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ON THE COVER Spin Master: Technics’ new SL-1200GR LOG ON TO soundandvision.com and sign up to receive our turntable. Additional gear from Definitive Technology, Elite ON THE new, free eNewsletter for first-rate, up-to-the-minute reporting Screens, Epson, LG, Sony, and Yamaha. Screen image: Sony WEB of everything that’s hot in the world of home theater. 36 50

42 Flashback: It was 1958, two- channel was new, and we were there. COLUMNS Rob Sabin Track One: How Retro Can You 2017 Top Picks of the Year The year’s best Go? 8 gear. by Rob Sabin 36

Ken C. Pohlmann Signals: It Takes a Licking Straight Steer on Stereo A look back at our and Keeps On Ticking 26 humble beginnings. by Robert Cobb 42

Michael Antonoff Apptitude: Time Lords of YouTube 28 58

Al Griffin Ask S&V: Audio for Video 30

John Sciacca The Connected Life: Installing In-Wall/Ceiling Speakers: Part 2 32 DEMAND MORE

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Sony VPL-VW285ES LCOS Projector DEPARTMENTS Shift-free 4K. 46 by Thomas J. Norton Letters Theories behind what’s sparking the resurgence of vinyl. 16 Definitive Technology Demand Series D11 Speaker System Perfect Focus 22 Supplying demand. 50 New gear, top news, how to, and more. by Mark Fleischmann New Gear A look at the hottest new A/V gear and gadgets. 34 Yamaha Aventage RX-A2070 A/V Receiver DSP champion. 54 by Dan Kumin Entertainment Baby Driver, Captain Underpants, Warm Bodies, and more on 68 Ultra HD Blu-ray. Technics SL-1200GR Turntable A new lease on life. 58 Premiere Design Sennheiser Ambeo by Michael Trei Smart Headset 74 Epson Home Cinema LS100 LCD Projector and Elite Screens Aeon CLR Screen Go short. 62 54 by Al Griffin Elac Discovery DS-S101-G Music Server Music on tap. 66 by Al Griffin

46

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nadelectronics.com/hometheatre TrFebruary/March a c 2018 k One HOW RETRO CAN YOU GO? As we turn 60, it’s all about analog. Who’da thunk?

There’s some real irony in this issue, and their ability to feel a surge of adrenaline or the sweet caress of it wasn’t planned. Well, a little maybe. I goose bumps when some freshly minted speakers mentioned last month in this column unexpectedly brought them a notch closer to the music. that as we came upon this 60th anniv- We owe them some gratitude for building this platform ersary of our launch in February 1958 that has probably lasted longer than any of them might have as HiFi & Music Review, I had it in mind imagined. And we are fortunate to carry on their tradition to celebrate by tapping our archive for at a time when technology is moving so quickly ahead...and some tidbits that might remind us simultaneously backwards. Oh, BY ROB SABIN, EDITOR where we all came from. The first of well. Whichever way it goes, we’ll these flashback features, a primer from be there. Just like always. For six decades, that first issue about a brand-new thing called “stereo,” appears we’ve acted as obser- on page 42. As it turned out, we also happened to complete Our Top Picks of the Year list our review of the recently revamped and relaunched Technics appears in this issue, reflecting vers and advocates.” SL-1200, arguably the most popular turntable of all time with products we reviewed for print or more than 3 million sold since 1972, just in time to stick it on web in the 2017 calendar year the front page. It is, of course, a product that we reviewed in its (up to and including this February/March issue). I’ll spoil the original heyday, one which was undoubtedly much beloved by suspense here and tell you that LG Electronics’ late-generation our readership then and perhaps some portion of it now. How OLED UHDTV took the prize for our product of the year. You very retro, and fitting, to honor it with an anniversary cover can read about why it was chosen in our feature on page 36. that could easily be mistaken for an issue of our predecessor But it’s worth noting here that it’s the first 4K display to be Stereo Review from the early ’70s. given this honor, despite it being more than five years since the Then, as we put the issue to bed, I noticed other things launch of Ultra HD. Up through 2013, we’d typically given the popping up in the editorial mix that, coincidentally, harkened top spot of the Top Picks to the latest and greatest flat-panel to our yesteryears. Technology futurist Shaun DuBravac, display, which was, to that point, a plasma from either Pioneer interviewed for our Perfect Focus section, talks about the or, later, Panasonic. The introduction of each new generation resurgence of vinyl and “a number of retro analog tech- of those televisions was an anticipated event, and they never nologies.” Our own Ken Pohlmann, for this issue’s Signals failed to push the state of the art to new heights. When the column, arbitrarily chose to write what amounts to a love plasmas exited the market, it ushered in a kind of LCD waste- letter to his old analog audio gear. And the subject of vinyl land where even the best of what was offered never quite lived came up again in our Letters section this month as a reader up to what preceded it. In 2014, LG dropped the price of its went off about who’s buying records now...and why. entry-level 1080p OLED to something the mass market could I won’t read too much into this, but there’s something rich afford, and that caught our attention. But that set quickly in the fact that the phoenix-like rise of vinyl is topical at a became outdated as UHD took over the market. Then, from moment when this magazine, which did as much as any that moment on, every UHDTV we tested, regardless of its to popularize high fidelity from its humble beginnings, is image quality—even LG’s spectacular-looking OLEDs—was enjoying its 60th birthday. It’s more than the nostalgia and the at least partially obsolete from the second it got to the market. old “what goes around, comes around” thing. What makes it The industry’s snail-like, several-years roll-out of emerging special, for me anyway, is that as you look out today on all HDMI and HDCP copy protection standards and critical the other entities that report on consumer audio and video features like HDR and wide color gamut meant that an equipment, all the websites and the few remaining print pubs enthusiast couldn’t really purchase an expensive set with out there, aside from the U.K.’s HiFi News & Record Review cutting-edge image quality that he wouldn’t regret buying a (founded two years before us in 1956) none can lay claim year or two later. How could we get behind that? to being there at the inception. What we have done for six I’d be the last guy to tell you that 2018 sets won’t be better decades is act as observers and advocates, excitedly reporting than the 2017s, or that you wouldn’t be well served by wait- on developments that were each, in their own moment, new ing till the 2019 models and whatever they might bring. It’ll and revolutionary before they became passé. My editorial always be that way. But 2017 was the first year I could honestly ancestors, a full two generations older than our youngest say that UHDTV, in all its glory, had finally matured to where readers, sat in the same catbird seat I inhabit today, spying we could feel good about awarding one our Top Pick of the the audio (now audio/video) landscape through squinting, Year. And a damn good one it is, too. skeptical eyes, but never, I like to believe, losing their boyish enthusiasm for that new, beautiful, gleaming component, or

Customer Service And Subscriptions LOG ON TO soundandvision.com [email protected], call (800) ON THE and sign up for our free monthly 264-9872 (international calls: 386-447-6383), or write to: P.O. Box WEB eNewsleer. You’ll get exclusive tips, 420235, Palm Coast, FL 32142-0235. Please include your full name, trends, news, and reviews from your address, and phone number on any inquiries. favorite S&V writers. Bring the concert experience into your home

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“ The Triton Reference presents a serious film capacitors bridged across the high-pass section on the upper- bass/midrange drivers, a unique proprietary mix of long-fiber lamb’s challenge to speakers in the multi $10K range” wool and Dacron for more effective internal damping, intensive work – Robert Deutsch, Stereophile with a high-resolution accelerometer to determine the most effective implementation of complex internal bracing, a 3/32˝-thick steel plate GoldenEar’s Triton One is one of the best selling high-end built into the medite base to further stiffen it for increased stability, loudspeakers ever, consistently thrilling listeners and reviewers alike new stainless steel floor spikes and cups, all of which results in higher and winning an enviable and unmatched collection of the industry’s resolution of subtle details … and the list goes on and on. most prestigious awards, including “Loudspeaker-of-the-Year” and “Product-of-the-Year” from key publications all around the world. “ They are flat-out incredible, knock-your-damn- Clearly, we knew that the One would be a very hard act to follow. socks-off, jaw-droppingly realistic, enrapturing There was a spirited discussion within our product development speakers.” – Caleb Dennison, Digital Trends group about an all-out assault on the ultimate, cost-no-object, state-of-the-art, to produce a six-figure loudspeaker to do battle Visually, the Reference offers a strikingly beautiful upgrade to the with the most esoteric and expensive loudspeakers on the planet. classic Triton styling, with a gorgeous hand-rubbed piano gloss-black However, after much soul-searching, rational minds won out, and the lacquer finished one-piece monocoque cabinet. Sleek, statuesque decision was made to create a new GoldenEar flagship, positioned and refined, the Reference is simply an elegantly gorgeous statement above the Triton One (of course still current and available), that piece that will excite listeners with its dynamic visual presence, as would joust with the best, but still stick to our trademarked slogan, well as its extraordinary sonic performance. “We Make High-End Affordable.” We are pleased and proud to introduce the new Triton Reference. The Reference has begun Sonically, the Reference has been engineered to perform with a gathering its own collection of honors, winning the prestigious dramatic and authoritative voice, comparable to speakers that sell and coveted CES Innovations Design and Engineering Award, for ten and more times its surprisingly affordable price. 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February/March 2018 Volume 83/Number 2 Editor-in-Chief: Rob Sabin Executive Editor: Claire Crowley Senior Editor, Technical Editor, Video: Thomas J. Norton Audio Editor: Mark Fleischmann Technical Editor, Audio: Mark J. Peterson Editors-at-Large: Bob Ankosko, Darryl Wilkinson Fathom® IWS Contributing Technical Editors: Kris Deering, Barb Gonzalez, In-Wall Subwoofer Systems Al Griffin, Steve Guenberg, Michael P. Hamilton, Daniel Kumin, Fred Manteghian, Geoffrey Morrison, John Sciacca, Michael Trei, David Vaughn Contributors: Michael Antonoff, Anthony Chiarella, Brandon A. DuHamel, Avi Greengart, Corey Gunnestad, Fred Kaplan, Josef Krebs, Ken C. Pohlmann, Leslie Shapiro Music Editor: Mike Meler Movies Editor: Chris Chiarella Logistics Manager: John Higgins Technical Consultant: Joel Silver, Imaging Science Foundation Art Director: Heather Dickson Copy Editor: Ken Richardson Web Monkey: Jon Iverson Contributing Photographer: Jorge Nunez

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© 2017 JL AUDIO, Inc. For more information on our complete line of subwoofers, please visit your local authorized dealer or www.jlaudio.com. Authorized JL Audio Dealers do not sell via the Internet. Subwoofers pictured with grilles removed. COPYRIGHT © 2018 BY TEN: THE ENTHUSIAST NETWORK Customers in Canada should contact GemSen Distribution: MAGAZINES, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. PRINTED IN THE USA. www.gemsen.com. This Fathom® likes to disappear. IWS-108 and IWS-208 In-Wall Subwoofers

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Convenient Control from Subwoofer DSP Smartphone App Works with Apple iOS® and Android® devices to unlock the full depth, force and nuance of the 4000 6HULHVVXEZRRIHUVE\FRQWUROOLQJDOO'63IXQFWLRQVDQG RHULQJFXVWRPSUHVHWVWRVXLW\RXUOLVWHQLQJWDVWHV Learn More at svsound.com 7KHHDVLHVWDQGPRVWFRQYHQLHQWZD\HYHUWR QHWXQH a subwoofer from the comfort of your favorite seat. better than average sound system for working- class folks back in the day. I really appreciated We welcome having an EQ and tone controls to sculpt the questions and sound, and I’ll tell you where many of us went comments when the knobs went away: We went to pro- sumer or professional studio gear. Even on the Letters lowest-priced boards, like Behringer, and the E-mail them to [email protected]. Please note: Questions about the features and functions of a workaday boards like Mackie and Yamaha, you particular product are best directed to the manufacturer. Questions about what product you should buy are best can find good parametric EQs and plenty of directed to a dealer who knows all the details of your system, your preferences, and your personal habits. All submissions are considered the exclusive property of Sound & Vision magazine and TEN: The Enthusiast Network. ways to hook up gear, balanced or unbalanced. We reserve the right to edit letters for brevity. Due to the volume of mail that we receive, we regret that we cannot I own a pair of [M-Audio] DSM2 studio mon- respond to every letter. itors that are quite nice and go down to 35 hertz, and I have a treated room where I do mixing and mastering for folks, and the Oh...THERE You are! have to do everything manually. I can even play software I use also has EQ and compression I’m responding to your December Track One my dbx-encoded records and cassettes, which and such built in. I often will run music editorial, “Where Have All the Audiophiles still sound magnificent. through a processing chain if I feel it needs Gone?” I realize that, to most of your readers, Not an ideal solution, but this old audiophile it. So, to make a long story short, many of much of the following will probably make no refuses to part with his vintage equipment! us tweakers, especially those on a budget, sense, but here goes: I am the proud owner Some program route selectors may still be out went to the studio side of things to get our of a high-end Blu-ray player (Oppo) and a there, and they would be ideal for hooking old-school knobs back. collection of high-resolution audio discs, which up an equalizer or other sound processor Chris Belle I enjoy immensely. But when I needed to buy for analog sources. The bad news, of course: Via e-mail a new AVR a few years ago, I learned, to my This would not allow equalization of the dig- chagrin, that the tape monitor loop connection ital inputs. For those who missed this column, I was was lost and gone forever. Not to be defeated, I Dennis E. Tamburello attempting to equate the disappearance of the connected an old dbx program route selector to Loundonville, NY tape-loop and auxiliary connectors previously one of the analog inputs. I then connected my used for tape decks and equalizers from receivers dbx expander/NR component, my turntable, I am a blind musician/audio engineer who has with the disappearance of hard-core audiophiles, and my audio recorders (cassette and CD) to spent all his life working with audio. Due to and asked, rhetorically, when and how they the program route box. So I now have essen- health reasons, I am now retired from the road, had ceased to be. Our readers here, citing their tially the functionality I had before, even if I but I had what would have been considered a extreme solutions for keeping the tweaks alive, seem to suggest that, while perhaps reduced in numbers, they never really left. Those old dbx switchers and processors, by the way, can still be found on eBay.—RS The Value Proposition I am responding to reader Greg Francis who Enter to WIN wrote in the December issue (Letters, “Where’s the Value?”) about the last page of Sound & Vision being devoted to items that are way CRUTCHFIELD’S GREAT GEAR GIVEAWAY overpriced and only used as bragging pieces to the rich who throw money away. I actually look forward to seeing the items on the last page—just to see them. Yes, these items, and the even more expensive items you cover, need to be covered as well! They are or can be a part of home theater, and many of us like to see what else is out there, even if we will only be looking at them and imagining if they can achieve $30K+ worth of performance or are simply designed to provide the rich with brag- ging rights. Incidentally, I like the last page as Sign up for your chance to win well as the movie reviews that lead up to it. You turn me onto films I’ve never heard of before, D&UXWFKHOG*LIW&DUG which I then check out! Chris Troxler Enter now crutchfield.com/SVS Via e-mail Regarding letter-writer Greg Francis, I disagree with just about everything he says. First, I’d like to know about the survey he carried out to enable him to say “I know I speak for most of your readers ...” He most definitely does not speak for me, and I am not a rich person who hires minions to do my Sound & Vision bid- ding. I am a retired 70-year-old on a relatively modest income. I thoroughly research my hi-fi purchases (including viaS&V ) to make

LETTERS my decisions. Can I afford items that appear on balances out over time. As I was compiling our Top the last page of S&V? Probably not. But I do have Picks of the Year list for 2017, I was surprised at dreams. I do have aspirations. Maybe one day I how many affordably priced products we tested will be able to afford the mega-speakers on the that made our Value category. last page. But in the meantime, I very much enjoy One more thing: Our Premiere Design page, reading about them. which old Home Theaterreaders might recall So, please don’t rain on my parade, Greg from as far back as the mid-1990s, is intended to (and Mr. Editor). And, if it really bothers you highlight products with particularly compelling that much, ignore it and turn the page to see industrial or technical design, irrespective of price. something a little cheaper on the back cover. More often than not, these carry a high price tag, INTEGRATE Robin Smith but we’ve also featured less expensive products Lenoir City, TN that are both visually striking and/or technically AND CONQUER interesting. Case in point is this month’s write-up To summarize, Greg’s letter took us to task for on the Sennheiser Ambeo Smart Headset, which Achieve separates-quality featuring what he felt are a few too many high- costs all of $300.—RS stereo reproduction with priced aspirational products in the magazine that a single component. don’t adhere to real-world budgets. He pointed A Flash of Vinyl? particularly at our closing Premiere Design feature We crave convenience—convenience in our busy as a wasted page, suggesting that these types of lives and convenience in our audio. The cassette products are sold primarily to wealthy one-percent- was a whole level of convenience over vinyl ers who don’t read Sound & Vision and rely on records; plus, you could record on it and take installers (“minions,” in his words) to select and buy it with you. The CD was another level of con- these products for them. He was also particularly venience over cassettes—and without the noise annoyed at our granting a $31,000 Paradigm inherent in those two mediums. Then the speaker system a five-star Value rating in our five-disc changer took the CD to another level of review. I explained the practice of featuring convenience after that. Then came digital media, aspirational products as being a part of the hobby, like the iPod, which took convenience to still a This thin column represents and the five-star Value rating as being defensible higher level yet. the sound of your current against the even more breathtakingly expensive SACD failed as a mass-market medium integrated stereo amp. Time mega-priced speakers the Paradigms are intended because it was a regression in convenience and to compete against. also required the listener to stay seated in the to upgrade to the full-sized I’m gratified to see some readers taking the other sweet spot of his listening area, something few sound of Anthem’s side of the argument here, but I did and do think people are willing to do outside of golden-eared STR Integrated Amplifi er. Greg has a reasonable gripe. I’ll admit that there enthusiasts, who I affectionately call the lunatic are times when we have a good, long run on what fringe, like your own Mike Mettler. But now we Q High-resolution seems like an endless string of fancy high-end gear, seem to be having a renaissance of sorts with preamplifi er section and that things can start to feel a little lopsided. vinyl, completely reversing our improvements Truthfully, selecting the equipment that goes into in convenience. We’ve gone from maximum Q High current, high output our test well is a lot less rigorous and planned convenience back to minimum, which begs the amplifi er section than it might seem. It starts with us seeing products question, why? Q 8 bipolar output devices at trade shows or press introductions, or getting The golden ears claim they hear an improve- per channel pitched by public relations reps about our interest ment in sound quality with vinyl. OK, maybe in reviewing this or that. Sometimes we chase an they do. To each his own. But surveys have shown Q Up-sampling of item that isn’t available yet for a particular issue, that this is a very small percentage of the buying lower-resolution sources sometimes someone phones up and says they have public and doesn’t come close to accounting Q Asynchronous USB Audio a sample of the XYZ Too-Smart Streaming for the surge in record sales. A large group are Input Supports Amplifier Fry Cooker combo or whatever. If I think status-hungry millennials in the 25-to-34 age 32-bit / 384 kHz PCM, and it’s something that might be of interest, whether group who show how cool they are by having DSD 2.8 / 5.6 MHz because it looks like a great value or it’s super high records and even (sometimes but not always) a performance or just too cool-looking for its own changer. But far and away the largest group of Q S/PDIF coaxial and optical good, we’ll assign it to a reviewer and bring it in. vinyl buyers are the over-34s, and here’s where Q Balanced AES/EBU inputs Depending on when it arrives and how quickly our it gets interesting. Many of them do not own reviewer can execute, it’ll either make it into the a turntable, but many of them who do own a Q MM and MC phono issue we’ve initially planned for it or get pushed to turntable, at least for the first month, don’t even Q Graphic Front Panel Display a later issue, or maybe just to our website. We do play their new records. The main thing they have try to make sure every issue has a mix of different in common, however, is that they display them, categories: a video product (ideally a display, but making sure they can be seen. What’s driving maybe a Blu-ray player), some piece of audio them? Status, nostalgia, the tactile feeling of electronics (an AVR, integrated amp, or power holding a vinyl record? Apparently the last amp, typically), and some sort of home theater thing they do is listen to the perceived improve- speaker system or stereo pair of interest (ideally ment in vinyl over CD or digital media players, a minimum 5.1 home theater kit or soundbar). although many of them like to brag about a To this we’ll mix in the ancillary lifestyle or other sound improvement they don’t even listen to. products, things like headphones or wireless/ The bottom line? Record producers beware. desktop speakers or an accessory product. Most The current fad in record album buying will peak of our issues also have an editorial theme that in the not too distant future and then reverse may sway the balance; July/August is outdoor A/V, itself to become strictly the province of our September is our speaker issue, and November golden-eared lunatic fringe. is AVRs, for example. With all this going on, it’s Herb Goldman Visit anthemav.com to fi nd a dealer near you. not always easy to ensure we have an even mix of Hollywood, FL price points in any given issue. Nonetheless, it all SEPARATE AND CONQUER Introducing the ultimate performance combination

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Google fashion accessories. reported last year that 20 percent of STOP FOR A and convenience. mobile search was already taking S&V: What do you make of the moment and think back What’s your take on place via voice, and it has grown resurgence in vinyl? What’s driving it, to home entertainment this dynamic and its from there. Today, about one in six in your view? 10 years ago. You were impact on home households owns a voice-activated SD: There are several trends driving starting to build a entertainment as we digital assistant—a figure that will grow a renaissance in vinyl. And while the library of Blu-ray titles, move into the future? significantly over the next 24 months. trend is likely here to stay for the near thankful that HD had SD: Convenience will The simplicity and intuitiveness of term, it’s a trend that will remain niche. finally made its way to win every market voice commands suggests voice We have seen a resurgence in a disc, but 4K at home when it comes to control will become widespread in the number of retro analog technologies was a technology of the mass consumers. years to come. At the same time, more from film cameras to vinyl record future and streaming Consumers have objects are being digitized, so in the players. To date, the core audience has was still a curiosity. repeatedly shown they future there will be more things we can been millennials who are experiencing Netflix was a hugely are willing to trade off address with speech. these technologies for the first time. successful DVD mail order company quality for a more seamless experience Research suggests as many as half with a billion discs delivered but could that integrates into their lifestyle. At S&V: The market for headphones of those buying vinyl albums listened to see the writing on the wall when it the same time, quality audio and has exploded in recent years with an the albums on digital platforms first started offering movies on demand video experiences are proliferating astounding number of high-quality before buying them on vinyl. Individuals over the internet in February 2007. as technology is increasingly access- options now available to consumers. are using older analog technologies in Today, streaming is commonplace, ible to the average consumer. As What’s driving this trend? conjunction with digital technologies, and home audio and video have technologies digitized, they became SD: Five trends have combined over and I expect that will continue. reached unprecedented levels of subject to Moore’s Law, which means the last few years to drive the mas- quality, raising the question of what they improve at a quicker rate. Another sive uptick in headphones. First is the S&V: What’s the most important trend comes next? Looking ahead to the way to think about this is that tech- significant growth in smartphones. In you see right now in home entertain- future, we reached out to Dr. Shawn nology gets cheaper for the same 2011, only 35 percent of individuals had ment—one that will change the DuBravac, founder of the Washington, performance. When televisions first a smartphone. Today nearly 80 percent landscape as we know it? Put another D.C.–based consultancy Astra went digital in the late 1990s, we saw of individuals have a smartphone. way, what’s the Next Big Thing? Insights, former chief economist for quality-adjusted prices decline at a Secondly, as smartphone owner- SD: The entire way we think about the Consumer Technology Associa- faster rate than analog TVs had in the ship grew, we began using our home entertainment is changing. More tion, and author of the New York Times decades before. For example, analog smartphones for more than just objects in the home are being digitized, Best Seller Digital Destiny: How the TVs came down in price roughly 1 to 2 communication. which is enabling more fully auto- New Age of Data Will Transform the percent a year. Digital TVs, on the other A third influence is the proliferation mated experiences to emerge. Speech Way We Work, Live, and Communicate hand, declined 1 to 2 percent a month, of 4G cellular network coverage. We recognition has improved significantly (Regnery, 2015). A well-regarded or 12 to 14 percent a year. tend to think of the progress of cellular and is changing how we interact with futurist and trend-caster, DuBravac Digitization has democratized technologies as a linear progression technology. More general-purpose writes frequently about technology quality, and consumers have gained since the naming convention moves media rooms are replacing dedicated with a focus on deciphering disruptive greater access to higher-quality exper- in a linear way from 2G to 3G to 4G home theater rooms. We are also shifts.—Bob Ankosko iences. Over the very long run, all and, in the near future, to 5G. But seeing artificial intelligence (AI) infused consumers will shift toward a high- each progressive iteration is an in more services. AI is probably the S&V: Home entertainment has end, high-performance, high-quality exponential growth from the previous single biggest force influencing the experienced dramatic change in experience. network technology, not a linear one. future of home entertainment. Tech- just the past few years with huge For example, it takes 26 hours to nologies like machine learning and performance increases in audio, S&V: Voice control has been around for download a two-hour movie over a speech recognition are changing through object-based sound and years, but the meteoric rise of smart 3G cellular network. That drops to 6 content creation decisions, remap- widespread availability of studio-quality speakers, led by Amazon’s Echo, has minutes when we move to 4G and ping recommendation engines, and hi-res music, and TV/video, through pushed it to the forefront. Where do will drop to under 5 seconds when changing how we navigate home 4K resolution and high dynamic range. you see voice control—especially as we move to 5G. entertainment experiences. We’ve At the same time, there has been a it relates to audio/video and home Fourth is the rise of streaming only just begun to see how AI will move away from traditional A/V compo- entertainment—going over the next services and podcast options. rewrite the future of entertainment. nents to soundbars and app-based, couple of years? Streaming services like Spotify have all-in-one wireless audio systems that SD: Voice is the next computer forever changed content ownership The full version of this interview ultimately sacrifice quality for simplicity interface. Speech recognition has and access. appears on soundandvision.com.

