Indholdsfortegnelse for January (Yearbook) 2021 i Home Cinema Choice

In this special yearbook issue of Home Cinema Choice, we revisit our favourite AV hardware from the last 12 months, ranging from 4K HDR TVs and projectors, AV receivers and processors, to subwoofers, speaker systems, soundbars and accessories. If you want to celebrate the start of 2021 with a system upgrade (let's face it, we could all do with something to cheer us up…), it's the place to look. Elsewhere, in addition to our usual roundup of new 4K discs and Blu-rays, our annual Movie Awards (p21) celebrates the best releases of 2020 across Blu-ray, UHD Blu-ray and TV. And if you're planning an update of your own movie room, then check out this issue's selection of readers' systems (p106), and our Dream Theatre of the Year (p28). They could…

Samsung has announced a 110in MicroLED TV for 2021 that will bring its self-illuminating skills to consumer markets. Previously, the brand has deployed MicroLED, which replaces the LED backlight and colour filter of conventional LED-lit LCD TVs with micrometer-sized LEDs operating at pixel level, in its The Wall system. Yet The Wall is a professional solution, using a modular design based around configurable panels. The new MicroLED TV (UK model no. not yet known) is described by Samsung as an ‘out of the box’ product. ‘Previously, mass-producing a MicroLED screen as small as 110in for simple home installation wasn’t possible,’ says Samsung. New ‘cutting-edge surface mount technology,’ in addition to production processes honed in the company’s semiconductor business, have paved the way for the new set. And for those guff…

Canadian audio marque Anthem has refreshed its entire home cinema hardware portfolio with a bevy of new AV receivers, AV processors and power amplifiers. Intended to make Anthem 'the ultimate powerhouse of any home theatre or media room,' features of the new range include the latest iteration of the brand's ARC Genesis room correction suite (with revised calibration microphone); a new networking platform; upgraded DSP; all-new electronics, support for IMAX Enhanced; and a new HDMI 2.0 stage with an upgrade path to HDMI 2.1. Unlike many rivals, Anthem doesn't release new components on a yearly cycle – its last new AV receivers arrived in 2016 – and this is something noted by John Bagby, Managing Director of parent company Paradigm Electronics. 'Our fans and dealers have been anxiously awaiting these…

Breaching the Flying Fortress Snapped up for UK distribution by Signature Entertainment, following film festival screenings last year, is the bonkers-looking action/horror flick Shadows in the Cloud, which puts Chloe Grace Moretz aboard a WW2 B-17 bomber and adds some uninvited guests… youtu.be/WC_GI988MB4 While u wait One of many Disney+ Star Wars series announced late last year, Andor isn't due to stream until 2022 – but that hasn't stopped the studio putting out a 'sizzle reel' for this 12-part Rogue One prequel, with star Diego Luna taking us behind the scenes at Pinewood Studios. youtu.be/gSW-pARyP-M He ain't nobody Better Call Saul star Bob Odenkirk gets to showcase some action chops in Nobody, a new thriller from John Wick writer Derek Kolstad. Set for a late February release, the film's first…

THIS HIGH-SPEC CINEMA, like the Star Wars saga that cleverly informs its final design, has undergone some serious evolution. Formerly featured in HCC #269 as the pride and joy of AV-Holic Gary, a desire to upgrade – primarily the projector – led to the introduction of professional cinema outfit Bespoke Home Cinemas. And what began as a remaster turned into a reboot… 'After visiting our showroom [Gary] decided to start afresh and move up to a professionally built reference-level experience, with a brief to give an aesthetic nod to Star Wars,' says installer Gifford Malcolm. Lightsabers at the ready The finished room is now dubbed 'the Obieon,' and showcases a startling, unique aesthetic. More than 2,500 NeoPixel LEDs have been used to create a wraparound lighting effect (marshalled by a…

FOCAL’S CHORA LINE offers plenty of home cinema options, but with the addition of the 826-D floorstander the company has taken its performance to another level. Literally. The reason for this sonic elevation (and the model number’s suffix) is the Dolby Atmoscertified reflective speaker incorporated into the floorstander – a first for the French manufacturer. This full-range upward-firing driver is located in the top (natch), adding a vertical dimension to the soundstage and allowing for Dolby Atmos (and DTS:X) object-based immersion. Atmos wizardry aside, the 826-D is identical to the existing flagship floorstander in the Chora series, with a design that boasts plenty of Gallic flair. There’s a distinctive two-tone look, and the option of light wood, dark wood or black finishes. Whichever you choose, the price is £1,700 a…

BOWERS & WILKINS' 600 S2 Series Anniversary Edition speakers don't look much different physically to the 2018-era models they replace, but there are some cosmetic flourishes. The tweeter now features a logo-inscribed surround, and there's a new oak finish to join the existing matte black (pictured) and matte white options. Tweaks have also been made to the tweeter and Continuum Cone midbass driver assemblies, while the bass driver is a new hybrid design featuring an upgraded ferrite magnet. On the inside performance has been finetuned by virtue of revised crossover networks, borrowing tech from the step-up 700 Series Signature range. For those fitting out a multichannel system, B&W sells the Anniversary Edition Theatre home cinema package tested here for £2,900. This adds an ASW610 subwoofer to a pair of 603…

PHILIPS HAS LONG understood the importance of video processing to TV performance, and the addition of OLED to its portfolio has seen processing prowess come into its own like never before. Why? Because with practically every OLED TV from every brand built around the same core panel, image quality differences are hugely dependent on brand-specific tuning. And no OLED TV I’ve seen before makes this more apparent than Philips' 65OLED935. This is the high-end model in Philips’ 2020 OLED range, something obvious from its slinky, metallic design, four-sided Ambilight system, and chunky external 3.1.2-channel sound ‘enclosure’ that also doubles as the screen’s desktop stand. If you opt for an on-wall installation, a separate bracket – included in the package – lets you keep the speaker in place just below the…

