Our Listeners of the Week are Thomas, Brandon, Ted, Simon, and Jay. Thank you all for your generous donations! Rob H. saw Suicide Squad and liked it. And judging by its box office haul so far, maybe he wasn’t alone after all (Lots of terrible movies did well at the box office. That doesn’t make them not terrible – Tom).

In the news, Andy from NoAudiophile.com noted the Kickstarter campaign for the new $1,600 Smyth Realiser A16 model that can decode immersive audio formats. Yoeri Geutskens posted a terrific Dolby Vision FAQ. And thEndUsr Podcast has concluded with episode 204. Our congratulations to Chris and Taylor on over six years of weekly podcasting!

Mike B. explains why the Nura headphone system is potentially even less useful than we first thought. Rob G. inverted his ceiling-mounted speakers and heard a big improvement. Antoine and Steve O. both showed us a clip from the TV show “Hometime” where they show you how NOT to position speakers. Ted M. shared a video about IMAX audio. And Infinite Gary found some light-absorbing material measurements.

Jay C. loves his dual HSU VTF-3 Mk5 subwoofers, so he asks for our advice about: Ascend Acoustics Sierra Towers RAAL to replace his Polk speakers, getting white Ascend Acoustics Surround speakers or other white speakers such as the Focal SuperBird on-walls, using GiK Acoustics FreeStand Acoustic Panels or GiK Acoustics Screen Panels, and what he should look for in an area rug. Moanis wants to put his Ascend Sierra-2 speakers in his theater, so we recommend a Sierra-2 Center to match, and potentially the forthcoming Sierra Sat for Surrounds. And Jason S. wants to know if it matter which way subwoofer drivers are facing.

Heath B. gets our thoughts on where to build his theater room in his basement along with our recommendations for dual SVS PC-2000 cylinder subwoofers and the upcoming Epson 5040UB HDR projector. Jason P. wants to know if it’s really necessary to remove speaker grills for the best possible sound. And Rafael S. gets our thoughts on whether he should buy a new subwoofer or AV Receiver (or acoustic treatments) first, which Marantz Receiver model he should aim for, and whether he should add Surround Back speakers to his system. 

Johnny D. asks if the EMP Tek E3b satellite speakers are a good choice for overhead and Surround positions. And we think the SVS SoundPath Pivoting Wall/Ceiling Bracket or Pinpoint Mounts AB100 are great options for mounting them. Cody B. asks us to compare the Marantz SR7010 vs. Denon AVR-X6200W, and gets our thoughts on where to mount them for Atmos. And Michael M. asks some questions about SoundBars for his parents, so we recommend the Pioneer Andrew Jones SP-SB23W or one of the Vizio SoundBar options. 

Bill R. wants to nail down his projection screen choice. We discuss size options, aspect ratio, screen gain, and magnetic masking using a SeymourAV Premier Frame. We also suggest Sanus Racks or Peerless AV Racks for holding all of his gear. Will T. wants to know how the ports on his speakers are configured and for us to clarify exactly how close ported speakers can be to the wall. And Matt H. gets a mini-rant from us regarding DIY subwoofers. 

Matt G. wants to know if there are some simple, unobtrusive ways to improve his room’s acoustics, whether he should agonize over Center speaker placement, and our thoughts on speaker wire. Antoine would like an easy online calculator for subwoofers vs. room size, but the best we can offer is a combination of Josh Ricci’s data-bass.com measurements combined with Audioholics room size guide. And Brandon wonders whether he should buy a Yamaha RX-A3060 Receiver right now, or wait for the Denon AVR-X4300H to be released.

Thanks for listening. Now, don't forget to:

• Check out the AV Rant YouTube channel to watch our show videos.
• Download Tom’s FREE superhero-themed ebook Bob Moore: No Hero.
• If you like it, you can purchase the two full-length follow-ups -  Bob Moore: Desperate Times and Bob Moore: Hostile Territory.
• Check out AVGadgets.com where Tom is the new Editor-in-Chief!
• Download Tom's NEWEST book, Touch of Pain from Amazon now!

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