Innehållsförteckning för June 2015 från Sound & Vision

I received an e-mail recently from reader Francesco Tenti in Huntington, NY, politely complaining about the speed with which A/V technology seems to be progressing. “Back in the old days, when you purchased a good audio system, you were set for years to enjoy high-quality music,” he wrote. “You were not attacked by new technology and pushed to update your equipment every other day. With the digital revolution, it seems that whatever is new today is kind of outdated the minute you take your new gear home.” He went on to say, “We went from 5.1-channel surround systems to 7.1, 7.2, 9.2, 11.2, and now Dolby Atmos systems, for which you need new electronics and speakers. Traditional HDTVs are becoming obsolete; the new 4K is here, but there are no…

The CableCARD was intended to liberate the TV from the dreaded cable box, but spotty implementation doomed it. Now the security integration ban that mandated the card is sunsetting, and a long-envisioned downloadable successor is being considered. Determining how that should work is the task of the Downloadable Security Technology Advisory Committee (DSTAC). The Federal Communications Commission has appointed 18 people to the committee from a variety of backgrounds. Recent bipartisan federal legislation orders the committee to set “performance objectives, technical capabilities, and technical standards of a not unduly burdensome, uniform, and technology- and platform-neutral softwarebased downloadable security system” for settop boxes, TVs, and anything interacting with a cable, satellite, or telco-TV system. Yes, the cable, satellite, and telco-TV industries are represented via Comcast, Cablevision, Charter, Dish Network, and AT&T…

In the beginning, there was broadcast TV, then cable, then cable boxes, then cable boxes with security, then an FCC ban on integral security— the CableCARD was required instead. The intent was to develop a robust market in CableCARD TVs and retail set-top boxes. But the Cable-CARD failed to gain traction, the security integration ban expired last December, and the cable industry is ready to move on to a new solution that would be both secure and IP-based. One possible solution is VidiPath from the Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA). A/V receiver owners may recognize DLNA as the standard-setting outfit that enables receivers, computers, and many other devices to share media over a home network. DLNA’s VidiPath is a new way for set-top boxes and other devices to securely deliver…

In its 2015 Broadband Progress Report, the Federal Communications Commission has voted to change the definition of broadband from 4 to 25 Mbps for downloads and from 1 to 3 Mbps for uploads. That got the approval of Netflix CEO Reed Hastings. He said consumers need 15 Mbps for a single Netflix Ultra HD stream, and higher speeds would also foster services such as video-conferencing and home monitoring, so 25 Mbps is “baseline for the next five years.” FCC chair Tom Wheeler (below, left) didn’t get a unanimous vote, however. Dissenting commissioner Michael O’Rielly (right) derided the new definition, saying UHD is “not expected to be widely adopted for years to come.” Apparently he hasn’t seen sales figures and projections on the fast-growing UHDTV market. But commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel (center)…

Dynaudio Xeo 6 Loudspeaker PRICE $4,000 as reviewed IN THE HISTORY OF CIVIL UNREST, there has never been anything quite like the audio rebellion. People are using half-inch-thick A/V receiver manuals as tinder and then throwing their receivers onto the flames. Doghouse-sized stereo amps and preamps are being spray-painted in the dead of night with slogans like “Where’s the wireless?” Wrist-thick speaker cables lay coiled on curbs, next to garbage cans, where passing dogs do what comes naturally. Just the other day, I turned on the TV and saw a guy in a Dynaudio T-shirt giving a speech to an angry mob. “Burn your cables!” he shouted. “Sell your amp! Ditch everything that currently clogs up your system!” Rebel Yell Kidding aside, those quotes are straight from Dynaudio literature (I…

Phase Technology Teatro TSB3.0 Soundbar PRICE $738 THIS MIGHT SEEM A RADICAL concept, but what if a soundbar were just a speaker, or two or three? What if it had no internal amplifiers, just some really good drivers, a thoughtfully engineered crossover, and sets of speaker terminals, like any other quality loudspeaker? Is this kind of soundbar a good idea? That depends on what kind of system you want—or, more specifically, whether you want a standalone audio/video receiver in your system. For some people, the AVR is like the guy you’d cross the street to avoid, someone who confuses and bedevils you. For others, the AVR is the key to a cornucopia of features, the cornerstone of a system that unlocks all your desires. The Phase Technology Teatro TSB3.0 is…

