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Review: Cambridge Audio Minx Air 200 and Minx Go Wireless Speakers

Michael Berk — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 04:20:22 GMT

Cambridge expands the Minx into a new lifestyle audio line — one that doesn't make you give up sound quality for form and functionality.

When we checked out Cambridge Audio's original Minx 5.1 setup just about two years back we plain loved the little things, which we felt represented about the best miniature speaker system to date, the bargain price notwithstanding. Cambridge hasn't rested on their laurels, and in the intervening years they've taken the Minx concept and have built a whole line of cool little (and not so little) lifestyle products — read small, portable, wireless systems — around it.

The new Minx lineup maintains a range of small 2.1 and 5.1 systems based on those tiny cubic cabinets but adds three all-in-ones — the top-of-the line Minx Air 200, a device suitable for the living room that competes on the same territory as the venerable B+W Zeppelin and the more recent Libratone Live; the slightly svelter Minx Air 100; and and the travel-friendly Minx Go — along with a desktop-oriented 2.1 multimedia system, the Minx M5.

By this point, more or less every single CE firm you've ever heard of (and a lot of 'em you haven't) have introduced such products. At S+V we're faced with a never-ending stream of Bluetooth-, AirPlay-, and DLNA-endowed, battery-powered speakers, ready to interface with your mobile device and seeking to take over your desktop, kitchen counter, or living room, or at least to earn a place in your suitcase or carry-on. Plenty of these things are abysmal, a good number are acceptable under certain circumstances, a select few are actually interesting, and you know what? There are only a handful that have actually impressed us.

Cambridge Audio, of course, have the requisite experience with small driver design, getting big sound out of minuscule cabinets, digital audio (with the market-segment defining DacMagic), and even streaming (as demonstrated in the excellent NP30 network player, so we expected solid performance from the new Minxes as soon as we were informed of their existence.

And ever since a brief preview a couple of months back with Cambridge's Simon Hewitt, we'd been looking forward to an extended audition. Sadly there wasn't time to look at everything, so we brought home two representative units — the Minx Air 200 and the Go — for a longer look and listen. Read on for our impressions.

Minx Air 200 ($599)

It's a reasonably hefty device, though a molded handle in the smooth, dense, stiff plastic enclosure makes it easy enough to move. An internal power supply is a nice touch, as is a rear panel trim control for the built-in sub, which widens your placement options considerably. RCA and 1/8-inch stereo inputs let you interface with older gear.

A remote is included, allowing access to the functions otherwise controlled via the unit's top panel — volume control, presets, and so forth, along with five extra internet radio preset slots for a total of 10. Since I was streaming to the 200 from across the room at a desktop machine, or via a smartphone or tablet using the Minx Air app (more on that in a bit), I found the remote more or less superfluous, but I can imagine it'd be useful to some listeners. Cambridge expects that listeners will be using a mobile device as a remote, and they may well be right. Still, I couldn't help but think this device might have benefited from some sort of onboard interface, say something along the lines of the Logitech Smart Radio. As things stand, the Minx Air splits the difference between all-in-ones like the Smart Radio and the various AirPlay and Bluetooth wireless powered speakers out there.

Hypothetical devices aside, under the hood of the Minx Air 200, you'll find a whole lot of current thinking — the 200 employs (as you might have guessed) 200 watts of digital amplification, powering a pair of 2-and-1/4-inch BMR drivers and an onboard 6-and-1/2-inch subwoofer (there's a traditional driver in that role).

You'll likely be signing the 200 into your home Wi-Fi network; the thorough manual (included, shockingly enough, in hard copy in enough languages to suit a healthy percentage of the world's population) walks you through the process — you can set up a temporary network and configure the 200 for your network via the browser on whatever device you have handy, or you can take advantage of one-button setup if you've got a WPS-capable router. There's a little bit of watching for visual clues from a multicolored LED around back, which is not my favorite setup methodology, I must admit, though it works perfectly well. And if the printed manuals aren't enough for you, the Cambridge Audio site has plenty of support resources. Don't feel like going totally wireless? There's an ethernet port around back if you prefer to make a direct connection to your router.

Once configured, you're ready to stream to your heart's content via Apple's AirPlay protocol, or via Bluetooth, so whatever source you have handy should work just fine. With various Macs and iOS devices on hand, I streamed primarily from iTunes; I also made use of Bluetooth, streaming primarily from a Samsung Galaxy Note 2.

We've talked a fair amount over the past couple of years about CSR's high-quality apt-X Bluetooth codec; that's here, and since most current flagship mobile devices now take advantage of it, it's something we tend to take for granted.But just think back to what Bluetooth audio sounded like a half-decade ago, and be glad we've come a long way since. If you need to interface with the Minx over Bluetooth, you'll still get very impressive sound quality (though you'll miss out on the slick little Minx App for internet radio access).

Speaking of sound, the first thing you'll notice about the Minx Air 200? It's LOUD. Like annoy-the-neighbors-kick-out-the-jams loud, very competitive with the top-end offerings from B+W, and quite refined in the same fashion — it's not a bass monster by any stretch of the imagination, but you can crank up the 200 without obvious strain, and it maintains smooth reproduction across the frequency spectrum.

I cued up "Circle" from Miles Smiles, which sounded — and this is a good thing — about as good as I could expect on this system. I miss the stereo presentation a little, and the piano sounds a tad small (though this is all par for the course for a single-box "stereo" product like the 200, so it's less a complaint than a comment on the state of the art), but Ron Carter's bass sounds fantastic; there's plenty of air around Miles' horn, and Tony's cymbals come through loud and clear. Once things get dense on Gingerbread Boy, the 200 is a little more cluttered sounding, but par for the course for this sort of product, though Tony's kick has plenty of punch — that sub really moves plenty of air.

Wanting to get some vocals in the mix, I turned to Holly Cole's take on Tom Waits' "Train Song." It's clear here that the 200 doesn't quite have the bass extension to reproduce the subsonic depths of the fundamentals of those first couple of notes in the baseline, but I haven't heard many all-in-ones that could. And that aside, this thing really sounds great. Cole's voice sounds great, though — smooth and without strain, even with all of that bass energy underneath; the busy hand percussion is articulate. Room ambience isn't quite accurate, nor is there the sense of space that I know is there in the recording itself — but I have yet to hear a single-box system that can actually do justice to a stereo image, regardless of how expertly voiced the box (or how well-programmed the DSP behind it) may be.

Suffice it to say that the Minx 200 should acquit itself admirably no matter what source you throw at it. Sure, it's a little expensive and it may not deliver totally convincing sonic space, but for across-the-board quality reproduction of music in a one-box room-filling wireless unit, it does very, very well indeed.

Minx Go ($149)

With the Go, Cambridge has put itself into the burgeoning portable Bluetooth arena. While the Go is actually a sizable unit in this context — it's more a luggable little boombox than a constant companion, meant to be classed with (and, of course, to compete with) the Bose Soundlink/SoundDock series or more recent contenders like the Nyne NB-250 than the ultra-portable, near-pocketable FoxL, Jambox, or Braven micro-mini systems.

It's easy as pie to setup; even the most jet lagged traveler should have no difficulty cuing up some favorites on arrival. Putting the little Minx into Bluetooth pairing mode is a matter of a simple double tap on the power button (the controls here are very minimal). My Samsung phone and iMac found the device instantaneously and the Go was up and running seconds later. Slickly handled. Like the various models in the Braven lineup, the Go includes a USB A port around back; this doesn't let you stream any sort of data but does let you use the Go as a 5 volt, 500 mA power supply for charging your smartphone, underscoring the device's travel friendliness. One less device to pack. A little fold-out foot keeps the Go stable on any flattish surface.

While the Go is small and light, it isn't, strictly speaking, tiny enough to squeeze into an overstuffed bag. So is it worth making room for? The payoff with a slightly bigger system, of course, is (potentially) bigger sound, and there the Go does not disappoint.

On David Bowie's "Looking for Satellites" from Earthling. Gail Ann Dorsey's grinding bassline is delivered very impressively for something this minuscule in physical size; sure, if you listen closely you'll realize that the Go isn't actually kicking out the fundamental, but that passive radiator moves a ton of air and provides plenty of realistic low-end girth — the kind of bass response you simply wouldn't expect from a battery-powered portable. Meanwhile vocals sound smooth, guitars and synths have plenty of presence. The effect is very natural overall and reminds me a lot of its bigger brother.

Wanting something with a little more naturalistic instrumentation I turned again to Miles Davis, though this time to In A Silent Way. The instrumental tones of the first side's "Shhh/Peaceful" are impressively reproduced; the overall mix is comprehensible (if a bit more bass-forward than Miles and Teo may have intended) and the sonics overall impress — this thing sounds really nice for a portable BT device — albeit one that's a bit too big to hang from a belt loop or stick in a pocket. Makes me think that this is the perfect companion for those making extended stays who still want to travel relatively light; or perhaps for a picnic or backyard/'round the house/office use.

The Go can rock out too. On "You Know You're a Man" (from Captain Beefheart's Shiny Beast Bat Chain Puller) the Go does a great job of reproducing the full spectrum even at relatively low listening levels, including Don Van Vliet's wide ranging vocal and the heavy, grooving primary baseline. while the slide solo has plenty of presence.

You'd expect a little device like this to do OK providing office ambience; in my largish office space (don't get excited, it's shared with a whole bunch of other folks), it does a fine job articulating Andras Schiff's reading of Bach's Wohltemperierte Clavier (from last year's excellent ECM release; listened to in this case as 24/96 FLAC on the Mac via Decibel — and then over Bluetooth). Piano tone is well balanced and reasonably natural, if (understandably) the size of the device is readily apparent on playback. Still, there's enough of the ambience of the recording still perceptible that it's a very enjoyable listen — the Go is not a critical listening system by any stretch of the imagination, but it does not disappoint. And you can take it wherever you go.

The Minx App

If you think you've heard this one before, you may be right — the Minx app (for iOS and Android devices) bears a distinct family relationship to the Radio tab of the Stream Magic app you might have used with Cambridge's other streamers, though in a new Minx-specific wrapper. It provides access to internet radio services, along with more control over the device's EQ than you'll find onboard the 200 itself, with 10 otherwise unavailable enhancement presets available (via a slider, oddly enough — I'd rather have seen a list of choices, or perhaps a configurable EQ, but the offerings seem reasonable enough) if you're into that sort of thing.

The app gets you started with 10 stations preset (you can replace these with stations of your choice, of course. A shortcut to the Shazam music identification is a nice touch if you're not quite sure what you're listening to (though if your tastes run to the seriously obscure — and the wide world of internet radio can take you into some strange territory — you might not have much luck). Not into radio at all? The Minx app also gives you convenient shortcut to your mobile device's music player.

Sadly the Minx app doesn't work with the little Go, which doesn't offer an onboard internet tuner. But it's quite a nice interface for Web radio listening if you use the Wi-Fi connected Minx Air 200 or 100 — and well worth your time to download. And hey…it's free!

Measurements

Frequency response: Minx Air 200

38 Hz to 20 kHz ±4.7 dB on-axis, ±2.9 dB to 10 kHz, ±5.1 dB avg 0-30°

Frequency response: Minx Go

108 Hz to 20 kHz ±3.5 dB on-axis, ±4.4 dB avg 0-30°

Bass output, Minx Air 200 (CEA-2010A standard)

• Ultra-low bass (20-31.5 Hz) average: NA

20 Hz NA

25 Hz NA

31.5 Hz NA

• Low bass (40-63 Hz) average: 106.3 dB

40 Hz 83.2 dB

50 Hz 104.6 dB

63 Hz 112.8 dB L

MCMäxxx™ maximum level test, Minx Go (1 meter)

90 dB

To measure the quasi-anechoic frequency response of the Minx Air 200 and Minx Go, I set it them a 2-meter stand and placed the microphone at a distance of 1 meter directly in front of the left driver array on the Minx Go or the left BMR on the Minx Air 200. (Quasi-anechoic measurements eliminate reflections from surrounding objects to simulate measuring in an anechoic chamber.) I ran a ground-plane measurement at 1 meter on each unit to get the bass response. To create the graphs shown here, I spliced the bass response to the 0° on-axis response (blue trace) of the left channel only, and to the average of quasi-anechoic measurements (green trace) of the left channel only taken at 0°, ±10°, ±20°, and ±30°. I used a Clio FW analyzer in MLS mode for the quasi-anechoic measurements and log chirp mode for ground plane, feeding test signals into each devices’s 3.5mm line input. The quasi-anechoic measurements were smoothed to 1/12th octave.

The Minx Air 200’s frequency response is extremely flat through most of the audio range, from about 150 Hz to 7 kHz. The treble rolls off quite a bit above 8 kHz, probably because of the relatively large size of the BMR driver. Below 10 kHz, the on-axis and averaged off-axis responses measure very close, indicating very good dispersion through all but the top octave of the audio range.

The Minx Go’s frequency response measurements are pretty good in the mids, too, looking smooth up to about 5 kHz. At higher frequencies, there are some larger dips and peaks in the response, probably due to reflections between the grille and baffle, and/or tweeter resonance(s). Off-axis response is very good, with just mild treble roll-off as you move off-center.

Every speaker of the Minx Air 200’s size that I’ve tested can fill a room reasonably well, so I compare their “sonic muscle” by doing the same CEA-2010 bass output measurements I do on subwoofers. (Almost the same — I do the measurements at 1 meter because the bass output of most personal audio products isn’t strong enough to do them at the usual 3 meters.) Averages are calculated in pascals per CEA-2010A procedure. In the low bass octave (40-63 Hz), the Air 200 beats the formerly class-leading B&W A7 by slightly better than 1 dB, at 106.3 dB versus the A7’s 105.2 dB. However, while I was able to get measurable output from the A7 at 31.5 Hz and even a slight trace of output at 25 Hz, I couldn’t get measurable output from the Air 200 at these frequencies.

For speakers of the Minx Go’s size, the relevant test isn’t their bass output — because they don’t have any — but to what degree they can fill a room with sound. There’s no industry standard measurement for that, but for more than a decade, I’ve judged max output of small devices using my MCMäxxx™ test: cranking up Mötley Crüe’s “Kickstart My Heart” until it the unit hits max volume or it sounds harsh or distorted, then noting the maximum usable volume at 1 meter. With the volume all the way up, the Minx Go put out 90 dB in this test, which is +3 to +4 dB more than I usually get from compact Bluetooth speakers. Most such compact speakers are starting to sound a little rough (although still listenable) at the MCMäxxx volume, but the Minx Go sounded very clean even at full blast. — Brent Butterworth

Conclusion

The new portable lifestyle focus of the Minx series seems to be working out just fine for Cambridge Audio. Both of these products are clearly at the top of their respective classes, and well worth a long listen from anyone in the market for a wireless streamer for around the house (with the 200) or out of it (with the Go). Cambridge's strengths are evident in the voicing of both speakers — they're competitive in terms of horsepower with the best of what's out there, but they offer very smooth reproduction of vocals and acoustic instruments along with sheer volume. The radio features of the 200 (and the 100, not looked at here), along with the Minx app are a nice touch, though you might do just as well using the player of your choice on your computer or mobile device.

As I said above, it might have been nice to see a minimal onboard interface for the internet radio receiver on the 200, but that'd make for something of a different product. Just a thought... On the other hand, for the amount of clean sound it dishes out at a very attractive price point, the Go's a commendable product — a fine value proposotion in a saturated market of little Bluetooth devices.

Photo by: Michael Berk

Minx Air 200 and Go

The Minx Go (foreground) and its big brother, the Minx Air 200 (rear).

This Week in Music, June 18, 2013: Celebrating album cover art

Ken Richardson — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 21:05:36 GMT

Kanye West has no cover. Kelly Rowland uncovers herself. And many more examples of Design for CD Selling.

What you are looking at above is the “cover art” for Kanye West’s new album, Yeezus (Roc-a-Fella/Def Jam). In fact, there’s no cover or CD booklet at all, just a sticker on the back of the package with the track listing. This dovetails nicely with Kanye’s mysterious anti-campaign for the album’s release today. He did perform “Black Skinhead” and “New Slaves” on Saturday Night Live in May, and if those hard-hitting, industrial-sounding tracks are any indication, then Yeezus could be a wowzer.

Still, I can’t stop thinking about that “cover art” and, paradoxically, how much it reminds me of this:

What you are looking at now is the cover of XTC’s 1978 album Go 2. Take a moment to read it, if you’ve never seen it before. It may seem like another anti-cover, but it’s actually a clever essay written and executed by the groundbreaking album-design team of the ’70s, Hipgnosis.

Hardcore devotees of the LP may see no cleverness in Yeezus, citing it instead as further evidence of the decline of artwork in the CD-cum-digital age. But surprise! This happens to be an interesting week for album covers.

For example, in another creative use of type, there’s this:

Those aren’t just random words. They’re the lyrics of the title track of Still Fighting the War (Music Road), the new album by singer/songwriter Slaid Cleaves, and they begin as follows:

Hard times coming home now, can’t get your feet on the ground
Got some issues, and no one wants you around
Barely sleeping, and you can’t get through to the VA on the phone
No one’s hiring, and no one wants to give you a loan
And everyone else is carrying on just like they’ve always done before
You’ve been home for a coupla years now, buddy, but you’re still fighting the war

Credit for the cover’s art direction goes to sisters Sarah and Shauna Dodds, proprietors of the Austin-based Backstage Design Studio. Last year, their work on Reckless Kelly’s Good Luck & True Love earned them a Grammy nomination for Best Recording Package.

Nineteen more album covers this week can be sorted into four tried-and-true approaches. . . .

Approach No. 1: Enigmatic Photography

Just who are the people in this fuzzy shot? Father and son? Father and daughter? Where are they? And when? The indie rockers known as Hospital Ships already have a wonderful band name, and now they have an appropriately unsettling cover for their new album, Destruction in Yr Soul (Graveface).

Perhaps the people on that last cover are staying in this cover’s cabin. Or perhaps, suggested by the Bell phone booth and the weed/tree that’s trying to reclaim the land, the structure is a long-abandoned park office. Holy Folk is an L.A. quartet. According to a press release, the band’s full-length debut, Motioning (Silver Side), is “an amalgamation of indie folk, dream-pop and moody alt-rock, blending delicate instrumentation with atmospheric harmonies over pristine production.” And the cover photo is another image that deliciously poses more questions than it answers.

The cover of Sigur Rós’s seventh studio album has a typically effective image; this time, it’s a photo by Lygia Clark. Our own Al Griffin is a big fan of the Icelandic post-rockers, and to his ears, Kveikur (XL) finds the “glacial aspect” of the band’s sound giving way to “volcanic activity.” You can read Griffin’s review in the print or tablet edition of our summer triple issue (June-July-August).

Approach No. 2: Colorful Illustration

Nicola Heindl is the British artist who creates the whimsical illustrations for releases from Putumayo World Music. American Playground, the latest CD in the Putumayo Kids division, rounds up 10 classic sing-alongs, including “She’ll Be Coming ’Round the Mountain” and “This Land Is Your Land.” Among the artists: Guy Davis, Elizabeth Mitchell, Phil Rosenthal, and Dan Zanes.

The title Seeds and Stems (Proper) should also conjure “roots,” which is what guitarist Bill Kirchen explores here. Mostly, the roots are his own, reaching down to new versions of “Too Much Fun” and “Hot Rod Lincoln” from his days with Commander Cody & His Lost Planet Airmen. There’s also a cover of Bob Dylan’s “It Takes a Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry.” The vibe is manifested vividly in the cover illustration by Gary Houston.

The cover collage by Paul Moore gives a good idea of the wide-ranging music of Big Sur (OKeh/Sony Masterworks), which in turn was stimulated by Bill Frisell’s stay at a ranch in the region. Inspirational titles: “Going to California,” “Highway 1,” “On the Lookout,” “A Beautiful View,” “Hawks,” “Far Away,” and “We All Love Neil Young.” The guitarist is joined by players on viola, cello, violin, and drums — basically, a combination of Frisell’s 858 Quartet and his Beautiful Dreamers trio.

You may see symbols, but the electro duo 3OH!3 sees Omens (Photo Finish/Atlantic). The design is by Nicholas Motte (brother of band member Nathaniel Motte) and Andrew Kimmell.

Prefer your electro duo to hail from Australia? And to wear outlandish attire? Behold the second album from Empire of the Sun. Dave Homer’s cover art embodies the King-of-the-Worldliness of Ice on the Dune (Astralwerks).

Still led by guitarist Roye Albrighton, Nektar releases Time Machine (Cleopatra), its first album of new material in 4 years. As the title and the artwork suggest, this is reportedly a return to the progressive-rock complexity of such early works as A Tab in the Ocean and Remember the Future.

Approach No. 3: Offbeat Humor

Want to share a Beach Day with this critter? Trip Trap Attack (Kanine) is the debut of a trio that knows something about the seaside — even if (according to its P.R.) its hometown is “not your typical beach town.” That would be Hollywood, Florida, where “things seem exaggerated and a bit odd.” Which helps explain the cover art, rendered by band guitarist Kimmy Drake. She and the others “bonded over their love of ’60s girl groups,” and “their sound is heavily influenced by their surroundings. They make new music, but it’s old at heart. And it’s definitely sunny, but not without some murkiness.”

Delbert & Glen are vocalists McClinton and Clark, and on Blind, Crippled and Crazy (New West) they team up for their first album together in 4 decades. As for the cover art (from a concept by Christian Berry, using a shot from McDonald Wildlife Photography): Which one’s Delbert? Which one’s Glen? Either way, in the words of the opening track’s title, these two Texas animals have “Been Around a Long Time.”

More often than not, the covers of Primal Scream’s albums have been abstract affairs. However, for More Light (First International/Ignition), designer Jim Lambie juxtaposes an irreverent Bobby Gillespie (the band’s frontman) with a floral display. Not sure why. But this is certain: Gillespie and crew have rounded up some intriguing guests, including Robert Plant and Jason Falkner.

Says the bio: My Mother’s Brisket & Other Love Songs (WNS/Warner Music Nashville) is “an eclectic blend of klezmer, rumba, folk, and jazz, covering themes of family, food, religious traditions, more food, love, and dessert.” Says Rick Moranis himself: “When I first began writing jokes and sketches with various Jewish partners, one of us would inevitably stop at some point and announce, ‘Too Jewish!’ Too Jewish for the star, the show, the network, or the audience. The songs on this album are all in that category. I grew up hearing the Allan Sherman albums and the You Don’t Have to Be Jewish albums in the ’60s. Now I’m in my 60s.”

Approach No. 4: Sex

Lowercase bree is from Nashville, and All American Girl (Werewolf Tunes) is her debut. As producer Justin Cortelyou recalls: “I was introduced to this young, beautiful redhead who spoke in a soft, almost baby-doll voice. My first impression was that we were going to hear some kind of pop country act. Then she straps on a Flying V, flips on her Marshall amp, and starts rocking out like Pete Townshend at Leeds with the spirit of Johnny Ramone flying around the room.” And as her press release further clarifies: “bree injects seductive, sexy soul into swaggering rock & roll.”

In her second turn as The Impossible Girl, Kim Boekbinder tells us that The Sky Is Calling (self-released, fan-funded; available June 21). The album is “a celebration of humans in space,” the songs are “packed with scientific themes and otherworldly sounds,” and the cover is more Metropolis than impossible.

For his fourth solo set, The Value of Nothing (Bloodshot), Supersuckers frontman Eddie Spaghetti knows the value of a provocative album cover — such as this decidedly blue one by Tim Gabor. Inside: “a 10-song hybrid of the Supersuckers’ lighthearted humor, Eddie’s rock-as-king mindset, and [co-conspirator] Jesse Dayton’s expertise with real-deal country.”

Kelly Rowland can Talk a Good Game (Republic). Yu Tsai can take a great photo. Inspirational title: “Kisses Down Low.”

And now for something completely different. The shot above is one of the nude photos of Simone de Beauvoir taken in 1952 by Art Shay at the Chicago home of author Nelson Algren, who was in a relationship with Beauvoir. But the album title For the Baby Doll (52 Recordings) refers to the Baby Doll Lounge, a topless bar in New York City. Defunct today, it was a former haunt of the Nicholas Tremulis Orchestra’s bandleader — and as such, it figures in this autobiographical album, whose music draws on blues, soul, R&B, and funk roots while staying grounded in the current quintet’s “timeless rock.” And it’s more than just an album: The CD is housed in a 6½ x 8½-inch, 36-page book, with a foreword by novelist Michael Thomas, song lyrics, and a memoir by Tremulis. “Hardly anything is worth buying in hard copy anymore,” he explains. “I like packages.”

Completely different again: the innocent days of 1966, when Manfred Mann released Pretty Flamingo (reissued by Sundazed). The title track was the band’s only U.K. No. 1 hit between 1964’s “Do Wah Diddy Diddy” and 1968’s “Mighty Quinn.” The album was the last of Mann’s first five U.S. releases; all have been remastered from the original tapes and are now on 180-gram vinyl. The others: The Manfred Mann Album (home of “Diddy”), The Five Faces of Manfred Mann, My Little Red Book of Winners!, and Mann Made.

Other new releases

Various Artists: Experience Montreux (Eagle Vision)
The first of these two Blu-ray 3D discs has the title film, shot at the music festival in 2010 and featuring full numbers by the likes of Elvis Costello, Angelique Kidjo, Massive Attack, and Mumford & Sons, together with footage of the town of Montreux, Lake Geneva, and the Swiss Alps. The second disc has a set by Quincy Jones and the Global Gumbo All-Stars, followed by a performance of Herbie Hancock’s The Imagine Project.

Various Artists: 20 Feet from Stardom — Music from the Motion Picture (Columbia)
Soundtrack to the film that celebrates background singers, including Darlene Love, Merry Clayton, and Judith Hill.

Various Artists: Woody Guthrie at 100! Live at the Kennedy Center (Sony/Legacy)
Among the performers at the October 2012 celebration marking the centennial of the folk singer’s birth: Jackson Browne, Rosanne Cash, Judy Collins, Ani DiFranco, Donovan, Ramblin’ Jack Elliott, John Mellencamp, Tom Morello, Lucinda Williams, Sweet Honey in the Rock, and the Old Crow Medicine Show. CD+DVD.

Donna the Buffalo: Tonight, Tomorrow and Yesterday (Sugar Hill)
First studio album in 5 years.

Hanson: Anthem (3CG)
Zac, Taylor, and Isaac are now 27, 30, and 32.

Recess Monkey: Deep Sea Diver (recessmonkey.com)
The name of this “kindie-rock” trio is reason enough to check it out, but here’s another reason: Deep Sea Diver has a thoroughly nautical theme, with titles like “Tambourine Submarine,” “Fish Sticks,” and “The Seven Cs.” Extra credit for the following credit: “Unauthorized duplication or other use prohibited by U.S. Law and also by Sea Law, which is judged by Poseidon and enforced by The Captain & Tennille.”

Photo by: Sound and Vision Magazine Editor

Kanye Yeezus main

This Week in Movies & TV, June 18, 2013: Visions, Vampires, & Werewolves

Josef Krebs — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 19:01:47 GMT

Lifeforce,Things to Come, The Howling, Stoker, Safety Last!, Jack the Giant Slayer 3D.

Lifeforce

With a great sci-fi/horror pedigree — directed by Tobe Hooper (The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, Salem's Lot, Poltergeist), screenplay co-written by Dan O’Bannon (Alien, Total Recall, and Dark Star) and Don Jakoby from the 1976 novel The Space Vampires by Colin Wilson, special effects supervised by Oscar-winner John Dykstra (Star Wars, Battlestar Galactica, The Empire Strikes Back, Star Trek: The Motion Picture, Spider-Man 1 & 2), cinematography by Alan Hume (The Avengers TV series, Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi, A View to a Kill, For Your Eyes Only) — Lifeforce (1985), despite being schlocky and silly at times, doesn’t disappoint in terms of eccentric entertainment, particularly in the home theater.

