Home_Cinema_Choice

HIGH-PERFORMANCE SOUND & VISION TOP OF THE WORLD!

Inside a stunning loft
cinema conversion, p36

PREMIUM PERFORMER

Anthem’s MRX 740 receiver mixes brains and brawn

p1ror0aouGtdr0euuGdi+cdeiteansr FILM & TV

■ GODZILLA 4K ■ SPEED 4K
■ THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE
UGLY 4K ■ WITHOUT REMORSE

Game on!

PS5 and Xbox X video tricks

– is your display ready?

On Test tWheTeShWsatediolbddnelWesdtuiislopdcf!

Hisense Laser TV
SVS 3000 Micro sub
LG 65in C1 OLED TV
Samsung Q800A
Atmos soundbar
Cambridge Audio

5.1 speaker system www.homecinemachoice.com

ISSUE 321 JUNE 2021 £5.50

Inside AUS- $14.50 NZ- $16.50 CAN- $17.99
BUYER’S GUIDE ➜ READER’S ROOM ➜ LG SOUNDBARS ➜ OPINION

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2020

OPINION 3

Look out,
It's The Wild
Bunch! p30

www.homecinemachoice.com Welcome

EDITORIAL TEAM As the sort of person who stumbles over the choice
Editor Mark Craven of 'salted or sweet?', I find my mind blown by the
[email protected]
Art Editor John Rook modern era of AV hardware. It's not that long ago that
even a high-end movie room would be based around
CONTRIBUTORS just a disc player, 5.1 surround setup and display – because that
Steve May, Anton van Beek, John Archer, Steve Withers,
Rik Henderson, Dan Sait, Ed Selley, Richard Stevenson, was the only option – but these days, the home cinema
Flavio (AV-Holic) popcorn comes in all sorts of flavours.

Photography Mike Prior In this issue we take a look at a 3.1.2-channel Dolby Atmos

ADVERTISING soundbar from Samsung, a Hisense projector system
Advertising Sales Executive that thinks it's a TV, and an SVS subwoofer that makes a
Richard Morris
Mob: 07834 346461 virtue of its compact dimensions (the more 'traditional' side
E-mail: [email protected] of our hobby is repped by Anthem's MRX 740 receiver and LG's

MARKETING AND SUBSCRIPTIONS 65in C1 OLED). We even check out a luxurious custom install
UK: New, Renewals and Enquiries where there's no sign of a Blu-ray player...
Tel: 0344 243 9023
E-mail: [email protected] It makes me wonder what home cinema will look like 20 years
USA & CANADA: from now. While we wait, I'll have a bag of Sweet & Salty, please.
Toll Free: 001 866 647 9191
REST OF WORLD: New, Renewals and Enquiries Editor
Tel: +44 (0) 1604 828 748
BACK ISSUES 36 89 52
www.mags-uk.com

MANAGEMENT TEAM
Group Editor Paul Miller, [email protected]
Group Sales Manager Sonia Smart
Subscriptions Manager Beth Ashby
Chief Executive Owen Davies

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Home Cinema Choice, ISSN 1359-6276, is published monthly with an additional
issue in May by AVTech Media Ltd, a division of MYTIMEMEDIA Ltd, Suite 25,
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JUNE 2021 HOME CINEMA CHOICE

4 ISSUE 321/JUNE 2021

24 08 CONTRIBUTORS

22 John Archer:
82 The experienced
TV tester cut his
teeth as an early
HCC sta er

Jon Thompson:
Film producer and
post-production
expert delves into
Hollywood and AV

Steve May:
HCC’s former Ed.
is one of the UK’s
most respected
AV journos

Anton van Beek:
Our avid movie
watcher and disc
collector cut his
teeth on Total DVD

Richard
Stevenson:
Former Editor of
the UK CE trade
journal ERT

Ed Selley:
Audiophile Ed
mixes his home
cinema passion
with a love of vinyl

Steve Withers:
Movie fan, display
calibrator and
object-based
audio obsessive

FEATURES BULLETIN REGULARS

In-depth interviews and special reports. The place for hot products, trends Whether you want our opinions or your
Starts... p22 and technology. Starts... p7 own, here's where to look. Starts... p71

COVER STORY 07 Out on its own 75 Digital Copy

22 Game on for home cinema JBL Synthesis SDR-35 When is IMAX Enhanced not IMAX Enhanced?

Can your display handle the graphical talents 08 Mini LED lights the way 76 Film Fanatic
of your new console?
TCL C82 QLED TV Keeping an eye on the discs we missed
24 Get set up for surround sound
09 Apple TV 4K upgrade 78 Feedback
Take the first step towards thrilling home
cinema sound Media streamer adds HFR Dolby Vision Your thoughts on black bars, sequels and
projector room decor
COVER STORY 10 Sony expands 4K PJ fleet
82 Certified: AV-Holic
30 Saddle up! Flagship laser model and entry-level beamer
join the SXRD club Take a tour of Flavio's cinema room
The best of the Western genre from silent
movies to... The Mandalorian? 12 Soundbar sweet treat 114 AV Avenger

36 Dream theatres Meet LG's compact Eclair QP5 Is Steve May too old for his disc collection?

Two stunning pro installs to inspire you 14 'Let's have a clean fight' COMPETITIONS

SELECT Godzilla Vs Kong stomps onto 4K Blu-ray 80 Great Blu-rays to be won!

The place to look if you're planning to buy 17 Sound United HDMI 2.1 fix Zack Snyder's Justice League 4K; Duel;
some new AV gear. Starts... p101 Encounter of a Spooky Kind; Mandy
Free adapter on the way for Denon and
101 Gear guide Marantz AVR owners

HCC's comprehensive Top 10s/15s list
only the very best kit money can buy

HOME CINEMA CHOICE JUNE 2021

SUBSCRIBE! Sign up to the world’s best AV magazine
to save money and never miss an issue p18

44 48

'A well-specified premium
AVR that sounds superb'

52
56

REVIEWS 90

With a focus on performance, these are in-depth tests you can trust... p43 PLAYBACK

COVER STORY 68 JBL Charge 5 e latest Blu-rays, DVDs, games and
books reviewed and rated. Starts... p89
44 Anthem MRX 740 Waterproof Bluetooth speaker reengineered
for beefier sound 90 Godzilla [2014] [4K]
Seven-channel Dolby Atmos receiver with 91 Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice
ARC Genesis Room EQ 68 Focal Celestee
Ultimate Edition [Remastered] [4K];
48 SVS 3000 Micro Premium wired headphones designed for The Eight Hundred; Wrong Turn [2021];
audiophile ears The Terror: The Complete First Season
American subwoofer specialist shrinks its 92 The Good, The Bad and the Ugly [4K]
3000 Series 70 Huawei Sound X 94 Returnal [PS5]; The Last Action Hero [4K];
Karlo at Columbia; Irreversible: Limited Ed.
52 LG OLED65C1 Chinese corp teams up again with Devialet 95 Speed [4K]
for this omnidirectional wireless speaker 96 World of Wong Kar Wai; County Lines;
Does this 4K Dolby Vision OLED TV mark Willy's Wonderland; Spookies: Limited
the sweet spot in LG's 2021 range? 72 Samsung QE75Q900R Edition; The Stylist: Limited Edition
97 Two Films By John Ford...; Let Him Go;
56 Cambridge Audio SX 5.1 Does this first-generation 8K TV still cut the Yellowstone Seasons One & Two; Ride the
home cinema mustard? High Country: Premium Collection
A ordable floorstanding speaker system 98 Tom Clancy's Without Remorse; Promising
flaunts a new look Young Woman

60 Samsung HW-Q800A

3.1.2-channel Dolby Atmos soundbar wants
to buddy up to your QLED TV

COVER STORY

64 Hisense 100L5FTUK

Take an ultra-short-throw projector, add
a 100in ALR screen, and enjoy

JUNE 2021 HOME CINEMA CHOICE

Humax Aura Android TV 4K Recorder

'SRWXERXP] ƼKLXMRK SZIV XLI VIQSXI# ;I KIX MX XLIVIƅW PSXW SJ KVIEX XIPP] XS KS EVSYRH
But imagine if you could watch TV on other screens, too. You can now enjoy multiscreen, at no extra cost.

