AV Rant #925: Here’s the Kool-Aid
Tom is using the Maxwell headset again. And he is audio-only this week. It wasn’t the plan. But there’s a lot going on behind the scenes! You’ll hear all about it.
MadVR has introduced their Envy Core Video Processor and optional Premium Pack to bring down the price of entry. And Value Electronics crowned Sony the King of TVs once again at their annual shootout.
Pictures shown in this episode: https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjBCx9j
00:00:00 – Intro
Find out why Tom is using the Maxwell headset again this week, and what everybody thought about the sound quality of its mic.
00:12:28 – What We Watched
Rob watched The Fall Guy (Extended Edition). Tom watched Monster Inside: America’s Most Extreme Haunted House. And we’ve both been watching Olympics coverage.
00:33:10 – Listeners of the Week
Our Listeners of the Week are Ari for his PayPal donation, plus our 129 Patreon Patrons, including J. Karl, as well as J. Karl again for sharing his knowledge about air compressors, and Sasi for giving us a shout out to Kinetics Noise Control.
We also appreciate the notes of gratitude for keeping the podcast going from: John, J. Karl, James, Nelson, Steve, Ari, and Sasi. Thank you to everyone for continuing to listen!
In the news:
00:37:29 – News: MadVR Envy Core
A new, less expensive video processor with an optional Premium Pack, and an introductory price for the rest of this year: https://tinyurl.com/46ua3ff4
– MadVR Comparison Chart: https://tinyurl.com/tzkx4sk7
00:51:15 – News: 2024 King of TVs
Value Electronics held their annual TV shootout. But they separated OLEDs and LCDs, and have fewer participants: https://tinyurl.com/4cvt25vz
Comments:
00:56:23 – Comment: John – BenQ HT3560 Feedback
He hit a small snag after buying a projector we had recommended, but it all turned out great.
QUESTIONS:
00:58:07 – Will: Change Your Rental Habits
Disappointing audio quality got you down? Will points to evidence that Apple Movie rentals played on an Apple TV 4K are your surest bet.
01:04:47 – Nelson: Setting Up 7.4.4
We go through what needs to be configured to use a mix of external and built-in amps, how to adjust volume levels, and how to prepare for running Audyssey.
– https://avgadgets.com/why-av-receivers-display-volume-in-negative-numbers/
– https://avgadgets.com/when-to-use-direct-or-pure-direct-mode-on-your-av-receiver/
01:18:06 – Infinite Gary: Will Kaleidescape Blow Him Away?
Everyone takes it for granted that discs and Kaleidescape are better than streaming. But is it honestly that noticeable?
01:25:55 – Steve: Which OLED for Gaming?
We cut through the confusion of model numbers both new and old.
– https://avgadgets.com/different-model-numbers-for-the-same-av-equipment-what-does-it-mean/
01:35:00 – Patrick: Microphone Options
Our suggestions for a desktop microphone.
– Audio-Technica AT2020USB-X: https://tinyurl.com/2tj48h6a
– Audio-Technica AT2005USB: https://tinyurl.com/2f8p2p2a
– RODE VideoMic Go II: https://tinyurl.com/53zkucur
01:42:16 – Shawn: Full-Motion TV Wall-Mount Options
Suggestions for full-motion TV wall-mounts that can handle a fairly large TV.
– https://avgadgets.com/monoprice-commercial-series-wall-mount/
– Sanus Elite BLF328: https://tinyurl.com/ywcyxyww
– EchoGear MaxMotion: https://tinyurl.com/bdffmb9f
– Gabor FSM-L: https://tinyurl.com/y37xfx58
01:47:25 – Henry: OLED Burn-in Woes
He’s got a use case where we don’t think OLED is the correct solution. But he only wants a Sony. So we have a suggestion. But we messed up a bit, since the Bravia 9’s smallest size is 65″! The Bravia 7 will still do nicely, though.
– Sony 55″ Bravia 7: https://tinyurl.com/58stxfcw
01:53:44 – Ari: Minor Marantz Issues
How come the volume still shows up on his TV screen? And we actually think a power cord is making a difference.
– https://avgadgets.com/extending-your-av-receivers-power-cord-safely/
01:59:45 – Sasi: CEA-2010, Back Cans & Filters
He compared recent and old CEA-2010 subwoofer measurements from Audioholics vs HSU’s own. They show a consistent discrepancy. Can we explain? He has potential in-ceiling speaker back can solutions. And what’s up with PEQ vs IIR vs FIR filters?
– Atlas Sound Back Can: https://tinyurl.com/t68zb6xe
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