Its highly engaging story concerns the crew of the Galileo spaceship on its mission to investigate Halley’s Comet discovering an alien craft hidden within it. Inside the ship, within a huge enclosure, they find three naked humanoids encased in crystal prism-like structures, the female of the three, a gorgeous, voluptuous brunette (Mathilda May, full-frontal nude for most of the picture), having a strangely forceful attraction for Colonel Carlsen (Steve Railsback) and his crew (not to mention the audience).

Later, the Galileo is rescued and brought back to Earth, but with all the crew dead and just the inanimate aliens in their crystal caskets surviving. Inanimate, that is, until the female awakes and uses her overwhelming, nakedly seductive power to break out of a scientific research facility by telepathically pulling her guard to her and sucking the lifeforce out of him through a kiss. The drained one in turn then needs to take the lifeforce of others within two hours in order to survive and these secondary victims, too, desperately seek to take it from others in order to survive, thereby passing on the vampiric disease.

Only Colonel Carlsen — who had jettisoned from the Galileo in an escape pod, and is the one person to come across her and survive and thenceforward is telepathically linked with her — and Head of SAS Colonel Colin Caine (Peter Firth, rehearsing for his role as head of British Secret Service, Harry, in MI-5) can possibly track the alien and try to prevent her and her two pals from fulfilling their mission of collecting lifeforce.

Lifeforce starts small but expands exponentially, becoming, by the last act, wonderfully apocalyptic in scope — reminiscent of the highly influential English sci-fi classic, Quatermass and the Pit — with zombie like creatures shambling through the streets of London in search of others to feed off. It can be both deadly-serious scary and Universal-horror campy — as in a mad scientist-like insane-asylum scene with a possessed Patrick Stewart, when a door is flung open and the attendant stands their and announces “Pentathol! I’ve brought the pentathol!” — and its all good fun.

Henry Mancini’s mighty orchestral score kicks in from the opening with great force, instruments well separated into all channels but coming together splendidly to float somewhere in the middle of the room. The music is involving and mysterious, adding tension and a sense of alien otherness. At times it lifts you with building waves of strings and kettle drums up front while choirs and bells are beside you, at others it accompanies lightning-like energy bursts with blasts of trumpets, all of it clear, full, and bassy, as is the rest of the 5.1 soundtrack. Otherwise, the surrounds are used mainly for atmospherics, placing you in a chopper, feeding official announcements, or echoing footsteps and voices in the cathedral crypt finale.

Effects pans are kept to a minimum with one successful sirening car pan and title credit flying towards you with a whump, but the only other attempt is a very unconvincing , a helicopter flying overhead but remaining just as loud beside you as it does so and lands at a distance ahead onscreen. LFE are good and booming, as in the many psychic explosions caused by the creatures. Voices, such as that of Dr. Hans Fallada (Frank Finlay) as he goes into the all-important pseudo-science of the phenomena, are all clear.

Contrast is good with rich, discrete colors, as in the American flag shoulder patches, orange jump suits, and a room of saturated greens, mixing in with a broad range of pastels and autumnal tones. In one lab, grey uniforms stand out nicely against grey backgrounds and elements in camouflage uniforms are distinguishable. Whites are bright in shirts, hospital sheets, and a tunnel of light, more milky in space suits, and duller in dimmer scenes, while blacks in coats and polo-neck sweaters are inky.

There’s detail enough to read background clocks, number plates and even eyecharts (depending on your eyes), and text is sharp and distinct. Background figures several offices away are plainly visible. Laboratories have volume, as do the objects within and the cheesy shriveled figures after they’ve been sucked on (one of who bears a striking resemblance to Ronald Reagan), but not so much so with regular folk. The best of more recent movies have images that tend to be a tad sharper and better defined, but these are still pretty damned good.

Lifeforce was theatrically released in 70 mm prints with 6-track soundand 35 mm prints with Dolby Stereo. DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 tracks are included on the Blu-ray and I’d recommend the 5.1 for the sake of the music.

In addition to the 116-minute Director’s Cut here, the set includes the truncated 101-minute edit of the film that played theatrically in the U.S. (with a Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack). And if you buy it direct from the Shout! Factory website, you also get an exclusive, limited-edition poster of the newly commissioned artwork with the purchase.

Video: 2.35:1. Audio: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. Extras: Lifeforce truncated U.S. theatrical release version with Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack, commentary by Hooper and moderator Tim Sullivan, commentary by make-up effects designer Nick Maley hosted by Michael Felcher, “Dangerous Beauty” interview with Mathilda May, “Space Vampires in London” interview with Hooper, “Carlsen’s Curse” interview with Steve Railsback, “Vintage Making of Lifeforce” featurettes, still gallery; DVD. Studio: Shout! Factory.

Things to Come

With the concept conceived and the plot and dialogue devised, written, and overseen by visionary novelist H. G. Wells (whose works included The Time Machine, The Island of Doctor Moreau, The Invisible Man, The War of the World, and The First Men in the Moon), the direction by Oscar-winning production designer and art director William Cameron Menzies (set designer and special effects man on The Bat and the 1924 version The Thief of Bagdad and director of Invaders from Mars, The Maze, and Drums in the Deep South), the black-and-white cinematography by Georges Périnal (The Blood of a Poet, Rembrandt, The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp, The Fallen Idol), and the whole show produced by the great Hungarian impressario Alexander Korda (who also produced and directed The Private Life of Henry VIII, Rembrandt, and That Hamilton Woman and produced The Thief of Bagdad), Things to Come (1936) was bound to be something visually special.

Beginning on the eve of The Great War — starting Christmas Eve, 1940 — and traveling by steps through the ages all the way up to 2036, the story speculates on the future and is prescient like no other film, predicting from its 1936 perspective a century of progress producing a world war, dictatorship, television, the cold war, a rocketship to the moon, and the enormous role technology would play in our everyday lives.

The war begins and devastates the world, survivors gathering in the bigger cities, such as London (now Everytown). Disease follows and The Pestilence wipes out more. A good time is had by all.

Thirty years later, John Cabal (Raymond Massey) arrives in in Everytown in an aircraft, sent on a mission by the scientific group Wings Over the World who have a project to help eliminate the warlords controlling the surviving communities in order to unite the world. Local warlord, The Boss (Ralph Richardson), however, isn't interested in giving up power and throws Cabal in jail. But Wings Over the World send huge aircrafts that drop gas bombs, killing The Boss, allowing Cabal to be set free, and Everytown to get with the project.

Cut to 2036, when a new Super Gun is being constructed that can shoot a rocket to the Moon, but dissidents, led by sculptor Theotocopulos (Cedric Hardwicke), call for the end to further technological development and set about destroying the Super Gun. Can ordinary folk take back their lives from the technocrats and their machines? Can we? Only time and the future will tell.

Things to Come’s sets and decors, not surprising given Cameron Menzies’ background, are extraordinary and are often compared to those in Fritz Lang’s Metropolis and for these alone, the film is well worth a viewing (especially in this new high-definition digital film restoration) — along with the chance to marvel at the amazing accuracy of Wells’ vision of what would be. The film also has an orchestral score by Arthur Bliss and co-stars Derrick De Marney, Margaretta Scott, and Derrick De Marney.

Video: 1.37:1. Audio: LPCM Mono. Extras: commentary by film historian and writer David Kalat, interview with writer and cultural historian Christopher Frayling on the film’s design, film historian Bruce Eder on Bliss’s musical score, audio recording from 1936 of a reading from H. G. Wells’s writing about the “wandering sickness” plague in Things to Come, booklet featuring an essay by critic Geoffrey O’Brien. Studio: The Criterion Collection.

The Howling

In this 1981 horror cult classic — script by John Sayles (writer of Wild Thing, Battle Beyond the Stars, and Piranha, writer-director of Return of the Secaucus 7, The Brother from Another Planet, Matewan, and Lone Star) and Terence H. Winkless, direction by Joe Dante (Gremlins, Piranha, Rock ’n’ Roll High School) — the moodily atmospheric mystery melodrama is laced with wit and terror, all tied together with the eerie special effects of Rob Bottin and a musical score by composer Pino Donaggio.

Inspired by Gary Brandner’s novel of the same name, The Howling tells of TV newscaster Karen White (Dee Wallace) who, after surviving an encounter with a serial killer in Los Angeles, goes with her husband, Bill Neill (Christopher Stone) to rest up and recover at The Colony, a secluded retreat in the countryside run by her therapist Dr. Waggner (Patrick Macnee). But her safe haven proves spooky, with weirdly friendly neighbors and shrieks in the night, leading Karen to sensibly venture into the forest. Meanwhile one of inhabitants of The Colony, nymphomaniac Marsha Quist (Elisabeth Brooks), makes moves on Neill, who rejects her only to get bitten by a wolf on his way back to his cabin. White’s investigations reveal what seems be a secret society and some kind of a conspiracy that has a connection with her attacker that will test the inner strength of the formerly traumatized victim.

The Howling co-stars John Carradine, Dennis Dugan, Elisabeth Brooks, Dick Miller, Eddie Quist, Belinda Balaski, and Kevin McCarthy.

If you buy direct from Shout! Factory, fans can get an exclusive, limited edition poster of the newly commissioned artwork with their purchase!

Video: 1.85:1. Audio: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1. Extras: commentary by Dante and actors Wallace, Stone, and Robert Picardo, “Unleashing the Beast: The Making Of The Howling” multi-part featurette, “Making Of A Monster: Inside The Howling Documentary” and “Horror’s Hallowed Grounds – A Look At The Film’s Locations” featurettes, deleted scenes and outtakes, photo gallery. Studio: Shout! Factory.

Stoker

Korean director Park Chan-wook (Oldboy, Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance, Sympathy for Lady Vengeance) changes pace for his English-language debut with this British-American psychological thriller about a young woman, India Stoker (Mia Wasikowska), who, when her beloved father dies in an automobile accident during her 18th birthday, is surprised to meet her Uncle Charlie (Matthew Goode) at the funeral, whom she never knew existed.

After he comes to live with her and her unstable mother (Nicole Kidman) to help support them, Stoker soon begins to suspect that charming Uncle Charlie, who’s spent his life traveling the world, is more than he seems. The caretaker, Mrs. McGarrick (Phyllis Somerville), disappears after an argument with Uncle Charlie witnessed by Stoker. And when Great Aunt Gwendolyn (Jacki Weaver) is strangled before she can share her suspicions. But when Stoker discovers the caretaker’s body in the basement deepfreeze, she becomes sure of Uncle Charlie’s guilt. Nonetheless, the lonely girl, who previously resented his presence and his growing intimacy with her mother, now finds herself becoming attracted to this charismatic man — because of his homicidal behavior.

This horror take on Alfred Hitchcock’s Shadow of a Doubt was written by Wentworth Earl Miller III (who’s also a model, a producer, and the lead actor who plays Michael Scofield in the TV series Prison Break) and co-stars Dermot Mulroney, Lucas Till, Judith Godrèche, and Alden Ehrenreich. Stoker was the last film produced by Tony Scott.

Video: 2.40:1. Audio: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1. Extras: “An Exclusive Look: A Filmmaker’s Journey,” “Theatrical Behind the Scenes” featurettes consisting of “Mysterious Characters,” “Designing the Look,” and “Creating the Music” segments, deleted scenes, red carpet premiere performance of “Becomes the Color” by Emily Wells, image galleries, free song download; UltraViolet digital copy for streaming/downloading. Studio: 20th Century Fox.

Safety Last!

Harold Lloyd’s persona in silent films was that of the modern guy striving for success and so is not far from our own situation. In the romantic comedy Safety Last! (1923), Lloyd plays a small-town rube called . . . Harold Lloyd . . . who’s trying to make good in the big city, in the mean time taking a lousy job as a clerk in a department store.

In an attempt to get on, he decides to promote the store with a with a crazy publicity stunt of incredible derring-do. Using a series of breathtaking stunts, including Lloyd hanging from the hands of a giant clock on the side of a skyscraper high above the traffic below — one of the most famous images from silent cinema — and well-timed laugh-out-loud visual gags, Safety Last! was both critically acclaimed and highly commercially successful and it helped Lloyd become a major star of early motion pictures in the same league as Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton.

Being a great introduction to the comedian, this 84-minute black-and-white film directed by Fred Newmeyer and Sam Taylor was chosen to be the first Harold Lloyd film to be released by The Criterion Collection since the Lloyd catalog was acquired by Janus Films in 2012. Janus Films will tour Safety Last! theatrically to celebrate the 19th anniversary of its release and to kick off an ongoing celebration of the classic silent comedian.

The transfer of Safety Last! comes from a new 2K digital film restoration with a musical score by composer Carl Davis from 1989, synchronized and restored under his supervision and presented in uncompressed stereo. An alternate score by organist Gaylord Carter from the late 1960s, presented in uncompressed monaural is also included.

Amongst its numerous extras, there are two commentaries, newly restored Lloyd shorts Take a Chance (1918), Young Mr. Jazz (1919), and His Royal Slyness (1920), and the 104-minute documentary, Harold Lloyd: The Third Genius (1989).

Video: 1.37:1. Audio: LPCM 2.0 stereo (Davis score), LPCM Mono (Carter score). Extras: alternate score by organist Gaylord Carter, commentary by film critic Leonard Maltin and director and Harold Lloyd archivist Richard Correll, introduction by Lloyd’s granddaughter, Suzanne, and president of Harold Lloyd Entertainment, newly restored Lloyd shorts Take a Chance (1918), Young Mr. Jazz (1919), and His Royal Slyness (1920) with commentary by Correll and film writer John Bengtson, Harold Lloyd: The Third Genius 104-minute documentary from 1989, “Locations and Effects” new featurette featuring Bengtson and special effects expert Craig Barron, new interview with Davis, booklet featuring essay by critic Ed Park. Studio: The Criterion Collection.

Jack the Giant Slayer 3D

In this fantasy adventure retelling of the ancient fairytales Jack and the Beanstalk and Jack the Giant Killer by director Bryan Singer (The Usual Suspects, X-Men,Valkyrie), a young farmhand named Jack (Nicholas Hoult) goes into town to sell his horse to help support his uncle's farm. There, Jack rescues fair maiden Isabelle (Eleanor Tomlinson) from a bunch of ruffians who threaten her honor. Jack later meets a monk who offers some magic beans he has stolen from Lord Roderick (Stanley Tucci) as collateral for Jack’s horse. Unsurprisingly, Jack’s uncle is pretty pissed with Jack for being a foolish dolt and hurls the beans on the floor.

Isabelle, who’s actually a princess, quarrels with her father, King Brahmwell (Ian McShane), who wants her to settle down with Lord Roderick, while she wants to be free to go off and explore the kingdom. Seeing her chance, she sneaks out of the castle and sets off but runs into a storm and must seek shelter at a humble house. Surprisingly, it turns out to be Jack’s uncle’s place and just then one of the beans, bathed by the rain, takes root and rapidly grows into a gigantic beanstalk that lifts the house, and Isabelle in it, into the sky.

Now Jack must not only rescue the princess, carried up by the beanstalk to a land where a race of giants that used to war with the human race in ancient times dwell, but deal with the fact that he has inadvertently opened a gateway between their world and ours. And not only that, but Lord Roderick, who, having supposedly set off to rescue the princess, too, is actually intending to exploit the gateway by having the giants, whom he controls with a magic crown, to help him seize the kingdom below.

Jack the Giant Slayer’s cast includes Bill Nighy, Ewan McGregor, Eddie Marsan, and Ewen Bremner.

The film is also available as a 2D Blu-ray set that comes with a, DVD and UltraViolet digital copy for streaming/downloading.

Video: 2.40:1. Audio: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1. Extras: “Become A Giant Slayer” featurette made up of “Know Your Enemy,” “Suiting Up,” “Attack Tactics,” “The Magic of a Beanstalk,” “How to Zip,” “Giants’ Kitchen,” “Saving the Princess,” and “Defending Your Kingdom” segments, deleted scene, gag reel; 2D Blu-ray, DVD, and UltraViolet digital copy for streaming/downloading. Studio: Warner.

Photo by: Sound and Vision Magazine Editor

Lifeforce

Review: NoiseHush i7

Brent Butterworth — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 13:36:26 GMT

Finally, a decent under-$100 noise-cancelling headphone?

Noise-cancelling headphones shouldn’t be so expensive. In most cases, the technology is simple: a couple of tiny microphones, a cheap amplifier chip, and a simple filter circuit. Yes, the industry-leading, $299 Bose QC-15 uses a more sophisticated design, but it’s always seemed to me that someone ought to be able to create a decent knock-off, something that delivers pretty good noise cancelling and pretty good sound for maybe $99. Yet the inexpensive NC headphones I’ve tried from such companies as AudioTechnica, Creative Labs, and Tivoli Audio didn’t cut it for me; they suffered from some combination of insufficient volume, so-so sound, and uncomfortable ergonomics.

Two relatively recent entrants into the headphone biz—NoiseHush and Monoprice—are now attempting to be the first to deliver a viable, ~$100 alternative to the QC-15. Today we’ll listen to the $99 NoiseHush i7. On Wednesday, we’ll check out the $112 Monoprice 10010.

The i7 is clearly “inspired by” the QC-15; it looks almost the same but for its ungapatschka, fake-brushed-aluminum plastic side panels. It has a detachable cable so you can use it just for the noise cancelling function, and it comes with a slim semi-hardshell travel case. Two AAA batteries power the NC circuitry. The cable includes an inline microphone for use with your smartphone; the mike includes a play/pause/answer button.

On closer inspection, important differences emerge. The i7 has a side-mounted volume knob—a real old-fashioned analog potentiometer, not a digital encoder. While the knob looked like something you'd find on a 1970s-vintage headphone, I loved the precision volume adjustment it allowed; a rare treat in these days of up/down volume buttons with +/-2 dB steps. Also, the i7 works in passive mode, with the noise cancelling switched off, so you don’t lose sound when the batteries run down, as you do with the QC-15.

i7 meets MD-80

I had the occasion to take both the i7 and the Monoprice 10010 into perhaps the loudest place on any commercial airliner: the rear section of one of American Airlines' battered, soon-to-be-replaced MD-80 jets, sitting only 6 feet or so from the intake of the plane's side-mounted engines. It's a tough trial for a noise-cancelling headphone. I also did extensive in-home testing of both models, aided by frequent West Coast headphone tester Will Huff, as well as by a headphone company head who'd stopped by to see if I could measure some prototypes for him (all of his gear is at the factory in China).

So how'd a headphone powered by two AAA batteries fare against an airliner powered by two 20,000-pound-thrust engines? Pretty well. The i7's noise-cancelling function gave me a nice respite from the jet's roar, so much so that I removed it for only a couple of minutes of the entire three-hour LAX-to-DFW leg of my trip. It wasn't the incredible "cone of near-total silence" feel you get with the QC-15, but it was far better than I've experienced with any other noise-cancelling headphone anywhere near this price.

The i7's earpads, which the company's site says are made from leather and memory foam, also held up well; the only discomfort I experienced was a slight rubbing of the cloth covering the drivers against my earlobes, which began to annoy me just a bit after about 2 hours. Nothing a 5-minute listening break couldn't fix.

One the plane, I noted the i7's sound as "fine," meaning that I was able to enjoy the various pop, metal, and jazz cuts I listened to without being distracted by obvious tonal colorations. Against the partially cancelled hum from the jet engines, the i7 seemed to have a fairly flat balance with the noise cancelling activated. Whether it was the pulsating bass of the English Beat, the dense pop of Toto, the intense heavy metal of Celtic Frost, the delicate flute musings of Charles Lloyd, or the spiritual soul/funk of Meshell Ndegeocello, I found myself getting wrapped up in the music, my head bobbing frenetically enough to get the woman next to me wondering what I was up to, prompting her to ask (to her eventual chagrin, I'm sure) why I was carrying so many sets of headphones.

In the more demanding and quiet environment of my home, the i7's tonal colorations in NC mode became obvious. The midrange sounded sucked out, so much so that Toto's "Rosanna" seemed less like a super-slick pop production and more like a melange of kick drum, bass guitar with everything below 80 Hz filtered out, thin-sounding vocals, and phasey-sounding snare drum.

The good news is that there's an easy fix: Just shut off the NC when you're at home. In a quiet environment with the NC off, the i7 sounds quite nice, with a mostly neutral tonal balance and just the slightest bit of lower-treble emphasis. "Rosanna" suddenly sounded right: not as lively, detailed, and smooth as it would through a really great set of headphones, but pleasing nonetheless.

My other listeners agreed that the i7's sound in noise-cancelling mode didn't work well in the quiet surroundings of my home. Will complained, "The upper octaves were piercing and the sound was unmusical overall. It feels like it's overpowering the drivers." But while Will felt that the sound "lacked pop and sparkle" in passive mode, the visiting headphone company guy (who insists on remaining anonymous) was a bit blown away. "I can't believe how flat [i.e., even] these sound in passive mode and how uneven they sound with the noise cancelling on," he said. "Usually it's the other way around."

Measurements

I measured the performance of the i7 using a G.R.A.S. 43AG ear/cheek simulator, a Clio FW audio analyzer, a laptop computer running TrueRTA software with an M-Audio MobilePre USB audio interface, and a Musical Fidelity V-Can headphone amplifier. Measurements were calibrated for ear reference point (ERP), roughly the point in space where your palm intersects with the axis of your ear canal when you press your hand against your ear. I experimented with the position of the earpads by moving them around slightly on the ear/cheek simulator, and settled on the positions that gave the best bass response and the most characteristic result overall.

The frequency response measurements suggest radically different performance in NC and passive modes. In passive mode, the response is nearly flat. NC mode adds a huge bass boost between 40 and 200 Hz, and a huger upper-midrange boost between 1 and 3.5 kHz. Adding 70 ohms output impedance to the V-Can’s 5-ohm output impedance to simulate the effects of using a typical low-quality headphone amp has no effect with NC on and only a very slight effect in passive mode. I also measured how the volume knob setting affects frequency response; it merely boosts bass by about +1 dB below 100 Hz. The spectral decay plot shows a strong resonance at 1.8 kHz in NC mode, right where that big peak emerges in the frequency response measurement.

With NC off, isolation is typical for a pair of over-ear headphones. Switching on NC brings the level down -5 to -20 dB between 80 and 800 Hz—not QC-15 performance by a long shot, but enough to deliver a substantial reduction of airplane engine noise. A typical noise-cancelling headphone might add -10 dB of isolation between about 100 and 400 Hz, so this performance is above average.

Total harmonic distortion (THD) is rather high: about 2.5% at 100 Hz in passive mode, jumping to 6% with NC on. This measurement is taken at loud levels, though; I didn’t notice this distortion at my usual modest listening level.

Impedance is essentially flat no matter how you use the i7, although the volume control does increase impedance at lower settings—for example, in passive mode it drops from about 120 ohms with volume at minimum to 60 ohms with volume at max. Average sensitivity from 300 Hz to 6 kHz at the rated 32 ohms is 102.5 dB with NC off, 110.0 dB with NC on.

Bottom Line

Is the NoiseHush i7 the first under-$100 noise-cancelling headphone worth buying? I sure think so. Personally, I'd spend the extra $200 for the Bost QC-15, but audio's my thing. For the average person looking for an affordable travel headphone, the i7 is the best choice I've found.

So far, at least. Read my Monoprice 10010 review on Wednesday to find out if the i7's got any serious competition.

Photo by: Brent Butterworth

NoiseHush_i7_main

The i7's earpieces fold flat so the headphone can slip into a computer case.

E3 2013 Highlights

Geoffrey Morrison — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 05:47:35 GMT

In pictures I took and videos I didn’t

I'm the wrong person to cover E3. I loathe it. True, I’m a gamer of the 1st degree, but being a E3 has nothing to with being a gamer. It has everything to do with the shouty, misogynistic, terrified-of-the-new, big-business industry of gaming.

Also, I fraking hate crowds of aimlessly wandering people. Haaaaaaaate.

That said, this year was less horrible than year’s past. Here are some pictures and highlights.

Gran Turismo 6

I LOVED this game when I played it the first time, back when it was called Gran Turismo 5. This “new” version looks a loooot like 5. I’m sure it will be shiny and new and blah blah blah whatever I’m going to buy it so who cares.

Battlefield 4

I’ve written a ton about BF3, as it was flat out awesome. Like GT6 I’ll be buying this one at launch no matter what, so I really haven’t paid any attention to it. This video makes 4 look awesome.

DayZ standalone

The DayZ mod was one of the most creative and unique gaming experiences of recent memory. The long-awaited standalone version looks a lot more polished.

Mad Max

Didn’t get to see this one in person. Where's the Australian accent?

Destiny

Holy CRAP, a new property! It’s not Manshooter 16: Manshooterest. True, Destiny kind of looks like Activision/Blizzard trying to get all Mass Effect-y (or developer Bungie trying REALLY hard not to be too Halo-y), but that’s hardly a bad thing. I have to say, it looks like an interesting universe. Not too much gameplay shown but color me intrigued.

I could help but be impressed with the giant screen too:

Lit by a massive array of enormous projectors:

Perhaps even more amusing, even though this is what the image looked like when the image blanked for a moment (a lucky photo, for sure):

When there was video on the screen, even though there was tons of image overlap, the uniformity was better than most LED LCDs. Cool.

Xbone/PS4

I’m not really excited for the new consoles, truth be told. Sure the graphics will be a little better (maybe finally rendering at 1080p!), but I’ve never been much of a console gamer, so the excitement is lost on me. Oh, and yes, the image above is the actual walkway between the two booths.

The boxes themselves look separated at birth: boring black squares.

Amusingly, the L-shaped Sony booth was big-spoon to the Microsoft booth.

ATI Eyefinity

How's that for widescreen?

Last but not least, these robot things were swinging around big flat panels. Forget wall mount, these are robot-mount. Can’t get the right angle on your TV, have your robot put it IN YOUR FACE.

Photo by: Sound and Vision Magazine Editor

E3 2013

Review: NYNE NB-250

Brent Butterworth — Wed, 12 Jun 2013 05:42:38 GMT

Bluetooth gets bigger and badder in this robust portable speaker.

Thanks to the runaway success of the Jawbone Jambox, it seems most of the new Bluetooth speakers coming out are cute little things that can barely muster enough volume to hear in the next room. NYNE Multimedia’s NB-250 is still compact—just 10.2 inches wide—but it packs the (relative) muscle of two 2.25-inch full-range speaker drivers plus a passive radiator on the back. That’s more than three times the active speaker area of a Jambox. And that should mean a lot more output.

You could think of the $169 NB-250 as sort of a mini-boombox. It comes with a weather-resistant carrying case you can sling over your shoulder and carry anywhere. The porous fabric on the sides of the case lets the sound come out, and you can even work the top-mounted controls through the case. Nice!

Unlike most Bluetooth speakers, which use generic USB chargers, the NB-250 uses a standard charger with a coaxial power jack. A full-size USB output provides power to charge other devices, and a 3.5mm analog input lets you connect non-Bluetooth sources. A little fold-out kickstand on the back lets the NB-250 stand on its own.

There’s only one design miscue: The rubbery buttons on the top all look identical unless you shine a bright light on them. I found myself having to pick up the NB-250 and hold it under a light to find the button I wanted.

Bigger = better?

