Best Gear of October 2019

In the spirit of Halloween, we’re excited to share the scary good lineup of AV gear we reviewed in October. Whether you’re looking to squeeze every last drop of performance out of a hi-res-streaming setup, find wireless headphones that don’t need to be recharged every few hours, or on the hunt for speakers that will make the hair on your neck stand up, we’ve got you covered.

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

Yamaha MusicCast Products Get Amazon Music, Enhanced Alexa Voice Control

Starting today, Yamaha is rolling out a firmware update that brings Amazon Music and enhanced Alexa voice control to more than 15 of its MusicCast-enabled products.

from
https://www.soundandvision.com/content/yamaha-musiccast-products-get-amazon-music-enhanced-alexa-voice-control

Samsung Adds CBS News to TV Plus Service

Samsung today announced the addition of CBS News (CBSN) to its free, ad-supported video service, Samsung TV Plus.

from
https://www.soundandvision.com/content/samsung-adds-cbs-news-tv-plus-service-0

Bowers & Wilkins Formation Wireless Surround Speaker System Review

Speakers
Performance
Build Quality
Ergonomics
Value

Subwoofer
Performance
Features
Build Quality
Value

PRICE $3,100

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Open, detailed sound
Excellent dialogue intelligibility
Flex can be configured as wireless surround speaker
Minus
Some ergonomics issues
Inconsistent system stability

THE VERDICT
The B&W Formation system performs admirably in a number of respects. But unreliable stability, limited processing features, and no HDMI input make it a less-than-ideal option for 5.1 surround sound.

Blame it on Sonos. In the early 2000s, at what was then the Los Angeles headquarters of the Stereophile Guide to Home Theater, we were visited by a gentleman from that then largely unknown company who had a product he was eager to promote: a wireless speaker in a single, relatively compact box. I politely declined. It wasn't a good fit for our publication at the time, but I should have at least asked him about stock options!

from
https://www.soundandvision.com/content/bowers-wilkins-formation-wireless-surround-speaker-system-review

WarnerMedia Joins the Streaming Fray with HBO Max

The streaming wars are heating up. Again. WarnerMedia has announced that it plans to launch a new streaming service called HBO Max next May.

from
https://www.soundandvision.com/content/warnermedia-joins-streaming-fray-hbo-max

System Building Advice, Part Two

After 20-plus years in the custom installation business, I’ve learned the value of making a project as future-proof as possible. In System Building Advice, Part 1, I discussed the importance of prewiring, installing conduits for future access, covering large areas with multiple speakers, and buying the best subwoofer possible. I have some more bits of advice to share.

from
https://www.soundandvision.com/content/system-building-advice-part-two

Apple Issues HomePod Updates, Then Pulls Back

Apple started rolling out a series of software updates for its HomePod smart speaker that adds cool features and capabilities but put a hold on them yesterday because speakers running the new iOS 13.2 operating system stopped working.

from
https://www.soundandvision.com/content/apple-issues-homepod-updates-then-pulls-back

Sonos Move Portable Wireless Speaker Review

Performance
Features
Ergonomics
Value

PRICE $399

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Fabulous sound quality
Replaceable battery
Supports Alexa and Google Assistant
Convenient charging base
Minus
Mono playback
Audio input limited to wireless
No phone capability

THE VERDICT
The waterproof/dustproof Move is one of the best-sounding and full-featured portables available. It may just be my new favorite speaker.

Sonos is no stranger to compact speakers that play without wires, but the new Move ($399) is the first truly portable, battery powered model to come from the company. The Move's connectivity options let you tote it around the house and even outside when using Wi-Fi; beyond that, as long as it's charged up, you can take it anywhere and stream music via Bluetooth. The Move comes with a dedicated (and dare we say, stylish) charging base that eliminates fumbling around with connecting cables, and it can also be charged via USB-C (cable not included).

from
https://www.soundandvision.com/content/sonos-move-portable-wireless-speaker-review

Swiss Home Theater Keeps it Simple…and Stealth

Photos courtesy of homecinema GmbH.

The key to this stealth theater is maximum comfort and an understated, all-screen design.

from
https://www.soundandvision.com/content/swiss-home-theater-keeps-it-simple-and-stealth

Rediscovering Luxman’s Legendary CL35 Tube Preamp

If you like vintage audio gear, you’re going to love New Jersey-based Skyfi Audio’s latest acquisition: The third and best iteration of Luxman’s legendary CL35 MKIII tube preamp (circa 1978).

from
https://www.soundandvision.com/content/rediscovering-luxman-s-legendary-cl35-tube-preamp

Q Acoustics Previews its ‘Most Powerful’ Subwoofer

U.K. speaker specialist Q Acoustics has announced plans to launch its “largest and most powerful subwoofer” early next year.

