Sound Vision June-July 2023

MAKING OF AVATAR 2 THE DARK SIDE OF THE MOON
CREATING A NEW REALITY 50TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION
TESTED
P30
POWER TOOL: OSD Nero XA7180 Amp

•
Where Technology Becomes Entertainment™ soundandvision.com JUNE
JULY
2023
STEALTHY
BASS
SVS 3000
IN-WALL SUB
LG G3
A NEW
OLED DYMENSION
TV DM70 TOWER
SPEAKERS
STUDIO
SOUND
SYSTEM
JBL 4329P
POWERED
SPEAKERS
QUALITY
QLED
TCL
6-SERIES TV
Social Media Pakistan 0342-4938217

is the New Black
Honoring our rich history while
moving boldly forward…
The T66 — an all-new GoldenEar

floorstander with powered bass.
Coming soon.
Also in Gloss Black

VOLUME 88 NUMBER 4
contents features
43 AVATAR 2:
I SEE YOU
A deep dive into how James Cameron created Avatar 2. Matt
Hurtwitz takes us on a fascinating journey where you realize
60 EXPLORE THE
DARK SIDE
OF THE MOON
Look it up in Guiness Book of World records: “Most
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‫ܪ‬QRRFPNSL\NQQSJ[JWGJYMJXFRJ+NSITZYMT\NSST[FYNTSX FWJRFWPFGQJWJHTWI\JJPX&SIYMJMTQIJWTK
in capture techniques make it such an immersive viewing YMFYWJHTWINXSTSJTYMJWYMFS5NSP+QTÎѣXDark Side of
J]UJWNJSHJ&UJJPGJMNSIYMJXHJSJXTKFSJUNHXHN‫ܪ‬FI[JS the Moon, now turned 50 and resplendent in its Atmos
YZWJYMFYIJ‫ܪ‬SJXYMJXYFYJTKYMJFWYNSHNSJRF FYYNWJ.XYMNXYMJSJ\PNSLTKXUFYNFQFZINTWJWJQJFXJX$
On the Cover (QTHP\NXJKWTRYMJYTU2FWP1J[NSXTS3TMJFIUMTSJX U)^RJSXNTS)XUJFPJWX U9(18JWNJX61*)9; U

8;8.S<FQQXZG\TTKJW U/'15XUJFPJWX^XYJR U1,,41*)9; U48)3*74=& U
4 [ June July 2023 [soundandvision.com

72
VOLUME 88 NUMBER 4
DELUXE EDITION
Steven Wilson Presents: Progres-
sive Sounds in UK Alternative
Music 1979-89'T]8JYKJFYZWJX
‫[ܪ‬JUQZXMTZWXXUWJFIT[JW
tracks from the likes of Dead
(FS)FSHJ4>ZPN5WTUFLFSIF
and other inventive across-the-
ponders of that era.
departments
8 TRACK ONE
Hollywood and TV writers strike
while 4K sports gains ground.
12 LETTERS
Are Dolby Atmos add-on modules
worth it?
18 WIDE ANGLE
3JY‫ܫ‬N]'^2FNQJSIXNYX>JFW
Run.
columns
14 SIGNALS
The horrors of phoneboarding.
16 IMMERSIVE AUDIO FILE

Rush “Signals” turns 40 and gets
NYX&YRTXRN]
20 THE CONNECTED LIFE

John Sciacca on UST projectors
[X'NL9;X
22 Q&A
House shopping with a home
theater in mind.
66 ENTERTAINMENT
All Quiet on the Western Front,
contents test reports Dragonslayer, Rebel Without a
Cause, Star Trek: The Next Genera-
tion 4-Movie Collection, Super
Cop, The Man Who Fell to Earth,
Cocaine Bear.
13 JUKE STREAMING MULTI-ROOM AMP
24 SOFABATON X1 PROGRAMMABLE REMOTE 74 REMASTER CLASS
7*2Out of Time
25 TCL 6-SERIES 4K MINI-LED TV
29 MARK LEVINSON NO.5909 HEADPHONES
32 SVS 3000 IN-WALL SUBWOOFER
36 OSD NERO XA7180 7-CHANNEL AMPLIFIER
39 DEFINITIVE TECHNOLOGY DYMENSION
DM70 SPEAKERS
50 LG G3 4K OLED EVO TV
56 JBL 4329P POWERED STEREO SPEAKERS

On The Web Log on to soundandvision.com and sign up for our free monthly enewsletter.
You’ll get exclusive tips, news, trends, and reviews from your favorite S&V writers.
P. 32
Summer Strikes Again

WELCOME TO SUMMER 2023! cinematic. The same is true for video cities in the US. This broadcast TV
At the time of writing, Hollywood games, today’s photorealistic 4K HDR technology can be picked up with
writers are on strike. While a brief Dolby Vision graphics with Dolby an antenna and has the potential
XYWNPJRF^STYMF[JFXNLSN‫ܪ‬HFSY Atmos sound are a huge lead forward YTXNLSN‫ܪ‬HFSYQ^NRUWT[JYMJVZFQNY^
impact, there are concerns that from where games were during the of sports broadcasts with 4K, HDR,
a prolonged strike could be cata- last writer’s strike. and surround sound. The difference
strophic for movie theaters that The point? High production value in quality compared to current HD
IJUJSITSFHTSXYFSY‫ܫ‬T\TKGQTHP- of video games and live sports— broadcasts is similar to the leap from
Customer GZXYJWWJQJFXJXYTWJRFNSUWT‫ܪ‬YFGQJ combined with the capabilities of DVD to Blu-ray.
Service And The participation of than 11,000 modern TVs and soundbars—create 9MJWNXJTKXUTWYXFXFMNLM‫ܪ‬IJQNY^
Subscriptions ‫ܪ‬QRFSIYJQJ[NXNTS\WNYJWXRFWPX immersive audiovisual experiences [NJ\NSLJ]UJWNJSHJNXWJ‫ܫ‬JHYJINS
soundandvision@ YMJ‫ܪ‬WXYXYWNPJTKNYXPNSIIZWNSLYMJ in the living room that were once partnerships between TV manu-
emailcustomerservice. streaming era. While it will be felt in exclusive to movies and home facturers and sports leagues. For
com today’s entertainment landscape— theaters, and for audiences beyond example, TCL has partnered with the
Call (800) 666-3746 some TV shows already ended their just movie lovers. NFL and Hisense with the NBA. Apple
(international calls: seasons early—there are almost For example, I have come to realize offers 4K HDR Friday Night Baseball,
386-447-6383)
or write to: countless alternatives to movies and that there is a genuine directorial setting a high standard for MLB
scripted TV shows, including gaming, intent behind sports production. broadcasts. As 4K becomes the norm
Sound & Vision,
P.O. Box 420235, live sports, reality TV, social media Executed well, it creates a sense of NSQFWLJHNYNJX\NYMXNLSN‫ܪ‬HFSYXUTWYX
Palm Coast, FL (you’ve heard of TikTok, yes?), and immersion and emotional engage- team followings, we can expect to
32142-0235 YouTube videos. ment that enhances the at-home see more sports delivered in higher
Please include your The absence of a TV show or delay spectator experience. A fuzzy picture resolution and HDR. It's the dawn of
full name, address, of a movie is no longer as disruptive on a 19" CRT with transistor-radio a new era where sports presented in
and phone number as it once was. sound this is not! Watching 4K sports 4K and surround sound can be almost
on any inquiries. Something else that’s different, in 4K, HDR (and surround-sound) is a cinematic in their presentation.
production value. Movies have had it legit reason to upgrade an HD TV to a
at a very high level for many decades, 4K HDR model plus soundbar.
TV for not nearly as long. But now, In 2023, NextGen TV (also known
streaming shows look as good as as ATSC 3.0) will roll out in some
movies and even live sports can look of the largest media markets and
Futuristic Filmmaking mix do justice to this all-time classic while David Vaughn examines the
Avatar 2 has been a huge success, album? Could it even be the capabilities of the decor-friendly
cementing James Cameron’s benchmark Atmos mix immersive SVS 3000 In-Wall subwoofer. Leslie
reputation as a top director of audio fans have been waiting for? Shapiro tries out the premium
blockbuster films. The movie is a and luxurious, high-fidelity Mark
technological marvel, and on page Fresh Test Reports Levinson No. 5909 headphones.
43 Matt Hurwitz provides an Tom Norton’s review of the 2023 Barb Gonzalez sees if the
in-depth look at the techniques LG G3 OLED highlights the Sofabaton X1 can fill the shoes
used to capture and create it. benefits of the new micro-lens of the discontinued Logitech
array technology representing a Harmony, and I tackle reviews of
DSOTM Turns 50 significant advancement in OLED the OSD Nero VA7180 amplifier,
Mike Mettler explores the making performance. LG OLEDs are now Definitive Technology Dymension
of Pink Floyd’s 50th anniversary used as mastering displays at top DM70 bipolar tower speakers, TCL
edition of Dark Side of the Moon. Hollywood studios like Disney. 6-Series 4K TV plus Juke Audio’s
Are you ready to hear ‘Time’ and Dan Kumin tests the powerful plug-and-play upgrade for wired
‘Money’ in Atmos? Does the new all-in-one JBL 4329P sound system, multiroom speaker installations.

R Series
Now with Metamaterial
Absorption Technology
Performance redefined. An icon born from The Reference.

R Series
Developed for KEF’s flagship The Reference, a suite of the latest technologies has now made its way
into the new generation of the R Series. Whether in stereo for music or in a home theatre set up,
the R Series makes exceptional acoustic performance more accessible. Now with the groundbreaking
Metamaterial Absorption Technology, the R Series reveals exquisite detail and incredible insight:
truly an experience to savour.
Listen and believe

G SOON
COMIN
TO
June/July 2023 Volume 88/Number 4
EDITOR: Mark Henninger
SENIOR EDITOR, TECHNICAL EDITOR: Tom Norton

EDITOR AT LARGE, WEB EDITOR: Bob Ankosko
CONTRIBUTING TECHNICAL EDITORS: Barb Gonzalez, Howard Kneller,
Test Reports Daniel Kumin, Rob Sabin, John Sciacca, Leslie Shapiro, David Vaughn,
Jim Wilson
CONTRIBUTORS: Michael Antonoff, Brandon A. DuHamel, Matt Hurwitz,
<Jѣ[JLTYXTRJXUJHNFQWJ[NJ\XNSYMJ Roger Kanno, Josef Krebs, Ken C. Pohlmann, Ralph Potts
queue for the next issue. There’s the MUSIC EDITOR: Mike Mettler
MOVIES EDITOR: Chris Chiarella
8FRXZSL63(SJT61*)UFNWJI\NYM
the Q990C Dolby Atmos soundbar. Add TECHNICAL ART DIRECTOR WEB MONKEY
to that a MartinLogan Motion Gen2 CONSULTANT Jeremy Moyler Jon Iverson
XUJFPJWX^XYJRWJ[NJ\FSIMFSIXTS Joel Silver,
reports for at least a couple of AVRs Imaging Science
Foundation
including the Denon AVR-X3800H. Want
RTWJ$-T\FGTZYFS&WJSIFQ
XUJFPJWX^XYJRWJ[NJ\KJFYZWNSLSNSJ AVTech Media Americas Inc
NIJSYNHFQYT\JWXUJFPJWX EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Paul Miller
<JѣQQUTSIJWYMJGJSJ‫ܪ‬YXTKFNSHM FINANCE DIRECTOR Owen Davies
TCL TV and also test out the latest
8TSTX*7&XUJFPJWFSI‫ܪ‬SITZY
MT\FUFNWJQJ[FYJX ‫ܪ‬LZWFYN[JQ^FSI General Manager Keith Pray
literally) the performance of a full Sonos [email protected]
5.1.4 soundbar system. We’re even Advertising Manager Ed DiBenedetto
\TWPNSLTSF7818XZG\TTKJWWJ[NJ\ [email protected]
Sales Coordinator Rosemarie Torcivia

[email protected]
Behind the Scenes
Digital inquiries Keith Pray, [email protected]
I recently took a trip to Austin, TX to see Important Sound & Vision phone numbers and email addresses
motoGP motorcycle racing live and get a USA subscriptions: Call (800) 264-9872, Canada & International (515) 244-0924
LWFXUTKMT\&ZINT9JHMSNHFRNHWT- JRFNQ84;HZXYXJW[%HIXKZQ‫ܪ‬QQRJSYHTRTW\WNYJYT
phones are used to capture the sound at Sound & Vision, P. O. Box 37965, Boone, IA 50037-0965.
such a huge and complicated live event. Please include name, address, and phone number on any inquiries.
The technological challenges are [email protected]

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cameras involved, including live feeds Reprints
coming from each racer’s bike. For high-quality custom reprints and eprints, please contact Keith Pray at [email protected].
Submissions
Any submissions or contributions from readers shall be subject to and governed by AVTech Media’s user
NextGen Sports HTSYJSYXZGRNXXNTSYJWRXFSIHTSINYNTSX\MNHMFWJUTXYJIFYMYYU\\\F[YJHMRJINFZXFHTRYJWRXMYRQ
Subscriber List
The production value of sports 4HHFXNTSFQQ^TZWXZGXHWNGJWQNXYNXRFIJF[FNQFGQJYTWJUZYFGQJ‫ܪ‬WRXTKKJWNSLLTTIXFSIXJW[NHJX\J
broadcasts has become increasingly GJQNJ[J\TZQIGJTKNSYJWJXYYTTZWWJFIJWX.K^TZUWJKJWYTGJJ]HQZIJIUQJFXJXJSI^TZWHZWWJSYFIIWJXX
label and a note requesting to be excluded from these promotions to AVTech Media Americas Inc.,
XNLSN‫ܪ‬HFSYNSFX3J]Y,JS9;WTQQX 2FINXTS&[JSZJYM+QTTW3J\>TWP3>FYYSUWN[FH^HTTWINSFYTW
TZYNSYMWJJRFOTWRJINFRFWPJYX3J\
York, Chicago, and Philadelphia. These
cities represent three of the top four
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With free NextGen TV already available
in 50 media markets—including Los
&SLJQJXџFSIYMJSJ\FIINYNTSX^TZѣQQ
see sports broadcasts join movies,
XMT\XFSI[NIJTLFRJXFX0-)7YJXY Printed in the USA. Copyright © 2023 by AVTech Media Americas Inc.
material. All Rights Reserved.

sound reaches your ears. Long story short, the
letters room needs to be the right size and shape for it
to work at all and if you have a vaulted ceiling,
forget it.
Even under the best circumstances the
I was all set to plunge into Atmos—I have a Marantz AV receiver that can decode the signal—by WJ‫ܫ‬JHYJIXTZSIRTIZQJXMF[JUJWKTWRFSHJ
LJYYNSLFHTZUQJTKZU\FWI‫ܪ‬WNSL&YRTXXUJFPJWXFSIQJYYNSLNYWNU-T\J[JW.OZXYWJFI)TQG^ѣX issues. For one, they consume a lot of power
LZNIFSHJWJLFWINSLTGOJHYTWNJSYJIXTZSIFSIYMJ^XF^FRTSLTYMJWYMNSLXYMFYKTZWNSHJNQNSL because the sound they create has to travel
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Y\TTKYMJRFWJIJXHWNGJIFXGJNSLXJWNTZXQ^NSFIJVZFYJ&SI^JYYMJRFWPJYXJJRXYTGJ‫ܪ‬QQJI The modules also leak sound, meaning some
\NYMZU\FWI‫ܪ‬WNSLXUJFPJWX\MNHMFWJXTQINSUFNWX of the audio goes directly to your ears, which is
&XTKST\.ѣ[JUZYYMJGWFPJXTSFRT[JYT&YRTXUJSINSLFSFXXJXXRJSYTKFSNRUFWYNFQ counterproductive to creating a height effect
NSKTWRJIYJHMSNHFQJ]UJWYџ\MT\TZQIGJ^TZ.MTUJ and also can throw off the measurements
Steven Simon during automated room correction. And while all
&YRTXRTIZQJXITMF[JYTUFXX)TQG^HJWYN‫ܪ‬HF
Hi Steven, approach to work, I want to note that under the tion, they do not all perform the same.
There is an answer to your question, but there right circumstances it is a valid approach as 9MJWJ‫ܫ‬JHYJIXTZSIRTIZQJXITFLTTI
are several factors to consider before deciding long as the limitations are understood (and there job with ambience, like the reverb of a cave or
on one approach or another. But one thing are quite a few). concert hall and enveloping sounds like thunder,
.PST\KTWXZWJ\MJYMJWNYѣXNSHJNQNSLTWFS Since its introduction, I have covered Dolby \NSIFSIWFNS'ZYYMJNSHJNQNSLFUUWTFHMNX
ZU‫ܪ‬WNSLXUJFPJWYTUUJWKTZWMJNLMYHMFSSJQX &YRTXJ]YJSXN[JQ^FSIMF[JJ]UJWNJSHJISJFWQ^ able to create both ambience and more focused
are better than two. every variation of the technology. I have made a imaging above your head, with individual objects
When it comes to getting “the real impact” point to demo as much Atmos as possible and YMFY^TZHFSYWFHPFXYMJ^RT[JFWTZSIQNPJF‫^ܫ‬
TK&YRTXNYѣXMFWIYTGJFYKTZWHJNQNSLRTZSYJI the very best sounding Atmos systems always buzzing or a helicopter.
speakers that are aimed right at the main have some sort of overhead speakers. 9MNXNXFQTSL\NSIJI\F^TKXF^NSLYMFY\MFY
listening position. But that obviously takes effort 9TLJYFLTTIJKKJHY\NYMWJ‫ܫ‬JHYJIXTZSI you gleaned is correct. You’ll want to go with
FSIXNLSN‫ܪ‬HFSYJ]UJSXJYTITWNLMY modules, you need to have an acoustically actual height channel speakers mounted above
I tend to agree that just a pair of Atmos WJ‫ܫ‬JHYN[JHJNQNSLџYMJ^\TWPGJXYNSWTTRX\NYM your head to get the full impact of Atmos. It’s
RTIZQJXUJFPJWYTUUJWXNXTSYMJ\JFPJSITK ‫ܫ‬FYHJNQNSLXGJY\JJSYTKJJYMNLM&SI^TZ worth noting though, that some Atmos modules
the performance spectrum. Still, while there are need to place all your speakers and furniture HFSITITZGQJIZY^FXTS\FQQTWTSHJNQNSL
FQTYTKNXXZJX\NYMLJYYNSLYMJWJ‫ܫ‬JHYJIXTZSI NSYMJUWJXHWNGJIQF^TZYYTJSXZWJYMJWJ‫ܫ‬JHYJI MJNLMYXUJFPJWX9MJXQFSYJIKWTSYGFK‫ܫ‬JJ[JS
help aim the sound toward the main listening
position. But the main reason you see so many
&YRTXYTUUJWTUYNTSXNXGJHFZXJNYNXRZHM
easier to install and each manufacturer that sells
the modules has options to match their regular
speakers (aesthetically as well as acoustically).
Ultimately, the choice between Dolby Atmos
RTIZQJXFSINSTWTSHJNQNSLXUJFPJWXIJUJSIX
on your room constraints, budget, and desired
audio performance.
Dolby Atmos modules:

Pros:
k Can be added to an existing home theater
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k (FSGJRT[JIFWTZSIJFXNQ^
Cons:
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TWNWWJLZQFWQ^XMFUJIWTTRX
k 1JXXUWJHNXJT[JWMJFIXTZSI
In-ceiling speakers:
Pros:
k More accurate and immersive height effect
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k <TWP\JQQNSWTTRX\NYMMNLMHJNQNSLXTW
NWWJLZQFWQ^XMFUJIWTTRX
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Cons:
k 7JVZNWJNSXYFQQFYNTSNSYMJHJNQNSL\MNHMHFS
GJJ]UJSXN[JFSIYNRJHTSXZRNSL
k 4SHJNSXYFQQJIYMJ^HFSSTYGJJFXNQ^RT[JI

wide
angle quick take '>2&70-*33.3,*7
AT A
GLANCE
Juke Audio Multiroom Plug-and-play

upgrade
Streaming Amplifier Simple and reliable

Low cost per zone
A Simple Streaming Solution Expandable

Control volume
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Features and Specifications J]YJSXNTSTK^TZWUMTSJ&SISTYFGQ^ XYWFYNSLMT\YMJFRUWJYFNSXHTSYWTQTK No EQ
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rations: a six-zone model ($1,349) and from a custom installer, it’s available 9MJ/ZPJ\NQQJ[JSITOZXYNHJYTINK‫ܪ‬- RATING
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TSQÎNKKJWJSHJGJNSLYMJSZRGJWTK FSINYNXXZUJWXNRUQJYTXJYZU .UQF^JIѦ4WNSTHT+QT\ѧFSIѦ8YTWRX PERFORMANCE
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9MJ]]NSHM <])]-UTZSI YMWTZLMFZXJWKWNJSIQÛFXX\TWI X^XYJR<JQQ*S^FѣX[TNHJFSIYMJHFWJ VALUE
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THE VERDICT
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(TRUFYNGQJ\NYMNRUJIFSHJXFX FXFSFIITS SJQXYMJXTZSI\FXQTZIFSIHQJFW room wired archi-
QT\FXTMRXYMJIJ[NHJHFSHTSSJHY .QN[JNSFSZWGFS1TKY\MNHMNXTSJ tectural speaker
RZQYNUQJTMRXUJFPJWXџZUYTYMWJJ QFWLJXUFHJRJFSNSL.MF[JSTSJJIKTW Conclusion system, or power
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soundandvision.com [ 13

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angle signals
Thank You,
Douglas Mandel
BY KEN C. POHLMANN
7JHJSYQ^.IJXHWNGJIMT\FHJWYFNSFNWQNSJMFXIJ[NXJIF‫ܪ‬JSINXM\F^YT
torment its passengers. That is, a type of torment beyond the usual run-
TKYMJRNQQYTWYZWJTK‫^ܫ‬NSLTSFS^FNWUQFSJ.SFQJYYJWYTYMJJINYTWFQJWY
reader Douglas Mandel commiserated with me but pointed out that I was
overlooking another kind of torture that is much, much worse.
In the February/March issue, I it. It is when you are on your cell describes them as “rhythmic, bits possible. You might argue that
described waterboarding, an inter- phone, and they put you on hold, non-musical, computer-generated, in their zeal to economize data,
rogation technique that makes a and then they play music. This is, whisper-like sounds.” They might they don’t do a particularly good
person feel like they are drowning. of course, phoneboarding. After have better survivability than job with voice. But when you try
&KYJWFGTZY‫[ܪ‬JRNSZYJX^TZѣQQYJQQ listening to that unholy pandemo- actual music when played over the to convey music, it is a complete
them all about that time you told nium for about one minute, you phone, but in either case, the end disaster. That is because far from
your wife you were going jogging, simply lose the will to live. result is to leach out your brain being agnostic, the channel is
but instead, you met some Let’s think about this. For cells. exclusively optimized to convey
buddies and stopped into a bar starters, you are on hold. We are From an engineering stand- the human voice. When music
and drank beer. Cold beer. Draft STYNRRTWYFQ4ZWYNRJNX‫ܪ‬SNYJ point, we can clearly identify the is input, the channel essentially
beer. Really good beer. And minute by minute, they are problem. Some forms of commu- tries to code the sound of music
I also described a kind of audio taking away that time. While. You. nication channels such as analog as if it was someone talking. Not
torture called musicboarding. Are. On. Hold. And as if to cele- and pulse code modulation are good. It’s like driving a car down a
This where an airline locks you in brate the fact that they are literally agnostic about the sounds they railroad track. It kind of works. But
a long and narrow tube and plays sucking your life into the void, convey. Their aim is to capture not really.
excruciating sounds such as Adult they play music. As news reporter an audio waveform and then repro- Of course, engineering mumbo
Contemporary Easy Listening Herbert Morrison, voice trembling, duce it as accurately as possible. jumbo such as this fails to explain
Music. After about three minutes, exclaimed as he witnessed the Ideally, the output signal should the nefarious intent of the vast left-
^TZ‫ܪ‬LZWJYMFYUZQQNSLYMFYWJI Hindenburg crashing and burning: measure and sound like the input and right-wing conspiracy behind
lever on the emergency exit door “Oh, the humanity!” signal. Even though the ideal is all this. Clearly, phoneboarding
is a really good option. Note: I’ve This on-hold music is the aural never achieved, crucially, it doesn’t is a form of mind control. How
YWNJIYMFY.SJJIYT‫ܪ‬SIFGJYYJW equivalent of barbed wire. I am make any difference what the many times has this happened to
option. being charitable when I diagnose transmitted waveform—music or you—the person on the phone puts
In his letter, Mr. Mandel pointed it as “Screams of the Damned: voice, for example—conveys. you on hold “for just a minute,”
TZYFSJ[JSRTWJMTWWN‫ܪ‬HPNSITK Underwater Edition.” Alterna- Other kinds of channels are the mind-control music starts to
audio torture. I’m breaking into a tively, some on-hold systems more limiting. For example, play, then about a minute later the
panic-sweat even as I think about play bizarro sounds. Mr. Mandel some data-reduction systems person comes back on the line.
use psychoacoustic coding with But then you glance at your watch
models of human hearing to and see that four hours have gone
convey sounds that objectively by. Ladies and gentlemen, I rest
measure poorly, but sound just my case.
‫ܪ‬SJYTTZWJFWX.SUFWYNHZQFWYT And so you see, Mr. Mandel—
save bits, they might omit some oh, hang on—I have another call.
parts of the audio signal or allow Let me put you on hold for just a
noise and distortion to rise, but the minute.
mechanism used to perceive the
output signal—the human ear—
The Author
might not perceive the infractions.
Even with the psychoacoustics, Ken C. Pohlmann is an electrical
the channel doesn’t particularly engineer specializing in audio
care if the signal is music or voice. topics as a consultant and writer.
The single-minded aim of He is Professor Emeritus at the
telephone channels is to convey University of Miami.
voice waveforms with the fewest

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angle immersive audio file
New World
Mix
Producer/engineer Richard Chycki
shares the spatially motivated
secrets behind his Dolby Atmos
mix of Rush’s sonically transitional
1982 album, Signals.
BY MIKE METTLER
7ZXMѣX8JUYJRGJWFQGZRSignals is
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sary Super Deluxe Edition via UMe, and it’s
a spatially inclined box set that contains a
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like each SignalsXTSLNS&YRTXNXGTYMNSNYX
Mettler:<MJS.\FXQNXYJSNSLYTѦ1TXNSL.YѧNS Mettler: Plus, the electric violin solo Ben Mink T\SZSN[JWXJNSF\F^GZYJFHMTSJFQXTKTQIX
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actually heard the bell that’s in the mix there Chycki: When you’re listening to what Ben’s We’re telling a story here with SignalsNS&YRTX
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KEY FEATURES
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wide
angle The Connected Life
Ultra Short Throw

