Latest news with #Technics
Tom's Guide
20-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Tom's Guide
I just tested these incredible stereo speakers — and they're better than any soundbar I've ever tested
Look, I love the best soundbars as much as the next person. They're a great solution for making sure that your movies and music sound massive without taking up too much space in your living room. There's a Sonos Arc Ultra that sits in my living room for Dolby Atmos movies — I am not entirely averse to soundbars. But the ever-present allure of a pair of stereo speakers is often just too much to take. The musical abilities of even the most expensive soundbars often leaves a lot to be desired, and there are times when even clever Dolby Atmos virtual mixes pale in comparison to actual, real stereo separation. The KEF LSX II have long been a pair of speakers that I've wanted to test out. The brand is my favorite — the Blade speakers are my 'money is no object' dream speakers, my LS50 Metas have powered my HiFi for a long time, and the interesting-looking 'Uni-Q driver' that dominates their speaker fronts appears often in my sleeping moments. So what are they like to use? The KEF LSX II are the smaller option in KEF's wireless speaker range. They sound amazing not just for their size, packing in big speaker performance to a small package. They're not cheap, but they're well worth their high asking price. The KEF LSX II are a pair of connected smart speakers that the brand might call its 'luxury low-end' price point. They cost $1,499, or about $500 more than the Sonos Arc Ultra will set you back before you add a subwoofer. They're going up against similar models for Technics and other HiFi brands, and they're also angled at potential soundbar customers. To that end, they've got an HDMI port on the back so that you can connect a TV without needing a weird dongle. It also means they can be controlled with a TV controller, which is always helpful. The speakers themselves feature KEF's Uni-Q drivers, which house a tweeter and the main driver in the same unit. Not only do they look really cool, but they also allow for the brand's signature detail and excellent sonic timing. There are two units, and unlike some speakers at this format and size, they both need power. That's because they both contain amplifiers. Only one speaker has inputs and outputs, however, while the other has a socket to plug the other speaker in and a pairing button. Why a pairing button? These speakers can be hooked up to one another wirelessly, which avoids some cables trailing around the floor. Instead, you can mount them on stands and have the power cables routed down the legs — that'll look pretty delicious indeed. I'm not going to tell you these are the best-looking powered speakers around — that honor goes to anything that's made by Bang & Olufsen — but they're a very handsome option that sits next to your big-screen TV. The front is dominated by the Uni-Q drivers in a contrasting color to the main unit, and then a logo and a small status light sit above and below. From the front they look like smaller versions of my LS50 Meta, which is pretty cool. The sides of the grey model that I tested are covered with fabric, which lends some extra texture to proceedings, but other colors have an all-over resin finish. I'd recommend sticking them on speaker stands or even using some wall mounts for the speakers to finish the look — they're a minimalist speaker, and I think they deserve to sit on their own rather than on a TV stand. They're nice and small though, which makes them more flexible than some of the other options. KEF has filled the LSX II with some seriously cool features. My favorite is the Wi-Fi connection, which means I can stream my favorite tunes from the best music streaming services without worrying about some kind of cable to make things work. That also means I can slip them into my Roon server, so that I can stream tracks from my home music streaming setup, which is always a massive bonus. The App connects over the internet as well, which opens up even more features. From there you can select the HDMI eARC system, which is helpful, or between the other inputs. There's a Bluetooth connection, as well as an optical port, and a 3.5mm aux for older devices. You can plug them into the network as well to make for a more stable connection. All of the features work pretty well, although I did run into a couple of problems with the HMDI eARC. Sometimes I had to turn the speakers on separately when I turned on my TV, and sometimes I didn't. It wasn't the worst problem in the world, but it was irritating. Not enough to dampen my experience with the speakers. So the KEF LSX II don't look all that big. That's because they're not — each unit is about the same size as a HomePod 2. You might expect that they'd only be good for