A NEW AUDYSSEY ATMOS MADE EASY

MULTEQ-X ROOM CORRECTION ROCKS! POLK ’S SIGNA S4 SOUNDBAR SYSTEM

TESTED
P56

•
Where Technology Becomes Entertainment™
SIMPLY GOOD: Rotel’s Upgraded A14MKII
soundandvision.com JUNE
JULY
2022

SUPER SUBWOOFERS THX CERTIFIED BEASTS FROM

M&K SOUND, MONOLITH BY MONOPRICE,
AND PERLISTEN AUDIO BRING THE BASS

STREAM & BEAM

LG HU710PW 4K LASER PROJECTOR
$6.99 US
$7.99 CANADA
AFFORDABLE HIGH-END
NAD C 399 INTEGRATED AMPLIFIER
 ForceField!
Clean Awesome Power to Touch Your Soul

ForceField 40
14.7” H x 13.3” W x 18.3” D
ForceField 30
12.7” H x 11.4” W x 15.9” D

The challenge most subwoofers can’t quite live up to:

• To be subtle and invisible, allowing a string bass or a fighter jet’s roar to seem to come
out of nowhere.
• To unignorably do its job when the pluck of a bass guitar or a giant’s footstep is supposed to
rumble your soul.

Subwoofers with “always-on” bass presence often can’t fulfill either of these all-important mandates.

Please take a look at John Darko’s recent ForceField 3 video-review at https://youtu.be/X-Mfccdyxrc

to learn about the entry-level member of GoldenEar’s extraordinary-value ForceField range
paired with the marvelous GoldenEar BRX mini-monitors.
We Speak with One Voice

In-Wall and In-Ceiling Subwoofers

Bookshelfs Center Channels

Triton Passives Triton Powered Bass

Triton Reference

We speak with the same natural, honest Voice.

We don’t exaggerate and we don’t hide anything.

A Voice you can live with.

 VOLUME 87 NUMBER 4

contents features

24 28
MEDIA ROOM
INSIDER: RUSH: THE
HOLLYWOOD UNIVERSAL
COMES HOME DREAM
How a sound editor turned custom installation Rush’s February 1981 masterpiece Moving Pictures gets its
pro transformed the former home studio located due thanks to a truly comprehensive multidisc box set. We
in his garage into a comfortable, state-of-the-art go behind the scenes on the making of the original LP,
home theater. along with the box set’s immersive Atmos Blu-ray mix.

On the Cover Clockwise from top: Polk Audio Signa S4 soundbar system (sub only), Monolith by Monoprice 13THX sub, LG HU710PW 4K laser projector,
NAD C 399 integrated amp, Cleer Alpha wireless headphones, Perlisten Audio R5t tower speaker, M&K Sound X15+ sub, Rotel A14MKII integrated amp.

4 June July 2022 soundandvision.com

 72
VOLUME 87 NO. 4

PINK FLOYD -
P.U.L.S.E RESTORED
& RE-EDITED -
DELUXE EDITION
Pink Floyd’s 1995 concert film gets
a double Blu-ray disc release, with
a powerhouse DTS-HD Master
Audio 5.1 mix by James Guthrie and
over 2.6 hours of high-caliber
extra features.

departments
8 TRACK ONE
Bass evolution.

12 LETTERS
Roon ruminations. Projectors:
bulb vs. laser. Is Spatial Audio
necessary?

14 WIDE ANGLE
Quick Take: Cleer Alpha Noise-
Canceling Headphones.

columns
16 SIGNALS
Thomas Yuen, Chairman and CEO
of SRS Labs, remembered.

18 STREAM ON
Musical musings on Bandcamp’s
contents test reports acquisition by Epic Games.

20 THE CONNECTED LIFE

Projector or TV: Big screen
36 LG HU710PW 4K LASER PROJECTOR dilemmas.

40 NAD C 399 INTEGRATED AMP 22 Q&A

Am I getting Atmos from Amazon
44 ROTEL A14MKII INTEGRATED AMP Music Unlimited? 4K video and
older HDMI versions.
48 AUDYSSEY MULTEQ-X ROOM EQ
66 ENTERTAINMENT
52 PERLISTEN AUDIO R5T SPEAKER The Godfather Trilogy; Spider-Man:
AND D15S SUBWOOFER No Way Home; The Matrix:
56 POLK AUDIO SIGNA S4 SOUNDBAR Resurrections; West Side Story;
Nightmare Alley; Belfast; Le cercle
58 MONOLITH BY MONOPRICE 13-INCH rouge; RoboCop; Heavy Metal.
THX ULTRA CERTIFIED SUBWOOFER
74 REMASTER CLASS
62 M&K SOUND X15+ SUBWOOFER Deep Purple: Machine Head

6 June July 2022 soundandvision.com

 On The Web Log on to soundandvision.com and sign up for our free monthly enewsle!er.
You’ll get exclusive tips, news, trends, and reviews from your favorite S&V writers.

Bass Evolution EISA STANDS

WITH UKRAINE
Longtime Sound & Vision
THE HAPPY CONVERGENCE of three formidable THX Certified subwoofers arriving readers will know that this
for testing provided something of a theme for this issue, one that tied in nicely with magazine is a member of
technical editor Thomas J. Norton’s overview of the latest version of Audyssey’s room EISA (Expert Imaging and
EQ processing, MultEQ-X (see page 48). Bass reproduction has come a long way Sound Association), a network
since the early days of the home theater boom. And when I say boom, I mean that of publications and websites
literally: Back then, subwoofer setup was a painstaking process, one that required that specialize in coverage of
extensive experimentation with room positioning, along with lots of careful listening home theater, hi-fi,
Customer and adjustment, to get your system’s low end to sound like something other than a photography, car audio, and
Service And bloated hippopotamus. all manner of things
Subscriptions The addition of accessible room EQ solutions like Audyssey to A/V receivers and electronic. EISA’s reach is
soundandvision@email- preamp-processors went a long way toward taming the bass beast. Now, all you had truly global, with members
customerservice.com to do was plug in a microphone that came packaged with your AVR, move it to a few spanning multiple continents
Call (800) 666-3746 measurement positions around the room, permit the Audyssey processing to make and 30 total countries,
(international calls: its calculations, and, like magic, your system’s bloated—or anemic—bass would Ukraine and Russia included.
386-447-6383)
or write to: snap into shape, with the result that both movies and music would sound be!er. Early EISA’s Ukrainian member,
versions of Audyssey weren’t perfect, and the effect could end up being sonically Oleksandr Skibalo, is the
Sound & Vision, disappointing. But later refinements, plus the addition of the Audyssey Editor app with editor of Stereo, Video &
P.O. Box 420235,
Palm Coast, FL its ability to restrict processing to a specific frequency range, made the solution at Multimedia, a Kyiv-based
32142-0235 once more flexible and tweakable. print magazine that covers
Please include your As Audyssey evolved, serious room EQ competition arrived in the form of Dirac much of the same ground as
full name, address, Live, which has made its way into multiple products Sound & Vision has recently Sound & Vision. Like many of
and phone number reviewed, including ones from NAD, Monolith by Monoprice, Onkyo, and Rotel. his fellow citizens, he has
on any inquiries. I had the opportunity to personally check out Dirac Live when I reviewed Rotel’s taken up arms and is fighting
RSP-1576MKII surround sound processor in 2021 and was very impressed with its to protect his country’s
straightforward interface and ability to adjust correction curves to fine-tune the results sovereignty. We wish all the
I was ge!ing. My system literally never sounded be!er! Reading Tom’s review of best to Oleksandr and his
MultEQ-X and looking over its interface, it occurred to me that this PC-based so#ware family during this unthinkable
(Dirac Live is also a PC-based app, though it’s available for Macs as well) could very time and sincerely hope they
likely bring the same benefits as Dirac Live to my Marantz AVR-driven setup, which is remain safe and emerge from
compatible with Audyssey MultEQ-X. this tragic situation
Of course, Anthem A/V receivers and preamp/processors feature that company’s unscathed. Please check out
excellent ARC Genesis room correction. And Trinnov Audio’s Optimizer is another EISA’s ad for the 2021-2022
impressive room EQ solution, though it’s currently found only in Trinnov’s stereo and Global Awards on page 71
surround sound processors like the $18,000 Altitude16 that earned Sound & Vision’s with its special Ukraine-
Overall Top Pick of the Year award in 2021. Will the Optimizer ever make its way into themed layout in honor of our
receivers? Hard to speculate on that, but in the meantime, between Audyssey MultEQ- colleague and friend.—AG
X and Dirac Live—as well as Anthem’s ARC—A/V enthusiasts wanting to fine-tune the
performance of their systems by eliminating what is perhaps the greatest obstacle to
high-quality sound, the listening room itself, have multiple options to pursue. And a
great thing about all of them is that they are incorporated in relatively affordable and
accessible products.

8 June July 2022 soundandvision.com

Elegant. With a side of Muscle.
Introducing MartinLogan’s new generation of Dynamo™ subwoofers. Five models engineered to deliver an intensely tactile bass
experience. They feature new technology, bold construction, and the power to reveal the Truth in Sound: fast response, accurate
detail and realistic impact. New smartphone App control, and ARC Room Correction, give you the ultimate control, and optimal bass
in any listening space. For music or cinema, Dynamo brings the performance home. Visit martinlogan.com for more information,

• Five sizes
• NEW! App control via smartphone
• Anthem Room Correction (ARC®)
for PC, iOS and Android
• Flexible front-firing or
down-firing design
• Optional wireless system
 The power
to engineer
your room June/July 2022 Volume 87/Number 4

EDITOR: Al Griffin
At Anthem, rather than just designing
a processor, we want to engineer SENIOR EDITOR, TECHNICAL EDITOR: Tom Norton
your room. With ARC Genesis Room EDITOR-AT-LARGE: Bob Ankosko
CONTRIBUTING TECHNICAL EDITORS: Kris Deering, Barb Gonzalez,
Correction, professional calibration Michael P. Hamilton, Howard Kneller, Daniel Kumin, Rob Sabin, John Sciacca,
of your system can be achieved with Michael Trei, David Vaughn
CONTRIBUTORS: Michael Antonoff, Brandon A. DuHamel, Ma# Hurwitz,
the click of a button.
Roger Kanno, Josef Krebs, Ken C. Pohlmann, Leslie Shapiro, Stewart Wolpin
MUSIC EDITOR: Mike Me#ler
MOVIES EDITOR: Chris Chiarella

TECHNICAL ART DIRECTOR WEB MONKEY

CONSULTANT Jeremy Moyler Jon Iverson
Joel Silver,
Imaging Science
Foundation

AVTech Media Americas Inc

EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Paul Miller
FINANCE DIRECTOR Owen Davies

General Manager Keith Pray

kpray@avtechmediausa.com

Surfaces like windows, furnishings, Advertising Manager Ed DiBenede#o

edibenede"o@avtechmediausa.com
unwanted resonance and coloration, Sales Coordinator Rosemarie Torcivia
making the bass either boomy or less rtorcivia@avtechmediausa.com
punchy, voices less natural, and the Digital inquiries Keith Pray, kpray@avtechmediausa.com
dialogue less intelligible.
Important Sound & Vision telephone numbers
US & Canada subscriptions (800) 264-9872,
soundandvision@emailcustomerservice.com
Sound & Vision, box 420235, Palm Coast, FL 32142-0235
Please include name, address, and phone number on any inquiries
International subscriptions (386) 447-6383
Al Griffin editor@soundandvision.com
Sound & Vision website www.soundandvision.com
Reprints
For high-quality custom reprints and eprints, please contact Keith Pray at kpray@avtechmediausa.com.
Submissions
Any submissions or contributions from readers shall be subject to and governed by AVTech Media’s user
content submission terms and conditions, which are posted at h"p://www.avtechmediausa.com/terms.
html
Canada Post
Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to: Imex Global Solutions, P.O. box 25542, London, ON N6C 6B2
Subscriber List
Occasionally our subscriber list is made available to reputable firms offering goods and services we
Anthem Room Correction measures believe would be of interest to our readers. If you prefer to be excluded, please send your current address
label and a note requesting to be excluded from these promotions to AVTech Media Americas Inc.,
each speaker’s output relative to the 260 Madison Avenue, 8th Floor, New York, NY 10016 a"n: privacy coordinator.
listening area. Then through a series
of calculations, it adjusts the output,
corrects peaks and dips in the fre-
quency response, and preserves the Printed in the USA. Copyright © 2022 by AVTech Media Americas Inc.
All Rights Reserved.
Demand Excellence,
Demand Anthem.
Introducing AVM 90. Our most sophisticated audio-video
processor. Every aspect of its design was scrutinized,
every component carefully considered and reconsidered.
It’s the culmination of everything we know.
Experience sound like never before, experience AVM 90.

Learn About
Our Pursuit
of Audio
HDR Excellence:
ULTRA HD AnthemAV.com
 most people, but for my purposes (single room,
no streaming, many multichannel DSD tracks), it
letters falls short.
Jon Johnson / via email

Projectors: Bulb vs. Laser

Roon Ruminations Every projector review by Kris Deering is a
Howard Kneller’s feature on Roon in the April/May issue was well-wri!en and very informative. One masterclass in testing and evaluation, and his
thing he might have added was that you don’t have to use your main computer to run a dedicated latest on the JVC DLA-NZ9 (February/March
Roon core. I have been a happy Roon user for over four years, and three years ago decided to get a 2022) is no exception. I was surprised, however,
dedicated Roon server to free my PC up from having to do double-duty. I bought a refurbished PC for by his comment in the review that, “the
less than $300, put in a large spinning hard drive for music files, and installed Roon’s Windows- projector’s laser light engine will outlast a bulb by
compatible server so#ware. This requires a bit more personal intervention to keep the so#ware up to a considerable amount.” Perhaps depending on
date, but it is pre!y easy to do for a moderately skilled home PC user and much less expensive than use, but of course a bulb can be replaced, while
the Unix-based cores that Roon sells. Your DIY server may make a bit of fan noise, but you can just once a laser dies, the projector is finished and
hide it away in a different room and connect via wire to an Ethernet switch or router. can then only be an expensive doorstop.
Bob Wortman / via email Greg Galas / via email

A#er reading about Roon on the internet and in S&V reviews, I found Howard Kneller’s article not only The lamp life for laser-based projectors is
timely but informative. I signed up for a Roon trial a few months ago. On the one hand, I was typically spec’d at 20,000 hours. That equals out
impressed, but on the other, really disappointed. Roon’s user interface and incredible organizational to about 14 years of four-hour viewing on a daily
engine were fantastic. I liked the search feature, and the ability to locate and play tracks based on file basis. Also, most enthusiasts would be inclined
type and quality. I loved the biography and discography information that came with each artist and to upgrade their projector anyway during that
album, which made the listening experience more fun and educational. Finally, I very much appreci- time period (or sooner) due to video technology
ated the signal path information window that let me know the sound I was ge!ing was lossless. advancements. The average lamp life for current
I primarily enjoy listening to SACDs and multichannel DSD files, and that’s where the good part home theater projectors is around 4,000 hours,
about Roon ended for me. To get the most out of the so#ware, it seems like buying their $1,500+ which means at least three lamp replacements in
Nucleus is required. However, as far I could find, the Nucleus does not pass multichannel DSD the same 14-year span. Depending on the
natively, but instead first converts it to PCM. It seems like I am much be!er off listening to multichannel model, the cost for the replacement could be as
DSD directly using my Oppo player, where I can get pure multichannel analog audio (converted by the high as $400, so added cost is another factor to
Oppo’s DAC). Sure, the Nucleus frees up some computing power and has less noise than my consider when weighing a lamp- versus a
MacBook, but it seems overpriced. Roon is probably the best music playback manager available for laser-based projector.

Is Spatial Audio Necessary?

I have a question about Apple’s Spatial Audio,
which includes Dolby Atmos. While the benefits
for music by bands like Pink Floyd is clear to me,
I’m not sure I understand why you’d use Dolby
Atmos for other types of music. I’ve always been
under the impression that the fundamental goal
of audio reproduction was perceived realism.
How does Dolby Atmos fit that description?
Herb Goldman / Hollywood, FL

Al Griffin replies: It’s true that a Dolby Atmos mix

isn’t a necessity for all types of music, but a
complex studio-cra"ed production—a label
that applies to most rock and pop releases,
along with some other genres—can certainly
benefit from it. “Perceived realism” is a
commendable goal for a purist recording of a
string quartet, though it could be argued that
even that type of production would benefit from
judicious use of Atmos to convey the “space” in
which the recording was made. I’ll leave you with
a quote from audio engineer Bob Clearmountain
from the liner notes to his 2003 multichannel
SACD remix of Roxy Music’s Avalon, one that
provides the best reasoning I’ve yet heard for
moving beyond two channels: “While working on
the original stereo mixes in 1982, I can recall
imagining the sound image as being more than
just ‘stereo.’ There were so many wonderful
things going on, I wished I had more places to
put them than just two speakers. I wanted to be
totally immersed in the album’s soundscapes….”

12 June July 2022 soundandvision.com

BLADE
Now with Metamaterial
Absorption Technology

A sound statement. An icon that engages every sense.

BLADE
A bold and striking presence, BLADE pushes the boundaries of what is possible with sound.
The world’s first Single Apparent Source loudspeaker now with Metamaterial Absorption Technology.
wide
angle quick take BY LESLIE SHAPIRO
AT A GLANCE

Cleer Alpha Soundstage-

Noise-Canceling
widening Dirac
Virtuo processing
Adjustable Ambient

Headphones Sound mode

Smart Noise
Cancellation
Cleer Audio’s new Alpha headphones, the company’s flagship wireless
Solid build quality
noise-canceling model, is jam-packed with extras to augment its very
good overall sound quality. Available in Midnight Blue and Stone finishes,
the $199 Alpha offers many advanced and customizable features that Overly sensitive
make it well worth the price. And with everything from app-controlled touch controls
ambient audio level adjustment to smart noise-cancellation and Dirac
Bass lacking in
Virtuo processing, the Alpha is primed to take on any travel adventure.
certain modes
The over-ear Alpha’s build quality your adjustments on the app first and Alpha’s Conversation mode feature. RATING
is solid and rugged. It’s also quite then pairing with the other source. To do this, you simply cover the right
comfortable, with the 40mm full-range Connecting to a range of Bluetooth earcup and playback volume is drasti- PERFORMANCE
drivers surrounded by removable so! sources with the Alpha is easy since cally reduced; you then tap again to
earcups with cooling foam. I’m not powering up automatically launches restore the previous volume. I also FEATURES
sure why I’d ever need to remove the Bluetooth pairing. There’s support for discovered how sensitive the touch
earcups, but in this age of hyper- multipoint connections, which allow controls on the earcups are: adjusting ERGONOMICS
cleanliness it’s nice to know I can rinse you to listen to one source while still my glasses or mask seemed to either
them off if necessary. The band is using Cleer’s control app on a phone. pause playback or skip tracks. Fortu- VALUE
also padded (not removable) and the nately, you can turn off the Alpha’s
headphone lays flat or can be folded Performance Wear Detection to solve this problem.
up to fit in its included semi-rigid Oh, the joys of travel: noisy planes, While waiting between flights, I SPECS
carrying case. The ba#ery lasts up to fussy babies, unruly adults. Needless switched on Ambient Noise mode.
35 hours with a quick-charge feature to say, I was thrilled to have the Alpha This let me hear announcements Type: Over-ear
wireless headphones
that provides 4 hours of playback from with me on my last trip. Upon entering and conversations going on around
a 10-minute charge. the plane’s cabin and finding my seat, I me, but it also changed the sound Driver diameter:
The Alpha features Bluetooth 5.1 immediately activated noise cancel- quality of music. Bass was reduced 40mm
with Qualcomm aptX Adaptive for lation and selected the Smart Noise and the overall sound became bright Rated battery life:
a wireless connection. It also has Cancellation option in the app. At first, and harsh. Sound quality was still not 35 hours
a 3.5mm analog audio input and I was afraid the Alpha couldn’t play optimal with both Ambient Sound and Accessories:
comes with a cable for plugging in a very loud, but then I discovered that Noise Cancellation modes off. The app 3.5mm-to-3.5mm audio
wired source. Qualcomm’s cVc two- the volume control on the headphone features a five-band equalizer, though cable, USB-C-to-USB-A
microphone design is onboard, which operates independent from the play- it can’t be used in conjunction with charging cable,
I found to work exceptionally well back source’s own volume adjustment. Dirac Virtuo, which, as I mentioned carrying case, in-flight
adapter
outdoors to enhance call quality. Music turned out to have the fullest, above, really helped to improve the
Three listening modes can be richest sound in the Noise Cancel- Alpha’s sound quality with music. Weight: 11.6 ounces
accessed on the Alpha: Ambient On, lation mode, especially when Dirac Price: $199
Ambient Off, and Noise Cancellation Virtuo, a processing mode meant to Conclusion
On. These are selectable using a expand the soundstage for a more Cleer’s Alpha has many impressive THE VERDICT
bu#on on the le! earcup, and there are realistic presentation, was also features, and with Noise Cancellation
adjustments to fine-tune the se#ings engaged. Cueing up George Ezra’s and Dirac Virtuo switched on, equally Cleer’s Alpha Noise
via the app. Here you’ll find a variable “Anyone For You,” the guitar had a impressive sound. Being able to Canceling head-
slider to tweak the level of ambient clean yet warm, tone, and there was quickly lower the volume to talk with phones are a good-
noise added back into the head- nice separation and detail in the subtly someone using Conversation mode, sounding, airplane-
phones by the external mics, along doubled vocals on the second verse. and to easily switch between the Noise ready offering that’s
with a Smart Noise Cancellation se#ing On the non-acoustic version of the Cancellation and Ambient Sound packed with enough
that automatically adjusts for varying same track, I felt that the kick drum and modes, gave me more reasons to like features to make them
external noise levels. It’s a bit fiddly to bass guitar had good presence, but the Alpha. Recent trips gave me a vivid a top value compared
get the app to work if you’re using the the beats and notes also lacked a bit of reminder of why travel can be stressful, with similar models
Alpha with either a wired connection impact and clarity in their a#ack. but slipping on the Cleer Alpha head- from Sony and Bose.
or a Bluetooth audio source other than When the flight a#endant came by phones and canceling out the chaos cleeraudio.com
your phone, so I’d recommend making to take my drink order, I enabled the made those journeys more enjoyable. (888) 672-5337

14 June July 2022 soundandvision.com

 THE

ELITE
We know some people.

room sound experience, The KEF Elite can help you

Mythic Home Theater Echo Audio

Glendale, AZ
602-329-4252 503-223-2292

Dynamic Sound Systems

Quest for Sound
Carlsbad, CA
Bensalem, PA
760-438-3773
215-953-9099
Lavish Theaters
Santa Rosa, CA
707-595-2020 The Audio Hunters Audio Video Therapy
Simpsonville, MD Nashua, NH
301-848-4100 603-888-9777 737-787-4433
House of Stereo
Jacksonville, FL
904-642-6677 Waara Technologies Electronics Expo
Traverse City, MI Wayne, NJ
231-935-4511 973-785-1112
Wave Media Systems 206-522-9609
Winter Garden, FL
Sound World
407-909-3388
Appleton, WI
800-854-5821 920-733-8539
Holm Audio
206-462-5227
Woodridge, IL Genesis Audio Simply Stereo
630-663-1298
614-939-0802 847-882-2885
Just Audio Entertainment Center
Albany, NY
410-882-4360 518-482-1864
 their position demands a certain
higher degree of respect. That was
wide
angle signals not how Tom operated. If I hadn’t
been properly introduced when I
first met Tom, I would never have
guessed that this modest man had

A Remarkable Man built a company that had sold a

billion products, made hundreds of
millions of dollars, provided a liveli-
BY KEN C. POHLMANN hood for hundreds of people, and
helped countless customers enjoy
I’d like to tell you about Thomas Yuen. He died recently at the age of 70. I their music just a li!le more.
didn’t know him well, but he made a tremendous impression on me. As I noted, at the time, I was
Mr. Yuen was chairman and CEO of SRS Labs. With over 150 patents, somewhat aware of Tom’s career.
SRS was an industry leader in audio enhancement and surround-sound I was not aware of his medical
processing. The company’s audio solutions were found in over one billion condition. Back in 1980, Tom’s
products spanning home entertainment, portable media devices, personal time carefully listened to what I was kidneys failed; he was diagnosed
telecommunications, automotive, and personal computers. It had over 300 saying and had precisely evaluated with Alport Syndrome, a heredi-
licensees and partners including companies such as Dell, Hewle!-Packard, the message and also the totality of tary disease, and would require
LG, Microso", Panasonic, Samsung, Sharp, Sony, Toshiba, and Vizio. the communication. What I mean dialysis for the rest of his life. It was
is this: Anyone can take notes and only a year later, undeterred, and
Tom asked me to do some SRS technology were shipped, absorb the material, but in addi- perhaps spurred by the diagnosis,
consulting for SRS Labs in 2008 representing about 30 percent of tion to that, Tom was operating that he kicked his career into high
and later extended an invitation to total market share. The company’s at a higher level, solving some gear with the co-founding of AST
join an advisory board. From the audio solutions such as TruVolume, mysterious equation that gauged Research. And while he was still
beginning, everything about Tom TruSurround, TheaterSound, the quality of the material, told him at SRS, he bought a majority stake
was both informal and concise. His TruBass, WOW HD, Circle whether the material was appro- in PrimeGen Biotech, a medical
emails started with “Hi Ken,” and Surround, and CS Headphone priate, how well it was presented, research company, serving as its
then completely communicated were ubiquitous. A"er decades how accurately it was received, chairman and CEO. Under his guid-
the necessary information in one or of growth, the company and its what the audience might derive ance, the company used unique
two sentences. As I write this, I am portfolio of more than 150 patents from it, and what the net outcome approaches to discover new
looking back at some old emails. was acquired by DTS in 2012. was for everyone involved. And his stem-cell therapies for a variety of
Everything is dialed in, crisp. He That’s pre!y sensational, but evaluations were always exactly age-related and chronic diseases.
was well informed, knew all the I was more impressed by the correct. I knew then that he was a He also donated generously to
details, and was eager to fill any man himself. I want to give you rare kind of boss. stem-cell research at the University
small gaps in his knowledge. He some insight into Tom. Here’s Some people are really good at of California at Irvine. In the same
was simultaneously the proverbial one example: I taught for 30 years details. Others can more easily deal way Tom built SRS and improved
smartest guy in the room and the and over that time gave countless with the big picture. It is the rare the sound quality of so many
most enthusiastic student. lectures and presentations (most individual who can span that entire products, his pioneering work in
At the time, I was somewhat audience members would say breadth. Tom was that kind of guy. medicine might one day improve
aware of Tom’s engineering and I gave too many). Now, a"er the A"er spending the morning writing the lives of many people who suffer
business career. With a degree concluding remarks, a presenter a shareholder’s report projecting from diseases such as his.
in electrical engineering under knows whether they’ve hit a single the next decade of growth for the To conclude a paean, presenters
his belt, he worked for Hughes or a home run, bunted or struck company, I imagine he could take usually summarize their thoughts.
Aircra" and Sperry Univac. In 1981 out. Trust me—you know. At the a break, wander into a cubicle, and In the case of an obituary, the
he co-founded AST Research, corporate level, when you’re done, remind a so"ware engineer that summary usually takes the form
a personal computer company, your host usually tells you how she still needed to fix the bug in line of a final commentary on how a
and served as co-chairman and wonderful it was. Tom didn’t do 124 in subroutine 28—and politely life was lived. To my great regret,
Chief Operating Officer. Under that. Instead, a"er I had finished hang around until it was fixed. I didn’t know Tom well enough to
his leadership, AST soon became my presentation, he responded Finally, let me try to express what a!empt any such pronouncement
a Fortune 500 company with in a way that was wholly unique might be, in the world of CEOs, on a life as rich and varied as his.
revenues of $1.14 billion in 1992. in my experience. His remarks to Tom’s most unique quality, one But it was my good fortune to meet
Seeking new frontiers, he le" AST me were exactly calibrated to my that his many friends will not be the man, and to begin to appreciate
in 1992 and bought a majority stake performance. If I knew I had hit a surprised to hear: When I first met the extraordinary quality and depth
in a fledgling SRS Labs. double, his criticism was balanced. Tom, judging from the informality that he possessed. It was just a
It was a natural fit for Tom A"er a (rare) home run, his praise of his emails, I expected a certain glimpse. But I’ll treasure it.
because SRS (Sound Retrieval was effusive. And a"er I struck out, informality in his demeanor. What
System) technology was originally his smile was as warm as ever, but I did not expect was that he would THE AUTHOR
developed at Hughes Aircra", his as a gentleman, he refrained from be so downright friendly. A lot of
former employer. The company pointing out the obvious. corporate leaders maintain a strict Ken C. Pohlmann is an electrical
engineer specializing in audio
quickly prospered under Tom’s What impressed me most about sense of reserve—a defensive
topics as a consultant and writer.
leadership, and in 1996 was listed that was that this very busy guy, barrier between themselves and He is Professor Emeritus at the
on the NASDAQ. In 2008, some 36 who had a million more important their employees. They believe, University of Miami.
million flat-panel televisions with things to think about, had each perhaps not unreasonably, that

16 June July 2022 soundandvision.com

When it comes to high dynamic range,
one ecosystem is the center of it all.

