Innehållsförteckning för September 2015 från Sound & Vision

Dolby Atmos, for you members of the unwashed and uninformed masses (yeah, you know who you are), enables film sound designers to treat individual sonic elements as virtual “objects” that can be placed and moved almost anywhere within the three-dimensional space of a movie theater. Two things are important about its adaptation for home theater. First, the soundfield—in its original, discretely encoded version, not an extrapolated one—is no longer limited to a two-dimensional plane circling around your ears. The Atmos mix of a movie adds the dimension of height, which means that sound effects can now seem to move anywhere within the space that’s head height or above, including directly over you. Second, each Atmos object is defined by metadata in the soundtrack that describes its position at any given…

THE measurements here were made using CalMAN measurement software from SpectraCal, together with Photo Research PR-650 and Klein K-10A color meters, and pattern generators including the VideoForge pattern generator from AVFoundry and the DVDO AVLab TPG. FULL-ON/FULL-OFF Contrast Ratio: Unmeasurable FOR the picture seeings used in this review, go to soundandvision.com. WITH a full black test pattern on the screen, the LED MultiZone Full Array Backlighting shuts down completely in any seeing of the Smart LED (edge-lit local dimming) control (even when turned off). And because of the zone dimming, my normal procedure of using a pause bug in the corner of the screen didn’t trick the backlighting into performing as it normally might with a real-world image (a mostly dark image with brighter highlights). In other words, any off-center…

AUDIO This graph shows the STR-ZA3000ES’s lef channel, from CD input to speaker output with two channels driving 8-ohm loads. Measurements for THD+noise, crosstalk, signal-to-noise ratio, and analog/digital frequency response were all within expected performance parameters. Full details available at soundandvision.com.—MJP VIDEO Apart from its selectable 1080p-to-4K upconversion (not tested), the Sony’s video circuitry is passthrough only, with no scaling or upconversion from lower resolutions (such as 480i and 1080i) to 1080p. Therefore, the only applicable entries in our video test regimen are clipping (passes both above white and below black), resolution, and 3D passthrough. The Sony passed all of these tests, though it produces a bit more visible roll-of in our test’s highest-frequency chroma burst than we’d prefer to see. Thus, it earned a Borderline score—though a chroma roll-of…

DOLBY ATMOS American Sniper Leave No One Behind American Sniper introduces us to Chris Kyle, on his first tour of duty in Iraq as he’s protecting an advancing Marine patrol. Through the scope of his sniper rifle, he spies an Iraqi mother as she hands a grenade to her preteen child with the intention of killing as many Americans as they can. Kyle must choose to take the life of this kid or risk losing his brothers in arms. To Kyle, the choice is clear: He must protect the troops at any cost. And so we can understand why he went on to become the most lethal sniper in U.S. military history, with 160 confirmed kills during his four tours. It’s scenes such as this that make this movie one…

CALL ME SNAKE—AND BUY THIS DISC When it comes to dystopian movies of the 1980s, John Carpenter’s Escape from New York clearly stands out as one of the hallmarks of the period and genre, creating a futuristic vision of a society that has deteriorated to the point where the prison system has become a world entirely of its own. In fact, crime in America has gotten so out of hand the entire island of Manhattan is converted into a maximum-security prison from which there is no parole, and where the inmates—a merciless yet colorful lot—are left to govern themselves. But after terrorists strike Air Force One, tough-as-nails convicted bank robber Snake Plissken (Kurt Russell) cuts a deal to rescue the president, who has survived a crash-landing within the walls of…

BAD AND LOVING IT If not the first movie to expose the true inner workings of organized crime—in contrast to Coppola’s seminal, romanticized The Godfather—GoodFellas is arguably the most influential, and the most enduring. It is also one of Martin Scorsese’s most popular films, a near-perfect intersection of source material and cinematic execution. Nicholas Pileggi’s book Wiseguy: Life in a Mafia Family recounted bona-fide gangster Henry Hill’s rise from two-bit mob gopher to prolific felon, as well as his ultimate downfall, and the many escapades in between. Adapted with ample violence and profanity, GoodFellas (renamed to avoid confusion with contemporary TV series Wiseguy) is also incredibly funny, often darkly so, for a more deeply entertaining tale. I missed GoodFellas in theaters but have been watching it regularly since the VHS…