It's immediately obvious that the NB-250 has a lot more dynamic capability than a typical compact Bluetooth speaker. Nah, you can't fill a house with it, but you can fill a large room and even get pretty decent volume in an adjacent room. I could crank up Led Zeppelin's "Dancing Days" or ZZ Top's "Chartreuse" loud enough to get my head bobbing but without forcing my ears to suffer significant distortion.

As with the NYNE NB-200 compact/bike Bluetooth speaker, it seemed to me that some careful and competent voicing went into the NB-250. It always sounded full and natural no matter what I played. It almost never seemed to reach beyond its limits (i.e., sounding harsh or distorted). It didn't exhibit any obvious tonal colorations. If only all personal audio products could sound this good.

Even one of my most revealing demo tunes, "Shower the People" from James Taylor's Live at the Beacon Theatre—a test track that the president of a technology licensing company recently told me was "unfair"—sounded smooth through the NB-250. Even the super-high-pitched glockenspiel in the tune, which many conventional speakers tend to bury, came through clearly and cleanly. Same with the hyperactive hand percussion instruments crowding Holly Cole's "Train Song."

I kinda expected the NB-250 to exhibit an obvious "bass bump": a narrow-bandwidth low-frequency boost provided by a low-tuned passive radiator, which would give the impression of deep bass but at the expense of a one-notey, boomy bass sound. Nope, the NB-250's bass seemed quite even and natural.

I happened to have the similarly sized, $149 Cambridge Audio Minx Go on hand because I was measuring it for Michael Berk's upcoming review, so I compared it with the NB-250. Although both sound a lot more robust than the average compact Bluetooth speaker, I thought the NB-250's sound was a little more natural, and more open and spacious. Also, the Minx Go exhibited an obvious bass bump as mentioned above, which gave the bass a lot of punch but didn't sound as natural. But in that case, which sound you prefer is purely a matter of taste.

Flaws? Yep, there are a couple. It is possible to push the NB-250 too hard, but you have to go looking for weird material to do it. Here's two examples. First is Meshell Ndegeocello's version of the Nina Simone tune "Four Women," which features ominous, pure low tones from a keyboard. The sonically dense tones pushed the NB-250 just slightly over the edge, making it buzz and distort a bit. Second is Charles Lloyd's "Sweet Georgia Bright," from his live recording Rabo de Nube. In the opening notes, Lloyd's tenor sax made the NB-250 buzz, as if the drivers were rattling against the front grille. But I encountered the problem only on this tune, only with the NB-250 cranked full-blast, and with no other music I tried. Weird. Oh, well, it took me a while to warm up to Charles Lloyd, too.

Measurements

Frequency response
68 Hz to 20 kHz, ±10.7 dB 0° on-axis, ±2.7 dB to 10 kHz, ±11.9 dB 0° to 30° avg

MCMäxxx™ maximum level test (1 meter)
92 dB

Frequency response measurements were taken with a Clio FW audio analyzer and the MIC-01 measurement mike designed for use with Clio. The measurements above 300 Hz were done at a distance of 0.5 meters with the device atop a 2-meter stand using quasi-anechoic MLS technique. The blue curve in the accompanying graph shows the response at 0° on-axis; the green curve shows the average of measurements taken at 0°, 10°, 20°, and 30° horizontally. I measured with the mike directly in front of the left driver. To measure response below 300 Hz, I did a ground plane measurement at 1 meter. The ground plane result was then spliced to the quasi-anechoic curves. The ground plane measurement was smoothed to 1/6^th octave; quasi-anechoic measurements to 1/12^th octave. All measurements were taken using the 3.5mm line input, feeding the left channel only.

The NB-250 measures extremely flat in the midrange, from 200 Hz to 4 kHz. It has a lot of treble roll-off above 10 kHz (although with a big resonant peak at 14 kHz), but that's to be expected with 2.25-inch cone drivers. The averaged 0° to 30° measurement is almost the same as the on-axis measurement, indicating excellent off-axis performance—perhaps the reason the NB-250 delivers such a subjectively open sound.

On my MCMäxxx™ test—cranking up Mötley Crüe’s “Kickstart My Heart” until until it sounds harsh or distorted, then backing off the volume just a hair and noting the maximum usable volume at 1 meter, or measuring it at max volume if it sounds clean enough—I got 92 dB from the NB-250, +5 to +6 dB better than typical good compact BT speakers.

Bottom line

Not much more to say here. A few quibbles aside, the NB-250 is a well-made, good-sounding, nice-looking, reasonably priced product I can recommend without hesitation.

Photo by: Brent Butterworth

NYNE_NB250_main

The controls that run across the NB-250's top are labeled only with embossing, giving a black-on-black appearance that looks sleek but is decidedly unergonomic.

This Week in Movies & TV, June 11, 2013: 7 Year Witch

Josef Krebs — Tue, 11 Jun 2013 18:59:45 GMT

Wild Strawberries, House of Cards: Season 1, Oz the great and Powerful 3D, Paul McCartney & Wings: Rockshow, The Newsroom: Season 1, Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters 3D.

Wild Strawberries

In this much-beloved 1957 masterpiece from the great film artist Ingmar Bergman (The Seventh Seal, Persona,Smiles of a Summer Night), Professor Isak Borg — memorably played by veteran director Victor Sjöström (The Phantom Carriage, He Who Gets Slapped, The Wind) — is a selfish and somewhat cruel, yet old-world charming and likeable 78-year-old specialist physician who travels by car from Stockholm to Lund University to be awarded an honorary degree. Over the course of the trip, the idea of this award and nightmares of his approaching death inevitably lead him to look back on his achievements and failures in a lifetime marked by public service but emotional coldness, shame, and regret.

Bergman portrays this with self-lacerating dreams of humiliation, happy reminiscences of youth tinged with sorrow, and through the people Isak meets along the way who remind him of some aspect of his relationships — a young, carefree romantic threesome, a hateful married couple who viciously tear at one another, smiling while they cut with sarcasm and contempt, his distant, accusatory mother, and his son, who, because of his upbringing, feels emotionally dead. As the leader of a dreamed examination board puts it “You have been accused of guilt.”

Yet amongst all this angst are feelings of acceptance, forgiveness, and reconciliation with others and self emerging from recognition of the multiple facets of a person and the difficulty of living with complex human needs and desires.

Criterion’s new digital film transfer is completely free of dirt and damage allowing all the beauty of long-time Bergman cinematographer Gunnar Fischer’s images to come through. There are deep blacks throughout, and a wide range of lovely greys — particularly in lyrical, bucolic scenes of the remembered country — but the same white blouses and shirts, bright in sunlit exteriors, tend to be a bit dull in the gloominess of a moment.

The dreams are particularly visually striking, especially the first, a surrealist contemplation of death shot in high contrast and overexposed, producing dazzling whites in streets and the face of a handless clock, but still inky blacks in the approaching hearse, maintaining great detail so that Isak’s face is mapped with lines of anxiety.

There’s texture to the undergrowth where his long lost love picks wild strawberries, in the fabric of Isak’s suit and herringbone pattern of his coat, and in his mother’s lace shawl. Rooms, such as the professor’s well-filled study, have volume to them, with all furniture and objects sharp and solid in the deep-focus compositions, elements of paintings in the background visible. Just enough grain is present to maintain the film-like quality of images.

The uncompressed mono soundtrack in which hiss is all-but absent includes background sounds, such as disturbingly cawing birds or insistent ticking clocks reminding of death, that are crisp and distinct. Music — mixing precise piano solos with resonating cello — and voices are clear, full, and natural.

Wild Strawberries (Smultronstället) co-stars many of Bergman’s “repertory company” of Swedish actors appear including Gunnar Björnstrand, Bibi Andersson, Ingrid Thulin, and Max von Sydow.

The set includes a marvellous analytical commentary by film scholar Peter Cowie, home movies of the production, and a 90-minute documentary by filmmaker and author Jörn Donner talking with Bergman about his life and art.

Video: 1.66:1. Audio: Swedish, LPCM Mono. Extras: introduction by Bergman, commentary by film scholar Peter Cowie, Ingmar Bergman on Life and Work 90-minute documentary by filmmaker and author Jörn Donner, behind-the-scenes footage shot by Bergman, booklet featuring an essay by film writer Mark Le Fanu. Studio: The Criterion Collection.

House of Cards: Season 1

Sex, crime, violence, betrayal, and corruption. Yes, you’re in present day Sin City — Washington, D.C. House of Cards is an American adaptation of the masterful, deliciously wicked, and highly entertaining BBC political drama miniseries of the same name which in turn is based on the novel by Michael Dobbs.

Director David Fincher (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, The Social Network, Fight Club), on being shown the British miniseries starring Ian Richardson by his agent, decided produce a series in America with screenwriter Eric Roth (The Insider, Munich, Forrest Gump). Fincher wanted to do TV because it allows for more complex characterizations than one two-hour film. Netflix, the giant streaming service, wanting an impressive launch to its original programming arm, examined the data it had collected from tracking its members’ viewing habits and — concluding that there was an audience for the series, its executive producer-director (Fincher also shot the first two episodes), and its star Kevin Spacey — outbid other networks. Season 1, further developed and produced by Beau Willimon, premiered on Netflix February 1, 2013.

House of Cards tells the story of Frank Underwood (Spacey), Democrat Congressman from South Carolina’s 5th district and the House Majority Whip, who, after being passed over for the position of Secretary of State despite having helped ensure the election of President Garrett Walker (Michael Gill), decides to forget loyalty to his party and president and focus just on his own career and getting his revenge on those he feels betrayed him. With the aid of his wife Claire (Robin Wright), Underwood stops at nothing, manipulating and exploiting those around them, ruthlessly dealing with others who stand in the way, all in order to achieve his plans that are fueled by his endless ambition for power.

Like the English miniseries, this House of Cards takes a page out of William Shakespeare’s Richard III by breaking the forth wall and having its villainous main character involve and implicate its audience by addressing them directly, explaining the cunning intricacies of his machinations with such arch charm and wit that you wish him to succeed.

House of Cards co-stars Kate Mara, Corey Stoll, Michael Kelly, Sakina Jaffrey, Kristen Connolly, Constance Zimmer, Sebastian Arcelus, Ben Daniels, and Reuel Pendleton.

The 13 hour-long Season 1 episodes (here on 4 Blu-ray discs) were made available all at once for download at Netflix, since the company’s data told them that their members liked to view a series in a marathon rather than in the traditional weekly, episodic format. Having been shot to seamlessly flow from one to the next, the content is shaped much more for the overall season’s story than an individual episode's in terms of satisfying resolutions or cliffhangers. If you want those you have to keep going.

Video: 2.00:1. Audio: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1. Extras: none; UltraViolet digital copy for streaming/downloading. Studio: Sony.

Oz the Great and Powerful

In this fantasy adventure, a recently made-up prequel to The Wizard of Oz directed by Sam Raimi (The Evil Dead, Army of Darkness, Spider-Man 1-3), we get to discover the supposed origins of L. Frank Baum’s beloved character, the Wizard. Set in 1905, 20 years before the events of the books, Oz the Great and Powerful begins when small-time traveling circus magician and hustler Oscar “Oz” Diggs (James Franco), after flirting with the strongman’s wife, is forced to flee in a hot air balloon. Swept up into a tornado, he is dragged away from dust-bowl Kansas and carried on to the dazzlingly colorful Land of Oz.

There he meets the witch Theodora (Mila Kunis) who takes him to be the wizard prophesied to bring down the Wicked Witch who killed the King of Oz. On the way to the Emerald City, Diggs saves a flying monkey called Finley (voiced by Zach Braff) from a lion, causing Finley to pledge undying loyalty to Diggs and impressing Theodora in the process.

Theadora’s sister, Evanora (Rachel Weisz), is less charmed by Oscar and doesn’t believe him to be prophesized wizard. She does, however, inform him that the Wicked Witch can be found in the Dark Forest and if he intends to kill her he must destroy the source of her power — her wand.

Diggs and Finley set off on their quest and are joined en route to the forest by a living china doll, China Girl (voiced by Joey King), whose home, Chinatown, and family were destroyed by the Wicked Witch. On reaching the forest, though, and capturing the wand they learn before destroying it that it actually belongs to Glinda the Good Witch (Michelle Williams) and it’s Evanora who’s the real Wicked Witch!

Seeing this with her crystal ball, Evanora tricks Theodora into biting on a magic apple that transforms her into a green-skinned Wicked Witch. Can Diggs save her? Can he defeat Evanora and her army of Winkies and flying baboons? Maybe.

The film co-stars Abigail Spencer, Joey King, Bill Cobbs, Tony Cox, Stephen R. Hart, and Bruce Campbell and comes with a score by composer Danny Elfman.

Oz the Great and Powerful, which was shot native 3D, is also available in a 3D Blu-ray set that comes with a downloadable iTunes digital copy — but no 2D Blu-ray. However, an in-package offer allows buyers to obtain a 2D Blu-ray disc by mail for an additional $5.99.

Video: 1.33:1 and 2.40:1. Audio: DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1. Extras: The Magic of Oz the Great and Powerful: Second Screen Experience that tells of all things Oz via a free downloaded Second Screen app (available for iPads at the iTunes Store) including “The Enchanting Characters and Creatures of Oz,” “The Sounds of Magical Oz,” “Sleight of Hand: Zach Braff Puppet Theater,” featurettes and the Mariah Carey music video, plus blooper and the featurettes “China Girl and the Suspension of Disbelief” on the methods used to bring China Girl to life, “Before Your Very Eyes: From Kansas to Oz” on Robert Stromberg’s production design, “Mila’s Metamorphosis” on Howard Berger’s makeup artistry, “Walt Disney and the Road to Oz” on Disney’s planned adaptation of the stories in the classic Baum books, “Mr. Elfman’s Musical Concoctions” interview with Elfman, My Journey in Oz film produced and directed by Franco; 2D Blu-ray, DVD, iTunes digital copy. Studio: Disney.

Paul McCartney & Wings: Rockshow

After the Beatles . . . while John Lenon went on experimenting with complex concepts and more difficult themes and emotions, Paul McCartney continued on with another aspect of the old band — its creation of instantly hookable, unforgettable, lilting-melodied, sharply-crafted pop tunes.

In Rockshow (1980), made up of performances from Wings’ 1976 four-concert North American tour playing to arena-sized crowds, consummate entertainer McCartney delivers what the crowds want, showing off those highly memorable and singable songs to their best advantage, as can be witnessed by the nonstop cheers and hollers of delight.

The rest of the band consists of Linda McCartney on vocals, former Moody Blues guitarist Denny Laine, guitar virtuoso Jimmy McCulloch, and drummer and percussionist Joe English. The film’s long and winding set comprises of a mixture of Beatles tunes and McCartney “solo” and Wings numbers including “Venus and Mars,” “Rock Show,” “Jet,” “Let Me Roll It,” “Spirits of Ancient Egypt,” “Medicine Jar,” “Maybe I'm Amazed,” “Call Me Back Again,” “Lady Madonna,” “The Long and Winding Road,” “Live and Let Die,” “Picasso's Last Words (Drink to Me),” “Richard Cory,” “Bluebird,” “I've Just Seen a Face,” “Blackbird,” “Yesterday,” “You Gave Me the Answer,” “Magneto and Titanium Man,” “Go Now,” “My Love,” “Listen to What the Man Said,” “Let 'Em In,” “Time to Hide,” “Silly Love Songs,” “Beware My Love,” “Letting Go,” “Band on the Run,” “Hi, Hi, Hi,” and “Soily.” It took three years to assemble them together and mix into the final cut released four years after the tour.

Rockshow appears here in a version created for a 2013 theatrical release, the longer 125-minute cut being digitally restored from the 35mm negative with the soundtrack remixed in 5.1-channel surround sound.

The set comes in DigiBook packaging that contains a lot of archival photographs and an essay by Paul Gambaccini.

Video: 1.85:1.Audio: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, LPCM 2.0. Extras: “A Very Lovely Party” 10-minute vintage featurettes. Studio: Eagle Rock Entertainment.

The Newsroom: Season 1

Created by Aaron Sorkin, the mind behind such memorable TV series as The West Wing, Sports Night, and Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip and screenwriter of the films A Few Good Men, The American President, The Social Network amongst others, The Newsroom takes you behind the scenes of a fictional news cable show.

The comedy-drama mixes real-life news stories with the fictional lives of its characters. It kicks off with news anchor Will McAvoy (Jeff Daniels) one day, whilst being interviewed, shooting himself in the foot by going off-script on being asked what made America the greatest country in the world. “It’s not,” he responds to a horrified questioner and then lists all the things — backed up with statistics — that prevent it from being so.

As usual, the ACN (Atlantis Cable News) execs are not amused that he’s making news not reporting it, but his supporting boss, Charlie Skinner (Sam Waterston) stands behind him. Skinner hires MacKenzie McHale (Emily Mortimer), McAvoy’s ex, as the new executive producer for his nightly newscast (just like in Sorkin’s Sports Night) in order to return McAvoy’s broadcasting to something courageous, honest, and relevant instead of just more trivial entertainment.

McHale brings senior producer Jim Harper (John Gallagher, Jr.) with her and he gets the immediate hots for newbie associate producer Maggie Jordan (Alison Pill), but she’s involved with former News Night executive producer Don Keefer (Thomas Sadoski) who’s been pushed into producing the program in the slot that follows McAvoy’s show. A jealous and resentful Keefer, though, is the least of McAvoy’s troubles because the CEO of Atlantis World Media (frequent guest star Jane Fonda) is out to take apart the reputation of the highly respected news reporter which would allow her to get rid of him.

Sorkin wrote all ten Season 1 episodes (here on four Blu-rays and also two DVDs) and that’s made obvious by the series’ snappy screwball comedy-style dialogue coming from all directions with each character hurling a clever comeback to comments thrown out by the previous one. The acting is, for the most part, first rate — especially Sam Waterston — the scripts are intelligent and moving, and the direction utilizes the same rapidly tracking style familiar from other Sorkin-based shows that keeps the dialogue-heavy story moving along at a clip.

The Newsroom: Season 1 co-stars Dev Patel and Olivia Munn. It was directed Alan Poul, Greg Mottola, Jeremy Podeswa, Alex Graves, Joshua Marston, and Lesli Linka Glatter.

Video: 1.78:1. Audio: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1. Extras: “The Rundown” with Sorkin, Daniels, Mortimer, Waterson, executive producer Alan Poul, and co-executive producer Greg Mottola in conversation, 5 commentaries by Sorkin, Poul, Daniels, Waterston, Mortimer and others, “Mission Control” and “Inside the Episodes” featurettes, deleted scenes, episodic previews and recaps; DVDs, digital copies. Studio: HBO.

Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters 3D

When two young children wandering in the woods come across a house made of gingerbread, they soon find themselves captured by the evil witch inside. Thus begins their hellish confinement while she plans to fatten them up before devouring them — a terrifying fate for a child to contemplate. But they manage to overcome the witch and burn her up in the very oven she meant to cook them in.

After getting a taste for wacking witches following their traumatic gingerbread-house ordeal, Hansel (Jeremy Renner) and Gretel (Gemma Arterton) grow up to become vigilante bounty hunters out for some payback. Using strangely modern and high-tech weaponry — including repeating crossbows, grenades, and Gatling guns all tipped with special holy water, the pair turn themselves into the best and most baddass local witch hunters.

Lately, despite the objections of a local sheriff (Peter Stormare) who thinks he and his posse can handle the job, Hansel and Gretel (Gemma Arterton) have been hired by a village mayor to track and rescue several missing children. For where the sheriff likes to take care of witches by burning any suspects he comes across at the stake, Hansel and Gretel approach to the case is more logic-based and evidential.

Soon they discover that the witch they’re after is a particularly powerful one named Muriel (Famke Janssen) who has created a spell that can make her and her follower fellow witches invincible. And, what’s worse, with only three days to the night of the Blood Moon — a rare astrological event that gives even more the power to black witches — time is utterly of the essence. For now it becomes apparent that not only must Hansel and Gretel foil the witches in order to rescue the children, but also possibly to save the whole world itself!

This grisly, gore-filled film was directed by the Norwegian, Tommy Wirkola (Kurt Josef Wagle and the Legend of the Fjord Witch, Dead Snow, Kill Buljo), and this is an unrated version of it. And in 3D! So beware!! It co-stars Zoe Bell, and Thomas Mann(?).

Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters, a hybrid of 3D native shot and 3D post conversion, is also available in a 2D Blu-ray set that comes with a DVD and UltraViolet digital copy for streaming/downloading.

Video: 2.40:1. Audio: Dolby TrueHD 5.1. Extras: “Reinventing Hansel & Gretel,” “The Witching Hours,” and “Meet Edward the Troll” featurettes; 2-D Blu-ray, DVD, iTunes digital copy, and UltraViolet digital copy for streaming/downloading. Studio: Paramount.

Photo by: Sound and Vision Magazine Editor

Wild Strawberries

This Week in Music, June 11, 2013: How Black is thy Sabbath?

Ken Richardson — Tue, 11 Jun 2013 17:44:07 GMT

Also: Jason Isbell, Youn Sun Nah, Visage, the Lonely Island, and more. Plus: box sets of ZZ Top, the Grateful Dead, and Richard Pryor.

Black Sabbath: 13

New release (Vertigo/Republic; tour dates)

“What is this that stands before me — again?”

That’s the unavoidable question you’ll ask yourself when you hear “End of the Beginning,” the first track on 13. After all, this song isn’t just Black Sabbath; it’s “Black Sabbath,” the first track on Black Sabbath. That opening to the band’s 1970 debut had quiet, three-plucked-note verses alternating with massive, three-power-chord choruses, all taken at a slow pace until a choppy riff sped us away. “End of the Beginning,” from the original band’s first album together in 35 years, has quiet, four-plucked-note verses alternating with massive, four-power-chord choruses, all taken at a slow pace until a choppy riff speeds us away.

In other words: If someone at Black Sabbath’s first U.S. label, Warner Bros., fancied himself to be a litigator like the late Saul Zaentz, he might feel compelled to sue the band for self-plagiarism, the same way Zaentz — when he ran Fantasy Records and the label owned Creedence Clearwater Revival’s copyrights — sued John Fogerty for self-stealing “Run Through the Jungle” in “The Old Man Down the Road.” Of course, Zaentz lost that case. And today, Sabbath’s first U.K. label, Vertigo, is once again its parent label. So, never mind.

The paragraphs above shouldn’t be read as the snarky comments of a detached critic. No, this critic has been an outspoken Sabbath fan since . . . well, if not precisely Day 1, then certainly Album 2. That would be in late 1970, when a friend of mine sat me down in front of his record player and introduced me to the riff-a-rama that was (and still is) Paranoid. I would go on to see the band in concert as early as 1971. Accordingly, when I recently heard that singer Ozzy Osbourne, guitarist Tony Iommi, and bassist Geezer Butler — whose last album together was Never Say Die! in 1978 — were reuniting for 13, no one was more eager to hear the result.

Then again, as another friend of mine said when the Van Halen brothers regrouped with David Lee Roth: “It figures. Even when they reunite, they can’t get it right.” He was referring to the exclusion of original bassist Michael Anthony. Absent from Sabbath today is original drummer Bill Ward, owing to “contractual difficulties.” In the run-up to 13, this was definitely a minus.

However, the project also had a special plus: It was being produced by Rick Rubin, who time and time again has helped artists get back to where they once belonged. Rubin had been interested in facilitating a studio reunion as far back as 12 years ago. When it finally happened, the first thing he did was to sit Black Sabbath down in front of his record player and re-introduce them to . . . their own debut, Black Sabbath. “The first album wasn’t a straightforward heavy metal record,” Rubin explained to Rolling Stone. “You could hear the jazz influence, so that was the goal, and to capture that live interaction.” Or, as Butler relayed to Revolver, the producer said to the band: “Forget heavy metal. This is what I want the vibe to be. This is the direction. Don’t copy it, but keep it in mind.”

Easier said than done. There’s a live, loose feel to a passage or two, but for the most part, the band has hardly forgotten heavy metal. And that’s a good thing. But after rehearing its own groundbreaking tracks on the debut and beyond, Sabbath has in fact copied a handful of them.

Some of the self-quotations are passing references (to the likes of “Electric Funeral,” “Snowblind,” and “Hole in the Sky”), but others are near-duplicates. As described above, there’s the “Black Sabbath” knockoff “End of the Beginning.” Then there’s “Loner,” which is “N.I.B. 2.0.” And it all gets a bit silly with the acoustic ballad “Zeitgeist,” which is an exact replica of “Planet Caravan,” right down to the congas, the phased vocals (at least at the start), and the tactile electric-guitar solo. Butler even spells it out in his lyrics: “Astral engines in reverse / I’m falling through the universe again.” Meanwhile, on much of 13, substitute drummer Brad Wilk (of Rage Against the Machine and Audioslave) acts merely like a timekeeper instead of the elastic slapper that Ward was on the first two albums.

Is this a bleak Sabbath? Never say die! “End of the Beginning” actually finishes strongly with a deliberate but beguiling chord progression. “Age of Reason” transcends its run-of-the-metal opening for a solid midsection. The second half of “Damaged Soul” does a good job of emulating the jammy feel from the second side of Black Sabbath (while borrowing the harmonica from the first side’s “The Wizard”). In his lyrics (co-written with Osbourne), Butler leaves his customarily general discussions of life/death and heaven/hell to effectively target pedophile priests in the closing “Dear Father.” And the album’s best track, the nearly 9-minute “God Is Dead?,” has ominous verses, an irresistibly catchy chorus, and a fast break that’s undeniably compelling.

As for Rubin’s production, it’s often as close to the glorious sludge of Master of Reality as it is to the punchier Black Sabbath and Paranoid. And that’s a very good thing. Most important, Rubin resurrects the fat guitar sound of Iommi — whose solos, by the way, are remarkably fleet and spry for someone who’s battling lymphoma.

“I wanted to make an album that stood alongside their first four albums,” Rubin told Rolling Stone. To be sure, the sonics stand tall. But the material? Overall, it might have been better to aim for the fifth album instead. On that one, 1973’s Sabbath Bloody Sabbath, the band only nodded to its previous albums and instead created something that was not only fresh but also adventurous. “God Is Dead?” comes closest to that approach; if only 13 had more of the same.

Still . . . Butler (age 63), Osbourne (64), and Iommi (65) all seem decades younger, and this album sure beats the bejesus out of the eight that preceded it. (It also comes across more vitally than “Psycho Man” and “Selling My Soul,” the studio tracks appended to 1998’s live Reunion.) And — oh Lord, yeah — 13 sounds just like Black Sabbath.

So, then, is it genuine Sabbath or an amazing simulation? It’s both, and God knows it’s a blast to hear 13 in ’13. But to end back at the beginning of “End of the Beginning”: “Reanimation of the sequence / Rewinds the future to the past / To find the source of the solution / The system has to be recast.” At the absolute end, this album will likely send you back to those first four albums, when Black Sabbath’s heavy metal was cast for the first time, and an entire genre was defined.

Other artists not heard from in a long time, releasing their first albums in . . .

Visage: Hearts and Knives (Pylon; photo above by David Levine)
. . . 29 years. Anybody remember New Romanticism? It was, to quote a song title here, the “Shameless Fashion” wing of New Wave, and Visage was one of its primary inhabitants (along with ABC, Spandau Ballet, Ultravox, and early Duran Duran). Today, the only returning full-fledged member from the original lineup is vocalist Steve Strange (above, second from left), but Midge Ure, Dave Formula, and Rusty Egan all make guest appearances.

Boards of Canada: Tomorrow’s Harvest (Warp)
. . . 8 years. The Scottish electronic-music duo.

Alison Moyet: the minutes (Cooking Vinyl/Metropolis)
. . . 6 years. The English singer/songwriter.

