percent to more than $8.5 billion during the 2018 holiday season, according to Mastercard SpendingPulse, which tracks in-store and online spending.

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Elite Unveils ‘2-in-1’ Portable Projection Screen

Elite Screens has introduced a versatile “two-in-one” portable projection screen that can be hung on a wall or set up anywhere with a lightweight tripod stand.

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Crack The Sky Move Forward by Living in Reverse

Crack The Sky guitarist/producer Rick Witkowski and vocalist/songwriter John Palumbo got on the line with us to discuss the collaborative symbiosis of their in-tandem sonic Crack attack on two concurrent new releases, Living in Reverse and Crackology,, how important The Beatles remain in their respective creative DNA, and how embracing the past sets them up for a bright future.

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2018 Streaming Media Player and Content Roundup: It’s All About Convenience

If there is one word that describes the streaming innovations of 2018, it’s “convenience.” This year, more media players have added voice control through Google Assistant and Amazon Echo smart speakers, or voice remotes with built-in microphones. As live and recorded TV apps are being added to media players, users can now access all the content they want to watch without switching from one device to another.

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Google Assistant Wins Smart-Speaker IQ Test

Source: Loop Ventures

Google Assistant answered the most questions correctly in a smart-speaker IQ test conducted by Minneapolis-based venture capital firm Loop Ventures just before Christmas.

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Beyerdynamic to Unveil Ergonomic Earphones at CES

Headphone specialist beyerdynamic has announced plans to introduce new ergonomically shaped earphones at CES 2019, which opens January 8 in Las Vegas.

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LG to Preview 2nd-Gen UST Laser Projector at CES

LG has announced plans to unveil a followup to the $3,000 CineBeam HU80KA portable 4K laser projector it shipped last summer at CES 2019, which opens January 8 in Las Vegas.

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Martinlogan Dynamo 1100X Subwoofer Review

Performance
Features
Ergonomics
Value

PRICE $1,099.95

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Versatile configuration options
Excellent iOS/Android control app
Music and movie optimization modes
Minus
Wireless module costs extra
Only available in black finish

THE VERDICT
The Dynamo 1100X subwoofer's impressive performance is enhanced by room correction, flexible setup options, and an excellent control app.

When I was a kid, the closest thing my family had to a remote control was me. As the youngest child, it was my job to get up off my butt and turn the knob if someone wanted to watch a different TV channel. Today, it seems that just about any device that plugs in can be remotely operated with a clicker from the comfort of your chair, but a subwoofer? Isn't that the kind of set-and-forget product that completely takes care of itself? As it turns out, remote control adjustment, a key feature of MartinLogan's revamped Dynamo line, can be a really handy feature in a subwoofer, but we'll talk more on that in a bit.

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How 1950s Tech Is Making Amazon, Google, and Apple Play Nice Together

Voice technology is pervading our daily lives in a big way. According to insights from a Nielsen Research survey, at the end of June 2018 24% of U.S. homes owned a smart speaker. If my shoddy math is correct, that’s about 31.5 million smart devices (25% of 126 million homes).

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Incredibles 2

Picture
Sound
Extras

When we last left our intrepid superheroes (in 2004's The Incredibles) they had defeated the nasty villain Syndrome. The new film opens with the Incredibles battling the Underminer, the same villain they had encountered at the end of the previous film. They win the day with the help of their superhero buddy Frozone, but the resulting chaos puts the Incredibles back in the doghouse with the law and the public.

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https://www.soundandvision.com/content/incredibles-2

Richard Lloyd: The Countdown Will Be Televised

We got on the line with iconoclast guitarist Richard Lloyd to discuss the vinyl-intended sonic template of his new laser-sharp solo album The Countdown, why Television’s seminal 1977 debut album Marquee Moon remains perpetually influential, and his take on creating sound in outer space.

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Emotiva Unveils Affordably Priced Mini Tower Speaker

Emotiva Audio today introduced a compact two-way tower speaker to round out its Airmotiv speaker series.

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Parasound Adds Preamp/DAC to NewClassic Line

Parasound has expanded its NewClassic series of two-channel power amplifiers with an analog preamplifier/DAC (digital to analog converter) that embodies a “new generation of affordable high-performance products.”

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Can I Connect My A/V Receiver to a Soundbar?

Q I own a Denon AVR-S920W A/V receiver and am wondering if it’s possible to hook it up to my Samsung HW-MS650 sound bar to use in place of regular speakers. The sources I plan to connect to the receiver include a CD player, Blu-Ray player, TV (via HDMI ARC) and the analog output of turntable with a built-in phono preamp. Is there a way to do this, or do I need to use separate speakers with the receiver? —Deborah Marlowe

A Given the wide range of analog and digital sources you plan to use in your system, I’d definitely recommend buying a separate multichannel speaker system or a passive soundbar with surround speakers and powered subwoofer to connect to the Denon receiver.