WHILE SOME COMPANIES sit on the 8K TV sidelines, Samsung has already reached its third generation of 7,680 x 4,320 flatscreen. As expected these new offerings promise to be better than ever, both in terms of AV prowess and aesthetics – and more affordable to boot. So what experience does a 75in 8K TV deliver? Predictably, pictures are gloriously detailed and sharp. This is, of course, especially true if you view native 8K material. Such content for my audition was mainly an HDR showreel of nature scenes. Every frame looked more textured, more immediate and simply more real than it did on last year’s Q950R. There’s scepticism about 8K’s benefits. But to my eyes the advantages are clear, at least on 75in TVs and above. Even from typical viewing distances…

Samsung's QE65Q80T is the cheapest full array local dimming backlight TV in the brand’s 2020 QLED lineup, and it's positively rammed with user-friendly features. An update on 2019’s Q70R, rather than a revision of last season’s Q80R, it shares the same number of backlight zones as that model – around 50, which is good enough to minimise HDR blooming and maintain screen uniformity. Connectivity includes four HDMI inputs, with 4K/120 support on HDMI 4. It's a smart cookie too. Streaming and catchup are delivered via the Tizen smart platform (there’s no Freeview Play tuner); Samsung's Ambient mode turns the Q80T's screen into an artwork display; and design-wise its ultra-thin screen frame and central stand are easy on the eye. Doing much of the heavy lifting regards picture quality is the…

ARCAM’S NEW LINEUP of AV models is finally here, adding three seven-channel receivers and a 16-channel processor to its High Definition Audio (HDA) range. HDA, for those who keep an eye on acronyms, replaces the outgoing Full Metal Jacket (FMJ) series, bringing with it a number of changes – some more apparent than others. The most obvious difference is cosmetic, with a ‘lifestyle-friendly’ design replacing the more traditional – and some would say 'industrial' – Arcam look. To be honest, the two-tone styling of the silver buttons and volume dial looks a bit odd on a high-cost receiver, so the redesign might not be a complete success. On the plus side, a full-colour LCD screen replaces the previous green dot-matrix display, and only die-hard retro freaks will lament its passing.…

DUBBED 'AVC' RATHER than 'AVR', Denon's latest upper/mid tier AV stalwart jettisons the FM tuner that once defined the receiver concept, but offers a multitude of streaming options (via the HEOS platform) by way of compensation. First and foremost, though, this a machine made for movies, with nine amplifier channels (and 11-channel processing) allied to Dolby Atmos, DTS:X, Auro-3D and IMAX Enhanced decoding. There's even Dolby Atmos Height Virtualization, intended for those unable to implement in-ceiling speakers or Dolby-enabled upfirers. Build quality and finish are exemplary. Edges are squared off, and the front fascia has a bright, clear display. The chassis is a dual-layer design, a step up in rigidity from Denon's more affordable, but less powerful, AVCX3700H stablemate. HDMI provision covers eight inputs, straddling v2.0/2.1. Three outputs make the…

THE BEOSOUND STAGE is the first dedicated soundbar to come from the Bang & Olufsen stable – and it arrives with a sonic maturity that makes you think B&O has been making these things for years. A one-piece system, it doesn’t feel the need for a wireless subwoofer, and there’s no option to add one. Adopting a curved design with a forward-facing grille, it also doesn’t appear to offer a multiplicity of drivers. Yet this casual confidence belies its sophistication, and the glorious noise it makes when powered up. For this review, we auditioned the most expensive variant available, the Smoked Oak version. This is the prettiest option, but comes with a significant price premium, at £1,900. If you’re not desperate for the Scandi wood style, or want to save…

WHEN IS A soundbar not a soundbar? When it's JBL's Bar 9.1. On the face of it, this is a premium system with Dolby Atmos capability, but with its front left/right enclosures able to be removed and used as discrete surrounds/Atmos units, you get a 5.1.4 setup with minimal fuss. Which is how we like it. There's a premium price attached. The Bar 9.1 is far from an impulse buy, and more expensive than the flagship models of some rivals. But in the small market of seven-/nine-channel systems, it's probably the most affordable around. The main soundbar spreads racetrack drivers and tweeters across its L/C/R channels, plus two full-range upfiring units. Each surround enclosure also gets a side-firing tweeter and full-range Atmos driver. Build quality appears rock-solid and the design…

THE 2000 PRO is a reimagining of SVS's most popular subwoofer series, integrating features found further up the range to produce a powerful performance at a competitive price. In keeping with SVS’s usual strategy, the lineup consists of three models: the ported PB-2000 Pro, the sealed SB-2000 Pro, and the cylindrical PC-2000 Pro. This approach provides ample choice, with the ported model delivering low-end grunt for film fans, the sealed unit offering greater agility for those who also favour music, and the cylinder sub providing deeper bass from a limited footprint. Regardless of which you choose, all three feature new technologies combined with ideas filtered down from more expensive models. These include a newly designed 12in woofer, 550W of Sledge digital amplification, and SVS's Intelligent Control Interface. Best of all,…

NO CONSUMER-FOCUSED HOME cinema projector manufacturer has more experience with both native 4K resolution and laser lighting than Sony. I've known this for a while, but I still wasn't prepared for the performance prowess of its £12,000 VPL-VW790ES. This is a premium beamer that's capable of leaving your jaw on the floor. The VW790ES story starts with two new features not available on its VW760ES predecessor: a Dynamic HDR Enhancer, and the X1 for Projector processor. The Dynamic HDR Enhancer is essentially a dynamic tone mapping system that analyses every frame of an HDR source so that the PJ can continually judge the best combination of laser light output and iris opening provided by Sony’s so-called Dual Contrast Control system. In other words, the VW790ES can brighten areas with signal…