Projectors piece of furniture the projector will levels, producing blacker and more
BY JOHN SCIACCA
sit on, that will largely determine cinematic images whether viewed
Ultra Short Throw (UST) projectors have steadily increased in perfor- where the bottom of the projected during day or night, and also help
RFSHJ\MNQJFQXTRFXXN[JQÎJHWJFXNSLNSUWNHJ2^‫ܪ‬WXY:89J]UJWNJSHJ image (your screen) will be. to avoid hotspotting where one
was a Sony model at CES several years ago selling for $20,000. Today If you’re starting from scratch, area of the screen will appear
you can get a UST projector with 4K HDR resolution and a laser-light there are some innovative visibly brighter. However, the draw-
engine rated for a 20,000-hour lifespan that is capable of producing cabinetry options. Salamander GFHPNXNYFQXTXNLSN‫ܪ‬HFSYQ^PSTHPX
2500+ lumens for under $2500! Designs has cabinets designed to down the overall brightness taking
work with different UST projectors, off roughly 1000 lumens, which
While there are certainly big- XF^YMNXNXFSZSWJFQNXYNHJ]UJHYF- that completely conceals all of puts a performance hit on HDR
name players in the UST space tion. While a UST projector can your electronics—and projector— content. Also, these screens can
like Hisense, Samsung, LG, Sony, IJ‫ܪ‬SNYJQÛWTIZHJF[NGWFSYNRFLJ away in an attractive furniture- cost twice what the projector does,
BenQ, Epson, and Optoma, there when paired with the right screen grade cabinet. Aegis AV offers its putting the overall budget closer to
are also many names you might they never deliver the pop and Andromeda solution that conceals that 100-inch direct view.
not be familiar with like AWOL brightness of a direct view display, everything including a motor- “Can I just use the screen I
Vision, Formovie, Leica, Vava, nor do they fully compete with ized projection screen up to 120 already have?”
;NJ\8TSNH<JRF]FSI=LNRN ambient room lighting or deliver inches diagonal in a customizable Sure. But it won’t look as good,
While I’ve yet to sell/install a the same black levels. cabinet. And AWOL Vision offers especially during the day. And
:89UWTOJHYTWFYR^(.‫ܪ‬WRў A direct view display will always its Vanish Laser TV that includes it might also introduce some
which maybe speaks a bit to their look better in all lighting conditions everything—projector, motorized artifacts. When shining on my
UTUZQFWNY^NSYMJѦWJFQ\TWQIѧў. and with the price of 100-inch screen and cabinet. It is about as motorized Draper screen, the
have had opportunity to see many direct view displays dropping, that turnkey as you can get, but the UST produced these thin, light-
of them in person, and live with makes a compelling argument. 100-inch version runs just under colored horizontal lines in the
one in my own home. So this But, if your goal is getting the $15,000. image about every foot from the
month I’m going to discuss some largest screen possible—up to top down. While these “lines”
things you need to keep in mind if 150-inches—in a room that doesn’t Screens are never visible with my front
you’re considering going the UST have light control and you are less Equally important to the projector projector, they are “roll lines” that
route for your system. critical over picture quality, a UST you choose will be the screen created just enough of a surface
can be a worthy consideration. ^TZZXJNY\NYM9TRF]NRN_J NWWJLZQFWNY^YMFYYMJ:89ѣXZU‫ܪ‬WNSL
TV/Not TV picture quality UST projectors lens highlighted them. Apparently,
:SQNPJYWFINYNTSFQUWTOJHYTWXў Install Location are typically paired with a special this is a thing that can happen with
which do nothing but project an UST projectors generally sit on type of ambient light rejecting traditional rollup screens when
image—most UST projectors are YMJ‫ܫ‬TTWTWTSYTUTKFHFGNSJY (ALR) screen material featuring used with UST projectors.
KZQQ‫ܫ‬JILJIX^XYJRXQNPJ9;X very close to the screen, using FQJSYNHZQFWXZWKFHJYMFYWJ‫ܫ‬JHYX Bottom line: Pairing a UST
incorporating a built-in sound specially designed optics and the projector’s light towards the projector with a quality ALR
system and streaming support. lenses to throw the image nearly viewer, while absorbing ambient screen can deliver a near instant-
(However, home theater users will straight-up onto the screen. light in the room. theater with very little installa-
IJ‫ܪ‬SNYJQ^\FSYYTFIIFXJUFWFYJ Typically, they sit about 12-inches Two options are Stewart tion that will likely satisfy many
surround system.) away from the screen to produce Filmscreen’s BlackHawk UST and viewers. However, unless you are
And rather than the typical, a 100-inch diagonal image. (A Screen Innovations Short Throw LTNSLXNLSN‫ܪ‬HFSYQ^QFWLJWYMFS
dedicated, light-controlled movie 150-inch image might require material. Both screens are white 100-inches, you might be better
room where you typically see 17-inches of throw.) when looking from the bottom-up off with a traditional big screen.
projectors installed, UST models However, there are usually no (as the projector “sees” it), black
combined with special screens physical lens adjustments what- when looking from the top down,
The Author
are often touted as “TV replace- soever, and getting the correct where it absorbs ambient light,
ments”, meant to be put in more height between the projector and and kind of silvery when looking For the past 20 years, John
typical open, multi-use spaces like the bottom of the screen means from the side. Sciacca has worked as a
family rooms. In fact, in nearly all having the correct height cabinet in These types of ALR screens custom installer in South
of the advertising, you’ll see them WJQFYNTSYTYMJXHWJJS+TWJ]FRUQJ usually have negative gain which Carolina. In his free time, he
sitting out in a brightly lit room. whether the image is 100- or means they return less light than enjoys playing pickleball and
However, in every demo I’ve 150-inches, the bottom of the what is shined on them. Because watching movies on his 7.2.6
personally seen—as well as with image will be in roughly the same of the negative gain, these screens surround system.
the unit in my own living room—I’d location. So, if you already have a greatly lower the projector’s black

MODEL COLLECTION
BORN IN CAMBRIDGE.
ENGINEERED FOR THE WORLD.
KLH Model Five
Inspired by music.
klhaudio.com

wide
angle Q&A
all the advantages of lossless, televisions. And the back of the

Atmos Advice immersive audio like Dolby
Atmos or DTS:X sent back to your
receiver is generally more acces-
sible than the back of the TV,
BY JOHN SCIACCA receiver, whether it is from the which makes it easier to trouble-
connected source or the display’s shoot if necessary, as well as
I have been a big fan of S&V for many years and it was the internal streaming. simplifying adding new sources.
Q ‫ܪ‬WXYUQFHJ.HMJHPJIYT‫ܪ‬SITZYYMJGJXY\F^YTXJYZUR^
new Apple TV 4K (third generation). Unfortunately, it seems
XTRJTKYMJNSKTWRFYNTSNXIFYJITWHTS‫ܫ‬NHYNSLFSIWJQFYJIYT
However, in practice, it almost
always makes more sense to
connect all sources directly to
Of course, there could be
instances where this wouldn’t be
the best, say if you had an older
earlier generations of ATV. I have a Denon AVR S-750H surround receiver the receiver. Usually, the longest receiver that wasn’t capable
and an LG OLED 77CX 4K TV. I am assuming the best way is to connect HDMI run in the system would of passing a 4K video signal or
the ATV directly to an available HDMI port on the receiver, but older S&V be between the receiver and the supporting Dolby Vision, in which
discussions, along with some other sites, recommend connecting the display, so connecting all sources case running the video directly
ATV directly to the TV. Please help!’ BARRY NEULEN to the receiver would allow you to to the TV would result in a better
use shorter (and typically more picture. Also, if you don’t have a
With a modern display connecting sources like your reliable and cheaper) HDMI universal remote and are using
A and receiver where

both support eARC
(enhanced Audio
Apple TV directly to the TV or
to the receiver. Of course, you’ll
need a quality high-speed eARC
cables.
.FQXT‫ܪ‬SIYMFYWJHJN[JWXFWJ
faster and more stable switching
HDMI-CEC (Consumer Electronics
Control), connecting the source to
the TV often lets you use the TV’s
Return Channel) such as your capable HDMI cable between the between sources/inputs than remote for some basic control.
Denon AVR and LG OLED, there is two of them.
no difference (in theory) between Using eARC, you would get
After several decades of renting and townhome owner-
Q XMNU.ѣR‫ܪ‬SFQQ^FYFUTNSY\MJWJ.ѣRQTTPNSLYTGZ^F
single-family home. In looking for houses in the area, I’m
trying to consider an area that will eventually become a
dedicated home theater.
What factors should I be looking at when I look at houses? What
sizes and shapes of rooms are best? Should I be considering what
RFYJWNFQXYMJ\FQQX FSIRF^GJYMJ‫ܫ‬TTW$FWJRFIJKWTR$&WJYMJWJ
RTIN‫ܪ‬HFYNTSXYMFYFWJGJXYITSJGJKTWJ\JRT[JNSKTWXTZSINXTQF-
tion purposes or to improve the acoustics of a room?
MICHAEL BROWN
I went through a similar conundrum 20 years ago when we There are literally books on acoustics and room design, but there
A GTZLMYTZWMTRJ .YWNJIYT‫ܪ‬SIYMJUJWKJHYMTRJYMJFYJW
room in every house we looked at, but, ultimately, we just
XJYYQJITS‫ܪ‬SINSLYMJGJXYMTZXJKTWZXѰ
are some “Golden Ratios” that are generally considered best for
acoustics, and they are always rectangular. (The worst possible room
would be a cube.) One of these ratios is 1 x 1.6 x 2.33 (h x w x l). So, if
+NWXY\JSJJIYTIJ‫ܪ‬SJѦIJINHFYJIMTRJYMJFYJWѧYTXJJMT\WJFQ- the room had a 10-foot ceiling, it would be 16-feet wide and 23.3-feet
istic your quest is. If you’re talking about a room which can support a long. These dimensions will yield smooth in-room response and avoid
big screen and 5-9-channel Atmos audio system with a couch or some piling up modal frequencies, and also allow for great speaker place-
HMFNWXYMFYѣXTSJYMNSL.K^TZѣWJQTTPNSLYTITFKZQQGQT\SXN]‫ܪ‬LZWJ ment and rows of seating.
16-plus-channel system plus multiple rows of seating, that’s another. >TZHFSIJ‫ܪ‬SNYJQ^NRUWT[JYMJFHTZXYNHXTKFSJ]NXYNSLWTTR
The truth is, unless you are buying a home that already has a Adding a heavy carpet is a good start. You can also use bass traps
IJINHFYJIYMJFYJWWTTRNY\NQQQNPJQ^GJYWNHP^YT‫ܪ‬SITSJYMFY\NQQ\TWP along with absorption/diffusion panels on the walls. The room correc-
especially if you are interested in sound isolation. While proper sound tion (Audyssey, Dirac, ARC, etc.) built into AVRs and processors can
isolation after construction is possible, it is tricky and expensive. also do a good job of taming problem frequencies. You could also use
'JIWTTRXFSITK‫ܪ‬HJXFWJZXZFQQ^TSYMJXRFQQJWXNIJGZYTKYJS something like a MiniDSP and UMIK-2 to take in-room measurements
only have one entrance that can be closed for light control. Homes and make adjustments.
featuring a FROG (Finished Room Over Garage) can be another The most “important” thing you should look for would be how
candidate, but they often have weird roof angles and pitches that can easy it would be to run wiring in the existing room. Find out where the
severely limit screen size or seating. If you’re really serious, you could electronics would be located, and then map out routes to each of the
look into converting the garage, which is often a “blank slate” and speakers, subwoofers, and display. For that, having attic access or a
can be the easiest for sound isolation. Basements also offer a ton of crawl space can be invaluable!
TUYNTSX\MJWJ^TZHTZQIKWFRJNSFWTTRYT^TZWJ]FHYXUJHN‫ܪ‬HFYNTSX Best of luck on house hunting!

7+(
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wide
angle quick take BY BARB GONZALEZ AT A
GLANCE
Sofabaton X1 Remote Bluetooth,

Infrared (IR), and
Out of Control WiFi control
Easy to find
When Logitech stopped making Harmony remotes in 2021, few options issues with switching inputs on the devices using
remained. The Sofabaton X1, with its vast database of codes for TVs and other Roku TV and worse still, the AV receiver model number
devices, sounded promising. If you want a single remote and are willing to invest model was not in the database. I tried Control up to
time to set it up, you may get what you need but it’s not a substitute for what it’s to teach the hub the commands using 50 devices
intended to replace. the original remote but quit when it
Works with Sonos
didn’t learn the power command.
The Sofabaton X1 Hub and remote device to re-pair (the TV). The next More notable omissions: While the Attractive remote
control come with a hub and a remote. page asked for the source device to PS3 and Xbox One were in the data-
The remote has an extended LED prepare. It was unclear why I had to base, Sony PS4 and Xbox Series X or
Confusing setup
screen displaying a home menu with make the same choice twice. Series S were also absent.
Devices, Activities, and Set(up) options. With Simplink (HDMI CEC) enabled After setup, I tested Alexa and Must create
It’s not a touch screen; you use a scroll on the TV and devices, pressing a easily enabled the Sofabaton skill. workarounds for
ball to choose activities. home key on the device changed But the example voice command input switching
To set up the Sofabaton X1 Hub, the LG TV inputs. It took a few tries “Turn on TV” didn’t work because it Newest game
you’ll need to download the Sofabaton to determine where to place the was already assigned to another TV. consoles not in
app and connect the hub to WiFi. The command in the startup settings. However, “Alexa, Watch Apple TV” database
hub communicates with devices via Initially, the TV switched to Apple TV worked. Switching to Chromecast was Inconsistent,
Bluetooth, WiFi, and IR blasters. First, but immediately switched to Roku inconsistent. occasionally
add each device. To add a TV, search Soundbar. I set the Soundbar to I was hopeful after making progress doesn’t work.
by brand and model number. The “always on” and LG TV to “no need in changing the TV to my Apple TV,
FUU‫ܪ‬SIXYMJRTIJQIT\SQTFIXYMJ to change sources” and it stayed on navigating, playing, and turning up the RATING
database, and syncs it to the Sofabaton Apple TV. volume correctly. With dedication, I
X1 remote. Adding an Apple TV 4K, Finally, the three activities worked: may have worked out the kinks and FEATURES
Chromecast with Google TV, and Roku Watch Roku (Soundbar), Watch Apple put away my remotes. However, I don’t
Soundbar was quick and easy. TV, and Watch Chromecast. But I could trust it to consistently start activities. ERGONOMICS
Although you can select devices never switch from watching Apple TV Ultimately, the Roku TV voice remote
on the remote’s LCD screen, you can’t to another activity like Chromecast, is a better choice for turning on the TV, VALUE
simply use the remote as a universal and I had to turn off the TV power and switching inputs, or going straight to a
remote to control the TV or other start again. XUJHN‫ܪ‬HUWTLWFR9MJ+NWJ9;(ZGJNX
device. Pressing the OFF button does .MFIINK‫ܪ‬HZQYNJX\NYMRÛWNRFW^ another good alternative to the (unfor- THE VERDICT
not turn off the TV or the home theater home theater system, a Roku TV with tunately) complicated and unreliable
system. Each device must be added to an Onkyo AV Receiver. There were Sofabaton. There was hope
an activity. that the Sofabaton
The TV and device setup options X1 Hub and
are confusing. You must determine Remote could
their power state, with the choices replace the
being: Turn off when not in use, Always now-discontinued
on, Always on unless the Off key is Logitech Harmony
pressed, No power key. IIt’s unclear Hub. Unfortunate-
if the TV stays on when switching ly, it doesn’t hold
activities (e.g., Chromecast to Roku). a candle to Har-
I had to set whether power needed mony’s ease of use,
separate on/off keys or a single key. If compatibility,
commands are in a database, why set and design.
them? The database should know what Price: $190
buttons change inputs.
When my LG TV wouldn’t change
inputs, I tapped Repair in the Watch
Apple TV activity I created. I chose
“The source of the drive is out of order
and cannot be switched.” The input
wasn’t “out of order,” but didn’t switch.
The app asked to select the source

test report
TCL 6-SERIES MINI-LED QLED 4K ROKU TV
RATING
PERFORMANCE
FEATURES
Visual Brilliance
By Mark Henninger
ERGONOMICS
VALUE
with a pedestal base. It’s easy to

assemble and feels solid. It’s a little
IJJUJWYMFSXTRJ‫ܫ‬FLXMNUHQFXX9;X
GZY^TZITSѣYSTYNHJYMFY\MJS^TZѣWJ
\FYHMNSL)ZJYTYMJIJUYMNYITJXSѣY
RTZSY‫ܫ‬ZXMYTYMJ\FQQGZYNYITJXMF[J
FOFHPUFHPYMFYѣXWJHJXXJIFSIFQQT\X
KTWXTRJHFGQJRFSFLJRJSYFSIF
HQJFSNSXYFQQFYNTS
9MNXNXF[NXZFQQ^XYWNPNSL9;\NYMF
UWJRNZRQTTPFSIKJJQ.YMFXFSFWWT\
bezel and a thin border around the
NRFLJNYѣXFQRTXYFQQUNHYZWJ
9MJ9(18JWNJXMFXY\T-)2.
NSUZYXFSIY\T-)2.FNSUZYXTSJ
TK\MNHMXZUUTWYXJ&7(.YFQXTMFXF
GZNQYNSYZSJWFSIFHHJUYXHTRUTXNYJ
FSFQTL[NIJT>TZHFSZXJYMJ:8'
UTWYYTUQFÎNLNYFQRJINFKWTRQTHFQ
XYTWFLJXZHMFXFYMZRGIWN[JGZY
STYJYMFYNYITJXSTY\TWP\NYMJ]+&9
KTWRFYYJIIWN[JX 39+8+&9FSI
+&9IT\TWP.YXMNUX\NYM7TPZѣX
XYFSIFWIWJRTYJ\NYM[TNHJXJFWHM[NF
<N+N)NWJHY-T\J[JWYMJWJRTYJQFHPX
YMJGZNQYNSMJFIUMTSJOFHPKTWUWN[FYJ
QNXYJSNSLKTZSITS7TPZѣX;TNHJ7JRTYJ
5WT
ROKU SMART TV FEATURES

4SYMNX9;7TPZNXSTYOZXYYMJUQFYKTWR
KTWFUUXFSIXYWJFRNSLNYNXYMJ48YMFY
WZSXYMJ\MTQJXMT\7TPZ48MFXF
IT ISFRF_NSLMT\WFUNIQ^9;XMF[J WFYJ J]HJUYYMJNSHMRTIJQ\MNHM UQFNSHQJFWNSYJWKFHJKTWVZNHPHTSYJSY
LWT\SNSHFUFGNQNY^\MNQJYMJNWUWNHJX RF]JXTZYFY-_FSI+WJJX^SH, FHHJXX3TYFGQ^^TZHFSGZ^F9(1
MF[JIWTUUJIIJK^NSLNS‫ܫ‬FYNTS.FR 8^SHKTWLFRNSL)TQG^;NXNTSFSI 8JWNJX\NYM,TTLQJ9;GZNQYNSGZYYMNX
[JW^KFRNQNFW\NYM9(1ѣX8JWNJXFSI -)7FWJXZUUTWYJINSFIINYNTSYT WJ[NJ\KTHZXJXTSYMJ7TPZ[JWXNTS
WJRJRGJWNYX‫ܪ‬WXY:8RFWPJYNYJWFYNTS -)7FSI-1,'TYMFJXYMJYNHFQQ^FSI :XJWXHFSFWWFSLJFSIWJFHMKF[TWNYJ
.Y\FXFSFKKTWIFGQJNSHM09;YMFY NSYJWRXTKUNHYZWJVZFQNY^NYNXFLWJFY FUUXFSIHMFSSJQXTSYMJFIFUYFGQJ
YZWSJITZYYTGJLWJFYKTWGTYMRT[NJX QTTPNSL9;.SYMNXWJ[NJ\\JKTHZXTS MTRJXHWJJS.YUWT[NIJXFHHJXXYT
FSILFRNSLYMFSPXYTNYXJFXJTKZXJ YMJNSHMRTIJQGZYYMJTGXJW[FYNTSX The 6-Series is STYFGQJXJW[NHJXQNPJ3JY‫ܫ‬N]-ZQZ
FSISNHJHTSYWFXY^XHWJJS KTZSI\NYMNSLJSJWFQQ^FUUQ^YTYMJ a premium &RF_TS5WNRJ;NIJT>TZ9ZGJ-'4
8TTSJSTZLMYMJXHWJJSXN_JXTK TYMJWXHWJJSXN_JXFX\JQQ mini-LED QLED 2F])NXSJ^FSIRTWJ9MJ7TPZ
9(1ѣX8JWNJX9;XLWJ\FSIYMJGJ_JQX 4K TV that's (MFSSJQMFXIN[JWXJKWJJHTSYJSYXZHM
XMWFSP3T\YMJ^HTRJNSXN_JXKWTR DESIGN & BUILD QUALITY feature-packed FXRT[NJX9;XMT\XFSISJ\X
ZUYTNSHMJX\NYMFI[FSHJI and looks ;TNHJHTSYWTQFQQT\XKTWHTSYJSY
KJFYZWJXQNPJF-_SFYN[JWJKWJXM 9MNX9;MFXFRTIJWSXQJJPIJXNLS phenomenal. XJFWHMFUUQFZSHMFSIUQF^GFHP

test report
TCL 6-SERIES MINI-LED QLED 4K ROKU TV
control through voice commands. example in nature documentaries

DIMENSIONS (W x H x D, inches): 56.9 x 32.8 x 2.7
You can access this feature like Planet Earth 2.
(without stand); 56.9 x 35.6 x 12.6 (with stand)
with the Roku mobile app or the
Specs WEIGHT (pounds): 50.7 (without stand); 57.3 (with
remote. The ability to use the PICTURE MODES stand)
multitalented Roku app to control
VIDEO INPUTS: HDMI (4), eARC on HDMI 4,
the TV is another plus. Roku OS The TV comes set to Low Power
4K/144 Hz on HDMI 1 and 2, AV (L/R audio/
lets users cast content from picture mode, which saves energy
composite video) with adapter, RF antenna/cable
mobile devices or computers but handicaps the picture. Owners
AUDIO OUTPUTS: Optical digital Other: Ethernet, USB
to the TV, allowing you to easily will want to switch to a more
show your photos, videos, or UZWUTXJXUJHN‫ܪ‬HRTIJKTWYMJ
presentations on a bigger screen. best results. AV enthusiasts typi- able, from 4:4:4 chroma to 144
cally avoid the default (Normal) Hz support to VRR. And thanks
PICTURE QUALITY picture mode found on most to ALLM (auto low latency mode)
TVs because it applies too much you don’t have to think about
This 6-Series model exhibits processing. However, the modern making that switch with sources
similar characteristics to past iteration of this mode used on this that support it.
models. TCL has opted for a TCL provides a nice, deep, punchy,
VA LCD panel with high native colorful picture that applies just LIVE SPORTS
contrast (around 8,000:1) but it enough noise reduction and
comes at the cost of somewhat motion interpolation to smooth 2023 is a great year for TVs and
narrow viewing angles. That over the rough edges of broadcast sports. We’re seeing a lot more
means this TV provides a particu- and cable TV, while still looking 4K and HDR in the mix, including
larly crisp and punchy image as natural. My one suggestion is to a 4K HDR (upscaled from 1080p)
long as you are seated centered to turn down the Sharpness control Super Bowl broadcast that looked
the screen, but if you are off to the (actually, that’s my advice for any amazing on this TCL streamed
side it won’t look as impressive. picture mode). Normal mode may through YouTube TV. As an Eagles
So long as you do sit within not be “colorimetrically correct” fan, I did not like how the game
the optimal picture quality cone, but it is perceptually pleasing. turned out but watching it was
this TV will absolutely wow you The TCL 6-Series’ Movie next-level, the quality changed the
with its picture quality. The high picture mode is accurately tuned whole experience and made it a
brightness is on tap for both SDR for picture-quality purists, and lot more visceral. Sports in 4K is a
and HDR. And while there are it gets plenty bright, so you can game-changer, making it look like
2023 TVs with more zones, the use it as your default if you like. a movie. You see blades of grass,
65-inch 6-Series has 288, enough .YѣXXTFHHZWFYJYMFYNYVZFQN‫ܪ‬JXFX drops of sweat, and stitches on
to get the job done and boost the “nearly calibrated,” and profes- the ball.
dynamic contrast to 60,000:1 sional calibration will yield even 4K baseball is amazing and
or higher. While you can spot greater accuracy. MLB in true 4K is available
blooming on occasion in a dark When watching Dolby Vision streaming on Apple TV+. I didn’t
room, it keeps the backlight well content, the TV goes into Dolby anticipate the drama of seeing
under control. Vision mode, which has its own players’ faces, even when the
The SDR brightness achieved set of options. You can choose camera isn’t zoomed in. The
by this TV is incredible, especially between Dolby Vision IQ, Dolby fans’ faces in the stands are also
at its price. It can blast pure white- Vision Gaming, Dolby Vision clear. Most of all, in 4K on a 144
full screen at 700 nits output and Bright and Dolby Vision dark. -_UFSJQ^TZHFSXJJYMJGFQQ‫^ܫ‬
easily get past 1,000 nits in large Dolby Vision IQ adjusts the picture crystal clear, and close plays are
areas and peaks well over 1,500 based on ambient conditions easy to make out. 2023 promises
nits. When you watch sports in the and is the default. Dolby Vision to be a revolutionary year for
daytime in a bright living room, Dark is essentially reference, and America’s Pastime, with the new
you’ll still see a vibrant picture demands that you turn out the pitch clock picking up the pace
that’s enhanced by a highly effec- lights. Dolby Vision Bright boosts and 4K bringing the action home
YN[JFSYNWJ‫ܫ‬JHYN[JHTFYNSL both brightness and saturation in unprecedented quality.
That same high brightness for a punchier image that holds The leap from current HD
translates to vibrant and punchy up in a brighter setting—or it can sports broadcasting, which is
HDR. Extremely bright specular be used in the dark if you like it! typically bit-starved standard-
highlights like the sun, car And Dolby Vision Gaming is self IJ‫ܪ‬SNYNTSUTWNYT0џTW
headlights, explosions, etc. have explanatory, it gives you the visual at least high-bandwidth 1080p
a bite to them that you don’t GJSJ‫ܪ‬YXFQTSL\NYMQT\QFYJSH^NS with HDR (which was Fox’s
get from dimmer displays. supported games. approach with the NFL) is the
It’s particularly effective at This TV’s Game mode unlocks visual equivalent of when we went
showing outdoor scenes some superpowers that from DVD (SD) to Blu-ray (HD)
under bright sunlight, for are not otherwise avail- for movies. It is a massive step

KTW\FWINS‫ܪ‬IJQNY^FSITSJTKYMJ YNTSXTZWHJJXUJHNFQQ^FYYTIF^ѣX
VIDEO, PHOTOS, ART
RTXYWJ\FWINSLFXUJHYXTKT\SNSL XHWJJSXN_JXNYѣXLTNSLYTQTTPXTKY
FRTIJWS-)7HFUFGQJ09;QNPJ -T\J[JWYMJXJIF^X0\NYM 9TIF^ѣXUMTSJXIWTSJXFSI At a Glance
YMNX9(1 -)7NXUWJYY^ZGNVZNYTZX.YNX INLNYFQHFRJWFXHFSHFUYZWJXYZS
F[FNQFGQJNSXYWJFRNSLFSITS:-) SNSLNRFLJXFSI[NIJTXYMFYMTQI Very bright
MOVIES 'QZWFÎNXHFSINXTKYJS\TWYMYMJ ZUTS0XHWJJSX0[NIJTFY Deep blacks
J]YWFHTNSNK^TZMF[JFHTRUFYNGQJ FSIKWFRJXUJWXJHTSINX
Excellent contrast
.K^TZѣWJNSYTRT[NJXYMNX9;NXFS 9;&SI3J]Y,JS9;XZUUTWYXNY JFXNQ^FHMNJ[JI\NYMJ[JSWJQFYN[JQ^
J]HJQQJSY[FQZJ.YѣXSTYFS41*) (WZHNFQQ^YMNX9;MFXYMJGFHPQNLMY FKKTWIFGQJFHYNTSHFRJWFX8TRJ QLED wide color gamut
GZYNYHTXYXQJXXFSIXYNQQIJQN[JWX MTWXJUT\JWFSIVZFSYZRITY UMTSJXHFSJ[JSHFUYZWJ[NIJT Easy to use
[NGWFSYNRFLJX.YFQXTMFXGJYYJW JSMFSHJIHTQTWLFRZYSJJIJIYT \NYM)TQG^;NXNTS
Stylish
IF^YNRJ[NJ\NSLGWNLMYSJXXYMFS IT-)7WNLMYYTWJFQQ^RFPJYMTXJ 8TRJTKRTXYXUJHYFHZQFW
41*)X.QT[JZXNSL)TQG^;NXNTS MNLMQNLMYXXMNSJXMFIT\XQTTP XMFWUIJYFNQJIFSIHTQTWKZQ Limited viewing angles
\MJSJ[JWUTXXNGQJFXYMJ9;ѣX IJJUFSIHT[JW FWTZSI TK NRFLJW^HTRJXKWTRTZWUMTSJX Price: $999
UNHYZWJNXMNLMQ^FHHZWFYJNSYMNX YMJ)(.5LFRZYZXJIYTRFXYJW IWTSJXFSIINLNYFQHFRJWFX<NYM
TCL 317-295-4333
RTIJ>TZLJYKFNYMKZQYTXTZWHJ RT[NJXKTWHTRRJWHNFQHNSJRF YMJJFWQ^XUWNSL.ѣ[JHFUYZWJIXYZS
UNHYZWJVZFQNY^\NYMTZYMF[NSLYT FX\JQQFXRTXY-)7HTSYJSYKTW SNSLXPNJXFSIHTQTWKZQ‫ܫ‬T\JWX tclusa.com
Y\JFPFS^XJYYNSLX MTRJ[NJ\NSL GQTTRNSL&YSNLMYIWTSJUMTYTX
9MNX9;J]HJQXFYUQF^NSL8)7 Avatar: The Way of the Water FSI[NIJTXTKYMJ5MNQQ^XP^QNSJ
-)RT[NJX QNPJXYFSIFWI'QZ MFINYXINLNYFQWJQJFXJIF^XGJKTWJ. MF[JWJRFWPFGQJHQFWNY^YMFY. 9;NYHFSGJZXJIFXFUWTIZHYNTS
WF^X7JHNXKZQQ^HT[JWJI ‫ܪ‬SNXMJIYMNXWJ[NJ\GZYNYNXFLWJFY \TZQISTYMF[JYMTZLMYUTXXNGQJ YTTQKTWUMTYTXTW[NIJT9MJWJѣX
NYѣXGWNLMYJWYMFS^TZѣQQJ[JWSJJI J]FRUQJTK\MFYYMNX9;HFSIT OZXYF^JFWTWY\TFLT&SIYMJ9(1 STITZGYYMNX9;RFPJXFLWJFY
HTSYWFXYUTUXFSI0WJXTQZYNTSNX 9MJHTRGNSFYNTSTKIJYFNQHTQTW 8JWNJXUQF^XNYFQQGFHPXRTTYMQ^ 5(RTSNYTW
T[JWPNQQKTWUXTZWHJRFYJWNFQ FSIFHYNTSNXF[NXZFQKJFXY^TZ \NYMFHHZWFYJHTQTWFSINRUWJX
&QQTKYMNXQTTPXKFSYFXYNHYMFSPX \FSYYTFUUWJHNFYJNSFQQNYXLQTW^ XN[JIJYFNQWJSINYNTS GAMING
YTFHHZWFYJHTQTWFSIYMJUWTUJW \MNHM.KJQY\FXYMJHFXJ\NYMYMJ .ZXJIYMNX9(1FXR^
UHFIJSHJYMFYNXFGJSJ‫ܪ‬YTK 0)TQG^;NXNTSXYWJFR[NF&UUQJ UWNRFW^5(RTSNYTWNSHQZINSL <NYMNYX-_WJKWJXMWFYJUFSJQ
-_HFUFGQJUFSJQX.K^TZ 9;0 KTWWJYTZHMNSLUMTYTXHWJFYNSL FSIXZUUTWYKTWGTYM+WJJX^SHFSI
HFQNGWFYJNYFSI[NJ\MJFITSYMJ <NYMRT[NJXYMJWJѣXXYNQQYMJ INLNYFQFWYFSIJINYNSL[NIJT.YMFX ,8^SH;77YMNX9;NXFIJQNLMY
8)7UNHYZWJNXWJKJWJSHJVZFQNY^ XFRJHF[JFYTSYMJ[NJ\NSL FHHZWFYJHTQTWKFXYWJXUTSXJFSI YTLFRJZUTS,FRJWXYJSIYT
>TZHFS\FYHM);)XTSYMNX9; FSLQJX^TZSJJIYTGJMJFITS XZUUTWYXHMWTRFJ[JSNS0 XNYHJSYJWJIYTYMJXHWJJSFSINS
FX\JQQGZYYMJWJѣXTSQ^XTRZHMNY FSISTYXNYYNSLNSFWJHQNSJWTKKYT -_FSI-_ FQGJNYTSQ^NS XTITNSL^TZLJYYMJKZQQNRUFHY
HFSXT\NYMFXYFSIFWIIJ‫ܪ‬SN YMJXNIJ ,FRJRTIJ.K^TZHFQNGWFYJYMJ TKYMJXHWJJSѣXSFYN[J