Other new releases

Jason Isbell: Southeastern (Southeastern/Thirty Tigers; photo above by Michael Wilson)
The former Drive-By Trucker releases his fourth studio album — and his first since rehab for alcohol abuse. According to Dwight Garner’s recent profile of the musician in The New York Times Magazine (available here), “The record, which evokes powerful and intimate classics like Bruce Springsteen’s Tunnel of Love and Rosanne Cash’s Interiors, is a breakthrough for Isbell — prickly with loss, forgiveness, newfound sobriety, and second chances.” I have to agree. From the stark confessional of “Cover Me Up” to the difficult but uplifting rock of “Flying Over Water,” Southeastern is the sound of an artist coming into his own, just like Steve Earle did when he finally started to feel alright again.

Youn Sun Nah: Lento (ACT; photo above by Sung Yull Nah)
She’s from Seoul, South Korea, but she recorded this album in Gothenburg, Sweden, and it includes a chanson she co-wrote with her French accordionist. She’s supposedly rooted in “traditional vocal jazz,” but the material here ranges from Stan Jones’s “Ghost Riders in the Sky” to Nine Inch Nails’ “Hurt.” And among the assortment of originals, the title song is set to Scriabin’s Prelude in E minor (Op. 16, No. 4). When your head stops spinning, open your ears to this captivating singer/composer.

Harry Connick, Jr.: Every Man Should Know (Columbia)
First non-instrumental album of originals — with all music, lyrics, and arrangements by Connick — since 1997’s To See You. Note this note, from the back cover: “No vocal pitch correction!”

Andrew Stockdale: Keep Moving (Caroline/Universal)
Wolfmother is defunct. The former frontman releases his first solo album.

Mick Harvey: Four (Acts of Love) (Mute)
The former Nick Cave cohort (in the Bad Seeds and, before that, the Birthday Party) releases his sixth solo album. Included: original compositions, a song by colleague P J Harvey, and covers of the Saints, Van Morrison, Exuma, and Roy Orbison.

Goo Goo Dolls: Magnetic (Warner Bros.)
Studio Album No. 10.

Surfer Blood: Pythons (Warner Bros.)
Follow-up to 2010 debut Astro Coast.

John Vanderslice: Dagger Beach (Tiny Telephone)
Says the press release on this journeyman singer/songwriter: “While it’s true that Vanderslice did endure a terrible breakup at the beginning of writing Dagger Beach, this is not a breakup record. It’s a put-me-back-together record. After endless months on the road in support of his White Wilderness, Vanderslice returned home to an empty house and — as that’s pretty unbearable when you’re not quite right in the head — decided to set out walking. He hiked for days, deep in the woods, usually alone. This strange experience completely changed his songwriting process. He edited lyrics while walking, and worked out songs in his head. As the experience changed him, it changed the record. Dagger Beach is looser, weirder, and freer because of it.”

The Lonely Island: The Wack Album (Republic)
More comedic rap from Andy Samberg, Akiva Schaffer, and Jorma Taccone. The dramatic intro is called “Dramatic Intro.” Other inspirational titles: “Go Kindergarten,” “Diaper Money,” “Semicolon,” and “Where Brooklyn At?” Guests include Robyn, Solange, Adam Levine, Kendrick Lamar, Billie Joe Armstrong, Kristen Wiig, and Hugh Jackman. They also do a “3-Way” with Justin Timberlake and Lady Gaga.

Overseas: Overseas (overseasband.net)
Aching for tracks full of slow-burn guitar? You’ll find plenty on the debut from this indie supergroup, which brings together Will Johnson (Centro-matic, South San Gabriel), David Bazan (Pedro the Lion, Headphones), and brothers Matt and Bubba Kadane (Bedhead, the New Year).

Big Time Rush: 24/seven (Nickelodeon/Columbia)
Alert the girls: Boy band is back with its third set.

Various Artists: Stuck in Love: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (Varèse Sarabande)
The movie, with a limited U.S. opening on July 5, is the directorial debut of Josh Boone, and it stars Greg Kinnear and Jennifer Connelly. The soundtrack includes excerpts from the score by Bright Eyes members Mike Mogis and Nathaniel Walcott, as well as two new songs by them and one by their bandleader, Conor Oberst.

ZZ Top: The Complete Studio Albums 1970–1990

Archival release (Warner Bros.; tour dates)

A 10-disc box set of ZZ Top’s London and Warner Bros. studio releases: ZZ Top’s First Album, Rio Grande Mud, Tres Hombres, Fandango!, Tejas, Degüello, El Loco, Eliminator, Afterburner, and Recycler. All have the original mixes — which means that those for First Album, Rio Grande Mud, and Tejas are appearing on CD for the first time. In a statement, the band members said they’re “especially delighted” that those three restorations have been incorporated: “It’s good to have been made whole again on a certain level.” Each of the 10 discs is in a wallet sleeve, with the original gatefold designs for Tres Hombres and Tejas.

The Grateful Dead: May 1977

Archival release (Dead.net)

Press release: “The Grateful Dead played more than 2,000 concerts over 30 years, but none has achieved a more mythical status than the May 8, 1977, show at Cornell University’s Barton Hall. It’s practically required listening for all probationary Dead Heads. While that show is well known, the astounding tour that surrounded it has flown largely under the radar, due to the uneven quality of tapes in circulation. Dead.net will change all of that with a box set that zeroes in on that crucial tour, one regarded as a high-water mark from the band’s long, strange trip.”

The 14-disc box includes five complete shows from consecutive stops on that spring tour, each mastered for HDCD by Jeffrey Norman at Mockingbird Mastering. As of the June 11 release date (following a period of pre-ordering), only 5,000 of the limited-edition 15,000 copies were left. The booklet includes liner notes for each show, period photos, and an essay by Steve Silberman.

Richard Pryor: No Pryor Restraint — Life in Concert

Archival release (Shout! Factory)

More than 12 hours of the late comedian Richard Pryor on seven CDs and two DVDs, beginning in 1966 and ending with one of his final onstage performances in 1992. A deluxe book includes rare photos and multiple essays. If you order the set directly from shoutfactory.com, you’ll also receive a previously unreleased concert CD, Live at the Comedy Store: October 1973 (while supplies last).

Photo by: Sound and Vision Magazine Editor

Sabbath 13 photo

Review: PSB Imagine W3 soundbar and W1 on-wall speaker

Brent Butterworth — Tue, 11 Jun 2013 02:57:51 GMT

Is “audiophile soundbar” an oxymoron?

Calling the PSB Imagine W3 a soundbar is like calling the Red Bull RB6 F1 racer a car. Technically, the description is correct. But the item in question differs so much from most in its category that the comparison seems silly.

Most soundbars sell for less than $300 in discount retail chains. You can lift them between your thumb and forefinger. They use plastic enclosures, inexpensive drivers, and low-powered internal amplifiers. Many mass-market soundbars don’t have tweeters, and those that do use simple crossovers, typically just one capacitor connected with the tweeter.

The Imagine W3 sells for $1,199, mostly at independent audio/video dealers. Its aluminum enclosure houses the same high-quality drivers found in PSB’s other Imagine Series speakers. Complex, costly Linkwitz-Riley crossovers tune the response. The W3 handles only the left, center, and right channels of a surround-sound system; you’ll have to add a receiver, a subwoofer, and surround speakers. It weighs 15.4 pounds.

PSB founder and chief designer Paul Barton stresses that the W3 does not use audio processing to expand its sound out beyond its edges. “I’m going for sound balance rather than trickery,” he told me. He extended this purist approach to his measurements, attaching his W3 prototypes to a baffle that conforms to IEC specifications so that he could compensate for the acoustical effects of wall-mounting.

The W3 incorporates three separate speakers, each with its own internal enclosure. The left and right speakers each have a 1-inch titanium dome tweeter, a 4-inch polypropylene/ceramic cone woofer, and a 4-inch passive radiator. The center speaker has two radiators, two woofers, and one tweeter. Barton designed the center to be 3 dB more sensitive than the left and right speakers, thus achieving double the headroom with the same power in this all-important, dialogue-conveying channel.The Imagine W1 on-wall speaker uses the same drivers as the center section of the W3. It can serve as a surround speaker for the W3, or you could set up an all-W1 system with three W1s taking the place of one W3. Because W1s used for left and right channels can be spaced as far apart as you like, they can create a broader soundstage than the W3.

On one hand, I admire Barton’s purism. On the other hand, in a market where most manufacturers add extra drivers, crosstalk cancellation, and SRS and other sound-processing technologies in an effort to make their bars sound bigger, I wonder how customers will react to a soundbar that makes no attempt to be anything more than what it is.

Setup

For my test system, PSB sent a W3 and two W1s. The W3 plays down to only about 85 Hz, not even as deep as the lowest note on a guitar, so a subwoofer is mandatory. I also received PSB’s SubSeries 200 ($649), a sub with a 10-inch driver, to use with the W3 and W1s, but you can use whatever sub suits your taste. In this review, I’ll focus on the W3, but you I’ve included full measurements of the SubSonic 200 later in this review.

The W3 can be wall-mounted, but it also comes with two small feet that allow it to sit atop a table. I attached the feet and placed it on two 28-inch stands right up against the wall below my projection screen. While PSB does provide a couple of feet that allow the W1 to sit horizontally on a table for use as a center speaker, surprisingly there’s no way to stand the speaker vertically on its own; it must be wall-mounted for vertical use. I attached the W1s to the side walls, just a little behind my listening chair, with the bottoms of the speakers about 3.5 feet off the floor.

With the speakers in place and connected to my AudioControl Savoy amplifier, and the SubSonic 200 in the “subwoofer sweet spot” along my front wall, all that was left to do was set the crossover point and balance the levels on my Outlaw Model 975 surround processor. I tried using the industry-standard 80-Hz crossover point but found that it reduced bass energy in the crossover region; 100 Hz worked better.

Performance

Before I got into serious analysis of what the W3 can do, I thought I’d have some fun with it. So I pulled out the Blu-ray Discs of The 25th Anniversary Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Concerts and played some of the many and varied selections.

When I listened to Stevie Wonder’s performance of “Superstition,” with Jeff Beck on guitar, there was no doubt I was hearing something comparable to only a handful of other soundbars on the market. As I’ve experienced with PSB’s conventional speakers, no sonic flaw ever called attention to itself. From the standpoints of tonal fidelity and dynamic capability, at least, there was nothing to remind me I was listening to a soundbar. I cranked up the tune and reveled in Wonder’s hard groove and Beck’s raw dynamics.

What was the difference between this and a standard 5.1 speaker system? With the W3’s left and right tweeters only 32 inches apart, the sound wasn’t as big and enveloping as it would have been with the left and right speakers spread, say, 8 feet apart.

On the same Blu-ray, Simon and Garfunkel’s “The Sound of Silence” revealed the only sonic anomaly I could find in the W3: what sounded like a subtle emphasis at 3 or 4 kHz. It didn’t affect Simon’s acoustic guitar, but it made the duo’s vocals sound just a tad sibilant.

When I evaluate a soundbar — which, again, often means a device in the $250 range with a plastic enclosure and cheap drivers — I always start with two test scenes that quickly reveal flaws in inexpensive audio gear. The first is Chapter 4 of Star Wars, Episode II: Attack of the Clones. It’s just dialogue and light background music, but the dialogue is spoken by six actors with different-sounding voices, so it’s a great test of voice reproduction.

The W3 sailed through this test. All the voices had a natural timbre, with no artificial-sounding coloration or audible distortion. After hearing so many plastic soundbars mangle this scene even more viciously than critics mangled the movie, I was impressed to hear the W3 totally nail it.

The second test is “Shower the People,” from the James Taylor DVD Live at the Beacon Theatre. As in the Simon and Garfunkel tune, I heard just a trace of sibilance in Taylor’s voice; otherwise, everything from the bass to the ultra-high-pitched glockenspiel sounded pretty close to perfect. Again, the surround effect wasn’t as seamless as it would be with five separate speakers or some of the less-purist soundbars on the market.

I got the same result with stereo music. David Chesky’s String Theory, a very ambient-sounding audiophile recording, displayed a nearly ideal tonal balance with a deep but narrow soundstage.

One obvious competitor to the W3 is the GoldenEar Technology SuperCinema 3D Array, a $999 passive LCR-type soundbar. Thanks to the 3D Array’s crosstalk cancellation, it sounds more enveloping than the W3, especially with stereo music. But the 3D Array’s response rolls off below about 200 Hz, which makes it somewhat less dynamic-sounding than the W3 and harder to mate with a subwoofer without getting a sonic “hole” in the octave between 100 and 200 Hz.

Bottom Line

The W3 does exactly what Paul Barton said it would, which is something audiophiles probably thought impossible: It delivers a true high-fidelity experience in a soundbar form factor. Whether you prefer the sonic purity and great dynamics of the W3, or the more enveloping effect delivered by some of the other soundbars on the market, is totally up to you.

Measurements

Frequency Response
• W3 left/right 113 Hz to 20 kHz ±4.1 dB, ±2.9 dB to 10 kHz
• W3 center 107 Hz to 20 kHz ±4.9 dB, ±2.9 dB to 10 kHz
• W1 108 Hz to 20 kHz ±6.4 dB (±3.8 dB freestanding), ±6.4 dB to 10 kHz (±3.0 dB freestanding)
• sub 27 to 157 Hz ±3.0 dB

Sensitivity (2.83 V @ 1 meter, 300 Hz to 10 kHz)
• W3 left/right 83.1 dB
• W3 center 86.5 dB
• W1 85.5 dB (on-wall)

Impedance (minimum/average)
• W3 left/right 5.2/8 ohms
• W3 center 5.0/8 ohms
• W1 5.4/8 ohms

Bass output, subwoofer (CEA-2010A standard)
• Ultra-low bass (20-31.5 Hz) average: 103.7 dB
20 Hz 86.8 dB
25 Hz     100.7 dB
31.5 Hz    110.3 dB
• Low bass (40-63 Hz) average: 120.9 dB
40 Hz    118.2 dB L
50 Hz      120.2 dB L
63 Hz    123.5 dB L

Bass limits
• W1 50 Hz at 94.2 dB
• W3 center 50 Hz at 88.6 dB

I measured the W1’s frequency response with the speaker attached to a 2-by-4-foot baffle that mounts on a custom stand atop my measurement turntable. The baffle, which is surrounded by foam to absorb diffraction from the baffle edges, simulates the effect of on-wall mounting. Unfortunately, the W3 soundbar was too long to fit the baffle, so I placed it atop my usual 2-meter-high measurement stand. In both cases, the Audiomatica MIC-01 measurement microphone was positioned 2 meters from the tweeter. These measurements used quasi-anechoic technique to eliminate the effects of reflections from nearby objects; a thick pile of attic insulation absorbed sound reflections from the ground. I averaged the measurements at 0°, ±10°, ±20°, and ±30° and smoothed them to 1/12th octave. Bass response was measured by close-miking the woofers and passive radiators, then summing their responses and splicing them to the quasi-anechoic response at 180 Hz. To measure the frequency response of the SubSeries 200 subwoofer, I used ground plane technique with the microphone on the ground 2 meters from the sub; this was smoothed to 1/3rd octave. Results are normalized to 0 dB at 1 kHz, except for the sub response, which is normalized to peak at +3 dB. Grilles were left on for all measurements. All frequency response measurements were made with a Clio 10 FW audio analyzer then imported into a LinearX LMS analyzer for post-processing.

The responses of the W3 and W1 measure about the same. The W1 and all channels of the W3 show a mild dip in the upper mids/lower treble, typically 2 to 3 dB, from about 1.8 to 3.8 kHz. All show a downward tilt in the treble response, which suggests sound that’s a little on the “soft and forgiving” side. All show a big peak at 17 kHz, likely the result of either a tweeter resonance or maybe a reflection between the front baffle and the perforated metal grille.

Obviously, the W1 shows a big 10-dB dip at 640 Hz, which is the result of mounting the speaker on the baffle for measurement. Wall-mounting the W3 would produce a similar effect. The bass boost of roughly 6 dB at 200 Hz is also likely the result of the baffle; the W3 shows a similar but much milder bump of about 3 dB.

Off-axis response of the W1 is excellent when the speaker is mounted vertically, with just a smooth treble rolloff and no significant midrange response anomalies even way out at ±60°. Off-axis response of the W3 is very good in the center channel, at least for a woofer/tweeter/woofer horizontal driver arrangement; not until you get out to ±60° do you see midrange anomalies (a dip of 10 dB at 1.5 kHz). For the left channel, the off-axis response is inconsistent from side to side, which is expected because the relative distances between the woofer and the mike and between the tweeter and the mike change as you move off-axis: It’s smooth on the right side, but it dips down 12 to 16 dB between 2 and 3.2 kHz on the left side.

Impedance and sensitivity of all models are high enough that any receiver should be able to drive them to high levels. The W1 drops to a low of 5.4 ohms/–6° phase at 235 Hz. The W3’s left channel minimum is 5.2 ohms/–18° at 240 Hz, while its center channel minimum is 5.0 ohms/–5° at 265 Hz. Note that the W1’s sensitivity measurement is artificially boosted by an average of approximately 3 dB due to being mounted on a baffle for the measurements. Also note that the W3’s measurements were taken with no boundaries near; expect an added 2 to 4 dB for in-room use, and another 3 dB or so if you wall-mount it.

I did CEA-2010 output measurements for the SubSeries 200 subwoofer. I also used the same technique to get the bass-limits measurements for the W3 (center channel only) and the W1, with the speakers sitting on the ground and powered by an Outlaw Model 2200 amplifier. Sub measurements were taken at 3 meters, then scaled up so that they are equivalent to 1-meter results. An L next to a measurement indicates that the maximum level was dictated by the subwoofer’s limiter. The sub is outstanding for its size and good for its price (especially for a brand that’s not sold direct), with a brutal output of 120+ dB at 50 and 63 Hz. It also has solid response down to 20 Hz, which is rare for a sub of this size.

Photo by: Sound and Vision Magazine Editor

PSB_W3_beauty

The W3 soundbar with its grille removed

The kit I carried

Geoffrey Morrison — Fri, 07 Jun 2013 21:20:57 GMT

9 countries. 5 weeks. 3000+ photos. Lot’s o’gear.

I’ve been travelling a bunch this year, with two big trips to Europe and China. Like my 10 Tips to the Travelling Techy last year, I brought along a bunch of gear, some good, some bad, some invaluable. I guess you could call this 10 Tips to the Travelling Techy 2, except it's eight.

So if you’re planning any trips this summer, check out this list of some tech gear to bring.

1) A Decent Backpack

My camera is the most important part of my overall gear kit, and with three lenses, I’m just shy of having a full-blown glass addiction. It took me a month to find the perfect backpack, and though it turns out not to be “perfect,” it’s really close. The CaseLogic CPL-108 is nearly fantastic. I wanted something small, and this clever pack holds my camera with lens, two additional lenses, a bunch of random stuff (headphones, iPod, etc), and most importantly, my tiny laptop. If you’re taking 2,000+ photos, you want a place to back them all up. It’s shocking to me how many camera backpacks don’t have space for a laptop or tablet. I don’t know any professional photographer that goes into the field without one or the other.

The CPL-108 isn’t perfect, however. Though it carries the gear I need, there is basically no space left for anything else (it really is quite small). A mesh net on the side for a water bottle would be amazing.

So it’s not perfect, but for what it is, it’s fantastic.

One last note, my first CPL-108 ripped at the zipper seam the first time I used it. I contacted CaseLogic (even getting a real person on the phone), and after sending them a form and a photo, they sent me a brand new one. Now that is customer service.

2) Travel Cables and Chargers

I talked about retractable USB cables last year, and I stand by those. I ended up buying the Monoprice 8856 charger you see above, and it’s great. It’s got 4 USB outlets (2 are 2.1 amps), and the plug snaps flush with the case. It’s less than $8.

If you’re travelling with someone, and you both have non-USB gear to recharge, a little travel power strip can save a lot of fights. Monster makes one for $10 that’s actually fantastic.

Here’s something you might not know. Most chargers now work on 50 and 60 Hz, and will convert 120 and 240 volts. In other words, they should work just fine just about anywhere in the world without a specific travel adapter. So instead, you can get one of these:

3) Universal Plug Adapter (or not)

As cool as this thing is, it’s not very practical. It’s rather bulky for what it is, and unless you’re hitting a LOT of different and varied countries during one trip, do you really need this many different plugs at once? For $10 it’s not bad, but in a lot of cases you can just get a traditional travel converter, and then just use the plug adapters to plug the travel charger (#2 above) directly into the wall. And that’s presuming you can’t find an outlet that accepts the standard North American (two vertical pin) plugs. The Wiki page has WAY more info than anyone needs, but it seems thorough.

Please don't take my word for any of this. Check your gear for multi-voltage compatability.

4) Lenses

Last year I took a tele, the kit lens, and my beloved Sigma 30mm f/1.4. This year, I swapped out the tele and the kit lens for a ultrawide and a superzoom. The f1.4 is still the best lens in my kit.

Sigma 8-16mm F4.5-5.6

This isn’t a fisheye, but it is an extremely wide angle lens. It’s very situational. It can take some incredible photos, but it can also make things look way too far away and distorted. It’s also not very fast (at best, f/4.5). But for interiors or certain scenic vistas, it’s awesome.

After juggling between it and my f/1.4 constantly through Europe (often lazily accepting the wide over the prime at the expense of a decent photo), I decided I needed a “vacation” lens. Hence:

Sigma 18-250mm F3.5-6.3

This is called a “superzoom” for obvious reasons. It’s an amazingly versatile lens, but is the epitome of “jack of all trades, master of none.” There is so much glass in this lens (though it’s impressively compact, it's the lens to the right of the camera in the top photo), that it just can’t take as good a picture as the f/1.4, or even the ultrawide.

So it’s not as good as any other single lens, but it can do so much, that it’s definitely the most handy to have around. I probably used this lens for 70-80% of my photos in China, and was satisfied with the results. My favorite photos were still with the f/1.4, but the sheer range possible with this lens made it the safest bet to have on the camera as “stock.”

Cont...

5) Laptop/tablet

Once again I brought my Kindle Fire, but unlike last year I also brought my regular Kindle. This is probably overkill for most people, but I just don’t like reading on an LCD. With multiple 18+ hour train rides through china, I finished a book and a half on my Kindle, which is pretty good speed for me, especially since 90% of the time we were busy getting drunk on cheap Chinese wine.

What I did bring this year was my little laptop. I bought this Asus 1025C netbook last summer, and it is pretty much everything I’ve ever wanted in a laptop. It’s small (about the size of an iPad), lightweight, has 12+ hour battery life (verified), SD card slots for photo backup, USB connections for recharging gear, and by far the best of all: it was $275. It does more than an iPad for a faction of the price. Done and done.

However, it’s a little slow. Worse, it has the worst keyboard of any computer I’ve ever used. By far. If I ever meet the engineer who designed this keyboard, I’m going to punch him square in the spacebar. It is astonishingly bad. It feels OK in the store, but it doesn’t register most key presses, so you’ll think you’ve pressed a key, and in fact, yurjttypingnonsense. For $275 I’ll live with it, but if I can find another cheap netbook with a better keyboard (maybe with a little more ram, I’ll probably buy it).

If you’d rather just bring an iPad and skip all this noise, make sure you get the SD card reader so you can back up your photos.

6) Audio

Last year I said I’d bring some sort of speakers. I brought a foxL v2, and it worked great. I think because of its form factor (and a brief listen), I’d bring the Dash 7 next time.

7) Other stuff that worked

Here’s the stuff I brought last year that worked so well I brought it this year too:

Canon T3i (600D)
Panasonic DMC-LX3
iPod Classic
Kensington Mini Battery Pack
B&W C5 Headphones

8) Different options

One of the people I met on my China trip was using a Samsung Galaxy SIII for everything. I left my HTC One at home, but for someone looking to travel lighter, either option could certainly work. The photos won’t be nearly as good as even a mid-range point-and-shoot, but the reduction in bulk is certainly a valid offset depending on where you’re going.

I used my netbook to recharge my various devices when away from a plug, but I’ve always considered getting a battery pack. Monoprice has a bunch of cheap options, and I’ve read many positive reviews of several others. The tradeoff, in my mind, is between size and mAh (storage capacity). That’s a call you’ll have to make, but I’d recommend getting one that has at least the outlet plug built in (and retractable). Some models have built-in cables too which can be convenient.

International data plans are expensive, but worth it. Being able to call up Google Maps, or even more importantly, Google Translate, can be invaluable. Double check your phone will actually work where you’re going. Europe is almost completely GSM, so Sprint phones (and others) won’t work. China is almost completely CDMA, so most Sprint phones will work but some others won’t. It’s a mess, and will take some research. The iPhone works pretty much everywhere, so there’s that.

I recommend multiple mid-sized SD cards, not one big one. Lose that one big one, and you’re fraked. At least if you lose one of the smaller ones, you only lose some pictures. Or bring something to back them up (like the iPad/laptop) and do that often.

That’s all I’ve got. Have fun. Wake me up for meals.

Photo by: Sound and Vision Magazine Editor

The things I carried

For What It's Worth

Gary Dell'abate — Fri, 07 Jun 2013 15:52:53 GMT

Stop, hey, what’s that show? FWIW grooves on cool gear and memorabilia.

Yes, I readily admit it: I I am a TV junkie. I watch a ton of shows, and I go through different phases of what I’ll binge on. A few years ago, I was living on a steady diet of auction and junk shows: Antiques Roadshow, Pawn Stars, History Detectives, Storage Wars. I found that I was most excited whenever the topics turned to pop culture and music, specifically rock & roll. I loved the episode of Antiques Roadshow where a woman brought in her autographed Buddy Holly album and program. So I got to thinking, What if there was a show that was solely devoted to music and pop culture?The folks at VH1 Classic agreed, andFor What It’s Worthwas born. My on-air partner Jon Hein and I were given six episodes to tour the country and find cool memorabilia. (You can stream all six at vh1.com/shows, or check out three of them on the tablet version of S&V's June/July/August 2013 issue.) FWIW is divided into two segments: The first part is where Jon and I take a field trip to explore a collection or a location, and the second has folks bringing on their valuable collectibles for our appraisal.

Our field trips took us to some very interesting places. We went to Nashville to interview Jack White at Third Man Records, which serves as his store, recording studio, and rehearsal space. Jack is a big proponent of vinyl, and he showed us a plethora of fun and odd things that his company makes. We saw some multicolored vinyl. We saw a clear record with colored liquid in it. To me, the most intriguing thing Third Man makes is a clear 12-inch LP with a 45 inside. If you want to hear the 45, you have to break the 12-inch to get to it. (A real collector’s conundrum.) We asked him why he did this and he replied, “to mess with people.” (Thanks, Jack!)

After the interview, one of our producers said that it “was so cool to watch you guys geek out with Jack for an hour.” I took it as a great compliment.

After that, we made our way to United Record Pressing, where about 35 percent of the vinyl produced in this country is made. Touring the factory was a real “How It’s Made” moment for us. I was surprised to find that LP labels are put on without adhesive when the vinyl is flattened. I always thought they put them on afterward.

Our most fascinating stop was at the home of Michael Fremer, editor of AnalogPlanet and purveyor of the finer merits of analog sound. At his home, I experienced some of the most dazzling high-end equipment I’ve seen since I was a kid. One of many impressive pieces of gear Michael had was the Continuum Caliburn turntable with Continuum Cobra arm and Ortofon Anna cartridge. As a complete system, it goes for (yikes) $150,000. Made in Australia, it employs a lot of cast magnesium alloy, and its belt-driven platter weighs 88 pounds. Needless to say, our LP listening session with the Caliburn-Cobra was quite a revelation. Our time with Michael was an amazing adventure that I will not soon forget.