smaller rooms as a result, but I'm not sure it's entirely possible to be more wrong. Thanks to some impressive power being fed to the drivers by their individual amplifiers, they're able to pump out some seriously impressive sound. I was able to fill a large living room with the LSX II situated either side of my TV, with a massive bass body that didn't need to stretch itself to fill the space. Given how smaller speakers have really struggled in my space before, I was taken aback immediately by the sound of the LSX II. I knew they were going to be good, my experience with KEF gear already told me as such. I knew there'd be some incredible detail mixed with spectacular instrument separation, but I didn't know they'd be able to do it when they had to bring sound to my living room. But, boy, did they bring the noise. The depth of the guitars in Watain's They Rode On was enough that I could get lost within. The vocals were crystal clear, cutting through the thick, molasses-like instrumentation, matched by the impressive detail as the rest of the ensemble joined the fray. The drums were impactful, the bass guitar meaty, and the electric guitar edged like a terrifying sacrificial knife. It was leagues above my Sonos Arc Ultra's music performance. It mostly comes down to the stereo separation as much as it does the sonic capability of the speakers themselves. Music likes to be spread apart physically so that you can appreciate each different element of the track, while also serving to extend the soundstage. The LSX II are the perfect example of what happens when you give music space to breathe. Controversially, I will take a properly separated stereo mix over a virtual surround mix any day of the week. The tiny drivers loaded into a soundbar can only do so much in making a mix sound bigger than it actually is, and even the best soundbars pale in comparison to the wizardry that goes on when the soundstage is physically widened. With more space for the drivers to do their dirty work, you'll immediately notice more space. Even then, the dialog sits in the center of the mix, while sounds come from all around you. It's not as impressive as having 11 speakers dotted around the room, of course, but add in a KEF subwoofer and you'd be hard-pressed to tell me whether you prefer the sound of the Sonos Arc Ultra or the KEF LSX II when it comes to watching your favorite blockbusters. The opening scene of "Top Gun: Maverick" tells me all I need to know. The planes fly alongside you as chains and ropes whip around in the melee on board the carrier. The soundtrack sounds impeccable. You miss some of the spatial imaging of the multi-channel soundbar, but the sound is altogether more pleasing to the ear. It lacks the slightly synthetic edge of a soundbar, and gives you more sonic body overall. I'm not saying everyone should go and replace their soundbar with a pair of the KEF LSX II — but I am saying you should think about it. Hard. I am a HiFi faithful. I like my systems separated into different components so I can better control the sonic output. There's still something cool about having a stack of devices plugged in together, flanked by a big pair of speakers rippling with drivers and tweeters. But it would be remiss of me not to admit that I'm slightly stuck in the past. The mid-range HiFi system could well be on the way out, replaced by the likes of the KEF LSX II. Rather than spending $1,500 on an amplifier, a streamer, a Bluetooth dongle and some speakers, you can buy it all at once and get something that sounds just as good and plugs into your TV. I don't think the really high-end stuff needs to worry — but I will be keeping an eye on systems like this more. After all, not everyone has enough space for a HiFi setup like mine, but they still want epic musical sound. the KEF LSX II might just be the best way to get it.
Boston Globe
19-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Boston Globe
N.Y. museum exhibition celebrates the ‘Mission: Impossible' franchise
Advertisement Tom Cruise, a wall text notes, was a fan of the series, which helped lead to the franchise. He better have been. Beside starring in all the movies, Cruise has produced them and served as perpetual-motion muse. Does the Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up Installation view of "Mission: Impossible — Story and Spectacle." Thanassi Karageorgiou Other franchises are about a character — James Bond, say, or Indiana Jones — or the comic books that inspired them. The 'M: I' movies are about the franchise's star. Try to imagine these movies with anyone other than Cruise starring in them. Would most people even recognize the name 'Ethan Hunt,' his character? 