HOLIDAY BLU-RAY GIFT GUIDE MIKING MOTOGP RACES

STOCKING SUFFERS FOR MOVIE LOVERS A MOTORCYCLE SYMPHONY

TESTED
P58

Where Technology Becomes Entertainment™

KLIPSCH THE NINES ROCK!
• soundandvision.com DECEMBER 2023
JANUARY 2024

SONY S IMPRESSIVE IMAGE

X93L 65"
MINI-LED
QLED 4K TV
KEF
APPROACHES
PERFECTION
LS60 POWERED
TOWERS
KLIPSCH
DROPS
THE BASS
RP-1600S
16-INCH SUB
DYNAUDIO
DELIVERS
EMIT 50
TOWER
SPEAKERS
DESKTOP
DYNAMO
MONOLITH
MTM-100
SPEAKERS
Red is the New Black
Honoring our rich history while
moving boldly forward…

The T66 — an all-new GoldenEar

floorstander with powered bass.

Also in Gloss Black

T66 - A Look Inside
Elegant Cabinet
Designed for performance and beauty,
the T66’s tall, slender cabinet contributes
to the speaker’s holographic imaging
and is proportionately the strongest
cabinet GoldenEar has ever made.
Crossover and Internal Wiring
GoldenEar’s most sophisticated crossover
ensures flat, +9-octave frequency
response. Bypass-caps subjected to
AudioQuest’s proprietary PMO (Permanent
Molecular Optimization) process bring
unprecedented clarity.
The T66 is internally wired with signal-
preserving AudioQuest Perfect-Surface
Copper+. The wire is also direction-
controlled and employs a Carbon layer for
maximizing RF-Noise Dissipation.
Quadratic Planar Back-Wave-Driven
Radiators
Acoustically coupled to the subwoofers to
deliver extended low-frequency response,
Improved low-frequency impact, and
minimal distortion for surprisingly deep,
well-controlled, room-filling bass.
BiWire Capable
Separate Bass and Treble binding posts
enable BiWiring. Separate Treble and
Bass cables significantly reduce current-
modulation distortion in the Treble cable.
For convenience, the speakers arrive with
high-quality gold-plated PSC+ jumpers.
Robust, Efficient Subwoofer Amplifier
New-generation GoldenEar SuperSub-
inspired DSP and amplification produces
flat, extended frequency response for clean
articulate bass with low distortion.
Reference AMT Tweeter
A powerful magnet and motor assembly,
along with many other internal details, make
this folded-planar-magnetic tweeter clean,
clear, and very efficient.
Critically finessed wool felt on the mounting
plate and elsewhere minimizes diffraction
and bounce distortions.
High-Definition Mid/Bass Drivers
Cast-basket mid/bass drivers employ
Multi-Vaned Phase Plugs, improving drivers’
ability to produce exceptional off-axis
response for a cinematic soundstage and
immersive listening experience.
Long-Throw Quadratic Subwoofers
Optimized subwoofer arrangement
(one high and one low on the cabinet)
produces better coupling of sub drivers to
the passive radiators for approximately 1dB
additional output.
Cast-Aluminum Base
Sturdy and attractive cast-aluminum base
features conical aluminum feet that are easily
adjustable from above. The bottoms of the
cones are flat for when solid but not spiked
is best.
Steel Spikes — or Rubber Tips
Conical feet can be fitted with either
steel spikes (best for carpets) or
rubber tips (best for tile, wood, or
other smooth surfaces that might be
easily scratched).
 VOLUME 89 NUMBER 1

contents features

23 HOLIDAY MOVIE
GIFT GUIDE
Unwrap this year’s best in home entertainment:
From Criterion’s Jackie Chan classics to Troma’s
Toxic Avenger saga, delve into curated collec-
tions for martial arts buffs, horror aficionados,
and anime fans alike.
61 THE SOUND
OF SPEED
Capturing the visceral sounds of MotoGP racing
requires over 200 high-quality Audio-Technica
microphones, technical expertise, and precise
synchronization to deliver the race’s thrilling sonic
experience to audiences worldwide and Mark
Henninger sees how it’s done.

On the Cover Clockwise from top: Sonos Move 2 portable speaker, Sony X93L Mini-LED 4K TV, Dynaudio EMIT 50 tower speaker, Monolith MTM-100
desktop speaker, KEF LS60 wireless powered tower speakers, Klipsch The Nines powered bookself speakers.

4 ❘ December 2023 January 2024 ❘ soundandvision.com

Every note. Every word.
Every detail.

LS50 Wireless II - The Ultimate Wireless HiFi

When you first listen to the new LS50 Wireless II, close your eyes. You’ll find it hard to believe that a sound
so pure is coming from such compact wireless speakers. That’s because our unique Metamaterial Absorption
Technology eliminates the high-frequency distortion inside the speaker. So keep your eyes closed and keep
listening; there’s a whole world of streamed music to enjoy.
AirPlay2, Spotify, Tidal, Qobuz, Internet radio, HDMI, and more.

Listen and believe

 VOLUME 89 NUMBER 1

72
DELUXE EDITION
Who’s Next: Life House Super
Deluxe Edition encapsulates The
Who’s legacy in an 11-disc set,
featuring rarities, a Steven Wilson
Atmos mix, and collectibles.

departments
8 TRACK ONE
Exploring the high fidelity of
affordable IEMs and letting go
of physical media.

12 LETTERS
Will a dbx 1231 graphic EQ sold
for pro use work in a home
system?

columns
13 THE GAWKER
The Trasher Awards: 2023’s
greatest AV technology letdowns.

14 SIGNALS
Six-billion-dollar earplugs and
the high cost of faulty hearing
protection.

16 IMMERSIVE AUDIO FILE

Mettler and Youth riff on Metallic
Spheres in Colour in Atmos.

18 Q&A
What version of Eyes Wide Shut
is best? Nakamichi Dragon
soundbar update.

20 VINTAGE GEAR
The Yamaha CR-2020: A ‘70s Hi-Fi
classic with exceptional sound
clarity.

21 WIDE ANGLE
The latest trends in high-end
contents test reports audiovisual technology from
CEDIA 2023.

66 ENTERTAINMENT
27 SONY BRAVIA X93L MINI-LED 4K TV Witness, Barbie, Moonage
32 FOCAL VESTIA 5.1 SPEAKER SYSTEM Daydream, The Exorcist, Prey,
Batman: Mask of the Phantasm,
36 KEF LS60 POWERED TOWER SPEAKERS Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs,
40 KLIPSCH THE NINES POWERED BOOKSHELF The Princess Bride, Three Days of
SPEAKERS the Condor.

44 MONOLITH MTM-100 BLUETOOTH DESKTOP 74 REMASTER CLASS

SPEAKERS Soundgarden: Bad Motorfinger
excels in 5.1, outperforming the
48 KLIPSCH RP-1600S 16-INCH SUBWOOFER stereo mix.
54 DYNAUDIO EMIT 50 TOWER SPEAKERS
58 SONOS MOVE 2 PORTABLE WIRELESS SPEAKER

6 ❘ December 2023 January 2024 ❘ soundandvision.com

 The LARGEST online library of home theater, home audio & turntable videos,
reviews, buying guides & more!

PRICE HASSLE-FREE
GUARANTEE RETURNS

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 On The Web Log on to soundandvision.com and sign up for our free monthly enewsletter.
You’ll get exclusive tips, news, trends, and reviews from your favorite S&V writers.
Earbuds Apocalypse
WHEN I BROWSE audio forums and
social media, I often see absolute
nonsense posted about the fidelity
you can achieve with a phone,
claiming it is not "audiophile" or what-
ever. Reality is if you stream lossless
music through a phone and use good
Customer headphones, the listening experience
Service And is extremely high fidelity.
Subscriptions One of the most amazing things
soundandvision@ to happen in audio is how corded
emailcustomerservice. earbuds have become incredibly
com competent at very affordable prices.
Call (800) 666-3746 And it is in that vein that I bring up the
(international calls: KZ ZS10 Pro X, a five-driver IEM (four
386-447-6383) balanced-armature and one dynamic
or write to:
driver) that I have used to listen to
Sound & Vision, some truly demanding music and
P.O. Box 420235,
Palm Coast, FL heard it reproduce elements that are
32142-0235 masked by all but the most resolving
Please include your and capable full-size speakers and
full name, address, headphones.
and phone number Long story short is the cost of true
on any inquiries. audiophile fidelity is having a phone, a
pair of $55 IEMs, an inexpensive USB
headphone adapter (Apple's is $9),
plus the price of quality content (I use
TidalHiFi).
Physical Media Meltdown
A recent social media discussion
reminiscing on the Blockbuster Video
days got me thinking about the whole
streaming vs. physical media thing,
and the notion of ownership.
I used to be a die-hard advocate
for the 'own-your-content' camp.
Blu-rays lined my shelves, I had those
CD towers and then books full of
discs. The notion of watching my
favorite films only once? Blasphemy!
Rewatching films to catch details
used to be one of my favorite things.
8 ❘ December 2023 January 2024 ❘ soundandvision.com
But times have changed. Here's the
reel deal: I appreciate the tactile
satisfaction of holding a collector's
edition. But I've found myself leaning
into the world of streaming and VoD.
Why? It’s simple: The quality is good
enough and keeps getting better.
The key point is I value access to an
expansive library and the convenience
that comes with it over the stability of
an owned, static collection.
Don't get me wrong, I understand
the collector's drive—there's undeni-
able satisfaction in "owning" your
favorites. But let's face it, how many
times are you rewatching the same
movie? For me, now, once is often
enough, even for cinematic gems. In
fact, what I have found is that buying a
movie is practically the kiss of death,
it's almost like I'm dooming it to never
be rewatched.
Dubiously Defining Value
In the AV editorial landscape, opinions
on "value" and "affordability" abound.
However, I find "cost-no-object"
gear less problematic than products
claiming high value for the price but
failing to deliver. This latter category
often amounts to putting lipstick on
a pig. These products may boast
superior aesthetics or origin stories,
suggesting they offer a great deal.
Yet, a closer look at the competition
reveals a heavy marketing spend to
push this perception.
This issue isn't unique to AV gear;
it's evident in various product catego-
ries. For me, it's most obvious in
photographic equipment on Amazon.
There, identical products from the
same factory are sold under different
brand names at vastly different prices,
sometimes double, based purely on
branding.
In the audio world, it's absurd when
a product, doing nothing special and
costing two or three times more than
a comparable item, is marketed as
"affordable." But it's so common it's
basically the rule, not the exception.
Happy Holidays
As Earth completes another orbit
around the sun, we’d like to wish you
Happy Holidays wherever you are.
To celebrate we’ve put together the
traditional annual Blu-ray movie gift
guide, which you’ll find on page 23.
Check out my special feature on how
Audio-Technica mics were used to
record the sounds of MotoGP racing.
We’ve got exciting reviews lined up,
in this issue the focus is on speakers
including models from Dynaudio,
Focal, Klipsch, KEF, Monoprice, and
Sonos.
We've got the usual abundance of
music and movie reviews including
Barbie.Also make sure to check out
Mike Mettler's Immersive Audio File
interview with Youth, who created the
Atmos reinterpretation of the album
Metallic Spheres by The Orb and
David Gilmour.
 December 2023/January 2024 Volume 89/Number 1

Fathom® IWS EDITOR: Mark Henninger

SENIOR EDITOR, TECHNICAL EDITOR: Tom Norton

In-Wall Subwoofer Systems EDITOR AT LARGE, WEB EDITOR: Bob Ankosko
CONTRIBUTING TECHNICAL EDITORS: Barb Gonzalez, Daniel Kumin, Rob Sabin,
John Sciacca, Leslie Shapiro, David Vaughn, Jim Wilson
CONTRIBUTORS: Michael Antonoff, Brandon A. DuHamel, Matt Hurwitz,
Roger Kanno, Howard Kneller, Josef Krebs, Matthew Poes, Ken C. Pohlmann,
Ralph Potts, Dennis Young
MUSIC EDITOR: Mike Mettler
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

Advertising Manager Ed DiBenedetto

edibenedetto@avtechmediausa.com

Sales Coordinator Rosemarie Torcivia

rtorcivia@avtechmediausa.com

Digital inquiries Keith Pray, kpray@avtechmediausa.com

Important Sound & Vision phone numbers and email addresses

USA subscriptions: Call (800) 264-9872, Canada & International (515) 244-0924
email SOVcustserv@cdsfulfillment.com, or write to
Sound & Vision, P. O. Box 37965, Boone, IA 50037-0965.
Please include name, address, and phone number on any inquiries.
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 http://www.avtechmediausa.com/terms.html
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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.,
260 Madison Avenue, 8th Floor, New York, NY 10016 attn: privacy coordinator.

Available as single or dual

subwoofer systems, with
outboard DSP and amplification. Printed in the USA. Copyright © 2023 by AVTech Media Americas Inc.
All Rights Reserved.
© 2021 JL AUDIO, Inc. For more information on our complete
line of subwoofers, please visit your local authorized dealer or
www.jlaudio.com. Authorized JL Audio Dealers do not sell via
the Internet. Subwoofers pictured with grilles removed.
 Fully suspended, floating
mounting system allows
for powerful bass output
without vibrating the walls.
Available to fit 2x4
or 2x6 stud bays.

Fathom® IWSv2 Subwoofers

Amazing, high-power subwoofer performance
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Thin-wall enclosure construction

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Systems include an outboard

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1000 W with single
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Available as a single dual subwoofer system
subwoofer system
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subwoofer system JL Audio’s DARO
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Purpose-engineered, long-
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Special suspension design
couples the grille opening to the
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Huge bass through a discreet
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© 2021 JL Audio, Inc. For more information on our complete line of subwoofers, please visit your local authorized dealer or www.jlaudio.com.
Authorized JL Audio Dealers do not sell via the Internet. Subwoofers pictured with grilles removed. Product images shown are for illustrative purposes
only and may differ from the actual product. Due to continuous product development, all specifications are subject to change without notice.
 the adapter cables will not pose any issue. The
letters manual explicitly states that “equalizers can
be used with either balanced or unbalanced
sources, and the outputs can be used with either
balanced or unbalanced loads, provided the
Quest to Replace a Vintage Equalizer proper cabling is used.”
My beloved ADC Stereo Frequency Equalizer (Model Sound Shaper Three) with a built-in Spectrum As an alternative to the dbx, another “top-
Analyzer is showing signs of decline. After more than 30 years of satisfaction it has delivered, I find notch quality equalizer” would be the new
myself in need of a replacement. It’s tough finding great stereo equalizers these days. However, dbx McIntosh MQ112 Environmental Equalizer. One
appears to be the industry leader in this segment. I’m considering replacing my ADC EQ with a dbx might even say it is a bit over-the-top given
1231 Dual-Channel 31-band Graphic EQ. the $3000 price point. While this has high-end
The problem is that I’m encountering conflicting information. On one hand, I’ve read articles and performance and build quality and offers some
watched YouTube videos that demonstrate hooking up dbx EQs using an RCA to XLR patch cable or “home friendly” features like unbalanced ins/
adapter. On the other hand, some sources state that dbx EQs are intended only for Public Address outs, triggered power and EQ, it is far more
(PA) systems, live recording, and DJ setups. Either way, I’m in need of a new top-notch quality expensive and doesn’t offer nearly the number
equalizer and would greatly appreciate your expert opinion on this matter. S&V reader of adjustments. But, it is a McIntosh and sure
does look cool!
From the second I saw the AudioSource EQ-ONE ment, you should be able to dial-in performance Seriously though, as another suggestion, I’d
in Ferris Bueller’s audio system, I wanted one to your heart’s delight! look at getting a miniDSP 2x4 HD. This small
in my own system! While I couldn’t afford that, As far as connecting to your system goes, I device is a highly capable and flexible digital
my first stereo rig included a Kenwood GE-76 wouldn’t have any qualms about using XLR-to- signal processor that can dramatically enhance
9-Band stereo EQ with spectrum analyzer, so RCA adapters or else ¼ to RCA, since the 1231 the acoustic performance of your audio system.
I understand the allure of those dancing lights supports both. You’ll need four of them, two Its real power lies in the precision with which
and all that adjustment power at your fingertips! each for the inputs and outputs. In fact, I use you can manipulate the audio signal. It offers 10
Looking at the specs of the dbx 1231, I can’t them from the XLR outputs on my Trinnov Alti- parametric EQ filters on each input and output
see anything that would prevent it from working tude to the RCA inputs on my subwoofers with channel, letting you measure and then precisely
in a home system, provided you still have a Tape zero issues. For the record, Trinnov suggested adjust the audio in your room. While not as cool
2 Monitor or pre-out/ins on your receiver. With cables from Disino Audio, but there are tons looking or as easy to make quick tweaks as
a dynamic range up to 115 dB and frequency of options available on Amazon. The benefits the dbx, it offers the ability to target the exact
response from 10Hz-50kHz, sonically it should of balanced XLR connections primarily apply problem frequencies in your room, with four
fit the bill. Plus, with dual 31 bands of adjust- to long cable runs, for a setup like yours using different presets you can set for different loca-
tions or listening preferences.
This is especially useful if your listening room
serves multiple purposes or if you have different
listening scenarios, such as solo listening,
movie watching with a group, or gaming where
the audio cues are crucial. The miniDSP's
compact form factor belies its capabilities
and, coupled with its affordability, makes it a
compelling choice
You might also wish to check out miniDSP’s
other offerings that can go beyond simple EQ
with features like Dirac Live support at favorable
price points. The platform's renowned ability
to optimize soundstaging and timing with its
sophisticated algorithms provide an avenue for
further acoustic refinement.
Since you are also losing the spectrum
analyzer in this upgrade, you may also wish to
look into REW (Room EQ Wizard) paired with a
miniDSP UMIK-1 USB microphone. This combi-
nation serves as a replacement for the spectrum
analyzer. Another option is the Dayton Audio
OmniMic 2 kit. Either of these tools will give you
all the spectrum analysis you could ever wish for
(you’ll need a laptop to run it).
The idea of using the dbx is more than valid.
The 1231 provides a lot of bang for the buck and
it being pro gear is if anything a benefit. However
you decide to tackle the upgrade, the value of
proper EQ remains a key factor in achieving the
best sound because at the end of the day get
the best sound quality you have to deal with the
effect your room has on your system's native
frequency response. John Sciacca

12 ❘ December 2023 January 2024 ❘ soundandvision.com


wide
angle The Gawker
The Trasher
Awards
BY MICHAEL ANTONOFF
As the year rolls to an end, awards season is upon us. But this time we’ve
decided to single out the least-deserving—those companies, apps and
individuals who have let us down. It is in this environment of malfeasance
that I nominate these candidates to be recipients of what I affectionately
call the Trasher Award. Imagine a golden trophy rising out of a trash
can and being presented to organizations and people whose dubious
achievements are recognized far and wide. Ladies and gentlemen, the
Trasher goes to:
Amazon Prime for its promise
to introduce commercials into its
program streams early next year.
Elon Musk for X-ing out Twitter.
ABC for cancelling Alaska Daily
and CBS for ending East New York,
two of the best freshmen dramas
on network TV.
The privacy nightmare caused
by every new car gathering troves
of personal data from drivers
and passengers. Then again,
automatic recording does take the
weight off the singer’s shoulders
in “Paradise by the Dashboard
Light” for having to “remember
every little thing as if it happened
only yesterday.” Now, the car has
Meat Loaf’s memory covered.
Gannett for hiring a full-time
Taylor Swift reporter.
Paramount+ for bleeping
Parade director Michael Arden
during the 2023 Tony Awards
that it carried verbatim from CBS.
Arden didn’t have to be censored
since the Federal Communica-
tions Commission’s obscenity
rules don’t apply to the internet.
Dish Network for failing to clean
up its space junk. The FCC fined
Dish $150,000 for not boosting
its EchoStar-7 satellite into a posi-
tion that wouldn’t threaten other
satellites. Dish’s excuse was that it
didn’t foresee (or didn’t care) that
the satellite, which has been in
geocentric orbit for more than two
decades, might someday run out
of fuel. Ugh.
Disney and Spectrum for
playing a game of chicken. When
the cable giant blocked channels
like ABC and ESPN, viewers were
denied tennis, baseball, and foot-
ball games—not to mention reruns
of The Mickey Mouse Club. Both
companies were guilty of living in
a past when the cable monopoly
meant something.
FiOS, the cable operator, which
in reaction to my trying to cancel
Showtime after realizing it was
included as part of my Para-
mount+ streaming subscription,
said it would charge me $25 just
to make the change, then cost me
more for the two premium chan-
nels I retained.
Max, for erasing the HBO name
despite decades of premium
brand building. It’s not TV. It’s
Max?
Shazam, the app that identi-
fies ambient music through a
phone’s microphone, for failing
to recognize the song, “Another
Brick in The Wall” by Pink Floyd,
after neuroscientists posted a
recording of the song passed
through someone’s brain.
Yours truly for placing Alexa
and Hey, Google devices within
listening distance of each other in
my home, inadvertently triggering
them to fight it out whenever I
address the wrong smart speaker
in the room.
Sony, who this year sold me
both a big-screen TV and a
pocket-size camera but failed to
include a manual with either one.
Sony (again) for not warning
me that gesture controls initiated
by raising the palm of my hand
in front of the TV’s camera work
only in a lighted room. Doesn’t it
know that many of us watch TV in
the dark? Shouldn’t the company
have deployed night vision in its
camera?
Apple for introducing its iPhone
15 Pro with the ability to capture
spatial video but delaying its
Vision Pro glasses for viewing it
until next year.
WCBS Radio, for promoting its
Mets broadcasts every hour on
the half hour since April, thereby
confusing non-baseball fans with
what seemed like a gibberish call
by an umpire. It turned out to be
Mets broadcaster Howie Rose
screaming, “Put it in the books!” (I
should have known that since the
favorite expression of my Granny,
an avid Yankees radio listener,
was: “That’s one for the books!”)
Robbie Robertson for bad
timing in dying before I was able
to move The Last Waltz to the top
of my Netflix cue. The resulting
“long wait” for the disc negated
any chance of it becoming a
keeper when the company’s DVD-
by-mail service, which shipped
its last discs on September 29,
announced that subscribers could
hold onto their last titles at home
in perpetuity.
Finally, the Trasher goes to
supermarkets such as Stop &
Shop which have increasingly
narrowed the selection of toilet
paper to mega rolls or single-ply
normal size. Customers with
in-wall bathroom dispensers
are unable to accommodate the
bulging mega rolls; and users
detest the porousness of single-
ply paper. The extra time required
to unfurl and fold it to an equiva-
lent cushy wad wastes precious
minutes. What, may you ask, does
this have to do with consumer
electronics, the subject of this
magazine? Well, why do you think
the pause button was invented?
The Author
Michael Antonoff was executive
editor of Video, a founding
editor of S&V and a tech
columnist for USA Today. He’s
covered Netflix since its
inception and been a contin-
uous user of its disc-by-mail
and streaming services.
soundandvision.com ❘ 13
wide
angle signals
The Six Billion
Dollar Earplugs
BY KEN C. POHLMANN
We are equipped with five senses: Sight, hearing, smell, taste, touch. The
thought of losing any of them is frightening. Setting aside the ques-
tion of aging, even the thought of only diminishing any of our senses is
unsettling. So, the question is, if a faulty product caused you to suffer an
impairment of one of your senses, what kind of compensation would be
appropriate?
During my teaching career,
for no particular reason, I would
sometimes pose this dilemma to
my class: Suppose a madman has
locked you in a room. He demands
that you declare your two most
valued senses. Universally, the
students specified sight and
hearing. Then the madman gives
you a terrible choice: he will take
away either your sight, or your
hearing. Only then will he set you
free. What an impossible choice.
Each of us has our own answer,
but the students consistently
chose blindness over deafness.
Many of them were musicians,
so that might have biased their
decision, but overall the reasoning
was that deafness would be more
isolating, and that is what the
students feared the most. From
my wholly unscientific survey, I
concluded that of all the senses,
hearing is the one we value the
most highly. All of which brings us
to the case of the six-billion-dollar
earplugs.
We are all familiar with crappy
foam earplugs. Among hearing-
protection products, they are right
up there with tissue paper stuffed
in your ears. They are better than
nothing, but over-ear earmuffs are
a much better choice. However, in
many instances, earplugs are the
only viable option. For example,
in a military setting, there are
many loud noises, many of which
could cause hearing damage, and
earmuffs are impractical. What is
needed is an inexpensive, dispos-
able, convenient product to reliably
limit loud sound levels, in other
14 ❘ December 2023 January 2024
words, a good foam earplug.
The 3M Company endeav-
ored to supply such a product.
It entered the earplug business
when in 2008 it purchased Aearo
Technologies Inc., along with its
patents and military contracts, for
$1.2 billion. Aearo had developed
innovative dual-sided earplugs
with two modes. One side reduced
all noise, and the other side
protected against loud noises
such as explosions while permit-
ting speech to be understood.
3M sold “Combat Arms” earplugs
to the U.S. military for issue to
active-duty soldiers and other
personnel. It was a small part of
3M’s business, but one that will
cost it a tidy sum.
Coming back from deployment,
many military veterans claimed
that the earplugs were faulty; more
specifically, they claimed that even
though they used the earplugs,
they suffered permanent hearing
loss, tinnitus, and other hearing-
related injuries. Among various
issues, the plaintiffs claimed that
the earplugs could imperceptibly
loosen in the ear, decreasing or
defeating their effectiveness.
Soldiers are given an auditory
exam when they enlist, and annu-
ally thereafter. The plaintiffs cited
this database in making their
claims that damage occurred.
The case also included some
consumers and members of law
enforcement. In total, this was the
largest mass tort in U.S. history,
with more than 300,000 personal-
injury claims.
Understandably, 3M had a
❘ soundandvision.com
different view, disputing claims of
hearing loss caused by its product.
3M said that the earplugs are
effective when used properly, and
when the soldier is professionally
trained. 3M disputed the data that
purported to show undue hearing
loss in users. Also, citing protec-
tions contained in a government
contractor clause, 3M said that it
can’t be held liable for manufac-
turing a product requested by the
government. Moreover, 3M pointed
out that the military continues to
use newer versions of the product.
At issue are several questions:
Are the earplugs faulty? If so, did
3M know they were faulty? Did the
soldiers use them when neces-
sary? Did the soldiers use them
correctly? And if there is hearing
damage, was it because of some-
thing related to the earplugs, or
something else? And finally, if 3M
is at fault, how much compensa-
tion is owed?
Fast forward through five years
of litigation: The claims were
consolidated to appear before
a federal judge in Pensacola,
Florida. The judge instructed
the parties to seek a settlement.
And in August, a settlement was
reached in which 3M’s board
agreed to pay $5 billion in cash
and $1 billion in common stock
between 2023 and 2029, with no
admission of liability. Not a trivial
amount, but some analysts were
predicting a payout of $10 to $15
billion. A data point: 3M’s annual
revenue for 2022 was about $34
billion. Two more data points:
From the early 2000s to 2015, 3M
sold about $32 million worth of
earplugs to the military. Cost per
pair: About $7.63.
So, a madman has locked you
in a room. Unless you pay him, he
will take away your hearing. How
much is your hearing worth to
you? The staggering settlement in
the 3M earplug case underscores
not just the monumental financial
repercussions for the company,
but also brings to the forefront the
invaluable nature of our senses.
The Author
Ken C. Pohlmann is an electrical
engineer specializing in audio
topics as a consultant and writer.
He is Professor Emeritus at the
University of Miami.
wide
angle immersive audio file
Metallic Spheres
of Atmos
Youth on recasting The Orb and David Gilmour’s
2010 collaboration Metallic Spheres into an
adventurous new Atmos mix now redubbed as
Metallic Spheres in Colour.
BY MIKE METTLER
When The Orb and David Gilmour
came together over a decade
ago to produce the two-part,
49-minute ambient soundscape
dubbed Metallic Spheres in 2010,
there almost seemed to be a bit
of unfinished business attached
to what we were hearing—and
now we know why. To take that
music to the next level, original
Metallic Spheres producer Youth
recast it in Dolby Atmos as a
more concise 40-minute edition
duly renamed Metallic Spheres in
Colour (Columbia/Legacy). In a
recent Zoom interview, Youth and
I discussed how Metallic Spheres
morphed into its current full-
bodied Atmos Colour and shape,
what notable Orb song seems
ready-made for an immersive
remix, and what else he’d like
to mix in Atmos next. (A longer
version of this interview appears
in my monthly Spatial Audio File
column on the S&V site.)
Mike Mettler: The idea of
360-degree recording was
something you and Alex Paterson
[co-founder of The Orb] had
already discussed amongst your-
selves. Tell me more about the
time you guys decided, “Hey, we
gotta record this way.”
Youth: Yeah, I mean, before
“3D60” came along, or Atmos,
we—along with our engineer Greg
Hunter—were always trying to find
ways to get a more 3D sound into
the stereo mix. And that would
include using Doppler boxes, or
trying to create a Doppler effect
with passing jets or cars. We were
using binaural microphones, which
16 ❘ December 2023 January 2024
is a big part of the Atmos 3D60
experience. That, and just some
extreme, clever panning of details.
My favorite bit of outboard gear
for getting 3D effects and stuff
was—and still is—
the Eventide H3000
[Ultra-]Harmonizer.
I mean, there are
plug-ins for it that are
pretty cool, but I’ve
still got the actual
hardware, and it has
these special effects
and preset buttons
with multi-delay
panning and reverbs.
We used to use those
a lot on Orb tracks,
and I also used to use
them a lot on remixes
and other mixes. The
thing is, the subtlety
of the sound we wanted you could
only really detect when it was quite
ambient, you know? As soon as
you put drums in there along with
some other stuff, you just lose
all the subtlety of it, as far as the
filigree goes.
Mettler: I totally get that. What
you’ve done with Metallic Spheres
in Colour in Atmos shows you
know how to keep it open. You
could have overloaded a lot of
areas on those two 20-minute
pieces, but you had that sense of,
“We don’t need to put this here. Let
it breathe.” Is that fair to say?
Youth: Yes! I’m really excited to
listen to it again now! (laughs) You
know, I grew up with the Jamaican
sound system, which is just made
up of wall-to-wall speakers—and
❘ soundandvision.com
it makes a lot of sense. The
more speakers the merrier, I say.
(chuckles)
Funnily enough, when I used
to go to Jamaican sound system
[events/parties], you couldn’t
really detect any stereo going on
because it was just such a brick
wall of sound. But what I loved
about it was it totally enveloped
you with the sound—and then the
bass. You were completely inside
it, you know? It was really amazing,
and I think we’ve been trying to get
that feeling and effect ever since
in studios—which never comes
quite close enough to me! (laughs)
I also noticed whenever I saw
Pink Floyd live that if you keep the
body of the mix sort of stereo or
even mono, and then you just have
certain sounds flying around, it’s
far more effective than if every-
thing’s flying around. I think Floyd
have always been trying to push
the threshold of high fidelity, so it
makes a lot of sense to go there.
Mettler: Agreed. “High fidelity,
first class,” one might even say—
to borrow a line from “Money.”
Sometimes, it’s just a matter of,
“Can you catch that natural ambi-
ence of actual sound in the space
around you?” Is there an example
from any of those early Orb record-
ings—perhaps even a fluffy kind
of track—where you thought, “This
is the one we were trying to get
the full 360-degree effect with in
stereo”?
Youth: Well, I think with the track
you’re talking about, “Little Fluffy
Clouds” [the big single from April
1991’s The Orb’s Adventures
Beyond the Ultraworld], you can
hear some high-placed, left-right
swooshing, and then some other
things are down below, and other
things are over there, and there,
and down there. And then the
bass—it’s a multi-level thing.
Mettler: “Little Fluffy Clouds”
is the perfect example of an Orb
track you could totally remix into
an optimal Atmos mix to give it the
full 360 treatment you were going
for with it in stereo. Do you think
that’s something you’d want to do?
Youth: Yes, that’s a very good
idea. I mean, yeah, why not?
Sometimes it’s hard remixing early
records like that—but I’m sure that
track could be very appropriate for
Atmos.
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wide
angle Q&A

Eye Opener
There are so many versions of Eyes Wide Shut, censored,

Q uncensored, different durations, Director’s Cut, Studio Cut,

Theatrical Release USA, Theatrical Release Europe – ugh!
Out of all of these, which Blu-ray version is considered, in
2023, to be closest to what Kubrick intended? Given what we know today,
which release would you recommend as producing the most Kubrick-
authentic viewing experience? And is there an easy way to differentiate
the different versions, such as a duration?”
at which the film was shot--and speak such as “Director’s Cut”
Thank you for taking the time to write in. Stanley Kubrick’s not due to any removal of content. and just go with that.