We hope to do another season of FWIW, and we already have some interesting ideas in our sights. So what else can I say now but...stay tuned.

Photo by: Sound and Vision Magazine Editor

FWIW logo courtesy VH1 Classic

Bowers & Wilkins and Maserati Quattroporte “Seven Notes”

Geoffrey Morrison — Fri, 07 Jun 2013 05:39:46 GMT

High-end car-fi

To celebrate their teaming up, B&W and Maserati enlisted the help of musician and producer Howie B to create the Seven Notes project. To celebrate that, they’re putting on a multi-city road show featuring live music, and a chance to check out the B&W system in the new Quattroporte.

Fellow Tech2er Brent and I trekked down to Hollywood to have a listen.

What’s the Seven Notes project? It’s two original pieces of music featuring the notes produced by a Maserati engine. If you don’t think there’s music in a Maserati engine, you’ve never heard a Maserati engine. The music was written and arranged by Howie B, and performed with the band All We Are.

You can check out the music at sevennotes.com. Despite the admittedly gimmicky route for the initial creation, the music itself is quite good. Kind of an ambient/techno vibe.

Here’s a making-of video that has some of the music in it.

The car and the speakers

Though the party’s music was a little loud, the cabin was quiet enough to get a decent initial impression of the audio system. That initial impression? Very positive. There was the typical car-audio bass push, but unlike in many systems, the full bass sound was controlled, very deep, and not at all boomy. Pushed loud, there was no harsh high-end, and throughout the volume range the mids sounded excellent. Though I’ll reserve final judgment until I can test it fully, at first listen it seems like it could be one of the better car audio systems.

In the video below, B&W’s Marc Schnoll goes through the highlights of the system.

All pictures and video above (except the making-of) were taken with the HTC One.

Photo by: Sound and Vision Magazine Editor

Maserati Quattroporte and B and W

Test Report: Jamo S 35 HCS speaker system

Daniel Kumin — Thu, 06 Jun 2013 14:13:24 GMT

Can Jamo's strange new speakers deliver well-rounded sound?

Physicists have long postulated that an ideal sound reproducer would behave as a pulsating sphere. Ever since, the wish being father to the thought, speaker designers have been cramming transducers into balls, as if making the cabinet round would somehow magically make the sound spherical.

Most such efforts have been as much about marketing puff as polar plots, but Danish maker Jamo’s new Sputnik-shaped S 35 incorporates some genuine engineering innovation within its spherical form. (And finally: a satellite speaker that really looks the part!)

The grapefruit-sized S 35 featured in our test system for both the left/right front and surround channels employs two dome drivers: a 3.5-inch mid/woofer and a 1-inch tweeter, arranged nose-to-nose, with the mid/woofer firing straight up and the tweeter firing straight down. (A softball-sized sibling, the S 25, is similar but has smaller drivers.) The idea behind this arrangement is that each dome acts as a diffuser for the other, resulting in very broad and even dispersion — or spread of sound — over the speaker’s full range.

Jamo resides under the Klipsch/Audiovox corporate umbrella, alongside the Energy and Mirage speaker brands. That’s worth noting because Mirage’s Omnipolar designs undertake a similar goal but use cone mid/woofers and fixed “deflectors.” (Whether or not there was any engineering cross-pollination between brands, I can’t say.)

Setup

The S 35, which is available in white or black, is undeniably cool. People will either love the look or hate it (count me among the former — especially in white). There’s a clever half-shell you can remove to reveal wall-mounting keyholes, and it’s sited to down-tilt the acoustical opening a bit. Unfortunately, there’s no tilt provision incorporated in the tabletop stands that come with the speakers.

Setup is straightforward enough until you get to the wiring bit. You have to thread the speaker cabling through a couple of openings, and then guide the bare, stripped ends into small plus and minus terminals built into recesses cast into the stand base. (Forget about using thick audiophile cables or banana ends; 16-gauge would be about the max.) These are small indeed, and the fiddly hookup requires a tiny screwdriver (supplied) to loosen and tighten even tinier set screws.

If you enjoy repairing eyeglasses, you’ll ace this, no question. As for everyone else, I can only imagine some bright young 20-something taking home the Jamos as part of My First Audio System, butting up against this challenge, and having to turn to the entirely mute, graphics-only manual. (That’s how you solve the translation challenge of today’s internationalist marketplace: Eliminate all language!)

I had no particular problem — though I admit to needing a pencil-beam flashlight and a magnifying glass to determine that there was an Allen-head bolt fixing the C 35 center speaker’s cover, which you must remove to get to its own connectors. I ended up leaving it off both this and the center’s identical tabletop stand so I could get some up-tilt.

Jamo’s center speaker unit is an entirely different design, with a conventional woofer/tweeter/woofer horizontal layout. Removing the aforementioned cover reveals not only the connectors but also a flat surface with keyhole mounts for on-wall setup.

The SUB 800 subwoofer Jamo sent along to support the system is not all that much larger — but a good deal squarer. The tiny cube houses three 6.5-inch cones: one active driver and two passive radiators. The sub has a claimed 800 watts of power onboard, so I was eager to hear what this mighty mite might do.

Performance

I gave the Jamos my usual week of casual use to cover any break-in questions, and then settled back to listen in earnest. I usually begin with full-range stereo, but the S 35s quickly demonstrated that they cannot produce enough bass for even casual music listening, so I instead went straight to 2.1.

I immediately noted that the S 35s sound completely unlike conventional — that is to say, direct-radiating — loudspeakers. Their stereo presentation is dramatically more “open,” “airy,” or “diffuse,” due to their large proportion of output reflected from rear and side walls (and ceiling and floor), as well as from any other nearby surfaces. One of the starkest consequences of this is a big, deep, open soundstage from suitable recordings that really grabs the ear’s attention and makes stereo music sound almost surround-like. For instance, “Traffic Jam,” from James Taylor’s Live,produced a sense of stage depth and audience wraparound that really drew my ears into the music. Even in direct A/B comparison with fuller-range and far more costly speakers, this difference was instantly noticeable.

However, one corollary of this über-dispersion is that a room surface too close to one of the satellites will change its sound — a lot. If I rolled my equipment rack within a few feet behind the left S 35, that channel then sounded distinctly brighter and obviously “honkier.” (I presume it was because so much of the speaker’s rear- and sideward sound was reflected from the rack’s flank, focusing additional, reflection-delayed highs toward the listener — and emphasizing, but also roughening, upper-octaves response.)

Another consequence is that the Jamos, at least in 2.1 mode, cannot really form the kind of focused, hard-center, “float-in-space” solo voice or instrument we’re accustomed to hearing from most serious loudspeakers. There’s just too much reflected output. So on a classically dry studio record like Seeing Things from Jakob Dylan (conveniently alphabetized near James Taylor on my music server), the vocal on a track like “All Day and All Night” sounded much less “. . . like he was right there in the room with me! . . .” via the Jamos than it does on my everyday Snell Acoustics Type K 2-way monitors.

Accordingly, you might be tempted, as I was, to try on-wall installation of the S 35s in an effort to increase and possibly extend low-frequency response. My advice: don’t. I got more lows, all right, but there was also a humpty sound that I would characterize as “boom” if its range had been lower. The on-wall location also caused male vocals like Taylor’s to take on a heavily “chesty” character that sounded so obviously wrong that I quickly moved the poor S 35s back out 3 feet into the room.

From there, tonal accuracy was much, much better. Most vocals sounded quite natural and easy, even those of ol’ James, whom regular readers will know is my coal-mine canary for vocal-octaves smoothness. A vestige of chestiness remained, but less than what I’ve heard from many a similarly priced small conventional 2-way. And the Jamos’ unusually open and well-distributed sound has lots of pluses: I found there was a very broad and deep “sweet spot” for stereo listening, with a solid sense of both channels from nearly any seat in my room.

But the S 35’s limited response much below 200 Hz posed a challenge. The Jamo satellites simply don’t have enough low output to adequately mate with the SUB 800. With the sub level set to contribute some semblance of body to male voices and middle-bass instruments, any kind of stronger soundtrack bass or deeper musical bass would be overpowered by the dreaded “small-sub-thud.” And if I repressed the SUB 800 enough to tame the thud and produce tight, satisfying lows — and the Jamo does go surprisingly low for so diminutive a sub — the gap in the midbass made Sweet Baby James sound more like Boy George, and pop-music bass all but inaudible.

In all fairness, these ills have to some degree plagued every sub-miniature HTiB system I’ve auditioned — and I’ve always said so. To paraphrase Einstein, who famously suggested difficult concepts be made as simple as possible but no simpler: Satellite speakers should perhaps be designed as small as possible — but no smaller.

After some hours experimenting with woofer placement and level, crossover, and phase settings (and even cheating with some quick ’n’ dirty sweeps using the estimable Mac OSX app FuzzMeasure Pro), I eventually stumbled onto my best arrangement: preamp-processor crossover set to 200 Hz (the highest mine goes), sub Frequency control wide open (this bypasses the SUB 800’s filter), Phase control about one-quarter of the way up, Level to taste, and the Jamo subwoofer itself located one foot from the wall and nearly centered between the left/right S 35s. (Any greater lateral offset was all too audible as localization on deep male voices.)

Thus, finally, I got a well-integrated 9-octave range — the SUB 800 falls off rapidly below about 70 Hz — and quite satisfying sound. This proved itself on The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers. (I’m still with the hairy-toed Hobbits, having succumbed to recent value pricing on the latest-edition Blu-ray set.) Despite the Jamo system’s diminution, on scenes like the great big battle of Helm’s Deep (Chapters 46-48) it produced a suitably huge, all-encompassing sonic canvas.

The system plays loud enough to fill modest-sized rooms, though the S 35s are substantially lower in sensitivity than most box speakers. And the SUB 800 goes low enough to at least suggest the full impact of such a big-budget extravaganza.

On paper, the C 35 center makes a very close match in frequency response to its flanking mates. In practice, the center unit sounds completely different: Increased output in the male-vocal region of 100 to 200 Hz, not to mention the speaker’s very different radiation pattern, makes switching between 2.1 stereo and 5.1 (or 3.1) listening completely and dramatically obvious.

A few chapters earlier in The Two Towers, there are sequences where midrange sounds — pounding horse hooves and Warg paws — are panned fully across the front stage. Here, the C 35 center imbued the sounds with an all too audible character-shift as they changed from a diffuse, hard-to-place left, to a tightly focused center, to a diffuse-sounding right. (The same thing could be heard, but to much more positive effect, on front-to-rear pans; we expect sounds behind us to be more diffuse.)Otherwise,the C 35 sounded marvelously consistent, showing very little change in vocal weight or colors from both on- and off-axis seats.

The S 35s performed superbly in the surrounds, keeping ambience ambient, and effects well-positioned but not excessively localized. If you’re going to use non-dipole/bipole surrounds, the S 35 seems almost ideal. (I actually would consider it ideal if it conveyed another octave of low-frequency sound.)

Bottom Line

I worked diligently to get the best from the setup of S 35s, C 35, and SUB-800, a task that the satellites’ limited bandwidth didn’t make easy. But my efforts were rewarded by the Jamo spheres’ uniquely wide ’n’ deep stereo reproduction, and by enough full-system tonal accuracy to let the speakers disappear into the music or movie at hand. But be forewarned, potential buyers: If you simply unbox, hook up, and forget, you will be doing both yourself and Jamo a real disservice. Careful, attentive, and creative setup is always key to finding the full potential in any multichannel system, and in this case, it’s absolutely crucial.

Extended Test Bench

Frequency Response
• satellite 124 Hz to 20 kHz ±9.6 dB avg. 0°-30°, ±9.9 dB on-axis
• center 115 Hz to 20 kHz ±7.2 dB avg. 0°-30°, ±6.3 dB on-axis
• subwoofer 41 Hz to 285 kHz ±3 dB

Sensitivity (SPL at 1 meter/1 watt)
• satellite 79.6 dB
• center 81.5 dB

Impedance (minimum/nominal)
• satellite 3.8/6 ohms
• center 3.2/6 ohms

Bass output, subwoofer (CEA-2010A standard)
• Ultra-low bass (20-31.5 Hz) average: NA
20 Hz NA
25 Hz NA
31.5 Hz    90.1 dB
• Low bass (40-63 Hz) average: 109.8 dB
40 Hz    101.1 dB
50 Hz      109.2 dB L
63 Hz    114.4 dB L

Bass Limits
• satellite 91.6 dB at 80 Hz
• center 86.5 dB at 50 Hz

I measured the frequency response of the S 35 system using quasi-anechoic technique to remove the effects of reflections from nearby objects. I placed the satellite and center speakers atop a 2-meter-high stand, with the microphone placed at a distance of 1 meter. With the center speaker, I positioned the microphone directly in front of the tweeter. With the satellite, I experimented with different microphone heights to get the flattest response; what you see here was measured with the mike roughly even vertically with the center of the midrange driver. The curves you see in the chart represent the average of responses at 0°, ±10°, ±20°, and ±30°. Quasi-anechoic measurements were made with the grille for the satellite; the center speaker has no grille. All were smoothed to 1/12^th octave. Bass response of both speakers was measured using close-miking technique, with the mike positioned about 6mm from each midrange driver. These measurements were scaled appropriately, then spliced to the quasi-anechoic measurements at 300 Hz. Frequency response of the Sub 800 was measured using close-miking of the woofer and passive radiators; the results of all three measurements were summed to get the curve you see here. Results are normalized to 0 dB at 1 kHz for the speakers, +3 dB peak output for the subwoofer. All frequency response measurements were made with a Clio FW audio analyzer (in MLS mode for quasi-anechoic and log chirp mode for close-miking) then imported into a LinearX LMS analyzer for post-processing.

With the satellite, the interference and reflections at high frequencies caused by the unusual driver arrangement and speaker design make the response far from flat. The most obvious anomaly is that deep dip centered at 4 kHz. However, the response is pretty flat up to about 3 kHz, so in the most important part of the audio range this speaker might sound reasonably neutral. Off-axis response is consistent up to 10 kHz at angles out to ±45°. Adding the grille has negligible effect below 8 kHz, and boosts response between 8 and 12 kHz by about +3.5 dB.

The center measures better. On-axis, it’s ±3.2 dB from 400 Hz to 13 kHz, which is great. Off-axis, the expected interference effects between the two midranges start to appear, resulting in a dip centered at 1.4 kHz but spanning the spectrum from 1 kHz to 3.5 kHz that deepens as you move further off-axis.

For the satellite, minimum impedance is 3.8 ohms at 401 Hz with a phase angle of -7°. For the center, it’s 3.2 ohms at 241 Hz/-13°. Although the phase angle at the points of lowest impedance isn’t extreme, the relatively low nominal impedance (especially in the midrange) and the unusually low sensitivity of both speakers (measured on-axis outdoors, average output from 300 Hz to 10 kHz at 1 meter with a 2.83-volt RMS signal) suggests that this system should be combined with an A/V receiver offering decent power and not be used as replacement speakers for a home-theater-in-a-box system.

Although neither the satellite nor the center has much measured bass response, the bass power output measurements are surprisingly high for such tiny midwoofers, indicating that the speakers may blend better with the sub than their frequency response measurements suggest.

CEA-2010A output measurements for the Sub 800 were taken at 1 meter. This contradicts the CEA-2010A requirement to measure at 3 meters, but I’ve found that the output of small subwoofers like the Sub 800 at 3 meters is inadequate to achieve a usable signal-to-noise ratio for outdoor measurements. Averages are calculated in pascals. A “L” marks results where the number was determined by the sub’s internal limiter, not by exceeding the CEA-2010A max distortion threshold. Overall, output of the Sub 800 is comparable to that of the small subwoofers included with typical 2.1-channel soundbar systems. Combined low-pass function of the driver and crossover is -21 dB/octave.—Brent Butterworth

Photo by: Sound and Vision Magazine Editor

Jamo_S35_main

The HCS system employs four spherical S 35 satellite speakers and a C 35 center speaker.

Test Report: Onkyo TX-NR727 A/V Receiver

Daniel Kumin — Thu, 06 Jun 2013 03:09:20 GMT

Everything you need, for under $1,000.

How much would you pay for an A/V receiver? For a lot of people, the answer is “$899.” This upper-mid-price sweet spot has long marked the point at which AVR-manufacturers sell the most product. Consequently, it’s where they offer the most features, performance, and power for the lowest possible dollar amount.

Case in point: Onkyo’s newest mid-line model, the TX-NR727. The list of stuff you get for your $899 is lengthy indeed (see Key Features box for the high points), while its 110 watts x 7 power rating might very well seem respectable in a plain, featureless power amplifier at this price.

The TX-NR727 sticks fairly close to the control layout and cosmetic theme of other Onkyo receivers. It’s conservative, but handsome and useable. The new model’s most visible feature is an illuminated band that encircles the volume knob and glows quite conspicuously when it’s powered up.

Setup

The TX-NR727 is endowed with no fewer than 7 rear-panel HDMI 1.4a inputs, plus another, MHL-enabled one on the front. But an immutable price/features law of A/V design dictates something’s gotta give — at least at this middle range — and here it’s “legacy” connectors: Onkyo supplies just a single component-video input/output, 3 composite-video inputs and 1 output, and no S-video at all. More significantly, it lacks both multichannel pre-amp outputs and multi-channel analog inputs. The TX-NR727 does decode DSD via HDMI, though, so SACD-freaks (me, and that other guy) are covered. All this consolidation results in more than a little blank real estate on the Onkyo’s back panel, which at least makes accessing the facilities located there a bit more comfortable than usual.

Setup commenced with the familiar chore of running the TX-NR727’s Audyssey MultEQ auto-setup/room-EQ software, and moving the small supplied cal-mic to up to 6 locations around the prime listening seat (I generally use 5.) The results were exactly as I’ve come to expect from many another MultEQ run with other components: tighter, “quicker”bass, and a subtly clearer midrange. Audyssey also got all my speaker sizes, crossovers, and levels just about exactly right. (Both Audyssey Dynamic Volume and Dynamic EQ are on board too.)

Also on the TX-NR727’s long list of features is Audyssey DSX, a processing mode that can “up-mix” (Audyssey’s term) to 11.1 channels, including both front-wide and front-height speakers, from stereo or 5/7.1 material. However, the TX-NR727 provides only the front-height speaker outputs, the first such limited-DSX component I’ve encountered. (In the original DSX press intro, Audyssey stressed the importance of the width channels; they have apparently accepted a subset of functionality since that time.) I set up 7.1, using the front-height two-ways I keep wall-mounted for such duties.

The new model’s updated onscreen menu system is a bit fancier graphically than its Onkyo forebearers but still clear and generally intuitive. However, it only appears on the HDMI outputs, an arrangement that is, unfortunately, increasingly common on today’s AVRs.

Performance

For years now Onkyo’s receivers, like those of most upper-echelon makers, have reliably delivered good-performing amplification, and the TX-NR727 is no exception. On full-range stereo listening with just my moderate-sensitivity two-way monitors, it delivered impressively clean, well-detailed sound and all the loudness I might reasonably ask, with no hint of strain or clouding. A good example was “Dance of the Tumblers,” from Rimsky-Korsakov’s ballet The Snow Maiden, a familiar chestnut that nonetheless sparkled fresh via an HDTracks.com 96/24 FLAC download. This brilliant recording features finger-cymbals, triangle, and various percussion, all of which reproduced with the snappy-but-silky clarity I mostly hear only from well-delivered hi-rez audio.

Still more dramatic musical results came with the TX-NR727’s Music-DSX mode, which “up-mixed” (in my system) to 7.1 channels with spatial and tonal targets tailored for music. This upped the ante demonstrably: On the movement’s “stops” you could clearly hear higher-pitched reverberation components emerging from a virtual proscenium, and rolling through the elevated width of a concert hall.

DSX had an impact on movie surround, too: given a 7.1-channel treatment, big-action sequences sounded dramatically bigger, yet “spatially smoother.” For one example, the fast-panning race sequences from the Cars Blu-ray never sounded better in my setup. (I eschewed the 9.1 thing because my room really doesn’t require surround-back speakers.) The Onkyo had power to spare for my large-ish studio, and sounded impressively clean and controlled on everything I threw at it, right up to THX-reference level (obligingly marked on the TX-NR727’s pop-up onscreen display), and well beyond.

These qualities remained almost as welcome on a distinctly “small-sound” production: Not Fade Away, the maiden theatrical film effort from The Sopranos-creator David Chase (indeed, the New Jersey-set movie is a sort of inverse-Sopranos). The film’s DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack is meticulously made, with dozens of classic-‘60’s snippets in both original and cover versions, lovingly produced or re-mastered by Little Steven Van Zandt, who knows a thing or two about Jersey bands. The TX-NR727 delivered all the room-sound variations of the different band gig scenes with real precision, and also effectively put me into a couple of in-the-round rehearsal sequences. (Dolby PLIIz is on board the TX-NR727 as well, though of course you can activate only one mode at a time.)

Like many new receivers, Onkyo’s latest upconverts analog and digital video up to 4K “UltraHD” over HDMI. I have nothing to say about the 4K thing, of course, lacking a suitable display, or any 4K program material. But a quick tour through S&V’s usual standard- and high-def test patterns and sequences revealed no obvious flaws — unsurprising, since Onkyo lists its video-processing engine as Marvell’s Qdeo, an established performer. Nevertheless, HD video is usually best left unprocessed, of course — something that Onkyo, to its credit, points out in its voluminous, comprehensive manual. (Virtually voluminous, that is, since it’s only supplied on a CD.)

Ergonomics

The human-factors score of any A/V receiver rests mostly with its primary interface, the supplied remote controller. Here, the Onkyo gets a middle-of-the-road grade. Essentially a downsized version of the handset Onkyo has shipped with its higher-end models for a couple of years now, the TX-NR727’s remote is unadventurous but perfectly effective, with 9-component pre-programmed control (no learning), and the type of layout where command-set selection doubles onto the input-select keys.

The biggest drawback of this design — again, common to most A/V receivers — is that after changing inputs you must remember to press the Receiver key before issuing a TX-NR727 command, otherwise you will get no response, or a wholly unintended one from the source component. The remote is sensibly laid out, but otherwise a bit crowded, and its small key lettering, tight spacing, and lack of illumination don’t help dark-theater usability much. Still, I found it perfectly serviceable.

The free OnkyoRemote2 iOS app (there’s an Android version too) provides another useful option, though the controls are not terribly “deep,” and I wasn’t crazy about having to perform a vertical “swipe” every time I wanted the master-volume control. Further, I found at least one aggravating bug: When using the app on my iPhone5 to stream network audio via DLNA, some tracks would play, but others wouldn’t, even though they would show track info on the phone. And the same tracks that refused to commence played fine when commanded using the supplied remote controller via onscreen navigation. I have no idea why this was happening — it wasn’t a file-type issue or anything else I could think of. Surprisingly, there’s also no search function on the app. Hey Onkyo: Time for OnkyoRemote3!

The onscreen menus are reasonably quick to appear and exit, though the TX-NR727 is noticeably slower in this respect than some recent top-end Onkyo models I’ve experienced. The same was true of its streaming of networked content via DLNA, which was characterized by slow track-skips and navigation commands. (Surround/listening mode switching also was sometimes surprisingly slow.) The Onkyo lacks any music-file search functions besides basic alphabetic album/track/artist, using a laborious onscreen keyboard — ugh!

On the plus side, the TX-NR727’s includes the free TuneIn Net-radio with its deep listings, and nearly a dozen pay/subscription stream-access points including Pandora, Spotify, Sirius, and Rhapsody. More to the point, the Onkyo sounded great when streaming my own content, especially FLAC files in resolutions up to 192K, which were delivered with full fidelity and no hiccups.

I feel compelled to touch on a few of the TX-NR727’s myriad remaining features. The receiver’s onboard Wi-Fi worked faultlessly when I switched from my usual wired-Ethernet setup for audio streaming over my home network. It also has a feature called “Insta-Prevue,” accessed from the Home menu, that shows live video thumbnails of any active HDMI inputs and lets you choose among them and switch to full-screen with the remote’s nav+Enter pad. Pretty cool, but it’s a 4-click process (plus a slight pause for the Home screen to refresh), and no faster than signal-switching via the regular input-select keys.

Then there’s Bluetooth. It works, and I have to admit that, at least from my iPhone5, latest-generation BT audio streaming definitely sounds distinctly better than some earlier versions I’ve tried. However, there’s no direct-access input-select key for Bluetooth; you have to select it by way of the setup menu’s input-list, a 4-click journey.

Using a wired iPod/iPhone requires an optional dock (which I lacked), though you can play music files from a generic USB storage device via the front-panel port. For the latter, the navigation and search options are the same as for streaming.

Test Bench

DOLBY DIGITAL PERFORMANCE

All data were obtained from various test DVDs using 16-bit dithered test signals, which set limits on measured distortion and noise performance. Reference input level is –20 dBFS, and reference output is 1 watt into 8 ohms. Volume setting for reference level was 75. All level trims at zero, except for subwoofer-related tests; all speakers were set to “large,” subwoofer on. All are worst-case figures where applicable.

Output at clipping (1 kHz into 8/4 ohms):

1 channel driven: 173/279W (22.4/24.5 dBW)
5 channels driven (8 ohms): 45W (16.5 dBW)*
7 channels driven (8 ohms): 45W (16.5 dBW)*

*Self-limited following brief (~100 msec.) higher-power output

Distortion at 1 watt (THD+N, 1 kHz):

8/4 ohms: 0.02/0.03%

Noise level (A-wtd): –74.6 dB

Excess noise (with sine tone):

16-bit (EN16): 2.4 dB

Frequency response: 20 Hz to 20 kHz +0, –0.1 dB

STEREO PERFORMANCE, ANALOG STEREO INPUT

Reference input & output level: 200 mV; volume setting for ref. output: 79.

Distortion (THD+N, 1 kHz, 8 ohms): 0.03%
Noise level (A-wtd.): –83.8
Frequency response: <10 Hz to 155 kHz +0, –3 dB

STEREO PERFORMANCE, DIGITAL INPUT

Reference level is –20 dBFS; all level trims at zero. Volume setting for reference level was 78.

Output at clipping (1 kHz, 8/4 ohms, both channels driven): 152/200W (21.8/23.0 dBW)
Distortion at reference level: 0.02%
Linearity error (at –90 dBFS): 0.05 dB
Noise level (A-wtd): –75.7 dB
with 96-kHz/24-bit signals: –86.6 dB
Excess noise (with/without sine tone)
- 16-bit (EN16): 2.2/1.8 dB
- quasi-20-bit (EN20): 8.5/8.0 dB
Noise modulation: 0.6 dB
Frequency response: <10 Hz to 20 kHz +0, –0.1 dB
- with 96-kHz/24-bit signals: +0.2, -1 dB, <10 Hz to 46 kHz

BASS-MANAGEMENT PERFORMANCE

Measured results obtained with Dolby Digital test signals.
Subwoofer-output frequency response (crossover set to 80 Hz): 24 dB/octave above –6 dB rolloff point of 80 Hz
High-pass-filter frequency response (crossover set to 80 Hz): 12 dB/octave below –3 dB rolloff point of 80 Hz
Maximum unclipped subwoofer output (trim at 0): 9.7v
Subwoofer distortion (from 6-channel, 30-Hz, 0-dBFS signal; subwoofer trim set to 0): 0.04%
Crossover consistency: bass crossover frequency and slope were consistent for all sources and formats.
Speaker size selection: all channels can be set to “small”
Speaker-distance compensation: available for all main channels.