22 FEBRUARY/MARCH 2018 soundandvision.com This Just In... By Mark Fleischmann Amazon’s New Fire TV is a cube-shaped dongle that brings Ultra HD to a middling price point of $70. Does it speak Alexa? Of course!...

options proliferating, they may view pay-TV as an “antiquated service”...

Online Viewing is the only kind a quarter That will enable it to work of viewers under 35 are Netflix HDR Support from in-wall and tabletop interested in, says an Adobe now reaches iPhone 8, touchscreens along with Digital Insight study. Another iPhone X, and iPad Pro lighting and other 30 percent say they expect devices and includes Dolby functions... to cut the cord within two Vision HDR. Android users years... were already getting it on Pioneer Added Dolby the LG G6, Samsung Galaxy Vision DirecTV Now Note 8, and Sony Xperia ZX to the 2016-vintage Elite Philo surround products including added streaming of CBS Premium... SC-LX901, -801, -701, -501, is the name of a sports-free the DRX-R1, -7, -5, -4, -3, and and CW local channels in a VSX-LX301, and -101; and skinny streaming bundle -2 receivers and the DRC-R1 dozen markets including The Fire HD 10 the non-Elite VSX-1131 and that will feature program- pre/pro. It has also updated Detroit, Philadelphia, and is Amazon’s first tablet to -831. 2017 models have it on ming from Viacom, AMC, such models as the THX San Francisco, raising the feature the Alexa voice board... A+E, Scripps, and Discovery Ultra–certified DRC-R1.1 pre/ roster of local channels platform. It boasts a 1080p for less than $20 a month. pro and THX Select–certified to 155. You can also get display and Dolby Atmos T-Mobile’s Data It’s named after Philo DRX-R1.1 and DRX-7.1 AVRs, Showtime for another $8 speakers, starting at $149 for Throttling Farnsworth, inventor of all with Atmos, DTS:X, and a month... 32 GB and $189 for 64 GB... threshold has risen from 32 television... UHD HDBaseT... to 50 GB per month. That Dish Brought Netflix A Roku Smart Speaker compares favorably with Comcast Is Upping Broadcast-Only TV to the Hopper 3 DVR in 2016. may be in the works. The Sprint (23 GB), AT&T, and the cost of its Broadcast TV Homes Now Netflix also works on company is recruiting Verizon (both 22 GB)... and Regional Sports have risen by 41 percent to up to six 4K Joey boxes, experts on audio, voice Network services by $3.50 to 15.8 million over the past making Dish the first pay- recognition, and a “voice The Holiday Shopping $14.50 a month. These very five years, says a study by TV outfit to make the pop- user interface designer,” Season charges have attracted a Nielsen and broadcaster ular streaming service reports Variety... was over in September for class-action consumer ION Media. They have a multi-room... 8.3 percent of forward- lawsuit claiming Comcast median age of 34.5, versus Bose Added Google thinking shoppers, said the “secretly and repeatedly” 39.6 in total TV households... Roku’s Streaming Assistant annual survey of bestblack- increased them and employ- Stick+ to its QuietComfort 35 II friday.com. Last year the ees “explicitly lie” by calling Cord Cutting Is ($70) has UHD, HDR, and noise-canceling head- figure was 9.6 percent... them government-related Rampant four times the range of phones ($349). Just press fees and taxes... among new pay-TV sub- previous models. Save, if you the handy Action button on Harman International scribers, with a quarter of must, with the merely HD the left earcup... laid off 650 U.S. and Integra Added Dolby them likely to cancel within Express+ ($40) and Express European employees in the Vision six months, a TiVo study ($30)... Yamaha MusicCast wake of its acquisition by to seven 2016-vintage finds. With streaming now integrates with the RTI Samsung. Audiophiles and URC home control fervently hope the budget- platforms. cutting ax will spare the legendary research and testing facility in Northridge, California, which has done so much to expand the science of audio...

soundandvision.com 23 THE VERDICT The Astell & Kern Michelle brings JH Audio headphone sound down to a Hands new, more affordable price. Astell&Kern Michelle Limited Headphones

By Steve Guttenberg Astell&Kern Michelle Limited Headphones Performance A Sound Investment Build Quality Comfort PRICE $399 Value AT A GLANCE SOUND & VISION READERS UE900S’s sound was more neutral probably know about Astell&Kern’s Plus but less fun. portable high-resolution digital The Michelle Limited is more Q Most affordable ever three- audio players. But I’m guessing transparent, with more way from the designer you’re less aware of Jerry Harvey precise imaging, but Q Uber comfy Audio’s in-ear headphones, which the ample bass will Q have found favor not only with Vivacious sound either be wel- audiophiles, but also musicians and comed or sound pro sound engineers who make up Minus like too much of a sizeable percentage of Harvey’s Q The voluptuous bass might a good thing. customer base. The Michelle be too much of a good Personal tastes Limited in-ear headphones from thing loud without vary, but I will Astell&Kern were designed by distorting, and say that when I’m Jerry Harvey. when I pushed listening away from Harvey is definitely one of the he used in his JH11Pro headphones, them a lot louder home, a little extra most interesting designer-engineers and the high-frequency driver came than I normally low end helps mask some I’ve ever met. The other guys are from his Triple-Fi ’phones. The listen, my ears of the rumble of a train, plane, mostly straight-up techies, and Jerry Michelle Limited also features ergo- cried uncle or bus. At home in a quiet room, the has that in him, but he’s also a rocker nomically shaped injection-molded before the bass could be intrusive. with decades of on-the-road earpieces and two sets of flat Michelle Limited I also auditioned the Michelle experience doing stage monitor silver-plated copper braided cables, did! Limited with an Astell&Kern KANN mixes for Van Halen, Kiss, Morrissey, one with a standard 3.5mm plug, the I mostly used the music player. The combination KD Lang, the Cult, and many, many other with a 2.5mm balanced plug. Michelle either plugged directly into revealed the quieter details and more. He invented in-ear stage I’ve favorably reviewed a number my iPhone 6S or with an AudioQuest ambience in jazz singer Patricia monitors for musicians, and that of JH Audio headphones over the DragonFly Red digital converter Barber’s Cafe Blue album. These eventually led to consumer in-ear years, but the Michelle Limited is plugged into the 6S for my listening headphones seemed to let more of models. Harvey retired from sound lighter and more comfortable than the tests on the go. the music come through when mixing in 2015 to devote himself others. More good news: Michelle Elvis Costello and the Roots’ Wise teamed with the KANN. full-time to the headphone business Limited goes for less than half of the Up Ghost album is one of EC’s better The Astell&Kern Michelle Limited he founded in 2007. lowest-price three-way Jerry Harvey late efforts, thanks in large part to the sells for $399, joining the range of The Michelle Limited features Audio model, the $845 JH 10X3 Pro. Roots’ hard-hitting rhythms. Cost- much higher-end Jerry Harvey– Jerry Harvey Audio’s patented That one is made in Harvey’s Orlando, ello’s word play is energized by the designed models AK sells, the $999 FreqPhase crossover technology Florida factory, while the Michelle band, and when I took the liberty of Rosie, $1,999 Roxanne II, and the that’s said to correct time and phase Limited is made in South Korea. comparing the Michelle Limited with $2,999 Layla II in-ear headphones.- alignment for the three balanced Harvey’s really proud of the the Logitech UE900S in-ears, which armature drivers in each Michelle Limited, and while it’s a have four balanced armature drivers earpiece. To keep costs consumer model, he says it can per earpiece, I wasn’t sure what to SPECS down, Harvey selected be used by pros on expect. Right away, the Michelle Type: Universal fit in-ear • Driv- the low- and mid- stage. He told me Limited’s bigger and altogether more ers: Balanced armature (3 per frequency they can play potent low end did a better job earpiece) • Impedance: 18 ohms drivers crazy massaging my eardrums, while the • Noise Isolation: –26 dB

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Call Toll Free 1-866-243-1001 or visit us at CinemaShop.com Call to speak with a product expert, or to receive our free color catalog and informative CinemaShopper newsletter. Dealer and Reseller Inquiries Welcome PERFECT FOCUS TV Watchers Signals Get ‘Serious’ Third-party research commissioned by LG has ken c. pohlmann identified a phenomenon called the Weird Sick Aberrant Serious Watcher. “Many Americans will do almost anything to watch their favorite content,” the study warns. It Takes a Nearly one in three said they would break up with their significant other for spoiling the Licking and ending of a beloved show. Another 42 percent say they know more about favorite characters Keeps on than about their own friends. Three-quarters miss social events to allow more TV time. Ticking But this highway watch is an all- Thirty-seven percent skip their own chil- analog device. In a sense, that makes it dren’s birthday parties, sporting events, school I was late to class that timeless. After some tweaking, it seems plays, or PTA meetings if they conflict with morning. So I was a bit to run as well as it did when it left the an important show. Twenty-two percent have over the speed limit, Japanese factory probably some 50 years missed multiple events. A whopping 82 per- astride my trusty BMW ago. Same thing is true with my analog cent sometimes put kids to bed early—and R50/2 motorcycle, heading into town audio gear. With periodic maintenance, 59 percent do so routinely—to get them out and onto campus. I spotted something and due respect for its age, it works of the TV den. One-third would cut short a shiny lying in the middle of the highway. extremely well. I’m not sure I can think family trip. No time to explore—I was late. of many digital devices—even ones of Employers, please note: 80 percent of these But on the way home that night, my much younger vintage—that I can say folks watch TV at work, 24 percent have called weak (6-volt, you know) headlight saw the same about. They tend to be either in sick to watch TV, and 20 percent have that glimmer again, now on the side of broken or obsolete to the point of being missed a deadline while “working” at home. the highway. I braked and circled back. unusable. Serious Watching “is a way of life” among Lying in the gravel was a Seiko wrist- Yes, objectively speaking, neither my millennials, says the study. It plays a part in the watch, a considerable find for a starving old wristwatch nor my analog audio gear love lives of 78 percent, and more than a third student. Boy, it was beat up, but it was can hold a candle to the modern digital include favorite shows in their dating profiles. still ticking. I wore that watch through- stuff. Analog audiophiles will deny it, Eighty-three percent have skipped a party to out college, then put it in a box, prefer- and I respect their opinion in that stay home and watch TV. ring other, more modern watches regard, but I fully trust analytical mea- The research, from an undisclosed but sure- instead. surements that clearly show that good ly unimpeachable source, did not tackle what analog audio gear is sonically inferior to activities people skip to listen to vinyl. Sometimes the “best” good digital audio gear. And anyone who “TV consumption today is no longer a pas- believes that an analog wristwatch is sive, leisurely American activity,” says LG exec product isn’t the one that more accurate than a digital one needs to Michelle Fernandez. “Consumers have height- performs the best. get their head examined. ened emotional connections to their favorite And one more point. I have a couple shows and characters, and it’s woven into their of wristwatches, all of them newer than everyday lives. Recognizing this phenomenon Forty years slipped by. I opened the that one. They are electric and digital early on, LG was the first to introduce the box and took out the watch. It was and very accurate. They don’t have deep transformative OLED technology to television, stopped, of course. But it was a self- scratches in the case and cracks in the enabling the Serious Watcher to enjoy their winder, so I gently rocked it, and it began crystal where cars ran over them. But I’ll favorite entertainment on the TV that’s been to tick. Seconds, minutes, hours, and let you guess which one is my favorite. hailed by experts as the best ever.” calendar days. Welcome back, old friend. And if any of them is still around a Well, that should help.—MF Except that it was slow, ridiculously slow. hundred years from now, I can Hmm, was that the reason why I was guess which one will be of greater always chronically late to class? As a interest to collectors. That’s not timekeeping device, it was pretty much because my analog watch is better useless. But I bought a watchmaker’s at keeping time than my digital wrench and screwed open the back plate. watches, it’s because it is a better There was a small lever for adjusting watch. You see, sometimes the speed. After some trial and error, I got its “best” product isn’t the one that accuracy exactly dialed in. performs the best. That’s the thing Here’s the thing: If the watch had been about analog audio gear: I love it a modern, electronic, GPS-reading, com- not because it performs the best, puter-driven device, it probably would but because it gives me the great- have been impossible or impractical to est satisfaction. And that makes it repair. And if it had been a few years old, better. it would have been practically obsolete Anyway, if you lost a self-wind- anyway, its old operating system unable ing Seiko on a rural Illinois high- to run new apps. I would have tossed it way in the ’70s, let me know. I into my already overflowing tub of junk have your watch. It keeps really digital electronics, or just thrown it away. good time.

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martinlogan.com PERFECT FOCUS Shack, BBY Apptitude Look to Adapt Left for dead at the side of the road, michael antonoff RadioShack is still twitching. Follow- ing its latest bankruptcy filing, it has emerged with a reorganization plan that would mix an online presence with 400 Time Lords of independently owned dealerships and 27 company-owned stores in Colorado, YouTube Texas, and New York. Eight new Radio- Shacks have recently opened, and Streaming video has gone another 18 are being considered. However, from VHS- to DVD- RadioShack probably will not return to the to 1080p- to 4K quality days when it lived in a $200 million HQ in over the decade. Yet, left Fort Worth, overseeing an empire of 7,000 behind were some extremely useful stores nationwide. navigational controls that we took for Best Buy, meanwhile, is determined not granted on our “ancient” VCRs or DVD to go the way of RadioShack. Five years players. They included slow motion, into its own turnaround strategy, it has smooth fast-forward, and the ability to announced a new plan called Best Buy 2020 bookend any segment for looping to our that would build on its Geek Squad and IT heart’s content. prowess to move further into connected- So, when 12-year-old YouTube finally home tech. In-Home Advisor sends help admitted this past summer that one speed to your door and has been rolled out to all doesn’t necessarily fit all and introduced major markets. Vivint, for home automation variable play speeds to its mobile apps, I At the opposite end of the speed dial, and security, is expanding to 450 stores. The was thrilled that something old was new smooth fast-forward lets you scan past the new Total Tech Support would soup up the again. And it wasn’t just one slow-mo speed boring parts or non-essential content Geek Squad with installation, setup, repair, but three (0.25x, 0.5x, and 0.75x). And without inadvertently skipping over por- other in-home services, and a combination there were now three fast-mo speeds tions you do want to watch. Whether it’s a of phone, online, and in-store support for (1.25x, 1.5x, and 2x)—all full screen and lecture in which you only need to review $199/year or $20/month. An Assured Living none of them choppy. The serial thumbnail the portion on a subject you’ve been pilot would help people monitor aging par- stills seen as we dragged a finger along the assigned to write about or a B-movie in ents.—MF scrub bar hoping to spot an approximate which you only care about a certain actress landing point for normal play was no when she comes on screen, you can’t beat longer compulsory. And good riddance! the time-saving efficiency of fast-mo. So, why the fuss over variable speed? If So, how do you invoke a speed other the point is to watch a movie effortlessly than normal on an iOS or Android device? from beginning to end, then all you need to The controls are not in plain sight when you load YouTube. You must tap the video once, then tap the three vertical dots in the YouTube admits that one upper-right corner of the screen. Tap the Charter Union speed doesn’t necessarily playback speed option, then select the Turns Up Heat speed at which you’d like the video to play. fit all. Subsequent videos will play at that speed Spectrum cable subscribers buffeted by until you change it. constant rate hikes may be surprised to learn All the variable play speeds are accom- that parent company Charter Communica- touch is Play/Pause. But there are plenty of panied by audio, though 0.75x and 1.25x tions is actually cutting employee retirement viewers who use their players more inter- are more decipherable than the extreme and medical benefits. The International actively. They want to study a scene or speeds. Listening to an action sequence Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, Local 3, is savor a moment. It could be a highly in slow-mo is eerie but adds another turning up the heat, buying TV air time to let choreographed fight that in normal play dimension to grasping the choreography customers know about a strike in progress moves too fast to be fully appreciated. It of punches, kicks, grunts, and crashing since March 2017. Residents of the Upper could be an explosion in which objects are objects. Captioning is visible at any speed. West Side of Manhattan saw employees flying across the screen at such high During slow-mo, the text lingers, helping demonstrating for several months outside velocity that you can’t really see what’s you understand what’s being slurred at low Spectrum’s storefront in the West Nineties. happening. Or they enjoy spotting the octave. Fast-mo calls upon your skill as a The company in turn accuses employees goofs: the microphone in frame for a split speed-reader. of vandalism. This news item will travel to second or an out-of-place smile on an actor I’m disappointed that YouTube didn’t my editors through a Spectrum broadband that should have been cut. add A-B looping. For that you’ll have to connection. Following recent There’s a ton of instructional videos on use a browser to go to a site unrelated to service outages, a cheer- YouTube where slow-mo can help you YouTube called YouTubeSlow.com where ful and hardworking learn a dance move, study a gymnastics you can paste the address of a specific Spectrum employee routine, or improve your golf swing. If YouTube video to play. You’ll be able to rewired my apart- you’re re-creating a recipe being demon- mark any part of the action to replay ment. That solved my strated on an iPad in your kitchen, slow-mo endlessly—even in slow motion, if so problem, but what allows you to keep up. desired. Now, that’s entertainment! about his? I hope he gets to keep his benefits.—MF 28 FEBRUARY/MARCH 2018 soundandvision.com Audiophiles rejoice...again.

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The Audio Den, NY Crescendo Fine Audio, CO Speaker Shop, NY Audio Video Solutions, NV Definition Audio, CA Audio Vision SF, CA AV Creative Concepts, FL Sweet Spot Audio & Records, TX Interseckt, FL Galen Carol Audio, TX Blink High End, MA Hi-End Theater & Audio, TX Adirondack Audio, NY Northcoast Audio, CA Hi-Fi Sales, NJ Alma Audio, CA Hi-Fi Heaven, WI Glenn Poor’s Audio/Video, IL Absolute Audio, NM Audio Center, FL Fidelis A/V, NH J-Corder, WA USA Tube Audio, AZ technics.com Value Electronics, NY Sunny Components, CA AVWORX, UT PERFECT FOCUS Q&A Is Cord al griffin Cutting Just a Scratch? Audio for Analysts can’t seem to make up their minds about cord cutting. Video expensive, option is to buy a bookshelf-based 5.1 We’ve covered loads of studies speaker system and add a pair of in-ceiling asserting that viewers are shift- I have a Samsung HDTV and use speakers for the height channels. The second ing from traditional pay-TV to the set’s analog minijack output would be a system that uses tower speakers for other viewing options. But some to route an audio signal to my the front left/right channels with Atmos Enabled analysts demur, and occasion- NAD integrated amplifier. Here’s speaker modules situated on top. Systems fitting ally we’ve cited them too. my question: Would using an HDMI switcher/ that bill are available from companies such as The latest contrarian take is a audio extractor that has HDMI inputs and Definitive Technology, ELAC, and Klipsch, report from the Video Adver- HDMI and RCA-jack audio outputs increase though with each of those options you’ll be tising Bureau which says pay-TV sound quality? I have been told that using pushing the outer limit of your $2,000 budget. subscriptions are holding steady such a device would actually decrease audio As for Atmos setup, you’ll need to either at 83 percent of households. performance. install the speakers yourself (see “The Connected Based on Nielsen data, the report James P. Landolt / via e-mail Life” on page 32) or hire a professional installer if says 71 percent of homes use you go the in-ceiling route. For the tower-based streaming to complement—not There are loads of devices available on sites like option, you simply place the Atmos Enabled replace—pay-TV. Calling cord Amazon that can extract audio from an HDMI modules on top of the main left and right cutting a “false narrative,” VAB’s input, most in the under-$30 range. I wouldn’t speakers (ELAC, Definitive Technology, and CEO Sean Cunningham says expect any of these to improve audio quality in Klipsch) or run an additional speaker wire even the most frequent streaming your setup, however, since you will likely be connection to power the built-in top-firing viewers still “watch eight times as swapping out the cheap digital-to-analog con- drivers (select Klipsch models). For electronics much TV as they do streaming verter (DAC) in your TV for a cheap DAC in an setup, all you’ll need to do is configure the video.” outboard converter box. Another problem: You’ll Surround Back/Height speaker output con- His narrative is supported by make your setup more complicated by adding an nections for Atmos Height speakers in the Sony J.D. Power, which gives consumer extra component to the mix. receiver’s setup menu. satisfaction with pay-TV 710 On the other hand, if your integrated amp has points out of a possible 1,000, digital audio inputs, you could buy an HDMI I’ve owned my Panasonic plasma TV for seven though that’s down from 724 last switcher/audio extractor with optical and/or years but am now wondering about its life year. Eight percent plan to drop coaxial digital outputs and use one of those jacks expectancy. Refresh rate, viewing angle, and, pay-TV, an improvement from to connect to your amp. That way, you’ll be using in particular, aspect ratio control are major nine percent last year. the NAD’s built-in DAC to handle conversion, concerns for my next TV. Can any of the latest Muddying the waters is TVs display a constant aspect ratio regardless another study from Hearts of signal source? & Science, an agency of the Would using an HDMI switch- Joe Nagy / via e-mail Omnicon Media Group, saying er with my TV and integrated that the habits of millennials Most TVs provide Zoom and Stretch controls and gen-Xers (MGX) are hard amp increase sound quality? that will allow you to consistently fill the set’s to measure. Traditional TV 1.78:1 (or 16:9) screen area when viewing movies accounts for 10 of their estimated that have either a squarish 1.33:1 aspect ratio or a 30 hours of weekly viewing, but which will likely provide better sound quality wide aspect ratio—typically 2.35:1. The effect of the remainder is hard to mea- than a direct analog connection from the TV. selecting these modes will be to eliminate the sure because ratings outfits like Some advice: If you do decide to buy an inex- black bars located at the top and bottom or sides Nielsen are still figuring out pensive HDMI audio converter, be careful when of the picture. how to measure content and ad shopping online. Look for a unit that has plenty Having said that, I wouldn’t characterize using viewing on phones, tablets, and of positive user reviews, and check to see that the a TV’s Zoom and Stretch controls as maintaining other streaming devices. Nearly seller offers a money-back return policy. “a constant aspect ratio.” What you’re essentially half of MGXers say they watch doing when you apply these modes is distorting no traditional TV at all.—MF I have a home theater system based around a images to make them conform to the TV’s fixed Sony STR-DN1080 7.2-channel receiver and am 16:9 aspect ratio display. The sides on a quest to pick up new speakers to use for of the picture will be cut off, and Dolby Atmos. What’s the best speaker match in circular objects can end up looking the $1,000-to-$2,000 range? Also, how would I like footballs. If you have an inter- hook everything up to optimize the system for est in experiencing a movie as its Atmos? director intended for it to be seen, Ernest Walker / via e-mail a far better option is to accept and live with any black bars on your There are two Atmos speaker options I can TV’s screen. think of that fit your price range. The first, less

30 FEBRUARY/MARCH 2018 soundandvision.com The Perfect Portable Audio Gifts Still wracking your mind for that perfect audio gift for budding DXGLRSKLOHVMHWVHWWLQJWUDYHOHUVRUVPDUWSKRQHD¿FLRQDGRV" The unparalleled pair of OPPO Digital’s PM-3 Closed-Back Planar 0DJQHWLF+HDGSKRQHVDQG+$6(3RUWDEOH+HDGSKRQH$PSOL¿HU and USB DAC makes for accurate audio for hours on end. HA-2SE is available for $299 from oppodigital.com and from select retailers across the country.