A final film, the erotic mystery/drama Eyes Wide Shut has been
hotly debated from a variety of perspectives since even
before its debut. Most notable of the surrounding contro-
The full and correct runtime of the
film is 159 minutes.
The uncensored cut would
However, we’d be remiss if we
didn’t point out that next year
will mark the 25th anniversary
versies was the studio-mandated the addition of computer-generated clearly be the version that Mr. of Eyes Wide Shut’s release and,
figures used to obscure the graphic sexuality during the orgy scene. This Kubrick intended to be seen, considering Warner’s admirable
decision was made in order to avoid a problematic NC-17 rating here in since that’s how he shot it and the push of late to release 4K Ultra
the United States, which would have potentially excluded the movie from above-mentioned changes were HD discs of their more prestigious
distribution to some theaters and later to some video stores. One other made after his untimely death, catalog titles, there’s a better-
change that we recently found out about was the removal of the recitation months before the premiere. than-average chance that we
of a passage from the holy Hindu book the Bhagavad Gita during the Your best bet to secure the uncut, will see a best-ever disc in 2024.
same sequence, although to our knowledge this has never appeared in uncompromised, uncensored Who knows? We might even get
any home video version. version of Eyes Wide Shut would seamless branching between the
While this CGI modification did not affect the actual length of the be to look for the NC-17 rating or R-rated and unrated cuts.
movie, UK DVDs were noted with a runtime of only 153 minutes, owing simply “Unrated” or “Not Rated.” CHRIS CHIARELLA
solely to the different PAL video framerate of 25fps--versus the 24fps rate We would avoid any marketing (MOVIES EDITOR, S&V)

I previously read that Nakamichi was introducing a new have been delivered to customers. Currently, they are sold out for all

Q home theater/audio speaker system with their iconic

Dragon nameplate. I was wondering if you could give us
an update and more information about the system?
- JOHN WERNER
John, I was fortunate enough to experience the new
orders to be shipped in 2023, and orders placed now are expected
to ship in early 2024. (Accessories like speaker stands and wall
mounts are slated for shipment in November.) Unfortunately, Dragon
is currently sold exclusively through Nakamichi’s website, so no
in-store auditions are available. (They invite interested customers to
explore the listing impressions shared by other owners.) At $3900 the

A Nakamichi Dragon soundbar system in action at a private

suite in Las Vegas during this past CES, and I have to say,
it was impressive! (S&V’s Editor-in-Chief, Mark Henninger,
awarded it an Editor’s Pick at the show!) Featuring an 11.4.6-channel
Dragon isn’t cheap, but I honestly haven’t heard a soundbar system
that comes even close in performance. For more, check out https://
dragon.nakamichi-usa.com. JOHN SCIACCA

layout, with seven Air Motion tweeters, 16 digital amplifiers delivering

3,000 watts total peak power, and utilizing four subwoofers that deliv-
ered truly tactile and theater-like bass! I have listened to many high-
end sound bars, and this is the first one that I felt actually competes
with traditional standalone AVR/speaker systems, and it delivered a
truly premium and standout immersive experience in the category,
and in my opinion, it lived up to the hype! The Dragon features setup
and calibration screens similar to traditional AVRs, and with the ability
of reaching peaks up to 125 dB, can outperform many traditional
systems. I reached out to Si Hua Tan, Senior Marketing Specialist at
Nakamichi USA, for the latest news on the Dragon and she shared
some updates.
The Dragon will be a permanent model in Nakamichi’s lineup, but
given limited production capacity, they are releasing units in batches.
So far, more than 1500 Dragon systems have been sold, and over 600

18 ❘ December 2023 January 2024 ❘ soundandvision.com

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wide
angle vintage gear
The Yamaha
CR-2020: A True
’70s Blockbuster
BY BOB ANKOSKO
There’s something magical about the majestic stereo receivers of yester-
year. Apart from being magnificent examples of industrial design, they’re
dead simple to operate while offering a full complement of features to
ensure a great, though decidedly old-school, music listening experience,
complete with analog power meters. And then there’s nostalgia… I still
own (and recently refurbished) my first receiver — an Onkyo TX-2500
I bought for $200 in the mid-70s. It looks and sounds as good as it did
back in the day.
Over the past couple of years,
we’ve written about such icons
as the The Fisher 800-B from
1961 and the 70s-era Marantz
2500 and Sansui 9090DB — each
a masterpiece in its own right.
Today we turn our attention to
another 70s-era tour de force: the
Yamaha CR-2020.
Yamaha introduced the
CR-2020 in 1977 and it quickly
became one of the brand’s
best-selling models. Boasting a
respectable output of 100 watts/
channel into 8 ohms with “no more
than 0.05% total harmonic distor-
tion,” the CR-2020 was one step
down from the flagship CR-3020,
a veritable beast that put out 160
watts a side and offered a slightly
more refined lineup of features
20 ❘ December 2023 January 2024
and controls.
Yamaha was so laser-focused
on eliminating distortion that its
engineers came up with a new
way of measuring it. They called
it Noise Distortion Clearance
Range and it required “all pertinent
measurements [to] be made
under actual listening conditions;
through all amplification circuits
used in actual listening (i.e., Phono
Input to Speaker Out), and at the
volume control settings preferred
for normal listening levels.”
In a sales brochure, Yamaha
tied its measurement methods to
an overall design philosophy: “To
us at Yamaha NDCR is more than
just a measurement. It reflects
the design approach to all our
music products. Because we
❘ soundandvision.com
pay such close attention to their
sound in actual use, our engi-
neers developed this assessment
method to help build in the same
tonal response for home audio
enjoyment.”
Like most receivers of that time,
the CR-2020 was big, weighing
around 41 pounds and stretching
21 inches across, 6.5 inches tall,
and 16 inches deep. And like many
higher-end models, it’s housed in
a gorgeous solid-wood case that
amplifies its appeal. By compar-
ison, the CR-3020 was almost
twice as heavy at 77 pounds
(owing mostly to its bulkier power
section) and measured 24 x 7 x
19 inches. A beast, indeed. And at
$1,500 (the equivalent of around
$7,000 today), the CR-3020 cost
twice as much as the CR-2020,
which explains why it didn’t sell
very well and why it is so hard to
find these days.
CR-2020 features of note
include moving magnet (MM)
and moving coil (MC) phono
inputs, pre-out/main-in connec-
tions, independent audition and
recording modes, two front-panel
headphone jacks, connections
for three sets of speakers, and a
continuously variable loudness-
compensation control instead of
the usual in/out button: turning the
dial counter-clockwise reduces
the volume without upsetting the
natural balance between low and
high frequencies. The speaker
connectors are of the spring-clip
variety, which were common in
the ’70s but decidedly cheesy by
today’s standards.
In addition to the usual bass
and treble knobs, the receiver has
a Presence control for adjusting
mid-frequencies (centered at 3
kHz) and provides selectable turn-
over frequencies of 125/250 Hz
for the bass control and 2.5/8 kHz
for the treble control. As Yamaha
puts it in the owner’s manual, “The
special Presence control offers
direct control of these frequen-
cies, readily compensating for
records which have a heavy or
thin midrange characteristic,
and offering new possibilities for
delicate tonal coloration.”
There’s also an Audio Muting
button next to the large volume
dial—another hallmark of classic
receivers—a Defeat button that
removes the tone controls from
the signal path, and front-panel
switches for engaging steep (12
dB/octave) cutoff filters: 70Hz/15
Hz (Low) or 8kHz/12kHz (High),
both defeatable.
In the owner’s manual, Yamaha
calls out a handful of “special
features,” a few of which are
quoted here:
❱ Direct Assessment of Differential
Gain. This sophisticated technique
enables Yamaha to combine high
station-getting ability, razor-sharp
tuning, and ultra-low distortion in
the tuner section.
❱ Optimum Tuning System. The
OTS system will take over from
you the fine-tuning needed to
obtain minimum distortion and
maximum stereo separation, so
that all FM stereo programs are
heard at their best.
❱ Multi-Function Meters. Fast-
response wide-level meters
indicate power output levels
from 0.05 W to 200 W (for 8-ohm
speakers), with the right channel
meter doubling as signal strength
and (on FM) signal quality meter.
❱ Super Low-Noise MC Head Amp.
This IC unit makes the superior
performance of low output moving
coil cartridges yours without the
cost of a separate step-up trans-
former or head amplifier.
An Internet search will yield
a good bit of commentary and
information on Yamaha’s ’70s-era
receivers as well as a handful of
original CR-2020 units for sale.
They range in price from $1,000
for a unit in “good condition” that
may or may not work to $3,000
for a near perfect, single-owner
specimen that has been fully
serviced with updated compo-
nents, including transistors, resis-
tors, and power-supply capacitors.
You can read about the latter
at skyfiaudio.com, the website for
New Jersey-based vintage audio
specialist SkyFi Audio.
The Author
A lifelong music and audio
enthusiast, Bob Ankosko was
the founding editor in chief of
Sound & Vision and editor in
chief of Stereo Review, the
magazine that preceded S&V.
He calls the Jersey Shore home.
New gear, news, quick take reviews, and commentary

wideangle

CEDIA 2023:
HIGH-END GEAR
IN ACTION
MATTHEW POES came with hefty price tags. What
intrigued me the most was how
My journey at CEDIA 2023 trends in the luxury market often
was nothing short of amazing. foreshadow what will soon be
This year I went to Denver and embraced by the mainstream,
represented multiple outlets albeit in a diluted form. This
and immersed myself in diverse evolution signifies crucial devel-
roles—including setting up rooms opments for our industry’s future.
for renowned names in the CI The show’s standout demon- technologies on display, Trinnov’s Systems and Planar presented
and home theater industry like strations were undeniably the Waveforming technology and DCI certified MicroLED displays,
Grimani Systems, Seymour Trinnov/Ascendo/MadVR/Barco/ Dirac’s ART stood out, employing with both Planar and Quantum’s
Screen Excellence, and Row One. Officina Acoustica/Seymour active acoustics to eliminate XDR LED Video walls offering sizes
Many attendees who saw me Screen Excellence and Grimani room modes. These technolo- suitable for private residences,
noted I was walking around with Systems/Barco/Storm/MadVR/ gies are redefining subwoofer yachts, or private jets. These
three different badges. Row One rooms. These demo choices and placements while displays solved genuine problems
The experience was exhila- rooms were not just techno- also showcasing their scalability, within niche markets, albeit at a
rating, albeit sleep-depriving, logically impressive but also hinting at a future where such high cost. The future of projected
but it provided me with valu- remarkably expensive, with the advancements could become images seemed promising, with
able insights into the intricate total system cost likely exceeding more accessible. advancements in light sources and
world of show preparations. As a million dollars. Yet, what Beyond these premium projector design driving progress.
a devoted reader of Sound and captivated audiences was not system demos, CEDIA 2023 Quantum claimed their displays
Vision for over two decades, I just their impressive features but showcased emerging trends could produce up to 1500 nits, offer
eagerly embraced the chance also the value these companies that, while not yet affordable, full DCI-P3 color, and achieve an
to contribute; this magazine saw in catering to this exclusive addressed specific needs within impressive 95% coverage of the
has been a constant source of market. Among the notable the industry. Quantum Media BT.2020 color volume.
inspiration.
During my CEDIA experience I
had numerous discussions with
my colleague, Mark Henninger.
Together, we delved into the
intriguing question of media
focus: should we spotlight the
gear most readers purchase or
delve into the cutting-edge tech-
nology that pushes the bound-
aries? Mark chose to cover core
brands, the LGs and Samsungs,
catering to the majority of Sound
and Vision readers. Meanwhile
I delved into the realm of super-
premium and luxury equipment—
a domain that is always in
abundance at CEDIA.
Mark and I couldn’t help but
notice a prevailing trend in the
industry, a significant shift toward
luxury and near-luxury markets.
The spotlight was on high-end
gear that not only garnered
significant attention but also

soundandvision.com ❘ 21
 Innovations in
Projector Technology
A notable mention goes to Nigel Archer
and Ross Taylor from Absolute Ultimate AV,
who showcased their Christie Griffyn Tri-
laser DLP projector with AS modifications
at CEDIA. My initial skepticism was born
from experiences with low-contrast DLP
projectors of the past and, at the other end
of the spectrum, with a Christie Eclipse in a
Dolby Cinema. This skepticism faded away
after witnessing Nigel’s demonstration.
The Griffyn projector displayed remarkable
BT.2020 color accuracy, covering approxi-
mately 98% of the spectrum, delivering
vibrant and rich colors beyond my expec-
tations. Witnessing true BT.2020 color in
action was a revelation, far surpassing the
appeal of DCI P3 color.
What astounded me was the Griffyn’s
dynamic range, a feature often lacking in
most DLP projectors. While it didn’t quite
match the JVC in on/off contrast, it came
remarkably close, outperforming other high
brightness projectors by a significant margin.
The contrast I observed was impressive,
generating a lifelike visual experience with
real content. My enthusiasm led me to urge
Nigel and Ross to bring one of these projec-
tors to my home for an extended stay in my
theater. Although 35,000-lumen projectors
might be excessive for most users, Nigel
informed me about Christie’s latest exclusive
model, the M 4K15 AS, boasting around
9000 lumens (closer to 7500 when fully opti-
mized), while retaining all the benefits of the
Griffyn. Although it wasn’t available during
the show, I eagerly anticipated its arrival.
This experience reinforced a clear takeaway:
the future of projected images is promising,
marked by ongoing advancements and
cost reductions in light sources and overall
projector design.
Closing Thoughts: A Glimpse into
the Future of Home Entertainment
CEDIA 2023 showcased the industry’s evolution
toward luxury markets, offering a glimpse into
future mainstream trends. Despite the high costs
associated with cutting-edge technology, these
developments signified a promising future for the
A/V industry, driven by innovation and optimization.
This shift in focus, from traditional setups to high-
end luxury solutions, marks a paradigm change,
opening doors to unparalleled audio and visual
experiences.
As we move forward, the marriage of advanced
technology and meticulous design promises a
future where the boundaries of home entertain-
ment are not just pushed but completely redefined.
The future, as unveiled at CEDIA 2023, is nothing
short of breathtaking.
22 ❘ December 2023 January 2024 ❘ soundandvision.com
ELEVATING
ARCHITECTURAL
SPEAKERS
At CEDIA, the stage was set
for a showcase of remarkable
in-wall speakers. Sonus Faber
debuted their Ci-Fi Arena
series, with the pinnacle being
the 4-way Arena 30 priced at
$15,000 each. Dali, although
not unveiling a new model,
underscored their dedication
to the high-end Custom Instal-
lation (CI) line by featuring the
Phantom S-280 at $7,000 each.
However, the most significant
revelation came from Revel,
as they unveiled their latest
and most sophisticated line
of architectural speakers to
date: the W126Be, W226Be,
and the W228Be. These architectural marvels were nearly identical to their box speaker
counterparts, representing a seamless fusion of style and functionality. Notably, the
W228Be led the group at $3500 each without an enclosure, showcasing a commitment
to delivering top-tier audio experiences within architectural speaker designs. Revel’s
announcement was met with immense anticipation, solidifying their position as trail-
blazers in the realm of in-wall speakers.
Perlisten introduced a trio of groundbreaking in-ceiling speakers, priced at $1,295
for the R2ic, $2,495 for the R3ic, and peaking at $3,495 for the S3ic. While these costs
might have raised eyebrows in the past, they represented a state-of-the-art solution for
Dolby Atmos, high-end distributed sound, or any advanced in-ceiling system. Surpris-
ingly, these speakers sparked immense demand, with the initial batch selling out before
the show’s end. Perlisten’s in-ceiling speakers signified a significant shift in architec-
tural speaker design, thanks to their innovative waveguide design and comprehensive
computer optimization. Parameters were meticulously fine-tuned in the computer
model, aiming for specific goals like a 30-degree lobe angle, expansive 110-degree
horizontal coverage, precise 60-degree longitudinal coverage, high output, and a
seamless response. The result was unparalleled performance, setting a new standard
for in-ceiling speakers that was achieved through advanced computer optimization
techniques, making it a remarkable achievement in the industry.
Perlisten wasn’t the sole pioneer in harnessing the power of computer optimiza-
tion for their in-ceiling speakers. Just before the show, I stumbled upon discussions
on social media about the efficacy of using COMSOL computer modeling to enhance
the performance of architectural speakers. When I visited Sonance, I witnessed
this innovative approach in action. Sonance’s latest Visual Experience line adopted
meticulously crafted computer-optimized designs, resulting in unparalleled perfor-
mance. Sonance, with its subsidiary James Audio, had previously introduced a quad
tweeter array, which, to be frank, was exceptionally loud but lacked finesse in sound
quality. However, Sonance had now integrated a fully optimized version of this quad
tweeter, and the difference was astounding. The revamped James Visual Experience
VXQ lineup incorporated the newly designed Quadratech tweeter array with a cymatic
diffuser. These were not just the finest in-ceiling speakers Sonance had ever offered;
they likely ranked among the best available.
We have the capability to simulate and perfect intricate designs, from fighter jets to
car platforms and even entire houses. It’s time
we apply this advanced approach to the world of
The Author
speaker design, ensuring meticulous optimiza-
tion before a single piece of material is touched. Matt is an audio engineer and
This shift marks a significant leap forward in the home theater designer with a
evolution of speaker technology, revolutionizing passion for movies, music, and
our approach to crafting audio solutions. expertly executed home
theaters.
 S&V's 2023 Entertainment Gift Guide By Chris Chiarella

FROM MARTIAL ARTS

TO MONDO BIZARRO
IN MY EXPERIENCE, we home entertain-
ment enthusiasts and physical media
collectors enjoy sharing, bringing the
gift of movies and music to like-minded
loved ones and maybe even (if we’ve been
nicer than naughty) building out our own
personal libraries. To help y’all get a handle
on some of the best offerings this year,
we’ve taken the liberty of grouping our
recommendations into a few tempting
categories so you can find the perfect
holiday stocking-stuffers.

For the Martial Arts Maven

❱ Jackie Chan: Emergence of a Superstar

BLU-RAY (THE CRITERION COLLECTION)
❱ The Jackie Chan Collection Volume 1 (1976-1982)
BLU-RAY (SHOUT SELECT)
There’s never been a movie star with the skills, smarts and dedication of
Jackie Chan, and cinema might never see his like again. Boutique label
Criterion agrees, surveying six projects that chart the increasing creative
control that presage his rise to the top: Spiritual Kung Fu (1978), The Fear-
less Hyena (1979), Fearless Hyena II (1983), The Young Master (1980), My subtitle translations, some with English dubs, while almost every title here
Lucky Stars (1985) and Half a Loaf of Kung Fu (1978) in high-def restora- brings a new audio commentary (some with two) in addition to many new
tions with stereo/5.1 Cantonese soundtracks and newly translated English on-camera interviews and featurettes. (Volume 4 due by year’s end.)
subtitles. Extras include a pair of commentaries, interviews and deleted
footage. Shout!’s first set covers much that same critical phase of Jack- ❱ The Tiger Cage Collection
ie’s trajectory, showcasing him in a range of roles across seven movies: BLU-RAY (SHOUT! STUDIOS)
The Killer Meteors, Shaolin Wooden Men, To Kill With Intrigue, Snake and The entire Tiger Cage trilogy (1988-1991) is together on Blu-ray for the first
Crane Arts of Shaolin, Dragon Fist, Battle Creek Brawl and Dragon Lord, this time in North America, in 2K restorations. All are directed by the legendary
last one in two different cuts. Terrific HD masters and an array of audio fight choreographer and Kill Bill/Matrix veteran, Yuen Woo-Ping, so hang
options abound, with commentaries for all and lots of legacy interviews, on for lots of high-caliber action as a deep bullpen of above-and-beyond
plus the exclusive new documentary, The Golden Boy: Harvesting A Major cops (Donnie Yen in I and II!) takes on a string of particularly nasty
New Martial Arts Maverick. baddies. Each includes a new audio commentary, a smattering of new
interviews across the set, and the first two movies even arrive in two
❱ ShawBrothers Classics different cuts.
Vols. One and Three
BLU-RAY (SHOUT! STUDIOS)
The Shaw Brothers’ cornucopia of high-
production-value films never seems to
stop giving, their catalog reborn in spiffy
HD masters. The first set assembles
eleven gems spanning 1967-1969, among
them The Golden Swallow, The Golden
Sword, The Thundering Sword, The Sword
of Swords, Killer Darts and the equally
dangerous-sounding The Flying Dagger.
Jumping ahead, there’s an even dozen
from 1976-1979: Web of Death, Death Duel,
Deadly Breaking Sword, Shaolin Avengers,
Shaolin Abbott, Shaolin Rescuers and still
more. All are in Mandarin mono with new

soundandvision.com ❘ 23
ENTERTAINMENT GIFT GUIDE

Ho-Ho-Horror

❱ Paramount Scares Vol. 1

LIMITED EDITION 4K BOX SET (PARAMOUNT)
So many timeless frights from a single studio: Mia Farrow stars
in Roman Polanski’s disturbing Rosemary’s Baby (1968), Stephen
King and Mary Lambert take us to the Pet Sematary (1989), Tim
Burton and Johnny Depp serve up Stephen Sondheim and Hugh
Wheeler’s Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
(2007) before we sink our teeth into the underrated gator thriller
Crawl (2019) and the newest of the bunch, Smile (2022). All enjoy
native 4K masters with Dolby Vision, with varying audio formats
and degrees of bonus content, each with an exclusive new styl-
ized slipcover. Also tucked inside this handsome presentation
box are a custom issue of Fangoria, a funky logo pin, fun stickers
and digital copy codes.

❱ The Prophecy I-III 4K

(VINEGAR SYNDROME)
Often overlooked despite a top-notch cast across the trilogy—
Christopher Walken, Eric Stoltz, Viggo Mortensen, Amanda
Plummer, Jennifer Beals, Brittany Murphy—The Prophecy is
nonetheless a gripping saga of a stubborn evil angel determined
to tip the battle for humanity’s fate in his favor. Gregory Widen’s
The Prophecy (1995), Greg Spence’s The Prophecy II (1998) and
Patrick Lussier’s The Prophecy 3: The Ascent (2000) are lovingly
restored by Vinegar Syndrome for their 4K/HDR debut, crammed
with new bonus content featuring actors and crew, and all
housed inside an elaborate custom box.
❱ Bride of Chucky; Seed of Chucky; Curse of Chucky; Cult of Chucky
4K (SHOUT! STUDIOS)
These final four o.g. Child’s Play sequels officially became “Chucky” films, in
deference to their now iconic supernatural antagonist, rounding out the first
three films in the series released by Shout! in 2022. Spanning almost 20 years,
they plot some pretty wild territory as homicidal possessed toy Chuck finds
love (Tiffany’s no Barbie but she’s a real doll), has a critter and more. All feature
strong 4K/Dolby Vision masters and lossless 5.1 soundtracks; Seed, Curse and
Cult all with alternate cuts provided, along with HD Blu-rays and ample new and
old extras.

Anime-niacs

❱ Masaaki Yuasa: Five Films

BLU-RAY
(SHOUT! STUDIOS/GKIDS)
Masaaki Yuasa’s dynamic visual
style, distinctive sense of humor,
and his ability to defy genre have
endeared him to audiences world-
wide. All five of his feature films
are here, from Mind Game (2004)
to Inu-Oh (2021), plus extensive
bonus features, gorgeous new art
by Yuasa himself throughout (and
on a poster) plus a companion
book. A great gift not only for
current fans but for anyone who
wants a look at the future of the
medium.
❱ Gatchaman
Complete Collection
BLU-RAY (SENTAI)
The adventures of the Inter-
national Science Organization
and their elite, snazzily dressed
Science Ninja Team, Gatchaman
was reworked as Battle of the
Planets for the U.S. TV, earning
a loyal fan base. Sentai proffers
this budget-friendly reissue of
the collection with sleeve/disc
artwork by comic book luminary
Alex Ross, all 105 episodes
here in lossless stereo English
and Japanese with subtitles.
Bonus content includes three
OVAs (direct-to-video Original
Video Animations) and 1978’s
Gatchaman: The Movie plus 19
audio commentaries, creator
interviews, auditions and more.
❱ Evangelion:3.0+1.11 Thrice
Upon a Time
4K/BLU-RAY
(SHOUT!STUDIOS/GKIDS)
Shout! understands the charm
of giant robot action combined
with deeply layered characters,
tendering the first-ever 4K Evange-
lion release: Thrice is a continua-
tion of the Neon Genesis saga, the
fourth and final “Rebuild of Evan-
gelion” film and a blockbuster
2021 theatrical hit in Japan. This
handsome box also includes the
movie on HD Blu-ray in lossless
Japanese and English 5.1, a book,
art cards and a poster, plus a disc
of new extras.
❱ Spirited Away: Live on Stage
BLU-RAY
(SHOUT! STUDIOS/GKIDS)
Acompelling live-action adapta-
tion of Hayao Miyazaki’s Oscar-
winning 2001 masterwork, on
stage in front of an audience?
Sure enough, with sets, costumes,
puppets and memorable music
bringing it all to life in spec-
tacular fashion; two different
performances presented in their
entirety, each with alternate casts.

24 ❘ December 2023 January 2024 ❘ soundandvision.com

 Forged

❱ Resident Evil ❱ The Expendables Franchise

LIMITED EDITION 6-MOVIE 4K COLLECTION (LIONSGATE)
4K ULTRA HD STEELBOOK Franchise king Sly Stallone’s commit-
COLLECTION (SONY) ment to The Expendables is beyond
Critics be damned, these videogame- question, always appearing, usually
inspired zombie apocalypse thrillers- writing, once directing these pot
deserve another look, from 2002’s boilers that teamed big-name action
original Resident Evil to 2016’s The Final Chapter (with newly added heroes old and young to remind
bonus content!), now housed in an enticing steel box with the individual modern audiences how it’s done. This
metal cases for each that are so hot with collectors, and for good reason: Walmart-exclusive steelbook is the only complete-saga set we were
They’re not only durable but they make the custom artwork really pop. aware of at press time, housing all four Expendableses in a full metal
Just as important to videophiles: Sony has now upgraded the HDRto jacket with some snazzy artwork courtesy of Phantom City Creative, all
Dolby Vision. with explosive Dolby Atmos audio.

