Best Gear of April 2020

To help make the best of at-home entertainment, we offer up a handful of very different Sound & Vision-vetted products for your consideration: from a unique set of earphones made of wood to a reference-caliber screen that promises to propel video projection to new heights. As usual, all are recipients of our Top Pick rating.

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https://www.soundandvision.com/content/best-gear-april-2020

Ten More Must-See Rockumentaries to Shelter in Place With

So . . . seen anything good lately? Now that we have almost nothing but time on our hands as we collectively self-quarantine behind closed doors and chill in front of our screens, there's no better time than the here and now to catch up on all the great rock documentaries we've been meaning to delve into via the streaming universe. Naturally, we here at S&V assume you've already devoured—and loved—the half-dozen rock docs I recommended Check here just a few short weeks ago, so what should you watch next?

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https://www.soundandvision.com/content/ten-more-must-see-rockumentaries-shelter-place

Luxman Introduces New Digital Audio Player

Who says they no longer make Compact Disc players? Exhibit A: Japanese audio component maker Luxman just announced the availability of its new D-03X, a fully loaded digital player that handles CD playback along with MQA CDs, MQA files, and up to 11.28 MHz DSD and 32-bit/384 kHz PCM files via USB input.

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https://www.soundandvision.com/content/luxman-s-new-player-reaches-digital-audio-heights

S&V’s Evolution Dovetails with the Evolution of A/V

In a recent letter, long-time reader David K. Johnson laments the changes that have impacted the content of Sound & Vision in the years following its merger with Home Theater magazine back in 2013. My response to David attributes these changes to a resurgence in audio gear, spanning a number of categories.

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https://www.soundandvision.com/content/sv-s-evolution-dovetails-evolution-av

Stewart Filmscreen StudioTek 130 G4 Projection Screen Review

Performance
Setup
Value

PRICE $1,484 (material only, as tested)

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Excellent Image Uniformity
Dramatic reduction in artifacts over previous generation
Exceptional build quality and ease of installation
Minus
Minor artifacts on images with vertical camera motion

THE VERDICT
With dramatically improved performance over the previous generation StudioTek 130 material, Stewart Filmscreen's new ST130 G4 establishes a new reference standard for a gain screen.

I often feel that the screen is the most overlooked component of a video projection system. That's because the screen material itself lacks "wow" factor, and it typically doesn't get tagged with the sexy marketing buzzwords associated with other home theater gear. But selecting the right screen for a video system is crucial since the screen ultimately will serve to either enhance or reduce your projector's performance.

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https://www.soundandvision.com/content/stewart-filmscreen-studiotek-130-g4-projection-screen-review

Dirac Live Bass Control Now Available on Select AVRs

Dirac Live, a room correction technology that Sound & Vision has evaluated recently on several preamp/processors and AVRs, is a feature that lets listeners measure and correct for room-based anomalies using a simple, yet sophisticated interface on PCs/Macs and Android/iOS devices. According to the company, Dirac Live Bass Control, an add-on for Dirac Live that provides bass management for multiple subwoofers, is now available.

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https://www.soundandvision.com/content/dirac-live-bass-control-now-available-select-avrs

So, It's Come to This

Alas, poor Compact Disc! My heart is heavy, I cannot lie. It's come to this. Birds. Angry Birds.

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https://www.soundandvision.com/content/so-its-come

Dynaudio Updates Contour Loudspeaker Lineup

The last time Dynaudio updated its mid-range Contour speaker lineup was back in 2016. Since then, the company launched a retooled version of its high-end Confidence series that uses all-new drivers and revamped baffle design, along with updated cabinets and crossovers. Some tech from that effort has trickled down into Dynaudio’s just-announced Contour i series speakers, which consists of the Contour 20i bookshelf ($5,250/pair), Contour 30i ($8,250/pair) and Contour 60i towers ($10,750/pair), and Contour 25Ci center channel ($3,750 each).

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https://www.soundandvision.com/content/dynaudio-updates-contour-loudspeaker-lineup

Remaster Class: Yes: Close to the Edge

Yes may have hit the roundabout motherlode with November 1971's Fragile, but their true zenith came with the following album, September 1972's Close to the Edge. Edge was the perfect intersection of envelope-pushing, multi-movement compositions and beyond-heady lyrical mysticism, permanently cementing Yes' status as top-tier progressive rock progenitors.