A SHORT-THROW 1080P model built around an LED light source, Viewsonic's M2 is the definition of living room friendly. It requires next to no warm up, runs cool and claims a 30,000-hour lamp life – a lot of boxset binging. It also looks cooler than a penguin at a gelato bar. An adjustable stand helps cast the image up from a low position. You might imagine such a setup would lead to significant picture distortion, but the projector's auto keystone correction is surprisingly adept. The throw ratio is pegged at 1.23:1, meaning an 80in picture from just over 2m. Wi-Fi(via a supplied dongle) is joined by Bluetooth, HDMI, microSD card, USB and 3.5mm connections. Power comes from an outboard brick, which helps keep the casework slim, but it will also…

AS WELL AS a strong line in passive speakers, Klipsch has been producing powered versions of some of its bookshelf models for quite a while. Yet The Fives, tested here, takes the basic idea of an active stereo speaker and really runs with it. The system comprises two cabinets, both featuring a 1in Tractrix horn-loaded titanium dome tweeter and 4.5in woofer (with Tractrix rear port). Power, rated at 160W, comes from a pair of amps built into one of the speakers. What sets The Fives apart from more affordable active models is connectivity. Klipsch has fitted its system with digital optical and USB inputs, plus a line input that can be switched to a moving magnet phono stage for direct hookup to a turntable. There's also aptX Bluetooth. But perhaps…

AT FIRST GLANCE, the Marantz NR1200 looks like another member of the company’s successful range of slim-line AV receivers, and shares the exact same dimensions. It has a few extra knobs spread along its front panel, but half close your eyes and you might think it was the seven-channel NR1710 [see HCC #306]. Those knobs (Treble, Bass and Balance controls) give a clue that all is not quite as it seems; the NR1200 is, in fact, a stereo product. But it still might interest film fans. Covering off the base specs that integrated stereo amp owners will expect, the NR1200 offers 75W per channel, a selection of analogue phono and digital (coaxial and optical) inputs, and a moving magnet phono stage. As befits a receiver, there’s a DAB/FM radio section,…

IT'S OFTEN AROUND this time that AV writers look to the year ahead, peering into their crystal balls to predict the tech trends that'll make pulses race and wallets empty. But coming off the back of probably the most unpredictable year in generations, I'm wary of making any second guesses. Let's just see what happens, and hope that 2021 is a darn sight better than the monstrosity that was 2020. The closure of cinemas in March last year has had a still unquantifiable impact on the film business. While it's easy to see that jobs have been lost and release schedules culled, how the future shapes up is uncertain. Consider Fast & Furious 9 (pictured). An early example of a movie given a COVID bump, it appeared Universal was playing…

TENET ‘What we did with Inception for the heist genre is really what Tenet attempts to bring to the spy movie genre,’ says Christopher Nolan of his latest mind-bending-blockbuster. To wit, Tenet is a globetrotting action thriller in the James Bond mould, albeit with an additional layer of sci-fi gimmickry-involving ‘inverted entropy’ that allows objects and people to move backwards through time. The resulting film is full of spectacular set-pieces. Want to see a 747 crashed into a hanger for real? Of course you do. But it's an easier film to admire than it is to enjoy. The sheer technical complexity of the production and level of ambition is clear to see, but Nolan has forgotten to imbue the story with any real sense of humanity, making it strangely uninvolving.…

COLUMBIA NOIR #1 A must-have for film noir fans and the first in what we hope will be a long-running range of boxsets (a second volume is already set for release on February 15), Columbia Noir #1 collects six hard-boiled crime films produced by Columbia Pictures between 1945 and 1958. Directed by Budd Boetticher, 1945’s Escape in the Fog is a brisk wartime noir about a woman (Nina Foch) who has a premonitory dream about a murder. Glen Ford stars in The Undercover Man (1949), the story of Treasury Dept. agents trying to bring down a mob boss. Inspired by the downfall of Al Capone, it’s well shot, but a touch dry – and despite the title nobody goes undercover. Tightly plotted and excellently acted, the thrilling Drive a Crooked…

How long have you been into home cinema, and what was the first setup you had? I’ve been into home cinema for roughly 25 years. Back then it was a 5.1 midi hi-fi system and a VCR, plus a 5ft, 4:3 screen and low-res projector. I’ve been in Home Cinema Choice magazine before many, many years back and this is my second build project, in another house. It’s been done very slowly over three years as we had to build a loft room first, so I could use the old bedroom for the new cinema. What kit's in your system? My kit includes Mission speakers that I’ve had for a while now. They are in a 9.1 setup at the moment with a Bowers & Wilkins PV1 subwoofer. My sources…

IF YOU THINK Warner Bros.'s wheeze of dropping its entire 2021 movie slate online, date and date with theatrical releases, heralds the beginning of the end for cinema as we’ve known it, think again. I reckon normal service will be resumed in 2022, with a few inevitable post-pandemic caveats. Because if there’s one thing Hollywood fears more than a COVID shutdown, it's the thought of walking away, slow-motion style, from an exploding stash of cold hard cash. Warner's bombshell was fittingly dramatic. After agonising about Wonder Woman 1984, it bowed to the inevitable and dropped it early on HBO Max. Then it announced a simultaneous theatrical/streaming release for all 17 of its 2021 titles, including candy like The Matrix 4, The Suicide Squad and Dune, admittedly with streaming limited to…

Virgin Media has launched TV 360, an all-new premium TV platform with a raft of features currently unmatched by rivals Sky or BT TV. The new service, which landed early December, runs on its V6 set-top box and overhauls the previous TiVo platform, replacing it with a slick new interface driven by a new voice-enabled remote control. TV 360 also introduces mini boxes to the Virgin TV ecosystem. Sky Q was the first to launch partnering down-sized boxes, able to view live and recorded content from the mother STB, but the satcaster's mini hardware is restricted to HD. The new Virgin TV 360 minis – of which two can be supported – are 4K-enabled. As seen on the current V6 Virgin Media box, key streaming apps are onboard, including Netflix,…