test report
contrast. The result is incredible,
with HDR color and pristine 4K—at
up to 120 Hz on my PS5 or Xbox,
depending on the game—the
imagery can look hyper-real, as
is the case with Gran Turismo 7.
About the only thing it cannot do,
aside from accept an 8K signal,
is run at 120 Hz in 4K with Dolby
Vision active.
I used the TCL 6-Series with
both my PlayStation 5 and Xbox
Series X and found it delivers an
sublime gaming experience with
either. Both consoles reported
full compatibility with all video capable spatial audio system is multiple applications from daytime modern TVs is how well tuned it is
features except for 8K. I found the rewarding. viewing in bright rooms to movies right out of the box. Not just color
graphics in the latest games to in home theater-like settings with accuracy, but the overall mix of
be among the best quality source CONCLUSION YMJ‫ܫ‬NLMYXTZY.K^TZ\FSYF9; features and processing applied
material that I demoed, the clarity that is substantially better than the to any give mode. This TV makes
achieved with 120 Hz graphics TCL has a winning formula that it TCL 6-Series in one performance it easy, set it to Normal or Movie
has to be seen to be believed. HFR PJJUXWJ‫ܪ‬SNSL\NYMYMJ8JWNJX.YѣX category or another, you will likely mode (depending on which you
(high frame rate) may look odd a TV that offers spectacular perfor- pay a steep premium to get there. prefer) and let it switch to Game
when used in movies, but for video mance for its price and covers A huge consideration with mode and your preferred Dolby
gamers, the smoothness, speed Vision mode on its own. That’s
and clarity of 4K/120 Hz from a the value contained in this TV, it’ll
console is immediately obvious deliver “more than good enough”
and useful. performance and features, which
Input lag is extremely low, with operate automatically behind the
a 4K 60 Hz signal it’s around 11 scenes, without making you pay
milliseconds and a mere 6 milli- for perfection.
seconds with 120 Hz refresh. The This Top Pick TV is packed
lag is so low, it is now in a range with the latest video formats and
where it is no longer a factor for technologies, presented in an
casual players. And not once did easy-to-use Roku interface. If you
I spot screen tearing, whether the know you’ll be seated centered to
source was a gaming console or the screen, you will consistently
PC, so presumably VRR did its job. enjoy near-reference picture
VZFQNY^\NYMTZYMF[NSLYT‫ܪ‬IIQJ
SOUND QUALITY \NYMNY9MFYѣX\M^^TZ\TSѣY‫ܪ‬SI
recommended settings at the end
This TV’s built-in sound is service- of this review, what I recommend
able. For TV and sports it works NXYMFY^TZYW^FSINKSJJIJI‫ܪ‬SJ
‫ܪ‬SJGZYYMJ^FWJIT\S‫ܪ‬WNSL tune the provided settings.
speakers and they don’t get I’ll repeat the main caveat with
particularly loud. Some TVs try to this TV one more time: Viewing
cram the equivalent of a soundbar angles are somewhat limited.
into the frame, but doing so would If you sit off to the side, you will
likely increase the cost of a TV. For not experience the best it has to
movies and gaming, it could use offer. With that in mind, know that
the boost that a soundbar or a pair the 6-Series R655 is an incredibly
of speakers provide, so in my view capable TV that will satisfy most
it’s better to save the money on viewer’s needs.
the TV versus a more “premium”
model that really looks the same
but has more speakers, and put it The Verdict
into a separate sound solution that
XZNYX^TZWXUJHN‫ܪ‬HSJJIX The combination of high contrast,
Of course Atmos immersive brightness, and excellent color
surround-sound is always fun accuracy right out of the box
and since the TV supports make TCL's 65R655 a great choice
Atmos audio output (with eARC), for a main living room TV and
matching it with a compatible, many other applications.

test report
MARK LEVINSON NO. 5909
RATING
Headphone PERFORMANCE
FEATURES
Heaven
By Leslie Shapiro
ERGONOMICS
VALUE
THEY SAY money can’t buy happi- less noise-canceling headphones on sound. The frequency response is rated
ness. Without a doubt, it can buy the the market. at 20Hz-20kHz in active mode, and
$999 Mark Levinson No. 5909 head- The Mark Levinson No. 5909 are the an impressive 10Hz-40kHz in passive
phones, and without a doubt, these ‫ܪ‬WXY\NWJQJXXMJFIUMTSJXKWTRYMNX mode. Maximum SPL is 98 dB, and
make me happy. The Mark Levinson company that has always been synony- the input sensitivity is 32 ohms. The
3TMJFIUMTSJXFWJYMJ‫ܪ‬WXY RTZX\NYMMNLM‫ܪ‬IJQNY^FZINT9MJ^ wireless system uses Bluetooth 5.1
headphones from this elite division of OTNSFRUQN‫ܪ‬JWXUWJFRUX()UQF^JWX technology with LDAC, AAC and aptX
Harman. These over-ear headphones turntables, and of course, luxury car Mark Levinson Adaptive capabilities. It can pair to two
feature adaptive Active Noise Cancel- audio systems. That these are tuned No. 5909 head- devices.
lation, USB-C wired connections and to the Harman Curve should come as phones deliver The No. 5909 drip quality and luxury.
wireless Bluetooth with broad codec no surprise and they are Hi-Res Audio audiophile-quality They’re available in three colorways:
HTRUFYNGNQNY^<NYMFXNRUQJFUUYT‫ܪ‬SJ HJWYN‫ܪ‬JI sound in a black, red, and gray. The colors are
tune ANC modes and bass response, The headphones use 40 mm luxurious yet just on a small section of the earcup
the No. 5909 are one of the best wire- beryllium-coated drivers for a full-range portable package. - for the most part, these are elegant,

test report
MARK LEVINSON NO. 5909
black headphones. While most adjusting the position. The left DRIVER SIZE: 40mm Beryllium-coated
of the headphone is metal and JFWHZUMFXYMJUFNWNSLUT\JW FREQUENCY RESPONSE: (Passive) 10Hz - 40kHz
leather, the plastic on the earcups button, and another button that FREQUENCY RESPONSE: (Active) 20Hz - 20kHz
NX‫ܪ‬SNXMJI\NYMFSFZYTRTYN[J cycles through ANC modes. More
Specs
SENSITIVITY: 97 dB SPL @1kHz/1mW
LWFIJ‫ܪ‬SNXMYMFYJQJ[FYJXYMJR on that later. The right earcup has MAXIMUM SPL: 98 dB
to match the quality of the rest of [TQZRJZUIT\SFSIFRZQYN IMPEDANCE: 32 ohm
the components. The headband is KZSHYNTSGZYYTSGJY\JJSYMJR BLUETOOTH VERSION: v5.1
\WFUUJINSGQFHPQJFYMJWFSIYMJ This button is slightly raised from MAXIMUM INPUT POWER: (passive): 100mW
padding features red stitching in the surrounding volume buttons, BATTERY: Lithium-Ion (750mAh/3.7V)
FQQYMJHTQTW\F^X RFPNSLNYJFX^YT‫ܪ‬SIFSIZXJ CHARGING TIME: 100 minutes (maximum)
A matte-black metal piece All in all, the controls are intuitive. POWER SUPPLY: 5V/1.0A
JFXNQ^XQNIJXTZYYTFIOZXYYMJ‫ܪ‬Y 5MTSJHFQQX\JWJJ]HJUYNTSFQQ^ CHARGE TIME: 100 minutes
\NYMOZXYJSTZLMYJSXNTSYTPJJU clear thanks to a 4-microphone WEIGHT: 12 oz (340 grams)
them snug and in place. Over the FWWF^YMFYMJQUJIHTRGFY\NSI
HTZWXJTKFKJ\MTZWX.INIMF[J noise. Another set of 4 micro-
to adjust them, but it’s much more phones are used for ANC. 9MJ3THTRJX\NYMF USB-C to USB-C charging cable,
preferable for them to be slightly 9MJGZNQYNSGFYYJWNJXUT\JWJI MFWIXMJQQHFWW^NSLHFXJ\NYM USB adapters, and an anti-
QTTXJYMFSYTTYNLMY9MJ^\JWJ through for 34 hours (30 hours a rubberized texture—they fold quated 2-prong airplane adapter.
FQXTHTRKTWYFGQJ\MJS.SJJIJI \NYMSTNXJHFSHJQQFYNTSTS ‫ܫ‬FYKTWYWFSXUTWY.ѣR[JW^LJSYQJ -TSJXYQ^.\TZQISѣYXZLLJXY
YT\JFWWJFINSLLQFXXJXKTWFS It should be noted that the \NYMR^JQJHYWTSNHX FKYJWKTZW ‫^ܫ‬NSLTSFS^FNWUQFSJXYNQQZXNSL
hour. Notably, the earcup pads are MJFIUMTSJXHFSѣYGJZXJI\MNQJ trips carrying it in my computer YMFYџ\MTPST\X\MFYJQXJNX
replaceable. YMJ^FWJHMFWLNSLJ]HJUY\MNQJ GFLNYTSQ^XMT\JIRNSNRFQ obsolete?).
There are control buttons on playing through a USB audio \JFW9MJHFXJNXUFHPJI\NYMF The cables are braided and
each of the earcups. Blessedly, source. Complicated, but not variety of cables and adapters. It all the adapters feature the Mark
there aren’t any touch controls usually a problem because they’ll has a generously long 13’ USB-C Levinson logo. All but the long
.FQ\F^XJSIZUFHHNIJSYFQQ^ gain 6 hours of playback after a to 3.5mm audio cable, a 4-foot cable store neatly in a section of
HMFSLNSLXTRJYMNSL\MJSOZXY 15-minute charge. HFGQJ\NYMYMJXFRJFKTTY the carrying case.
SETTING UP
While you might be tempted to
use the No. 5909’s right out of the
GT]YFPJFRNSZYJYTIT\SQTFI
the app. It’s available for both
N48FSI&SIWTNI9MJFUU\FX
initially buggy, but a quick update
TKYMJXTKY\FWJ‫]ܪ‬JIYMJLQNYHMJX
.\FXJ]UJWNJSHNSL9MJFUUMFX
KTZWXJHYNTSX&3(&\FWJSJXX
Bass Contour, Auto-off Timer, and
On-Head Detection.
The ANC can be turned
completely off. With ANC on, you
HFSXJQJHY&3(-NLM1T\TW
Adaptive that adjusts automati-
HFQQ^YTFRGNJSYXTZSIX.S&\FWJ-
ness mode, you can select Voice
Pass that emphasizes conversa-
YNTSXTW&RGNJSYYMFYFQQT\XRTWJ
background noise to pass through
KTWXNYZFYNTSFQF\FWJSJXX4SHJ
^TZѣ[JXJYYMJUFWFRJYJWX\NYMNS
these settings on the app, the
mode button on the earcup cycles
through those “preset” selections.
The Bass Contour cycles
through neutral, enhanced or
attenuated, boosting or cutting
I'GJQT\-_,N[JSYMJ
reference curve of the No. 5909,
the enhanced setting gave a

more modern sound, albeit less Stapleton’s has more space and Next I queued up U2’s Songs of
accurate. air. The No. 5909 are quite truthful Surrender, a reimagining of many
The auto-off timer will save and accurate. The Harman Curve of their biggest hits produced by At a Glance
battery life, adjustable from 30 is bright, with a slight emphasis on The Edge. This “unplugged” set is
minutes to never. There’s also the high-end, but it never tips into dividing fans, but I’m enamored. Reference-quality sound
on-head detection, that pauses the harshness. “Where the Streets Have No Excellent connectivity
audio for about 10 seconds if the From the same album Trustfall, Name” is one of my favorite U2 options
headphones are removed. After I skipped over to “Long Way to Go tracks, and I thoroughly enjoy this Exceptional ANC
10 seconds you have to manually ‘’ featuring the Lumineers. The version. An older Bono has a grit
start the playback. bass accompanying the opening to his voice, and the sparse mix Annoying voice
I do love these headphones, but piano is understated yet controlled lets his voice resonate on its own, confirmation
after playing with the settings, one and smooth while the background and the detailing in his voice over Short On-Head detection
gripe becomes glaringly obvious. vocals show off the accurate the 5909’s is just spectacular, setting
Every adjustment, on the app or yet wide soundstage as they’re especially as he stretches for the Audio disabled while
YMJMJFIUMTSJXMFX[TNHJHTS‫ܪ‬W- panned hard left and right. In the higher notes in the song. charging
mation. Don’t get me wrong, it’s ‫ܪ‬SFQHMTWZXJXYMJXTZSIXYFLJ “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m
a lovely female voice with a slight expands nicely and in the second Looking For” takes that sparse-
British accent, but if I’m seeing a chorus, the emphatic bass kicks in ness up a notch. With a beauti- the No. 5909s create an immer-
[NXZFQHTS‫ܪ‬WRFYNTSTSRÛMTSJ strongly, but stays restrained. fully recorded guitar, set against sive soundstage, delivering a very
as I’m adjusting within the app, I The title track really shows YMJXNRUQJQJFI[THFQNYIJ‫ܪ‬SNYJQ^ intimate sound. The stripped-
don’t need them talking to me. I off the wonderfully accurate seems like a nod to the late great down mix builds slowly in intensity
found it very distracting and I hope bass response. I switched off Johnny Cash. This is one of and volume, but again, the detailed
there will be an option to turn it off the enhanced bass contour and just a few tracks that feature a response of the 5909’s handles it
in future software updates. the kick remained tight, punchy drum track. The deep tom-tom all fantastically.
and impactful – all good. Even and bass is so rich and musical, .S‫ܫ‬NLMYYMJ&3(\FX[JW^
PERFORMANCE more impressive, the bassline standing out against the lower effective, amongst the best I’ve
maintained a musicality on “Never guitar notes. auditioned. Did it completely eradi-
The Harman Curve was developed Gonna Not Dance Again” a 70’s “With or Without You” is cate the ubiquitous baby crying a
by Harman, now a subsidiary inspired track. However, for these probably the ideal track from few rows up, or the loud conver-
of Samsung, to have the sonic more upbeat tracks, I preferred to this 4-disc set. The stereo mix sation one row behind me? No,
characteristics that subjective have the bass enhancement on. features very wide panning, and but they were adequately muted,
test after test determined to be and more important for me, it did
the most pleasing to the largest remove most of the engine roar,
audience. “The Harman Curve is even on a smaller jet where I was
an acoustic response curve that seated near the wing/engines.
achieved the highest subjec-
tive scoring across listening CONCLUSION
tests developed over decades
of research by HARMAN into Does everyone need a $999 pair
listening preferences and the of headphones? Of course not, but
science of acoustics.” for people who want an accurate,
Having worked for decades reference-quality headphone with
with both Harman engineers and ANC, phone capabilities and wire-
Samsung engineers on sound less Bluetooth v5.1, it’s worth it.
quality and sonic tuning of their The 5909’s have some of the best
products, I am quite familiar and most effective ANC I’ve tried,
with their preferred tuning, and and it was invaluable on the four
can attest that yes, the No. 5909 ‫ܫ‬NLMYX.ѣ[JFQWJFI^YFPJSYMJRTS
sound exactly how I would expect. They have a variety of connection
Controlled but detailed bass, a options, a variety of ANC modes
warm midrange and pleasant and and I’m not sure what more you
clear high-end treble. The No. could ask for from a headphone. Is
5909s have nailed it. it worth the price? To me, yes.
I started out listening to “Just
Say I’m Sorry”, a duet by P!nk and
Chris Stapleton. The opening The Verdict
guitar immediately showcases
the detail and nuances of the The first headphones from leg-
No. 5909s. The reverb and upper endary audio specialist Mark
harmonics resonate beautifully. Levinson, tuned precisely to the
The two vocals are clearly in sepa- Harman Curve, the No. 5909 are
rate spaces, with P!nk’s vocals both exceptional sounding and
much more closely mic’d, while have excellent ANC properties.

test report
SVS 3000 IN-WALL SUBWOOFER
RATING
PERFORMANCE
FEATURES
Hidden Bass
By David Vaughn
BUILD QUALITY
VALUE
RENOWNED FOR their expertise local brick and mortar AV shops.

in crafting high-performance One area where SVS hasn’t
subwoofers, SVS has carved a ventured—until now—is architec-
niche for itself within the home tural speakers. Going back to their
theater and music system roots, the company has chosen
communities. Established in 1998 to enter the arena with the 3000
by a team of passionate audio In-Wall Subwoofer which unlike
enthusiasts their mission was their other products, is only avail-
to revolutionize the subwoofer able from authorized SVS dealers.
market by delivering exceptional
performance that exceeded JUST THE FACTS
existing offerings.
SVS’s groundbreaking cylin- The SVS 3000 In-Wall Subwoofer
drical subwoofer, accompanied delivers deep, powerful bass
G^FSTZYGTFWIFRUQN‫ܪ‬JWVZNHPQ^ in a sleek, discreet package.
gained acclaim for its outstanding It features dual 9-inch drivers
performance, cost-effectiveness housed in a shallow, narrow enclo-
and the company’s unparalleled XZWJYMFY‫ܪ‬YXGJY\JJSXYFSIFWI
customer service..YVZNHPQ^ wall studs. Designing a subwoofer
gained a following among home for in-wall use is unlike doing so
theater enthusiasts and helped for a typical box or cylindrical
establish SVS as a serious player solution. You have very limited
in the subwoofer market. I vividly space and the designer needs to
WJHFQQR^‫ܪ‬WXY8;8XZG\TTKJWF ensure that the cabinet remains
20-39 PC with an integrated amp, acoustically inert—even when
which served me well for several the drivers are driven to extreme
years before upgrading to a PC levels. SVS accomplishes this
Ultra which I still use to this day with solid aluminum front and rear
after nearly two decades. I guess GFK‫ܫ‬JXFSINSYJWSFQGWFHNSL9MJ
you could say these subwoofers paintable magnetic grille doesn’t
are built to last. XNY‫ܫ‬FYYTYMJ\FQQNYUWTYWZIJXTZY
Over the years, SVS has into the room about an inch or so.
continued to innovate and Featuring dual active 9-inch
improve their subwoofers by drivers, the 3000 In-Wall
introducing new models with Subwoofer boasts an oversized
advanced features such as digital motor design, a custom-tooled
signal processing, advanced basket and rigid aluminum cones.
driver materials and wireless It is meticulously engineered
control. The company has for optimal acoustic output
also broadened its offerings to FSIYMJWRFQJK‫ܪ‬HNJSH^\NYMNSF
encompass speakers and other compact enclosure - a neces-
audio accessories while exploring sity for in-wall installations. The
alternative sales channels
beyond their initial Internet-direct
approach.>TZHFSST\‫ܪ‬SI8;8 Dual 9-inch drivers help
products at local retailers such as the 3000 In-Wall produce
Magnolia Design Centers in select prodigious bass without
Best Buy locations, RC Willey and taking up lots of space.

At a Glance
Tight and fast bass response
Adjustable tuning controls
via handy app
Frees up floor space
Installation limitations based
on room construction
In-wall convenience comes
with a steep price
Price: $2000
www.svsound.com
throughout the room, a rogue stud

obstructed the center channel
location, prompting me to choose
a conventional speaker placed on
a shelf above the TV instead of
total excursion for each driver and a three-band parametric EQ. kit, which was unnecessary for undertaking a time-consuming
is 23.4mm Xmax and 29mm This allows for precise adjust- my situation since the installation construction project.
Xmech which helps explain why ments to boost or cut, Q-factor, YTTPUQFHJNSF‫ܪ‬SNXMJIWTTR Installing an in-wall subwoofer
YMJRFLSJYNHLWNQQITJXSѣYXNY‫ܫ‬ZXM FSIKWJVZJSH^HTSYWTQIT\SYTYMJ I decided to install the is a relatively straightforward
to the front of the enclosure: the single Hz level, ensuring optimal subwoofer in my den, which UWTHJXXYMFYWJVZNWJXXTRJGFXNH
drivers need that additional space audio performance. features a 15-year-old Vizio 50” tools and knowledge of home
to move during bass-intensive plasma TV, Denon 2313CI AVR, construction, but be warned,
scenes in the latest blockbusters. DELIVERY AND 4UUT')5'QZWFÛQF^JWFSI this isn’t for the faint at heart.
The Sledge STA-800D2C INSTALLATION 9N;T'TQY9THTRUQJRJSYYMJ First, when placing a non-in-wall
&RUQN‫ܪ‬JWKTWYMJNXJVZFQQ^ in-wall subwoofer, I decided to subwoofer in a room, you have a
impressive delivering 800 watts The SVS in-wall subwoofer and upgrade my speaker system with bevy of placement options and if
RMS and 2,500-watts peak FRUQN‫ܪ‬JWFWWN[JINSFXNSLQJ RSL W25E in-wall speakers for the you decideYMFYUTXNYNTS'\TWPX
power. The amp combines the convenient 45-pound package front and surround left/right chan- better than position A, it’s easy
high-current output of discrete [NF:58\MNHMHTSYFNSJIYMJ nels, along with a timbre-matched enough to move from one place to
248+*9X\NYM(QFXX)JK‫ܪ‬HNJSH^ FRUQN‫ܪ‬JWNS\FQQXZG\TTKJWFSI RSL CG25 center channel another. The same can’t be said
plus the processing power of an rackmount ears. A separate ship- speaker. Although my original for an in-wall sub—once you’ve
Analog Devices 50MHz DSP. The ment delivered a pre-construction plan was to use W25E speakers picked your position, it’s there to
FRUQN‫ܪ‬JWѣX:WFHPRTZSYXN_J
(rack ears included) seamlessly
NSYJLWFYJXNSYTFSJVZNURJSY
rack. Connections include RCA
Inputs, dual subwoofer outputs
(800 watts for a single sub, 400
watts X2 for dual subs), a 3.5mm
trigger andF:8'UTWYYTHTSSJHY
a SVS SoundPath Wireless Audio
Adapter (sold separately).
The Sledge STA-800D2C
FRUQN‫ܪ‬JW X)85 sports advanced
control features including variable
crossover, phase, and room gain
compensation, empowering end-
users to tailor the subwoofer’s
performance to their room’s
distinct acoustic characteristics.
Most importantly, it incorporates
the SVS Subwoofer Control
Smartphone App, which connects
[NF'QZJYTTYMYTUWT[NIJFHHJXX
to the aforementioned controls

test report
SVS 3000 IN-WALL SUBWOOFER
stay unless you want to do some I could see that the in-room
drywall patching and repair.
Selecting a suitable location
involves several guidelines. First,
response of the sub improved
versus my 1-foot measurements.
Instead of rolling off at around 30
Test Bench
test the subwoofer outside the Hz, the installed sub didn’t start PEAK OUTPUT MEASUREMENTS
wall to gauge its performance its rolloff until 22 Hz, matching the
Peak output was measured using a UMIK-2 along with REW.
in that spot. Although the sound specs provided by SVS.
Amp volume was turned to max and all measurements were
may change slightly upon instal- It’s refreshing to see that the
taken with the UMIK-2 facing down 90 degrees at exactly 1
lation, this step provides a good engineering and marketing teams
foot from the center of the woofer placed in the middle of
performance baseline. Second, are on the same page when it
my room to minimize the room effect on the measurements.
measure the available space to HTRJXYTXUJHN‫ܪ‬JITZYUZY. Sadly
Volume level from my pre/pro was increased in 10 dB increments
JSXZWJYMJXZG\TTKJW‫ܪ‬YXGTYMNS that isn’t the case throughout the
until distortion occurred while playing a 10-300 Hz sine wave.
depth and height. With standard industry. Audyssey effectively
From there, the volume was dropped in 1 dB increments until
2x4 constructed walls, every inch ‫ܫ‬FYYJSJIYMJKWJVZJSH^WJXUTSXJ
distortion was no longer present.
of depth is crucial, so check for KWTR-_XNLSN‫ܪ‬HFSYQ^
Peak output was 107.9 dB at 53 Hz, which is quite impressive
obstructions like hidden electrical improving bass performance in
for an in-wall solution. As expected, roll-off below 30 Hz is
wires. Third, if applicable, secure the 40-60Hz range. This room is
rather steep due to limited depth of the cabinet and dual 9-inch
spouse approval. In my case, my begging for acoustic treatments,
woofers.
spouse vetoed two locations due but I’m not sure I can convince
to visibility concerns, so we settled “she who must not be crossed”
on an inconspicuous corner that that they are necessary.
also provided excellent acoustics. With setup out of the way, it was
Once you have determined time to start sampling some demo
the spot, place the subwoofer material and attune my ears to the
template on the wall so that you X^XYJR9MJ‫ܪ‬WXYINXH.NSXJWYJI
can mark the opening. Cut the was my DVD copy of The Eagles
opening using a drywall saw or “Hell Freezes Over” concert from
jigsaw, preferably with a helper 1994 which brought the band back
operating a shop vac to minimize together after a 14 year “vacation.”
dust. Next, run speaker wire from 9MJQN[JUJWKTWRFSHJ\FX‫ܪ‬QRJI
YMJFRUQN‫ܪ‬JWYTYMJXZG\TTKJW at Warner Brothers Studios in
drilling through studs if necessary. Burbank, CA for an MTV special )ZFQNSHMKWTSY‫ܪ‬WNSLFHYN[JIWN[JWX \FYYX
In my case, the six-foot distance and features a fantastic DTS 5.1 728 <FYYX5JFP 8JFQJI)JXNLS
required drilling through multiple RN]9MJHTSHJWYѣX‫ܪ‬WXYXTSL Specs Stereo RCA input and outputs
studs. While my experience with “Hotel California,” has an extended ]] <])]- QGX
home theater installations made opening with an acoustic guitar NSHQZINSLFRUQN‫ܪ‬JW
this process manageable, hiring a and percussion that I love to use to
professional installer is recom- see how precise and fast the bass
mended for those less comfort- response is on subwoofers. Sure
able with DIY projects. enough, the 3000 In-wall passed
\NYM‫^ܫ‬NSLHTQTWX6ZNHPHQJFS and
SETUP AND USE precise sums up the experience.
I tested various FLAC audio
Once installed in the wall, setup tracks from my local server to eval-
is just like any other subwoofer. uate the subwoofer’s performance
Locate the RCA subwoofer output across genres. “Brass Monkey” by
on the back of your AVR and run The Beastie Boys sounded great
a cable to the input on the back but elicited complaints from my
of the amp. Then connect the wife that it was rattling her dishes
speaker wires that you’ve run from in the next room—she wasn’t a
the in-wall subwoofer to the STA- fan but I found it quite impressive
)(&RUQN‫ܪ‬JW. Power on the that dual 9-inch woofers could
unit, and use the AVR’s test tones elicit a tactile response within my
to ensure all speakers are working home. The dual subs’ speed was
before running an Audyssey also remarkable, as demonstrated
calibration. by the quick, non-lingering bass
Once the six-point calibra- kick in Regina Spektor’s Fidelity,”
tion was ‫ܪ‬SNXMJI I broke out a where the bass kick in the song
UMIK-2 measurement mic and didn’t linger at all—unlike inferior
REW (Room EQ Wizard) software subs. This sub reminded me of the
to verify the results. Immediately performance of the SVS SB-3000,

playing this scene at such an
insane volume. But I’m happy to
report that both of us survived.
In fact, the sub impressed me
with its ability to dig deep. While
the majority of the bass occurs
in the 30-40 Hz range, there are
segments that dip below 20 Hz,
such as when the depth charges
FWJ‫ܪ‬WJI and Kong resurfaces after
breaking from Godzilla’s grasp.
While my reference subs provide
a more tactile experience that one
can feel in their chest, the 3000
In-Wall holds its own and conveys
the violence and brutality of the
scene without missing a beat.
CONCLUSION
Yes, there are subs out there
that will dig deeper and play
with more authority, but they are
larger than a mini-fridge and don’t
have the aesthetic appeal that
the 3000 In-Wall provides. Going
one of the best subs I’ve ever which features plenty of explo- when Kong is being transported into this review, I knew I was fully
reviewed at any price. sions with acoustic energy below across the ocean and Godzilla committed since I was cutting
Impressed with its music 20 Hz. While the sub rolls off at decides toFYYFHPYMJ‫ܫ‬TFYNSL a giant hole in the wall, but I’m
performance on music, it was time 22 Hz, it features enough output armada. Batten down the hatches enthusiastically impressed by
to load up some bass-intensive below this level to give it a heft and prepare for a plethora of low its performance. The SVS caters
Blu-rays to see if the new SVS and presence much bigger than I frequency effects that will threaten to those seeking top-tier bass
in-wall could live up to the compa- expected. to break lesser subwoofers. I without the need for a bulky form
ny’s heritage. Sonic the Hedgehog, Godzilla vs. Kong isn’t high-brow made sure Mrs. Reviewer was out factor. Sure, it won’t liquify your
featuring a stunning Dolby Atmos entertainment, but it’s another of the house for this test to spare bowels by dipping into the single
soundtrack (TrueHD 7.1 core), demo disc that always leaves the her wrath, but I pushed the 3000— digit bass realm, but from 20 Hz
showcased the sub’s ease in crowd with smiles on their faces and my ears—to the limits playing on up, it can hang with the big
handling LFE-heavy scenes like thanks to a dynamic Dolby Atmos this scene at reference level. boxes and impress even one of the
Robonick’s big rig appearance and soundtrack (TrueHD 7.1 core). One In all honesty, I really thought most demanding bass-o-holics on
the climactic San Francisco battle TKYMJGJXYXHJSJXNSYMJ‫ܪ‬QRNX I would damage the sub by the planet—me.
The Verdict
The SVS 3000 In-Wall subwoofer

is a powerful and customizable
high-end subwoofer that delivers
impactful bass without taking up
any floor space.

test report
OSD AUDIO NERO XA7180 AMPLIFIER
RATING
Affordable PERFORMANCE
FEATURES
Amplification
By Mark Henninger
ERGONOMICS
VALUE
AUDIO AMPLIFIERS have but one took the plunge on doing a full review.
FEATURES
task: take an electrical signal and make This proved timely, as 2023 brought
it more powerful without changing numerous premium AVRs with preamp The only settings on this amp you have
NYXHMFWFHYJW&LTTIFRUQN‫ܪ‬JWNXFX outputs compatible with the XA7180. to worry about are related power, with
transparent as possible, neither adding In this competitive arena of solid- an on/off button on the front and a
nor subtracting anything from what you state home theater amps, companies toggle switch in the back that lets you
hear. The OSD Nero XA7180 promises like ATI, Monoprice, Emotiva, and choose to use a voltage trigger or input
FQQYMFYUQZXMNLMJK‫ܪ‬HNJSH^FYF[JW^ Outlaw offer similar power per dollar. signal to automatically turn on the unit.
attractive price. However, OSD stands out for its combi- The outstanding features of the
Before attending CEDIA 2022 in nation of price and features, making Unleash your design is the use of a toroidal power
Dallas TX, I was not familiar with it the most affordable seven-channel home theater's supply, which does make it heavy but
OSD, a company specializing in FRUQN‫ܪ‬JWSound & Vision has tested. potential with provides a solid foundation for an amp
high-performance, cost-effective Despite the low cost, it boasts a sturdy the OSD NERO that advertises 122 watts per channel
gear—my preferred type. A bit of build, including both RCA and XLR XA7180, an efficient RMS power into 8 ohm loads, all seven
Googling revealed the company has a inputs, and individual status LEDs for and versatile channels driven, and the inclusion of
good reputation in online forums, so I each channel on the front panel. 7-channel amplifier. XLR balanced inputs.

