Best Gear of September 2019

Summer is gone so it’s time to take stock and make sure you have the AV essentials you’re going to need to get through the fall and winter months. Sound & Vision’s September list of Top Picks is the perfect place to start with a top-line 4K Blu-ray player that will delight enthusiasts, an all-in-one wireless music system that sounds so good you won’t believe your ears, and active noise-canceling headphones to fit almost any budget.

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https://www.soundandvision.com/content/best-gear-september-2019

Glory

Picture
Sound
Extras

Glory is the 1989 Oscar-winning film (Best Supporting Actor, Denzel Washington) from director Edward Zwick that follows the true story of the 54th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment—the Union Army's second African-American regiment in the American Civil War—led by white Union Colonel Robert Gould Shaw (Matthew Broderick).

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https://www.soundandvision.com/content/glory

‘NEXTGEN TV’ Logo Will Differentiate New ATSC 3.0 TVs

The Consumer Technology Association (CTA) has unveiled the name and logo that will be used to differentiate next-generation TVs that support the fledgling ATSC 3.0 standard for over-the-air 4K broadcasting set to begin in 2020.

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https://www.soundandvision.com/content/nextgen-tv-logo-will-differentiate-new-atsc-30-tvs

Amazon Music HD & New Echo Studio Smart Speaker to Support Dolby Atmos-Encoded Music

Dolby has announced that Dolby Atmos-encoded music is now supported on the Amazon Music HD subscription streaming tier announced last week and the $200 Echo Studio smart speaker Amazon plans to ship later this year.

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https://www.soundandvision.com/content/amazon-music-hd-new-echo-studio-smart-speaker-support-dolby-atmos-encoded-music

Marantz Previews Integrated Amp with Wireless Streaming

Marantz today announced plans to introduce a high-performance integrated amplifier with onboard wireless streaming in mid-November.

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https://www.soundandvision.com/content/marantz-previews-integrated-amp-wireless-streaming

Dirac Teams with RHA to Advance Headphone Listening

Dirac Research, the Swedish technology company best known among S&ampV readers for its Dirac Live speaker setup/room-correction system, today announced a collaboration with U.K.-based earphone specialist RHA to explore the integration of Dirac algorithms into RHA headphones.

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https://www.soundandvision.com/content/dirac-teams-rha-advance-headphone-listening

Kanto TUK Powered Bookshelf Speakers

Performance
Features
Ergonomics
Value

PRICE $799/pair

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Remarkable bass extension and output
All-in-one solution including phono input
Noteworthy treble clarity and definition
Minus
Soundstage depth less dramatic than some designs
Tiny input labeling

THE VERDICT
With analog, digital, wireless Bluetooth, turntable, and USB computer connections, Kanto's great-sounding TUK powered bookshelf speaker is ready to rock right out of the box.

Kanto is a Canadian firm barely a decade old that specializes in powered loudspeakers. The company has established substantial cred for its active desktop and bookshelf speaker lines, both of which deliver high value and widely noted performance. Now, with a new model called TUK, the company is moving up-range in market-segment, size, and price. Also, utility: TUK is an all-in-one powered-speaker solution, with a phono-preamp, an asynchronous USB DAC, a headphone amp, preamp controls, a subwoofer crossover, and amplification all built right in.

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https://www.soundandvision.com/content/kanto-tuk-powered-bookshelf-speakers

McIntosh Bows 7 x 200-Watt Home Theater Amp

McIntosh today pulled the wraps off a power amplifier designed to light up a home theater system with 1,400 watts of power.

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https://www.soundandvision.com/content/mcintosh-bows-7-x-200-watt-home-theater-amp

Apple Music & Siri-Enabled Devices Get TuneIn Radio

TuneIn, the global internet-radio platform with more than 75 million users, today announced that owners of Siri-enabled Apple devices and users of the Apple Music streaming service will soon have access to a diverse lineup of more than 100,000 radio stations from around the world.

