Our Listeners of the Week are Mahi and Robert for their donations. Thank you for supporting the podcast with your donations!

Remember to check out our new AV Rant Podcast YouTube Channel for the video versions of the show!

In the news, Tony K. gave us the heads up about the Amazon 2nd Gen Echo Dot for $50. The Plex TV DVR Beta was updated and now works on the NVidia Shield TV. Antoine sent us word of the greatly expanded Monoprice Monolith Series Products lineup that now includes several amp models, speakers, and planar headphones. CEDIA brought announcements of the new Epson LS10500 laser projector, the Sony VPL-VW675ES HDR projector with HLG and installer-only UBP-X1000ES Ultra HD Blu-ray player, and a model number and $35,000 price tag for the JVC DLA-RS4500. And Nathan D. sent a link about the Oppo UDP-203 Ultra HD Blu-ray player, which is strongly rumored to have the hardware necessary to support Dolby Vision on Ultra HD Blu-ray discs. (EDIT UPDATE: Dolby Vision support confirmed!)

Infinite Gary suggests Guildford of Maine FR701 acoustically transparent fabric for wrapping subwoofers or DIY acoustic panels. And Michael R. solved his Kodi HTPC HD Audio bitstream output issues with the use of a mobile app for control.

Thomas tried to use our Plex HTPC HD Audio Tutorial, but came across some HDCP compliance and false chapter info on certain Blu-ray discs. Tony C. has good dual subwoofer placement, but wants to know how to get his bass sounding the way he wants it. Andrew N. wants our thoughts on near field speaker and subwoofer placement. And Scott H. wants to know if it’s a good idea to swap the Surround speakers from one setup for the Front Main speakers of a 2nd setup.

Gabe M. sent us Hanz Beekhuyzen’s take on high-res audio and MQA, and wants our take on his opinions. Holland W. either needs two very small subwoofers or one small but very powerful subwoofer, which gets Tom to recommend the Velodyne Digital Drive Plus and JL Audio Subwoofers. Justin B. reminds us to check EMP Tek B-Stock for deals and asks if stereo subwoofers ever make sense based on sound localization. And Robert G. gets our recommendation of the Aperion Audio Intimus I6 in-ceiling speakers to match his SVS Prime speakers for Atmos.

Mahi is building a new theater and asks some in-depth questions about soundproofing. Anonymous is also building a theater and asks about in-wall speaker options, such as: KEF, RBH Sound, and Focal; acoustically transparent screens, for which we recommend Seymour AV Center Stage UF; and professional installers, which leads us to mention: Erskine Group, Easy Living with Technology, The Screening Room AV, and our good friend Ray Coronado over at SocalHT. Kris I. wants some more details on Dolby Vision vs. HDR10 and what the forthcoming HDMI 2.1 spec might add. And PJ wants to know the PS3 settings for HD Audio output.

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Technical changes behind the scenes meant no Live on Air broadcast nor 2-hour YouTube video this week. Please bear with us as we make some transitions.

We have a new AV Rant YouTube Page for you to check out!

Our Listeners of the Week are Scott, Ian, Jesse, Michael R., and Heath for their donations; Kris I. for letting APC know he bought their power protection products because of AV Rant; and, our congratulations to Byron who’s been listening to AV Rant since he was an Ensign, and now he has been promoted to Lieutenant Commander!

In the news, Rob was a guest on Entertainment 2.0 Podcast to discuss HDR and HD Audio. Kaleidescape is back open for business! Sony announced the PS4 Pro and PS4 Slim with HDR support coming to all PS4 consoles. And Apple launched the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus with no headphone jack.

Russ says we gave him the audio upgrade bug that brought him all the way to a 7.2.4 Atmos setup, and he’s loving the results! And Toby H. shared Germany’s Hollywood-Theatres “Ultimate Line” video, and on the opposite end of the spectrum, a $1,500 theater where only about $200 was spent on AV gear.

