Our Listeners of the Week are Thomas and Kenneth for their donations, as well as our 72 Patreon Patrons.

In the news, SVS launched their Prime Wireless products, including the $600/pair Prime Wireless Speakers and $500 Prime Wireless SoundBase. And Microsoft announced their $350 wireless, active noise-cancelling Surface Headphones to compete with the current top pick: Sony’s WH-1000XM3.

Older Marantz AV Receiver and Processor models have now received their Dolby Vision and HLG firmware update. And if you catch this before Oct 12, 2018, there’s a Massdrop on Ascend Acoustics Sierra-2 speakers for $1,250/pair.

0:10:52 Richard B. gets confirmation about starting with one SVS PC-2000 subwoofer from ElectronicsForLess in Canada for his friend’s basement setup. We also like the Harmony Companion to control everything. And we suggest Acoustic Panels Canada and My Fabric Designs for getting the materials and printed fabric to make DIY movie poster panels.

0:19:49 John D. gets our recommendation to call AV Science when shopping for a projector. Then we talk about 5.2.4 vs. 7.2.2 and Atmos speaker positioning.

0:27:16 Earle B. wants to know why many movies still aren’t getting Ultra HD Blu-ray releases.

0:30:03 Gus wonders if all movie studios will ever join Movies Anywhere so that no matter where you redeem a download code, you’ll have your entire movie collection available on a single platform.

0:33:03 Kris B. gets our take on HDTV Test’s praise of CineMike modifications.

0:39:08 Nathan D. asks what we think about MoviePass reactivating subscribers’ accounts unless they opt out, even though they got a new $65 million investment and AMC Stubs A-List is growing quickly.

0:44:05 Dave B. wants to put his projector on a coffee table and fill a 137-inch screen, so we suggest the BenQ HT2050A or the short throw HT2150ST as long as he carefully plans their placement.

0:51:29 Chris H. wants the biggest upgrade for his budget, so we mention potentially getting a second subwoofer or adding room treatments. Then we discuss a speaker upgrade, such as the NHT SuperZeroes, Focal Bird or Little Birds, or Ascend Acoustics HTM-200SE. And lastly mention an AV Receiver upgrade, such as the Denon AVR-X2400H from Accessories4Less.

0:59:15 Rob K. is switching from a SoundBar to a full immersive audio setup, including Auro-3D. We discuss using SVS Prime Satellite speakers, powering everything with a Denon AVR-X6400H, and where we think he should put his absorption panels.

1:11:30 Josh S. wants to confirm that keeping his pair of SVS PB12-NSD subwoofers is the right move, as it will allow him to upgrade his projector.<

1:19:08 Karl R. wants our take on the first THX Certified Live Concert Venue and the return of THX Certified movie theaters.

1:21:56 Fred R. wonders if it’s worth spending a bit more on an NVidia Shield Recommended USB Flash Drive vs. a less expensive USB stick. And we offer our lists of favorite streaming TV series.

1:33:37 Alex P. keeps frying whichever HDMI input his cable box is plugged into, and we definitely think his coax cable could be to blame.

1:36:35 Mike S. gets our quick impressions of the Amazon Echo Link Amp.

1:38:01 Chris M. asks whether he should use the two independent subwoofer outputs on his Denon Receiver, or use a Y-splitter and just one of the subwoofer outputs to ensure both of his subs are getting a mono signal.

1:43:05 Daniel C. wants to know what’s different between the Marantz AV7705 and AV8805 Processors, and whether they sound different.

1:45:56 Jonathan F. gets our take on Hi-fi Bars and Jazz Cafes.

1:50:07 Jason G. would like a 75-inch TV for around $2,000, so we recommend the Vizio P75-F1.

• 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!

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

Liked it? Take a second to support AV Rant on Patreon!