PM-3 headphones are available for $399 from oppodigital.com and from select retailers across the country. PERFECT FOCUS Dirac Plays The Connected Life Sweet Music john sciacca Dirac Research, maker of high-end room correction systems, has teamed up with Symphonova to integrate its Installing In-Wall/ technology into a working orchestra. The result is a form of hybrid human and machine Ceiling Speakers: music making. Symphonova is a 12- Part 2 member orchestra augmented Last month’s column detailed the with custom Symphonova first part of the process of installing loudspeakers and the Sympho- new speakers. Since planning before nova wand, a gesture-based cutting is a massive part of retrofitting the speaker wire to it using electrical control device. To make the new speakers, that column focused on making sure tape. (Be sure to use CL-rated wire small orchestra sound like a you could actually install speakers where you want. for in-wall installations.) Now go large one, the Symphonova This involved determining the best wiring route to the back to the attic (or crawlspace) Instrumental Loudspeakers new speakers and ensuring the route was clear of any and pull the rod back along with the don’t merely play prerecorded obstacles like wall purlins. wire and take it to your desired speaker parts—each speaker is a So, starting part two, our route is mapped out, holes locations. Be sure to keep speaker wiring as far “virtual soloist.” Acoustic flaws are drilled through the top plate in the attic (or bottom from electrical wiring as possible, crossing at 90 are addressed by the Sympho- plate into the crawl space), and we’re ready to pull wire degrees if necessary. nova Virtual Acoustic System, and install the new speakers. You’ll need your cordless Pro Tip: Electrical wire staples are perfect for which uses eight-channel drill, drill bits, Creep-Zit rod, electrical tape, drywall securing wiring and keeping it out of the way. Just Dirac Live miniDSPs to align saw, wall box and plate, CL-rated speaker wire, pencil, don’t hammer the staple in too hard as you don’t want the human and virtual soloists level, wire strippers, and your new speakers. Let’s get it to pinch the cabling or penetrate the jacket. with the venue. to work! Dr. Shelley Katz, creator Step 3: Cut in Speakers of Symphonova, cites the Step 1: Cut in Wall Box As a general rule, round speakers tend to look better technology as a peaceful Now that we know we can get wire to our new speak- in the ceiling as they blend in with existing, round can form of the coming artificial- ers, we need to cut in a wall box like an Arlington LV1 lights, whereas rectangular speakers fit in with other intelligence revolution that at our home run. Measure and match the height of squarish items on the wall. Your new speakers will “creates new jobs and opportu- nearby wall boxes, and then get your pencil and level come with a cutout template, which makes installation nities” while “delivering a and trace the box, drawing a straight, square mark on much easier. If you’re installing in the ceiling, you can symphonic experience” to the wall for the new box and cutting it out using the tape the template to the ceiling and run a 3/16-inch people in places where that drywall saw. Don’t install the box yet. bell hanger bit through the center, and then check the is rare. However, in theory, location of the bit in the attic to confirm you’re clear of Symphonova might actually Step 1A: Did You Find an Obstruction? everything. Now place the template at your desired make more money by If you found an obstruction during your wall speaker location, trace it with your pencil, and cut downsizing ensembles in out the drywall with your saw. After you remove the lucrative theatrical produc- sheetrock, pull enough wire through the hole so tions that could well afford a Last month we covered you can set the speaker on top of a ladder to make full orchestra.—MF planning. Now we’re ready connections. Strip the wire and connect it to the to pull wire and install. speaker. Place the speaker into the wall/ceiling and, using a low-clutch setting on your drill, screw it into the wall being sure not to over-tighten the screw, which investigation, you’ll need to drill it. Staying in line with can damage your wall or the speaker. If installing a the box you just cut in, determine the point just above rectangular speaker, check that the speaker is level the obstruction and cut in another single-gang wall before you tighten it all the way. Attach the grille. box. This should reveal the obstacle just below your Pro Tip: Put down a blanket or tarp below where hole. Drill a hole large enough for the speaker wiring you’re cutting and place the empty speaker box downwards through this, staying in the center as beneath the wall or ceiling while cutting. This will catch much as possible. After you finish wiring, you can a lot of the drywall dust and make cleanup easier. either repair/repaint the drywall or install a wall box and cover it with a blank plate to provide easy access if Step 4: Install Wall Boxes and Connect you ever want to do more retro work. the Wire After you finish wiring, install the wall box at the home Step 2: Run the Wire run and pull the speaker wire through a passthrough Go into the attic (or crawlspace) and slide the plate (e.g., DataComm 45-0001-WH). Leave enough Creep-Zit rod into the hole you drilled and guide wire to comfortably reach your amplifier, strip back, it to the home run wall box. If you had to cut in an and connect. (Make sure the amp is off when making additional box at step 1A, you should be able to reach new connections.) Configure your receiver for the new into the wall and guide the rod through the hole you speakers and enjoy! drilled. Retrieve the rod at the home run and secure

32 FEBRUARY/MARCH 2018 soundandvision.com PERFECT FOCUS Reference Tracks “What if we try that, then that?” mike mettler And that’s what led to the cello riff—the “da-na-na-na” part— which is one of the most chilling David Coverdale Adds a Special Aural Bite to moments of the record, I think. 30th Anniversary Whitesnake Box Set MM: Agreed. Given all the options we have these days, how would David Coverdale you prefer people listen to this was at the cross- box set? roads when he DC: Any way they want, as long as beat a retreat to the the music connects with them. south of France with guitarist My feeling is, I spend a lot of time John Sykes to work on the demos writing as many human elements for what would become the into the songs as I can—love, biggest album of his career, 1987’s heartbreak, the search for mega-multimillion-selling direction. I mean, I love trees and Whitesnake—or, as it’s better I’m a huge environmentalist, but I known internationally, 1987 in can’t write songs about tree- Europe, and Serpens Albus in hugging. Japan. (The phraseSerpens Albus, Whenever I’m getting ready for which can be seen adorning the a writing session, I listen to ’60s band’s iconic seal/logo on the Motown, Stax, Muddy Waters, and album cover designed by Hugh Willie Dixon. They’re really inspir- Syme, is Latin for, of course, ing to me because that music is Whitesnake.) perfectly played and perfectly To celebrate the 30th anniver- arranged with beautiful poetry, sary of the album that spawned great melodies, and great singers. such massive FM hits as “Here I What more could you ask for? Go Again,” “Is This Love,” and “Still So when I create a song like of the Night,” Rhino has uncoiled “Here I Go Again,” I want peo- an exhaustive 4-CD/1-DVD box ple to put it in their pockets to set featuring a disc of demos titled accompany them on their journey. 87 Evolutions, properly mastered averse to the idea of doing ‘Here mixes for Whitesnake in ten days, That’s a good deal for me. live bootlegs, and four of-era I Go Again’ again,” Coverdale after I got the all-clear from my videos remastered in surround admits. “John Sykes, though, was ENT—my ear, nose, and throat An extended version of the sound on DVD. very averse. He loved all the new doctor—who, thank God, saved Mettler-Coverdale Q&A, includ- While it’s clear the writing team stuff we had—as I did—but I said, my life. He said to me before my ing a discussion of how “Is This was well on its way to creating one ‘John, we could do a really great surgery, “There’s a 50/50 chance Love” was almost given away to of the decade’s most iconic hard- version of it!’ I had no idea it would you may not be able to sing in the Tina Turner, appears in the S&V rock records, Whitesnake’s label at then become the biggest f---ing same way.” But I actually added an Interview blog on soundandvision. the time, Geffen, had also asked song in the Whitesnake universe.” octave to what I could do. com. Coverdale if they could do more (I ain’t wastin’ no more time, “FM-friendly” versions of “Here I indeed.) MM: You’re much more out front Go Again” and “Crying in the Coverdale, 66, and I got on the in these 1987 mixes, that’s for CD & DVD Rain,” a pair of songs originally line to dissect the critical change sure. LABEL: Rhino found on the band’s 1982 album, in his vocals on the original album, DC: For me, to listen to isolated AUDIO FORMATS: 44.1-kHz/16-bit PCM Stereo (CD), 96-kHz/24-bit PCM Saints & Sinners. “That was what I why he loves the new 5.1 mixes for tracks from the 1987 project has Stereo (download), 96-kHz/24-bit had always called The Contractual those iconic videos, and the reason been breathtaking. Dolby Digital 5.1 (DVD) Obligation Album, so I wasn’t the core Whitesnake songs retain We also remastered the videos, NUMBER OF TRACKS: 51 (43 on 4 such universal appeal. which I don’t even think was ever CDs, 8 on 1 DVD) done before. It was exciting to LENGTH: 5:02:55 (3:56:56 on 4 CDs, MM: Did you feel any change remix “Still of the Night,” “Here I 1:05:59 on 1 DVD) in your vocal character in Go Again,” “Is This Love,” and PRODUCERS: David Coverdale terms of what you sang “Give Me All Your Love” to get rid (executive producer), Mike Stone, Keith Olsen (original album), Dave on the Whitesnake album, of some of those ’80s “tinkerbells” Donnelly (remastering), Michael following the vocal surgery Keith Olsen [the original album’s McIntyre (remastering, 5.1 & stereo you had to clear up a sinus co-producer] talked me into. remixing) infection? And on the Evolutions disc, you ENGINEERS: Jeremiah “Luke” Wynn DC: No, I think it was can hear how we never rested. For (box set), Tom Gordon (87 Evolutions disc), Bjorn Thorsud (Pro Tools), Greg more… (pauses) You could example, I thought “Still of the Fulginiti (original album mastering) hear me better. On the ear- Night” was really spectacular, but lier records, my voice was the solo sequence was kind of PERFORMANCE always back in the mix. ordinary. It was like what you’d

Neil Zlozower We did all of the vocal expect, you know? I said to John, SOUND

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R … Yes, it does deliver the sort of performance previously no-object speakers.” – Dennis Burger, Home Theater Review THIS MONTH’S HOT NewGear STUFF... J Bowers & Wilkins PX Noise-Canceling Wireless Headphones The PX headphones, Bowers & Wilkins’s first adaptive noise-canceling model, are designed to optimize background noise isolation without distorting the music. They use aptX HD technology, which enables 24-bit resolution over Bluetooth, and provide three noise-canceling modes, each of which can be customized using a free app: “City” mixes in traffic noise so you don’t get run over, “Office” removes background noise without obliterating speech so you can hear your boss yelling at you, and “Flight” cancels jet engine noise. Smart Phones: The PX’s 1.6-inch drivers are angled to produce a “more convincing soundstage,” but what’s really cool is how embedded sensors power up the ’phones when you put them on and turn them off when you remove them. Battery life is rated for 22 hours in wireless mode with noise cancelation engaged. Available with gray or gold aluminum accents. Price: $399 Bowers & Wilkins • (978) 664-2870 • bowers-wilkins.com

G Ultimate Ears MegaBlast Smart Speaker Amazon might dominate the market for smart speakers, but it’s not the only game in town. MegaBlast, the latest addition to Ultimate Ears’ line of portable wireless speakers, is an app-controlled/voice-enabled speaker that incorpo- rates Amazon’s popular Alexa virtual assistant. In addition to being dustproof and waterproof—its IP67 rating means it can be submerged in up to 3 feet of water—the speaker supports Bluetooth streaming and voice control of music over Wi-Fi from Amazon Music, iHeartRadio, and TuneIn, with Pandora and Deezer coming in the future. Hello Alexa: Voice commands can also be used to control a variety of smart-home-enabled devices once the skills are enabled. Battery life is rated for up to 16 hours, and UE offers a charging dock for $40. Color options include black, white, blue, red, green, and yellow. Price: $300 Ultimate Ears • (646) 454-3200 • ultimateears.com

34 FEBRUARY/MARCH 2018 soundandvision.com J Hisense HU100LN60 Ultra HD ‘Laser’ TV Chinese TV maker Hisense is being a little crafty with its new 100-inch “Laser TV.” As you can see from the photo, the HU100LN60 is actually a video projection system with a wall-hugging, ultra-short-throw projector that beams 4K images onto a lightweight 100-inch screen. Designed for simple tabletop setup, the two-piece system combines a proprietary 20,000-hour laser light source rated at 3,000 lumens with a Texas Instruments 4K DLP chip and an ambient-light-rejecting screen to produce a bright picture in any environment. Cord-Cutter Approved: Hisense’s customiz- able smart TV interface—which provides instant access to Netflix, Amazon Video, Pandora, and other apps—is complemented by a TV tuner that receives local over-the-air broadcasts (antenna required). A 110-watt Harman Kardon speaker system with a wireless subwoofer rounds out the package. Price: $10,000 Hisense • (888) 935-8880 • hisense-usa.com

J Parasound Halo A 52+ Amplifier Parasound asked legendary audio designer John Curl to revisit the highly successful Halo A 52 five-channel power amplifier he designed in 2003. The result is the A 52+, featuring a significant increase in 8-ohm power output—from 125 to 180 watts per channel (255 watts into 4 ohms)—a larger custom-made toroid power transformer to support the higher power output, refined Class A/B circuitry, automatic turn-on, and DC servos and relays to protect the amp and speakers. Balancing Act: Each channel has its own separate module with a balanced XLR and unbalanced RCA input. The amp has a rack mount option and sports a black anodized front panel and solid aluminum end caps. Price: $2,995 Parasound • (415) 397-7100 • parasound.com

D Tivoli Audio Model Sub On-Wall Subwoofer Tivoli has the perfect solution for system builders who want decent bass without having to resort to a décor- destroying boom box. Think of the Model Sub as a subwoofer in disguise with its stylish fabric and wood presentation and super-slim form factor. It uses one active driver and two passive radiators to produce bass and pairs with any of the Wi-Fi-based speakers in Tivoli’s Art Line, or it can be connected to any speaker system through its 3.5mm line input. Goes Anywhere: At 12.6 x 3.5 x 9 inches, the Model Sub weighs only 10 pounds and is slender enough to be mounted on the wall (or slid under the couch if you must hide it) yet stylish enough to stand (or lay flat) out in the open. Three fabric/wood finish options are available: gray/ walnut, gray/white, or black/black. Price: $400 Tivoli Audio • (877) 297-9479 • tivoliaudio.com

soundandvision.com 35 2017 TOP PICKS OF THE YEAR The year 2017 in the world of audio/video gear proved mostly evolutionary, with a touch of the revolutionary thrown in. The former was seen clearly in the flat-panel television category, which wholly gave itself up to not just Ultra HD resolution this year but also to the idea of high dynamic range (HDR) and wide color gamut displays. We saw Dolby Vision finally make its way to a few UHD Blu-ray Discs, and critically, watched OLED mature into a commanding market presence. Meanwhile, we got more, and cheaper, options for 4K signal-friendly front projectors. Audio gear— speakers, AVRs, stereo receivers, and integrated amps (a seemingly resurgent category)—all chugged along, with more equip- ment appearing to offer higher performance at lower prices. If there was a real revolution, though, it was in the explosive growth of the voice-controlled “smart speaker,” those microphone-enabled marvels that have yet to show us all they can and will do. You’ll be hearing more about these in our pages as we move into 2018. In the meantime, here’s our annual list of those Top Pick products we tested last year that, on year-end inspection, warranted an extra mention. As usual, the list reflects gear reviewed in print and online during 2017, which includes our January and February/March 2018 print issues. Prices are suggested retail at the time of our review; as always, check the web for current discounts, especially on the TVs.—Rob Sabin

FLAT-PANEL UHDTVS LG Signature OLED65W7P OLED Ultra HDTV (June) LG delivered on the age-old fantasy of a wallpaper TV with this remarkable execution that combines a flexible 0.15-inch-thick, wall-mounted OLED screen with a separate Dolby Atmos–enabled soundbar. $8,000, lg.com Sony XBR-65A1E OLED Ultra HDTV (November) Using an LG-supplied panel, Sony jumped into the OLED fray with a set offering fabulous image quality while breaking new ground with a unique sound system that uses the display panel itself as the speakers. $5,500, sony.com LG OLED65E7P OLED Ultra HDTV (September) LG improved image quality in its 2017 lineup versus the 2016 offering, notably with an improvement in peak light output for HDR and finer rendering of dark shadows. This model, the third from the top, shares similar image quality with all the others. $5,000, lg.com Vizio M65-E0 LCD UHD Monitor (See “Value”)

36 FEBRUARY/MARCH 2018 soundandvision.com FRONT PROJECTORS & SCREENS JVC DLA-RS4500 4K D-ILA Projector expensive 1080p pixel-shifter on the market (by almost half), allowing (May) JVC added this native-4K statement piece last year while more consumers to enjoy a UHD-compliant projector with near-4K continuing to hone its more affordable 1080p pixel-shifters that resolution and the significant benefits of HDR and wide color gamut. approximate 4K resolution. A laser-driven light engine with razor- $2,200, epson.com sharp, top-line optics combine here with 4K D-ILA LCOS chips that have been handpicked for the highest contrast. An outstanding BenQ HT1070 DLP Projector (See “Value”) flagship in every sense of the word. $35,000, jvc.com Epson Home Cinema 3700 LCD Projector (See “Value”) JVC DLA-X790R D-ILA Projector (December soundandvision.com / April 2018) The middle-tier model Elite Screens AeonCLR Series Ultra Short Throw from JVC’s new lineup of UHD-friendly, 1080p pixel-shifters makes a Screen (See “Value”) good case for skipping native 4K. $6,000, jvc.com Sony VPL-VW285 LCOS Projector (February/March 2018) Facing new competition from affordable DLP- driven projectors that use pixel-shifting to achieve their 4K resolu- tion, Sony introduced a new low price point for a true native 4K model in the well-performing, and only slightly stripped-down, VPL-VW285ES. $5,000, sony.com Epson Home Cinema 4000 LCD Projector (January 2018) At $2,200, the Home Cinema 4000 is the least

channels (enough on board for full 5.1.4 immersive sound), HEOS wireless multiroom, excellent Audyssey room correction, and what A/V RECEIVERS audio editor Mark Fleischmann described as a “sweet and musical” Rotel RAP-1580 Amplified Surround Processor top end. $2,199, us.marantz.com (November) Technically not an A/V receiver (no radio tuner), the seven-channel RAP-1580 (with 7.1.4 Atmos and DTS:X processing) Yamaha RX-A2070 A/V Receiver is expensive, retro-chic beautiful, and heavenly sounding. $3,800, (February/March 2018) A fully equipped nine-channel AVR that rotel.com delivers all the 5.1.4 Atmos/DTS:X goodness you crave, along with Yamaha’s MusicCast multiroom capabilities and, believe it or not, a Marantz SR7011 A/V Receiver few proprietary DSP-driven listening modes that even an audiophile (May) Marantz continues it long line of recommendable premium can love (“Chamber,” anyone?). $1,600, usa.yamaha.com AVRs in last year’s flagship SR7011, with nine powerful amp Outlaw Audio RR2160 Stereo Receiver (November) This incredibly solid, powerfully robust, and retro-looking two-channel receiver, a long-awaited update to Outlaw’s RR2150, is a great-sounding audiophile wonder that hearkens back to the 1970s/1980s dorm room classic while adding modern twists like a fine-quality DAC and PC-friendly USB input. $799, outlawaudio.com Pioneer VSX-832 A/V Receiver (See “Value”)

AUDIO SEPARATES & INTEGRATED AMPS Elac Element EA101EQ-G Integrated Amp/DAC at it, while offering a slew of wireless and connected network features, (April) Elac created in the EA101EQ-G a compact, affordable, hi-res- good sound quality, and not-bad value. $2,399, onkyousa.com friendly audio component with some great features (including auto-EQ and app-enabled subwoofer blending) and what our reviewer Dan Kumin ATI AT527NC/AT524NC Power Amplifiers called “surprisingly audiophile sound.” $699, elac.com (April) Morris Kessler and his team at ATI worked with Hypex Ncore Class D modules to create the first full-range amplifiers of that topology Onkyo PR-RZ5100 Surround Processor they deemed worthy of the ATI name. Our reviewer David Vaughn (October) A fully loaded, state-of-the-art 11.2-channel surround actually traded in his fine Class A/B reference amps to keep these around. processor that plays all manner of $3,695 and $2,595 for seven- and four- Dolby Atmos and DTS:X or channel versions, respectively. ati-amp.com pretty much any hi-res audio file you can throw Emotiva BasX A-500 Power Amplifier (See “Value”)

soundandvision.com 37 2017 TOP PICKS OF THE YEAR

SOURCE COMPONENTS best-selling direct-drive turntable that we simply couldn’t resist Oppo UDP-203 Ultra HD Blu-ray Player reviewing. $1,699, technics.com (May) Oppo updated its premium Blu-ray player lineup for Ultra HD with this solidly built and beautifully engineered piece that handles both HDR10 and Dolby Vision HDR discs, and has become a reference for most of our staff.$549, oppodigital.com Technics SL-1200GR Turntable (February/March 2018) Technics brought back a much improved and equally gorgeous version of its classic,

(June) GoldenEar scored last year with increasingly pricey audio marketplace.” the biggest and best Triton of all, the Pricing is for a 5.1 system. $5,005, SPEAKERS Reference—which, despite its considerable aperionaudio.com GoldenEar Technology Triton price, successfully defended itself against Reference uber-expensive high-end towers going for Revel Concerta2 F36/M16 Loudspeakers nearly ten times its cost. $8,498/pr, Speaker Systems goldenear.com (September, soundandvision.com / November) Revel, Harman’s expensive Paradigm Persona 3F high-end speaker brand, updated its Speaker System affordable Concerta series with a line that, (September) The gorgeously styled as usual, places tonal accuracy and superior and exotically engineered Persona imaging at the top of its attributes. We series represents a high point in reviewed the F36 tower ($2,000/pr) for Paradigm’s history. We tested a 5.1 soundandvision.com and a 5.1 system system based on the 3F tower. based on the M16 bookshelf ($4,050) for $31,000, paradigm.com our November issue. revelspeakers.com MartinLogan ElectroMotion Definitive Technology Demand ESL X Speaker System Series D11 Speaker System (May) ML added a step-up (February/March 2018) Definitive Tech- electrostatic tower and a new hybrid nology kept the hallmark top-mounted electrostatic-planar center to its bass radiators in this revision of the Studio- entry-level ElectroMotion series. The Monitor bookshelf series while upgrading 5.1 system we reviewed, with towers sonics across the board. We tested a 5.1 in the four corners, was sublime. system featuring the D11 and D7 models. $11,395, martinlogan.com $3,196, definitivetechnology.com Aperion Audio Verus II Focal Sib Evo Dolby Atmos 5.1.2 Grand Speaker System Speaker System (See “Value”) (April) Reviewer Tom Norton noted that Aperion’s updated flagship RSL CG3 5.1 Speaker System speaker line, with its tight, detailed (See “Value”) bass, excellent tonal balance, and spacious imaging “offers the sort Q Acoustics 3000 5.1 Speaker of value that’s rare in today’s System (See “Value”)

low-profile, bass-blasting, high-performance TV platform to its SOUNDBARS popular wireless streaming ecosystem. $699, sonos.com Sonos Playbase Soundbase Bluesound Pulse Soundbar (June) After several years of product research, Sonos (June) It’s pricey, but Bluesound added a fine, audiophile-quality added this remarkably soundbar to its proprietary streaming family that delivered excellent dynamics, accurate stereo imaging, and surprising bass extension for such a compact cabinet. $999, bluesound.com Polk MagniFi Mini Soundbar System (See “Value”)

38 FEBRUARY/MARCH 2018 soundandvision.com WIRELESS SPEAKERS Kanto YU6 Desktop Speakers Naim Audio Mu-so Qb Wireless Music System (January 2018) The YU6 powered desktop pair offers Bluetooth wireless, but (June) Naim’s Mu-so Qb wireless multiroom speaker, a compact, cube-like it’s really meant to be the basis of a terrific-sounding, compact music follow-up to the superb Mu-so tabletop system we tested in 2015, brings that system—complete with its own phono stage and an optical input to system’s superb build and sound quality to a smaller form factor. $900, accommodate a TV audio output. $480/pr, kantoaudio.com naimaudio.com Klipsch Three Wireless Speaker Soundcast VG7 Outdoor Wireless (June) Klipsch’s retro-elegant tabletop speaker offers Speaker excellent sound quality and a versatile set of wired (July/August) Soundcast continued a tradition of inputs in a package that’s also compliant with ruggedly built, audiophile-quality outdoor Play-Fi multiroom, Airplay Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth speakers in this 21-pound, $800 Bluetooth wireless. $400, klipsch.com behemoth. gosoundcast.com Audioengine HD3 Desktop Riva WAND Festival and Arena Wire- Speakers less Speakers (July/August) Another in Audioengine’s long line (December) Riva’s first multiroom speakers, the of fine powered desktop systems, the HD3 was Festival and Arena, are versatile thanks to Google lauded by audio editor Mark Fleischmann for delivering Chromecast, AirPlay, and Bluetooth on board, but full, rich sound in a tight space on a tight budget. $399/pr, it’s their remarkable sound quality (and the audioengineusa.com exceptional value of the Arena) that made them really stand out. Festival, $499; Arena, $249; Sonos One Wireless Speaker (See “Value”) rivaaudio.com