Amazon Fire TV

e
Amlog

.
YouTub

ros
And

mi

rB
Ch

Xiao

rne
roid
AT

ic
ro

EM

Wa
m
ec

zio
D es
as

en ur

Vi
t

on o ct
Go iv l Pi
og V a
rs
le
TV ive
dios
n tu
U
uryS
t
His
en th C
en
se 20

Hulu ision
TPV

IMAX TCL

JVC Samsung

gate Saber
Lions Intera
ctive

z
arant Rok
u
M
k Re
Te alt
dia ek
Me Re
o al
gog M
e
e
M
Q
ty

ua
ili

lc
ob

Pr

om
IA
M

im
ID

m
Pio
a

eV
lus
ol

NV

Para
o
or

ne

id
eP

Panasonic
OppO
Onky
ot

eo
er
M

On

mou
nt+

Only HDR10+ dynamic metadata offers such a compelling combination of benefits, including outstanding
brightness and contrast, robust standardization, ease of implementation, global certification, no licensing
fees and seamless compatibility with HDR10. All of which is why HDR10+ is supported by leading digital
content providers like Prime Video.

So what are you waiting for? For more information, go to hdr10plus.org. © 2022 HDR10+ Technologies LLC. All rights reserved.
wide
angle stream on

Camp Epic
The acquisition of Bandcamp by Epic Games could
lead to some quite intriguing, game-embedded
music-streaming opps that could further enhance
the already large appeal of the Fortnite franchise
and its Soundwave Series.
headline-grabbing, island-
BY MIKE METTLER stomping event garnered
12.3 million concurrent
Tech company acquisitions almost always garner an audible gasp—and/or players, so they must be
at least a snarky #hashtag assessment and/or upwardly trending meme— doing something right.)
bemoaning the almost certain disconnected corporate-generated creative Last summer, in Fortnite
“intervention” that more o!en than not tends to dilute the power of brands Creative mode, the all-
we’ve come to love and depend on for our entertainment, informational, lowercase English upstart
and/or personal values-related needs. (“CNN Minus,” anyone? Ach, we band dubbed easy life
hardly knew ye. . .) pulled off, shall we say, quite the 1970s flair to it—and this game
Dali-esque concert experience, could be expanded into a broader
That said, an infusion of capital acquisitional history and Band- using London’s famed O2 Arena as feeder series to involve not only
and other associated brand- camp’s indie-artist-nurturing back- the main performance backdrop for multiple players, but also engage
expanding resources can some- ground, I’ll give them the benefit of about 20 minutes of madcap sand- Bandcamp artists to become the
times lead to a be"er, stronger the doubt—for now, at least. boxed action. This level of island game’s soundtrack providers. Yes,
product overall—witness how Though my own allo"ed gaming creativity shows how the sky’s I know the Musical Story game
SiriusXM became a much, much time is deliberately capped, I have the limit in Fortnite for integrating developers have their own original
be"er satellite radio service once indeed enjoyed one Epic Games music, and the new Bandcamp music creators invested in the
the two competing companies flagship venture in particular, as alliance could certainly be utilized game, but just think how next-gen
joined forces, for example. I’m sure a good number of you to filter other indie acts into the and/or spinoff versions could tie
With all that in mind, we here also have and probably still do— game’s virtual performance space. into things like the recently rein-
in the Stream On universe were namely, the irresistible multiplayer Incidentally, the recently stated Bandcamp Fridays, when
intrigued to see when, back in juggernaut ba"le royale/survivor instituted Soundwave Series is Bandcamp waives its revenue
March, the announcement came game that is Fortnite. Besides another key Fortnite interactive share and artists get more of the
from on high that gaming giant Epic the actual pulse-pounding game in-game feature streaming music generated income that day.
Games had acquired web-based experience itself, I have enjoyed fans should tap into, post-haste. From the audio geek side of
music portal Bandcamp. Since that finding my way to the music inter- Egyptian vocalist Mohamed things, Bandcamp streams tend to
initial announcement, both entities activity elements via party royale (a Hamaki kicked off the Soundwave be available at V0 MP3 320kbps,
have been relatively radio-silent feature albeit temporarily disabled Series last fall, with Australian though plenty of Bandcamp artists
about their potential cross-polli- at presstime), the violence-free singer/songwriter Tones And offer high-quality purchase options
nation plans. At least at the outset, island featuring both a concert I, Brazilian rapper Emicida, such as FLAC, WAV, and ALAC-
each side said all the right things stage and a theater space—and a Japanese vocalist/producer Gen M4A downloads. Even be"er,
about staying true to their respec- locale where I’ve probably spent Hoshino, and French-Malian certain Bandcamp artists like prog
tive core values, such as sharing more time than actually playing the singer Aya Nakamura following supergroup Stick Men provide
a vision of constructing “the most game itself anymore, even though suit. Frankly, this is an area where 24-bit/96kHz 5.1 surround sound
open, artist-friendly ecosystem in Fortnite offers a picture-in-picture the Bandcamp ecosystem could downloads as well.
the world,” according to Band- multitasking feature. Artists like really hold sway, considering the However things suss out, here’s
camp’s CEO Ethan Diamond. Given Diplo, Steve Aoki, Deadmu5, various playlist and radio elements hoping the new Epic Games/Band-
Epic Games’ relatively non-hostile Kenshi Yonezu, and Dominic already in place in Fortnite. camp axis portends greater aural-
Fike have all showed Meanwhile, A Musical Story, an related streaming opps ahead.
up on the island for Epic Games offering under the May they inspire results that avoid
brief livestreamed single-player music umbrella, is a hip hashtags like #epicfail but lean
sets—sets that perfect dual service-intersection more toward #epiccamprules.
complemented bigger point, imo. (The base game runs
in-game performances $14.99; the digital deluxe version
from acts like Marsh- is $24.99.) A Musical Story follows THE AUTHOR
mello, Ariana Grande, a character named Gabriel, who’s Mike Mettler, a.k.a. The SoundBard, is
and Travis Sco". seeking to reconnect to his past the music editor of Sound & Vision.
(Incidentally, Sco"’s musical life that has a decided

18 June July 2022 soundandvision.com

MX SERIES
M U LT I-ZON E DI GITAL
AMP LIF IE RS

MX1680 | MX1280 | MX880

KEY FEATURES
wide
angle The Connected Life

Big Screen
Dilemmas
BY JOHN SCIACCA
In my last two columns, I discussed major changes that have taken place in plan on using this display at all system for well under 15 grand.
the display market. When I started my career as a custom installer, ge!ing times of the day, and it is going in Of course, depending on screen
a cinema-size image meant a front projection system in a light-controlled a room without control over the size, features, and performance
room. But technology has rapidly developed to the point where you can get lighting, you will probably be be!er expectations, you might need a
a 100-inch display for under twenty grand. (Sony’s 100-incher is currently off with a flat-panel TV. projector priced far higher than
on sale for $16,999 as I write this, with Samsung’s 98-incher selling for $6,000 (Step-up JVC and Sony
THE INSTALL
$2,000 less than that.) models offering increased light
Flat-panel TVs are easier, faster, output and more flexible setup
Of course, a massive flat-panel a screen over 120 inches, definitely and cheaper to install than a options start at 10-11 grand.) But if
TV creates design challenges for consider projection. Unless you projection system almost 100 your video budget is in the $10,000
rooms, and my previous column have the budget to go with a new percent of the time. This is range, projection will actually be
covered ways to mitigate the harm MicroLED display like Samsung’s especially true if it’s a retrofit more affordable.
that mounting a 100-inch black The Wall or Sony’s Crystal LED. into existing construction. At a
THE SYSTEM
screen on the wall can have on your Then do that. And invite me over minimum, the la!er requires power,
home’s décor. As it turns out, there to watch. which is almost never located Another big difference between
are plenty of options here, such where the projector will mount, so flat-panel displays and projectors
THE ENVIRONMENT
as using the display as a digital that means electrical work. And is the accompanying equipment
canvas, framing it like a piece of art, Where I live in South Carolina, the while there are wireless HDMI they require. A projector is just
or using a motorized li" to conceal water table is so high that almost transmi!ers, due to the massive that—a projector. It still needs
it when not in use. no homes have basements. (I can amount of data involved in 4K/HDR a screen, source components,
But which solution is right for think of one we’ve worked on over video transmission, we never use speakers, and amplification to
you? For this column, I thought I’d the past 25 years.) Most homes them and insist on the reliability of create a functioning system. All
go through some of the conversa- have lots of glass to take advantage hardwired cables (preferably fiber of that gear probably also means
tions we have with clients when of views, and generally don’t have optic) for these runs. If you plan on having a universal remote control,
helping them determine whether a light-controlled room purposed using a motorized screen, that is plus a storage closet and rack for
to go with a large flat-panel TV or a for a dedicated theater. And even more power wiring and likely also the equipment. A flat-panel, on
projection system. though projection technology has some kind of control wire like a the other hand, can be a complete
improved significantly over the 12-volt trigger from the projector. system, with speakers and
THE SIZE
years—with far brighter projec- In some homes, running this wiring streaming services built right in. For
This is a no-brainer. If you’re tors, greater placement flexibility, isn’t practical or even possible. rooms where you don’t care about
considering a screen under and ambient-light-rejecting (ALR) Conversely, it doesn’t take any assembling a high-performance
90-inches diagonal, go with a flat- screens—a projector still always more time—just more people!—to surround sound system, the all-in-
panel TV. If your room can support looks best in a dark room. If you install a 100-inch flat-panel than it one simplicity of a large TV might
does a 55-inch one, and it is nearly be appealing.
always easier to retro cabling— Now, as Yoda said, there is
power, HDMI, Ethernet—to a wall- another…option. Say you love
mounted TV. the look, design, and installation
ease that a flat-panel TV offers
THE BUDGET
but want the cinema-size image
In the past, front projection was of a projection system. In my next
always the more expensive option, column, we’ll talk about those other
but now with large flat-panel TVs available options.
selling for 15-17 grand, the situation
has flipped a bit. You can purchase
THE AUTHOR
a true 4K projector from Sony or
JVC starting around $6,000, with For the past 20 years, John Sciacca
other companies offering pixel- has worked as a custom installer in
South Carolina. In his free time, he
shi"ing 4K models for half that
enjoys drinking craft beer and
amount. Bo!om line: Even when watching movies on his 7.2.6
using with a high-quality screen, surround system.
you can assemble a projection

20 June July 2022 soundandvision.com

 If lows move you higher,
things are about to get real.

DESCEND SERIES SUBWOOFERS

Descend Series subwoofers from Definitive Technology deliver such dynamic,

impactful, uncompromised bass, they turn an ordinary home theater into your
personal front row seats. Get ready to experience the heart-pounding realism that
only a Definitive Descend subwoofer can deliver. With four bass-heavy models to
choose from. Because if you’re not feeling every note, you’re not jamming.

Learn how we took low end performance to its highest levels at

definitivetechnology.com/descend

WHAT OBSESSION SOUNDS LIKE

 content tagged as being in Dolby
Atmos—Spatial Audio selections
wide
angle Q&A in the Amazon Music mobile app, in
contrast, are clearly labeled—and
when I played tracks known to be
in Atmos such as ones from the

Atmos on Amazon Coldplay albums you cite, they

were reproduced by my Marantz
SR6014 A/V receiver in plain-vanilla
BY AL GRIFFIN stereo.
So, why are you hearing sounds

Q
I want to listen to Amazon Music Unlimited’s Dolby Atmos coming from all the speakers in
music tracks on my home theater system. Here’s the problem: your 7.1-channel system when
Amazon Music support says my subscription will only output playing tracks from the Roku
Atmos to my Amazon Echo Studio speaker and a few other Amazon Music app? The likely
devices including headphones. But when I play the Amazon Music Best answer is that your Sony STR-
of Dolby Atmos playlist on my Roku Ultra streamer, the display on my Sony ZA1100ES A/V receiver has
STR-ZA1100ES A/V receiver reads “Atmos” and I hear sounds coming from its Dolby Surround Upmixer
all the speakers in my 7.1-channel system. This is especially pronounced processing engaged for the HDMI
when listening to the newly released Coldplay albums Music of the Spheres input your Roku Ultra is connected
and Higher Power, as well as the re-released Berliner Philharmoniker to. What the Dolby Surround
Legendary Recordings, Mussorgsky: Pictures at an Exhibition - Promenade Upmixer does is to take incoming
I. Is what I am experiencing through my speakers a real Atmos mix, or is it a stereo (or 5.1, or 7.1) audio signals
case of wishful hearing? and intelligently steer them to the
BILL HEESTAND / ROUND ROCK, TX full array of speakers in a Dolby
Atmos home theater setup to

A
It’s wishful hearing, I’m Audio tracks from Amazon music to app on the Roku platform doesn’t enhance the spaciousness of
afraid. Like you say, smart speakers such as Amazon’s support Spatial Audio for that the presentation. The Upmixer
Amazon Music Unlim- own Echo Studio and select Sony service, though you can play processing is part of the Dolby
ited’s Spatial Audio models. Apple Music Spatial Audio tracks Atmos technology bundle that’s
(Dolby Atmos) support is limited To confirm that Roku hasn’t in a home theater se!ing via an integrated in your AVR, which is
to headphone playback using stealthily added Spatial Audio Apple 4K TV streamer), I fired up the likely reason why you’re seeing
the Amazon Music app (iOS or support to the Roku Amazon Amazon Music on my own Roku “Atmos” on the receiver’s front-
Android). You can also cast Spatial Music app (even the Apple Music Ultra. As expected, I could find no panel display.

Q
I have an older Pioneer VSX-820 receiver (circa 2010) and to protect 4K video content in the Ultra HD era, and it required support
currently have my 4K Roku streaming stick plugged in to from all devices in the signal chain, from the player to the AVR to the
one of its HDMI inputs, with the receiver’s HDMI output video display.
connected to my 1080p-resolution HDTV. I plan to soon Now for your second question. While you won’t be able to send 4K
upgrade to an Ultra HDTV (Vizio M65Q7-J01). Here’s my question: If I video from the Roku streamer through your Pioneer receiver to the
continue to connect my Roku stick to the receiver, will it pass a 4K signal new 4K TV, you could connect it directly to the set and, as you suggest,
to the new TV? If not, is my best bet for audio to connect the Vizio TV to route 5.1 Dolby Digital audio back to the receiver using an optical digital
my receiver via its optical digital audio output? connection. The Vizio TV you’re planning to buy also supports HDMI
CHRIS MURPHY / VIA EMAIL ARC/eARC, which enables output of audio signals from the set back
to the receiver via an HDMI connection. But taking advantage of that

A
To answer your first question, no, your Roku streaming connection option requires a receiver with an HDMI ARC/eARC-compat-
stick will not be able to pass a 4K video signal through the ible port, and your Pioneer doesn’t support that feature.
Pioneer VSX-820 receiver.
The reason why is that the
HDMI 1.4 connections on older receivers
like yours use an outmoded version of
HDCP (High-bandwidth Digital Content
Protection) that doesn’t support pass-
though of protected 4K video content.
Back when the 4K/Ultra HD video format
started ramping up in the middle of the
last decade, the HDMI 2.0 connections
that started to appear on components
like Ultra HD Blu-ray players, satellite and
cable boxes, AVRs, and TVs were accom-
panied by a new flavor of HDCP. This new
version, 2.2, was developed specifically

22 June July 2022 soundandvision.com

 “
The Demand D9…is a speaker
to be reckoned with…
–Audiophiliac, Steve Guttenberg
“
Amazingly alive
and pristine…
–Sound & Vision

“
The sound was
enthralling…
–Audioholics,
2020 Product of the Year.

The awards and reviews are in. Demand Series loudspeakers deliver unforgettable
audio experiences. Visit your authorized DT dealer for a demo and hear why these
speakers have the most demanding reviewers and audiophiles raving.
See what everyone else is saying at
definitivetechnology.com/demand

WHAT OBSESSION SOUNDS LIKE

 Dohn. And then the home theater bug returned.
“My continued interest in films, coupled with
many of my customers recognizing my technical
prowess, led me to ultimately switch gears and
leave the TV and film post-production world for
the A/V world,” Oberlin recalls.
The transition to A/V integration started with
clients asking him to do side work at their homes
and businesses but it didn’t happen overnight.
Oberlin continued his post-production film work
while gradually ramping up what would become
Grace Home Systems, the custom systems-
integration boutique he runs today. When it was
time to go all-in, Oberlin converted the editing
suite into a home theater for his family that would
also serve as a demo space and a place to meet
and entertain prospective clients.
Fortunately, a solid foundation for the new
theater space had been laid years earlier when
Oberlin hired a contractor to build a 16 x 11.5-foot
room with a 9-foot ceiling to house his editing
suite, leaving room for a utility closet in the back
of what had been the garage. The house was
new and his wife had just given birth to their

MEDIA ROOM
first daughter so the project was done on a tight
budget, which, as Oberlin put it, “meant forgoing
certain luxuries like pre-fab acoustical treatment,
building non-parallel walls and floating the floor,
etc.” But since the garage was built on a slab

INSIDER:
he was confident that with additional sound-
proofing measures there would be enough isola-
tion to meet his needs, especially since he was in
effect creating a double-stud wall by building a

HOLLYWOOD
room within the existing garage.
Construction was standard 2 x 4 framing with
insulation but the plan Oberlin and Dohn came
up with called for additional soundproofing in

COMES HOME
the form of two layers of 5/8-inch drywall with
offset seams for the walls and ceiling with a third
layer added to the front wall that sits behind the
garage door. To further minimize sound trans-
mission, anti-sway rubber-padded hardware
was used to decouple the framing from the
existing structure. Oberlin retained the room’s
KENT OBERLIN had a great gig working in the post-production lone window but doubled up on the glass by
How a sound editor department at the sprawling Sony Pictures Studios complex installing a second window—a custom cut sheet
turned custom in Culver City, CA, former home of the legendary Metro- of 3/4-inch glass. “Someone can be pounding
Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) lot where The Wizard of Oz and many on either side and it’s pre"y much inaudible,” he
installation pro
beloved films from Hollywood’s golden era were made and says, noting that a double-door entryway was
transformed his where contemporary films such as Spider-Man: No Way Home created as another soundproofing measure.
former home studio are made today. Working out of an office next door to the Two 20-amp circuits were added to the
into a home theater. world-class Barbra Streisand Scoring Stage, he assembled home’s existing panel to accommodate the
and maintained the workstations sound editors used to build room’s electrical needs and all of the lights and
BY BOB ANKOSKO soundtracks for films in production. AC outlets were surface-mounted to create an
Oberlin loved his job, especially the opportunity to meet audio-tight space. Heating and AC is handled
and work with sound engineers and audio professionals at by a dedicated mini-split system that runs very
companies like JBL and Dolby, which piqued his interest in home theater or, as he put it, “the possi- quiet, and ductwork for the Fantech air-recircu-
bilities of bringing the cinematic experience to the home.” He would frequent the Sony Electronics lation/filtration system Oberlin had installed is
store on studio property to check out the latest and greatest consumer A/V technology and take insulated to keep the room as quiet as possible.
full advantage of his employee discount. The Fantech system has connections for four
Growing tired of his grueling schedule and the stress that came with it, Oberlin le# Sony and 7-inch ducts and sits in the utility closet with the
began offering boutique post-production sound editing services in the San Diego area, eventu- water heater and water so#ener; two ducts pull
ally transforming his garage into an office/editing studio with the help of designer/acoustician Bill in fresh air from the outside, while the other two

24 June July 2022 soundandvision.com

 rigid fiberglass panels in 1 x 4 wood still is) carpeted with special padding
strips and covering them with burlap designed for use on a concrete slab.
(since changed to fabric). “I employed
a similar technique with the bass traps From Editing Suite
just doubling their height to accommo- to Home Theater
date the 9-foot ceiling,” he advises. “My Oberlin hired an interior designer to help
overall goal was to create a dead space him realize his vision for a “comfortable
that would allow sound coming from media room that would be light, inviting,
my near-field monitors to hit my ears and fun, while maintaining that high-end
without the room coloring it.” cinematic experience” he knew so
In the end, Oberlin figures the room’s well from years of working in the movie
STC (sound transmission class) rating is industry. “I wanted a room where you
twice that of what it had been as a lowly could open the door, flop down on the
garage. “I have to be hi!ing some very couch, even roll out sleeping bags for
1
high SPLs for it to be a nuisance,” he a slumber party, and be wowed when
says. “Even today, unless there is a lot you start up your favorite video game or
of LFE [low-frequency effects] action, movie with a simple bu!on press.”
I get zero complaints when watching The makeover started with replacing
films at typical theatrical levels—even the workstation at the front of the room
with someone sleeping in the guest with a custom-built cabinet featuring a
bedroom directly above the garage.” Middle Atlantic slide-out A/V rack with
All of Oberlin’s past efforts greatly thermostat-controlled fan cooling and
simplified the transition to a theater three compartments for storing movie
space. The original construction even discs, “floating gear” (including Ober-
included a 6-inch riser in the back of lin’s Nintendo console), and assorted
the room to allow for elevated seating accessories—all behind classy
where his clients would sit (and where louvered doors.
he and family members now sit on a “The biggest challenge was the size
comfy sectional) while he performed his of the space,” Oberlin explains. “I didn’t
editing wizardry at custom-made “edito- want the room to feel crowded, so to
rial desk.” Except for the hardwood keep it open and comfortable I invested
2
2 surface on the riser, the room was (and in the custom cabinet and an appro-

4 5

expel stale air. Even though the system 1] Kent Oberlin’s

was installed during the framing stage office/sound editing
6
of construction, situating the ducts in a studio before it was
way that allows repair access—keeping transformed into a 7
in mind Oberlin added extra elbows to home theater.
reduce sound transmission—was a bit 2-3] Kent Oberlin’s 4-8] The original room construction comprised
of a Rubik’s Cube challenge because editing studio after it framing for a room within a room (the garage).
the space is so tight. was transformed into The room is fully insulated and has two or three
Working on a tight budget meant a home theater. layers of 5/8 -inch drywall and a double-door
saving money wherever possible, so, entry. Drywall seams were offset as a
with guidance from Bill Dohn, Oberlin soundproofing measure and a riser was
fabricated his own custom acoustic constructed in the rear of the room for client/
8
panels—25 in all—framing 2-inch-thick guest seating in the original editing studio.

soundandvision.com 25
priately sized couch and seat. I would have system that works well.”
preferred typical theatrical seating, but it would Subscribing to the
have taken up too much space. A"er all is said philosophy that multiple
and done, I love the informality of it.” subs is always the way to
The room had been prewired to accom- go, Oberlin completed
modate “all of the typical theatrical speaker the speaker lineup with a
locations,” except for height speakers, which pair of Origin Acoustics
meant Oberlin had to run wiring for ceiling SUBDD12EQ powered
speakers and the video projector he planned to subwoofers, the top model in
locate in the back of the room. It was a “grueling 9 its Deep series. Each sub is
process,” but one he knows all-too well, as app-controllable and spec’d
retrofi!ing existing rooms is the mainstay of his to play down to 17Hz with two
business. Cosmetic updates include swapping 9] Working on a tight budget, Kent Oberlin saved money 12-inch woofers and a tuned passive radiator
out the old wall sconces for “more theatrical” by fabricating absorption panels using rigid fiberglass in a roughly 18-inch cube that also houses
fixtures and re-wrapping all of those acoustic covered in burlap and later changed to velvet when the a hybrid class-AB/class-D BASH amplifier
panels in gray velvet to match the room’s new space was transformed into a theater. 10] A custom-built rated to deliver 1,200 wa!s (peak). They are
carpet and freshly painted ceiling and walls. cabinet in the front of the room features a slide-out A/V symmetrically situated in the front of the room
Oberlin set his sights on achieving an “uber- rack with a thermostat-controlled cooling system and with both si!ing a few feet out from their respec-
high-quality cinema experience” for his new three storage compartments. tive corners.
theater, which ultimately led him to a 7.2.4 Dolby At the heart of the system is a well-appointed
Atmos audio setup with 15 speakers, including With multiple speakers in a relatively small AudioControl Concert Series XR-8 A/V receiver
two subwoofers, and a 4K high dynamic range space, the speaker setup is ambitious. It that decodes all of the immersive audio
(HDR) video setup featuring Epson’s 6050UB starts up front with the three Origin Acoustics formats—Dolby Atmos, DTS:X, Auro-3D, and
4K Pro-UHD video projector and a Screen Inno- Marquee M5500OW speakers that assume IMAX Enhanced—in addition to supporting
vations 120-inch (diagonal) Pure Gray acousti- le"-, center-, and right-channel duties from Dolby Vision HDR. The AVR also provides
cally transparent (AT) screen that’s almost as behind the screen. The flagship model in Dirac Live calibration so"ware along with
wide as the room itself. Origin’s discontinued Marquee Collection, the seven powered channels, each rated to deliver
Finding the right combination of projector 5500 is an on-wall LCR design housing two 120 wa!s continuous. Oberlin tapped those
and screen was critical to Oberlin’s mission. 8-inch woofers, two 5-inch midrange drivers, channels to power the Origin Acoustics LCR
“We tried one of SI’s ALR (ambient-light- and a 1-inch titanium tweeter in a low-profile speakers plus six of the 10 surround speakers
rejecting) AT screens but having the projector enclosure 44 inches long (or wide). They may (the two speakers on each side wall are wired in
so close to the screen [about 12 feet away] be only 4.25 inches thick but they are beasts as parallel and driven by one channel). An Audio-
rendered its light rejecting properties ineffec- far as Oberlin is concerned, so much so that he Control Architect P800 amplifier operating in
tive—it actually produced a darker picture than had to reinforce the wall that supports them. its 4 x 400-wa! bridged mode drives the four
the normal .85-gain screen we swapped it out From there, it’s Episode 500 Series SAT ceiling-mounted height speakers.
with,” Oberlin informs, adding that trouble- bookshelf speakers all the way. Ten of the Though Oberlin could easily write another
shooting with the manufacturer revealed that compact two-ways are deployed around the article on how he used Dirac Live to improve
the problem was the result of a short throw room in surround- and height-channel posi- the sound of his system, suffice it to say,
distance coupled with an exaggerated vertical tions: two on each side wall, two on the back despite a fairly steep learning curve, he was
offset that pushed up against the limits of wall, and four on the ceiling. “I didn’t want to delighted with the results and found Dirac to be
ALR technology. “I’m more concerned about penetrate the walls with in-wall/ceiling speakers far superior to the Yamaha Parametric (room)
contrast and color reproduction than bright- so I had to get cra"y,” Oberlin explains. Acoustic Optimizer (YPAO) calibration system
ness and the Epson offers a stellar picture, even “Aesthetically, I didn’t mind seeing the speakers in the Yamaha AVR he had been using prior to
when paired with a low-gain screen and some but I didn’t want them to be overly intrusive transitioning to the AudioControl XR-8. “Dirac
ambient light.” either. I was able to figure out a mounting LIVE is very different from YPAO, employing