The TX-NR727 exhibited Onkyo’s usual digital-audio excellence: Signal-to-noise measured spot-on the theoretical maximum of -75.7 dB (re: 1W) on our dithered-silence test signal, which better reflects real-world performance than the near-universal practice of stating noise vs. maximum output with no input stimulus. Our “excess noise” and D/A linearity tests for measuring performance with very low signal levels were likewise superb. (Excess noise with “quasi-20-bit” signals was among the best I’ve measured, suggesting this Onkyo is very much up to the task of presenting high-resolution audio files, among others.) Results with 96 kHz/24-bit PCM signals were similarly very fine, as was stereo-analog performance (the TX-NR727 lacks multichannel analog inputs).

Output power easily surpassed Onkyo’s specifications, showing 152 watts with 2 channels driving 8Ω, and an impressive 200 watts into 4Ω. Multichannel power self-limited after a very brief excursion (100 msec. or so) — probably by a current-sensing protection circuit. This is very common among middle- and lower-priced A/V receivers, which generally lack the really-big power-supply iron and more-is-better silicon that’s necessary if a given design’s steady-state all-channels clipping is to match its 1- or 2-channel abilities. That said, the peak-to-average ratio of typical music and filmsound is at least 1 to 5, and peaks rarely fill more than a few milliseconds, and then usually in only a couple of channels simultaneously.—D.K.

Bottom Line

By now you’ve surely observed that I had my ergonomics issues with the TX-NR727, as I do with every A/V receiver — it’s the nature of the beast. Just the same, there’s no question that this new Onkyo represents an outstanding value in the sub-$1,000 zone, with abundant power for a majority of real-world systems, solid-or-better performance on every important audio and video criterion, and an extensive list of useful features.

The more apt question is, what does spending twice as much — either with Onkyo or a close competitor — buy you? A modest slug of additional power, to be sure. A few more features, doubtless. A superior remote control, let’s hope.

But in my view, a lot of what you pay for at the flagship level comes down to fit-and-finish. The TX-NR727’s sheet metal seems a little lighter gauge than the tip-top models. Its plasticky knobs are a little less smooth-and-oozy feeling when you twist them. But does any of this matter one iota once the lights go down and the lion roars? I don’t think so.

Photo by: Sound and Vision Magazine Editor

Onkyo TX-NR727

Review: RockSteadyXS

Brent Butterworth — Wed, 05 Jun 2013 08:19:45 GMT

Can this built-like-a-tank Bluetooth speaker really deliver 100 dB?

Bluetooth speakers are like cheap econobox cars: Even in normal daily use, you’re likely to push them to their limits. Most of the compact Bluetooth speakers I test put out 81 to 87 dB at 1 meter, loud enough for casual listening but not loud enough to get your foot tapping and your head bobbing.

Killer Concepts promises its RockSteadyXS speaker puts out 100 dB, about what a decent home-theater-in-a-box system can deliver. The company doesn’t specify how they got that 100 dB measurement, but it does seem at least somewhat plausible. The internal amps are rated at 6 watts per channel peak, which would mean the RocksteadyXS’s drivers would need a 92 dB sensitivity to hit 100 dB at 1 meter. So it’s possible. Still, looking at the 6.2-inch-long extruded aluminum enclosure, it’s a little hard to believe.

Unusually, the RockSteadyXS’s drivers are at the ends of the enclosure, with the passive radiator on top. The front of the enclosure has volume controls plus playback controls for a connected Bluetooth device. The back has a micro USB input for charging, a power switch,and a 3.5mm analog input.

Plus—WAY cool feature alert!—the XS has a full-size USB input that lets you play MP3s from a USB stick. You can use the playback controls on the front to skip tunes. So you can't navigate all that easily, but you can, say, put 6 albums worth of MP3s on a stick and skip to the album you want. Thus, for long trips you can bring a USB stick full of music to keep you going when you get bored with the music on your phone.

Here's one downside: All the other compact Bluetooth speakers I can remember reviewing shut themselves off after several minutes of not being used. The XS doesn't. If you leave it on, the battery will run down within a couple of days.

Note, though, that a new version, the RocksteadyXS 1.5 with Speakerphone, will add speakerphone function (with pickup/hangup directly from the unit), a dual-purpose USB port that can also be used to charge mobile devices, and a low battery warning notification, and more new features/functions. The company says the new version will be acoustically identical to the original.

Power or poser?

To find out if the RockSteadyXS really puts out the kick it claims it does, I called in ace West Coast listener and L.A. jazz musician Will Huff to give it a listen with me. I set it up in a comparison with a few other compact Bluetooth speakers: the Braven BRV-1, the Native Union Switch, and the Soundmatters FoxL Dash 7. I connected them to my custom-built testing switcher, which lets me match levels precisely and switch instantly among the products under test. I covered all the speakers with black fabric so for Will, at least, the test was blind.

So does the XS deliver on its promise of high volume? Yes. When I did my MCMäxxx™ test—cranking up Mötley Crüe’s “Kickstart My Heart” until until it sounds harsh or distorted, then backing off the volume just a hair and noting the maximum usable volume at 1 meter, or measuring it at max volume if it sounds clean enough—the XS put out 91 dB at max volume, which is +4 to +5 dB better than competing compact BT speakers I’ve recently measured. Measured at 20 cm instead of 1 meter, it does actually hit 100 dB.

It’s an easily noticeable difference. Other compact Bluetooth speakers tend to sound strained when asked to fill a large room, but as I write this, I’m listening to L.A. saxophonist Terry Landry’s neo-bossa recording Amazonas at a nice volume in my large listening room, and the XS doesn’t sound stressed at all.

Will found that for a lot of the music he listens to, the RockSteadyXS sounded great. “It’s a light and airy sound—it’s almost like it has a bit of a surround-sound effect,” he said, probably reacting to the side-firing position of the XS’s drivers. “When I played the Pancho Sanchez tune ‘Dizzy’s Dashiki,’ it really brought out the horns. I think it’s great for light music, jazz, and mood listening, but the sound is too thin for rock. There’s not enough bass or midrange punch to make a tune like Creed’s ‘One’ enjoyable.”

I agree with Will 100% on this one. The XS always sounds a bit thin, a bit trebly, and a bit coarse, but the overall tonal balance is really nice for most of what I listen to. It sounded good with Amazonas, Ron Carter’s CTI classic Blues Farm, and other jazz recordings. It even handled lighter rock like Led Zeppelin’s “Dancing Days,” Toto’s “Rosanna” and Steely Dan’s “Aja” well.

Heavier fare, like the Cult’s Electric, gets a little blarey because of the lack of bass to balance out the treble. But if Killer Concepts had tried to get more bass from those little drivers, they’d probably have gotten more distortion in the bargain. If you want to rock out, better get something bigger.

Measurements

Frequency response
152 Hz to 12.8 kHz, ±4.4 dB 0° on-axis, ±5.1 dB 0° to 30° avg

MCMäxxx™ maximum level test (1 meter)
91 dB

Frequency response measurements were taken with a Clio FW audio analyzer and the MIC-01 measurement mike designed for use with Clio. The measurements above 300 Hz were done at a distance of 0.5 meters with the device atop a 2-meter stand using quasi-anechoic MLS technique. The blue curve in the accompanying graph shows the response at 0° on-axis; the green curve shows the average of measurements taken at 0°, 10°, 20°, and 30° horizontally. I measured from the front of the unit, at a roughly 90° angle from the drivers, because that’s the way most people will probably listen to the XS. To measure response below 300 Hz, I did a ground plane measurement at 1 meter. The ground plane result was then spliced to the quasi-anechoic curves. The ground plane measurement was smoothed to 1/6^th octave; quasi-anechoic measurements to 1/12^th octave. All measurements were taken using the 3.5mm line input, feeding the left channel only.

The XS shows a bit of a “smiley” response, with no real bass response but the lower mids (from about 250 to 600 Hz) turned up and the mid-treble (from about 6 to 12 kHz) boosted, too. But at 0° it measures pretty flat overall. The more you move off-axis, the more you’ll hear a boost in the mid-treble; you can see that unusually, the averaged 0° to 30° response shows more treble output than the on-axis response.

Bottom line

So what we have here is an audio product that actually pretty much delivers on its claims of superior output. Not a first, but a rarity for sure. Some people won’t like the XS because it doesn’t have enough bass. But a lot of people will like it because, unlike its competitors, which always seems to be at the edge of their capabilities, the XS really can put out decent volume without a lot of distortion.

Photo by: Brent Butterworth

RockSteady-main

Devon Allman's Turquoise Soul

Mike Mettler — Tue, 04 Jun 2013 20:30:47 GMT

The ever-grooving son of Gregg has the blues in his blood — and now it's spilled over onto wax. (That's vinyl, y'all.)

"It's rich. It's got depth that you'll never get from an MP3, and it's just cool, man. It's got more soul." That's Devon Allman, talking about one of our favorite subjects, vinyl. (What else could it have been?) His solo debut, Turquoise (Ruf), is available on vinyl, and it's a cornucopia of influences distilled into an original flavor all its own. Oh, and about his name — yes, Gregg Allman is his dad.

About an hour before his recent acoustic in-store performance at J&R Music World in downtown New York City — during which he sang a deeply touching version of The Allman Brothers' ever-sweet "Melissa" — Devon sat with me in a conference room and we waxed on about wax.

METTLER: I know you grew up in Texas, and that you also grew up listening to your mom’s records. How old were you when you first started listening to vinyl?

ALLMAN: I’d say I was probably around 5 when the vinyl bug bit me. There was just something kind of mystical about it, you know? I loved reading the lyrics, and listening to all of the licks. It became an instant love affair, playing records in the house — and listening to the radio, too.

METTLER: Do you remember the system you had at home?

ALLMAN: It was one of those huge consoles with built-in speakers. And then I also had a “kid” record player back in my room. It would play the full-lengths, but it was a toy. It had a speaker on the side. I would go bum a few records from my mom’s collection and just dive into them.

METTLER: What were some of your favorites? Hendrix had to be one.

ALLMAN: Hendrix for sure, yeah. The Stones, Tom Petty, Eric Clapton, and The Beatles, big time. Pretty much all of the ’70s rock-vibe stuff, and some soul.

METTLER: Do you remember the first album you bought with your own money?

ALLMAN: Wow. [leans back in chair] Um, what would that have been… [slight pause] It was probably a heavy metal record. I went through a metal phase. It was probably Iron Maiden, Number of the Beast. [chuckles] Yeah, but once I started buying them, it became a chronic addiction.

METTLER: Turqouise just came out on vinyl. Do you have an old turntable, or a new one?

ALLMAN: I was recently given a turntable, brand new in the box, by a fan. I had posted something in social media saying I wanted to get back into vinyl, and I asked who could recommend a good turntable. Someone said, “I’ve got the right one, and I’ll send it to you.” That was amazing. So on the whole Royal Southern Brotherhood Tour last year, I would stop into the boutique vinyl stores all across America. I amassed a very big collection last year. [smiles]

METTLER: How did you bring them all back with you? You guys toured in a van, right?

ALLMAN: Yeah. There was a compartment in the van where I could fit about 10 records at a clip… I managed. [chuckles]

METTLER: Tell me some of the shops you visited.

ALLMAN: Let’s see. There was the Louisiana Music Factory in New Orleans, Grimey’s in Nashville, another one in Memphis… But sometimes, when I’m in a hotel room, I’ll get on Amazon. Just sit on the bed, and shop. Then when I get home from the tour, they’re all sitting there. [smiles]

METTLER: Turquoise sounds great on vinyl. “Key Lime Pie” is a great analog kind of track that you feel like you have to put the needle down on it to appreciate it properly.

ALLMAN: Yeah, it’s got that upright bass on it. MP3 just doesn’t do it justice. There’s a richness and depth to vinyl that you’re just not going to be able to replicate digitally.

This is my first solo vinyl record, so I’m very excited about it. I didn’t get to see this one cut on the lathe, but I’ve sat down with [mastering engineer] Howie Weinberg here in the city at Masterdisk Studios as he’s done it, and it’s amazing to watch him work. Really cool.

METTLER: Turquoise has the blues at its core, but then you have songs like “There’s No Time,” which has a decidedly Latin feel.

ALLMAN: That’s right. Well, I do like all kinds of music — rock, jazz, blues, world; you name it. But when you break down the songs on Turquoise, they all have elements of the blues. They’re 1-4-5 progressions, I’m singing soulfully, and I’m playing blues licks. But it’s not strict blues. That’s why it’s called Turquoise — it’s just a bit off from blue.

METTLER: Well, you could have called it Kind of Blue, but…

ALLMAN: Right, but then Miles Davis would have been turning in his grave. “That’s mine!” [both laugh]

In the videoclip interview below, Allman and Mettler testify their love of vinyl.

http://youtu.be/GM3dJX1Jxcw

Photo by: Sound and Vision Magazine Editor

Turquoise, in repose

This Week in Movies & TV, June 4, 2013: Dead & Deader

Josef Krebs — Tue, 04 Jun 2013 19:04:45 GMT

A Good Day to Die Hard, Sensurrounders: Midway and Earthquake, Falling Skies: Season 2, Warm Bodies, The Odd Couple.

A Good Day to Die Hard

The latest chapter of the popular, 25-year-old franchise is a Die Hard film with subtitles. But, fear not, ardent fans, it’s just for a scene or two at the start and that’s as arty as it gets. The rest of the film is standard slam-bam, big-boom, non-stop adrenaline-filled, Yippie-Kai-Yay thrill seeking. However, even in its simple-minded simplicity, the plot and action still manage to sometimes be confusing.

After a slow, start explaining that John McClane (Bruce Willis) is off to Russia to find his estranged son who’s gotten himself into some kind of trouble, followed by a long, meaningless comic conversational scene in a taxi cab, the film finally takes off and rarely stops for breath thereafter. The plot concerns a political prisoner, Yuri Komarov (Sebastian Koch), snatched from a courthouse before an assassination squad can silence his testimony about the Russian Defense Minister. And there’s a secret (read McGuffin) file that only Komarov knows the whereabouts of that can expose the corrupt politician’s involvement in the Chernobyl meltdown. It’s the mission of one tough CIA agent — who happens to be McClane’s son, Jack (Jai Courtney) — to rescue both Komarov and his file to prevent the sinister minister from coming to supreme power.

The film has an odd, highly processed appearance with tints that reduce everything to just greens or blues and blacks. Certain other tones are exaggerated while others are ruthlessly suppressed. But contrast is nonetheless good — those blacks are deep and McClane’s t-shirt a bright white — although sometimes it can be a bit overpumped. There are occasional spots of rich color, such as that taxi, a saturated yellow amongst a sea of black and blue vehicles, army fatigues, and police uniforms. There’s an overall darkness — even in brightly lit scenes it’s somehow gloomy and in the final helicopter-attack action scene little can be made out. All this combined with heavy grain gives the film a gritty, down-and-dirty look.

There’s plenty of detail, though, heads revealing individual strands of hair — those that have any — and Willis’s face reveals pores,webs of lines, and blood-and-smudge-smeared textures. There’s volume to some scenes (when things slow down long enough to notice), such as one interior where the head henchman suddenly appears — tap-dancing and chewing on a carrot in an attempt to be a colorful villain — along with his stooges who fill the room with layers of muscle-bound, Armani-clad Eurotrash villainy, all sharp throughout the depth of the image.

Marco Beltrami’s orchestral score, with pounding drums in every action scene — which is most of the film — attacks from all sides aided by electronica instruments and rumbling noises to add menace. The rear channels, though, are kept in reserve for the courtroom rescue scene where the death squad set off a series of car bombs that explode all in a row across the soundstage finally combining into one big room-filling boom. Automatic gunfire blast with a bassy thump and a high-pitched snap all around, while rattling shell casings, creaking wreckage, and falling debris come at you from behind, all clear with no break-up at all.

This goes straight into a hard-to-follow fifteen-minute hyperactive, rapid-edit car chase that crashes hundreds of vehicles as an armored personnel carrier ploughs through the streets of Moscow demolishing all in its path. At one point it flies from one highway level to another, crushing a truck load of sewage piping below while another van goes several blocks across the top of the traffic mashing all along the way.

It’s machine mayhem, a demolition derby of tumbling trucks and every crunch and slam is crisp and bone-crushingly loud and deep. I can’t say how accurately these effects are panned because there’s so much happening at the same time and the cutting is so frantic, but there is one cool moment when a car is sent flying straight at you slamming into the side of a bridge seemingly overhead. Initially it, and all the set-piece battles that follow are exciting at times, laughable at others, but after a while the spectacle becomes a numbing, overwhelming, overloading of the senses. Dialogue is sometimes hard to make out, but that’s probably because of action-hero mumble and bad Russian accents more than lack of soundtrack clarity and most of the traditional McClane one-liners get through. In the odd quiet moment you can actually hear atmospherics — if you can still hear — but a scene driving in a rainstorm fooled me enough that I went to the window to check.

A Good Day to Die Hard is directed byJohn Moore (Max Payne, The Omen, Behind Enemy Lines) and co-stars Cole Hauser, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, and Yuliya Snigir.

The film is presented here in the theatrical cut and a four-minute longer extended edition. A Good Day to Die Hard is also available in the Die Hard Legacy Collection, which brings it together with the four other movies including Die Hard, Die Hard 2: Die Harder, Die Hard with a Vengeance, and Live Free or Die Hard.

Video: 1.85:1. Audio: DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1. Extras: commentary by Moore and first assistant director Mark Cotone, deleted scenes, making-of documentary made up of “Introduction,” “Stunts,” “Helicopters and Aerial,” “Special Effects,” “Motion Base,” “Armory,” “Russia and Budapest,” “The Look of the Movie,” “Chernobyl,” “Camera Work,” “Editorial Los Angeles,” “Color Grading,” “Visual Effects,” “Film Scoring,” and “Wrap Up,” segments, “Anatomy of a Car Chase,” “Two of a Kind,” “Back in Action,” “The New Face of Evil,” and “Maximum McClane” featurettes, 3 pre-vis, VFX sequences, stills gallery, storyboards, concept art; DVD and UltraViolet digital copy for streaming/downloading. Studio: 20^th Century Fox.

Sensurrounders: Midway & Earthquake

Midway

This epic WWII war drama, with a screenplay from Donald S. Sanford (Mosquito Squadron) directed by Jack Smight (Harper, The Illustrated Man, Airport 1975) is set in the summer of 1942 when the Pacific Naval War reached a stalemate since the American and Japanese fleets stood at even numbers. Each side was waiting for the other to begin a renewed offensive and Midway (1976) tells the story of how that attack finally went down.

The film starts with the Doolittle Raid and then depicts the creation of a complicated battle plan. Events are followed from both the perspective of chief Japanese strategist Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto (Toshirô Mifune), and that of fictional American naval officer Captain Matt Garth (Charlton Heston), who’s involved in the planning of the US’s battle strategies.

The historical Battle of Midway, which could turn the tide of the Pacific War, began in June when a Japanese carrier force, in an attempt to occupy Midway Island and lure the American forces in the area into a trap where they’d be outnumbered four to one by the Imperial Japanese Navy which had never been defeated in battle.

Fortunately — for the Americans — US Signals Intelligence, unbeknownst to the Japanese, has broken the enemy’s naval encryption codes and so is aware of the ambush awaiting American forces at Midway Island. American Admiral Chester Nimitz (Henry Fonda) takes a great gambles by sending his last remaining aircraft carriers in ahead of the Japanese to set up a Midway trap of his own.

Midway all-star cast includes James Coburn, Glenn Ford, Hal Holbrook, Robert Mitchum, Cliff Robertson, Robert Wagner, Tom Selleck, Dabney Coleman, James Shigeta, Pat Morita, Robert Ito, and Christina Kokubo.

It was shot in Technicolor by cinematographer by Harry Stradling, Jr.

The music score was by John Williams and the soundtrack also included Sensurround (which had also already been used in Earthquake) to augment the audio experience with the physical sensation of explosions, engine noises of military vehicles, and gunfire. The increased awareness of extended low-frequency sound reproduction that Sensurround offered helped in the rise of the subwoofer design industry in the late 1970s and 1980s and the increase in subwoofer sales, bringing wider recognition to loudspeaker manufacturer Cerwin-Vega and helping establish the reputation of new audio amplifier company BGW Systems.

Earthquake

Earthquake (1974) was the first film whose mix included Sensurround, which required special speakers to be installed in movie theatres. The regular mono soundtrack of dialog, music, and background was augmented by a second optical track devoted to low frequency rumble added to earth tremors, building collapses, and car crashes. Due to the problems of installing the extra speakers, the only other Sensurround films were Midway, Rollercoaster (1977), and Battlestar Galactica (1978).

This 1970s disaster movie, from a screenplay by George Fox and Mario Puzo (The Godfather Parts I-III, SupermanI-II, Christopher Columbus: The Discovery) directed by Mark Robson (The Ghost Ship, The Seventh Victim, Hell Below Zero, Peyton Place, The Prize) centers on the repercussions, in both senses of the word, of a massive and catastrophic earthquake that tears through Southern California, completely leveling Los Angeles.

Amongst those caught up in the turmoil are construction engineer Stewart Graff (Charlton Heston), his faux-suicidal wife (Ava Gardner), and the population struggling for survival while waiting for the terrifying possibility of aftershocks ensemble-played by George Kennedy, Lorne Greene, Victoria Principal, Geneviève Bujold, Barry Sullivan, Lloyd Nolan, Walter Matthau, and Richard Roundtree. The film combined their individual stories with Oscar-winning sound and then-groundbreaking (literally) special effects to produce outstanding box office returns. Earthquake was also nominated for four Oscars including Best Cinematography, Editing, Production Design, and Sound Mixing.

At a test-run screening in Grauman’s Chinese Theatre in Hollywood, California, the Sensurround audio cracked the plaster in the ceiling creating convincing falling debris for the audience.

Midway, Video: 2.40:1. Audio: DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio Mono. Extras: “The Making of Midway,” “The Score of Midway,” “Sensurround: The Sounds of Midway,” “Scenes Shot for the TV Version,” and “They Were There” (hosted by Heston) featurettes, photograph montage. Earthquake,Video: 2.40:1. Audio: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1. Extras: None. Studio: Universal.

Warm Bodies

Based on the novel by Isaac Marion and adapted by writer-director Jonathan Levine (50/50, The Wackness, All the Boys Love Mandy Lane), Warm Bodies tells of the charming romance between a flesh-eating zombie, R (Nicholas Hoult), and a pretty human survivor of the zombie epidemic, Julie (Teresa Palmer). The story is narrated by R (who can’t remember the rest of his name or his previous life) and he explains how the sudden, strange feeling R has for Julie prevents him from feasting on her brains as he has just done to her boyfriend, Perry (Dave Franco) since Perry’s grey matter gives R access to Perry’s memories and feelings. R then sweeps Julie off her feet by rescuing her from his zombie clan and taking her back to his lair on a disused jetliner.

Julie — daughter of Colonel Grigio (John Malkovich), the leader of the surviving humans — had previously snuck out from the huge walled compound they live in to retrieve much needed medical supplies. Now she’s stuck outside with R. But as the two struggle for survival from rampaging undead creatures, hostile humans, and her overprotective father, the star-crossed pair grow ever closer, leading R to become ever more human and giving hope for the survival of humanity.

Warm Bodies cast includes Rob Corddry, Analeigh Tipton, and Cory Hardrict.

Video: 2.40:1. Audio: DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1. Extras: commentary with Levine and actors Hoult and Palmer, “Boy Meets, Er, Doesn't Eat Girl,” “R&J,” “A Little Less Dead,” “Extreme Zombie Make-Over,” “A Wreck in Progress,” “Bustin’ Caps,” “Beware the Boneys,” Whimsical Sweetness —Teresa Palmer’s production home movies, “Zombie Acting Tips with Rob Corddry” snippet from Screen Junkies, deleted scenes with optional director commentary, Shrug & Groan gag reel; iTunes digital copy and UltraViolet digital copy for streaming/downloading. Studio: Summit Entertainment.

Falling Skies: Season 2

In the aftermath of a zombie . . . no, alien invasion, once again most of the world is left completely screwed. The first season of the science fiction TV series created by Robert Rodat (writer of Saving Private Ryan, The Patriot, and Fly Away Home) and produced by Steven Spielberg, was set six months after the initial global attack by mechanical attack drones (“mechs”) controlled by green-skinned six-legged creatures (“skitters”), in turn controlled by The Overlords. Ninety percent of mankind has been killed off, the power grid destroyed, and the armies of the world wiped out. Remaining post-apocalyptic survivors have fled the urban centers and banded together to set up bases outside major cities following the traumatizing loss of the world. The story centers on the 2nd Massachusetts Militia Regiment, a civilian resistance group made up of those who’ve fled Boston, particularly on one of their commanders, former University history professor Tom Mason (Noah Wyle) and his family.

Season 2 picks up three months after Tom went with some of the aliens onto their ship to attempt to free one of his three sons, Ben (Connor Jessup), and to learn the enemy’s plans. During his absence, his other two sons, oldest Hal (Drew Roy) and youngest Matt (Maxim Knight), survive as best they can while engaging in fighting in an insurgency campaign against the occupying alien force. The 10 episodes of Season 2 on this 2-disc set bring mysterious new creatures (“crawlies”) and Ben comes back from the spaceship with enhanced strength and durability allowing him to become a badass skitter killer allowing him, like his older brother, to prove himself as a willing fighter. However, this leads the brothers to compete to become leaders of the rebellion. All these developments help up the pace and firepower of the story, creating a meaner, more dangerous world.

Falling Skies co-stars Moon Bloodgood, Will Patton, Colin Cunningham, and Brandon Jay McLaren.

Video: 1.78:1. Audio: Dolby TrueHD 5.1. Extras: commentaries for four episodes, Season 3 preview, “One Page at a Time: Writing the 2nd American Revolution,” “The Skitter Evolution,” “A Fan’s Perspective: Touring the set of Falling Skies” “Terry O’Quinn Is Manchester,” “2nd Watch: Episode 20 A More Perfect Union” “Designing The Spaceship” “Team Skitter,” and “Creating The Crawlies” featurettes, Falling Skies trading card from Rittenhouse. Studio: Warner.

The Odd Couple

Two divorced men decide to share a New York apartment. From this simple premise writer Neil Simon created the 1965 hit Broadway play, The Odd Couple. The great humor of the play comes from the extreme polarity of the opposite natures of the two characters. Uptight Felix Ungar is fastidiously clean and tidy, fussily organizing both the apartment and every other aspect of their lives. Easygoing Oscar Madison is messy in thought and deed, sloppy and slobby, and only feels comfortable amongst clutter and chaos.

Director Gene Saks (Brighton Beach Memoirs, Barefoot in the Park, Cactus Flower) made this 1968 film adaptation. In the beautifully telling opening, Felix (Jack Lemmon), in a state of despair, checks into a flea-bit hotel room and tries to jump out the window. Unfortunately, the window’s painted shut and when he tries to open it, he puts his back out. And on attempting to drown his sorrows at a bar down the road, he pinches a neck muscle while throwing back the first drink.

He does all this because the marriage of neurotic, hypochondriac, and annoyingly hypercritical Felix, a news writer for CBS, is coming to an end and he’s been thrown out of his house. Oscar (Walter Matthau), a lecherous, slovenly, fun-loving gambling sportswriter who’s in the process of being divorced himself, on learning that Felix is suicidal and seeing him break down and cry, suggests that Felix move in with him. And the rest — due to the skills, timing, and chemistry of veteran funnymen Lemmon and Matthau — is comedy history.

The Odd Coupleco-stars include John Fiedler, Herb Edelman, David Sheiner, Larry Haines, Monica Evans, and Carole Shelley.

