The Hobbit Trilogy

Picture (all)
Sound (all)

The Lord of the Rings was a box office phenomenon, which of course meant demand for more movies. And lo, a prequel book had already been written, so after some wrangling Peter Jackson returned to make another trilogy set within J.R.R. Tolkien's fantastical universe. Taking place 60 years before the start of The Fellowship of the Ring, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey gives us Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman), content to go about his safe, humdrum existence, until fate and a tall, pushy friend sweep him up in an incredible adventure.

from
https://www.soundandvision.com/content/hobbit-trilogy

Steven Wilson Is a Hi-Res Man of the People

"I like to upset people, because it means I'm doing the right thing."

And that, my friends, is Steven Wilson for you in a nutshell. The once and future king of surround sound has taken yet another giant creative leap forward with his new solo album, The Future Bites (Arts & Crafts), which, after a pandemically induced half-year deferral, is finally being released on January 29, 2021.

from
https://www.soundandvision.com/content/steven-wilson-hi-res-man-people

Best Gear of Winter 2021 (So Far)

Home entertainment took center stage in 2020 and will continue to enrich life at home until we defeat the invisible enemy known as COVID-19. Whether a return to quasi-normal life takes weeks or months (my bet is on the latter), A/V gear of all shapes and sizes will continue to not only make possible but enhance our music and movie experiences. All of which brings us to the latest crop of Sound & Vision Top Picks, encapsulated here for your convenience.

from
https://www.soundandvision.com/content/best-gear-winter-2021-so-far

NAD Masters M28 Seven-Channel Power Amplifier Review

Performance
Features
Ergonomics
Value

PRICE $4,999

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Exceptional performance
Exceptional build quality
Dimmable power indicator light
Minus
Pricey

THE VERDICT
It doesn’t come cheap, but NAD’s Masters M28 is a genuinely unique product designed to compete sonically with some of the highest-end amps on the market, regardless of how many channels they offer.

Whether you fall into the "all well-designed amps sound the same when used within their limits" camp or the "amp selection is critical" army of true believers, it's arguable that prior to the turn of the millennium amps designed for high-performance audio had fallen into a rut. They were so good that the advertising for them had to become increasingly creative. But a parade of skilled designers remained convinced that the new concepts they had come up with were superior, and audiophiles still lined up to buy them. The turf was always familiar: tubes remained tubes with their lovable quirkiness, and solid state was dominated by class-A/B designs as it had been since the transistor was invented.

from
https://www.soundandvision.com/content/nad-masters-m28-seven-channel-power-amplifier-review

Will I Lose Pixels & Brightness When Zooming a Projected Image?

Q I ordered an Epson 5050UB LCD projector with 10 lens-shift memory settings and am looking for a projection screen. Information on one screen manufacturer’s website says you lose 25 percent (over 2,000,000 pixels) and up to and 25-30% of brightness when using a lens-shift memory setting to zoom images to fill a 2.40:1 “scope” screen…and when a projector blacks out pixels during this process, it absorbs the light energy, creating excess heat. Is this information accurate? Also, should I instead consider using an anamorphic lens with the projector? —Douglas Bien, via email

from
https://www.soundandvision.com/content/will-i-lose-pixels-brightness-when-zooming-projected-image

Out with the Old, In with the Old?

I recently bought a new car. It wasn't planned, though perhaps long overdue. Old Betsy...um Mazda...took it on herself to make a frontal run on a low curb at a high enough speed to rip into the oil pan and take out one of the engine mounts. No injuries to this or any other humans, nor any perceptible damage to the curb, but my insurance company decided that it was time to send my 15-year-old filly to pasture.

But, you ask, how does this apply to A/V gear. For starters, the latter tends to last a long time unless the winds blow, the ground shakes, a fire intrudes, or the crick rises.

from
https://www.soundandvision.com/content/out-old-old

Polk Audio Readies React Sound Bar

Polk Audio has launched its latest soundbar, the $249 React. The 2.0 model supports Dolby Digital and DTS 5.1 virtual surround sound and, according to Polk Audio, is the most advanced Alexa-enabled sound bar available today. It can also be mated with the company’s React Sub ($199) and SR2 surround speakers ($199/pair) to create a full wireless surround system.

from
https://www.soundandvision.com/content/polk-audio-readies-react-sound-bar

The Lord of the Rings Trilogy

Picture (all)
Sound (all)