from
https://www.soundandvision.com/content/q-acoustics-previews-its-most-powerful-subwoofer

Apocalypse Now Final Cut

Picture
Sound
Extras

"The avant-garde art of the past becomes the wallpaper of the future." This statement, from a new introduction by Francis Ford Coppola contained on the Apocalypse Now Final Cut Ultra HD Blu-ray release, ultimately explains the acclaimed director's motivation to revisit his Vietnam War epic, ranked number 30 on the American Film Institute's 2007 list of the 100 Greatest American Films, and create yet another cut after already having done so in 2001 for Apocalypse Now: Redux.

from
https://www.soundandvision.com/content/apocalypse-now-final-cut

$230 Adapter Connects WiSA Speakers to LG TVs

Axiim, a Kirkland, WA-based maker of WiSA-compliant wireless home theater speaker systems is now shipping a $230 app-based adapter that enables WiSA-certified speakers to connect wirelessly to certain LG TVs.

from
https://www.soundandvision.com/content/230-adapter-connects-wisa-speakers-lg-tvs

$230 Adapter Connects WiSA-Certified Wireless Speakers to LG TVs

Axiim, a Kirkland, WA-based maker of WiSA-compliant wireless home theater speaker systems is now shipping a $230 app-based adapter that enables WiSA-certified speakers to connect wirelessly to certain LG TVs.

from
https://www.soundandvision.com/content/230-adapter-connects-wisa-certified-wireless-speakers-lg-tvs

Best 4K TVs of 2019 (So Far)

Have you upgraded your TV to 4K yet? If not, what are you waiting for? And if you’re a typical S&V reader you might think 4K is old news but picture quality and features continue to advance at breakneck speed. Here are five TVs we’ve reviewed in recent months, all Top Picks and all offering varying degrees of excellent performance, including an LCD set that can go head to head with OLED. No kidding.

from
https://www.soundandvision.com/content/best-4k-tvs-2019-so-far

Hi-Res Conundrum: Should I Go for 24/192 or Is 24/96 All I Need?

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

If I subscribe to Tidal Hi-Fi should I bother with 24-bit/192-kHz playback or is 24/96 all I need?

from
https://www.soundandvision.com/content/hi-res-conundrum-should-i-go-24192-or-2496-all-i-need

Polk Audio Legend L800 Loudspeaker Review

Performance
Build Quality
Value

PRICE $5,998/pair

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Enveloping soundstage from SDA-Pro tech
Dynamic, full-range sound
Flush-mounted elevation module option
Minus
Somewhat bulky cabinet design
Requires SDA-Pro interconnect cable

THE VERDICT
SDA-Pro, the latest refinement of Polk Audio's proprietary tech, elevates the performance of its impressive flagship speaker.

Many years ago (the early 1980s, to be precise), Polk Audio produced the first speakers to feature a technology it had developed called SDA (Stereo Dimensional Array). The idea behind SDA was to eliminate a problem called interaural crosstalk that's a necessary artifact of typical two-channel speaker configurations. Basically put, when listening in stereo, your left/ right ears hear not just sound emanating from the respective left/right speakers, but sound coming from the other speaker well. According to Polk Audio, this has a constricting effect on the presentation, with the width, height, and depth of the stereo image coming across as a pale representation of what's actually contained on the recording.

from
https://www.soundandvision.com/content/polk-audio-legend-l800-loudspeaker-review

Verizon Customers to Get 12 Free Months of Disney+

Verizon has announced that it will offer 12 free months of Disney+ to its “4G LTE and 5G unlimited wireless” customers when the new streaming service launches November 12.

from
https://www.soundandvision.com/content/verizon-customers-get-12-free-months-disney

The Beatles Singles Collection Due in November

Apple Corps. has announced that The Beatles – The Singles Collection, featuring remastered 7-inch vinyl reissues of all 22 singles released in the U.K. between 1962 and 1970, ships November 20.

from
https://www.soundandvision.com/content/beatles-singles-collection-due-november

U.K.’s Hi-Fi Show Live Opens Saturday

The Hi-Fi Show Live 2019, U.K’s largest specialty high-end audio event, will take place this Saturday and Sunday at the Ascot Racecourse Grandstand in Ascot, England.

from
https://www.soundandvision.com/content/uk-s-hi-fi-show-live-opens-saturday

Once More—With Feeling

I've said it before, but it's still true, that whenever we have a new video format the movie studios eagerly line up to sell us our favorites all over again—from VHS tape to Laserdisc to DVD to Blu-ray. But today, with movie streaming swamping video discs sales, the line of consumers eager to replace their existing discs is now shorter than ever.