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https://www.soundandvision.com/content/remaster-class-yes-close-edge

Pearl Jam’s Gigaton Comes to Apple TV in Dolby Vision and Atmos

Gigaton, the late-March release from 90s grunge-rock kings Pearl Jam and the band’s first album since 2013’s Lightning Bolt, was to be preceded by a one-night-only showing of the Gigaton Theatrical Listening Experience at select Dolby Atmos theaters around the world. But then, you know, the theaters closed and Pearl Jam was forced to cancel the screenings.

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https://www.soundandvision.com/content/pearl-jam-s-gigaton-comes-apple-tv-dolby-vision-and-atmos

Samsung TVs Add Fitness and Apple Music Apps

Among the first casualties of our new social isolation culture was gyms—for good reason since packing people together in a sweaty spin class or sauna is more or less a formula for viral spread. Fortunately, many new TVs feature fitness-related apps you can use to get a guided workout in the privacy of your own home. Recognizing the sudden massive need for people sheltering in place to burn off calories (and steam), Samsung has announced a wealth of new wellness app content available to stream for free on its smart TVs.

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https://www.soundandvision.com/content/samsung-tvs-add-fitness-and-apple-music-apps

Best Receivers & Integrated Amps to Buy Right Now

Home entertainment has become a focal point of our new (and, thankfully, temporary) life in lockdown. As we spend time digging into movie and music archives and watching films that either never made it to theaters or had their box office runs cut short, we’ve had plenty of time to assess the performance of our AV setups. For those who have found room for improvement, here are 11 topnotch audio components worthy of your consideration.

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https://www.soundandvision.com/content/best-receivers-integrated-amps-buy-right-now

Viewsonic X10-4KE Portable 4K DLP Projector Review

Performance
Features
Ergonomics
Value

PRICE $1,500

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Portable
Auto-focus feature
Good-quality built-in audio
Minus
Below-average contrast
Poor HDR performance
Somewhat pricey

THE VERDICT
ViewSonic's X10-4KE is a cool- looking portable projector that delivers underwhelming performance given its $1,500 price tag.

The portable video projector market is packed with options for anyone seeking a convenient, compact beamer to carry from room to room, indoors to outdoors, or home to vacation home. Most portable models top out at 1080p resolution, however, and feature only basic, and usually far from adequate, built-in audio capabilities. With its X10-4KE, ViewSonic is targeting a more discerning portable video viewer—one who expects 4K resolution and high dynamic range, along with better-than-average audio from the projector's built-in speakers.

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https://www.soundandvision.com/content/viewsonic-x10-4ke-portable-4k-dlp-projector-review

Hands-On Quibi Mobile App: Short-Form Videos

Quibi was designed for a busy lifestyle, for those times when we are on-the-go and have short snippets of time to kill. Now that it's launched, we have checked out the app and content and here's what we found.

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https://www.soundandvision.com/content/hands-quibi-mobile-app-short-form-videos

Fandango Acquires Video-On-Demand Service Vudu

Walmart-owned VOD service Vudu has announced that it is being purchased by Fandango, owner of competing digital video online storefront FandangoNow. News of the deal was sent out to registered users of the site on Monday, with details posted on the company’s blog.

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https://www.soundandvision.com/content/fandango-acquires-video-demand-service-vudu

Challenging Times

Ah, the good old days. Happy crowds coming together in joyful celebration, shopping together for a new TV on a lazy Saturday afternoon. Seems like only yesterday.

Oh, wait, it was. But in the greater scheme of things, how the current Wuhan Virus pandemic will affect our small world of consumer audio-video isn’t a big topic on the nightly news. Nevertheless, that’s our gig here, and it’s important to consider the possible consequences. Will this be the end of the A/V world as we know it?

I don’t think so, but it could have significant consequences...

