News

Seiki Digital debuts with a $1,499 4K TV
New brand gets off to a fast start with a super-affordable 50-inch Ultra HD model
Klipsch intros first Bluetooth speaker
With D-cell battery power for on-the-go sound
Sony's new 2013 home audio products
New receivers, new soundbar, new HTiBs

What's New

New Audio Gear Galore

The latest from Beats, Energy, Geneva Lab, and Peachtree Audio
- By S&v Staff
- Posted May 14, 2013
- 2
A lot of new audio stuff launched today, so let's get right to it:

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The Pyle BlueReach PBTR70 Bluetooth Adapter

Got an obsolete 30-pin speaker dock? Pyle comes to the rescue transforming that dock into a wireless Bluetooth speaker.
- By Leslie Shapiro
- Posted May 9, 2013
Dust off your recently-obsoleted 30-pin Apple docks – Pyle Audio has come to the rescue. Just when you thought you were reduced to connecting to your collection of Apple-ready speaker docks by a lowly audio cable, Pyle has released the BlueReach PBTR70, an adapter plugs into any 30-pin speaker dock to receive Bluetooth from any Bluetooth-enabled audio device.

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Tech Trends 2013: Video

S&V's video experts explain this season's hottest trends in TV
- By Al Griffin & Geoffrey Morrison
- Posted May 9, 2013
- 3
In this four-part article, Geoff Morrison examines the future of Ultra HD and OLED TV (below); Al Griffin looks at the latest developments in Smart TV; Geoff gives us an update on what's happening with plasma TV; and Al finishes with a discussion of the devices and technologies that will deliver 4K Ultra HD content to homes.

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Klipsch intros first Bluetooth speaker

With D-cell battery power for on-the-go sound
- By S&v Staff
- Posted May 8, 2013
- 2
The KMC 3, Klipsch's first Bluetooth speaker, doesn't look like anything radical, but to our eyes, it's a new paradigm for personal audio. Most of its competitors use Apple's AirPlay wireless audio technology, but the KMC 3 uses Bluetooth, making it compatible with any type of smartphone. Most of its competitors need an AC outlet to operate, but the KMC 3 runs off batteries or AC.

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Review: Outdoor Technology Turtle Shell wireless speaker

It’s summertime and the weather is great. Time to get your turtle on.
- By Ken C. Pohlmann
- Posted May 1, 2013
When summer rolls around, we all go mobile. We drink morning coffee out on the patio, surf while sitting by the pool, and might even do an overnighter in a treehouse. Of course, all of those activities are accompanied by music, and we also need to stay connected for incoming calls.

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Tech Trends 2013: Audio

S&V's speaker measurement guy reports on this spring's hottest trends in speakers, headphones, turntables, and more.
- By Brent Butterworth
- Posted April 29, 2013
Speaker Standouts
An old-school category sees surprising innovation
One could argue that this spring will see as much innovation in the speaker category as in headphones. But when you think about it, that’s not really so surprising. After all, speakers can be almost any size, almost any shape, almost any weight, while headphones will always have to be small and light enough to fit on your head.

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Sony's new 2013 home audio products

New receivers, new soundbar, new HTiBs
- By S&v Staff
- Posted April 24, 2013
- 2
Even though Sony’s one of the top brands in several audio categories, the company hasn’t made much of a push with its audio products in the last few years. That all changed at an event today in Los Angeles, where Sony showed off a new A/V receiver and a new soundbar, and also announced new HTiB (home theater in a box) systems.

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Best in Show

Our man Gary recalls the coolest devices he saw at the industry’s biggest trade event in Las Vegas.
- By Gary Dell'Abate
- Posted April 22, 2013
I now consider myself a veteran of CES. The good news is that I know exactly how to navigate the floor. The bad news is that it gets harder each show for me to be wowed by anything.

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Emotiva launches 1,000-watt mega-amp

New $1,499 XPR-1 monoblock begins shipping
- By S&v Staff
- Posted April 18, 2013
Emotiva has announced that it's now shipping its new top-of-the-line monoblock amp, the XPR-1. Each $1,499 XPR-1 is rated at 1,000 watts into 8 ohms and 1,750 watts into 4 ohms.

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Report: New York Audio Show, Part II

A midtown hotel transformed into hi-fi haven.
- By Al Griffin
- Posted April 16, 2013
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Tick...Tick...Tick...Tick...Rip

Amazon's AutoRip makes vinyl pure and perfect
- By Ken C. Pohlmann
- Posted April 9, 2013
You're probably familiar with Amazon's AutoRip feature. When you buy certain CDs from Amazon, you also get free access to a cloud copy. Now, Amazon has extended the feature to include sales of many vinyl records. When you think about it, a ripped vinyl file is a much more valuable than a ripped CD file.

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Beats intros Nicki Minaj Pink Pill

A new version of the Pill for the barbz. No, we don't know what that means.
- By Brent Butterworth
- Posted April 4, 2013
Of all the Bluetooth speakers introduced today, the new Nicki Minaj-endorsed Pink Pill from Beats by Dre has to be the most significant. Faithful (really faithful) readers of this website may remember Ken Pohlmann and Leslie Shapiro's review of the Pill (as well as my measurements).

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