Entertainment whenever you want it, wherever you go. With AURA from Humax, watch live TV or your favourite
recorded shows, sports and movies, all at your leisure. Whether in the lounge, curled up in bed or even in the home
SƾGI XLI %96% ETTƅW QYPXMWGVIIR JIEXYVI PIXW ]SY WXVIEQ PMZI 8: ERH ]SYV VIGSVHMRKW ER][LIVI MR XLI LSYWI Ɓ SR
ER] GSQTEXMFPI HIZMGI =SY GER IZIR HS[RPSEH VIGSVHMRKW XS XEOI [MXL ]SY [LIR ]SYƅVI SR XLI KS 'SQFMRI XLEX

with an impressive 30,000+ hours of TV and over 700 boxsets, across your favourite on demand players.
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uk.humaxdigital.com humaxdirect.co.uk

*Compatible Android or iOS device required. Enhanced casting feature available from May 2021. Enhanced recording function subject to channel availability. Features outlined are subject to change at any time without notice.
Google, Google Play, Android TV and other marks are trademarks of Google LLC. The FREEVIEW words and logos are trademarks of DTV Services LTD. © DTV Services Ltd. Channel content, logos and application logos are
trademarks and copyright of their respective owners. © 2021 Humax Electronics Co. Ltd.

WWW.HOMECINEMACHOICE.COM 7

BULLETIN

➜News highlights TCL Multi-HDR Mini LED TV ready to roll this Summer

APPLE Upgraded 4K TV box LG New soundbar lineup breaks cover SONY VPL-VW290ES and
VPL-VW890ES projectors added to 4K range NEWS X10 The hottest news stories in bite-sized

chunks GODZILLA VS KONG The battle of the bulge is coming to 4K Blu-ray & MORE!

Out on its own

JBL Synthesis SDR-35➜www.karma-av.co.uk

Previously, you had to buy a JBL Synthesis home ONLINE…
cinema speaker package to get your hands on
its electronics, but the US corp is making its new For breaking AV news, blogs, features and
SDR-35 AV receiver (£6,000) available separately. reviews visit www.homecinemachoice.com
Beneath its smart exterior with colour display, this Follow us on Twitter @hccmag
seven-channel model is based on the same platform Like us on Facebook
as the AVR30 from stablemate Arcam, but adds facebook.com/homecinemachoice
new features including an upgraded ESS Sabre
DAC, Harman Logic 16 processing/upmixing, Dirac's JUNE 2021 HOME CINEMA CHOICE
‘Multi Sub’ bass control and improved IP networking.

8 TCL MINI LED/APPLE TV 4K

Mini LED lights the way

TCL C82 Series➜www.tcl.com/uk

After dipping into the UK market in recent years with
a succession of well-priced mid-tier TVs, Chinese
marque TCL is now aiming higher with the C82,

a 4K QLED model with Mini LED backlight promising
'incredible brightness, dramatic highlights and a richer,

more lifelike HDR performance.' HDR10+ and Dolby
Vision-capable, with 48Gbps HDMI 2.1 connectivity,
Android smarts and integrated Dolby Atmos sound

system designed by Onkyo, the set will arrive this
Summer in 55in and 65in variants, price TBC.

HOME CINEMA CHOICE JUNE 2021

BULLETIN 9

Bowers & Wilkins zones out Two-channel digital diva Playlist...

New to Cambridge Team HCC spins up its disc
B&W's Audio has picks of the month
custom launched Man of Steel (4K BD)
install- a pair of
focused product range is the CDA-16, a networked After Justice League and Batman v
slim-line 16-channel power amp suited stereo amplifiers based around Hypex's Superman… how could we resist a
to multizone audio. Priced £1,800, and NCore Class D technology. Both the £1,800 return trip to the bombastic origin
intended for rack installations, this Class D Evo 75 and more powerful £2,250 Evo 150 of the 'Snyderverse’?
power pusher delivers a claimed 50W per are fully-featured, with a spec list including
channel into 8 ohm loads (up to 200W in the brand’s StreamMagic platform and app Nomadland (Disney+)
bridged mode). A bank of line-level stereo control; Chromecast, AirPlay and Bluetooth
analogue inputs allows for independent connections; and a swathe of physical inputs
sources to feed eight audio zones, but there's including MM phono, USB-B and HDMI ARC.
also the option for one input to be selected Design flourishes include swappable black or
as a 'global' source. walnut side panels, and a colour LCD display.
www.bowerswilkins.com www.cambridgeaudio.com

Apple TV 4K upgraded

New-generation streamer supercharged by advanced A12 Bionic chipset

Apple has upgraded its Apple TV 4K media player, Dolby Vision at 60 frames Frances McDormand’s stunning
introducing a number of new features powered by per second. At present lead performance ensures Chloé
the brand’s A12 Bionic chipset. there’s not too much content Zhao’s episodic Oscar-winner is a
in the format to be had, but road trip worth taking.
The retooled media box Apple says it’s working with
(priced £169) comes with Fox Sports, NBC Universal, ZeroZeroZero (BD)
a new Siri Remote, plus Paramount+, Red Bull TV
high frame rate 4K support and Canal+ on roll-outs. The thrilling eight-part cocaine-
with Dolby Vision, and smuggling crime saga makes a
novel colour calibration But we suspect that’s not welcome leap from Sky Atlantic
technology. So will this where Apple sees its user to HD disc.
update offer enough to case. More apposite is the
convert new users, or fact that videos shot on Uncle Peckerhead (BD)
tempt the Apple faithful an iPhone 12 Pro can be
to upgrade? displayed in full 60fps Unexpectedly good-natured and
Dolby Vision using AirPlay very funny horror-comedy about a
Key to these to stream to the box struggling punk band and their
improvements is the from an iPhone, iPad, or Mac. demonically possessed roadie.
adoption of Apple’s A12 Bionic silicon, which not Meanwhile, the new colour calibration feature
only provides a boost in graphics performance, requires both an Apple TV and an iPhone, using the The Undoing (BD)
but promises enhanced video decoding and audio latter's advanced onboard sensors to optimise the
processing. Before experiencing that, however, buyers device’s video output when it’s held up to the screen. Hugh Grant and Nicole Kidman
will notice the new Siri Remote. The light sensor in the iPhone compares the colour bring plenty of star power to
balance to, we’re told, cinema industry-standard HBO’s gripping and beautifully
Apple claims this offers better ease-of-use thanks specifications, and then automatically adjusts shot six-part whodunnit.
to tweaked buttonry. A new clickpad control supports the streamer’s video to conform, all without
five-way navigation, along with the directional swipes having to delve into pesky picture menus.
that are already part of the Apple TV user experience.
The outer ring of the clickpad supports It’s worth noting
circular gestures, that Apple's 'colour
effectively turning it balance' innovation
into a jog control. isn’t exclusive to this
Critics of the previous new hardware. It’s
button-lite handset actually part of the
should be happy. latest v14.5 update
for Apple’s tvOS. So
60fps HDR if you have an older
Apple TV device,
This is the first Apple it too can be
TV 4K device to iPhone calibrated.
support HDR and www.apple.com