Klipsch has announced a 5.1.4-channel soundbar system promising 'a bona fide Dolby Atmos cinematic experience.' Priced at a premium £1,450, the Klipsch Cinema 1200 features wireless surrounds, a 12in wireless subwoofer and a soundbar enclosure showcasing the company's Tractrix horn-loaded tweeter technology. Specifications include one-in, two-out HDMI (supporting 4K HDR passthrough and eARC); Bluetooth; Wi-Fifor multiroom system integration; and custom-tuned dialogue enhancement settings. Says Klipsch: 'Set up the Cinema 1200 and your habitat is now home to 1,200 watts of power, brought to you by a maker with decades of professional cinema acoustic research and development.' www.klipsch.com…

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HARDWARE TVs Panasonic, Sony, Philips, Samsung, LG, Hisense AVRs/AMPS NAD, Emotiva, Lyngdorf, Arcam LOUDSPEAKERS PMC, Focal, B&W, Arendal Sound, ATC, Q Acoustics, Klipsch, M&K Sound PROJECTORS Sony, Optoma, BenQ, Viewsonic SOUNDBARS B&O, LG, Sony, Harman Kardon, Yamaha PLUS Subwoofers, headphones, streamers and more! HCC RATINGS KEY… WWW.HOMECINEMACHOICE.COM…

Q ACOUSTICS IS getting impressive mileage out of its 3000 series. Launched in 2015, it was updated in 2018 with an 'i' suffix that brought in performance improvements. Now it's left the passive models untouched and debuted an all-new sub, with new 5.1 packages too. The QB12 (£500 on its own) has nothing in common with the preceding slim-line model. It's the first Q Acoustics woofer to use a 12in driver, which fires forwards from a sealed cabinet that is not significantly larger in any dimension than the driver itself. It's by no means a big beast, but is far more purposeful-looking than its forebear and claims an impressive 28Hz reach, improving on the 35Hz rating of the 3060S. Power has also been pushed, with a 220W Class D amp…

THE DUTY OF providing sub-bass for ATC's SCM (conventional cabinet) and HTS (on-wall) speakers has historically fallen to its C1 sub, but the UK brand felt there was room for improvement, so in comes the C1 Mk2. The redeployment of the original name is indicative that not everything has changed. The cabinet and driver remain the same; a sealed design housing a down-firing hand-built 12in doped paper woofer. The amp spec also appears the same as it was before. ATC has little interest in Class D, so the C1 Mk2 uses a 200W Class AB module. But this is an all-new design intended to take performance up a notch. The power supply has also been upgraded, to ensure more current available for dynamic moments, and there are major changes in…

THE KD-75ZH8 ISN’T Sony’s first 8K TV rodeo. That would be the 2019 ZG9 [HCC #301], which found the Japanese giant going high-end crazy with 85in and 100in screen sizes and eye-watering five-figure price tags. This follow-up is a more affordable (£5,000) and manageable (75in) option. Beyond its core 8K resolution, the 75ZH8 packs some notable features. Chief among these is its use of a full array LED panel with 320 zones of local dimming. It's impressively bright too, measuring as much as 2,500 nits on a 10 per cent white HDR window. Both these elements should translate to a premium HDR viewing experience. The set's wide colour gamut delivery is bolstered by Sony’s Triluminos colour engine, and the image is powered by an 8K-optimised version of the brand's top-tier…

PANASONIC’S FLAGSHIP HZ2000 is perhaps the ultimate flatscreen upgrade. Okay, it's not 8K, but for the movie sources of the here and now it's unbeatable, and throws in a convincing Dolby Atmos sound system – complete with upfiring drivers – for good measure. We’ve hauled the TX-55HZ2000 onto our test bench. Priced around £2,500, it's a chunk more expensive than same-sized rivals. Despite an impressive overall specification (including universal HDR, Dolby Vision IQ and Filmmaker Mode), plus superb design and build, this screen doesn’t tick every box, and for some it’s definitely not going to hit the spot. 4K/120 support, plus variable refresh rate (VRR), are off the menu. But when it comes to picture performance, the 55HZ2000 knocks the ball clean out of the park. Panasonic’s endeavours to squeeze…

PANASONIC'S MID-RANGE 58HX800 could be the TV home cinephiles have been clamouring for. offering a feature specification and picture characteristics more becoming panels twice the price, it’s a tempter if Dolby Vision HDR and a blistering gaming performance are on your want list. The HX800 series is Panasonic’s entry-level multi-HDR offering, positioned below the HX900 and top-of-the-line HX940. The former of those builds on the feature spec with HDR Cinema Display, claiming to deliver increased brightness. The latter adds Local Dimming Intelligent Pro, said to virtually mimic the operation of thousands of local dimming zones to improve contrast and boost blacks. Anyway, back to the telly at hand… The TX-58HX800 makes a fine first impression for a mid-tier TV. Edge-lit rather than full-array and astonishingly thin for much of its…

NAD’S T 778 features a large touchscreen display, mirroring the design of its two-channel M10 and M33 streaming amplifiers. It’s a standout feature, suited to a world dominated by smartphones. But does it actually make this 9.1 AVR any better? The T 778 is very much one of the NAD new breed, featuring the same holy trinity of features you’ll find on its flagship stereo products: the aforementioned touchscreen control, Dirac Live EQ and BluOS streaming. This all explains its hefty £2,500 price tag. As you'd expect it's fully compatible with Dolby Atmos and DTS:X to 7.1.2 and 5.1.4. It can also cater to 7.1.4 arrays, outputting the signal for those additional two channels to an external power amp via phono pre-out. Users will appreciate the receiver's clean rear panel.…

ANY COMPANY THAT christens its room correction system RoomPerfect must be confident it can live up to such a moniker. Anything less than sonic perfection and you’re opening yourself up to a world of criticism. The MP-60, the new 16-channel AV processor from Danish manufacturer Lyngdorf, is designed to deliver exactly that: the perfect room. Under the auspices of audio whizz Peter Lyngdorf, the company has been pioneering digital solutions to acoustic problems for decades – from the first Class D amplifiers to sophisticated room correction. The latter stems from years of research into compensating for the negative impact of a listening environment; four iterations and over eight million dollars later, the result is RoomPerfect. Lyngdorf offers products ranging from digital amplifiers and CD players to speakers and subwoofers. The…

WHILE HARMAN KARDON'S Citation MultiBeam 700 may look less ambitious than some competitors around the same price – it doesn't offer any Dolby Atmos compatibility, for example – it's very much intended to be a step beyond the single-box soundbar crop. And what it lacks in heavyweight spec, it makes up for in style. Both soundbar and smart speaker, the MultiBeam 700 integrates Google Assistant/Chromecast, allowing for simple wireless music streaming from compatible apps, and all the voice interaction of a standard Google speaker. In some environments voice control can seem frivolous, but in a living room it makes total sense. Commanding the HK 'bar (via the remote's in-built mic) to play a Spotify playlist or read you the news, while you slouch on the couch, is a nice trick.…

PREVIOUSLY WE LOOKED at Yamaha's YAS-209 [see HCC #308], a £350 soundbar/subwoofer combi with Alexa integration. Below it in the range sits the YAS-109, which does away with an external subwoofer, and in doing so shaves a chunk off the asking price. Does that make it better all-round value for money? Not only has the woofer the gone, the styling is also different. This more affordable model is pretty much entirely dressed in fabric, save for a thin strip of touch controls. No sub doesn't mean you're being short-changed-on bass, of course; the YAS-109 has a different driver array and amp provision than the soundbar element of its pricier stablemate. Joining its pairs of midbass and tweeter units are two onboard woofers. Power rating across this stereo six-pack is 120W.…

THE SPL-150'S ENTRY on Klipsch's website leaves little room for product positioning ambiguity. Under the heading 'Badass Bass', is the statement: 'We've been p**sing offyour neighbours since 1946 – why stop now?' In an effort to deliver maximum bass-bang per buck, Klipsch's SPL series eschews fancy finishes and frivolous features in favour of big drivers, big amps and big, slot-ported boxes. The flagship reviewed here comes in at a whopping half-a-metre or more on every dimension, and its design makes no apologies for its 15in driver (Klipsch's largest 'Cerametallic' driver) by giving it a standout copper colour finish. Should the look prove too much for your sensibilities you can tame it with a supplied grille. The cabinet is a square-edged cube wrapped in ebony black wood-effect vinyl, with a front-facing-slot…

THIS ADDITION TO BenQ’s compact home entertainment projection line promises HDR-PRO image technology, to tone map (after a fashion) HDR sources, and a bright 3,000 Lumens light engine. If you’re hankering for super-sized UHD sports, it’s a brilliant buy. But there are caveats… The step-up model from BenQ’s TK810 (which is around £300 cheaper), by dint of its HDR-PRO talents and greater luminosity, the TK850 definitely has premier league form. For one thing, it’s living-room ready with its white fuselage, rounded sides, and lens surrounded by a smart grey-blue face plate. Manual zoom and focus controls are hidden beneath a sliding door up top, and there’s the usual on-body menu controls, in case the remote goes AWOL down the back of the sofa. Not that you should lose it; this…

THE BORG AND Rubik were both right. It’s hip to be square. Impressively specified, with fully integrated Alexa, the Fire TV Cube is easily Amazon’s most versatile and sophisticated media player to date. But if you’ve already got a Fire TV stick, is it worth upgrading? Clearly the form factor is different to what we’ve seen before, with an appreciable footprint around 9cm wide and deep. A strip light signals its status, while control buttons – familiar from Amazon's Echo speakers – sit up top. And like the Echo, and unlike its Fire TV predecessors, you don’t need to speak into the supplied remote’s mic to interact – the Cube integrates both far- and near-field microphones. But while the Cube functions much like any other Echo device, don’t think of…

DENON’S LATEST LINE of HEOS wireless speakers brings all the features found on the previous generation, but adds AirPlay 2 and more direct branding – so instead of HEOS by Denon, it’s just Denon with HEOS built-in. The Home 350 is the flagship, and one of the larger wireless speakers on the market. It's 38cm wide and 22cm high, with a well-engineered chassis designed to accommodate its six-pack of drivers (0.75in tweeter and 2in midrange driver on each side, and two 6.5in woofers). Each driver has its own Class D amplifier. If you’re the kind of contrarian who buys a wireless speaker to connect physical sources, input choices are 3.5mm aux or USB, along with Ethernet for a wired connection. Wireless options are Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and AirPlay 2. The speaker…

SONY HAS USED AI to refresh its best-selling headphones. We’re increasingly familiar with AI being applied to picture processing in higher-end TVs, but here Edge AI (which is to say AI which works on a local device and doesn’t require access to the cloud) is behind a raft of inventive functionality. Design-wise, not much has changed. The ear cups are a little larger, and there’s now a sensor in the left-hand cup enabling wearing detection, but comfort and build remain the same. Sonic performance mirrors the WH-1000XM3 predecessor too. These feature the same 40mm drivers, able to deliver sweet highs, a smooth mid-range and prodigious but controlled bass. In addition to being hi-res 24-bit/96kHz enabled, the supporting app is ready to go with 360 Reality Audio optimisation (as offered by…

THIS ISSUE OF HCC is home to our annual Movie Awards, where we cherry-pick the best 4K and Blu-ray platters we’ve reviewed over the past 12 months. But not even this has been safe from feeling the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Choosing which discs to feature in each issue of the mag is no simple task, with the ideal 'Playback' section offering a mix of contemporary blockbusters, remastered classics, world cinema gems, and other, more idiosyncratic treats. There are always some titles also worthy of your attention that don’t make the cut – even more so in the last year once our publication schedule fell foul of the UK's various lockdowns. With this in mind, I thought I’d run through some of those discs that we would have loved…

2012 Get ready for a 4K apocalypse as Sony Pictures Home Entertainment brings Roland Emmerich’s epic disaster flick 2012 to Ultra HD Blu-ray for the first time on January 18. Boasting an all-star cast and groundbreaking SFX, this catastrophic blockbuster makes its 4K disc debut accompanied by an exclusive Discovery Channel 2012 Apocalypse featurette. To mark the release we’ve teamed up with Sony Pictures Home Entertainment to give away five 2012 4K Ultra HD Blu-rays! Question: Roland Emmerich directed which of these sci-fi/action movies? Answer: A) Cyborg B) Universal Soldier C) Timecop The New Mutants Five young mutants must battle some unexpectedly real personal demons in this latest X-Men spin-off. The New Mutants is out now on 4K Ultra HD™, Blu-ray™, DVD and Digital, courtesy of Walt Disney Home Entertainment – and we…

Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War Activision PS5 (tested), Xbox Series X, PS4, Xbox One, PC £55 Like FIFA, the Call of Duty series is a staple of the yearly games release schedule. And, also like the footy franchise, you generally get exactly what you expect with each iteration. This year is slightly different though, with Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War being the first that’s available on the next-generation Xbox Series X/S and PlayStation 5 consoles (with 120Hz playback), as well as current-gen models and PCs. So, while many of its tropes are typical there are a fair few new bells and whistles for good measure. The game itself is split into campaign, multiplayer and zombies modes – much like many a COD before. The former is…

TREMORS Star Kevin Bacon admits to making this 1990 homage to the monster movies of the '50s because he was 'running out of money'. Yet it would become one of his best-loved films; swerving a weak box office performance to be a bona fide home video blockbuster, finding an audience who loved its tightly constructed script, terrific characters, slick humour and, of course, the ‘Graboids’ themselves (one of the truly great modern movie monster designs). Three decades later this boisterous, witty creature-feature has lost none of its ability to entertain. And now it has a silver disc release to do it justice… Picture: Derived from a new 4K scan of the film's original 35mm negative, and approved by both director Ron Underwood and his DoP Alexander Gruszynski, Tremors' 4K HDR…

How long have you been into home cinema? My family were always into gadgets and the latest tech. My first recollection of home cinema was my eldest brother bringing home an old-style reel projector, displaying it on the wall. We watched Alien and The Incredible Shrinking Man; versions cut down to around 30 minutes. When did you decide to set up your current cinema room? We moved house last year and the first thing I did on viewing was to look where we could make a cinema. We converted the garage in the last house [HCC #262] but wanted to make something slightly different. When we started digging for a two-storey rear extension the foundations were over three metres deep so the builder (my friend) joked about having a basement…

The ultimate in audio? Anthem AVM 90 www.anthemav.com As part of a total revamp of its home cinema stable, Anthem has announced a new top-of-the-range AV processor that it claims represents the 'ultimate expression of audio performance.' Priced £6,750, the Dolby Atmos/DTS:X Pro-capable AVM 90 offersa 15.4-channel output (with independent subwoofer control) via balanced XLR or RCA connection, allied to the company's ARC Genesis Room Correction system and 32-bit/768kHz AKM AK4499EQ DAC. Head over to p12 for more info. WWW.HOMECINEMACHOICE.COM HCC ONLINE… For breaking AV news, blogs, features and reviews visit www.homecinemachoice.com Follow us on Twitter @hccmag Like us on Facebook facebook.com/homecinemachoice…

1 HBO Max-es out with movies Warner Bros. has announced that its full 2021 slate of theatrical cinema releases will launch day-and-date on its HBO Max streaming platform in the US. Titles to get the smallscreen premiere treatment include Tom & Jerry, Godzilla vs. Kong, Mortal Kombat, In The Heights, The Suicide Squad, Dune (pictured) and The Matrix 4. The studio says this release strategy is an 'experiment that will last only a year.' 2 Super Mario, super pricey Anyone with a box of old console titles gathering dust in the attic might want to do a stock check, as a sealed copy of Nintendo game Super Mario Bros 3 – first released in Japan in 1988 – has recently gone for $156,000 at auction, making it the most expensive video game…

PMC IS A brand with professional heritage, something that informs the general styling of its loudspeakers. Cast an eye on its SE series or flagship Fact Fenestria and neither would look out of place in a mixing suite. The Twenty5i range on test here is about as living room as the company gets, but still comes with the promise of studio-grade performance. Outwardly, these speakers look very similar to their Twenty5 predecessors that launched in 2016. Four years isn't much of a lifespan for a loudspeaker lineup, but PMC has felt an upgrade is warranted, brought about by a trio of new developments. Hence the Twenty5i range. And really these do look nigh-on identical. The Twenty5.26i floorstander, on front left and right duty in our 5.1 setup, has the same…

ARENDAL SOUND IS relatively new – it launched in 2015 – and as such its product range isn't extensive. But in adding the 1961 Series to the existing flagship 1723 fleet, it's introduced two elements that will entice cinema system builders – its first height model, and lower price points. The range is comprehensive, offering floorstander, monitor and bookshelf models, plus a centre channel, 'TriAxial' surround, and the aforementioned height option. Here, we've opted for a 5.1.2 system with 1961 Towers, 1961 Center and 1961 Height upfirers at the front, and the triaxial 1961 Surrounds at the rear. Arendal describes the 1961 as a 'smallframe loudspeaker series.' The Towers are slim compared to many floorstanders, but the centre and surrounds are still the sort of speaker that may require some…