The Rolling Stones are at it again. The world’s greatest band has rolled out the big guns for its 15-date North American stadium run that’s been dubbed the ZIP CODE Tour, a 19-song walk, stomp ’n romp through a half-century of impeccably unimpeachable classics. That taut live set places an emphasis on digging deeper into cuts culled from the perpetually seminal 1971 album Sticky Fingers, which has just been given the Super Deluxe box-set treatment by Polydor/UMe. A club gig at The Fonda Theatre in Los Angeles on May 20 saw The Stones rip that joint up 16 times, including their first stabs at Mississippi Fred McDowell’s “You Gotta Move” since 1976 and the dreamily soothing “Moonlight Mile” since 1999, both Sticky tracks having since made their way into regular…

PRICE $299 SINATRA IS CROONING IN THE background. “I like New York in June, how about you? I like a Gershwin tune, how about you?” Frankly (sorry, couldn’t resist), I like what I’m hearing from the small box sitting on the filing cabinet in my home office. Impressive how clear and present the Chairman is on this Capitol recording (“How About You?”) released 59 years ago (Songs for Swingin’ Lovers!). Even more impressive, his voice is coming from a speaker that’s about half the size of a shoebox. Pandora segues to “Thinking Out Loud” from Ed Sheeran’s 2014 chartbuster, X. The bass is palpable; Ed’s soulful voice fills the 12 x 12-foot room. Not bad. That little blue speaker (also available in black) is the Theatre Box from Silicon Valley startup…

Surround Soundings The foam surround on my Velodyne f-1200 subwoofer has disintegrated. I wanted to have it repaired with a rubber surround, but the guy at the speaker repair shop advised against that. Is there any benefit to using foam instead of a rubber surround when repairing a subwoofer driver? Pete Gibson / via e-mail Not really. While a rubber surround ultimately might be more durable, from a sound quality perspective, it would be better to stick with the same material used in your sub’s original driver design. The response of a repaired driver will never be identical to that of the original, so using replacement parts as close as possible to what the designer intended is usually best. Such repairs are fairly common for older speaker/subwoofer drivers, and replacement…

There’s a lot more to Ultra HD than just higher resolution. Other picture parameters need work too. That’s why Vizio’s latest vision is Dolby Vision. The technology, licensed from Dolby Laboratories, infuses video content with HDR (high dynamic range) decoding to widen contrast and expand color gamut. Vizio’s embrace of Dolby Vision coincides with a desire to market TVs at higher price points. The first Reference Series sets will include the R120, which reportedly will have a 120-inch picture and weigh 365 pounds. There will also be a 65-inch RS 65 model. Pricing was unavailable at press time. The sets will include 10-bit panels and full-array backlighting with 384 active LED zones for the R65 and an as-yetunspecified number for the R120. Other features include 802.11ac dual-band Wi-Fi, and five…

PRICE $11,855 WHEN YOU HOOK UP A PSB speaker—pretty much any PSB speaker—you have a very good idea of what you’re going to get. To wit: balanced octave-to-octave response that fits a tight decibel window from the design’s lower limit to its upper; off-axis curves that are similarly smooth and “well bundled,” rolling off higher frequencies progressively at more extreme angles but without sudden discontinuities; impressive-for-size low-end extension without any enhanced, bass-sweetening pre-roll-off response hump; a reasonably unchallenging impedance curve for easy-to-drive amp-friendliness, and coherent, strong stereo imaging promulgated by carefully derived driver locations and spacings and by a diffraction-free cabinet design. These parameters are hardly revolutionary: They’re straight out of the loudspeaker designer’s hornbook. But for 40-plus years, PSB has been counted among the very best at nailing them…