10

26 June July 2022 soundandvision.com

A/V Equipment List

Epson 6050UB Pro-UHD 4K/HDR video

projector
11] Origin Acoustics Marquee M5500OW speakers, which
Screen Innovations Pure Gray 120-inch handle front LCR duties from behind the screen, are
(diagonal) acoustically transparent screen (with
supported by a reinforced wall. 12] Kent Oberlin
adjustable LED backlighting kit)
auditioned a few projectors before settling on Epson’s
Panasonic DP-UB9000 Ultra HD Blu-ray player 6050UB 4K Pro-UHD model. 13] The unassuming
Apple TV 4K (32 GB) entryway into Kent Oberlin’s home theater, originally a
garage that was converted into a sound editing studio.
TiVo Mini VOX 4K streaming media player
(fed by a TiVo Bolt DVR)
Nvidia Shield TV streaming device 3-TB external hard drive), Apple TV 4K, Roku
Premiere+, and Nvidia Shield. “I use the Kodi
Roku Premiere+
app on the Nvidia Shield to access files on my
Nintendo Switch game console NAS where I have accumulated quite a library
AudioControl Concert XR-8 A/V receiver splash screens from Dolby Digital/Atmos, DTS,
AudioControl Architect P800 8 x 100-watt IMAX, and others, which are lots of fun and
power amplifier (for Atmos height speakers) great for showing off the system,” Oberlin says.
An inveterate tweaker, Oberlin found the
Origin Acoustics Marquee Collection HDR Optimizer feature in the Panasonic player
M5500OW on-wall speakers (left, center, right
effective in keeping high-dynamic range
front)
flourishes in check. “HDR is still challenging to
Origin Acoustics Deep series SUBDD12EQ watch, but that’s true of any current projection-
powered subwoofers (2) 11
based setup,” he observes. “Panasonic’s tone
Episode 500 Series SAT speakers (10, Atmos mapping is very helpful in ge"ing decent HDR
height and side/back surround) much more sophisticated algorithms, including with disc-based content, though it would be
support for multiple subwoofers,” he advises. nice if the player had an HDMI input so I could
Additional Gear & Accessories “Its bass-management compensation helped take advantage of the feature with my Apple TV
Earthquake Sound MQB-1 Tactile Transducer us out with some nasty room modes.” or another piece of source equipment.”
(a.k.a. bass shaker, 2 installed in sectional) The so!ware also helped Oberlin over- RTI’s customizable T2x remote control
come an acoustics issue of having “a li"le too presides over the entire A/V system as well as
Earthquake Sound XJ-700DSP power ampli-
fier (to power tactile transducers) much absorption at the high end and not quite the three rows of track lighting connected to
enough below 100Hz by allowing me to boost Lutron’s Caseta wireless control system, which
RTI T2x remote control the inherent dip at 4kHz (important for voices) itself enables voice control via an Amazon Echo
Lutron Caseta lighting-control system and mitigate the bass issue.” A!er all is said smart speaker or smartphone app. Adding a bit
Amazon Echo (for voice control of lighting) and done, the room sounds amazing, even at of magic to the home movie viewing experi-
reference-level listening! Ear fatigue is minimal, ence, Oberlin tied the Caseta smart bridge
Luxul eight-port network switch the bass is tight, and spatialization from the into RTI’s logic so he could create a series of
RTI PCM-4 port control module (expands Atmos setup is really impressive.” automation scenes. When a movie starts, for
I/O from RTI XP-6s control processor for main When it’s time to watch a movie or play a example, the lights fade to black and when you
house) game, the Oberlin family has a half-dozen hit pause for a snack break, they gradually fade
AVPro Edge 18Gbps HDMI extender kit sources at their disposal. The arsenal includes up until they reach 25% brightness.
the Panasonic DP-UB9000 Ultra HD Blu-ray
WattBox power conditioner
player (a 2019 Sound & Vision Top Pick), Keeping it Fun
Middle Atlantic SRSR-2-12 slide-out A/V rack Nintendo Switch gaming console, and a handful To spice things up a bit and to add some oomph
Middle Atlantic Cool-line I active thermal of streaming devices: a TiVo Mini Vox (which to gaming and moving watching, Oberlin
management fan system taps into a TiVo Bolt DVR with a WeaKnees recently installed a pair of MQB1 Tactile Trans-
ducers from Earthquake Sound in his comfy
sectional. An Earthquake XJ-700DSP ampli-
fier stashed in the service closet brings the
shakers to life with immediate bu"-massaging
consequence, adding a visceral dimension that
comes “highly recommended.”
Though his investment was substantially
less because of his access to “demo-level
pricing and cheap labor (a.k.a. himself, his wife,
and a few of his techs),” Oberlin pegs the cost
of building his home theater hideaway in the
neighborhood of 100-125 grand. “It has taken
years to get it to this level, and I am sure future
sound formats will require more updates, but
I’m thrilled with the outcome,” he concludes.
“When friends tell you they’d rather watch a
12 13 movie here over the Cinépolis down the street,
you know you’ve got something good.”

soundandvision.com 27
THE
“Yeah, that’s my Hentor, the guitar I used for
the solo on ‘Limelight,’” Lifeson clarifies with a
nod and a grin, referring to the cheekily renamed
hybrid Fender Stratocaster outfi!ed with a Floyd

UNIVERSAL
Rose vibrato arm. Besides its Envy of None
deployment, said Hentor is indeed the guitar
that supplied the thoughtful, elegiac solo in
“Limelight,” one of Rush’s signature songs that
Lifeson has told me on more than one occasion,

DREAM
“remains my favorite of all the guitar solos I’ve
ever done.”
And that’s the power of popular music right
there, boiled down to a few sentences. Just by
Lifeson’s namechecking the 1981 song title
“Limelight,” many of us instantly conjure the
vibe, tone, and feelings the song and its subject
ALEX LIFESON and I are on Zoom, ma!er elicit, most especially the character of his
Rush’s February 1981 masterpiece talking about the genre-challenging emotive, note-sustained, and expertly restrained
sounds put forth by his new band, Envy guitar solo.
Moving Pictures ushered in a previously
of None. Over the years, Lifeson and I “Limelight” is but one of the seven instantly
uncharted era that brought prog rock have talked countless times in person identifiable and equally individual songs
closer to the heart of the masses. And and over the phone about the ground- comprising the 40 seamless minutes found
now, 41 years later, this landmark album breaking music he’s made throughout within the grooves of Rush’s eighth studio effort, Rush photo: Philip Kamen; Alex Lifeson photo: Yael Brandeis

gets its further due, thanks to a truly his long and storied career, whether it February 1981’s landmark Moving Pictures. This
comprehensive multidisc box set and a be his boundary-stretching guitar work five-times-platinum, norm-elevating album
in the legendary Canadian supertrio catapulted Rush from a cult-favorite concert
fully immersive Dolby Atmos mix. Rush; the creative chances he took draw with a number of FM radio hits to their credit
BY MIKE METTLER with Victor, his first-ever solo project into a certified household-name headlining act
in January 1996; or the just-mentioned henceforth able to chart their own course for
Envy of None, a new four-piece collec- the remainder of their career. The combined
tive whose adventurous self-titled debut was just released in April 2022. axis of bassist/vocalist/keyboardist Geddy Lee,
During this particular Zoom call, Lifeson is visibly perched in front of an impressive studio wall guitarist Alex Lifeson, and drummer/lyricist Neil
populated by row a#er endless row filled with some truly amazing gear. Naturally, I can’t help but Peart carried the torch for bringing complex,
inquire about one particular guitar I spy that I’m 99.99 percent sure was responsible for one of the time-signature-shi#ing music to the masses
most moving sound sequences in the entirety of Rush’s recorded C.V., a vaunted canon that spans for over 40-plus years—an impressive sonic
almost five full decades. book officially closed for good following their

28 June July 2022 soundandvision.com

 1 2

final, 35-date R40 Live Tour in 2015. Modern Day Warrior: in Toronto, Ontario on March 25, 1981, they reside here alongside the previ-
With Peart’s passing in January 2020 1) Alex Lifeson riffs in designated here as Live in YYZ 1981. (It’s ously available 24/48 PCM Stereo mix.
following a long, private ba!le with Glio- the studio. 2) The a much more fully realized complement Also included on the Blu-ray are four
blastoma (a form of brain cancer), Rush original 1981 cover to to October 1981’s Exit. . . Stage Le!, a bonus videos—a brand-new, red-hued
as a performing entity was officially Moving Pictures. 3) 2LP set that culled its tracks from the animated clip for “YYZ” (with a surprise
forever positioned in the rearview mirror. The full MP40 Super band’s appearances at The Apollo in ending I won’t spoil here), plus three
In the ensuing years following that Deluxe Edition box set Glasgow, Scotland on June 10-11, 1980, remastered vintage performance-based
final R40 concert run, Rush’s recorded array, including two and The Forum in Montreal, Quebec on promo videos for “Tom Sawyer,” “Lime-
legacy has been regularly feted via elab- Neil Peart signature March 27, 1981.) light,” and “Vital Signs,” all of which were
orately constructed box sets from UMe. drumsticks, two The fourth disc is the kicker, a filmed during the album’s recording
Similar to the breadth of the expanded signed and engraved Blu-ray featuring the core album newly sessions at Le Studio in Morin-Heights,
editions chronicling the scope of four of metal-embossed mixed from the original multitracks in Quebec.
their previous studio albums, the afore- guitar picks, and a 24-bit/48kHz Dolby Atmos—a Rush The vinyl in the Super Deluxe Edition
mentioned Moving Pictures has just replica of the original catalog first—as well as in 24/96 has been cut via half-speed Direct Metal
received its own wholly deserved 40th MP tour program. Dolby TrueHD 5.1 and 24/96 DTS-HD Mastering on five 180-gram black LPs.
anniversary super-deluxe treatment— Master Audio 5.1 options. These Beyond all the aural goodies, we also
albeit seeing release here in Year 41 due superb surround mixes were all done get some exceedingly très-cool extras
to those dreaded supply-chain delays. by longtime Rush associate and noted like liner notes from the likes of bass
It’s been worth the wait, however. producer/engineer Richard Chycki, and innovator Les Claypool and late Foo
Moving Pictures Mach 40 is now
commemorated in six distinct configu-
rations: the mondo 3CD/1BD/5LP Super
Deluxe Edition, 3CD Deluxe Edition, 5LP
Deluxe Edition, and 1LP Edition, plus
a pair of digital offerings—the Digital
Deluxe Edition and a standalone Dolby
Atmos Digital Edition.
Hardcore Rush fans like yours truly
will obtain all versions both physical and
digital for, er, collecting purposes, but
the linchpin acquisition is clearly the
Super Deluxe Edition. This collection
includes the Abbey Road Mastering
Studios 2015 remastered edition of
the album on Disc 1—duly making its
first appearance on CD—along with
two discs of previously unreleased
and newly restored bonus live content
newly mixed from the original analog
live multitracks by Moving Pictures’
original producer, Terry Brown. Discs 2
and 3 feature the complete, unreleased 3
Rush concert at Maple Leaf Gardens

soundandvision.com 29
 4

Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins, as well as a Queensrÿche, and Dream Theater, ultimately Everybody Got Mixed Feelings: 4) Rush, er, "politely"
mounted replica Red Barche!a model car and became a full-fledged producer for artists such address their differences. 5) The majestic MP40 5LP
a pair of Neil Peart MP40 signature drumsticks. as Suicidal Tendencies and Moist. Incidentally, edition. 6-8) All three bandmembers, hard at work on
Visually speaking, there’s a vibrant combination if you look closely at some of the in-studio MP in Le Studio.
of thematically updated and all-new artwork footage on display in the Bonus Videos section
elements courtesy the album’s original art of the Blu-ray, you’ll observe occasional shots
director, graphics designer, and cover concept taken of the backs of both Brown and Northfield recording Permanent Waves,” Brown reports,
innovator Hugh Syme, a man who’s contributed working diligently next to each other at the referring to the previous album’s sessions that
his artistic talents to most every Rush release main console in Le Studio. They’re positioned occurred there a year earlier in September and
there is. behind the glass while all three members of October 1979. “Let’s not forget Le Studio was
Rush are seen playing together in the recording nestled in the Laurentian Mountains, was on a
Fire Up The Willing Engine room clearly visible from that purview. Sadly, Le beautiful lake, had super accommodations, and
Moving Pictures certainly wouldn’t have devel- Studio no longer exists, a#er closing for good in the recording room had views over that lake,”
oped as it did without the prior breakthroughs 2003 and being razed to the ground in 2020. Brown continues. “We set Neil up in front of the
Rush achieved during the recording of January What was it that made the late, lamented Le vast windows on Paul Northfield’s recommen-
1980’s Permanent Waves within the friendly Studio such an ideal locale for these sessions? dation, and the kit sounded wonderful—plus,
confines of Le Studio. “It’s always been very “Le Studio was the perfect environment to the equipment in the control room was cu!ing-
important for us to evolve,” Lifeson believes, record Moving Pictures, partly because we edge.”
and so did his bandmates Lee and Peart. had such a wonderful experience there while Le Studio’s recording equipment was
Just as he had done for all seven of Rush’s
previous studio efforts, Terry Brown was back
behind the boards as producer/arranger for the
Moving Pictures sessions taking place during
October and November 1980 at Le Studio, with
Photo: Fin Costello; Le Studio photos: Yael Brandeis

his British counterpart Paul Northfield returning

as engineer for a second time. “Paul did a great
job engineering Moving Pictures,” assesses
Brown. “He had a good handle on the room,
and he was totally comfortable with the tech-
nical aspects of the studio, and of our sessions.
We had a great working relationship.”
Northfield, who worked on a number of
Rush’s subsequent albums up through May
2002’s Vapor Trails and also engineered 5
records from the likes of Porcupine Tree,

30 June July 2022 soundandvision.com

critical for ge!ing the sounds that made vinyl version of Moving Pictures gets the band’s more self-indulgent on Side II.”
Moving Pictures such a benchmark album. studio precision across in its optimal playback Chycki gives much-deserved credit to
“The main console was an SSL E series, which form. “There have been various remastered Brown and Northfield for their exemplary efforts
had been installed there since our last visit,” versions of the album over the years, but I behind the board. “Every time I put the stereo
Brown details. “We used a small Neve sidecar particularly like this latest half-speed, direct- mix of Moving Pictures on before I got down
[console] to record the kick, snare, and toms to-metal mastered version on 180-gram vinyl,” to do my work, I would put the faders way up,”
for Neil’s kit while laying down the bed tracks. the producer affirms. As I can personally a!est, Chycki recounts. “It’s a joy to listen to that mix
The Neve was also used to capture bass, guitar, the original 1981 Pictures stereo mix was an because I know the band’s work so intimately.
and vocals when we were in overdub mode. A amazing experience unto itself, due in no small It’s so satisfying to listen to the band play, and
Studer 800 was the primary recorder, and we part to the give-and-take between Brown and feel the connection they have. Terry and Paul
used an RCA BA6 vintage compressor on the ace mastering engineer Bob Ludwig. “Bob did such a stellar job in capturing the band’s
bass DI to capture its personality. Of course, and I talked about where the high end might be ability, because they’re always on point when
the biggest addition was the Sony 1610 digital emphasized, or whether the low end needed they play in the studio.”
system, coupled with a [Sony] U-matic 3/4 -inch boosting—and where,” Brown acknowledges. Thanks to the breadth of the album’s core
video recorder used to archive my mixes. As “I was really happy with my mixes and the subtle material, the Atmos mix is light years ahead
I remember it, we loaded in on a Friday, and changes one can adopt during mastering that of the PCM 5.1 and DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
began se!ing up gear. During the evening, we can make all the difference, but Bob definitely mixes Chycki did a decade earlier for the 30th
sorted and fine-tuned Neil’s drum sound. On put the icing on the cake, so to speak. He’s a anniversary Moving Pictures package released
Saturday, we started recording ‘Tom Sawyer,’ master at mastering!” as separate CD/BD and CD/DVD Deluxe
which undoubtedly was the tune that set the Indeed, the 40th anniversary vinyl edition Editions in 2011. “We have the added axis of true
tone for the rest of the sessions.” is my own personal favorite version of Moving height, and there are now so many more options
I asked Brown to give further context to the Pictures on wax to date—and it’s finally sporting for where to place audio,” he explains. “So many
“arrangements by” credit he was o"en given on a colorfully sprawling gatefold to boot. My things come out that were in the mix originally—
Rush albums like Moving Pictures. If you’ve ever original, fully worn-out 1981 Anthem/Mercury elements now unmasked that we used to have
wondered why the band has never—under- LP is forever shelfbound at this point, long to try to decipher coming at us from only two
score never—released any demos, ou!akes, supplanted by the 2015 Anthem/Mercury/UMe speakers. The placement is incredibly accurate
or even one single solitary alternate take from DMM 180-gram LP remastered by Sean Magee going from front to back, and in the upper space
any of their recording sessions, Brown’s answer at Abbey Road Mastering Studios that became as well. Overall, the listener is going to get an
sheds light on some of the key reasoning my preferred turntable spin—until now, that is. increased sense of engagement when listening
behind that thought process. “Production in Drop the needle on the 2022 180g vinyl, and, to Moving Pictures in Atmos.”
the studio is like direction on a movie set. It’s among other things, you’ll readily feel the full
up to the producer to call the perfect take and effect of the panoramic performances and In Their Limitless Rise
nurture the best performances from an artist,” perceptive production on “Tom Sawyer” and Rush also began experimenting with their gear
he explains. “Arrangements are of huge impor- “The Camera Eye,” the two tracks that retain choices in Le Studio, which led to some aurally
tance in the way a song develops, not least of their respective titles of being a perfect pair of apparent differences in the original Moving
all from an emotional point of view for taking the album-side openers. Pictures stereo mixes. “Undoubtedly, the feel
listener on a journey. For instance, how long and sound of a particular instrument can influ-
should the intro be? Are the verses to be strung Catch The Spirit ence the way one plays,” Brown agrees. “In
together? Do we need a B verse, or a bridge? Is That being said, I am beyond enamored with this case, Ged’s newly acquired [1972] Fender
the solo engaging enough? Is the bass ge!ing the 24/48 Dolby Atmos mix included on the box Jazz bass was an inspiration for him—although
in the way of the vocals at certain points? These set’s Blu-ray, especially considering surround the Ricky [i.e., his Rickenbacker 4100] was
are some of the many elements that need to maestro Chycki worked with the absolute best the bass of choice for ‘Red Barche!a,’ and the
be addressed in an arrangement.” Such sound materials. “I got two sets of files for each reel— Steinberger was the right sound for ‘YYZ.’ I don’t
reasoning is why Rush songs are truly concise, the master and slave,” he says. “I had a couple think any of these tunes would have evolved
whether they run for 4 minutes or 11 minutes. of analog machines slaved, then it was all trans- differently using different gear choices, but it’s
In essence, this “Goldilocks Approach” to ferred into Pro Tools. Once I had everything the subtleties that count.”
recording is enacted so precisely on Moving resolved and put together, I started ‘spreading Taken track by track, Moving Pictures is a
Pictures—nothing is too long, and nothing is out’ the band. As you know, this is a record comprehensive work of art. How impactful
too short; all of it is just right. that’s incredibly deep, with a combination of Track 1, “Tom Sawyer,” ultimately became
Not too surprisingly, Brown feels his new radio songs on Side I, and songs that were a lot wasn’t even an inkling in anyone’s heads at

6 7 8

soundandvision.com 31
 9

that point, but “from the moment I first heard Responding With a Roar: 9) Lifeson and Lee, live and in
it, I knew it would make some waves,” Brown sync. 10) The updated MP40 cover, courtesy the original
allows. “Neil’s drum fills still put a smile on my album's art director, Hugh Syme. 11) Atmos maestro
face. Ged’s Moog sounds fresh, and it’s the Richard Chycki. 12-13) Lee, Lifeson, and Peart collectively
perfect setup for Alex’s well-cra#ed solo. Along know how to switch from serious to silly in a flash.
with the input of Pye [Dubois, Peart’s co-lyricist
on the track] and Ged’s vocal, it set a bench-
mark for us.” which chronicles the twists and turns of a high-
In its Atmos form, “Tom Sawyer” is more stakes backroads car race. “I think the key to the
about the overall dynamic power of the band way it sounds is how the overall arrangement
itself as an interlocking, unified performance builds from the arpeggiated harmonics and
unit rather than serving as a “show off” kind dynamic bass lines to the frenzied guitar solo,”
of mix—but it also laid down the gauntlet for Brown theorizes, “but undoubtedly Neil’s drum
just how good the format really is. “That was chart provides the drive and forward motion
the first Rush track I had mixed in Atmos,” throughout until the Red Barche!a is parked 10
Chycki reports, “and it doesn’t have what I’d back in the barn.”
call the more ‘obtuse placements’ in it.” A#er Track 3, “YYZ”—the album’s lone instru-
“Tom Sawyer” was duly Atmos’ed, Chycki mental that, as every native Canadian will chops. It was very exciting to capture those
solicited Alex Lifeson’s real-time reactions. “Al rightfully point out, is in fact pronounced “Y-Y- magic moments in this tune.”
came to my studio to preview it,” the producer Zed”—got its title from the airport identifica- Meanwhile, the aforementioned Side I closer,
continues. “He listened to ‘Tom Sawyer’ in the tion code for Toronto’s Pearson International “Limelight,” not only depicted Peart’s rumina-
sweet spot while I was standing there, outside Airport. “YYZ” also showcases the unbridled tions about the pitfalls of fame on an individual’s
the zone. When the song finishes, he’s dead musicianship of all three bandmembers, each psyche, but it also presented Lifeson’s shining
still—completely quiet. In my head, I start of whom gets featured breaks at various points moments as a truly thoughtful soloist. “Yes, it
going, ‘Wow, I hope he likes it!’ Finally, he turns throughout the song. Speaking of breaks, took a li!le while for this solo to take shape and
to me a#er about 10 seconds and goes, ‘This the “whipcrack” sound effect (as I’m calling emerge from its cocoon,” Brown confirms, “but
is the first time I’ve ever heard this song like it) heard sca!ering across the “YYZ” sound- I have fond memories of it maturing into one of
what I hear in my head.’ To hear that directly field—le# to right (and back again) in stereo, my favorites too. I always thought the lyrics in
from an artist who played the song hundreds, fully off to the sides in 5.1, and higher and wider ‘Limelight’ captured Neil’s feelings on fame and
if not thousands, of times—for him to have that up into the ether in Atmos—was actually born fortune from the outset. He always was a very
feeling is very satisfying, and it really speaks of something you might not realize, beyond private, introverted extravert.”
to the power of the Atmos format. When the the breaking glass effect. “The whipcrack was The source of how Chycki brought “Lime-
artists themselves are going, ‘Yeah, it’s pre!y created by snapping two 3-inch pieces of wood light” into the Atmos-sphere lies in his inter-
Rush photos: Fin Costello

immersive’—to be able to evoke that strong of together—being very careful to not pinch one’s pretation of the way the song was visualized
an emotional impact in them—that’s when you fingers,” Brown chuckles, “and then by adding onstage whenever it was performed live—in
know you’re onto something.” some delay and copious amounts of reverb! It’s this case, by placing Lifeson’s sustained chords
Next out of the gate is the multi-generational a really well-wri!en piece, and it’s definitive of and nuanced riffing directly into the aural spot-
dreamscape that is Track 2, “Red Barche!a,” where the band was at in terms of their playing light, as it were. “You saw Rush dozens of times

32 June July 2022 soundandvision.com

live, so you know what happened every time Al
hits that first note of the solo—the stage blacks
out, and then all the lights focus on him,” Chycki
describes. “At the beginning of that solo section
in Atmos, the guitar does this funky, weird
motion to simulate that. On the stereo version,
you’re probably ge!ing a lot of the Dimension D
[chorus delay] on the guitars. And even though
the Dimension D is a very wide kind of chorus
unit, there’s no sweep to it, so it really sounds
chorus-y—and yet it doesn’t, which was the
magic of that vintage piece. The Atmos mix
ended up expanding on that by using similar
plug-ins and then ge!ing the height so the
guitar just sounds like it’s the dome of guitar.
Call it ‘The Dome of Al’!” Chycki concludes with
a laugh. (Knowing all that, now let's imagine
what Chycki will eventually be able to do in
order to mimic the laser-driven visual dynamics
of “Dreamline,” the kinetic, nomadic lead track
from September 1991’s Roll the Bones.)
The album’s longest track at 11 minutes,
the Side II-opening, Pond-crossing travel-

12

11

ogue “The Camera Eye” incorporates a truly

intricate arrangement that vacillates between
its New York and London sections. “The key
to the different personality of the two parts are
the lyrics,” quantifies Brown, “and, of course,
the li!le cockney interjection in London. This
tune was always well-received live—probably
because of the sheer energy of the arrange-
ment, great dynamics, and synth colors all
coupled with such descriptive lyrics.”
Track 6, “Witch Hunt,” is eternally branded
as one of the most foreboding and ominous
songs in the band’s entire catalog. Interest-
ingly, art director Hugh Syme, a gi#ed keyboard
player in his own right, is the man responsible
for its truly haunting synthesizer lines. “I think
Hugh was visiting Le Studio to discuss cover
concepts with the boys—and, being such a
great keyboard player, it made perfect sense to
give him a shot at playing on one of the tracks,” 13
notes Brown. “I love his use of the Oberheims

soundandvision.com 33
to get that rich synth and choral backdrop. As
for the ‘infidels’ [the track’s chillingly recurring
chanting voices], we got as many of the crew
and band as possible to assemble outside on
the lawn where we recorded them a number of
times until it sounded like a huge, unruly crowd.”
The sense of movement and internalized
beliefs inherent to “Witch Hunt” translate to
Chycki’s favorite “height moments” in the Atmos
mix. “From the very beginning with all those
textures, you move into this massively huge
thing that’s now in motion, especially when
Neil kicks in and does those huge drum fills
from hell,” Chycki observes. “And then there
are those really huge, thick synths. To bring it
back to the lasers and seeing Rush live, I was
visualizing what I was hearing and I got deeply,
emotionally engaged while I was listening to
it. I looked over at my assistant, who was in
the studio with me at the time—he’s also a
drummer, and he was all teared up. It’s become
one of my most satisfying moments listening to
the record in Atmos.”
While Brown concedes “Vital Signs,” the
galvanizing album closer, “was the beginning of
the departure from classic Rush,” it’s a clear-cut
musical transition that opened a direct through-
line to September 1982’s Signals, the last studio
album Brown produced with the band. With
its reggae-inspired feel and angular, ski!ery
riffage, “Vital Signs” is a surefire beacon for
where Rush was heading next. “From a mixing
point of view, it took a long time to get the
ostinato figured out, because there’s so much
motion going on, and so many elements to deal 14
with,” Chycki admits. “Rush is a progressive
band—progressive—and that means progress.
Change. And ‘Vital Signs’ signaled a clear Of Human Interface and Interchange: 14) Lifeson, Lee, norm. And when you revisit Moving Pictures,
change. It’s such an exciting listening experi- and Peart stare down the competition. especially in Atmos, you hear exactly how Lee,
ence—and that’s what makes it great.” Lifeson, and Peart captured the spirit of collabo-
ration. Not content to be a trio comprised
Courageous Convictions Dolby True HD and DTS-HD 5.1 options for the merely of players, performers, and portrayers,
To call Moving Pictures an album for the ages 2015 Signals High Fidelity Pure Audio Blu-ray the harmonic convergence at the heart of all
might just be an understatement. “Moving edition. Concludes Chycki, “I’d love to do Rush music ensures the legacy of Moving
Pictures doesn’t seem to have aged,” Brown Signals in Atmos. Everybody likes to use the Pictures will last long outside the gilded cage.
points out. “It still sounds as fresh as it did when buzzword immersive, and it definitely applies
we finished it. It’s a combination of great tunes, here because Moving Pictures in Atmos draws
great performances, and that magical chem- the listener into a more enveloping listening For more about the rich and lasting
istry of three guys who loved to play. During experience. Atmos is more three-dimensional, heritage of Rush’s ace drummer/lyricist,
the recording, the boys were always pushing and more engaging. It’s the next, natural step.” see “Embracing the Spirit of Neil Peart”
themselves beyond the benchmark achieved Some time ago, I asked Geddy Lee what on soundandvision.com. For our
on the previous album [Permanent Waves]. It Rush’s “secret sauce” was for being in sync, exclusive interview with Alex Lifeson
was a very creative and rewarding two months.” whether they were playing together onstage or and vocalist/keyboardist Maiah Wynne
If UMe continues to follow the chronology when they went into the studio to make records about their new band Envy of None—
of Rush’s catalog for its Super Deluxe Edition like Moving Pictures. “The secret is, there is no plus separate, additional commentary
agenda, one can only hope 1982’s above-noted secret!” he responded. “It just requires three from guitarist Joe Satriani, keyboardist/
Signals will be next on the 40th anniversary people who respect each other and have a vocalist Lawrence Gowan, and
slate to get the full-on Atmos treatment. Lest willingness to do the things it takes to stay Tragically Hip bassist Gord Sinclair
Photo: Fin Costello

we forget, the template for this maneuver is together. It all comes down to respect.” about the enduring legacy of Moving
already in place, given the 5.1 mixes Chycki That unbending, mutually triangulated Pictures—go to soundandvision.com/
did for the bonus Signals DVD included in the respect ultimately translated into a body of category/sv-interview
2011 Sector 3 box set later transferred into work that by its very definition, elevated the