Small Screen, Big Boxes

❱ Babylon 5 The Complete Series

BLU-RAY (WARNER)
❱ Farscape The Complete Series
BLU-RAY (SHOUT! STUDIOS)
Creator J. Michael Straczynski’s slick mid-‘90s
Babylon 5 brings together disparate alien races
in good times and bad. The space station of the
title is a U.N. of sorts, headquarters for an epic
five-year arc (111 episodes) of high-stakes inter-
galactic politics. This “novel for television” is a
commitment but definitely worth it for fans of serialized sci-fi. Debuting a ❱ Columbo The 70s
few years later, Rockne S. O'Bannon’s Farscape took a more free-spirited BLU-RAY (KINO LORBER STUDIO CLASSICS)
approach, following fish-out-of-water human astronaut Crichton as he’s Following two pilot movies, Lt. Columbo became a more-or-less-monthly
delivered to a strange, distant galaxy. There’s an abundance of weird staple as part of NBC’s rotating Mystery Movie lineup, starting with the
creatures, including plenty of Jim Henson Company animatronics (don’t Steven Spielberg-directed episode, “Murder by the Book.” The rumpled
call them Muppets!), making and breaking alliances in their bid to stay genius with an endless list of pointed questions has graduated to televi-
one step ahead of the Peacekeepers. Cancelled after four seasons (88 sion icon status. All seven “seasons” from that 1971 to 1978 run have
episodes), the series includes here the cliffhanger-resolving Peacekeeper been remastered at 4K by Universal and are presented by KLSC in
Wars mini-series, along with 30 commentary tracks, a new retrospective excellent 1080p quality, with crisp digital audio and even an isolated
and lots more. music/effects track for all episodes plus a handy printed series guide.

❱ ALF The Complete Series ❱ The Flash The Complete Series

DELUXE EDITION DVD (SHOUT! STUDIOS)
For sci-fi with big dash of comedy,
the lovable “alien life form” better
known as ALF lands with all 99
episodes (including the edited "Try To
Remember"), restored to full broadcast
length, plus the cleverly cast 1996 TV
movie finale, Project: ALF. Also here
are The Animated Series prequel and
ALF Tales, putting the furry visitor from
Melmac into popular children's stories.
A new retrospective gives creators
Paul Fusco and Tom Patchetta
chance to reflect, and select episode
commentaries are delivered by ALF
and Patchett.
BLU-RAY (WARNER)
The longest-running (see what I did
there?) show in DC’s interconnected
“Arrowverse,” The Flash (starring
Grant Gustin, not Ezra Miller) crossed
the finish line this year, leaving behind
a gallery of defeated super-powered
rogues and heaps of personal
drama. Surprisingly ambitious for
weekly broadcast TV in its scope
and its visual effects, Flash was
good comic book television, fun and
exciting, and all 34 HD/5.1 discs
from the nine single-season
releases are neatly repacked here,
so all of the extras are intact.

soundandvision.com ❘ 25
ENTERTAINMENT GIFT GUIDE

Mondo Bizarro

❱ The Toxic Avenger

4K COLLECTION (TROMA FILMS/MVD)
Toxie is the most famous star from Lloyd Kaufman and Michael Herz's
Troma Entertainment, embodying in his mutated persona the winking
terror and raunchy humor that defined the independent studio. Despite
their low-budget origins, they’ve spared no expense with new 4K scans
of the four-part opus, revealing often-gnarly detail and texture plus
super-charged colors. The eight-disc Tox Box also includes lots of
commentaries, featurettes and new intros for all.
❱ Inside the Mind of Coffin Joe
LIMITED EDITION BLU-RAY (ARROW)
Brazil’s first-ever horror movie, 1964’s At Midnight I’ll Take Your Soul,
introduced the world to Zé do Caixão, a.k.a. Coffin Joe, a twisted
undertaker whose unnerving exploits would become legendary across
more than four decades of films, helping to usher in the “extreme
horror” sub-genre. The complete canon is here; most written, directed
by and starring José Mojica Marins; tales of sadism veering into drugs,
perversion and even a bit of social commentary. All are newly restored
at 4K, presented at solid 1080p with lossless audio, almost all with
commentaries and lots more across the six discs, with Arrow’s typically
exquisite packaging.

Timeless Tunes

❱ 1962-1966&1967-1970
(UNIVERSAL MUSIC ENTERPRISES)
First released 50 years ago, the “Red” and “Blue” compilations are a great
jumping-on point for the Beatle-curious, chronicling the lads’ superlative—
and prolific—output across the better part of a decade. These editions have
grown to 38 and 37 tracks respectively while sticking to their basic chro-
nology, all with new/recent stereo mixes. At the end of the latter batch is the
just-dropped cut, “Now and Then,” the last song all four worked on together.
There are plenty of formats and configurations to choose from, CD sets
and limited edition colored vinyl, with Atmos renditions available on digital/
streaming.

❱ The Sound of Music

SUPER DELUXE EDITION (CRAFT RECORDINGS)
What better way to celebrate a classic than by making that music sound
better than ever? Expanded, remixed and remastered from the vaulted multi-
track tapes, this 4-CD/1-BD über-luxe set brings together every note from
the film for the first time, with underscore, extensions, and 40+ previously
unreleased tracks. The Blu-ray Audio platter packs the complete film score
in 96kHz/24-bit hi-res as well as a new Dolby Atmos mix of the original
soundtrack album release, still one of the best-selling of all time. The shiny
discs arrive in a copiously illustrated, masterfully written hardbound book
destined for the coffee table, where
you’ll likely be tempted to serve
tea with jam and bread.

26 ❘ December 2023 January 2024 ❘ soundandvision.com

 test report
BRAVIA X93L 65" MINI LED 4K HDR GOOGLE TV

RATING

PERFORMANCE

FEATURES

Sony Steps Up
By Thomas J. Norton
ERGONOMICS

VALUE

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

soundandvision.com ❘ 27
 test report
been an issue, however, is lower
available brightness compared
to the better LCD televisions.
However, LCDs have tradition-
ally lacked the deep, inky blacks
exhibited by a good OLED. The
difference becomes glaringly
evident when viewing a starfield
against the blackness of outer
space on an OLED compared to
an LCD.
But the advent of LCD local
dimming allows the backlighting
needed by an LCD television to
be dimmed (or turned off) in
areas of the screen that should be
dark or black as required by the
source content, without affecting
brighter areas of the image. More
recently, this technology has
been significantly improved by
the advent of mini LEDs. Much
smaller than conventional LEDs,
a large number of mini LEDs,
controlled by sophisticated
microprocessing, can challenge
OLED technology in the ability to
produce pristine blacks.
OLEDs are still the champs
for many TV consumers, and
with good reasons. But mini LED
designs have impressed me
recently and Sony’s X93L, our
subject here, is a potent example.
A widespread meme in current
HDTV circles argues that this
year’s X93L is simply a rebadging
of Sony’s X93K from 2022. That’s
only partially true. Externally,
the two designs do appear
identical. But there have been
added tweaks to the 2023’s micro
processing, and the X93L is also
significantly less expensive than
was the X93K.
Beyond the 65-inch model
reviewed here, the Japanese-
designed and Mexico-built X93L
is also available in 75-inch and
85-inch versions. A more upscale
X95L is also available but only in
an 85" model.
SETUP AND FEATURES
The X93L’s dual-legged stand can
be positioned in one of two ways:
the two legs can be positioned
near enough to the center to
accommodate a narrow table, or
near the set’s outer edges. In the
latter position the legs can also be
extended slightly to raise the set
28 ❘ December 2023 January 2024
enough to allow sufficient space
for a soundbar. Wall mounting is
of course another option, though
a suitable wall bracket must be
purchased separately. The Sony
is a bit thicker and heavier than a
similarly sized OLED, but it’s not
difficult for two people to unpack
and set up with a table mount.
The connections on the back
include four HDMI inputs. Two of
them are HDMI 2.1, the other two
are HDMI 2.0. Sony has long-
delayed making all of their HDMI
connections 2.1, but I suspect
that two 2.1 inputs should be all
that most users will need for now
and into the foreseeable future.
One of the HDMI 2.1 inputs would
be sufficient for 120Hz games
on a gaming console, and the
other HDMI 2.1 input can service
another console for the heavy
gamer. One of the HDMI 2.1 inputs
also serves as this Sony’s eARC
port.
The X93L offers a range of
desirable gaming features. These
include 120Hz at 4K (from the
HDMI 2.1 inputs), VRR, ALLM, and
a game-specific menu. Sony’s
XR Cognitive processor supports
these, along with performing the
processing for a long list of addi-
tional features. I turned off many
of these options in my critical
viewing, but I did find that the
Auto setting of Sony’s ubiquitous
Reality Creation feature produced
a very subtle increase in detail
without ever being obtrusive. But I
typically ignore features related to
noise reduction, various enhance-
ments, and anything related to
motion smoothing in all but the
most egregious situations.
External programming can be
accessed for display on the Sony
via the usual routes (cable, disc
players, streaming, and even Blue-
tooth). You can also share content
on the X93L from an iPhone, iPad,
or Mac via Sony’s AirPlay feature.
Sony now uses Google TV
as its Smart TV platform. It’s
no surprise that the full Google
treatment links to a wide range
of movies, shows, and other
features. That’s the nature of all
Smart TV platforms. I didn’t sign
up for a Google account
for this review. This offers
even more added content
❘ soundandvision.com
I didn’t want or need beyond
what was already available to me,
plus giving Google a dossier of
my viewing habits to share with
advertisers.
The Sony is compatible with
all the most widely used HDR
sources, including Dolby Vision,
HDR10, HLG, Netflix Calibrated
Mode, IMAX Enhanced, and
BRAVIA Core Calibrated Mode
(the latter unfamiliar to me!). It
also works with Alexa, Apple
Airplay, and Apple HomeKit vocal
assistants, plus voice control via
the remote. Sony’s remote control
wasn’t one of my favorites. It’s
small, all black with small buttons,
and isn’t backlit. I do a lot of
serious viewing (and calibrating)
in the dark or near dark, and the
lack of backlighting is a signifi-
cant issue, especially given my
aversion to using voice assistants.
Sony’s X-Anti Reflection feature
is designed to do what the name
suggests. It works reasonably
well if there are bright, busy
images on the screen to help hide
reflections. But with darker screen
content, or with the set turned off
and light from a lamp or a window
near or behind the viewer, reflec-
tions were visible. That’s hardly
a deal killer; any TV should be
positioned as well as possible to
minimize reflections from lights in
the room falling onto the screen.
Another feature, Sony’s X-Wide
Angle, is designed to offer consis-
tent viewing from off-center
seats. This is traditionally an issue
with many LCD-based televisions
(to repeat an important point
here for newbies, any mini-LED
television is simply a sophisti-
cated variation of LCD technology,
despite the name). X-Wide Angle
isn’t perfect, and not as effective
off center as are OLEDs which
always offer superb viewing from
any angle. But the degradation of
the Sony’s image as viewed from
any reasonable off-center seat is
unlikely to bother most viewers
seated less than 45-degrees from
the center. The guests for your
upcoming Super Bowl party won’t
need to huddle cheek to cheek.
Since my last Sony review the
menu layout has changed. I can’t
say I’m thrilled by the new layout,
but over time I became accus-
tomed to it. The options appear
on the right side of the screen,
and when the desired selection is
reduced to the lower right-hand
corner (by hitting “Enter”), its pres-
ence on the screen doesn’t skew
the calibration results--an issue
with the menus on some TVs.
One welcome change is that once
you’re in the menu you can hold
the down button on the remote
and the selection will quickly
scroll down to the color adjust-
ment part of the menu (2-point
high and low color, 10-point color,
and a Color Management
system) and stop there.
Those are the controls
a calibrator will likely spend the
most time with.
The X93L uniformity on full-
screen white windows was excel-
lent, with no visible blotches or
DSE (dirty screen effect). Sony’s
motion handling was excellent,
though I never felt the need to
engage Sony’s
Motionflow feature. In the
latter’s Clearness setting, adjust-
able dark frame insertion may
also be engaged. The number
of local dimming zones wasn’t
possible to determine given the
tests available to me, but it’s
clearly very high (Sony doesn’t
specify the number of zones).
The Sony wouldn’t cleanly
upscale 2:2 and 3:2 sources from
an early Spears & Munsil test
disc, an issue that was handled
correctly when an Oppo Blu-Ray
player did the upconversion. But
I saw no similar artifacts on any
other program material I viewed,
either in SDR and HDR.
I used Custom Picture Mode
throughout this review for both
SDR and HDR. Out of the box, the
SDR settings for the Brightness
and Contrast controls were at
35 and 90 respectively. But in
those settings, I found the Sony’s
SDR performance far too bright
for comfort in my situation. I left
Brightness at 35 but dropped the
Contrast down to around 70. The
optimum SDR settings for you
may well differ based on your
preferences and the light level
in your room. While I calibrated
SDR at the out of the box 35 and
90 respectively, reducing these
settings had no significant effect
on the quality of the post-calibra-
tion results.
For optimum HDR perfor-
mance, however, the Brightness
and Contrast settings must be set
to at least Max and 90 respec-
tively. If you use any settings other
than 35 and 90 for SDR you’ll
need to manually reset those
controls to Max (Brightness) and
90 (Contrast) for HDR. In fact, in
my testing I found that the best
measured HDR results, by a small
degree, were achieved with both
Brightness and Contrast set to
Max.
The Sony’s audio is also
impressive. The two channels
(left and right) each has its own
woofer and tweeter. During the
testing I never felt an irresistible
urge to fire up my main audio
system. Of course, the main
reason for that was I didn’t want
to be distracted by the latter’s
bigger, more enveloping sound
when the Sony’s visuals were
front and center here. But the
Sony even on its own offered
clean dialogue, a subtle taste of
envelopment on some sources,
and no audio quirks that took
me out of the experience. But it’s
important to point out that the
position of any TV will drastically
affect its sound. As used here, the
Sony was on a tabletop and well
clear of adjoining walls because
this offered the most convenient
access to both the front and the
back of the set.
VIEWING
Even out of the box and before any
calibration the Sony X93L offered
a level of performance that will
likely delight most viewers. But its
peak HDR luminance, while good,
was a few notches lower than
anticipated. This prompted the
At a Glance
Black levels
Superb color
Affordability
Menu ergonomics
Remote control
Price: $1800
delivery of a second sample. The
peak output of sample 2 wasn’t
all that different and is the one
calibrated, viewed, and reported
on here. We’ve tested HDTVs
with higher peak HDR brightness
levels, but for reasons addressed
in the Test Bench, no buyer is
likely to be anything but delighted
by both the HDR and SDR perfor-
mance of the Sony X93L.
Beginning with HDR, the
demonstration material on the
latest Spears & Munsil Ultra HD
Benchmark test discs looked
nothing short of exceptional on
the Sony. With the source material
set to 10,000 nits I was blown
soundandvision.com ❘ 29
 test report
BRAVIA X93L 65" MINI LED 4K HDR GOOGLE TV

Test Bench
For the control settings used here go to soundandvision.com.
While using them might be effective with a different sample, unit-
to-unit sample variations might render them less precise than an
individual calibration.
All the measured results here were taken using Calman
measurement software from Portrait Displays, together with X-Rite
i1Pro3 Plus and Klein’s K-10A color meters, and a Fresco 6G pattern
generator from Murideo.
Some of today’s HDR-capable TVs, such as this Sony, are designed
so that after you calibrate for SDR the set itself automatically
tweaks the settings to optimize the results for HDR when you
switch to an HDR source. The visible SDR settings in the menus
remain unchanged in this situation; the electronic tweaks needed
by the HDR material are performed inside the set and invisible to
the user. But I had some trouble with this, likely due to my own
fumble-itis when it comes to computers. So I did it in reverse, first
doing a full calibration in HDR and then checking SDR to see if this
process works in reverse. At least on the Sony, it did.
the peak 2.49. With luminance errors, the average was 2.06 and the
HDR10 maximum 6.2.
BT.2020 saturation sweeps produced a respectable result
FULL-ON, FULL-OFF CONTRAST RATIO: 448,455:1
apart from green and cyan, which were poor as they are on most
The maximum HDR output I measured from the X93L was 986.6 consumer displays. But no present or anticipated consumer sources
nits (this was the second X93L sample we checked and the first was can achieve BT.2020). The results were far better on P3 color inside
only a little different). The set’s ECO mode was turned Off on both BT.2020 with Delta Es averaging 2.4 with peaks at 4.4--the latter only
samples. I also confirmed this by disconnecting most of the test at the 100% level (they never exceeded 3.4 at 80% and below).
setup and used just the Murideo test pattern generator connected Using the 1976 standard, the Sony X93L covered 72.3% of BT.2020
directly to a Minola LS-100 luminance meter, which measured 1084 color and 94.4% of P3 color.
nits in HDR--only marginally different from the full test setup
(Murideo pattern generator, computer running Calman 2023 for SDR
Business, and a Klein colorimeter profiled against an X-Rite i1Pro3
FULL-ON, FULL-OFF CONTRAST RATIO: UNMEASURABLE
Plus for color accuracy. Overall these results are about 30% lower
than has been reported elsewhere. The only plausible explanation The SDR results were produced with the Brightness set to 35 and
for this discrepancy would be batch-to-batch variations, though this the Contrast to 90, as they arrive out of the box. This produced an
is unlikely. output level of 414 nits, or 121 foot-lamberts. The brightness was
On the upside here, keep in mind that human vision isn’t linear; 0.000 nits, resulting from the unmeasurable result shown above.
perceptually, a luminance increase of 25% is relatively small. If this As discussed in the review, you can turn these two controls down
were not the case, we’d all go blind in the transition from dawn to if that result is too bright for you (as it was for me). Lowering
noon. In addition, many (but not all!) HDR sources are limited to either or both of these control for SDR didn’t materially alter the
1000 nits. I also ran an HDR test showing the peak light output vs calibrated results.
window size, and the X93L peaked at just over 1000 nits on a 15% After calibration, the SDR luminance Delta E values of the X93L
window, smoothly tapering down to just over 500 nits at the lowest never exceeded 2.9 (at 20%; with a low of 0.6 at 100%). The color
(small window) and highest (full screen) extremes. Most HDR Delta Es remained at or below 1.8 except for Blue at 4.0. A color
HDTVs we’ve tested are less uniform than this in their brightness vs checker produced an average Delta E of 1.4 and a peak of 4.8 (the
window size results. latter for 100% blue).
Delta E is a figure of merit that indicates how closely a display
adheres to the color standard. Experts generally agree that at DIMENSIONS: (W x H x D, inches): 56.875 x 32.875 x
Delta E levels below 3.0-4.0 (most argue for 3.0) the result is visibly 2.5 (without stand) x ; 56.875 x 35.75 x 13.6255 (with
indistinguishable from perfect tracking. Delta E values are also Specs stand)
typically used to characterize the accuracy of either white balance WEIGHT: (pounds): 70.8 (without stand): 72.7 (with
(grayscale), or individual primary and secondary colors. stand)
Post HDR calibration, all of the color Delta Es were below 3.2 VIDEO INPUTS: HDMI 4 (2 x HDMI 2.0, 2 x HDMI
(cyan) with none of the others over 2.8. The luminance Delta Es 2.1), eARC on HDMI 3, AV (L/R audio/composite video) with adapter,
(from 10% to 100%) averaged 1.3 with a maximum of 2.4. Cable/Antenna
On a color-match color checker test, measuring the Delta Es on a AUDIO OUTPUTS: Optical digital (TosLink)
wide range of colors, the average without luminance was 0.79 and OTHER: Ethernet, 2 x USB

30 ❘ December 2023 January 2024 ❘ soundandvision.com

away by the results with
only one exception: the
multi-level white details
on a shot of horses in the
snow (well known to cali-
brators and dedicated video enthu-
siasts as a killer test) exhibited
serious white clipping. But at lower
selected peak white levels (the
demo can be viewed at a range
of peak levels), visible clipping
was insignificant. While there are
commercial movie discs mastered
at a peak level of 10,000 nits, lower
peak levels, including 1000 nits,
are more common.
Prometheus was the least
effective of the HDR discs I
sampled. But while it’s very dark
throughout most of its length,
as was intended by the director
and appropriate for the film’s
story, it’s a shade darker than I
recall from earlier viewings on
other displays. The scene of the
android David, as he discovers
a holographic, starscape “map”
to earth in the buried alien ship,
was a little less gripping than I
recall from previous encounters
on other sets. Nor can the Sony,
like all LCD/LED sets, produce
starfields as brilliantly as an OLED
can. Nevertheless, an early shot
of the ship Prometheus, trudging
through space with stars behind
it and the ship’s fiercely bright
engines firing away was more
than impressive.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.2
starts off well but grows progres-
sively more potent. Once we
get to the battle scenes my only
response was W0W! With all the
fires churning (and I do mean fires;
the bright fires and explosions
here jump out and grab you), not
to mention the vividly bright ships
of the Sovereigns as both they and
Peter Quille’s father come after the
Guardians from all directions for
different reasons. It’s a light show
of epic proportions and the Sony
ate it all up.
But when it comes to the
brilliant colors HDR can produce,
nothing can beat a vivid helping of
animation. Trolls World Tour may
not be in the first tier of animation
as a story, and is more than a little
weird, but the color and detail it
offered on the Sony never let up as
Poppy and company travel to find
here that appear to have used well-
produced mattes during produc-
tion, with foreground characters
and elements (possibly shot in a
studio) layered atop background
environments. This process
couldn’t hide from the crystal-
clear Sony.
A few further words are appro-
priate here about the X93Ls black
level performance. It was easily
comparable to what I’ve seen from
OLEDs. When the source calls for
total blacks, that’s what you get. If
those blacks are hard up against
the edge of the screen in a fully
darkened room, you can’t differ-
entiate between the blacks on the
screen and the area beyond the
screen’s borders. Shadow detail
was also impressive. This mini
LED might not be an OLED killer,
the Hard Rock Queen, and save story or the outstanding Blu-ray but it’s certainly a challenger.
the music individuality of the many as viewed on the Sony X93L.The
realms of Troll-dom. The least film was originally shot in Super
vivid realm, but the most fun, was Technorama 70. How much of that The Verdict
Country, (it gets the best musical process’s low-grain, high resolu-
number!). If there’s a more colorful tion quality made it through to the Even before calibration, this Sony
4K UHD Blu-ray around I’ve yet to Blu-ray I can’t say. But the Sony produced superb images. But
see it. It was a treat from begin- looked magnificent on this film, calibration truly brought out the
ning to end on the Sony. from the bright red British Army best from it in both HDR to SDR.
You might think that viewing uniforms to the dusty, near arid Our samples offered slightly less
vanilla SDR would be anticlimactic environments of southwest Africa. luminance in HDR than expected,
after all that, but you’d be wrong. I The X93L also revealed details but that was quickly forgotten
began by watching a 20-year-old you probably weren’t intended to once the lights dimmed and the
Pioneer demo Blu-ray, mastered notice. There are many scenes viewing began.
with a wide and strikingly vivid
assortment of demo material.
Even its audio as heard on the
Sony was impressive (Pioneer
knew what they were doing way
back then!). I’ll just say here that
the 2K video on this disc would
challenge almost any SDR video
you’ll find today. On the Sony it
was a standout.
Set in the pre and early Victorian
years, I chose The Young Victoria
for its colorful production design.
The Sony didn’t disappoint. While
the production lacks the crisp
resolution of Victoria and Abdul (a
similar story but set decades later,
its production details were a treat
on the Sony (as was Emily Blunt in
the title role!).
Staying the Victorian era, but
in a very different film, we have
1964’s Zulu. It’s a superb produc-
tion that would never be made
today with changed attitudes
toward empires. But that takes
nothing away from either the
soundandvision.com ❘ 31
 test report
FOCAL VESTIA N°3 SURROUND LOUDSPEAKER SYSTEM
Forte et Clair
By Thomas J. Norton
FOCAL HAS long been a high-end
French loudspeaker manufacturer
with a significant investment in
research and development to outpace
its competition. While their flagship
loudspeakers are known for their steep
price tags, the new Vestia line offers
a range of options—including three
floor-standing speakers, a bookshelf
model, and the Vestia Center. The
32 ❘ December 2023 January 2024 ❘ soundandvision.com
top-tier option, the Vestia N°4, is priced
at $4,400 per pair in the U.S. While not
exactly bargain-basement prices, they
are competitive in the global loud-
speaker market.
Many brands with Western names
and ownership opt to manufacture their
products in China or countries in East
Asia to minimize expenses. Although
this isn’t necessarily a downside—
RATING
PERFORMANCE
BUILD QUALITY
VALUE
many of these designs are excellent—
Focal stands apart by designing and
manufacturing all of its loudspeakers
in France. This commitment to local
Modern meets manufacturing extends even to their
audiophile: Focal key components, such as cabinets and
Vestia speakers fit drivers. While some smaller elements
into contemporary like resistors, capacitors, and inductors
decor and sound for crossover networks may inevitably
fantastic, too. be sourced from Asia, Focal maintains
its primary production within
France.
DESIGN
For this review, Focal provided us
with Vestia N°3 speakers for the
left and right channels, a Vestia
Center, and Vestia N°1 book-
shelf models for the surrounds.
Positioned just below the top-tier
N°4s in terms of features, the N°3
speakers feature three 6.5-inch
woofers compared to the N°4’s
two 8-inch woofers. While Focal
offers a range of compact
subwoofers, they were not a
good fit for my spacious listening
room. When additional bass was
required, especially for complex
soundtracks, a pair of SVS
PB-3000 subwoofers performed
admirably.
The Vestia N°3 is designed
as a three-way system, incorpo-
rating three 6.5-inch woofers, a
6.5-inch midrange, and a 1-inch
“M-shaped” inverted dome
tweeter, referred to as “TAM” for
home audio applications. The
cones are made of Slatefiber,
a material first introduced in
Focal’s Chora range. The speaker
includes both a front and a rear
bass port and features a single
pair of multi-purpose binding
posts, making biwiring unfeasible.
Though magnetic grilles are avail-
able, I chose to leave them off
during my tests.
The Vestia N°1 bookshelf
speaker is a two-way, front-ported
design with a 6.5-inch Slatefiber
woofer and a TAM tweeter. The
Vestia Center follows a similar
two-way design, featuring two
6.5-inch Slatefiber woofers, two
rear ports, and a TAM tweeter.
All Vestia models are adorned
with a leather-like wrap in either
black or white that covers the
front baffle, top, and back. Side
panels are available in high-gloss
black or in a choice of wood
finishes. The N°3s are equipped
with a short plinth that slightly tilts
the speaker backward. To adjust
for a height difference between
my seated ear level and the
speaker’s tweeter, I used shims
under the rear of the speaker.
The Vestia Center speaker
design deserves mention. While it
performs well for listeners seated
directly in front, it’s less optimal
for those situated off-center. In
such positions, the dual woofers
can cause a noticeable dip in
frequency response, most evident
around 2kHz in my room. The
Vestia lineup would significantly
benefit from an advanced three-
way center speaker design.
Implementing such an upgrade
could substantially improve the
Vestia system’s overall perfor-
mance rating.
SETUP
I positioned the Vestia N°3s about
eight feet apart near the front
of the room, roughly four feet
out from the wall behind them,
and angled in toward the center
listening seat. The closest side-
wall was about three feet from
the left speaker. The Vestia N°1
bookshelf speakers, used here as
surrounds, were positioned high
up near the back of the room. The
room cannot accommodate Dolby
recommended positioning—on
the sides of the room, behind the
listening position and just above
ear height. The Vestia Center,
placed on a low stand that angles
it slightly upward, was centered
between the N°3s and about a
foot in front of and below the TCL
85-inch TV I recently reviewed. A
pair of SVS PB-3000 subwoofers
were also included where
needed—one located at the right
front of the room and the other at
the left rear.
My listening room and setup
produce a significant peak
between 100 and 200Hz at
the main listening seat—to one
degree or another, on every
loudspeaker I’ve reviewed in this
space, including the Vestias.
Rearranging the room is not an
option. The only way to address
this—and audition the speakers
as they’d sound in a room without
this issue—is to use equalization.
As I’ve done in the past, I dialed in
Audyssey room correction below
500Hz. This was implemented
on the Denon AVR-X6700H
receiver, which also drove all the
main speakers—apart from the
powered subwoofers when they
were used.
All the source material I used
here was from discs, including
CDs, Blu-rays, and Ultra HD Blu-
rays. I used an Oppo UDP-203
Ultra HD Blu-ray player for
both music and movies. It was
connected to the Denon AVR via
HDMI for movies and via a coaxial
link for 2-channel music. All the
Vestia speakers were auditioned
without their grilles.
MUSIC
I did all my music listening
in 2-channel stereo from the
left and right channels only,
employing the Audyssey room
correction described above. But
I also realized very soon that
without subwoofer support in
this arrangement the bass was
lean. This was no surprise and
no reflection on the Focal Vestia
N°3s. My room, in addition to the
mid-bass peak that Audyssey
helpfully removed, also offers
poor support for the deep bass.
This will not be an issue in many
smaller (or less open concept)
rooms. I could have cured it by
additional Audyssey tweaking but
preferred to leave the Audyssey
untouched and instead simply
dialed in the Denon AVR’s Bass
control to +3. This won’t neces-
sarily be ideal for all rooms and all
AVRs, whose bass control curves
might differ. (It’s also a violation
of Amendment 2 to the Audiophile
Code, but I did it anyway). My goal
was to eliminate as much of the
room’s effect on the Focal’s bass
At a Glance
Strong and clear sound
Excellent imaging
Made in France
Best with a subwoofer
for action films
2-way center speaker
Price: (without
subwoofers): $5400
(302) 729-2495
www.focal-america.com
performance as possible when
used without a subwoofer. Low
bass and mid-bass issues (apart
from ultimate deep bass reach)
are almost universally produced
by the room and/or loudspeaker
placement when played at levels
short of audible distortion.
A bass boost of this degree
makes significant demands
on both the loudspeakers and
the AVR’s on-board amplifiers.
Thankfully, at any sensible
playback level neither the Focals
(whose sensitivity is rated at a
higher-than-average 92dB) nor the
Denon AVR was audibly disturbed
by the added stress (though it’s
likely certain that some source,
somewhere, might challenge this
configuration).
To clarify any confusion below
about the application here of
Audyssey room Eq and/or the
+3dB bass tweak, Audyssey
soundandvision.com ❘ 33
 test report
FOCAL VESTIA N°3 SURROUND LOUDSPEAKER SYSTEM

