They Live

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They are living amongst us, manipulating the entire human race, dominating us using hidden messages of obedience and rampant commercialism. Who they are and why they're doing it are less important than how we will expose them—and who will be brave enough to fight back. A down-and-out working-class hero and all-around good egg (Roddy Piper) stumbles across special sunglasses that block the oppressors' shenanigans and gives him a clear look at them…and he doesn't like what he sees.

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https://www.soundandvision.com/content/they-live

Best Gear of April 2021

We didn’t really plan it this way but two of our Top Picks for April have more than just A/V in common — they both sell for less than 200 bucks. Our first low-cost specimen is a no-frills subwoofer from a brand you may not know that delivers surprisingly respectable performance down to 30 Hz. Then there’s an all-around great performing portable speaker from a brand you most definitely do know. Rounding out the mix is a serious desktop speaker setup and a sweet sounding home theater ensemble from an exotic brand whose speakers you thought you couldn’t afford.

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https://www.soundandvision.com/content/best-gear-april-2021

Evolution of Livestream: It’s Getting Better All the Time

A year into the pandemic, the improved quality of livestream concerts is helping to bridge the gap between artists and their socially distanced fans.

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https://www.soundandvision.com/content/evolution-livestream-it-s-getting-better-all-time

Sonus faber Lumina Surround Speaker System Review

Speakers
Performance
Build Quality
Value

Subwoofer
Performance
Features
Build Quality
Value

PRICE $5,296

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Crisp detail and open-sounding midrange
Immersive 5.1 performance
Stylish and affordable
Minus
Cl center speaker has limited off-axis response

THE VERDICT
The name Sonus faber conjures up visions of exotic speakers priced at a level that will buy you a reasonably nice house in some places. But a full 5.1 package from the company's new Lumina line will cost you less than a modest patio upgrade.

Loudspeaker manufacturer Sonus faber was founded in the early 1980s by the late Franco Serblin in Vicenza, Italy. It's been known since then for offering superb sound with classic Italian attention to style, with products aimed at buyers for whom price was at most a secondary consideration. But in recent years the company has tested more affordable waters, particularly in its home theater offerings, with the latest addition to its lineup, the Lumina Collection, designed to appeal to a wider range of listeners with real-world budgets.

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https://www.soundandvision.com/content/sonus-faber-lumina-surround-speaker-system-review

New Apple TV 4K Adds Higher Refresh Rates, Color Balance Feature

It’s been four years since the first Apple TV 4K was released. As well as it has held up to new technologies, it’s time for a new model. Apple announced the next generation of Apple TV 4K with features that could noticeably improve picture quality.

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https://www.soundandvision.com/content/new-apple-tv-4k-color-balance-and-faster-refresh-rates

B&W's First Wireless Earbuds Packed with Features

British hi-fi titan Bowers & Wilkins (a.k.a. B&W) has expanded its small but growing line of headphones with two sets of wireless earbuds, one of which provides a “true 24-bit” audio connection, adaptive noise cancellation, and Bluetooth 5.0 featuring aptX HD and aptX Adaptive audio processing.

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https://www.soundandvision.com/content/bws-first-wireless-earbuds-packed-features

Neil Young: Archives Vol. II: 1972-1976 (Deluxe Edition)

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Neil Young is an international treasure. Perhaps he should adopt Frank Sinatra's signature mantra "I did it my way" as his own, because his artistic vision is, frankly, unparalleled in the history of popular music. Neil always does what he wants, releases new and archival material whenever he wants, and often chooses to lay it all down in whatever genre strikes his fancy. Even better, he takes great pains to ensure we the listeners get to hear all of it in the highest resolution possible.

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https://www.soundandvision.com/content/neil-young-archives-vol-ii-1972-1976-deluxe-edition

New Sony 4K Projectors Boast BRAVIA’s X1 Processing

Sony is extending the reach of its prized X1 image processing to video projection with two native 4K SXRD projectors slated for release in early May.

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https://www.soundandvision.com/content/new-sony-4k-projectors-boast-bravia-s-x1-processing

New TV Tech Makes Super Big-Screen TV Appealing

In a recent letter to the editor, reader Paul Brians makes the case that current home theater systems, including ones that use a 65-inch TV, offer a superior viewing experience in comparison with a typical movie theater. I’ll confess to having had that same thought many times, even as I continue to be a fan of theatrical venues such as the Cinerama in Seattle that Mr. Brians mentions.

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https://www.soundandvision.com/content/new-tv-tech-makes-super-big-screen-tv-appealing

Sonos Roam Portable Wireless Speaker Review

Performance
Features
Ergonomics
Value

PRICE $169 (Shadow Black or Lunar White)

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Rich, warm, sound
Impressive bass
Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and AirPlay 2
IP67 water- and dust-proof
Minus
Lacks treble clarity at high volumes
Pricey for a portable speaker

THE VERDICT
If portability and sound quality are important to you, the Sonos Roam smart speaker is an outstanding choice.