34 June July 2022 soundandvision.com

 test report
LG HU710PW 4K LASER DLP PROJECTOR

RATING

PERFORMANCE

Low-Cost Laser
FEATURES

ERGONOMICS

VALUE
By Al Griffin

LG HAS been at the vanguard in manu- that arrives with a lower 2,000 ANSI DCI-P3 coverage for the HU710PW,
facturing “smart” projectors—models lumens brightness spec, but also a and my measurements confirmed that
that, like more traditional offerings, sit at lower price ($2,499 MSRP). number almost exactly. Light source life,
the back of the room and beam images A key difference between last year’s meanwhile, is specified as 20,000 hours
to a separate screen, but also provide model and the new HU710PW is the when used in full brightness mode.
the streaming and voice control features la#er’s use of a hybrid LED/laser light LG’s HU710PW supports both the
you’d find in any smart OLED or LCD source (a single laser to generate green LG's next-gen HDR10 and Hybrid Log Gamma high
flat-panel TV. In 2021 we reviewed the plus individual LED light sources for smart laser dynamic range formats. The projector
company’s HU810PW ($2,999), a single- red and blue). This new design yields projector provides has no dynamic iris to optimize image
chip (0.47-inch) DLP projector that notably lower light output than the the company's contrast on-the-fly, but Dark Room,
delivered 4K images via pixel-shi"ing. earlier LG projector (no surprise given webOS 6.0 UI Medium, and Bright Room iris presets
Now, we have that model’s sibling, the the specs), but nearly as impressive for direct Wi-Fi are available and there’s also a user-
HU710PW, a similarly featured projector color performance: LG cites 94 percent video streaming. configurable iris se#ing with 10 adjust-

36 June July 2022 soundandvision.com

 percent horizontal adjustment. (An
Edge Adjusment feature provides
up to 15 points to electronically At a Glance
tweak image geometry, but that
should only be used for instal- Impressive contrast
lations where the projector isn’t Flexible zoom and lens shift
aligned directly with the screen.) A range
joystick control is located on back Built-in streaming platform
for navigating menus and turning with HDMI eARC
the projector on/off when the
Limited brightness
remote control isn’t handy (or goes
necessitates dark room
missing in the sofa seats). viewing
LG’s Magic Remote handset is a
very different animal than the ones Smart interface not for
typically packaged with projec- everyone
tors. Li!ing it causes a cursor to Price: $2,499
ment steps. Like the HU810PW, this option.) A total of three HDMI ports pop up onscreen, and you then (800) 243-0000
new model features an Adaptive are provided on the LG’s back point-and-click on items to activate
Contrast se"ing, and you can panel, with the HDMI 1 input spec’d apps and navigate menus. Arrow lg.com
enable HDR tone mapping, which as being HDMI 2.1 with ALLM (Auto bu"ons and scroll wheel controls
does work dynamically to optimize Low Latency Mode) support and are provided that can also be used
image contrast on a frame-by- 24Gbps bandwidth. While that’s for navigation/selection, and there 1.6x zoom capability allowed it to
frame basis with high dynamic plenty for Ultra HD Blu-ray and are additional bu"ons—all of fill the screen from that distance,
range content. outboard streaming sources, it’s them backlit—to adjust and mute while the lens shi! controls and
Having reviewed both the not enough to handle a 4K/120Hz volume, activate a built-in mic for adjustable legs at the bo"om let me
HU810PW and numerous ultra output from next-gen PlayStation voice commands, and directly tweak image geometry to perfec-
short throw projectors that also 5 and and Xbox One X gaming call up onscreen menus to switch tion without resorting to using any
provide a smart TV GUI, I’ve grown consoles. The other two HDMI picture modes and video inputs. of the image resolution-reducing
used to the concept and even now ports are version 2.0 (with input 2 There are also bu"ons to directly electronic controls. Using the
embrace it. The HU710PW features providing HDMI eARC support), access the Netflix, Amazon Prime manual focus entailed a few quick
the company’s webOS 6.0 interface and there’s also an optical digital Video, and Disney+ streaming trips back-and-forth from projector
(the same one found on LG’s 2021 audio output. services. to screen to ensure the focus was
TVs), which to my eye appeared The HU710PW comes in a white crisp, but I was able to adjust it to
more streamlined and less case with a rectangular shape and SETUP my satisfaction.
overwhelmingly busy than earlier is notably compact for a long-throw One thing to note about the
webOS versions. Notably, it gains projector. Manual zoom and focus LG’s HU710PW was installed in my HU710PW is that it uses an external,
the Netflix and Apple TV+ apps, and control rings are located beneath usual projector spot 14 feet away somewhat bulky, power supply.
also features Amazon Prime Video, a sliding panel located on top just from a 92-inch diagonal, 1.1 gain The cord linking it to the projector
Disney+, Peacock, and YouTube. above the lens and there’s a lens Stewart Filmscreen Cima screen is around 5-6 feet, so you may
A online store lets you download shi! dial on the side that allows for on a high shelf at the back of my have to make allowances for that
other apps, though I didn’t find the +/- 60 percent vertical and +/- 24 home theater room. The projector’s relatively short length depending
two I was looking for, HBO Max
and The Criterion Channel, when
I searched its offerings. (Hulu was
another no-show.) Fortunately, the
HU710PW has Apple AirPlay 2 (and
Apple HomeKit for smart home
device control) to wirelessly cast
content from apps to the projector
from an iOS or MacOS device, and
it also supports Screenshare for
Android devices.
When streaming directly to the
LG using its built-in apps, audio
can be routed to an outboard
receiver or surround sound
processor using its HDMI eARC
connection. Another choice is to
use its Bluetooth output to send
sound wirelessly to a soundbar or
headphones. (The projector also
provides built-in speakers, but I
would hesitate to pursue that lo-fi

soundandvision.com 37
 test report
LG HU710PW 4K LASER DLP PROJECTOR

Test Bench
FULL-ON/FULL-OFF settings active, with Contrast unnoticeable.) size of the measured white
CONTRAST RATIO: 5,800:1 at 80 and Brightness at 50. With the default settings window. Picture uniformity
The measurements here were With this combination, black active in Expert (Dark Room) was excellent: white full-field
made using Portrait Displays’ measured 0.0064 ft-L and peak Picture mode, the Delta E of test patterns showed minimal
Calman color calibration white 23.20 ft-L for a contrast the HU710PW’s measured brightness drops between
software (www.portrait.com), ratio of 5,800:1, which is color points averaged out to the center and edges of the
together with a Photo Research notably good performance for 3.9. Using the projector’s color screen, and no color shifts.
PR-650 color meter, Minolta a DLP model. With the Iris set management system controls, I The projector failed our suite
LS-100 luminance meter, and a to Medium, contrast ratio with was able to improve color point of video processing tests,
Murideo/AVPro (Fresco Six-G) the other settings listed above accuracy to an average Delta but these apply mainly to
test pattern generator. was 2,415:1. E of 2.9, with a high of 3.4 for interlaced signal formats.
Pre-calibration Before calibration, the blue. Coverage of the DCI-P3 Fan noise is very low.
measurements were made with default color temperature color gamut in Cinema Home LG specs it at 28dB for
the LG HU710PW’s Filmmaker preset in the Filmmaker picture (HDR) mode topped out at 93.7 Minimum Energy Saving
picture mode active. Post- mode displayed a degree of percent. (High Brightness), and I only
calibration measurements were green push throughout the Post-calibration, gamma measured a 2dB difference
made in Expert (Dark Room) grayscale range. The Delta E closely tracked a 2.4 target between the Minimum and
mode. All measurements averaged 3.6, with a low of for most of the range with the Maximum modes.
were made with the projector 1.0 at 10 IRE and a high of 4.8 2.4 Gamma preset selected. Input lag with a 1080p
positioned at a 14-foot distance at 100 IRE. After calibration, With the HDR Cinema Home source measured 59ms in
from a 92-inch diagonal, 1.1 the average Delta E improved preset mode active, peak Game mode, making the
gain Stewart Filmscreen Cima dramatically to an average white output measured 86 HU710PW an average option
screen. 0.9. (Delta E is a figure of nits +/- 5 nits regardless of the for high-def gaming.—AG
The projector’s maximum merit indicating how close the
full-on/full-off SDR contrast color comes to the standards, DIMENSIONS: (WxHxD, Inches) 10.2 x 4.8 x 15.3
ratio was achieved with the either D65 for the white WEIGHT: (Pounds) 14.3
Expert (Dark Room) Picture, point or the color coordinates Specs VIDEO INPUTS: HDMI 2.0b (2, 1, w/eARC), HDMI 2.1
Minimum Energy Saving, Dark for each of the primary and OTHER: Wi-Fi, AirPlay, Bluetooth (output); optical
Room Iris, Auto Black Level, secondary colors that define digital audio output; USB type-A (2), LAN (Ethernet)
Medium Dynamic Contrast, the color gamut under test. ILLUMINATION METHOD: Hybrid laser/LED
and High Adaptive Contrast Values below 3 are generally LIGHT SOURCE LIFE: 20,000 hours; 30,000 in Eco mode

on your installation. Connecting (and TVs), the HU710PW has 2-, Game Optimizer menu, although I of the Picture menu that can be
the HU710PW to my Wi-Fi network 10-, and 22-point white balance didn’t use that in the course of my played with to optimize picture
was uneventful. (There’s also a adjustments along with full color reviewing. contrast and black level, many
LAN port on the back panel for management system controls. Maximum light output in of them with seemingly similar
a hardwired Ethernet network These proved very effective for calibrated Cinema Home mode functions. I ended up changing
connection.) I used the HDMI 2 dialing in a near-perfect HD/SDR was 86.3 nits. Other preset these frequently depending on
input, allowing its eARC feature to image, although the same controls se"ings resulted in higher overall the content I was watching, but
feed audio, including Dolby Atmos didn’t allow for the same level of brightness, especially with HDR, for most viewing stuck with 2.4
soundtracks, back to a Marantz A/V perfection with Ultra HD/HDR but the color accuracy tradeoff Gamma, Auto Black Level, Medium
receiver when streaming via the adjustments that I made in Cinema they presented wasn’t worth it. Iris, Medium Auto Dynamic
projector’s built-in apps. I also used Home mode. I should add that There are numerous options in Contrast, and Low Adaptive
both an Apple TV 4K and Roku the HU710PW features LG’s new the Advanced Se"ings submenu Contrast. This combination didn’t
Streaming Stick+. provide the maximum contrast
Multiple picture presets are ratio, which was measured at a very
available on the HU710PW, impressive (for a 4K DLP model)
including the Filmmaker Mode 5,800:1, but I was pleased for the
that I used for my pre-calibration most part with the projector’s black
measurements (see Test Bench). depth and detail.
Of these, Expert (Dark Space,
Night) proved to be reasonably HD/STANDARD DYNAMIC
accurate, so I tapped that one as RANGE PERFORMANCE
the jumping off point for HD/stan-
dard dynamic range picture adjust- Before I dove into critical viewing
ments. Like LG’s other projectors with the HU710PW, I spent a fair

38 June July 2022 soundandvision.com

amount of time casually watching fleshing out shadows in the dark,
TV shows and movies with it and wintry scenes that take place in the
found myself mainly impressed. outside (“outy”) world.
One caveat here is that the projec- Ma! Reeves’ The Batman
tor’s somewhat modest light popped up on HBO Max in 4K/
output makes dark room viewing a Dolby Vision just in time for me to
must to get the best performance, utilize it in this review, and I was
so I always made a point of fully happy it did—the movie’s deep,
dimming the lights. shadowy production design
Starting out with Blu-ray disc, I level of shadow detail. Both Bond’s LG perfectly captured the greenish proved something of a torture
watched the cave scene from 2001: tuxedo and the dress worn by his glow of the fluorescent lights and test for the HU710PW. Batman’s
A Space Odyssey (a movie I never associate Paloma (Ana de Armas) the slightly alien-looking skin (Robert Pa!inson) black gear came
seemed to get tired of looking at). also appeared a deep, solid shade tones of the workers occupying through with a good level of detail
A fair amount of detail could be of black. the space. High Dynamic Range against the uniformly charcoal-
seen in dark fur of the pre-Hominid It would take several paragraphs helps to push the intensity of the black backgrounds of the Gotham
creatures huddled in the darkness, for me to fully explain the Apple Severance office’s omnipresent streets, subways, and nightclubs,
but the background had more of TV+ series Severance, so I’ll just overhead lights, and the LG’s and highlights like street lamps
a dark gray tone than a true black state for now that the story (well, HDR processing rendered these and signs had even greater visual
one. A subsequent scene where half of it) takes place in an eerie, highlights in a subtle, yet detailed impact than they did in the night
a space station rotates against maze-like office environment. The manner, while also capably scenes from Tokyo Vice. It took a
star-strewn blackness had stronger fair amount of time mucking with
visual impact, with the contrast the projector’s Brigtness and
between the pinpoints of light and Brightness Optimizer se!ings—
the dark, empty background giving both unfortunately buried deep in
the image a good sense of depth. the projector’s menu structure—to
Moving on to something more tune The Batman’s picture to my
contemporary, I watched an satisfaction, but the work ultimately
episode of Tokyo Vice on HBO paid off.
Max. The skin tones of the actors in
the newsroom scenes revealed a CONCLUSION
good range of subtle hues, and the
picture had a crisp and noise-free For $2,499 (and potentially less),
appearance. Nigh!ime scenes in LG’s HU710PW has several notable
the city had a punchy quality, with things going for it, including a
the dark backgrounds creating laser/LED light source that doesn’t
good contrast with the rich, lurid require replacement, effective
colors of neon lights and shop dynamic HDR tone-mapping,
signs. Interior scenes in bars and and extensive picture calibration
nightclubs also showed solid adjustments. And then there’s its
contrast, with good detail visible in smart TV interface and built-in
the shadowy backgrounds. Wi-Fi streaming of desirable apps
like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video,
ULTRA HD/HIGH DYNAMIC and Disney+, along with an HDMI
RANGE PERFORMANCE eARC connection to route audio
to an outboard sound system.
Watching No Time to Die was one of The HU710PW isn’t the brightest
my be!er cinema-going experi- projector option—unless you’re
ences in 2021, and I was eager to planning on viewing in a carefully
see how the latest episode in the light-controlled room, I’d look else-
James Bond saga would look on where. But if you do have the ability
the big screen via Ultra HD Blu-ray. to black out the windows and dim
The HU710PW did not disappoint: the lights, you will undoubtedly be
Early flashback scenes of a wintry pleased with the performance—
landscape followed by a jump- and value—that LG’s latest
forward to present-day sunny Italy projector delivers.
were conveyed with a high level
of detail and their dramatically
different environmental lighting The Verdict
intact. When things shi#ed to
Cuba, where Bond (Daniel Craig) LG’s 4K laser DLP projector delivers
intrudes on a Spectre gathering, impressive picture quality and value,
the interior space where the action but its limited brightness requires a
unfolds displayed an impressive dark room for best performance.

soundandvision.com 39
 test report
NAD C 399 INTEGRATED AMPLIFIER

RATING

PERFORMANCE

A New Classic
FEATURES

ERGONOMICS

VALUE
By Howard Kneller

WHILE WAITING on the arrival of looking components out there with among other things, app-controlled
NAD’s C 399 integrated amplifier more robust build quality, but they’ll internet and local network streaming
for review, I checked it out on the cost you. and Dirac Live Limited Bandwidth room-
company’s website. What I saw there The C 399 ($2,548 as tested, $1,999 correction.
was a minimally adorned exemplar of in its base configuration) also surprised
the black-box design school, with steel me with its plentiful features. It contains FEATURES
chassis panels of ordinary fabrication a phono stage, headphone output,
and a small display showing mostly HDMI eARC port, two-way aptX Blue- The C 399 integrated NAD’s integrated amps are comprised
monochrome text. Yawn. Well, a funny tooth connectivity, and two sets each of amp leaps from of three series: the budget-friendly
thing happened when the C 399 finally speaker and subwoofer outputs. Adding simple to sophisti- Classic, the diminutive Desktop (aka
arrived, and I unboxed it. I took a shine NAD’s optional MDC2 BluOS-D module cated when paired Digital), and the flagship Master. Infused
to its no-frills, understatedly handsome ($549), which slides into one of two with NAD's $549 with a generous heap of the Master
looks. Sure, there are more striking- slots on the C 399’s rear panel, brings, BluOS-D module. series’ DNA, the C 399 is top-dog of the

40 June July 2022 soundandvision.com

Classic series. Many manufacturers who BluOS app; multi-room streaming
The C 399 handles D/A conver- use the nCore module purchase from BluOS-enabled source
sion via the same ESS Sabre 9028 Hypex’s matching power supply. components (e.g., a CD trans- At a Glance
chipset used in several of NAD’s For the C 399, NAD uses its own port); a choice of several versions
Master series amps. As imple- switch mode power supply, which it of Dirac Live room correction; Stellar performance
mented here, it supports playback states provides superior perfor- aptX HD two-way Bluetooth that Powerful internal amplifier
of PCM signals up to 24-bit/192kHz. mance, including low impedance supports signal transmission of
Modular design
For amplification, the C 399 relies stability and clean power at critical up to 24-bit/48kHz; and firmware accommodates updates and
on Hypex Electronics’ class-D circuit junctions. updates via the internet. additional features
HybridDigital nCore module, which The C 399’s moving magnet When the BluOS-D is installed,
Modestly built chassis
is also trickled-down from the phono stage is based on NAD’s signals received through the
Master series amps, some of which freestanding $189 PP2e phono NAD’s analog inputs are mostly Small front-panel display
now feature one of Purifi Audio’s stage. Like the PP2, it contains converted into digital streams via Uninspired remote control
Eigentakt modules. While most proprietary circuitry that NAD a Texas Instruments PCM1863
manufacturers purchase the nCore states suppresses the infrasonic 24-bit/192kHz A/D converter. Price: $2,548 (as tested)
module from Hypex “off the shelf,” noise inherent to vinyl playback Each input’s sampling rate can be nadelectronics.com
NAD licenses its rights and closely without compromising bass set to 48, 96, or 192kHz. However,
supervises its manufacture by a performance. The C 399 also vinyl fans and other analog
third-party factory. Power output contains a low output impedance, adherents aren’t le# out in the Connect, and Tidal Connect. It also
is an impressive 180Wpc into both high output (32-ohm) voltage cold as A/D conversion can be provides a USB type-A port for
four and eight ohms. headphone amplifier. bypassed, allowing for a purely connecting an external drive.
The nCore module’s damping Then there are the C 399’s analog signal path when using When fi!ed with the BluOS-D
factor is rated at greater than 600. optional features, which are the C 399’s internal phono stage. module, the C 399 is Roon Ready
This is a very high number for a accommodated via NAD’s Modular In A/D conversion bypass mode, and compatible with Amazon Alexa
product at this price point and Design Construction (MDC) tech- multi-room streaming and Dirac and Google Assistant voice control
it suggests that the C 399 has nology. Now in its second genera- Live room correction become devices.
excellent control over a speaker’s tion, this technology enables the C unavailable. The app-based Dirac Live
drivers, and thus its output. 399 and certain other NAD compo- The BluOS app is supported on Limited Bandwidth (20Hz to
Further, the nCore module is said nents to receive updates and add Android, iOS, and Kindle-based 500Hz) room correction that
to use negative feedback without features via periodically released, mobile devices and Windows and comes standard with the BluOS-D
any of its commonly associated optional modules. The C 399 macOS computers. It provides measures a listening room’s acous-
drawbacks. It’s claimed that, accepts up to two MDC2 modules access to music streaming tics using a supplied microphone.
unlike many class-D amplification on its rear-panel slots, although services such as Amazon Music, It then uses these measurements
circuits, the module operates with the only one currently available is Tidal, Spotify, Qobuz, and the to apply a correction filter to the
load invariance (i.e., it outputs the BluOS-D. (NAD says it plans to Neil Young Archives, along with signal that compensates for the
a uniform signal regardless of a introduce a second MDC2 module, hundreds of internet radio stations. room’s acoustic characteristics.
speaker’s impedance). The C 399’s although it’s mum on that module’s While as configured the C 399’s NAD even makes available its
Hypex amplification module is timing and potential features.) ESS Sabre DAC chipset doesn’t own filter, developed with the help
driven by an analog preamplifica- With the BluOS-D, the C 399 can process native DSD streams, of Paul Barton from NAD sister-
tion stage, and its volume control access the internet via Ethernet the app converts them into brand PSB Speakers, that creates
is adjusted via a rotary encoder or Wi-Fi and engage in two-way 24-bit/192kHz PCM FLAC files. a target EQ curve. The BluOS-D
which steers an analog volume module/host communications. It Additional connectivity options can store up to five Dirac profiles
control that operates in 184 steps enables features such as: internet- with BluOS-D include SMB for different listening positions
of .05 dB each. based music streaming via the (Samba), Apple AirPlay 2, Spotify and room conditions (e.g., closed

soundandvision.com 41
 test report
NAD C 399 INTEGRATED AMPLIFIER

and opened drapes). You can non-independently switchable)

C 399
also choose from three seating Zone A and B speaker terminals
arrangements or imaging focuses: that accept spade connectors or Specs POWER OUTPUT: 180Wpc (four and eight ohms), 20
Tight (one listener/single chair or bare wire. Hz-20 kHz, <0.02% THD
sofa), Normal (two or three-seat The C 399 comes with NAD’s DIMENSIONS: (WxHxD, Inches) 17.1 x 4.75 x 15.4
sofa), and Wide (multiple listeners/ large and able SR 9, a mostly non- WEIGHT: (Pounds) 24.7
large listening area). A license for a backlit remote control. It not only AUDIO INPUTS: HDMI eARC, coaxial digital (2), optical digital (2);
full Dirac Live so!ware version that administers volume and standby/ stereo analog RCA (2), moving magnet phono; wireless aptX Bluetooth
corrects frequencies up to 20kHz on selection for the C 399, but can AUDIO OUTPUTS: stereo analog RCA pre-out, speaker level (2, paral-
costs an additional $99. control many other NAD compo- leled multiway) subwoofer (2, independently addressable), 1/4-in
Moving to the C 399’s exterior nents. headphone; wireless aptX Bluetooth
layout, we begin at its relatively ADDITIONAL: USB type-C (service), NAD MDC2 expansion slots (2),
stark front panel. From le! to right, SETUP RS-232 serial, 12v trigger, IR in/out
there’s a standby/on bu"on, a set HIGH-RES AUDIO: PCM up to 24-bit/192kHz
of toggle-through menu navigation I auditioned the C 399 review
bu"ons, a 1/4-inch headphone sample as it arrived—with the MDC2 BLUOS-D MODULE
jack, a 3.5 x 1.2-inch LCD display, a BluOS-D module pre-installed. CONNECTIONS: LAN (Ethernet), USB type-A (media playback), USB
pair of bu"ons that toggle through Set up was quick work, although mini service port
sources, and a volume control most users will likely walk through WIRELESS: Wi-Fi, AirPlay 2, aptX HD Bluetooth (two-way)
knob. During playback, the display a few more steps than I did. (A link STREAMING: Amazon Music, Neil Young Archives, Spotify, Tidal,
shows title name (for streamed to the C 399’s all-too-brief manual Qobuz, podcasts, internet radio; Roon-ready, MQA-enabled; SMB
content), volume level, and source is contained on NAD’s website.) (Samba)
selection, and a moving prog- Included with the BluOS-D sample
ress bar indicates title playback
progression.
The C 399’s rear panel contains
the MDC2 module slots, a
Bluetooth antennae terminal, a
unit reset bu"on, and a USB Mini
port for firmware updates. There
are also RS-232 serial, IR, and
12v-trigger connectors to accom-
modate a myriad of third-party
control and home-automation
devices.
Digital audio inputs include
HDMI eARC and two each optical
and coaxial. For analog audio,
there are phono and two RCA
stereo inputs, plus RCA pre-outs
to connect an external amplifier were two antennae, one for Wi-Fi pre-outs and one of its sub outs. To not make the $99 upgrade to the
or powered speakers and two and another for Bluetooth, and a test the C 399’s internal amplifier, so!ware’s broader-bandwidth
subwoofer outs with adjustable Dirac Live microphone with a USB I connected the C 399’s speaker version.) The so!ware recognized
crossover se"ings (when used adapter and a lengthy cord. outputs to a pair of Polk audio the C 399 on my network, and it led
with the BluOS-D). Although the I connected the C 399 to a pair bookshelves. me through the steps necessary
subwoofer signals are summed, of System Audio Saxo 5 powered I mainly auditioned the C 399 by to make and store room measure-
they are addressed independently bookshelf speakers and a JL Audio using the BlueOS app to stream ments. Although the so!ware’s
by the Dirac Live room correc- Dominion d-110 subwoofer via music via Tidal, Qobuz, internet correction filter is adjustable, I
tion. Lastly, there are parallel (i.e., the C 399’s single-ended RCA radio, and several connected USB used the default filter profile—as I
thumb drives. To test the C 399’s assume most C 399 users will. I also
ARC feature, I connected its HDMI chose the “tight” seating focus.
eARC port to an LG OLED TV. My I evaluated the C 399 in my
TV doesn’t support eARC, so I bedroom, and due to the irregular
made due with the older HDMI ARC shape and resulting acoustical
protocol, which is compatible with problems in that space, I preferred
eARC . the sound with Dirac Live engaged.
With everything up and running, The correction made things slightly
I connected the Dirac Live micro- surgical, cooler, and a bit thinner,
phone to the BluOS-D’s USB port but there was also an improvement
and downloaded the Dirac Live voice intelligibility, bass control,
so!ware to my desktop PC. (I did and imaging. However, in a room

42 June July 2022 soundandvision.com

 I believe that the C 399’s clean,
low-distortion performance is in
no small extent due to the Hypex
nCore amplification module. It’s
tough to directly compare both
amplifiers as they are contained
in very different products sold at
very different times and at different
price points. Still, with the C 399/
System Audio speaker combina-
tion many of the aforementioned
characteristics were less evident.
For example, Adele’s voice in
“Love in the Dark” suffered from
a slight coloration. Also, in Art
Blakey’s Moanin,’ piano top notes
lost some clarity and sounded
slightly distorted, especially at high
volumes. My observations are also
consistent with what I’ve heard
from other components that use
the nCore modules, most recently a
pair of DIY amps.
While the C 399 lags some of its
competitors in terms of aesthetic
with acoustical treatments and “Wind of Change” (16/44.1 FLAC, became apparent that the C 399’s appeal and build quality, it makes
more favorable dimensions, I might Tidal), Peter Frampton’s acoustic headphone output will not receive no apologies when it comes to
have decided not to use Dirac Live. guitar riffs were generous-sized, any awards for its detail, transpar- sound quality. For example, on
As far as physical build goes, warm, and airy. They were also ency, or perceived frequency “Moanin’,” Simaudio’s Moon 280D
the C 399 provides what’s needed detailed, with even the slightest extension. Still, it nicely drove all streaming DAC ($3,000) produced
and no more. For example, its brush of his hands on the instru- of those ‘phones and in my book a more “romantic” mid-range than
front panel volume control knob ment’s strings clearly revealed. fared be"er than a number of its did the C 399. However, lower
didn’t have the solid feel of many Similarly, on the piano ballad competitors. I wouldn’t hesitate to frequencies were less extended
competing components. Still, it “Love in the Dark” from Adele’s 25 use it in a pinch if I had to. Consider and not as taught. Also, HiFi Rose’s
operated linearly and was suffi- (16/44.1 FLAC, Qobuz), top notes that a rave. 150B streaming DAC ($4,995) was
ciently stepped. While the SR 9 were clean and the abundance Finally, to demo the C 399’s a bit more forward-sounding than
remote control also did the job, its of detail laid bare the singer’s eARC feature (here using only the C 399.
plasticky feel and agglomeration of emotional delivery and throaty ARC), I watched the period mystery
colored bu"ons made it resemble vocal inflections. action film Sherlock Holmes: A CONCLUSION
something that might accompany The C 399 also impressed with Game of Shadows. When Holmes,
a cable TV box or inexpensive A/V another eponymously named played by Robert Downey, Jr., is As is o$en stated, audio product
receiver. track, the iconic, “Moanin’” from Art confronted by a gang of thugs, design represents a series of
To many, these shortcomings Blakey and the Jazz Messengers they try to restrain him in chains. compromises. With NAD’s C 399
will be venial. For example, when (16/44.1 FLAC). Upper-register The C 399 reproduced the chains’ integrated streaming amp, the
fi"ed with the BluOS-D, most of the piano notes sounded crystal- high-frequency clinks with air and company has arguably made
C 399’s functions are controlled line and their echoes were nicely shimmer. When temporarily scared smart choices. Its compromises,
through the BluOS app, which reproduced. Middle-register tenor off by two passing Bobbies, one corporeal and aesthetic in nature,
Sound & Vision has spilled much sax notes sounded rich and full. gang member throws coins at relate to things like its chassis,
ink on. I won’t say much about The trumpet, with its sharper and Holmes’s feet. As the coins collec- front-panel display, and remote
the app here other than that it’s more focused tone, came across tively hit the pavement, the sound control. Those seeking audio
outstanding. as metallic and brilliant. The rhythm of each was heard. And when an jewelry will look elsewhere. But for
and pace of the double bass, so explosion later leveled a London those interested in sound quality,
PERFORMANCE fundamental to this track’s foot- store, its impact was powerful and features, the flexibility of a modular
tapping appeal, was spot on. the sounds of flames and falling design, and, importantly, value, the
The C 399 offered li"le in the way While I didn’t audition the C 399’s debris were nicely parsed among C 399 handily delivers.
of compromise when it came to internal phono stage, I did take its the mayhem.
performance. No ma"er whether headphone output for a spin. For My listening encompassed both
streaming from the internet or from many one-box players at this price the C 399 feeding line-level signals The Verdict
local sources, it presented a large point and even above, a head- to the System Audio speakers’
image and as much linear, low- phone output represents li"le more internal amp and a speaker-level The C 399 delivers great perfor-
distortion sound as I could have than an a$erthought. Listened output to the Polk Audio passive mance, impressive features and
asked for given its price. to using several headphones bookshelf speakers, thus relying flexibility, and high value in a mod-
With the eponymously named from Apos Audio and Audeze, it on the C 399’s own internal amp. est, yet handsome package.