Test Bench
These in-room measurements were made using the Parts Express
Omnimic measuring software and microphone at ear height in
the main listening position about 10-feet from the left and right
speakers. The results shown here are for the Focal Vestia N°3 (left
channel only except as noted) either driven full range without
subwoofers, or with two SVS PB-3000 subwoofers and the Vestia
N°3s crossed over at 90Hz. All the measurements were made the
main ear position, not an average of several positions. Experience
has shown that an average of several readings in my room, taken
across an L/R span of about 2 feet, differs little from the single
position measurement apart from smoothing out small ripples
in the response. None of the curves shown here used the +3dB
bass tweak referenced in the text. All the curves were 1/6th octave
smoothed. Crossovers to subwoofers when used: 90Hz.—TJN

VESTIA N°3 ($3600/PAIR): 3 x 6.5-inch Slatefiber

cone woofers, 6.5-inch) Slatefiber cone midrange,
Specs 1-inch) Al/Mg TAM tweeter; WxHxD: 10.125 x 44.125
x 14.75 (inches).
[dBSPL]

VESTIA CENTER ($700): 2 x 6.5-inch Slatefiber

cone woofers, 1-inch) Al/Mg TAM tweeter; WxHxD
21.125 x 8.25 x 10.25 (inches).
VESTIA N°1 ($1200/PAIR): 6.5-inch Slatefiber cone woofer, 1-inch)
Al/Mg TAM tweeter; WxHxD 8.625 x 15.25 x 10.25 (inches).
Frequency Response -freq [Hz]

Fig. 1 Left channel with 2 subwoofers: Blue: no Audyssey room

EQ. Red: with Audyssey room EQ in Reference mode. EQ only
below 500Hz.
[dBSPL]

[dBSPL]

Frequency Response -freq [Hz] Frequency Response -freq [Hz]

Fig. 2 With 2 subwoofers. Red left channel, Blue right channel, both Fig. 3 Left channel. Red with 2 subwoofers. Blue without
with Audyssey in room EQ Reference mode, EQ only below 500Hz. subwoofers. Both with Audyssey EQ below 500Hz.

below 500Hz was engaged for all
the following discussions. Only
when the subwoofers were off
was the +3dB adjustment dialed
in with the bass control. The bass
control was always returned to
zero whenever the subwoofers
were used.
This was the first time I’ve
experimented with a +3dB tweak
in this room, but with the Vestias
it worked beautifully on some of
the most challenging material
in my collection. The bass was
striking, included drums of all
sorts (including aggressive Kodo
drums), both classical string bass
and double bass, and electronica
of all sorts. Other music genres
worked beautifully as well. Female
voices were natural and well-posi-
tioned suspended in a well-defined
soundstage without unnatural
sibilants. Percussion instruments
were as crisp and accurate as they
needed to be without unnatural
edginess. Image depth, while not
jaw-dropping (as might be true
for most of you, a flat-screen TV
sits just a foot or two behind the
plane of the front speakers) it was
convincing when present on the
recording.
So, without a subwoofer or
two, the bass from the front
pair of Vestia N°3s is unlikely
to disappoint anyone shopping
in this price range. But adding
in a pair of subwoofers carried
them to another level. The Focal
blended seamlessly with the two
SVS PB-3000 subs I used. And for
movies, I recommend adding a
sub or (even better) two.
MOVIES
I began my surround testing with
one of the best soundtracks in my
collection: Blade Runner 2049. It’s a
challenge for any system in a large
room without at least one good
subwoofer. I started cautiously
with the Vestia N°3 towers left and
right, driven full range without a
subwoofer (but here without the
+3dB boost--I know well the chal-
lenges offered by this soundtrack).
The rest of the system consisted
of the Vestia Center and the pair
of Vestia N°1 bookshelves as
surrounds. But on the first impact
of the bass at the very beginning
of the film, the left Vestia emitted
some ugly crackles that had me
diving for the Blu-ray player’s pause
control. Fortunately, the Vestia
exhibited no sign of damage, but
given that experience I used a
pair of SVS PB-3000 subwoofers
for the remainder of my surround
home theater auditioning. I also
raised the level of the subwoofers
slightly, above the levels shown in
the Test Bench results, to which
the system responded readily,
with powerful but not overblown
bass. The blend of the Vestias with
the subwoofers was superb. But
to keep the system fully Focal-
ed apart from the subs, I shut
down the Dolby Atmos overhead
speakers for this review.
I don’t want to give the impres-

34 ❘ December 2023 January 2024 ❘ soundandvision.com


sion here that the Vestia N°3
towers, sans subwoofers, would
be insufficient for an excellent
surround-sound setup for music
and movies. Your room may be
smaller than mine, your preference
of playback levels different, and
your choice of source material less
challenging. But in general, any
good home theater setup deserves
one or two good subwoofers. You
could, in fact, save significant
money, and achieve the same
results, by selecting a pair of the
Vestia floor-standing N°2s ($800
less per pair U.S. than the N°3s)
and put the money saved toward
a good subwoofer. We didn’t
have N°2s on hand to audition
in such a setup, but logic (and
comparing the specs of the N°2s
and the N°3s) suggests that this
option would make both sonic and
fiscal sense. So why does Focal
offer such a wide range of Vestia
models? Because, as with all
manufacturers, it must configure
its product lines to appeal to a
wide range of buyers. And there
are legions of 2-channel audio-
philes who would never consider a
subwoofer.
In any event, the Vestias plus
subwoofers as auditioned here
left nothing on the table. Blade
Runner 2049 sounded incred-
ible on the system, from its deep
growling bass to its astonishing
range of music and effects. The
subwoofer-ed Vestia system
grabbed it all and never let go,
producing a remarkably cohesive
sound space. I have my issues
with all 2-way center speakers,
as noted earlier, when heard from
off-center. But from my center
listening seat the Vestia Center
blended seamlessly with the rest
of the system. The dialogue was
consistently clear, hampered
neither by mid-bass thickening nor
fizzy sibilants. Overall, the system
fully engaged my senses, from
the film’s biggest scenes to its
quietest moments. The reproduc-
tion of the film’s environmental
subtleties was particularly effec-
tive in drawing me into scene after
scene. Perhaps I was simply in the
right mood, but I don’t believe I’ve
ever before heard this film sound
so consistently impressive.
I’ve viewed some or all of
the recent animated musical
film Encanto many times since
acquiring the 4K disc and never
tire of it. Both its visuals (in superb
HDR) and its audio (particularly
the songs from Lin-Manuel
Miranda, best known for his work
in the Broadway hit Hamilton) were
first rate. The musical fun begins
as the lead character, Mirabel,
describes her family to local
children in their small Colombian
town--a song clearly meant to give
the viewer valuable information.
The lyrics here are rapid-fire, and
while it’s’ a challenge to follow the
words, the Vestia Center didn’t let
me down. None of the other songs
are quite so densely scored, but
the music here, together with the
sometimes-surprising effects as
Mirabel encounters her long-
missing, black-sheep uncle Bruno
(no one talks about Bruno!) were
child’s play for the Vestia system.
I was familiar with both above
soundtracks before the Vestia
made them so vivid, but the
biggest surprise was yet to come.
I have a number of disks, 4K and
otherwise, cooling on my shelves
waiting for the right mood to strike
for a first look. It struck here on
Spiderman: Into the Spider-Verse.
If you’ve seen it, you’ll understand
my mixed feelings about its story
(easy to follow in a broad-brush
way but often convoluted in its
details). Nevertheless, I’ve rarely
seen more stunning animation,
or a more striking use of 4K HDR
video. But audio is our main event
here, and when I could wrest my
attention away from the visuals it
was clear that the film’s sound, as
heard on the Vestias, kept pace
with the brilliant production design
step by step. As in the other films
referenced above, it was clear that
the Vestia speaker system didn’t
detract from the jaw dropping
experience in any way.
The Focal Vestia series makes
a compelling argument for quality
craftsmanship in a market satu-
rated by cost-effective alterna-
tives. With its innovative design,
use of unique materials like
Slatefiber, and remarkable perfor-
mance, the Vestia line lives up to
its brand’s reputation. However,
there is room for improvement
in the center speaker’s design,
particularly when it comes to
off-center listening experiences. If
you’re shopping in this price range
and are discerning about audio
quality, the Vestia series deserves
thoughtful consideration. Yet, if
you’re considering a full home
theater setup, don’t skimp on
a good subwoofer to complete
your audio experience; the SVS
PB-3000 pair used in our test
proved to be an excellent match.
Overall, the Vestia line manages
to maintain Focal’s heritage while
offering a competitive option for
today’s audio enthusiast.
The Verdict
Unless it happened in the long
forgotten, misty days of my earli-
est reviews, I can’t recall ever
before reviewing a Focal loud-
speaker. But years ago, I did visit
the Focal factory in France and
was impressed by the company’s
forward, creative thinking. That
remains true today, as the new
Focal Vestia lineup clearly demon-
strates.
soundandvision.com ❘ 35
 test report
KEF LS60 WIRELESS POWERED LOUDSPEAKERS
Practically Perfect
By Daniel Kumin
IF YOU’VE been looking for a “just-
add music” stereo system under seven
or eight grand (or, for that matter nine
or ten), you can stop.
Whatever the opposite of “burying
the lede” is, I think I just did it. Don’t
care: KEF’s new LS60 wireless,
powered tower streaming loudspeaker
system is just that good. I’ve been
evangelizing active-speaker design
as the only sensible way to engineer a
36 ❘ December 2023 January 2024 ❘ soundandvision.com
music system for more decades than
I’m prepared to admit in print, and in
the digital age my preference has been
borne out with a dramatic flowering
of truly excellent, smart, streaming
powered speakers. And the LS60 is, by
a pretty wide margin, my new favorite
of the bunch.
First, what is it? Visually, the LS60
is a super-slim tower with a 2-way
concentric driver visible on its narrow
RATING
PERFORMANCE
BUILD QUALITY
VALUE
baffle, and a quartet of dual-opposed
woofers on the sides. It’s a strikingly
dramatic look once you get past the
slightly Cyclopian face; the associa-
tion with Kubrick’s Space Odyssey is
irresistible, but as far as I know no
KEF LS60 Wireless: hominids were harmed in its design or
Sleek design meets manufacture. There is no grille, though,
superb audio. Perfect so those with undisciplined cats,
for a sophisticated, ferrets, or small children be forewarned
minimalist system. Functionally, the LS60 is to a fair
extent a tower-ized mashup of
KEF’s LS50 Wireless II bookshelf
active-streamers, and a pair of
the firm’s KC62 nano-compact
subwoofer, both of which I’ve
reviewed favorably in these pages
over the past couple of years.
(KEF may object to this character-
ization, but the analogy is tough
to avoid.)
I will leave most of the
technical details to the reader’s
searching, either here or on
KEF’s own site, but briefly: The
centerpiece is KEF’s long-running
Uni-Q concentric woofer/tweeter
combo, which is what you see
on the front of the LS60. Like the
LS50 Wireless II the LS60’s Uni-Q
is refined by KEF’s “metamaterial”
back-chamber, which absorbs the
tweeter section’s unwanted back-
wave via a labyrinthine assembly
of teeny Helmholtz resonators,
with the result being, it is said,
cleaner, more defined output.
And like the KC62 sub’s, the
LS60’s double-paired bass drivers
employ a clever arrangement of
overlapping, back-to-back voice
coils, sharing a common former,
that enhances efficiency, reduces
distortion, and enables highly
compact packaging in a “force-
canceling” layout—back-to-back
in-phase, whereby mechanical
nonlinearities tend to cancel
out—in an enclosure just over five
inches wide.
Onboard each speaker are
three power amps: 500 watts to
the woofers, and two 100 watts
jobs for the Uni-Q mid and tweet.
Interestingly, the low and mid
units are Class D while the tweeter
amp is AB. (I don’t read anything
into this other than packaging/
efficiency needs, but you’d have
to ask KEF why.) Also on board
is DSP for crossovers, equaliza-
tion, and (presumably) dynamics/
distortion management, and the
same streaming smarts and WiFi
and Bluetooth wireless tech that
make the LS50 Wireless II tick.
These respond to the proprietary
KEF Connect app (iOS/Android),
which delivers Amazon, Deezer,
Qobuz, Spotify, and Tidal services
inbuilt, AirPlay 2 and Chromecast
“casting” access, and Roon Ready
“endpoint” functionality.
From the front the two
speakers are identical; from the
back they differ substantially.
The “primary” unit, which can be
assigned left or right at setup by
the KEF Connect app, has coax,
optical, and HDMI/eARC wired
digital audio inputs, a single
stereo-minijack analog input, a
for-service-only USB port, and
not one but two RJ45 Ethernet
ports. The one marked “Network”
connects your local network if you
lack WiFi or prefer not to use it for
the system. The second, marked
“Interspeaker,” can physically
interconnect the two LS60s using
a supplied, heavy Ethernet cable.
When fully wireless, the system
is limited to a max of 24-bit/96
kHz resolution, but when the
pair is hard-wired by this second
Ethernet cable, this bumps up to
24-bit/196 kHz. (Yes, I tried it both
ways, and no, I perceived no differ-
ence whatsoever. If you can—and
can prove it—you’re a better man
than I am, Gunga Din.)
Both speakers of course
have IEC sockets for their power
cords—remember, wireless does
not mean cordless—and neither
sports any physical, hardware
controls whatsoever. A small
remote controller furnishing the
basics is supplied, but an iOS
or Android device running the
KEF Connect app is absolutely
required for setup and, honestly,
for any occasional adjustments
one might want to make down
the road.
SETUP & LISTENING
I don’t know if there is an awards
show for packaging design (The
Boxies?), but if there is, KEF’s for
the LS60 is a surefire statuette-
winner. The very clever design,
employing mostly cardboard and
similar “green” materials, allows
you to un-clip a top section, slide
off a middle section, and then fold
down the lower section so you
can then “walk” the speaker out
of the packaging without actually
lifting anything heavier than the
accessories box: brilliant!
The LS60 design incorporates
a heavy alloy base that keeps the
very narrow tower quite stable
(optional spikes are included).
It’s in place out of the box, so for
once I didn’t have to balance an
At a Glance
Reference-grade sound
quality, dynamics
Virtually full-range
extension
Simple-as-possible “app”
for setup, control
Subwoofer output
No easy path to
multichannel integration
No music-data or volume
display
No phono input
Price: $6999 (pr.)
www.us.kef.com
upside-down tower while fiddling
with hardware. After walking them
into place, setup consisted only
of plugging in the two supplied
power cords, and running KEF
Connect on my iPhone XS,
which “found” and activated the
speakers pretty much automati-
cally. I switched over to the wired-
Ethernet/hardwire interconnect
setup a few days later and used
this for all my critical listening,
mostly via Roon with the KEFs as
an endpoint for full resolution. I
logged into my Qobuz account
through the KEF Connect app’s
Music page gateway, and was
streaming hi-rez audio within just
a few minutes.
And what audio! KEF’s LS60s
sound like nothing at all, which is
precisely what a truly transparent
audio system should do.
I started with a tour of some of
the very familiar tracks I keep in
my “Testing” Roon playlist. “Cry
Me a River,” from Bonnie Bram-
lett’s 2007 Still the Same album,
is a textbook studio production,
highlighting extremely clean and
present recording and, of course,
Bramlett’s (now Sheriden) rich,
husky contralto—really, almost
a tenor. The KEFs made this
hair-raisingly alive, filling all the
space between the speakers, with
the vocal thrust roundly out into
the room. This track has a lot of
energy in the pop-bass octaves—
say, 40-160 Hz—and the LS60’s
reproduced it faultlessly: rich and
soundandvision.com ❘ 37
 test report
KEF LS60 WIRELESS POWERED LOUDSPEAKERS
gooey, but never bloomy or boomy.
In fact, on track after track
the KEFs matched my long-term
stand-mount 3-ways almost
perfectly, which I consider high
praise. The only tell-tales were the
LS’s barely warmer/fuller vocal
range—a comparison probably
showed the long-terms’ slight
midrange/tweeter suckout,
a danger to all conventional
multiway speakers but one that
KEFs Uni-Q coaxial topology
largely solves—and the KEFs’ clear
edge on bass extension, evenness,
and dynamics.
The LS60s could play this track,
and every other I auditioned, as
loudly as ever I’d ask, and indeed
a good bit louder (perhaps 6 dB
more) without any change in
tonality, clarity, or dimensionality—
very impressive.
Speaking of dimensionality: The
LS60s produce a broad, tremen-
dously stable and pinpoint sound-
stage, but a fairly “flat” one; my
38 ❘ December 2023 January 2024
conventional-box 3-ways sounded
slightly but audibly deeper or
“spacier” on recordings with a lot
of ambient (treble) content. This
is not too surprising, as the Uni-Q
layout is a controlled-directivity
design (essentially, a horn mid/
tweet) that sprays a bit less upper-
frequency energy toward the side
and back walls than do my double-
dome everydays. This is one key to
the LS60’s superb tonal accuracy:
off-axis sound is inevitably less
flat and smooth than the direct
output, and that affects the overall
perceived balance. (Indeed, a
large part of what loudspeaker
engineers sweat over is getting
the off-axis balance as similar as
possible to that on-axis.) I don’t
mean to overstate this; it’s not a
big difference. But if audiophile-
style depth/air is your audio jam,
the KEFs may not spread it thick
enough for you.
But don’t misconstrue: On
an aural feast like the Ives ``A
❘ soundandvision.com
DRIVERS: 4-in. alu-cone midrange and 0.75-in
alu-dome tweeter in coaxial “Uni-Q” array; 4x 5.25”
Specs woofers in force-canceling, side-firing array; sealed
enclosure
ON-BOARD AMPLIFIERS: 500w (woofers, 100w ea.
mid/tweeter, all per-speaker
On-board 24-bit/192 kHz DSP performs crossover, other functions;
24/384 input resolution, all inputs resampled to 24/192 (wired inter-
speaker) or 24/96 (wireless interspeaker)
ANALOG INPUT: stereo mini-jack
DIGITAL INPUTS: TOSLINK optical, coaxial, RJ45 network, HDMI
eARC, Rj45 inter-speaker wired-link on each unit; USB-B (service only)
WIRELESS STREAMING: WiFi: AirPlay2, Chromecast, Roon-Tested;
Bluetooth 4.2
ANALOG OUTPUT: subwoofer output on single RCA jack, hi/lo-pass
configurable via app; IEC AC power connector each speaker
DISPLAY (FRONT PANEL, EACH UNIT): 8-color, flashing, one/both to
denote some 30 conditions
DIMENSIONS: 42.9x8.3x15.5 inches; 65/64 lb (primary/secondary unit.)
Concord Symphony”—the piano DSP-based smart-EQ design, I’m
sonata arranged for full orchestra sure was happening to at least
by the late Henry Brant—the San some degree. I guess KEF’s smart-
Francisco Symphony’s recording limiting is just too smart for me.
under Michael Tilson Thomas
(SFS Media) is gloriously big, and FUNCTION
the KEFs spread the stage fully FOLLOWS FORM
between the speakers, and even
slightly beyond them, with electri- As mentioned, the LS60s them-
fyingly lifelike instrumental defini- selves have no physical controls
tion and localization. The second controls or displays, other than a
movement ‘Hawthorne’ runs the tiny pilot LED on each that glows
gamut from quiet murmurations or flashes different colors to
to full-bored Ivesian chaos, and denote various conditions, such as
the ‘60s glistened with every Standby, Power-On, Pairing, and so
iota of Ives’ dynamics madness on (there is a small remote, which
and Brant’s genius for colorful we’ll get to). This makes the KEF
orchestration. I found myself Connect app essential for setup,
thinking the detail-rich effect was and useful for everyday listening.
like listening on a state-of-the-art I’ll skip over most of the setup
headphone setup—but one that process, which was perfectly
images properly out in front rather straightforward and in any case is
than vaguely somewhere inside mostly identical to that of the LS50
your head. Wireless II we’ve covered previ-
Low and deep and loud? I’ll say: ously in this space. The app pres-
I keep a handful of electronica/ ents five swipe-able panes - home,
dubstep tracks in my playlist, and remote, music, EQ, and setup. The
the LS60s pumped out levels of first is a convenient amalgam of
sub-35 Hz bass that beggared most-used sources/streams and
belief. Which you gonna believe, controls; the second duplicates
your ears or your lyin’ eyes? They the supplied remote control, and
had no difficulty awakening the third selects from Amazon,
rattles in my pretty thoroughly Deezer, Qobuz, Spotify, and Tidal
de-rattled room, a sure sign of 95 services, a pretty comprehensive
dB SPL-plus action at 30 Hz or list of Internet-radio streams, or a
thereabouts. And even at these media-server accessing your own
extreme levels I detected no locally stored music files.
audible loss of deep-bass weight The EQ pane is the most
from dynamics/low-frequency interesting in our context here.
limiting, which, given the LS60’s “Wall mode” modifies the LS60s’

bottom three octaves or so by
half-dB increments down to -10 dB,
to compensate for their proximity
to the front wall. (This is more or
less a “bass” control, but one that
doesn’t shelve all the way up into
the few-hundred-Hertz range like
most such knobs.) “Treble trim”
does what is says, also by half-
dBs, over a ±3 dB range: enough to
compensate for room acoustics
and furnishings reasonably, but
limited enough that the user can’t
possibly screw things up entirely.
“Bass extension” in essence
lets you choose your tradeoff
of deepest bass reproduction
versus maximum volume, from
among Less, Standard, and Extra.
I used the last option almost all
the time and never felt cheated
of level, but my volume prefer-
ences are (relatively) reserved. For
demanding full orchestra stuff like
the Ives referenced above I went
to Standard, mostly on principle. I
tried to plumb the subtleties of the
Less/Standard choice on some
dub and hip hop tracks, but at the
levels at which the action began
to be noticeable were so extreme
I quickly abandoned the exercise
as academic—in my room and my
view, anyway.
Elsewhere on the KEF Connect
page are a left/right balance
and settings for integrating a
subwoofer, which seems a bit of
lily-gilding since the KEFs proved
unrestricted to at least 30 Hz, in
my room anyway, and the myste-
rious Phase Correction.
KEF, the sub outputs are mono.) from an AV receiver/processor’s
While it’s a bit unprepossessing line-level outputs, conveniently
for a $7,000 system, the (small, practicable. (Though in this case,
plastic) supplied remote works as given the challenge of consistency
expected, and the KEF Connect matching latencies, I can guess
app impressed me as a model why KEF opted out.) Finally, there’s
of how things should be made no phono input for direct connec-
as simple as possible while still tion of a turntable. I’m guessing
adequately functional. KEF assumed that if you’re
If it sounds like I rate the LS60s spending seven large on a stream-
as the perfect music system, centric system, and you also want
you’re on the right track, but it does to play LP —presumably a pretty
not incorporate everything I myself small set-union—you’ll want to
would include, were I king of the choose your own high-quality
world, or at least of Kent County, phono preamp.
England (KEF originally stood for Beyond these observations, I
Kent Engineering Foundry). have no niggles to sniggle. In every
Given the ‘60s’ on-board other regard, KEF’s LS60 is an
DSP, the absence of any room- impressive accomplishment. I’ll
correction system, and of a never say any audio component
“smart-loudness” volume option is “perfect,” at least not on the
This last feature compen- along the lines of Audyssey’s record. But I won’t say this one
sates for the various latencies Dynamic Volume/EQ or Dolby’s isn’t, either.
introduced by the LS60’s DSP Volume strikes me as a missed
and other circuits (and electro- opportunity. As does the lack of a
mechanical ones in the actual fixed-volume “pass-through” input, The Verdict
drivers), to “time-align” the Uni-Q’s which would make integrating
mid/tweet elements, and the ‘60s the KEFs into a multichannel The ultimate streaming stand-
woofers, to supply a perfect “step- system, as left/right fronts fed alone system
response” graph. The audibility
of this sort of thing has been a
topic of vigorous, cheerful (well,
usually) debate among the audio-
obsessed for about 50 years now,
still without definitive conclusions.
Did I hear a difference when
flipping correction on and off?
Occasionally, yes: more often, no.
Could I characterize the change
as “better/worse”? Absolutely
not; I can’t even describe it as
an audio effect per se: more of a
microscopic perceptual shift, like
the background pattern of one’s
vision, except in your ears.
I briefly tried all the KEFs’
various inputs and streams,
without any adventure. Bluetooth
paired up quickly to my iPhone
XS, and the eARC HDMI input
talked to my Sony A8H OLED set
sans complications. I didn’t notice
any latency issues on the LS60s’
HDMI input, but I didn’t spend a
great deal of time with it. Unless
you have a very large room or
a serious volume’n’bass habit,
adding a subwoofer to the ‘60s
seems to me unnecessary, but
I tried it, again, briefly: it works.
(The secondary LS60 proffers
a second sub-out jack, but this
is a convenience. According to
soundandvision.com ❘ 39
 test report
KLIPSCH THE NINES HERITAGE INSPIRED SPEAKERS
Retro Fidelity
Reimagined
By Leslie Shapiro
KLIPSCH THE NINES, found in the
Heritage Inspired Speaker lineup,
harken back to a time when HiFi
stereos were all the rage. Even The
Nines’ logo is 100% mid-century
modern inspired. It’s no secret that the
legendary Klipsch speaker company
was bought by Voxx (originally
Audiovox), it should be noted that
Voxx recently acquired Onkyo. Now
it all makes sense – let’s put classic
Klipsch speakers in a cabinet powered
by a 240-watt amplifier (480-watt peak
power), using knowledge and expertise
from that latest acquisition. The result:
self-powered, bi-amped speakers with
the signature Klipsch horn; no receiver
or additional amplifier needed.
40 ❘ December 2023 January 2024 ❘ soundandvision.com
The Nines are self-powered and
interchangeable - you can select which
speaker you want to be left or right,
since one speaker must be plugged
into AC power. The Nines feature a
high-excursion 8” woofer (I know,
didn’t you expect a 9” one?) in a ported
configuration and a 1” titanium tweeter
with the Klipsch-exclusive Tractrix
horn. The 90-degree by 90-degree
silicone horn extends completely to
the edges of the cabinet. The drivers
are housed in a luxurious-looking
MDF cabinet with real-wood veneer in
either black or walnut finishes and the
color-coordinated speaker grilles are
removable. Instead of rubber feet, there
are cork pads on the bottom. I had no
RATING
PERFORMANCE
BUILD QUALITY
VALUE
problem sliding them around on my
hardwood floors without concerns of
scratching.
On top of the active speaker you’ll
find a subtly attractive flush-mount
aluminum panel with The Nines logo
and two brushed aluminum vertical
knobs, one for input selection and the
other for volume. The knobs have a
luxurious feel and elegant look. All
other connections and switches are
Klipsch's Heritage on the back panel. All digital inputs
series speakers blend use 192kHz/24-bit decoding for hi-res
seamlessly with reproduction.
modern interior The Nines ship with a 13-foot propri-
decor, offering both etary speaker connect cable that runs
visual elegance and from the active speaker to the passive
acoustic excellence. speaker; an additional 6-foot extension
cable is available as well. The
power cord is also a generous
6.5-feet long, and the active
speaker can be selected as left or
right to make placement near a
power source easier. The supplied
5-foot HDMI cable could be a
little more generous to allow even
more flexibility on speaker place-
ment and assignment. There is
also a 5-foot USB-B to USB-A
cable for connecting a laptop as
an audio source.
There is a selectable stereo
RCA input for a turntable, with a
switch for selecting line input or
phono. There is a 3.5mm AUX
input and a subwoofer output.
In the digital realm, there’s an
optical input and USB Audio input,
along with HDMI (ARC). Also on
the back panel is the power port,
voltage selector, power switch
and the secondary speaker
output, along with a USB service
port. The passive speaker only
has the proprietary speaker cable
input on its back panel.
The supplied remote is simple,
but covers most basic functions.
You’ll want to download and
connect to the Klipsch Connect
App for access to all software
functions. The remote has power
and play/pause right at the top.
Next down is a multi-function
wheel with volume, subwoofer
level, and mute located in the
middle. There’s a subwoofer
reset and then all of the source
selects: TV/ARC, Bluetooth, AUX,
Phono, Optical and USB. I would
have loved to see controls for
some of the DSP modes more
easily set on the remote instead of
only in the app.
The Klipsch Connect app is
where things get interesting.
With Bluetooth activated on my
phone, it found The Nines easily
and connected to the app. The
home page brings you right to the
good stuff. There’s a Vocal EQ
preset that drops some bass and
adds to the midrange to enhance
vocal clarity. This setting is ideal
for movies that lately seem to
like mixing the dialogue low. The
selectable Dynamic Bass setting
is similar to a loudness control
that keeps the bass balance
consistent while overall volume
is changed. This setting can
also be activated by holding the
sub reset button on the remote
for 3 seconds, or touching the
source control knob on the
speaker itself until it flashes.
Night Mode reduces bass levels
and also disables the Dynamic
Bass setting. The home page
also has an input selection button
that opens a new screen with big
graphics of each source, so even
with my phone’s brightness down
in my dark home theater, it was
quite visible. There’s a volume
control on the home page as well.
Klipsch’s app also accesses
a customizable 3-way equalizer
in the settings tab, with controls
At a Glance
Excellent treble clarity
Warm, rich bass
Placement flexibility
Powerful amplifier
Minimal tonal controls on
remote
Dialogue clarity
Price: $1499
www.Klipsch.com
for bass, mids and treble. In the
settings tab, you can name your
speakers (I named mine Les Neuf,
just to be more elegant.) The Auto
Power tab selects if you want the
speakers to power off automati-
cally after 15 minutes of inactivity.
The EQ tab is also on the settings
page. I like that you can select
a preset (Vocal, Bass, Rock, or
soundandvision.com ❘ 41
 test report
KLIPSCH THE NINES HERITAGE INSPIRED SPEAKERS
Custom) as a starting point but
still be able to further customize.
While I liked the Vocal setting for
movie dialogue, I wanted more
low-end, so I could add back more
bass from this section of the
settings page.
An easily overlooked feature
is on the settings page. There
are three options for speaker
placement: Corner, Wall or Other.
It’s important to note how these
settings affect the bass response.
The Corner setting will reduce low
bass by 6dB, while the Wall setting
reduces it by 3dB. I selected Other
that has no bass reduction so I
could control the bass myself with
the other EQ modes.
PERFORMANCE
I reset all settings to flat, speaker
placement to “Other” and settled
in for some listening. I cued up the
latest release from Sailor Jane.
42 ❘ December 2023 January 2024
The album No Ordinary Dub is a
reggae dub tribute to Sade with
her greatest hits reimagined in
a way only Sailor Jane can do -
reggae with a seductive flair.
The title track and first single
released is “No Ordinary Love.”
Instantly, the bass of The Nines
made a fantastic first impres-
sion. The heavy bass line filled
my listening room with a warm,
enveloping tone with a satisfying
roundness. Delicate percussion
fills placed on the edges of the
soundstage really emphasized the
precise imaging on the speakers.
There is a heavy dose of reverb
on the lead vocals that could
muddy up the sound on lesser
speakers; The Nines handled it
deftly, keeping the rest of the track
detailed while letting the decay on
the vocals fade out smoothly. Her
sultry alto notes conveyed natu-
rally with an accurate, detailed
tone.
❘ soundandvision.com
FREQUENCY RESPONSE: 34 Hz - 25 kHz, +/-3dB
VOLTAGE: Switchable 100V-240V, 50Hz-60Hz
Specs DIMENSIONS:19.13 x 9.5 x 13.38 inches (HxWxD)
WEIGHT: 28.4 lbs. Primary, 27 lbs., Secondary
I couldn’t resist cuing up on “Sweet Sounds of Heaven.”
“Stronger Than Pride”, also The wide stereo imaging was
reimagined by Sailor Jane, since just breathtaking on this bluesy,
it’s one of my favorite songs. This soulful track. The guitars were
mix has a lighter, brighter quality, spacious, and the hi-hat was
and it showcased the clarity of clean and sparkling. Mixed down
The Nines upper extension nicely. low in the track was a lovely organ
The balance between the lead that provided a great backdrop
vocals and the acoustic guitar is to the accurately reproduced
lovely, showcasing the legendary piano. Lady Gaga’s background
Klipsch horn technology. The vocals are strong and passionate
speakers have a wonderful and stand out clearly above the
balance of treble clarity that never rocking background track. Listen
turns to harshness. I tend to all the way through the end. This
favor a warm tone, and The Nines is one of those songs that makes
played right to that - full, round you wish you could have been
low-end but a clean, clear treble. in the studio while it was being
Next up was an unlikely pairing: recorded - everyone seems to be
The Rolling Stones and Lady Gaga having so much fun, especially
when Jagger and Gaga trade off
vamping. With the whole band
playing strongly, each vocal note
is clear and distinct. I couldn’t
help listening to this song over
and over on these speakers.
I switched over to movie-
watching mode, turning on
Dynamic Bass. I was anxiously
awaiting for a set of full-sized
speakers to use for watching
Dune and I think The Nines were
the speakers up for the challenge
of this score and soundscape.
Hans Zimmer used so many
unorthodox instruments and
techniques so it was an ideal test
to fully appreciate his ingenuity.
Almost from the very first scene,
the score and sound effects
were completely engaging. His
use of rare metals, a bevy of 30
bagpipes, and even a 21-foot wind
instrument was no challenge
for The Nines. Even without a to watch a movie like Dune on a to add a dedicated center channel other is complaining about large
subwoofer, the steady, pulsing soundbar, trust me, you’ll want to to The Nines. speakers, tell them to write me
bass conveyed a sense of doom invest in speakers like The Nines a note and I’ll do my best to
that was so fitting for this movie. to fully experience every nuance CONCLUSION convince them that the improve-
My home theater isn’t a huge and detail in the score and sound ment in sound is worth the visual
space, but Hans Zimmer’s score design. While the music and I sound like a broken record “sacrifice”, although The Nines
fully engulfed my 12’ x 13’ room. sound effects were fantastic, I lately, but as more and more would look great in any home.
When those 30 bagpipes play felt that the dialogue on this and speakers come out that are self- The Nines let you create as wide
in unison (recorded in a church other audition viewings could be a powered with a multitude of input a soundstage as you could want,
in Scotland) as the House of bit more pronounced. Switching options, there are zero excuses especially with the additional
Atreides makes their arrival is a back to the Vocal EQ setting to listen to a small, inadequate speaker cable extension. With
test for any system. The unique helped, but I wish there was a way soundbar. If your significant an 8” woofer, they provide a
and complex frequency response substantial bass response with a
of a bagpipe makes it a challenge rich, warm sound, but also have a
to faithfully reproduce, and yet, subwoofer output for even more
The Nines captured the essence low-end extension. The Nines
of the sound, along with a deep, have the signature Klipsch horn
pounding drums that pervade that gives the high-end clarity
throughout the film. a transparent, natural sound
The sound designers also had with smooth dialogue and bril-
unique challenges and solutions liant tonality to percussion and
that contribute to the other- acoustic instruments. I wanted
worldly yet familiar sounds. These slightly better dialogue clarity and
nuanced and original effects were a few more tonal controls on the
clearly and distinctly audible. The remote control, but other than
amusing use of Rice Krispies that, there is little to fault with the
mixed with sand used to foley the Klipsch The Nines.
footsteps into spice-laced earth
was easy to pick out due to the
clarity of The Nines tweeter and
horn combination. When Lady The Verdict
Jessica uses The Voice, actress
Rebecca Ferguson’s voice is The Klipsch The Nines speakers
doubled with Marianne Faithfull’s are in the Heritage Inspired
hauntingly eerie voice. The Nines Speaker line, and the sound sig-
kept those subtle details clear nature is certainly aligned with
and sharp, even over the roaring their historic products. Warm,
background engine and wind rich, with that legendary detailed
noise. While it might be tempting high end that is always a classic.