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https://www.soundandvision.com/content/apple-music-siri-enabled-devices-get-tunein-radio

Best Soundbars of 2019 (So Far)

Soundbars can be a godsend for home theater enthusiasts who crave a lively surround-sound experience but have limited space — or funds. Or for folks who want a less complicated audio setup — one that doesn’t involve hooking up six or more individual speakers and dealing with an overly complicated control interface. Whatever the reason, a good soundbar can bring a satisfying experience — for movies, TV, and music — to your main TV or the TV in your guest room. Simplicity is key. Here are a handful of soundbars we’ve reviewed in recent months — all worth a listen if you fit this profile.

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https://www.soundandvision.com/content/best-soundbars-2019-so-far

Mixcder’s New Flagship Wireless Headphones Boast Noise-Canceling for $90

Mixcder, the California-based maker of the $80 Top Pick-designated E9 wireless noise canceling headphones, today introduced a new flagship model featuring improved active noise cancellation (ANC), fast-charge capability, and aptX-enabled Bluetooth 5.0.

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https://www.soundandvision.com/content/mixcder-s-new-flagship-wireless-headphones-boast-noise-canceling-90

CEDIA 2019: Demos to Die For

Following an overriding trend that started many years back, the annual Custom Electronics Design & Installation Association (CEDIA) expo, held this year at the Denver Convention Center, showcased an abundance of home automation technologies — everything from networked, voice-controlled window shades and lighting to home security systems. The show even had “wellness rooms” that seek to bring the outdoor experience indoors via circadian lighting, purified air, and ambient nature sounds.

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https://www.soundandvision.com/content/cedia-2019-demos-die

Mixcder E9: Wireless Noise Canceling Headphones that Won’t Break the Bank

Performance
Build Quality
Comfort
Value

PRICE $80 ($70 on amazon.com)

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Satisfying sound
Effective noise canceling
Light weight and not overly bulky
Minus
Sound could be fuller
Some discomfort after an hour or so of listening

THE VERDICT
If you’re looking for wireless, noise-canceling headphones that won’t break the bank, the E9s provide satisfying sound with effective active noise canceling for 80 bucks (or less).

If you’ve never heard of Mixcder, you’re not alone. The company with the awkwardly spelled name — pronounced “mix-see-der” — has only been around for a few years. It’s based in California and specializes in super low-priced headphones sourced in China with a current lineup comprising 10 models, all wireless and ranging in price from $19 to $90 for a set of full-size wireless headphones with active noise canceling (ANC).

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https://www.soundandvision.com/content/mixcder-e9-wireless-noise-canceling-headphones-won-t-break-bank

KLH Goes Concentric with New Monitor

The latest addition to the revived KLH lineup is a compact two-way monitor featuring a wide-dispersion concentric design where the tweeter is mounted in the throat of the woofer — a first for KLH.

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https://www.soundandvision.com/content/klhs-goes-concentric-new-monitor

Are Phones Finally Faltering?

I don't particularly like phones. I do not camp out in front of Apple stores. I use my phone as infrequently as possible, which isn't very often. I leave home without it. I am not a phone guy. Mainly, I disapprove of phones because they are anathema to high-quality audio and video playback.

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https://www.soundandvision.com/content/are-phones-finally-faltering

Do The Right Thing

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Sound
Extras

Tensions, rivalries, banter, squabbling, self-aggrandizement, and, above all, putdowns add to the hot air on this day in the life of Bedford–Stuyvesant, Brooklyn as the 98 percent Black (down to 70 percent in the last census) community and small mix of Hispanics, Whites, and Asians try to get along during a sweltering summer.

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https://www.soundandvision.com/content/do-right-thing-0

Ausounds Debuts with $150 Wireless Earphones

The latest brand to enter the crowded headphone space is Ausounds, a Wheat Ridge, Colorado-based startup led by CEO Michael Chen that has set out to “design accessible headphones and audio products for music creators and music lovers alike.”