SUBWOOFERS system) moves serious air thanks to an enormous JL Audio Fathom IWS-SYS-1 In-Wall Subwoofer 1,700-watt amplifier driving six 8-inch woofers on three (July/August) JL’s innovative mount suspends this system’s long faces of a hexagonal, vibration-canceling cabinet that, all cabinet and low-profile, 13.5-inch woofer between the wall studs told, weighs 118 pounds. $6,500, paradigm.com to guarantee amazing performance with virtually no transfer of vibration into the surrounding structure. $4,500, jlaudio.com Emotiva SB12 Subwoofer (See “Value”) Paradigm Persona SUB Subwoofer RSL Speakers Speedwoofer 10S Subwoofer (September) The Persona SUB (tested as part of a full 5.1 Persona (See “Value”)

he’s never heard from any headphone. $3,999, focal.com HEADPHONES MrSpeakers Aeon Headphones Audeze LCDi4 In-Ear Headphones (October) Though not the most expensive headphones (January 2018) Audeze revolutionized the in-ear head- from MrSpeakers, the closed-back Aeon planar magnetics phone category with its striking open-back, delivered highly natural sound with spacious imaging. planar magnetic models, including $799, mrspeakers.com the state-of-the-art LCDi4 that our headphone maven Steve Audeze iSine 10 In-Ear Headphones Guttenberg called “hands down, (May) These headphones can’t match the transparency of the best-sounding in-ear Audeze’s high-end LCDi4 in-ears, but the far-more-afford- headphone I’ve heard.” able iSine 10 gets you in the ballpark. $399, audeze.com $2,495, audeze.com Astell&Kern Michelle Limited In-Ear Focal Utopia Head- Headphones phones (February/March 2018) By a considerable margin, the (July/August) Audio editor Michelle brings the price of a set of triple armature, Jerry Mark Fleischmann found Harvey-designed in-ear headphones to a new low price Focal’s top-of-the-line model point. $399, astellnkern.com a revelation, citing its ability to create solid, tight images of 1More Quad Driver In-Ear Headphones (See instruments and vocalists that “Value”)

soundandvision.com 39 2017 TOP PICKS OF THE YEAR

VALUE RSL Acoustics CG3 Speaker System and Speedwoofer 10 Vizio M65-E0 LCD UHD Monitor Subwoofer (January 2018) Vizio’s mid-line M Series appeared on our Value list last year (April) RSL delivered solid imaging, timbral accuracy, and better-than- as well, and this year is an even better bargain, with the 65-inch model priced expected dynamics from this compact, affordable 5.1 system that also out of the gate for $200 less while delivering improvements in both image featured the snappy Speedwoofer 10 sub, a Top Pick of the Year from 2016. quality and the Chromecast built in user interface. $1,100, vizio.com $1,079, rslspeakers.com Epson Home Cinema 3700 LCD Projector Q Acoustics 3000 Speaker System (July/August) As 4K content becomes ubiquitous, it’s harder to justify (September) A “smooth, sweet, spacious midrange” from the compact 3010 spending more than a few hundred bucks on a straight, non-pixel-shifting satellites and the well-performing vertical sub featured in this 5.1 system 1080p projector. But the Home Cinema 3700, with its installation flexibility, allowed audio editor Mark Fleischmann to “recommend these speakers to bright picture, and dynamic iris for better contrast and blacks, makes a good budget buyers with unbridled enthusiasm.” $900, qacoustics.com case for stepping up. $1,500, epson.com Polk MagniFi Mini Soundbar System BenQ HT1070 DLP Projector (May) Polk tapped a DSP-driven version of its classic SDA (stereo dimen- (May) At $699, the BenQ HT1070 was, very simply, a good picture for a good sional array) spatial processing and a proprietary six-speaker driver array to price and the best of the under $1K budget projectors we tested last year. deliver both surprisingly neutral tonal balance and a shockingly huge image $699, benq.com from this 13-inch-wide, bargain-priced soundbar. $300, polkaudio.com Elite Screens Aeon CLR Ultra Short Throw ALR Projection Emotiva SB12 Subwoofer Screen (January 2018) Emotiva’s ported 12-incher from its BasX value lineup proved (February/March 2018) Ultra short throw projectors are coming on strong an impressive performer for its price, delivering usable bass down to a as an alternative to oversized (and expensive) flat panels, but they require measured 20 hertz. $399, emotiva.com a special ALR screen for use in ambient light. Elite’s Aeon CLR material offered excellent performance that was nearly the equal of UST screens 1More Quad Driver In-Ear Headphones costing multiples of its price. $799 as reviewed (90-inch, 16:9), (July/August) 1More’s Quad Driver ’phones combine a dynamic carbon elitescreens.com driver and three armatures, all proprietary, inside solid-aluminum earpieces to deliver sound and build quality that greatly betray the asking price. $200, Emotiva BasX A-500 Power Amplifier 1more.com (January 2018) Emotiva’s low-profile Class A/B, five-channel amp represents an inexpensive, robust alternative to the power plant in most A/V receivers. Sonos One Wireless Speaker $499, emotiva.com (December, soundandvision.com / April 2018) Sonos upped its game by introducing a replacement for its high-value Play:1 entry-level speaker Pioneer VSX-832 A/V Receiver featuring Alexa (and soon, Google Assist- (November) This 5.1-channel receiver, which was ant) voice control. $199/pr, sonos.com selling promotionally for about $300 by year end, offers more bells and whistles than most budget AVRs have a right to claim, while delivering robust power on our test bench that exceeded its published specs. $479, pioneerelectronics.com Focal Sib Evo Dolby Atmos 5.1.2 Speaker System (January 2018) Focal updated its sub/sat system featuring egg- shaped satellites to include an Atmos-enabled monitor, but it was this 5.1.2 system’s “remarkable imaging and timbral distinction,” plus its surprising little subwoofer, that most impressed reviewer Dan Kumin. $1,299, focal.com/en

Korg DS-DAC-10R Digital Recorder EXTRAS (December soundandvision.com / April 2018) Elac Discovery DS-101-G Music Korg’s little Swiss Army knife–like box includes a digital-to-analog Server converter (DAC), a phono preamp, a headphone amplifier, and, best (February/March 2018) The Discovery music server, mated of all, a high-quality analog-to-digital converter (ADC) that can with a drive or computer storing your music files, brings you Roon’s (with included software) rip vinyl records straight into hi-res digital respected graphic interface (minus the usual subscription fee) plus an for an LP-on-the-go listening experience. $500, korg.com excellent onboard DAC at a very fair price. $1,099, elac.com

40 FEBRUARY/MARCH 2018 soundandvision.com TOP PICK OF THE YEAR LG OLED65E7P OLED Ultra HDTV (September) The last television to receive our overall Top Pick of the videophiles care about, and the sets have proven formidable Year designation was LG’s 55EC9300 55-inch OLED in 2014. That competition to super-bright LCD displays for viewing HDR and $3,500, 1080p-resolution set was truly groundbreaking, the first wide-gamut content. The LG OLEDs have repeatedly been the affordable full-size OLED display to be offered by any manufacturer best-looking flat-panel displays we and other experts have ever and proof that, just a couple of years after the last plasmas had exited tested, and LG’s ability to continually drive prices down has now the market, the quality gap left by their departure was coming to an created a substantial installed base of happy OLED owners. LG’s end. Since then, the TV market rapidly migrated to Ultra HD, and rivals have clearly taken notice, as evidenced by Sony’s release in the industry began its painfully slow roll-out of critical new UHD 2017 of its own vision for an OLED display, using LG’s proprietary features like high dynamic range (HDR) and wide color gamut, panel. We wouldn’t be surprised to find others following soon. while the availability of 4K content went from a trickle to the steady All this is proof that this new class of display has not only a flow we see today. We recognized the superior image quality of LG’s pretty face, but also the legs to go the distance and establish a OLEDs during this period, but we also knew they could use some new standard of image quality for the mass market. The 65-inch improvement, particularly in their ability to hit the peak highlights OLED65E7P we tested shares similar image quality to LG’s other that are so critical to HDR. Nor were we sure, in the early stages of 2017 models, including the less expensive ones, and offered a picture OLED’s life, if LG’s assurance of reliability for the new sets would so jaw-dropping as to prompt our hyper-critical video technical hold up to a real market test. editor Tom Norton to finally turn away from his beloved plasma Today, any reservations we once had have fizzled. LG has improved and buy one as his new reference. It well deserves to be image quality year-over-year, paying close attention to the areas declared our 2017 Top Pick of the Year. $5,000, lg.com

soundandvision.com 41

STRAIGHT STEER ON STEREO In celebration of our 60th anniver- we evolved, and what it might have been like to be an sary, Sound & Vision will be peeking back enthusiast in those days. throughout this year at our past six decades of cover- The first couple of years following our founding in age. Given our long tenure, our editorial predeces- February 1958 as Hifi & Music Review were largely sors have reported on most of the seminal inventions consumed with the roll-out of the industry’s first two- in the history of consumer audio and video technology channel stereo gear. Equipment coverage and advertis- and have offered up shopping advice, which, to varying ing from those days suggests that there was more than one degrees, can be viewed today as either timeless or charmingly way to skin this cat. There were a variety of new cutting-edge outdated. As much as possible, we will reproduce articles and stereo preamps and integrated amplifiers offered up, some of reviews as they appeared, with the unedited text mated along- which included separate tone controls for each channel to side the original illustrations. We’ll be laying out these articles in account for the mismatch of frequency response between your our modern format for readability but will include scans of the pre-existing speaker and whatever bargain-basement special cover and original page layouts to show how these would have you might have picked up to transform your hopelessly passé appeared if you had picked up that issue at the time of publica- mono rig to stereo. If you weren’t ready to take that step, there tion. I’ll warn our readers now that were less expensive converter boxes that combined a stereo pre- some of what you’ll see will seem amp with a singular power amp channel; you could connect quaint or even politically incorrect your stereo source and one of your two speakers, then send the by today’s standards—as an exam- preamp-out signal for the second channel to your existing mono ple, the photo caption from the amplifier to power your legacy speaker. article below that refers to the But of course, before you model’s “pretty eyes.” (Female could do this, you had to models were frequently used for understand what stereo features in the early days to spice really is and why you want things up for the predominantly it. This article, taken from male audience.) Times have our very first issue, was changed, of course, but in keep- intended to clarify for read- ing to an honest rendering of ers what this brave new our past, we hope to give read- world of hi-fi was all ers a true sense of from where about.—Rob Sabin Stereo—short for stereophonic—is basically a method of enhancing high fidelity sound reproduction through the simultaneous use of two separate hi-fi systems. The background, the present day plans, and the future are discussed in this article. by Robert Cobb

42 FEBRUARY/MARCH 2018 soundandvision.com HERE is a new our photographs. Films have become sensitive to variations in light Tword in the lan- and shade, and finally color film has arrived to provide even more guage of high fideli- realism in our snapshots. Yet only the appearance of the “two-eyed” ty—“stereo.” It is a stereo camera, has enabled us to make pictures of what we see in the word you are likely to way we really see it with both our two eyes. Using two lenses, the be using very often, stereo camera actually takes two slightly different photographs of the whether you are an same thing, which we later see as one composite picture through a old hand at high fidel- stereo viewer, with a sense of realism and depth that is impossible ity or considering with an ordinary camera. We can still get a great deal of pleasure your first visit to an from ordinary photographs, mainly because our own imagination audio shop. It is one provides many elements which are missing in the actual picture, but which will be used certainly we can not deny the further pleasure in what we can see increasingly in the pages of this magazine, for we feel that stereo can through the stereo viewer. add greatly to the enjoyment of music in your home. Stereo as an idea Sound reproduction has developed in much the same way. In 1925, is really not new. Stereo experiments have been going on ever since electrical recording and the “Orthophonic Victrola” made the sibi- the Paris Exposition in 1881. In 1933 Bell Telephone Laboratories lants of human speech audible on a phonograph for the first time. gave successful demonstrations of stereo transmission of a “live” con- Downward extension of frequency response gave the first hint of cert from Philadelphia to Washington for a large audience. But, until what a real organ pedal note could sound like on a record. The advent very recently, there was no way of bringing stereo reproduction into of wide-range reproduction enabled us to hear the overtones of a the living room. To understand why stereo has attracted such a long- violin or a trumpet, supplying standing experimental interest but only now seems ready for home the same improvement in detail use, let’s take a look at what it entails. which fine-grained films and Almost all of us perceive the world around us through two “chan- corrected lenses provided for nels”: two eyes and two ears. If you cover one eye with your hand, the photography. By now the mod- third dimension drops out—almost as if “reality” were painted on a ern high fidelity era has given stage backdrop. What you lose, actually, is your ability to see “around” us clean reproduction of the things, to place objects in their proper perspective and depth. The entire frequency range of the same kind of thing happens when you plug one ear. The radiator hiss- orchestra, with the same kind of ing in the next room continues to hiss, but you can no longer get a realistic results that color film clear idea of how far away and in which direction it is from your ear. made possible for photography. So it seems that the reason for our having two eyes and two ears is What we have been lacking, not only to enable us to see and hear things, but also to give us the however, is the means for add- ability to perceive their location in space. If you have any doubts ing depth and perspective to about the importance of this, you might try something like gauging reproduced sound. This void is the nearness of an approaching automobile using only one eye and now filled by stereo. one ear—but we don’t recommend using it. Credit for making stereo The problem of realistically reproducing what we see and hear sound reproduction practical We perceive the world “in pairs”; involve the same considerations. The development of photogra- for home use must go to mag- two eyes, two ears. The stereo phy is a good case in point. Both cameras and films have steadily netic tape. Tape made it possible camera (above left) and the view- improved since the days of the first pinhole camera. Lenses and shut- to record two separate impres- er (above) have “two channels”— ters have grown more complex, providing more and more detail in sions of a sound on one strip of one for each of her pretty eyes.

“Straight Steer on Stereo” as it appeared in February 1958, Vol. 1, No. 1.

soundandvision.com 43 STRAIGHT STEER ON STEREO tape in a way very similar to taking two pictures of the same thing on Another system is being a roll of film in a stereo camera. By using two magnetic recording developed, however, heads, engineers can place two different impressions of the same which should make thing on separate halves or “tracks” of one tape. If we use a tape stereo broadcasting recorder which has two equivalent magnetic heads to play back the fully satisfying. Called separate tracks and feed them through separate amplifiers and speak- “FM Multiplex,” this er systems, the result is one composite sound of hitherto unheard system manages to fit depth and realism; the overall effect is exactly like the feeling you get both stereo signals into when you remove your hand from one ear. Everything seems natural one FM channel. It and spacious again, and you feel a certain ease in listening. If you requires a special listen to a stereo sound system at your audio dealer’s, it is this sense of attachment for conven- ease and naturalness that will eventually impress you most, although tional FM tuners to you will probably be impressed first by the feeling that you could separate the two signals, actually walk up and shake hands with the orchestra. but the attachment is While most of us are not ready for the intricacies of doing our own simple and inexpensive. stereo recording, almost all the major record companies are now pro- Without it, you will still ducing pre-recorded stereo tapes. To make use of these tapes we do be able to receive nor- not need separate recording heads on our tape machines, and those mal FM. Like stereo of us who don’t want to do any recording of our own can buy so- records, FM Multiplex The effect is the same with the stereo pic- called tape decks which are designed for playback only. To simplify isn’t likely to appear ture. Space enters both sight and sound. home stereo, many component manufacturers are providing sets right away, but it will be which combine the necessary dual amplifier and speaker systems ready for use whenever broadcasters decide that the demand is there. in one unit, and still others are marketing complete stereo systems If HiFi and Music Review has a bias, it is in favor of good sound which separate units. and good music in whatever form we find it. Stereo certainly prom- The promise of a less expensive stereo future was implied in exper- ises to add a great deal to the pleasure of home listening, but pur- imental demonstrations of stereo discs. These outwardly ordinary chasing stereo equipment and tapes or discs requires thought and phonograph records combine two separate signals in a single record planning. Stereo itself can not cover up for poor performance, poor groove and require only one pickup cartridge to transmit the separate recording, or for skimpily designed equipment. signals to their respective amplifiers and speakers. While three man- We hope to be able to help you select stereo equipment wisely. A ufacturers of stereo discs have demonstrated different processes for lot of editorial space in future issues of this magazine will be devoted making them, all three claim that stereo cartridges can be used with- to testing and reporting new out modifications for playing conventional hi-fi systems with the stereo equipment. same result that we get from today’s records. Many difficulties must Reviews of stereo tapes and be overcome, however, before stereo discs make a commercial discs will stress their “stereo appearance. We are not likely to see them in the next month, effectiveness” as well as the although they may well appear within the year. merits of the performance. The The promise of stereo discs creates a problem for the listener who effect of stereo depends very wants stereo but who can’t decide between the advantages of tape and much on careful microphone disc for stereo use. The answer is not as difficult as it might seem at placement in recording. If we first. For those of us who include any kind of tape recorder in plans all listened to music over ear- for a home music system, stereo tape seems the more appealing of phones, recording effectively the two mediums. The additional cost for stereo provisions in a tape would only require placing recorder is not great, and the cost of tape itself, while presumably two microphones in the higher than stereo records, is compensated by its long life and inde- same position our ears would structibility. For those with no eventual interest in home recording, occupy in a concert hall or the stereo disc, with its convenience and lower cost, may be more theater. This kind of record- appealing. There is little reason to fear a war between tape and disc, ing technique, called “bin- for each fits a particular aural,” has been pretty well Stereo music for both ears is also a gain need. You can choose the ruled out by the clumsiness in perspective. one that seems right for of earphones for home listen- you without worry- ing. Other kinds of stereo ing over its becom- recording are more complex, ing obsolete. but more suitable, if done The near future also with care. holds the prospect of Like anything new, stereo more stereo broadcast- needs both criticism and appre- ing. The few stereo pro- ciation to grow. In giving both, Three methods of handling stereo grams now on the air use we expect to see stereo and hi-fi tape. Top: The Viking Fidelpac continuous tape cartridge. Cen- AM broadcasting for one go hand in hand, and we look ter: A Bell Sound Model T-203 channel and FM for the forward to as much pleasure stereo transport. Bottom: New other. But the quality from stereo as we already have EMC stereo playback unit. All of of the AM channel can received from hi-fi. these are scheduled for thorough scarcely be called hi-fi. discussion in subsequent issues.

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ORDER AT AMAZON.COM OR ZVOX.COM TEST REPORT Sony VPL-VW285ES LCOS Projector Performance Features Ergonomics Shift-Free 4K Value By Thomas J. Norton Sony VPL-VW285ES LCOS Projector source input resolution, color sub- PRICE $5,000 you’ll want all the brightness you can sampling, HDR designation, and AT A GLANCE get, for as long as the lamp will give it. signal frame rate, but not the bit rate ULTRA HD WITH TRUE NATIVE 4K While full performance from all of the source. resolution on its imaging chips has Plus possible current UHD sources The cooling fan was virtually silent been, so far, difficult to do at a cost Q Native 4K requires inputs capable of handling in the Low lamp mode. While it’s not most consumers can accept. New Q Superb resolution and color a bandwidth of 18 Gigabits per totally silent in High (some of Sony’s DLP-driven 4K projectors that utilize Q Impressive HDR second, this projector maxes out at 1080p designs are quieter), I didn’t pixel-shifting, which delivers the full 13.5 Gbps. According to Sony, it can find it obtrusive in my large room. And UHD pixel count in successive display a 60-hertz, 4K, HDR10 source it was no factor at all when audio was half-frames of diagonally shifted Minus at 4:2:0 color subsampling, but only playing from the source. pixels, have recently come on the in 8-bit color. The only way to get The remote control is large, with Q No dynamic iris market at prices as low as $2,000. 10-bit color from such a source is to well-spaced, backlit buttons (many Q But native 4K projectors that can put No lens memories shut off HDR. of them providing direct access to all 8 million pixels in a UHD frame on For HDR at a reduced 24-Hz frame frequently used features). And fans the screen simultaneously have rate, however, the projector retains of 3D will be happy to know that been pricey, with the cheapest to Gamma) HDR processing; HLG the full 10 bits in HDR10. This covers this projector also does 3D, though date coming in around $8,000. is used sometimes for streaming virtually all HDR10-enhanced Ultra glasses aren’t included. Sony sells the At last September’s CEDIA Expo, and soon for 4K broadcasts. The HD Blu-rays we know of. UHD/HDR TDG-BT500A at $50 per pair. Most however, Sony introduced three advanced wide color gamut disc sources at 60 Hz are rare. Billy third-party glasses that conform to true-4K projectors including the demanded by UHD is provided by Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk, the only the Full HD 3D standard will also work VPL-VW885ES (laser-lit, and at Sony’s Triluminos color technology. 60-Hz UHD Blu-ray currently avail- with this projector. $25,000, still astronomically priced), The projector lacks any type of iris, able, played glitch-free at 4:2:0, 4K, the VPL-VW385ES ($8,000), and either fixed or dynamic—the latter 60-Hz HDR10, and 8 bits. But this Control and Setup the subject of our review, the VPL- useful for enhancing black levels. 60-Hz limitation might be a concern The VPL-VW285ES offers eight VW285ES ($5,000). That last one is This is one of the primary ways the with some streaming devices if Calibrated Presets (picture modes) hardly a Black Friday special, but it’s pricier VPL-VW385ES trumps the they’re set to output 4K/UHD/ plus a User preset that defaults to definitely the most affordable true 285ES: The former has a selectable HDR/60 Hz. the same settings as the Reference native-4K consumer projector to date. dynamic iris. Both projectors have An Input Lag Reduction control is So what, exactly, did Sony sacrifice powered lens focus, zoom, and also provided (which I didn’t from its pricier models to drive down shift, but only the 385ES includes test), but it’s not acces- the cost? Let’s have a look. recallable lens memories, a feature sible in 4K. And when that may be high on your list if you it’s on, the Motion- Features enjoy a 2.35 wide format screen. flow and noise The VPL-VW285ES is a three-chip (Neither model has an automated reduction features SXRD design. (SXRD is Sony’s lens cover.) The 385ES also offers aren’t available. version of LCOS, which stands for an auto calibration feature. That The Info menu Liquid Crystal on Silicon.) As with all projector’s initial calibration must provides the other Sony 4K models, its imaging be done manually, but the auto chips have a resolution of 4096 x feature is said to then analyze the 2160, rather than the consumer UHD colorimetry for any shift that occurs standard of 3840 x 2160. as the lamp ages and allow the user Like all 4K (full 4K or pixel-shifted) to reset the internal colorimetry to projectors we’ve seen to date, this factory levels without affecting any one doesn’t offer processing of Dolby external calibrations. Vision high dynamic range content, For the VPL-VW285ES, Sony now appearing via streaming or on claims a lamp life of up to 6,000 some UHD Blu-ray Discs (though hours. But getting that far will depend Sony claims that its own active HDR on how you use the projector and image processing does as good how tolerant you are of the lamp’s a job as Dolby Vision’s dynamic slow but inevitable dimming over metadata). It does provide both time. This could be a concern for HDR10 and HLG (Hybrid Log- maintaining those HDR highlights;

The VPL-VW285ES offers compelling images on a big screen.

