Home Cinema Choice December 2021

If you're reading this mag, you probably love watching movies. And if you love watching movies, you've probably heard the questions rumbling about the cinema industry. Has No Time to Die earned enough to justify its continued delayed release? Was Disney right to debut Black Widow on VOD too? Are the days of smallscale movies enjoying theatrical runs dead? (Answers: yes, no, maybe). The movie business is in a state of flux as it adapts to locked-down multiplexes, shifting customer habits and technology advancements. And what this means for you, the movie addict, is that you have to keep your ears and eyes open, because that Liam Neeson thriller you heard about two months ago is probably on Prime Video already. The good news is your home cinema setup is…

John Archer: The experienced TV tester cut his teeth as an early HCC staffer Jon Thompson: Film producer and post-production expert delves into Hollywood and AV Steve May: HCC’s former Ed. is one of the UK’s most respected AV journos Anton van Beek: Our avid movie watcher and disc collector cut his teeth on Total DVD Richard Stevenson: Former Editor of the UK CE trade journal ERT Ed Selley: Audiophile Ed mixes his home cinema passion with a love of vinyl Steve Withers: Movie fan, display calibrator and object-based audio obsessive…

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS Q ACOUSTICS Flagship Concept loudspeaker range gains new models and 5.1 sets APPLE Music service upgraded with Spatial Audio NAD C 700 streaming amplifier unveiled AT THE PLEX This month's cinema releases NEWS X10 The hottest news stories in bite-sized chunks CANDYMAN Horror sequel hopes to hook you on 4K BD & MORE! Arcam has lowered the entry point of its HDA range of Dolby Atmos/DTS:X AV receivers with the AVR5. Available before the end of the year priced £1,999, it features a seven-channel Class AB amplifier stage, plus 11-channel processing capability, but jettisons the out-of-the-box Dirac Live EQ support of costlier stablemates – a Dirac licence can instead be purchased separately. As with all HDA models, the AVR5 combines physical inputs with Arcam's hi-res audio streaming skills…

On sale now are three new speakers in Q Acoustics' flagship Concept lineup, plus two fresh 5.1 packages for home cinema setups. The Concept 50 floorstander (£1,999 per pair), Concept 30 standmount (£899 per pair) and Concept 90 centre speaker (£649) continue the Gelcore cabinet construction and vibration-reducing 'isolation suspension base' of earlier Concept models, married to new tweeter and mid/bass driver designs. Pictured is the Concept 50 5.1 package (£4,225), which uses the floorstanders for front L/R speakers, plus a Q B12 subwoofer. A smaller £3,125 system uses four Concept 30 standmounts.…

Apple claims to have made Dolby Atmos Music even more believable with the introduction of Dynamic Head Tracking. Part of its recent iOS 15 firmware update, the embellishment adds a new level of subjective realism for Apple Music headphone wearers grooving to Spatial Audio. Dynamic Head Tracking, as it suggests, follows the subtle movements of your head in order to provide a more convincing illusion that the music is coming from all around you. With regular Dolby Atmos audio, listeners achieve greater immersion through wraparound imaging and height. Now, Dynamic Head Tracking allows users to move their heads within a 3D audio soundstage, as cues from the front L/C/R, height and rear channels remain fixed in space. As you turn, the soundstage re-orientates, just as it might in the real…

By revamping its LX-2 MkII bookshelf speakers and partnering them with a new streaming DAC/preamp 'Hub', Mission has created what it says is a 'true wireless' stereo solution, where the only cabling required is power for the three components. Priced £999, the LX Connect is available in black or white speaker finishes, and facilitates stereo or mono playback – the latter for using one enclosure in a room on its own. Hub connections include HDMI, digital optical, USB, analogue and Bluetooth. www.mission.co.uk…