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GoldenEar Technology Triton One.R Loudspeaker Review

Performance
Build Quality
Value

PRICE $5,998/pair

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Powerful, full-range sound
Reasonably compact form factor
Excellent value 
Minus
Nothing major

THE VERDICT
GoldenEar Technology’s scaled-down version of its Triton Reference delivers similar full-range performance as the company’s flagship speaker but does so at an even more reasonable price.

GoldenEar Technology’s Triton Reference, a model that I reviewed in the June 2017 issue of Sound & Vision, was the result of a value-oriented audio brand throwing caution to the wind to produce a cost-no-object loudspeaker. Even so, since we’re dealing with GoldenEar Tech here, the Triton Reference ended up priced at $8,498/pair—not exactly cheap, but well below what you’d pay for the flagship efforts of other speaker brands.

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Crazy Last-Minute Deals on Polk Speakers For Sound&Vision.com Readers

New York-based retailer Adorama is offering some crazy deals exclusively to Sound&Vision.com readers on a half-dozen speakers from Polk Audio as we enter into the home stretch of holiday shopping. Discounts range from 58% to a whopping 67% off and include free shipping. Here’s a rundown on the deals . . .

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Fox Celebrates ‘Die-Hard’ 30th Anniversary with Christmas-Themed Trailer

In case you forgot about one of the most charming — okay, crazy action-packed Christmas tales ever, the original Die Hard starring Bruce Willis— 20th Century Fox just released a “festive” Christmas-themed trailer for the 1988 movie.

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The Supreme Court Wonders, Is Apple Ripping You Off?

I've spent the better part of an hour trying to find a witty way to address this topic, but I can't. So, let's just discuss this head-on. I apologize in advance for my pedantic tone.

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Atlantic Technology Ships its Best-Ever Tower Speaker

Atlantic Technology today announced that it is now shipping the “highest caliber” tower speaker the company has ever built.

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Double Feature: The Lion King (1994) and Prometheus (2012)

I’ve long been intrigued by the concept of the double feature. Common in movie theaters until television captured the eyeballs of the public the early 1950s (and nearly destroyed the film industry in the process), it essentially offered the public a chance to see two films for the price of one. But little thought actually went into the pairings, since the distribution mechanism of that period meant that the theater managers had to show whatever was available, generally an A-title and a B-title, the latter often a sweeping epic starring Francis the Talking Mule or Ma and Pa Kettle.

Today’s home theater fans can link any pair of movies together for a movie night, ranging from those with common themes (Das Boot and Crimson Tide, or perhaps Shakespeare in Love and Anonymous) to the bizarre (Jurassic Park and Gosford Park).

The pairing under review here has nothing in common aside from the fact that I bought both of them last week on 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray at Best Buy. I already owned the standard Blu-ray version of both. Yes, the studios have enticed me yet again into buying my movies for the second time or, in the case of The Lion King, for the fourth time...

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BOSEbuild Headphones and Speakers: What Your Kids Need for Christmas

Have you ever wondered how you could get your son or daughter more involved in your love of audio equipment, music, or engineering in general? STEM is an important agenda item, but what can you do, right here, right now to spark an interest in your children? Bose has the answer. Instead of buying your children a pair of headphones or a speaker they’ll open and use, how about you all work together to build them up from a complete kit?

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Dirac to Debut Multi-Sub Bass Management at CES

Dirac Research, the Swedish company specializing in sound optimization software, today announced that it will unveil a new module for its Dirac Live speaker setup/room-correction system designed to significantly improve bass performance.

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Fluance Unveils 4 Reference Series Turntables

The internet-based Canadian home audio company Fluance today expanded its turntable offerings with the new Reference Series line, comprising four servo-controlled belt-driven models ranging in price from $299 to $499.

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Integra Adds MQA Decoding to Stereo Receivers

Integra is the latest home audio company to embrace MQA technology.

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Last-Minute Holiday Offers & Deals

A few last-minute holiday offers have been brought to our attention as Christmas Day draws near.

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2018 Holiday Gift Guide, Part 3

We combed through our recent Top Picks as we head into the final stretch of the 2018 holiday shopping season and came up with a list of 11 potential gifts — to give or get.

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Andrei Rublev

Picture
Sound

Set in the early 1400s, Russian writer-director Andrei Tarkovsky’s greatest masterpiece depicts the life of the famous icon painter, Andrei Rublev. But it also keeps everyday village existence, extraordinary events, and medieval Russian history moving from background to foreground in an episodic narrative tapestry. Princes and religion rule every aspect of Russian life, with motivation for actions stemming from belief in God (or the retribution of the church), subservience, and fear of the merciless Tartar invaders. Faith and art are put to the test in this overflowing epic as the painter travels through the decades of his time.

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11 DTS Play-Fi Products Get Alexa Voice Control

DTS has announced that 11 more DTS Play-Fi-enabled products from three top audio brands are now compatible with Alexa voice control.