'Sir,' Alec Baldwin's Impossible Missions Force secretary, tells the British prime minister in the sixth movie in the series, 'Mission: Impossible — Fallout' (2018), Advertisement Alec Baldwin in "Mission Impossible: Fallout." Chiabella James 'Story and Spectacle' isn't quite all Tom, all the time, but pretty close. That's all right, too. The snaggly smile, the endless energy, the well-mannered relentlessness: Resistance is futile. Among the 130+ items and displays in the exhibition are two brief video interviews with Cruise. 'I never do anything half way,' he says in one. 'My whole life, like, I'm in .' He's being modest. There's no 'like' about it. Think of the exhibition as an extended advertorial for the franchise — or, better yet, as a set of ex post facto trailers. Call it 'The M: I Experience.' That's all right, too (do you see a theme here?), since the show is very well done and quite entertaining. Happily overstuffed, the exhibition space is a black-box interior, like a cross between a warehouse and casino (always put your chips on Hunt). A Honda motorbike hangs from the ceiling. So do several Cruise mannequins. More than 40 screens show clips from the movies or behind-the-scenes explanations of various bits. Most of the screens are small, keeping the visual effect from being overwhelming, though several are large. The action is pretty much nonstop, not unlike the movies. Display of costumes from "Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning" in "Mission: Impossible — Story and Spectacle." Thanassi Karageorgiou Each 'M: I' gets its own section. The one constant is that each movie's Advertisement There are many, many props, handsomely displayed and all the more engaging for so many of them being so deadpan silly. They include a selection of fake passports (Ethan Hunt gets around), computer paraphernalia, several pairs of sunglasses (which aren't really sunglasses, of course), wristwatches (ditto), ID badges, a very high-end Technics turntable, a plutonium orb (don't ask), a sonic glass breaker (you never know when one might come in handy), not one but two mask-making machines (masks being a franchise trademark), and several masks. The masks, it must be said, are not the franchise at its best. Display of dossiers from "Mission: Impossible — Fallout." Thanassi Karageorgiou Deserving special mention are the gloves Cruise wore in 'Mission: Impossible — Ghost Protocol' (2001) while Stunts get a lot of attention in the exhibition, and rightly so. They are 'M: I' at its most 'M: I.' They're also Tom Cruise at his most Tom Cruise. In one of the interviews, he mentions Buster Keaton, Harold Lloyd, and airplane wing walkers as inspirations. Looking at the accompanying clips, one sees how clearly he belongs in that lineage. Maybe even he marks its culmination. As the editor of the Guinness Book of World Records said earlier this month when The Academy announced Tuesday that Cruise will be one of four lifetime achievement Oscar winners this year. The other three are Dolly Parton, receiving the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award, choreographer and actor Debbie Allen, and production designer Wynn Thomas. Advertisement Cruise previously had four nominations: two for best actor ('Born on the Fourth of July,' 1989, and 'Jerry Maguire,' 1996), one for best supporting actor ('Magnolia,' 1999 — he should have won, actually), and one for producer (' Might another nomination, or even Oscar, lie ahead? The Academy has added a category for stunt work, starting with 2027 releases. Depending on what movie — or movies — Cruise stars in two years from now, consider him the sentimental favorite in that category. MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE — Story and Spectacle At Museum of the Moving Image, 36-01 35th Ave., Queens, N.Y., through Dec. 14. 718-777-6800, Mark Feeney can be reached at
Forbes
31-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Record Roundup 31: Lamborghinis, Streamers And Wristwatches
Andover Audio's new SpinBase MAX2 speaker system for turntables Welcome to the 31st edition of Record Roundup, my ongoing coverage of the latest developments in the world of turntables and record players. This edition features several unique turntables, a new speaker system from Andover Audio, a TT-friendly streaming amp and the wristwatch for Technics SL-1200 fans. For those with deep pockets who are looking for a unique turntable, the Waiting For Ideas Turntable PP-1 should fit the bill. This Paris-based creative studio partnered with Miniot Technology to offer the ultimate in minimalist design: a monolithic block of anodized aluminum (offered in a space gray or black finish) that plays records. There's no visible tonearm, but place a record on the sunken platter and a hidden door opens beneath the record being played to reveal the cartridge and stylus. Pricing for this made to order statement turntable is around $6,000. Top view of the Turntable PP-1, showing the door that conceals the cartridge Somewhere, a marketing