Apple TV buyers get a free
Apple TV+ subscription

JUNE 2021 HOME CINEMA CHOICE

10 VELODYNE/SONY

At the 'plex… Sony expands 4K PJ fleet

Heading out to see a flick? New entry-level and flagship models focus on films, not gaming...
Catch these this month
Sony has launched two new native 4K home Chris Mullins: 'Some other dynamic tone
Cruella mapping philosophies are di erent to ours,
cinema projectors, both utilizing its advanced X1 but we aim to match the creator's intent'
May 28: There’s a whi of DC ‘bad
girl’ Harley Quinn about Emma for Projector picture processor. Sony says its technique is
Stone’s wannabe-fashion- The high-end VPL-VW890ES (£25,000) is a laser particularly effective with the
designer-turned-dog-napping laser-light source of the VPL-
criminal Cruella de Vil in this model, with premium All-Range Crisp Focus (ARC-F) VW890ES. 'With laser you can do
live-action prequel to 101 lens, while the VPL-VW290ES is an entry-level more precise dimming on the dark side, on the
Dalmatians. Catch it in cinemas (£5,500) lamp model. Like the rest of Sony’s 2021 shadow details. It works in tandem with the iris on the
or via Disney+ Premier Access. projection fleet, they're built around Sony’s 4K VW890ES. So you get a much more refined low-end.'
SXRD panel, which supports resolutions up 4,096
A Quiet Place Part II x 2,160. The duo replace the previous VPL-VW870ES Sticking to the speed limit
and VPL-VW270ES beamers.
June 4: Emily Blunt, Millicent These new projectors offer an input lag reduction
Simmons and Noah Jupe return X1 for Projector, already seen on the VW590ES mode for gaming. However, if you’re expecting
for a second slice of silent shocks [HCC #317] and VW790ES [HCC #316], supports high frame rate support, you’ll be disappointed.
when the Abbott family ventures Reality Creation upscaling and packs a Dynamic HDR The ports in play here are v2.0b, so there’s no
into the outside world in search Enhancer, which analyses scenes frame by frame opportunity for any 4K 120fps action.
of a new place to call home. for optimum contrast, saturation and fine detail.
'I guess the message here is that these are
Freaky 'We're boosting the highlights, and lowering the primarily for home cinema and films,' Mullins told
black level. We're widening that dynamic range,' HCC. 'You can show 4K HDR up to 60fps.
June 25: Get ready for a ‘Freaky explains Chris Mullins, home cinema product Unfortunately, we can't cater for those 120Hz frame
Friday the 13th’ when teenage high manager for Sony Professional Solutions. rates, or other specialist gaming facilities, but we are
school student Millie (Kathryn looking at. More and more, these models are being
Newton) inexplicably swaps The technology punches up bright areas using used in multimedia rooms and gaming is becoming
bodies with serial killer The signal processing, while attenuating the light source a big part of that.
Butcher (Vince Vaughn) in this to deepen blacks. 'One thing that people often
slasher comedy from the creator criticise projectors for is their lack of "proper" HDR,' 'With the PlayStation 5, the step-up is not
of Happy Death Day. says Mullins, 'because they don't have the same necessarily to 120p, it's from 30p up to 60p. Play
dynamic range as a TV. Dynamic HDR Enhancer gets some of these remastered games in 60p on these
so much closer. I know some other dynamic tone projectors and they all look amazing.'
mapping philosophies are slightly different to ours, www.sony.co.uk
but we aim to match the creator's intent; we have
a lot of experience with grading monitors.'

The VW290ES comes in black or white finish options

Velodyne's new depth charge Velodyne's DB subs use a high-excursion
'PP' woofer with four-layer voice coil
Subwoofer specialist's DB range goes big on drivers, small on price

Velodyne's new Deep Blue subwoofer series mid-range rather than premium
is the company's first 'ground up’ design in 10 approach – the flagship DB15 sells
years, and launches with a four-strong range for £1,500, while its 8in baby brother
in 8in, 10in, 12in and 15in woofer options. is ticketed at £800 – and subsequently
connections and features are
Each one packs new driver and amplifier straightforward. Each model has a
technology, and uses a revised sealed MDF stereo line-level RCA input, LFE in/out
cabinet design with rigid bracing and 2in-thick and crossover, phase and gain controls.
front ba e. These features combine to engineer There's no automated EQ or app control.
'an unmatched performance with a dynamic and
accurate output,' says Velodyne. Frequency reach is claimed down to
23Hz (+/-3dB) for the 1,000W peak-
The Deep Blue subs are billed as the successors rated DB15.
to the brand's former SPL I series, which first www.velodyneacoustics.com
arrived over a decade ago. Pricing indicates a

HOME CINEMA CHOICE JUNE 2021

CINEMA EVERYTHING

UPGRADE YOUR VIEWING EXPERIENCE

Image in screen: PES2021

12 LG SOUNDBARS/NEWS X10

Press play Soundbar sweet treat?

Discs spinning your way LG's 2021 range includes compact Atmos-capable Eclair model
in the coming month…
For the most part, LG's new season LG's Eclair is its smallest Atmos 'bar
May 31 soundbar lineup looks like a
continuation of what's come height drivers. A 5.1 model,
Backdraft 4K before – a bevy of models the SP7Y, instead features
The Birds 4K beginning with conventional DTS Virtual:X processing. All
Chaos Walking 4K 3.1.2 and 5.1 options and bar the SP11RA, which ships with
Duel: 50th Anniversary Edition topping out with a premium its own wireless surround speakers, can
Lake Mungo: Limited Edition 7.1.4-channel system. Yet the be expanded through LG's SPK8 optional
Smokey and the Bandit 4K company has also confirmed a rear pair, turning the SPD7Y into a 5.1.2 system,
Sound of Metal small-form 'bar designed to be an for example.
The World of Wong Kar Wai easier fit in space-starved environments. The continued partnership between LG and
Zombi 5: Killing Birds Dubbed the Eclair QP5, presumably due to British sound specialist Meridian Audio has
its curvy chassis, it's described as a 'break from this year yielded a new feature, called Meridian
June 7 conventional soundbar design.' Horizon. This is an upmixing technology designed
to transform two-channel content into 'immersive,
Indiana Jones: 4-Film Collection 4K Measuring less than 30cm across (around a third multichannel audio.'
36 Hours: Premium Collection the length of a typical model), the Eclair's soundbar Additional features shared by the three priciest
Dogs Don’t Wear Pants element still manages to incorporate separate models (the £1,500 SP11RA, £900 SP9YA and
Escape to Victory: Premium Col. LCR drivers accompanied by a pair of upfiring Dolby £600 SP8YA) include Dolby Vision passthrough
The Sea Wolf: Premium Collection Atmos units. The left and right drivers are mounted and HDMI eARC connectivity; LG's automated AI
Shockwave: Destruction Hong Kong at an angle to aid the creation of a wide soundstage. Room Calibration system and AI Sound Pro smart
The Stylist: Limited Edition DSP; and Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa and Siri
The Whalebone Box Joining it is a wireless subwoofer with matching voice interaction.
discreet design. This features both front and rear www.lg.com/uk
June 14 ports, which LG says enables it to limit cabinet
vibrations and room rattle.
Basic Instinct 4K
Flowers of Shanghai Extended family LG's bigger
Godzilla vs Kong 4K 'bars can be
The Hands of Orlac The Eclair QP5 (price TBC) partnered with
In the Line of Fire 4K is targeted at people who optional rears
Merrily We Go to Hell believe a traditional soundbar
Waterloo: Special Edition is not an option in their living
environment. For those more
June 21 accepting of hardware clutter,
LG has five larger models
The Babadook 4K to replace last year's range.
But I’m a Cheerleader: Director’s Cut
Eye of the Cat Four of the systems
Hammer: Volume Six (the 3.1.2 SPD7Y and SP8YA,
Judas and the Black Messiah 5.1.2 SP9YA and 7.1.4 SP11RA)
One of Our Aircraft is Missing support Dolby Atmos and DTS:X
Piccadilly playback through physical
Years of Lead: Five Classic Italian
Crime Thrillers, 1973-1977 Sony parties hard with X-Series