IN AN IDEAL world you'd want to experience movies with the same speakers used to craft their soundtracks. M&K Sound has been making professional studio monitors for decades, and its S150 is about as iconic as you can get. But what if you fancy a similar level of performance from a speaker that’s a bit cheaper and a bit more …normal looking? This question is no longer hypothetical thanks to M&K Sound’s recently upgraded 750 Series. The range represents an entry-level option within the company’s home cinema lineup, integrating innovations first introduced in the S150, and presenting them in a speaker with a more conventional driver layout and cabinet design, and acceptable ticket price. Devil's in the detail Joined by M&K's V12 subwoofer and SUR55T tripole speakers, the impression is…

TYPICALLY AT HCC we celebrate the larger things in TV life. But we’re happy to make an exception for LG’s OLED48CX: the world’s first 48in OLED TV. This finally provides an OLED option for people who just can’t handle a 55in display in their living room. And that's something important to stress, as its £1,500 launch price now barely undercuts – if at all, by the time you read this – LG's larger 55in CX model, which launched earlier in 2020. So get your tape measure out before you buy. The relatively petite size of the OLED48CX also feels tailor-made for the electronics world's current hot demographic: gamers. Its 48in panel should fit nicely into studies or dedicated gaming dens, and makes it easier for gamers to take in the…

WHILE OUR AMERICAN friends have had ‘Roku TVs’ for half a decade now, the Hisense R50B7120 marks the first time the renowned smart platform has shipped built into a UK set, putting its huge array of apps and TV services (previously only available via media players and HDMI 'sticks’) under one easyto-use interface. Hisense's R50B7120 looks like the affordable TV it is, with a fairly wide bezel, functional black feet and a rear that sticks out quite a bit. And as it's not one of the brand's 'ULED' models, you don't get local dimming for its backlight, a Quantum Dot-generated wide colour gamut, dynamic HDR support, or Hisense’s UltraSmooth motion processing. It's direct-rather than edge-lit, though, and handles 4K HDR10. The Roku platform has been integrated very effectively. Initial setup…

WHILE THE PS4 and Xbox One consoles trailed behind TV technology when they debuted, the Xbox Series X and PS5 are running ahead of most flatscreens. Graphics features such as 4K at 120Hz, variable refresh rates and automatic low latency mode switching are unsupported by many new models, including many of Sony’s own. Oddly, the only game-friendly exception in its current TV range isn’t some high-flying, megabucks flagship, but the mid-range XH9005 series. Thanks to their carriage of the latest Mediatek chipset and two v2.1 HDMIs with 48Gbps data rate support, the XH9005s can handle all the key next-gen gaming features. There's a 55in model selling for around £1,000, but even the more overtly cinematic 75in version under scrutiny here doesn't come with a stratospheric price tag. Two areas of…

US AUDIO BRAND Emotiva set itself the laudable goal of building high-end products 'at prices that more people could afford.' It aims to achieve this by keeping operations lean and focusing on relatively few product lines, and using a modular approach that lends itself to certain economies of scale. It also designs and assembles its entire range in its homeland – something of a rarity these days. Its third-generation XPA range is the perfect example of this ethos, using a modular design to create mono, stereo and multichannel power amps based around the same chassis designs and amplifier tech. Prices are kept low: – at £2,400, the 11-channel XPA-11 Gen3 can be considered 'affordable', and perhaps the cheapest option in an admittedly limited segment of the market. Emotiva's Class AB…

AUDIOPHILES OFTEN TURN their noses up at Class D amplification, feeling the nature of its 'on/off' approach loses the sonic fidelity delivered by linear Class A or Class AB designs. Yet Class D has many benefits, not least of which is its remarkable efficiency, and NAD believes its latest implementation is the cream of the crop. By licensing technology from Danish corp Purifi, a consortium of Class D gurus that includes former NAD owner Peter Lyngdorf, the company claims to have cooked up an amp that offers the best of both worlds – one that combines the efficiency and power handling of Class D with the responsiveness and transparency of Class AB. In the M28, Purifi’s Eigentakt amplifier modules are joined by NAD's power supply and input stage architecture, plus…

LG IS PLAYING to XL lovers with its SN11RG, which is without doubt its biggest – and best – sound system yet, combining a soundbar, subwoofer and wireless rears for a 7.1.4 setup. Meant to accompany a largescreen TV in a media-centric living room or den, the SN11RG's soundbar element measures almost 1.5m wide. Its driver array runs to two full-range upfirers, two more side-firing drivers (for surround), and front-facing two-way L/C/R channels. Connections are dual HDMI inputs and one HDMI output, plus optical digital audio and a USB port for file playback. The wireless subwoofer uses a 7in front-firing driver and is rear-ported. The wireless rears pack both front-facing and upfiring drivers into reasonably compact enclosures. New system features include HDMI eARC connectivity, and AI Sound Pro and AI…

REL’S ORIGINAL 212/SE was a radical design, effectively stacking a pair of subs on top of each other in a single unit. Two 12in drivers, two passive radiators, one very large amp and a cabinet that was likened, by my wife, to a glossy black Minion. I immediately wanted one to undertake my evil bidding. The sequel is always a challenge. Building on the success of a hit without destroying the magic of the original is something Hollywood is historically bad at. Yet REL has set about making the 212/SX faster, more controlled, more detailed and more dynamic. And while dishing out sky-high briefs to the design team, it wanted it made slimmer and more attractive too – the cosmetic result is a rather more svelte-on-the-eye yet taller offering. Both…