team produced a Venn diagram showing overlap between music lovers who prefer listening to records and car lovers who have a thing for Lamborghinis. If you are in this demographic, Technics has the turntable for you. A special edition of the Technics SL-1200 Series (a coreless direct drive turntable loved by DJs) offers Lamborghini-inspired paint jobs in a choice of three colors: Arancio Apodis, Verde Shock, and Giallo Athon (or orange, green and yellow for those not in the know). Each of these special edition turntables also includes a Lamborghini-crested slipmat and a record featuring 'the engine sounds of flagship Automobili Lamborghini cars.' The Technics Special Edition Lamborghini turntable carries a $1599.99 price tag, which is a premium over the base SL-1200, but it's a heck of a lot more affordable than a Lamborghini Revuelto. Technics Special Edition Lamborghini Turntable in Verde Shock Massachusetts-based Andover Audio never stops innovating. Two years ago I reviewed the company's SpinBase MAX, a turntable audio system that leveraged proprietary ISOgroove technology and audio engineering expertise to deliver an immersive record listening experience from a single, space-saving cabinet that sits beneath the turntable itself. Andover Audio has just released the followup SpinBase MAX 2. It's still a space-saver that sits beneath your turntable and includes an integrated PHONO pre-amp. In fact, it looks almost identical to the original. But the new version gets an upgrade to six drivers (four 3.5-inch woofers and two silk dome tweeters), making the 270 degree soundstage even more convincing. And with 100W of total amplification on tap, the SpinBase MAX 2 has the power to fill even the largest rooms. I have a SpinBase MAX 2 set up in my office, so watch for my take on the latest Andover Audio release in the coming weeks. The SpinBase MAX 2 uses IsoGroove technology so you can set your turntable on top of it without ... More distortion Eversolo has very smart-looking amplifier that's designed to deliver the best in modern streaming music capabilities. The Eversolo Play offers multi-room capability (with room correction), a multi-band professional EQ, a 32-bit DAC, extensive high resolution digital file format support and up to 110W per channel of power. The premium, CNC-machined aluminum enclosure features a 5.5-inch HD touch display–perfect for viewing album art from integrated streaming music platforms such as Tidal and Apple Music. You can also use your smartphone for control. Around back, you'll find a wide range of inputs and outputs, including an integrated PHONO stage–plug in your turntable for the best of modern digital and analog music playback. There's even a version with a built-in CD player, so you can have comprehensive physical media playback capability in a modern amplifier. Eversolo Play is a modern music streaming amplifier with turntable support Finally, for those who want to fly their vinyl flag publicly, AndoAndoAndo has the must-have wristwatch. The Vinyl Record Automatic Watch (available in a variety of color combinations) is designed to look like the iconic Technics SL-1200 turntable with a tonearm instead of an hour hand. Maybe not the most practical timepiece, but definitely among the coolest. The ultimate watch for record fans? Missed the last Record Roundup? You can read RR30 here.
Stuff.tv
12-05-2025
- Stuff.tv
I'm excited about Panasonic's Z95B OLED – could it be a contender for TV of the year?
Panasonic revealed its latest flagship 4K TVs back at CES 2025 in January, but I finally had the chance to check them out in the flesh during a European launch event last week in Wiesbaden, Germany. The Panasonic 2025 TV lineup includes a handful of OLED TVs as well as a large selection of LEDs and a mini-LED option, too. It's headlined by the terrific Z95B OLED, following up last year's Z95A. So what makes it special? For starters the 55, 65 and 77in Z95B uses the same Primary Tandem RGB OLED panel four-stack approach as the excellent LG G5. The 5.1.2 speaker system is similar to last year's model but has made the side and upfiring speakers bigger while the rear speakers have been repositioned (bass output has gone from 20W to 30W). Panasonic is now branding its premium TV audio as 'tuned by Technics'. There's also use of a new cooling system, called ThermalFlow. This essentially flows air upwards out of the top of the unit, reducing turbulent (and warm) air behind the panel itself and so improving efficiency. The design has also been changed quite a bit, too, with the speaker along the bottom of the screen getting a more premium fabric finish. This looks smart and is a definite improvement over the Z95A. Everything is powered by the HCX AI Processor II and it also boasts the Penta Tuner which basically makes it easy to connect to whatever sources you want during