AV Rant #901: Deprogramming Bob
KEF brings their MIE DSP to their Kube Subwoofers. Vudu is changing its name to Fandango At Home. Walmart is buying Vizio. UHP projector lamps can’t be restocked in the EU starting in 2026. And Tom finally watched Barbie!
Pictures shown in this episode: https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjBeMkU
00:00:00 – Intro
00:04:07 – SoundPEATS Space Update
It’s been a couple weeks; how’s the battery life?
– https://avgadgets.com/charge-your-headphones-once-a-week-soundpeats-space-headphones-review/
00:06:57 – What We Watched
Rob watched Madame Web, and Titane. Tom finally watched Barbie! Was it everything he had anticipated?
00:35:58 – Listeners of the Week
Our Listeners of the Week are our 131 Patreon Patrons, including Bertrand, as well as all the people who alerted us about last week’s audio-only version cutting out early: Vince, Jonathan, Mark, Herb, Martin, Theo, Valdeze, Ilango, and anyone we might have missed!
We also appreciate the notes of gratitude for keeping the podcast going from: Infinite Gary, Bobby, Bertrand, Vince, Mark, Bob, and Nathan. Thank you to everyone for continuing to listen!
In the news:
00:40:13 – News: KEF MIE Subwoofers
KEF has a new dual 9-inch KC92 model, and they’ve brought their Music Integrity Engine to their Kube Series: http://tinyurl.com/hmrnzxb4
00:45:05 – News: Vudu Renamed to Fandango At Home
Supposedly a change in name only. Your digital library remains intact: http://tinyurl.com/5ajzu8ce
00:46:40 – News: Walmart Buying Vizio
A rumor when we recorded, and confirmed the next day: http://tinyurl.com/2r6kzpdv
00:48:44 – News: UHP Lamps Finished in 2026
An amendment to an EU regulation means UHP projector lamps cannot be restocked starting in 2026: http://tinyurl.com/3s72u2ee
Comments:
00:50:19 – Comment: Jack – Super Bowl Streaming Lag
Various services were measured and ranked by a streaming technology company: http://tinyurl.com/yckt4b3y
00:52:44 – Comment: Nathan – Cheaper Dolby Vision Hack
If you can manually force your projector into HDR mode, you can use a $30 EDID device instead of an HDFury: https://hometheater.substack.com/p/dolby-vision-on-projectors-lldv
00:56:00 – CORRECTION: Marantz Cinema 30 NOT Identical to Denon X6800H
A YouTube comment took us to task. They are objectively different inside.
QUESTIONS:
00:59:08 – Preston: RTings Projector Reviews
RTings is developing their projector review test bench. What do we think so far?
– Low Brightness, Poor Contrast: http://tinyurl.com/bddr3x6e
– https://avgadgets.com/looking-for-a-deal-on-an-epson-projector-buy-refurbished-directly-from-epson/
01:15:09 – Bobby: 85″ TVs & HDMI Wiggles
Which 85″ TV should he buy to replace his projection setup? And can anything be done about slightly loose HDMI plugs?
– Samsung S90C OLED: http://tinyurl.com/4mk5fkjn
– TCL QM8: http://tinyurl.com/mrxmup9d
– Sony X93L: http://tinyurl.com/mtj2wjsv
01:30:56 – Nick: New AirPods or Beats Fit Pro?
Should he buy some 2nd Gen AirPods Pro immediately, or wait for 3rd Gen AirPods Pro, or maybe 2nd Gen Beats Fit Pro?
– AirPods rumors: http://tinyurl.com/2p8bmv48
– Beats Fit Pro 2 rumors: http://tinyurl.com/3f75n7ds
01:35:08 – Infinite Gary: 4K Sports Broadcasts When?
We get a handful of games now. When will all, or at least most, be broadcast in 4K HDR?
01:38:47 – Bertrand: Ultra HD Blu-ray Releases
Why are there Ultra HD Blu-rays of certain movies in some countries but not others? What are our most anticipated releases?
01:44:04 – Bob: “Better” Subs, “Better” Mic
Bob’s been getting (mis)informed by audio forums. How much does he want to be deprogrammed? Should he have purchased “better” subs? And how come his UMIK-1 didn’t make Dirac Live sound better?
– https://avgadgets.com/how-audiophiles-are-a-low-key-cult/
– https://avgadgets.com/everyone-that-says-their-av-upgrade-is-slightly-better-is-a-liar/
– https://avgadgets.com/room-acoustics-a-primer/
– https://avgadgets.com/stop-putting-two-subwoofers-at-the-front-of-your-room/
– https://avgadgets.com/setting-up-dual-subwoofers/
– https://avgadgets.com/proper-microphone-positions-for-home-theater-measurements/
– https://avgadgets.com/i-want-a-subwoofer-that-will-pressurize-my-room-a-clear-definition/
02:05:03 – Ryan: EQ’ing & Returning Speakers
He’s buying and returning speakers online. Should he feel guilty? Anything wrong with using EQ for 2-ch? Should computer monitors be fully shut off?
– Ascend Sierra-LX: http://tinyurl.com/3e8rbuxh
– Ascend Sierra-2EX v2: http://tinyurl.com/ype36hpm
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