IT WASN'T LONG ago that 4K HDR projectors were expensive enough to only appeal to system builders fitting out dedicated movie rooms. But since the arrival of DLP 4K models, prices have continued to drop. Optoma's new UHD30 came to market in the Summer with a £1,100 ticket, now reduced to £1,000. But you shouldn't think of this as simply a 'budget' 4K beamer. Optoma loads up the specification list with some useful bonus features. Its connectivity is a good example. There are two HDMI inputs that both support 4K (although one is v1.4 so can only handle 4K to 30Hz, not 60Hz), joined by a powered USB input for juicing a video streaming stick; optical digital and 3.5mm audio outputs; a 3.5mm audio input; D-Sub PC port; and 12V…

A CASUAL OBSERVER might think the humble Freeview timeshifting business had given up the ghost with the trend toward streaming and ubiquitous catch-up TV. The development of new PVRs has been driven by premium Pay TV operators, leaving those that have cut subscription contracts to squabble over simpler streaming boxes. But Humax's Aura has found a middle ground. It’s a first for the company, in that it combines the latest Android TV platform (OS 9.0) with Freeview Play. The result is a set-top box with a slick, modern interface with access to the Google Play store, Google Assistant voice control, and Chromecast built-in – plus the ability to timeshift hundreds of hours of programmes to its hard drive. Exactly how much depends on whether you opt for the 1TB or…

PART OF IFI Audio's entry-level ZEN range, this DAC carries an appetizing £130 price tag, which isn't something you'd necessarily expect when looking at the design and specification. Built around a Burr Brown DAC, the Zen is a single-input design but one that has a rather impressive collection of bonus talents. The USB input (which also serves to power it) will handle 32-bit/384kHz PCM with MQA and DSD compatibility, and it can be used as a preamp too via a volume control that can be switched in and out of the circuit. The DAC outputs via a phono pair or a single 4.4mm balanced connection. Impressively, you can also use the Zen as a headphone amp – dedicated 6.35mm and (balanced) 4.4mm connections are fitted on the front panel. A…

Short-throw the way forward Hi, I thought projectors were dinosaurs, Especially with TVs getting ever larger. Complicated setups. Short bulb life. Dim. Diminishing returns. I see many now going second-hand on eBay, and it doesn’t make sense with cinemas shut. The reason? I’m seeing some great laser projectors. Bright. Colourful. Long life. High contrast. Short throw, so you don’t need a builder or a dedicated room. I wonder if this is really why so many bulbs and projectors are being sold as laser becomes the norm. I love the rollable OLED TV from LG. It's a great idea and would be a dream in my lounge. Except I’d have to sell the lounge to buy it at £70,000. So now I’m thinking short-throw laser projector. A similar result at a…

New kid in town The New Mutants 20th Century Studios 4K Blu-ray This long-delayed, horror-infused X-Men spin-off movie marks the end of Fox's 20-year franchise, now that the property has taken up residence in the House of Mouse. But does it go out with a bang or a whimper? See p99 for our verdict. All prices quoted are approximate and may have changed RATINGS KEY… WWW.HOMECINEMACHOICE.COM…

THE NEW MUTANTS Pitched as The Breakfast Club meets Stephen King, this disappointing final entry in the X-Men franchise fails because it lacks the strength of its convictions. Shot at the same time as X-Men: Apocalypse and Logan, the film’s release was repeatedly delayed due to planned reshoots (that never happened because the young cast had noticeably aged), Disney’s purchase of 20th Century Fox, and the coronavirus pandemic. A proposed April 2018 release eventually slipped to August this year. The New Mutants would likely have benefited from Logan’s R-rated approach – a film it actually references. But instead of a full-blown horror, we get a young adult thriller that’s never really scary. It’s a shame because the setup of five teens with 'X' powers trapped in a haunted house is…

TOTAL RECALL In Paul Verhoeven's brilliantly violent 1990 sci-fi, Arnold Schwarzenegger's construction worker discovers he's actually a secret agent, and heads off to Mars to free its inhabitants from its power-hungry ruler. Or does he? Picture: This 30th anniversary 4K HDR makeover is based on a new 4K scan of the film's original 35mm negative, subsequently colour-graded by French specialist Hiventy and approved by Verhoeven. And, by and large, it's a winner. There's a crispness to the 1.85:1 picture that brings out textures, while HDR and wide-colour embellishments are gorgeous. Lori's neon-pink crop-top has never looked punchier. Yet it has its niggles. There are optical effects that play havoc with its sense of definition, and skin tones appear overly warm in some sequences. Additionally, fine film grain can take on…

How long have you been into home cinema, and what was the first setup you had? My interest for audio started when I was thirteen years old. Later, my first home cinema had Bowers & Wilkins speakers, a projector from BenQ and a Pioneer receiver, and more upgrades after that. That room was a part of where my main cinema is today. Why did you decide to set up your current cinema? I had a feeling I wasn't getting the full potential with my previous setup and even with expensive B&W speakers my room was always the limiting factor. My speakers were then B&W 800 Series models, partnered with Cary Audio/Rotel amps. I always had a dream about a bigger cinema and I saw the potential of combining three rooms…

How long have you been into home cinema, and what was the first setup you had? I have been into home cinema since I heard a demo of a VHS player playing a stereo soundtrack of a movie through a stereo amp – I was hooked. I upgraded to LaserDisc (only stereo), then to DVD and heard my first 5.1 track, and haven’t looked back since. What kit's in your system now? My setup consists of Klipsch RP-402S on-wall surrounds (for the back channels), with four R-620F floorstanders for front L/R and surround, an R-34C centre channel, and a pair of R-120SW subwoofers. This 7.2 array is powered by a Denon AVR-X2300W receiver. My main player is a Zappiti Pro 4K HDR; I also have an Apple TV 4K, an…