When a company known for inventing the multiroom speaker announces a new fully portable model, we sit up and take notice. The new Sonos Roam ($169) is an ultra-compact, IP67 water- and dust-proof smart speaker that weighs less than one pound and links with your phone or tablet via Bluetooth 5.0. But that's not the whole story. The Roam can also connect with your home Sonos ecosystem, automatically making the switch between Bluetooth and Wi-Fi as you come and go.

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

The Cinerama Dome: Take 2

Ken Pohlmann got the jump on me in his blog this week, but the recent permanent (?) closing of the Cinerama Dome theater in Hollywood is a significant event. Perhaps I can add a slightly different perspective.

When lived in LA from 2000 to 2015 the Arclight theater in Hollywood was one of my go-to haunts whenever I wanted to see a top-drawer movie release in a premier theater. The Cinerama Dome was the main attraction in this multiplex, but the other Arclight screens were also impressive...

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https://www.soundandvision.com/content/cinerama-dome-take-2

Epson Discounts EpiqVision Ultra LS500 Projector

Sad that your local movie megaplex—or palace—is still shuttered? Epson feels your pain, and to make things better, the company is offering a 10 percent discount on its Sound & Vision Top Pick-winning EpiqVision Ultra LS500 Laser Projection TV. The deal runs only for a limited time, so you have until June 1 to clear space in your pad for Epson’s ultra short throw projector, which comes bundled with either a 100-inch or 120-inch Epson SilverFlex Ultra ALR Mega Screen.

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https://www.soundandvision.com/content/epson-discounts-epiqvision-ultra-ls500-projector

Another One Bites the Dust

Global pandemics and lockdowns had consequences. Who knew? Apparently, not everyone.

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https://www.soundandvision.com/content/another-one-bites-dust-0

Love and Monsters

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(Cue deep, sonorous narration.) In a world infested with giant, hungry bugs, what's left of mankind has hunkered down in underground colonies where they're safe (mostly) from being eaten alive. How this post-apocalyptic nightmare began is explained in the brief opening sequence of Love and Monsters, but in short it was mankind (as usual) that messed things up.

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https://www.soundandvision.com/content/love-and-monsters

A Garden Oasis in the Heart of Pittsburgh

How Pittsburgh’s Simply Automated transformed a garden oasis in the heart of the city into a magnificent outdoor entertainment space.

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https://www.soundandvision.com/content/garden-oasis-heart-pittsburgh

OSD Audio Nero TubeBass 10 Subwoofer Review

Performance
Features
Build Quality
Value

PRICE $179

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Inexpensive
Compact form factor
Good extension and output
Minus
Limited features
No wireless option

THE VERDICT
There’s nothing fancy about OSD Audio’s Nero TubeBass 10, but if you’re looking to get decent bass performance in smaller-size room without a paying a premium, it’s well worth a listen.

As someone who appreciates the benefit deep bass brings to music and movie soundtracks, I've come to accept that having a box the size of a small refrigerator in my living room is a reality of life I need to contend with. That box, of course, is a subwoofer, and welcoming one into your space is the deal you must strike in order to get deep bass. Some cleverly engineered models use innovative DSP-driven solutions, along with serious amplifier power, to coax extended bass from compact boxes— certain subs we've reviewed from JL Audio and KEF come to mind. And while such models definitely make a better fit with non-mancave-like interior spaces, you'll pay handsomely for the tech wizardry that brings about the bass miniaturization.

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https://www.soundandvision.com/content/osd-audio-nero-tubebass-10-subwoofer-review

JBL Announces Studio Monitor Bookshelf Speaker

JBL, one of the crown jewels of Harman’s portfolio of audio brands, has announced a retro-styled bookshelf speaker that draws on decades of experience building professional monitors for recording studios.

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https://www.soundandvision.com/content/jbl-announces-studio-monitor-bookshelf-speaker

Roku's 2021 Line Includes Handsfree Remote, Express 4K+, and New Soundbar

Roku has announced its Spring 2021 product line and new updates to the Roku operating system, Roku OS 10. Surprisingly, there are a few new exciting products and features. Some of the convenient features are playing catchup with other systems' capabilities; others are leapfrogging ahead.  


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https://www.soundandvision.com/content/rokus-2021-line-includes-handsfree-remote-express-4k-and-new-soundbar

How Napoleon Bonaparte Invented the Compact Disc

You can admit it. You are intrigued. Of course, it can’t be true. But is it purely nonsensical? Is it a “pigs can fly” kind of declaration? Or is there someway, somehow, a grain of truth in it? And if that’s the case, how on earth could you conceivably connect the dots between the Little Corporal and the Compact Disc?

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https://www.soundandvision.com/content/how-napoleon-bonaparte-invented-compact-disc

Three Films by Luis Buñuel

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Closing an almost 50-year career that began with Un Chien Andalou, writer-director Luis Buñuel—aided by screenwriting partner Jean-Claude Carrière—created a trio of subversive amusements that savagely poke fun at pillars of French society, including church, military, and figures of the establishment. The master surrealist did so by playing with and disrupting conventional narrative structures, questioning the validity of his protagonists' rationality, and reducing their self-serving behavior and values to nonsense while upsetting cinematic expectations of viewers.