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https://www.soundandvision.com/content/challenging-times

Sonos Launches Sonos Radio Streaming Service

With a global pandemic driving streamed news consumption to record numbers, internet radio has become an essential part of our locked-down lives. To that end, smart speaker-maker Sonos today announced the launch of Sonos Radio, a free ad-supported radio streaming service available exclusively on the Sonos platform for owners of the company’s products.

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https://www.soundandvision.com/content/sonos-launches-sonos-radio-streaming-service

Prince 1999 - Super Deluxe Edition

Performance
Sound

Prince was determined. While he had made some inroads on both the sales charts and urban radio with his first four hot-button, mostly one-man-show albums of the late-'70s and early-'80s, an opening slot on The Rolling Stones' 1981 tour exposed the narrowmindedness of many concertgoers who outright booed and/or threw things at Prince and his band while they were onstage.

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https://www.soundandvision.com/content/prince-1999-super-deluxe-edition

Bringing the Theater Home: 18 Recent Releases You Can Watch Right Now

Hollywood has addressed these unprecedented times with an unprecedented act by bringing first-run films directly to the public, forgoing theatrical release altogether or dramatically shortening the three-month window between theatrical runs and home release. Here are 18 recently released movies you can watch in the comfort of your home right now.

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https://www.soundandvision.com/content/bringing-theater-home-18-recent-releases-you-can-watch-right-now

Qobuz Gives Back With “Gimme Shelter” Program

Curious about Qobuz? Since its February 2019 U.S. launch, the music streaming service has dramatically ramped up its high-res (up to 24-bit/192kHz) audio catalog and added plenty of exclusive editorial content to its desktop and portable apps. If you haven’t yet investigated Qobuz, the service’s “Gimme Shelter” campaign might be just the nudge you need to make a leap to high-res and lossless streaming.

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https://www.soundandvision.com/content/qobuz-gives-back-gimme-shelter-program

Should I Replace My 20-Year-Old Subwoofer?

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

Q I have a modest home theater in my basement that I have been slowly upgrading over the last two decades. The only component I haven’t upgraded yet is my Polk Audio subwoofer since it was a pretty decent model when I purchased it 20 years ago. Would I benefit from upgrading to a new 12-inch sub? —Cal Rempel, via email

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https://www.soundandvision.com/content/should-i-replace-my-20-year-old-subwoofer

AXPONA Goes Virtual With Facebook Livestream Event

AXPONA, the largest high-end audio event in North America, has been pushed back from April to August for 2020, but you can get a sneak peek at the new products audio manufacturers have in store by “attending” the show’s Facebook Live event this Friday, April 17—the day AXPONA 2020 was originally scheduled to open at the Renaissance Schaumburg Hotel and Convention Center in Chicago, IL.

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https://www.soundandvision.com/content/axpona-goes-virtual-facebook-livestream-event

MartinLogan Motion 60 XTi Speaker System Review

Speakers
Performance
Build Quality
Value

Subwoofer
Performance
Features
Build Quality
Value

PRICE $8,000 (as tested)

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Refined sound
Powerful, feature-rich subwoofer
Minus
Tweeter on 60XTi tower sits high off the ground
60XTi tower requires careful placement

THE VERDICT
Upgrades in style and performance take MartinLogan's Motion series speakers to the next level, while its Dynamo 1600X subwoofer is a feature-packed beast.

Ask a car guy to identify any classic American car from the 1950s or 1960s, and most would be able to pin it down to the exact year of production. Back then, the auto companies would change up styling every year, even if the mechanical stuff under the sheet metal remained essentially unchanged. The problem with that approach is that tooling up to build new models every year gets really expensive, so these days most cars have a life cycle of a few years before an all-new generation is introduced. To keep these longer-lasting designs looking fresh, at some point in the life cycle they'll give the car what's known as a facelift, replacing a few key parts like the grille, taillights, and trim to lend it a new look.

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https://www.soundandvision.com/content/martinlogan-motion-60-xti-speaker-system-review

Hi-Fi World Mourns Passing of Stereophile’s Art Dudley

Art Dudley, deputy editor of Sound & Vision sister publication Stereophile has passed away.