June 28 Portable, wireless speakers designed for those who 'live life loud'

The Bird with the Crystal Plumage: A trio of Bluetooth speakers have broken to give the X-Series models a 'powerful and
Limited Edition 4K UHD free of Sony's R&D lab and want to shake wide-spreading sound,' says the brand.
The Boys: Season Two up your next BBQ, or keep your kids The entry-level XP500 model partners
Major Dundee: Limited Edition occupied while you commandeer its LF units with two front-firing tweeters,
The Night of the Hunter the cinema room. while the XP700 adds an another tweeter
Sneakers: Limited Edition for an omnidirectional array. The XG500
The splashproof SRS-XP500 (£320) goes bigger on bass thanks to twin
and SRS-XP700 (£450), and fully passive radiators.
waterproof SRS-XG500 (£380), As well as integrated Bluetooth, the
all have a similar, purposeful design, rechargeable battery-powered speakers
with carry-handle and lighting e ects. feature a USB port for local file playback,
and mic inputs for karaoke night.
X-Balanced driver technology (also www.sony.co.uk
found in Sony's TV range) combines
with Mega Bass and Live Sound settings

HOME CINEMA CHOICE JUNE 2021

BULLETIN 13

This month’s top 10 news stories in handy, bite-sized chunks... Premiere...

6Crystal-clear 4K What's happening in the
Dario Argento's 1970 debut flick The Bird world of TV and films
with the Crystal Plumage is the latest title
added to Arrow Video's UHD Blu-ray Stolen title?
catalogue. Scheduled for release June 28, the film
has received a Dolby Vision makeover based on a
new 4K restoration, and will come with restorations
of its original Italian and English mono soundtracks.

18K incoming for Arcam AVRs 7 Movie lovers make a call Viggo Mortensen, Kristen Stewart
Saying its current AV receiver and processor A survey by Showcase Cinemas has found and Lea Seydoux have signed on
range had been 'designed from the beginning that the 'E.T phone home' scene in Steven to star in David Cronenberg’s next
with upgradability in mind', Arcam has Spielberg's 1980s sci-fi tear-jerker is the feature film, Crimes of the Future.
announced plans to o er an HDMI 2.1 board favourite movie moment of all time for UK film fans. It’s not yet known if the movie is
upgrade for its AVR10, AVR20, AVR30 and Ranked below were Darth Vader's 'I am your father' related to the director’s 1970 short
AV40 models later this year. Pricing and exact revelation and Chief Brody suggesting a bigger boat. of the same name. Mortensen
availability for the physical update, which will be previously starred in Cronenberg's
undertaken by authorised 8Streaming A History of Violence (pictured) and
Arcam service centres, has surge slows Eastern Promises.
yet to be confirmed. JBL's Netflix added 3.8m
SDR-35 AVR (see p7) and new subscribers Cindy to stream
SDP-55 preamp are also in
line for the HDMI refit. in the first quarter of 2021, Sony Pictures has o -loaded its
way down on a projected live-action 2021 Cinderella movie to
2Sennheiser target of 6m. The VOD Amazon Prime Video. The musical
gets musical giant cited upheaval to its film, which casts Frozen singer Idina
Sennheiser's premium production slate caused by Menzel, Pierce Brosnan and Billy
Ambeo Dolby Atmos the COVID pandemic as a Porter alongside newcomer Camila
factor in the slowdown. Cabello in the title role, was due for
soundbar has a new trick – a July cinema release.
support for Sony's 360 9Family a air
Reality Audio format. A free Music streamer One cut or two?
firmware update for the single-enclosure, multi- Deezer has launched
driver 'bar adds the immersive music capability to its a Family Hi-Fi tier, Production has begun on a French
Atmos/DTS:X talents. priced £20 a month, that will allow up to six individual remake of the brilliant Japanese
profiles to stream lossless, CD-quality FLAC. horror-comedy One Cut of the Dead.
3The show must go on The do-over is being directed by
The organisers of the IFA technology expo 10It's about time The Artist helmer Michael
have announced the show will go ahead this Walter Hill's action movie classic 48 Hrs. Hazanavicius and stars Romain
September 3-7 at its regular Berlin venue, and may finally be getting the Blu-ray release Duris and Oscar nominee (and
will be a 'full-scale, real-life event.' Last year's IFA it deserves, with Paramount confirming Hazanavicius’ wife) Berenice Bejo.
was predominantly a virtual showcase, but there's a July 6 release in the US under its Paramount
'huge interest' from manufacturers for a return to its Presents imprint. The 1982 cops and robbers caper Nick Nolte and Eddie Murphy have a case
pre-COVID iteration. has been remastered at 4K, and will be joined by a (and some skulls) to crack in 48 Hrs.
new Filmmaker Focus featurette about Hill. Fingers
crossed a UHD BD release will follow soon.

4 Android UI loves Freeview
Freeview Play-enabled Android TVs (such
as those from brands including Philips,
Sharp and TCL) have undergone a change
to the user interface to better integrate catch-up
and live TV content from the free-to-air platform.
Freeview Play programme recommendations are
also in the pipeline.

5Heir to the throne
Sky Atlantic has announced an April
2022 arrival for the Game of Thrones
prequel series House of Dragon. Based
on George R. R. Martin's 2018 novel Fire &
Blood, the big-budget drama will be set 300
years before the events of ...Thrones, and focus
on House Targaryen.

JUNE 2021 HOME CINEMA CHOICE

14 DISC PREVIEW

'Let's have a clean fight'

Godzilla vs Kong➜Warner Bros.➜Ultra HD Blu-ray

Seven years after Legendary Pictures kicked off
its MonsterVerse with Godzilla (see p90), the killer
lizard faces off against fellow franchise icon King

Kong in the imaginatively titled Godzilla vs Kong.
Hitting 4K Blu-ray on June 11, the box o ce smash
will get distributor Warner Bros.'s now customary
choice of HDR10+ and Dolby Vision HDR grades,
plus Dolby Atmos sonics. Accompanying the kaiju

slugfest will be a commentary by director
Adam Wingard and ten featurettes.

HOME CINEMA CHOICE JUNE 2021



16 HDMI 'BUG' FIX

Face to Face Classic JBL speaker now smaller Naim ups headphone game

Topics of discussion on JBL's 4309 is the Naim has unveiled
the HCC Facebook page latest in its range of a 'Headphone
'heritage' style Studio Edition' of its
On the Indiana Jones Monitor loudspeakers. popular Uniti Atom
4K Blu-ray boxset... A considerably music streaming
smaller, more system. Available
I don't think 4K will improve the affordable alternative now priced £2,399 (the same as the
last one! to the previously launched 4349, it scales standard edition), the unit features a new
Dan Mann down the bass/mid driver from 12in to 6.5in, discrete headphone amplifier stage informed
I hope these have the original audio and drops the price from £7,000p/p to by research into Naim's Statement power
mixes. I won't buy if they don't. £1,800p/p. JBL's 'signature' sound again amps, plus revised power supply and circuit
Mike Wadkin comes from a compression driver output via design. Described as being suitable for 'even
I have the DVD and Blu-ray its HDI (High Definition Imaging) horn. Finish the most premium of headphones,' it offers
boxsets, so I can revisit them for options are walnut or black walnut, both with Pentaconn and XLR balanced outputs in
the original mix and compare a ba e in ‘classic’ JBL blue. addition to a 6.35mm socket.
them with the 4K discs. Looking www.jblsynthesis.com www.naimaudio.com
forward to seeing them.
Dirk de Sagher Sound United HDMI 2.1 fix