soundandvision.com ❘ 43
 test report
MONOPRICE MONOLITH MTM-100 AND THX CERTIFIED 8-INCH, 150-WATT POWERED SUBWOOFER
Desktop Dynamo
By Howard Kneller
FOUNDED IN 2002, California-
based Monoprice is an online
retailer and original equipment
manufacturer (OEM) that oper-
ates in the consumer electronic,
professional audio, medical,
and outdoor product areas. The
company states that by control-
ling the design, manufacture, and
sale of its products, it eliminates
supply chain inefficiencies, thus
allowing it to offer premium prod-
ucts at below market prices.
Monoprice’s strategy seems to
44 ❘ December 2023 January 2024
be working. It now sells over 7,500
products under its namesake
brand and has OEM relationships
with an ever-increasing number
of third-party sellers. Whether
you need a 3D printer, arial drone,
wheelchair, audio/video compo-
nent, guitar, camping sunshade,
computer monitor, or almost any
type of audio cable or adapter,
Monoprice not only likely sells it,
but may make it for someone else
who does.
Monoprice’s website states
❘ soundandvision.com
that the company’s Monolith prod-
ucts constitute “the best value in
high-end audio,” which brings me
to the MTM-100 powered, stereo
desktop stereo speaker ($500/
pair) and THX Certified 8-inch,
150-Watt Powered Subwoofer
($350) samples that the company
sent over for review. Although
not constituting “high-end audio”
products in my mind, they must
nonetheless offer excellent
performance to find a place in the
ever-competitive world of desktop
audiophile gear.
FEATURES: MTM-100
Removing the stereo pair of
MTM-100s from their packaging
revealed large (14”H x 6.3”W x
7.9”D each), heavy (approximately
21 ¼ pounds combined), and
handsome speakers whose MDF
(medium-density-fiberboard)
cabinets are finished in black
satin veneer. Most of the
speakers’ bulk is in their height
so their footprint is rather small. Build
quality is excellent, even more so when
considering this product’s price. I used
gloves when handling the speakers as
their finish easily shows fingerprints.
On the front of each speaker is a 1.25-
inch silk dome tweeter, two 4-inch paper
cone midrange/low frequency drivers,
and a silkscreened Monolith logo. (That
logo also appears on the speakers’
rears.) On each of the speakers’ sides,
totaling two per speaker, are 5.25-inch
passive radiators.
The sides of both speakers are
subtly rounded. This is something that
you often see on much more expensive
speakers and is said by some to mini-
mize vibrations and standing waves.
The cabinet’s corners are also rounded.
Neither speaker uses a grill, which
I think is good given the speakers’
dapper looks and the fact that grills
rarely improve sound.
One of the MTM-100’s speakers,
which Monoprice designates as
the “primary” one, contains all the
product’s controls and almost all of its
connectors. That speaker’s companion
is designated as the “secondary”
one. To the left of the logo on the
front of primary speaker is a 3.5mm
headphone jack. To the logo’s right
is an infrared receiver for the remote
control and a multifunction knob, the
latter of which can be used to bring
the speakers in and out of standby
mode, cycle through the inputs, and
adjust volume. Surrounding the knob’s
upper and side areas are source LED
indicators.
Located on the primary speaker’s
rear are input connectors: USB Type-C,
optical, and a pair of single-ended
stereo RCAs, the latter of which can
be used to connect to an external
DAC. Also on that speaker’s rear are a
single-ended RCA subwoofer output,
a stereo pair of speaker binding posts
to connect the two speakers to each
other, an AC power IEC connector, and
a power switch. There is no HDMI ARC
port, although that’s admittedly a lot to
ask at this price point.
The secondary speaker’s rear is very
sparsely populated. In fact, it contains
only a stereo pair of speaker binding
posts.
The MTM-100 supports aptX HD
Bluetooth wireless signal transmis-
sion. This allows it to connect to not
only a laptop PC, but such devices as a
tablet, phone, and compatible handheld
gaming consoles and televisions.
FEATURES: THX
RATINGS CERTIFIED 8-INCH,
150-WATT POWERED
SUBWOOFER
MTM-100
PERFORMANCE
Removing the 18.8-pound THX
Certified 8-inch, 150-Watt Powered
FEATURES Subwoofer (the “Sub”) from its box and
cloth bag was easy work. The relevant
ERGONOMICS THX certification is “THX Certified
Compact,” which covers gear that’s
VALUE designed to operate in smaller rooms.
This certification mandates a battery
of tests as determined by THX Ltd.
THX Certified to ensure that sound and/or picture
8-inch, 150-
quality is reference quality and true to
Watt Powered
Subwoofer the filmmaker’s vision.
The Sub features a braced, ported
PERFORMANCE
cabinet that like the MTM-100’s
speakers is also made of MDF.
Thankfully, the Sub’s finish, mostly
FEATURES
matte black, is pretty tolerant of
ERGONOMICS
fingerprints. The sides of the Sub’s
cabinet are curved in a way that is
VALUE more pronounced than that of the
MTM-100’s speakers. All in all, the Sub
cuts a handsome figure, though it is not
as heavy or solidly built as many more
expensive bass thumpers. Monoprice
states that the Sub can produce
frequencies down to 20kHz, although
it would be surprising if it could do so
linearly under real world conditions.
Moving around the Sub’s exterior,
we find on its front Monolith and THX
At a Glance
Delivers high value
Subwoofer output allows
expandability
EQ permits tailored sound
Sub is THX certified
Lacks HDMI ARC for wired TV
sound
Large cabinets may overpower
small spaces
Price: $850 (as tested)
MTM-100 $500 (per stereo pair)
THX Certified 8-inch, 150-Watt
Subwoofer $350 (each)
logos. The exterior’s rear contains
larger versions of those logos, as well
as the controls and connectors. There
are three knobs, one each for adjusting
the crossover point (within a range of
40Hz and 140Hz), phase (a range of
points between zero and 180 degrees
rather than only one or the other as
with some subs), and output level. To
the right of the knobs are three toggle
switches for crossover on/off, equaliza-
tion (EQ), and power.
The phase adjustment knob and
the crossover on/off and EQ switches
are marked with THX
reference settings. For
example, the EQ switch
offers three settings (“EQ
1,” “EQ2,” and “THX REF”)
which allow the Sub’s
output to be tailored to
a room’s sonic charac-
teristics. To the right of
the switches is an LED
power/standby indicator.
The THX settings are
the ones that are said
to produce the lowest
distortion.
Residing below these
controls are one stereo
pair each of single-ended
RCA input and output
connectors, a firmware/
service port, a power
switch, and an AC IEC
connector with an inte-
grated fuse bay. Unlike
with some competing
subwoofers, there are
neither speaker-level
inputs nor a high-pass
soundandvision.com ❘ 45
 test report
MONOPRICE MONOLITH MTM-100 AND THX CERTIFIED 8-INCH, 150-WATT POWERED SUBWOOFER
filter on the RCA outputs.
It is on the Sub’s bottom, where
sort of speak, the rubber hits
the road. There, one will find a
downward firing 8-inch driver with
a fiber pulp/glass fiber cone and
a rubber surround. There is also a
closed port and four footers. The
port can be opened by removing
its foam stuffing. According to
Hobie Sechrest, who oversees
the Monolith line, it’s assumed
that the Sub will be used in ported
mode. Inside the Sub is a 150-watt
amplifier.
SETUP
The MTM-100 speakers came
with a remote control, four small
adhesive-backed rubber footers
per speaker, an AC power cord,
and a user’s manual. Also included
with the speakers were several
no-frills cables consisting of
an interconnect with a 3.5mm
headphone jack on one side and
a stereo pair of RCA connectors
on the other, an unterminated (i.e.,
bare wire) speaker cable, and an
AC power cord. The interconnect
cable can be used to connect
sources such as certain XBoxes
and desktop PCs.
With its faux-aluminum face,
the remote control is handsome
enough. It also worked well. The
remote contains a smart memory
tone wheel that allows for treble
and bass adjustment. There is
even a “tone defeat” button on the
remote that that can be used to
46 ❘ December 2023 January 2024
bypass and reimpose the selected
tone settings.
By using a desktop PC, external
DAC, and television with the
MX-100, I auditioned each of its
wired inputs. To wirelessly pair my
Bluetooth laptop and phone to the
MTM-100, I merely selected the
Bluetooth input via the primary
speaker’s front multifunction
knob and located and selected
the MTM-100 on those devices.
Alternatively, I could have used the
remote control’s “pair” button.
The Sub comes with an AC
power cord and a pair of white
gloves that should have been
provided with the MX-100. Curi-
ously, the Sub does not come
with a user’s manual. Due to the
number of setting options, the
inclusion of a manual would be
nice.
I placed the MTM-100’s
speakers on each side of my
desk, with one speaker close to
a wall and both slightly towed-in.
This near field listening position
minimizes performance degrading
interactions between the
speakers’ output and the room.
Although the Sub is light
enough to easily move, I experi-
mented with it on the desk’s sides
as its large, center mounted leg
did not allow for it to be positioned
near my feet. Some might feel
that due to the MTM-100’s and
Sub’s large cabinet sizes, they
represent a bit of overkill in a
desktop system. Though, those
who prioritize sound quality likely
❘ soundandvision.com
MONOLITH MTM-100
Specs DIMENSIONS: 12.59"H x 13.5"W x 12.59"D
FREQUENCY RESPONSE: 45Hz – 20kHz ±3dB
DRIVERS (PER SPEAKER): 1 x front-mounted
1.25-inch silk dome tweeter, 2 x front-mounted
four-inch paper cone midrange/low frequency drivers, 2 x side-
mounted 5.25-inch passive radiators
INPUTS: 1 x each USB Type-C, optical, single-ended stereo RCA pair
OUTPUTS: 1x single-ended RCA subwoofer
AMPLIFIERS: 1 x 50-Wpc, 100 watts RMS total, 150 watts total peak,
Class D
CABINET: Passive radiator
WEIGHT PER SPEAKER (APPROX. LBS.): 11 (primary), 101/4
(secondary)
THX CERTIFIED 8-INCH, 150-WATT POWERED SUBWOOFER
DIMENSIONS: 12.59"H x 13.5"W x 12.59"D
FREQUENCY RESPONSE: 30Hz ~ 20kHz ±3dB (anechoic)
LOW FREQUENCY TRANSDUCER: 1 x 8" fiber pulp/glass fiber cone
CABINET: Ported
CONNECTIONS: One pair each, stereo line-level RCA inputs and
outputs
CONTROLS: Crossover frequency, phase, output level, crossover
on/off, three-setting EQ, power auto shutoff/always on, and master
power on/off. THX settings marked as applicable.
OTHER: Firmware/service port, LED power/standby indicator, IEC
AC-power
AMPLIFIER: 150 watts RMS
WEIGHT: 18.8 lbs.
won’t mind. Finally, I set the crossover at 80Hz,
Taking Hobie Sechrest’s although that number will vary
advice, I mostly used the Sub in its from setup to setup.
ported mode. This provided more Even without the Sub, I turned
dynamic output than I obtained in down the bass on the MTM-100
the sealed mode, albeit with some speakers a bit to obtain the proper
rare port chuffing at very high amount of low-frequency output.
volume levels. I mostly availed No mere gimmick, the MTM-100’s
myself of the THX settings due EQ controls are useful. Although
to their low perceived distortion. pressing the Sub into action

improved low-end output and
extension, it also decreased distor-
tion throughout the frequency
spectrum and improved sound
staging. In any event, those who
go with the speakers only won’t
want for middle and upper and
bass output.
PERFORMANCE
The MTM-100 and Sub system
brought naturally rich, full sound
with plenty of deep, tuneful bass to
my desktop. On “Find the Pocket,”
from the well-recorded Stereo-
phile CD, Molto Molto, Works for
Jazz Orchestra by Sasha Matson,
haunting low register notes had
respectably complex bodies with
good decay. High frequency notes
were clean and not fatiguing.
Mostly though, I was gobsmacked
at how full and rich the midrange
was.
Although the system’s ability
to resolve small details is on
about par with what I expected at
its price point, its sound staging
prowess was extraordinary. As
the piano in “Find the Pocket”
was closely miked, I even noticed
how depending on their place
on piano’s keyboard (and thus
frequency), the notes emanated
from different parts of the piano’s
case.
Similarly, on “Well You Needn’t,”
a Thelonious Monk number from
Spirit Gatherer: Tribute to Don
Cherry (Qobuz 16/44) by Kahil
El’Zabar and his Ethnic Heri-
tage Ensemble, the MTM-100/
Sub system solidly placed Alex
Harding’s baritone sax just to
the right of the left speaker, Coey
Wilkes’ trumpet in front of the right
speaker, and the voice (assumedly
that of Dwight Trible) just to the
left of the right speaker. Although
these sonic images were mostly
confined to the space between the
speakers, that’s not uncommon
when listening nearfield. To mini-
mize this effect, make sure that
your room is not over dampened
or move the speakers away from
the listening position.
My final note on two-channel
listening is that the MTM-100/
Sub system sounded very linear.
In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if
the MTM-100s found some use
as a monitor in amateur recording
studios and mixing stations.
Turning to movie and TV series
soundtracks brought me to a
western called The English. In
episode six of this mini-series, the
good guys are holed up in a small
wooden cabin which is under
relentlessly attack by a Gatlin
gun wielding bad guy who is on
the roof. The sounds of the gun’s
rapid-fire rounds were both deep
as they pierced the cabin’s ceiling
and clean and detailed as they
whizzed through the air. When
a good guy tried to pick off the
shooter with a single rifle shot, a
sense of the prairie’s space was
nicely captured as reverberations
of the rifle’s discharge bounced
around its hills. All-in-all, the
presentation didn’t want for detail
and I was surprised by the amount
of sonic drama that the system
mustered.
Keep in mind that the Sub’s
internal amplifier is rated at only
150 watts and its 8-inch cone size
is modest. As a result, the Sub
will neither pressurize a room nor
hit you in the chest with low bass
frequencies as will many larger
and more expensive subwoofers.
Though, what the Sub did produce
was pretty bloat free. Of course,
this system is expandable as one
or more additional Subs can easily
be added.
I won’t spill too much ink on the
MTM-100’s headphone function,
which will do in a pinch but unsur-
prisingly won’t provide the type
of transparency that is needed
to satisfy serious headphone
junkies. That’s no particular knock
on the MTM-100 as I have been
critical of headphone performance
for a number of multi-function
devices (e.g., streaming integrated
amplifiers) that cost thousands of
dollars.
The MTM-100 and Sub each
have many competitors. Selecting
the right products in a crowded
field of high performers often
comes down not only to sonic
taste, but also features. The Kato
YU6 ($519), for example, contains
a built-in phono preamp. Q Acous-
tic’s M20 HD ($599) processes
high-definition signals up to
24-bit/192kHz via its USB and
optical connections. ELAC’s Debut
Connex DCB41 ($600) contains
HDMI ARC and a phono stage.
Some of the Sub’ competitors
feature speaker-level inputs and/
or a high-pass filter on the RCA
outputs.
On the other hand, the
MTM-100 features a headphone
output, passive radiators, and killer
looks. Further, the Sub features
THX certification and the ability
to run in either ported or sealed
mode.
CONCLUSION
Audiophiles, movie enthusiasts,
and gamers will be hard pressed
to find a better value than that
offered by Monoprice’s Mono-
lith MTM-100 and THX Certi-
fied 8-inch, 150-Watt Powered
Subwoofer. Together, they produce
warm, accurate sound with plenty
of tuneful, deep bass, the latter
particularly in smaller sized rooms.
If the size of their cabinets is not
too imposing for your desktop,
they represent an easy purchase
that may leave some money in the
budget for some additional cables.
Of course, I just happen to know a
place where you can get them.
The Verdict
A value priced, but stylish satellite/
sub combo that forgoes the
snobbish brand name to deliver
high performance.
soundandvision.com ❘ 47
 test report
KLIPSCH RP-1600SW
Ace of Bass
By Jim Wilson
SAY THE name Klipsch and most
people will instantly think about high-
efficiency speakers, ones with horn
tweeters and distinctive gold metallic
midranges and woofers. If you’re of a
certain age your mind might take you
to their groundbreaking Klipschorn,
that marvelous horn-loaded behemoth
of a loudspeaker. Over 75 years after
its introduction, the Klipschorn is
revered by audiophiles. I’m not sure
anything like it exists even today. I’m
not reviewing something from their
speaker line though, what I have in
my living room is a subwoofer from
their Reference Premier series; the
RP-1600SW.
The RP-1600SW is the top model
in Klipsch’s premium subwoofer line.
48 ❘ December 2023 January 2024 ❘ soundandvision.com
It features a 16” driver with a front
slot port they’ve dubbed the Aerofoil.
Klipsch designed it with flares at
both ends, the goal being to minimize
annoying port noise. You know for sure
I’m going to put that to the test.
IMPRESSIONS
“Bulldog” was my first impression
when I freed the RP-1600SW from its
foam shipping cocoon, which was an
incredible 2.75” thick in sections. As
a breed bulldogs tend to be short and
muscular, wide and low to the ground.
That’s exactly like the RP-1600SW, with
the grill on you’d probably never think
this subwoofer has a 16” driver. While it
isn’t really very wide or tall it does have
RATING
PERFORMANCE
FEATURES
BUILD QUALITY
VALUE
some depth, more than 2 feet worth.
Not necessarily a bad thing however,
in order for a subwoofer to be efficient
you need a large cabinet. Going the
‘size matters’ route means Klipsch
engineers were able to rely more upon
acoustic principles and less on digital
mechanisms - like DSP, or Digital Signal
Processing - to tailor the output. They
leveraged physics to achieve a lot of
their response goals. Personally I prefer
that, I would rather minimize the influ-
ence of bits and bytes when it comes
Klipsch RP-1600S: to what my ears hear.
Deep, impactful bass While moving the RP-1600SW into
brings cinematic my HT system I couldn’t help but notice
excitement to a how heavy it was, at 111 pounds this
serene, stylish is no featherweight. Odd as it might
living room setup. sound, I like that too. If I’m spending
about $1800 on a subwoofer I
want to feel as though I bought
something substantial. Bring a
friend when you take delivery of
yours.
With as much cabinet real
estate as the RP-1600SW has
you want a finish that’s easy on
the eyes, thankfully the scratch
resistant ebony vinyl veneer looks
the part. Rounded corners on the
top panel soften the appearance,
giving it a more refined look. It’s
constructed from 3/4" MDF all
around, except for the front baffle
which is double that at 1 1/2" thick.
The grill follows that design ethos;
3/ " around the outside, 1 1/ " in
4 2
the center. Inside the enclosure
there is a pair of window braces,
one of which is used to support
the magnet on the driver. On the
bottom are distinctive oblong
plastic feet with rubber inserts,
akin to little shock absorbers
designed to diminish vibrations
from being transmitted to the
floor. The grill is held on by gold
metal pins protruding from the
front panel which couple to rubber
cups in the grill frame. Speaking
of gold metal…
It wouldn’t be a Klipsch product
without a gold Cerametallic
(ceramic metal) driver. Like a horn
tweeter, it’s a bit of a signature for
the company. Klipsch’s Ceram-
etallic woofers exhibit a very
high stiffness-to-mass ratio and
superb damping, resulting in a
powerful, solid bass foundation.
According to the company “We’ve
spent nearly three years engi-
neering the Reference Premiere
Subwoofer line”. Typically a
subwoofer drivers surround is a
“half roll” design, similar to what
the cross section of circle would
look like if you cut it in half. On
the RP-1600SW it’s more of the
‘high excursion’ variety, where the
surround is taller than it is wide.
That typically results in greater
linear travel.
The class D amp is rated at
800 watts RMS, 1600 watts peak.
It has RCA (unbalanced) inputs
only, there is no XLR (balanced)
input. There is a WA2 wireless
port if you want to cut the cord,
so to speak. That can be used in
conjunction with the wired inputs,
so a single RP-1600SW can work
with multiple systems. Controls back in the other direction before I
are pretty basic; there are dials get too far off course.
for Gain and Low Pass, a toggle I found that auto on/standby At a Glance
switch for Phase (0° and 180°) can be a bit fussy. It would go
and another toggle for Power (on, silent while watching some 5 year bumper-to-bumper
off, auto). While the amp plate sports programming, like car or warranty
covers roughly 1/3rd of the back motorcycle events. That’s a big Incredible amount of
panel, the heat fin is only about no-no for me as I watch a lot of clean output
the size of two decks of playing that. There were times I would Excellent dynamics
cards stacked on top of each mute commercials and it would
other. go to sleep within say 60 seconds, No XLR inputs
Small detail alert… recently I’ve yet other times it would last up to No app control
taken to highlighting seemingly 10 minutes. I never quite figured Few adjustments
trivial features that differentiate out a pattern. The RP-1600SW
one subwoofer from another. woke up pretty quickly so it wasn’t Price: $1799
In a world of outwardly indistin- really a big deal, but ultimately I
guishable products, the quest to would rather it didn’t go comatose
identify unique characteristics without a discernible trigger that the volume is restrained, that it
has become increasingly more I could work around. What I really still makes itself known when
important for me. In the case of liked however was something you used in moderation. Some people
the RP-1600SW it’s the amplifiers probably won’t see referenced in are probably shaking their head
adjustment knobs for Gain and too many other articles, just how after reading that, considering it
Low Pass. good the Klipsch RP-1600SW tantamount to heresy, but years
The dials Klipsch uses are sounded at low volume. Yes, I said of experience have taught me if a
sizable, which isn’t terribly low volume. sub sounds good when it’s loafing
original. They do have a white I’m probably not like most about than it almost certainly
background with black markings people who evaluate audio sounds good when pushed.
that are oriented perpendicular to equipment, I don’t frequently So how did the Klipsch
the cabinet, that’s a break from listen at an ear-bleeding level. RP-1600SW do then? It has very
the conventional. The biggest If I have a bad day at work - or good presence at low volume;
differentiator though is the magni- I feel like getting rowdy - then I rich, clear and well defined. It
fying lens mounted perpendicular have no problem cranking it up, proved so agile that I added a
to the cabinet which is used to but that’s more the exception as “house curve” after it was tuned,
highlight the current setting. I’m opposed to the rule. For me it’s something I rarely do. This gave
not aware of any other manufac- critically important a subwoofer some additional kick down low,
turer with a similar setup. After doesn’t fade into obscurity when without sacrificing the clarity I so
using it for awhile I really like what
Klipsch did, this layout enables
you to simply glance over the
back of the cabinet and easily
know what the settings are. No
more fumbling around to see
what your configuration is. The
large dials, high contrast colors
and magnifier make it a breeze,
beneficial given there’s no app
control. The only thing I’d add is
illumination to the lens itself, that
way you wouldn’t even need a
flashlight to make changes when
your room is dark.
LISTENING/IN USE
Because of my schedule at the
time the Klipsch RP-1600SW was
being evaluated, it ended up in
rotation longer than I typically
have a review unit (in this case,
about 2 months). Ultimately I
didn’t regret that one bit, which
is probably more than I want to
reveal at this point. Let’s swerve
soundandvision.com ❘ 49
 test report
KLIPSCH RP-1600SW