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https://www.soundandvision.com/content/hi-fi-world-mourns-passing-stereophile-s-art-dudley

JVC HA-FW01 In-Ear Headphones Review

Performance
Build Quality
Comfort
Value

PRICE $329.95

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Solid build quality
Spacious imaging
Natural treble response
Minus
Bass could be smoother
Heavy
No inline controls on cable

THE VERDICT
With a unique wood-dome diaphragm, JVC’s HA-FW01 in-ear headphones deliver a clean sound that shines with acoustic music, particularly classical.

When our illustrious editor Al Griffin suggested that I review the JVC HA-FW01 in-ear headphones, he mentioned that they were "fancy." What could possibly be so fancy about headphones? As it turned out, the HA-FW01 has a gorgeous look, with a dark wood housing and rose-gold accents, but it's what's inside that really makes them fancy.

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https://www.soundandvision.com/content/jvc-ha-fw01-ear-headphones-review

2020 TV Review Preview

Many of us stuck at home have been watching lots of TV lately (too much!), but some may also be wondering about buying a new TV. Spring is when the new sets show up, and while you might not be able to wander into a Best Buy or other store to browse them at present, you’re probably itching to check out the reviews. To that end, here are the models Sound & Vision currently has in the review pipeline, along with the sets we anticipate testing as they arrive in the months to come.

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https://www.soundandvision.com/content/2020-tv-review-preview

Do You Feel Lucky, Punk?

You are probably familiar with the Chinese proverb: “May you live in interesting times.” One could debate the meaning of that expression; it may well be intended as a subtle curse. Certainly, no one can dispute that we are now living in interesting times. Maybe topsy-turvy times is a better way to describe it. Things that formerly were good (hugging) are now bad, and bad things (wearing a mask in a bank) are now good. Similarly, people are wondering if formerly sturdy business models are now shaky. Which brings us to Quibi.

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https://www.soundandvision.com/content/do-you-feel-lucky-punk

Terminator: Dark Fate

Picture
Sound
Extras

Linda Hamilton is back as pistol-packin' mama Sarah Connor and badass as ever, her days dedicated to a familiar mission: ridding the world of killer robots. Dark Fate is James Cameron's first active role in the franchise he created—here as a producer and co-writer—since 1996's T2:3D theme park ride, which surely accounts for much of the movie's old-shoe feel.

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https://www.soundandvision.com/content/terminator-dark-fate

Classic Fisher Tube Amp Makes Rare Appearance

The Fisher SA-1000 tube amplifier is a sight to behold with its stately gold faceplate and signature tube cage. The amp also happens to be a legendary piece of audio gear that dates back to the early days of hi-fi.

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https://www.soundandvision.com/content/classic-fisher-tube-amp-makes-rare-appearance

LG Announces Pricing & Availability for 2020 LCD TVs

LG announced today that the 2020 lineup of NanoCell LCD TVs it first showed at CES in January is starting to become available. The lineup includes 4K sets with screen sizes ranging from 49 to 86 inches, plus a pair of 8K models.

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https://www.soundandvision.com/content/lg-announces-pricing-availability-2020-lcd-tvs

Free Arts and Culture Streaming During Coronavirus Shutdown

As many of the world's famous venues have been temporarily shutdown due to the coronavirus pandemic and social distancing requirements, they are turning to streaming of classic performances. To satisfy fans, and perhaps attract those who haven't attended a show, the theaters are offering free streaming of videos for a "limited engagement." T

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https://www.soundandvision.com/content/free-arts-and-culture-streaming-during-coronavirus-shutdown

Free Arts and Culture Streaming During Coronavirus Shutdown

As many of the world's famous venues have been temporarily shutdown due to the coronavirus pandemic and social distancing requirements, they are turning to streaming of classic performances. To satisfy fans, and perhaps attract those who haven't attended a show, the theaters are offering free streaming of videos for a "limited engagement." T

from
https://www.soundandvision.com/content/free-arts-and-culture-streaming-during-coronavirus-shutdown-0

Record Doctor VI Record Cleaning Machine Review

Performance
Features
Ergonomics
Value

PRICE $300

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Digs deep to leave records sparkling
Far more effective than brush cleaners
Affordable
Minus
Hands-on manual operation
Loud vacuum motor

THE VERDICT
The Record Doctor VI is a bare-bones wet record cleaning system that delivers superb results at a bargain price.