What a journey. Originally conceived as a simple sequel to his popular children's book, The Hobbit, J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings grew to become the epitome of epic fantasy. Set in the far-off, long-ago realm of Middle-earth, it introduces the good-hearted, vertically-challenged Frodo Baggins (wide-eyed Elijah Wood), tasked with destroying a cursed ring in order to stop a great evil from conquering the world.

from
https://www.soundandvision.com/content/lord-rings-trilogy

CES 2021: Headphones Hold Down the Audio Fort

Once upon a time, CES was a huge show for audio but those days are long gone and showed no signs of returning in the virtual world that was CES 2021, with one possible exception: Wireless headphones, a category that has made incredible strides in just the past year or so. A number of companies — some familiar, many not-so-familiar — used the world-class venue as a showcase for new headphones you can buy now and models you can expect to see online and in stores in the coming months. Prominent among the new entries were earbuds and full-size headphones with active noise canceling and features designed to improve wireless performance and the sound quality of music and phone calls. Wired models, as you might expect, were few and far between. Here’s a look at what a few of the more familiar brands are bringing to market.

from
https://www.soundandvision.com/content/ces-2021-headphones-hold-down-audio-fort

KEF Introduces KC62 Uni-Core Subwoofer

After teasing a new subwoofer-related tech in an announcement last week, KEF has revealed details of the first product to feature its Uni-Core technology: the KC62TM subwoofer. According to the company’s release, the KC62TM actually incorporates three new tech innovations, all packed in a curved extruded aluminum enclosure measuring a mere 9.68 x 10.07 x 9.76 inches.

from
https://www.soundandvision.com/content/kef-introduces-kc62tm-uni-core-subwoofer

Apple TV+ Offers Free Subscriptions Through June

Free annual subscriptions to Apple TV+ will again be extended through June 2021. The next six months will be free for all subscribers while Apple builds up a long list of original programming.

from
https://www.soundandvision.com/content/apple-tv-offers-free-subscriptions-through-june

Monitor Audio Bronze 200 Surround Speaker System Review

Speakers
Performance
Build Quality
Value

Subwoofer
Performance
Features
Build Quality
Value

PRICE (as tested): $4,010

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Affordable price
Detailed overall sound
Good envelopment with Atmos soundtracks
Minus
Towers have limited deep bass
Ordinary cosmetics

THE VERDICT
Monitor Audio's Bronze 6G system is a remarkable testament to how much speaker you can get today for a reasonable price.

Britain-based Monitor Audio offers a wide range of loudspeakers at prices spanning from the bargain basement up to the penthouse that are cleverly named for a variety of metals: Platinum, Gold, Silver, Bronze. The company must have run out of suitable metallic names when its Monitor series was introduced a few years ago— Steel or Aluminum (or Aluminium!) clearly wouldn't do. But while that budget-priced series represents the entry point to the Monitor Audio's offerings, our saga here covers the next step up: Bronze 6G, the sixth generation of the Bronze line.

from
https://www.soundandvision.com/content/monitor-audio-bronze-200-surround-speaker-system-review

TV Trends of CES 2021

The annual CES tradeshow put on by the Consumer Technology Association was an "all-digital" event for 2021. On the plus side, that allowed us to report on the show from the comfort of our homes dressed in hoodies and sweatpants instead of suits. On the negative side, we didn't get proper "screen time" with the array of new TVs introduced, many of which hold the promise to be pretty spectacular.

from
https://www.soundandvision.com/content/tv-trends-ces-2021

Britain's Sound Mirrors

The War to End All Wars, finally, is over. The world breathes a sigh of relief. But what if, impossibly, there is another war? What if that new form of warfare, aerial warfare, is again unleashed against Britain? Surely we must prepare a defense against it. A sonic defense.

from
https://www.soundandvision.com/content/britains-sound-mirrors

Remaster Class: The Doors: Morrison Hotel

The Doors needed a win. Badly. After the, shall we say, appendage-related kerfuffle at a chaotic March 1969 show in Miami, the band was sidelined with legal troubles and limited performance options. Solace was found within the friendly studio confines of Elektra Sound Recorders in Los Angeles, with February 1970's Morrison Hotel the ensuing vibrant result.

from
https://www.soundandvision.com/content/remaster-class-doors-morrison-hotel

KEF Teases New Uni-Core Subwoofer Technology

Britain’s KEF is offering a preview of a new subwoofer technology that will be featured in a product to be announced later this month. Called Uni-Core, the technology will enable “high-level performance while reducing the subwoofer or speaker cabinet volume significantly,” according to the company.

