5.1

What's New

A 7.1 Update

Are we marching forward from 5.1 to 7.1?
- By Brent Butterworth
- Posted August 10, 2011
- 1
At the party last night at the Roosevelt Hotel in Hollywood to celebrate the release of the Blu-ray Disc and DVD of Dexter, Season 5, I got to spend some quality time with Craig Eggers, Director of Blu-ray Ecosystems for Dolby Labs. Eggers was there because the Blu-ray release is in Dolby TrueHD 5.1. I think I was supposed to talk with him about the new discs, but instead I cornered him for an update on something far more interesting to me: the status of 7.1 sound.

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Test Report: Anthem MRX 700 A/V Receiver

The Canadian firm's flagship receiver offers impressive performance worthy of its pedigree
- By Daniel Kumin
- Posted April 13, 2011
- 1
Quick, name a Canadian A/V receiver maker! Yeah, I couldn’t either — until now. Anthem, the north-of-the-border firm best known for its “Statement” Series reference-grade A/V preamp (and power amps), has finally merged the two forms into a single new element: the MRX family of A/V receivers.

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Test Report: Paradigm MilleniaOne Speakers & MilleniaSub Subwoofer

Everything you want in a speaker — and less.
- By Brent Butterworth
- Posted April 12, 2011
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Rush’s Fountain of Surround, Part 2: Moving Predictions

Surround-sound remix master Richard Chycki on what he’d like to do next in 5.1 from the Rush catalog.
- By Mike Mettler
- Posted April 5, 2011
“It’s a timeless record with so much detail,” says surround-sound remix guru Richard Chycki about Rush’s 1981 masterpiece, Moving Pictures. “I’m glad you’ve clued into all of the nuances.” Chycki is referring to what I said to him last week about the PCM 5.1 and DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 mixes he did for MP’s 30th anniversary reissue.

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Rush: The Fountain of Surround

Exclusive! Chronicling Rush’s decade-long journey toward embracing the 5.1 format—even for catalog studio material
- By Mike Mettler
- Posted April 4, 2011
In anticipation of the 30th anniversary reissue of Rush’s truly seminal Moving Pictures as both CD+DVD (April 5) and CD+BD (May 3) deluxe editions, with PCM 5.1 and DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround-sound mixes by Richard Chycki, I’m dipping into my personal Rush interview archive to present a truly exclusive, incremental look at how the band’s attitude toward bringing its vaunted studi

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Review: Definitive Technology Bipolar SuperTower Speaker System

Def Tech's update of their PowerTower concept earns our highest praise
- By Daniel Kumin
- Posted March 16, 2011
Key Features$3,395/system as tested definitivetech.comBP-8060ST SuperTower ($1,998/pair)
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Test Report: NHT Absolute 5.1T Speaker System

These speakers demonstrates the audio industry's willingness to embrace a successful concept no matter what its age.
- By Brent Butterworth
- Posted January 19, 2011
As I stood chatting with the pilot of a B-1B Lancer supersonic bomber at Edwards Air Force Base recently, I realized that audio geeks have something in common with military aviators. "This air- plane is older than I am," the pilot mused. I thought to myself, "So are some of the speaker designs I review." Like the military, audiophiles don't reflexively throw stuff out if it still works. See?

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Interview: Wayne Coyne's Flaming Eclipse

The Flaming Lips Frontman talks 5.1, 3D and recording the new record.
- By Mike Mettler
- Posted October 10, 2010
Wayne Coyne is curious.

Now, you can take that statement to mean a couple of different things: 1) the leader of veteran alternative stalwarts the Flaming Lips has an insatiable thirst for discovering ways to push the audio/video envelope, or 2) the man is a bit, well, odd. Know what? It’s probably a combination of both.

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Vizio announces a 5.1-channel surround soundbar
- By sandv blog
- Posted June 22, 2010
Vizio has added a pair of true rear channels onto its newest home theater soundbar.

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At last: King Crimson in surround
- By sandv blog
- Posted July 24, 2009
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Porcupine Tree's Steven Wilson: Superstar!
- By sandv blog
- Posted April 3, 2009
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Boxed Set of the Month: Pearl Jam's "Ten"
- By sandv blog
- Posted March 31, 2009
Let's see now . . . two CDs, one DVD, four LPs, a buncha other stuff, and a cassette! What, no 8-track? Despite that, the Collector's Edition of Pearl Jam's 1991 debut, Ten (Epic/Legacy), truly goes to Eleven — and as such, it's without question our Boxed Set of the Month for March.

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