It's easy to dismiss the recent resurgence of interest in vinyl records as a youth-driven phenomenon, with millennials embracing vinyl more for its hipness factor than for the great sound that it can deliver. But in the course of my day job setting up and maintaining high-end turntables, I'm finding that much of the rekindled attention is actually coming from my fellow Boomers and Gen-Xers. Some of us never stopped playing our records. Others, it seems, simply stashed theirs in the basement decades ago when CDs seemed so convenient and are just now pulling them out to appreciate all over again.

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https://www.soundandvision.com/content/record-doctor-vi-record-cleaning-machine-review

Subwoofer Setup Steps

Subwoofers are like the magic beans of audio, expanding a playback system's dynamic range in a way that dramatically enhances the listening experience. There's an attitude among some audiophiles that subwoofers represent, if not the spawn of the devil (there are numerous such spawns in audio lore), a bad compromise at minimum. But the truth is that adding a modest but well-designed subwoofer to speakers, even compact bookshelf models, can result in better performance than what you'd get from full-range towers that cost considerably more.

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https://www.soundandvision.com/content/subwoofer-setup-steps

Where Have All the Theaters Gone?

A month or so ago, my local AMC theater sent out a notice that they were only selling seats separated by a few feet to minimize close contact. A few days earlier I had gone to the Dolby Cinema screen in the same complex to see Onward, but it was a weekday afternoon and there were only about a half dozen of us spread out across the theater’s 250 seats. Today, thanks to the corona virus, that theater is closed for the duration.

That’s true throughout the world...

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https://www.soundandvision.com/content/where-have-all-theaters-gone

HBO Offers Free Streaming of Select Shows

Good news for those of us in the U.S. on lockdown who have already blazed through all the good stuff on Netflix and are seeking something different: HBO is offering free streaming of select shows including The Sopranos, The Wire, and Six Feet Under through April 30 on its HBO NOW or HBO GO apps. So, if you happen to be one of the few who for some reason missed out on these early gems from the New Golden Age of Television, you’re now in luck.

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https://www.soundandvision.com/content/hbo-offers-free-streaming-select-shows

1917

Picture
Sound
Extras

The date noted in 1917's title (April 6, to be precise) puts us well into World War I, when young Lance Corporal Blake along with his mate Schofield are dispatched from the Allied trenches with an urgent message. Some 1,600 soldiers, Blake's own brother among them, are heading into certain slaughter if new orders are not delivered to the commanding officer. And so, facing impossible odds, the brave duo embarks on a mission that could change the course of the conflict.

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https://www.soundandvision.com/content/1917

Live Streaming: Welcome to the New Normal in Concertgoing (for Now)

In case you haven’t noticed, live streaming has replaced concerts as the new normal and, though, it may not be ideal (what is these days?), it provides an intimate glimpse of artists performing at home without the grandeur of a live show with its pulsating lights and smoke machines.

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https://www.soundandvision.com/content/live-streaming-welcome-new-normal-concertgoing-now

6 Must-See Rockumentaries to Shelter in Place With

The always-must-be-fed M.O. of today’s streaming services has produced a plethora of rock documentaries. Here are six you don’t want to miss.

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https://www.soundandvision.com/content/6-must-see-rockumentaries-shelter-place

GoldenEar Technology BRX Bookshelf Speakers Review

Performance
Build Quality
Value

PRICE $1,599/pair

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Detailed, dynamic sound
Powerful bass for a bookshelf
Compact form factor
Minus
Requires careful setup and placement for best performance

THE VERDICT
GoldenEar Tech’s compact, passive BRX proves that the company known for powered towers can also make a better bookshelf speaker.

At some point when I reviewed GoldenEar Technology's Triton Reference towerin early 2017, it hit me that the company may have backed itself into a marketing corner with its new offering. After all, how do you push the performance envelope further after developing a "Reference" speaker? The company's agenda, as it turned out, was to scale its $8,500 flagship down in order to deliver variations on the Reference experience.

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https://www.soundandvision.com/content/goldenear-technology-brx-bookshelf-speakers-review