Sound & Vision November 2018

A RECENT reader comment on soundandvision.com gave high praise to the magazine’s A/V equipment reviews, but then went on to condemn our “weak” attempts to review movies on Blu-ray disc. The gist of the message was that movie disc reviews are best left to websites that can cover them on a timely basis, as opposed to the weeks or even months that it takes for Sound & Vision to turn out reviews of the same titles. While I understand (to a point) where the commenter is coming from, I’d like to make a case here for the importance of movie and music reviews in Sound & Vision magazine. Yes, product reviews and tech info are undoubtedly the main reasons why readers turn to S&V—those topics are clearly our speciality. But I’d also…

What Happened To July/August? I have not found any comment in the September issue or on soundandvision.com about the status of the July/August issue, which seems odd since the issue was supposed to be produced but in fact may not have been. Can you advise whether or not this double issue was produced? Kenneth P. Mullinvia email Sound & Vision owes an apology to readers for any confusion surrounding the existence of a July/August 2018 issue. S&V’s Rob Sabin stated in his June editorial that a July/August issue would be forthcoming. However, it was ultimately decided as part of AVTech Media’s transition to a bimonthly schedule to jump straight to September 2018 and not produce a July/August S&V. Moving forward, readers will of course receive the exact number of issues due to them…

Sony Master Series Ultra HDTVs Sony’s new Master Series UHDTVs were designed with “input from the creative community,” and bring a quality level that “approaches a professional monitor in post-production.” Both the A9F OLED and Z9F LCD models use a new X1 Ultimate picture processor with object-based HDR Remaster and Super Resolution. They also feature a Netflix Calibrated mode developed jointly with the company that’s said to deliver optimal picture quality when viewing Netflix’s original programs. Available in 55- and 65-inch screen sizes ($4,500 and $5,500, respectively), the A9F OLED models feature Acoustic Surface Audio+, which improves on the built-in capability of Sony’s previous A1E series OLEDs through the use of an additional audio actuator at the screen’s center plus a second subwoofer channel for 3.2-channel sound. There’s also a center-speaker option…

As this magazine celebrates its 60th anniversary, we are trying to reconcile the fact that Ken Pohlmann is the longest-serving contributor to these pages. Frankly, we’re not sure why we ever hired him 30 years ago. In an effort to find out, we asked Mr. Pohlmann to share his stories of his early days at the magazine. How did you get started in audio? It was because of a glitch in the space-time continuum. You see, as a kid, I loved to build and fly kites, model airplanes and rockets. When I went to college, I first enrolled in an aeronautical engineering curriculum. If things had gone according to the plan, I would be working for Boeing right now designing very sketchy airplane wings, and a guy named Archibald Leach would be…

Last issue, you and I made a pact, right here in this space. What, you don’t remember? (Apparently, even audiophiles have ADD.) Well, our agreement was essentially this: We the golden-ear people wholly accept streaming as another worthwhile delivery system for receiving and listening to our music, especially given the strides some of the services have been making in providing higher-quality, higher-resolution streams. (Coming back to you now?) The point is, good music is good music, regardless of how we receive it. My corollary: Audiophiles can’t discount how we choose to receive said good music if the latest format option—i.e., streaming—is up to our requisite SQ standards. Even music-biz veterans who have weathered many decades of format mods embrace the winds of streaming change. Consider the following from Seymour Stein, the…

A Very Guilty Pleasure Even before I start listening to headphones, their look and feel on my head can have an influence on my first impressions of the sound. On that score, Campfire Audio’s Cascade headphones really had my hopes up. The satin black machined aluminum earcups felt like they could survive a close encounter with a city bus and escape unscathed. The plush, real lambskin-covered earpads promised good times ahead. Yesiree, the Cascade makes a mighty fine first impression. What about the sound, you ask? No worries there since the Cascade’s sound encourages long listening sessions. Thoughtful design touches abound. A user-replaceable 50-inch-long Litz cable deserves special mention for its über flexibility, which contributes to the Cascade’s wearing comfort. The folding headband’s metal hinges feel like they’ll last forever, and I…