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\MJSUT\JWNXITZGQJI>TZRNLMY <MNQJYMJFRUHFSGJZXJINSF 9WFSXUFWJSYMNLMQ^HTRUJYJSY At a Glance
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NXXZK‫ܪ‬HNJSYHTRUFWJIYT&;7X KTWUFXXN[J[JSYNQFYNTS)JXNLSJI SJJWNSLUWTGQJRFSIYMNXFRU‫ܪ‬YX Inexpensive
\NYMXNRNQFWTZYUZYX3TYFGQ^ UWNRFWNQ^KTWXMJQKUQFHJRJSY YMFYIJXHWNUYNTS Fanless
48)TKKJWXHTRUWJMJSXN[JFSI NYKJFYZWJXGZNQYNSKJJYFSIFS 9MNXMNLMVZFQNY^(QFXX&'
RCA and balanced XLR
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UJWKTWRFSHJZSIJW[FWNTZXQTFIX KJFYZWJXGWZXMJIFQZRNSZRFSI YTUTQTL^KJFYZWJXF(QFXX-
9MJXJNSHQZIJXNSLQJHMFSSJQ MFXFUT\JWX\NYHMYMJ48)QTLT IJXNLSFYNTSNSINHFYNSLNYXZXJ Auto standby
WFYNSLXFQQHMFSSJQXIWN[JS FSIFLQFXXUFSJQUWTYJHYNSLYMJ TKIZFQ[TQYFLJWFNQXYTWJIZHJ 12 V and signal power
WFYNSLXTMRXTMRX XYFYZX1*)X9MNXQT\PJ^RTIJWS JQJHYWNHNY^HTSXZRUYNTSIZWNSL trigger
9-) 9-)FSIRTWJ QTTPHTRUQJRJSYXFQRTXYFS^ QT\UT\JWTUJWFYNTS.RTSNYTWJI Needs 6-inch clearance
)WN[NSLOZXYTSJHMFSSJQYMJ UFNWJILJFW YMNXZXNSLF0NQQF<FYYUT\JW when rack mounted
FRUHFSTZYUZY<728NSYT .JRUQT^JIR^)JSTS&;7 HTSXZRUYNTSRJYJW
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'ZYYMJXUJHTKLWJFYJXYNSYJWJXY SNSJ&WJSIFQ8JWNJXYT\JW QJ[JQXѧNYHTSXZRJIWTZLMQ^ HTSSJHYJIXUJFPJWX<NYM\JQQ
NX\FYYFLJKTWFQQHMFSSJQXIWN[JS XUJFPJWX J]HQZINSLKWTSY\NIJX \FYYXIJRTSXYWFYNSLFRUQJMJFI UWTIZHJIFZINTFSIHTRUJYJSY
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test report
OSD AUDIO NERO XA7180 AMPLIFIER
and holographically rendered, I tend to use a crossover and run NUMBER OF OUTPUT DEVICES: 4 per channel
perfectly centered. The bass the towers as “small” with an 80 POWER BANDWIDTH: 5Hz - 54kHz +0/-3 dB
throbbed and was palpable. The Hz crossover to lighten the load. Specs FILTER CAPACITANCE:+TZWਐ+(FUXUJW
chorus expanded, shrank and However, this leaves a lot of bass- channel
twisted in a psychedelic manner. making capability on the table— CROSSTALK: >-70dB - 20Hz -20kHz
The tight snares made me tap my fourteen woofers in seven ported GAIN: 29dB Input
foot. Snoop Dogg can afford top- cabinets, to be precise. IMPEDANCE: 40k ohms
notch production, and it shows! With the OSD amp in the mix, INPUT SENSITIVITY: 1.00 Volt
I observed that running tower the system can have better bass REMOTE TRIGGER VOLTAGE: 8-24v DC - 5 mA
speakers full-range demands with more overall power on tap. It’s DIMENSIONS:NSHQZINSLKJJY -]<])ѧ]ѧ]ѧ
more power from the amp. In a simple really, by injecting another WEIGHT: 65lbs
multichannel system, this is a key 800+ watts into a system, you POWER REQUIREMENTS: 120VAC, ±3%, - 60Hz 1800 watts maximum
distinction versus using an AVR. can push competent speakers
The heavy demands of movie bass further than when just relying on
- deep drones, bass sweeps and an AVR’s amps. And as a bonus, between two devices, and frankly cost. While there’s no one right
percussive explosions - can max the AVR runs cooler because it is the amp has better ventilation and or wrong way to build a system, a
out an AVR’s power supply and not working nearly as hard. You RTWJMJFYXNSPXYMFS^TZѣQQ‫ܪ‬SINS good amp is a useful tool—that’s
cause trouble. Without the amp, are distributing the heat generated any AVR. the moral of this story.
I’m not going to get too deep Not to rain on any audiophile
into how this or that album, video parades, but the Nero XA7180
game, or movie “sounded” using proves that you don’t need to
this amp. However, during my break the bank for great sound and
review, Avatar 2 was released and plenty of power. With 122 watts of
even though I streamed it, the rated power across all seven chan-
sound was so energetic that my nels, it delivers 854 watts for just
neighbor complained about their $850. That’s one dollar per watt of
walls shaking. This had never output, unquestionably a bargain.
MFUUJSJIGJKTWJ.IJ‫ܪ‬SNYJQ^ Apart from volume, I can’t
noticed the physicality of the hear the difference between the
sound—this amp moves sizeable Nero XA7180 and the amps in
quantities of air. YMJ‫ܫ‬FLXMNUHQFXX&;7X.MF[J
My new favorite pastime is This is good, you wouldn’t want
playing Gran Turismo 7 in a racing to “match” an AVR’s sound with
simulator cockpit, perfectly an external amp. By design and
centered within a full surround- principle, they should be neutral,
sound speaker system. The experi- transparent and offer the same
ence is fully immersive when the ‫ܫ‬FYWJXUTSXJ FXQTSLFXYMJ^ѣWJ
Atmos audio matches the visuals not clipping).
on a 98-inch TCL 4K TV rendered Don’t overthink it. If you’re
in 4K Dolby Vision. Car racing is seeking an excellent-sounding
LOUD and with this amp and the amp at a great value, OSD should
volume up high, I achieved the be part of the conversation. It’s not
tactile acoustical aspects of being the only great deal out there on a
in a racecar going full blast and highly competent home theater
surrounded by other racecars. FRUQN‫ܪ‬JWGZYNYHFW[JXFX\JJY
The recently remastered Grand spot for price and performance.
Theft Auto Online has Dolby Atmos It's specs are in the Goldilocks
sound and 4K Dolby Vision visuals. zone, delivering just the right
It’s my all-time favorite game amount of power needed for most
with plenty of visceral moments home theater speaker systems
involving music, explosions and a reach their full potential.
complex mix of sound effects. All
come through crystal clear even
at near reference levels on the The Verdict
Arendal speakers.
A rock-solid, affordable and
CONCLUSION attractive amp for powering seven
channels in a surround-sound AV
9MNX48)FRUQN‫ܪ‬JWTKKJWX‫ܫ‬J]NGNQNY^ or home theater system. It delivers
and headroom in a rock-solid and audiophile-quality sound for about
attractive package at a reasonable a buck a watt.

test report
DEFINITIVE TECHNOLOGY DM70 BIPOLAR SPEAKERS
RATING
AURAL PERFORMANCE
BUILD QUALITY
EXCELLENCE
By Mark Henninger
VALUE
THE NEW Dymension DM70 Tower

speaker is an evolution of a design that’s
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adjustable bipolar arrangement with two
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powered subwoofer (augmented by dual
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W (peak) power amp and is seamlessly
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provides more tuning options than most
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The DM70 model is just under the new
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size and weighs more than the previous
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FEATURES AND SETUP

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The DM70's industrial design is

modern and minimalist.

test report
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is vast and enveloping, and the after, the genre evolved with LL the sound is crisp and consistent
imaging is so accurate that it is as Cool J, Eric B and Rakim, De La wherever you are.
if the performers are right there in Soul, Public Enemy, and KRS-One. While I only auditioned these At a Glance
the room with you. I know that’s As production value improved, I speakers at home in a 2-channel
a cliché, but it’s also how it really recognized the need to appreciate context, it is clear they are equally Excellent soundstage and
sounds! bass fully, which led me to incor- adept at handling home theater, imaging
Then again, for $4,000 per pair, porate subwoofers in my listening gaming, and other AV applications Powerful and adjustable
you had better get good sound. experience. But with the DM70s, I (Atmos integration is the big hint!). bass output
Great sound. Clearly superior can play all my favorite classic rap I have heard the DM70s in a home Disappears when the lights
sound! Which, I believe these albums and the bass is spot-on theater context during demos are out
speakers deliver in spades, but with just a 2.0 system. put on by the company and have
Integrated Atmos module
you really have to want what DM70 speakers are also very heard them “ace” the canyon test
support
they offer both aesthetically powerful, surely a result of the run scene from Top Gun: Maverick.
and in terms of presentation. fact each tower is essentially two The grand nature of the speakers’ Each speaker requires a
Boasting grand, energetic sound, complete high-power bookshelf soundstaging puts you in a hyper- power outlet
the speakers excel with elec- speaker systems, placed back-to- real bubble of sound that has the Cloth grille is not removable
tronic music, creating 2-channel back, resting on top of a 10-inch energy and precision of a high-end Can’t be placed up against
XTZSI‫ܪ‬JQIXHTRUFWFGQJYTXUFYNFQ subwoofer. That’s equivalent to commercial theater. a wall
audio systems without additional a full-on 2.1 system packed into I’d rather not pass judgment
processing. They also perform each cabinet. on whether the bipolar effect is Price: $3,998/pair
well with rock and related genres If you don’t sit centered better at full strength or with the definitivetechnology.com
featuring distortion and reverb, between the speakers, the –6 dB switch engaged. My guess
from classics like The Beatles and sound is still fantastic. You lose is it’s a matter of taste combined
Pink Floyd to ‘90s favorites such the holographic imaging, but I with the room interactions of any
as The Pixies and Ministry. noticed that the off-axis tonality given installation. The main thing has a built-in 10-inch subwoofer
I have enjoyed rap and hip-hop of these speakers is extremely is that it’s there, and I personally (with output augmented by
XNSHJ‫ܪ‬KYMLWFIJIJQN[JWNSL consistent, which I attribute to the gravitated to the –6 dB setting passive radiators) does not mean
newspapers on my Huffy bike bipolar design, which more evenly because I felt it offers a totally you would not add a dedicated
while listening to my Panasonic distributes the directional high lucid improvement in sound- subwoofer or two. What it does
“Walkman” and dreaming of better frequencies throughout the room, stage three-dimensionality while RJFSNXYMFY^TZXMTZQI‫ܪ‬SIF
headphones from Radio Shack. to match the more omnidirectional maintaining pinpoint precision. sub that does most of its good
At the time, artists like Beastie bass. You don’t get that “dulling” By comparison, the full-on bipolar work really deep, with a focus on
Boys, Run-DMC, and The Fat effect you hear when you stand effect is a bit hyperbolic. frequencies below 30 Hz. That’s
Boys dominated the scene. Soon off to the side of a regular speaker, Now, just because the speaker because these speakers are rock

test report
solid down to 30 Hz, but they them when playing through these TYPE: 3-way bipolar large tower loudspeaker with
have nothing to offer in terms of towers. integrated subwoofer
infrasonics (frequencies below One thing I can say for sure is LOW FREQUENCY DRIVER: (4X) 5.25-inch mid/
20 Hz). that even though the DM70 has
Specs
woofer
+TWFQTYTKRZXNHYMFYѣX‫ܪ‬SJ many qualities that are home HIGH FREQUENCY DRIVER: (2X) 1-inch (37.9mm)
especially given the option to theater-friendly, they are an aluminum dome tweeter
tweak the bass output. But for exciting choice for 2-channel. SUBWOOFER: 10-inch powered with dual 10-inch passive radiators
some music genres as well as There have got to be other audio 7JHTRRJSIJI&RUQN‫ܪ‬JWPOWER: 50 - 300 WRMS
movies “there’s no replacement enthusiasts such as myself who IMPEDANCE: 4 Ohm
for displacement” when you want appreciate the stark, minimalist LOUDSPEAKER SENSITIVITY: 90 dB/2.83V/1m
a system that can make you feel aesthetic of the all-black cabinet FREQUENCY RESPONSE: 30 Hz - 23 kHz (-3 dB)
a 16 Hz note. And for that, you’ll and the focus on enveloping you FREQUENCY RESPONSE: 25 Hz - 30 kHz (-10 dB)
want to add a large and powerful NSMNLM‫ܪ‬IJQNY^XYJWJTXTZSI ENCLOSURE TYPE: Passive radiator
sub or two. The upshot is the GRILLE: Non-removable fully fabric-wrapped black cloth
DM70s act like additional subs WEIGHT: 74.1 lb (33.6 kg)
in the system, helping to smooth The Verdict DIMENSIONS: 47.4" H x 11.3" W x 16" D
out peaks and dips in the most WARRANTY: 2 Years
troublesome frequencies. A tall, powerful speaker that
dazzles with its superb sound-
CONCLUSION stage and imaging, delights with
its visceral bass output, and
The Dymension DM70 is a big, stuns with its starkly minimalist
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speaker designs. You won’t
mistake it for another speaker,
that’s for sure. At $4,000 for a pair,
the DM70 is a sizable investment,
but you get a lot of speaker for the
money. The main question is if
the bipole sound is right for you. I
‫ܪ‬SINY[JW^FUUJFQNSLNSRTIJWF-
tion (using the –6 dB mode) and a
lot of my favorite albums have an
extra bit of sparkle and energy to

I SEE YOU
improvements they would like to make for
upcoming sequels to make the performances
even more lifelike. They also brought back
Virtual Production Supervisor Ryan Champney,
who became part of Cameron’s company,
Lightstorm Entertainment.
“I SEE YOU.” That is the line spoken in both James Design

How James Cameron and Cameron’s original Avatar FSINYX‫ܪ‬WXYXJVZJQ &XUQFSSNSLKTWYMJSJ\‫ܪ‬QR\FXGJLNSSNSL
the incredible Avatar: The Way of Water, released this Cameron worked with Production Designers
his Visual Effects Team
past December, when the native Na’vi characters look Dylan Cole and Ben Procter who created
Create an Otherworldly into each other’s eyes and see the person within. And concept art based on the director’s script. “He
Reality in Avatar: with the Oscar®-winning visual effects (VFX) at Weta uses those to bash out story ideas while they
The Way of Water FX in New Zealand, he and his team have developed
and utilized, the phrase takes on new meaning. The CG Above, on set of 20th Century Studios'
BY MATT HURWITZ animated characters are not cartoons—they are people. Avatar 2. Photo by Mark Fellman. Below,
And we see them, from the inside out. Tuk (Trinity Bliss) swims in the ocean.
+TWYMJUWTIZHYNTSTKYMJTWNLNSFQ‫ܪ‬QRYMJ
team developed and used a unique “Perfor-
mance Capture” system. Rooted in a Motion
Capture system, the technique captures the
performance of an actor’s body by recording
All photos: © 2022 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.
and deciphering markers placed at key points

on the body, and essentially creating a skeleton
that drives those same points as the basis of
an animated character. Performance Capture
extends the system by adding a facial camera
rig, which adds the true facial expressions of
the actor in their performance of a scene.
The resultant animation from Weta is so life-
like, it can be easy for to forget one is watching
alien characters, and not human actors.
3TYQTSLFKYJWYMJWJQJFXJTKYMJ‫ܪ‬WXY‫ܪ‬QR
Cameron, his longtime producing partner Jon
Landau, and the production team discussed

1
were writing,” explains Lightstorm Executive It is here that Cameron does his initial blocking of such cameras was used to provide much
Producer and Visual Effects Supervisor Richie for the scene, deciding how and where the more information and in 3D. This creates a
Baneham, walking through the script with him characters will be placed to deliver the scene. real topography of the actor’s face for use on
and mapping out scenes. Cole’s work focused a CG model.
on everything present in the natural world of Performance Capture It is the Performance Capture system that
Pandora where its inhabitants, the Na’vi, live. In virtual production, actors with characters is recording the performance and action of the
Procter’s designs were focused on the that will be fully animated by Weta perform actor, not an actual motion picture camera.
elements of the human world—the human scenes on a Motion Capture stage. Their But Cameron, while directing the cast, is also
environments, ships, gear and vehicles. Cole’s movements drive the animation. using something called a “Virtual Camera.” It
and Procter’s concept art is then turned over Markers are placed at key points on the is not a true camera but a rig that has similar
to Lightstorm’s teams of visual effects artists, FHYTWѣXGTI^FSINSKWFWJIQNLMYNX‫ܫ‬FXMJI ergonomics to a real camera. It allows him to
\TWPNSLTZYTKTK‫ܪ‬HJXFYYFHMJIYTYMJHTRUF- at them at 60 cycles per second and the get a very real sense of how completed shots
ny’s soundstages in Manhattan Beach, CA. WJ‫ܫ‬JHYNTSXKWTRYMTXJRFWPJWXFWJHFUYZWJI will look.
The Environments artists there take that recorded with special cameras located around The system takes the data about the posi-
art and begin modeling each of the assets— the three-dimensional “volume”—the three- tion of the actor within the volume, gathered
molding and sculpting everything from the dimensional space in which all of this is taking from their markers, generates a game engine
physical environments in which the scenes place within the Motion Capture stage. The version of the character, and places it within
take place to Na’vi characters, creatures, data from those markers is used to essentially the CG environment. “He uses it as a blocking
animals, every piece of costume, plants, create a skeleton which drives the animation tool,” explains Landau. “It allows him to see the
vehicles, weapons and more—a total of more of their character. environment, and see how the actor is moving
than 38,000 individual assets, all of which have 9MJKFHNFQUJWKTWRFSHJNXXUJHN‫ܪ‬HFQQ^ within it.”
to be created before Performance Capture can captured as well, making the overall process In order for the system to know where
take place. “Performance Capture.” The actor wears a Cameron’s camera location is within the
The artists not only develop the 3-dimen- special headgear rig which supports a pair volume, it too has a set of markers which
sional models to be used in the scenes, of HD cameras in front of the actor’s face. allows the system to keep track of how he is
YMJ^KZQQ^‫ܫ‬JXMTZYYMJJS[NWTSRJSYXZXNSL It records not only every bit of expression maneuvering through space.
Autodesk MotionBuilder game engine soft- on their face, but also the movement of sets The Motion Capture stage has physical
ware creating “temperate level” animation of dots painted on their face. That data is set pieces, built to represent topographical
in 3D space of each scene. Cameron would J]YWFHYJIFSIZXJINSYMJ‫ܪ‬SFQKFHNFQFSNRF- surfaces (like hills, trees or structures)
then essentially “scout” the environments with tion later. which the actor will be interacting with while
the artists using his virtual camera to ask for “Performance Capture includes all the facial performing the scenes. “If we need somebody
changes in the worlds they have built. “Jim ticks, facial movement and audio of the actor’s to go over an object, we’ll never say ‘Panto-
will see the world, through his virtual camera, delivery,” says Champney. mime as if there was a plant there.’ We’ll put
before any actors get there,” says Champney, <MNQJIZWNSLYMJRFPNSLTKYMJ‫ܪ‬WXY‫ܪ‬QR a plant there,” says Baneham. Onstage, the
crafting it into the space in which he will place the facial rig had a single wide angle lens to actors will also have props—anything that they
his actors and characters for blocked scenes. capture the image for Way of Water a pair will be interacting with in the scene, again, to

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two facial camera rigs is projected
stay clear of not-believable miming. 1) Director James (FUYZWJUJWKTWRFSHJX9ÛNHFQQ^ TSYTYMJLFRJJSLNSJ[JWXNTSTKYMJ
One would wonder if acting in a Cameron and Y\THFRJWFX\JWJZXJILWFGGNSLF FHYTWѣXKFHJKWTRYMJ[JW^XFRJYFPJ
Performance Capture space is more crew behind the RJINZRFSIFHQTXJZUTKJFHMFHYTW YTFQQT\(FRJWTSYTXJJYMJUJWKTW-
INK‫ܪ‬HZQYKTWFHYTWXYMFS\TWPNSLTSF scenes. Photo 9MJWJKJWJSHJKTTYFLJ\FXZXJIG^ RFSHJTKYMJJ^JXFSIRTZYMѦ/NR
STWRFQQN[JFHYNTSXJY.YYZWSXTZYYMJ courtesy of (FRJWTSFSIMNXJINYTWXYTRFPJYMJNW \FSYXYTXJJYMJJ^JRT[JRJSYXYMJ
opposite is true. “Sigourney Weaver Mark Fellman. ѦXJQJHYXѧџYTHMTTXJ\MNHMYFPJXYMJ^ QNYYQJY\NYHMJXYMJGQNSPXQNUVZN[JWX
\FXFXPJINSNSYJW[NJ\XNKNY\FXMFWI 2) Sigourney UWJKJWWJIKTWFS^LN[JSXHJSJXNSHJYMJ FSIYMJRTYNTSTKYMJKFHJѧ(MFRUSJ^
XMJSTYJIYMFYNYNXNSKFHYJFXNJWKTW Weaver as Dr. LFRJFSNRFYJI[JWXNTSXYMJXTKY\FWJ J]UQFNSX9MJUWTHJXXNXYJRUTWFW^џ
MJWѧ(MFRUSJÎJYFNQX9MJWJFWJST Grace Augustine, IJQN[JWJIINISTYFQQT\MNRYTXJJYMJ NYѣXTSQ^ZXJIKTW(FRJWTS\MNQJITNSL
ѦRFWPXѧYTMNYGJHFZXJYMJWJNXSѣYF Director James YWZJJRTYNTSFQUJWKTWRFSHJXTKYMJ (FRJWFXYMJKZQQ^‫ܫ‬JXMJITZYKFHJ
WJFQHFRJWFUWJXJSYYTMF[JYTGJYMJ Cameron, and FHYTWX8F^X(MFRUSJ^Ѧ-JITJXSѣY coming later in post.
HTWWJHYINXYFSHJKWTRѦ8MJSTYJI Joel David \FSYYTRFPJJINYTWNFQXJQJHYXTK\MFY &GTZYF^JFWFKYJW5JWKTWRFSHJ
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IN[NSLKWTRYMJFNWNSYTYMJ\FYJW
WJVZNWJIYMJX^XYJRXYT\TWPYTLJYMJW
XTXRFQQ\MNYJGFQQX\JWJUQFHJITS
YMJ\FYJWXZWKFHJYTUWJ[JSYYMJQNLMYX
from one system from contaminating
YMJTYMJW
'JXNIJXYMJ2TYNTS(FUYZWJNSKWFWJI
HFRJWFXFSI(FRJWTSѣX;NWYZFQ
(FRJWFYMJWJ\JWJFQXTXJYXTKWJKJW-
JSHJHFRJWFX\NYMTUJWFYTWX‫ܪ‬QRNSL 3
YMJFHYTWXITNSLYMJ5JWKTWRFSHJ

4
shooting take after take, to gather the Once the Cameras step was completed, the set up using a “beam splitter.” The image from
coverage they need. In a virtual production, the Lab artists would once again take a pass. They the lens passes through a half-silvered mirror
settings and acting, at this point, exist in a 3D clean up the data and do any additional work (the beam splitter), set at a 45 degree angle,
game engine animated version, as if existing in on visuals for each of the shots before the to allow the light to pass both directly into one
a complete 3D world of their own. The director nearly 2500 shots of material can be turned camera behind it, and also sent to the second
and/or DP works with a virtual camera, placing over to Weta FX to begin doing the real anima- camera, which is set in the rig with its axis 90
it and moving it within that world, as if it is on tion work. degrees from that of the other camera. The rig,
a set, to create shots/coverage, like closeups, like the Virtual Camera, has a pair of marker
wide shots, etc. Live Action balls atop. This enables its position, rotation,
Cameron will literally stand on the empty While The Way of Water is predominantly a etc. to be tracked accurately within the space
Performance Camera stage with the Virtual virtual production, there are many live action of the virtual world.
(FRJWFџ\MTXJUTXNYNTSNXNIJSYN‫ܪ‬JIFSI JQJRJSYXYMFYMFIYTGJ‫ܪ‬QRJI\NYMFHYTWX The most important part of the system,
included, just like before, via the markers human characters on sets. The scenes have to though, is what’s known as “Simulcam.”
atop the rig, picked up by the Motion Capture GJHFWJKZQQ^‫ܪ‬QRJINSFRFSSJW\MNHM\NQQFQQT\ That system allows Cameron to see not only
system—viewing what the Virtual Camera sees them to be inserted into the virtual scenes— what he’s viewing directly on set, via a typical
in a monitor/eyepiece, watching the Camera and vice versa. It’s not simple. director’s monitor, but also sends that camera
Loads, as if the characters and that world are The scenes—and Cameron’s shots—were image—and the camera’s position—to the
standing right in front of him. “He is simply designed to have those live action elements game engine software, where it can combine
moving the camera around within the space,” placed within the overall world already the live on-set image with whatever elements
says Champney. constructed in the game engine software, from the pre-shot virtual world that will
And, in the moment, he can make any and Cameron, during the Cameras step, has complete the scene. This allows Cameron to
changes he realizes he would like to make already decided on where the camera is to be see what the completed scene will look like,
to the environment or lighting, simply by placed within the physical/practical sets. So it via a second monitor, located just above the
requesting on-set assistance from the “Brain must be placed precisely in those very same other, while shooting, enabling him to frame
Bar”—a group of animators and artists ready spots in those sets, essentially capturing the for the complete shot, even for items which
to move things around within the virtual world very same shots. “All of these things have to aren’t present on the practical set.
as he desires. The artists can move a tree, line up. So there is a lot of math and coordina- <MNQJYMJ‫ܪ‬WXY‫ܪ‬QRMFIUJWMFUXTW
hide a wall, add a rock—whatever he needs. He tion that goes into making sure the physical Simulcam shots, nearly every shot in Movie
can also “platform” the camera to an object or space lines up with the virtual space, so \FX8NRZQHFRѦ.SYMJ‫ܪ‬WXY‫ܪ‬QRYMJWJ\FX
character within the virtual world, to allow the that you’re getting the correct composition,” not a lot of Na’vi / human interaction, just a
HFRJWFYTXF^‫^ܫ‬TSYTUTKF‫^ܫ‬NSLHWJFYZWJ Champney explains. handful of scenes where they were in the same
or ship, or ride atop the waves of the ocean— The camera, in this case, is no longer a environment. It was usually either human
things which would be impossible with a live virtual one, but a 3D camera rig featuring a OR Na’vi scenes, with just a couple where
camera. pair of smaller Sony Venice Fusion cameras, they interact. It was something we purposely

the imagery seen on set—in James
Cameron’s 3D camera and in the world
of the CG game engine animation—and
HWJFYJFKZQQ^‫ܫ‬JXMJITZYGJQNJ[FGQJ
realm where humans, aliens and other
worldly creatures exist together. If it
looks like a cartoon, the audience won’t
buy it and won’t be able to go along for
the ride with Cameron’s and his cast’s
characters. It needs to be real life.
Completing The Picture