soundandvision.com 43
 test report
ROTEL A14MKII INTEGRATED AMPLIFIER

RATING

PERFORMANCE

Game of Screens
FEATURES

ERGONOMICS

VALUE
By Al Griffin

BACK IN fall 2021 Sound & Vision Basically, the same things that went into grated amps we’ve tested, it doesn’t
reviewed Rotel’s RA-1572MKII inte- the RA-1572MKII: a redesigned digital- offer room EQ processing or an HDMI
grated amplifier, an upgraded version of to-analog conversion stage featuring a eARC connection for a TV.
the company’s popular RA-1572. Well, Texas Instruments 32-bit/384kHz DAC, What does the A14MKII have? Its
at Rotel the upgrades keep coming fast improvements to the toroidal trans- built-in class-A/B amp is spec’d for 2 x
and furious: Just a few months later, former power supply and amplifier gain 80 wa"s (8 ohms) and 2 x 150 wa"s (4
word dropped that the same treatment stages, and MQA support. Otherwise, ohms). Connections include dual optical
was coming to products at more afford- the A14MKII shares many of the same and digital inputs, a USB type-B port
able price points, with the company’s characteristics of the RA-1572MKII. It’s Rotel’s compact for a direct computer hookup, and a
A12 and A14 integrated amps ge"ing a relatively basic integrated amp with integrated combines front-panel USB type-A port to connect
bumped up to MKII status. no built-in wired or wireless streaming a streamlined an iPhone or iPad for playback. There
What’s new with the A14MKII capability aside from Bluetooth aptX. feature set with are also four stereo analog RCA inputs
($1,600), the subject of this review? Also, unlike some other recent inte- surprising power. plus a moving magnet phono connec-

44 June July 2022 soundandvision.com

tion for a turntable. Various control listening room. A#er connecting level of setup flexibility. You can
options are provided, including my old-school sources to the configure brightness level for the
Ethernet, RS-232-serial, IR, and 12v A14MKII—an Oppo Universal front panel display and maximum At a Glance
trigger out. disc player for CD playback, and volume level at turn-on. An off-
And that’s pre!y much it. I’d a Pro-Ject Debut turntable for timer lets you set the time that Surprisingly powerful amp
say that the A14MKII is designed vinyl—my next step was to plug elapses before the amp turns off Clean, detailed sound
for listeners who mainly depend in an Ethernet cable to connect it a#er sensing no audio input, and
Great build quality for price
on traditional sources like CD and to my home network. This was not you can configure most inputs
vinyl and don’t necessarily want to stream audio, but to update the for fixed or variable gain. And limited feature set
to have their hi-fi connected to a Rotel’s so#ware. Once finished, I that’s just the Rotel’s basic setup; compared to competition
home network and controlled by connected my Plinius Jarrah phono advanced control ports allow for Streaming options limited
an app. That said, you can stream preamp to the A14MKII’s Aux 1 additional configuration options. to Bluetooth wireless and
any music you want to it from a input to enable listening compari- direct computer-to-USB
connected computer and the sons with its built-in phono stage. input
PERFORMANCE
Rotel’s Bluetooth feature provides For a new-school music source, I Price: $1,600
a casual and convenient wire- fetched my laptop computer and I’ve gone all in on music streaming,
rotel.com
less audio streaming option. The fired up Roon to stream albums and especially using Roon, so my CD
A14MKII is also Roon Tested, and playlists from Tidal and Qobuz. and vinyl collections have been
Rotel offers a generous 60-day free Speakers used for my evaluation somewhat neglected over the top end that made for very easy
trial of Roon music management were GoldenEar Technology Triton past few years. But hey, they’re still listening. As the strings seeped in
and library so#ware so you can Five towers and Polk Audio Legend there, and the rotation of the Rotel midway through and gradually built
give it a spin and explore its many L100 bookshelf models. The integrated amp into the system up to a dramatic crescendo, I didn’t
features. reason I chose these two was to gave me a chance to revisit some hear any sonic compromises, even
Like other Rotel components, test out the range of the A14MKII’s fave discs. Starting out with CD, I when pushing the volume to a near-
the A14MKII has a sleek, mini- 80 wa!-per-channel amp—with a played “Jubilee Street” from Nick uncomfortable level.
malist look, and the build quality is 90 dB rated sensitivity and 8 Ohm Cave and the Bad Seeds’ Push My next spin was the title track
excellent. At just 3.6 inches high, its nominal impedance, the Triton the Sky Away. Heard on the Rotel/ from Charles Lloyd’s The Water
case is nicely compact and fronted Fives are easy to drive, while the GoldenEar Tech combo, Cave’s is Wide on the ECM label. The
by a solid brushed aluminum Legend L100’s 85.5 dB sensitivity vocals had a good sense of body Rotel’s refinement was clearly in
panel. Both a USB type-A port and 3-4 ohm impedance present and focus, and the drums came evidence here, with the breathy
and a 3.5mm headphone output more of a power challenge. across with appealing crispness. texture of Lloyd’s tenor saxophone,
are up front, and there’s a row of For a mostly basic integrated The overall sound was balanced Billy Higgins’ shimmering cymbals
control bu!ons to select inputs amp, the A14MKII offers a high and engaging, with a refined and lightly brushed snare, and
and navigate menus that ends in an
aluminum volume knob providing
smooth action with variable dB
step adjustments down to 0.5dB
at higher listening levels for
increased precision . Lastly, there’s
a graphic display used to navigate
setup menus that indicates the
current input source, bit-depth and
sampling rate for incoming digital
signals, plus volume level in larger-
size text.
The remote control that comes
with the A14MKII is plastic and
lightweight, and the gray on black
labels are a bit difficult to read in
dim lighting. Even so, all the control
bu!ons you’d need to do just about
anything you’d want are supplied,
including ones to directly access
sources, and to adjust bass,
treble, and balance. There are
also bu!ons to control other Rotel
components such as a CD player
or tuner.

SETUP AND ERGONOMICS

I tested Rotel’s integrated amp in
my approximately 3,000 cubic foot

soundandvision.com 45
 test report
ROTEL A14MKII INTEGRATED AMPLIFIER

John Abercrombie’s subtle guitar synths to build upon. The presenta- POWER OUTPUT: 150 wa"s (4 ohms), 80 wa"s (8
flourishes all coming across vividly. tion here with the A14MKII was ohms) <0.018% THD)
Larry Grenadier’s standup bass cinematically wide, and even the Specs DIMENSIONS: (WxHxD, Inches) 17 × 3.6 × 13.5
sounded strong and well-defined, harder-edged guitar tones failed WEIGHT: (Pounds) 19.7
and during the moments where to grate or lessen the smooth, full AUDIO INPUTS: Coaxial digital (2), optical digital (2),
Lloyd lets loose and free, his sax quality of the sound. analog stereo RCA (4), MM phono; USB type-B, USB
had an unstrained quality that Turning to something more type-A (front panel)
allowed it to float and ascend into traditional, I next streamed Vaughn AUDIO OUTPUTS: stereo speaker level (dual, paralleled multiway
space. Williams’ The Lark Ascending binding posts), analog stereo RCA pre-out, headphone (1/4-in. stereo,
Playing these same tracks plus (24/96 FLAC, Qobuz) from a collec- front panel)
a few others using the Legend tion of the composer’s orchestral WIRELESS: Bluetooth aptX
L100s, dynamics remained very works. The opening violin had a Additional: RJ-45 (Ethernet) port (control only), RS-232-serial, IR input,
good, with the Rotel eliciting rich sweet, clear tone and sounded 12v trigger out (2), USB type-A (charge-only)
bass from the flagship Polk Audio exceptionally well-defined as it COMPUTER AUDIO: DAC capable up to or 32-bit/384 kHz (MQA)
bookshelf speakers. I did sense took its solo flight. Orchestral
a slightly dull character on a few
cuts, however, with percussion
losing a degree of snap, and vocals
receding a bit into the mix. A!er
concluding that the GoldenEar
Tech towers made for a be"er
match with the Rotel integrated, I
swapped them back in for the rest
of my listening.
Powering up my laptop and
switching over to streaming, I colors were richly presented, listening to LPs using the Rotel’s so in a high-res format, while its
played Rivers of Mercy (24-bit/44.1 with stand-up basses displaying built-in phono stage, but then Bluetooth capability is on tap for
FLAC, Qobuz), from the new impressive he!, and woodwinds again, when it comes to analog more casual, point-to-point music
Tears for Fears album The Tipping and other strings coming through I’m part of the aforementioned streaming. (Personally, since I
Point—the band’s first following an in a textured and lively manner. “casual” camp. don’t like having my laptop in the
18-year hiatus. The track’s expan- With the A14MKII, it was clearly listening room, I would buy an
sive stereo mix came across in an all good and then some on the CONCLUSION affordable streamer like the $599
impressively lush and sweeping digital front, but what about Bluesound Node and pair that with
manner, with clear separation analog? Playback of some of my With so many integrated ampli- the Rotel.)
between Roland Orzabal’s vocals be"er-sounding LPs such as Ray fiers on the market offering No ma"er how you end up using
and the song’s background chorus. LaMontagne’s Til the Sun Turns built-in network music streaming, the A14MKII, you’re sure to be
Subtle flourishes of guitar and Black revealed the Rotel’s phono multiroom playback, and app- impressed by the clean, engaging
drums emerged vividly from the stage to be notably quiet, with an based control, Rotel’s A14MKII sound delivered by its Texas
mix, which, despite its density and overall “smooth” character to the might seem like a throwback to the Instruments 32-bit/384kHz DAC
complexity (an even more impres- sound, that would make it a good simpler, good old days. But that’s and surprisingly muscular 80Wpc
sive Dolby Atmos version of The choice for someone who has a also part of the A14MKII’s appeal. amplifier. Once paired with the
Tipping Point is available on Apple more casual a"itude toward vinyl Many people still listen to music right speakers in my relatively large
Music and Blu-ray Audio Disc), playback. Listening to this same the old-school way using physical listening space, I was consis-
never sounded the slightest bit album, along with a few others, discs. For these folks, a"aching tently satisfied with the level and
murky or congested. with my Plinius Jarrah phono their hi-fi to Wi-Fi or smart TV, or dynamics I was ge"ing from Rotel’s
“Kelso Dunes,” (16/44.1 FLAC, preamp plugged into the Rotel, running a wired network connec- step-up entry-level integrated
Tidal), a track by electronic musi- the sound was a bit more detailed tion to their listening room, isn’t amp. You could spend hundreds
cian Floating Points, features a and dynamic, but there was also a something they want to do. But of dollars more for the company’s
driving “Motorik” beat and electric higher level of background noise even if they did want to stream RA-1572MKII, and you’ll probably
bass line that provides a solid foun- compared to the A14MKII. My pref- music to the A14MKII, its PC-USB be just as happy with it. But given
dation for the layers of guitar and erence? I’d be perfectly content input would allow them to do the A14MKII’s great overall perfor-
mance, you may not have to.

The Verdict

Rotel’s affordable A14MKII inte-

grated is light on features but heavy
on performance. A great option for
listeners who want to keep their
audio system simple.

46 June July 2022 soundandvision.com

 test report
AUDYSSEY MULTEQ-X ROOM EQ SOFTWARE

RATING

Room Correction PERFORMANCE

Perfected
FEATURES

VALUE

By Thomas J. Norton

ELECTRONIC CORRECTION for the la"er famous for his work in the develop- competitor), or other brand-exclusive
flaws common to any listening room ment of THX while at LucasFilm. formats such as Yamaha’s YPAO
wasn’t always a thing. My first expo- By 2004 Audyssey began appearing from (Yamaha Parametric Acoustic
sure to it came over 20 years ago with in A/V receivers and preamp-proces- Optimizer) and Anthem’s ARC (Anthem
the Snell Acoustics RCS1000 Room sors. With rare exceptions, traditional Room Correction).
Correction System, a complex device audiophiles never embraced it, perhaps Audyssey has been refined
that never made a splash in the market out of fear it would pollute the straight- frequently since that introduction. For
before that innovative company folded. wire-with-gain purity of their setup (and MultEQ-X software many years, the top-level version was
It wasn’t until 2002 that room EQ took off the room doesn’t?). But EQ for home runs on a PC and MultEQ xt32, which was later supple-
with the launch of Audyssey, which was theater was a different ball game. Today, provides greatly mented by the MultEQ Editor app. The
founded at the University of Southern all A/V receivers and preamp/proces- improved adjustabil- la"er, a $20 download that isn’t compat-
California by USC professors Chris sors include room EQ of some type from ity over previous ible with all Audyssey-equipped AVRs
Kyriakakis and Tomlinson Holman, the Audyssey, Dirac Live (Audyssey’s main Audyssey versions. or processors, offers the ability to manu-

48 June July 2022 soundandvision.com

 At a Glance
Superb setup and
adjustment flexibility
Adjustments shown in
simplified parametric EQ
format
Processing can be applied
to full or limited frequency
range
Requires a PC to run
program
Steep learning curve
Not compatible with all
AVRs featuring Audyssey
Software not transferrable
Price: $199
audyssey.com

ally tweak the target correction

curve. (The Editor app includes a
downloading the working program,
is to first download the Audyssey
“You can separately sey’s own individually calibrated
mic, the ACM1-X ($79). This can
feature that I’ve used extensively: MultEQ-X user guide from the configure channels also be used with other, earlier,
restricting equalization to a limited
frequency range, typically to just
Audyssey website. While there’s no
way to squeeze the contents of that
with different target Audyssey versions, but in that case
it won’t offer any benefits beyond
the low-to-upper bass region 35-page guide into a review, I’ll try curves.” the batch-calibrated mics since
where room modes have the most to cover its key elements here. those versions weren’t designed to
detrimental impact.) Audyssey’s user guide provides upload a calibration file like the one
details on AVRs compatible with Ethernet. But in this case control is used for the ACM1-X.
MORE OPTIONS the program. Not all are: some will performed via a computer and not MultEQ-X offers the user a much
be partially compatible, but many a phone or tablet. The microphone wider range of adjustments than
The latest version of Audyssey is older products can’t use it at all. In is still connected directly to the the less sophisticated Audyssey
MultEQ-X, which was released in general, any AVR that’s compatible AVR or pre-pro, as it regularly is versions built into many AVRs. Also,
December 2021 and is priced at with the MultEQ Editor app, such with Audyssey. while earlier Audyssey iterations
$199. AVRs with built-in Audyssey as the most recent Denon and MultEQ-X is designed to were limited to 8 averaged mic
MultEQ xt32 processing will benefit Marantz models, will work. operate with the batch-calibrated measurement positions, MultEQ-X
most from MultEQ-X, which offers The $199 you’ll pay for the Audyssey microphone that comes offers up to 32, though it’s arguable
greatly improved adjustment MultEQ-X program/app is a one- with any relatively new Audyssey- that going beyond 8 will provide
flexibility over previous Audyssey time charge; any future upgrades equipped AVR and won’t work with any audible benefits.
versions. The so"ware runs on a to it are free. It’s also limited to the third-party calibrated mics such The two presets in the MultEQ-X
Windows 10 or 11 PC operating at AVR it was purchased for and isn’t as miniDSP’s popular UMIK-1. menus, Reference and Flat, can
64 bits, or on an older, Intel-based transferrable to other products Another option is to use Audys- each be loaded with a different
(not M1), Mac using Boot Camp or or individuals. But if your AVR
virtualization (it currently isn’t avail- needs repairs (using an authorized
able for MacOS). service facility) and the program
The MultEQ-X program isn’t gets wiped, Audyssey will autho-
immediately intuitive. Fortunately, rize a new download at no charge
there’s a link to a trial mode on its under the current policy.
opening page, which lets you surf The MultEQ-X App is down-
through the program to get a feel loadable from the Microso" Store,
for it but can’t actually be used which requires a Microso" account
to calibrate your system. There and password. Payment of the $199
are also several “how to” videos fee is made in-app, and then a"er-
on YouTube explaining program wards the full MultEQ-X program
setup, though these are o"en fast- will be ready for unlimited use.
moving and sometimes wander As with the Audyssey MultEQ
off into the tall grass. Perhaps the Editor App, control of the AVR
best way to proceed, before or a"er is either via Wi-Fi or wired

soundandvision.com 49
 test report
AUDYSSEY MULTEQ-X ROOM EQ SOFTWARE

setup, in which event the word able MultEQ-X user guide), with
“Flat” will merely be a designation
without the stated meaning. If your
AVR or pre-pro itself offers two
the key ones being Connect,
Measure, Design Target Curve,
Calibrated Se#ings, and Finalize.
Test Bench
presets (a feature on some recent The Measurement page is where The following curves were taken at a single listener position
models), that would give you the you set up your microphone and using the Parts Express Omnimic program and its own
option to create and save a total of take readings for each channel, calibrated microphone. Audyssey MultEQ-X offered similar
four different instantly selectable sampling up to 32 mic posi- readings, but I wanted to use separate test gear to verify the
setups, each with its own target tions. The program shows all the results. All curves are 1/6th octave smoothed.—TJN
curve. measured results for each mic posi-
MultEQ-X also goes far beyond tion and channel, plus aggregate
the flexibility offered by the views that average all separate
Audyssey Editor app. For instance, measurements taken at each

[dBSPL]
it can configure each channel position. But to see them all (and
separately with different target properly measure each subse-
curves, and those target curves are quent mic position), you must use
almost infinitely adjustable. And sliders located at the Measurement
you can create as many “Biquad/ page’s top right side. If you don’t
Frequency Response -freq [Hz]
Parametric Equalizers” as your scroll down with the vertical slider
computer can handle to further a"er each measurement, se#ing
Fig.1 Left channel only. Red: No room EQ. Blue: With Audyssey
adjust the target curve. MultEQ- up the empty block waiting to be
MultEQ-X. Both with two SVS SB-3000 subwoofers.
X’s FIR (Finite Impulse Response) filled by your next measurement,
filters are very different from the the program will simply replace the
type used in parametric equaliza- most recent measurement with a
tion, but the Audyssey filters mimic new one in the same box. (I made
parametric operation and present this mistake before discovering the
[dBSPL]

controls in a way that users of that sliders, which are the same color
more traditional EQ format will be as the lines on the charts and o"en
comfortable with. Any or all of these disappear completely when your
and other adjustments can be used cursor isn’t over them.)
separately or together, such as You’ll also see a data smoothing Frequency Response -freq [Hz]
applying a shallow downward tilt at control at the top right of the
the high end, and then pumping up graph-heavy pages. That’s a useful Fig.2 Red: Left channel. Blue: Right channel. Both with
response below 100Hz to address feature, but it could be more so if Audyssey MultEQ-X and two SVS SB-3000 subwoofers.
your need for soul-satisfying bass. the control gave some information
about the degree of smoothing
SETUP being applied. Audyssey says
that’s under consideration for a
MultEQ-X isn’t as easy to use as the future update—along with making
[dBSPL]

Audyssey Editor app. I experi- those sliders more prominent!

enced a number of roadblocks, but The Design Target Curve section
with some experimentation and is the nerve center of the MultEQ-
direct assistance from Audyssey X program. This lets you add or
(but not the so"ware’s limited remove high-frequency rolloffs, Frequency Response -freq [Hz]
Help menu) was able to muddle enter or delete the love-it or hate-it
through. It didn’t help that this Audyssey midrange dip (a default Fig.3 Left channel only. Red: With two SVS SB-3000 subwoofers.
A/V nerd isn’t also a computer EQ at around 2-3kHz that was Blue: With two SVS PB-3000 subwoofers.
nerd. Some of Audyssey’s menu originally intended to compensate
operations worked slowly on my for loudspeaker crossover issues),
(older) PC, though by slowly I dial in “parametric” EQs, apply a channels as you like. The one exception here is the EQ
mean five seconds (an eternity in variable tilt to the overall frequency A Filter Se#ings page lets you range, which is the “curtain” control
computer-time). I also discovered range, and much more. You can see what the program is doing to allow the user to select the
that it’s important to regularly save pile as many of these processes a"er all your target curve manipula- frequency range over which EQ will
your progress while using the onto your desired target curve as tions are complete, but it’s also be applied.
program. At one point I acciden- your computer can handle, and perhaps the most clu#ered and The Calibrated Se#ings page
tally deleted the work I had done do so by simply clicking on the “+” confusing page of all. You can provides additional information
so far, and since I hadn’t engaged control at the top of the page for select or de-select the curves as that you can change as needed.
Save, needed to repeat the entire each iteration you want to add. You needed for a clearer view of your Once done with, you move on to
measurement process. can also make and use the same results, but nothing you do on the Finalize page, which saves
MultEQ-X setup involves six target curve for all channels, or this page changes anything; for the result to your computer and
steps (detailed in the download- create different curves for as many the most part it’s information only. transfers it to your AVR.

50 June July 2022 soundandvision.com

 EQ and auditioning. The SB-3000s
are excellent subs, but they are
a li"le overmatched in my very
large listening space. The larger
PB-3000 subwoofers were placed
in the same positions as the smaller
subs had been when calibrated and
auditioned. The measured results
from the larger subs (without a new
calibration) were subtly different
below 80Hz. This was no surprise,
but rather than run a completely
new calibration I simply used the
PB-3000 pairs’ internal parametric
EQ to tweak their responses
below 80Hz. (The SB-3000s offer
the same parametric EQ, but in
that setup all the EQ was from the
Audyssey program.)
The bigger subwoofers offered a
serious sound upgrade, trans-
forming the entire frequency range
even though the Audyssey EQ was
unchanged above 80Hz. Audyssey
frequency rolloff by 2dB at 10kHz. audible result was superb. (or any room EQ processing, for
LISTENING
All of these, of course, were added Later, I substituted a pair of SVS that ma"er) can do a great deal,
I used a Monitor Audio Silver on top of the program’s essential PB-3000 subs (a large, ported but it can’t work wonders if the
10 tower-based system for my function: room-response fla"ening model) for the smaller pair of subwoofers, no ma"er how well-
listening test, along with either across a limited or full frequency SB-3000s (a smaller and sealed designed, aren’t an optimal fit for
two SVS SB-3000 or two PB-3000 range (I EQ’d full range). The model) used for the above room the room.
subwoofers. While surround and
height channels were included in CONCLUSION
the calibration, the listening was
limited to the front le! and right If your home theater preferences
channels, plus the subwoofers, to are basically just set it and then
allow for a more precise assess- forget it, using only the features
ment of the audible result. The already included in your A/V
A/V receiver used was a Denon receiver without taking time out to
AVR-X6700H. absorb a new computer program
The MultEQ-X program provides with a real, though not necessarily
an onscreen indication of what it intimidating, learning curve, then
has determined to be the bo"om Audyssey MultEQ-X might not be
(and top) in-room frequency for you. But if you’re the type who
response limits of each loud- is driven to find out how good
speaker in the system. This told your system can sound when
me that my Monitor Audio Silver tuned to perfection, MultEQ-X
10s were good down to 20Hz in will provide the tools you need
my room—wishful thinking at to make a serious step toward
best! Fortunately, when using a that goal. A!er spending a good
subwoofer or two, as I did, you’ll amount of time with it, I’m deeply
be engaging your AVR’s high-pass impressed with the features and
filters so those channels will never capabilities offered in Audyssey’s
actually have to deal with anything new so!ware.
even close to 20Hz.
The target curve I created
deleted the midrange dip, added a The Verdict
slight downward tilt from the bass
to the high treble (almost invisible Audyssey's latest version takes room
in the final measurement curves), EQ processing to the next level via a
pumped up the low bass by about PC software app offering an unprec-
5dB (total, including the effect of edented degree of options to tune all
the tilt), and also reduced the high channels in your system.

soundandvision.com 51
 test report
PERLISTEN AUDIO R5T LOUDSPEAKER AND D15S SUBWOOFER

RATINGS RATINGS

R5t Tower D15s Subwoofer

PERFORMANCE PERFORMANCE

Listen Up!
By Thomas J. Norton
BUILD QUALITY

VALUE
FEATURES

BUILD QUALITY

VALUE

EVEN THE most veteran A/V enthusiast

is unlikely to have heard of Perlisten degrees off-axis, along with similarly
(short for Perceptual Listening) Audio, impressive power response.)
but that situation should soon change.
Founded by a group of audio industry DESIGN
veterans, the company was formally
launched in 2021. For a new speaker At first glance the R5t tower appears
outfit, the number of Perlisten models to be a conventional two-way, with
is astonishingly long and encom- woofers located above and below a
passes towers, standmounts, center single waveguide-loaded tweeter. But
and surround speakers, in-walls, and look more closely and you’ll see two
subwoofers, all of them engineered in additional 1.1-inch drivers partially
the U.S. and manufactured in China. hidden behind small metal grilles
Perlisten Audio’s offerings comprise shaped to blend into the tweeter wave-
two major ranges, the S-series and guide. Perlisten calls this midrange-
the R-series, with the flagship tower tweeter arrangement a DPC-Array (DPC
of the higher-end S-series, the S7t, for Directivity Pa"ern Control). The
currently topping out at $20,000/pair. top and bo"om 1.1-inch drivers here
The R-series isn’t quite that hypoxia- operate between 1.1kHz and 4.4kHz,
inducing but still hits a maximum of serving to smooth the vertical radia-
$10,000/pair for the R7t. Perlisten’s tion pa"ern in the range where our ears
standmounts in both ranges (plus are most sensitive and to also limit
surrounds and two in-wall models) vertical dispersion to reduce floor and
are a bit less pricey but still hardly ceiling reflections. This strikes me as an
impulse buys. There’s also a full range emulation of the D’Appolito configura-
of subwoofers, capped by the massive, tion, which typically positions a tweeter
dual 15-inch, 202-pound (!) D215s between woofers at the top and bo"om.
($9,000). But here it’s a pair of midranges and a
For this review we requested the tweeter, with close spacing between
smallest R-series tower, the R5t ($7,000/ them due to the shorter wavelengths
pair), and a single D15s subwoofer compared with a classic woofer-
($5,000). The R5c center ($3,000) and tweeter-woofer D’Appolito setup.
dedicated surrounds were not available The woofers in the R5t tower are
at the time of our request and so aren’t small, and while specified at 165mm
tested here. As a side note, the R5c (6.5 inches) when measured across
employs a driver complement similar the mounting screws, they’re closer to
to that on the R5t, but with the woofers 135mm (5.3 inches) when considering
horizontally flanking the tweeter in their actual radiating area (measured
a typical center-channel configura- halfway into the flexible roll surround
tion. Since those woofers operate up on both sides of the cone). To be fair,
to 1.1kHz, I’d audition the R5c prior to the more generous spec is common
making a purchase decision to ensure for loudspeakers. These small woofers,
that the horizontally configured woofers however, did have implications in the
don’t result in audible anomalies (comb- speaker’s tolerance for deep, chal-
filtering) for listeners seated off-center. lenging bass response in a large
(Editor’s note: Perlisten Audio provides listening room like mine when not
detailed measurements of the R5c on its supported by a sub. (More on that a bit
website that indicate even energy +/- 20 further on.)