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https://www.soundandvision.com/content/ausounds-debuts-150-wireless-earphones

BluOS Is One of First to Integrate Amazon Music HD

NAD/PSB parent company Lenbrook International has announced that its BluOS wireless multiroom platform is one of the first to support the new Amazon Music HD streaming service.

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https://www.soundandvision.com/content/bluos-one-first-integrate-amazon-music-hd

Rare B&W Speakers Anchor Skyfi’s System of the Week

The super-rare Nautilus Signature 800 Edition of B&W’s iconic 800 Series speaker is the star of the show in a “System of the Week” recently featured by New Jersey-based vintage audio specialist Skyfi Audio.

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https://www.soundandvision.com/content/rare-bw-speakers-anchor-skyfi-s-system-week

Goo Goo Dolls Prescribe an Aural Miracle Pill

Goo Goo Dolls guitarist/vocalist John Rzeznik and bassist/vocalist Robby Takac got on the line with us to discuss the finely prescribed music on their new album Miracle Pill, plus the best way to find analog sounds in a digital world, how to make albums that are immersive experiences, and what the secret to their longevity is.

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https://www.soundandvision.com/content/goo-goo-dolls-prescribe-aural-miracle-pill

Roku Releases New Streaming Players and Roku OS Update

The leader in simple streaming players, Roku is releasing two new models and an upgrade to its operating system that makes it easier to find something to watch. New models of the Roku Express and Roku Ultra with improved performance and new features are available for pre-order starting today. Also coming this fall is the Roku OS 9.2 operating system upgrade that includes new voice search commands and browsable results.

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https://www.soundandvision.com/content/roku-releases-new-streaming-players-and-roku-os-update

Naim Audio Mu-so 2 Wireless Music System Review

Performance
Features
Build Quality
Ergonomics
Value

PRICE $1,599

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Stupendous build quality
Dead-waking dynamics from a single box
Balanced, audiophile-quality sound
Minus
Limited bass extension
Narrow soundstage
Pricey

THE VERDICT
Though it doesn’t come cheap, Naim’s newly revised Mu-so brings true audiophile sensibilities and surprising wallop to a well thought-out and full-featured wireless speaker.

The original Mu-so wireless music system released in 2014 was a first in the emerging "lifestyle audio" category—a truly high-end, wireless, multiroom speaker from one of the most respected brands on the planet. I auditioned the Mu-so back then, and what I remember most from the unboxing was its nearly 30-pound heft, and the manly, finned heatsink that ran the width of the back panel and threatened to cut any flesh that wandered too carelessly in its direction.

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https://www.soundandvision.com/content/naim-audio-mu-so-2-wireless-music-system-review

Atlantic Tech Unveils Wireless Bookshelf Speaker

To celebrate its 30-year anniversary, Atlantic Technology announced more than 30 new products at the recent CEDIA Expo 2019.

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https://www.soundandvision.com/content/atlantic-tech-unveils-wireless-bookshelf-speaker

Acer Ships $700 Wireless DLP Projector

Acer America has announced that its new $700 wireless DLP projector is now shipping.

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https://www.soundandvision.com/content/acer-ships-700-wireless-dlp-projector

CEDIA Picks Best New Products of 2019

CEDIA has announced the winners of its 2019 Best New Product Awards and the latest inductees to its Product Hall of Fame. The awards recognize technical excellence, innovation, and the value the product provides to integrators and consumers.

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https://www.soundandvision.com/content/cedia-picks-best-new-products-2019

Finis: CEDIA EXPO 2019

The old Blue Bear kept trying to break in but was forever doomed to be on the outside looking in. But the rest of us were more successful, and for three days last week the Denver Convention Center was full of all sorts of goodies needed by custom installers.

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https://www.soundandvision.com/content/finis-cedia-expo-2019

Amazon Ups Audio Quality with Amazon Music HD

Amazon Music today launched a new streaming tier called Amazon Music HD dedicated to delivering a higher quality streaming experience.