Test Bench
WOOFER: 16" Ultra Long
Throw Cerametallic
Specs FREQUENCY RESPONSE:
14.5-175Hz +/- 3dB
AMPLIFIER TYPE: Class D
AMPLIFIER POWER: 800W
RMS / 1600W Peak
MAXIMUM OUTPUT: 125.5 dB
ENCLOSURE TYPE: Bass Reflex, Front-Firing
Aerofoil Slot Port
Fig.1 The Klipsch RP-1600S offers high output and notably robust bass extension, dipping DIMENSIONS: 23.4"x23.5"x27.4" (HWD)
right into the infrasonic realm. WEIGHT: 111 lbs

desperately seek. But now, after
all that talk about running the
RP-1600SW in a subdued manner,
let me jump right into how it
performed doing the exact oppo-
site. Hey, I can’t show restraint all
the time you know.
MOVIES
Of late, I’ve been testing every
subwoofer using the opening
sequence from Edge of Tomorrow.
If you’re reading this you know
why. My modus operandi is to
start at a reasonable volume, run
through that scene and see how
it goes. If I don’t hear anything too
concerning I add a few dB and
repeat the process. I continue
that pattern until the subwoofer
taps out. Trouble is, the Klipsch
RP-1600SW never tapped out.
I got all the way to 0dB - often
called reference level - and yet it
didn’t give up. It did gracefully bow
out however, but in this context
that’s a good thing.
There are 5 different plateaus
to the effect in this scene that
unsettle a subwoofer, each gets
progressively louder and deeper.
It got so intense toward the end
a piece of paper on the coffee
table 10 feet from the sub was
blown onto the floor from the
wind coming out of the front
port, yet not a single unpleasant
sound was heard. As I inched
closer to 0dB I did notice it wasn’t
getting any louder, suggesting the
limiters Klipsch programmed had
kicking in and were dialing things
back. No matter how far I went,
nothing undesirable reared its
ugly head. I was quite impressed
by the outcome, that amount of
equanimity isn’t easy for a ported
subwoofer.
Similar to the opening scene
from Edge of Tomorrow, Master
and Commander starts things
off with a subwoofer challenge.
In this case it’s a vicious battle
between two warships, at almost
point blank range for a portion of
their conflict.
The British frigate H.M.S.
Surprise sails through the fog,
looking for the French privateer
vessel Acheron. Suddenly, the
commander of the Surprise
sees the muzzle flash from the
Acherons canons and shouts “all
hands down!”. At that point the
battle explodes, quite literally. As
the ships take turns trying to blast
the other into oblivion, the Klipsch
RP-1600SW came alive. Each
shock wave from the Acherons
cannons created a floor-rumbling
sensation, skillfully depicting not
only power but relative distance.
As they pummeled the Surprise
the intensity brought the action
front and center, creating the
necessary scale to make the
battle fully engaging.
With Open Range you have to
go further into the movie than you
do with the previous two - scene
13 to be precise - in order to get to
the part I wanted to use. Here is
where the “free grazers”, people
who herd their cattle across
unclaimed land, come face-to-
face with Denton Baxter and his
posse of henchmen. Baxter is the
local land baron who hates free
grazers and he wants to chase
them off. If necessary, he will use
violence to do so.
This scene is known for exag-
gerated gun sounds, exactly why I
choose it. As the two sides unload
on each other the guns were, well,
exaggerated. But in a good way,
and the RP-1600SW ate it up.
Despite the embellished nature of
the effects, each was distinct and
easily identifiable. In particular
the “scattergun” (shotgun),
that one hit with considerable
authority. Oddly, it didn’t seem
overdone when rendered by the
RP-1660SW. Potent for sure, but
not excessive.
I then jumped to Hurt Locker
for more gunfire, focusing
primarily on scene 8. This is the
standoff in the desert, which pits
the US Army and some British
contractors against the enemy.
Here the good guys get pinned
down by the bad guys and their
sniper. The opening of this scene
sets the stage, with portions of
the soundtrack creating a deep
pulsating sensation. With some
subwoofers that effect can drone
and get annoying, but no such
problem here. Instantly I knew

50 ❘ December 2023 January 2024 ❘ soundandvision.com

the RP-1600SW was ready to go,
which meant so too was I. Excuse
me while I grab the remote and up
the volume a bit more.
Mortars hit with a explosive
(sorry) thud. Each time they
popped off a round on the
Humvee-mounted 50 caliber
machine gun the subwoofers port
sent a blast of air washing across
my living room. The driver did its
part too, contributing a formidable
wallop of bass. The contractors
pull out a Barrett M107 sniper rifle,
each time he pulled that trigger
there was a percussive kick.
Perhaps the most impressive
aspect of all the movie tests was
the RP-1600SW’s dynamic range,
the balance between various
effects in a scene was excellent.
Even during congested parts
of a soundtrack, with a lot of
things going on, the Klipsch never
faltered. Every layer remained
intact and clear.
After running through all the
scenes I checked the amp for
warmth, but found less than
anticipated. I say “less than
anticipated” only because there
isn’t much surface area on the
fins to dissipate it, but in spite
of that there wasn’t much heat
being generated. The benefit of a
class D amp and a large cabinet I
suppose. Efficiency at work.
MUSIC
When Paul Klipsch started
designing speakers there was
no such thing as home theater,
his products were only used for
music. There were no subwoofers
during the 1940’s either. Given the
stellar results of the movie tests,
I’m hoping Klipsch remained true
to the spirit of their founder and
ensured their Reference Premier
subwoofers are capable of accu-
rate music reproduction. This will
be the litmus test for me.
First up was Stevie Wonder’s
“Higher Ground”. While most
people know me as an aficionado
of metal, a lover of aggressive
music, I do appreciate other
genres. One is music from the
60’s and 70’s, mostly because
I grew up listening to it. It
hearkens back to my youth, and
who doesn’t like remembering
when they were young? “Higher
Ground” has a funky beat, with a
head-bopping lick, so why not?
The Klipsch RP-1600SW took
me on a trip down memory lane,
but with much better bass than
any stereo system I had back in
the day. The rhythm was crisp and
detailed, the flow spot on. I could
crank it as loud as I dared, the
RP-1600SW remained unfazed
and sublime.
Still feeling a bit nostalgic I
jumped to one of my origin songs,
“Nowhere Man” from the Beatles.
Although released several years
before my youthful ears ever
heard it, I distinctly recall the
first time this one leapt out of
the radio and into my psyche. I
begged my parents to buy the
45 for me, anyone old enough
to remember those? To this day
I feel Paul McCartney’s Hofner
hollow body is the best sounding
bass guitar there ever was. A
Rickenbacker is a close second
for me, but that Hofner will always
be my favorite. Thankfully when
“Nowhere Man” started playing
the RP-1600SW didn’t let me
down, it produced a lavish and
weighty sound that underpinned
this song magnificently. It’s
sumptuous tone was oozing out
of the sub.
How about I segue out of
sentimental mode and go in a
totally different direction? Are
you ready for some electronic
music instead? This is not in my
soundandvision.com ❘ 51
 test report
KLIPSCH RP-1600SW

Test Bench
WOOFER: 16" Ultra Long
Throw Cerametallic
Specs FREQUENCY RESPONSE:
14.5-175Hz +/- 3dB
AMPLIFIER TYPE: Class D
AMPLIFIER POWER: 800W
RMS / 1600W Peak
MAXIMUM OUTPUT: 125.5 dB
ENCLOSURE TYPE: Bass Reflex, Front-Firing
Aerofoil Slot Port
Fig.1 The Klipsch RP-1600S offers high output and notably robust bass extension, dipping DIMENSIONS: 23.4"x23.5"x27.4" (HWD)
right into the infrasonic realm. WEIGHT: 111 lbs

wheelhouse, but I know someone
who does speak the language.
None other than Sound & Vision
editor, Mark Henninger. I’ve know
Mark for the better part of a
decade, what most people aren’t
aware of is his other interests.
One of them being electronic
music, specifically arrangements
he’s created that have very deep
bass. I’ve used some of his mate-
rial in the past and it has proven
to challenge many a subwoofer.
Given that I haven’t really pushed
the RP-1600SW thus far with the
songs I’ve chosen, it seemed
time to rectify that. I went with
one titled “Dead Serious”. As its
name implies, now was a time of
reckoning.
Whatever Mark included in
this mix, it was pretty brutal. I’m
standing at least 25 feet away
from the RP-1600SW, in another
room I might add, and yet I can
feel it pounding away. There are
passages of this song that send
pulsating waves of bass at the
listener, yet the RP-1600SW didn’t
care in the least. I bumped the
volume - rather considerably I
might add - yet it kept right on
going. It was not fazed in the least.
CONCLUSION
If I’m honest, there was a time
when I wouldn’t consider recom-
mending a Klipsch subwoofer to
anyone. That time is no more,
the RP-1600SW surprised me;
it can play very loud without
losing composer, has impressive
dynamics, it’s almost impos-
sible to trip up this thing. The
protection mechanisms are all
but bulletproof, you can experi-
ment with impunity. Even at the
limit it sounds totally in control,
composed despite your best
efforts to force it not to be. Bass
was always sharp and distinct,
each note and effect clearly
defined. There was no overhang,
nothing sounded out of place.
When it wasn’t necessary to do
anything the RP-1600SW didn’t,
when it was time to get serious it
could and did. The Klipsch Refer-
ence Premier line of subwoofers
is definitely worth adding to your
short list.

The Verdict

In the past Klipsch was known

primarily for its speakers, but
that might be changing. The Ref-
erence Premier line of subwoof-
ers are very impressive, finally
able to keep pace with their
speakers. I went into this review
not expecting much, I came away
admiring what they had created.
The Klipsch RP-1600SW is the
real deal.

52 ❘ December 2023 January 2024 ❘ soundandvision.com

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 test report
DYNAUDIO EMIT 50 LOUDSPEAKER
Aural Excellence
By Dennis Young
FOUNDED IN 1976, Dynaudio is well-
known in the world of audio. As one of
the few loudspeaker manufacturers
that make their own drivers, combined
with the massive Jupiter acoustic
measurement facility, the company
gains a significant advantage when
integrating the multiple parts of a loud-
speaker into one system. Dynaudio not
only has a presence in the consumer
54 ❘ December 2023 January 2024 ❘ soundandvision.com
market but also a substantial presence
in recording studios. Vertical integra-
tion, a hands-on approach to music
production, and evidence-based
research and development have been
key to their success.
The Emit series represents Dynau-
dio’s entry-level high-end range, with
the impressive Emit 50 tower leading
the way. It features a 1.1” tweeter, 6”
RATING
PERFORMANCE
BUILD QUALITY
VALUE
midrange, and 7” woofers - common
driver arrangements. What sets it apart
are the Cerotar tweeters, the one-piece
dust cap and cone of the mid and bass
drivers, unique hybrid crossovers,
A Dynaudio Emit 50 and splayed bass ports. The speaker
stands tall beside a boasts a 3/4” MDF enclosure with a
record player. It is a laminate Walnut finish (Black and White
speaker suitable for options are also available) that covers
all sorts of sources . five sides. A flat black front baffle helps
the tower visually disappear when
the lights go down, especially
beneficial for movie viewing.
Sturdy outriggers provide stability.
The Cerotar tweeter incorpo-
rates a static, dimpled Hexis reso-
nance control dome behind its
active diaphragm, preventing rear
wave reflections from interfering
with the front wave. Dynaudio’s
attention to tweeters capable
of handling shallow crossover
slopes is evident with an over-
sized fabric dome and a powerful
ferrite + strontium carbonate
ceramic magnet. Close tweeter
and midrange spacing reflects the
attention to driver integration. The
Emit 50’s midrange, specific to
this model, employs an aluminum
voice coil optimized for precision
and uses filter-down technology
from the high-end Contour series.
The woofers feature heavier
copper voice coils and dual
stacked magnets, which enhance
their current-handling capability
and motor force. The one-piece
construction of the mid and bass
drivers provides a better connec-
tion for the voice coil.
Crossover topology is novel,
with driver filters at 6dB/octave
for the tweeter, 12dB/octave for
the midrange, and 24dB/octave
for the woofers. The hybrid
crossovers intelligently align the
mechanical components electri-
cally, ensuring the drivers work in
harmony. Along with rear-firing
ports and a sturdy cabinet, each
part contributes to achieving the
high-fidelity objective.
INSTALLATION
Recently, I moved from a
dedicated, well-treated room in
my Midwest house to an East
Coast one-bedroom apartment.
Fortunately, the new space offers
a good-sized area, a 12x28x9
ft. open-floor plan, for a simple
two-channel solution with music
listening and television viewing
in mind. Sometimes, people
desire excellent sound without
complexity. The good news,
especially for those considering
soundbars or struggling with
subwoofer placement, is that the
Emit 50 makes this possible.
John Quick, Dynaudio’s Vice-
President for Sales & Marketing,
Americas, personally delivered the
speakers and handled the setup.
He brought not only decades of
setup experience but also a bag of
tools, replacement parts, a laser
distance-finder, and even a mobile
router for internet access if
needed. Placement was relatively
straightforward, with only the
laser and a couple of setup tricks
required to optimize the Emit 50s
in the room. We began by listening
to the existing setup and then
replaced those speakers with the
Emit 50s. The immediate obser-
vation was that the sound was
very similar, a positive sign. These
speakers need room to shine, and
their powerful sound commands
respect. The final placement
positioned the Emit 50s 7 feet
apart, with the front baffles 3 feet
from the back wall and 7 feet from
the main listening position. The
nearest side wall was over 5 feet
away, and the room is acoustically
treated. We opted not to attach
the protective grilles or install the
supplied port plugs.
While the Emit 50s are not amp
killers, they do demand attention
to be given to the choice of ampli-
fication. I used a Denon X4800H,
which handled the task well,
allowing the Emit 50s to perform
at their best. It’s worth noting that
the AVR’s normally cool sides
became warm at spirited listening
levels above 90dB. I added an AC
Infinity T10 to manage tempera-
tures, that kept it at an ideal 82-84
degrees. These speakers will
utilize every watt you provide and
may even ask for a little more.
While there’s no need to go over-
board, it’s important to provide an
amplification support system that
matches the speaker’s needs.
The listening session began,
and while a few minor adjust-
ments were made, we focused
more on enjoying the music.
Having heard many speakers, the
At a Glance
Soundstage and imaging
properties
Near full-range capability
Enjoyable at high, mid
and low sound levels
May heat up an AVR
Favors placement away
from boundaries
Price: $2249/Pair
dynaudio.com
Emit 50 quickly became one of
my favorites, considering its cost/
performance ratio. While not inex-
pensive for an entry-level speaker,
you get top-notch engineering
and solid build quality in return
for your investment. Dynaudio’s
state-of-the-art research and
development facility, combined
with their in-house cabinet and
driver production, gives them a
significant advantage.
The next day I ran Audyssey
MultEQ XT32 and used the
MultEQ Editor app, although it
added little in way of fidelity,
outside of a welcome boost in
the bass (more on that later).
Why Audyssey XT32? Because
it lends itself to the experiment,
being included “for free” with
most AVRs. Well, almost free.
The $20 MultEQ Editor app is a
prerequisite, in my opinion, most
of all for disabling the Midrange
Compensation filter. Audyssey
did not change the sound much,
it merely put the polish on what
was already a good setup and the
frequency range of its action was
limited to 500 Hz and below.
MUSIC IMPRESSIONS
I streamed all tracks from Tidal
on High or Max settings, using
a laptop or ROKU Ultra, both via
HDMI.
Michael McDonald “I Keep
Forgettin’ (Every Time You’re
Near)”, it was easy to pick out
separate locations of Michael’s
distinctive voice and those of the
background singers on stage. The
kick drum starting at 3:17 gave
testament to the detailed bass
soundandvision.com ❘ 55
 test report
DYNAUDIO EMIT 50 LOUDSPEAKER
articulation the Emit 50 is capable
of. I replayed that snippet several
times, so much fun the bass drum
footwork was.
John Debney “Danse Macabre
Saint Saens”, from the Stonehearst
Asylum Original Motion Picture
Soundtrack is not just a reliable
review tool for me, but one of my
favorite songs to listen to, even
though I’ve never seen the movie.
The scale of the stage and scope
of individual instrumental images
were rendered as I expected
and maybe even a little better.
The weighty percussion bass
interspersed throughout was hefty
indeed, once again pinning the
notion that these speakers can
carry a full 10 octave range just
fine, thank you.
Joshua Bell “Noctune N0.
20 in C-Sharp Minor, Op. posth
(Arranged for Violin & Orchestra)”,
the highs floating off of his strings
at 2:45 should be piercing, with
just enough bite to hurt a bit. The
Emit 50s were able to recreate
that sensation, carrying the wistful
emotion of the moment and
intensifying it.
Hans Zimmer and James
Newton Howard “Why So Serious”
56 ❘ December 2023 January 2024
from The Dark Knight soundtrack
has a singular synth bass chorus
found throughout the track that
gives a head-under-water feel
from the pressure. The Emit
50s surprised with their delivery,
allowing me to turn up the volume
without compromising clarity,
even capturing the subtle sounds
of batter head strikes on the
drums.
Now for a few lesser recordings,
from the abysmal, yet familiar-
to-my-ears years of the 80’s &
90’s. Anything that can survive
Patty Smyth’s “The Warrior” is a
grand transducer, indeed, the shrill
highs making this a difficult track.
While not typically in my playlist,
it randomly popped up so I let it
go and it was nothing like the car
stereo days I used to experience
this song with. I was able to not
only make it through the song, but
to enjoy it, as well, because great
speakers do not make bad record-
ings sound worse.
While it normally feels like
the 3:45 minute Static X “Bled
for Days” song screeches on for
weeks, I’ve never heard that lousy
recording sound better. I almost
listened to the whole song!
❘ soundandvision.com
❱ Floorstanding 3-way
❱ 28mm Coated fabric tweeter w/Hexis
Specs ❱ 15cm Magnesium Silicate Polymer midrange
❱ 2 x 18cm Magnesium Silicate Polymer woofers
❱ Bass reflex rear double flared port w/port plugs
❱ Crossover Frequency 540/4400 Hz
❱ Sensitivity (86dB @ 2.83V/1m)
❱ IEC Power Handling 240 watts
❱ Rated Impedance 4 ohm
❱ 11 7/8" W x 46 3/4" H x 14 6/8" D including feet/grill
❱ Weight 57 3/8 lbs
❱ Product registration extended warranty: 8 years
Likewise with The J. Geils Band by the Emit 50 what is there, true
“Freeze Frame”, a song that fell to the source.
victim to compression for the
sake of overall volume level, but TV/MOVIE IMPRESSIONS
it becomes easier to listen to
through a decent speaker. This All content from Netflix, streamed
canard of a good speaker making via ROKU Ultra through HDMI.
bad recordings sound worse... Hanna is an old favorite of mine.
eh, I get it. I just don’t agree with The soundtrack drives each
it. Sure, the bad parts are easier action scene along, careening
to hear, but the good parts of bad wildly down the road, yet never
recordings do not get worse with flipping uncontrolled, into a ditch
better speakers. and catching on fire, leaving one
Linda Ronstadt “You’re No excited and breathless at the end
Good” has a weirdness in the bass, of each scene. I have watched
it lags a bit. That is always called this show countless times and the
out in good systems I have heard Emit 50 helped continue to make it
and it was quite prominent here. enjoyable for me.
That’s because we are being given Extraction 2 - I turned the
volume up for viewing of this
“over-action” movie and I’m sure
my neighbors enjoyed it, too (just
kidding, they were not home).
At the Railcar/Helicopter scene,
46:10-minute mark, gunfire had
the necessary impact and the
whir of the helicopter rotor blades
chopped the air, all of the zings,
pows, bangs, whizzes and thuds
were present and accounted for.
The scene ends with a dramatic
derailment, the orchestral music
crescendos, then the action and
music fades into silence. By the
end of the scene, I was as worn
out from the assault as the heroes
and villains.
Seinfeld - Watching regular TV
was fun with the Emit 50s. The
show about nothing would be
happening and I, engrossed in
the latest character non-issues,
just forgot about the AV system
and enjoyed the show... right up
until the bass riffs in between
scenes reminded me that I am
listening through a capable pair

of loudspeakers. Sometimes I
would pause and rewind the riffs
for another listen to the synth/
keyboard bass lines (bet you did
not know that is electronic), which
activated every working high/mid/
low part of the Emit 50s, calling “all
hands-on deck” for a few seconds
of engaging faux slap/buzz/thump
entertainment.
PERFORMANCE
The Emit 50s possess desirable,
sharply defined imaging proper-
ties. Their ability to deliver near
full-range sound, even at lower
listening levels, is a significant
achievement. This is a solid,
all-around speaker that performs
admirably. The Cerotar tweeter’s
quality elevates the performance
of the midrange and woofers,
allowing me to hear the entire
spectrum without the tweeter
dominating the soundstage. The
Jupiter acoustic measurement
facility pays off in the room,
making the Emit 50s shine. The
hybrid crossover design, which
aligns mechanical components
electrically, ensures seamless
integration between drivers.
Whether seated, standing, or
moving around the room, the Emit
50s maintain tonal accuracy and
balance, accommodating off-axis
listeners. At the main listening
position, the stage is neither overly
forward nor recessed.
Regarding bass, the Emit 50s
have a secret weapon. The entire
enclosure radiates low frequen-
cies, offering front-to-back, top-
to-bottom bass. The placement
of the rear ports contributes to
this excellent bass performance,
with the top port almost halfway
up to the centerline of an 8 ft.
ceiling, a good recipe for great
bass. Optimally loading the room
and getting the bass right are
essential parts of this exercise.
Achieving this with just one pair
of speakers, placed on either side
of a TV, involves no complications
when done right. Using Room EQ
Wizard and a UMIK-1 mic to check
my room response at the listening
position, bass response was flat
to 31.5Hz, down -5dB at 25Hz and
-10dB at 20Hz. With Audyssey and
Dynamic EQ engaged, the in-room
bass response was essentially flat,
down only -2dB at 20Hz relative
to 1kHz at the 75dB reference,
making the Emit 50 a full-range
tower. DSP further aids our two-
channel experiment by making a
subwoofer completely optional,
rather than a necessity. Of course,
the benefits a subwoofer or three
brings can enhance the experi-
ence, especially if high SPLs are
desired.
The midrange driver is the star
of this show, with much attention
paid to its design. Its presentation
can be fairly described as slightly
forward-sounding, but I never felt
that it was oppressive in any way
at all. In fact, its forward projection
of vocals in the mix was welcomed
and I never felt the want or need
to adjust speaker positioning or
to turn the volume level down. I
liked it. Images were located a bit
high, an effect that I found to be
realistic and pleasing. When I am
seated, it feels like the performers
are standing, and the movies have
a ‘heightened’ quality, as if I’m in
a theater.
Overall, while the affordable
Emit 50 may not be the last word
in resolution, its preference for
omission rather than commission
errors is a favorable trade-off.
That trade is welcome; I’d rather
have a little bit missing than have
something added that should
not be there. You are getting a
speaker that almost does it all
and does so at reasonable cost.
Of course, we can chase that
last little bit, but it’s going to cost
more. As it is, this speaker will
bring a smile to anyone’s face
while listening. The Emit 50 is
an excellent starting point for
beginning audiophiles, a solid
recommendation for family and
friends, a satisfactory choice
for those seeking a two-channel
solution for music and television,
and a great anchor for the start of
a home theater system. As previ-
ously stated, one of its best attri-
butes is the ability to be near full-
range at high, medium and low
volume levels. One doesn’t feel
the need to crank it to get “more”.
Housemates and neighbors will
appreciate that, as well. With the
help of Audyssey and with certain
content at spirited listening levels,
I could rattle dishes and cabinets
in the next room if I wanted to.
CONCLUSION
The Emit 50 may be Dynaudio’s
entry-level offering, but it serves as
a shining example of the Emit line.
These towers reveal an impressive
amount of information, making
them one of my favorite options
in this price range. They perform
admirably even in less-than-ideal
conditions, a feat many speakers
fail to achieve. When attention
to the room is given, such as
adding acoustic treatments and
digital signal processing, the Emit
50s rise to the occasion, making
the improvements audible and
appreciated.
While not a “budget” speaker,
the Emit 50 is within reach and
a worthwhile investment for
anyone seeking a quality pair of
2-channel towers or the founda-
tion of a home theater system.
Whether you opt for a minimalist
2-channel setup or a full-blown
home theater, the Dynaudio Emit
50s consistently impress. Their
exceptional soundstage and
imaging capabilities make them
stand out, providing hours of
enjoyable listening and rediscov-
ering familiar songs in new ways.
Dynaudio’s commitment to quality
shines through in the Emit 50,
offering a natural, easy sound that
anyone can enjoy.
The Verdict
The Dynaudio Emit 50 makes use
of its evidence-based R&D and its
heritage in professional sound
production, delivering a capable
tower at an affordable price.
Needs current to hit more than
moderate SPL.
soundandvision.com ❘ 57
 test report
SONOS MOVE 2
Perfectly Portable
By Mark Henninger
SONOS, A brand synonymous with
wireless multi-room audio audio,
unveils its latest: the Sonos Move 2.
This speaker is not just a sequel but
a significant upgrade from its
predecessor.
FEATURES
The original Sonos Move was already
a formidable entry in the portable
audio space. Now, meet its evolved
successor—the Sonos Move 2. At first
glance, the Move 2 retains the familiar
58 ❘ December 2023 January 2024
aesthetics of its predecessor, retaining
its dimensions and portable form.
However, Sonos introduces an olive
shade, adding to the original Move’s
black and white options.
The Move 2 has capacitive touch
controls; you can play, pause, skip,
replay, adjust the volume, mute your
voice assistant, and group or ungroup
Sonos products using these controls.
Like the Move, the Move 2 works
with voice assistants. It supports
Sonos Voice Control and also Amazon
Alexa. The privacy control is a switch
❘ soundandvision.com
RATING
PERFORMANCE
BUILD QUALITY
ERGONOMICS
VALUE
that disengages the built-in micro-
phone at the hardware level.
The setup process is very easy,
especially if you already have a Sonos
account. This is definitely a strong suit,
Sonos is known for user friendly prod-
ucts. And if you get into any trouble, it
also has excellent customer support.
A new battery promises up to
24 hours of playback, doubling the
stamina of the original. Charging is
streamlined with an upgraded Wireless
Charging Base, and its IP56 rating
assures resilience against dust and
water, making it a great choice to take
outdoors and on the road.
Wi-Fi 6 support, Bluetooth 5.0, and a
new line-in capability via USB C adapter
offer versatile connectivity. You can
also charge the Move 2 via USB C. The
Sonos app remains intuitive, and the
speaker seamlessly fits into the Sonos
ecosystem. However, its inability to pair
with a Sonos subwoofer might be a
letdown for some. Another no-can-do
is using Move 2s for surround-sound in
a home theater system.
If you are watching video content
with an iOS device, you can use the
AirPlay 2 functionality that provides a
low latency connection for enhanced
quality audio that’s sync’d with the
video.
My hands-on experience was
limited by the fact that I only had one
speaker to work with. But it’s easy to
see how a pair of them reproducing
stereo would result in a compelling
stereophonic listening experience.
However, it’s worth noting that this
speaker is not designed for use with
The Move 2 is TVs as a soundbar replacement, due to
incredibly easy to Bluetooth latency issues.
carry and easy to
use. Here it is PERFORMANCE
playing music in
Philly's Rail Park Listening impressions are highly favor-
using Bluetooth. able within the context of a device this
Introducing the NEW Kendall mk2 Collection
Handcrafted in Canada.