B652-AIR (purple) +1.78/–3.34 dB, 200 Hz to 10 kHz; –3 dB @ 91 Hz, – 6 dB @ 77 Hz; impedance minimum 5.35 ohms @ 200 Hz, phase angle –27.83º @ 114 Hz; sensitivity 87 dB, 500 Hz to 2 kHz. SUB-1000 (blue) Close-miked response, normalized to level at 80 Hz: lower –3 dB @ 38 Hz, –6 dB @ 33 Hz, –3 dB @ 108 Hz with Crossover control set to maximum.—MJP SPECS B652-AIR: 6.5 in polypropylene-cone woofer, folded planar-magnetic tweeter with Kapton diaphragm; 7 x 11.75 x 6.75 in (WxHxD); 5.4 lb • SUB-1000: 10 in pulp-cone woofer; 100 wa_s RMS; vented enclosure; line-level RCA stereo input, speakerlevel wire-clip input and output; 14 x 14 x 14.5 in (WxHxD); 30.5 lb…

PRICE $11,050 NINE OUT OF 11.4 PEOPLE (approximately) reading this report are thinking, “Who the hell is Triad?” (Hopefully, fewer folks are asking, “What the hell is Atmos?” If you’re one of them, hang in there. I’ll get to Atmos in a bit.) To answer the original question, Triad is a Swiss Army Knife-like manufacturer of custom-installed speakers. That is, regardless of the particular application, Triad has a blade—er, speaker—designed and built for it (in the U.S. of A., by the way). You need in-room, in-ceiling, or in-wall speakers? Check. Invisible in-wall speakers? Ditto. OK, what kind of subwoofer do you want? The standard in-room or an in-wall design? Yes and yes. (Yawn.) Why not try something a little less common, like one of Triad’s on-wall, in-cabinet, or in-ceiling subwoofers?…

ZENSOR 5 (purple) +2.52/–4.70 dB, 200 Hz to 10 kHz; –3 dB @ 53 Hz, –6 dB @ 38 Hz; impedance minimum 5.57 ohms @ 230 Hz, phase angle –45.98º @ 98 Hz; sensitivity 87.5 dB, 500 Hz to 2 kHz. ZENSOR VOKAL (green) +2.15/–3.22 dB, 200 Hz to 10 kHz; –3 dB @ 76 Hz, –6 dB @ 57 Hz; impedance minimum 5.54 ohms @ 221 Hz, phase angle –46.66º @ 111 Hz; sensitivity 88 dB, 500 Hz to 2 kHz. ZENSOR 1 (red) +3.73/–2.59 dB, 200 Hz to 10 kHz; –3 dB @ 90 Hz, –6 dB @ 63 Hz; impedance minimum 5.67 ohms @ 224 Hz, phase angle –52.83º @ 120 Hz; sensitivity 86 dB, 500 Hz to 2 kHz. HSU VTF-1 MK2 (blue) Close-miked response, normalized…

FUSED AND FLIPPED FAIRY TALES Screenwriter James Lapine and director Rob Marshall’s adaptation of the brilliant Stephen Sondheim’s stage musical (book by Lapine) is a highly entertaining, moving, and inspiring film that, in this Blu-ray’s presentation, makes for great home theater. The story cleverly weaves together four fairy tales through a plot device centering on a baker and his wife who are unable to have children because of a witch’s curse. In order for the witch to lift the curse, the baker must bring her the cow from Jack (of the beanstalk), Little Red Riding Hood’s cape, Rapunzel’s hair, and Cinderella’s slipper. One theme is parenting—the witch is depicted as an overprotective mother imprisoning Rapunzel away from princes and other wolves; another is the need to escape what’s safe in…