52 June July 2022 soundandvision.com

 A large, heavy steel plate Certified. Featuring a relatively
SETUP
a"aches to the bo"om of the tolerable footprint, it’s a 100-pound
cabinet, and adjustable feet and beast with a 15-inch driver, 2,000- The R5ts in my room were posi- At a Glance
spikes fit into outriggers molded wa" amplifier (peak), 10 bands of tioned roughly 9 feet apart, 4 feet
into the plate. The slightly rounded parametric equalization, and three out from the back wall, and angled (R5t)
“spikes” are unlikely to damage standard modes: Large Room, toward the primary listening seat. Clean, uncolored sound
wood floors (or penetrate carpets), Small Room, and THX. There’s a My seated ear height was a bit too
Surprisingly powerful bass
but I nonetheless le# them off. The small indicator and touch-sensitive high for the speakers’ tweeter-mid
rear of the cabinet sports two pair window at the cabinet’s front module, so I tilted the Perlistens Excellent build quality
of high-quality, five-way binding top for basic control, but some rearward a li"le more than their Pricey
posts for bi-wire or bi-amping of the features and adjustments already modest backward slant.
Not the best option for very
operation, plus jumpers to link are accessible only via Perlis- I used a Denon AVR-X6700H large rooms
them together (as I did) for a single- ten’s setup app (Android or iOS). receiver with its own internal ampli-
wire setup. Balanced and unbalanced L/R fiers for most of my listening. The (D15s)
The R5t offers either sealed or inputs and outputs are provided, Denon was up to the challenge Stunningly dynamic
ported operation. Its long port tube along with a trigger input and USB despite the R5t’s 4-ohm rating, performance
is positioned vertically, opening service port. Unfortunately, in our though it did run noticeably ho"er Excellent build quality
at the bo"om of the cabinet sample the Bluetooth connection (without the external fan I typically
and radiating out via screened to my iPhone wouldn’t function, use) than its usual toasty self. (If Pricey
openings on the sides and rear. rendering some of the controls you don’t use an appropriate fan, Price: $7,000/pair (R5t
In most such speakers the swap (including parametric EQ and be sure your AVR has plenty of tower), $5,000 (D15s
from ported to sealed is done via a polarity) unusable. At Perlisten’s ventilation.) All the source mate- subwoofer)
simple and easily accessible port suggestion I carefully removed the rial I used was lossless and from Perlistenaudio.com
plug. But to make the swap on the amp to check things out, finding discs, including CD and Ultra HD
(612) 280-3899
R5t you need to upturn the cabinet the Bluetooth antenna tenuously Blu-ray. Disc players were an Oppo
to access the bo"om, unscrew a"ached and likely not making UDP-203 for movies and a Marantz
and remove the steel baseplate, good contact. (A shipping mishap, UD7007 for music. should always try for the optimum
remove a small panel to access the perhaps?) My very large room provides loudspeaker setup prior trying
port opening, install the (provided) li"le deep bass support for other solutions, but in my situation,
foam plug, and then bu"on it all full-range loudspeakers. It also and likely in many home theaters,
back up and return each of the
speakers to their original positions. “Perlisten’s sealed thickens the upper bass between
100 and 200Hz, which is both
radically rearranging your room for
a possible fix isn’t always possible
You won’t want to do this o#en, D15s subwoofer audible and measurable at the when both music and movies are
or for a “quick” ported vs. sealed
comparison, to say the least. I
is THX Dominus listening position. Similar bass
issues are common to nearly
on the menu. The most widely
available cure for this in the home
did it twice in the process of my Certified.” all domestic rooms. Yes, you theater world (one that, strangely,
listening and measurements, each is rarely accepted in the two-
time wondering if I really needed to channel audio world) is room EQ.
make the swap (I did). For this review I used Audyssey
The R5ts don’t come with grilles, MultEQ xt32 (not, as yet, Audys-
though they’re available as an sey’s new MultEQ-X), but limited
extra-cost option. Cabinet finishes to under 300Hz so as not to alter
are either piano gloss black or the Perlistens’ basic sound. By
piano gloss white for both the R5t using room EQ for low frequencies,
tower and the D15s subwoofer. where a speaker is most likely to be
A number of Perlisten models significantly affected by the room,
are THX Dominus Certified—a you aren’t so much equalizing the
relatively new and rarely achieved speakers as you are evaluating
THX standard that’s said to provide them as they might perform in a
reference levels in a 6,500 cubic “be"er” room. (The main audio-
foot room at up to 12 feet from phile argument against room EQ is
the speaker. The R5t, however, is that you’re somehow polluting the
THX Ultra Certified (up to 3,000 source—as if the room itself isn’t
cubic feet) when used for the LCR already doing that.)
channels. Neither spec means
that a given speaker or subwoofer PERFORMANCE
is unsuitable for larger rooms, but
only that it won’t remain within Auditioned without the subwoofer
THX’s guidelines (such as distor- using two-channel music, the
tion) at or above reference levels in R5ts performed superbly in ported
such a se"ing. operation with one exception. On
Unlike the R5t tower, the sealed challenging music with powerful
D15s subwoofer is THX Dominus bass transients—in this case Kodo

soundandvision.com 53
 test report
PERLISTEN AUDIO R5T LOUDSPEAKER AND D15S SUBWOOFER

Test Bench
All curves here are non-anechoic, taken in-room at ear height in
the main listening seat using Parts Express Omnimic software
and calibrated microphone.—TJN

[dBSPL]
Frequency Response -freq [Hz]

Fig.1 R5t Ported. Left channel only. No subwoofer. Red: No

Audyssey EQ, no tone control. Blue: Audyssey Reference (EQ’d
only below 300Hz), Treble +1, Bass -4 (Bass control reduced for
added linearity between 100-200Hz).

[dBSPL]

Frequency Response -freq [Hz]

Fig.2 R5t Sealed. Left channel only. Red: No Audyssey

EQ, no Tone control, no subwoofer. Blue: Added the D15s
Subwoofer in Small Room mode, Audyssey Reference (EQ’d
only below 300Hz), Treble +1, Bass -6 (Bass control, which
does not affect the subwoofer, reduced for added linearity
between 100-200 Hz.)
[dBSPL]

Frequency Response -freq [Hz]

Fig.3 R5t Sealed. Same as in Blue in Fig.2 above, but here

both channels are shown. Red is left. Blue is right.

R5T TOWER: 6.5 in HPF pulp cone woofers (2), 1 in

silk dome mid/tweeters (3) in a DPC array; 3-way
Specs bass reflex or acoustic suspension (user configu-
rable); 9 x 43.3 x 13.7 in (WxHxD), 58.3 lb
D15S SUBWOOFER: 15 in carbon fiber cone bass
driver; 2,000-wa! (peak) amplifier; 10-band para-
metric EQ; 19.7 x 20.8 x 19.7 (WxHxD), 101.2 lb

54 June July 2022 soundandvision.com

drums played back at high volume problems with any source material I
level—one speaker expelled an played with the sub engaged, even
unmusical bass burp that was at levels high enough to make the
clearly not present in the source. I neighbors complain—or want to
briefly substituted a more powerful come over to listen!
Parasound Halo A-52+ amplifier With the subwoofer now backing
for the front two channels to make up the R5t towers, the sound
sure the anomaly wasn’t simply jumped to another level. Every
the Denon amp giving out, but bass-heavy selection I tried—
the problem remained. My home drums, organs, electronica—sailed
theater area is modest (estimated through, comfortably exceeding
at just over 3,000 cubic feet), but the performance of other subs
fully open to other spaces that raise I’ve used by a significant margin. It
the total volume speakers must didn’t quite reproduce the low-level
contend with to well over 6,500 16Hz pipe organ note in Saint-
cubic feet—a challenge for any Saëns Organ (Third) Symphony,
loudspeaker with relatively small but impressed on everything else.
woofers. The room correction I
applied also increased the bass by
Several cuts actually vibrated the
back of my listening seat! That
“With the subwoofer was screamingly evident when
I fired up the whole surround
a few dB, which may have contrib- might have been partly due to backing up the R5ts, sound system (supported by non-
uted to the anomaly.
Apart from that isolated issue,
having the sub positioned about
6 feet behind me, but even in that
the sound jumped to Perlisten speakers for the center
channel and surrounds). When
the Perlisten R5t’s bass was as spot I was never able to localize it (a another level.” I dropped the Ultra HD Blu-ray
tight and powerful as I’ve ever good indication of low distortion) disc of Dune (2021) into the Oppo
heard in my room without adding with the crossover set to 90Hz. player, all Hades broke loose.
a subwoofer. Nothing else fazed In all other respects. the tion. But freed up by the subwoofer The quiet scenes were effectively
it. And while I might have pined for R5t’s performance when used from handling the bo!om two bass rendered, of course, but the
more deep bass grunt, I suspect in combination with the D15s octaves in my listening room, the opening bass a!ack of composer
that a music enthusiast will be subwoofer equaled or exceeded R5t tower’s transparency, lack of Hans Zimmer’s punishing score,
thrilled by the R5t’s standalone its performance au naturel. As coloration, and ability to throw a the subterranean groans of arriving
performance when listening with noted earlier, I would have liked wide and convincing soundstage spaceships, the buzzing of the
them in a less wide-open space a li!le more top-end air, but in no was beyond criticism. mosquito-like ornithopters, and
than mine. way was the sound closed-in or But even that description the rescue of the spice-mining
The R5t’s sound leaned more dull. In fact, it may not even be the doesn’t do full justice to the superb harvester from a sandworm a!ack,
toward the analytical than the warm best choice for those who prefer dynamic range capability of the all of it played back at a higher level
and fuzzy, with a clean top end. And a more forgiving, warm presenta- Perlisten R5t/D15s combo, which than most civilian listeners can
though I wished for a li!le more tolerate, le# me worrying about the
“air” than they offered in my large structural integrity of my house.
room, this was barely a concern.
They excelled with all music I CONCLUSION
threw at them, from female vocals
both famous (Holly Cole, Loreena While the Top Pick status of the
McKenni!) and not so well-known D15s subwoofer is unqualified, the
(Sinne Eeg, Josefine Cronholm), to same doesn’t necessarily apply to
male vocals (Elvis Presley, Toto), the R5t tower when listened to in a
and instrumentals of all descrip- very large room like mine without
tions. They offered impressive a subwoofer. For the la!er use you
soundstaging, solid dynamics, and might be be!er off with the R7t and
low coloration, permi!ing good its four woofers rather than the
recordings to fully shine. R5t’s two—though at a significant
When I first auditioned the R5t price delta. That said, Perlisten
together with the D15s subwoofer Audio’s R5t/D15s combo is a
(with Audyssey engaged below superbly engineered and sonically
300Hz) I again experienced some satisfying package.
overload issues clearly originating
with the tower speaker and not with
the sub. This was not surprising The Verdict
given the higher playback levels
that having a subwoofer in a system Perlisten Audio’s R5t towers and
tends to invite. But then I recon- D15s subwoofer offer stunning
figured the R5ts into their sealed performance and good looks, but in
mode and the issue disappeared. this case the great sound and build
From then on, I experienced no quality will cost you.

soundandvision.com 55
 test report
POLK AUDIO SIGNA S4 SOUNDBAR

RATING

PERFORMANCE

Accessible Atmos
FEATURES

ERGONOMICS

VALUE
By Rob Sabin

Visible through the front grille

during operation are five multi-
color status LEDs. The first LED
conveniently stays lit in normal
use and changes color to indicate
signal type: white for PCM, green
for regular Dolby streams, and blue
for Dolby Atmos. Around back are
an eARC-compliant HDMI port, an
optical digital audio input, a 3.5mm
analog stereo Aux in, and a USB
type-A port suitable for playing
back music files. You can use either
HDMI or the optical port for a digital
connection to your TV, but you
can’t hook up a second source
to the unused port. Most people
will go HDMI to the ARC or eARC
port for the highest quality signal.
You’ll need HDMI eARC on your
TV to pass discrete Dolby Atmos
soundtracks to the bar, but an older
ARC connection will still engage
processing for the height speakers.
WHEN IT COMES to hi-fi and wireless sub that earn its 3.1.2- Behind the grille are two-way There are five membrane
home theater, I’m a space hog. channel designation. There are driver pairings for the le" and right bu!ons on top of the bar for
Some folks zero in on tight, no rear surround speakers or any channels, each with a 4.7 x 1.6-inch control, though you’ll mostly use
room-shaking bass, others seek way to add them, nor any network paper cone racetrack midrange your TV or set-top box remote
immaculate midrange accuracy connection for streaming music and a 1-inch PEI plastic dome. The control for volume adjustments.
or high frequency extension with straight to the bar. For online music center channel is a 1-inch, full- HDMI ARC connections will usually
gobs of etched detail. For me, it’s you can use your TV’s smart plat- range inverted aluminum dome, track your TV remote automatically,
always been about imaging and form or an a!ached streamer to tap and a pair of angled 2.6-inch paper or there’s a learning function to
soundstage first. I can forgive your favorite service, or else use cones fire from the top for the teach the bar to respond.
a lot of sins if a system conveys your phone to make a Bluetooth ceiling-bounce height effects. The Regardless, you’ll still want to
the sense of a three-dimensional connection. But as you’ll see, the subwoofer is an MDF wood box keep the supplied compact remote
instrument, voice, or sound object S4 serves its primary function—TV with black vinyl wrap measuring handy. Along with direct bu!ons
in the listening room. This is what and movie viewing—very well and 7.9 x 12.9 x 11.0 inches (WxHxD). for the TV, Aux, or Bluetooth inputs,
makes things real for me. provides great value at its price. It’s a bass-reflex design with a there’s a mute key and volume/
Therefore, I was intrigued at the The Signa S4 is a lean, black down-firing 5.9-inch paper cone bass rockers. Dedicated bu!ons
prospect of reviewing Polk’s new column made from formed ABS woofer next to a circular, flared allow selection of Movie, Night,
Signa S4 soundbar. I’m a big Atmos with black grille cloth across port. The sub is a lightweight affair or Music modes, along with three
fan for the format’s convincing the entire front. It has nice build at 9 pounds and it sounds that way levels of Voice Adjust, Polk’s propri-
staging, and at $399, the S4 is quality for a budget system. The when you rap it with your knuckles, etary tech for clarifying dialogue.
among the least expensive certi- low-profile bar runs 41.2 inches but it performed surprisingly
fied Atmos bars you can get. wide—a good fit under a 55-inch well with proper placement. Polk SETUP
Not surprisingly at that price, the TV—and you can easily hang the doesn’t release power amp ratings,
Signa S4 is pre!y basic beyond the 6.4-pound bar on the wall from but volume was plenty loud in the The day-to-day soundbar in my
two height drivers and compact keyholes on the back. mid-sized den where I tested. den is a first-gen Sonos Beam (no

56 June July 2022 soundandvision.com

 in Movie mode went beyond the
DRIVERS: (soundbar) 4.7 x 1.6 paper cone midrange edges of the bar and created a nice
(2), 1-inch PEI dome tweeter (2), 1-inch inverted wall of sound that allowed voices At a Glance
Specs aluminum dome full-range center, 2.6-inch paper and objects to occupy distinct
cone full-range height driver (2); (subwoofer) positions inside a space with Atmos height effects from
5.9-inch paper cone woofer in bass reflex enclosure decent front-to-back depth, even if a high value soundbar
AMPLIFIER: Not specified they didn’t reach out terribly far. Easy to set up and use
CONNECTIONS: HDMI eARC, optical digital audio, 3.5mm stereo Tidal offers excellent Atmos Well-integrated small
analog, USB type-A (for media playback), Bluetooth wireless music playlists these days across subwoofer
ACCESSORIES: Remote control, HDMI cable, optical digital audio different genres. The best experi-
cable, wall-mount template, wall-mount spacers Good sonics for TV and
ence came from tracks that made
DIMENSIONS: (WxHxD, inches) 41.2 x 2.4 x 3.7 (soundbar); 7.9 x 12.9 x movie watching
good use of the height channels,
11.0 (subwoofer) such as “We Don’t Talk About No expandability for
WEIGHT: (pounds) 6.4 (soundbar), 9.0 (subwoofer) Bruno” from Disney’s animated surrounds
feature Encanto. The song is No network connection
comprised of vocal counterpoints for music
Atmos) connected via eARC to a That all may sound negative, that emerge from different parts No height channel level
55-inch LG OLED, so it was nothing but ultimately it makes the S4 pure of the soundstage, and they adjustment
to swap in the Polk on the credenza gold for typical TV and movie were distinctly separate in the
Better for movies than
that sits below the wall-mounted fare while still presenting a highly S4’s rendering. Meanwhile, the
music
TV. I tried the sub on the front wall engaging if somewhat compro- Atmos version of the opening
where Polk recommends, but it mised experience with music. The track “Acknowledgment” from Price: $399
was boomy in that spot so I instead S4’s canny design prevents the saxophonist John Coltrane’s A polkaudio.com
moved it under the end table next user from having to ride the volume Love Supreme was wonderfully
to my sofa. The result was punchy control or suffer edginess from spacious, with easily delineated
and defined bass within its oper- bright soundtracks, while the Voice instruments from Coltrane’s dialogue stayed clear and discern-
ating range with no localization of Adjust se!ings very effectively quartet, including a nicely defined ible even during the complex
deep male voice to the sub. Bass ensure dialogue clarity in virtually upright bass, piano, and drums. But ba!le scene climax thanks to the
tones revealed that the bar hands any program. In other words, the the S4’s delivery lacked detail in the effectiveness of Voice Adjust.
off to the sub around 125-150Hz. S4 does what it sets out to do by shimmering cymbal washes that
Along with using my cable TV achieving kick-ass, livable sound at start the track, or the reedy vibra- CONCLUSION
box, a Blu-ray player connected via a modest $400 price. tion from Coltrane’s mouthpiece,
HDMI to the TV allowed playback A few minutes of listening and the metallic timbre of the horn Though the $399 Polk Signa S4
of Dolby Atmos movies. I was also made clear that Movie mode was that would normally give it pres- is the least expensive full-range
able to tap my TV’s streaming plat- preferred over Music no ma!er the ence in the room was missing. Atmos soundbar system you’re
form for good-quality Atmos music content type because of its notice- Bass and drum-driven music likely to find, it faces tough
directly from my Tidal account. ably wider and taller soundstage tracks, such as “What I Can Do competition, notably from the new
and be!er separation of instru- For You” from Sheryl Crow’s Friday second-gen Sonos Beam that,
PERFORMANCE ments and soundtrack elements. Night Music Club, showed good for $50 more, provides network
Musical instruments enjoyed snap and decent depth from the connected music, multiroom
I would characterize the sonic slightly crisper focus and vocalists S4’s compact sub. Test tones rolled expandabilty, and voice control. It
personality of the Signa S4 in a slightly less recessed presenta- off rapidly below 60Hz with the sub provides the option to add wireless
either its Music or Movie mode as tion in Music mode, but this was volume maxed out, but the woofer surrounds and a sub—albeit at
friendly, sometimes excessively so. somewhat compensated for in exhibited unexpected control and substantial additional cost.
It’s a warm, palatable sound that Movie by using the Voice Adjust avoided offensive boominess. On the other hand, if you’re
makes just about everything that se!ings, and the difference in A screening of the musical In The looking to get in and out at $399
goes through it highly listenable. imaging was profound enough that Heights streamed off HBO Max with and start enjoying the tremendous
Critical listeners might complain I le# the Music mode behind. Dolby Atmos once again delivered wealth of Atmos content now
that it’s a bit veiled in the mids, In my room I sit 8 feet from the that big, spacious, engaging image swirling around the cloud, you’ll
not terribly extended or detailed soundbar and have 8.5-foot ceil- and excellent dialogue reproduc- find the Signa S4 a satisfying and
in the highs, and that it exhibits ings a touch taller than standard. tion, but the music was again cost-effective solution. Polk has
compressed dynamic range. But With the S4, discrete Dolby Atmos missing midrange clarity on horns succeeded here with a high-value
that’s not to say that the Signa S4 test signals placed the virtual and detail in the percussion that I soundbar at a price point that’s sure
doesn’t get loud and maintain front-channel height speakers well knew should be there, as well as to spread the joys of spatial audio
control when working hard. It hit above the screen but not quite the full power and build of the oper- to a much broader audience.
peaks of 102dB in my room on onto the ceiling or out into the atic crescendos of Olga Merediz’s
musical crescendos and movie room as they should be. I suspect vocal on “Paciencia y Fe.” On the
soundtracks, and sounded rela- goosing the height-channel levels other hand, big action movies were The Verdict
tively clean at max volume, if just would have made these more right up the S4’s alley and a huge
a bit strained. But the full dynamic pronounced and possibly created treat. The Atmos track for Ready Polk Audio’s Signa S4 makes some
build from powerful vocalists or big more of a half-dome, but unfor- Player One is a constant bombard- canny compromises to bring immer-
explosions coming off a quiet start tunately there are no trim adjust- ment of sonic delight. The sound sive audio to the masses at an
was typically lost. ments. Nonetheless, the image on the S4 was loud and clean, and affordable price.

soundandvision.com 57
 test report
MONOLITH BY MONOPRICE 13-INCH THX ULTRA CERTIFIED SUBWOOFER

RATING

PERFORMANCE

Bass Bruiser
FEATURES

BUILD QUALITY

VALUE
By Daniel Kumin

GOT BASS? I do. Boy, do I ever: According to Monoprice, this in combi-

Monolith by Monoprice’s newest THX nation with internal bracing yields a
Ultra Certified 13-inch behemoth. You stiffer, less resonant enclosure. (And did
might think that a “13-inch” sub would I mention heavier?) There are three huge
be just a bit bigger than a typical 12-inch ports, flared at both ends to reduce the
job, maybe 15 or 16 inches wide, and turbulence that can plague big subs,
perhaps as heavy as 70 or 80 pounds. and these are equipped with equally big
Think again. foam plugs. The plugs can be retained
The 13THX (what I’m calling it since or removed in any combination, yielding
Monolith’s sub does not appear to have an effective choice of four alignments.
a name per se) is roughly 20 x 24 x 29 (In general, a sealed box rolls off sooner
inches (WxHxD) and tips the scales at but more gradually, and is usually fla!er
a svelte 153.2 pounds. And that’s the around the roll-off point.) The on-board
“li!le one.” There’s also a companion amplifier is of course a class-D design,
16THX—yes, with a 16-inch driver—that for which Monoprice boasts 2 kilowa!s
weighs 176 pounds. The new THX Certi- steady-state and 3,800 wa!s peak. The
fied subs, like the rest of the Monolith whole is finished in an undistinguished-
line of subwoofers, speakers, and but-nice ma!e black. (Monoprice’s
components, comes from Monoprice, webpage lists this as “Black Ash,” but
the direct-marketer that started out with there’s absolutely no visible woodgrain.
cable and computer accessories but Instead, it’s a sort of an eggshell finish
has grown into a giant seller of all things that I quite liked.) Oh yeah, there’s also a
audio and much more. “floating” grille, which is a fairly massive
Subwoofers, like all loudspeakers, thing in itself. I examined it, tried it on,
are in effect pumps: they don’t move air and then put it back in the box.
very far, but move it they must in order to
induce the airborne vibrations that we SETUP
hear as sound. The lower the frequency
the more the work involved, and much features you’d want in a sub-purposed I’ll spare you the gory details of wrestling
as with piston engines (another sort cone driver. These include a very the 13THX out of its massive carton
of pump) there are few substitutes for long-throw suspension, with an impres- and into place, except to say it took
cubic inches. (Few, but not none: equal- sive claimed 90mm peak-to-peak; a three of us, two of whom came through
ization, amplifier power, and extreme vented cone and “spider,” the first to the experience just fine. I located the
driver throw can in combination do the equalize air pressure on both sides of sub in the usual spot, one long since-
trick, up to a point.) the diaphragm, enhancing linearity, established as the optimum floorspace
A bigger diaphragm interfaces with and the second to help cool the voice- to yield the smoothest—or at least,
more air molecules, and thus has a huge coil, increasing power handling; a least-egregiously peaky—response
advantage in efficiency, in the physics purpose-modeled magnet structure from any subwoofer in my room. This
sense, over a smaller one. (This should incorporating dual aluminum shorting put it alongside the front-right speaker
not be confused with loudspeaker sensi- rings (these help focus magnetic flux and a few feet out from the wall, where it
tivity, even though the two terms are to increase sensitivity and reduce absolutely dwarfed everything else.
o$en bandied about interchangeably.) A eddy currents to lessen distortion). It’s Monolith by Hookup required just the supplied
13-inch circle has 15 percent more area a massive driver, obviously manufac- Monoprice's massive IEC power cord and the existing long
than a 12-inch one, which suggests why tured with care and weighing some 60 13THX sub is spec'd RCA interconnect from my preamp/
Monoprice bumped its newest Monolith pounds all by its lonesome. for flat response to processor. Monolith’s sub includes
sub up that one mere inch. The box is made from HDF—high- below 18Hz and both balanced XLR and unbalanced
Otherwise, the 13-inch transducer density fiberboard—as opposed output of 115 dB RCA stereo inputs (summing, of course,
developed for the 13THX has all the the to the much more common MDF. SPL at 25Hz. internally), but I stuck with unbalanced.

58 June July 2022 soundandvision.com

 what do you get from the 13THX for
giving up a potentially sublet-able
amount of floor space? At a Glance
Volume, that’s what. While
my everyday provides all the Reference-level extension
bass I need at the levels I typi- and output
cally choose, it craps out at more Exceptionally flat, controlled
extreme levels. Thanks to intel- response through crossover
ligent, well-implemented limiting octaves
and distortion monitoring, it does THX Ultra Certified
so gracefully by simply not ge"ing
No auto-EQ/correction or
louder, but crap out it does. The remote control
13THX, in contrast, does not: the
low end stayed in scale with the Very big and heavy
other seven octaves at any volume No pass-through outputs
I could tolerate even briefly, awak-
Price: $1,700
ening novel room-ra"les including
one in the floor that I could not get monoprice.com
Why? Unless you live in an airport level you desire. Period. at from above or below. (Note to
control tower (for radio-frequency I balanced the Monolith sub self: no room is ever completely
rejection), or in an anechoic from my listening position by both de-ra"led since somebody will over the final minutes dealt literally
chamber where you can hear meter and ear for initial audi- always make a bigger subwoofer.) room-shaking blows. The organ
the 2 or 3dB additional dynamic tions in stereo with my sub-40Hz I next cued up a fine Sony here scales down to a powerful
range it may (repeat: may) deliver, standmount monitors crossed over Classical recording of the famous 32Hz C, underpinned, depending
balanced audio connections are at 80Hz, and later at 60Hz. For all Saint-Saëns “organ” symphony in C on the organ and stops in use, by
just for show. my subsequent music listening I minor (24-bit/96kHz FLAC, Qobuz), a 16Hz sub-C, and I felt like I was
With no remote control, wireless used Roon, which implements two which has a so#, sustained “pedal” there in the same room with it.
connectivity, or app-controlled EQ narrow filters that I tap to mitigate A-flat in the first movement that But just how different were
on Monolith’s sub, its control panel my room’s two principal acous- plumbs below 26Hz. Though so#, these relative to listening with my
is surprisingly plain. Three knobs tical modes. Such filters are the this was palpably present, while the everyday sub? In the first instance,
continuously control Level, Cross- principal virtue of room/speaker explosive organ, full orchestra, and not at all at any volume I essayed. In
over (frequency), and Phase, and correction systems like Dirac or symphonic bass-drum climaxes the second, those huge, Wagne-
three switches toggle crossover Audyssey: whether accomplished
enable/disable, two EQ options, using so#ware like Roon, or with
and auto-on/off power. hardware like an auto-EQ system,
Some might be shocked that a controlling the low-frequency reso-
$1,700 subwoofer comes with no nances makes everything sound
wireless, auto-EQ, or app control far, far be"er. Without it, you are in
features, but I wasn’t. That’s not essence listening to the room, not
what we’re paying for here. What the subwoofer.
you’re buying with the 13THX is Ordinarily, I spend most of any
what’s seen in Monolith’s aston- subwoofer review determining
ishing specs and response curve how loud/how low. But in this case,
(visible on the company’s website): I already knew the answers up
flat—and I do mean flat—response front: louder than you want, lower
to below 18Hz, and a CEA output at than you need. Beginning with
25Hz of 115 dB SPL at 10.6 percent my most familiar bass-ic tracks,
THD. That sort of level at that such as Béla Fleck’s “Flight of the
frequency probably won’t cause Cosmic Hippo,” which has a down-
actual organ damage, but you will glissing bass ostinato reaching
definitely feel it within. well below 30Hz, I heard what I
expected, which was powerful but
LISTENING timbrally intact rumblings, with
pitches locked in perfect sync with
Here’s the short form: Unless the music and tightly controlled
you live in a decommissioned without overhang or “bloom.”
train station or are a convicted So far so good: but this was
bass-felon with an ankle-monitor, audibly indistinguishable from my
Monolith’s 13THX delivers more current sub, a sub-compact model
bass than you can use. Placed and that uses wa"s and equaliza-
balanced with care, you can be tion to cheat Sir Isaac, and which
assured you are hearing whatever is precisely one eleventh the
bass exists on a recording, at any Monolith’s size in cubic volume. So,

soundandvision.com 59
 test report
MONOLITH BY MONOPRICE 13-INCH THX ULTRA CERTIFIED SUBWOOFER

rian climaxes heard at my preferred ripple visibly?