2F Floorstander

Inspired By Music.

klhaudio.com
 test report
SONOS MOVE 2
size and type. The reason for this
is the tuning and the adjustability.
The speaker adapts to the environ-
ment as well as offering tone
controls and a classic loudness
feature that boosts bass when the
volume is low. You’ll get sound
that pleases you out of it.
The Move 2’s sound quality and
output is impressive considering it
is cordless—not merely wireless—
and the fact it is a single, compact,
and portable unit. The inclusion of
an additional tweeter gives it a little
bit of stereo, giving it a broader
soundstage than the original
monophonic Move. Still, the stereo
soundstage is modest and the
majority of the sound appears to
come from the speaker itself. This
is not the same experience as a
two-speaker stereo system, or
even a soundbar that uses beam-
forming like Sonos’ own Beam.
The bass is tight, deep, and
well-balanced. The Automatic
Trueplay room tuning feature
ensures the sound remains
surprisingly consistent regardless
of where the speaker is placed. For
example when I place the speaker
in a corner it compensates for
the change in bass response (a
result of the boundary effect) as
compared to when it’s sitting out
in the open.
Those familiar with Sonos’
tuning will find the Move 2
aurally fits in with the rest of their
speakers. Those not familiar with
Sonos will find the sound clear and
natural in character.
While the Move 2 is not going
to replace a high-end bookshelf
speaker, performance is highly
favorable for a speaker of its size
and type. It manages to consis-
tently impress with its output,
particularly when playing genres
like rock, pop, and electronica.
However, it may falter a bit when
pushed hard with certain record-
ings of genres like jazz or clas-
sical, it is best to keep the volume
levels modest when a recording
has a very wide dynamic range.
My subjective and anecdotal
test of Sonos Automatic True-
play’s efficacy involved playing the
album The Music of Grand Theft
Auto V Volume 2, The Score. This
60 ❘ December 2023 January 2024 ❘ soundandvision.com
is one of my favorite instrumental
albums, and its music can sound
congested if a speaker cannot
effectively parse through the
layers. In this test, I found that the
speaker adapted well to various
placements.
It performed consistently
whether it was out in the open
in my loft living room, where the
center channel speaker for my
surround system usually resides,
or in a corner next to the kitchen
sink. The speaker also maintained
similar tonality when placed on top
of the refrigerator and on a book-
shelf at the back of my living room.
By utilizing RoomEQ Wizard and
sine wave test tones, I was able
to track the bass response of the
Move 2 and found that it extends
down to roughly 36 Hz and does
so cleanly. However, the bass rolls
off incredibly quickly—practically a
brick wall—so that by the time you
reach 30 Hz, there is essentially no
sound and no movement from the
woofer. I deduce this speaker does
not waste electricity on attempting
to reproduce bass that it can’t
handle. Rather, it aims to faithfully
reproduce music and AV content
while avoiding the issues that
come with pushing it past physical
limits of amplification and driver
excursion. It proactively reduces
bass levels when the volume is
increased, preventing the woofer
from becoming overtaxed.
It’s crucial to note that bass
extension down to 36 Hz will
cover the vast majority of music
genres and worth reiterating that
this speaker is not designed or
At a Glance
marketed for home theater use.
What the Move 2 is designed Stereo sound from dual
for is traveling, so I tossed it in a tweeters
backpack and scooted to one of Battery life up to 24 hours
my favorite urban outdoor spots,
Philadelphia’s Rail Park, where I Support for wired audio
sources
enjoyed the new album Metallic
Spheres in Colour by The Orb Upgraded Wireless
and David Gilmour. The music is Charging Base
ambient dub i.e. mellow paced and Wi-Fi and Bluetooth
spacey, but with a heavy dose of capabilities
Gilmour’s guitar. Turn it up and the Stereo soundstage is
sound covers quite a large area, it limited
could certainly handle a picnic or a
backyard party. Cannot be paired with
Sonos subwoofer
Outside, the main difference
is there’s no reinforcement of the Proprietary USB-C
bass like you get indoors. Large Line-In Adapter not
party speakers can overcome this included in box
with brute force but the Sonos Price: $449
DIMENSIONS: Height 9.49 in (241 mm), Width: 6.3
in (160 mm), Depth: 5.00 in (127 mm)
Specs WEIGHT: 6.61 lbs (3 kg)
COLORS: Black, White, Olive
CONTROLS: Capacitive touch controls for play,
pause, skip, replay, adjusting the volume, muting
the voice assistant, and grouping or ungrouping Sonos products
BLUETOOTH BUTTON: Press to pair with a Bluetooth device
MIC SWITCH: Use this switch on the back of the product to discon-
nect all power to the microphone
does not have that luxury. It’s in its class. Its sound and build
no big deal though because the quality, feature set, and versatility
overall sound is so good, so clear. make it well worth its $450 MSRP.
A quick switch to the fat beats of And I can only speculate that a pair
Bassnectar’s The Golden Rule: of them would deliver a fantastic
Part 1: Unlocked confirmed that true stereo listening experience.
the speaker’s processing can find From its long-lasting yet
a way to “pump that bass” in a way replaceable battery to its genu-
that allows it to maintain compo- inely useful and effective Auto-
sure yet still delineate the beat in a matic Trueplay feature, Sonos has
convincing manner. created a compelling compact,
portable speaker that works great
FINAL THOUGHTS on its own or as part of a larger
Sonos system.
The Sonos Move 2 is an impor-
tant part of the brand’s speaker
ecosystem because while all The Verdict
Sonos speakers are wireless in the
sense that they connect via Wi-Fi, With long battery life, a robust
they are not all cordless. Most build, powerful bass, and superior
need to be plugged in. Plus, it hits connectivity options, the Move 2
a sweet spot between small size is a compelling upgrade that’s
and high performance. ready for both indoor and out-
The Move 2 is not a replace- door use. While it might be on the
ment for a high-end sound system, pricier side, for the quality and
yet it offers an excellent listening features offered, it’s an invest-
experience for a portable speaker ment that delivers.
 1

THE SOUND
volume of noise. MotoGP is loud, with revving
engines reaching decibel levels equivalent to
a jet aircraft taking off. This cacophony can
easily saturate microphones and distort the
captured audio.

OF SPEED
More than 200 Audio-Technica microphones
are in use during a race. This audio equipment
is designed to withstand high-decibel environ-
ments and unpredictable weather conditions
and capture clear, high-definition audio. They
cover a broad range of applications, from the
THE ELECTRIFYING hum of motorcycles, the animated chatter track, pit lane, to ENG (Electronic News Gath-
from the paddock, the anticipatory hush in the pit lanes, and the ering) crews, and even (or especially) onboard
unmistakable roars from the crowd - these are the exhilarating the bikes themselves. To avoid clipping, the
sounds of the Red Bull Grand Prix of the Americas MotoGP™ sound is captured as 32-bit floating point
race. Sounds that are meticulously captured and delivered to digital audio.
MotoGP Racing racing fans worldwide, live and on-demand. And the real star The sonic landscape of a MotoGP race
behind the scenes? Audio-Technica microphones. is highly dynamic. Motorcycles zoom past
and Audio-Technica
Motors are music to the ears of race fans and by that stan- creating a rapid shift in sound intensity and
Mics dard, MotoGP racing is a symphony orchestra performing pitch due to the Doppler effect. This creates a
BY MARK HENNINGER a crescendo. Capturing live audio from a MotoGP race is moving audio target that is difficult to capture
a herculean task that requires meticulous planning, expert accurately. Even though the race is outdoors,
knowledge, and top-notch equipment. The challenges are the acoustics of the landscape and racetrack
many, making the process a complex technical and creative endeavor. structures also have an effect by reflecting,
The goal is to bring the visceral experience of being at a MotoGP race to screens, speakers absorbing, or diffusing sound before it reaches
and headphones across the world. How do you translate the sights and sounds of an event so the microphones.
huge into a cohesive broadcast that delivers emotional impact? It takes teamwork and state of Given the outdoor nature of motorcycle
the art equipment to pull it off. racing, microphones are exposed to the
When Audio-Technica asked if I wanted to see a live MotoGP race, I leaped at the chance. I elements, requiring effective shielding that
wanted to experience firsthand how its microphones are used in the live race broadcast, how doesn’t compromise their audio capture
they bring the viewer into the action. It is no small feat when you grasp the enormity of the chal- capabilities. Adding to the challenges, because
lenge: 2.3 miles of track and 22 of the fastest racing bikes in the world, with speeds exceeding
200 miles per hour for 20 laps. 1) The control room is where all the live feeds
get sorted. There are many camera angles
The Challenge and associated microphone feeds to monitor
One of the foremost challenges with recording the sounds of motorcycle racing is the sheer during the race.

soundandvision.com ❘ 61

it is a live production there is a need for tight
synchronization. Audio captured from various
sources must be perfectly timed with the
visual footage. Any delay, however slight, can
disrupt the viewing experience and diminish
the immersive feel of the broadcast.
Audio-Technica is up to the task of
overcoming these challenges, given their
engineering expertise, sound engineering
expertise, and decades of experience working
in professional sports. The company started
working with Dorna (MotoGP’s commercial
rights holder) in 2019 and from there started
innovating custom audio capture solutions.
The skill of the audio team — who must stra-
tegically place these microphones around the
track, continuously monitor the sound levels,
and make real-time adjustments as necessary
— is crucial and allows viewers to experience
the full sonic spectacle of a MotoGP race.
About MotoGP
MotoGP racing is considered the pinnacle of
two-wheel motorsports and is revered globally
for its high-octane spectacle and the extreme
skill required from competitors. The prestige
of MotoGP stems from several factors. Firstly,
62 ❘ December 2023 January 2024 ❘ soundandvision.com
2 3
it showcases the utmost limits of motorcycle
technology. The machines raced in MotoGP
are purpose-built, high-performance bikes that
push the boundaries of speed and agility.
These are not production bikes and the
sound of the racing motors is distinct to the
class. Motorcycle racing presents challenges
different from car racing. The rider’s stance
significantly influences the race, and the aero-
dynamic demands are extreme. The delicate
aerodynamic dance between motorcycle and
rider informed the design of the latest camera
and mic system Audio-Technica helped create
for the bikes.
MotoGP riders are the best in the world,
and they compete on some of the most
iconic racing circuits; these include Le Mans
in France, Mugello in Italy, and the Mobility
Resort Motegi in Japan. 2023 marks the tenth
MotoGP Grand Prix at Circuit of the Americas,
which opened in 2012 and features 19 turns
over its 2.3 mile length.
The Trip
There’s nothing like first-hand experience to
understand the creative intent behind live
race coverage. Before I ever set foot on a
4 5
2) Shotgun mics play a vital role in isolating
sounds. Here, a TV camera is equipped with
the enormous BP28L, a 22-inch long model
that is effective for long-range pickup.
3) Stereo shotgun microphone arrays with
90-degree separation capture the racers
as they pass by. 4) The starting line at the
Red Bull Grand Prix of the Americas.
5) Another view of the MotoGP control
room. 6) MotoGP racing is the top level of
track-based motorcycle racing in the world;
it is loud, fast and intense!
plane, I familiarized myself with the course
and MotoGP in general by playing the racing
sim MotoGP 22 (MotoGP 23 came out June
8) and watching past races via the VideoPass
on motogp.com (membership required). The
sim is considered a difficult game because
it forces you to respect the timing of braking
and acceleration that is intrinsic to motorcycle
racing and a lot tougher to master than auto-
mobiles. Watching a live race brings home the
reality of how tough it really is.
Only recently have I started watching live
racing on big-screen TV using a surround-
sound system, as I would enjoy a movie. I had

no idea how much goes into the production
and never before wrapped my head around
the (literal) moving parts. Going to Austin fixed
all that. Having seen the real thing in person, I
found it remarkable how realistic racing sims
and games have become. This is particularly
true for MotoGP 2023 on my PlayStation 5. It
quite literally simulates the people and places
and equipment and the track with astonishing
verisimilitude.
In the two days leading up to the big race,
we—a small group of journalists along with
Audio-Technica staff—toured the track, saw
the bikes, met with riders and gained an aware-
ness of the various elements at play. We even
had the opportunity to ride a lap at full speed
around the track in the MotoGP Safety Car, as
well as to visit the broadcast booths where the
production comes together.
Pit Lane
The first stop on our tour, naturally, was pit
lane. Here, six U851R boundary microphones
are deployed to pick up sound in an inconspic-
uous manner. Their design allows mounting
on flat surfaces like walls and ceilings and are
used to pick up sound from above.
Another mic found in the pit lane is the
BP3600 immersive audio microphone.
Consisting of eight capsules, it picks up
360-degree audio and in this application
can be used to add spatial ambience to the
background of the mix. According to Audio-
Technica, this mic’s “eight-channel near-
coincident array provides ample spaciousness
and controlled separation not found in other
all-in-one immersive audio microphones.”
The Track
A total of 18 BP28 shotgun microphones were
set up in nine stereo pairs around the track.
These are instrumental in capturing the sound
of the motorcycles as they round corners and
zoom down straightaways. The mics are X/Y
offset by 90 degrees for corners while on the
straights the separation is 110 degrees in order
to capture a wider area.
Audio-Technica’s goal is to seamlessly
cover the track with microphones, so the
director can transition from one camera view
to another and always have consistent sound
accompanying it without any gaps. Addi-
tional stereo shotgun microphones—BP4027
& BP4029—complement the track sound
capture array.
The BP28L shotgun microphone is another
crucial piece of equipment. These are long,
highly directional mics that pick up whatever
the camera it is mounted on points at. Twelve
of these allow for precise audio pickup directly
from the action, even when using a long zoom.
And along the straightaway near the finish
line is another BP3600, perfectly situated to
capture both the crowd and the bikes.
Obviously, all this audio needs to find its way
back to the director at his console. This is done
with miles of fiber optic cable and special-
ized networking gear housed in waterproof
containers.
The Riders
There are 100 BP899 miniature lavalier mics
6
mounted on bikes, all feeding into a wireless
transmission system. Just think of the chal-
lenge. With 22 riders zooming around the track
at incredible speeds, the mics and camera
cannot interfere with the rider. They need
to perform under incredible stress and still
deliver clear audio.
The riders, of course, are 100% focused
on the race. Thanks to the onboard cameras,
viewers can experience a vicarious thrill and
ride along with them.
The Race(s)
There are actually numerous races that take
place over the weekend, including a Sprint
for the premier class and Grand Prix races
for two lower classes of bikes, Moto2™ and
Moto3™. But the final MotoGP Grand Prix race
is the star of the show: 20 intense laps. 22
riders start, but not all will finish. There are no
pit stops. If you slip up, it’s over. In this race,
the first lap claimed two competitors almost
immediately.
It was fascinating to watch the broadcast of
the race and compare it to my memory of the
actual event.
Because the streaming broadcast has
announcers, the audio mix from the track in
the main feed serves more as background. But
don’t underestimate its sophistication!
At the track, a spectator is stationary if
they have a seat, or at least limited to walking
speed in terms of how fast they can get
around. Consequently, the sounds they hear do
not match what is shown on the big screens
broadcasting the race. But if you pay attention
soundandvision.com ❘ 63

to the streaming broadcast, you’ll hear all
sorts of audio subtleties that exactly sync to
the action; it’s the real sound of the race so it
seamlessly matches what you are seeing.
The really cool thing about using the Video-
Pass on motogp.com is that when you are
watching a race, you are not at all restricted
to the broadcast feed! You can watch the
main video feed with only ambient sound, no
announcer! This is the mix to listen to if you
want to appreciate what all this effort is about.
The sounds the mics pick up correlate to
individual bikes on screen. Once you’ve done
that, go back to the mix with the commentary,
and you’ll truly appreciate what the ambient
mix brings to the table.
The need for complete track coverage using
stereo shotgun mics is perhaps most apparent
in the ambient feed that accompanies the
helicopter aerial views. It has to sync up to
what you see, just like the rest of the audio.
However, the helicopter is able to track racers
uninterrupted over extremely long stretches
and multiple turns, and the audio mix has to
keep up seamlessly.
You may have thought the analogy I made to
a symphony at the beginning of this article was
a stretch but I promise that if you listen to the
ambient feeds you will come to appreciate the
nuances that are communicated.
When streaming, you can even choose
between four on-bike camera views (including
the “butt-cams”) and focus on the sound. The
forward-facing view is pretty much identical to
what you get from a driving sim, although even
more intense because you can clearly see
9 the race is worth it. Having been there, I can
64 ❘ December 2023 January 2024 ❘ soundandvision.com
7 8
what an extreme sport this really is as riders
react to the wind and the track surface. What
I find amazing is that the microphones on the
camera deliver such clear sound even with 200
MPH wind. When you switch between bikes,
you can also hear the slightly altered timbre of
the different engines. When one bike passes
another, you hear the dueling engines.
The Finish Line
The world-class spectacle of MotoGP racing
puts it in rarefied territory. To see and hear the
race in person is the equivalent of attending a
classical music concert so you can under-
stand how a particular instrument should
sound in a recording. Without the in-person
experience, you cannot know if its essence is
captured.
It’s quite amazing, with all these moving
parts, that the final broadcast is so seam-
less, with no dropouts in the feeds. But even
more astonishing is hearing the ambient mix
and the sounds from the on-bike cameras
using a high-fidelity sound system. I used the
Dolby Surround upmixer to expand the mix,
leveraging the 9.1.4 channel AVR system in my
living room. It’s an immersive listening experi-
ence that creates true envelopment.
Now that I’ve wrapped my head around
what it really takes to capture a race of this
magnitude, I have a newfound appreciation for
live sports sound. It’s mission critical; without
it, you lose the tension, excitement, and sense
of being a spectator at a live event. The sound
makes the spectacle.
The symphony of motorcycle racing is a
super specific set of sounds. What’s fasci-
nating is that, in different locations, these
sounds interact with the acoustics of the
track in novel ways. When standing on the
inside of a hairpin turn the effect of all the
bikes cornering around you creates a dizzying
360-degree aural panorama specific to that
spot. But that “you are there” cacophony would
not make sense as the main focus in a live
broadcast. What you hear needs to match
what you see.
One thing is for sure, all the effort to mic up
vouch for how it translates in the broadcast.
7) Motorcycle racing is serious business.
Here a racer focuses as the bikes line
up in the pre-race grid. Note the orange
Audio-Technica ATH-M50X headphones
he is wearing. 8) At corners, the stereo
shotgun mic pairs are arranged with
110-degrees separation. 9) The special
on-bike camera developed for MotoGP racing.
If you watch MotoGP racing from home on a
high-performance AV system with a big screen
and surround-sound, you are transported into
the event.
Streaming the race is certainly different
from being there, but it brings the sights and
sounds home to motogp.com VideoPass
viewers in a way that you can’t even experi-
ence in person.
As with movie soundtracks, you cannot
appreciate the nuances of the MotoGP broad-
cast audio mix unless you have a surround-
sound system and pay attention. But you also
don’t have to go crazy to enjoy the artistry,
because a decent 5.1 system—yes, even a
competent soundbar system—will do the trick.
Headphones also offer a good listening experi-
ence. Even if you just use AirPods, you’ll hear
the artistry and technical know-how that went
into the mix.
Now that I understand all that goes into
capturing and delivering audio of a live
MotoGP race, I can truly appreciate what a
complex endeavor it is. But you don’t need to
know all this technical background to appre-
ciate the end result. Even a casual viewer can
recognize Audio-Technica’s contribution and
how the audio mix naturally matches what is
on screen. The reason why? Because it is not
just a broadcast of a race. It is a production,
there is artistry to it.
The winner of the big race turned out to be
Alex Rins, taking a historic victory for the LCR
Honda Castrol team. But the other winners are
the viewers who get to enjoy MotoGP racing
with truly impressive sound made possible
by Audio-Technica’s microphone know-how.
This auditory excellence transforms a simple
viewing into a proper AV experience, thus
enveloping the audience in the heart of the
race's pulsating energy.
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 reviews
entertainment
WITNESS
Many were the times I thought of reaching out to my contacts at Paramount to give them
a friendly nudge toward a 4K release of Witness, a treasure from their vault and a personal
favorite of mine since its theatrical debut. My grumblings were silenced earlier this year not by
one of those fancy Paramount Presents editions but with the
announcement of an even fancier limited edition boxed set
from third-party boutique label Arrow.
Dismissed by many as “another cop movie” before its
production, the script by William Kelley and Earl W. and Pamela
Wallace would go on to win the Oscar and even be analyzed
and lauded in subsequent screenwriting textbooks. Under
the direction of hot new import Peter Weir (Gallipoli, The Year
of Living Dangerously), the great material was elevated even
further, yielding a deeply felt tale of a stranger in a strange
land. Harrison Ford absolutely shines as Philadelphia police
detective John Book in quite possibly the best performance of
his long career, when an explosive case sends him from the big
city to the horse-and-buggy world of Amish country. One of
the secrets of this film’s irresistible pull is its minimalism, as
pages of dialogue were reportedly thrown out, replaced by…
acting, the wordless expressions of Ford and romantic lead
Kelly McGillis working as much magic as what they say out
loud. It’s a remarkably honest love story, a suspenseful thriller,
and simply one of the best movies to come out of the ‘80s.
Working with a studio-supplied master, Arrow presents
Witness at its proper 1.85:1 aspect ratio and with HDR10 and
Dolby Vision high dynamic range.
The movie is quite naturalistic in its style, shot in Pennsyl-
vania locations and often indoors with Vermeer-inspired use
of light and color. Undulating tall grass looks like a painting
come life, subtleties of color are conveyed as never before,
66 ❘ December 2023 January 2024 ❘ soundandvision.com
REFERENCE
RATINGS
EXCELLENT
GOOD
FAIR
POOR
and beads of sweat are precisely rendered. The
HDR glow of the oil lanterns is downright respect-
able. Some shots are truly gorgeous, others are
plagued by video compression and video noise
rears its head, too. The resolution of the stark
Amish black varies but is often crushed. A mild
but undeniable flickering in some fast-action
shots, the sort I seldom see in the modern 4K era,
suggests that this an older video master was used,
disappointing for a film of this stature. In fair-
ness, director of photography John Seale chose a
deliberately grainy film stock, which explains some
of the issues with the image, which I’d put a notch
above an HD Blu-ray.
The lossless 5.1-channel remix of the original
theatrical stereo (which is also included, always
happy to see that listed in the menus) is likely the
same track that was included on Paramount’s prior
Blu-ray releases, here in DTS-HD Master Audio
format. It offers some welcome immersion such
as the quiet creaking and echo in the corn silo, and
later during the massive grain dump. At this level
of clarity, we can appreciate the moments where
post-production dialogue looping was required. For
the most part, the use of the rears is not particu-
larly aggressive, with nothing in the surrounds
during a rainstorm for example. Utilizing synthe-
sizers to create an otherworldly mood, Maurice
Jarre’s operatic, at times hypnotic musical score
typically displays a left/right configuration with
strong moments of percussion, the iconic barn-
building sequence expanding to fill all the speakers
as the transcendent sense of community washes
over us all. Also supplied is a “home video” 2.0
soundtrack, ostensibly tweaked for more limited
nearfield audio setups.
Among the legacy extras are a five-part, hour-
long documentary featuring all the participants
we’d hope for plus a deleted scene from the TV
version of the movie. New for this edition are an
expert audio commentary, an interview with John
Seale and a visual essay, in addition to a 60-page
booklet, a double-sided poster and six photo cards.
ULTRA HD 4K BLU-RAY As the title suggests, you must see Witness for
STUDIO: Arrow 1985
ASPECT RATIO: 1.85:1
yourself. l CHRIS CHIARELLA
HDR FORMAT: Dolby Vision,
HDR10
AUDIO FORMAT: DTS-HD Master
Audio 5.1
LENGTH: 112 mins., R
DIRECTOR: Peter Weir
STARRING: Harrison Ford,
Kelly McGillis, Lukas Haas,
Josef Sommer, Jan Rubes,
Alexander Godunov, Patti LuPone
Arrow
BARBIE
BASED ON the eponymous fashion dolls created by Ruth Handler and
introduced to the world in 1959, Barbie is the first live-action film under
the enduring brand. The film is co-written and directed by Greta Gerwig
and follows idyllic couple Barbie and Ken who are living the dream in
the colorful and seemingly perfect world of Barbie Land. However, after
an existential crisis, they take a trip to the real world, where they soon
discover the joys and perils of being human.

MOONAGE DAYDREAM
CALL HIM the Thin White Chameleon. As pioneering as the late, great
David Bowie was as a multitalented artist who came of creative age
during the initial wave of the rock era, what comes across most promi-
nently in Moonage Daydream—a provocative documentary helmed by
multi-hyphenate director/producer Brett Morgen—is his deeply philo-
sophical nature as a man constantly questioning norms, pushing social
mores and cultural boundaries, and seeking cosmic truths.
The screenplay for Barbie is a gem. At its core, it serves as an homage Patterning Daydream after the M.O. he utilized for the masterful 2012
to the icon that Barbie is, lasting for generations as the doll that every Rolling Stones documentary Crossfire Hurricane, Morgen relies almost
little girl had to have. I enjoyed how the various iterations of Barbie, friend solely on Bowie’s well-selected voiceovers to provide the film’s narrative
Midge, little sister Skipper, “ugly” Barbie (played to perfection by Kate tract. By following this heady, individualist route rather than taking a
McKinnon) and each of the Kens (including his pal Allan) are depicted in more traditional, literal chrono-biographical trajectory, Morgen better
the story. The film explores a variety of themes that are easily digestible reflects Bowie’s instinct-following artistic nature.
thanks to the wonderfully infused humor, fantastic production design Visually, the 4K presentation keenly enhances period performance
and a devoted cast, led by the always reliable Margot Robbie and Ryan footage from the early and mid-1970s (a good bit of it previously unseen),
Gosling. Barbie earned more than $1.43B worldwide to become the especially when circular bladders of a crimson-hued spotlight follow the
highest grossing film in Warner Bros.’ 100-year history and is the largest head and torso of Bowie as Ziggy Stardust prancing across the stage.
global film release of 2023. Meanwhile, the contrast of his blotted, fluorescent-blue eyeshadow
The video was rendered from a 6.5K source and finished on a 4K DI. and matching suit plus a shock of reddish-orange spiky hair is starkly
The film is boldly colorful throughout, featuring rich primary and pastel pronounced as he stands relatively inert amidst an all-white backdrop.
colors that pop off the screen. Detail rendering is flawless. The wide- Latter-era Bowie footage is even more crisp, as you’ll spot the subtle age
angle shots of Barbie Land and real-world Los Angeles appear nearly lines emerging on his maturing face—and you should also be able to
three-dimensional. High dynamic range is subtly applied, emboldening catch random wisps of smoke wafting from a stubby cigarette perched
brightly lit scenes and specular highlights. I found this to be an excellent between the middle joints of two fingers whenever he’s shown wielding
Ultra HD presentation. a paintbrush with unbridled fervor as he
The Atmos track makes limited use swishes it quite vigorously across a free-
of the height channels which is disap- form, floor-wide canvas.
pointing. The bed channels are well The Atmos soundtrack is smartly
utilized, incorporating effects that are deployed, with recurring found sounds
discrete and ambient in nature, creating like helicopters, gunfire, and sirens often
an excellent level of immersion that appearing in an all-aswirl manner to
coincides with the onscreen events. enhance Morgen-curated transitional
Dynamics are robust and highs are crisp imagery. (Some of those sounds, I
without being strident or edgy. Dialogue suspect, were culled from the multitracks
is rendered with defining tonal expres- of Bowie’s synth-tastic 1980 No. 1 British
sion and room-penetrating depth. Bass hit, “Ashes to Ashes.”) It would be quite
response is excellent, providing an remiss of me not to mention the Bowie
4K UHD + BLU-RAY
appreciably tight and punchy low end. ULTRA HD 4K BLU-RAY STUDIO: The Criterion Collection,
song that shares its name with this publi-
Bonus features include six short STUDIO: Warner Bros., 2023 2022 cation—“Sound and Vision” (as he spells
production featurettes that offer a ASPECT RATIO: 2.00:1 ASPECT RATIO: 1.78:1 (original it)—appears at the 64-minute mark.
glimpse behind the scenes. They offer HDR FORMAT: HDR10 1.85:1) Extras include a quite impassioned
AUDIO FORMAT: Dolby Atmos HDR FORMAT: HDR10+
insights into the production design, LENGTH: 114 mins., PG-13 AUDIO FORMAT: Dolby Atmos
Morgen commentary track and an inter-
makeup, costumes and choreography, DIRECTOR: Greta Gerwig LENGTH: 134 mins. view with the two rerecording mixers.
with input from the cast and crew. The STARRING: Margot Robbie, DIRECTOR: Brett Morgen Ground control to Moonage
“Becoming Barbie” featurette is the best Ryan Gosling, America Ferrera, STARRING: David Bowie, Daydream: This titillating doc is a testa-
Kate McKinnon, Issa Rae, Mick Ronson, Brian Eno,
of the lot but all are worthwhile. A digital Rhea Perlman, Will Ferrell Dick Cavett, Iman
ment to an artist who abhorred stasis and
copy code is included. implored us to look toward the sky and
Barbie may not be for everyone but,
Warner Bros.

reach beyond the confines of time and

Criterion

if you’re open to its whimsical fun, it’s space—something Bowie did himself,
quite entertaining. l RALPH POTTS right to the very end. l MIKE METTLER

soundandvision.com ❘ 67
 PREY
PREY IS the latest installment in the iconic Predator film franchise.
Set in the year 1719, it tells the story of a young woman, Naru, a skilled
yet untested warrior of the Comanche Nation who has been raised in
the shadow of some of the most legendary hunters to roam the Great
Plains. When a mysterious danger arises, she fights to protect her tribe
against one of the first highly evolved Predators to visit Earth.
Prey is a made-for-Hulu action adventure that didn’t receive a theat-
rical release, nor an announcement for a future physical media offering.
The development of the primary character of Naru is at the heart of
the narrative, which contains a nicely developed story with themes
THE EXORCIST of coming-of-age, breaking down barriers and fighting for survival. I
liked how this story
drew inspiration
TAKEN FROM the William Peter Blatty novel, The Exorcist was based from a classic that
on true events. The story follows Regan (Linda Blair), a young girl who has now spawned
begins to display odd behavior. After exhausting medical options, three sequels and
Regan’s mother Chris (Ellen Burstyn), who suspects her daughter may a prequel yet felt
be possessed, turns to the church and young Jesuit priest Father Karas unique in its own
(Jason Miller). After he tries several religious rites with no effect, Karas right. I never found
calls in a veteran priest, Father Merrin (Max von Sydow), to help with an any of them to be the
exorcism. Over the course of the rite and the battle between good and equal of the original,
evil, horrifying things happen to Regan and the priests alike. until now: End-to-
The included 2000 Director’s Cut has an added eleven minutes that end, I thoroughly
include a slightly different ending, updated CGI effects and added short enjoyed this film.
passages of dialogue. It also reinstates Regan’s upside-down spider The Ultra HD
walk on the stairs, which was removed from the Theatrical Cut. rendering is finished
The Exorcist is known for its shocking practical special effects, on a 4K digital inter-
a performance beyond her 14 years by Linda Blair, and the moody, mediate. This sterling presentation delivers on the format’s strengths,
shadowy visuals that create a mysterious, eerie atmosphere. The film is offering refined detail that enhances depth and dimension. Emboldened
frightening, especially while watching alone in the dark. Upon its release contrast, rich blacks and definitive shadow detail underscore the subject
it created a phenomenon, with reports of people fainting in theaters and matter, bringing it to a visually rewarding level. The benefits of high
lines around the block. dynamic range and wide color gamut are on-point. Earth-toned colors
This 4K disc from Warner comes encoded in 1.85:1 HEVC 2160p and have vitality that enlivens shots where they would have perhaps been
is one of the studio’s best-looking catalog releases. The graininess of seen as a less provocative background element. Whites are gradational
the film is still clear but looks more refined, with a higher density. The and bright during the plethora of daytime segments featured in the film. I
image is crisper and resolves more fine detail. The HDR10 grading, found this to be a gratifying and engaging viewing experience.
which has a Maxell of 999 nits and MaxFALL of 155 nits (Theatrical)/153 The Dolby Atmos track is an excellent one that is comprised of a
nits (Extended), provides extended shadow details, obsidian black mix of atmospherics, panning fills and
levels, and no issues with crush. Scenes with lights have bright whites, discrete audio. Sound effects emanating
flames pop off the screen with more color from the height channels create an
vibrancy and specular highlights sparkle. enriching level of immersion that coin-
There is no noticeable difference in quality cides with the onscreen events. Nearfield
between the two cuts of the film. object placement provides an involving
We get a reference lossless Dolby listening experience that enhances
Atmos immersive mix that has wide the “being there” effect when applied.
dynamic range and excellent clarity in the Dialogue is firmly planted in the center
ambience and atmospherics. It makes channel, rendering voices and effects with
effective use of the overhead channels appropriate distinction. Solid dynamics
with some “voice of God” effects. Low end and room-energizing bass fundamentally
bass in the mix is not bombastic. Instead it drive the action-based sequences. A
ULTRA HD 4K BLU-RAY
is solid, well extended and used judi- STUDIO: Fox, 2022
full-length Comanche audio track is also
ciously. It adds a visceral audio element to 4K ULTRA HD ASPECT RATIO: 2.39:1 included!
the viewing experience. STUDIO: Warner, 1973 HDR FORMAT: HDR10 Bonus features include an enlightening
In addition to the Director’s Cut on a ASPECT RATIO: 1.85:1 AUDIO FORMAT: Dolby Atmos panel discussion, production featurette,
AUDIO FORMAT: Dolby Atmos with TrueHD 7.1 core
separate 4K disc, Warner Bros. includes with TrueHD 7.1 core LENGTH: 100 mins., R
alternate opening/deleted scenes and
two audio commentaries and an introduc- LENGTH: 122 mins./132 mins. R DIRECTOR: Dan Trachtenberg filmmaker audio commentary. Given its
tion by the late director Willaim Friedkin. DIRECTOR: William Friedkin STARRING: Amber Midthunder, continued streaming status on Hulu, no
Redeeming the Movies Anywhere digital STARRING: Ellen Burstyn, Dane DiLiegro, Harlan Blayne digital copy is included. A feature film HD
Linda Blair, Jason Miller, Kytwayhat, Dakota Beavers,
code will get you several bonus features Max von Sydow, Lee J. Cobb Michelle Thrush
Blu-ray completes the set.
from previous releases, including the Prey is an entertaining cinematic
excellent “The Fear of God: 25 Years of The spectacle, especially for Predator fans,
Exorcist” and Beyond Comprehension, an and looks and sounds great on 4K disc.
Warner

interview with Blatty. l BRANDON A. DUHAMEL

Fox

l RALPH POTTS

68 ❘ December 2023 January 2024 ❘ soundandvision.com

 SNOW WHITE AND
THE SEVEN DWARFS
GENERATION AFTER generation has fallen in love with Walt Disney’s
iconic animated masterpiece, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Its
story of love and friendship follows the beautiful and kindhearted
princess Snow White, who charms every creature in the kingdom except
one, her jealous stepmother the queen, who has it in for her after the
Magic Mirror proclaims that Snow White is the fairest one of all. Forced
to flee into the forest, Snow White meets and wins the hearts of seven
diminutive miners and ultimately triumphs over the wicked queen.