46 FEBRUARY/MARCH 2018 soundandvision.com THE VERDICT PROJECTOR The Sony VPL-VW285ES brings true native 4K resolution down to a SONY VPL-VW285ES LCOS PROJECTOR price more viewers can aspire to. Add a generous helping of UHD’s PRICE: $5,000 wider, deeper color and high dynamic range, and it’s hard to resist. Sony • (877) 865-SONY • sonystyle.com

mode; I used Cinema Film 1 and The Color Temperature options Cinema Film 2. The Cinema Black provide both Gain and Bias white Pro feature includes the High/Low balance controls. A color manage- Lamp Control and a Contrast ment system (CMS, which Sony calls Enhancer (High/Middle/Low). Color Correction) is also included. Motionflow is Sony’s motion- An HDR control, when set to Auto, smoothing feature, which I didn’t use automatically switches the separate for the usual reason: the soap-opera Color Space control to a setting effect—though Sony says you can appropriate for the source (BT.709 minimize this while maintaining or BT.2020). some degree of anti-blurring benefit An HDMI Signal Format control in by using the Smooth Low setting. the Function menu has two options: With 4K sources, though (or any Standard Format and Enhanced For- lesser source upconverted to 4K mat. I tried Enhanced, but it produced Even straight out of the box, prior to the projector), Motionflow no changes worthy of comment in with a few basic adjustments, PQ curve during the calibration, I offers only one selection, Impulse, the projector’s UHD/HDR perfor- the Sony was impressive. But the found that even in the High lamp which performs gray-frame insertion mance on test patterns, real program default Brightness setting of 50 mode, with the Contrast Enhancer between the original frames to material, or measurements. was optimistic; it might improve the on High and the HDR Contrast reduce smear. It didn’t appear to do A Panel Alignment feature gives contrast, but it crushed the blacks control near maximum, measuring much in actual use. you (electronic) control over the a bit too much, particularly in HDR. the PQ gamma curve off the screen The Sony won’t accept 480i convergence of the red and blue Even with some adjustment, however with CalMAN 2017 showed an sources directly, though it will han- imaging panels relative to green. I (test discs suggested that 55 to 58 HDR output that was dimmer than dle 480p. In any event, this can be tried it, but my post-adjustment worked better for HDR, 53 for SDR), optimum. This might be taken with overcome by upconverting such results differed little from Sony’s good deeply shaded areas on a very few some grains of salt. Sony’s position, material beforehand (in the player, out-of-box alignment. otherwise bright HDR scenes still as I understand it, is that the PQ set-top box, etc.). If the upcon- I set up the projector 15 feet from looked a little crushed in their curve for a projector, while not verted source was a letterboxed, my 96-inch-wide, 2.35:1 Stewart shadow detail. irrelevant, is difficult to measure non-anamorphic DVD, neither of Filmscreen StudioTek 130 screen While the Sony’s black level was accurately in a way that relates to the available 4K options in the (gain 1.3). This put it roughly in the respectable, it wasn’t exceptional in how you subjectively experience Aspect menu (2.35:1 Zoom and middle of the zoom range for the lens. either SDR or HDR. If you project real-world images on the screen Normal) would fill the screen with As the Sony senses an SDR or HDR a widescreen film with black bars (which acts as a variable element in a correctly proportioned image. source, it will automatically switch onto a 16:9 screen (I did try this on the total display “system”). The PQ However, so-called “enhanced some of the controls between my alternate Elite screen), you’ll curve was designed for flat-screen for widescreen” DVDs (by far the different HD/SDR and UHD/HDR definitely notice those bars—though displays with peak luminance levels majority of DVDs produced) worked settings in the same Calibration they’re dark gray, and I didn’t find that are far higher than any projec- fine. There’s no anamor- Preset (picture mode). But one them obtrusive. But with widescreen tor can manage, and UHD program phic stretch option control it won’t switch automatically films viewed on my 2.35:1 Stewart sources were designed to be available with a is Lamp Control. I therefore elected screen (which moves the black watched on high luminance 4K input. to use different Calibration Presets bars off-screen), the only times I flat-screen sets. for SDR (Cinema Film 1) and HDR was reminded of the projector’s It’s perhaps significant that three (Cinema Film 2), and I switched less than remarkable blacks were other HDR-capable projectors I’ve manually between them. on fade-outs between scenes, or checked recently had default PQ if the controls (Contrast Enhancer, curves that measured much like the First Take Brightness, Contrast, and, for SDR, Sony’s. But only one of them (a new In our standard HD/SDR video tests, Gamma Correction) weren’t late-model JVC) offered controls that the VPL-VW285ES passed both optimized. could move it closer to the PQ shape 3:2 HD and 2:2 HD, but it failed MA we see on flat-screen sets. HD (motion adaptive) with minor, UHD/HDR Nevertheless, on my traditional though more visible than normal, For HDR, the gamma curve (or EOTF 1.3 gain matte white screen, both the jaggies. The SD tests were irrelevant for Electro Optical Transfer since the projector won’t accept Function) is called the 480i. The Sony passed the clipping perceptual quantization tests when the input was 1080p curve, or PQ. While it’s but clipped below black when the different in shape than input was 4K/SDR. It passed luma classic gamma curves, both resolution. The projector failed indicate how the output the chroma resolution test with a luminance of a video dis- 1080p input, though it passed with play relates to the input. a 4K input. When I checked the Sony’s

The VPL-VW285ES •has powered lens focus, zoom, and shift.

soundandvision.com 47 TEST REPORT Test Bench Sony VPL-VW285ES LCOS Projector

BEFORE Calibration

SDR and HDR images the Sony UHD titles that played less well produced were exceptional and than others with this projector. certainly not dim by any When I rechecked Starship AFTER Calibration reasonable projection standard. Troopers after finding it better than Animation nearly always looks expected on another display, the good on almost any display, but if Sony brought out its excessive you know what to look for, it can noise (or perhaps exaggerated be revealing. I often fall back on film grain) to the point where I Trolls for both resolution and color. couldn’t enjoy watching it (though In this film’s style, most surfaces Sony noted during our fact check (from clothes to sets) appear richly that some tweaking of the noise FULL-ON/FULL-OFF Contrast Ratio in considered visually indistinguishable colored and have a slightly fuzzy, filtering in the projector’s Reality HD/SDR: 5,025:1 from ideal. From 3.0 (or 4.0) to 10.0, felt-like texture. And here, the Creation settings might have most viewers will notice the deviations Sony didn’t disappoint. All of the mitigated this). Arrival was simply MEASUREMENTS were produced but not likely find them objectionable.) textures and stray strands of that too dark (as it also looks on other with CalMAN calibration software from THE grayscale Delta Es are typically felt-like look were clearly visible, displays). And what was the SpectraCal, Photo Research PR-650 high in HDR because they often and the colors were eye-popping, transfer team thinking when they and Klein K-10A color meters, and a include not only the white point but particularly in the vivid musical added gross-looking edge Murideo pattern generator. For the also luminance errors, the latter numbers. enhancement to the UHD release settings used here, see the review as significant in HDR. But after calibra- Consistently bright animation of Peter Jackson’s 2005 King posted on soundandvision.com. The tion, and apart from the region doesn’t always contain the bright Kong—enhancement that’s not chart shown is for HD/SDR. between 50% and 60%, the actual x/y highlights that show off a display’s present in the 1080p HD/SDR THE peak white reading for the above white-point coordinates were very high dynamic range. But the release. (Jackson’s is by far my contrast measurement was 20.1 foot- close to the optimum (D65), and all live-action movie Lucy certainly favorite version of this story. Yeah, lamberts (68.9 nits), and the black level the colors (apart from green, which does. The last 15 I know, the original is a 0.004 ft-L (0.0137 nit). At maximum deviated significantly by measurement minutes or so is an classic, and blah, blah, zoom (the largest image), the full-on/ but not in a way easily detected by almost psychedelic blah—but while it’s full-off contrast ratio measured 3,833:1; eye) closely matched their target mixture of splashy astonishing for what it at minimum zoom, 3,788:1. (For these coordinates. color and light that did in its era, it’s also measurements, the projector and AS with all other UHD/HDR displays vividly demonstrated severely limited by that meter positions were unchanged, but we’ve tested, the Sony falls well short the Sony’s HDR era.) the lens shift was altered as needed to of full coverage of BT.2020 wide color. capabilities. It would However, most of the center the measurement point on the But since all UHD sources we know of be misleading to UHD discs I tried on the screen.) are still originally mastered at P3, what suggest that the Sony looked amazing, FOR HDR, as viewed, the full-on/ counts, for now, is how fully a display’s projector will show this including The Great full-off contrast ratio measured 2,763:1 BT.2020 color container is filled to the as dramatically as a Wall, Guardians of the at a peak white level of 38.7 ft-L (132.64 “P3 level.” The Sony comes very close premier flat-screen Galaxy: Vol. 2, Blade nits) and a black level of 0.014 ft-L to that level in yellow and magenta set, such as the latest Runner, Allied, The Boss (0.048 nit). at all stimulus levels, is good in blue, OLEDs from Sony or Baby, Ender’s Game SET to 2.4, the SDR gamma measured red, and cyan, and is poor by mea- LG. But try to convince (particularly in the a minimum of 2.26 at 20%, increasing surement (though visually accept- your friends of that as climactic battle, with its gradually to a maximum of 2.43 at able) in green. they gather up their brightly lit “video game” 80%. The white balance SDR Delta E THE peak HDR brightness on screen jaws from the floor action), and Life of Pi. values, from 20% to 100%, measured actually increased slightly from the after watching this In most of my HDR a minimum of 1.29 at 60% and a max- 136.2 nits measured with a 10% white movie on the VPL- viewing, I used the High imum of 3.0 at 100%. After SDR cali- window to 145 nits at 25%, 144 nits at VW285ES with a setting for both the bration, the maximum was 1.92 at 20%. 50%, and 140.5 nits at 100%.—TJN projection screen lamp and the Contrast Pre-calibration, the SDR color Delta Es much larger than what Enhancer, which gener- were all under 2.93—so for SDR, the an even remotely ally worked extremely Color Correction (CMS) controls SPECS Dimensions affordable Ultra HDTV well. But on some weren’t used. (WxHxD, Inches): 19.5 x 7.7 x 18.25 can provide. scenes (though far from (DELTA E is a figure of merit indicat- • Weight (Pounds): 31 • Video And so it went from all), particularly of facial ing how close the color comes to the Inputs: HDMI 2.0 (2, HDCP compli- UHD disc to UHD disc. close-ups (images to standard at each point in the bright- ant) • Other: USB, 12-volt trigger Yes, there were a few which we’re all highly ness range. Values below 3—some (2), remote (RS-232), LAN (RJ45), IR experts allow for 4—are generally (minijack) Sony’s large •remote provides a well-spaced layout and backlighting. 48 FEBRUARY/MARCH 2018 soundandvision.com PROJECTOR

•The Sony has two HDMI 2.0 inputs, though they max out at 13.5 Gbps.

in its SDR version. (I I viewed only a limited selection of haven’t yet viewed the 3D material, but the Sony did well with HDR release.) I was it. The 3D images on the three discs surprised at how well I sampled—Tangled, A Christmas sensitive), the High setting was too I did alter a few of the HD/SDR the Sony performed here, given Carol, and Avatar—were impressive. much. It sometimes obscured facial settings from those I used in the its lack of a dynamic iris and its The brightness in the default 3D detail and looked slightly glaring and Sony’s calibration—increasing the respectable but not exceptional settings (including High lamp mode), unnatural. This was apparent in the Contrast Enhancer from Low to contrast ratio. Shadow detail was while not generous, was adequate. final bookend scene in Life of Pi Middle (a subtle but worthwhile good, even in some horrendously And I saw no obvious ghosting. (in Pi’s Canada home). But I chose change), changing the Contrast from difficult shots of Hogwarts at night. High most of the time, on most films; 70 to 75-80, and alternating the It all looked appropriately gloomy, Conclusions Middle often lacked the pop I expect Gamma between 2.2 for darker but it was never hard to follow or More than any other improvement, I from HDR. And bad-looking shots in material and 2.4 for most. That darker washed out. would have welcomed a dynamic iris High were outliers for me, rather than material included The Finest Hours, Both of the above movies use a on the VPL-VW285ES to deepen its a frequent annoyance. an intense film about the rescue of subdued palette. To view a film more black levels. Sony’s dynamic irises crew members from a tanker split in obviously vivid but still natural, I are the best in the business. The HD/SDR two in a storm off the Massachusetts pulled out Seven Years in Tibet. If I’d step-up VPL-VW385ES does give After many hours spent watching coast in 1952. The exterior night written this report three years ago, I’d you this, along with a few other 4K/HDR on the Sony, going back shots of the tanker on the dark ocean have raved about the film’s beautiful additions mentioned earlier. to HD in standard dynamic range were difficult for the Sony, but the photography, crisp images, and Nevertheless, while no projector required some adaptation. Not action was still clear. The interior striking color design. All are still true, can match either the dynamic HDR because the projector was shots were fine—dark, yes, but but I’d love to see this film in HDR, pop or the black level of the best inadequate in SDR—quite the appropriately so, with the important however unlikely that may be. (Still, flat-screen TVs, the VPL-VW285ES contrary—but because, even with details in the engine room still easy to it is from Sony Pictures, so there’s offers compelling images on a big the main limitation all projectors see. hope!) Nonetheless, watching it in screen. At last, projector fans have suffer from in HDR versus flat-screen I’ve often used Harry Potter and the HD/SDR on this projector, I had no the option of a genuine full native-4K sets (more limited peak output on Deathly Hallows: Part 2 for checking complaints, except to wonder how it model that won’t break the bank and bright highlights), it’s still a big step rendition of dimly lit content because might fare with UHD’s wider color might just leave you feeling like you up from SDR. it’s an unremittingly challenging disc gamut. scored a bargain.

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Distributed by Audio Gear Group. audiogeargroup.com TEST REPORT Supplying Demand By Mark Fleischmann

AT A GLANCE Definitive Technology Demand Plus Q Appealing neutral voicing Series D11 Speaker System Q Laterally offset tweeter Q Active 8-inch sub integrat- ed in center speaker PRICE $3,196 ($499/pair). They include 6.5-inch, typical horizontal center in a new and 5.25-inch, and 4.5-inch woofers, NATURE ABHORS A VACUUM, more skeptical light. respectively, along with 1-inch Minus but wasting cabinet real estate is aluminum dome tweeters; as noted, Q D11 top radiators compli- standard operating procedure United They Stand the top two models also sport top- cate placement of Atmos among loudspeaker designers. Definitive Technology was founded mounted passive radiators, while the add-ons With the notable exception of in 1990 and has landed numerous smallest has a rear port. Our review Atmos-enabled speakers and the products on our Top Picks list since system used a pair of the D11 in front occasional tweeter pod, the top the brand’s inception. It is now part and a pair of the D7 in back. long-established SuperCube 6000— panel of most speakers is a blank of the Sound United stable that also The somewhat unorthodox in the usual spot where experience nothing. But does it have to be includes Polk Audio, Denon, HEOS, CS9060 in the center position was told me it would work the best. that way? Definitive Technology Marantz, and Boston Acoustics. introduced in 2016 to complement The Demand Series monitors answered no, in effect, with its Products are designed in San Diego, Definitive’s then-new BP9000 series are pleasantly and unabashedly original Studio Monitor Series of California and at a combined Defin- of updated bipolar tower speakers. dressy-looking, with black gloss bookshelf/stand-mount speakers itive Technology and Polk engi- The speaker’s horizontal front-firing enclosures accented by a “bead (circa 2012) and does so again in neering facility in both brands’ old 4.5-inch woofer-tweeter-woofer array blasted” extruded-aluminum baffle this new update, the Demand Series. hometown of Baltimore, where many is beefed up by a top-firing 8-inch that wraps around the sides for an The D11 and D9 monitors (the for- of the same longtime engineers powered woofer, complete with its inch or so. The CS9060 is wrapped in mer reviewed here) employ reflex remain employed. own LFE line input. Feed this with the fabric, in the Definitive tradition, with enclosures that locate a passive Long known for its fabric-wrapped RCA subwoofer output from your AVR, aluminum side accents. radiator on the top panel in lieu of a towers and sometimes unorthodox and it might make an outboard sub The tweeter used in the Demand more compact port, which would designs, Definitive offers a wide unnecessary in some small rooms, or Series features an integrated phase commonly be located elsewhere on variety of speakers. Towers include supplement a freestanding sub in a plug that Definitive calls their 20/20 the cabinet. Even more provocatively, the well-regarded Mythos line and two-sub system. Otherwise, eschew Wave Alignment Lens, plus a shallow the CS9060 center the company BP9000 bipolar towers. Also offered this connection, and the active woofer waveguide to control on- and off-axis mated with our system includes are numerous monitors, centers, will simply bolster the bottom of the response. In a not-unheard-of but an active driver on top, essentially subwoofers, and speaker packages. center’s output when used with a somewhat uncommon design twist, augmenting the system’s subwoofer The Wireless Collection line includes conventional crossover and dedicated the acoustical center of the tweeters needs. A D-shaped indicator on the two soundbars, two standalone sub. A possible downside to building are laterally offset from the centerline CS9060’s front illuminates when the speakers, and both preamp and the sub into the center is that it limits of the cabinet toward the outer edge; active sub driver is active. I’ve never powered player modules. The placement to a single fixed position hence, they are sold in mirror-imaged reviewed such a thing before. But it company also markets a full line of that probably is not optimized for bass left/right pairs only. Incorporating a makes me see the vast desert of other soundbars as well as fully reproduction. Furthermore, that spot lateral offset places the tweeters at space found atop the developed lines of in-walls, on-walls, might just be inside a cubby, the varying distances from each cabinet outdoor speakers, and headphones. confines of which could restrict out- edge, where a particular form of The new Demand Series put from the upfiring driver and rear diffraction typically occurs. Normally, a includes three monitors: the D11 port, or on a shelf that might rattle if reflection or bending of a sound wave ($999/pair), D9 ($749/pair), and D7 pounded with bass beyond what’s coming off the driver is caused when expected of most center speakers. the wave abruptly encounters the However, in my setup, the center fired change in acoustics that occurs up unrestricted toward the high plaster where the sharp edge of the baffle ceiling, and I could place our system’s meets the surrounding air. This will standalone sub— Definitive’s generally cause uneven response at

The CS9060 center boasts a powered 8-inch woofer with •its own LFE input. 50 FEBRUARY/MARCH 2018 soundandvision.com THE VERDICT SPEAKER SYSTEM Definitive Technology Demand The Demand Series lives up to DEFINITIVE TECHNOLOGY DEMAND SERIES D11 SPEAKER SYSTEM Series D11 Speaker System Definitive Technology’s pedigree PRICE: $3,196 (D11, $999/pair; D7, $499/pair; CS9060, $699; SuperCube Performance Build Quality with satisfying, well-balanced sound 6000, $999) Value that offers loads of resolution. Definitive Technology • (800) 228-7148 • definitivetechnology.com frequencies determined by the baffle amplifier driving its integral sub; the settings (more than the usual dimensions. If the distance to each of bass-reflex cabinet incorporates a two) at 0, 90, 180, and 270 these edges is the same, as it is with a rectangular vent on the rear. degrees. Low-pass and phase centered tweeter, the effect from each The D11 monitor and CS9060 dials offer more increments of the three nearest baffle dimensions center are rated at 90 and 91 decibels of adjustment, but also less will be at the same frequency, which sensitivity, respectively, on the high certainty—it’s nice to know that piles up and can potentially cause a side of average. Rated sensitivity of when you endeavor to select 80 Hz, expected, so I pushed up my initially large dip in the axial response at a the ported D7 monitor is considerably as I did, that you’re actually calling for conservative meter-determined LFE single frequency. By offsetting the lower at 85 dB, but a good receiver 80 Hz, not some frequency a line- levels to fatten rhythm sections, with tweeter, you get smaller dips at should have little trouble driving it, width away on the dial. few ill effects. My Denon receiver multiple frequencies, creating more especially if you use it just for the Associated equipment included a helped by allowing me to set the of a ripple than a large dip, which surround channels (as we did). Denon AVR-X7200W receiver, Oppo level of each sub separately but many argue is psycho-acoustically See our Test Bench results below. BDP-83SE universal disc player, offering an option that adjusted preferable. The SuperCube 6000 sub ($999), Micro Seiki BL-51 turntable, Shure them in lockstep, which came in The woofers in all three speakers reviewed favorably in 2012 by my M97xE cartridge, and Denon PRA- handy later. include phase plugs and what Def- colleague Darryl Wilkinson as part S10 serving as phono preamp. All Logan has a busy and dynam- initive calls a Balanced Double of a StudioMonitor system test movie demos were on Blu-ray ically challenging soundtrack with Surround System that’s said to (available at soundandvision.com), Disc with DTS-HD Master Audio Wolverine’s metal-claw brawls, improve linear cone excursion. In augments its front-firing 9-inch woofer soundtracks. angry cars ripping up a dirt yard, what amounts to the Demand Series’ with two side-firing 10-inch passive routine ballistics, and the distinc- other notable design feature, the radiators. The Class D amp is rated Neutral Feel tive all-channel droning mayhem D11’s large 6 x 10-inch oval passive at 1,000 watts RMS and 1,500 watts While our measurements are the that accompanied Charles Xavier’s radiator (with cloth grille matching peak with a 56-bit DSP on board. ultimate arbiter of technical rectitude, seizures. Yet I never felt the need the front baffle’s), used in lieu of a Fabric grilles cover all drivers, while I did find that the Demand monitors to turn down the volume, which port, is mounted on the speaker’s the top piece and bottom trim are and center had a neutral feel—I never was all the more remarkable in a top—the only exposed panel area gloss black. A supplied card remote observed any part of the spectrum system that avoids sugarcoating. available to squeeze it into. By their includes controls for EQ mode, night being emphasized, downplayed, My fears of enthusiastic subwoofer nature, the top-mounted passive mode, low-pass filter, phase, display or sweetened. The midrange and levels causing male vocals in the radiators also prevent the cabinet dimming, volume, mute, and power, presence region were open and center channel to become overly tops from accommodating Dolby allowing the enormous luxury of revealing but not etched or clinical. thick and boomy were unfounded Atmos add-on elevation modules tweaking from your seat. You’ll have No veil, but still with a high comfort as well. (though if you’re determined to add no trouble reading settings on the level. Not surprisingly, I loved having Aftermath casts Arnold Schwarz- immersive sound without wiring front-panel display in letters and two subs in the system—an extra enegger as a plane-crash mourner. ceiling speakers, you might suc- numbers nearly an inch tall and in sub can help provide more even Though the crash is not directly cessfully place these near, but above, bright red. The display can be turned coverage throughout the room as depicted, the soundtrack does hint the mains on a different supporting on or off but not dimmed. well as more total output. Bass from at jet noise in bass-rich swirls that surface). In any event, this limitation The sub has four preset EQ modes, the 8-inch sub built into the center signal his psychological stress. did not impair our review’s 5.1- in addition to off, the flattest setting. and the 9-inch outboard sub The two subs conveyed them with channel configuration. On the back Night mode compresses the dynamic sum-med well, helped by the fact admirable restraint and no notice- of the D11 are gold-nut biamp-ready range of bass frequencies. The low- that they were placed fairly close able excitation of the room’s stand- bridged binding posts, and on the pass filter is adjustable from 40 to together. This arrangement was ing wave. While my reference sub rear of the D7, a single set of posts. 150 hertz in 5-Hz increments below, unique in my experience, and I liked (unused in this review) is a great The CS9060 has a single pair of and 10-Hz increments above, 100 it immediately. It also excited my performer, I felt that this system’s dual speaker terminals plus the line-level Hz. Phase is adjustable, with four room’s standing wave less than I’d subs endowed the bass response RCA jack for optional LFE input and with an evenness of coverage and a power connector for the Class D subtlety my one-sub reference system can’t match. Alien: Covenant challenged the system with a cornucopia of tim- bres and textures. The opening emergency in space—roaring, whooshing, buzzing, exploding— showed the system’s ability to deliver a lot of information, even at challenging volumes, while also juggling a fun score that veered between awed mysticism and panic. Then there were the extendedexplosion of a landing craft,

The Demand Series monitors •feature off-center tweeters to reduce diffraction.

soundandvision.com 51 TEST REPORT Definitive Technology SuperCube The SuperCube 6000 offers 6000 Subwoofer Performance •four preset EQ modes. Test Bench Features Definitive Technology Demand Series D11 Speaker System Build Quality

was the first classical LP I ever bought. No one, including Karajan, could beat it.) Angel Delight (U.K. LP) is the product of a four-man Fairport Convention. Though shorn of its beloved songwriters, Sandy Denny and Richard Thompson, it held onto its scrappy rhythm section as the late Dave Swarbrick led it deeper into more English- tradition-rooted folk-rock territory. Newly elevated lead beneficiary, with the vocalists Swarbrick and Simon 5.1-channel mix finally Nicol got spotlighted in the mix, teasing the knots out of the and the D11 gave them due promi- album’s tangled textures. But Islands nence alongside Swarb’s violin and was the one that grabbed my atten- mandolin. Fiddling around (sorry) D11 (purple) +1.58/–2.94 dB, 200 Hz to 10 kHz; –3 dB @ 50 Hz, –6 dB @ tion with its masterful ebb and flow with the SuperCube’s EQ settings, I 43 Hz; impedance minimum 4.87 ohms @ 186 Hz, phase angle –55.95º of rock instrumentation and odd liked what the low-bass-centric @ 98 Hz; sensitivity 86.5 dB, 500 Hz to 2 kHz. pastoral elements like Harry Miller’s setting did overall. I expected the string bass, Mark Charig’s cornet, settings that emphasized midbass CS9060 (green) (corrected for boundary gain compensation) and Paulina Lucas’s wordless (with or without low-bass emphasis) +2.83/–1.40 dB, 200 Hz to 10 kHz; –3 dB @ 39 Hz, –6 dB @ 36 Hz; soprano. The reliable timbres of to interact unfavorably with my room’s impedance minimum 5.00 ohms @ 3.74 Hz, phase angle –60.50º @ 183 the Demand monitors made me standing wave, but they were sur- Hz; sensitivity 91 dB, 500 Hz to 2 kHz. realize how much the new mixes prisingly listenable. Only the output- benefit from being released in a high- maxing setting seemed crude by D7 (red) +1.45/–2.79 dB, 200 Hz to 10 kHz; –3 dB @ 65 Hz, –6 dB @ 57 resolution medium. The speakers calling attention to the sub. In the Hz; impedance minimum 4.70 ohms @ 216 Hz, phase angle –56.76º @ also aced the dynamic swings of best of all possible worlds, I’d prefer 114 Hz; sensitivity 83 dB, 500 Hz to 2 kHz. Poseidon, using the calm “Peace— measurement-based room correction A Beginning” and “Cadence and in a sub, but the SuperCube probably SC6000 (blue) Close-miked response, normalized to level @ 80 Hz: Cascade” to bookend the all-out would prosper in more situations than lower –3 dB @ 28 Hz, –6 dB @ 26 Hz, upper –3 dB @ 96 Hz using LFE sonic assault of “Pictures of a City” a sub that allows no EQ tweaks at all input.—MJP and the declaiming mellotrons of (and that’s most of them). the title track. As with the more aggressive movie soundtracks, a Conclusion SPECS D11: 1 in aluminum dome tweeter (1), 6.5 in high comfort level held it all together. Definitive Technology’s Demand polypropylene cone woofer (1), 6 x 10 in passive radiator (1); 7.25 x I challenged the Demand D11 Series is a brilliantly unorthodox 13 x 12.5 in (WxHxD); 17 lb • D7: 1 in aluminum dome tweeter (1), 4.5 monitors to make distinctions design statement that makes good in polypropylene cone woofer (1); 5.5 x 9.75 x 8.75 in (WxHxD); 11 between two vintage vinyl releases on its rhetoric and aspirations with lb • CS9060: 1 in aluminum dome tweeter (1), 4.5 in polypropylene of Debussy’s La Mer: with Daniel deeply satisfying sound. And the woofer (2), 8 in paper cone subwoofer (1); 100 watts RMS Class D; Barenboim leading the Orchestre de CS9060 center’s active sub mated speaker-level and LFE inputs; 20.75 x 5.95 x 12 in (WxHxD); 26 lb • Paris (Deutsche Grammophon, 1978) with the Demands here might alone SuperCube 6000: 9 in paper cone woofer (1), 10 in passive radiators and with Leopold Stokowski leading be worth the investment—it is an (2); 1,000 watts RMS, 1,500 watts peak, Class D; LFE RCA, stereo the London Symphony Orchestra excellent way to get a second sub line RCA, speaker-level, and proprietary wireless adapter inputs; 12 x (London Phase 4, 1970). Both were into your system. However, that train 12.88 x 13 in (WxHxD); 40 lb treble-forward, and I expect no less of thought would derail were it not of two closed-miked multi-track for the overall quality of the comple- orchestral recordings from that mentary D11 and D7. By sheer coin- ships in turbulence, and a water High-Res Helps period. Phase 4, in particular, has a cidence, I still had the system landing, not to mention good King Crimson’s new 27-disc box set reputation for being too “hot”—yet the installed over last year’s Thanks- old-fashioned splattering rain. As Sailors’ Tales includes Blu-ray Discs D11’s account of the Stokowski was a giving weekend and I gave thanks a general indication of how good with Steven Wilson’s 2009 and 2010 tad warmer and a lot smoother, with for it every day. the speakers were at suspending mixes of In the Wake of Poseidon, a more full-bodied string sound to disbelief, I practically jumped out Lizard, and Islands, all in both 5.1 and fill out its well-defined edges, more Audio Editor Mark Fleischmann is of my skin when something flut- stereo, with 96/24 uncompressed ambience, more magic, and more the author of Practical Home Theater: tered into my field of vision during PCM and lossless DTS-HD Master virtuosity than I expected. (But I would A Guide to Video and Audio Systems, a space-creature attack. It was a Audio soundtracks. Following their say that, being a Phase 4 addict. now available in loose feather that escaped from a earlier release on DVD-Audio, Lizard Stokowski’s own orchestration of both print and sofa pillow. was generally deemed the chief Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition Kindle editions.