CINEMA FIT FOR A KING Among the most anticipated and admired films of 2014, Selma depicts the epochal series of marches by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (David Oyelowo) in Selma, Alabama, which led to the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Brought to the screen with power and sensitivity by director Ava DuVernay, this Oscar-nominated docudrama features a host of inspired and often intimate acting and noteworthy musical selections, which include the Oscar-winning song “Glory.” Unfortunately, production values don’t match the aspirations of Selma’s subject matter. The color palette, predominantly earth tones, is muted and flat. Fleshtones tend toward saturation, while fine details of clothing, hair, and skin seem homogenized and nondescript. Architectural subtleties—brick walls, for example—lack precision and sharpness. Blacks lack depth and resolution, making it…

Viewed dead-on, the Phantom looks like a huge eyeball. Catch it from the side, and it resembles a dinosaur egg. Either way, this self-contained, powered speaker—small enough to be cradled like a baby (albeit a heavy baby at 24 pounds)—embodies an unmistakably unique form factor and technical design. We spoke with Quentin Sannié, cofounder and CEO of Parisbased Devialet, to get the story behind this most unusual speaker, which is available in two versions: the 750-watt Phantom ($1,990) and the 3,000-watt Phantom Silver ($2,390). S&V: The Phantom turns traditional speaker design on its ear. How did it come into being? QS: Our motto at Devialet has always been to change lives and bring emotion to people with pure sound. Our Analog Digital Hybrid (ADH) technology and its integration in our…

You’ve heard it on THX-certified DVDs and Blu-ray Discs and in THX theaters. It’s the perfect crescendo, that indescribably fantastic swell of sound that’s been wowing moviegoers for more than three decades. We recently spoke with Dr. James “Andy” Moorer, composer of the “THX Logo Theme,” to get the story behind the iconic flourish, which debuted in the THX trailer Wings, shown before the 1983 premiere of a movie you might remember—Star Wars: Episode VI–Return of the Jedi. S&V: It’s been more than 30 years since moviegoers first experienced the Deep Note, the signature sound of THX. What was the original intent behind it? AM: There is a bit of a story behind THX and the logo theme. At the release of Empire Strikes Back, some of the audio people…

When Col Needham, creator of the Internet Movie Database, visited Video in November 1998 as the magazine was transitioning into S&V, the IMDb was already eight years old and had just been acquired by Amazon. Though most users had to perch in front of a PC with dial-up, the site was already the go-to place to research, for instance, the synopsis and credits for Dark City, which came out that year. Mostly text-based, the IMDb’s claim to fame among videophiles was its comprehensiveness and hyperlinks that easily let you find actress Jennifer Connelly’s other movies or learn that Alex Proyas had previously directed The Crow. When the IMDb turns 25 in October, both its database and popularity will have multiplied exponentially. The IMDb consumer site (imdb.com) currently lists more…

Line 6 Amplifi TT Guitar Tone Processor If you’re one of the many A/V geeks who likes to do a little shredding in your spare time, here’s a first-of-its-kind gizmo that’s worth checking out: The Amplifi TT guitar tone processor turns any speaker system in to a guitar amp with Bluetooth streaming that mixes in guitar and amp sounds. Connect the TT to your stereo and see if you can keep up with Zakk Wylde. Pick a Sound: Best of all, when you launch the Amplifi app (iOS and Android), you can pull up a guitar sound that matches Wylde’s from a database in the cloud, select from more than 200 amp tones and effects, or create your own sound. Jam on. Price: $200 (on musiciansfriend.com) Line 6 • (818)…

IMAGINE T3 (purple) +0.96/–2.72 dB, 200 Hz to 10 kHz; –3 dB @ 28 Hz, –6 dB @ 24 Hz; impedance minimum 4.40 ohms @ 90 Hz, phase angle –35.82º @ 71 Hz; sensitivity 88 dB, 500 Hz to 2 kHz. IMAGINE C3 (green) +2.10/–5.42 dB, 200 Hz to 10 kHz; –3 dB @ 55 Hz, –6 dB @ 48 Hz; impedance minimum 4.66 ohms @ 992 Hz, phase angle –63.48º @ 134 Hz; sensitivity 88 dB, 500 Hz to 2 kHz. IMAGINE S (red) +1.07/–5.29 dB, 200 Hz to 10 kHz; –3 dB @ 95 Hz, –6 dB @ 82 Hz; impedance minimum 5.64 ohms @ 221 Hz, phase angle –48.96º @ 136 Hz; sensitivity 86 dB, 500 Hz to 2 kHz. SUBSERIES 300 (blue) Close-miked response, normalized to…

LR-H L/R (purple) +0.90/–3.12 dB, 200 Hz to 10 kHz; –3 dB @ 90 Hz, –6 dB @ 73 Hz; impedance minimum 4.30 ohms @ 4.5 kHz, phase angle –52.13º @ 2.5 kHz; sensitivity 89.5 dB, 500 Hz to 2 kHz. INROOM BRONZE CENTER (green) +1.45/–3.06 dB, 200 Hz to 10 kHz; –3 dB @ 90 Hz, –6 dB @ 73 Hz; impedance minimum 4.29 ohms @ 4.5 kHz, phase angle –52.47º @ 2.5 kHz; sensitivity 89.5 dB, 500 Hz to 2 kHz. LR-H ATMOS HEIGHT SECTION (red) +3.79/–3.63 dB, 200 Hz to 10 kHz; –3 dB @ 174 Hz, –6 dB @ 150 Hz; impedance minimum 14.29 ohms @ 505 Hz, phase angle –64.28º @ 230 Hz; sensitivity 86.5 dB, 500 Hz to 2 kHz. SLIMSUB (blue) Close-miked response,…

Solo Bar (purple) +1.31/– 9.16 dB, 200 Hz to 10 kHz; –3 dB @ 146 Hz, –6 dB @ 129 Hz. Solo Sub (blue) Close-miked response, normalized to level @ 80 Hz: lower –3 dB @ 62 Hz, –6 dB @ 51 Hz, upper –3 dB @ 174 Hz using LFE input.—MJP THIS GRAPH shows the quasi-anechoic (employing close-miking of all woofers) frequency response of the Solo Bar (purple trace) and Solo Sub (blue trace), in Stereo listening mode. The lef channel was measured with grille at a distance of 1 meter. The unusually rolled-of response above 5 kHz has been verifed as intentional.—MJP [See Editor’s Note at the end of the review.] SPECS Solo Bar: 4 in damped paper-cone woofer (4), 1 in silk-dome tweeter (2); 2 x 10…

PRETTY, LAME PORN SHOW Are you curious? Really? OK then. Yes, Fifty Shades of Grey is a lousy movie, every bit the stinker that you probably expect: dull dialogue, vapid characters, no chemistry either from or between the actors. Here’s what you really want to know: Is the movie hot? Is it at least a little bit funny? And (since you are reading Sound & Vision) how does the Blu-ray Disc look and sound? Here’s the skinny, in that order. The actors who play Christian Grey and Anastasia Steele (the most improbably famous S&M couple on the planet) are very attractive; Dakota Johnson, as Ana, is hot; but their sex is pretty tame soft porn, even by Cinemax standards. (Showtime’s Masters of Sex is way sexier.) As for humor, the…

LIFESTYLES OF THE RICH, FAMOUS, AND MESSED UP Fame, wealth, power, and success are the enviable goals of most people in Hollywood. Once achieved, the struggle and pressure to maintain them are unrelenting and will drive some to drastic lengths to ensure their survival. Havana Segrand (Julianne Moore) is an actress in the twilight of her career who still lives in the shadow of her more famous deceased mother. Constantly plagued by jealously, insecurity, and personal demons, she is desperate to keep her star status active while the delicate balance of her life and sanity rapidly unravel. John Cusack is her therapist, a prominent New Age self-help guru with a book deal, a TV show, and a young son who found success in a franchise film series called Bad Babysitters.…