BATMAN: MASK
OF THE PHANTASM
HAVING ALREADY cracked the code to what would yield the best
animated Batman of all time (and arguably the best adaptation of The
Dark Knight, period), the team behind TV’s The Animated Series was
ultimately given the green light to make a PG-rated feature film in that
same style. And while small-screen Bats pushed creative boundaries,
in theaters he went even further, with the blood, the violence and
even (gulp) the sex adding a palpable impact to this wholly satisfying
adventure. A new masked vigilante’s in Gotham City, causing serious
trouble for key members of the criminal underworld as well as for our I love Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. It was the first full-length
Caped Crusader, as old wounds from a previously hidden chapter out of animated feature ever produced, launching a moviemaking enterprise
his murky past are reopened. And how does the homicidal Joker fit into that changed the face of cinema in a way that I’m sure not even Walt
this mayhem? Disney himself could have imagined. It has become a part of our enter-
The restoration of the (mostly) traditionally animated movie, sourced tainment culture and has been replicated in various forms, performed
from the original camera negative, is an absolute joy to behold, removing in school pageants and plays, and has defined the essence of good and
unwelcome flaws while preserving the ample film grain plus the dirt and evil even at the most elementary level.
scratches inherent to the physical cels. This release also marks the first This is the first time that this film has been made available in 4K,
time the movie has been presented in its full and proper 1.85:1 aspect sourced from new scans of the original nitrate negative. The results
ratio since its theatrical run. The frequent black areas of the frame are are quite impressive. The movie’s visuals don’t have the razor-sharp
deep and organic while colors are pleasingly strong. Scenery was given resolution of today’s digital animation, but fidelity is never in question.
a surprising amount of texture that reproduces wonderfully and the Colors shine brilliantly. Dynamic range is spot on, revealing deep blacks,
line art has an appropriate roughness to it. HDR10 highlights, as in the sparkling whites and even contrast. High dynamic range doesn’t play a
glow of Batman’s eyes within the cowl, are fine if not extraordinary. (The definitive role in the presentation but I never found the video lacking in
streaming version offers Dolby Vision.) terms of visual pop. It looks wonderful.
The soundtrack, meanwhile, has Let me begin by mentioning that the DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 and 1.0
been remixed from its vintage 2.0 (also mono soundtracks on the 2016 Blu-ray
included) to 5.1, both versions brilliantly have both been replaced with a 5.1 track
remastered for improved fidelity. Incidental here, this multichannel mix rendering
effects such as doors opening and closing dialogue, music and atmospherics in a
or glass breaking have a refreshed clarity, front-loaded configuration. Prioritization
subtle resonance is appreciable, and the is never an issue, allowing the recording’s
many scenes with rain or thunder truly various sound effects to be fully gleaned.
envelop us. Shirley Walker’s musical score, No low frequency detail has been mixed
riffing on Danny Elfman’s themes, hits hard to the subwoofer, however there really is
with its bass thumps, and the explosive no call for it. The dated elements in the
finale can be felt all the way to Metropolis. recording never sound thin or dynamically
The only on-disc extra is a brand-new ULTRA HD 4K BLU-RAY starved. Overall, the listening experience
STUDIO: Warner, 1993 ULTRA HD 4K BLU-RAY
mini-documentary about the recently ASPECT RATIO: 1.85:1 STUDIO: Disney, 1937
proved quite good.
deceased voice actor at the center of it all, HDR FORMAT: HDR10 ASPECT RATIO: 1.33:1 Bonus features include an audio
the one and only Kevin Conroy. There’s no AUDIO FORMAT: DTS-HD HDR FORMAT: HDR10 commentary, deleted scenes, story meet-
Blu-ray disc here but a Movies Anywhere Master Audio 5.1 AUDIO FORMAT: DTS-HD 5.1 ings, production featurettes, a 1956 inter-
LENGTH: 76 mins., PG Master Audio
digital copy is provided. Here we’ll find the DIRECTOR: Eric Radomski, LENGTH: 84 mins., G
view with Walt Disney, and an alternate
entire movie in 4:3 open matte (revealing Bruce W. Timm DIRECTOR: David Hand sequence, all of which are quite inter-
more picture top and bottom) as a bonus, STARRING: Kevin Conroy, STARRING: Adriana Caselotti, esting. A Blu-ray and digital copy code
significant since this is how it was initially Dana Delany, Mark Hamill, Harry Stockwell, Lucielle La are the finishing touches. Snow White
Hart Bochner, Stacy Keach, Verne, Roy Atwell,
intended to be shown, direct-to-video, Abe Vigoda Stuart Buchanan
and the Seven Dwarfs is among the most
for 1.33:1 screens of the era. In short, beloved Disney animated feature films
Warner’s awesome 4K package is a and holds special prominence, not only
Walt Disney

masterfully realized 30th anniversary in the Disney universe but within film-
Warner

edition. l CHRIS CHIARELLA making. l RALPH POTTS

soundandvision.com ❘ 69
THE PRINCESS BRIDE THREE DAYS OF THE CONDOR
DIRECTOR ROB REINER’S genre-defying The Princess Bride, from the JOE TURNER is a humble genius who reads and reports on books for the
book and screenplay by William Goldman, is weird but somehow it CIA, so why does someone want him dead? The only survivor of a brutal
works. A modest hit in theaters in 1987, this romantic, swashbuckling attack on his office, he’s on the run and looking for answers with only his
fairy tale struck a unique comedic tone (what a ball they must have had considerable wits and a borrowed .45 for protection. A quintessential
making this movie) with its quirky characters and absurd situations ‘70s thriller, Three Days of the Condor was extensively reimagined from
and has since grown to become a family favorite for generations. When James Grady’s novel Six Days of the Condor, and not only in its titular
an under-the-weather preteen is visited by his granddad, armed with a arithmetic.
prized book, an ordinary day becomes something very special as the This fast-paced cinematic adaptation is fraught with the post-
narrative comes alive thanks to the old man’s indulgent oration. In less Watergate paranoia of an increasingly complicated world that could no
capable hands, this tale of treachery and true love, of foppish princes longer trust the government, its considerable intrigue ably shouldered by
and sword fighting pirates, could have been unbearable schmaltz, but screen icon Robert Redford.
our enduring fondness for Westley, Buttercup, Fezzik, Iñigo et. al. is proof But for a few dated trappings, Three Days has aged quite well,
that it’s all in how you tell it. exploring the universal theme of human decency and its conflict with
The use of color is lush and evocative, notably in the elaborate period ruthless bureaucracy.
costumes and rolling green hills. Adrian Biddle’s photography embraces The movie was filmed on location in mid-‘70s New York City in winter,
the charm afforded by the English/Irish countryside locations, with which means that there are a lot of greys, benefitting here from strong
the occasional swing-for-the-fences beauty shot thrown in for good contrast, and colors are sufficiently pleasing when they crop up, as in
measure. The 4K clarity in this presentation is evident in the leaves, the the red of a Santa suit in Times Square. Kino Lorber Studio Classics’
grasses, even the coarse granules of lightning sand in closeup. Back in master is derived from a new 4K scan of the original camera negative,
the present day, the carefully orchestrated mess on the grandson’s head- spread across a triple-layer 100GB platter to afford a high bitrate, with
board continues to surprise exploring eyes with its many ‘80s treasures. crisp results evident in the ample facial details and the precise lines of
The 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio is likely identical to that on the 2018 Turner’s tweed jacket.
Blu-ray and it remains clear and full, providing a worthy complement to HDR highlights during certain evening scenes are respectably bright,
the Ultra HD image. Remixed for the home although nighttime sequences often appear a little too dark, with mushy
theater, the track displays an impressive blacks. Any image cleanup performed
attention to detail, imparting welcome was thankfully restrained, as the inherent
atmosphere to the surrounds that greatly film grain is preserved and even a vertical
embellishes the fantasy world. Mark Knop- scratch is noticeable in one shot.
fler’s score, derided by some as an odd The disc defaults to the DTS-HD
fit, is a curious blend of synthesized and Master Audio 2.0 option and switching
traditional instruments that cogently drives over to the 5.1 home theater remix opens
the proceedings forward. it up a bit. Pitter-pattering rain and later
None of Criterion’s extras are new for an approaching helicopter have been
this 4K edition, but the boutique label has cautiously shifted into the rear channels,
been custodian of The Princess Bride and Dave Grusin’s jazzy musical score
since laserdisc and so has amassed quite extends gently into the surrounds as well.
a library of supplements over the years. ULTRA HD 4K BLU-RAY Nothing too fancy here, as a brief scene
Highlights include a commentary with STUDIO: The Criterion ULTRA HD 4K BLU-RAY set inside a busy telephone control room
Collection, 1987 STUDIO: Kino Lorber Studio
Reiner and others, studies of the script and ASPECT RATIO: 2.39:1 Classics, 1975
makes no effort to engage more than the
the fencing, and a menagerie of featurettes HDR FORMAT: Dolby Vision, ASPECT RATIO: 2.35:1 left/right front speakers.
dating back to the original production, here HDR10 HDR FORMAT: Dolby Vision, Two audio commentaries are supplied
with recent creator comments added. In AUDIO FORMAT: DTS-HD HDR10 on the 4K disc, one archival track from
Master Audio 5.1 AUDIO FORMAT: DTS-HD
one of the more painstaking bonuses, the LENGTH: 98 mins., PG Master Audio 5.1
late director Sydney Pollack and a new
audiobook has been meticulously edited DIRECTOR: Rob Reiner LENGTH: 117 mins., R one from a pair of experts. These are
and aligned with the movie as an alternate STARRING: Robin Wright, Cary DIRECTOR: Sydney Pollack included on the bundled HD Blu-ray too,
track, revealing both the similarities Elwes, Mandy Patinkin, Wallace STARRING: Robert Redford, which also serves up a couple of lengthy
Shawn, Andre the Giant, Chris Faye Dunaway, Cliff Robertson,
and differences between the prose and Sarandon, Christopher Guest Max von Sydow, John Houseman
video bonus features culled from a batch
dramatic executions. Another holdover of roughly 20-year-old Redford/Pollack
is the gorgeous clothbound book-style interviews, excellent and both worth a
Kino Lorber
Criterion

packaging, debossed front and back. watch, these in addition to a deeper-than-

l CHRIS CHIARELLA usual array of trailers. l CHRIS CHIARELLA

70 ❘ December 2023 January 2024 ❘ soundandvision.com

 THE ulTimdTE consumEr TEcHnology...

iLLuMiNaTed!
g
dwardinbest
the veryucts
prod er
for ov rs
40 yEd

EISA AWARDS 2023-24

visit www.eisa.eu for the winners
Now 40 years strong, eisa is the unique collaboration of 58 member magazines and websites from 29
countries, specialising in all aspects of consumer electronics from mobile devices, home theatre display
and audio products, photography, hi-fi and in-car entertainment. This international association includes
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 music
THE WHO
WHO’S NEXT – LIFE HOUSE
SUPER DELUXE EDITION
& 4LP BOX SETS
Life House was intended to be
Pete Townshend’s life’s work, so
to speak, following the somewhat
unexpected runaway success
of The Who’s May 1969 ground-
breaking 2LP rock opera, Tommy.
But for various reasons, portions
of Life House were instead trans-
mogrified into the nine songs that
comprise one of the truly seminal
albums of the rock era, August
1971’s Who’s Next.
Although Who’s Next has been
feted with various enhanced
anniversary editions over the
years, the definitive 11-disc box
set has finally arrived to mark the
LP’s golden jubilee (plus two, that
is)—Who’s Next: Life House Super
Deluxe Edition. Ten CDs (count
’em!) sport a three-digit cavalcade
of extra of-era tracks under the
subheaders Pete Townshend’s
Life House Demos 1970-1971
(22 tracks), studio sessions in
New York and London (23 tracks),
singles and other sessions (17
tracks), and four discs of 1971 live
sets culled from the Young Vic in
London and the Civic Auditorium
in San Francisco (38 tracks; 20
songs from the latter SF set are
available on 3LPs in a separate
4LP box set alongside the original
album, for the vinyl-inclined). The
big box also includes a top-shelf
100-page hardback with sleeve
notes from Townshend as well
as posters and programs, plus
72 ❘ December 2023 January 2024
the amazing journey that is the
172-page Life House graphic
novel.
The Life House box measures
a meaty, beaty, big, and bouncy
12⅜ x 2⅜ x 12⅜ inches (w/h/d),
and it fits relatively symmetrically
alongside other existing mondo
Who box sets like those for The
Who Sell Out, Tommy, and Quadro-
phenia. I would need an entire
issue of S&V alone just to delve
into all the merits of the 132 tracks
herein—but, rest assured, the
balance of the demos, outtakes,
and live material wholly reflects
prime, A-level Townshend and
Who content from a time when
both the individual artist and the
band collective were at the height
of their creative powers.
The once and future king of
surround mixing, the ever-ubiqui-
tous Steven Wilson, has done an
absolutely stunning Atmos mix of
Who’s Next (plus 14 bonus tracks!)
on the included Blu-ray, in addition
to helming a 2022 stereo mix for
two-channel purists that appears
alongside the original 1971 stereo
mix for the seriously purest of
said purists out there. Wilson’s
Atmos mix takes Who’s Next to an
entirely new level. “Baba O’Riley”
unfolds over five-plus minutes in
a very cinematic and spherical
fashion like a space western
taking place on the Emerald Isle,
while the linchpin moments in
“Won’t Get Fooled Again” have all
the 360-degree impact you semi-
consciously expect after having
heard that song in stereo again
and again for decades—most
prominently with the placement of
Roger Daltrey’s final “Yeaaahhhh!”
More sparsely arranged tracks
like “Behind Blue Eyes” play off the
emotion in Daltrey’s voice during
its acoustic front half, rather
than over-emphasizing the sheer
bombast of its back half.
To further clarify what I was
❘ soundandvision.com
10CD/1BD & 4LP
Label: Polydor/UMR
Audio Formats: 16-bit/44.1kHz PCM
stereo (CD); 24-bit/96kHz Dolby
Atmos and DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1,
24-bit/96kHz PCM stereo (2022 mix
and original 1971 mix) (BD)
Number of Tracks: 132 (109 on 10CDs;
23 on 1BD); 29 on 4LPs
Length: 511:33:15 (10:02:06 on 10CDs;
1:33:09 on 1BD); 2:04:41 on 4 LPs
Producers: Bill Curbishley, Robert
Rosenberg (executive producers, box
set); The Who (original Who’s Next);
Glyn Johns (associate producer, original
Who’s Next); Pete Townshend (Life
House demo restorations)
Engineers: RGlyn Johns (recording
and mixing, original Who’s Next); Jon
Astley (remastering); Steven Wilson
(stereo remix for CD/BD and LP box
sets; Atmos and 5.1 mixes for BD);
Andy Macpherson, Bob Pridgen,
Richard Whittaker (restoration mixes,
unreleased material); Andy Neill (audio
research)
Performances
Sound
hearing (and loving!) in Atmos, I
reached out to Wilson directly to
get some firsthand mixing-choice
confirmation. “When it comes to
mixing an album like Who’s Next
in Atmos, it’s quite limited in the
sense of what you can do because
most of the album was recorded
on 8-track, and you haven’t really
got a lot to start with,” Wilson
told me. “On some tracks, you’ve
got mono drums, mono bass, a
couple of guitar overdubs, maybe
a piano or a synth part, vocal,
backing vocal—and that’s it! That’s
all you’ve got. I’m like, ‘I’ve got 12
speakers to fill here, mate. Can’t
you give me a bit more?’”
As is his wont, Wilson found a
way to make it all work immer-
sively. “Obviously, there are other
things that came into play here,”
he continues, citing “Behind Blue
Eyes” as an example. “With that
song, you’ve got these beautiful
reverb halos around things, so at
least I could use that to create a
sense of space—but a lot of the
time it’s just, ‘Okay, lead vocal
in the center, guitar in the front,
reverb in the back and above, and
that’s all.’” Luckily, when it came to
handling the aforementioned Big
2—“Baba O’Riley” and “Won’t Get
Fooled Again”—Wilson had more
options. “Those two songs have
the advantage of having the synth
ostinatos, which were a lot of fun
to play around with in Atmos,” he
confirms.
Incidentally, Wilson’s keen
reverb deployment is utilized to
such great effect in the height
channels during the Daltrey/
Townshend lead vocal tradeoffs
throughout the BD bonus track
“Naked Eye.” Also take note of how
he handles the dynamic tempo
shifts during the song’s various
solo sections—i.e., volume swells,
knife-edge electric guitar stabs,
chiming acoustic guitar riffs, and
supportive piano lines.
Given all the life-affirming
elements we have in-hand and
in-ear, Who’s Next: Life House
Super Deluxe Edition joins the
pantheon of indispensable A-level
box set collections commemo-
Photo: Trinifold Archive
rating key albums in the rock
canon with the level of care,
presentation, and detail it so richly
deserves—no fooling.
l MIKE METTLER
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STATEMENT OF OWNERSHIP
As required by Title 39, Section 3685 United States Code below
is the Statement of Ownership, Management, and Circulation of
Sound & Vision.
1. Publication Title: Sound & Vision
2. Publication Number: ISSN 1537-5838
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Contact Person: Matt Kexel/Phone 917-746-2369
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Office of Publisher: AVTech Media Americas Inc, 260 Madison
Avenue, 8th Floor, New York, NY 10016
9. Publisher: Keith Pray/ 260 Madison Avenue, 8th Floor, New York,
NY 10016; Editor, Mark Henninger/ 260 Madison Avenue, 8th Floor,
New York, NY 10016
10. Owner: AVTech Media Americas Inc, 260 Madison Avenue, 8th
Floor, New York, NY 10016
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rized to mail at nonprofit rate)
(Check one) The purpose, function, and nonprofit status of
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x Has Not Changed During Preceding 12 Months
n Outside the Mail ............... 140
n Has Changed During the Preceding 12 Months
13. Publication Title: Sound & Vision
14. Issue Date for Circulation Data Below: September, 2023
15. Extent and Nature of Circulation:
Average No. Copies No. of Copies of
Each Issue During Single Issue Published
Preceding 12 Months Nearest to Filing Date
a. Total number of copies ... 44,341
b. Paid Circulation (by mail and outside the mail)
1. Mailed Outside-County Paid Subscriptions Stated on
PS Form 3541 .............. 41,495
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PS Form 3541 ....................... 0
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Through Dealers and Carriers, Street Vendors,
Counter Sales and Other Paid Distribution
Outside USPS ................... 547
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c. Total Paid Distribution ....42.389
d. Free or Nominal Rate Distribution
(By Mail and Outside the Mail)
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e. Total Free or Nominal
Rate Distribution .....................348 618
f. Total Distribution ..............42.389 38,297
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h. Total......................................44,341 39,853
i. Percent Paid........................99.2% 98.4%
16. Extent and Nature of Circulation:
39,853 Average No. Copies No. of Copies of
Each Issue During Single Issue Published
Preceding 12 Months Nearest to Filing Date
37,210 a. Paid Electronic Copies ...... 10,156 9,500
b. Total Paid Print Copies (Line 15C) + Paid Electronic
0 Copies (Line 16A) ............... 52,197 47,197
c. Total Print Distribution (Line 15F) + Paid Electronic
Copies (Line 16A) .............. 52,545 47,797
d. Percent Paid (Both Print & Electronic Copies) (16b divided
469 x by 16c X 100).......................99.3% 98.7%
n I Certify that 50% of all my distributed Copies
0 (Electronic & Print) are paid above a nominal Price
38.297 17. Publication of Statement of Ownership will be printed in
the: January 2023 issue of this publication.
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500 Keith Pray, Publisher 10-1-2023
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soundandvision.com ❘ 73
 remaster class
SOUNDGARDEN: BADMOTORFINGER

Burning Dinosaur Bones

1991 A&M CD

SOUNDGARDEN WERE catching fire. The proto-headbanging Seattle-bred foursome began to emerge from the
misnomered grunge ooze with their second LP, September 1989’s aptly named Louder Than Love, with tracks like
“Loud Love” and “Big Dumb Sex” deftly adding observational tact to the band’s already thunderous bouillabaisse.
And then, in October of that forever-hallowed alt-rock emergence year of 1991, Soundgarden swerved into even
more progressive-leaning hard-metal lanes with the unrelenting Badmotorfinger.

Naturally, most of us got into spinning Badmo-
torfinger’s 57-plus unforgiving minutes via the 1991
A&M CD, and co-producer Terry Date made sure our
expectations weren’t sonically compromised. The
insistent low-end churn of “Slaves & Bulldozers,” plus
Kim Thayil’s extended guitar-chord riffing and human
vocal tsunami Chris Cornell’s lengthy held notes all
throughout “Mind Riot” and the heavenly agitation
of “Holy Water” were all seemingly constructed for
pushing the volume-knob limits in the digital age
without bleeding into the red.
True, there were 1991 1LP versions of Badmo-
torfinger issued by A&M in the U.S. (on limited-edition
translucent yellow vinyl) and in the UK (on standard
black vinyl)—and there’s even a 1991 A&M cassette, for
completists and/or the tape-degradation-inclined—but
listening to such dense music on only two sides of wax
was a no-go for me. Luckily, when Badmotorfinger’s
25th anniversary rolled around in 2016, A&M went all
out by offering a number of Gavin Lurssen-remastered
reissue options, including a budget-minded Deluxe
2CD set with a second disc comprising nine studio
outtakes and seven of-era live tracks. I, of course,
obtained a copy of that 2CD set for, er, collecting
purposes, but the better 2016 Badmotorfinger gauntlet
for me was the 4CD/2DVD/1BD Super Deluxe box set
that boosts the live material culled from Soundgar-
den’s 1992 hometown gig at the Paramount Theatre
in Seattle up to 19 songs (albeit spread across two
CDs). The pair of DVDs offer “Motor Vision” takes on
core tracks plus additional live clips, such as a rousing
“Rusty Cage” from Roseland Ballroom in New York in
May 1992 (hey, I was there—and it was quite refreshing
to see and hear that performance from an entirely
different angle, rather than my original sidestage-
alcove perch) and a truly punishing take on “Cop Killer”
from Miami.
As you’d expect, my ears perked up for the DTS-HD
Master Audio 5.1 and Dolby TrueHD 5.1 options on the
box set’s Blu-ray—and this is really where the music gets
to breathe. “Badmotorfinger works so well in surround
sound,” agreed Thayil in our unpublished interview from
2019, “especially considering the way the songs were 2016 A&M 2 LP
recorded.” Indeed, in 5.1, Thayil’s burled guitar lines now
propagate the full soundfield of “Rusty Cage,” while
Cornell’s eerie fade-in vocal howls that start each verse
of “Jesus Christ Pose” initially attack from the rear left
channel.
Not only that, but the Lurssen-remastered 2019
180-gram 2LP red-and-purple color vinyl edition on
A&M/UMe sounds quite good too, especially given how
the music is now spread across three sides instead
of two. (Side Four contains an etching replicating the
lenticular cover’s circular buzzsaw graphic.) Some of
that Badmotormagic is due in no small part to drummer 2016 Blu-ray from A&M box set
Matt Cameron’s insistence on sitting in on the remas-
tering sessions not only for this album, but also for
March 1994’s Superunknown and May 1996’s Down on
the Upside. Why was doing that so important? “Because
Matt could distinguish analog mastering from digital,”
Thayil explained, “and he could tell that just by how the
cymbals sounded. He was the one to push for some
analog mastering, not just digital mastering. Matt
wanted to make sure he could hear his cymbals a certain
way, and that the vocals fit where they should. We were
all really happy he was willing to travel just to sit in on
2016 A&M box set
the mastering process since we wanted the records
to sound as warm as possible. Also,” Thayil added,
choosing his ensuing words somewhat deliberately, “by
that point, we had already noticed the CDs sounded like
crap, and the digital downloads sounded even stupider.”
As good as Badmotorfinger is in 5.1—and you already
know where I’m going next—it would no doubt be even
more unremittingly surroundtastic in Dolby Atmos.
Until we get that as a listening option, the wide-ranging
5.1 Badmotorfinger easily outshines its stereo mix by
adroitly driving those key immersive nails right through
the heart of its aural cage. l MIKE METTLER 2019 A&M/UMe 2LP

Sound & Vision (ISSN 1537-5838) (USPS 504-850) December 2023/January 2024, Vol. 89, No. 1. COPYRIGHT 2023 BY AVTech Media Americas, LLC. All rights reserved. Published six times a year
(February/March, April/May, June/July, August/September, October/November, December/January) by AVTech Media Americas, LLC., 260 Madison Avenue, 8th Floor, New York, NY 10016-2303.
Periodicals postage paid at New York, NY and additional mailing offices. Single copy price is $6.99. Subscriptions: U.S., APO, FPO, and U.S. Possessions $20 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 507.1.5.2); NON-POSTAL AND MILITARY
FACILITIES: Sound & Vision, P.O. Box 37965, Boone, IA 50037-0965. Mailing Lists: Occasionally, our subscriber list is made available to reputable firms offering goods and services we believe would be of
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cdsfulfillment.com call (800) 264-9872, or write to: Sound & Vision, P.O. Box 37965, Boone, IA 50037-0965.

74 ❘ December 2023 January 2024 ❘ soundandvision.com

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