LATEST ADDITIONS

Projectors
Sony VPL-XW5000ES 4K laser projector review
Steve Withers  |  May 24, 2023  |  0 comments
hcchighreccomendSony has dumped inefficient lamps and gone all-in on lasers for its projector lineup, with no fewer than five native 4K models using amplified light photons to generate their images. The top model – the VPL-GTZ380 – is a beast of a beamer that can generate a blinding 10,000 Lumens, but comes with an equally painful price tag of eighty grand. Naturally, the majority of home cinema owners will look at the other four – likely beginning with the entry-level VPL-XW5000ES, which is suggested can deliver 2,000 Lumens and sells for £5,999.
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Amplifiers/Processors
Anthem MCA 525 Gen 2 power amplifier review
Steve Withers  |  May 02, 2023  |  0 comments
hcchighreccomendAnthem's new lineup of power amplifiers has been designed to complement its range of AVM processors, with matching livery and enough onboard grunt to fill an enormo-dome. The MCA Gen 2 catalogue offers the two-channel 225 (£2,295), three-channel 325 (£2,795), and five-channel 525 (£3,895) reviewed here. This Class A/B trio share the same design and build, with the only difference being the number of channels...
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Subwoofers
MartinLogan Dynamo 800X subwoofer review
Richard Stevenson  |  Apr 28, 2023  |  0 comments
hcchighreccomendThe middle model in MartinLogan’s five-strong Dynamo series of active subwoofers, the 800X is a svelte little box of joy. Core specifications are right on the money, with the sealed enclosure featuring a 600W peak-rated Class D amp, a single 10in driver and both line-level and speaker-level analogue connections. There's then Bluetooth connectivity for MartinLogan's Sub Control app (iOS and Android), an input for the company's £200 approx SWT-X wireless module, and ARC EQ calibration...
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Loudspeakers
JBL Stage Series 5.1 system review
Steve Withers  |  Apr 27, 2023  |  0 comments
JBL's Stage Series is a superb entry-level proposition. There's an energy to the performance that sounds cinematic, even while the delivery is well focused and deep bass nicely integrated....
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Televisions
Samsung UE55BU8500 TV review
John Archer  |  Apr 26, 2023  |  0 comments
The BU8500 is the most premium LCD model in Samsung’s 2022 range that doesn’t use Quantum Dot colour technology. Instead, it features Samsung’s Dynamic Crystal Colour system – a more traditional filter-based approach, but one that still claims (in conjunction with the TV's Crystal 4K processor) to deliver a billion different tones.

Still available even as new 2023 Samsung sets come to market, for around £649 the 55in 55BU8500 is £150 cheaper than Samsung’s entry-level 55in Quantum Dot set. Such a gap makes it look potentially fair value...

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Opinion
Could James Cameron's return to Pandora with Avatar: The Way of Water kickstart a 3D TV revival?
Steve May  |  Apr 25, 2023  |  0 comments
The original Avatar, which as we all know proved rather popular in theatres when released in 2009, led to a new generation of 3D in the home. For a while, 
it was next to impossible to buy a premium TV that wasn’t 3D enabled, and a slew of BDs were released on the format. Rival TV brands championed different 3D formats, active and passive, each claiming theirs to be better. Then the 3D bandwagon ran out of gas...
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Televisions
Philips 77OLED807 OLED TV review
John Archer  |  Apr 24, 2023  |  0 comments
We don’t often review different screen sizes from the same TV range. Yet here we’re making an exception 
for Philips' 77OLED807, a monster OLED whose 
screen measures – as you can probably guess – 
77in from corner to corner. This is a whole 22in more than the 55in 55OLED807 we looked at previously – enough to remind us that something magical happens when you get a screen above 70in or thereabouts.
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Software FeaturesUltra HD Blu-ray
Catalogue classic: Cloverfield
Anton van Beek  |  Apr 21, 2023  |  0 comments
Anton Van Beek powers up his camcorder and sets out to document the truth about the 2008 monster-sized box office smash, now available on 4K Blu-ray
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News
Amazon's 'Omni' Fire TV 4K QLED takes on Sky Glass and The Frame
Steve May  |  Mar 23, 2023  |  0 comments
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Accessories
T+A Solitaire T headphones review
Ed Selley  |  Mar 15, 2023  |  0 comments
hcchighreccomendWhen is a wireless headphone not a wireless headphone? Take a quick look at T+A's Solitaire T and you would be forgiven for thinking it is a fairly standard example of the cut-the-cable breed, with aptX HD and AAC Bluetooth supported by switchable noise cancelling and an impressive 70-hour rated battery life. The reality is a little different though.
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