setup, whether that's terrestrial tuning or IP TV. Naturally there's also support for Dolby Vision IQ and HDR10+ while there's a load of premium gaming features including two HDMI 2.1 ports, a 144Hz refresh rate, VRR, Nvidia G-Sync, AMD FreeSync Premium. Improvements have also been made to Panasonic's Game Mode Extreme, too. The Z90B OLED is available in a wider range of screen sizes – 42, 48, 55, 65 and 77in. It does't have the Primary Tandem RGB panel, instead Panasonic calls this panel Master OLED Pro. The sound system is labelled Dynamic Theater Sound Pro. It comes with a built-in 30W subwoofer and Dolby Atmos support. It supports 144Hz, AMD FreeSync and Nvidia G-Sync VRR. The Z80B has many of the same features including Dolby Vision and Atmos but is a 120Hz refresh rate instead. It's available in 48, 55 and 65-inch sizes and has the HCX processor instead. Further down the range is the mini-LED W95B, 144Hz W93B, 120Hz W85B and the W80A which is a QLED set. The W70A and W61A also complete the LED lineup. The other noteworthy set is the W95B mini-LED and it's available in 55, 65, and 75in plus there's a large 85in option, too. It supports many of the flagship features from the OLED sets including Dolby Vision and Atmos, HDR10+, 144Hz, VRR anbd AMD FreeSync Premium. Panasonic has put its eggs very much in the Amazon Fire TV basket and it's this OS that's available on most of these models, with TiVo also an option on the cheaper sets. Panasonic also confirmed that its TVs will support Alexa+ when it is available (initially in the US). Fire TV remains a very good option, but it is so Amazon-centric that it does always feel you have to be an Amazon devotee to get the most out of it. The new OLEDs as well as the W95B mini-LED will also support Prime Video Calibrated Mode which has also appeared on Sony's TVs. It's an additional picture quality setting for your TV designed to reproduce content as the creator intended. We're looking forward to testing this out ourselves on Panasonic's flagship TVs when we review them as I've not been convinced by it so far as giving a picture quality improvement that you'd want to switch to. TV manufacturers want to seem increasingly close to tech used in pro-level studios and Panasonic is no stranger to doing this with Filmmaker Mode. The Z95B and W95B TVs can be calibrated at home, using Calman technology called AutoCal. This is certainly an interesting development that I'm looking forward to checking out too.
WIRED
21-04-2025
- WIRED
Technics' AZ100 Are Instant Contenders for the Best Premium Wireless Buds
Technics is no slouch in the feature department, and the latest pair offers just about every modern feature you could want. You'll find all the basics like auto-pause sensors, a multiband EQ, Google Fast Pair, and an Earbuds Finder, with customization available in the Technics app. In fact, virtually everything is customizable for an almost dizzying array of options. If there's something you don't like, from how the buds relay video sync to how your voice sounds on calls, there's likely an adjustment available. Not everything feels as polished as Apple's AirPods Pro, the software leader in the space. The AZ100's call suppression feature, for instance, does a great job killing ambient noise around your voice (or even the voice on the other end), but it makes you sound a bit sterile and robotic in the process. The app itself sometimes refused to load, forcing me to refresh it, though it was otherwise stable. Photograph: Ryan Waniata Multitaskers will be pleased to see the return of three-device multipoint pairing, letting you easily swap between your computer, tablet, and phone over Bluetooth, with no brand loyalty required. Speaking of Bluetooth, you'll not only get support for regular codecs like AAC and LDAC over Bluetooth 5.3, but also Bluetooth LE Audio, which should futureproof the buds for next-gen wireless streaming. The AZ100's touch controls are responsive, customizable, and comprehensive, with default options for playback, calling, volume, and ambient audio at the ready. The layout is a tad confusing at first, but I appreciate the ability to accomplish just about any task without grabbing your phone. Velvet Sparkle I often save the sound performance for last, but the AZ100's sound is too good to hold off any longer. Like most hi-fi buds, they provide a slow and steady revelation of their skills. The further you drill down, the better they sound. When I first fired them up, I was surprised by the sound signature's warm and almost thick flavor, seeming more reliant on the bass and lower mids than expected. That said, I generally prefer a smoother touch in my hi-fi over sharp and zingy, and it didn't take long to find that the AZ100's warm entrance acts almost like a velvet backdrop on which instrumental textures and effects glitter like jewels in the light.