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https://www.soundandvision.com/content/three-films-luis-bun-uel

Help Me Help You

I’ve been doing my “Connected Life” (originally “The Custom Installer”) column every issue now for almost 20 years. Over that time, I’ve covered numerous how to’s, tips and tricks, walk-thrus, and suggestions for virtually anything related to the custom installation world. But now, after roughly 200 columns, features, and blog posts, I’m wondering what kinds of posts will resonate and be most helpful to you, the Sound and Vision readers.

So, I’m asking for your help and input.

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https://www.soundandvision.com/content/help-me-help-you

Best Gear of 2021 (So Far)

We’re barely three weeks into spring and we’ve already amassed an impressive lineup of S&V-approved A/V gear for the casual enthusiast and grizzled veteran alike. Topping the list at either end of the spectrum is an AVR that delivers a surprising number of cutting-edge features for 600 bucks and a spectacular, 11-piece Dolby Atmos-capable speaker system from one of England’s finest brands. And we’re just scratching the surface…

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https://www.soundandvision.com/content/best-gear-2021-so-far-0

Can You Get Atmos Sound Using an Analog Link Between a BD Player and AVR?

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

Q I am planning an upgrade to Panasonic DP-UB9000 Ultra HD Blu-ray player. Can I can connect the player’s 7.1 analog output to my Yamaha AVR’s multichannel input (like I currently do with my Oppo player) and hear Atmos/DTS:X? —Rick Poage, Fairfax, VA

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https://www.soundandvision.com/content/can-you-get-atmos-sound-using-analog-link-between-bd-player-and-avr

JVC Exofield XP-EXT1 Personal Home Theater System Review

Performance
Features
Ergonomics
Value

PRICE $999

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Solid headphone-surround
Impressive Dolby Atmos, DTS:X effects
Long battery life
Minus
Substantial vocal tonality shifts
Uneven bass presentation

THE VERDICT
JVC’s Exofield XP-EXT1 delivers an impressive rendering of effects in immersive soundtracks, but it comes up short as an all- around wireless home theater headphones solution.

True surround sound from headphones has been an audio holy grail for decades, but with the ever-increasing power and value of digital signal processing, we're now getting closer to drinking from that particular chalice. JVC's latest effort is the XP-EXT1 Personal Home Theater System, a set of wireless over-the-ear cans with a slim processor/transmitter that uses the company's Exofield DSP processing to digitally rejigger surround-encoded soundtracks, including Dolby Atmos and DTS:X, for your in-head listening pleasure.

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https://www.soundandvision.com/content/jvc-exofield-xp-ext1-personal-home-theater-system-review

BluOS Adds Streaming Options, Access to MQA Music

Lenbrook International today announced a significant update for its BluOS multi-room music platform that adds native support for three new music streaming services and provides exclusive access to MQA-encoded music through Radio Paradise, an eclectic listener-supported internet radio station based in Southern California.

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https://www.soundandvision.com/content/bluos-adds-streaming-options-access-mqa-music

TVs on the High Seas

The big news story of last week wasn't out of Washington D.C., or about the current state of Covid, or who has just cancelled who or what, or even the new line of TVs ready to flood your local Costco, Sam's Club, Best Buy, or any number of other retailers. The TV line is a joke, of course, unless you think we're obsessed with what happens in our own little corner of the world. Well, yes, we are, but the story could nevertheless have repercussions on consumer electronics for weeks or perhaps months to come.

It involved a giant cargo ship, the Ever Given, getting stuck in the Suez canal with hundreds of other ships lined up behind it and unable to get through with their cargo.

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https://www.soundandvision.com/content/tvs-high-seas

Black Widow: Release the Kraken!

Which of these do not belong together?

• Peanut butter / Jelly
• Horse / Saddle
• Hand / Glove
• Movie theaters / The future

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https://www.soundandvision.com/content/black-widow-release-kraken

Tenet

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This is how director Christopher Nolan does time travel. Actually, to hear him tell it, this is how he does a spy thriller, inspired by the Bonds of his youth and enhanced with all of the mind-bending trappings we've come to expect from one of filmdom's brainiest auteurs. The central conceit of Tenet—one that commands audiences to pay full attention lest they be left behind—is the recent discovery of a temporal anomaly, possibly man-made, that can send certain objects backwards in time, rather than in the usual direction.

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

Charlie's Playlist: Man vs. Machine

It didn’t rise to the level of Kasparov versus Deep Blue, but still, it was another example of man vs. machine. This time it was radio DJ Charlie Bermant playing music from 1967 versus playlists I asked two different smart speakers to generate.

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https://www.soundandvision.com/content/charlies-playlist-man-vs-machine

New Gear for Spring 2021, Part 2

The pandemic lingers yet life goes on in various forms around this great nation and A/V companies continue to move forward with new products and updates to existing gear. Recent weeks have revealed a number of intriguing entries, including a 23-speaker reference sound system for the road. Can you guess which vehicle?

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https://www.soundandvision.com/content/new-gear-spring-2021-part-2