Innehållsförteckning för December/January 2024 från Sound & Vision

We are equipped with five senses: Sight, hearing, smell, taste, touch. The thought of losing any of them is frightening. Setting aside the question of aging, even the thought of only diminishing any of our senses is unsettling. So, the question is, if a faulty product caused you to suffer an impairment of one of your senses, what kind of compensation would be appropriate? During my teaching career, for no particular reason, I would sometimes pose this dilemma to my class: Suppose a madman has locked you in a room. He demands that you declare your two most valued senses. Universally, the students specified sight and hearing. Then the madman gives you a terrible choice: he will take away either your sight, or your hearing. Only then will he set…

FOR SEVERAL years now OLED has been king of the HDTV hill, offering the best available HDTV performance. This isn’t to say that it has been free of issues; no technology is perfect. Early on, OLEDs had a reputation for being subject to burn-in. While that was overstated, it was still a concern that careful owners worked to avoid. Owners were advised not to leave still images, particularly bright ones, on the screen for extended periods—watch out for those bright scoreboards in otherwise active scenes. But I’ve lived with OLEDs for years now, often with largely stationary scoreboards at the bottom of the screen, and never had a trace of permanent burn-in. To be fair, however, I don’t drive my TVs particularly hard. One OLED limitation that has always been…

FOUNDED IN 2002, Californiabased Monoprice is an online retailer and original equipment manufacturer (OEM) that operates in the consumer electronic, professional audio, medical, and outdoor product areas. The company states that by controlling the design, manufacture, and sale of its products, it eliminates supply chain inefficiencies, thus allowing it to offer premium products at below market prices. Monoprice’s strategy seems to be working. It now sells over 7,500 products under its namesake brand and has OEM relationships with an ever-increasing number of third-party sellers. Whether you need a 3D printer, arial drone, wheelchair, audio/video component, guitar, camping sunshade, computer monitor, or almost any type of audio cable or adapter, Monoprice not only likely sells it, but may make it for someone else who does. Monoprice’s website states that the company’s…

FOUNDED IN 1976, Dynaudio is wellknown in the world of audio. As one of the few loudspeaker manufacturers that make their own drivers, combined with the massive Jupiter acoustic measurement facility, the company gains a significant advantage when integrating the multiple parts of a loudspeaker into one system. Dynaudio not only has a presence in the consumer market but also a substantial presence in recording studios. Vertical integration, a hands-on approach to music production, and evidence-based research and development have been key to their success. The Emit series represents Dynaudio’s entry-level high-end range, with the impressive Emit 50 tower leading the way. It features a 1.1” tweeter, 6” midrange, and 7” woofers - common driver arrangements. What sets it apart are the Cerotar tweeters, the one-piece dust cap and cone…

My beloved ADC Stereo Frequency Equalizer (Model Sound Shaper Three) with a built-in Spectrum Analyzer is showing signs of decline. After more than 30 years of satisfaction it has delivered, I find myself in need of a replacement. It’s tough finding great stereo equalizers these days. However, dbx appears to be the industry leader in this segment. I’m considering replacing my ADC EQ with a dbx 1231 Dual-Channel 31-band Graphic EQ. The problem is that I’m encountering conflicting information. On one hand, I’ve read articles and watched YouTube videos that demonstrate hooking up dbx EQs using an RCA to XLR patch cable or adapter. On the other hand, some sources state that dbx EQs are intended only for Public Address (PA) systems, live recording, and DJ setups. Either way, I’m…

IF YOU’VE been looking for a “justadd music” stereo system under seven or eight grand (or, for that matter nine or ten), you can stop. Whatever the opposite of “burying the lede” is, I think I just did it. Don’t care: KEF’s new LS60 wireless, powered tower streaming loudspeaker system is just that good. I’ve been evangelizing active-speaker design as the only sensible way to engineer a music system for more decades than I’m prepared to admit in print, and in the digital age my preference has been borne out with a dramatic flowering of truly excellent, smart, streaming powered speakers. And the LS60 is, by a pretty wide margin, my new favorite of the bunch. First, what is it? Visually, the LS60 is a super-slim tower with a 2-way…

SAY THE name Klipsch and most people will instantly think about highefficiency speakers, ones with horn tweeters and distinctive gold metallic midranges and woofers. If you’re of a certain age your mind might take you to their groundbreaking Klipschorn, that marvelous horn-loaded behemoth of a loudspeaker. Over 75 years after its introduction, the Klipschorn is revered by audiophiles. I’m not sure anything like it exists even today. I’m not reviewing something from their speaker line though, what I have in my living room is a subwoofer from their Reference Premier series; the RP-1600SW. The RP-1600SW is the top model in Klipsch’s premium subwoofer line. It features a 16” driver with a front slot port they’ve dubbed the Aerofoil. Klipsch designed it with flares at both ends, the goal being to…