This starts with the environments. Both
the Na’vi’s beautiful forest life, with its
WJRFWPFGQJ‫ܫ‬TWFFSIKFZSFFX\JQQ
as the human world of machines and
buildings. It also includes the charac
5
ters’ animated costumes and props.
All of the original “assets” designed
RZHMJFWQNJWFWJST\‫ܫ‬JXMJITZYFSI
avoided. But in Movie 2 everything is in 4) Director the live actor to interact with it in real FSNRFYJIKTWWJFQ‫ܪ‬WXYITNSLRTYNTS
the same world together.” James Cameron time, as if it were physically present. tests with real, practical versions of
There’s an important change to the behind the Because of the complex nature things such as plants, costumes and
system since Movie 1 offers the ability scenes operating of integrating CG elements and live props, to see how they react in the air
to place CG characters within the a camera. action, at the end of each shooting day, or water—and then using those models
Simulcam image at the correct depth Photo courtesy the Lab artists do a “Post Viz.” Much of to create animated versions of those
\NYMNSYMJNRFLJѦ.SYMJ‫ܪ‬WXYRT[NJѧ of Mark Fellman. YMNX\TWPNS[TQ[JXWJ‫ܪ‬SNSL(,JQJRJSYX same items, behaving in that same
says Landau, “it was like a weatherman 5) (L-R): Lo’ak to match perfectly what was just shot realistic manner. “We reference those
standing in front of a green screen. (Britain Dalton) on set. This could include adjusting motion tests, to make sure that, even
The character could only be placed and a Tulkun. the animation of a hand touching an though we’re now on a 9 ft tall char
in front of an object. It couldn’t be 6) Jake Sully actor’s shoulder, or adding movement acter and the proportions are different,
placed behind a live action actor or (Sam Worthington) of a plant as the actor passes through a the costumes behave the same way,”
a live action set piece.” With the new riding a Skimwing. forest after not having brushed against says Joe Letteri.
Real Team Depth Compositing, says it in the original CG version. Besides the aforementioned
Champney, “You can have CG charac 9MJ‫ܪ‬QRST\MFXFQQ(,XMTYX Direhorses, there are a fascinating
ters walking around, interacting with created by Cameron during the collection of other beasts, including
the environment. They can go in front Cameras step, as well as new live two marine animals, the Skimwing and
of and behind a table, all dynamically.” FHYNTSXHJSJX&SJ\HTRUQJYJ‫ܪ‬SFQ the Ilu, both of which can be ridden by
Another new addition was some JINYTKYMJ‫ܪ‬QRNXRFIJ9MJJINYNXYMJS the Metkayina clan, with whom Jack
thing called the Eyeline system. In turned over to Weta FX to begin their and his family have taken up to escape
[NXZFQJKKJHYX‫ܪ‬QRX\MJSFQN[JFHYNTS work, bringing the CG elements to life. their enemies.
actor is doing a scene with a CG It is up to the hundreds of skilled artists “We treat them like working animals,
character to be added later, typically at Weta FX in New Zealand to take almost like on a farm,” Letteri explains.
an assistant director or other staffer
will hold a tennis ball on a stick and
string, in the approximate position of
that character’s head. This gives him/
her something to identify where that
character will be.
Here, a cablecam system was used,
much like the ones used in sports
game broadcasts, which can move a
suspended camera in any direction.
But instead of a camera, a director’s
monitor and speaker are suspended,
playing back the CG character’s
performance. And, because they are
‫ܪ‬QRNSL\NYMNSYMJXFRJ2TYNTS(FUYZWJ
volume, the character’s movements—
including rotation of its head, etc.—
allow it to move where the animated
character will move within the scene 6
QFYJW\MJSYMJXMTYNX‫ܪ‬SNXMJI.YFQQT\X

7
Ѧ9MJ.QZFWJFQRTXYQNPJUTSNJX4ZYNSYMJ XHJSJX\TWPFX\JQQFXYMJÎTѧ You’re not just moving one bit at a time—every-

country, if you were on a farm 150 years ago, But nowhere does the performance in a thing moves together. And in each performer, it
you would ride your horse out to go hunting. CG character’s face have more importance moves together in different ways. We built this
-JWJ^TZRNLMYWNIJ^TZW.QZTZYYTLTMZSYNSL YMFSNSYMTXJTKYMJ3Fѣ[NѦ&SIYMFYXYFWYX\NYM tool to help animators understand the actor’s
in a reef. These animals a part of the life of an empathetic performance” by the actor, in performance.”
these people.” 5JWKTWRFSHJ(FUYZWJXF^X'FSJMFRѦ&SI They discovered it’s important not to simply
&SIOZXYQNPJUJTUQJMF[J\NYMYMJNWMTWXJX animators who understand how a human face put the face through the software and accept
XF^X'FSJMFRѦ5JTUQJMF[JNSHWJINGQJGTSIX behaves the way it does, and why we respond YMJWJXZQYXFXYMJ‫ܪ‬SNXMJIUWTIZHYѦ<JQTTP
with their horses. And the horses have person- emotionally to those things that we see,” at what the actors are doing, frame by frame,
alities. But it’s not overt. There’s a playfulness, Letteri adds. FSILTYMWTZLMFUFXXTKYW^NSLYTQTHPFQQYMFY
the way sea lions and seals have. So we tried An important change was made to the IT\S'ZYYMJS\JXNYGFHPFSI\FYHMNYNS
to fuse those two ideas together, so they have KFHNFQFSNRFYNTSX^XYJRKTWYMNX‫ܪ‬QRYTJSFGQJ motion. Because no matter how accurate you
different personalities, among them.” Without FSNRFYTWXYTRFPJYMJHMFWFHYJWXѣKFHJX YMNSP^TZFWJNKNYITJXSѣYKJJQWNLMYNYFNSѣYWNLMY
those interesting qualities, they would simply appear even more natural and real. A new 8T^TZLTGFHPFSIFXP^TZWXJQKѢ4PF^\MFY
be an interesting creature. Here, we recognize tool was created that helps the animators get are we missing?’ Cause you may get exactly
that familiar relationship, without it being over beyond simply seeing the dots on the face, what an actor’s doing, but it may be wrong for
the top. from the Performance Capture recording, that character.”
*[JSRTWJHJSYWFQYTYMJ‫ܪ‬QRFWJYMJ and trying to reproduce that in their character 9MJFSNRFYTWX\NQQFQXTRFPJZXJTKYMJ
\MFQJQNPJ9ZQPZSTSJTK\MNHM5F^FPFS RTIJQYMJ\F^FSNRFYTWXMF[J\TWPJIKTW original Performance Capture reference
GJKWNJSIX1TѣFPYMJYJJSFLJXTSTK/FPJ ^JFWXѦ'ZYYMJITYXTSQ^LN[J^TZ\MFYѣX footage, to fully understand what the actor is
8ZQQ^FSI3J^YNWNѦ1NPJ1TѣFP5F^FPFSNXFQXT happening on the surface,” explains Baneham. feeling and communicating. Notes Baneham,
a teenager, and wants to hang out and play,” Ѧ9MJÎTSѣYYJQQZXFS^YMNSLFGTZYYMJRZXHQJX Ѧ.YѣXHWNYNHFQYTGJFGQJYTHFUYZWJYMJXZGYJ]Y
XF^X'FSJMFRѦ&SIYMFYNXF[JW^JSIJFWNSL beneath. And there’s massive difference of what a person’s saying—which is how some-
RTRJSYѧ5F^FPFSUQF^KZQQ^YTXXNSL1TѣFPZUNS between what’s going on on the surface and GTI^KJJQXFXYMJ^ѣWJWJXUTSINSL.K^TZHFS
YMJFNWѦ9MJ^LTITXYZUNIXYZSYXYZKKYMFY^TZW what’s going on underneath.” get that through it, if you get it to read clearly
YJJSFLJPNIX\TZQIITѧMJQFZLMX 9MJSJ\X^XYJRYFPJXNSYTFHHTZSYYMJ to an audience, then you have something quite
.YNXYMJ9ZQPZSѣXKFHNFQJ]UWJXXNTSYMFY differences people have in the levels of fats powerful. Then you have a performance.”
NXPJ^YTHTSSJHYNSLYMJY\TѦ<J\JWJXT FSIHTQQFLJSNSYMJNWXPNSѦ<JYFQPJIFGTZY Younger faces such as those of the
limited with facial expression, because of his the muscles that we thought were moving child actors portraying Na’vi characters are
size. So we had to carry a lot of the weight of underneath, because that’s the vocabulary XQNLMYQÎNKKJWJSYѦ9MJ^MF[JMNLMFRTZSYX
the expression in the eye and the soft tissue ^TZSJJIYTZXJѧXF^X1JYYJWNѦ'ZY\J\JWJ TKHTQQFLJSџYMJ^MF[JJQFXYNHNY^NSYMJNWXPNSѧ
around the eye. They use body language to always just guessing. So this time, we built a 'FSJMFRJ]UQFNSXѦ&SIYMFYMJQUXNSXTRJ
communicate. And, as with so many of our SJZWFQSJY\TWP8T\JѣWJRZHMHQTXJWYTZSIJW- ways, because you get less separation, so
LWJFYHFXY'WNYFNS)FQYTSFX1TѣFPLF[JFLWJFY standing the balance between those muscles. you get a little more direct relationship with
UJWKTWRFSHJYTRFPJ^TZGJQNJ[J5F^FPFS 'ZYRTWJNRUTWYFSYQ^YMFYSJY\TWPLN[JXYMJ the substructures. So it’s clearer—although
\FXUWJXJSY9MFYѣXPJ^YTRFPNSLYMJXJ animators instant control over the entire face. ^TZSLJWPNIXHFSITWJFQQ^\JNWIYMNSLX\NYM

their faces,” he laughs. “And they 7) Director James
can bounce those facial rig cameras Cameron on set
around a lot, too!” of 20th Century
An interesting hybrid is the case Studios' Avatar 2.
of Sigourney Weaver, who plays a 8) Quaritch
14-year-old Na’vi, Kiri—the daughter (Stephen Lang)
of her human character, Grace. “You 9) Kiri (Sigourney
might just have to move things a little Weaver). 10) (L-R):
bit differently,” Letteri notes. “Again, Lo’ak (Britain
you don’t want it to just be technically Dalton) and a
correct. You want the emotional beat.” Tulkun swim
Another fun challenge for the together.
animators came in the form of creating
animation of Na’vi babies. When Jake
8
announces the birth of a new baby,
holding the child up, it is actually the
image and movement of the newborn without knowing you’re recognizing it.” Letteri explains, “This allows us to
who had just arrived in the life of actor The one facial feature that is at shoot rays into the eyes, and bounce
Joel David Moore, who plays Norm in the center of every animated perfor- light around properly, and scatter and
YMJ‫ܪ‬QRѦ<JOZXYXFNIѢ>TZPST\\MFY$ mance in any Avatar‫ܪ‬QRNXYMJJ^JX come back out. And that’s what really
Bring him in,’” Baneham explains. “We There is complete, real emotion being gives it that quality of photographing a
didn’t put any markers on him, but passed through them, to both the other real eye.”
we put plenty of reference cameras characters and to the audience. It is the The movement of the eyes is
around. And we captured his perfor- difference between a scene with real also completely natural, including
mance.” characters with real relationships, and blinking. It is often unnatural blinking
Similarly, in New Zealand 8 months just simply animated characters. animation that is the dead giveaway
later, a baby was needed to reference a Among other things, a technical of an animated face; the blinks are
particular behavior. “One of our anima- advancement seen in Way of Water is unnaturally slow. “Don’t forget,” says
tion supervisors at Weta, Stephen an innovation that actually builds the Baneham, “the reason you blink is
(QJJMFIFSJ\GFG^FSIMJXFNIѢ4M structure of the eyes, geometrically. because your brain doesn’t like blur.
my kid does that.’ So we put multiple It’s not only the reason you blink, but
cameras on him as well and extracted it’s the reason you blink quickly.” There
a 3D image of him.” are natural blinks when a character
Having a real baby to reference truly momentarily glances, say, at another
makes a difference. “It’s so powerful to person, while the main character he
have. They don’t behave like anything is listening to is speaking. “And that’s
else. The twitch their muscles in staccatoed. You don’t move in one
unusual ways, because they don’t have movement. You’ll do it in multiple short
control of their muscles. There’s a lot strides in order to eliminate motion
of involuntary stuff going on, that is not blur. And that’s one of the reasons why
the same as an adult. And, in the anima- 9 our characters’ eye motion appears so
tion, it’s real to us. You recognize it natural.”
Like any great movie, at the center of
every character is still great acting. “It
all starts with an empathetic perfor-
mance” by the actor in Performance
Capture, concludes Baneham. “We
QJFWSJIYMFYNSYMJ‫ܪ‬WXYRT[NJGJHFZXJ
we understood that the way you get
a really consistent performance is to
ground it in your actors. And it’s our
responsibility to protect that perfor-
mance and shepherd it to the screen.
That’s where the gold is.”
Be sure and read Matt

Hurwitz’s full length version
on soundandvision.com,
for much more detail on the
making of the film.
10

test report
LG 0LED65G3PUA
RATING
PERFORMANCE
FEATURES
Bright and Bold

By Thomas J. Norton
ERGONOMICS
VALUE
THIS IS the third edition of LG’s Gallery

Edition OLED, replacing last year’s
65-inch, G2 (reviewed in the August/
September 2022 Sound & Vision and
also at Sound & Vision.com). As with
its earlier siblings, the G3 has a design
optimized for wall mount applications
and by default it comes with a bracket
not a stand. You can buy an optional
tabletop stand, that’s what I used.
The table stand tilts the TV backward
slightly and offers no rotation. It is
solid, immobile and sturdy. There’s also
FSJFXJQQNPJ‫ܫ‬TTWXYFSITUYNTSF[FNQ-
able for $350.
Why the wall-mount-focus? It’s
intrinsic to the design. This OLED is thin
FSI\NQQRTZSY‫ܫ‬ZXMYTF\FQQ\NYMNYѣX
near-gapless design. As in the older G1
and G2, the G3 offers a Gallery mode.
The latter displays a revolving range of
still-image art when not showing other
types of content.
The G3 series is currently available
in four screen sizes: 55, 65, 77, and 83
inches. The rear panel on our sample
indicated that it was made in Korea.
The G2 we reviewed last year was
made in Mexico. It’s entirely possible
that most G3s for the North American
market will also be made in Mexico.
These days, however, “Made in XXX”
almost invariably means “Assembled
in XXX.” The individual components of
any TV (the panel, processor, or other
subcomponents) can arrive at the
assembly plant from almost anywhere.
All of LG’s OLEDs, including the G3,
are WRGB. Until recently all OLED sets
added white elements to the RGB for
increased brightness. To put it simply,
they aren’t QD-OLEDs, the latter now
F[FNQFGQJNSYMJ‫ܫ‬FLXMNU41*)XKWTR
Samsung and Sony. QD-OLEDs employ
Quantum Dots and no white pixels,
which is said to improve color satura-
tion at very high brightness levels.
But it could be argued that the visible

differences between WRGB to somewhat limit its brightness. mastered with dynamic meta-
OLEDs and QD-OLEDs, everything The MLA adds a layer of “micro data that changes constantly in
else being equal, will be subtle on lenses” in front of the imaging response to the program, allowing At a Glance
most source material. We haven’t panel that focuses the light from HDR highlights to be tone mapped
yet experienced a head-to-head the pixels more directly forward. frame by frame. This makes Stunning brightness
shootout between an LG WRGB The resulting increase in bright- the best use of the display’s Excellent color
OLED and a new QD-OLED. In any ness and punch isn’t subtle. The capabilities while losing as little
Outstanding blacks
event, LG’s G3 OLED counter- G3 is the brightest OLED we’ve yet as possible from the source.
punches with unique and potent YJXYJIFSIG^FXNLSN‫ܪ‬HFSYRFWLNS LG’s Dynamic Tone Mapping (on Cluttered WebOS
GJSJ‫ܪ‬YXTKNYXT\S (see Test Bench). by default but user selectable) Little else
The G3 is equipped with a effectively converts HDR10’s
Price: $3299
FEATURES TV tuner for receiving ATSC static tone mapping metadata
3.0 (NextGenTV) over-the-air into dynamic metadata. When (847) 941-8182
The technology in the G3 closely broadcasts up to 4K. Its four you switch it on, the TV’s Alpha lg.com
resembles last year’s G2. In -)2.UTWYXFWJFQQXUJHN‫ܪ‬JIFX 9 processor operates continu-
particular, its Alpha 9 main HDMI 2.1, one of them labeled for ously to minimize clipping while
processor and an aluminum heat eARC or enhanced Audio Return retaining as much image detail learning algorithm and the G3’s
sink on the rear of its imaging Channel. as possible. I used it on all HDR10 Alpha 9 processor to recognize
panel remain as key features. The The G3 supports the most sources. content, remove noise and “opti-
heat sink does add a little depth to widely used HDR formats (HDR10, HDR10+, another HDR format mize” picture quality. There’s also
the panel, which is about an inch Dolby Vision, and HLG or Hybrid offering dynamic metadata, a new Scene Detection feature
deep overall. Working in combina- Log Gamma). HDR sources are isn’t as widely used as Dolby that analyzes the type of scene
tion with the Alpha 9 processor, mastered in a wide range of peak Vision. The LG doesn’t support being shown to “improve the
the heat sink draws heat away white levels. If a display can’t HDR10+ directly; it ignores the picture accordingly.”
from the panel, enabling higher handle the peak white levels in “+” and processes HDR10+ it as A separately selectable AI
brightness without a higher risk a given source, those peaks will it does any other HDR10 source. Sound Pro feature offers similar
of image retention or burn-in be clipped by cropping off the (LG’s fellow Korean manufac- “enhancements” to the audio. All
(image retention fades with time, brightest details. To address turer and arch rival Samsung, of these AI features were off out
burn-in is forever). As a further this, all HDR content is mastered was a co-developer of HDR10+. of the box in the AI Service Menu
precaution, in most situations if a with metadata that provides the Samsung doesn’t as yet support and that’s where I left them. In any
paused image stays on the screen display with information it needs Dolby Vision and shows no signs event, these AI features function
for more than a few minutes the to minimize this clipping—a of planning to. Follow the bread- with copyrighted program mate-
G3 substitutes a sequence of process is called tone mapping. crumbs.) rial and your own videos but the
GWNJK‫]ܪ‬JINRFLJXTWWFSITR In the ubiquitous HDR10 The LG G3 also offers a effectiveness may vary depending
moving star bursts. Another format, the metadata is static—it “picture enhancement” option it on the quality of the source
feature (General > OLED Care > stays the same throughout the calls AI Picture Pro. This is said to material. You might want to see
OLED Panel Care > Adjust Logo program. This inevitably leads employ a “vast database of visual if they will help improve YouTube
Brightness) offers several levels to compromises. Dolby Vision is data points” together with a deep wanderings and your summer
of dimming for scoreboards in
sports and video games, without
affecting the rest of the picture.
But there’s no need to be
paranoid about OLED burn-in, just
sensible. My own OLED TV, now
about four years old but used at
modest brightness levels, shows
no sign of burn-in. I simply ensure
that bright, stationary images
such as test patterns don’t remain
on the screen any longer than
needed.
Our measurements on last
^JFWѣX,HTS‫ܪ‬WRJINYXHQFNRYT
increased peak brightness over
any LG OLED we had previously
tested. But this year’s G3 goes
even further by incorporating
what LG calls a Micro Lens Array,
or MLA. In an ordinary OLED, the
light from each pixel diffuses
slightly as it spreads out from the
panel—not enough to noticeably
degrade the image but enough

test report
LG 0LED65G3PUA
of the image). I used neither the

Picture Wizard nor any of the AI
settings mentioned earlier.
The setup menus in the G3
FWJHTS‫ܪ‬LZWJIINKKJWJSYQ^KWTR
those in past LG sets. In their
HZWWJSYHTS‫ܪ‬LZWFYNTSYMJ^ѣWJJFX^
JSTZLMYTZXJFSIITSѣYNSYJWKJWJ
with the readings, but some of
them obscure parts of the image,
RFPNSLNYYJINTZXYTOZILJYMJ
result of your changes without
jumping into and out of the menus.
Fortunately our sample required
so little calibration adjustment
(see below) that this was only a
minor concern.
VIEWING
Out of the box, the LG G3
measured so close to ideal that
an active calibration offered no
visible improvements on either
SDR or HDR10. But I did perform
both SDR and HDR10 calibra-
tions for completeness (but not
vacation videos. Rate), and ALLM (Auto Low ZXZFQXYWJFRNSLXZXUJHYX 3JY‫ܫ‬N] for Dolby Vision sources, which
A new LG feature for 2023, Latency Mode). A Game Optimizer Prime Video, Disney+, and much STSJYMJQJXXQTTPJIXZUJWG.S
the Personalized Picture Wizard, mode also puts all of the game RTWJ9MJWJѣXFQXT1,ѣXT\SKWJJ regular use following calibration I
offers you several versions of a controls and settings in one place Ѧ1,(MFSSJQXѧYMFYXYWJFRF\NIJ INIKZWYMJWY\JFPYMJUJFPGWNLMY-
sample image with different levels KTWVZNHPWJKJWJSHJ:XNSLYMJ range of mostly older movies and ness controls on SDR material
of brightness, color, contrast and 1080p Bodnar image lag meter I other content in decent but not for different sources and room
other image parameters. You measured input lags of 80.3ms in eye-popping HD quality. QNLMYNSLџHFGQJFSIXYWJFRJI
choose which images you prefer +NQRRFPJWRTIJFSIRXNS XTZWHJXFWJSѣYFQ\F^XFXHTSXNX-
and the set then applies adjust- Game Optimizer mode with a 60 SETUP tent as they should be.
ments based on those selections. Hz signal, at 120 Hz it should be That out-of-the-box quality
This could impact what may have about half that. The G3 offers the usual range of \FXSѣYYTYFQQ^ZSJ]UJHYJI<MJS
GJJSYMJ‫ܪ‬QRRFPJWѣXNSYJSIJI 1,ѣX\FSIQNPJѦ2FLNH7JRTYJѧ 5NHYZWJ2TIJX.ZXJI+NQRRFPJW I reviewed the LG G2 last year it
QTTP>TZFWJTKHTZWXJKWJJYT controls the G3 with buttons, voice for SDR and non-Dolby Vision was similarly spot-on, requiring
use this feature, but I left it off commands, scrolling and point- -)7FSI(NSJRF-TRJKTW)TQG^ little or no extensive calibration.
for all of the observations shown FSIHQNHP<NYMSTGFHPQNLMYNSLNYѣX ;NXNTS +NQRRFPJWRTIJNXSѣY Our samples (then and now)
MJWJ9MFYFQXTLTJXKTWYMJ,ѣX easy to hit the wrong button in the available in Dolby Vision). came directly from LG. Will your
motion compensation controls in IFWP.FQXTINISѣYUJWXTSFQQ^RZHM All of the Picture Modes offer store-bought G3 be similarly
the TruMotion menu. HFWJKTWYMJ,ѣX\JG488RFWY 2-, 10-, or 22-point White Balance SJFWUJWKJHY$9MJWJѣXST\F^\J
9MJ,ѣXFZINT\FXIJHJSYGZY TV, though to be fair other Smart FIOZXYRJSYXFSI1,ѣX+NSJ9ZSJ HFSPST\KTWHJWYFNSGZYNYXMTZQI
my table-top setting, a couple of 9;UQFYKTWRX.ѣ[JJ]UJWNJSHJI controls for calibrating each color be close enough that the controls
feet away from the wall behind, recently have been similarly convo- separately (color management for needed by your friendly neighbor-
will inevitably sound different than luted. As the range of on-screen red, green, blue, cyan, magenta, hood video calibrator are all readily
the on-wall mounting for which the offerings has increased year-by- and yellow). available in the user menus.
set was designed. It also offers a year in this and similar Smart TV Once you get beyond those All of the viewing both here (and
)TQG^&YRTXTUYNTSGZY^TZHFSѣY platforms, clutter has inevitably adjustments, and the various in HDR below), was done via discs
achieve the full Atmos experience followed. I eventually warmed to 'WNLMYSJXXFSI(TSYWFXYHTSYWTQX UQF^JITSFS4UUT:QYWF-)'QZWF^
when all of the channels originate this one, at least for most of my YMJWJѣXFGQN__FWITKTYMJWXJYZU player unless noted otherwise.
from in or near the TV. needs, but never loved it. options. I left most of them in their Samsara is a Blu-ray release
.ѣRSTLFRJWGZY1,XJYXFWJ 9;RFPJWXRFPJRTSJ^ out-of-box settings. Two that I from director/photographer Ron
\JQQPST\SKTWYMJNWXZUUTWYTK from many of the paid Smart TV did change, however, were Power +WNHP \MTFQXTQJSXJITYMJW
those who are. The G3 is G-Sync KJFYZWJX9MFYITJXMJQUPJJU 8F[NSL NYѣX4SGÎJKFZQYџ.YZWSJI XNRNQFWQ^XYZSSNSL\TWPXXZHMFX
compatible and offers game- down the sales price of TVs, so at it Off) and Aspect Ratio>Just 'FWFPF.YNXFLTWLJTZXQTTPNSL
centric features such as FreeSync QJFXYYMFYѣXXTRJYMNSL9MJ,ѣX Scan (I turned it On; other settings Blu-ray. The deep, rich color in
Premium, VRR (Variable Refresh webOS offerings include all of the added cropping to the outer edges scenes ranging from elaborately

dressed dancers, Tibetan monks Blu-ray, in my near but not quite Gilbert and Sullivan in the late it could well make them eager to
in bright red robes creating an desert-island list, is A Knight’s 1800s. It won’t be to everyone’s replace even a 2-3 year old TV with
elaborately-hued mandala, and Tale, a dramedy set in the world of taste, but it was alive with sparkling a new G3.
smoke swirling from an erupting middle-age jousting. It’s beautifully detail on the LG. The cluttered, +TW-)7.‫ܪ‬WXYUZQQJITZY
volcano against bright red lava, photographed, and the LG retains overly decorated environments the HD Blu-ray of Dune Part 1
jumped off the screen so convinc- all of its visual charm. I can’t recall of the late Victorian era were (Dolby Vision). The LG excelled in
ingly that many viewers might it ever looking better than it did on convincingly reproduced, as were RFPNSLXJSXJTKYMNX‫ܪ‬QRѣXSJFWQ^
mistake this SDR disc for high the G3. And as a bonus, the LG G3 the half dozen or so rich, colorful colorless shades of brown. The
dynamic range. The blacks were LF[JYMJ‫ܪ‬QRFXHQTXJFXJSXJTK staged scenes from several of the interiors were uniformly dark and
also superb, but that’s no surprise 3D as I ever expect to see on one IZTѣX\TWPXNSHQZINSLF‫ܪ‬SFQXHJSJ LQTTR^FXYMJ‫ܪ‬QRNSYJSIXGZYYMJ
coming from a top-grade OLED. of today’s 2D-only 4K HDTVs. from their most popular work, The G3 retained their details and never
On a more conventional note, 9MJ‫ܪ‬QR9TUX^9ZW[^NXFGTZY Mikado. The result isn’t likely to crushed them. When the action
TSJTKR^KF[TWNYJ‫ܪ‬QRXTS the theatrical collaboration of turn rap fans into G&S junkies, but transitioned to the bright daytime

test report
LG 0LED65G3PUA
sands of the planet Arrakis the good video dynamic range, and FSNRFYJI‫ܪ‬QRYMFYRTXY[N[NIQ^ makers have more total control
LG followed the action without a solid HDR10 transfer. Its Dolby demonstrated the LG G3’s over every detail in animated
clipping, including an early, action- Vision sequel, Trolls World Tour, MNLMI^SFRNHWFSLJ9MJ‫ܪ‬WXY ‫ܪ‬QRX\MNHMHFSRFPJYMJRNIJFQ
heavy, spice-harvester sequence. offers even more vivid color, but 15 minutes of Encanto almost for showing off high dynamic
Later, as a night battle erupts, the the original isn’t a slouch in the literally jump off the screen. range. It was certainly eye-
bright, chaotic explosions pierce eye-candy department. The LG The magic, golden doors, key popping here.
the darkness, making vivid use does more than full justice to it, elements to the story, glow vividly But regardless of the genre,
of the G3’s exceptional dynamic particularly in an early night party in a way they never could in SDR. the LG G3, with its deep black
range. scene, later in Poppy’s journey &GQF_JTK‫ܪ‬WJ\TWPXKTQQT\XQFYJW levels, higher peak whites than
9MJFSNRFYJI-)7‫ܪ‬QR to save her friends, and in the FXIT‫ܫ‬FXMJXTKGWNLMYSJXXYMFY any previous OLEDs, and superb
Trolls isn’t nearly as dramatic a GWNLMYQ^HTQTWJI‫ܪ‬SFQJ punctuate Mirabel’s pursuit of detail, sets a high bar for its
demo disc, but offers rich color, But it was another HDR10 Bruno in his hideaway. Film- competition.
Test Bench
For the control settings used here go to SDR/HD Peak Brightness Off, Gamma at BT.1886,
soundandvision.com. The measurements and Black Level at 50. In these settings the
were made using CalMAN measurement FULL-ON/FULL-OFF CONTRAST RATIO: peak white level was 360 nits. I did some
software from Portrait Displays, together 301,270:1 of my viewing at this setting, but later
with X-Rite i1Pro3 Plus and Klein’s K-10A In the Filmmaker Picture Mode, I began dropped down to 301.27 nits, the level used
color meters and a Fresco 6-G pattern with the OLED Pixel Brightness at 80, Adjust in the contrast ratio shown above. The black
generator from Murideo. Contrast at 90, Auto Dynamic Contrast and level there was 0.001 nits. The measured
SDR results differed little, apart from
peak brightness, in OLED Pixel Brightness
settings from 50 to 80.
At the higher 360 nits output level the
calibrated White Balance (grayscale) Delta E
values ranged from a high of 1.06 at 30% to
a low of 0.310 at 70%. The individual colors
(adjustable in the Color Fine Tune menu,
though such adjustments in SDR weren’t
needed here) ranged from a low of 0.393 in
red to a high of 1.58 in yellow.
(A Delta E below 3.0 is generally regarded
as indistinguishable from perfect by the
human eye.)
A Rec.709 Saturation Sweep, analyzing all
primary and secondary colors at saturation
levels from 20% to 100%, produced excellent
results. The G3 had excellent uniformity on a
full field white pattern, with no obvious sign
of the “dirty screen effect.”
HIGH DYNAMIC RANGE