Ultra HD's, however, appear to be fighting the trend. UHD re-releases of popular films are showing up like flies to a picnic.

from
https://www.soundandvision.com/content/once-more-feeling

Yamaha Targets Audiophiles with Upscale Hi-Fi Series

Yamaha today reaffirmed its commitment to home audio with a new collection of high-end audio components for the “most discerning and passionate audiophiles.”

from
https://www.soundandvision.com/content/yamaha-targets-audiophiles-upscale-hi-fi-series

Cleer Enduro 100: Wireless Headphones that Play On and On and On

Performance
Build Quality
Comfort
Value

PRICE $180

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Smooth, detailed sound
Solid construction
Light weight
Comfortable
Minus
Sound can be somewhat muted

THE VERDICT
Charging becomes a secondary concern with Cleer’s Enduro 100 wireless headphones thanks to an insanely long battery life.

I’ve been listening on and off for six days and the tiny battery in Cleer’s Enduro 100 wireless headphones is still going strong. Impressive. No question, headphones that need frequent recharging are…well, annoying and intrude on the freedom that comes with wireless listening.

from
https://www.soundandvision.com/content/cleer-enduro-100-wireless-headphones-play-and-and

Pro Audio Brand CEntrance Ships its First Headphones

CEntrance, the Illinois-based maker of portable audio gear for professionals and consumers, is shipping its first headphones.

from
https://www.soundandvision.com/content/pro-audio-brand-centrance-ships-its-first-headphones

Free TV on Sling, No Subscription Required

In case you missed it, Dish Network’s Sling TV is offering free TV and movies to owners of Android and Amazon devices who don’t have a Sling subscription.

from
https://www.soundandvision.com/content/free-tv-sling-no-subscription-required

Sansui, and Napoleon's Retreat from Moscow

Some stories tell you about one thing. The good ones are entertaining and/or accurate. But the very best stories are multi-layered, fitting small pictures into big pictures, with one brilliantly informing the other to show deeper meanings. To demonstrate what I mean, I'd like to show you a YouTube video posted last week, and a figurative map drawn in1869.

from
https://www.soundandvision.com/content/sansui-and-napoleons-retreat-moscow

Emotiva Offers 15% Discount with Receiver Trade-in

Emotiva Audio is offering 15% discount on three of its AV preamp/processors through October 31 but there’s a catch…

from
https://www.soundandvision.com/content/emotiva-offers-15-discount-receiver-trade

Remaster Class: Genesis: Selling England by the Pound

When Genesis tendered their fifth album, Selling England by the Pound, in October 1973, they finally cemented the promise that had been on display in fits and spurts on their previous LPs. (See the wide aural swath of "The Knife" from 1970's Trespass and the mind-expanding combo of "Watcher of the Skies" and "Supper's Ready" from 1972's Foxtrot as prime examples.)

from
https://www.soundandvision.com/content/remaster-class-genesis-selling-england-pound

Vincent’s Integrated Amp Mates DAC with Tube Input

Pangea Audio Distributing has announced that it is shipping a new compact hybrid integrated amplifier from Germany’s Vincent Audio.

from
https://www.soundandvision.com/content/vincent-s-integrated-amp-mates-dac-tube-input

Hands On: Roku Ultra 2019 and Roku OS 9.2

There are a few streaming players that stand out among the competition. The new Roku Ultra is one that does. With high-quality video and audio, a host of enhanced features and a simple user experience, this is one of the go-to devices for streaming media.



from
https://www.soundandvision.com/content/hands-roku-ultra-2019-and-roku-os-92

Primephonic: Classical Music Streaming Done Right

Can classical music and the streaming universe truly co-exist? Thanks to Primephonic, many hi-res movements are nothing but music to our ears.

from
https://www.soundandvision.com/content/primephonic-classical-music-streaming-done-right

Samsung QN65Q90R LCD Ultra HDTV Review

Performance
Features
Ergonomics
Value

PRICE $3,500

AT A GLANCE
Plus
High brightness
Good off-center picture uniformity
Vivid HDR
Minus
No Dolby Vision support
Remote control ergonomics

THE VERDICT
There's little to criticize, and much to like, about Samsung's new flagship LCD UHDTV.

TVs are cheaper than ever. Really. When you see a set priced at $3,500 and your first reaction is a gag reflex, ponder this: a CRT color TV in 1970 might well have cost you $350. That would be a simple tabletop model offering glorious 480i standard definition on a 19-inch screen, and it would cost $2,400 in today's money. Current-day premium sets do command similarly high prices, but they now offer more features and better performance than ever before. The 65-inch Samsung Q90R reviewed here has a suggested retail price of $3,500, though it can be found online for significantly less. There are also 75- and 82-inch Q90R series models, the latter retailing for $6,500. One couldn't even dream of a 65-inch set in 1970, much less an 82-incher.

from
https://www.soundandvision.com/content/samsung-qn65q90r-lcd-ultra-hdtv-review