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https://www.soundandvision.com/content/amazon-ups-audio-quality-amazon-music-hd

Alexa Voice Search Added to Vizio SmartCast TVs

Vizio today announced expanded Alexa voice control capabilities for SmartCast TVs dating back to the 2016 model year.

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https://www.soundandvision.com/content/alexa-voice-search-added-vizio-smartcast-tvs

Elac Debuts Debut Reference Speakers

The debut of Elac's new Debut Reference actually happened at the Rocky Mountain Audio Fest a week prior to CEDIA, but the new speakers nonetheless occupied a prominent place at the center of the brand's CEDIA booth.

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https://www.soundandvision.com/content/elac-debuts-debut-reference-speakers

RBH Unveils its First Powered Studio Monitor at CEDIA

RBH Sound, the Utah-based speaker specialist, made a splash at CEDIA Expo 2019 with the introduction of its first powered studio monitor — a super high-end model that will sell for the “introductory suggested retail price” of $1,950 (each) when it ships in October.

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https://www.soundandvision.com/content/rbh-unveils-its-first-powered-studio-monitor-cedia

SIM2 Returns

We've missed seeing Italy's SIM2 projector manufacturer at recent CEDIA EXPOs, as they've always showed something interesting. This year its new Nero 4 Duo was more than just interesting.

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https://www.soundandvision.com/content/sim2-returns

LG 8K NanoCell LCD

In addition to its new 4K CineBeam short throw projection system and the launch of its superb but pricey ($30,000), 88-inch 8K OLED described earlier, LG also featured another new 8K set.

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https://www.soundandvision.com/content/lg-8k-nanocell-lcd

More from GoldenEar

On my first visit to the GoldenEar sound room I heard their new bookshelf speaker, the company's featured attraction this year as described in an earlier blog. But they also had an in-wall / in-ceiling / subwoofer surround system setup for those who asked to hear it.

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https://www.soundandvision.com/content/more-goldenear

Wolf at the Show

To supplement an impressive full sound system courtesy of Audio Excellence, and a 160-inch wide, 2.2:1 Enlightor Neo acoustically transparent screen from Seymour-Screen Excellence, Wolf Cinema added one of the best projected images at the show.

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https://www.soundandvision.com/content/wolf-show

Starke Sound

Starke Sound demonstrated its relatively small, floor-standing IC-H2 Elite loudspeakers ($4398/pair) together with the new IC-H2C Elite center ($2199 each) and a pair of the company's Sub35 woofers ($1880/each).

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https://www.soundandvision.com/content/starke-sound

Atlantic Gets Tall

Atlantic Technology showed (on static display) its new 8600eLR, a tall, 3-way design featuring four 8-inch fiberglass-coned woofers.

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https://www.soundandvision.com/content/atlantic-gets-tall

OSD Black Brings the Power to CEDIA

Among the many architectural audio products lining the Optimal Speaker Design booth at CEDIA was the company’s TheatroX11 amplifier, an oversize 11-channel model with a form factor not unlike a cooler you’d hoist along to a tailgate party. The amp even has carrying handles—a good thing, too, since it weighs 234 pounds.

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https://www.soundandvision.com/content/osd-black-brings-power-cedia

Legacy Audio Unveils “Ultimate” Home Theater Amplifier

Borrowing bling factor from high-end amps like those designed by former Krell chief Dan D’Agostino, the new i ·V 7 from Legacy Audio aims to appeal to both the ears and the eyes. You can easily get a sense of its visual allure from the photo above. On the audio front, the i ·V 7 uses iCEedge technology to deliver a specified 600-plus watts into 8 ohms with all channels driven, and up to 1kW into 4 ohms with less than 0.005% distortion.