(HDR10)
FULL-ON/FULL-OFF CONTRAST RATIO:
1,517,778 : 1
In the HDR10 Filmmaker Picture Mode,
with OLED Peak Brightness at 100, Adjust
Contrast at 100, Screen Brightness at 50, Auto
Dynamic Contrast Off, HDR Tone Mapping
On, and Peak Brightness set to High, the
peak brightness measured 1366 nits and the
black level 0.0009 nits. Our sample of last
year’s G2, under roughly the same conditions,
produced 925 nits.
The year before, our G1 measured 744
nits. That means that in two years LG’s

The Verdict
Today’s best HDTVs are sure to

more than satisfy even the most
critical buyer. That goes double
for 2023 LG’s G3. Despite a few
ergonomic quirks (a personal call,
to be sure), it makes a strong case
for itself as it jostles for the top of
the hill as the best 4K HDTV on
the market.
G-series OLED has achieved a remarkable nits at 100% (full field white). A color checker requirements from low brightness to
peak brightness increase. It also means test of a wide range of colors measured 2.2 maximum brightness, ranged from very
that with HDR sources peaking at 1000 maximum and 0.95 with luminance included, good to excellent—better, in fact than I’ve
nits, no Tone Mapping will be needed. With 0.8 average and 1.98 maximum without ever experienced in the past. The G3 also
material mastered at higher levels (there’s luminance. and 1. covered 93.5 % of REC.2020 color and 97.5%
no industry program source standard for The saturation sweeps, showing of P3 (all of the 4K consumer sources we’re
peak HDR brightness) the tone mapping how accurately each color follows the aware of are P3).
needed will be far less than in the past.
(The best LCD displays can still outperform
the G3 OLED in peak brightness, but their
advantage is now far less than it was two
years ago).
Before calibration, the grayscale Delta E’s
ranged from (0.5 at 40% and 50% ) to a high
of 1.8 at 70%. After calibration the low was
unmeasurable at 20% (next lowest 0.4 at
50%) and the high 1.3 at 30%.
The pre-calibration color Delta E (at 50%
stimulation) was a low of 0.4 in green and
a high of 2.4 in cyan. After calibration the
low was 0.3 in green and the high was 2.4 in
cyan (no other color was over 1.4). In truth
the before and after results for both white
balance and color differed slightly from one
run of measurements to another, but the
differences were so small that they might
well have been due to drift.
The peak white level at varying on-screen
window sizes measured 1400 nits from 1% to
19%, 600 nits at 25%, 400 nits at 50%, and 200
DIMENSIONS (WxHxD,
inches) 56.7 x 32.3 x 1.0
Specs (without stand)
WEIGHT (pounds): 52.7
VIDEO INPUTS: HDMI 2.1
(4, eARC on HDMI2), RF
Antenna)
AUDIO OUTPUTS: Optical digital
OTHER: USB 2.0, LAN (Ethernet), RS-232C
(mini-jack)

test report
JBL 4329P POWERED STUDIO MONITORS
RATING
PERFORMANCE
BUILD QUALITY
Studio Quality
By Daniel Kumin
ERGONOMICS
VALUE
HOW DO you know when an audio trend is more MNLMWJXTQZYNTSFZINTQNXYJSNSLJ]HJUYYMJRZXNH

than just a bandwagon? When America’s oldest :SUFHPXJYZUQTLNSYT^TZWSJY\TWPFSIGJ
MN‫ܪ‬GWFSIHQNRGXTSGTFWI >JX.PST\YMFY FSNSXYFSYFZINTUMNQJ&YQJFXYYMFYѣXYMJYMJTW^
/'1FSI0QNUXHM\JWJGTYMKTZSIJINS GJMNSIXZHMNRUWJXXN[JJ]FRUQJXFX0*+ѣX18
But JBL’s earliest incarnation goes back to the FSI0QNUXHMѣX9MJ3NSJX&SIST\/'1ѣX5
ѣX 8YZINT2TSNYTWX^XYJR
9MJYWJSI.ѣRYFQPNSLFGTZYNXѦOZXYUWJXX :SQNPJXJ[JWFQHTRUJYNYTWXNSHQZINSLYMJY\T
UQF^ѧXUJFPJWXXYWJFRWJFI^FHYN[JXUJFPJWX RJSYNTSJIFGT[J/'1ѣX5NXXYWNHYQ^F'WNSL
YMFYJRGTI^J[JW^YMNSL^TZSJJIKTWXJWNTZX >TZW4\S8YWJFRNSLXTQZYNTSYMJWJѣXSTUWTUWN-

etary streaming-quarterback 1/8th-inch mini-stereo jack. (A bit designed to work with the 4329P
app, such as KEF’s Connect or surprisingly, there are no stereo as well as the L82 Classic.
BluSound’s BluOS. Thus, whether unbalanced RCA inputs - a matter In an entirely wireless setup At a Glance
you choose to stream via Wi-Fi only of convenience, not function.) (other than the power cords) the
(via either the Apple AirPlay or The only output is a single RCA JBLs internal processing limit Outstanding sound
Chromecast protocols), Blue- Sub Out jack, which activates an is 96 kHz/24-bit, which is well quality, dynamic abilities
tooth, or wired-Ethernet, you’ll be -_MNUFXX‫ܪ‬QYJWTSYMJ/'1X beyond any realistic threshold of Deep bass extension
responsible for your own connec- when connected. audibility in my view. But wanting Subwoofer output
tions and setup. This is mostly Rear controls comprise a trio their full potential, after a brief
a matter of convenience/orga- of mini-switches serving input ZS\NWJIYWNFQ\MNHM\TWPJI‫ܪ‬SJ No music-data or volume
nization, since the proprietary- sensitivity marked -10/+4 dB I connected the two units via the display
streaming apps I’ve encountered (presumably dBV, a pro-world supplied CAT5/6 cable with which On the large side for
simply aggregate your streaming reference), left/right assign- they were packed, which opens up stand-mount use
services on a single page or two, ment for the main unit for setup resolution to 192/32. Price: $4500 (pr.)
using each’s wireless “casting” convenience, and bass contour Unfortunately, pinging the
www.jbl.com
ability as usual, much as an aggre- (0/-3 dB), about which more will JBLs from Roon popped up the
gating app like Flipboard or Apple follow. Two tiny pushbuttons are IWJFIJIѦѰSTY^JYHJWYN‫ܪ‬JIѧFQJWY
News combines news feeds. labeled Reset, Service, and Sync, so I had no way to stream fully
The 4329P—JBL’s naming the last matched by an identical hi-res content via my network, and which exploits the two aforemen-
system has been resolutely switch on the other speaker. JBL thus resorted to wired-USB from a tioned wireless protocols, which
numeric since about forever— states that the 4329P, which are Mac laptop for a few hi-rez tracks. they are.)
is a hefty powered two way: packaged (heavily!) in pairs, arrive The JBLs connected wirelessly As I said, initially I went with
8-inch woofer, and a patented pre-synched for wireless. via both Airplay and Chromecast no connections whatsoever,
horn-loaded 1-inch annular ring out of the box despite never streaming wirelessly from Roon a
diaphragm with phase plug SETUP & LISTENING showing up on my iPhone’s Wi-Fi few familiar tracks to get familiar
compression-driver tweeter. setup page. Wireless streaming with the JBLs. They impressed
\FYYXTKGZNQYNSFRUQN‫ܪ‬HF- Hefting the JBLs (bend the up to these protocols’ inherent me mightily right off the hop,
tion is apportioned 50/250w to knees!) onto a pair of adjustable limits—16/48 and 24/96 respec- but recordings richly endowed
tweeter and woofer. Visually, stands at their lowest, 26-inch tively—was good to go; I used with bass like James Taylor’s
likely by design, the 4329P’s height set the 4329P’s tweeters Chromecast via Roon for the Hourglass could sound a little
recall the classic JBL’s late-20th just about even with my everyday bulk of my listening. (Roon-iacs over-baked, at least with the
century studio monitors, from 3-way stand-mount monitors, to will grok the difference between speakers in my standard locations
whom they’re surely descended: which I planned to compare them. “Roon-Ready’’ full-res wired with about one meter spacing the
naked horn/tweeter, and a blue For permanent installations, JBL’s streaming, which the 4329P’s KWTSYGFK‫ܫ‬JXKWTRYMJ\FQQGJMNSI
\TTKJWGFK‫ܫ‬JGTFWIGJMNSIFIFWP TUYNTSFQ/8‫ܫ‬TTWXYFSIXFWJ aren’t quite yet and “Roon-Tested,” them. For one instance, in the
fabric grille. It’s a no-nonsense
mid-century-modern-ish look, and
I liked it. I left the woofer grilles off
for full visual effect, as I expect
most others would as well; the
tweeters, deeply recessed in their
rectangular horns where they
should be safe from anything
short of deliberate malice, are left
naked by design.
Around back each monitor
reveals a small vertical heatsink
serving the amps within. The main
ZSNYNX‫ܫ‬FSPJIG^FKZQQHTRUQJ-
ment of inputs and controls, while
the secondary unit only has a
Digital Link port in the form of a
CAT5/6 Ethernet jack. Both also
furnish IEC power-cable jacks,
and master-power rockers.
Back to the main unit: besides
the corresponding Link port,
there’s a second Ethernet jack for
wired network connection, and
optical and USB-B digital inputs,
balanced-line analog-stereo
inputs (XLR), and a single unbal-
anced stereo line Aux input on

test report
JBL 4329P POWERED STUDIO MONITORS
track “Jump Up Behind Me” there’s 100 years ago, and the 4329P JBL 4329P:NSHMHTSJ\TTKJWNSHM
a unison between a low C at about GJFWXYMJGFSSJW\NYMUWNIJѦ/FHP HTRUWJXXNTSIWN[JWY\JJYJW\NYM-).MTWS [JSYJI
35 Hz in the extended (5-string?) of Speed” from Steely Dan’s
electric bass and a very loose, Two Against Nature is one of the
Specs JSHQTXZWJ TSGTFWIFRUQN‫ܪ‬JWX\
UJWXUPW TSGTFWIGNYP-_)85UJWKTWRX
deep drum of some sort, that HQJFSJXYZQYWFUZSHM^WJHTWINSLX. HWTXXT[JWTYMJWKZSHYNTSX XUPWXUPW
sounded unnecessarily dominant know, and the JBLs were perfectly DIGITAL LINK:\NWJI\NWJQJXX
FSIJ[JSFGNY‫ܫ‬FGG^ happy playing this at studio NSUZYXFSFQTLXYJWJTGFQFSHJI=17ZSGFQRNSNOFHP9481.30
Setting the main unit’s Bass control-room monitoring levels, TUYNHFQINLNYFQ:8''FX^SHM 7/\NWJI*YMJWSJY<N+NXYWJFRNSL
Contour switch to the -3 dB posi- as these were understood back in 'QZJYTTYMFUY=YTP-_ 8ZG\TTKJWTZYUZYTSXNSLQJ7(&OFHP
tion cleared this up nicely: much the 70’s before we started thinking FZYTXJSXJMNUFXXFY-_ SFYN[JWJXTQZYNTS [NF
more than you’d guess a paltry about hearing loss, and doing TUYNHFQ
I'\TZQIJKKJHY9MFYѣXWTTR so with dramatic dynamics and CONTROLS KWTSYUFSJQRFNSZSNY;TQZRJ8TZWHJXJQJHY WJFW
FHTZXYNHXKTW^TZ UZSHM.SYMJNSYJWJXYTKXHNJSHJ. UFSJQ.SUZY8JSXNYN[NYÎ''TZSIFW^(TRUJSXFYNTS
With the baseline setup JSIZWJI JSOT^JIF[JWXJTWY\T I'17XJQJHY 7/\NWJINSYJWXUJFPJWUTWY &(UT\JW)NR
‫ܪ‬SNXMJI.XYFWYJIYMWT\NSLYWFHPX at average levels well north of 90 ]]NSHMJX QG JF
at the 4329P’s—more or less at dB SPL and thus peaks cresting
WFSITRџFSIYMJ/'1X‫ܪ‬JQIJI 105 dB or so, and the 4329P’s
J[JW^TSJTKYMJRQNPJ4__NJ8RNYM displayed no loss of clarity, dyna- bass compression kicks in to Putting all these factors
8Z_FSSJ;JLFѣXऄHFUUJQQFѦ9TRѣX mism, or bottom-end heft, despite KTWJXYFQQFRUQN‫ܪ‬JWHQNUUNSLTWIWN[JW YTLJYMJWNXGJXYOZILJI[NFFYWZQ^
Diner” is an icon of speaker-evals XSFWJIWZRXYWNPJXWN‫ܫ‬NSLFHWTXX damage, but if the JBLs were well-recorded, naturally balanced
for good reason: her bare alto R^XYZINTQNPJLZSXMTYX ITNSLXT.HTZQISѣYINXHJWSNY full-orchestra recording of a really
voice, closely recorded on the Usually, pushing digital-audio- Belà Fleck’s “Flight of the IJRFSINSLUNJHJ8MTXYFPT[NHMѣX
brink of sibilance is a stern test managed powered speakers Cosmic Hippo” is a favorite 13th symphony “Babi Yar”—really
for tweeter/woofer (or midrange) this far invokes a bit of bottom- lower-octaves ref of mine, and more of an oratorio, for bass,
FSIHWTXXT[JWX^XYJR.YѣXTSJYMJ octaves lightening, as “smart” YMJ/'1XFHJIYMNXYTT9MNX chorus, and large orchestra—
JBLs passed with ease: humorous track’s down- VZFQN‫ܪ‬JXNSXUFIJX.XYWJFRJI
initial consonants never sliding bass repeatedly a live reading of this memorial
popped excessively, Vega’s plumbs well below 40 Hz, to the Ukrainian victims of Nazi
prominent breath sounds and the 4329P’s delivered genocide by Muti and the Chicago
remained raspy but natu- nearly every Hz of it unat- Symphony and Chorus, which
rally so, and the plosives of tenuated, at least relative to won a best-engineered Grammy a
the last verse’s “Dit-dit-dit- my well-calibrated with-sub couple years ago, from Qobuz as a
dit…” stayed etched, but not ref system, which has been +1&(;NFYMJ/'1XYMNX[JW^
UTUU^ UWT[JI[JW^‫ܫ‬FYYTFWTZSI naturalistic recording stunned me
Another such is “Fast -_9MJQFXYVZFWYJWXJHTSI \NYMYMJLWJFYIJ‫ܪ‬SNYNTSTKNSXYWZ-
(FWѧKWTR9WFH^(MFURFSѣX or so of each such note gave ments and voices, letting the ear
IJGZYFQGZR-JWJ(MFU- ZUFXMFIJTKZQYWFQT\‫ܫ‬ZY- pick out individual voices from the
man’s fruity almost-tenor tery sub-bass massiveness, (mostly) men’s choral parts, and
matched the tonal balance but without direct compar- the dense, dark woodwinds—the
of my long-term monitors NXTS.ѣISJ[JWMF[JPST\S bass clarinet, for one example—of
very nearly perfectly, some- .SYMJSFRJTKYMTW- YMJIFWPXTRGJWTUJSNSL9MJ
YMNSL.ѣISTYMF[JJ]UJHYJI TZLMSJXX.HTSSJHYJIR^ brasses were plangent and spar-
from a horn-tweeter’d compact but sub-20 Hz sub kling, the choral consonants crisp
two-way a couple decades to the main 4329P’s Sub and, where appropriate, realisti-
FLT9MJ/'1XUWTOJHYJI OFHPFSIFKYJWHTS‫ܪ‬WRNSL cally sibilant, yet the Chicago’s
the heavily centered voice a that this did indeed kick in warm and gooey string sound was
foot or so more “out-front” FS-_MNLMUFXX‫ܪ‬QYJW \JQQJ[NIJSY
in a very involving way, to the JBLs’ reproduction, 9MJ5ѣXINISѣYXTZSIYT
but otherwise these two WJQNXYJSJIYTYMJYWFHP me as having much of a “house
superb designs were all but 9MJWJ\FXRTWJ\JNLMYYT curve”—that is, a slight rolloff over
NSINXYNSLZNXMFGQJ the very lowest moments, the top three or four octaves—
)TJX/'1XYFSIKTW and perceptibly more phys- but they never sounded bright
“Jeez, bloody loud!”? Prob- ical impact from deep-bass TWUZXM^3J[JWYMJQJXX.YWNJI
FGQ^STY /FRJX'1FSXNSL waves at very high volumes, dialing in a -2 dB curve, at 20 kHz
NSKFHYGZYNYHTZQIIT but the difference was very starting at 2 kHz, via Roon’s DSP
9MJ‫ܪ‬WRѣXFSI1FSXNSLѣX KFWKWTRIWFRFYNH:SQJXX EQ facility, and preferred this
predecessor designs for ^TZѣWJFHTS‫ܪ‬WRJIGFXX ‫ܫ‬F[TWNSLXQNLMYQ^FXUWTRTYNSLF
Altec have stood for clean head or dub/techno or pipe- more convincing, less highlighted
high-level dynamics since TWLFSIJ[TYJJ.ѣI\FLJWYMJ sound of Chicago’s Orchestra
they set the “talkie” movie- 4329P’s have enough bass, -FQQ&GNYXZWUWNXNSLQ^YMJ/'1XIT
theater standard nearly \MTJ[JW^TZFWJ STYNSHTWUTWFYJFS^JVZFQN_FYNTS

streaming/BT, volume/mute, and
XPNUXJFWHMFSIUQFÛFZXJKTW
streaming sources that conform
YT&NW5QF^TW(MWTRJHFXYUWTYT
cols—all three apps I tried (Qobuz,
Tidal, and Roon) responded
accordingly. On the front of the
main unit are found one tiny turn/
push knob for volume/mute, and
another that steps through the
inputs and activates Bluetooth
pairing when pushed. A tiny LED
on each speaker indicates power,
streaming, and pairing conditions,
with another for network status,
through various combinations
TKHTQTWXFSI‫ܫ‬FXMNSLX4SJ1*)
each resides above the 6 icons
representing the inputs/streaming
selections, but these are so small
^TZѣIMF[JYTGJWNLMYTSYTUTKYMJ
speakers with a magnifying glass
for them to prove useful.
&SIFXKFWFXZXJWNSYJWFHYNTS
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ZXJWFHHJXXNGQJ)85KTW*6
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HTWWJHYNTSTWFS^YMNSLJQXJ.YѣX
an opportunity missed in my
TUNSNTSџYMJ)85MFWI\FWJNX
already on board—but doubtless
JBL had their reasons. (One at
or treble trim functions (beyond least was likely to prevent users
the Bass Contour control already from screwing things up rather
mentioned), though to be fair most than improving them—always a
modern sources, hardware and/or WNXP\NYMYMJUT\JWTK)859MJ
software, will provide something /'1XKJFYZWJYMJZXZFQXQJJU
of this in some form. And again, I RTIJFSIFZYTTSWTZYNSJX\MNHM
INISTY‫ܪ‬SIYMJ5ѣXT[JW RFPJXYMNXFYWZQÔZXYUWJXXUQF^
bright at in my fairly well diffracted XTZSIX^XYJRFSIF[JW^‫ܪ‬SJTSJ
studio, but had to wonder if a /'1ѣXQFWLJXYFSIRTXYHFUFGQJ
MFWIJWRTWJWJ‫ܫ‬JHYN[JWTTR streaming speaker to date is,
would answer quite as well. from a purely audio perspective,
The JBLs did not conjure a an unreserved success. Even a
XZUJW\NIJTWѦXUFHJ^ѧXYJWJT YWNZRUM9MJ5ѣXXN_JQTTP
image, nor would I expect such FSIJWLTSTRNHX\TSѣYGJKTW
KWTRXZHMFINWJHYN[NY^HTSYWTQQJI everyone. Nor will its price; there
design, but they did create a are competitors for a third or so
solid illusion of depth, with real less that come close to equal
LWFIFYNTSXNSF[NWYZFQXJRNHNWHQJ ling their abilities, but none that I
extending mostly behind the know of betters them in all three
XUJFPJWX.YѣXFYWFIJTKKHTRRTS of tonal accuracy, bass extension,
YTRFS^RTSNYTWYÛJIJXNLSX and lifelike dynamics at realistic
and a fair exchange, I felt, for the playback volumes. If you pass the
5ѣXTZYXYFSINSLUWJHNXNTS FGT[JVZFQN‫ܪ‬HFYNTSXYMJ^FWJF
FSIIJ‫ܪ‬SNYNTS RZXYMJFW
THE HANDS-ON STUFF

The Verdict
JBL supplies a small remote
MFSIXJY\NYMYMJ5ѣX9MNX Big, powerful, flexible, dynamic,
UWT[NIJX[TQZRJRZYJINWJHY and all-around-excellent stream-
access keys for each input/ ing loudspeakers.

FIFTY YEARS ON, PINK FLOYD’S THE DARK SIDE OF THE MOON REMAINS ONE OF THE MOST IMPOR-
TANT AUDIOPHILE-FAVORITE RECORDINGS OF THE ROCK ERA. HERE’S WHY IT WILL CONTINUE TO
ENDURE, LONG AFTER WE’VE ALL GONE ON TO JOIN THE GREAT GIG IN THE SKY. By Mike Mettler
Well, I don’t know whether I’m allowed to say what we’re doing—but I certainly think
we’ll do something. It would be silly not to.” That’s Pink Floyd drummer Nick Mason,
responding somewhat cheekily to my inevitable question regarding the then-impending
50th anniversary of The Dark Side of the Moon during a September 2022 Zoom call.
Fact is, it’s not hard to understand Mason’s caginess in that moment, given the Pink
+QTÎHFRUWFWJQ^QF^XIT\SFS^HFWIXYMFYKFWFMJFITKFS^HTSHWJYJHTS‫ܪ‬WRFYNTSTK
their full-court-press anniversary-release announcements. Besides, Mason knows
(as do we all, really) that The Dark Side of the Moon is one of the most listened to,
Photo © Hipgnosis, Pink Floyd Music Ltd.
most analyzed, most discussed, longest charting, and best-selling recordings of the
rock era—and it’s also been well acknowledged as a decades-long audiophile-favorite
recording in regard to the aural content of both its two-
channel representation on vinyl and its multichannel mixes on SACD and Blu-ray.
Released 50 years ago on March 1, 1973 by Harvest it the UK and Capitol in the U.S., The Waters (left) and Gilmour,
Dark Side of the Moon not only ushered in a more precise, prog-rock-centric sonic template backstage during sunnier
for what the psychedelically inclined music of Pink Floyd ultimately evolved into for the times on Pink Floyd’s
balance of the ensuing decade—but it also coalesced all the necessary elements required Dark Side UK Tour.


for creating the most perfect concept album, and/or marbled/scarved componentry that stereo mixes of the core album. You also get
KWTRYMJ[JW^‫ܪ‬WXYMJFWYGJFYKFIJNSMJFWIFY was part of the September 2011 Dark Side: a 160-page hardback book with rare photos
the outset of the Side 1 opener “Speak to Me” Immersion box set. What this new Dark Side from the band’s 1972-75 tours, a 76-page
YTYMJ‫ܪ‬SFQMJFWYGJFYKFIJTZYFYYMJJSITKYMJ box set does include are 2CDs and 2LPs music-notation book of the original album, two
8NIJHQTXJWѦ*HQNUXJѧ with parallel content (i.e., the remastered 7-inch singles on the Harvest label (“Money”
And now, 50 years on, Pink Floyd have gone original studio Dark SideTSYMJ‫ܪ‬WXY()FSI b/w “Any Colour You Like,” and “Us and Them”
all-in—well, mostly all-in, but I’ll explain that in LP, and the 1974 live Dark Side on the second b/w “Time”), and more in a truly oversized all-
a moment—on The Dark Side of the Moon’s CD and LP); 1BD including Dolby Atmos and GQFHPGT]YMFYRJFXZWJX]]ԌNSHMJX
golden jubilee celebration with a physically 24-bit/192kHz stereo (uncompressed), and (w/h/d)—which is (all you shelving-challenged
hefty and indeed quite pricey 50th Anniver- DTS-HD MA stereo mixes of the core Dark Side audiophiles out there, take note!) physically
XFW^1NRNYJI*INYNTS)JQZ]JGT]XJYKWTR5NSP album; 1BD with 24/96 5.1 (uncompressed), bigger than most other Pink Floyd box sets to
Floyd Records/Sony Music. For those who 24/192 stereo (uncompressed), DTS-HD MA date. In terms of the box set’s visual-design
are wondering—no, this new box set does not 5.1, and DTS-HD MA stereo mixes of the core details, the 2023 creative director is Aubrey
house the comparable bonus audio, video, album; and 1DVD with those same 5.1 and Powell/Hipgnosis (who, along with the late
great Storm Thorgerson, were responsible for
most of Pink Floyd’s innovative art direction
over the years), with design and art direction
by Peter Curzon/StormStudios, and the overall
50th anniversary concept and design by
Pentagram. The box’s SRP is indeed a steep
$300—the typical going rate for comparable
historical Pink Floyd boxes with this kind of
heft to them.
The 180g Dark Side LP is a 2023 remaster
by James Guthrie along with Joel Plante, as
done at das boot recording. This LP appears
in a gatefold sleeve with the original posters
and stickers included, and it’s currently only
available in the box set. The second 180g LP,
The Dark Side of the Moon – Live at Wembley
Empire Pool, London, 1974, was recorded
in November 1974 and engineered by Brian
Humphries with Phill Brown. It was mixed by
Andy Jackson as assisted by Damon Iddins,
and mastered by Andy Jackson at Tube
Mastering. The live LP also comes in a gate-
KTQIXQJJ[J\NYMY\TUTXYJWXFSINYѣXYMJ‫ܪ‬WXY
TK‫ܪ‬HNFQFUUJFWFSHJTKYMJ*RUNWJ5TTQ
concert on vinyl, as it was only previously avail-
able on CD in the aforementioned Immersion
box set. In this case, however, Live at Wembley
Empire Pool is also available for separate
purchase on both LP and CD.
Left: Photo © Jill Furmanovsky. Above right: Photo © Hipgnosis, Pink Floyd Music Ltd.
For us immersive audio lovers, the included
Dolby Atmos mix on its own Blu-ray—newly
done by James Guthrie and assisted by Joel
Plante—builds upon what we’ve heard in the
5.1 mix Guthrie did for the 2003 Capitol SACD,
the Blu-ray in the 2011 Immersion box set, and
the remastered 2021 Analogue Sounds SACD.
The good news is, the all-new Atmos mix lets
Dark Side breathe (to borrow a word) even
more in terms of its height-channel elements,
such as the recurrent pinballing of the cash
register effects in “Money,” the better clarity
of the various spoken-word soundbites all
throughout the album (which more often than
STYUWJ[NTZXQ^FUUJFWJIFXRZK‫ܫ‬JIJQJRJSYX
and the stacked vocal blends on the choruses
of “Us and Them.”
1 Musically speaking, the broader scope
of the 360-degree synthesizer oscillations,