What you're watching Free external adapter now shipping for Denon and Marantz AV receivers
on your home cinema...
Good news for owners of 8K-capable Denon and HDMI 2.1 input and HDMI 2.1 output, and will ship
Beauty and the Beast Marantz AV receivers who have been frustrated by with an HDMI cable.
on my trusty PJ via UHD an HDMI 'bug' a ecting 4K/120 playback from their
disc. Really enjoyed it Xbox Series X console – parent company Sound The adapter is being o ered free-of-charge
so time to revisit a few United has confirmed a free fix in the shape of an to owners of the following AV receiver and AV
of the others I have. external HDMI adapter. processor models:
Stef Neo
Not much as my AV amp started Dubbed the SPK618, this adapter will sit between Denon AVC-A110, AVC-X6700H, AVC-X4700H,
playing up. It's old and can’t accept the gaming console source and the receiver, and AVC-X3700H, AVR-X2700H, AVR-X2700HDAB,
HDMI audio and the converter box deliver 'corrected HDMI data to the AVR.' Sound AVR-S960H.
I have blew up and that was that! United says this will remedy the error and allow
Time for a new Atmos amp I think. a '4K/120Hz or 8K signal to pass.' Marantz AV7706, SR8015, SR7015, SR6015,
Neil Hunt SR5015, SR5015DAB, NR1711 (pictured).
The Planet of the Apes reboot The arrival of the HDMI 2.1 'bug', as it became
trilogy. Owned the 4K UHDs for a known, was first reported last year by German Anyone in the UK, Germany, France or the
couple of years but only just got technology magazine C'T, and was subsequently Netherlands who wants to receive one should head
round to watching them. All three confirmed by Sound United, whose Denon and to www.denon.com/hdmiadapter or www.marantz.
movies were amazing. Marantz brands were the only ones to have HDMI com/hdmiadapter for more information. Owners
John Beardsall 2.1-equipped AVRs and receivers on the market. outside of those countries are advised to contact
Finished o my Rodgers & the retailer where they purchased their product.
Hammerstein boxset by projecting The company said at the time it was working on
the wonderful Carousel. a permanent solution to the problem, which would Says Sound United: 'Customers who have an
John Hudson require a hardware, rather than firmware, upgrade. a ected receiver will not need to ship anything
Mitchells vs. The Machines on or retrofit their products at home.'
Netflix. Loved by all the family, www.denon.com / www.marantz.com
even if the LFE rattled our home's
foundations. One more The SPK618 (inset) will
Murray Lothian thing... be supplied free

Join in the fun Denon and Marantz
owners with Xbox Series
Like our page at facebook. X consoles will no doubt
com/HomeCinemaChoice be happy, but there's
no getting away from
the fact this fix involves
adding another box to
an AV setup.

At least the SPK618,
which requires mains
power, has an
unobtrusive 'low-profile'
design (it's basically a
black box) and should
be easy to tuck out of
sight. It features a single

HOME CINEMA CHOICE JUNE 2021

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22

The PlayStation 5 and Xbox
Series X and S consoles
introduce a range of awesome
new AV features – but can your
home cinema support them all?
John Archer wraps his head
around VRR, ALLM and more

WHEN THE PS4 and Xbox One first launched in inadequate for what you want to achieve. Non-TV Sound advice
2013, their lack of any 4K support meant they were AV kit is even further o the pace; no soundbars yet
behind the AV curve. It was no surprise, therefore, support HDMI 2.1 passthrough, and while a few recent Why your AVR or soundbar
when both consoles rushed out 4K versions less AVRs have introduced HDMI 2.1 connectivity, a bug is the weak link in the chain
than a year later. But when the PS5 and Xbox Series that prevents them passing 4K at 120Hz from the
X/S arrived last November, the situation was Xbox Series X (see p16) has caused problems. Most soundbars and AVRs
reversed. This time it was the consoles that set the currently come a cropper when
AV pace, leaving TVs (and AVRs and soundbars) Considering the headaches associated with these passing through HDMI 2.1-related
struggling to keep up. gaming features, you might wonder if it’s all really game features, so PS5 and Xbox
worth the bother. So let’s get into why it absolutely is. Series X/S owners are currently
The main reason for this is the complexities of the better served connecting the
HDMI connections we use to hook up our digital AV 4K/120Hz playback console directly to their HDMI
sources. Specifically, the protocols and data rates 2.1 display. Audio can then be sent
an HDMI connection needs to deliver the advanced This is arguably the most important skill introduced from the TV to a soundbar or AVR
gaming features of the new console breed. by both the PS5 and Xbox Series X consoles (it’s not using HDMI ARC/eARC technology.
found on the less potent Xbox Series S). It's also the There are problems with this
Even now, six months after the PS5 and Xbox one that's left many displays wanting. approach. It can cause a delay in
Series X/S debuts, the number of TVs equipped the audio path, leading to a loss
for full cutting-edge gaming remains small. As you’ve probably guessed, it involves games of synchronisation with the image.
being output at full 4K resolution with frame rates Furthermore, while the Xbox
The three main features that are causing many of 120Hz, and it results in game environments that Series X/S support DTS:X
TVs to come up short are 4K graphics shipping feel incredibly fluid and realistic as you run and pan object-based sound (and use it
at 120Hz frame rates; variable refresh rates; to upmix flat content via the DTS
and Automatic Low Latency Mode (ALLM) around them. No details or, more Unbound app), the majority of
switching. I’ll dig into why these features importantly, enemies are lost in the TVs restrict eARC support to
matter later (plus the subject of input lag), judder you can get even with 60Hz feeds, Dolby sources.
but the key point is that they are associated never mind the 30Hz feeds the previous
with the v2.1 iteration of HDMI. generation of consoles could struggle Sony's PlayStation 5 is still awaiting
to rise above. a VRR update to join its 4K/120
You might think you just need to look for playback talents
mentions of HDMI 2.1 in a TV’s specification Not all new games playout in 4K at
sheet to be assured of its gaming prowess. 120Hz, but having put hundreds of hours
But it’s not that simple. While so-called into many of those that do, there’s no
‘full’ HDMI 2.1 ports support data rates of doubt the higher frame rate gives you a
40-48Gbps, plus all the latest gaming competitive advantage, as well as making
tricks, it's also possible for v2.0 HDMIs – games simply look better.
which have been in the wild for over seven
years – to carry one or two supposed Titles so far include heavy-hitters Call
HDMI 2.1 features despite their reduced of Duty Black Ops: Cold War, Destiny 2,
bandwidth. This has led to a grey area, with Dirt 5 and Borderlands 3, and it's a feature
TV brands listing compatibility with some that's been adopted by Xbox developers
HDMI 2.1 tricks even when the connections in particular, with that console so far
are HDMI 2.0 a airs, and potentially enjoying more than 70 such games. PS5
owners, on the other hand, can currently
get 4K/120 fun from around a dozen.