Jeff G. asks why Denon’s new AVR-X4300H mentions 11.1 channel processing but only 5.1.4 or 7.1.2 Atmos capability on its webpage. Heath plans to move ahead with his basement home theater build using some of our suggestions. He asks about GFCI electrical outlets, false wall construction, our recommended Seymour AV Retractable screen and Elite Screens AcousticPro UHD, subwoofer choices, Aperion Audio Verus Forte speakers, seating placement, and any extra tips.

Miles W. has a friend in need of some SoundBar settings advice. Infinite Gary asks how we think Phase Technology DARTS compares to JBL Synthesis ARCOS. And J wants to know if measurements can prove that dual subwoofers will work well for him.

Neil H. wants some speaker brand suggestions in New Zealand. In addition to Klipsch and Wharfedale, we mention Dali, and KEF. Neil also asks what household items could be used as absorption just as a proof of concept. Antoine asks about bi-pole/di-pole Surround speakers vs. monopoles, we suggest EMPTek E3b Satellite speakers for Atmos, and Belden speaker wire from Parts-Express when you want a black jacket. And Michael R. asks why his Windows 10 desktop doesn’t look right on his HDTV, as well as Kodi Audio Settings.

Matt G. gets our take on Reference Volume, Audyssey Dynamic EQ, and subjective speaker sensitivity. Mark G. could use the Whitegoods LightMeter App to measure his partially sunlit room. Seymour AV’s Matinee Black screen could help, but we think the Epson HC 3500 projector is his best choice. And Kevin A. has an aftermarket car audio connection question.

Ted M. asks about DACs, but we end up talking about amps. He also asks about tubes, and what makes Auro-3D different from Atmos and DTS:X. Alan C. says our crossover settings advice helped him, and he wants our opinions on his attempts to “trick” Audyssey by partially covering his tweeters during measurement. Jonathan F. forwarded High Def Digest’s Dolby Atmos Beyond 7.1.4 – Part 2 article. And Josh Zyber, the author of that article, had some bones to pick with us, and we live up to our name with a ranty reply!

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Our Listeners of the Week are Vincent, Rohan, Russell, and Heath for their donations, as well as Anthony B., Jay C., and Heath B. for telling SVS that their recent purchases were thanks to AV Rant’s recommendations.

Our SVS Giveaway is now open for entry for residents of the USA and Canada. So come to AVRant.com, enter your email address, and good luck!

In the news, the SVS Prime Elevation Speakers should be available very soon. Antoine let us know that Plex released their DVR software, although it comes with many limitations. IFA 2016 included HLG HDR, the JVC Blu-Escient DLA-Z1, Panasonic DMP-UB700, Sony prototype Ultra HD Blu-ray player, and Philips 901F OLED with Ambilight. Intel Kaby Lake CPUs add 4K and HDCP 2.2 support that Tyler F. noted will allow Sony ULTRA Streaming to come to PCs. Google has a 4K Chromecast Ultra in the works. And our own Producer Austen celebrated 100 Episodes of We Watch Movies Podcast!

We are over the moon about Ash’s DIY bass traps that he made out of bookcases. And Michael I. confirms that DTS:X firmware updates are rolling out to 7-channel Denon Receivers.

Larry S. wants to know which Denon or Marantz Receiver to buy. Vince S. asks if we think extremely bright output will kill the OLED market. And Chris S. wants to know if he should buy the Pioneer Andrew Jones speakers or spend more for the EMP Tek Impression Series or Ascend Acoustics CBM-170SE.

Justin B. asks about DIY absorption panel placement and whether diffusion panels are worth it in his case. Rohan tries to correct us about his marble room, but we prefer to reject his reality and replace it with our own. He asks about video calibration and how to use Denon’s “web control” to save his settings. And Kris points out an unimaginable error that Rob made, then asks about surge protection, where we recommend APC J15BLK, J25B, Back-UPS 750, or P8V depending on what level of protection is needed.

Anthony B. asks about connecting his new subwoofers along with his self-powered speakers. Jay C. moved one of his subs and mostly likes the results. Now he has aesthetic concerns, and digs into some of the minutia of placement and orientation. And Michael R. sorts through some more HTPC audio woes, and we point him to CinemaNow Canada for new release rentals.

