Special Request: Please consider subscribing to AV Rant Podcast on YouTube so that we can remain in the YouTube Partnership Program when they enact their new rules starting Feb. 20. A HUGE thank you for the influx of subscriptions! We’re close to the necessary 1,000 subscriptions, so we’re really hoping we can reach that threshold. Thanks, everyone!

Our Listeners of the Week are our 53 Patreon Patrons, including Patrick P., and also Heath B. for letting Soundproofing Company know he heard about them from us, Robert G. for talking about us in person with SVS President & CEO Gary Yacoubian, and Justin L. for tweeting with SVS to let them know his SB-4000 subwoofer purchase was an AVRant recommendation.

In the news, via Steve the Geek on Twitter, the first Denon AVR-X8500H owners have discovered the Dolby Surround Upmixer still cannot use Front Wide speakers, despite what was misprinted in the manual. The Apple TV OS 11.3 Beta firmware gets Dolby Vision working on Sony X1 Extreme TVs, and Oppo says they’re working on a Sony Dolby Vision fix. And Nintendo Labo cardboard peripherals are either a fun new toy, or the ultimate, easily destroyed add-on.

Dan has decided to try some alternatives to the expensive Revel C10 Center speaker we suggested for his TV mounted above his fireplace. And Patrick went with our open-back Sennheiser HD559 suggestion, and he added the Avantree Clipper Pro Bluetooth adapter to make them wireless.

Josh C. gets our thoughts on high efficiency speakers and whether they inherently improve dynamics and tactile sensation. Vince H. asks if Front Wide speakers need to be aimed at the primary listening position. And Chris T. gives us a choice between two Samsung TVs, where we’d opt for the MU6100 Series out of the two, but we’d choose the TCL 55P605, or the Vizio M55-E0 over either Samsung option. And we also address Chris’ questions about 7.1.6 Atmos Receivers.

Roy B. needs a new disc player, so we recommend the Sony UBP-X800 if he wants a universal disc player, or a Sony S3700 or S6700 if he just needs the basics. Ted M. tried our suggestion to experiment with a makeshift, temporary baffle wall, but the results were inconclusive, so we have a few last ditch ideas for him to try before he does anything drastic. And Infinite Gary gets our input on using a cassette adapter for his old car stereo, as well as our thoughts on how the OLED Light settings option ought to be adjusted.

Mike G. needs some help troubleshooting why his NVidia Shield TV is his only source device that refused to pass through his Yamaha AV Receiver to his Samsung 4K TV. NevadaDealers on Twitter gets our recommendations for HT Design Seating from HT Market, Fusion Collection Seating, Continental Seating, and Elite Home Theater Seating. And Earle B. wants to know the best way to connect two XLR stereo sources to his single pair of XLR inputs, so we recommend simply using RCA for one of the sources, but offer the suggestion of a pair of Sescom Passive XLR Switches if he’s only willing to use XLR.

Karl R. wants to know when we think the HDMI 2.1 hardware update will be available for the Denon AVR-X8500H Receiver. We also go over the HDR settings for JVC projectors, as well as the output options for Oppo’s Ultra HD Blu-ray players. And we discuss dynamic metadata for projectors, the likelihood of huge, rollable flat panels replacing projection setups, the best audio output settings for the Apple TV 4K, and what we think about 70mm film presentations. And Mike M. wants to retain Dolby Vision and Atmos in his Main Zone while playing the same source on a less capable TV in Zone 2, so we talk about the HD Fury Linker, using an inexpensive Receiver like the Yamaha RX-V383, and using Monoprice Fiber Optic HDMI Cables, or Monoprice DynamicView Active HDMI Cables for his long HDMI run.

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Our Listeners of the Week are James and Luke for their donations, along with our 51 Patreon Patrons, including Rob M. and Josh C., as well as Ryan H. for telling SVS he decided on dual PB16-Ultra subwoofers rather than buying a second Klipsch sub because of us, Robert E. for letting SVS know we started him down his multiple subwoofer journey, Jason S. for letting Sound Proofing Company know we sent him their way, and Steve the Geek from NextGenHomeTheater.com for mentioning us in his KEF Q-Series speaker review.

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Our Listeners of the Week are Earle for his donation, along with our 51 Patreon Patrons, as well as Jason H. for letting SVS know we pointed him their way, and Kerry for letting Accessories4Less know he heard about them from us when he bought his Marantz SR6011 AV Receiver.