YMJHMFSSJQXMZK‫ܫ‬NSLKTTYXYJUX
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RNLMYIZWNSLYMJIJSTZJRJSYTKFS
FHYNTSYMWNQQJW2JFS\MNQJYMJ[TQZRJ
X\JQQTKYMJRZQYNQF^JWJIHQTHPFQFWRX
LTNSLTKKNSYMJNSYWTYMJYMZSIJWTZX
UT\JWHMTWIXYMJYTRYTR\TWPTZY
FSIJ]UFSXN[JPJ^GTFWISTTIQNSLXTS
Ѧ9NRJѧSTYYTRJSYNTSYMJFGXTQZYJQ^
blisteringLZNYFWXTQTXJHYNTSXTS
Ѧ2TSJ^ѧFQQHFWW^RZHMRTWJ\JNLMY
FSIMF[JZSIJSNFGQ^NSHWJINGQJT[JWFQQ
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TSGZYYMJGTYYTRQNSJNXYMNXџ/FRJX
,ZYMWNJѣX&YRTXRN]KTWThe Dark Side
of the MoonNXXMFUNSLZUYTGJthe 2
GJSHMRFWPRFS^TKZXMF[JGJJS
WF[NSLFSIIWTTQNSLFGTZYLJYYNSLTZW 1) Gilmour (left) HFQQNSLKTWZXFQQQJYѣXST\YZWSYMNSLX KZQQ^TQIXHMTTQNSYMJ\F^MJMFIHTRJ
MFSIXTSKTW\JQQIJHFIJX and Waters find T[JWYTYMWJJTKYMJRNLMY^RJRGJWXTK ZUFXFSFXXNXYFSYFSIFSFUUWJSYNHJ
)ZWNSLYMJUFXYUQZX^JFWX.ѣ[J themselves well 5NSP+QTÎFQTSL\NYMFXHTWJTKYMJNW *SLNSJJWXSJ[JWXYFWYJINSWTHP WTQQ
FXPJIHTZSYQJXXRZXNHNFSX\MFYYMJ^ in tune during the KJQQT\RZXNHNFSXFSIUWTIZHJWXFQNPJYT NSYMTXJIF^XџFSIYMJ^\JWJRFIJ
YMNSPFGTZYThe Dark Side of the Moon Dark Side UK YJQQYMJJSIZWNSLYFQJTKThe Dark Side of YTJINYYFUJ\NYMXHNXXTWX HMZHPQJX
FSIYMJS.ѣ[JIZQ^‫ܪ‬QJIYMJNWFSX\JWX Tour. 2) The the MoonFXTSQ^YMJ^HFSThere is no .YMNSPYMJNIJF\NYMYMJXHNXXTWX\FX
F\F^KTWFMNXYTWNHFQWJYWTXUJHYN[J four-man Pink dark side of the moon, really / Matter of YMJ^\JWJQJXXUWTSJYTHFZXJFS^
J[JSYZFQNY^XZHMFXYMNXTSJ4[JW Floyd lineup fact, it’s all dark IFRFLJTWYTIJRFLSJYN_JYMJYFUJTS
YMFYYNRJXUFS.FQXTRFIJXZWJYT stretch out on Nick Mason࣢ 5NSP+QTÎѣXHTKTZSINSL YMJRFHMNSJ.Y\FXYMJGJLNSSNSLTK
LJY‫ܪ‬WXYMFSIHTRRJSYXKWTRYMWJJ the Dark Side IWZRRJW<JMF[JYTLN[JFSJSTW- YWFHP\NYMNSHMYFUJ5QZXUJTUQJ
TKYMJKTZWGFSIRJRGJWX\MTRFIJ UK tour, replete RTZXYJXYFRJSYYT*2.KTWNSXYFQQNSL J]UJHYJIYMJWJYTGJFKFNWFRTZSYTK
the Dark SideFQGZRџSFRJQ^YMJ with expected ZXFY&GGJ^7TFI8YZINTXYTITTZW YFUJIJYJWNTWFYNTSFS^\F^
FGT[JSTYJIIWZRRJW3NHP2FXTS videoscreen WJHTWINSL.Y\FXXTRJYMNSLYMFYXNRUQ^ 4SѦ'WJFYMJѧ\MFY\JINI‫ܪ‬WXY
GFXXNXY[THFQNXY7TLJW<FYJWXFSI surveillance. MFISѣYHWTXXJIFS^TSJѣXRNSIXZSYNQ \FXYMJGFXXFSIIWZRXYTLJYMJW
LZNYFWNXY[THFQNXY)F[NI,NQRTZW8FIQ^ 3) The whole FGTZYTWџYTѦMTXYѧFUWTOJHY <J\JWJQTTPNSLKTWFRFXYJWYWFHP
PJ^GTFWINXY7NHMFWI<WNLMYUFXXJI kit and kaboodle YMFYQTSLNSTSJUQFHJ3TTSJIWJFRY FSIYMJWJѣIFQ\F^XGJLZNIFSHJKWTR
F\F^NSGJKTWJ\JJ[JWMFIF for the Dark Side TKXUJSINSLFS^QTSLJWNSYMJXYZINT )F[J@,NQRTZWBFSI7NHP@<WNLMYBOZXY
HMFSHJYTHTS[JWXJџGZYFYQJFXY.LTY 50th Anniversary YMFSFKJ\MTZWXGFHPYMJSGJHFZXJ YTLJYYMJRTTIWNLMY&QRTXYFQQYMJ
YTXJJ5NSP+QTÎ\NYM<WNLMY,NQRTZW box set. ^TZINIYMJXJXXNTSXџFSIYMFY\FX YNRJ\JѣIITYMJIWZRXFSFQTLJ[JS
FSI2FXTSNSYT\UQF^NSLThe Dark Side NY.YMNSPYMFYѣXTSJTKYMJWJFXTSXYMJ \MJS\JѣILTYYJSKZQQYWFHPINLNYFQ
of the MoonYTLJYMJWNSNYXJSYNWJY^FX FQGZRMTQIXZU RFHMNSJX9MJNIJF\FXYTUZYYMJ
YMJKZQQXJHTSIXJYFY,NFSYX8YFINZR >JX.WJHTWIJIRÎWZRX‫ܪ‬WXY@\MJS IWZRXIT\STSYWFHPFSIYMJS\JѣI
NS*FXY7ZYMJWKTWI3J\/JWXJ^TS/ZQ^ YMJ࣢Dark Side࣢XJXXNTSXLTYZSIJW\F^NS MNIJYMFYF\F^ZSYNQ\JHFRJYTRN]
9MFYSNLMYNSYMJSTXJGQJJI BGJKTWJTYMJWUFWYXTKYMJXTSLX YNRJ
XJHYNTSFYYMJGFHPTKYMJXYFINZR\FX \JWJHTRUQJYJI9MFY\FXFSTYMJWJWF Roger Waters HTKTZSINSLKTWRJW
NSIJJITSJJ]HJUYNTSFQQ^FRF_NSLQN[J JSYNWJQ^\FXSѣYNY$<JѣILTYYJS&QFS GFXXNXY[THFQNXYTK5NSP+QTÎLJSJW-
VZFIJ]UJWNJSHJ.ѣQQSJ[JWKTWLJY 5FWXTSXTSGTFWIG^YMJSFXTZWJSLN- FQQ^HTSXNIJWJIYTGJDark Side’XHMNJK
'JKTWJYMJLWJFYLNLNSYMJXP^HTRJX SJJW-J\FXWJFQQ^YJHMSNHFQџ\TSIJW- FWHMNYJHY9MJ‫ܪ‬WXYYMNSLFS^TKZXMJFW
NXTZWRTYMJWѣXMJFWYGJFYџFSIYMFYѣX
\MFY^TZMJFW‫ܪ‬WXYTSThe Dark Side
of the Moon<MJS.INIѦ1FYJ-TRJ
9TSNLMY5FWY.ѧ@TSMNX8JUYJRGJW
XTQTFQGZRTS(TQZRGNFAmused to
DeathB^TZLJYYMJMJFWYGJFYFLFNS
>TZLJYYMFYXTZSI@RNRJXFMJFWYGJFY
XQT\NSLIT\SBFXYMJ\TRFSѣXI^NSL.Y
\FXKZSRFPNSLYMFY
<MJS.INIѦ:XFSI9MJRѧFSI
Ѧ2TSJ^ѧKTWYMJ12.12.12 Concert for
Sandy Relief@\MNHM\FXQFYJWWJQJFXJI
TS);)FSI()XG^(TQZRGNFNS
B.MFI.FS7NYHMNJUQF^NSLYMJMTWS
3
@4SYMJTWNLNSFQDark SideFQGZR)NHP

5FWWÛQF^JIYMJXF]TUMTSJUFWYXNSYMJY\T HMFSHJYTRN]࣢The Dark Side of the Moon࣢NS TSXMJUMJWINSLYMJXTZSITK࣢The Dark Side
XTSLX<FYJWXWJKJWXYTMJWJB.Y\FXKFSYFXYNH XZWWTZSI$࣢.ѣIRFPJNYSTYXTZSIQNPJXYJWJTTS of the Moon – Live at Wembley Empire Pool,
YTMJFWYMTXJYJSTWUFWYXUQF^JIFLFNSQN[J. four speakers. (chuckles) London, 1974)<JMFIFQTYTKYMNSLXYT‫\]ܪ‬NYM
YMTZLMYѦ<T\YMFYѣXWJFQQ^LWJFYѧ9MJ^ѣWJXT James Guthrie \MTINIYMJFKTWJRJSYNTSJI that one. We actually looked at this recording
JFX^YTUQF^FSI.KJQYNY\FXHTTQFXFTSJTKK Dark SideRN]FSIYMJHZWWJSYџFSIYWZQ^ RTWJYMFSFIJHFIJTWXTFLTFSIIJHNIJI\J
TSJSNLMYYMNSL.PSJ\MT\NY\TWPJI XYJQQFWџ)TQG^&YRTXRN] YMFYѣXTS'QZWF^NS couldn’t use it because of technical problems.
'JHFZXJ.ѣ[JGJJS\WNYNSL@RZXNHBKTWXT YMJSJ\GT]XJY<MJS.INIYMJNSNYNFQRN] 9JHMSTQTL^MFXHTRJFQTSL\F^XNSHJYMJS
QTSLFSIUJTUQJWJHTLSN_JR^XY^QJ.ѣRSTY The Dark Side of The MoonUWJXJSYJINYXT\S XT\J\JWJFGQJYTWJGZNQIYMJXYZKKYMFY\FXSѣY
XZWJYMJ^\TZQI\FSYRJYT\WNYJY\TMTZWX ZSNVZJHMFQQJSLJXџGTYMRZXNHFQQ^FSIYJHMSN there.
of stuff nobody’s ever heard before, and then HFQQ^џGJHFZXJ.IJHNIJIYTLTGFHPYTFS A lot of the sound effects—the footsteps,
LTTZYFSIITNYQN[J.HTRUQJYJQ^ZSIJWXYFSI JFWQNJWLJSJWFYNTSTKRZQYNYWFHPYFUJXYMFY\JWJ YMJJ]UQTXNTSXFSIFQQYMFYXYZKK^TZMJFWNSYMJ
XTRJUJTUQJ\TZQI\FSYYTMJFWXTRJSJ\ SJ[JWNSYJSIJIYTX^SHMWTSN_J\NYMYMJ‫ܪ‬SFQ XMT\џHFRJKWTRYFUJIJHPXNSYMJKWTSYTK
XYZKKџUFWYNHZQFWQ^NKNYѣXLTYHTSYJ]Y9MJ^LJY [JWXNTS2ZXNHFQQ^YMJHMFQQJSLJX\NYMYMFY house. But a lot of that hadn’t been recorded
YMFY.K.ѣR\WNYNSLFSJ\XTSLYMFYHFSLTNSYT FQGZR\JWJYWNHP^GJHFZXJYMJ\TWPNXNSIJQ onto the live master tapes. We could hear
FQN[JXJY\NYMѦ:XFSI9MJRѧѦ2TSJ^ѧTWFS^ ibly printed on so many people’s minds, and things spilling into the audience mikes, but
number of songs from Dark Side of the Moon— YMJ^J]UJHYFUFWYNHZQFWJRTYNTSFQWJXUTSXJ \JINISѣYMF[JYMJTWNLNSFQXNLSFQ8T\J\JSY
FS^TKYMJXYZKKUJTUQJ\FSYYTMJFWFSI\FSY 9MJRN]had to be faithful to the original back and found the original tapes used for the
YTWJRJRGJWџNYFQQ‫ܪ‬YXXNRUQ^GJHFZXJNY XYJWJTRN]FSIIJQN[JWFYQJFXYYMJJVZN[F XMT\FSIUZYYMJRGFHPNS[JW^QFGTWNTZXQ^.Y
all comes from the same beating heart. The lent—or hopefully an even better—emotional \FXXJQKJ[NIJSY\MFYSJJIJIYTGJITSJ.ѣ[J
same bleeding, beating heart. (smiles) QNXYJSNSLJ]UJWNJSHJ<MNQJRN]NSLNS.ѣR been in this organization for a long time—since
David Gilmour (Pink Floyd guitarist/lead WJLZQFWQ^HTRUFWNSL\MFY.ѣRITNSLYTYMJ WNLMYFKYJWYMJRT[NJTK࣢The Wall࣢HFRJTZY@NS
vocalist, on the satisfaction of hearing Dark TWNLNSFQXYJWJTRN]YTRFPJXZWJNYNXFHMNJ[NSL BџXT\MJSNYHTRJXYTYMJQN[JXMT\X.
SideNSXZWWTZSIXTZSI.YMNSPYMFYTSJHFRJ the desired result. You can’t resort to trickery. know\MFYYMJ^XTZSIQNPJ.YѣXSTYQNPJ\J\JWJ
TZYWJFQQ^WJFQQ^\JQQ+FSYFXYNHFQQ^\JQQ/FRJX 9MJRN]RZXY\TWPRZXNHFQQ^‫ܪ‬WXYџYMJS^TZ \TWPNSL\NYMSJ\RFYJWNFQ\MJWJYMJWJNXSѣYF
@,ZYMWNJBFSI.INIYWFSXFYQFSYNHRN]NSLKTWNY can try out all the theatrics. HQJFWNIJFTK\MFYNYNXZSYNQ^TZѣ[JRFIJNY
-JXJSYMNXRN]JXYTRJNS*SLQFSIKWTRMNX .QNPJYMFY\JST\MF[JFSNSHWJFXJIXUFYNFQ We could hear the sound effects in the
XYZINTNS1FPJ9FMTJFSI.XJSYGFHPHTUNTZX KJJQ\MNQJXYNQQWJYFNSNSLYMJRZXNHFQNSYJLWNY^TK 5&џQNPJYMJWFHNSLHFWSTNXJXYMFYFWJSѣY
notes. And, believe me, that thing came back a band playing in a room. When you dismantle on the studio record, and other things like
and forth across the Atlantic a number of The Dark Side of The Moon, you recognize YMFYџGZY\JHTZQISѣY‫ܪ‬SIFS^YFUJXTKYMJR
times. (laughs) the brilliance of the musical arrangements. +TWYZSFYJQ^NY\FXXTQTZINSYMJWTTRYMFY
5NSP+QTÎ\FXFQ\F^XFGTZYXZWWTZSI There’s a blend of guitars and keyboards, often YMJ^\JWJXUNQQNSLNSYTYMJFZINJSHJRNPJX YMJ^
XTZSI<J\JWJITNSLQN[JVZFIWFUMTSNH playing in the same register and often through OZXYXTZSIJIINXYFSY+TWѦ4SYMJ7ZSѧ.HTZQI
XTZSIWNLMYKWTR\MJS.OTNSJIYMJGFSINS 1JXQNJXFSI:SN;NGJX\MNHMHWJFYJXFGJFZ afford to have the audience mikes up really
џFSIFQTYTKTZWFQGZRXQNPJ࣢Dark Side, YNKZQ\FYJW^XTZSI QTZI\MNHMFHYZFQQ^RFIJNYXTZSI[JW^RZHM
\JWJGFXJITSJQJRJSYXYMFY\JWJFQWJFI^ 'JNSLLN[JSYMJTUUTWYZSNY^YTWJFUUWTFHM like the record. But putting the audience mikes
NSYJLWFYJINSYTTZWXMT\:SKTWYZSFYJQ^FY XZHMNRUTWYFSYUNJHJXTK\TWP@NSYJWRX ZUYTLJYYMFYPNSITK[NGJ\NYMNYFQXTRFIJNY
YMJYNRJ\J\JWJSѣYFGQJYTITYMJVZFIRN] TKGTYMFSIQFYJWNS&YRTXBNXFLWJFY feel like being in a big hall.
ourselves, though Alan Parsons did do one privilege. You have so many creative options. The audience didn’t make much noise—but
himself, didn’t he? This music really lends itself to the surround they did make some. You’re kind of uncon
Alan Parsons \MTJSLNSJJWJIYMJTWNLNSFQ J]UJWNJSHJ5NSP+QTÎ\JWJJFWQÛNTSJJWXTK XHNTZXQ^F\FWJTKYMFYFSINYRFPJX^TZKJJQ
Dark SideFQGZRFY&GGJ^7TFI8YZINTX YMJVZFIWTUMTSNHQN[JXMT\XTYMNXNXFSFYZWFQ QNPJ^TZѣWJFYFLNL.YMTZLMYNY\FXNRUTWYFSY
6ZFI\FXJFWQ^XZWWTZSIFSINXXY progression for them. To be able to create the YMFYNYKJJQQNPJFLNL.YѣXFUWJYY^FHHZWFYJQN[J
HJSYZW^XZWWTZSIџFSINYѣXFQ\F^XYMJJKKJHY^ feeling of being truly enveloped and immersed UJWKTWRFSHJ>TZPST\.\FXNSYMJFZINJSHJ
YMNSLXYMFY\TWPYMJGJXYNSXZWWTZSI5NSP by their music is great fun. YMFYSNLMY.Y\FXYMJTSQ^YNRJ.J[JWUFNIYT
+QTÎ\JWJITNSLYMFYNSYMJNWXMT\XNSYMJ Andy Jackson (longtime Pink Floyd and XJJYMJR QFZLMXXT.ѣRTSYMJWJHTWINSL
ѣX<MFY\TZQI.ITINKKJWJSYQ^NK.MFIYMJ )F[NI,NQRTZWJSLNSJJWFSIQN[JRN]RFXYJW XTRJ\MJWJ&HYZFQQ^NYѣXVZNYJSNHJYTGJFGQJ
4 5 6

to work on the stuff that predates me working
with them—and this project felt like a missing
HTRUTSJSY\FXKZQ‫ܪ‬QQJI
Steven Wilson (Porcupine Tree mastermind,
and the once and future surround sound and
Atmos guru, on what Pink Floyd has meant
YTMNRT[JWYMJ^JFWX<MJS.\FXFPNI‫ܪ‬WXY
discovering the magic of music, what made
the biggest impression on me about Pink
Floyd was the idea that an album could be a
musical continuum or journey. It wasn’t just
about writing ten songs and throwing them
together on two sides of vinyl—it was as much
FGTZYYMJFWHMNYJHYZWJFSI‫ܫ‬T\TKYMJRFYJWNFQ
They may not have been the only ones doing
this, but they did it better than anyone else,
perhaps because it was done without losing
quality control in the songwriting department.
You could take individual sections or songs 7
out of the context of the album, and they still

sounded fantastic. The lyrics and concepts 4) The original 1973 album. 5) The new the Moon): Pink Floyd are very punk rock in a
were always thoughtful and deep without artwork for the 1974 Live LP and CD. 6) QTYTK\F^XџNSYJWRXTKMT\YMJ^‫ܪ‬WXYHFRJ
being pretentious, and universal enough to The “all dark” cover for the 2023 box set. together and couldn’t play their instruments
resonate with almost anyone, right down to an 7) Pink Floyd very well—and they just made the music they
8-year-old kid overhearing his dad playing The could make and believe in. Even the way they
Dark Side of the Moon album. Even at that age, the album just comes back at you again with changed, from the ’60s Syd Barrett era to
I could understand and relate to the sentiment another great solo, or those waves of musi- Dark Side in 1973—they became a completely
of songs like “Money” and “Time.” cality that keep coming through. Listening to different-sounding group in not that many
Ultimately, the material was very simple and Dark Side now, it’s still such a fantastic record. years. To think they were constantly looking to
melodic, and the grand design or musician- I wish I had recorded it! (laughs heartily) do and try new things was always inspiring—
ship was never allowed to get in the way of a Joe Satriani (extreme guitar maestro, on his especially the aspects that we embraced as a
great tune, such that the best Floyd records coming late to the Dark Side parade): It took group early in our career, such as the visuals
strike a seemingly impossible balance me a while to get into The Dark Side of the and the strobe lights.
between being epic/ambitious and uncon- Moon, because I was focusing on listening One thing that’s always impressed me about
trived/effortless. Going hand in hand with all to other music than some of my friends at their music is how overjoyed people are when
of this, you had the perfect visual equivalent that time did—the ones who were really into they hear it. It’s different from just listening
of the music in the record sleeves, which YMFYFQGZR&Y‫ܪ‬WXY.FXXTHNFYJINYRTWJ\NYM to music—it’s loving the music. You’re feeling
IJJRUMFXN_JIYMJHZQYTKUJWXTSFQNY^NS a lifestyle choice, you know what I mean? the actual effects. My cousin Dennis [Coyne]
favor of a kind of intellectual cool. From Floyd (chuckles) and my brother—his dad—are good examples
more than anyone, I learned the importance But, of course, I started to appreciate of that. You couldn’t be more changed by the
of the relationship between the music and the later on, after I had started making my own music than they were. I see it all the time from
presentation—and that the creative process records. I could then sit down and separate people who come up to me after our shows
does not end with the music but carries the social attitude of certain Pink Floyd fans and say how much we affect them. There are
through to the record sleeve, the live show, from the actual band. I could sit there and thousands of groups who would consider
and the whole visual identity of the artist. go, “David Gilmour—wow. Like, wow!” That’s themselves little brothers of Pink Floyd—and
Richard Chycki (producer/engineer for when I began truly appreciating the album, the we’re glad to be one of them.
progressive-leaning bands like Rush and musicianship, and the approach to playing— The Dark Side of the Moon is mysterious.
Dream Theater, on what Dark Side did for the FSI.‫ܪ‬SFQQ^WJFQN_JIMT\\TSIJWKZQNY\FX. It’s otherworldly. People tend to forget this—
scope and promise of how bands recorded KJJQQNPJ.WJFQQ^GJSJ‫ܪ‬YJIKWTRYMFYJ]UJWNJSHJ before them, no one did music like that. Pink
music in the rock era): The Dark Side of the because I connected with The Dark Side of the +QTÎFWJFRF_NSLQ^TWNLNSFQ9MJRZXNHYMJ^
Moon incorporated both musical elements and Moon in a different way. made with Syd Barrett was totally original, and
effects, and that was the perfect combination For example, I love the chord sequence in the music they made after Syd was insanely
KTWNYXIF^.YѣXTSJTKYMJ‫ܪ‬WXYFQGZRX\MJWJ Ѧ:XFSI9MJRѧGJHFZXJNYѣXVZNYJZSNVZJ.‫ܪ‬SI original. They didn’t just think of music as
YMJGFSIHTZQIXF^Ѧ<JѣWJLTNSLYTHWJFYJF the real artistry is in the harmony—the chord music—they thought of it as sound.
mood, and we’re going to use instruments, structure—and everything else goes on top of Nick Mason (Pink Floyd’s drummer returns, to
voices, effects, sounds, and non-musical YMFY9MJRZXNHHTRJX‫ܪ‬WXYFSIJ[JW^YMNSL \WFUYMNSLXZUFSILN[JZXYMJ‫ܪ‬SFQDark Side
sounds—but do all of it in rhythm.” It was else comes after it. HZY.YѣXF\TSIJWNSF\F^YMFY࣢The Dark Side
The Record. It was the template for how you Wayne Coyne (frontman for The Flaming of the Moon࣢HFRJTZYXT\JQQ<MJS.YMNSP
Photo © Jill Furmanovsky
achieve mood. Yes, it gets really dense at Lips, whose band covered Dark Side from back to when we recorded it—the number of
certain points, but there’s also economy in it. XYFWYYT‫ܪ‬SNXMFQTSLXNIJFKJ\XJQJHYKWNJSIX passes the drum tracks and most of the instru-
You can also decompress when you’re on December 2009’s The Flaming Lips and ments on that record took, the things that
listening to it. You have something that’s Stardeath and White Dwarfs With Henry were opened up and redone, and all the rest of
[JW^[JW^_JS>TZWGTI^WJQF]JXџFSIYMJS Rollins and Peaches Doing The Dark Side of NYџYMJJSIWJXZQYNXYWZQ^FRF_NSL

reviews
REFERENCE
RATINGS
EXCELLENT
entertainment GOOD
FAIR
POOR
ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT

NSFXNYHFSGJKTWJFS^HJFXJ‫ܪ‬WJ.QFZIYMNXFX
an example of modifying the original source
for the better as it serves to underscore
the story’s message of the futility of war.
Remarque’s anti-war theme and the notion
of an impossible peace still strike a resonant
HMTWIYTIFÔZXYFXNYINIZUTSYMJGTTPѣX
publication almost a century ago.
All Quiet on the Western Front is a visually
and aurally stunning masterpiece that drives
its point home brilliantly. The movie was
shot on a variety of Arri, RED and Sony digital
cameras in 6.5K and 4.5K and is brought to
0:QYWF-)INXHKWTRF0INLNYFQNSYJWRJ-
diate framed at 2.39:1 in a HEVC 2160p
Dolby Vision encodement. The image leaves
nothing to be desired and is a noticeable
NRUWT[JRJSYT[JWYMJ3JY‫ܫ‬N]0XYWJFR<J
get a clean, crisp image with extended depth
TK‫ܪ‬JQIFSIYJ]YZWJXNSHQTYMNSLINWYFSI
skin that look tactile. The Dolby Vision high
dynamic range supplies brilliant pop in the
colors that stand out against the desaturated
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scenes. Elsewhere, we get dimensionality and
dazzling specular highlights in lamplight and
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video release.
25.UWT[NIJXF,JWRFS)TQG^&YRTX
mix (an English dub is included in DTS-HD
fter several Hollywood adaptations for Master Audio 5.1) that is staggering, dynamic
both the big and small screens, Edward and bombastic almost from the get-go.
'JWLJWNXST\YMJ‫ܪ‬WXY,JWRFSINWJHYTW If you want to hear and even feel what it
to adapt his countryman Erich Maria might have been like to be in the trenches,
Remarque’s anti-war novel All Quiet on the then this mix will supply that experience.
Western Front. Here, Paul Bäumer (Felix Overhead speakers carry an abundance of
0FRRJWJWNXF^TZSL,JWRFSRFS\MT atmospherics, the boom, boom, boom of
‫ܪ‬SIXMNRXJQKHFZLMYZUNSYMJUFYWNTYNH shells hitting overhead as soldiers shelter
KJW[TWTK<TWQI<FW.,JWRFS^FSIFQTSL in the dugouts, in addition to the swell of
with his friends, enlists in the military to Volker Bertelmann’s Oscar-winning score.
‫ܪ‬LMY:UTSFWWN[NSLFYYMJ<JXYJWS+WTSY The surround channels do a lot of work as
against France, Paul and his friends are well, with whirring bullets, yelling voices and
confronted with the reality of trench more. There is also great balance as the mix
warfare, which is vastly different from the glory they imagined. 4K ULTRA HD effortlessly goes from the loudest moments
STUDIO: MPI, 2022
Like Sam Mendes’ 1917 and Steven Spielberg’s Saving Private ASPECT RATIO: 2.39:1
to mere whispers. As with the video, the audio
Ryan'JWLJWѣX‫ܪ‬QRITJXSTYXM^F\F^KWTRYMJ[NXHJWFQ[NTQJSHJTK HDR FORMAT: Dolby Vision, here is also reference-quality, ready to show
war. Despite the severed limbs, dead bodies strewn across the battle- HDR10 off any home theater sound system.
‫ܪ‬JQIXFSIRZHPWNIIJSXTQINJWXYMJ‫ܪ‬QRXF[JXXTRJTKNYXRTXY AUDIO FORMAT: Dolby Atmos 9MJ‫ܪ‬WXYYMNSL\JHFSѣYMJQUGZYSTYNHJ
with TrueHD 7.1 core (German)
forceful scenes for the quieter moments when the men are having a LENGTH: 148 mins., R
about this premium edition release is the
rare moment of peace. One scene in particular—after our group has DIRECTOR: Edward Berger beautiful “mediabook” packaging, which
stolen a turkey from a local French farmer and now share the best STARRING: Felix Kammerer, contains a booklet full of original produc-
meal they have had in what feels like forever—shows humanity’s will Albrecht Schuch, Aaron Hilmer, tion stills and an interview with Edward
Daniel Brühl, Moritz Klaus,
YTXZW[N[JFSI‫ܪ‬SIOT^J[JSNSYMJMFWXMJXYTKHNWHZRXYFSHJX Adrian Grünewald
'JWLJWѦ8MFWNSLYMJ,JWRFS5JWXUJHYN[Jѧ
A subplot that does not appear in Remarque’s novel has been On disc, the bonus content includes an audio
FIIJIYTYMJ‫ܪ‬QRYMFYTKYMJRNQNYFW^FSIUTQNYNHFQTK‫ܪ‬HNFQXYW^NSLYT commentary from the director, a “making of”
SJLTYNFYJFIऍYJSYJ&XYMNSLXGJLNSYTQTTPQNPJYMJ^RF^‫ܪ‬SFQQ^YZWS featurette in 4K and three trailers.
around, the war-hungry military is determined to get as much killing
MPI
OBRANDON A. DUHAMEL

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7.1
STARRING: Patrick Stewart,
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SJ\[NIJTFSIFZINTRFXYJWXFHTRUWJ- YEAR: 2002
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DIRECTOR: Stuart Baird
about the Next Gen‫ܫ‬NHPXUQZXXJ[JWFQ
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CollectionHTRJXMNLMQ^WJHTRRJSIJIOCHRIS CHIARELLA