from
https://www.soundandvision.com/content/kef-teases-new-uni-core-subwoofer-technology-0

CES 2021: A Little Something for Everyone

As the first virtual CES comes to a close, the Consumer Technology Association (CTA) has already proclaimed the event the largest digital tech show in history with close to 2,000 companies congregating online to introduce a staggering variety of new products and technologies. Here’s a look at some of the A/V related news we came across.

from
https://www.soundandvision.com/content/ces-2021-little-something-everyone

Denon’s Home Sound Bar 550 Delivers Atmos, DTS:X

Denon today introduced the Sound Bar 550, a compact soundbar that uses a six-driver array to deliver Dolby Atmos and DTS:X soundtracks. It further supports the company’s HEOS Built-in platform for multiroom audio streaming.

from
https://www.soundandvision.com/content/denon-s-home-sound-bar-550-delivers-atmos-dtsx

Hisense Pushes the Outer Limits of Laser TV

China’s Hisense announced plans to launch a range of TriChroma Laser TVs with 55- to 100-inch screen sizes in 2021 at its virtual CES press conference. The announcement, made by Fisher Yu, Vice President of Hisense Visual Technology, is the first indication that the tech, which has been displayed in prototype form at previous CES events, will make it into actual ultra short throw projection TV products destined for the U.S. market.

from
https://www.soundandvision.com/content/hisense-pushes-outer-limits-laser-tv

LG Launches HU810P 4K UHD Laser Projector

Previously announced in September 2020 at the European mega-electronics tradeshow IFA, LG Electronics said its new HU810P CineBeam 4K UHD laser projector will now launch the week of January 18. The latest addition to the company’s DLP projector lineup is notable for its HDMI 2.1 connections (with Auto Low Latency Mode and Enhanced Audio Return Channel), built-in webOS 5.0 platform, and WiSA support for a high-res wireless audio link with WiSA-compatible speakers.

from
https://www.soundandvision.com/content/lg-launches-hu810p-4k-uhd-laser-projector

JBL Synthesis Unveils SCL-1 Speaker and SSW-1 Sub

JBL is upping the ante on its Synthesis Custom range with the addition of two flagship models: the SCL-1 loudspeaker and SSW-1 subwoofer. The new offerings are designed to complement each other in custom-installed “ultra-premium, high channel count immersive audio deployments” that also feature the company’s SDP-75 immersive surround processor and SDA amplifiers.

from
https://www.soundandvision.com/content/jbl-synthesis-unveils-scl-1-speaker-and-ssw-1-sub

Panasonic Introduces Flagship JZ2000 OLED TV

Panasonic used CES to announce a new OLED TV for 2021, the JZ2000. Available in 65- and 55-inch screen sizes, the company’s latest TV will serve as its flagship model and is aimed at both gamers and movie fans alike.

from
https://www.soundandvision.com/content/panasonic-introduces-flagship-jz2000-oled-tv

Farscape Remembered

If you were under 10-years old in the early twenty-aughts you might never have experienced a TV series considered by many to be one of the best, if not the best, science fiction series ever produced for television. Yes, the re-imagined Battlestar Galactica came along shortly after. Stargate SG-1 and Stargate Atlantis ran seemingly forever. And I risk permanent expulsion from the club if I don't mention everything Star Trek. There are others shows that have their fans as well. What, no love here for Lost or Game of Thrones (if we can include them in this category—sci-fi is often a big tent, to the dismay of purists). I love both of these in their own ways, but neither of them ended well.

One that did end well is my candidate for the best ever. Over the recent holidays I revisited the first season of Farscape on Blu-ray.

from
https://www.soundandvision.com/content/farscape-remembered

Konka Announces 2021 Ultra HDTV Lineup

Chinese manufacturer Konka is mostly focused on launching its new smart home products at CES, but the company did also provided some specs for its forthcoming TV 2021 lineup. There are four series of LCD models in all, including 4K sets featuring LG’s webOS smart TV interface and bigscreen models with quantum dot tech for extended color reproduction. Konka is also thinking big for 2021, with an 82-inch Android TV-powered model on the way.

from
https://www.soundandvision.com/content/konka-announces-2021-ultra-hdtv-lineup

JBL Previews Retro Integrated Amp, L100 Classic Speaker

JBL is celebrating its 75th anniversary with the launch of the SA750 integrated amplifier and L100 Classic 75 loudspeaker, two retro modern products that reference hi-fi’s golden age—specifically, the 1970s part.