In the news, Denon announced the $4,000 13.2-channel AVR-X8500H Receiver while Marantz announced the $4,500 13.2-channel AV8805 Pre-Pro. We combed through the Denon AVR-X8500H manual to find details on its multitude of setup options using its 13 built-in amps and 15 sets of binding posts and pre-outs. It might be helpful to download Dolby’s 9.1.6 Atmos test tones and reference the Dolby 9.1.6 speaker setup guide as 7.1.6 and 9.1.4 configurations are possible with these new 13.2-channel products.

Sony showed their 85-inch 8K “Full-Spec HDR” TV that’s capable of hitting 10,000 nit peaks. Sony announced their UBP-X700 Ultra HD Blu-ray player with Dolby Vision support. And Sony’s TV lineup for 2018 plays it safe with no major performance increases, but less expensive A8F OLED and FALD X900F LCD TVs. Lastly, TCL announced 55 and 65-inch 6-Series Roku TVs with Dolby Vision and more “Contrast Control Zones”.

Travis D. explained how he was testing his bass management and crossovers using sine wave test tones, so we suggested using sweeps from Audiocheck.net instead. Infinite Gary asks if 2018 OLED TVs are still glossy, explains how he filled his whole 2.35:1 screen while watching 4:3 content, gets our thoughts on how much beefed up video processing chips impact picture quality, and asks what he’d be gaining if he added Front Wide speakers to his setup. And Steve B. gets our recommendations to install Focal Little Bird or NHT SuperZero speakers as his Atmos overheads.

Grant M. wants to automatically play a list of movies with subtitles off of a hard drive, so we suggest using Plex on an NVidia Shield TV or Kodi on a Mi Box. Jack T. gets our thoughts on adding two more in-ceiling speakers to the four he already has in order to expand to 5.2.4 Atmos. And Gabriel J. gets our help identifying some used speakers he bought as the Paradigm Titan v1 and Paradigm LCR-150 v1.

Jonathan F. wants to know why perforated cinema screens black more sound and create a steeper high frequency roll-off than the screens used for home theater. Manuel T. needs to mount his Surround speakers up high, so we think either the SVS Prime Elevation or Focal Bird speakers would work well for him. And Jason B. built a DIY subwoofer with an external amplifier, but he wasn’t happy with the cooling fan noise, so we suggest the Dayton SA230 or a BASH 300S Plate Amplifier since we know Jason could build a beautiful case to house a plate amp.

Charleston L. gets our input on wiring two pairs of speakers in series vs. parallel. Dan uses a fireplace TV mount to lower his TV in front of the mantle for viewing, but that makes it difficult to position his Center speaker, so we suggest using a SoundBar Bracket and perhaps the slim Revel C10 Center speaker so that the TV and Center speaker can move together as one. And Dave gets some settings advice when adding a subwoofer to his Martin Logan Motion Vision SoundBar, and he stumps us when he asks for an inexpensive, rack-mountable HDMI 2.0 switch, which leads us to suggest simply using a shelf along with a Sewell SwitchDeck or checking with SnapAV to see if they offer a solution.

Ken M. wants to know why flagship Receivers still top out at two subwoofer outputs instead of four. Stephen M. wants to know whether the Sony A8F or LG C8 OLED will do a better job of upscaling 576i content in Australia. And Johnny D. needs a new Receiver that he hopes will last him 10 years, so we suggest either spending as little as possible on a Denon AVR-X1300W or splurging a bit on a Denon AVR-X3300W.

Robert G. wants to run Room EQ Wizard test tones through his Atmos speakers with Audyssey active so that he can measure what Audyssey is doing in those positions, but we don’t know of an ideal way to do it. Ryan T. gets confirmation on his speaker choices, some positioning advice for Front Wide speakers, and a refresher on how to use three Receivers to matrix Top Middles from a setup with Top Fronts and Top Rears. Karl R. read the AVS Forum report that functional HDMI 2.1 chips were shown at CES, which leads us to talk about Denon’s HDMI 2.1 upgrade plans for their new flagship Receiver. And Kerry gets our recommendations for Sewell Strike and GLS Locking banana plugs.

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Our Listeners of the Week are Jack for his donation, and our 51 Patreon Patrons, including Byron, as well as Robert G. for letting ButtKicker know he heard about them from us, and Michael D. for letting Accessories4Less know he ordered his Denon AVR-S920W Receiver from them thanks to our recommendation.