MICHELLE YEOH AND JACKIE
CHAN: SUPERCOPS FOREVER
HERE IN the U.S., the popularity of Hong Kong action movies might have
waxed and waned over the years, but clearly it has endured. Sometimes
martial arts extravaganzas, often a unique Asian spin on Hollywood
police dramas, they don’t always translate seamlessly to mainstream
American audiences, but their differences are also what endear them
to their fans, who welcome something fresh and novel compared to the
XFRJ‫ܪ‬XY‫ܪ‬LMYXFSI‫ܪ‬WJUT\JW\Jѣ[JXJJSFISFZXJZR
8YFWUT\JWNXJXXJSYNFQYTFS^MNY‫ܪ‬QRLJSWJFSIY\TTKYMJGNLLJXY
names are the fearless and nigh-indestructible Jackie Chan and Michelle
Yeoh, both of whom are witnessing a much-deserved renaissance in
recent disc releases. Shout! Factory has served up The Jackie Chan handover of Hong Kong to the People’s Republic of China, Police Story
Collection Volume 2 UFHPNSL࣢0FSI0YWFSXKJWXWJXYTWF- III reintroduces dutiful, affable Inspector Chan Ka Kui (Chan), enlisted by
tions of Winners And Sinners; Twinkle, Twinkle Lucky Stars; Wheels on Interpol to take down a ruthless drug lord. For this extremely dangerous
Meals; Armour of God, the Raiders of the Lost Ark-inspired adventure that FXXNLSRJSYMJѣXYJFRJI\NYMFSTSTSXJSXJRFNSQFSITK‫ܪ‬HJW >JTM
almost killed him, and its sequel, Armour of God II; The Protector, a failed FSIFRUQJGZQQJYXFSI‫ܪ‬XYX‫^ܫ‬2ZHMTKYMJRT[NJѣXFQQZWJNXYMFYNYѣXXT
attempt to crack the U.S. market; Crime Story ࣢FSICity Hunter. Shout! has real, with no blue-screen or CGI, minimal safety equipment, and rarely
XJJS‫ܪ‬YYTNSHQZIJSJ\FZINTHTRRJSYFWNJXTSFQQJNLMY‫ܪ‬QRXUQZXFSJ\ if ever do the two stars utilize stunt doubles: I found myself rooting for
feature-length documentary and a whole lot more. Jackie and Michelle so much more because it’s actually them narrowly
ITILNSL‫ܪ‬JW^J]UQTXNTSXIFSLQNSL࣢KWTRFMJQNHTUYJWMNLMFGT[J0ZFQF
Lumpur and jumping a motorcycle onto a moving train.
Both cuts are here, with the U.S. version of SupercopWJ‫ܫ‬JHYNSL
XNLSN‫ܪ‬HFSYYWNRXFSIFQYJWSFYJHTSYJSYNSFIINYNTS࣢YTFHTRUQJYJQ^
INKKJWJSY࣢RZXNHFQXHTWJ[JWXZXYMJ-TSL0TSLTWNLNSFQ9MJRJSZXXJJR
GNFXJIYT\FWIYMJ-TSL0TSLHZYNS(FSYTSJXJ)TQG^&YRTXXTYMFYѣX
\MJWJ.XYFWYJI‫ܪ‬SINSLYMJNRFLJYTGJXZK‫ܪ‬HNJSYQ^࣢XMFWUFSIWNHMQ^
detailed with plenty of grain and appreciable anomalies of focus across
YMJKWFRJ)JXUNYJNYXWF\SJXXYMJRT[NJGTFXYXHTQTWXYMFYFWJ
often quite pleasing, notably the bold mainland reds and lush country-
side greens. This is premium treatment for a largely overlooked title,
GWTZLMYYTSJ\QNKJ\NYM)TQG^;NXNTSMNLMI^SFRNHWFSLJ
9MJXTZSIRN]JRUQT^XINXHWJYJHZJX\NYMMJFQYM^‫ܪ‬QQNSYMJXZWWTZSI
channels. My Cantonese is a little rusty so I can’t say for sure that the
dialogue is clear, but the overall presentation is well-balanced but for
the lack of bass, a shame as such action movies demand it. There are a
HTZUQJTKSNHJT[JWMJFIRTRJSYXSTYXZWUWNXNSLQ^࣢NS[TQ[NSL࣢YMJFKTWJ-
RJSYNTSJIMJQNHTUYJW5WTUXKTWYMJRZQYNYZIJ࣢TKFQYJWSFYJQFSLZFLJX࣢ .
Up-and-coming specialty label 88 Films,
meanwhile, has given us In the Line of Duty
I-IVFXF)NXH)JQZ]J(TQQJHYTWѣX*INYNTS
\NYMYMJ‫ܪ‬WXYY\TNSYMJXJWNJXџRoyal
Warriors and Yes, Madam! (1986 and 1985,
retroactively retitled In the Line of Duty I
and IIWJXUJHYN[JQ^џXYFWWNSL2X>JTMѰ
or Ms. Khan, as she was sometimes billed.
They’re grouped into the “girls with guns”
sub-genre, although they’re so much more,
and if you’ve never seen Michelle kick butt
alongside Cynthia Rothrock in Madam, it’s ULTRA HD 4K BLU-RAY
IJ‫ܪ‬SNYJQ^\TWYM^TZWYNRJ STUDIO: 88 Films, 1992
ASPECT RATIO: 2.39:1
And now, with the worldwide success of HDR FORMAT: Dolby Vision,
Everything Everywhere All at Once 4HYTGJW HDR10
3T[JRGJWS&V) and its Oscar- AUDIO FORMAT: Dolby
winning star Michelle Yeoh, her résumé Atmos with TrueHD 7.1 core
(Cantonese)
bears re-exploration, and we are quickly LENGTH: 96/91 mins., R
QJIYTѣXPolice Story III, also known as DIRECTOR: Stanley Tong ITSѣYWJHTRRJSIYMJ*SLQNXMIZGFSIRN]JXNSHQZINSLFѦMTRJ
Supercop, in much the same way Mad Max STARRING: Jackie [NIJTѧ)98-)YWFHP
2 was dubbed The Road Warrior for audi- (MFS࣢2NHMJQQJ>JTM࣢2FLLNJ 9MJ0UQFYYJWNSHQZIJXFSFZINTHTRRJSYFW^QTYXTKYWFNQJWXFSI
(MJZSL࣢0JS9XFSL࣢<FM
ences who didn’t realize it was a sequel. >ZJS࣢'NQQ9ZSL
FKFYJKZQ9;HTRRJWHNFQ\MJWJ2NHMJQQJ‫ܪ‬WXYRJY/FHPNJ9MJ
This once-in-a-lifetime pairing with Jackie -)'QZWF^FIIXXTRJXZGXYFSYN[JNSYJW[NJ\XFSIFGTZYFSMTZWTK
Chan is generously proffered by 88 Films in behind-the-scenes footage and outtakes. The heavy box also houses
88 Films
FMNLMJSI:QYWF-)JINYNTS an awesome two-sided poster, a set of miniature lobby cards and an

Produced and set a few years prior to the outstanding companion book. OCHRIS CHIARELLA

THE MAN WHO FELL TO EARTH
MY LONG-SUFFERING dad is probably still haunted by our trip to the
cinema those many years ago, with me a wee lad and my sister—a COCAINE BEAR
naïve young fan of the musician David Bowie—eager to see what we
YMTZLMY\TZQIGJUJWMFUXFXQNLMYQ^TKKGJFYXHN‫ܪ‬RT[NJThe Man Who FINALLY, A‫ܪ‬QRYMFYFSX\JWXYMJFLJTQIVZJXYNTSѦITJXFGJFWXHMSS-
Fell to Earth. Two hours of nudity and jaw-dropping weirdness later, we niiiiiiiiiittttt in the woods?” Cocaine Bear, (very) loosely based on real-life
were proven wrong as we were introduced to mysterious interplanetary J[JSYXNXFKZS‫ܪ‬QQJIFHYNTSMTWWTWHTRJI^NS\MNHMFSTWRFQQ^ZSFL-
traveler Thomas Newton (Bowie), an entrepreneurial genius who strikes LWJXXN[JGQFHPGJFWWTFRNSLSTWYMJFXY,JTWLNF‫ܪ‬SIXFSIHTSXZRJX
it rich quick with a host of advanced technologies. He’s also quite thirsty, kilos of cocaine that have been dumped all over Blood Mountain by a
a clue to his secret inten- smuggler whose plane is going down. Gory, jolting, and (certainly) grizzly
tions which become more at times, Cocaine Bear, nonetheless, is more Tremors than Halloween.
INK‫ܪ‬HZQYYTGWNSLYTKWZNYNTS Like Tremors, it has a mostly goofy disparate assortment of small-
as he is increasingly side- town characters — from two school kids cutting class and one’s mother
tracked by the new vice desperately hunting for them to a low-level drug dealer searching for the
and excess of his wealthy dope accompanied by his heartbroken friend, teenage delinquents out
American lifestyle. for kicks to sheriffs and park rangers out to uphold the law. Each has
9MJLWJFYJWXNLSN‫ܪ‬- comically scary interactions with the now-crazed carnivorous creature,
cance of director Nicolas YMJIZRGJXYMZRFSXGJNSLPNQQJI‫ܪ‬WXY3TYMT\J[JWGJKTWJXTRJ
7TJLѣXFWY^XY^QN_JI‫ܪ‬QR NSFSJQ^ZS\NXJGJMF[NTWFSILTTK^KZSSÎNFQTLZJѦ1N_FWIXFWJLTTI
of Walter Tevis’ novel is subject to interpretation but it’s certainly a tale of listeners, but people are good at hearing.”
loneliness, of misunderstanding and ultimately of loss. At present, Best Images are detailed, the beast’s fur showing individual hairs, his
Buy’s exclusive steelbook edition is the only way to procure the movie on face weathered with markings and scars. Contrast is good, the forest
a 4K disc. Lionsgate has given us the R-rated version, different from the showing a wide range of nature’s colors while characters’ backpacks,
Criterion Collection unrated director’s cut and with an alternate comple- HQTYMNSLFSIGQTTIUWT[NIJRTWJUTUUNSLUWNRFWNJX&Ѧ9MNXNX^TZWGWFNS
ment of bonus content. on drugs” spot and a 1985 news report on the actual incidents, though,
The Ultra HD picture quality is mostly solid, with tremendous detail in FWJKZ__^FSIIWFNSJIHTRUFWJIYTYMJ‫ܪ‬QRѣXWNHMXMFWUUNHYZWJ
2.35:1 wide shots of the New Mexico landscapes. Colors are pleasing if The soundtrack mixes an airy instrumental and electronic orchestral
not always stunning, many scenes displaying a golden warmth, although XHTWJG^2FWP2TYMJWXGFZLMFSIJWFUTUXTSLX/JKKJWXTS8YFWXMNUѣX
'T\NJѣX‫ܪ‬JW^WJIMFNWYJSIXYTHTRRFSIYMJJ^J8TRJTKYMJTWNLNSFQ Ѧ/FSJѧTUJSX)JUJHMJ2TIJѣXѦ/ZXY(FSѣY,JY*STZLMѧLTJXUJWKJHYQ^
photography can look a bit soft, and blacks with a particularly enervating ambulance-chased-by-a-bear sequence,
HFSXTRJYNRJXFUUJFW‫ܫ‬FYFSIQNKJQJXX FSIJSIHWJINYXWTQQ‫ܪ‬SJYTFWJRN]TK
as in the shadowy back seat of Newton’s 2JQQJ2JQѣXѦ<MNYJ1NSJXѧXTZSINSLLWJFY
limousine. The Dolby Vision high dynamic in surround. All 7.1 channels are used
range improves the image somewhat but to deliver well-separated instruments
does not afford a revelation. as well as immersive atmospherics of
Lionsgate was either unable or KTWJXYXTZSIXFSIFSNRFQSTNXJX8ZWLNSL
unwilling to provide a modern multi- bear attacks — with weighty footfalls
channel remix of The Man Who Fell to and rumbling roaring bellows — and a
Earth, opting instead to recycle what plunging, thundering waterfall scene near
sounds to be the same Linear PCM 2.0 the end are both extremely bassy.
track from their 2017 HD Blu-ray. It’s clear A DVD copy and a digital copy code are
and full but unsurprisingly unspectacular, included. In a run-of-the-mill commentary
despite an ambitious theatrical stereo mix ULTRA HD 4K BLU-RAY BLU-RAY
director Elizabeth Banks and producer
that layers in some clever effects and tran- STUDIO: Lionsgate, 1976 STUDIO: Universal, 2023 Max Handelman discuss the script,
sitions. The musical score might best be ASPECT RATIO: 2.35:1 ASPECT RATIO: 2.39:1 shoot, and Ray Liotta, R.I.P. You also get a
described as eclectic, a real hodgepodge HDR FORMAT: Dolby Vision, AUDIO FORMAT: DTS-HD mildly amusing alternate ending, gag reel,
HDR10 Master Audio 7.1
of original compositions and needle AUDIO FORMAT: Linear PCM 2.0 LENGTH: 95 mins., R
and outtakes. One making-of featurette
drops, discussed in depth in a featurette LENGTH: 139 mins., R DIRECTOR: Elizabeth Banks focuses on the actors and shows how
on the included Blu-ray platter. DIRECTOR: Nicolas Roeg STARRING: Keri Russell, Alden the bear was created with a mix of an
9MFYѣX\MJWJ\JѣQQ‫ܪ‬SIFQQTKYMJJ]YWFX STARRING: David Bowie, Candy Ehrenreich, O’Shea Jackson Jr., animatronics head and a stunt actor with
Clark, Rip Torn, Buck Henry, Ray Liotta, Isiah Whitlock Jr.,
(none on the 4K disc), highlighted by Bernie Casey, Jackson D. Kane Brooklynn Prince
CGI layered over him. Another reveals
an extensive gallery of ported legacy how wounds and stunts were achieved.
interviews, almost three hours in total, A third, with actors reading scenes from
Lionsgate
Universal
in addition to a 1977 French TV clip with the script, is inevitably called Doing Lines.
the late Mr. Bowie. O CHRIS CHIARELLA O JOSEF KREBS

THE ULTIMATE CONSUMER TECHNOLOGY...
REVEALED!
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music
INTRIGUE
STEVEN WILSON PRESENTS:
PROGRESSIVE SOUNDS IN UK
ALTERNATIVE MUSIC 1979-89
BOX SET
Steven Wilson has long been admittedly pricey 140-gram 7LP
a man with a mission to push collection, or you can consider
musical boundaries and stretch the much more abbreviated and
the limits of our listening expecta- reasonably affordable 19-track
tions with his own music, whether version on 2LPs—also on
it be the post-prog leanings of 140-gram vinyl—as an alternative.
Porcupine Tree, his more adven- Currently, the 7LP set is somewhat
turous solo work, or his volumi- outside my own budget range
nous experimental collaborations. ($260), but I did purchase both 4CD Jean-Michel Jarre LP.
“My perspective on music is the 2LP set ($35) and the 4CD set Label: Edsel On Disc 2, 23 Skidoo bring
always changing anyway,” Wilson ($60) via Burning Shed’s always Audio Format: 16-bit/44.1kHz us on a percussive 10-minute
told me back in 2020, “and what I reliable import mail order arm. Number of Tracks: 58 dub-voodoo ride via “The Gospel
want to do with music is always in (At presstime, Burning Shed was Length: 5:12:50 Comes to New Guinea,” while
FXYFYJTK‫ܫ‬Z]FSIJ[TQZYNTSѧ sold out of both the 7LP and 4CD Producers: Steven Wilson (box set compiler); Japan—featuring vocalist David
Not only that, but Wilson also editions, but they’re still available multiple others Sylvian and Wilson’s eventual
has a passion for championing elsewhere online.) Engineers: Phil Kinrade (box set mastering); Porcupine Tree bandmate Richard
releases from other artists whom The 4CD Intrigue box set I’m multiple others Barbieri on keyboards—take a
we all may have been underex- reviewing here is presented in decidedly eerie, angular approach
posed to or have overlooked slimline fashion—the size known Performances on “Talking Drum.” On Disc 3, the
entirely. With all this in mind, is it as A5, in British parlance—and Sound late producer Rupert Hine (The
that translates to 5½ x 9/16 x Fixx, Howard Jones) declares his
ԋNSHMJX \MI\NYMJFHM what I liked from the ’80s seemed own identity on the appropriately
CD easily removable from its just as ambitious and pretentious named moody calliope of “The
respective individual side-cut slot. in the best possible sense,” he Outsider,” and German synth-
Naturally, this particular Intrigue writes in comparing his choices poppers Propaganda unfurl the
footprint is much easier to store with the progressive sounds of the “Dream Within a Dream,” with
for the shelving-challenged audio- ’60 and ’70s many of us are more precise of-era production courtesy
phile collectors amongst us, and than quite familiar with, “and that’s of Trevor Horn and Stephen
NYMFUUJSXYT‫ܪ‬YVZNYJSNHJQ^FQTSL- where this collection comes in.” Lipson. Finally, on Disc 4, the
side similar A5 releases I have Following that, expert essayist ambient duo O Yuki Conjugate
from the likes of R.E.M., Pixies, James Nice provides ample slow roll us to full “Ascension,”
'QFHP‫ܪ‬JQI1T[JFSI7THPJYX9MJ background on the intentions while the neoclassical sound-
Allman Brothers Band, and many behind and the recording of each scape twosome Dead Can Dance
more. Kudos to the Edsel/Demon track in the Intrigue collection at deliver us to the wailing wall of
braintrust for making such a physi- an average of four paragraphs “The Host of Seraphim.”
cally economical call here. apiece. The overall beauty of Intrigue
The included 80-page bound-in But now, it’s all about the music, is that you’ll never really be at a
really any wonder Wilson is behind booklet is rife with the kind of and here are but a smattering of loss for discovering something
a new and quite, well, intriguing recording minutiae I like to have my favorite Intrigue tracks. On Disc you haven’t heard before, and/or
import-only box set compilation at hand during extended listening 1, post-punk pioneers Wire open \NQQ‫ܪ‬SI^TZWXJQKLJYYNSLIJJUJW
entitled Intrigue: Steven Wilson sessions—albeit being somewhat the proceedings with “I Should into tracks you may only have
Presents – Progressive Sounds in eye-straining at times to decipher, Have Known Better,” a broader, a cursory listening relationship
UK Alternative Music 1979-89? All considering the A5’s chosen type brooding amalgamation of guitars, with at best—and isn’t that what
told, Intrigue presents 58 tracks size. Luckily, I had the option to effects, synths, and other elec- targeted compilations like this
Wilson personally selected from refer to the much bigger type in tronics that could also be seen as box set are ultimately all about?
that hallowed decade across the the 12-page, 12 x 12-inch booklet a dark-wave precursor. Magazine, May our man Steven Wilson be
Pond, as spread across 5-plus that’s in the 2LP set whenever I another post-punk collective, given the greenlight to next delve
listening hours on 4CDs from wanted to cross-reference any of shifted their own gears with the into the following decade of
Edsel Records. the 19 overlapping tracks between Bowiesque “Back to Nature,” post-prog offerings for a future
For those of us more vinyl- the two formats. First, Wilson replete with grand piano and ARP multidisc multi-format release,
inclined, Demon Records offers supplies an introduction that sets Odyssey synth accompaniment as we are beyond Intrigued at the
the full Intrigue collection as an the table quite clearly: “So much of that wouldn’t be out of place on a possibilities.O MIKE METTLER

7, 11 ........Audio Advice 9, 23 ........KEF
(888) 899-8776 (732) 683-2356 17 ............2TSTUWNHJ
audioadvice.com kef.com (877) 271-2592
monoprice.com
12 ............(WZYHM‫ܪ‬JQI 21. ...........KLH

(800) 319-8843 (833) 554-8326 19 ............OSD Audio
HWZYHM‫ܪ‬JQIHTR PQMFZINTHTR (888) 779-4968
osdaudio.com
71 ............EISA
eisa.eu C4 ............2FWFSY_ 15 ............SVS
(800) 654-6633 (877) 626-5623
marantz.com svsound.com
C2,3.........,TQIJS*FW
(949) 790-6000
audioquest.com 5 ..............2FWYNS1TLFS C3 ............9JHMSNHX
RFWYNSQTLFSHTR (800) 211-7262
(785) 749-0133 technics.com

remaster class
R.E.M.: OUT OF TIME
The Hint of the Century 1991 Warner Bros. CD
NO ONE could have predicted how a guitar band from Athens, Georgia would turn into the biggest international
FQYWTHPIFWQNSLXTKYMJXџFSI^JYYMFYѣXJ]FHYQ^\MFY7*2INI9MJQT‫ܪ‬LJSNZXTKYMJNWJYJWSFQQ^RZRGQ^
OFSLQ^‫ܪ‬WXYXNSLQJѦ7FINT+WJJ*ZWTUJѧWJQJFXJIFXFNSHMTSYMJNWQTHFQNSINJQFGJQ-NG9TSJNS/ZQ^
JXXJSYNFQQ^WJXJYYMJXTSLFWWFSLJRJSYYFGQJKTW\MFYGJHFRJPST\SFXHTQQJLJWTHP>JFWG^^JFW7*2UQFSYJI
more than enough sonic seeds about where the latest crop of DIY U.S. bands was heading on each of their ensuing
RNIX15WJQJFXJXTSYMJNSINJ.787JHTWIXQFGJQZSYNQYMJÔZRUJIYTYMJRFOTWX\NYMYMJNWX\NSLKTWYMJ
KJSHJX3T[JRGJWJKKTWYTS<FWSJW'WTXGreen. Though GreenѣXJ]UFSXN[JXTZSIUFQJYYJYTTPKZQQFI[FSYFLJ
TKFRZHMGNLLJWWJHTWINSLGZILJY7*2ѣX\TWQIITRNSFYNTS[NXNTSNSXYJFIHFRJYTKWZNYNTSTSYMJNWRTWJWJ‫ܪ‬SJI
RTWJXYWNUUJIIT\SXJHTSI<FWSJW'WTXWJQJFXJYMJZSJVZN[THFQ\TWQI\NIJXRFXMMNY2FWHMѣXOut of Time. 1991 Warner Bros. band shot
<MJS.XFYIT\S\NYM7*2LZNYFWNXY5JYJW'ZHPNS TKWJRN]UWTIZHJW*QQNTY8HMJNSJWFSIFXXNXYFSYJSLNSJJW
3J\>TWPNSRNI&UWNQSTYQTSLFKYJWYMJFQGZRѣX James Candiloro, and later with the slimline 2016
lead single, the mandolin-driven confession treatise (TSHTWI'NH^HQJ()')IJQZ]JJINYNTSYMFYNSHQZIJX
Ѧ1TXNSL2^7JQNLNTSѧXHFQJIYMJZUUJWJHMJQTSTKYMJ a remastered version of the prior 5.1 mix on Blu-ray.
:8XNSLQJXHMFWYXMJHTS‫ܪ‬WRJIYMJGFSIѣXHQJFWџFSI -JWJѣXMTUNSLYMJ7*2HFRUHTSXNIJWXWJ[NXNYNSL
HQJFWQ^[NSINHFYJIџNSYJSYNTSGJMNSIYMJNWIJHNXNTSYTLT Out of TimeNS)TQG^&YRTXFYXTRJUTNSYџXTRJYMNSL
against the radio-ready grain and instead follow their YMJ^ѣ[JGJJSITNSLTSYMJ')XNSHQZIJI\NYMFSZRGJWTK
HWJFYN[JNSXYNSHYX\FXNSIJJIYMJWNLMY\F^YTLTѦ.ѣ[J their successive multidisc anniversary box set reissues.)
SJ[JWGJJSXHFWJITKYW^NSLXTRJYMNSLINKKJWJSYѧ'ZHP Ѧ2^LTFQ\FXYTRFNSYFNSYMJTWNLNSFQFQGZRѣXNSYJL-
1991 Warner Bros. CD booklet
YTQIRJѦ.RJFS.like challenging the audience, and it WNY^ѧ8HMJNSJWYTQIRJFGTZYMNXOut of Time surround
was nice getting away from that same-old rock band mix M.O. while I was sitting next to him behind the
XTZSIFKYJWITNSLNYKTWXTQTSLѧ main mixing board in Capitol Records Studio A in Los
*XHFUNSLYMFY‫ܪ‬WRQ^JSYWJSHMJIQTZIJWLWTT[J Angeles in June 2018, during a break from mixing a
RJFSYXHFQNSLYMJFWWFSLJRJSYXGFHPYT‫ܪ‬YYMJ[NGJ pair of new tracks from indie-rock folksters Dawes in
of what vocalist and chief lyricist Michael Stipe had 5.1. The vaunted veteran producer/engineer added
JS[NXNTSJIѦ<J\TZSIZUITNSLFQTYTKYMJWJHTWI MJFQ\F^XUWJKJWWJIMF[NSL8YNUJѣX[THFQXѦNSJ[JW^
\NYMRJTSRFSITQNS'NQQ@'JWW^7*2ѣXIWZRRJWB XUJFPJWѧџFQGJNYFYFQT\JWWJLNXYJWNSYMJHJSYJWHMFSSJQ
TSFHTZXYNHGFXXTWLZNYFWFSI2NPJ@2NQQX7*2ѣX and the surrounds, as can be heard to that exact spec
GFXXNXYBTSTWLFSѧ'ZHPJ]UQFNSJIѦ'JHFZXJRFS^TK TSYMJQNSHMUNSYWFHPѦ1TXNSL2^7JQNLNTSѧ\MNQJ'ZHPѣX
2005 Warner Bros. CD+DVD cover
the songs were about relationships and had a warmer mandolin gets much freer all-channel reign. Other
KJJQYTYMJRT[JWFQQNYOZXYINISѣYXJJRQNPJ.XMTZQI standouts to my ears are the foreboding percussion and
HQZYYJWYMJR\NYMJQJHYWNHLZNYFWXѧ wafting organ lines sharing wide space at the outset
Since Out of Time initially came out near the apex of TKѦ1T\ѧYMJZSFGFXMJIGZT^FSH^TK8YNUJFSILZJXY
YMJ()JWFR^‫ܪ‬WXYTWXTXUNSXTKYMJFQGZR\JWJ [THFQNXY0FYJ5NJWXTSѣXNSYJWUQFÛQZXYMJQNQYNSLTWHMJXYWFQ
ITSJG^\F^TKYMJYMJSGZWLJTSNSLINLNYFQKTWRFYџNJ FHHTRUFSNRJSYFQQYMWTZLMTZYѦ8MNS^-FUU^5JTUQJѧ
YMJ<FWSJW'WTX().INISѣYJ[JST\SFHTU^TK FSIYMJUJIFQXYJJQY\FSLFSIIWFRFGFHPNSL8YNUJѣX
Out of Time on vinyl until Concord reissued the album J[JWIJYJWNTWFYNSLSFWWFYN[JTSѦ(TZSYW^+JJIGFHPѧ
as a remastered, 25th anniversary 180-gram LP in 2016. Though Out of Time still seems to be relatively over-
*[JSYZFQQ^KTWHTRUQJYNXYUZWUTXJX.\FXFGQJYTYWFHP shadowed by the sheer impact and velocity of the R.E.M.
IT\S(TSHTWIѣXHTRUFSNTS15JINYNTSYMFY album that followed it, October 1992’s truly ascendant
featured a score of demos on the second and third LPs. Automatic for the People, the facts remain as such—this
As you might expect, my preferred Out of Time VWLOOLQÀXHQWLDOIRXUPDQEDQGIURP$WKHQV*$QHHGHGWR
QNXYJSNSLJ]UJWNJSHJNXNSXZWWTZSIXTZSIџ‫ܪ‬WXY[NF ORVHWKHLUUHOLJLRQ¿UVWEHIRUHEHLQJHQOLJKWHQHGHQRXJK
YMJ<FWSJW'WTX());)&;INLNUFP\NYMYMJ to share the universal truth about how everybody hurts
);)ѣX)TQG^)NLNYFQFSI)98TUYNTSXHTZWYJX^ sometimes next. OMIKE METTLER 2016 Concord 3CD+1BD cover
Sound & Vision (ISSN 1537-5838) (USPS 504-850) June/July 2023, Vol. 88, No. 4. COPYRIGHT 2023 BY AVTech Media Americas, LLC. All rights reserved. Published six times a year (February/March,
April/May, June/July, August/September, October/November, December/January) by AVTech Media Americas, LLC., 260 Madison Avenue, 8th Floor, New York, NY 10016-2303. Periodicals postage paid
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TWIJWXFII UJW^JFW KTWXZWKFHJRFNQUTXYFLJ5F^RJSYNSFI[FSHJ:8KZSIXTSQ^54892&89*78JSIFQQ:&&YT(+8 8JJ)22 3435489&1&3)2.1.9&7>+&(.1.9.*88TZSI
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>TWP3>&YYS5WN[FH^(TTWINSFYTWSubscription Service: 8MTZQI^TZ\NXMYTHMFSLJ^TZWFIIWJXXTWTWIJWSJ\XZGXHWNUYNTSX^TZHFSJRFNQRFNQYT84;HZXYXJW[%HIXKZQ‫ܪ‬QQRJSYHTRHFQQ
TW\WNYJYT8TZSI ;NXNTS54'T]'TTSJ.&

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MAKING OF AVATAR 2 THE DARK SIDE OF THE MOON

CREATING A NEW REALITY 50TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION

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