HOME CINEMA CHOICE JUNE 2021

TECH FOCUS 23

For a TV to handle 4K/120Hz, its HDMI connection The best TV ‘standard’ version of the technology. Processor/
needs to cope with data rates of at least 32.08Gbps. for gaming? graphics outfit AMD also has its own FreeSync
HDMI 2.0 ports, by comparison, top out at 18Gbps. take on VRR (championed by the Xbox Series S
A toss up between LG OLED and X), while rival Nvidia has the G-Sync VRR
LG has led the way by putting 'full' HDMI 2.1 ports and Samsung Neo QLED system currently only available from PCs.
on its premium OLED TVs since 2019 – the exception
this year is the entry-level A1 model, which is limited As other brands get their gaming LG o cially supports all three VRR flavours,
to 4K/60Hz playback. It has also included HDMI 2.1 house in order, LG and Samsung and while Samsung only claims to support the
on a number of its 2021 LCD TVs, including the QNED have forged ahead with TVs AMD and core HDMI versions, its latest TVs
Mini LED models, the 8K NANO966, and the 4K tailor-made for console fans. handle G-Sync too. Samsung’s premium 2021
NANO916, NANO886 and NANO866 ranges. In favour of LG's OLED sets are a models even work with the new Pro version of
stunning contrast, four full HDMI AMD FreeSync, which requires displays to follow
Perennial rival Samsung has also embraced 2.1 ports on all models from the a stringent set of picture rules. It’s not clear yet
gaming features emphatically. Its 2021 8K TVs feature C1 series up, official support for all if other brands will stick with the HDMI VRR
four 4K/120Hz-capable HDMIs, as does its flagship three VRR formats, and relatively system, or also throw their hats in with either of
QN95A 4K QLED TV range [HCC #319]. The step- little reduction in picture quality the proprietary variations.
down QN90A, QN85A, Q80A and Q70A ranges also with Game mode engaged. On the
feature full HDMI 2.1 support, albeit only on one input. other hand, Samsung's Mini LED/ Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM)
Neo QLED screens also carry a
Despite actually making the PS5 console, Sony quartet of high-bandwidth HDMIs, Your TV's Game preset typically has to deactivate
only launched a couple of sets last year that were o er extreme brightness, colour elements of picture processing to achieve the fast
primed for its use. The situation is better in 2021 range and sharpness, and have response times gamers want. This means that
– you'll find at least one 4K/120-capable HDMI port immunity to the permanent image if you then play a video source from your console,
on it X90J and X80J OLEDs, Z9J 8K model, and 4K retention issue OLED screens such as a Blu-ray or video streaming app, and
LCDs down to the X85J range. can su er with. forget to switch your TV back out of Game mode,
These models aren't cheap, you won’t get optimum video quality.
Panasonic will finally be delivering 4K at 120Hz however, with LG's OLED55B1
on some of its latest OLED and flagship LCD TVs and Samsung's 55QN85A – both The Auto Low Latency Mode feature of HDMI
– but only after a firmware update later in the year. 55in – selling for £1,600 and 2.1 enables a compatible console to tell an ALLM-
The models involved are the JZ2000 and JZ1500 £1,800 respectively.... capable TV when it’s playing a game source and
OLEDs, along with the JX940 LCDs. when it’s playing a video source, so the TV can
Thanks to ALLM, VRR and an expansive adjust its presets automatically.
Philips has confirmed its incoming 9636 and library of 4K/120 games, the Xbox Series
9506 Mini LED sets will carry 48Gbps HDMI ports X leads the next-gen console charge All TVs with full HDMI 2.1 functionality support
with 4K/120Hz support, in addition to its 856 ALLM, but only the Xbox One and Xbox Series
and 806 OLED TVs. X/S consoles formally carry ALLM functionality.
The PS5 uses its own protocol to activate automatic
Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) switching with Sony TVs.

In an ideal world every game would manage Input lag
a constant refresh rate of 120Hz. The reality is that
many game engines can’t sustain such frame rates One last TV feature for gamers to consider is input
– even on new, powerful consoles. During moments lag. This refers to the time a TV takes to render
of high graphical intensity, the frame rate may drop image data received at its inputs – and when you’re
below its 120Hz or 60Hz ‘baseline,’ and since TVs playing reaction-based games such as Call of Duty,
typically can’t react to such frame rate changes, every millisecond counts.
they tend to cause ugly screen ‘tearing’ glitches.
Nearly all TVs have a Game preset or a fast
Cue Variable Refresh Rate (VRR), which enables response option that turns off chunks of picture
TVs to continually adjust their frame rates in line processing in pursuit of reduced input lag. Motion
with the game, removing all traces of tearing. handling, noise reduction and backlight controls

VRR has been a feature of Xbox consoles since can all take a hit as the Game
the Xbox One generation. However, it still isn’t mode focuses on producing
available on the PS5. It’s supposed to be coming images as quickly as possible.
to Sony's hardware via firmware update, but wasn’t
part of the large PS5 system overhaul that landed These days we’re starting to
at the end of April. see TVs reaching input lag figures
below 10ms in Game mode, and
Probably not coincidentally, VRR is also not you should certainly be looking
yet available on any of Sony’s 2020 or 2021 TVs. for something below 20ms if you
It’s meant to be arriving on last season's XH9005 don’t want to get shot in the face
models, and all of Sony’s 2021 HDMI 2.1 sets, but any more than necessary.
at the time of writing had not. It's taking the brand
a bizarrely long time to deliver a feature that That said, given that low-lag
premium Samsung models have supported since Game modes can reduce picture
2018, and premium LG TVs since 2019. quality, consider turning them
off if you’re playing a title (such
Panasonic is also only going to be making VRR as an RPG) that doesn’t rely
available via an update in the latter stages of 2021. on super-fast reactions. After
But in the end, assuming Sony and Panasonic deliver all, no matter how much of a
on their promises, you can expect any 2021 TV joystick junkie you are, you want
that supports 4K at 120Hz to also deliver VRR. a visual experience worthy of
your TV's talents ■
A point to add is that there are actually three
different VRR systems. The HDMI Org has its own

JUNE 2021 HOME CINEMA CHOICE

24

SurroundGET SET UP FOR…
sound
Knowing where to put your
loudspeakers is the first step
towards thrilling home
cinema sound, even if
you have to make some
compromises. Team HCC
digs into the basics

YOU KNOW THE famous George Lucas quote: Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope (top) the six-track magnetic 70mm Todd A/O format
when it comes to movie-watching, ‘sound is half and Apocalypse Now were early surround into six-track stereo with dual LFE channels.
the experience.’ And in your home cinema setup, it’s sound trailblazers Lucas’s Star Wars would ship out in both Dolby
quite likely you’ve spent more than half your budget Stereo 35mm and Dolby 70mm Six Track Stereo
on everything that goes towards creating that prints. Along with 1977's Close Encounters of the
experience – speakers, subwoofer(s), an AV receiver Third Kind, and 1979’s Apocalypse Now (the first
or processor/amplifier combo. movie with split surround channels), it marked the
birth of the surround sound era.
Of course, buying the equipment is only one
part of the journey. To get the best from your Skip forward some 40-plus years, through
multichannel setup, consideration of speaker the introduction of Dolby Digital 5.1 in 1992, the
placement is key, before you get into system EQ 6.1-channel Dolby Digital Surround EX format in
and the effects of your room environment. Spend 1999, Dolby 7.1 Surround in 2010 and Dolby Atmos
time getting it right (or as right as you can), and you'll in 2012 and, amidst the changes, much remains
be on the path toward a sound performance that constant. With a few rare exceptions, all new movies
perhaps Mr Lucas would be proud of. are mixed and released in multichannel, with left,
centre, right, left surround, right surround and
Before we get into the dos and don’ts of sonic LFE – and these remain the starting point for
setup, however, let’s take a trip back in time… any discrete, multichannel home cinema setup.

In a mixing studio far, far away Pixar's Brave (2012) was the first film
released in Dolby Atmos
The development of cinema sound from the
mono mixes of the first talkies to the object-based
Dolby Atmos and DTS:X tracks of today was far
from linear. Lucas’s famous comment came at
a time when multichannel audio was still in its
infancy and approaches to it were varied. Mono
soundtracks still dominated, but the likes of
four-track CinemaScope – and even seven-track
Cinerama – had already shown what could be
achieved, albeit only in those cinemas with the
necessary playback hardware.