Sony to Launch 360 Reality Audio with 1,000 Songs

Sony is going head to head with Dolby. The company that invented the Walkman and delivered the world’s first CD player will launch the 360 Reality Audio format it previewed at CES 2019 in the coming weeks with 1,000 songs.

from
https://www.soundandvision.com/content/sony-launch-360-reality-audio-1000-songs

Klipsch Expands WiSA-Based Wireless Speaker Lineup

Klipsch today announced the addition of three models to its Reference Wireless series of speakers.

from
https://www.soundandvision.com/content/klipsch-expands-wisa-based-wireless-speaker-lineup

Audioengine A2+ Wireless Speaker System Review

Performance
Features
Ergonomics
Value

PRICE $269

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Warm yet detailed sound
Ultra-compact form factor
Bluetooth streaming
Minus
No front panel volume control
USB input support maxes out at 24/48

THE VERDICT
The A2+ combines audiophile-friendly sound with the convenience of Bluetooth to create a broadly appealing compact speaker package.

Audioengine is well-known for making affordable powered and passive speakers that are compact enough for desktop use. Like several of the company's previous offerings, its most recent model, the A2+, is a petite powered speaker with multiple connectivity options, including wireless aptX Bluetooth streaming. What makes it stand out from other Audioengine speakers? The price: at $269, the A2+ is the least expensive powered Bluetooth model in the company's lineup.

from
https://www.soundandvision.com/content/audioengine-a2-wireless-speaker-system-review

Samsung to Invest $11 Billion in ‘QD OLED’ TVs

Samsung Display has announced plans to invest $11 billion in a hybrid video display that melds the quantum-dot technology used in its LCD-based quantum dot (QD) QLED TVs with OLED, according to The Korea Times.

from
https://www.soundandvision.com/content/samsung-invest-11-billion-qd-oled-tvs

OSD Black Brings High-Quality Wireless Streaming to Existing AV Systems

OSD Black, the Brea, California-based audio company, has introduced two streaming modules that bring high-quality wireless connectivity with app control to existing AV systems.

from
https://www.soundandvision.com/content/osd-black-brings-high-quality-wireless-streaming-existing-av-systems

Vizio Discounts Soundbars & TVs, RSL Drops Speaker Prices

Vizio has announced discounts of up to 25% on three of its Dolby Atmos-enabled soundbars and modest markdowns ranging from 5% to 12% on a handful of 4K TVs.

from
https://www.soundandvision.com/content/vizio-discounts-soundbars-tvs-rsl-drops-speaker-prices

$129 Receiver Adds High-Quality Bluetooth Streaming to Any System

U.K.-based iFi Audio aims to boost the quality of Bluetooth streaming with a compact device that can be connected to any audio system via an analog or digital connection.

from
https://www.soundandvision.com/content/129-receiver-adds-high-quality-bluetooth-streaming-any-system

James Taylor: The Warner Bros. Albums -1970-1976

Performance
Sound

And lo, there was a new breed of musician who had come to town, and they were duly christened singer/songwriters. In the wake of the burgeoning rock era's focus on volume-dealing power trios and instrumentally propelled multi-member ensembles (whether schooled or otherwise), there soon emerged another genre compelled by a more sensitive, more lyric-driven, and more acoustified approach.

from
https://www.soundandvision.com/content/james-taylor-warner-bros-albums-1970-1976

Sound United Deal to Acquire Onkyo & Pioneer Is Dead

In May Sound United surprised the AV world with word that it had entered into an agreement to acquire Onkyo’s consumer audio division, which includes the Pioneer, Pioneer Elite, and Integra brands.

Five months later, the deal is dead...

from
https://www.soundandvision.com/content/sound-united-deal-acquire-onkyo-pioneer-dead

College Football Kicks Off in 4K on Saturday

Tomorrow’s matchup between the University of Florida and Louisiana State University will make history as the first college football game to be broadcast live in 4K when the teams take the field in Baton Rouge at 8 p.m. ET.

from
https://www.soundandvision.com/content/college-football-kicks-4k-saturday

IDEA Takes Early Steps Toward Holographic TV

If the notion of a holographic television in your living room strikes you as the stuff of sci-fi, think again.

from
https://www.soundandvision.com/content/idea-takes-early-steps-toward-holographic-tv

‘Easy Rider’ Celebrates 50th Anniversary in 4K/HDR

Sony Pictures Home Entertainment is celebrating the 50th anniversary of the counterculture classic Easy Rider with a new 4K digital release available for streaming or download.

from
https://www.soundandvision.com/content/easy-rider-celebrates-50th-anniversary-4khdr

Simaudio Previews ‘Future Proof’ Streaming DAC

Simaudio is expanding its Moon product line with a less expensive “future proof” version of its $15,000 flagship streaming DAC (digital-to-analog converter), the 780D v2.

from
https://www.soundandvision.com/content/simaudio-previews-future-proof-streaming-dac