Sound & Vision May 2018

In prepping for this issue’s focus on front projection, I found myself philosophizing on the value of having a big image for viewing movies, TV serials, and sports. Not just big, but really big. We can, of course, make all the jokes about how no one shopping for a TV ever complained about having too big a set when they got it home (a truism for the most part, by the way). But there’s a reason that dedicated sports bars really sprung up as soon as affordable front projectors began seeping into the market, and why the trend in cathode-ray-tube and now flat-panel televisions has always been toward larger and larger screens. If I had more time, I’d try digging into the science of how our brains engage with cinematic images;…

E-mail them to HTLetters@sorc.com. Please note: Questions about the features and functions of a particular product are best directed to the manufacturer. Questions about what product you should buy are best directed to a dealer who knows all the details of your system, your preferences, and your personal habits. All submissions are considered the exclusive property of Sound & Vision magazine and TEN Publishing. We reserve the right to edit letters for brevity. Due to the volume of mail that we receive, we regret that we cannot respond to every letter. Straight Steer on Stereo Reading the reproduction of your 1958 article “Straight Steer on Stereo” (February/March and soundandvision.com) was like being transported by Mr. Peabody’s Wayback machine, particularly the section on radio broadcasts simultaneously using an AM and FM station to…

NEW GEAR, TOP NEWS, HOW TO, AND MORE… GRAHAM ALEXander is a talented musician, but he’s also an entrepreneur, historian, and music-label exec who has undertaken the enormous (and laudable) task of resurrecting Victor Records, the iconic brand that dates back to the earliest days of recorded music. We’re talking the label that recorded the likes of Sergei Rachmaninoff and forged an exclusive recording deal with the legendary opera singer Enrico Caruso. More than that, Alexander has created a delightful live-performance space called The Vault in the small town of Berlin, NJ, about 20 miles from Center City Philadelphia. The venue is unique in that it’s home to the official Victor Records archive as well as an assortment of historical artifacts and memorabilia. We sat down with Alexander to learn more…

Samsung May Use LG LCD panels in future TV models, reports the Korea Herald. Samsung has been seeking a new supplier to replace Sharp, which bowed out after being acquired by Foxconn… LG and Meridian are teaming up on the design of LG audio products. They’ll include soundbars and wireless speakers (see this month’s New Gear)… Sony’s Android Smart TVs will run Comcast’s Xfinity TV Partner app in 2018. Watch live, on demand, and cloud DVR material via the X1 program guide… Vizio’s SmartCast TV platform now has a working NBC app. Just the thing to catch that SNL skit they’re talking about at the water cooler… Channel Master’s Stream+ combines over-the-air TV reception with support for all apps in the Google Play store except Netflix and Amazon Video. It includes two tuners, voice…

PRICE $1,199 THE HERITAGE HP-3 IS A clean break from all of Klipsch’s previous full-sized headphones. Although Klipsch’s previous headphones were decent, I never felt they put the same passion into their headphones as their speakers. Maybe that’s why the HP-3 feels like a new beginning. Klipsch is finally going up against the big boys in the high-end audio headphone biz. This bit in the HP-3 press release set me reeling: “The Heritage HP-3 was inspired by founder Paul W. Klipsch (PWK). Long before stereo existed, PWK’s first audio experimentation was with a pair of headphones that he modified for stereo reproduction in 1919.” Klipsch really was a forward-thinking man! As for the HP-3s, even before you pop them on your noggin, you can’t help but notice the build quality in their die-cast…

Sun Tzu was a Chinese general and military theorist living in the 6th century B.C. He was the author of The Art of War, a treatise on military strategy and tactics. In addition to its profound military importance, his work has influenced many other competitive enterprises. I imagine that business executives are studying Sun Tzu right now, as they plan for one of the greatest corporate wars of all time. “The art of war is of vital importance to the State. It is a matter of life and death, a road either to safety or to ruin.” The coming war, already building in intensity, is the war of the smart speakers. Who could have guessed that loudspeakers, such a sedentary technology, would suddenly become weaponized? Of course, it’s not the magnets and…