13-inch cone woofer; vented/sealed (3x foam
volume level, equivalent to a seat The most difficult subwoofer
bungs) enclosure
perhaps one-half to two-thirds characteristic to judge is smooth- Specs AMPLIFIER: 2,000 wa$s RMS (3,800 wa$s peak)
back in “the house,” was an almost ness through the crossover region.
class-D
even match. But when I turned This depends so much on room
CONNECTIONS: stereo and mono RCA line-level,
the volume up perhaps 6dB, as effects, crossover and phase
stereo balanced XLR
if moving up to a Row 5 seat, the se$ings, and the response of the
CONTROLS: Continuously variable crossover, phase, level, EQ (THX/
difference became clear: the paired speakers, that any one
Extended), Crossover (On/Off-THX), auto-power on/off toggle
Monolith sub retained the slam and evaluation is just about worth-
switches; other: 20-pin service port; master-power on/off toggle
physical sensation of a vibrating less. That said, I found the 13THX
DIMENSIONS: (WxHxD, inches) 23.8 x 20.3 x 29.1
air mass (that 16 Hz?) in full scale, ridiculously easy to integrate. The
WEIGHT: (pounds) 153.2
while my far smaller everyday two EQ curves, labeled “THX” and
subwoofer, however valiant it tried, “Extended” and accessible via a
could not.
Of course, when somebody
back-panel toggle switch, give
you one option; the former is a “With the 13THX, of favorite bass demo scenes that
hold up to the light of memory,
parks a ‘64 GTO in your driveway li$le fla$er, the la$er a li$le more you can be including T-Rex footfalls from
and tosses you the keys, you’re not
going to be content just driving it
extended. But the real influence
over the bo$om octaves comes
assured you are Jurassic Park and the train/bus
crash from The Fugitive. One
to the 7-11. So, I went looking for from sealed vs. “bunged” opera- hearing whatever that I rarely omit is the cannon-
new bass worlds to conquer. A"er
a couple of hours annoying my wife
tion. In my view, the 13THX is obvi-
ously designed to be run vented,
bass exists on a practice scene from Master and
Commander. With the Monolith on
and the neighbors (the nearest is either unbunged or with perhaps recording, at any duty, the sharp, open-air crack of
almost a quarter mile away), I ended
up where I always do: “Bass I Love
just one foam plug installed. It is
flat from a bit over 100Hz down to
level you desire.” ignition was as startlingly crisp as
I remembered, while the very low-
You,” by electronica artist Basso- about 40Hz according to Mono- frequency underpinnings were as
tronics. This album has content— lith’s charts, which my experience of subwoofers of this bulk, but prominent, and as deeply resonant,
strong content—reaching well into gives me every reason to believe I had li$le doubt of the 13THX’s as I’ve ever experienced.
the infrasonic region, so tread care- that there is li$le to be gained from capabilities in that sphere. I
fully. I’m a professional, so I didn’t, sealed use. Below 40Hz, room- streamed a variety of bass-active CONCLUSION
but no worries: the 13THX did in gain will typically bring the in-room titles with great effect, including
fact produce sub-25Hz in-room level right back up, compensating the more-than-usually ridiculous Okay, so the Monolith by Mono-
levels well north of 100dB SPL, the vented alignment’s few-dB Amazon sci-fi-er The Tomorrow price 13-inch THX Ultra Certified
with no audible distortion (at these shelving action. War. The first five minutes are a subwoofer is big, expensive,
frequencies distortion would have I wound up choosing single- flat-out bass-fest, with every kind of absurdly heavy, and visually about
to be above about 30 percent to be bung option for most listening, as movie soundtrack low-end effect as elegant as a prizewinning
evident), limiting, or rude noises. this delivers a nice li$le bump to on parade: explosive shockwaves, pumpkin. It’s also the most capable
When reproduced loudly enough, the very lowest end by goosing ominous rumbles, time-machine subwoofer I’ve ever enjoyed, and
this kind of bass-plus-infrasound infra-bass a dB or two at the limit vibrations, and musical-score by a pre$y wide margin. And it
can—and did—induce a sort of of pitched audibility. If you want to bo$om-octaves. Unsurprisingly, sacrifices nothing in blend-ability,
ear-sucking void between notes, impress your buddies by flapping the 13THX reeled all this off, at or evenness and control through
like the effect you get at the beach their trouser legs with stuff like THX-ref levels, without breaking the crossover octaves. For those
when a sudden flaw in the wind Bassotronics, choose this option. a sweat or emi$ing any uncouth who have both the brass and the
seems momentarily to cancel all Film sound, of course, is a boom, bloat, or burp. floorspace, Monolith’s 13THX is
sound. Cool! But did the floor really big incentive in most purchases I also spun through a handful unequivocally recommended.
Generally, I try to stay out of our
readers’ personal lives. But if you
need more bass than this, there’s
something wrong with you. Seek
professional help.

The Verdict

Monolith by Monoprice’s 13THX is

huge, heavy, and lacks the conve-
nience of app-controlled on-board
automated EQ and curve-selection.
But if you have more-than-generous
space and budget, it’s all the sub-
woofer you or anyone else will ever
need.

60 June July 2022 soundandvision.com

 test report
M&K SOUND X15+ SUBWOOFER

RATING

PERFORMANCE

Sub Dominus
FEATURES

BUILD QUALITY

VALUE
By David Vaughn

LET ME state from the outset that I’m I fully bought into M&K’s—and THX’s— systems: you can arrange your main
a fan of M&K Sound speakers. I have principle that using a subwoofer/satellite speakers to optimize their performance,
owned an M&K S-150 surround system configuration to separate and optimize M&K Sound's while the subwoofer (or multiple subs)
for the past 18-plus years and have the reproduction of low frequencies THX Dominus can be separately positioned to maxi-
zero desire to change it out anytime improves midrange purity and accuracy. certification for mize bass output.
soon. The first time I auditioned it in a Also, that filtering deep bass from the the X15+ means it Several years ago, I reviewed M&K
Magnolia Hi-Fi store back in 2002 made main speakers lets you achieve louder can deliver THX Sound’s X12 subwoofer and was
me an instant admirer of the brand, and playback with less distortion while reference level impressed enough to award it a Top
it took me two years of saving up to be simultaneously expending less ampli- in rooms up to Pick designation. I really wanted to keep
able to afford a full 7.1 speaker package. fier power. Another benefit to sub/sat 6,500 cubic feet. that sub permanently in my system, but

62 June July 2022 soundandvision.com

had two kids a!ending college at performance to keep up with the is two-fold in this regard. First,
the time and new A/V gear wasn’t new subwoofer design’s additional they believe their subwoofers will
in the family budget. When I heard power and increased excursion. interact well with any listening At a Glance
I had the company’s latest genera- With 1-inch MDF construction space as long as they are placed
tion flagship sub, the X15+ headed and bracing, M&K Sound’s satin and adjusted properly using the Deep bass response with
my way for a review, I started to black cabinet is built like a tank. basic onboard controls. Second, extremely high output
wonder: Would the upgrade bug While my wife would disagree, nearly every A/V receiver and Impeccable build quality
strike again? I think this is one of the nicest- preamp/processor these days THX Dominus Certification
While the X12 used dual 12-inch looking subwoofers I’ve audi- already has built-in room correc-
woofers, M&K Sound has upped tioned, and the design of the main tion processing, and the company No built-in parametric EQ or
Room Correction
the ante with the X15+, which driver is so appealing that I was believes that room correction
features dual 15-inch woofers happy to leave the magnetically needs to be applied across the No control app or handset
and is the company’s first sub to a!ached speaker grille off. entire frequency range and not just Price: $5,999
achieve THX Dominus Certifica- The amplifier is an ICEpower at the subwoofer level to be fully
tion, a new designation meant to class-D digital switching version effective. mksound.com
provide THX reference levels in a rated for 700 wa!s RMS and A second key feature the
6,500 cubic foot room. Unsurpris- 1,400 wa!s peak. While there are subwoofer lacks is a Bluetooth
ingly given its capabilities, the X15+ subwoofers out there with more control app—all adjustments are to making adjustments from the
comes at a steep $5,999 price. If power, the efficiency of the sub’s manual and must be made using couch versus doing things the old-
this is too much subwoofer for your push-pull design makes any spec the controls on the sub’s rear panel. fashioned way of reaching around
room (and budget), two smaller comparisons moot. (A standard remote control also back.
models are available, the THX Ultra The X15+ omits a key feature isn’t provided.) Granted, for most The X15+ features standard
Certified (provides reference level found on several recent high-end listeners setup happens once controls such as a variable phase
in rooms up to 3,000 cubic feet) subs: onboard room correc- and the subwoofer is not touched knob (0-180 degrees), three low
X12+ ($4,999), and THX Select tion. M&K Sound’s philosophy again for years, but I’ve go!en used pass filter se!ings (Fixed 80Hz,
Certified X10+ ($4,499). Variable, and No Low Pass THX
Mode), bass level reference (THX
FEATURES Fixed and Variable) and a switch to
choose between THX Bass EQ (for
The X15+ is the result of a ground- movies) or Anechoic MK EQ (for
up re-design from M&K Sound’s smaller rooms and music). I found
engineers and employs a new I got the best results using No Low
custom driver, class-D ampli- Pass THX Mode (the crossover
fier, and sealed enclosure, all of was set electronically in my pre/
which work together to delivered pro), THX Bass EQ, and THX Fixed
controlled and extended bass. One bass level reference (level adjust-
thing the company hasn’t changed ments made with my pre/pro). The
is Ken Kreisel’s original push-pull sub’s connections include both
driver configuration, a concept balanced XLR and RCA inputs
that made its debut in 1988 with and outputs. There’s also a non-
the MX-1000 subwoofer. While it grounded detachable power cord
has been refined over the years, as well as a three-way power switch
the basic idea remains the same: a (Off, Auto, and On).
front-firing woofer coupled with a
bo!om-mounted driver. To briefly SETUP
summarize, this design allows for
a smaller cabinet volume while No user manual shipped with
providing more powerful bass the X15+, though I was able to
with less distortion. Additionally, download one from the M&K
it eliminates harmonic distortion Sound website. Given all of the
and doubles sound power per wa! various onboard controls, it’s worth
of amplifier power to achieve 6dB reading through before you begin
extra output. the setup process. (And no, you
The new drivers in the X15+ won’t have to surrender your man
feature larger and longer voice card if you take time out to read the
coils plus new cones, dust caps, manual.)
surrounds, spiders, and cast Uncrating this 135-pound beast
aluminum woofer frames. The was a two-person job. The sub
woofer cones and dust caps arrives double-boxed, and once
have been upgraded to a carbon you get it on the floor it’s some-
fiber design coupled with a foam what easy to maneuver around
inner layer that, according to the room as long as you have a
M&K Sound, ensures consistent friend on-hand to assist. Given the

soundandvision.com 63
 test report
M&K SOUND X15+ SUBWOOFER

large enclosure (20.3 x 32.8 x 18.1, subwoofer men from the boys.
WxHxD), placement can be tough
depending on your room. In my
case, I tried pu!ing it in a conve-
In fact, my reference subs can’t
play this sequence at anything
louder than -10dB without massive
Test Bench
nient location along a side wall. distortion. I started at -15dB with
This positioning ended up being a the X15+ and it handled that with
huge mistake and lead to a nasty no problems. Next, I tried -10 dB
dip in bass response at 25Hz. I then (pass), then -5 dB (pass), and finally
repositioned the sub one-third 0dB from reference. To my surprise,
of the way across my front wall it never bo!omed out or lost any
and got much be!er, though not clarity or precision. Perfection!
perfect, results (see Test Bench). Next up was my usual ba!ery
of movie torture tests: Interstellar
PERFORMANCE (black hole sequence), 13 Hours:
Fig.1 Blue trace: The X15+ in the first position tried revealed
The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi
a deep +7dB dip at 25Hz. Green trace: Position two resulted in
I ran than the X15+ in my system for (compound a!ach), The Greatest
much smoother bass response below 40 Hz.—DV
well over a week to acquaint myself Showman (intro song), and
with its distinct sound signature Hacksaw Ridge (“so"en them up”
before doing any heavy testing. If scene). The M&K sub’s ability to
you’ve never listened to a system dig deep and play loud proved
with an M&K Sound sub first- mighty impressive—at one point I
hand, it’s something you need to was afraid it was going to wake the
experience. There are a ton of great dead in a nearby cemetery.
subwoofers on the market, but So, the X15+ shines with movie
M&K models do have a unique and soundtracks, but can a 15-inch sub
extremely precise sound. work equally well with music? YES!
A"er that first week of break-in, it I cued up the Imagine Dragons
was time to see how deep and loud Smoke & Mirrors Live Blu-ray with Fig.2 The X15+ in position two (green trace) showed higher
this baby would go. Initial impres- its reference-quality Dolby Atmos measurable output below 17 Hz compared with my reference
sions were very favorable. First off, soundtrack. I initially planned to subwoofer array (red trace).—DV
the sub-20Hz performance of the just listen to the intro and then jump
X15+ was extremely impressive. ahead to “Radioactive,” both of TYPE: 15-inch carbon fiber woofers (2) in
I did an A/B comparison with the which feature outstanding bass, push-pull configuration; sealed enclosure
full suite of reference subs that I but I ended up so enthralled that I Specs AMPLIFIER: 700 wa!s RMS (1,400 wa!s peak)
use in my system—SVS PC-Ultra, sat through the entire 102-minute CONNECTIONS: RCA and balanced XLR line-level
HSU 15H-MK2, and dual JL Audio concert, marveling at the M&K inputs and outputs
F110s—and the X15+ on its Sound sub’s accuracy and preci- CONTROLS: Fixed (80Hz) and variable crossover
own was able to produce higher sion. Over subsequent days I found (50-125Hz) with crossover bypass option; variable phase (0-180
measurable output below 17Hz myself going through various degrees); fixed and variable level; EQ (THX Bass, Anechoic MK)
(it’s rated down to 16Hz, so it more concert discs to recapture my initial DIMENSIONS: (WxHxD, inches) 20.3 x 32.8 x 18.1
than meets its specifications). As WEIGHT: (pounds) 134.7
you can see by the measurements,
the X15+ holds its own against
my reference EQ’d sub array. (If experience: Eagles Farewell 1 Tour brings to the table, and acquiring it
I was able to test a pair of X15+ — Live from Melbourne and Hans became an easy decision despite
subs, I’d be able to overcome my Zimmer: Live in Prague, among the lack of conveniences such as
40Hz room node because utilizing others. In each case, I grew more app control or a handy remote. In
multiple subs evens out frequency impressed with the X15+. the end, everything comes down
response throughout the room.) performance and the quality of the
Edge of Tomorrow is a movie that CONCLUSION bass, and by this measure it’s the
begs for an Ultra HD Blu-ray release best subwoofer I’ve encountered in
along with a newly minted Dolby To say I enjoyed my time with M&K two decades of reviewing.
Atmos soundtrack, but alas, we Sound’s X15+ would be an under-
have to slum it with the old Blu-ray statement. In fact, I’ve enjoyed it so
for now. Regardless, this movie is much it’s not leaving my home. This The Verdict
one of my favorite guilty pleasures push-pull sub design plays deep
both for its entertainment value and loud, and it passed the most The performance of M&K Sound’s
and grin-inducing DTS-HD Master strenuous tests I could throw at it THX Dominus Certified X15+ is over
Audio 7.1 soundtrack. As the film with ease. Add in the impeccable the top. Highly recommended if you
opens, there’s a low-frequency build quality and peace of mind demand extremely deep and loud
sweep that really separates the that THX Dominus Certification bass even in the largest of rooms.

64 June July 2022 soundandvision.com

 MODEL COLLECTION

The New Shape Of Sound.

Introducing The KLH Model Three Acoustic Suspension Loudspeaker System.
KLH is proud to introduce the highly-anticipated Model Three acoustic made famous by KLH founder Henry Kloss, the KLH Model Three delivers
suspension loudspeaker system! Second in line in this collection, the KLH a familial acoustic signature and musical integrity to its elder, the KLH
Model Five. KLH’s Chief Engineer, Kerry Geist, designed the new Model
speakers. This mid-century modern masterpiece, available in
genuine English Walnut and West African Mahogany veneers, reflects the artisan craftsmanship to achieve the unimaginable: jaw-dropping
iconic styling unique to the KLH brand with its charming aesthetic and big, low-bass extension, surprising mid-bass detail, and high-frequency
notable personality. The Model Three’s two-way design continues the KLH accuracy, all from a beautiful small enclosure. Audiophiles, do not let the
acoustic suspension legacy of accurate audiophile-quality performance size fool you. Whether your room is large or small, the music delivered
while providing the perfect soundstage solution for music enthusiasts with from the Model Three will command your attention and connect you
smaller listening spaces. Built on the acoustic suspension design principles to the sound. KLH is back, again, bringing you the new shape of sound.

klhaudio.com
 reviews in ultra high definition
REFERENCE

RATINGS
EXCELLENT
entertainment GOOD
FAIR
POOR

THE GODFATHER TRILOGY flashback sequences in Part II. Vibrant, celebratory hues can be seen
in the wedding sequence that opens the saga before family business
kicks in and things shi" to somber tones. Sicily looks lovely, awash
in blinding sunlight but with fine details discernible in every scene.
The more recent Part III displays quite a bit of film grain plus a similar
penchant for darkness and a frequent golden-brown appearance,
although not so much as its predecessors. The Feast of San Gennaro
sequence, meanwhile, treats us to a sudden explosion of color. In
short, all three movies have a distinctly refreshed look that’s stylized
yet natural and different from any previous home version. But it’s all
wonderfully authentic to the source, thanks in large part to the new
levels of gradation seen in the omnipresent blacks.
Godfather and Part II’s 5.1 soundtracks remain a fine update to the
original mono, with thoughtful surround usage. The oh-so-quotable
dialogue is always clear and the score is given a respectful balance
within the mix. Action is typically contained to brief episodes of
gunfire, plus that infamous car bomb. The reduxed Part III more
aggressively embraces the modern sonic toolkit, and the Atlantic City
helicopter a!ack is about as close as we come to a demo scene.
Tucked away among the myriad audio options for Godfather and
Part II are Coppola’s archival commentaries, every minute of them
pure bliss for aficionados. Both I and III offer optional on-camera
introductions. New feature!es on the included regular Blu-ray bonus
disc explore the preservation efforts, with before-and-a"er compari-
sons along with on-set home movies and still photos. Now-familiar
legacy extras reaching back to the DVD release are capped by an
extensive array of deleted scenes. A fourth 4K pla!er is also included
with the supplements, carrying the
long-unseen 1990 theatrical Part III
The Godfather still kills. At a recent theatrical re-release marking the 50th and the slightly longer 1991 Final
anniversary of the first film in the series adapted from Mario Puzo’s bestseller, I Director’s Cut, which effectively
witnessed the audience hanging on every emotional nuance set forth by director replaced it on home video. (So,
Francis Ford Coppola. Once the highest-grossing film of all time, this operatic tale three versions of III.) On the
of the Corleone crime family boasts bigger-than-life characters doing despicable la!er we can find Coppola’s third
things, spouting irresistible dialogue, and backing it up with copious violence. commentary.
Part II is both prequel and sequel, with characters new and old seen through a Paramount’s epic Ultra HD
fresh lens in another grand story: the “origin” of Don Vito Corleone, interwoven Blu-ray set is the perfect introduc-
with son Michael’s a!empted business expansion into pre-Castro Cuba. Part III tion to The Godfather for a new
was reimagined and recut as Mario Puzo’s The Godfather, Coda: The Death of generation, and a magnificent way
Michael Corleone in 2020. While improved over past versions, it’s by far the for us original gangstas to revisit the
weakest of the lot, an outlier and a vain a!empt to recapture past glory. ULTRA HD BLU-RAY family. CHRIS CHIARELLA
Watching the trilogy anew in this exclusive (for now) boxed set reminds us STUDIO: Paramount
of Coppola’s consummate filmmaking cra" via the keen placement of actors ASPECT RATIO: 1.85:1
throughout shots and clever use of sound. It’s all undergone yet another painstaking HDR FORMAT: Dolby Vision, HDR10
AUDIO FORMAT: Dolby TrueHD 5.1
restoration, with several thousand hours dedicated to physically repairing the LENGTH: 155 mins.
negative and correcting color. The original mono tracks for The Godfather and Part II DIRECTOR: Francis Ford Coppola
have been restored as well and are presented in Dolby Digital 2.0. I don’t necessarily STARRING: Al Pacino, Marlon Brando,
recommend this as an alternative to the 2008 Dolby TrueHD 5.1 audio (supplied Robert De Niro, Diane Keaton, Talia
Shire, Robert Duvall, John Cazale
again here), but it’s a worthwhile journey back to the early ‘70s for fans, with some
subtle differences.
Gordon Willis, a cinematographer who is unafraid to bathe his The Godfather The Godfather: Part II The Godfather, Coda: The
scenes in gooey shadows, is perhaps the greatest beneficiary of the 1972 1974 Death of Michael Corleone
Trilogy’s transition to 4K and Dolby Vision HDR. The higher resolu- 1990/2020
tion draws out details in the costumes, sets, and locations, making
LENGTH: 175 mins. LENGTH: 201 mins. LENGTH: 158 mins.
them sing as never before: a ketchup bo!le on a table, characters
milling in the background, even the anachronistic World Trade
Paramount

Center lurking in the distance. Color is smartly utilized to evoke

specific moods, particularly a nostalgic golden pall cast over the

66 June July 2022 soundandvision.com

SPIDER-MAN: NO WAY HOME
NOSTALGIA—THAT “twinge in your heart, far more powerful than memory
alone” as Don Draper famously explained it—can be a potent ally to the
modern filmmaker. With its risky and highly publicized meta-twist (which
I won’t spoil here, just in case), Spider-Man: No Way Home managed to
complete director Jon Wa"s’ arachno-trilogy on an epic scale, capping
not only this story arc but one far grander, much as Avengers: Endgame
did for the whole of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Let us just say that
there are quite a few heroes and villains on parade as Peter Parker (Tom
Holland) struggles with the consequences from the public revelation of
his secret identity at the end of his last adventure. An ill-advised visit to his
fellow Infinity War veteran Doctor Strange makes ma"ers much worse than
anyone could have predicted, and Peter’s life will never be the same again.

THE MATRIX RESURRECTIONS

IN THE MATRIX: RESURRECTIONS, Neo (Keanu Reeves) is a developer
responsible for the most popular game trilogy, one that ponders what
would happen if AI took over the world and we didn’t realize it. In his
everyday life, listless and disconnected, Neo is seeing a therapist called
the Analyst (Neil Patrick Harris) who has been prescribing him blue pills
so he can get his head right. Turns out that Neo is back in the Matrix and
he doesn’t know it, but he can feel it. Thankfully, people are trying to
rescue him. They also stumble across something new in the Matrix, called
“modals,” where incidents from Neo’s past are being replayed over and
over, but the outcomes are slightly different each time.
This meta retread not only ruins the mythology of the original trilogy by
More satisfying than Far from Home and even more emotional than resurrecting Neo, but it spends most of its time revisiting moments from the
Homecoming, No Way Home is the biggest, arguably best live-action Spider- best film in the franchise, only they’re now reworked into inferior versions.
Man movie to date, a winning culmination of Holland’s irresistible run in the The film is saved by looking and sounding every bit as great as the originals.
red-and-blue tights. While delivering the thrills and laughs we’ve come to The Matrix Resurrections was shot at 6K and 8K resolutions, uses a 4K
expect in this latest interpretation, it also taps back into the tragic heart of the digital intermediate, and is mastered with Dolby Vision. HDR metadata
beloved character. on the disc shows an impressive MaxLL (Maximum Content Light Level)
The movie was shot with a crisp focus that greatly enhances our engage- of 1044 nits and MaxFALL (Maximum Frame Average Light Level) of 648
ment, particularly during the many closeups of the talented cast. Costumes, nits. Right from the opening scene of the Trinity (Carrie-Anne Moss) redux
too, have a precise look and feel that’s impressive for a 4K upscale from a from the first Matrix, we see brilliant specular highlights, deep blacks, and
mere 2K digital intermediate source—this despite No Way Home’s reported extended details in the shadows. The wide
$200M budget. Regardless, the wide shots color gamut adds an array of colors to the
were obviously conceived for theatrical spectrum that are not there on the included
exhibition, yet we can see everything clearly regular HD Blu-ray. These can be seen
on the TV screen, even tiny figures in vast at various points, particularly during the
se"ings. Dolby Vison HDR brings with it a Trinity pod scene that is awash in shades of
gorgeous depth of color and a range of hues red. The purity of the digital production is
that’s simply not present on the accompa- present throughout, with heightened clarity,
nying HD Blu-ray. extended depth of field, and crisp detail in
The Dolby Atmos soundtrack is close-up shots of faces.
ambitious and mostly hits home, with a Use of the height channels in the Atmos
welcome overhead presence that conjures mix is a li"le less aggressive than on the
dynamic flight, whooshing tentacles, and older films, but apart from this minor
the magical appearance of cracks in the ULTRA HD BLU-RAY complaint we are encapsulated in a sonic
ULTRA HD BLU-RAY STUDIO: Warner Bros., 2021
very fabric of space and time. The Mirror ASPECT RATIO: 2.39:1
bubble of sound that presents some over-
STUDIO: Sony, 2021
Dimension displays a gleeful 360-degree ASPECT RATIO: 2.39:1 HDR FORMAT: Dolby Vision, HDR10 head movement of various objects, solid
weirdness, whereas Spider-sense and styl- HDR FORMAT: Dolby Vision, HDR10 AUDIO FORMAT: Dolby Atmos with effects pinging through the surround chan-
ized slow motion conjure their own unique AUDIO FORMAT: Dolby Atmos with TrueHD 7.1 core nels, and clean dialogue hanging above the
TrueHD 7.1 core LENGTH: 148 mins.
moods. I was somewhat surprised by the DIRECTOR: Lana Wachowski
frenzy. The low end, meanwhile, extends far
LENGTH: 148 mins
restraint in the low end and the surrounds, DIRECTOR: Jon Watts STARRING: Keanu Reeves, down for resounding booms and bangs.
but this is still a terrific track, highlighted by STARRING: GTom Holland, Carrie-Anne Moss, Yahya Abdul- Warner’s extras provide interviews and
the best use of a Talking Heads song since Zendaya, Benedict Cumberbatch, Mateen II, Jonathan Groff, behind-the-scenes looks to bolster this
Jacob Batalon, Willem Dafoe, Jessica Henwick, Neil Patrick
Wall Street. Harris, Jada Pinkett Smith
release. The best feature"es to check out
Alfred Molina, Marisa Tomei
Bloopers and a slew of feature"es would be I Still Know Kung Fu and the forty-
covering this movie, the trilogy, and its place eight-minute-long The Matrix Reactions.
Warner Bros.

in Spider-lore can be found on the regular A Movies Anywhere digital code is also
Sony

HD pla"er. CHRIS CHIARELLA provided. BRANDON A. DUHAMEL.