In the news, LG announced their 2018 OLED and SuperUHD TV lineup. The 2018 LG OLEDs include a full 3D LUT with auto-calibration using CalMAN software. And LG showed a prototype 65-inch rollable OLED. Warner Bros. joined the HDR10+ Alliance. Panasonic says HDR10+ is part of the Ultra HD Blu-ray specification now, and they announced the first HDR10+ OLED TVs. They also announced the Panasonic UB820 Ultra HD Blu-ray player that is compatible with both Dolby Vision and HDR10+. And Samsung unveiled The Wall: a modular, micro-LED display.

James Bujold shared a fun project; his brother and nephew replaced the innards of a vintage TEAC tape deck with a Raspberry Pi and a touchscreen. Robert G. reported back that a single ButtKicker LFE Mini is plenty for his loveseat. Chris A. discovered loose speaker wires inside his Paradigm speakers were the culprit creating crackling and audio drop outs. David F. took advantage of getting RBH A-600 in-ceiling speakers at wholesale cost by installing six of them. Michael M. listens to us during his commute in Austria, which happens to line up perfectly with our Live on Air recording sessions. And Rob M. recommends the price alert/price tracking website PriceOwlert.com, especially in Canada where there are far fewer online price tracking options.

Ted M. is getting “blurry” stereo imaging at his primary seat, but it sounds much better if he moves either forward or backward. He wants to know if it’s all down to the angle at which he’s hearing his speakers, or if it’s something more complicated, especially since he can’t easily see why this is happening by looking at Room EQ Wizard measurements. Ryan L. asks if he should go for the larger Ascend Acoustics CMT-340SE speakers across his Front Left, Center, and Right in his small room, and he gets some thoughts on room treatments and Atmos speaker placement. And Mike gets our recommendation for the Aperion Audio Intimus L6-IC in-ceiling speakers and talking to Soundproofing Company to determine his construction needs. We also discuss the importance of adhering to code when it comes to utility room doors. And we tackle some design ideas for his custom entertainment unit, acoustic treatment placement, and subwoofer placement.

Lance H. was told by Best Buy that the Sony X900E TVs would get a Dolby Vision update. Best Buy was wrong, so he’s wondering if he should upgrade to the X930E, or simply wait for the new 2018 models. Lance also asks about image quality from streaming services on 4K TVs, and whether he should upgrade his CPU, GPU, or both so that he can play 4K content on an HTPC. Andrew gets some product advice for his dedicated theater room in Canada, including our recommendation for the AudioSource Amp100, Epson HC 4000 projector, and sitting closer to his screen. We also tackle his speaker placement, soundproofing, and, once again, staying within code for his utility room door. And Byron S. asks about using Zone 2, Zone 3, and HEOS to play different, or the same, sources in four different rooms. And he gets our thoughts on how to orient his new room, and whether he should try to add Front Wide speakers.

Mark O. wants to upgrade the NHT Super Zero speakers in his 2-channel setup. With the budget he proposed, we suggest the Aperion Verus II Grand Tower, Ascend Acoustics Sierra-2, Philharmonic Audio BMR Philharmonitor, KEF LS50, or Power Sound Audio MT-110 speakers, along with Sanus speaker standsif he needs them, the Denon AVR-X3300W from Accessories4Less, and the Sony UBP-X800 Ultra HD Blu-ray player. Michael D. and his wife bought a slew of 4K gear, so we go over some settings to make sure he’s getting the best signals possible, including setup tips for his Vizio M Series from RTings, Apple TV 4K from CNET, and Xbox One X from Windows Central. Boshko gets our opinions of the Onkyo TX-ZR810 Receiver, and we talk about its bi-amping feature. We also suggest the APC J35B for battery backup power protection and the APC G Type 20 amp power protectors. As well as the NVidia Shield TV for playing video files off of USB storage with full lossless audio bitstreams. And Earle B. finds out what we think of the chances of seeing HDR10+ added to older TVs.

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Tom gets a new co-host: Everyone meet Daisy! Our Listeners of the Week are Steve, Mike, Andrew, Lance, and Yuri for their donations, as well as our 48 Patreon Patrons, including Grant, Benjamin, Ted, and Christian. We also thank Travis for letting SVS know his PB12-NSD subwoofer purchase was thanks to us, and Larry for offering to help out fellow AVRant Listener Mike. We send a huge shout out and thank you to James for sending Tom a stack of AVRant-branded mouse pads, and another stack of totally different “loudspeaker decoupling risers”.

You’ll want to check out our AV Rant Podcast YouTube video this week to meet our new AVRant mascot, Daisy.