SONOS, A brand synonymous with wireless multi-room audio audio, unveils its latest: the Sonos Move 2. This speaker is not just a sequel but a significant upgrade from its predecessor. FEATURES The original Sonos Move was already a formidable entry in the portable audio space. Now, meet its evolved successor—the Sonos Move 2. At first glance, the Move 2 retains the familiar aesthetics of its predecessor, retaining its dimensions and portable form. However, Sonos introduces an olive shade, adding to the original Move’s black and white options. The Move 2 has capacitive touch controls; you can play, pause, skip, replay, adjust the volume, mute your voice assistant, and group or ungroup Sonos products using these controls. Like the Move, the Move 2 works with voice assistants. It supports Sonos Voice…

As the year rolls to an end, awards season is upon us. But this time we’ve decided to single out the least-deserving—those companies, apps and individuals who have let us down. It is in this environment of malfeasance that I nominate these candidates to be recipients of what I affectionately call the Trasher Award. Imagine a golden trophy rising out of a trash can and being presented to organizations and people whose dubious achievements are recognized far and wide. Ladies and gentlemen, the Trasher goes to: Amazon Prime for its promise to introduce commercials into its program streams early next year. Elon Musk for X-ing out Twitter. ABC for cancelling Alaska Daily and CBS for ending East New York, two of the best freshmen dramas on network TV. The privacy…

Q There are so many versions of Eyes Wide Shut, censored, uncensored, different durations, Director’s Cut, Studio Cut, Theatrical Release USA, Theatrical Release Europe – ugh! Out of all of these, which Blu-ray version is considered, in 2023, to be closest to what Kubrick intended? Given what we know today, which release would you recommend as producing the most Kubrickauthentic viewing experience? And is there an easy way to differentiate the different versions, such as a duration?” A Thank you for taking the time to write in. Stanley Kubrick’s final film, the erotic mystery/drama Eyes Wide Shut has been hotly debated from a variety of perspectives since even before its debut. Most notable of the surrounding controversies was the studio-mandated the addition of computer-generated figures used to obscure the graphic…

IN MY EXPERIENCE, we home entertainment enthusiasts and physical media collectors enjoy sharing, bringing the gift of movies and music to like-minded loved ones and maybe even (if we’ve been nicer than naughty) building out our own personal libraries. To help y’all get a handle on some of the best offerings this year, we’ve taken the liberty of grouping our recommendations into a few tempting categories so you can find the perfect holiday stocking-stuffers. For the Martial Arts Maven ❱ Jackie Chan: Emergence of a Superstar BLU-RAY (THE CRITERION COLLECTION) ❱ The Jackie Chan Collection Volume 1 (1976-1982) BLU-RAY (SHOUT SELECT) There’s never been a movie star with the skills, smarts and dedication of Jackie Chan, and cinema might never see his like again. Boutique label Criterion agrees, surveying six…

FOCAL HAS long been a high-end French loudspeaker manufacturer with a significant investment in research and development to outpace its competition. While their flagship loudspeakers are known for their steep price tags, the new Vestia line offers a range of options—including three floor-standing speakers, a bookshelf model, and the Vestia Center. The top-tier option, the Vestia N°4, is priced at $4,400 per pair in the U.S. While not exactly bargain-basement prices, they are competitive in the global loudspeaker market. Many brands with Western names and ownership opt to manufacture their products in China or countries in East Asia to minimize expenses. Although this isn’t necessarily a downside—many of these designs are excellent—Focal stands apart by designing and manufacturing all of its loudspeakers in France. This commitment to local manufacturing extends…

KLIPSCH THE NINES, found in the Heritage Inspired Speaker lineup, harken back to a time when HiFi stereos were all the rage. Even The Nines’ logo is 100% mid-century modern inspired. It’s no secret that the legendary Klipsch speaker company was bought by Voxx (originally Audiovox), it should be noted that Voxx recently acquired Onkyo. Now it all makes sense – let’s put classic Klipsch speakers in a cabinet powered by a 240-watt amplifier (480-watt peak power), using knowledge and expertise from that latest acquisition. The result: self-powered, bi-amped speakers with the signature Klipsch horn; no receiver or additional amplifier needed. The Nines are self-powered and interchangeable - you can select which speaker you want to be left or right, since one speaker must be plugged into AC power. The…