from
https://www.soundandvision.com/content/jbl-previews-retro-integrated-amp-l100-classic-speaker

TCL Plans 8K TVs, 85-inch Screens, Slimmer Mini-LEDs

TCL today announced its 2021 TV lineup. The range includes the company’s first 8K UHD TVs for the North American market, its largest screen sizes ever for the continent at 85 inches, and third-generation contrast-enhancing mini-LED backlighting that slims down the profiles of bigscreen TVs.

from
https://www.soundandvision.com/content/tcl-plans-8k-tvs-85-inch-screens-slimmer-mini-leds

LG Showcases 2021 OLED TV Lineup at CES

LG today announced its new OLED TVs for 2021 at the company’s virtual CES press conference. The lineup includes a 4K-resolution 83-inch TV—a new screen size option from the company—high-end “evo” models with a new panel designed to deliver higher brightness than prior OLEDs, and a new AI processor for improved performance. LG is also planning to attract more OLED buyers via a series of affordable entry-level models.

from
https://www.soundandvision.com/content/lg-showcases-2021-oled-tv-lineup-ces

The Elephant Man

Picture
Sound
Extras

Director David Lynch's film tells of Joseph Merrick, whose terrible deformities to head, limbs, and skin led to him being called the Elephant Man. It begins with Merrick's nightmare of his mother being attacked by elephants—supposedly the cause of Merrick's condition—in smeary, scary, surreal images as disturbing as those from Lynch's earlier fatherhood paranoia party film, Eraserhead.

from
https://www.soundandvision.com/content/elephant-man

Sony Announces 2021 Bravia XR LCD and OLED TV Lineup

Sony today dropped news of its new 2021 Bravia XR TV lineup, with the announcements arriving days in advance of the company’s scheduled January 11 all-digital CES press conference. The new TVs comprise two series of 4K OLED models, along with 8K and 4K LCD sets.

from
https://www.soundandvision.com/content/sony-announces-2021-bravia-xr-lcd-and-oled-tv-lineup

CES 2021 Preview: High-Tech TV Sets the Stage

Like so many other things in this upside-down world, CES 2021 is a casualty of the pandemic. The Consumer Technology Association (CTA) decided months ago to transition from the usual mega gathering in Las Vegas an all-digital virtual experience. The show must go on — just not in person this time around. So instead of walking an expansive show floor and visiting company booths to check out new wares firsthand, the staff of Sound & Vision will be logging onto the official CES portal to seek out news and information relevant to our readers. (Sorry, the portal is available only to media and members of the trade who have registered for the show.) Though the virtual show officially goes live on Monday (January 11), A/V-related news is trickling in with high-tech TV leading the way.

from
https://www.soundandvision.com/content/ces-2021-preview-high-tech-tv-sets-stage

How Streaming Changed in 2020

As the world slowed to a stop in 2020, it accelerated streaming adoption and innovation. Sparked by theater closures and social distancing requirements of the pandemic shutdown, we had to find new ways to watch movies together with friends and family.

from
https://www.soundandvision.com/content/pandemic-changed-streaming-2020

2020 Top Picks of the Year

The best thing I can say about 2020 is that it's over. You'd think a year that was challenging on so many fronts might result in a drought of interesting A/V gear, but that was not the case for 2020. Logistical issues slowed shipment of certain products, but most eventually arrived. When they did, Sound & Vision's reviewing team eagerly went to work.

from
https://www.soundandvision.com/content/2020-top-picks-year

Samsung Readies “Neo QLED” TVs, MicroLED TVs

Samsung plans a 2021 launch of TVs with contrast-enhancing Neo QLED backlighting technology and its first consumer-installable MicroLED displays, giving video enthusiasts more options to enjoy cinema-like bigscreen entertainment at home.

from
https://www.soundandvision.com/content/samsung-readies-neo-qled-tvs-microled-tvs

Porky's Prime Cuts

When it was first introduced, digital audio was criticized as sounding “cold” or “sterile.” I vehemently disagreed. What some listeners heard as cold, I heard as a lack of distortion. Even after all these years, I suppose that's something we can still debate. But digital audio is indeed cold and sterile. Not the sound quality - the fact that it isn't nearly as funky, quirky, and weird as analog audio. Which brings us to George Peckham.

from
https://www.soundandvision.com/content/porkys-prime-cuts