Video: 2.35:1. Audio: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1. Extras: none. Studio: Paramount/Warner.

Photo by: Sound and Vision Magazine Editor

AGoodDaytoDieHardCover

This Week in Music, June 4, 2013: Summoning “Ghost Brothers” with Mellencamp, King, and Burnett

Ken Richardson — Tue, 04 Jun 2013 16:25:37 GMT

Also: Queens of the Stone Age, Ben Folds Five, Renaissance, and more. Plus: Mason Williams is a “Classical Gas.”

Various Artists: Ghost Brothers of Darkland County

New release (Hear Music/Concord; tour dates)
Photo of Burnett, Mellencamp, and King by Kevin Mazur

Indiana cabin, mid-1900s: Two brothers argue over a girl. One brother accidentally kills the other, and then the fleeing brother and the girl accidentally drive into a lake and drown.

True story. John Mellencamp learned it after buying the cabin in the early 1990s.

Soon after, Mellencamp got the idea for a musical based on that story. By 2000, he had begun work on the score (both music and lyrics), and he asked Stephen King to write the book.

The result: Ghost Brothers of Darkland County, which keeps the cabin but moves it to Mississippi. It also keeps the doomed brothers as the titular ghosts, Andy and Jack. But it adds a third brother, Joe. What’s more, there’s another set of brothers, Frank and Drake. Joe is their father, and he has brought them to the cabin in 2007 to tell the truth about their dead uncles. The story shifts between that time and Andy and Jack’s fateful year of 1967, when they were 21 and 18 (and Joe was 8).

Mellencamp brought in T Bone Burnett as music director, and the hope was to eventually take Darkland to Broadway. But there were delays. At one point, as Mellencamp told The New York Times, Liv Ullmann was interested in directing the show but ultimately bowed out.

Then, in 2011, Mellencamp said: “I personally don’t care if we go to Broadway or Washington, D.C., or the moon.” In 2012, they ended up in Atlanta. What was variously billed as “a riveting Southern Gothic musical” and “a sultry Southern Gothic mystery with a blues-tinged, guitar-driven score” was staged for a month at the city’s Alliance Theater. And then, in early 2013, the following update was given by the Alliance’s artistic director, Susan V. Booth, who had directed the musical there: “Subsequent to the show’s close in Atlanta, Steve and John did significant rewriting and restructuring of the book. What we learned . . . is that this work only succeeds if it commits to being something unique unto itself.” Today, Ghost Brothers of Darkland County has morphed into a touring production that’s staged in concert form as a live radio play. Twenty dates are currently scheduled in the Midwest and South, beginning October 10 in Bloomington, Indiana, near Mellencamp’s birthplace.

But first, 13 years after Mellencamp officially began his project, we have this recording. It was produced by Burnett, who helped round up an impressive slate of artists to sing the characters’ songs — led by real-life feuding brothers Phil and Dave Alvin (as the ghostly Andy and Jack) and Sheryl Crow (as the ghostly girl, Jenna). Also featured: Kris Kristofferson (Joe), Rosanne Cash (Joe’s wife, Monique), Will Dailey and Ryan Bingham (Frank and Drake), Neko Case (their girl, Anna), Taj Mahal (Dan the caretaker/bartender), and Elvis Costello (a devilish specter known as The Shape).

The album’s Standard Edition is a CD of 17 songs alternating evenly with 18 excerpts of dialogue. Kristofferson both sings and speaks his character, as does Costello. But in all other cases, actors handle the dialogue. So whereas Bingham sings Drake, Matthew McConaughey speaks the character’s lines, and whereas Cash sings Monique, Meg Ryan does the dialogue.

This can be somewhat confusing, and the dialogue/song/dialogue/song structure makes for a choppy listen. All told (and sung), King’s book comes across as the weakest link on the Standard Edition CD: The excerpts are too brief to actually give us enough of the storyline, and the language we do get tries a bit too hard to incorporate some Mississippi slang.

Conceivably, King fares better in the full libretto (which was unavailable for review). It’s included on the Standard disc, which is an enhanced CD. The Deluxe Edition adds a making-of DVD. Then there’s the Hardcover Edition (distributed by Scribner), which further adds a printed version of the libretto and a CD of the songs only. For some reason, the second half of that bonus CD’s song order is different from (and less effective than) that of the Standard disc. Of course, you can always program playback of the Standard disc to skip the dialogue excerpts. Either way, the score deserves to be heard on its own.

And now, 13 years after I began this review (or so it seems), we reach the best thing about this project: Mellencamp’s songs and Burnett’s production. Indeed, Ghost Brothers is a career high for both artists.

Mellencamp succeeds right off the bat with “That’s Me,” making us shiver by having the Shape introduce himself as follows: “You know that voice you hear in your head? / That’s me, baby, that’s me / And you thought you were just talking to yourself / But it’s me, baby, that’s me.” Anna details her own devilish tendencies in “That’s Who I Am.” It’s a stroke of genius to have Andy and Jack’s argument in “So Goddamn Smart” interrupted by Jenna’s heavenly reflection. And later, in “So Goddamn Good,” the three of them wrangle as if Mary Magdalene were joining the argument between Jesus and Judas at the Last Supper in Jesus Christ Superstar. In these songs and the best of the other tracks, Mellencamp’s words have both a sharp focus and a potent sting, and his music vividly conjures the byways of the South.

It certainly helps that Burnett, whose recent productions have tended to share the same old T Bone signature, breaks out of his mold to heighten the moods here. There’s some crazy electric guitar lurking around the Shape’s “Wrong, Wrong, Wrong About Me,” and Dan’s “Tear This Cabin Down” may leave you thinking of a trenchant chain-gang stomp. Yes, the music’s blend of roots, blues, and folk is second nature to Burnett these days, but he makes it sound fresher and edgier than he has in years.

Still, none of the above would matter if the performances by the singers were lackluster. Happily, they’re uniformly excellent. Crow is especially solid in her multiple appearances, whether sparring/harmonizing with the Alvins or, on her solo numbers, turning things up for “Jukin’ ” or musing on the beautiful reverie of “Away from This World.” Case and Cash make the most of their single performances — respectively, the casually seductive “That’s Who I Am” and the sorrowful plea of “You Don’t Know Me.” And Costello, wonderfully, doesn’t even sound like Costello on his two numbers, filling his Shape with sly debauchery.

Broadway? Ghost Brothers of Darkland County may continue to take the hard way, but it’s a noble journey for Mellencamp and company — and a distinctly American soundtrack for lives both down-to-earth and otherworldly.

Queens of the Stone Age: . . . Like Clockwork

New release (Matador; tour dates)
Photo by Nora Lezano

“Keep Your Eyes Peeled” has riffs that are among the most sinister animals you’ve ever heard. “I Sat by the Ocean” is a peppy, hooky song that gets noisy but never stops us from humming and tapping. “The Vampyre of Time and Memory” bears down hard on a piano ballad. “If I Had a Tail” sounds like an inside-out pop tune heard from the bottom of a whisky glass, under the bang of big chords in the chorus.

All bases covered in just the first four songs — an indication that this album is gonna be vintage Queens of the Stone Age. Over the years, Josh Homme has sometimes seemed like a king of diminishing returns, losing/dismissing band members and misplacing his knack for songwriting. But . . . Like Clockwork, laughingly appearing 6 years after Era Vulgaris, is a huge return to form, mingling Rated R with the Desert Sessions side projects.

Back to the tracks: “My God Is the Sun” is fast and fleet, “Kalopsia” is all over the loud/soft map, and . . . well, hear for yourself. I don’t want to give everything away. Know, however, that the rest of the album confirms this isn’t punch-the-clock rock but a genuine revival, reminding us why we were compelled to bow down in front of Homme’s Queens in the first place. Also know that some prior associates are along for the ride — including Dave Grohl, who drums on most tracks, and even Nick Oliveri, who sings on “If I Had a Tail” and . . . wait for it . . . “Fairweather Friends.”

Ben Folds Five: Live

New release (ImaVeePee/Sony/Legacy; tour dates)
Photo by Autumn de Wilde

Hot on the heels of last year’s The Sound of the Life of the Mind, the studio reunion of Ben Folds Five, comes the band’s first official live album. It was recorded on the 2012-13 Mind tour at various locations, both domestic (the Warfield in San Francisco) and overseas (England, Japan, Australia). Nearly half the songs are from the first two albums: the self-titled debut’s “Jackson Cannery,” “Underground,” and “Uncle Walter” and Whatever and Ever Amen’s “Brick,” “Song for the Dumped,” “Selfless, Cold, and Composed,” and “One Angry Dwarf and 200 Solemn Faces.” Also here: four Mind numbers, the rarity “Tom & Mary,” and the Folds solo track “Landed.”

Renaissance: Grandine il Vento

New release (Symphonic Rock Recordings)
Photo by Richard Barnes

This is the first studio album by Renaissance since 2001, when longtime torchbearers Annie Haslam and Michael Dunford regrouped with Terence Sullivan and John Tout for Tuscany. A few years ago, a reunion tour with all five members of the 1970s band, including Jon Camp, was apparently in the planning stages but never materialized. A new lineup emerged instead, and after getting road-tested, it has now made Grandine il Vento. Dunford finished composing the tracks (with lyrics by Haslam) and recording his parts before his death last November from a cerebral hemorrhage. (That followed the death from cancer in 2011 of the band’s ’70s lyricist, Betty Thatcher.)

I’ve heard four of the eight new songs, and from that evidence, this album reminds me of the last major work from the band’s heyday, 1978’s A Song for All Seasons. “Cry to the World” is an intimate, acoustic-guitar-led number (with flute by Ian Anderson) that breaks into a lofty chorus. John Wetton duets with Haslam on “Blood Silver Like Moonlight,” a dramatic piano ballad. The 8-minute closer, “The Mystic and the Muse,” has enough Renaissance hallmarks (long instrumental intro, active bass lines, numerous themes, diverse arrangement) to make me eager to hear the 12-minute opener, “Symphony of Light.” Yet, for now, I’m most taken by something as ostensibly simple as the sweeping melody of the title track.

Oh, and believe you me: Haslam’s remarkable voice seems changed not a whit since she first held us spellbound more than 40 years ago. What’s present is Prologue? Fans who go all the way back would be wise to seek out this album.

Other new releases

Eleanor Friedberger: Personal Record (Merge; photo above by Roger Kisby)
Second solo album by the singer of the (currently on hiatus) Fiery Furnaces. It’s an album full of love songs, but — says Eleanor in a press release — “they’re also love songs to music: how you feel on stage when you do something spontaneous and it works, how you feel when you hear someone sing a song for the first time, what it’s like to watch a friend perform, how you can feel close to someone you barely know because you both happen to love the same record.”

Barenaked Ladies: Grinning Streak (Vanguard)
Speaking of loving music, here’s what guitarist/vocalist Ed Robertson says in another press release: “Pop is a form that I love; it can be high-energy and intricate. When I think of pop music, I think of the Cars and Squeeze; interesting, melodic rock is what I gravitate toward and what I’m always striving for. I want guitar-heavy pop/rock that’s intelligent, evocative, and thought-provoking. I want it to be singable and relatable, and I want there to be other layers in there for the people who want to go deeper — because not everybody does.”

Dave Davies: I Will Be Me (Cleopatra)
Kinks guitarist’s first solo album of original material since 2007. Guests include members of the Jayhawks, Anti-Flag, and Dead Meadow.

LeAnn Rimes: Spitfire (Curb)
Among the country singer’s co-writers: Dan Wilson, David Baerwald, and John Shanks. One of the Baerwald tracks, “What Have I Done,” features Alison Krauss and Dan Tyminski. “Gasoline and Matches,” a song by Buddy and Julie Miller, features Rob Thomas and Jeff Beck. CD version is a Walmart exclusive; downloads are available from iTunes and Amazon.com.

Lonestar: Life as We Know It (4 Star/The Orchard)
Ninth studio album from the country-crossover outfit — and first since the return of original lead vocalist Richie McDonald.

Megadeth: Super Collider (T-Boy/UMe)
Fourteenth studio album from Dave Mustaine and crew. Ends with a cover of Thin Lizzy’s “Cold Sweat.” An edition sold exclusively at Best Buy includes three bonus tracks.

Future Bible Heroes: Partygoing (Merge)
First CD in 11 years by the electro-pop project of the Magnetic Fields’ Stephin Merritt. According to Merge, “there are fewer vampires and space aliens on Partygoing than on the prior two albums, though as always there are plenty of songs about dancing, drinking, and death.”

Capital Cities: In a Tidal Wave of Mystery (Capitol)
More electro-pop, this time by two jingle writers who met on Craigslist. Inspirational titles: “Patience Gets Us Nowhere Fast,” “Farrah Fawcett Hair,” and — attention, S&V devotees — “I Sold My Bed, but Not My Stereo.”

Filter: The Sun Comes Out Tonight (Wind-up)
Richard Patrick is at it again, with another revamped lineup, on Album No. 6. Inspirational (and possibly related) titles: “We Hate It When You Get What You Want,” “This Finger’s for You,” and “Take That Knife Out of My Back.”

Camera Obscura: Desire Lines (4AD)
Produced by Tucker Martine.

Portugal. The Man: Evil Friends (Atlantic)
Produced by Danger Mouse.

Rory Block: Avalon — A Tribute to Mississippi John Hurt (Stony Plain)
Fourth album in the blues singer/guitarist’s Mentor Series, following nods to the Rev. Gary Davis, Mississippi Fred McDowell, and Son House.

George Benson: Inspiration — A Tribute to Nat King Cole (Concord)
Benson is backed by the Henry Mancini Institute Orchestra, which uses the original arrangements by Nelson Riddle and Gordon Jenkins. Guests include Wynton Marsalis and Idina Menzel.

Mason Williams: The Mason Williams Phonograph Record; The Mason Williams Ear Show

Reissues (Real Gone)

Both released in 1968, these are the first two solo albums by composer/guitarist Mason Williams, who, at the time, was also the head writer for The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour.

Phonograph Record is the home of the hit “Classical Gas,” which would go on to win three Grammys as an instrumental. Fun facts: Whereas two of the Grammys went to Williams for the piece’s composition and performance, one went to the album’s producer, Mike Post, for the arrangement. Post would later become a celebrated writer of TV theme songs, from Hill Street Blues to Law & Order. More fun facts: Musicians on Phonograph Record include Jim Gordon, Jim Horn, Lawrence Knechtel, and other members of the L.A. session players known as the Wrecking Crew — some of whom helped create a similar sound for another 1968 hit, Richard Harris’s recording of Jimmy Webb’s “MacArthur Park.”

The follow-up album, Ear Show, makes its CD debut here. Both reissues include new liner notes by Gene Sculatti.

Other archival releases

Frank Zappa: A Token of His Extreme (Eagle Vision)
This DVD is the first official release of a live music program that Frank Zappa taped for TV on August 24, 1974. Backing the guitarist were keyboardist George Duke, saxophonist Napoleon Murphy Brock, percussionist Ruth Underwood, bassist Tom Fowler, and drummer Chester Thompson. Said Zappa, frankly, at the time: “This was put together with my own money . . . and it has been steadfastly rejected by the American television industry. It has been shown in prime time in France and Switzerland, with marvelous results. It’s probably one of the finest pieces of video work that any human being has ever done. I did it myself.” With animation by Bruce Bickford.

Woody Shaw: The Complete Muse Sessions (Mosaic)
Limited Edition box set of nine albums on seven CDs, chronicling the jazz trumpeter from 1974 to 1987.

Photo by: Sound and Vision Magazine Editor

Darkland photo

Wrap-Up: T.H.E. Show Newport Beach

Brent Butterworth — Mon, 03 Jun 2013 08:01:09 GMT

A growing show makes its mark in SoCal with loads of cool high-end audio products.

T.H.E. Show Newport Beach wrapped up yesterday evening, and I think everyone in attendance would agree that it's a harbinger of good things to come. In its third year, the show has matured into an event that would impress even the most jaded audiophile. There was something for everyone, from half-million-dollar systems to some that cost less than $500. If you didn't find something you wanted to buy at this show, you just aren't that into audio.

I posted a preliminary report a couple of days ago; now I'll wrap up with a more extensive report covering the rooms that most impressed me. Click on the Gallery at right for a full photo essay. There are surely some key manufacturers missing here, but I can't get to every room and I apologize in advance to manufacturers whose rooms I missed.

Meanwhile, here's my totally unofficial, totally unapproved awards for the show.

Best sound: Magico S1 speaker driven by Constellation Audio Centaur Mono monoblock amps.

Best budget sound: Pioneer SP-BS21-LR speakers ($129/pair) driven by Pioneer A-20 integrated amp ($299)

Product I most seriously considered buying on the spot: Magnepan Super MMG speakers

Photo by: Brent Butterworth

Glow Audio

The $840 Glow Amp One uses two EL84 tubes in a single-ended configuration to deliver 5 watts per channel.

Show Report: T.H.E. Show Newport Beach 2013

Brent Butterworth — Sat, 01 Jun 2013 05:57:06 GMT

The L.A.-area show comes back for 2013, bigger than ever.

The Home Entertainment Show Newport Beach is growing into one of the best hi-fi shows in the U.S. This year's show, which started today and runs through Sunday, appears even bigger than last year's, which was big enough to use up all the parking in both of the hotels that house the show. It's got audio systems ranging from double-digit to six-digit prices, and lots of space devoted to vinyl records, headphones, and other subcategories. The focus, as always, is on music, not home theater.

I only got a chance to see a few of the rooms at the show today; I'll be back tomorrow to finish it off. Meanwhile, here's a short photo essay showcasing the most interesting products I've seen so far at the show.

Photo by: Brent Butterworth

Magnepan_main

IMAX launches Private Theatre program

Brent Butterworth — Fri, 31 May 2013 15:25:03 GMT

The company known for jumbo screens brings its magic into the home.

IMAX already enjoys a rep as more or less the ultimate cinematic experience. Now it wants to be known for the ultimate home theater experience. The company's new Private Theatre program creates a 4K 3D theater in your home, with 7.1 sound and a wall-to-wall, floor-to-ceiling screen. The design of the theater is based on IMAX's screening room in Santa Monica, Calif., which it uses to screen movies for Hollywood producers and directors.

"IMAX has always been the world leader in creating an immersive entertainment experience," chief technology officer Brian Bonnick said. "We have a world-recognized brand and technology, and we wanted to take that technology into new applications. High-end home theaters naturally fit into the DNA of IMAX. We're providing an immersive experience in the home using the same technology as in the cinema."

According to Bonnick, each Private Theatre includes the same dual-engine 3D projector the company uses in its commercial cinemas, and the same proprietary audio and video processors. The audio processor includes 850 filter bands per channel, run by patented algorithms. Of course, commercial cinema speakers are too large for most home theaters, so IMAX has designed its own speaker system specifically for home theaters, with the same basic design scaled to work in a smaller volume. "Every piece of equipment is designed to work with next piece," Bonnick said. The company provides a touchscreen controller and, of course, a commemorative plaque.

"We do have a plaque design I could show you, but I think I’m going to change it and make it even cooler," Bonnick said.

The process starts with IMAX doing a full theater design, including the acoustical and visual design, the placement of the seating and the projection booth, and the speaker locations in the room, all laid out in CAD files. Lasers are used to position the speakers precisely according to the CAD drawing. The company provides specifications to the homeowner's interior designer so the home theater can comply to IMAX specs while meeting the client's cosmetic desires.

IMAX will work through local electronic systems contractors (i.e. custom installers) as it does now with its commercial cinema projects. "The ESCs have to go through a full training and approval process," Bonnick said. "They will also provide the first level of support, i.e., the fan filter on the projector needs to be replaced. Beyond that level, our support staff gets involved."

To that end, IMAX installs a full array of Internet-connected sensors to monitor the performance of every Private Theatre. "We know when the projector or sound system has a hiccup," Bonnick said. "I can tell you what the brightness on the screen is. We permanently mount microphones in the theater and monitor them so we can assure the sound is optimum from day 1 to day 1000."

The price for an IMAX Private Theatre starts at $2 million. But just think of all the money you'll save on those $16 IMAX movie theater tickets you've been buying!

Photo by: Sound and Vision Magazine Editor

IMAX-main

Traveling Companions: Headphone Amps from FiiO, iFi, and Miniwatt

Michael Berk — Thu, 30 May 2013 04:04:27 GMT

Five ways to take high-end sound with you, for a song.

As you might have gathered from the headphone roundup we did a couple of weeks back, there's probably never been a better time to be into personal audio. With a whole new breed of enthusiast listeners out there, rabidly interested in headphones and the accessories that make 'em a better experience and willing and able to upgrade given the relatively low cost of admission, a host of audio firms new and old have been churning out new and innovative 'phones and accessories so quickly that it's been a little difficult to keep up. Taking a look at the landscape of affordable (let's say under $500), you'll find that afistful of new headphone amps and DACs are bringing once-esoteric features to the masses, at down-to-earth prices.

These new devices — from budget hi-fi mainstay FiiO, no-expenses-spared high-end firm AMR, and the retro tube-amp folks at Miniwatt — bring down the cost of entry to 24/96 playback, high-voltage power supplies, crossfeed, and actually useful EQ — features reserved 'til just recently for high-end offerings — to very reasonable levels.

Whatever your headphone and format preferences (and pretty much whatever features you feel that you need), you're likely to find audio satisfaction with one (or two) of these little boxes.

While only the FiiO offerings are explicitly "portable" devices (with the E07K even appropriate for use by those employing Android phones as high-rez audio players — a growth category among personal audio and headphone enthusiasts), any of these units can fill multiple roles for the casual or serious headphone or desktop listener looking to get better sound out of a desktop or laptop machine at home, in the office, or on the road. Need a high-powered amplifier to drive those studio headphones in your hotel room? Want a S/PDIF bridge to shuttle your FLACs over to your esoteric (and strictly non-USB) high-end DAC? Want more control over your stereo image with expander and crossfeed controls. Need a little more low-end thump in your life?

Among these five devices you're sure to find one (or two) that check all the boxes for you. Read on for the results of our listening, and get ready to expand your sonic horizons this summer — without having to open your wallet too wide.

FiiO E07K and E12: Yet More Bang for the Buck

E07K "Andes" Portable Headphone Amplifier/USB DAC

As you might guess from the name, the new E07K is an update to FiiO's very popular E7 combo unit, with a number of substantial improvements. First and foremost, the E07K is capable of 24-bit/96 kHz performance (adopting the USB decoder from last year's well-regarded E17) where its ancestor was limited to 16/48; the new version also includes separate treble and bass controls (letting you boost and cut, thankfully) in place of the E7's three-position bass boost, plus a balance control, an input gain switch (offering 0dB, 6dB, and 12 dB settings), plus a couple of convenient features for use on the road (a hold switch) and home (a line out setting that takes the onboard volume control out of the loop for use with the E09 desktop headphone amp). Everything's accessible via a set of buttons mounted on the unit's left edge; you can keep track of your changes via the bright and readable OLED display. The E07K keeps the dual headphone outputs, but the feature set is more in line with FiiO's higher-priced offerings.

The E07K ships with all of the accessories you're likely to need — not only does it arrive in a rubber protective sleeve; you also get a velvet bag, plus a couple of stick-on screen protectors, a USB cable, a short stereo connector cable terminating in nice right-angle 1/8-inch plugs at both ends, and a couple of substantial rubber bands for a secure attachment to your portable source (though frankly you might want to engineer some sort of velcro solution if you're planning to use this with your smartphone — today's bevel-to-bevel touch screens simply don't leave much room for rubber bands).

You almost get to wondering whether — for most potential buyers — there's really a reason to pick up the $139 E17 (aside from the pricier unit's S/PDIF input and 192 kHz support) when the E07K delivers similar performance for a mere $89 (and throws in an extra headphone jack for sharing).

Given it's menu of tasty treats — plus the ability to work with Android devices that support USB host mode (like the popular Samsung Galaxy S and Note lineups and the stellar new HTC One), handy EQ controls, and a pair of headphone outputs just right for sharing with a friend — the E07K should definitely be on your list if you want to explore portable headphone amp/DAC listening.There's one caveat here, in that the device seems somewhat susceptible to interference from GSM/EDGE/HSPA signals, so you may get some digital hash served up along with your music if you park your phone atop your DAC. If you want a more pristine listening environment, switching over to airplane mode on your device might be a good idea.

The E07K seems well-suited to the sorts of headphones most would be likely to use on the go — it's not intended to drive power-hungry studio phones, but to give users of quality models of reasonable sensitivity access to high-rez files and cleaner reproduction than that of which the average mobile phone or onboard laptop headphone amp is capable.

As expected, it proved a good match with typical loads — V-Moda's M-100 and various sets of IEMs from Westone, Logitech/Ultimate Ears, and RBH — but seemed ever so slightly underpowered with the HiFiMan HE-400, and more apparently so with the HE-500 and Audeze LCD-3 we had on hand, though cranking up the input gain to the +6 dB position made event these 'phones perfectly usable, and the expense of just a little edginess. Using both outputs didn't seem to tax the E07K unduly, making it nice for sharing with a friend who appreciates fidelity, and also nifty for enthusiasts who might like to casually A/B headphones (the dual outputs don't have individual level controls, so your results may be less than scientific).

But those are very minor issues, and outside the expected use case of this device (also, keep in mind this thing sells for well under a hundred bucks). More importantly, the FiiO performs up to its surprising specs, not to mention offering more than (and sounding just as good as) units costing considerably more. The EQ is perfectly usable (though cranking up the bass control will get you excessive boominess if you're not careful or your headphones are bass-rich to begin with), and the balance control will likely be of great interest to those with hearing loss on one side.

The E07K sounds impressively good, works with most USB sources, and is available for a song. Why not?

E12 "Mont Blanc" Portable Headphone Amplifier

The FiiO E12 is a rather different animal — it's no Swiss Army knife, but simply a powerful, portable headphone amplifier in a miniature package, with a couple of very handy sound tailoring features (namely a bass boost and a cross feed circuit), and a price squarely in FiiO's serious-bang-for-the-bunk neighborhood. At $129, the E12 lets you use your most power-hungry phones almost anywhere — and manages to sound pretty darned good doing it.

As with previous FiiO efforts, I find the overall sound of the E12 impressive, but the bass boost a little overstated. YMMV depending on program material, but, for example, Chris Laurence's arco bass on Roxy Music's "Sunset" (from Stranded) is nicely muscular on the flat setting, but overpowering with the bass boost activated. It'd be nice to have an intermediate position (or a pair of EQ controls adjustable in smaller increments, like those on the E07K).

The E12 has a surprising amount of power on tap — a claimed 880 mW into a 32 Ohm load — and it should drive anything you feel like you might want to walk around with quite easily. Want to use planar magnetic headphones on the subway (but you spent all of your money on the cans already)? the E12 should definitely be on your list.

Even on its lower input gain setting (there's a two-position switch, with 0dB and +10dB detents), the E12 had little trouble with the HiFiMan and Audeze models the E07K couldn't quite muster the energy for without turning up the gain. I found no real reason to use the +10 dB setting with the collection of headphones I had on hand, but there are more challenging models out there, so it might come in handy for those with truly power-hungry collections. Suffice it to say that I imagine it'll drive most any headphone you're likely to reasonably use with a portable device (you'll likely want to leave it in the low-gain position with in-ears or any highly efficient headphone..

The crossfeed circuit is a welcome addition, especially at this price point, and has become an essential for me since I've been slowly picking up a number of HDtracks' high-rez rereleases of the Blue Note catalog. The hard panning on these records can make traditional headphone listening difficult for those used to more modern stereo positioning — it's a little disconcerting to have Coltrane in one ear and Lee Morgan in the other, for instance — but switching in the E12's crossfeed circuit moves the stereo image out front where it makes a whole lot more sense.