The Demand Series offers deeply satisfying sound.

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Now in our new home at the Renaissance Schaumburg Hotel & Convention Center. A state-of-the-art hotel and convention center with free parking, quality restaurants, easy access from I-90 and just 13 miles from O’Hare International Airport. TEST REPORT DSP Champion By Daniel Kumin YPAO’d sound with non-corrected sound. You have to travel to the Setup Yamaha Aventage RX-A2070 menu and then go a couple of submenus deeper, where you can choose from among three YPAO A/V Receiver Setup options (Flat, Front, or Natural) or Aside from connecting a trio of HDMI Through. But my impression of PRICE $1,600 cables and no fewer than nine Yamaha’s correction was generally AT A GLANCE speaker cables from my mixed but favorable: It yielded the subtle effective Atmos suite, and then improvements to bass definition ONCE, RECEIVERS USED TO Plus joining the receiver to my Wi-Fi and imaging focus that I expect from receive (radio waves), and amplify, network, setting up the RX-A2070 the better examples of auto EQ. As Q Impressive dynamics and period. They still do, but those are was mostly a matter of running always, I did the bulk of my listen- clarity in both stereo and almost beside-the-point functions. Yamaha’s YPAO (Yamaha Parametric ing with YPAO defeated (i.e., set to multichannel Receivers nowadays are more Acoustic Optimizer) auto-setup/EQ Through) since the effect of any EQ Q concerned with decoding, casting, Quick-response onscreen routine. The supplied microphone robot in one particular room and wireless-connecting, virtualizing, interface is accompanied by a clever tripod system (mine) can’t be expected to Q surround-formatting, multi-room- Four-zone multiroom that affords the option of collecting translate to any other. extending, auto-analyzing, and capability plus wireless angular and height data, in addition more. In fact, I don’t know why we MusicCast to gathering measurements from Listening, Viewing still call these things “receivers,” Q Excellent, responsive multiple mic positions, all of which I So, with correction off and full-range but, whatever. streaming-audio client did; the whole process takes about stereo as the mode, I cued up the Yamaha’s new Aventage RX-A2070 20 minutes, including changes of high-energy “Caledonia” from Robin nine-channel AVR tackles all those Minus mic position. The YPAO system can Trower’s classic Long Misty Days tasks and numerous others, likely then show you the results of level, (not the Louis Jordan song!) to begin Q Remote control is crowded including a few that I missed alto- position, distance, and phase—but evaluating the RX-A2070 in the most and not illuminated gether. (For all I know, it can make not, unfortunately, the curves or basic way—as a simple, two-channel crêpes or work as a crockpot: The values of any applied equalization. amplifier. No surprise: The result was manual runs to 208 pages, and I won’t My run produced correct settings for fully satisfying. The big Yamaha had pretend to have read all of them.) And wired zone; there’s also Yamaha’s distances, crossovers, and levels. more than plenty of power to drive this isn’t even the top of the line: For wireless MusicCast system on board. Yamaha doesn’t make it par- my medium-sensitivity, three-way $400 more, there’s an RX-A3070 that But more about that later. ticularly convenient to compare Energy monitors to studio-playback- adds 11.2-channel processing, XLR line outputs, and a few other fillips. Of course, the RX-A2070 headlines Dolby Atmos and DTS:X decoding, and it includes the nine amplification channels needed to power a 5.2.4- channel (or 7.2.2) layout, with no outboard power amplifiers required. The receiver also incorporates Yamaha’s extensive expertise in dig- ital signal processing for enhanced surround sound. (Brand Y was the first “major” to introduce DSP overlays for surround, way back in the 1980s.) Here, it takes the form of the com- pany’s latest-gen Cinema DSP options, which are legion. In fact, there’s so much on the RX-A2070’s menu that I’ll have to skip over plenty of features, including most of the raft of multiroom attributes, which boast not two-, not three-, but four-room capability, two of them powered, one with HDMI video and a dedicated onscreen display. And that’s just the

Front-panel niceties include a •large LED display.

54 FEBRUARY/MARCH 2018 soundandvision.com THE VERDICT A/V RECEIVER Yamaha Aventage RX-A2070 YAMAHA AVENTAGE RX-A2070 A/V RECEIVER A/V Receiver Fully competitive with other flagship AVRs in basic Performance performance, the Yamaha RX-A2070’s proprietary DSP PRICE: $1,600 Features music listening modes are an added attraction that Yamaha • usa.yamaha.com Ergonomics could win over even the most serious listeners. Value like levels, full-range, with no hint Yamaha tells us lots of details Yamaha’s digital signal processing Extras and Ergos of strain or congestion. At the same about the receiver’s design—anti- includes setup options to create The RX-A2070 has enough notable time, it produced all of the drive resonance structures, proprietary virtual surround-back and front- features to swamp three reviews of and momentum from drummer Bill capacitors and transformers, presence speakers. I experimented this length, so I can hit only the most Lordan and the hot-knife-slicing high-end ESS/Sabre DACs for the with this, mostly to confirm that the salient. First and most important, the leads from Trower himself on this main channels—but when it comes conjuring didn’t impose any timbre human-factors front: The remote surprisingly well-captured, to the amplifiers, we’re only told of shift or phasiness to center- or control’s field of buttons is dense but 40-year-old chestnut. their “symmetrical design,” not their main-channel sound. But I can’t leave usable, though regrettably lacking There was more than just power class or topology. Personally, I don’t the “sounds like” section without key illumination. With so many on tap, however. For one example of care: Whatever their format, they touching on the company’s DSP functions and features—and they are finesse, let’s turn to my DSD library proved to be powerful, transparent, prowess with music (and movie) all but numberless—menu-driven and a hi-res file of a Baroque mas- and capable. [Editor's Note: Yamaha sound, which here falls under the onscreen access is the only prac- terpiece: Pergolesi’s setting of the confirms that it is indeed a traditional somewhat cumbersome rubric of ticable solution. Fortunately, the Stabat Mater. The purity of the voices Class A/B design.—RS] Enhanced Cinema DSP HD3. pop-up menus and screens are and the delicate resolution I heard The Dolby Atmos/DTS:X For well over a quarter-century near-instant, logical, and mostly from accompanying elements deep capabilities are underlined in the now, Yamaha has led the way in DSP self-prompting, though I didn’t like in the mix, such as the figured-bass marketing materials, so I focused overlays for surround sound, and with having to scroll laterally through as cello and back-of-church pipe organ, much of my film-sound auditioning each generation has come greater many as 30 listening modes, DSP would have been satisfying on my there. I began with one of Dolby’s own processing power and thus greater and non, to reach the one I wanted. system under any setup, and it was Atmos test Blu-rays, which delivered sonic capability and refinement. The Presumably, neither did Yamaha, for particularly so with a receiver in the all the expected spatial enlargement RX-A2070 presumably incorporates they endowed the receiver with their power chair. For a quick multichannel and discrete height effects I’ve heard the company’s best art at the current long-running Scene memory system. music check, I turned to a longtime many times, with faultless dynamics moment. Usually, I gloss over A/V This lets you group most param- fave, Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab’s and clarity. As noted, the big Yamaha receivers’ extra (non-Dolby, -DTS, or eters—listening mode, input and SACD of Stevie Ray Vaughan and gets extra credit for providing the -Auro) listening modes with damn- output selections, tone and YPAO Double Trouble’s Texas Flood. I full nine channels of amplification ably faint praise (if any). But the settings, volume, and even speaker- cranked up the wail-ful minor blues required for a 5.2.4 or 7.2.2 setup. To best of the big Yammie’s modes— setup pattern—into 12 memories, of “Dirty Pool” to lease-breaking be fair, though, so do nearly all other Chamber, Hall in Vienna, and Bot- summoned by a single key press. Or levels—fortunately, I own my home— current flagship- and cruiser-class tom Line, to name three—can add they can be linked automatically to with no sonic roadblocks. Nobody AVRs at and above its price range. legitimate sonic value to many a an input for hands-off recall. ever played this kind of thing better, Loading up Underworld: Blood recording, even auditioned by critical One of the receiver’s marquee and the tastefully staged mix really Wars, I ran through an hour’s worth of ears. Thankfully, Yamaha provides features is MusicCast, Yamaha’s complemented the man at the height highlights. (That was about all I could considerable fine-tuning control multiroom ecosystem. To initiate me of his powers. take. Reference-quality sound, to be over DSP effect levels and delays. into its wonders, the company sent sure—but honestly, who watches Though, even at its defaults, the along a small (but reasonably listen- this stuff?) The Chamber mode—applied to a DSD of able) networked powered speaker, countless scenes contemporary-classical brass-quintet the WX-010. I dutifully downloaded of portentous and piano music—was altogether the MusicCast app to my iPhone, and dialogue in hair-raising. Reverb was grainless and I had no trouble establishing a two- dark, echoing deep but at the same time subtle. room setup, with the WX-010 in the vaults were Dimensionality, including stage depth kitchen and the RX-A2070 itself tak- reproduced and height, was perfectly convincing. ing Room 1 duty. Operations, via the with thrilling Together, they truly begged the “live- MusicCast app on my smartphone, dimension, which or-Memorex” question. turned out to be almost perfectly intui- featured arching, In short, classical and acoustic- tive, and network ops proceeded overhead rever- jazz listeners, at the very least, owe smoothly and glitch-free, which hasn’t berant altitude and themselves an audition. I found the been the case with every networked- crystalline clarity. movie/video-targeted modes, such multiroom system I’ve tried. And the equally as Sci-Fi and Adventure, to be less Whether via MusicCast or directly numerous compelling. But I couldn’t promise from its own hardware, the RX-A2070 instances of never to use, say, Sports for a football gore splattering game; the enhanced immersion was up, down, and pretty cool. sideways did just that—maybe not the most artistic employment of Atmos, but cer- tainly effective.

The front-panel •flip-down door contributes to the Yamaha's clean, high-end look. soundandvision.com 55 TEST REPORT While usable, the See soundandvision.com/ •remote is densely ON THE TestBench for full lab results and populated and lacks WEB technical definitions. illumination.

used—and respon- system can be switched sive. Yamaha’s to power 7.1 in the main Test Bench interface includes room and a stereo pair in Yamaha Aventage RX-A2070 A/V Receiver onscreen buttons a wired Zone 2 or Zone 3. to scroll up/down Or, for example, a 7.1 main through lists by one system with a wired page or 10 pages, a stereo Zone 2 via the real boon for large Z2 RCA outputs and an libraries. ancillary amp can be Of course, switched to activate Bluetooth, Apple both Zone 2 and Zone AirPlay, and plug- 3 with 5.1 in the main in iPod and USB room. There’s even a playback are all on line-level-only Zone 4 board; all worked as option via HDMI. expected. (The Lastly, at least for this receiver can also report, the RX-A2070 function as a Bluetooth includes 4K/60 video source, linking to processing, so lower-res wireless headphones sources can be scaled or speakers.) There are up. (Of course, so does THIS graph shows that the RX-A2070’s left channel, from Audio1 input to iOS and Android your 4K display, by speaker output with two channels driving 8-ohm loads. Measurements for control apps; the definition, which is why THD+noise, crosstalk, signal-to-noise ratio, and analog/digital frequency iOS one, at least, is more and more AVR response were all within expected performance parameters. Full details intelligently conceived designs are beginning available at soundandvision.com.—MJP and highly usable. And to eschew the cost and the RX-A2070 even complication of onboard 0.1% THD 1.0% THD incorporates its own video processing.) This Two Channels Continuously Driven, 8-Ohm Loads 167.1 was 191.6 was control server: Type its carries with it a full suite Two Channels Continuously Driven, 4-Ohm Loads 215.0 was 259.7 was IP address into any of video adjustments, Five Channels Continuously Driven, 8-Ohm Loads 104.1 was 118.8 was browser, and up pops settable and storable under Seven Channels Continuously Driven, 8-Ohm Loads 40.6 was 45.6 was a screen delivering full control of the Scene memory scheme. And main and remote rooms, along with naturally, the receiver is HDR-ready, source and playback info. I think that, including Dolby Vision passthrough SPECS Power Output: 140 watts (8 ohms, 2 channels accessed via a tablet at my listening via a promised firmware update. (Still driven) • Auto Setup/Room EQ: Proprietary YPAO • Video Process- chair, this would quickly become my in my pre-HDR period, I could not ing: 4K w/scaling (analog or HDMI) supporting HDCP 2.2, HDR (HDR10 preferred controller. verify these features.) and Dolby Vision) via HDMI • Dimensions (WxHxD, Inches): 17.2 x 7.5 Speaking of multiroom, the I never heard anything but excel- x 18.6 • Weight (Pounds): 37.5 • Video Inputs: HDMI (8), component receiver’s wired facilities are impres- lent sound, regardless of mode, (2), composite (4) • Audio Inputs: Coaxial (3), optical digital (3), USB (2, sive as well. The second HDMI output from Yamaha’s RX-A2070, and that 1 front panel), analog line-level stereo (8, 1 front panel), phono • Addi- can serve HD video and audio to a alone is enough to garner a must- tional: RJ-45 Ethernet, RS-232 control, 12-volt trigger (2), IR/remote in/out remote room—and thanks to the hear recommendation. Add in the • Video Outputs: HDMI (2) • Audio Outputs: 7.2-channel preamp; Zone unit’s extra set of binding posts stunning music DSP, the excessively 2, 3 • Wireless: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Apple AirPlay • Wireless Streaming: (11 in all for nine amp channels), flexible multiroom capability, and Spotify/Connect, Tidal, Napster, Pandora, SiriusXM, Deezer, free internet context-sensitive power routing to up all the rest, and the conclusion is radio • Computer Audio: Streaming via wired Ethernet or Wi-Fi (DLNA/ to two additional stereo zones can be obvious: This is a top-rank A/V equivalent), USB fixed storage; native DSD 2.8/5.6 MHz; HRA capable up enabled without changing speaker receiver that’s going to fit a lot of bills to 192/24, all major codecs hookups. A nine-channel main to a T. Or a Y. offers baked-in access to popular services, including Pandora, Spotify, and Tidal. But for my listening habits, the Yamaha’s own streaming-audio client was the quiet star. Whether playing subscription-free internet radio or pulling tracks from my iMac-based music server via Twonky- Media DLNA software, this proved fast—among the fastest clients I’ve

Nine amp channels and 11 •speaker connections provide great flexibility for configuring your system.

56 FEBRUARY/MARCH 2018 soundandvision.com

TEST REPORT A New Lease on Life By Michael Trei

Technics SL-1200GR Turntable AT A GLANCE Plus PRICE $1,699 Luckily, the wait for vinyl fans To the casual observer, it may have Q Newly engineered from the wouldn’t be too long. At the IFA Show looked like Technics was simply ground up WAY BACK IN THE MAY 2010 in the fall of 2015, Technics teased picking up where they had left off a Q Exceptional pitch stability issue of Sound & Vision, I compared the crowd, presenting a mock-up of few years earlier—but what was the Q Includes 78 rpm speed three sub-$1,000 turntables, includ- a turntable but with no tonearm and deal with those $4,000 price tags? ing one that I felt was a bit of a practically no information. Did this After all, the SL-1200 Mk2 had been rebellious choice for the audiophile signal the imminent return of the just $699 when it was discontinued Minus listener. Over its nearly 40 years of professional SP-10 series that you in 2011. Q DJ features are irrelevant production, the Technics SL-1200 could use with your own tonearm? In truth, the SL-1200GAE (Grand for most users series had morphed from one of Technics was tight-lipped, but at Anniversary Edition) and SL-1200G Q Detachable headshell the top models in the company’s least it looked like they had heard the were nothing like the SL-1200s of old may limit tonearm industry-leading range of audiophile cries of their fans, and a turntable under the skin. Just about every part direct-drive turntables into a deck eventually would be taking its rightful had been completely redesigned performance Q that was aimed squarely at the club place in the brand’s lineup. from scratch; the new models were No factory-installed and DJ market. As the years passed It finally debuted in January 2016: simply wearing the familiar trappings cartridge option and the remainder of the Technics the SL-1200GAE. This appeared to of the old SL-1200. Think of the new high-end audio lineup gradually be a super deluxe version of the decks as being like the Porsche faded away, the brand became venerable SL-1200 series on 911 of turntables. The latest model The real mystery was, to whom synonymous with just one product: steroids, restricted to just 1,200 might look kind of like a 35-year-old were these turntables with high-end the SL-1200 DJ turntable in its (naturally) individually numbered one, but take it for a spin and you’ll price tags and DJ features being various guises. I didn’t know it at the units, and sporting a very un-SL- discover that they really have very marketed? When the SL-1200 cost time of that 2010 review, but within 1200-like $4,000 price tag. This little in common. under $700, many audiophiles were about six months, Technics’s parent limited-production company, Matsushita/Panasonic, special was followed would announce the end of SL-1200 quickly by the production and the death of the SL-1200G, which legendary brand with it. was essentially Fast-forward about five years, when the same thing Technics made a triumphant return as the GAE at the 2015 Consumer Electronics minus the Show with an all-new lineup of numbering. high-end electronics and speakers. The only head-scratcher was that there was no turntable to be found. Had Panasonic’s bean counters decided that there wasn’t a viable future for vinyl playback? Was there any truth to the rumor that making more than three million SL-1200s over the decades had irreparably worn out the tooling used to build them? After all, a Technics equipment lineup without a turntable makes about as much sense as an Italian restau- rant without pasta. Something had to give, and SL-1200 fans around the world started a petition to let the company know just how they felt.

The beefy plaer on the •SL-1200GR weighs in at 5.5 pounds.

58 FEBRUARY/MARCH 2018 soundandvision.com THE VERDICT TURNTABLE Technics SL-1200GR Turntable Technics’s reborn legendary DJ turntable TECHNICS SL-1200GR TURNTABLE Performance is now a better bet than ever for home PRICE: $1,699 Features audiophile use, but no longer quite the Technics • technics.com Ergonomics Value bargain it once was. willing to overlook the DJ trappings fact, there’s only one solitary part and appreciate its performance. But that’s carried over from the older that’s a harder sell at almost six times SL-1200 series, and that’s the dust the price. Still, I suppose the Technics cover, with its distinctive dome over marketing people knew what they the tonearm pivot. were doing, because those limited- In 2010, I speculated that the edition, numbered GAE models sold Mk2’s remarkably low price could out pretty quickly. have been the result of Technics The SL-1200GR, also available having amortized the cost of the in black as the SL-1210GR, is the tooling some time back during the third model to come along in the Reagan administration. Unfortu- resurrected lineup, and it’s this one nately, that type of savings won’t that should really be seen as the true apply to an all-new model, but the successor to the SL-1200s of the company has still managed to keep past. When you compare its the price down to a fairly reasonable specifications with those of the other $1,699. Go back to the Porsche SL-1200 variants made over the last analogy and think of the SL-1200GR 39 years since the launch of the as being kind of like the turntable Mk2, it is the GR that most closely equivalent of a bog standard 911 resembles its forebears. An Carrera—still an amazing machine, affordable successor certainly but less than half the price of the The headshell utilizes the Technics supplied the review makes sense, but it’s not as if fancy GT3 version. H4-Bayonet, often referred to as turntable with the excellent Ortofon Technics was able to simply fire up “SME-style,” mount used on most 2M Black moving-magnet cartridge, the machinery and start making Setup S-shaped tonearms since the 1970s and I also tried it with a Lyra Delos, Mk2s again. As with the higher-end Unlike many more affordable when the SL-1200 first arrived. By which is a more upscale, low-output, models in the series, GR takes little turntables sold today, the SL- removing the headshell from the moving-coil design. Because I still besides its looks from the original. In 1200GR doesn’t come with a arm, you’ll find that connecting the have the late-production SL-1200 pre-installed and -aligned phono four wires to the cartridge pins Mk2 that I used for my 2010 review, I cartridge. That makes sense becomes much less tricky. Also, was able to make a direct compar- because the deck is intended for Technics supplies a clip-on over- ison between this new upstart and its buyers in both the audiophile and hang gauge that lets you set the ancestor. What’s especially cool is DJ worlds, who will want to use overhang and horizontal tracking that because the arm geometry very different types of cartridges angle with reasonable accuracy hasn’t changed, I was able to swap and styli. It does mean, how- while the headshell sits in your the headshells and cartridges back ever, that you (or your retailer) hand. Once you’ve reattached the and forth between the two turn- will have to install and align headshell to the arm, you need tables, making comparisons a snap. a cartridge and balance to balance the arm’s calibrated With the two decks sitting side by the tonearm. The good counterweight, set the tracking force side, it’s immediately clear that the fit news: With its remov- and anti-skating, and adjust the and finish have been stepped up a able headshell and vertical tracking angle using the few notches on the SL-1200GR. clearly calibrated arm height-adjustment ring, and you’ll be Everything has a smoother and adjustments, that ready to go. One notable change noticeably more solid feel, with abso- job isn’t as difficult from older SL-1200s is that the signal lutely no play detectable in the as it might be. output now uses a pair of RCA jacks, tonearm bearings. The platter-and- allowing you to supply your own motor combination is one area cable—or you can use the fairly where Technics has made a lot of generic but decent one that’s changes under the skin. Weighing in included with the turntable. at 5.5 pounds, the new platter is about a third more massive than the old one, so the all-new coreless

The removable SME-style headshell makes •installing and aligning your cartridge easier.

