Sound & Vision

Calibrated Emotions I’VE BEEN immersed in the world of audio and AV for over twenty years. During this time, I’ve come to understand that while technical knowledge is important, it can sometimes hinder emotional connection. This realization was starkly highlighted in a recent, unexpected experience. I found myself getting goosebumps while listening to a portable speaker. This was a first for me, a moment that defied my expectations and challenged my preconceptions. Usually, when I get goosebumps, it’s while listening to a system that costs as much as a car or a house. Sometimes, it will happen with more modest gear because triggering this involuntary reflex has nothing to do with cost or rational thought. The key is some magic combination of the right music and a system with performance that triggers…

When I shopped for a motorized recliner, I rejected models with their own Internet Protocol address and built-in speakers. No need. I had already placed a smart speaker on an étagère beside the space where I had planned to put the chair. I’d have a smartphone in my hand and the room would be bathed in Wi-Fi. After doing research online, I realized I must visit an actual showroom. Being able to kick the tires takes on added import when your butt and back are on the line for hours at a time. As I eased my body into the cushy firmness of one chair after another, I rejected models that were heated or came with massage settings. My goal wasn’t to be pampered as much as to acquire a comfortable…

Q (BILL PILAT) I have a Technics SL-J33 turntable and an NAD PP4 preamp. I wish to listen to my vinyl collection through my Sonos speaker setup, which consists of a Play:5 (1st Gen.), a Playbar, a Sub (1st Gen.), and Niles outdoor speakers I run through a Sonos ZP80 preamp that feeds into a Yamaha RX-V495 receiver. I haven’t found any workable solutions through my own online searches. Can you please help? A This should be doable with your existing setup, but it is also possible that your Sonos ZP80 – which is over 18 years old at this point – isn’t functioning correctly. If you connect the output of your NAD PP4 preamp to the input of the ZP80, you should be able to go into the settings menu…

The primary concern with any set of cables is their functionality. Do they meet the specific requirements of your setup? For 8K content, you need an HDMI cable capable of handling the increased bandwidth. The new THX 8K Certified HDMI cables promise that. Developed in collaboration with Pixelgen Design Inc., these cables deliver uncompressed high-speed signals up to 48Gbps. Reviewing cables isn’t my usual focus, but my home reveals a significant dependence on them, especially HDMI cables. Over the years, I’ve amassed hundreds of cables from various brands, quite a few of which didn’t perform as expected. Some were difficult to manage, too thick, rigid, or unreliable. For complex systems, such as a rack full of sources with a distant display or a home theater with a projector, a reliable cable is…

Dweezil Zappa knows how to push the boundaries of surround sound. He was already testing the limits of 5.1 when I asked him to be on a surround-centric panel I hosted at CES two decades ago. More recently, Dweezil has been laser-focused on mixing in Atmos, and his highest profile Atmos mix to date is the truly immersive 24-bit/96kHz remix he did for the 50th anniversary 3CD/1LP/1BD super deluxe edition box set celebrating Deep Purple’s seminal March 1972 album Machine Head (Warner Records), which I reviewed in our June/July 2024 issue. During a recent Zoom interview, Dweezil and I discussed how he brought extra vocal life to “Highway Star,” what his specific directives were for the Atmos version of “Smoke on the Water,” and how he honored the song’s references to…

From the service calls I make, where I go into clients’ homes to service systems installed in racks and cabinets, I can say that for the majority of people, it is infrequent. Chances are you probably do not think about the state of your electronic devices too often. Oh, you might think about all the upgrades you would like to make; where you would put those new tower speakers, or how a second or third subwoofer would really tame those bass modes in your room, or how much more cinematic a larger screen would be. Sure, you think about that part of your system. But how often do you think about the well-being of your system? My suggestion is that at least once a year you give your system a general “love-in.”…