The effect takes a little getting used to (at first, you'll feel like the left and right channels are originating somewhere in the vicinity of your eyeballs) but once you do become accustomed it can really improve your experience of more difficult early stereo recordings (and you might appreciate the different perspective if you find the left/right presentation of headphones distracting in general).

And it's always nice to have options, especially if you own a few pairs of good headphones and IEMs — and especially when they sound this good and come this cheaply.

AMR/iFi iDAC and iCan: High-End Heritage

Abbingdon Musical Research (AMR) is a familiar name in high-end audio; their new iFi line aims to bring some of the company's vaunted expertise to consumers at a significantly lower price point.The company has set up the new division (think about it as sort of an equivalent to Furutech's Alpha Design Labs line) to produce a series of digital-friendly boxes with the ultra-high-end sonics of their historic lineup, but in affordable, bare-bones packaging (and manufactured in China rather than in the UK).

The iDac ($299) USB DAC/headphone amp combo and the iCan headphone amplifier ($249) are the first of the line to hit the market; there's also an interesting dual-channel USB power supply/conditioner, the aptly named iUSBPower ($199); the $399 iPhono phono stage and iLink 24/192 USB-to-S/PDIF converter round out the line. More units (including a tube buffer) are already in the works.

It's an approach we've seen in the past, notably from Musical Fidelity (whose workhorse V-DAC and V-Can units have done long service on the benches of various S+V reviewers) and Pro-Ject, who produce a dizzying range of pocket-sized audio tools. The various iFi tools add up to a cool little mini-component system, letting you pick and choose exactly what you need at a reasonable price, whether you're looking to fill holes in your current system or build up an office rig for personal listening from scratch.

The iDac and iCan are substantial, solidly built little boxes that exude quality — the volume knobs, in particular, are smooth well beyond expectations at these price points, and I didn't; notice any significant channel imbalances at low listening levels (they're nice for IEM use, in short).

For such well-designed units, I didn't absolutely love the form factor, I must admit. The solid aluminum, vaguely barn-shaped cases don't allow for totally secure stacking unless you attach the included stick-on feet; considering that these are likely to get moved around a lot as well as seeing desktop duty I'd think a more traditional housing design might have suited them better. On a similar note; the RCA outputs of the iDAC are located next to the headphone jack and volume pot, rather that on the back next to the USB input; no problem when used on its own, but the iCan's RCA inputs are on the "rear" panel, opposite the headphone jack and controls — thus when used next to one another on a desktop, you end up with a loop of RCA cable running back to front, which takes up more real estate than necessary.Presumably AMR's designers envisioned these things being tucked away within a bigger system, but it's something I'd like to see change in future iterations of these fine-sounding units.

While the iDAC is (obviously) first and foremost intended as a DAC, it has a very capable little headphone amp onboard — it's not going to be your first choice if you've got difficult full-size headphones to drive, but it'll do quite nicely with IEMs and the majority of portable on- and over-ear models. If you don't own any power-hungry headphones and can live without the iCAN's feature set, the iDAC may well be able to take care of all of your desktop digital listening needs.

While manufacturers of affordable audio devices often face difficult choices when it comes to components (it's hard to get to those low price points without taking every opportunity to save a penny), worry not — AMR's engineers have been careful not to skimp where it counts in the iFi line. The iDAC is based on the popular 24/192-capable ESS Sabre chipset; the USB decoder is, according to the company, based on the design used inAMR's $4,999 DP-777 digital processor. If you're curious, and want to get asenseof the thinking and design principles behind the iFi line? Visit the iFi Facebook page for a collection ofinteresting articles.

The iCAN…well, it reallycan. It should be able to drive most anything you have on hand — I got good results from the HiFiMan and Audeze planar magnetic headphones I had on hand (which, while not incredibly difficult to drive, do need more power than many portables can dish out on), and more importantly it's a great sounding device with very usable functionality.

Aside from plenty of juice, you get a simple but very effective bass boost, and stereo expansion and well-implementedcrossfeedsettings that actually enhance the listeningexperience.Next to the substantial, solid-feeling front-panel volume pot you'll find an "XBass" circuit, offering a flat setting and two boost settings; a "3D" switch,with flat, stereo expander, andcrossfeed settings.

Compared to my usual desktop setup (a Musical Fidelity V-DAC II/V-CAN combo), the iFi rig feels like it has more headroom, and the front panel mode switches (which I'd initially figured I'd never touch) proved surprisingly handy. The milder of the two bass-boost settings is actually quite pleasant sounding and goes a long way towards warming up brighter headphones and giving bass-heavy tracks more kick. The more extreme bass boost was a bit much for me in most situations — it just made the overall sonics too cloudy with low-end energy — but it actually does seem focused securely in the bass. It isn't overly honky, a win as these things go, and that's a good thing. If you really want depth-charge bass, it pairs quite well with headphones that can really deliver the lows cleanly, like the Audezes and the HE-500.

While I've generally avoided such things in the past, I ended up using the two "3D" spatialization settings a fair amount. At the narrowest setting (AMR doesn't call it "crossfeed" here, but that's what it sounds like) the soundstage width diminishes, giving you more of a sense that the source is in front of you (or, if you're sensitive to such things, it places the left and right channels directly behind your eyeballs. It sounded better with some headphones than others — I quite liked it with the open-back planar magnetics, but disliked it with IEMs.The converse was true with the expanded setting — closed-back 'phones like the V-Moda M100 and various sets of IEMs made the most of it, while I found the sense of space too exaggerated and synthetic sounding with open-back cans.

Miniwatt n4: The Luxury Approach

Miniwatt's best known for their miniature tube amps, but with the new n4 ($488 )they've aimed squarely for the burgeoning desktop/portable USB DAC/headphone amp hybrid market. The leather-wrapped unit includes a bunch of upscale features, but the size indicates a convenience product, as does the inclusion of a digital volume control that takes over your desktop machine's system volume (a la the implementation of volume control used on the HRT HeadStreamer).

While the n4 isn't quite as miniscule as the HRT, it's quite compact — a fair bit more portable than the iFi, and while it's clearly not meant as a "portable" per se like the FiiO units or the HeadStreamer, it'll make a nice traveling companion for the right person. With its classy upholstery, just consider it a business class alternative.

I found the n4 much more convenient to use than the HeadStreamer in most cases — I'm a big fan of hardware volume control, especially when you're listening to program material with a good amount of dynamic range (which, one might expect, those looking for an ultra-high-rez device would be interested in. It worked wonderfully (and with zero setup) in most cases, only falling down on the job in conjunction with the high-rez player app Decibel, which obtains exclusive access to connected audio hardware and locks out the system volume control entirely — when using this app, I had to adjust output levels from the software's own device volume controller. Sound quality didn't suffer, but I found the combination less convenient. If you're using an app that makes use of system volume — i.e., playing back Apple Lossless from iTunes (or you're using Windows) — you'll do just fine.

Say what you will about the value of ultra-high-rez files, but plenty of folks want 'em, even if their relative rarity in the wild (not to mention the gigabyte-per-song file size) makes them something of a luxury product.And there are some out there who are ripping their pristine analog sources to such formats, so this may makes sense. Sure, a format that makes such storage demands is a luxury, but hey — this thing isn't wrapped in leather just for warmth (it actually runs pretty cool, by the way). For my part, I tend to stick to 24/96 and below, but I grabbed some 192 kHz tracks from 2L and the n4 dealt with them just fine.

The onboard headphone amp doesn't quite have the juice to drive the HiFiMan HE-500 to my taste, but it does fine with the somewhat less power-hungry HE-400 (with which it sounded quite nice); any reasonably efficient headphone will be well served. I would like to have seen a bit more powerful amp in the unit (along with a 1/4-inch jack), but it's understandable, given that in a USB-powered device such as this there's only so much current to go around.I found the headphone output to be slightly hissy with sensitive IEMs (I tested with the Westone ES5s, the UE Personal Reference Monitor, and a handful of dynamics), roughly on par with the onboard headamp of the iFi iDAC, and somewhat noisier than the impressively quiet FiiO E07K.

If you need more oomph, you can always use the n4's RCA outputs to drive another headphone amp (I paired it with a Musical Fidelity V-Can, the FiiO E12, and the iFi iCan, with good results in each case). The line out was quiet and introduced no perceptible crud when compared to the other sources I had on hand.

Getting high-rez out of your Mac is as easy as plugging in; there's native support in the Mac OS for word length up to 24 bits (above that you'll require software that supports such things), and sampling rates up to 192 kHz. On Windows you'll need to install Miniwatt's driver (downloadable from the company's Web site). A minor nitpick: the device gets identified by the Mac as a generic "Speaker" and "S/PDIF Output" in the Mac's audio drop down; you'll also notice a pair of corresponding (and apparently nonexistent) inputs. The company's been updating firmware pretty frequently though, and we'd hope to see this point addressed in a future revision.

Is it all worth it? That depends. If your primary ultra-high-rez interest is the 192 kHz sampling rate and youdon't absolutely have to have 32-bit word length,the 24/192-capable iFi iDAC is probably a wiser choice; its headphone amp is significantly more capable and the unit costs a full $200 less, though the iFi it lacks the n4's neat slaved digital volume control and the S/PDIF coaxial output).

For those looking for a do-it-all box in a compact package that can also do duty as an 32/192-capable USB-S/PDIF converter (and there are a number of computer audiophiles out there interested in such boxes to serve as bridges between FLAC playback software and pro-level DACs), the n4 is actually kind of a nice deal.

Photo by: Michael Berk

Traveling Companions: Headphone Amps and DACS

From top to bottom, the FiiO E07K, the FiiO E12, the Miniwatt n4, and the iFi iCan and iDAC.

Pioneer adds new lower-priced Class D A/V receivers

Brent Butterworth — Thu, 30 May 2013 03:31:18 GMT

New Elite SC-71 and SC-72 receivers bring the company's high-efficiency amp technology down to $1,100.

Hot on the heels of its new midpriced receivers, Pioneer today announced two new 7.2-channel receivers for its high-end Elite line. The new receivers use the same Class D3 amp technology as the other Elite receivers, but at lower prices: $1,100 for the new SC-71 and $1,400 for the SC-72. That's considerably less than the company's previous most-affordable Elite, the $1,650 SC-65. SC-65, $1,650

Class D (often referred to as "digital" or "switching" amps) are more efficient than the more commonly used Class AB amps. The amplifier's output transistors are either on or off, so they're never in the "in between" state where they produce lots of waste heat that has to be removed through a heat sink. As a result, they also run cooler. While Class D amps are common in things like TVs, soundbars, and AirPlay/Bluetooth speakers, they're rare in A/V receivers because making a high-output Class D amp with good sound quality and low radio-frequency emissions is challenging. So far, Pioneer's Class D3 Elite models are the only Class D receivers to earn THX certification, although the new SC-71 and SC-72 are not THX-certified.

The SC-71 is rated at 150 watts per channel into 6 ohms with two channels driven. For the SC-72, it's 170 watts under the same conditions.

Of course, Pioneer added some more goodies to the new models. Most notable is that they can play DSD files and high-resolution AIFF and Apple Lossless files. File resolutions up to 24-bit/192-kilohertz are supported. They also feature AirPlay for playback of files from iOS devices (iPhone/iPad/iPod touch) plus iTunes-equipped computers, and HTC Connect3 for streaming from Android devices. Pandora and vTuner Internet radio are built in. (WiFi is not built in; you'll need a wired Ethernet connection or the optional AS-WL300 wireless adapter. You can also add an optional Bluetooth adapter.)

Both can pass Ultra HD 4K video signals and also upscale lower-res signals to 4K. Both can be controlled by iOS or Android devices through free apps.

Extensive multiroom capabilities are available on both: three zones for the SC-71, four for the SC-72. The internal amplifiers can be reassigned to provide power for Zone 2. The SC-72 also adds bass, treble, and balance control plus a subwoofer output for Zone 2.

Both are slated to ship next month. More info here.

Photo by: Sound and Vision Magazine Editor

Pioneer SC-71 front

The front panel and remote of the SC-71

Review: Native Union Switch

Brent Butterworth — Wed, 29 May 2013 03:52:06 GMT

An irresistibly simple Bluetooth speaker

Hey, who decided we should adjust volume by pushing buttons instead of turning a knob? Whether you have to push the button repeatedly, or push, hold, and wait to hit the right volume, is that really easier than twisting a knob? No, it’s not. Unfortunately, I know of only one Bluetooth speaker maker who realizes this: Native Union.

On the side of the $149 Native Union Switch Bluetooth speaker is an old-fashioned volume control. Or maybe it’d be better to call it a new-fashioned volume control. It doesn’t turn smoothly, it turns in steps—so it’s a digital encoder, not an analog potentiometer. In the middle of the knob is the Switch’s only button, which controls power and Bluetooth mating.

Maybe this doesn’t sound like a big deal, but I loved being able to grab the Switch’s volume control to crank it up or turn it down with just a quick twist. It makes a big enough difference to me that I’ve found myself using the Switch more often than any of the many other Bluetooth speakers I have around.

I loved the rest of the design, too. It’s just a rectangular plastic box, but it looks more elegant than any other Bluetooth speaker I’ve seen. It’s designed so it can be used vertically or horizontally, thus the name Switch.

A rubber panel hides the Switch’s jacks: a micro USB jack for charging the Switch; a full-size USB jack that works as a voltage output for charging mobile devices; and 3.5mm jacks for analog line in and out. There’s a five-LED battery level meter on the bottom (the bottom when it’s standing vertically, that is) activated by a tiny pushbutton. The battery's rated at 16 hours of playing time.

Native Union doesn’t specify the size of the drivers, but from the website I gather it has two small (looks like about 1 inch) full-range drivers plus an active (powered) woofer that appears to be 2 inches in diameter, apparently mounted in a bass-reflex (ported) enclosure. That’s a break from the norm. Most compact Bluetooth speakers just copy the driver layout introduced with the Soundmatters FoxL: two full-range drivers with a passive radiator.

Switch, meet switcher

Although I’ve been using the Switch for a while, and generally enjoyed the sound, I wanted to see how it compared to a few other compact Bluetooth speakers, including the Braven BRV-1, the RockSteady XS, and the Soundmatters FoxL Dash 7. I connected them to my custom-built testing switcher, which lets me match levels precisely and switch instantly among as many as four audio products. I also asked frequent West Coast headphone panelist Will Huff to give a listen. For Will, the test was blind, because I covered all the speakers with thin black fabric.

I’m kinda stuck on “Chartreuse” from ZZ Top’s La Futura—just a completely badass piece of Texas blues filtered through the kick-ass production of Rick Rubin. So when I sat down to seriously eval the Switch, it was the first thing I played. The Switch pretty much nailed it—well, as much as a compact Bluetooth speaker probably can. The sound was very full (is that the powered woofer talking?), the mids sounded smooth, and the treble was a little veiled-sounding and rolled-off, but it all added up to a pleasing tonal balance.

Switching the Switch to a piece of music I haven’t talked about three zillion times—Sonny Rollins and the Modern Jazz Quartet’s version of “On a Slow Boat to China”—I had essentially the same reaction, noting smooth mids and a soft top end, with nothing sounding harsh or coarse. For a compact Bluetooth speaker, that’s pretty high praise. Same result on trumpeter Orbert Davis’s take on “Miles Ahead”; the smoothness of the mids makes this a superb speaker for jazz.

More mainstream pop material wasn’t quite as compelling through the Switch. Led Zep’s “Dancing Days,” Steely Dan’s “Aja,” and Holly Cole’s “Train Song” all sounded rather crude and lo-fi, probably because the Switch’s soft treble took a bit of definition out of the vocals. On these tunes, the Dash 7 and the Braven BRV-1 outshined the Switch. Will, who listens mostly to pop, had the same reaction: “It sounds like there are some frequencies missing,” he said, probably referring to the lack of oomph in the treble.

Measurements

Frequency response
96 Hz to 18.2 kHz, ±5.5 dB 0° on-axis, ±4.1 dB 0° to 30° avg

MCMäxxx™ maximum level test (1 meter)
87 dB

Frequency response measurements were taken with a Clio FW audio analyzer and the MIC-01 measurement mike designed for use with Clio. The measurements above 300 Hz were done at a distance of 0.5 meters with the device atop a 2-meter stand using quasi-anechoic MLS technique. The blue curve in the accompanying graph shows the response at 0° on-axis; the green curve shows the average of measurements taken at 0°, 10°, 20°, and 30° horizontally. To measure response below 300 Hz, I did a ground plane measurement at 1 meter. The ground plane result was then spliced to the quasi-anechoic curves. The ground plane measurement was smoothed to 1/6^th octave; quasi-anechoic measurements to 1/12^th octave. All measurements were taken using the 3.5mm line input, feeding the left channel only.

The Switch’s frequency response is a beautiful thing, at least for a Bluetooth speaker. It’s practically flat from 200 Hz to 10 kHz, although the tonal balance is obviously tilted toward the treble. There’s a strong bass resonance at 150 Hz, which helps balance out the upward tilt in the tonal balance and also, of course, gives the impression of deeper bass response. Averaged 0° to 30° response is almost identical to, and actually a little smoother than, the on-axis response. It's strange that a device with a subjectively soft tonal balance would yield such a treble-heavy measurement, but perhaps that strong bass bump at 150 Hz obscures some of the treble.

My MCMäxxx™ test—cranking up Mötley Crüe’s “Kickstart My Heart” until it sounds harsh or distorted, then backing off the volume just a hair and noting the maximum usable volume at 1 meter—showed that the Switch’s output is competitive with the other Bluetooth speakers of comparable size. It hits 87 dB, the same as the Braven BRV-1 and 1 dB above the (much smaller) Soundmatters FoxL Dash 7.

Bottom line

So as some of my relatives in New Orleans might say, “Where we at with this thing?” The Switch has a beautiful midrange, ample bass, and a soft treble. In the context of other compact Bluetooth speakers, it sounds pretty good. It doesn’t have the quasi-audiophile dazzle of the FoxL or Dash 7, but I’ve certainly enjoyed listening to it. And the design is hands-down the best I have seen in a Bluetooth speaker. Strongly recommended for jazz fans, for fhose who abhor bright sound, for design-conscious gadget freaks, and as a gift to anyone who wants a super-friendly, super-stylish sound system to use with their phone.

Photo by: Brent Butterworth

Native_Union_main

The Switch has a large volume knob at the end, and an on/off/Bluetooth mating button inside the knob..

This Week in Movies & TV, May 28, 2013: Epic Curious

Josef Krebs — Tue, 28 May 2013 19:06:08 GMT

Also, Cleopatra, Life is Sweet, Dark Skies, The Star Chamber, The Grass is Greener, In Old California.

Cleopatra

For its 50th anniversary — along with the hoopla of a Cannes Film Festival re-release, a limited theatrical engagement in more than 200 theaters, and Richard Burton’s posthumously receiving a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame next to Elizabeth Taylor’s — Cleopatra has been newly digitally restored in a 243-minute original theatrical cut. (Over the years there have also been a 192-minute version, a 233-minute TV version, a 320-minute director’s cut, and a 248-minute roadshow version.)

The 1963 “historical” epic, directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz (All About Eve, Guys and Dolls,The Quiet American, Julius Caesar), was shot on 70mm Todd-AO by Leon Shamroy who won an Oscar for Best Cinematography. In addition, Cleopatra was nominated for eight other Oscars (including Best Picture), also winning for Best Art Direction, Best (Color) Costume Design, and Best Visual Effects.

It tells the story of Cleopatra VII (Elizabeth Taylor), the young Queen of Egypt who, in 48 BC, must use all her womanly wiles, to secure power from her equally ambitious and ruthless teenage brother Ptolem and resist the imperialist ambitions of Rome. In the process she seduces one general from Rome — Julius Caesar (Rex Harrison) — only in turn to be seduced herself by manly Mark Antony (Richard Burton).

Cleopatra co-stars Roddy McDowall, Carroll O’Connor, and Martin Landau. The music score was by Alex North. The screenplay was adapted by Sidney Buchman, Ben Hecht, Ranald MacDougall, and Mankiewicz from a book by Carlo Maria Franzero.

Cleopatra was the highest grossing film of 1963, bringing in more than $24 million in its initial release. Unfortunately it cost $42 million to make (equivalent to over $300 million today) and nearly bankrupted 20th Century Fox. The three-year production was dragged out by delays, the creation of insanely elaborate sets and costumes, the near-death illness of its leading lady, and relocation of the production from London to Rome, all leading to a very publically celebrated love affair between its stars over the period and a horribly runaway budget. However, its box-office take has since gone up to $57,750,000 in the US, $62,000,000 worldwide.

The 2-disc set is packaged with a full-color book, comes with three new featurettes, and offers the choice of the original 4-channel soundtrack or a 5.1 mix.

Video: 2.20:1. Audio: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, Dolby Digital 4.0. Extras: commentary with Chris Mankiewicz, Tom Mankiewicz, Martin Landau and Jack Brodsky, “Cleopatra Through The Ages: A Cultural History,” “Cleopatra’s Missing Footage,” “Fox Movie Channel presents Fox Legacy with Tom Rothman,” “The Cleopatra Papers: A Private Correspondence,” “Cleopatra: The Film That Changed Hollywood,” “The Fourth Star of Cleopatra,” Fox Movietone News, archival footage of the New York premiere, archival footage of the Hollywood premiere, full-color book featuring rare images from the making of the film. Studio: 20th Century Fox.

Dark Skies

Lacy (Keri Russell) and Daniel Barrett (Josh Hamilton), never having seen a horror movie before, move to a quiet suburban house to raise their children, Jesse (Dakota Goyo), and younger son Sammy (Kadan Rockett), in peace and safety. But at night, Sammy reads scary stories about The Sandman in bed via walkie-talkie. Then, surprisingly, an escalating series of strange occurrences begin to occur — fridge food on the floor one night, packaged foods and cans stacked in towers the next, missing photographs, and three swarming flocks of migrating birds — hundreds of them — kamikazing against the building from three sides. And if that wasn’t bad enough, laid-off dad can’t pay the mortgage.

After their inquiries and pleas to the police authorities draw a blank, the family start to suspect . . . the supernatural. But even paranormal expert Edwin Pollard (J.K. Simmons) can’t do anything to help them and soon Lacy and Daniel begin to feel that they’re losing it. But to what? And how can they protect their family against such a seeming generic horror-movie threat — especially when it all turns out it’s not to be a generic horror movie threat?

Writer-directed Scott Stewart (Priest, Legion) made Dark Skies for $3.5 million and it went on to earn $23.4 million worldwide. The film co-stars Dakota Goyo, Kadan Rockett, Annie Thurman, J.K. Simmons, and Trevor St. John.

Video: 2.40:1. Audio: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1. Extras: commentary with Stewart, producer Jason Blum, executive producer Brian Kavanaugh-Jones, and editor Peter Gvozdas, deleted and alternate scenes; DVD and UltraViolet digital copy for streaming/downloading. Studio: Starz/Anchor Bay.

Life is Sweet

This moving 1990 film from director Mike Leigh (Secrets & Lies, Career Girls, All Or Nothing) — his third and most internationally successful cinematic project — is a portrait of a working-class family in a northern London suburb. The parents are Wendy(Alison Steadman), the upbeat stalwart center of the family who works in a baby clothing shop, is a part-time waitress, and teaches dance at a primary school. Andy (Jim Broadbent) is a loving but somewhat lost professional executive chef in an industrial kitchen who likes to plan projects but rarely gets round to following through. His latest idea is to buy and do up an ancient, beat-up hamburger van.

Their twin twenty-something daughters are Natalie (Claire Skinner) and Nicola (Jane Horrocks). Natalie is an easygoing apprentice plumber who likes to hang out with her male workmates drinking and playing pool but dreams of going to America. Nicola is troubled and moody, unemployed and bulimically thin, whilst being highly critical of those around her who don’t live up to her political standards.

With these seemingly simple characters and situations and his usual humanist insight, honesty, and sensitivity, Leigh creates a world that, though lacking in any Hollywood romance or glamor, tells us instead an awful lot about our common humanity.

Life is Sweet co-stars Stephen Rea, Timothy Spall, and David Thewlis. It was shot by by Leigh’s frequent cinematographer, Dick Pope and the music was composed by Rachel Portman. The film is presented here in a new high-definition digital restoration, with lossless DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 surround soundtrack.

Video: 1.85:1. Audio: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. Extras: new director's commentary, audio recording of a 1991 interview with Leigh at the National Film Theatre in London, booklet featuring an essay by critic David Sterritt. Studio: The Criterion Collection.

The Star Chamber

In this 1983 thriller from director Peter Hyams (Outland, Timecop, Capricorn One), an idealistic L.A. Superior Court Judge, Steven Hardin (Michael Douglas) is disgusted by the legal system that forces him to free a pair of child rapists and murderers on a technicality. Particularly since they then go on to rape and kill another boy. So when he’s told by his friend, Judge Caulfield (Hal Holbrook), of a group of nine like-minded judges called the Star Chamber who meet to go over such cases, he's intrigued. Soon he's meeting with them behind closed doors and joins the Star Chamber in identifying criminals who’ve managed to escape justice, trying them in this secret court, and, if the accused are found guilty, sentencing them to an unusual form of punishment — assassination by a hired hit man.

All well and good until police detective (Yaphet Kotto) comes to Hardin with conclusive evidence that it was someone else that raped and killed the boy. Unfortunately the two men have just been sentenced to death by the Star Chamber for a crime, it seems, they did not commit and so now Hardin has to find a way to somehow stop the assassin before he completes his mission.

The Star Chamber co-stars Sharon Gless, James Sikking, and Otis Day.

Video: 2.35:1. Audio: Dolby TrueHD 5.1. Extras: None . Studio: Starz/Anchor Bay.

The Grass is Greener

In this 1960 rom-com-dram from director Stanley Donen (Charade,Indiscreet, Funny Face,Singin’ in the Rain), British Earl Victor of Rhyall (Cary Grant) and his wife, Countess Hilary of Rhyall (Deborah Kerr) are in such dire financial straights they’re forced to open their home to the common public, allowing plebeians to take guided tours of their stately home.

A smooth-talking, good-looking American oil tycoon, Charles Delacro (Robert Mitchum), on traipsing into Hilary’s private quarters, by his unusual attention, sweeps the earl’s sweet wife off her feet forcing the now-attentive earl, on the encouragement of his old flame/his wife’s best friend (Jean Simmons), to take up arms against a sea of troubles by inviting the cad up for a weekend to the death.

This sophisticated and blunt analysis of matrimonial endeavors was written by Hugh Williams and Margaret Vyner adapted from their own West End hit play.

Video: 2.35:1. Audio: TBA. Extras: TBA. Studio: Olive Films.

In Old California

In this black-and-white 1942 Republic Pictures Western from director William C. McGann (Illegal, Murder on the Second Floor, The Case of the Black Cat), Tom Craig (John Wayne), a mild-mannered but ambitious pharmacist who moves from Boston to Sacramento, settling into the tough frontier town during the Californian gold rush. He soon comes into conflict with the local political boss, Britt Dawson (Albert Dekker), who makes his money from forcing the citizens to pay protection payments. Tom decides to go after Dawson by leading the settlers in a revolt against paying the corrupt gun-toting politician's taxes, a fight that will inevitably lead to bullets not ballots. In Old California’s cast includes Binnie Barnes, Patsy Kelly, Dick Purcell, Harry Shannon, Helen Parrish, and Edgar Kennedy.

Video: 1.37:1. Audio: TBA. Extras: TBA. Studio: Olive Films.

Photo by: Sound and Vision Magazine Editor