soundandvision.com 59 TEST REPORT

SPECS Type: Manual, direct drive, quartz locked • Playback •RCA jacks allow you to use your own cables. Below, the Speeds: 33.33, 45, and 78 rpm, adjustable ±16% • Startup Time: 0.7 turntable is available in black as the SL-1210GR. second to 33.33 rpm • Wow and Flutter: ±0.025% WRMS • Rumble: –78 dB (IEC 98A weighted) • Platter Weight (Pounds): 5.5 (including mat) • Tonearm Effective Length: 230mm • Tonearm Overhang: 15mm • Au- dio Outputs: Phono-level analog stereo unbalanced (RCA) • Dimensions (WxHxD, Inches): 17.9 x 6.9 x 14.7 • Weight (Pounds): 25.4

motor was imbued with about a third Bardo and the Grand Prix Audio more torque, resulting in a nearly Monaco have proven otherwise to identical startup time. many, albeit at vastly higher price DJ, if not so much to the audiophile. points. Technics, with their coreless So just for us, it would be nice to see Performance system, can now hold their own. a version of the arm without the inevit- Long-term pitch stability is often Going for a complete change of able compromises of the SME-style to realize just how fuss-free and fun it cited as a strong suit of direct-drive pace, I put on my original pressing of headshell mounting collar. was to play records on this turntable. turntables, and the Technics drive Bruce Springsteen’s The Ghost of Tom As you might expect from the The platter doesn’t wobble about system has always been one of the Joad. I reveled in the open dynamics latest version of a turntable renowned on a bouncy suspension, and it can best. There’s no hint of the proverbial and vibrancy of Springsteen’s vocal for filling dance floors around the start and stop in an instant. The arm “hunt and peck” speed wavering performance and the rich tonal color world, the SL-1200GR can deliver fast handles beautifully and the cueing and cogging that belt-drive fans and texture of his fingerstyle acoustic and powerful bass. The very slightly lever drops the stylus exactly where often accuse direct drives of com- guitar. Switching over to the Lyra Delos soft and rounded quality to bass you expect it to fall. And the motor mitting. Even the sustained piano cartridge stepped up the level of inner notes that I noted in my 2010 review has plenty of torque if you want to chords at the opening of Sviatoslav detail to deliver even more refinement. of the Mk2 appears to have been dust off your record with one of Richter’s 1959 recording of Rach- I usually go to great lengths to align almost entirely eliminated in this new those carbon-fiber brushes. I found maninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 2 on my cartridges with extreme care, version, likely thanks to the use of a myself simply playing and enjoy- Deutsche Grammophon were totally and if I had one nit to pick about the more massive platter with better ing the music on my records, in tune and steady as a rock by my SL-1200GR, it’s that the headshell damping qualities. Tony Levin’s without much of the analog ritual ear. Technics makes a big deal about connector can be just a bit sloppy. amazing bass playing on Peter often needed with more exotic their new coreless direct-drive motor When you insert the headshell into the Gabriel’s duet with Kate Bush, “Don’t equipment. design, and it seems to be the real mounting collar, you’ll find that there’s Give Up,” had a newfound sense of The SL-1200GR represents the deal. There was a time when just a bit of play, which can affect the focus and solidity compared with the long-awaited return of the best- audiophiles would eschew azimuth ever so slightly (that’s the older table. selling high-performance turntable in direct-drive systems as not being left-to-right tilt of the cartridge when history. While I can’t really comment capable of truly high-end perfor- viewed from head on). Quick and easy Conclusion on its DJ-ing capabilities, I can say mance, but more recent designs like cartridge swaps are important to the After living with the SL-1200GR for that it’s an excellent choice for the the Brinkmann a while, I audiophile who wants a no-fuss began solution that will likely last through a nuclear war. It really is a viable alternative to some of the popular audiophile offerings in this price range. I expect that if Technics left off a bunch of the DJ tchotchkes—such as the pitch slider, target light, and strobe platter—they’d actually sell a bunch more turntables to people who may otherwise dismiss this one as “just another DJ deck.” Until then, we’ll keep it away from the audio snobs as our own little secret.

The SL-1200GR’s high-torque •coreless motor ensures quick starts.

60 FEBRUARY/MARCH 2018 soundandvision.com Introducing the new 700 Series

See the full range at www.bowers-wilkins.com/700series TEST REPORT Epson Home Cinema LS100 LCD Projector Performance Features Ergonomics Go Short Value By Al Griffin

AT A GLANCE: EPSON Epson Home Cinema LS100 Plus LCD Projector and Elite Screens Q Bright picture Q Compact form factor Q Can be used in average Aeon CLR Screen room-lighting conditions It may not have the same elegant design as Sony’s UST projector, but PRICE $3,000 as 120 inches, comes off as a bargain the Epson’s relatively compact black Minus (Epson), $799 (Elite) per-inch compared with TVs like case (measuring roughly 19 x 7 x 17 Q Below-average picture Samsung’s twenty-grand 88-inch inches, WxHxD) has an understated QN-88Q9F. Epson’s new entry on the look that should let it blend in with contrast Q ULTRA-SHORT-THROW (UST) UST scene is the LS100, a 1080p- most environments. Fan noise when Some center-to-edge projectors are becoming an resolution, three-chip LCD projector the projector’s Quiet Light Source brightness dropoff Q increasingly popular alternative to that, similar to the Sony, uses a laser mode is selected is very low— Mediocre remote control regular front-projection systems. light engine. The LS100 costs $3,000 another factor that will help it blend in The reason is that, unlike regular and can beam images up to 130 with a living room space. (Fan noise in projectors, which require careful inches. Does it represent the same the Normal Light Source mode, which used to control features meant for lighting control to perform their best, bargain as the Sony? Let’s look. runs laser brightness at full power, is classroom instruction, such as pic- UST models can operate in well-lit One benefit to a laser light engine notably louder.) ture split, freeze, and zoom modes. environments. They beam light is rapid startup: After hitting the A full set of control buttons is (Although it’s sold as a home upwards and are designed to be projector’s power-on button, it takes provided on the projector’s right side entertainment projector, the LS100 mounted only a few inches away only about 5 seconds for a picture to as you face it. Input connections are clearly has a counterpart in the from the screen, an arrangement pop up onscreen. Another benefit is located on an inset section on the education market.) Also, the keypad permitting clean installations that longevity. While most projectors back left of the projector—the side isn’t backlit, making it difficult to find not only are free of ceiling mounts require a lamp replacement after a that actually faces the screen, and specific buttons on the crowded or long wiring runs but also avoid few thousand hours, Epson claims they include a trio of HDMI inputs handset in a dim room. On the plus the problem of onscreen shadows up to 20,000 hours as the lifespan (one with MHL support for connect- side, power and input selection when someone traverses a pro- for the LS100’s light engine. The ing a compatible smartphone or buttons are set off in a section at the jector’s beam. company’s specs cite brightness tablet), two USB type-A inputs, and top. After using the remote for a while, Another display category that UST for both the white and color compo- one USB type-B input. There’s also a I was eventually able to get a handle projectors are taking a bite out of is nents of projected images at 4,000 LAN port for linking to a home control on things. ultra-large flat-screen TVs. One exam- lumens. They put the contrast ratio at system. An additional set of connec- ple is Sony’s VPL-VZ1000ES projec- 2,500,000:1, which may well be the tions is hidden under a nearby panel Setup tor, a $25,000, 4K-resolution, ultra- highest contrast ratio claim I’ve seen, and includes composite video and During my evaluation of the LS100, short-throw model I recently reviewed short of infinite. Unlike many other VGA inputs, along with an RS-232C I used two separate ambient-light- in these pages (October 2017; also current 1080p-res projectors, includ- control port. rejecting screens designed spe- available at soundandvision.com). ing other models from Epson, the Epson’s compact remote is packed cifically for use with ultra-short- Even at that price, the Sony, which is LS100 doesn’t do 3D. with small buttons, many of which are throw projectors. The primary capable of screen was a 90-inch-diagonal beaming model from Elite Screens’ Aeon CLR images series, which is also under formal as review here. I placed the projector large on a low table in my home theater, with its top front edge about 8 inches from the screen plane and 1 foot below the screen’s bottom edge. The other screen, used as a refer- ence, was a 92-inch- diagonal 5 series Zero Edge frame from Screen Innovations (Sound & Vision, October 2017 and our website) paired with

The LS100’s black case is •compact and unobtrusive.

62 FEBRUARY/MARCH 2018 soundandvision.com THE VERDICT PROJECTOR AND SCREEN This combination of Epson projector and Elite screen represents a EPSON HOME CINEMA LS100 LCD PROJECTOR AND ELITE great value for those seeking a daylight-friendly, ultra-large-screen SCREENS AEON CLR SCREEN viewing option. PRICES: $3,000, $799 Epson • epson.com • Elite Screens • elitescreens.com

solid when viewed from an off-center seat—something you can’t say for many flat-panel LCD TVs, even the most expensive ones. When I checked out the black- and-white “Noir” version of the movie Logan on Blu-ray, the picture looked reasonably punchy. But shadows still came across as dark-to-medium gray, rather than a deep black, in scenes such as one where the mutant girl Laura eats cereal in the abandoned chemical plant where Logan and Charles are hiding out. However, the picture did look detailed and crisp, and it displayed a range of fine gray tones. Image uniformity was very good; I saw a small degree of tinting at the edges of the picture, but it was fairly minor and, for the most part, not noticeable. The Epson’s positive performance the company’s Short Throw (ST) presets include Cinema, Bright Performance attributes—ample brightness, accu- material. Cinema, Dynamic, and Game modes. I did plenty of casual viewing with rate color, good detail and unifor- Tweaking image geometry Making my adjustments in Cinema, the Epson projector and Elite screen mity—were all on display when I proved fairly easy using the I used the Customized controls in before seriously digging in for my streamed an episode of Mindhunter projector’s built-in test patterns and the White Balance menu to adjust review. During that time, I found the on Netflix. In a scene where Holden adjustable feet. There are Tele and its grayscale by tweaking the RGB picture to be satisfyingly bright, with walks through the entrance area of Wide zoom controls to adjust image gain and offsets. I also selected a decent contrast even during daytime a prison, I could see a surprisingly size and position controls to adjust gamma setting that gave me a viewing with room lights left on. With wide range of colors in the bland, horizontal and vertical placement, balance closest to a 2.2 target, and I a maximum 70 foot-lamberts of institutional environment. And when but these are all digital controls that used the color-management controls measured light output, brightness he sits down in a meeting room to reduce resolution by remapping the in the RGBCMY menu to tweak color isn’t as powerful as what you’d get interview serial killer Ed Kemper, the image on the projector’s display point accuracy. Controls in the Image with a flat-panel LCD TV—or even an skintones of both men looked natural, chips. Image focus with the LS100 is Enhancement menu let me adjust OLED TV, for that matter. But it was and there was a subtle rendering a bit odd in that you have to remove image sharpness without adding better than what I measured with of daylight that streams in from a the projector’s air filter cover and any ringing artifacts or other noise the Sony VPL-VZ1000ES, though window to the otherwise dim space. raise or lower a lever tucked away to the picture. Last, I selected the that projector delivered a higher in that compartment. Fortunately, High Speed option in the Dynamic measured contrast ratio. Elite Screens Aeon CLR this is something you typically have Contrast menu—a setting that As I watched The Lego Batman Screen to do only once, and the Epson’s delivered the best overall contrast Movie in dim, theater-like viewing The 90-inch-diagonal Elite screen control allowed me to achieve crisp ratio when used in conjunction with conditions, colors in the computer- ($799) that we tested with the Epson image focus across all areas of the the projector’s Quiet Light Source animated images looked bold and was an “edge-free” model that mir- screen. option. well saturated. Contrast wasn’t nearly rors the ultra-thin-bezel design of The LS100’s the same as what I typically get using current flat-panel TVs, with a bezel picture a good regular projector and screen width of 0.5 inch. Elite makes it in those conditions, but the blacks available in 100- and 120-inch sizes were still reasonably dark. Both color as well, and has a similar material saturation and contrast remained available to installers through its EPV

In its Quiet Light Source mode, the Epson’s fan• noise is commendably low.

soundandvision.com 63 TEST REPORT

SPECS Dimensions (WxHxD, Inches): 19.4 x 7.4 x 17.2 • Weight (Pounds): 24.3 • Video Inputs: HDMI (3, one MHL), composite video (1), VGA Test Bench computer • Audio Inputs: Minijack analog stereo (2) • Other: LAN (1), USB Type Epson Home Cinema LS100 LCD Projector A (2), USB Type B (1), RS-232C (1)

BEFORE Calibration

The Epson sports AFTER Calibration •a trio of HDMI inputs, along with legacy composite video and VGA ports.

FULL-ON/FULL-OFF Contrast WITH the Cinema mode’s default Elite has a how-to video on their Ratio: 1,030:1 settings active, the Epson’s mea- website that more clearly details sured color points were some- the process. PRE-CALIBRATION measure- what inaccurate, with the Delta E Once assembled, the Aeon CLR ments were made with the Epson’s averaging 7.0. Post-calibration, the screen had an impressively solid Cinema preset active. Post- Delta E for color points improved build and seamless look for a $799 calibration measurements were slightly, averaging 5.8. model. The screen material itself made in the same mode. All WITH the 1 Gamma preset selected, has a black surface with a slightly measurements were made using the Delta E for gamma in the reflective quality that makes it look the Elite Screens Aeon CLR screen. Cinema mode averaged 6.2. rejecting material with an optical even more like a flat-panel TV. When I THE projector’s highest contrast Post-calibration, gamma improved structure that’s designed to filter projected video onto it, with overhead ratio in the Cinema preset was substantially, closely tracking the out overhead light coming from the ceiling lights turned on, I saw some achieved with its Quiet Light Control 2.2 target for most of its range, with ceiling. Viewing angle is specified onscreen reflections. They weren’t as mode selected and its Dynamic a high of 2.1 at 90 IRE. as 180 degrees. Wall-mounting and bad as what you’d get with a regular Contrast feature set to High Speed. PICTURE uniformity on the Epson LED-backlighting kits come with TV, but they were hard to overlook. With this combination, black level was mostly good: White full-field the screen, though a backlighting When I eventually swapped out the measured 0.022 ft-L and peak white test patterns showed some kit wasn’t included with my review Elite Aeon CLR for the Screen 22.68 ft-L, for a contrast ratio of brightness drops between the sample. Innovations Zero Edge frame and 1,030:1. Contrast ratio in Cinema center and edges of the screen, Unlike some other ALR screens, Short Throw material for a compar- preset with the Dynamic Contrast but color shifts were minimal. (Our StarBright CLR is a flexible material ison, I didn’t experience the same turned off was 200:1. Maximum light measurements for color and that can be rolled up, which allows reflections. output was measured at 70.32 ft-L brightness uniformity in different Elite to deliver the screen in a com- Brightness and color temperature with contrast set to 100 in the screen sectors, available at pact box. Along with allowing it to be measurements projector’s Dynamic preset mode, soundandvision.com, indicated that navigated to the install site around I made on the with Normal brightness selected. performance was mostly consistent tight corners that a large, rigid screen Aeon CLR across BEFORE calibration, the Epson’s between the Elite and Screen might not travel through, this usually multiple points default color temperature preset Innovations screens used, though saves money on shipping costs. on the screen in the Cinema preset displayed the SI model had better brightness The catch is that you have to put the (available with somewhat below-average tracking, uniformity.) The projector also had screen together yourself, assembling our web version with the Delta E averaging out to very good brightness uniformity the sharp-edged metal frame, tightly of this review at 4.3. Calibration in the User mode when the picture was viewed off wrapping the screen material around soundandvision. improved that average to 1.1, with axis. A degree of light spray could it, and then fastening everything up com) revealed a high of 1.6 at 30% brightness. be seen when viewing in dark room with Velcro. Also, the bezel needs impressive color (Delta E is a figure of merit that conditions. Our suite of video to be attached with adhesive strips, uniformity, with indicates how closely a display processing tests revealed mostly and the bond that this created was a negligible adheres to the Rec. 709 HD color good performance, with the Epson a bit flimsy. While I didn’t have the degree of color standard. Experts generally agree only tripping up on HD and SD same physically taxing experience shift on full-field that levels below 3 are visibly 2:2 pulldown patterns, a not assembling the Elite screen as I white and gray indistinguishable from perfect color uncommon result.—AG did with the model from Screen test patterns. tracking.) Innovations, there were moments Brightness uni- when I found myself in the Ikea zone, formity wasn’t Screens professional division. The StarBright CLR, a 0.6-gain trying to follow the instruction as good as with Aeon CLR series uses the company’s ambient-light- manual. Fortunately, the Screen

The crowded, non- •backlit remote took 64 FEBRUARY/MARCH 2018 soundandvision.com some geing used to. Elite Screens Aeon CLR Screen Elite’s super-skinny half- Performance •inch frame gives the screen Setup the sleekness of an Ultra SPECS Viewing Surface (WxH, Inches): 78.4 x 44.1 • With Value HDTV. Frame (WxH, Inches): 79.4 x 45.1 • Aspect Ratio: 16:9 • Gain: 0.6

taking up little more space than a AT A GLANCE: ELITE stand-mounted flat-panel TV. And it will do that in a well-lit environment, Plus such as a typical living room. It also Q Affordable UST screen brings the benefit of excellent off-axis option uniformity, so viewers at all seats in Q Good color uniformity the room can experience the same picture quality. Q Good ambient light Where this system comes up short rejection compared with a regular-projector- and-screen combo is contrast: Minus Shadows lack the depth and punch that the best projectors readily deliver Q Less-than-ideal brightness in dark, theater-like settings. That uniformity brightness differences between the $4,199, whereas the Elite is only $799. limitation comes down to the Epson Q Screen reflections from center and corners of the picture And once they’re installed, both look LS100, which isn’t capable of deliv- overhead lighting were difficult to spot unless I was good—good enough, at least, to ering the same punchy contrast as Q Arduous self-assembly looking for them. Contrast ratio forget that they’re there, which is what the Sony VPL-VZ1000ES I tested procedure measurements I made with both you want to do with a screen. Viewed in my last UST projector review— screens revealed an equivalent from that perspective, the Elite Aeon though the Epson does exceed performance level. CLR is a great option for a budget UST the Sony when it comes to color Innovations setup, however, with In sum, the Elite screen doesn’t projection system. uniformity. And, of course, it costs measured brightness dipping by as offer the same degree of overhead a fraction of the Sony’s price. When much as 11.6 ft-L in some sectors, light rejection and brightness uni- Conclusion you consider the solid level of per- compared with 7.1 on the SI when I formity as the Screen Innovations For a total price of $3,799, this formance delivered for the money, performed the same tests. Still, I can’t model. And build quality isn’t as solid, projector-and-screen combo can the Epson/Elite Screens duo makes say I had much to complain about though it definitely exceeded my display a satisfyingly bright picture as for a fantastic value proposition in when I watched movies and TV: Any expectations. That said, the SI costs large as 130 inches diagonal while UST projection. TEST REPORT Music on Tap By Al Griffin

AT A GLANCE Elac Discovery DS-S101-G Music Plus Q Free app from Roon Labs pair of stereo analog RCA outputs and Q Wired and wireless multi- Server at no extra charge. The main both coaxial and optical digital outs. room playback options difference is that, with Essentials, Data connections include a gigabit Q Impressive sound from your music library is limited to a still Ethernet port for linking to a wired built-in DAC PRICE $1,100 substantial 30,000 tracks. network (a requirement for using the Besides maintaining a music Discovery) and a USB port to plug in library ripped from discs, Roon USB storage. Minus BEFORE DIVING INTO A REVIEW Essentials provides software inte- Along with single-zone operation, Q of Elac’s Discovery DS-S101-G music gration with the CD- or better-quality the Discovery can be configured for Track count limited to server, it seems apt to ask: What is a Tidal streaming service (subscription synchronized multiroom playback via 30,000 Q music server? In the past, it was a required). This means that when you its dual analog outputs. Wireless Requires wired LAN standalone audio component with use the Discovery, albums, tracks, multiroom streaming is also possible connection a built-in hard disk that stored and and playlists in your Tidal library will when using AirPlay speakers, Roon- played a ripped CD collection while show up as part of your larger music ready Wi-Fi speakers from Bluesound connecting to the internet to fetch collection, alongside the ripped CDs and Elac (specifically, the company’s 2015). After I downloaded the Roon metadata. While products that fit this and standard- and high-resolution forthcoming Discovery Z3), and Essentials app to my iPhone description still exist, a music server downloads. The Discovery’s built-in Sonos products. However, wireless (Android, OS X, and Windows 10 can also be something as basic as a DAC supports uncompressed WAV, speakers that use different protocols versions are also available), the software application running on a AIFF, FLAC, and ALAC files with up to (e.g., AirPlay and Sonos) can’t be Discovery was detected as the computer or on a network-attached 192-kilohertz/24-bit resolution, along grouped together for synchronized “Roon Core” on my network. The storage (NAS) appliance. The server with the compressed MP3, AAC, and multiroom playback. final steps were to enter my Tidal application, wherever it may reside, OGG formats. login credentials and to configure acts as a librarian for your digital An unassuming piece of hardware Setup a USB drive loaded with ripped audio files, sorting and retrieving that measures about 8 x 5 inches Setting up the Discovery in my and downloaded music files and them, and then routing the data to (WxD), the Discovery has a case that’s system involved first running an plugged into the Discovery’s back a USB DAC or a networked audio crafted from solid aluminum, and Ethernet cable from a powerline panel as the main music “folder.” component that translates the ones there’s a rubber pad on the bottom adapter to link it to my home Since I was using both the digital and zeros into music. that keeps it snugly set on top of a network. I next made analog and and analog outputs, I could set these With no built-in storage, Elac’s receiver, an integrated amp, or any coaxial digital connections to an up as separate zones in the Audio Discovery is a compact component other component you use it with. (Just Outlaw Audio RR2160 stereo Settings panel of the Roon Essentials that links to either external USB don’t block any cooling vents! (An receiver (Sound & Vision, November app. This allowed me to compare storage or a NAS device, provides LED indicator on the front panel glows 2017) powering a pair of GoldenEar the performance of the Discovery’s analog and digital outputs to con- white when the server is in use. Audio Technology Triton Five tower built-in DAC with that of the Outlaw nect to your audio system, and is connections on the back include two speakers (Sound & Vision, May receiver. I also configured a Naim controlled by an app. In this case, however, the software that runs the show is from Roon Labs, a music library and discovery platform that has earned acclaim for its advanced user interface and sophisticated handling of metadata. Regular users of Roon pay $119 per year (or $499 lifetime) for a subscription. With the Elac Discovery, you get a scaled- down version called Roon Essentials—included

The com- pact Discovery• server measures 8 inches wide by 5 inches in depth.

66 FEBRUARY/MARCH 2018 soundandvision.com THE VERDICT MUSIC SERVER Elac Discovery DS-S101-G Music Server Elac’s Discovery provides a sim- ELAC DISCOVERY DS-S101-G MUSIC SERVER Performance ple, elegant option for adding a PRICE: $1,100 Features networked music server with Roon Elac • elac.com Ergonomics Value to an existing audio system.

displayed a level of detail and focus that conjured up the precise loca- SPECS Outputs: Stereo analog RCA (2), optical digital tion of the instrument in the sound- (1), coaxial digital (1) • Other: USB (1), LAN (1) • Dimensions (Wx- stage. As I listened, the metadata in HxD, Inches): 8.25 x 1.9 x 4.7 • Weight (Pounds): 2 the Roon app (which taps its con- tent from AllMusic.com) informed me that “My Valentine” was com- posed by Paul McCartney, and the embedded links in other tracks led me to learn more about the composers of those songs. And that’s just one small example of the magic of Roon, which really does merit its own full review outside the context of Elac’s server. Next, I played a Tidal stream of Van Morrison’s “Into the Mystic” from Moondance. The acoustic guitar, piano, and electric bass in the background had a warm, liquid quality that contrasted nicely with the sharper tone of Van’s vocals. The soundstage on this track came across as especially wide, with a tambourine pushed forward in the mix serving to create a realistic sense of depth. Switching over to classical music, I played a Max Richter composition, “War Anthem,” from his Three Worlds: Mu-so Qb speaker in my bedroom as Music from Woolf Works. The Elac a wireless AirPlay zone, though I and Outlaw combination conveyed wasn’t able to group it for synchro- a strong sense of spaciousness nized playback with the Discovery in and clear layering between the solo the main system. instruments and the orchestra. Massed strings sounded full and Performance textured, and the steady, low rumble I started my listening session with of percussion instruments created a vocals were better integrated in inexpensive USB and NAS storage the Discovery connected to the powerful foundation. the mix, which resulted in a more options. Its compact form and Outlaw receiver’s analog input. When I compared the same tracks seamless presentation. And when minimalist design allow it to be When I played “My Valentine,” a using a digital input on the Outlaw I listened to the Richter piece, integrated unobtrusively with an 96/24 HDtracks download from the receiver, the sound remained the strings were conveyed with a existing hi-fi rig. Also, you’ll get Brad Mehldau Trio’s Blues and impressive, but there were instances finer sense of bloom and decay. great sound quality from its built-in Ballads, the piano tone was smooth when the Discovery’s DAC showed When combined with a slightly bet- DAC, along with wired and wireless and cool, with just the right touch of a clear advantage. One example: ter bass depth, the overall sound multiroom audio support, includ- crispness to the high notes. The The piano on “My Valentine” had a with Elac’s DAC was more dynamic ing installations that use AirPlay or drums had a full presentation that warmer overall tone via the Discovery, and lively. Sonos speakers. easily conveyed the rich overtones and the cymbals displayed better air Ultimately, the Discovery’s of the brushed cymbals, and a and detail. Also, on the Moondance Conclusion strongest selling point is the bundled double bass solo midway through track, Morrison’s Wrapping up my take on Elac’s Roon Essentials app, which gives Discovery, I’m hard-pressed to find a you a free pass to the world of Roon, good reason why someone seeking a platform that’s widely regarded as to add a networked music server a superior solution for the browsing to their system wouldn’t want one. and playback of digital music. The The Discovery eliminates any need Discovery might not fit everyone’s to use a dedicated computer to conception of a music server, but I’m store music or operate your system confident it will fit many listeners’ (beyond your mobile device to run needs as they evolve their systems the app), and it works with both for networked audio playback.