soundandvision.com 67
 NIGHTMARE ALLEY
WHEN ON-THE-RUN dri#er Stanton Carlisle stumbles into a seedy, travel-
ling carnival in the late 1930s, he begins an adventure that might not end
well. Ingratiating himself with the show’s resident fortune-telling act, he
manages to develop a flair for reading people, a talent that naive audiences
see as mind-reading. Eventually he sets off in search of fame and richer
pickings along with Molly, the carny’s electric-girl act (and the film’s rare
sympathetic character). He hits the top, performing for upscale audiences,
but when he encounters Dr. Lilith Ri"er, a big-city psychiatrist with wealthy
clients and her own way with a gri#, he more than meets his match.
Based on a 1946 book and a 1947 film starring Tyrone Power, this is a dark
film noir that won’t appeal to everyone. That earlier film clocked in at under
two hours, but this new version is a challenging 150-minute slog that feels
WEST SIDE STORY even longer. It would have profited from a thirty-minute trim. As a review in
The Times of London observed, it’s full of “very bad people, doing very bad
things, very slowly.”
BASED ON the Broadway musical from Leonard Bernstein, Steven Sond-
heim, and Arthur Laurents, West Side Story involves two teenage gangs,
one Anglo (the Jets) and the other Puerto Rican (the Sharks), that fight
constantly over turf and ethnicity in the mean city streets of 1950s New
York. When Jets-member Tony falls head-over-heels for Maria, the sister
of a Shark, you don’t need a roadmap to see where this will end up. Hint:
Think Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet.
The first filmed version of the show, directed by Robert Wise, dominated
the 1961 Oscars. It’s been decades since I saw it, though I do recall not being
overly impressed--certainly a minority opinion. I had seen the stage version
of the show and it worked for me far be"er in that format. (Musical dramas,
wri"en for the small and intimate stage, don’t always “open-up” convincingly
on film.)
This current remake from director Steven Spielberg is a solid effort but,
for me, also something of a mixed bag. At 156 minutes, there are excessive,
talky, dramatic stretches between the memorable Bernstein/Sondheim
songs. I was also put off a bit by the repositioning of songs, and occasional
reworking of the lyrics. (In the big number “America,” where the characters
reflect back on their old life in Puerto Rico, one of the original lines was “the Despite the length, there’s much to admire here. The cast is brilliant,
babies crying and the bullets flying.” That is changed here to the lame “and and Director Guillermo del Toro knows how to work with his designers and
the people trying.”) cinematographers to get the look he wants. Shot in a sepia tone common
The singing, dancing, and performances range from good-enough to to period pieces, the colors punch through in the carnival scenes though
excellent. And a small but important role here for Rita Moreno, a star and later turning more monochromatic and ominous. Blacks are rich and deep
Oscar winner for the 1961 film, was a welcome touch. But Ansel Elgort as in the many dark scenes, and while the HDR
the love-struck Tony looks and acts nothing isn’t prominent it does have its moments,
like a gang member recently paroled from such as the night lights at the carnival that
prison. pop out impressively in their otherwise dark,
The look of the film is believable and the gloomy se"ing. The film was also released
cinematography ia superb, with the video in black-and-white in selected theaters for
quality never failing to deliver. Spielberg’s an authentic noir look, but it’s not available
director of photography, Janusz Kaminski, in that format on disc (nor in streaming. as
makes brilliant use of shading and shadows, far as we know).
not only in the stylized rumble sequence but Here and there the Dolby Atmos
also in how the sunlit New York tenements soundtrack takes center stage, such as
almost become characters in their own right. where Molly is wowing the crowd with flying
HDR is effective, though used sparingly in electric sparks in her lightening-in-a-bo"le
most scenes. ULTRA HD BLU-RAY ULTRA HD BLU-RAY carny act. But for the most part the music,
While West Side Story’s soundtrack STUDIO: Disney/Buena Vista 2021 STUDIO: Disney/Buena Vista 2021 sound effects, and dialogue simply do
isn’t particularly demo-worthy, you don’t ASPECT RATIO: 2.39:1 ASPECT RATIO: 1.85:1 what’s needed to support the film. At one
HDR FORMAT: HDR10 HDR FORMAT: HDR10
really need that here. There are no giant AUDIO FORMAT: Dolby Atmos with AUDIO FORMAT: Dolby Atmos with
point I heard sirens in the far distance and
sandworms, dinosaurs, car chases, or earth- TrueHD 7.1 core TrueHD 7.1 core had to pause the disc player to confirm that
quakes in this story, just music and dialogue, LENGTH: 156 mins. LENGTH: 150 mins. they were in the soundtrack (they were) and
and both are perfectly a"uned to the needs DIRECTOR: Steven Spielberg DIRECTOR: Guillermo del Toro not happening outside. The film is full of
STARRING: Ansel Elgort, STARRING: Bradley Cooper,
of the film. Rachel Zegler, Ariana DeBose Cate Blanchett, Toni Collette
such subtleties.
Disney/Buena Vista

The regular HD Blu-ray disc includes a Extras are limited to three behind-the-
slew of “Making Of” extra features. These scenes “Making Of” shorts. And while inter-
add up to over ninety minutes, and for the esting, they add up to less than 25 minutes
Disney

most part are solid. THOMAS J. NORTON in total. THOMAS J. NORTON

68 June July 2022 soundandvision.com

BELFAST
BASED ON incidents from writer-director Kenneth Branagh’s own child-
hood in Belfast, Northern Ireland, and set against the outset of the Trou-
bles in 1969, this bloody masterpiece—a joy from beginning to end—is a
moving comic-tragedy on both personal and historical levels, one that’s
filled with warm sentiment, great Irish humor, and a touching sense of loss.
Belfast won the Oscar for best original screenplay and was nominated for
six others. It stands up very well in comparison to John Ford’s How Green
Was My Valley, a similar child’s tale of a happy, close community and family
undermined by social events and changes that force the giving up of old
ways and a life beloved by all. LE CERCLE ROUGE
THE TITLE of Le cercle rouge is derived from a Buddhist proverb about
people coming together in fateful encounters—a theme pertinent to
recently released convict Corey (Alain Delon) who crosses paths with
escaped suspect Vogel (Gian-Maria Volonte). Along with alcoholic ex-cop
Jansen (Yves Montand), they team up for a big-franc jewel heist—sophis-
ticated for its time—unaware that determined detective Ma!ei (André
Bourvil) and his snitches are on their trail. While similarities inevitably
exist, anyone expecting the visceral intensity of a more recent Heat or a
Reservoir Dogs will be in for a surprise. Populated by anti-heroes prone
to cool introspection, not unlike Steve
McQueen in The Thomas Crown Affair
two years earlier, Jean-Pierre Melville’s
1970 crime drama is decidedly European,
placing a strong emphasis on the charac-
ters and their subdued interplay rather than
intricacies of story or flashy action.
Newly restored at 4K by StudioCanal
Following a brief, richly colored montage of the modern-day city, Belfast from the original camera negative, Le cercle
opens with a series of brilliant black-and-white tracking shots that take you rouge can be undeniably grainy at times,
through a simple, magically idyllic, and safe neighborhood of joking friends, more significantly in misty scenes, and yet it also displays a warm richness
housewives, and kids playing out their warrior fantasies. The sequence authentic to the era. Shadow detail is strong, even on a black suit in a dark
comes to a dizzying finish, circling the head of nine-year-old Buddy as he area of the 1.85:1 frame, while color is routinely outstanding, down to blue
catches sight of outside marauders coming to riot and rout out Catholics eyes and the slight variations in skin tones. A comparison with the included
who previously lived peacefully in the largely Protestant district. The majority regular HD Blu-ray confirmed what a significant upgrade this Ultra HD disc
of compositions have great depth of field—o"en simultaneously showing represents. Focus is so" in some shots, whereas others resolve fine details
three figures in different planes, visible and conversing from separate rooms with occasionally striking clarity as on the nap of a camelhair coat. HDR
or through windows or doorways—and all are extremely sharp and detailed. highlights are pleasing if unspectacular.
Contrast is excellent with deep blacks, bright Remastered and presented in true mono,
highlights, and a wide range of beautiful the French soundtrack is quite an enjoy-
grays between. able mix. There’s a crisp natural quality to
Van Morrison’s classic song score comes the chirping of birds and the “ding” of an
at you from all sides, with vocals in the center elevator, as well as footsteps and other
and well-separated instruments in the other thoughtful li!le touches that have been
channels. Surrounds in the DTS-HD Master carefully added. Instances of in-scene
Audio 7.1 soundtrack are also used for music are well-balanced within the LPCM
atmospheric effects such as street chat or track. The gunshots pack a satisfactory
car explosions, rumbling tank engines, and crack that brings a sense of danger, and the
accurate sound-pans of the ever-present extended, nigh-wordless robbery sequence
helicopters overhead. Dialogue is all full and ULTRA HD BLU-RAY
o"en employs only the faintest of inci-
clear despite the heavy accents. BLU-RAY STUDIO: Criterion, 1970 dental sounds, a choice that only serves to
A highlight of Branagh’s commentary STUDIO: Universal, 2021 ASPECT RATIO: 1.85:1 heighten the tension.
is his discussion of Haris Zambarloukos’ ASPECT RATIO: 1.85:1 HDR FORMAT: Dolby Vision, HDR10 Criterion’s extras are all located on
AUDIO FORMAT: DTS-HD Master AUDIO FORMAT: Linear PCM 1.0
cinematography. Deleted scenes, including Audio 7.1 LENGTH: 140 mins.
the regular HD pla!er, and we won’t find
an ill-conceived alternate ending, each have LENGTH: 97 mins DIRECTOR: Jean-Pierre Melville anything new among them: an assortment
optional director’s comments. One feature!e DIRECTOR: Kenneth Branagh STARRING: Alain Delon, of clips with the director and stars from the
has Branagh, cast, and crew talking about STARRING: Judi Dench, Ciarán Gian-Maria Volonte, André Bourvil, early ‘70s plus 2003 interviews with the
Hinds, Caitriona Balfe, Jamie Yves Montand, François Perier,
characters and sets, and another has the Dornan, Jude Hill, Lara McDonnell Paul Amiot
assistant director and a Melville expert.
actors reminiscing about their own child- A substantial booklet provides extensive
hoods. As one puts it, “The Irish were born writing on various aspects of the film,
Universal
Criterion

for leaving, otherwise the rest of the world including a brief tribute from filmmaker John
would have no pubs.” JOSEF KREBS Woo. CHRIS CHIARELLA

soundandvision.com 69
ROBOCOP
LET’S GET right to the point: This new RoboCop boxed set gets my highest
recommendation. For starters, director Paul Verhoeven’s cheeky tale of a
crimefighting cyborg is still thrilling, still funny, and still uniquely satisfying.
Boutique label Arrow is not working from a new master, rather the 2013
Fox/MGM 4K restoration utilized here—previously downconverted for
regular HD Blu-ray release but streaming in Ultra HD—is finally given the
chance to breathe in its full 4K quality on physical media at an extremely high
bitrate. Textures pop and colors come alive in unexpected, almost dazzling
ways, such as the rosy glow on actors’ faces. The enhanced brightness of
Dolby Vision high dynamic range also brings new life to the 1.85:1 image. A
fair amount of film grain is evident, and although the blacks are o"en flat and
lacking detail, this is by the far the best this movie has ever looked on home
video. Both the unrated Director’s Cut and R-rated versions are provided on
individual 4K pla$ers, and even the trimmed footage needed to recreate the
HEAVY METAL
Director’s Cut has been newly scanned at 4K to be$er match the look of the
rest of the movie. ADULT-SKEWING animation wasn’t a new genre by 1981 (thank you, Ralph
Bakshi), but was the world at that time ready for Heavy Metal? Inspired by
the illustrated fantasy publication of the same name, this R-rated feature
film served up a disparate series of sex-and-violence-filled short stories,
loosely held together by the presence of a deadly mystical sphere called
the Loc-Nar. Since each issue was an anthology, with assorted tales from
a variety of creators, the range of dramatic tones and visual styles here
perfectly captures the spirit of the magazine. The debauchery and
dubious morality in evidence recall a bygone era, as does a song-track of
head-bopping pop and rock tunes seemingly cherry-picked from of-era
FM radio. Not surprisingly, the movie was embraced by stoners, as the
wild adventures transported them across the galaxy and back again.
Produced by the late Ivan Reitman in the days before computer animation,
Heavy Metal took three years to complete, and required multiple
production studios using a variety of techniques. In this new 4K/Dolby
Vision presentation, the beauty of the ink, paint, backgrounds, and even
the cra"smanship of the underlying pencil sketches, is exquisitely
maintained, celebrating the apparent influence of Mœbius’ almost-tactile
artwork. Truly, it’s as if the pages have come to vibrant life, and the
The soundtrack, meanwhile, has been remixed in Dolby Atmos for the first psychedelia of it all has never been more intoxicating. The subtle shading
time. Basil Poledouris’ powerful score (one of his best) fairly bursts across and bright glow of the evil green orb entices the eye, light film grain
the soundstage in this immersive new spread, and there are plenty of inci- imparts photochemical charm, and occasional anomalies of the analog
dental cues including those with an inherent height element placed into the technology in use add old-school personality. If I didn’t already dig the
overhead channels. Yes, this is the best the movie going in, this disc would make me a believer.
movie has ever sounded, too. The authentic The Reitman-supervised 2022 Atmos
theatrical 2.0 stereo and 4.0 le"/center/right/ remix (DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and 2.0
surround theatrical mixes plus MGM’s 5.1 mixes are also supplied) is marked by its
home theater rendition are also supplied generous usage of height effects—there’s
and are available on both versions. lots happening above us—with seamless
Arrow has released this new 4K RoboCop panning effects across the home theater.
in a gorgeous box that upgrades its out-of- And a liberal spread of those aforemen-
print 2019 edition, porting the jaw-dropping tioned songs as well as Elmer Bernstein’s
complement of extras over from that Limited underappreciated orchestral score across
Edition Blu-ray. The unrated cut features the speakers makes it that much more
three different audio commentaries, while enjoyable. The performances of the eclectic,
R-rated Robo has one of the commen- ULTRA HD BLU-RAY ULTRA HD BLU-RAY
SCTV-infused voice cast, meanwhile, are
taries plus two distinct isolated musical STUDIO: Arrow, 1987 STUDIO: Sony, 1981 cleanly rendered.
score tracks. From there it is a cavalcade ASPECT RATIO: 1.85:1 ASPECT RATIO: 1.85:1 Debuting exclusively in a handsome
of documentaries, interviews, feature$es, HDR FORMAT: Dolby Vision, HDR10 HDR FORMAT: Dolby Vision, HDR10 steelbook special edition, Heavy Metal
AUDIO FORMAT: Dolby Atmos with AUDIO FORMAT: Dolby Atmos with
deleted scenes, side-by-side comparisons, TrueHD 7.1 core TrueHD 7.1 core
on 4K disc carries a new assembling (via
and perhaps my favorite: an entire censored LENGTH: 103 mins. LENGTH: 90 mins. video conferencing) of celebrity fans plus
TV edit (95 minutes long). The discs arrive DIRECTOR: Paul Verhoeven DIRECTOR: Gerald Potterton Mr. Reitman himself. The included regular
packaged with miniature lobby cards, a fun STARRING: Peter Weller, Nancy STARRING: Richard Romanus, John HD Blu-ray looks to be the 2011 release but
Allen, Dan O’Herlihy, Ronny Cox, Candy, Eugene Levy, Harold Ramis,
sticker, and a brilliant li$le book with pages Kurtwood Smith, Miguel Ferrer Joe Flaherty, Percy Rodrigues
with new artwork, and it ports the full-length
thicker than my walls. This RoboCop Limited rough cut with optional commentary,
Edition is my new desert-island disc, and it deleted scenes, and a 1999 documentary. A
Criterion

even includes a poster to decorate my straw second high-def pla$er contains the sorta-
Arrow

hut. Grab it before it’s gone. CHRIS CHIARELLA sequel, Heavy Metal 2000. CHRIS CHIARELLA

70 June July 2022 soundandvision.com

 CELEBRATING
THE YEAR’S
BEST PRODUCTS

GLOBAL AWARDS 2021-22

visit www.eisa.eu for the winners
EISA is the unique collaboration of 60 member magazines and websites from 29 countries, specialis-
ing in all aspects of consumer electronics from mobile devices, home theatre display and audio prod-
ucts, photography, hi-fi and in-car entertainment. This truly international association includes expert
members in Australia, India, Canada, the Far East, USA and the wider European community, ensuring
the EISA Awards and official logo are your guide to the best in global consumer technology!

TESTED BY THE EXPERTS WWW.EISA.EU

 music

PINK FLOYD
P.U.L.S.E RESTORED & RE-EDITED -
DELUXE EDITION
I continue to feel blessed I was able protocol of culling self-contained,
to see Pink Floyd’s Division Bell updated, and repackaged reissues
Tour, their last jaunt around the from their initial digipak perches
world, at Giants Stadium in East in the megadisc December 2019
Rutherford, New Jersey on July 17, box set The Later Years 1987-2019,
1994. Even though I was in the P.U.L.S.E—and please note, 2 BD than one all-out volume swell, none
nosebleeds, way up near the top of there’s no period a$er that final E, Label: Pink Floyd Records/Sony Music of which push the distortion meter.
the back of the stadium, I quite a la M*A*S*H and N.W.A naming Entertainment Meanwhile, the darkly brooding
enjoyed the band’s overall visual nomenclature—now sees its own Audio Format: 24-bit/48kHz PCM Stereo; “Sorrow” finds Gilmour pu#ing on
spectacle and the live quad sound singular release in double-Blu- 24-bit/96kHz DTS-HD Master Audio HD 5.1 a guitar solo clinic of the highest
system to their intended effects. ray Deluxe Edition form, rightly Number of Tracks: 45 (on 2 BDs) order, thanks to his absolute mastery
Naturally, I made sure to obtain an accompanied with the deliberately Length: 5:09:47 (on 2 BDs; 2:27:47 on Disc 1, of the whammy bar on his red 1957
audience recording of that show just qualifying Restored & Re-Edited 2:42:00 on Disc 2) Stratocaster reissue. That solo,
to have a permanent audio talisman subtitle. P.U.L.S.E, which was filmed Producers: James Guthrie, David Gilmour coupled with the full-band, full-
of such a hallowed occasion. I was at Earls Court in London on October Engineers: Joel Plante (concert film, Disc 1); bore instrumental section, makes
happier still to snap up the final 20, 1994, is also available in a 2DVD Andy Jackson, David Gilmour, Damon Iddins “Sorrow” my favorite 5.1 P.U.L.S.E
(mixing, Disc 2)
tour’s official June 1995 2CD release set—for completist purposes only. showcase.
P.U.L.S.E, which infamously featured The physical footprint of P.U.L.S.E A$er the briefest of intermis-
a pulsing, AA-ba#ery-powered red is in proper shelving alignment PERFORMANCES sions, the mighty Floyd’s complete
LED on its spine. (Mine blinked with a nice pair of other Pink Floyd SOUND runthrough of March 1973’s seminal
for about 6 months, perhaps even releases also liberated from The The Dark Side of the Moon is an
longer, but I lost track a$er I turned it Later Years box set, both of which revived pulsing LED nestled near unabashed treat, but you’ll instantly
around on my shelf to face the wall adhere to a 5½ x 5¾-inch dimen- the top of the le$-side spine. (Said notice how Dark Side’s arrange-
once the novelty of seeing it every sionality. The so$bound Delicate LED takes two AA ba#eries, if you’re ment details pale somewhat in
interested in firing it up.) comparison to the complexity of the
Let’s talk visuals first. Since instrumental depth on display in the
P.U.L.S.E wasn’t shot on film, by mix of the concert’s first 70 minutes.
definition—or rather, by the lack Even so, drummer Nick Mason’s
thereof—the David Mallet-directed workout on the toms at the outset
concert performance on Disc 1 of “Time,” Richard Wright’s piano
(viewable at 1.33:1 only) simply can’t support and all three female backing
compare to our now-ingrained 4K vocalists taking their respective
UHD viewing expectations. You’ll wordless wailing turns on “The Great
just have to contend with less-than- Gig in the Sky,” and the multiple
ideal recurrences like the constant gearshi$s in “Money”—replete with
white-light washouts. That said, you a funky-jazz improv section—all
should be able to discern certain serve to remind us why this album
fine details, such as the smile- remains a forever high fidelity, first
curved stitching pa#ern around the class favorite. Finally, the encore
le$ front pocket on David Gilmour’s denouement of the upwardly
blue jeans. Me, I’m willing to put soaring “Comfortably Numb” and
aside my visual displeasure in favor the balls-out “Run Like Hell” cement
of taking the historical longview of the surround-benefits deal.
having some level of video repre- Disc 2 is filled with over 2.6
sentation of this final tour. hours’ worth of high-caliber extras,
Since we’re really here for the including three music videos,
audio, I’m happy to report James rehearsal footage, and an audio-
Guthrie’s powerhouse DTS-HD only assault on “Astronomy Domine”
day wore off.) P.U.L.S.E VHS and Sound of Thunder is the skinniest at Master Audio 5.1 mix is something from a 1994 Miami tour stop that is,
Laserdisc companions duly arrived just 3/8-inch deep, while the sturdier to relish. Get ready to embark on quite literally, out of this world.
in July 1995, while the slimline DVD A Momentary Lapse of Reason: Mission: Immersion, especially If you still wish you were there,
Photo by Andy Earl

emerged in July 2006 and the Remixed & Updated box is a full during muscular songs like “High P.U.L.S.E gives you a ringside seat to
180-gram 4LP vinyl box set eventu- 1-inch deep. The P.U.L.S.E box is Hopes” where Gilmour’s lap-steel Pink Floyd’s final touring hurrah—
ally arrived in May 2018. wider than both and comes in at and Spanish guitar work enhance yet another brick in the wall of their
Following the recent Pink Floyd 6¼-inch deep to accommodate the a track that also springs into more impeccable legacy. MIKE METTLER

72 June July 2022 soundandvision.com

10-11 ....... Anthem 61 .............
........ Elite Screens 9 ............... MartinLogan
anthemav.com elitescreens.com martinlogan.com

5 ............... Audio Advice C2, 3 ........ GoldenEar Technology 35 ............. Monoprice

(888) 899-8776 (949) 800-1800 monoprice.com
audioadvice.com goldenear.com

..........
19 ............. OSD Audio
C4 ............ Bowers & Wilkins
17 ............. HDR10+ Technologies osdaudio.com
bowerswilkins.com
hdr10plus.com

12 ............. Crutchfield C3 ............ Polk Audio

(800) 319-8843 13, 15 ....... KEF (800) 377-7655
crutchfield.com kef.com polkaudio.com

21, 23 ....... Definitive Technology 65 ............. KLH 7, 47 ......... SVS

(800) 228-7148 (833) 554-8326 (877) 626-5623
definitivetechnology.com klhaudio.com svsound.com

soundandvision.com 73
 remaster class

1972 Warner Bros. Vinyl LP

DEEP PURPLE: MACHINE HEAD

Fire in the Sky

i$y years on, Deep Purple’s March 1972 masterstroke Machine Head remains a clarion call for
hard rock fans the world over. Stamped onto polished metal, the band name/album title stack

2001 Warner Archive-Rhino DVD-Audio

appearing atop a funhouse-mirrored image of the five-man group on the cover is the perfect
visual representation of in-tune artists at the nexus point of transitioning from their late-1960s
blues psychedelia phase into a signature sound clearly on the cusp of birthing heavy metal.
My first vinyl copy of Machine Head (an album named a$er a guitar’s headstock, btw)
was a later pressing, circa 1976 with the “green tree” label—and one ultimately retired to its
permanent shelving locale once I got the 180-gram 2006 Warner Bros./Rhino edition remas-
tered by Kevin Gray. (I also have the reissued 2019 180g LP too, just because.) Drummer Ian
Paice’s stickwork on “Never Before,” especially when a) he’s supporting Ritchie Blackmore’s concise guitar solo,
and b) during his own abbreviated solo turn on the kit near the end of the track, is among the best Side 1-ending
wax medicine there is.

The 1987 Redbook Warner Bros. CD is passable ultimately meant (and still means) to the band. “It’s an

1997 Warner Archive-Rhino 2CD

at best, but 1997’s 25th anniversary 2CD Warner incredible piece of work,” he allows. “Once we found
Archives/Rhino Edition, with Disc 2’s Roger Glover our collective voice, we found our niche, and we
Remixes in tow, is really where it’s at for 2.0 digital started being expressive instead of just copying. It’s
Head. “To me, that’s the best version,” DP bassist a wonderful moment when you make a record where
Glover told me. “The first time I heard a CD of Machine you go, ‘Wow, that’s us.’”
Head, I was disgusted with the sound. It was awful. So That said, the 2012 Deep Purple Records/EMI 40th
I remixed the album—and it was a revelation to remix. I Anniversary Deluxe Edition 4CD/1DVD import box
didn’t want to lose the spirit of the record, and I wasn’t set is quite definitive, including 24-bit/96kHz LPCM
going to overdo it either. There’s a nuance to mixing. Stereo mixes of the original album; the original 1972
It’s a fine art.” Mission very much accomplished, as Quad 4.0 and the 2012 upmixed 24/96 Quad 4.1, both

2012 40th Anniv. Deluxe Ed. DVD

you can now discern the swing inherent in Paice’s courtesy of Abbey Road Studios’ Peter Mew; and
drumming on the perpetually chugging “Highway a trio of 24/96 5.1-channel mixes from the above-
Star,” something that didn’t come across with such mentioned Klingberg. If a 50th anniversary edition
nuance via the earlier CD’s way-too-intense sonics. is indeed in the offing, all 40th anniversary material
No one will be shocked to hear my preferred should be included, bu#ressed by every incarnation
version of Machine Head is the 2001 Warner of Kellogg/Klingberg’s 5.1 mixes on Blu-ray—and
Archives/Rhino Dolby Digital 5.1 mix on DVD-A, then the core album should be wholly revisited in
as produced by John Kellogg and engineered by Dolby Atmos. A$er all, Atmos height channels are
Paul Klingberg. Glover’s bass anchoring on “Space where linchpin “Smoke” lines like “fire in the sky” truly
Truckin’,” keyboardist Jon Lord’s all-channel opening belong, don’t they?
organ salvo on “Lazy,” and the full impact of Black- Paice encapsulates why Machine Head came
1972 Warner Bros. LP Back Cover

more’s classically inspired riffage as coupled with together so beautifully. “The real secret here is, if
vocalist Ian Gillan’s gravelly storytelling on “Smoke everybody is a great player and you have a good
on the Water” all seal the deal. (Others prefer the 2011 singer, you just blend in,” the drummer believes. “You
SACD 5.1 mix; not me.) The story of how “Smoke” know where you have to go, and what you can’t do.
came to be following the horrific, lyric-referenced fire When you have that, there’s an absolute unconscious
during a Frank Zappa and The Mothers of Invention trust between everybody.”
concert in Montreaux, Switzerland in December That level of pure intuitive trust is readily apparent
1971 is quite legendary. I won’t retell it here, but I did in every note Deep Purple play on Machine Head. In
ask Gillan to share his longview of what “Smoke” short—I love it, I need it, I bleed it. MIKE METTLER

Sound & Vision (ISSN 1537-5838) (USPS 504-850) June/July 2022, Vol. 87, No. 4. COPYRIGHT 2022 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 at New York, NY and additional mailing offices. Single copy price is $6.99. Subscriptions: U.S., APO, FPO, and U.S. Possessions $12.99 for 6 issues. Canadian orders
add $6.00 per year and international orders add $12.00 per year (for surface mail postage). Payment in advance, U.S. funds only. POSTMASTER: Send all UAA to CFS. (See DMM 707.4.12.5); NON-
POSTAL AND MILITARY FACILITIES: send address corrections to Sound & Vision, P.O. Box 420235, Palm Coast, FL 32142-0235. Mailing Lists: Occasionally, our subscriber list is made available to
reputable firms offering goods and services we believe would be of interest to our readers. If you prefer to be excluded, please send your current address label and a note requesting to be
excluded from these promotions to AVTech Media Americas, LLC., 260 Madison Avenue, 8th Floor, New York, NY 10016-2303, A#n: Privacy Coordinator. Subscription Service: Should you wish
to change your address or order new subscriptions, you can e-mail soundandvision@emailcustomerservice.com, call (800) 264-9872 (international calls: 386-447-6383), or write to: Sound &
Vision, P.O. Box 420235, Palm Coast, FL 32142-0235.

74 June July 2022 soundandvision.com

Excellence. Evolved.
The new 800 Series Diamond.
This is not just another speaker range. This is our
benchmark, our icon; the most advanced range of
loudspeakers we know how to make. For us,the
800 Series Diamond is everything we know, and
everything we are. Listen, and you’ll see.

bowerswilkins.com