Terry G. wants to confirm that Silver Ticket Woven Acoustic is a good choice. Mitch gets us to detail our differing approaches to setting speaker toe in and distance. Mark M. asks about the channel indicator on a Marantz front display. And Neil was impressed by Audioholics’ HSU ULS-15 Mk2 review and asks if it will pair well with his Power Sound Audio 15S.

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Our Listeners of the Week are Jay, Charles, Jim, Karl, and Bruce for their donations, and Jason S. for letting SVS know his dual PC-2000 subwoofer purchase was partially because of AV Rant’s recommendation, and mostly because his wife said, “order two” when she saw the cylinders vs. the big boxy versions!

Entry for our AV Rant Podcast 500th Episode Celebration SVS 1000 Series Giveaway is open Sept. 01, 2016 for US and Canadian residents only. Best of luck to everyone who enters by submitting your email address and agreeing to receive the SVS Newsletter!

In the news, Infinite Gary sent us a statement from the Vice Chairman of Lionsgate declaring that DVD is still a “massive business”. Antoine noticed the HSU Research Labor Day Sale. PlayStation Plus subscription prices are going up starting Sept. 22. ZatzNotFunny.com uncovered Five new Roku models (some with HDR). And for a comprehensive Fall 2016 TV Preview, check out IGN.

Bill P. will most likely buy the KEF Q Series speakers we recommended. Wesley M and Michael I. inform us that their Denon Receivers have also installed the DTS:X firmware. Scott S. supports our opinion that modern Receivers fundamentally sound the same. And Scott, Ian, and Ara Derderian from the HT Guys provided links to more PLEX and NVidia Shield TV guides, including: SPMC Kodi + PLEX, a PLEX Client App comparison, and PLEX Server on the NVidia Shield TV.

Ted M. explains his on-wall speaker comparisons and is waiting to see if Ascend Acoustics expands beyond the Sierra Sat . Justin C. found a great deal on a Denon AVR-X4200W, so we discuss its capabilities and how low we think prices might go as the newer models arrive. Lior M. asks for official info on the upcoming Audyssey App, but the best we have are the European Denon and Marantz announcements. And Andrew N. wonders if adding one more subwoofer will basically let him pressurize his whole house.

Infinite Gary asks about the manual audio delay setting in his Lexicon Pre-Pro, and asks for our opinions on some Center speakers. Will T. wants some Movie Poster DIY Absorption Panels, and we name Rainy Lake Audio and SpoonFlower as places to get the prints done. We also provide a step-by-step guide on setting up dual subwoofers. And Jonathan F. found an article describing how to use three Receivers together to “Go Beyond 7.1.4 Atmos“, but Rob asks, why not add a fourth?

Justin B. asks if he can run Atmos and reassign his Surround Back outputs to Zone 2 at the same time. Kris I. wants to know about “black” projection screens, how to best orient bi-pole speakers on the ceiling for Atmos, and whether it’s worth aiming ceiling speakers. And Anthony B. asks if he should prioritize room treatments or subwoofers, whether dual SVS PB-2000 can pressurize his room or if he should spend a bit more on our recommended HSU VTF-3 Mk5 DualDrive Package, how to integrate his powered speakers after adding subs, how large a screen he should buy, and which roll-down acoustically transparent screens are best, so we suggest: Seymour AV, Elite Screen Saker Tab-Tension AcousticPro UHD, or EluneVision AudioWeave 4K Tab-Tensioned.

Michael R. asks why surround sound doesn’t work using Netflix on a web browser. Ryan M. doesn’t want a Vizio TV, so we suggest the Samsung J6200 Series. And Mike M. gets our thoughts on Shure’s in-ear monitor lineup.

Karl R. wants to know which Atmos Blu-ray Tom found at a Redbox. Bruce M. gets our thoughts on replacing his older Klipsch speakers, adding a false wall, and positioning his subwoofers. And Gaylen H. wonders if Tom and Rob are just talking off the tops of our heads, or if we actually do research!

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