The Roon Essentials music •library platform (above) is built into the Elac Discovery.

A rubber pad on the boom side of the solid aluminum unit helps the Discovery •stay where you place it. soundandvision.com 67 Entertainment

Reviews in High Definition

Good Excellent Reference RATINGS Poor Fair PICTURE UHD BLU-RAY 3D-NESS SOUND Baby Driver EXTRAS

this 4K master, however, is probably best done by switching to the bundled Blu-ray, which, while excellent by its own standard, lacks the refined facets of this image. HDR10 is most evi- dent in the nighttime scenes where headlights and streetlights pierce the darkness, while the candy colors add a dream-like quality to the proceedings. I’m hard-pressed to think of another movie that uses sound with such erudite revelry. The music is indispensable to this tale, weaving in and out of scenes and floating all around the home theater in the different channels, beyond stereo. (The track is Dolby Atmos, but I demo’d the disc in TrueHD 7.1.) Ample offscreen activity keeps us engaged: cars driving by, of course, but also voices phasing superbly between speakers, while occasional bass kicks are employed just to

Sony remind us who’s boss. Even a character’s tinnitus is astutely expressed, effectively but never Stealer’s Wheel unpleasantly. No extras are provided on the 4K Can the dangerous business of getaway driving be because there’s a lot going on in disc, but the Blu-ray is well stocked, elevated to an art form? Propelled by the constant any given scene and within the starting with a pair of director soundtrack of his life, Baby (Ansel Elgort) combines 2.39:1 frame, with details I only commentaries, one solo and one speed, daring, and creativity in noticed upon second viewing. It’s joined by director of photography a thrilling and highly profitable display of hard to know who the baddest Bill Pope. Both are worth a listen to skill. He doesn’t want to be a part of this bad guy will ultimately be in this hear more about the influences and prolonged crime spree, but he needs to repay den of thieves, as some characters techniques. Multiple featurettes take a debt to a local kingpin (Kevin Spacey). In and situations feel a bit stock, yet us behind the scenes of this unusual fact, he believes he has an exit strategy all ultimately they might just be production, which required an figured out, once they’re square, and that he considered fodder for Wright’s exceptional amount of preparation and his new lady friend (Lily James) can fresh, unique take on the car to complete: casting, rehearsals, drive off into the sunset. But his boss has chase movie. training, and more. The eleven other plans, involving a violent new cohort The 2160p picture is virtually deleted and extended scenes include (Jamie Foxx), and his freewheeling days of flawless, shot on both film and alternate versions of several impor- cops and robbers are definitely over. BLU-RAY digital media and marred by only tant sequences. Extensive animatics Just as artful is writer/director Edgar STUDIO: Sony, 2017 faint inconsistencies in grain and are revealed, as well as the story- Wright’s realization of Baby’s story. The ASPECT RATIO: 2.39:1 rare instances of strobing. Blacks boards for the entire movie. An AUDIO FORMAT: Dolby Atmos / entire movie has a distinct rhythm, keenly True HD 7.1 core are deep, elements in the back- UltraViolet 4K Digital Copy—in choreographed so that the various action LENGTH: 113 mins. ground retain their sharpness, and Dolby Vision and with Dolby Atmos beats, even specific gunshots, subtly hit on MPAA RATING: R the lines and crags in actors’ faces audio—is supplied via a redeemable DIRECTOR: the beat of the music in ways never before Edgar Wright both major and minor are plain to code. OChris Chiarella STARRING: Ansel Elgort, Kevin attempted. You need to pay attention Spacey, Lily James see. Appreciating the quality of soundandvision.com One of these days, Baby, you’re gonna get blood on your hands.”

68 FEBRUARY/MARCH 2018 soundandvision.com UHD BLU-RAY

PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: DEAD MEN TELL NO TALES WARM BODIES YO HO HO AND A BARREL OF FUN Disney ALL YOU NEED IS LOVE Lionsgate

I typically tend to bash films that rely on hackneyed plot This is the classic story of boy meets girl, boy falls for girl, devices and laughably implausible action sequences, and girl wakes up one day and realizes she loves boy and can’t Disney’s latest escapade in their beleaguered Pirates of the live without him. Will daddy approve? Not likely since the Caribbean franchise is guilty on all charges. The entire boy comes from the group that daddy is trying to wipe off series has anchored its plot lines to a host of supernatural elements like the face of the Earth, so the young couple must overcome long odds to cursed pirates, leviathan sea monsters, and homicidal mermaids. Tales live happily ever after. Although there’s a twist here that you don’t often throws more gas onto the fire with killer ghost ships, zombie sharks, see—the boy is a zombie who can’t even remember his name other than and the fabled Poseidon’s Trident, a mythical object that can break all it begins with an R. known curses, so naturally, everyone wants it. Somehow I missed this during its theatrical run in 2013 and its The plot is superbly ridiculous, and despite all this, I thoroughly subsequent Blu-ray release, but fortunately Lionsgate decided to make enjoyed it. Johnny Depp and Geoffrey Rush reprise their iconic roles this one of their catalog UHD releases—a win for me! My wife and I as Captain Jack Sparrow and Hector Barbossa, but seriously, could you absolutely loved this film. Sure, it’s somewhat predictable given its even have a Pirates movie without them? As the cursed Captain Salazar Romeo and Juliet–based story line, but R’s narration is hilarious, and the with a murderous vendetta against Sparrow, Javier Bardem amply interaction between him and his love interest is quite touching and does follows the distinguished line of thespians like Bill Nighy and Ian a great job of selling the fact that somehow this undead teenager wants McShane in the token role of the deliciously psychotic villain. But to love again. What makes the film work is that it never veers off its the cherry on top has to be the delightful cameo of ex-Beatle Paul straight and narrow path, and you can’t help but fall in love with the McCartney appearing as Sparrow’s imprisoned Uncle Jack. “If they main characters. I hope my daughter is lucky enough to find someone disembowel you, ask for Victor. He’s got the softest hands.” Classic. like R someday—a caring man who’s willing to undergo a life-altering Both the 4K UHD and standard HD discs tout excellent picture change for the one he loves. quality with remarkable sharpness and clarity throughout. HD suf- Although the film is only four years old, it was actually shot on film fers slightly from intermittent motion blur and strobing issues and a and finished with a 2K digital intermediate. Comparing it to the consistently artificial look. Daylight exteriors look like they were shot bundled Blu-ray shows an uptick in detail in clothing and facial pores on Hollywood backlots, and interior sequences are noticeably overlit. along with better-resolved shadows, most likely from the HDR10 Advantage ultimately goes to the 4K version for its subdued color treatment. The film was very heavily color graded in post-production scheme and more realistic appearance. This world looks lived in, and with a mix of cool blues on some interior shots with a much warmer the green-screen special effects are more seamlessly integrated with yellow tone for exteriors. The result is a pleasing upgrade over an their live-action counterparts. excellent-looking 1080p disc. The Dolby Atmos track on the 4K disc The Blu-ray sports a DTS-HD Master also surpasses the 7.1 DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 track, but the UHD has been Audio of the HD version. Both mixes give upgraded to Dolby Atmos with outstand- plenty of punch in all the right places, but ing results. This is apparent from the first the Atmos has the edge with a clearer scene of the movie when R’s narration separation of background elements like comes from the overhead speakers giving seagulls and crashing waves. his dialogue a very spatial sound. Addition- Bonus content is on the standard HD ally, the action scenes make good use of the disc and includes a wealth of featurettes that entire speaker array and include some great accumulate to over 45 minutes, covering panning effects along with rock-solid LFE the making of the film and the culmina- BLU-RAY performance. tion of the entire series. There’s also a gag STUDIO: Disney, 2017 BLU-RAY All of the supplements from the bundled ASPECT RATIO: STUDIO: reel, deleted scenes, and a meager Jerry 2:40:1 Lionsgate, 2013 Blu-ray can be found on the UHD disc as AUDIO FORMAT: Dolby Atmos, ASPECT RATIO: 2.39:1 Bruckheimer photo diary. Digital Copy DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 AUDIO FORMAT: Dolby Atmos / well. These include an audio commentary, included. If this is indeed the final instal- LENGTH: 129 mins. True HD 7.1 core some great featurettes, deleted scenes, and MPAA RATING: lment in the series, then Dead Men Tell No PG-13 LENGTH: 98 mins. an UltraViolet Digital Copy. ODavid Vaughn DIRECTORS: MPAA RATING: Tales is a suitable and fitting finale to the Joachim Ronning & PG-13 Espen Sandberg DIRECTOR: Jonathan Levine O popular franchise. Corey Gunnestad STARRING: Johnny Depp, Geoffrey STARRING: Nicholas Hoult, Teresa Rush, Javier Bardem Palmer, John Malkovich

soundandvision.com 69 UHD BLU-RAY

THE BRIDGE ON THE RIVER KWAI CAPTAIN UNDERPANTS MADNESS Sony TRA-LA-LAAA LAND DreamWorks

Captured in 1943, a battalion of British soldiers is forced Based on a series of twelve children’s books, Captain to work as slave labor to build a bridge for the Japanese Underpants: The Original Superherois the story of Best over the River Kwai. The sadistic POW commander, Friends Forever George and Harold. To stay sane in their Col. Saito, insists the British officers work alongside the suffocating grammar school, they write comics starring enlisted personnel against the bylaws of the Geneva Convention. The their imagined superhero, Captain Underpants. They also engage in British officer, Col. Nicholson, brings this to the attention of Saito, who elaborate pranks, to the dismay of their insufferable, warden-like promptly puts him in the “hot box” until he changes his tune. Nichol- principal, Mr. Krupp. Things come to a head when Krupp threatens son refuses to back down, and a battle of wills ensues. Saito eventually to transfer them to separate classes to put an end to their troublemak- realizes he’s fighting a losing battle and must find a way to inspire the ing. Desperate, George tries to hypnotize Krupp with his cereal-box prisoners to work faster, and Nicholson is the key to getting the bridge hypno-ring. Amazingly, it works, and the boys transform a transfixed built on time. Krupp into a real-life, dim-whited Captain Underpants. The word masterpiece gets thrown around a lot, but this one truly fits The film’s plot is as hilarious and loony as it sounds, loaded with gags the definition. Director David Lean had a successful career leading up aimed squarely at the under-10 set. We not only get the expected potty to this Oscar-winner, but his hat trick of this film,Lawrence of Arabia, jokes, but also a villain named Professor Poopypants. When Poopy- and Doctor Zhivago put the famed director in a class of his own. In fact, pants develops a weapon to rid the world of laughter, Captain Under- if it weren’t for The Sound of Music, he most likely would have directed pants must confront him in a climactic battle to keep the whole world three Best Picture winners over the span of eight years! The painstaking from taking it in the shorts. filming process for this film is well catalogued, but it’s still hard to The visual design here is less slick than in DreamWorks’ other believe that Lean actually built the bridge that’s the centerpiece of the 2017 hit, The Boss Baby, but the intent was to mimic the look of the story. illustrations in author Dav Pilkey’s books. The 4K UHD disc offers With a 60-year-old film, one can’t expect it to look like a crystal-clear, noise-free, richly saturated color and impressive detail. But typical of digitally shot modern production, so to compare it to such would be animation, the images are almost continuously bright and make little unfair. What can be said is that the film has never looked better—warts use of high dynamic range. and all. Certain scenes suffer from filming anomalies and don’t translate The UHD disc’s audio offers Dolby Atmos, but I auditioned it in well to 4K, but when it looks good, it looks really good—as in damn 5.1-channel Dolby TrueHD. It’s dynamic, with a well-recorded, near flawless. It teems with detail and lets the natural film grain show pop-heavy score and strong though not particularly deep bass. without any hint of compression noise. The colors have never looked so Apart from a couple of music videos and full and lifelike, and the masterpiece will surely attract a new generation several trailers, the extras (on the HD disc) of film enthusiasts. are dominated by short subjects that use Given the film’s age, I didn’t expect much sock- or stick-puppet characters introduc- from the Dolby Atmos soundtrack, which ing clips from the movie. But there’s little is drawn from the original mono track. useful making-of detail. The only exception Dynamic range is very compressed, and is a feature showing deleted scenes in rough dialogue is sometimes difficult to under- form (final cut decisions are usually made stand, especially Saito’s monologues. The on rough storyboards, or moving sketches Oscar-winning score suffers the same fate, called animatics, prior to finished although the imaging and soundstage are animation). much fuller than one would expect. BLU-RAY Since the original Shrek, a trademark of There are no new bonus materials for the STUDIO: DreamWorks Animation, DreamWorks has been humor that adults 2017 BLU-RAY UHD release, although all of the supple- ASPECT RATIO: 1.85:1 can enjoy while their kids laugh themselves STUDIO: Sony, 1957 ments from the previously released Blu-ray AUDIO FORMAT: Dolby Atmos off their chairs at the more obvious gags. ASPECT RATIO: 2.55:1 (Ultra HD); DTS-HD Master Audio are included on the bundled disc. These AUDIO FORMAT: Dolby Atmos / Captain Underpants lacks this more than 7.1 (Blu-ray) include some vintage featurettes, photo True HD 7.1 core most, but there’s enough here in its crazy LENGTH: 89 mins. LENGTH: 161 mins. galleries, trailers, a picture-in-graphics MPAA RATING: PG and creative plot and animation to keep MPAA RATING: PG track, and an UltraViolet Digital Copy. DIRECTOR: David Soren everyone happy for its short, 89-minute DIRECTOR: David Lean O STARRING: Kevin Hart, Thomas O David Vaughn STARRING: Alec Guinness, William running time. Thomas J. Norton Middleditch, Ed Helms Holden, Jack Hawkins soundandvision.com

70 FEBRUARY/MARCH 2018 soundandvision.com

ENTERTAINMENT MUSIC

TROUBLE NO MORE: THE BOOTLEG SERIES VOL. 13 / 1979-1981 DELUXE BOX SET BOB DYLAN

you need to know about the man and the artist—and they also serve to inform how the Judas betrayal concept filtered down through his canon a little more than a decade later when Dylan’s most polar- izing lane shift came at the end of the fractious 1970s. That’s the time period when Robert Allen Zimmerman decided to embrace religion by way of a trifecta of spiritually inspired albums: 1979’s Slow Train Coming, 1980’s Saved, and 1981’s Shot of Love.

And now, being baptized into said Bootleg Columbia/Legacy Courtesy Series is lucky Vol. 13, Trouble No More, which chronicles that transformation with a score of unreleased live and/or rare tracks and outtakes—some pristine and others restored/upgraded from recordings made on an 8-track portable Otari tape machine. Naturally, there are a number of options available to experience the intense holy-rolling of Trouble No More—hi-res digital downloads at 96-kHz/24-bit, double-disc CD, and four-LP 180-gram vinyl among them. But if you truly want to experience maximum Saint Bob, then you need to invest in the 109-track nine-disc deluxe version, which once again reinforces Columbia/Legacy’s mastery of the big box set art No other artist in the rock era has followed his own muse as deliber- form. Every track here save one has never been officially released until ately and as singularly as Bob Dylan has. Right from the dawning of now, and wading through them all is like poring over aural renditions his career at the outset of the 1960s, Dylan has chosen his own lane of the bard’s old and new testaments alike. From the cathartic opening and then merged into it full-on, regardless of any external pressures live salvo of “Slow Train” (recorded in San Francisco in November or expectations. Whether the message is parlayed with his voice backed 1979) to supplementing Tim Drummond’s furiously plucked bass notes only by an acoustic guitar or translated with full band accompaniment, on multiple versions of “Solid Rock” to “The Groom’s Still Waiting at the foremost poet of our times has known exactly what information the Altar,” recorded again in SF (albeit a full year later in November he wants to share with us every step of the way, critics and cognoscenti 1980) with Carlos Santana offering a pair of frenzied, soul-stirring be damned. guitar solos, Dylan performs like a man possessed. In fact, one of the most infamous heckles in all of pop culture tells Disc 9 is a DVD with a powerful 59-minute documentary at its the tale of Dylan’s career-spanning M.O. to a literal T. Dylan got quite core: Trouble No More: A Musical Film. Here, we hear how “disap- the polarizing blowback during his plugged-in 1966 tour, culminating pointed” Dylan followers are that “he’s not the Bob we used to know at The Free Trade Hall in Manchester, England on May 17, 1966. After and love,” but the scales tilt back a bit when one fair-minded fan asserts, “Ballad of a Thin Man” concluded near the end of the set, an audience “I don’t care about his religious convictions—I just like the sound.” member expressed his overall displeasure at the evening’s presentation (Hear ye, hear ye!) by calling out, “Judas!” And then came the, well, most Dylanesque of Interspersed between live performances are some rapturous replies, as the singer-songwriter retorted, “I don’t believe you! You’re a readings courtesy of “The Preacher,” a three-piece-suited word- liar!” Turning to The Hawks smith rivetingly portrayed by Michael Shannon (Nocturnal Animals, (the backing band that would Boardwalk Empire). These echo-reinforced interstitial sermons, penned eventually transform into The by author/scholar Luc Sante, serve as quite fitting in-the-moment Band), Dylan said under his commentary from on high. breath, “You f---ing liar!” just As harsh as the criticisms of Dylan’s gospel period were, I have to as they collectively launched imagine every word was actually music to into a fierce “Like a Rolling CD & DVD the bard’s ears. After all, is he not the man Stone.” (Some accounts have LABEL: Columbia/Legacy who authored the immortal lines, “He not it as Dylan directing the band AUDIO FORMATS: 44.1-kHz/16-bit busy being born is busy dying,” in 1965’s PCM Stereo (CD), 96-kHz/24-bit to “Play it f---ing loud!” but it LPCM Stereo (DVD & download) “It’s Alright, Ma (I’m Only Bleeding)”? (In sounds more like the earlier NUMBER OF TRACKS: 109 on 9 this case, perhaps we need to revise that one exclamation to my ears.) discs (102 on 8 CDs, 7 on 1 DVD) key word as reborn.) Dylan posits we’re all This legendary performance LENGTH: 9:45:13 (8:11:03 on 8 gonna have to serve somebody, but when it CDs, 1:34:10 on 1 DVD) is preserved in the 1998 PRODUCERS: Jeff Rosen, Steve comes to the artist himself, the one deity installment of Dylan’s Berkowitz, Gregg Geller being served in full is his unforgiving muse. groundbreaking Bootleg ENGINEERS: Mark Wilder (CD & Ultimately, though, it’s we Trouble No More Series, Vol. 4: Bob Dylan Live DVD mastering); Chris Shaw (CD listeners whose ears and souls get taken to & DVD mixing), Steve Addabbo 1966. And those ten words (CD mixing); Kevin Przybylowski, the promised land time and again. OMike Meler Baron Wolman Baron uttered by Dylan tell you all Eliot Kissileff, Glenn Korman, Matt Cavaluzzo, Jeff Friedman (A/D soundandvision.com transfers)

72 FEBRUARY/MARCH 2018 soundandvision.com INSTANT INFORMATION FOR OUR READERS...

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Listen Up

Sennheiser Ambeo Smart Headset Sennheiser • (877) 736-6434 • en-us.sennheiser.com

You’ve no doubt heard of smart speakers—and you may awareness” rocker with settings for ambient noise level: One fades in even own one—but have you heard of smart headphones? outside noise so you can hear what’s going on around you, the other It’s not quite a thing just yet, but Sennheiser—the family- engages active noise cancellation; the feature is defeatable and can be owned German company that has been making micro- used when recording or making a call. Sennheiser also offers a free app phones since 1946 and invented the first on-ear, open-air headphones that provides access to more advanced control features and customiza- (the iconic HD414) in 1968—has developed an intriguing product that tion options. draws on its expertise in both areas. The Ambeo Smart Headset does For now, the Ambeo Smart Headset works only with iOS devices—it something no other headphones we know of can do: It captures 3D records audio via Apple’s Lightning connector and integrates with the audio for videos you shoot on your phone. The idea is to record an standard iOS camera app—but Sennheiser says an Android-compatible immersive “you are there” soundtrack that makes the listener feel as version is in the works. though they are on location. The results can be quite convincing, but You can experience Ambeo recordings on the “Ambeo Smart Head- you have to wear headphones to experience it. Don’t worry, any ordi- set” page at en-us.sennheiser.com. A series of short Urban Exploration nary stereo set will do. videos recorded in cities around the world and Travel videos shot in So how’s it work? Patented omnidirectional microphones integrated spectacular locations such as California’s Joshua Tree National Park and into the headset’s earpieces pick up sound as your ears hear it, setting the Azores off the coast of Portugal provide the stage for a binaural recording that replicates the spatial characteris- examples of Ambeo in action, some tics of the surrounding environment, directional sounds and all. Binau- more convincing than others. Record- ral recordings—made using a dummy head outfitted with microphone ings made in the bustling cityscapes ears—have been around for decades, but with Ambeo, Sennheiser is of Hong Kong, Berlin, New York, applying the concept in a new and exciting way. The difference here is Los Angeles, and Paris are more he who dons the Ambeo headset becomes the dummy (don’t say we compelling, so start there. It’s didn’t warn you), only with the awesome ability to record binaurally not hard to imagine a range on the fly. of applications for Ambeo— To make the magic of 3D recording possible, the headset draws on from sporting events to family three proprietary elements from Apogee: a mic preamp, precisely tuned gatherings and vacations, all analog-to-digital (A/D) and digital-to-analog (D/A) converters, and potentially more engaging with an Soft Limit technology that optimizes recording levels in real time to Ambeo soundtrack. preserve dynamic detail. The headset’s inline controller has several con- The Sennheiser Ambeo Smart Headset trols, including a Smart Slider to sells for $300—and, in case you’re wondering, set microphone sensitivity it functions perfectly fine as a normal set of for Normal or Loud (think earbuds. Well, not normal, but you know what concert) and a “situational I mean.—Bob Ankosko

Sound & Vision (ISSN 1537-5838) (USPS 504-850) February/March 2018, Vol. 83, No. 2. COPYRIGHT 2018 BY TEN: The Enthusiast Network Magazines, LLC. All rights reserved. Published 10 times a year (January, February/March, April, May, June, July/August, September, October, November, December) by TEN: The Enthusiast Network, LLC., 1212 Avenue of the Americas, 18th Floor, New York, NY 10036. Periodicals postage paid at New York, NY and additional mailing offices. Single copy price is $5.99. Subscriptions: U.S., APO, FPO, and U.S. Possessions $23.94 for 10 issues. Canadian orders add $10.00 per year and international orders add $20.00 per year (for surface mail postage). Payment in advance, U.S. funds only. POSTMASTER: Send all UAA to CFS. (See DMM 707.4.12.5); NON-POSTAL AND MILITARY FACILITIES: send address corrections to Sound & Vision, P.O. Box 420235, Palm Coast, FL 32142-0235. Mailing Lists: Occasionally, our subscriber list is made available to reputable firms offering goods and services we believe would be of interest to our readers. If you prefer to be excluded, please send your current address label and a note requesting to be excluded from these promotions to TEN: The Enthusiast Network, LLC., 831 S. Douglas St., El Segundo, CA 90245, An: Privacy Coordinator. Subscription Service: Should you wish to change your address or order new subscriptions, you can e-mail [email protected], call (800) 264-9872 (international calls: 386-447-6383), or write to: Sound & Vision, P.O. Box 420235, Palm Coast, FL 32142-0235.

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