E-mail them to HTLetters@sorc.com. Please note: Questions about the features and functions of a particular product are best directed to the manufacturer. Questions about what product you should buy are best 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. We reserve the right to edit letters for brevity. Due to the volume of mail that we receive, we regret that we cannot respond to every letter. Those Lirpa Lovers Based on Geoffrey Morrison’s April 2015 review of the Lirpa MZ1-949r soundbar, I purchased one. The review failed to mention that the electronics require a dedicated 30-amp, 120-volt feed. This info can be found…

PRICE $349 THEY CALL CLIO THE FIRST invisible speaker. And even though it’s not really invisible, when you put this unique specimen on a kitchen counter, end table, or fireplace mantel, it’s pretty darn hard to spot with its low-profile base and acrylic glass “windshield” that disappears into the room. The flexible and slightly curved windshield (my term, not theirs) is actually a dipole speaker that radiates sound to the front and back when excited by a couple of small piezoelectric actuators hidden in the base—one for the left channel, one for the right channel. High-frequency sound generated by the acrylic panel is supplemented by a 2-inch “woofer” that fires down from the bottom of Clio’s base; rubber feet lift the base just enough for the speaker and a tiny…

PRICE $249 HERE WE GO AGAIN. THAT’S what I remember thinking when I heard that Focal, France’s largest speaker manufacturer, was going to start making headphones. After Beats by Dre opened the floodgates, a number of speaker and electronics companies that never made headphones started jumping into the market. We all know about Bower & Wilkins and Klipsch, but then there was KEF, NAD, Polk, PSB, RBH, and more—so when Focal joined the pack a few years ago, it wasn’t a shocker. Thing is, making great speakers is a completely different skill set than crafting headphones. After all, speakers “play” the room; headphones only have to make your ears happy. Apparently, that’s harder than it seems. AT A GLANCE + Plus ■ Smooth tonal balance ■ Euro design flair -…

As the regulatory wheels grind through the proposed megamerger between Comcast and Time Warner Cable, activists are turning up the heat, filing a petition with the FCC protesting TWC’s billing practices. Bruce Kushnick of New Networks Institute and Tom Allibone of Teletruth say that TWC added “made-up fees” to its Triple Play, charged rate increases to all subscribers in exchange for free Internet service to schools but never provided the service, sold broadband services that were never delivered, and price-gouged its way from $22.95/month to $93.16/month for standard basic cable service from 1992 to 2014. Have a look at their annotated bill (above). In related news, Comcast and TWC have extended the merger’s end date to August 12, 2015, while the FCC and Justice Department continue the vetting process. The…

Jeff Bezos—movie mogul? Don’t be surprised if the next movie you see at the local cineplex was bankrolled by Amazon. Says Roy Price, VP of Amazon Studios: “Our goal is to create close to 12 movies a year with production starting later this year.” Amazon’s Original Movies would be exhibited in theaters before moving on to Prime Instant Video. Of course, Amazon has already produced content for the small screen, including a couple of dozen pilots and eight series, most recently including Bosch, an L.A. crime drama based on the bestselling novels of Michael Connelly.…

Panasonic TC-65AX900U LCD Ultra HDTV PRICE $7,199 WHEN PANASONIC LEFT THE plasma market in late 2013 to the whimpers of videophiles worldwide, the company committed to delivering an LED-backlit LCD that would rival the image of their best-ever TV—the ZT60 that was their plasma swan song. The first Panny Ultra HD LCD to follow, the edge-lit TC-65AX800U (reviewed January 2015, available at soundandvision.com), was a fine TV, though hardly a breakout set. But in late 2014, Panasonic rolled out their flagship AX900U series at 55 and 65 inches, the latter of which we now review here. And, on paper at least, what a set it is: a full-array, local-dimming backlight (with an unspecified number of zones); Panasonic’s Studio Master Drive, which uses a “high color-space LED backlight” to deliver rich…

• Introducing the Ultra High Definition Alliance When we first heard about the Ultra High Definition Alliance, an industry coalition that has set its sights on establishing new standards that raise the bar on video quality, we were eager to learn more, especially after perusing the “who’s who” list of member companies: DirecTV, Dolby, LG, Netflix, Panasonic, Samsung, Sharp, Sony, Technicolor, Walt Disney Studios, Twentieth Century Fox, and Warner Bros. We caught up with Vince Pizzica, senior executive vice president of strategy at Technicolor, to find out what makes the UHD Alliance tick. S&V: How and why was the UHD Alliance formed, and what is its mission? VP: The UHD Alliance is a collection of companies from across the creation, distribution, and display ecosystem that have aligned to agree on…

For years, I’ve considered the wristwatch a generational barometer. I was born in 1970 and have worn a watch for as long as I can remember. I started off with a Mickey Mouse model, then went through a Swatch phase before moving on to a Casio calculator model, then graduating to a Gucci and eventually settled on a luxury Swiss dive model when I could finally afford it. I got it in 2003 and still wear it literally 24/7, and I can’t tell you how many times a day I roll my left wrist over to check the time or date. I notice other people my age and older are also usually wearing watches. Some as jewelry or fashion pieces, but most as functional timepieces because, well, they just always…

I’m planning a significant overhaul of my home theater and am leaning toward using the configuration suggested for Auro-3D: 10.1, with four corner speakers and one overhead voice-of-god speaker. In replacing my current A/V receiver with separates, I am concerned about buying amplifiers that I can keep over the next several advances in surround sound tech/features. Here’s my question: When using height speakers, is it important that they be amplified at the same power as those near ear-level? Quest Fanning / Brooklyn NY Yes. Since the audio signal directed to individual speakers in object-based Atmos and channel-based Auro-3D systems are full-bandwidth, it’s important that each speaker receives the same level of power. This will be true for both height and ear-level speakers. When planning your system, you should seek out…

Hi-res audio is having problems. Not your garden-variety problems. These are the lifethreatening problems. Where do I begin? Well, Neil Young used Kickstarter to raise $6 million to fund his Pono project and deliver it into the hands of music enthusiasts. Good for him. Good for music. Good for hi-res playback. Of course, nothing is ever that simple. Mr. Young’s bright spotlight spilled over onto hi-res itself, and people took a closer look. For example, David Pogue conducted an informal listening test comparing Pono to an iPhone. In Mr. Pogue’s test, listeners preferred an iPhone over a Pono. Partly in response to that, hi-res audio is now urgently controversial. Other listening tests are appearing, and a certain “piling on” appears to be taking shape. Some are calling Mr. Young a…

Are curved screens going to take over the world? If you walk into one of the 500 Best Buy stores featuring Samsung’s impressive Entertainment Experience display area, you might think so at first glance. Stylish curved-screen TVs are front and center in the ultramodern space, displayed under glowing “Curved UHDTV” signs that beckon you to come over and take a closer look. But the reality is, curved screens are still new and account for only a tiny piece of the overall TV market. The Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) and retail sales tracker GfK project worldwide shipments of 3.4 million units this year, up from just under a million units in 2014—an impressive jump but not unheard of for a new category and still less than 2 percent of the global…

Niles Auriel MRC-6430 Multiroom Audio Controller PRICE $4,070 as reviewed HOUSEWIDE AUDIO DISTRIBUtion systems varied little in their design and feature set for many years. Whether they were from Niles, Elan, SpeakerCraft, NuVo, or Russound, you could essentially count on them offering six analog audio source inputs, onboard amplification for six stereo zones, and connections for a variety of controllers, usually including an in-wall keypad. The problem was, those systems were designed with traditional, minimally interactive sources in mind, things like CD changers and cable boxes that didn’t provide any feedback and were controlled with simple commands like “Play” and “Channel Up.” When smart sources like iPods, music servers, and Internet radio came along—devices that required two-way metadata feedback for making an informed listening selection—those old audio distribution systems were…

BLU-RAY Gone Girl If You Seek Amy... Here’s a truth-pill for all of you single folk out there: Sometimes marriage can really suck. Don’t take my word for it, though; instead, spend some time with the Dunnes, Nick and Amy (Ben Afeck and Rosamund Pike). After a nigh-fairytale meeting and courtship, their seemingly idyllic life together develops cracks. The deterioration is expedited over the years by family troubles that lead to money troubles, and contempt and infidelity follow. For Amy, marriage is a daily humiliation. For Nick, it’s a trap, one from which he yearns to escape. But only one person could have predicted the sudden disappearance of Amy. Suspicions of foul play arise immediately, with Nick at the center, and his life becomes a slow-motion train wreck. His predicament…