Enter Dolby, then a specialist in noise reduction.
First, in 1976, it introduced the Dolby Stereo format.
Despite the name, this provided four-track audio
(left, centre, right and a single surround channel)
via an optical track on 35mm film – a more
commercially viable solution for theatre owners
than magnetic-strip 70mm. Yet the innovations
didn’t stop there, with Dolby boffins reworking

HOME CINEMA CHOICE JUNE 2021

TECH FOCUS 25

5.1 surround Top tip! Dolby's 5.1 speaker placement guide gives minimum and
maximum recommended angles for L, R and surrounds
A 5.1 SPEAKER array will get you all that broadcast When setting up your front left/
TV and DVD has to offer, while these six channels right speaker pair, be aware of how practical reasons. Or you might prefer to mount
also do the heavy lifting in a 7.1 or Dolby Atmos/ the wall behind them will a ect them higher up because you have a high-backed
DTS:X system. With the latter, you may well find their sound characteristics. chair, for example. In this case, angle your
yourself having to make compromises (more on Typically, positioning a speaker surrounds downwards if possible (which is quite
that later), so the fewer made when installing your close to the rear boundary wall likely how the surrounds are installed at your local
5.1 system the better. Where to begin? Paradoxically, will increase its low-frequency multiplex cinema).
it involves your display. response, which is potentially
beneficial with a smaller design, The last piece of the 5.1 puzzle is your
Dolby’s guidelines, which are a sensible jumping- but can result in booming bass subwoofer. Here, there's much more placement
off point, recommend a 22-30-degree angle for and a shallower 'image'. Use a flexibility due to the omnidirectional nature of
front left and front right speakers from your listening well-recorded stereo music track low frequencies; no matter where you put your
position (see diagram, right). The more technically to find your sweet spot, and a tape sub, you'll hear it. That said, with lengthy bass
focused International Telecommunications Union measure to make sure there's an waves radiating in all directions, they'll interact
(ITU), meanwhile, specifies a 30-degree angle. identical distance to your seat more noticeably with your room, so experiment
from both speakers. with positioning to reduce the likelihood of
Let's stick with 30 degrees. For systems annoying peaks and troughs in frequency response
where speakers are placed behind an acoustically (don't hope to completely eradicate them).
transparent projector screen, this is easy to achieve. A preferable position is at the front of the room,
But when they are sat either side of a TV or projector to better integrate the subwoofer at the crossover
screen, you’ll need to factor in the distance between point with your LCR speakers, but this won't
screen and seating, and the size of the screen. necessarily always be where your woofer
Optimal viewing distance is a whole other topic sounds best.
itself with recommended angles that have widened
with the arrival of 4K resolution displays; if you’re
someone who likes to go full IMAX and sit ‘close’
to your display, it may be that your speakers need
to go beyond that 30 degree angle. In this case,
angling them to face the listening position ('toe-ing
in') is recommended.

For the front left and right speakers, tweeters
should be at ear height, or as close as is practicably
possible. Floorstanding models aren’t all the same
height (some are less than 1m), and neither are
our sofas and our own heads, so what’s important,
given the greater directionality of high frequencies
compared to those in the mid and low ranges, is to
make sure tweeters aren’t too high or too low, or all
that audio information will pass right by you.

Centre channel placement is more
straightforward. Ideally, it should be directly in
front of your listening position, and again positioned
at head height. For TV-based setups, you’ll have
to place it either above or below the screen. In many
environments, it's often easiest to mount a centre
speaker underneath a TV (on an AV cabinet, for
example), and this is typically at less of an offset
than if it's positioned above. If it's placed very low,
using a support to angle the speaker upwards
towards you is recommended.

Picking sides

Surround speaker placement guidelines are perhaps
the hardest to adhere to if your cinema isn't a
dedicated room, as they are meant to be sat more
to the side of the listening position than behind it
(Dolby's recommendation is a 110-120 degree angle,
the ITU's is 100-120 degrees). In a 'real world'
environment, a behind-the-sofa installation is often
preferable to side-wall installation or freestanding
speakers in the room, so in that instance try to get
them as wide apart as possible.

The recommendation for surrounds is, again,
for a tweeters-at-ear-height installation. In some
environments this might not be an option for

JUNE 2021 HOME CINEMA CHOICE

26 SURROUND SOUND

A-list Atmos 7.1 surround In a 7.1 array, the rear surrounds should be
positioned at an angle of 135-150 degrees in relation
Team HCC picks its object- EVER SINCE THE Dolby Digital Surround EX to the listening position. And because 135 degrees
based audio classics soundtrack of Star Wars: The Phantom Menace, is rather close to the recommended 120-degree
Gravity the idea of adding sound 'back there' hasn't gone maximum of Dolby (and the ITU), the suggestion
away. And why not? It makes sense to fill out the rear is to move the surrounds further forward, to between
An early standard bearer for the of the soundstage – particularly if you have room for 90 and 110 degrees. The result is a more even spread
format, Alfonso Cuaron's sci-fi the speakers... of surround and rear surround effects.
relishes the genuine 360-degree
soundstage its space-set narrative To set up a 7.1 system (the format that has The distance of your listening position to your
a ords. We'll probably never replaced the 6.1 tracks of yesteryear and is the base screen essentially dictates the distance of your LCR
tire of using its opening scene layer of all Atmos tracks), you simply add a pair of speakers. With rear surrounds, you'll likely have much
as demo-fodder. JT speakers behind the listening position. Well, almost. less space to play with. Aim to have them forming
If you're keen to follow Dolby's guidelines, the a straight 0-degree line with your front L/R speakers,
Midway introduction of rear surrounds necessitates slightly and not sat right next to your noggin.
moving your existing surround speakers.

In a film that covers Pearl Harbor, Dolby upfiring in a four-speaker system, so upgrading from two
the Doolittle raid and the titular speakers have to four Atmos heights at a later date will require
battle, this Atmos track is just helped the format some reinstallation for optimal results.
non-stop object-based mayhem. movie from the
Planes zoom all around, flak multiplex into In a 5.12 or 7.1.2 setup, the Atmos overheads
peppers the soundstage, gunfire domestic cinemas – termed Top Middle – should ideally be placed
tears through the room and in line with the front L/R pair and slightly in front
explosions rattle your subs. SW Dolby Atmos/DTS:X of the listening position, at an angle of 80 degrees
(although the wider spec is 65-100 degrees,
Roma THE 3D AUDIO formats – Dolby Atmos and DTS:X which allows for an installation a little way
– represent the current pinnacle of home cinema behind the head).
Another Alfonso Cuaron flick, and sound. The chances are you either have a setup
one that proves his belief that 'the already, or desperately want one. But as they Dolby specifies in-ceiling speakers with a wide
real use for Atmos is [...] intimate make use of an overhead sound layer, they aren't dispersion – 90 degrees both horizontally and
films.' In place of a traditional a simple install, although thankfully there's plenty vertically – to avoid height audio sounding too
score, you get a mix jam-packed of flexibility in what you can do. localised. However, as many manufacturers don't
with distinct, individual details reveal dispersion characteristics for their consumer
that brings a rhythm to the drama. While the two formats don't recommend the products, and it's not something that's easy to
Artful and intoxicating. AvB same speaker layout (in the 'Pro' form of DTS:X, objectively measure, there's little point getting too
a single directly overhead speaker is suggested, hung up on this. The majority of models sold for use
Aquaman while Dolby Atmos says speakers should only ever in-ceiling should have a wide dispersion, and some
be added in pairs), the majority of home cinemas have 'aimable' tweeters allowing them to be
Crash, bang, wallop. Aquaman's either add two or four speakers to a 5.1 or 7.1 system targeted at the listening position.
Dolby Atmos track is about as – creating, for example, a 7.1.2 setup. And, helpfully,
subtle as some of the film's Dolby has guidelines on where these should go A better, more enveloping Dolby Atmos
dialogue, but who cares? In the (DTS is a lot more vague...). experience is delivered by a system with four
underwater battles scenes in overhead speakers. Here, the front pair (Top Front)
particular, this is a mix that never If you're able to fit in-ceiling overhead speakers
stops trying to immerse you. MC in your room, you'll likely be able to put these in the
correct position (barring light fixtures getting in the
Zack Snyder's way.) Something to be aware of, however, is that
Justice League there's a different position for a single pair of
overhead Atmos speakers to either of the two pairs
The superhero recut features a
new original score that's suitably
brooding and symphonic, and the
wider Atmos sound design is a
glorious match for Snyder's visuals.
Exhausting, engulfing and insanely
enjoyable. SM

