Tom is away this week, so Lee Overstreet joins Rob H. And keep your eyes peeled for a 2nd AV Rant episode this week, as we will be posting a CEDIA 2025 Special with Joe Klusnick! Dolby Vision 2 and Dolby Vision 2 Max were announced. Magnetar announced new MKII versions of their universal disc players. CalebRated is finally back after settling their lawsuit with Digital Trends. And we have a specific release date for the much-anticipated Sofabaton X2 Smart Remote, and it’s not too far away!

Pictures shown in this episode: https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjCtyPe

00:00:00 – Intro

Quick world news headlines. And keep an eye out for our 2nd episode this week, which is a CEDIA 2025 Special with Joe Klusnick.

00:08:04 – Catching up with Lee

00:13:24 – What We Watched

Lee binge-watched The Last of Us S.2. Rob watched Suspiria (2018).

00:30:15 – Listeners of the Week

Our Listeners of the Week are our 126 Patreon Patrons, as well as Jack for coming through on sending Dan D his Dayton OmniMic, and Greg for offering to provide another measurement mic for a future giveaway.

We also appreciate the notes of gratitude for keeping the podcast going from: Brad, Brian, Eric, Ilango, Julian, Karl, Henry, Gurinder, Dan, and Jason. Thank you to everyone for continuing to listen!

In the news:

00:34:27 – News: Dolby Vision 2

We’re not entirely sold on the stated new features, such as gaming white point adjustment, bi-directional tone-mapping, and Authentic Motion. But that won’t stop Dolby Vision 2 and Dolby Vision 2 Max from coming to future devices and content releases, so we might as well familiarize ourselves with it: https://tinyurl.com/37vmnnay

00:43:49 – News: Magnetar MKII Universal Disc Players

The new UDP800MKII and UDP900MKII aim to improve image processing a lower mechanical noise, but mostly focus on audio upgrades: https://tinyurl.com/nhemj67y

00:49:47 – News: CalebRated is Back!

The lawsuit with Digital Trends has been settled, and Caleb Denison is back posting videos: https://www.youtube.com/@CalebRated

00:50:44 – News: Sofabaton X2 Release Date

They’ve given a specific release date: Oct 18. And the list of features and details has us excited: https://avgadgets.com/sofabaton-x2-smart-remote-first-look/

Comments:

01:03:15 – Comment: Nathan – JVC NZ700 Justification

He figures the JVC NZ700 is a bigger upgrade over an NX7 than we made it sound, so he lists more advantages that we didn’t highlight.

QUESTIONS:

01:05:36 – Eric: Variable Phase on 1 Sub

What if one of your subwoofers has fully variable phase and the other does not? And which SPL Meter to use.

– https://avrant.com/a-12-step-guide-to-setting-up-dual-subwoofers/

– https://www.cross-spectrum.com/measurement/calibrated_cm140.html

– Triplett TSC-MC1 SoniChek: https://tinyurl.com/4dhf72jk

01:13:44 – Brad: Very Dim HDR10+

HDR10+ from Amazon Prime Video – and only that format from that service – looks way too dark on his TCL TV. Is there a fix?

01:19:49 – Brian: Key Subwoofer Factors

What facets of subwoofers matter the most for making a purchasing decision?

01:28:15 – Julian: IR Control Across 2 Rooms

We suggest various ways he can reposition his Sofabaton X1S Hub and IR Extenders to control all of his devices across two rooms. He might also want to upgrade to the X2!

01:31:59 – Ryan: Independent Dual Sub Distances are Fine?

Ryan experimented with manually changing the independent subwoofer distances that Audyssey SubEQ HT automatically set after the EQ process was completed, and now he’s convinced we’ve been wrong all along about it being better to use a Y-splitter.

01:50:56 – Henry: Upscaling 1080p Discs

What’s responsible for his 1080p Blu-rays still looking great on a 4K projector? Is it his player, his projector, or both?

01:57:37 – David: Distorting KEF LS50

Just how loud should his KEF LS50 speakers be able to play? Because his seem to be wildly limited in terms of output, given his small room and short seating distance.

02:09:47 – Miguel: OK to Like Klipsch?

He auditioned some Klipsch Reference speakers and instantly liked them more than his RBH speakers that are supposed to be better!

02:18:07 – Jason: Dual Sub Upgrade?

Adjusting his crossover frequency didn’t help to fix a dip in the crossover region. Is that enough justification for a dual subwoofer upgrade that can provide fully variable phase and objectively deeper extension?

02:23:05 – Infinite Gary: Enough Lumens for 108 Nits?

How do you convert your projector’s output in lumens to the number of nits on your screen? And why would Matthew Poes say many projectors can’t deliver enough light output for HDR?

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!

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS