Thanks to Thomas, Adriano, Robert, and Karl this week for their donations. Karl and Richard C. both bought SVS Prime Tower speaker packages and let SVS know they heard about them on AV Rant!

Tom gives his review of the $4,495/pair JansZen zA1.1 Monitor Electrostatic speakers with their unique airLayer tweeters (see some pics Tom took at the bottom of this post).

In the news, Keith S. alerted us last week to Slysoft’s shutdown. But the team behind AnyDVD HD quickly returned on the RedFox Forum, and the brief shutdown led to a handy compilation of disc decryption alternatives. Jason H. pointed out the new Bugatti Chiron’s Accuton sound system with diamond tweeters. Amazon expanded the “Echo” product line with their new $130 “Amazon Tap” and $90 “Echo Dot”. And the Avegant Glyph headset is now available for $700.

James B. sent us articles explaining acoustic metamaterials from Nature and acoustics.org, as well as a long article on speaker wire. John W. wanted to inform everyone that an SVS SB-1000 in a large room can still have headroom to spare. And Richard C.’s wife just laughed at our advice from last week, but he managed to purchase our speaker, subwoofer, and AV Receiver suggestions anyway while waiting for a new display!

Ian E. is likely in need of a Pre-pro repair or replacement, so we weigh the pros and cons of slightly older Receiver models. Justin B. wants a calibrated measurement microphone from Cross-Spectrum Labs. Kris I. compares Denon’s AVR-X6200W and AVR-X7200WA, as well as a 9.2.2 speaker layout vs. 7.2.4. And Nathan D. unfortunately doesn’t get much help from us in his search for A/V showrooms in Tampa, Florida.

Justin C. wonders if a Rythmik L12 subwoofer can team up with an SVS subwoofer to handle a large room. Wesley M. unfortunately did not solve his strange volume jumping problem with a Toslink cable, so he looks for more advice. And Gaylen H. wants to know how to stream TV recordings from a PC to a Chromecast.

Tommy B. completed his gorgeous new theater, but wants to double check his PS4’s output settings. Jessie F. wants whole house audio that works with iRule. He’s leaning towards the HTD MCA-66A, and we also mention the Monoprice 6-Zone Kit along with the Yamaha NS-IC800 in-ceiling speakers from Accessories4Less. And Jeff G. wants to install 4 overhead speakers for Atmos, but he needs to nail down the best positions.

Adriano M. took our advice regarding his theater plans, and now he’s back to ask about his patio, so we recommend Yamaha All-weather speakers. Leighton is painting his theater gray, and we mention: the expensive option – GTI Munsell Gray, the reasonable option – Sherwin Williams “Gray Screen”, and the easiest option – mixing your own. And Srini wants Bluetooth in-ears to replace his Jaybird BlueBuds. The newer Jaybird X2 are one option, while the Mee Audio X7 Plus seem like a bigger change.

Brendan G. is building an extension on his house in Northern Ireland that will look like a garage from the outside, but will be a dedicated theater on the inside. He asks about optimal dimensions, the best location for the door, soundproofing, replacing any existing gear, projector and screen recommendations, seating layout, and how to deal with a chimney. David M. wants to dig into bass optimization for home theater. And lastly, Josh Pollard from The Digital Media Zone wanted a bit of clarification on the new Axiim WiSA speaker packages, particularly their subwoofer specs and how their forthcoming app-based auto-EQ might work.

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.
• Visit Tom's website for download links as well as links for 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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