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My latest Blu-ray/Atmos review is up at Sound & Vision: The Hunger Games – Mockingjay Part 2 I did not review The Hungry Games – Catching Fur, but if you're a fan of Sesame Street parodies, this is a good one. May the cookies always be in your flavor.
Blu-ray review: The Hunger Games – Mockingjay Part 2 Read MoreI've started contributing movie reviews to Sound & Vision, one of the last home theater magazines still available in print form (Home Theater Magazine merged with them back in 2013). You can also find some of my reviews on their site online; Everest is up. I'm focusing on titles with Dolby Atmos soundtracks and/or 3D for now.
Blu-ray reviews Read MoreThis year's CEDIA has come and gone, and unless the journalists in attendance badly missed something, I didn't see many announcements with broad applicability outside the core custom install base. (I attended CES and IFA this year, but was not able to attend CEDIA live.) Sony showed off new projectors, including a native 4K model priced at "just" $10,000, but these had been announced at IFA in Berlin. JVC introduced a trio of projectors from $4,000 – $10,000 that create pseudo-4K from 4K source material. Kaleidescape is now offering a 4K digital storage/playback solution in the $5000 – If You …
CEDIA 2015: Focused on Core Custom Install Audience Read MoreI was on the road covering Apple when this happened, so I missed it at the time, but it appears that Pioneer is divesting its A/V reciever and headphone business and selling it to Onkyo by March 2015. While Sony, Yamaha, and Harman all still make A/V receivers, Onkyo (and its Integra custom install brand) dominates the premium segment in a steadily shrinking market. If I read the disclosures correctly, Onkyo intends to keep the Pioneer brand, but will consolidate all back office functions and manufacturing. I like Onkyo's recievers, and Pioneer has been losing money, but this still feels …
Onkyo Swallows Pioneer’s A/V Line Read MoreIt's been a long time since I've done a full formal home theater speaker review, but my "reference" Carver HT5.2 speakers are over 15 years old and I've had the upgrade urge for most of the past decade. When Orb Audio reached out early last year* and offered to send over a complete set of speakers with sub, I thought it was time to start the process of finding a new mid-priced system for our home theater — or at least start listening to something new. Orb sells complete packages that start at $600 and go up to $2500; I …
Orb Audio Mod2X review Read MoreA practical guide for the order in which you should upgrade (or build) your AV system: Avi's Audio Heirarchy: External speakers – even a cheap soundbar – are nearly always better than the tinny ones built into your HDTV. More speakers and discrete surround sound are always better than a soundbar. Subwoofers in particular make a movie sound like a movie. (Note: I have found that there is often gender bias when it comes to subs – stereotypical men want them to make things go boom, stereotypical women don't think they watch movies where it will make a difference. The …
Avi’s Audio Heirarchy Read MoreMy long tradition of getting behind with work covering new product launches ahead of the holiday season — and therefore not finishing my holiday gift guide until the last possible moment — continues. The guide is up over at techpinions.com.
Avi’s Last Minute Holiday Gift Guide 2013 Read MoreSonos sent over a pair of Play:1 speakers for review. In my review of the Sonos PLAYBAR I found too many setup limitations, but I absolutely love the Play:1's. A single Play:1 fills any small or medium sized room with rich, clear sound, and it serves as a perfect entry point to building a full multi-room, multi-source music system. My full report for Current Analysis clients is up; here's an excerpt: Sonos notes that multi-room audio sales have been rising 80% year-over-year, fueled by streaming music. With most consumer electronics categories losing ground as consumers put more of their money into …
Sonos Play:1 – Hands On Read MoreLet’s get the disclaimers out of the way up front: Sonos has lent me various components for review, and some are on long term loans. When the PLAYBAR was first announced, I attended a demo and wrote an analytical report for Current Analysis clients, but I was eager to get a unit for a full review. Earlier this year Sonos sent one, along with a pair of PLAY:3’s for use as surround sound speakers (much earlier this year. Sorry!). I also pulled in a Sonos SUB in for a full 5.1 setup. Sonos does not pay anything for consideration and …
Product Review: Sonos PLAYBAR Read More