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Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Announces 2019 Inductees

The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame today announced its Class of 2019 inductees, comprising seven acts that launched influential music careers in the ’60s, ’70s, and ’80s.

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Hands On: Fire TV Recast DVR Brings Live TV and Recording to Amazon’s Ecosystem

The release of the Fire TV Recast DVR highlights Amazon’s effort to offer a complete streaming solution. The Recast is a network connected tuner and DVR that adds live TV and recording to Fire TV’s current offering of streaming apps and Amazon Prime premium channels like STARZ, HBO, Showtime, and more. It’s everything a cord-cutter could want.

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Astell&Kern Adds MQA Support to 3 Music Players

Astell&Kern has announced a firmware update that adds MQA support to three of its portable hi-res music players.

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Astell&Kern Adds MQA Support to 3 Music Players

Astell&Kern has announced a firmware update that adds MQA support to three of its portable hi-res music players.

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https://www.soundandvision.com/content/astellkern-adds-mqa-support-3-music-players-0

Epson Home Cinema 4010 4K PRO-UHD LCD Projector Review

Performance
Features
Ergonomics
Value

PRICE $1,999

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Extended color
Good brightness and contrast
Great value
Minus
Blacks could be better
High fan noise with picture optimized for HDR

THE VERDICT
he Epson 4010’s near-perfect color, good contrast, and wide array of setup features make it a strong under-$2,000 projector option.

Affordable, 4K-capable projectors are very much a reality — Sound & Vision has reviewed several such models plucked from the DLP, LCD, and LCOS camps. And in some cases, “affordable” can equate to $2,000 or less. One drawback you have to contend with when considering such projectors is their dependence on pixel-shifting technology to display a full Ultra HD image onscreen. But given the crisp pictures we’ve seen when viewing with pixel-shifting models from JVC, Optoma, Epson, and others, the lack of true 4K-resolution imaging chips ultimately isn’t much of a drawback at all.

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https://www.soundandvision.com/content/epson-home-cinema-4010-4k-pro-uhd-lcd-projector-review

JL Audio Expands Fathom Line of In-Wall/Ceiling Subwoofers

The subwoofer gurus at JL Audio announced that they have begun shipping an 8-inch version of their high-performance Fathom in-wall subwoofer system featuring an enclosure option for in-ceiling applications.

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Vizio Announces Last-Minute Deals on TVs, Soundbars

Vizio today announced several “last minute holiday bargains” on 4K TVs and soundbars, including one that supports Dolby Atmos.

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Scott Kirkland Reboots The Crystal Method

Scott Kirkland of The Crystal Method got on the line with us to discuss getting back to his core electronic music values on The Trip Home after parting ways with his longtime collaborative partner Ken Jordan, his thoughts about remixing new and catalog material in Dolby Atmos, and refocusing his goals following brain surgery.

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First ‘IMAX Enhanced’ Discs Arrive on 4K Blu-ray

DTS today announced the release of the first two IMAX Enhanced 4K/Ultra HD Blu-ray Discs.

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How I Kept 60 Minutes Honest and Killed My Shot at TV Stardom

It had been a rough 24-hours for Steve Kroft, the 60 Minutes correspondent. His boss had just been fired for sending an eye-popping text to a female reporter at CBS News investigating sexual harassment at the company. In the New York Times the next day, Kroft called the text "threatening and inappropriate. It’s unfortunate, and everything about this situation saddens me.”

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Bass Cows from Hell!

Well, actually, that title should be Bass Cows from Mars! But in any case, in the long tradition of weird ways to show off your system's bass response, NASA has kindly obliged us with an especially weird way.

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Nielsen Tallies Americans Love Affair with Streaming

Take a moment to tally up how much time you spend watching TV every day/week/month. A lot, right? Now consider much of that time is spent watching movies and TV shows on Netflix, Amazon, and other streaming services.

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An Environmentally Friendly Speaker You Can’t Buy

Stockholm-based Teenage Engineering has teamed up with RISE Research Institutes of Sweden to create an environment-friendly cabinet for its OD-11 wireless speaker, itself a modern update of the innovative “Carlsson Cube” introduced by Swedish speaker designer Stig Carlsson in 1974.

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Netflix Previews ‘Stranger Things’ Season 3 (Sort of)

In case you missed it, Netflix gave fans of the binge-worthy TV sensation Stranger Things a little something to chew on while they wait for Season 3 to be released next summer.

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Jaybird Tarah Pro: Athlete-inspired Bluetooth Headphones Designed for the Long Haul

Go big or stay home is my version of that common saying. If you’re going to go for a hike, make it epic. If it’s a run, make it a marathon. Bike ride? Better be a century. Ultra is in and you need gear that’s up for the challenge. If your legs can take a 14-hour run, why can’t your headphones?

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