In the news, Netflix now supports HDR10 playback on Kaby Lake-powered Windows 10 PCs. Sony TVs with the X1 Extreme video chip should get Dolby Vision support by the end of January. And LG will show an 88-inch, 8K resolution OLED prototype at CES 2018.

Greg L. thanked us for our repair advice after he discovered a leak in his theater. Benjamin thanks AVRant commenter RAID5 for suggesting the use of Zone 2 to allow an older Receiver to act as an amplifier with more than two channels. Matt shared an image of the Power Sound Audio subwoofer package that had been taunting him until Christmas. T.L. received great customer service from Martin Logan on his Descent 1 subwoofer. And George was displeased with the non-optional “upgraded” power supply sent to him by Schiit Audio that wound up costing George return shipping and restocking fees.

Jason S. wants to know if it’s a good idea to repurpose his Denon 4810CI Receiver as a 3 Zone amplifier for whole house audio. Brandon N. used our advice to settle on a pair of GoldenEar Triton 2 Towers and dual subwoofers, but he wants to know if it’d be worth trying to enclose part of his room, and he has some questions about how bass gets rerouted depending on the subwoofer output and LFE settings. And D. gets clarification on how the PS4 and PS4 Pro handle audio, and which settings are best.

Chris T. has Atmos content on his Plex server, and he wants to know if an Xbox One or a Raspberry Pi 3 can play it. Greg C. wants a 7.2.4 Processor and 11 channels of amplification, so we highly recommend using an AV Receiver and only three or five channels of external amplification. And Biv wonders if Tidal sent from an iPhone to an AV Receiver via AirPlay remains lossless.

David F. found a wholesale supplier for RBH in-ceiling speakers, so he wants to confirm their value. He also asks if he needs more absorption in an alcove at the front of his room, and we point him to DIY Movie Rooms and Audioholics for advice on building a seating riser. Jason A. wants a fully analogue crossover, which we really don’t think is necessary, but is available in the Emotiva XSP-1 Pre-amp. And Andy read about the big budget release of the movie Bright on Netflix, so we share what we think about how it might impact theatrical releases.

Bari W. updates us on his basement theater that has an awkward soffit covering a pipe, so we discuss speaker placement options and ways to finish his ceiling if he tears down the existing soffit. Travis D. ran some bass sweeps and found some big dips in his bass that he asks if EQ can fix, and he isn’t hearing the expected roll-off in his speakers when he tries to apply bass management. And Jonathan F. gets our opinions on a study sighted by Floyd Toole in which people were better at picking the winners of music competitions when they could see the contestants but not hear them.

Earle B. wants to know if his Sony X940C TV will get Dolby Vision, and why some Netflix content is labelled as Dolby Vision on his Apple TV 4K, but that same content is labelled only as HDR in his Sony Netflix app. Infinite Gary found Display Wars helpful for comparing screen sizes, but he wants to know viewing angles and field of view, too, so we suggest using the Viewing Distance Calculator. Gary also asks why so much effort went into the production of Dunkirk only to have it filtered and cropped out of shots, and how we’d suggest viewing 4:3 content on a 2.35:1 aspect ratio screen. And Donald wants to share his dual subwoofers with both a surround sound setup and a separate 2-channel setup, so we suggest adding a miniDSP 2×4 to his Receiver’s Zone 2 outputs, and using an Outlaw Audio OAW4, Dayton Audio Wave Link, or Outdoor Speaker Depot WSK-100 wireless adapter to get the signal to his subwoofer at the back of his room.

Kris B. wants to know the best settings to use when connecting an Oppo UDP-203 Ultra HD Blu-ray player to his Epson 6040UB projector. Mark H. has a JVC X500 projector and Denon AVR-4520 Receiver that can handle 4K resolution signals, but not HDR, 10-bit color, or HDCP 2.2, so he wants to know if a Monoprice HDCP 2.2 to 1.4 Converter will let him see any benefit from Ultra HD Blu-rays. And Dave asks what the large capacitors that were installed in car audio systems back in the 90’s were doing for the amplifiers and power supplies.

Brandon N. heard a big improvement when he went from one subwoofer to two, but now he wants to know if his bass can sound even better. We highly recommend getting a calibrated USB microphone from Cross-Spectrum Labs, and we talk about looking for uniformity across multiple seats to figure out what needs adjustment. And Nick B.’s dad is looking for an affordable 65-inch TV with a SoundBar, so we recommend a Vizio display along with either a Vizio 3.1 SoundBar or the Yamaha YAS-207.

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