Check out our video version on the AV Rant Podcast YouTube Page. This episode’s video includes a comedy of errors at the beginning that you won’t find anywhere else!

In the news, Moanis and Antoine both sent a link to an announcement of the Optoma UHZ65 and 4K500 projectors that continue Optoma’s recent trend on aggressive prices, this time for a laser light engine and extremely high light output, respectively. Denon and Marantz announced their 2017 AV Receiver lineup in Europe, and it’s worth checking out AVCesar coverage (in French) since there was confusion regarding future 2018 models with 13-channel processing. And Klipsch Reference Premiere Architectural speakers expand that series with in-wall and in-ceiling models that feature their new SecureFit mounting system.

Jason P. helped clarify that the Tivo Roamio OTA does not have any monthly fee. Kris I. says the Spotify app for Amazon Fire TV is the best out of the various streaming boxes available. And Kris P. has suggestions for making sure lossless bitstream audio works on your Xbox One, reminds us that an Xbox One controller can make for a pretty good wireless headphone adapter, and wants us to consider more than just features when recommending AV Receivers.

Casey P. wants to hear our opinions on DIY speakers and the DIY Sound Group Fusion-8 Alchemy in particular. Earle B. bought some new McIntosh gear, and the amplifier includes an impedance switch that seems different from the usual speaker impedance setting found in many AV Receivers. He also asks which XLR cables to buy, so Tom recommends Monoprice Premier Series, and Rob recommends Emotiva XLR Snake, or Blue Jeans Cable if you want broadcast grade. And Justin B. is looking into “audiophile” smartphones, such as the LG V20 or upcoming LG G6+, but he also wants to know more about MQA, Tidal, and which device in his signal chain needs to handle the digital to analogue conversion. He also asks about hi-res network audio players that can be controlled directly on the player itself, such as the HiFiBerry project using a Raspberry Pi 3.

Marc N. gets some clarification on a few audio terms so he can avoid a repeat of referring to “slap echo” as “pickle slap”. Nick B. has a new basement plan that he really likes, but he has concerns about HVAC, as well as what he should use for Atmos speakers, where we recommend either the Focal Little Bird or RBH in-ceiling speakers. And Rob W. asks about soundproofing, HVAC, and distribution amplifiers, and also gets our recommendation for Monoprice Optical HDMI Cable for a distance greater than 35 feet.

Nathan W. wants to know if the dual subwoofer outputs on Marantz SlimLine AV Receivers are independent. Damon P. has a new, dedicated theater room, so we make some suggestions for a new JVC HDR DLA-X570R projector, Marantz Pre-Pro or Receiver, Sony UBP-X800 Ultra HD Blu-ray player, and dual subwoofers rather than a single SVS sub. And Infinite Gary has noticed some differences between DTS Neural:X upmixing and Dolby Surround upmixing, and he’d like to know if our experience has been the same.

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