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https://www.soundandvision.com/content/legacy-audio-unveils-ultimate-home-theater-amplifier

KEF Displays New Flagship KF92 Subwoofer

While a CEDIA focus for KEF was various new in-wall and on-wall speaker models, the company was also showing off the new KF92 subwoofer in a corner of its translucent booth.

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https://www.soundandvision.com/content/kef-displays-new-flagship-kf92-subwoofer

Stewart Filmscreen Shows its Edge

Stewart Filmscreen’s CEDIA 2019 booth served as a showcase for two products: the Luxus below-ceiling screen system, and the all-new Balón Edge fixed-frame screen.

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https://www.soundandvision.com/content/stewart-filmscreen-shows-its-edge

Powershades Simplifies Shade Wiring and Retrofit

For years, I’ve been telling Sound and Vision readers in my Connected Life column that they should be pulling extra wiring throughout their home whenever possible; that this is wiring they might not use today, but would be thankful for tomorrow. And now, PowerShades is totally validating my suggestion with its new line of PoE (Power over Ethernet) shades unveiled at CEDIA that can be fully powered and controlled by a single Category rated (Cat5/6) cable!

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https://www.soundandvision.com/content/powershades-simplifies-shade-wiring-and-retrofit

New Legend Series Revives Polk Legacy

Founded in 1972, Polk Audio is a legend in this industry, and the company’s new Legend Series is looking to capitalize on everything the company has learned over the years and push the performance boundaries in its newest series of flagship loudspeakers.

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https://www.soundandvision.com/content/new-legend-series-revives-polk-legacy

Alexa, Klipsch Can Make You Sound Better

Tons of people use Amazon Alexa Echo smart speakers around their homes as an inexpensive way of utilizing voice control for a variety of tasks, and while the Echo is great in this role, it kinda sucks as an audio speaker. Klipsch wants to do something about that with its new KVA-40 and KVA-110 Echo Input Amplifiers that keep everything that’s good about the Echo while kicking the audio performance up several notches.

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https://www.soundandvision.com/content/alexa-klipsch-can-make-you-sound-better

IMAX Enhanced Expands Program and Content

Launched a year ago at last year’s CEDIA, IMAX Enhanced has been busy signing new device partners such as Anthem and Strom Audio, bringing their current number of certified television and A/V receiver partners to 14. However, there has been precious little in the way of Enhanced content available to watch save for a handful of IMAX documentaries. The company was at CEDIA to announce it has signed new streaming partners to deliver content as well as studios delivering titles on physical 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray disc.

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https://www.soundandvision.com/content/imax-enhanced-expands-program-and-content

Klipsch Launches Behind the Screen Pro Cinema Home

You can usually tell how popular – or good – a demo is at CEDIA by how steady and long the line is, and on the last day of the show, when many integrators had already left Denver to return home, one of the booth’s that was still drawing a steady crowd for its surround demonstration was Klipsch's sound room where the company debuted its new Pro Cinema Home surround system. And the experience was definitely worth the wait!

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https://www.soundandvision.com/content/klipsch-launches-behind-screen-pro-cinema-home

Integra Launches Three Reference Grade Surround Offerings

Integra used CEDIA to do a refresh at the top of its cinema surround line-up, displaying two new reference grade receivers in its “Dot 3” series along with a new flagship pre-amp processor and matching 11-channel amplifier. All of the new products are fully featured, supporting Dolby Atmos and DTS:X formats in up to 7.2.4 channels with THX Ultra certification and IMAX Enhanced support along with a host of other top-shelf performance features.

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https://www.soundandvision.com/content/integra-launches-three-reference-grade-surround-offerings

You Call that a Sub?! THIS is a Sub!

In a classic game of total one-upmanship, Ascendo Immersive Audio brought its SMSG 32 Subwoofer to CEDIA, with a immense 32-inch driver that basically called out all the other “large” subs at the show and told them to make it a sandwich. And the crazy thing? This is only the third biggest sub the company manufacturers!

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https://www.soundandvision.com/content/you-call-sub-sub