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TECH FOCUS 27

should be at 45 degrees (or between 30 and 55), Top tip!
and the rear pair (Top Back) should be at 135
degrees (125-150). Our experience is that, given a
choice between a 7.1.2 setup and
Things are looking up 5.1.4, it's the latter that's the more
enjoyable and more immersive.
There are many reasons why an in-ceiling speaker So if your AV receiver limits you to
installation isn't desirable, but this doesn't preclude nine amplifier channels, consider
you from having a Dolby Atmos/DTS:X setup. Since using four for overheads. Already
the Atmos format launched for domestic rooms in running a 7.1 system? Aim for
2014, Dolby-enabled speakers – those that feature 'full-fat' 7.1.4 if you can!
an angled ba e and reflect audio off your ceiling to
your listening position – have been available, first KEF was the first loudspeaker
as a trickle, but with more arriving each year. company to launch Dolby-enabled

Upfiring drivers are also used in Dolby Atmos upfiring models
soundbars (although some rely entirely on DSP
to engineer an overhead effect).

Dolby even recommends upfiring speakers
instead of overhead models in certain situations,
such as rooms with less than optimal ceiling
height – again in an effort to create a more diffuse
sound akin to that of a commercial theatre.

For a speaker to be certified Dolby Atmos-
enabled, it has to feature a specific crossover
that adjusts high-frequency response. Coupled with
the angle of the driver, the module's dispersion

In a 5.1.2 Dolby characteristics and DSP in an Atmos-enabled AVR,
Atmos system this 'psychoacoustic processing' is designed to help
with overhead fool our brains into perceiving sound is coming
speakers, they entirely from above.
should sit slightly
forward of the So, where should you position your Dolby-enabled
listening position speakers? On top of your front and surround
enclosures. Indeed, most models on the market
Dolby's preferred are part of wider loudspeaker ranges and are
layout features specifically styled as an aesthetic match for
four overheads supporting floorstander or standmount models.
positioned nearer Some, such as Jamo's S 8 ATM, will only work with
the front and stablemate speakers, as their binding posts are
surround speakers actually housed on Jamo's floorstanders, but
the majority of Dolby-enabled speakers can be
used with any speaker you want. Some companies
(including Definitive Technology and Focal) sell
speakers that physically integrate the upfiring driver
within a traditional front-firing speaker.

Again, Dolby has a suggested target to aim
for, namely use in rooms with ceiling heights
between 2.4m and 2.7m. A flat ceiling surface
is also (obviously) recommended.

'You can go your own way'

Do note that you don't have to go the Dolby-enabled
route. Some audio brands aren't adherents to its
'psychoacoustic engineering' frequency filtering,
and instead sell non-certified speakers that still
feature an angled ba e. Some of these, such
as DALI's Alteco C1s and SVS's Prime Elevation, also
feature fixings to allow them to be positioned at
the top of a wall, just below the ceiling, aiming down
at the listening position. In some environments,
this is a simpler solution than using upfirers,
and in our experience can work very well.

What you're looking for with a Dolby Atmos
system is an effective overhead sound layer.
How you get there is really up to you....

JUNE 2021 HOME CINEMA CHOICE

28 SURROUND SOUND

The next step – EQ

WITH YOUR SPEAKERS in place and wired up to Top tip! greater granular control and flexibility than the
your AV receiver or processor, the temptation might systems of yesteryear (particularly, in the case of
be to kick back with a movie. But first you need to When running your receiver or Audyssey, if you invest in the £20 app upgrade).
EQ your system. processor's room EQ tool, it pays
to do it properly. A ordable models What's important with EQ, especially with the
Why? Because unless you live in an anechoic often come with a puck-shaped more rudimentary systems, is to also trust your ears
chamber and have identical (and perfectly matched) microphone and no stand, so make and accommodate personal taste. Chances are,
speakers all around you, the sound from your sure this is placed at head height a post-EQ system will sound better than before
multichannel array will benefit from some tweaks. and not just thrown on the sofa. – tighter, more evenly balanced across the audio
This is because what you hear isn't just the speakers If given the option, take multiple band, with greater dialogue clarity – but if you
themselves, but the effect of your room. measurements across your seating find your superstar subwoofer now sounds like it's
positions, as this will help deliver lost a bit of punch, or your Atmos height channels
All modern AV receivers feature some form of a balanced performance and avoid are a little shy, don't be afraid to make your own
automated room EQ. These range from basic to a 'sweet spot.' adjustments. You can spend as much time as you
high-spec, but all have the same goal – to deliver like in post-EQ experimentation, and you if end up
a smooth frequency response from your system Right: Greater flexibility and calibration with a total mess of a soundstage... you can simply
(particularly with regards to bass), with matched features can be unlocked for Audyssey run the room EQ system again ■
levels all around and audio arriving at your ears at
the same time. MultEQ through the optional 'Editor' app

Generally, the process with all systems is the Dirac Live's Bass Control tool aims
same. A supplied microphone is plugged in, and once to deliver a smooth LF performance.
the EQ is initiated, your speakers emit test tones. In Dirac's images below, a dip around
These are measured by the microphone at your 70Hz (left) has been corrected
listening position to assess speaker distance (it's
worthwhile double-checking these measurements,
as a few errant bookshelves have been known in
the past to yield inaccurate results), delay and
frequency response. Analysis is carried out, and
your receiver/processor's silicon then adjusts output
to compensate.

Great expectations

As discussed in previous issues of HCC (including
HCC #296), room EQ isn't a cure-all panacea.
Firstly, you shouldn't, let's face it, expect wonders
from the onboard system in a £400 AV receiver
– measurements and corrections will be far less
refined than on a premium model. Secondly, even
once an EQ system has discovered a frequency
response issue caused by your room, it's likely that
the only genuine solution is to address the room
itself, not the speakers (either through acoustic
treatments or a sledgehammer). That said,
compared to the other options – doing nothing,
or using an SPL meter to at least ensure level-
matching – automated EQ makes sense.

It's also getting smarter, with the likes of
Dirac Live (used by Arcam and NAD), ARC Genesis
(Anthem and Paradigm), Room Optimizer (Trinnov)
and Audyssey MultEQ (Denon, Marantz) offering

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VOTED BEST
SUBWOOFER FOUR
YEARS RUNNING

SVS has been awarded Best Subwoofer four years running
by AV Tech Media, the experts behind Home Cinema Choice,
Hi Fi Choice and Hi Fi News magazines and websites...

30 WESTERNS

Saddle up!

Since the dawn of cinema,
filmmakers have been drawn to tales

of the American West. Anton van
Beek hits the trail for a ride through

the genre’s ups and downs…

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THAT MOST CHARACTERISTICALLY American
of all film genres, the Western is as old as cinema
itself. And while the stereotypical view is one of
cowboys and injuns, white hats and black hats,
cattle drives across wide-open expanses, and
lawless frontier towns, the past century has seen
the Western demonstrate an almost inexhaustible
flexibility, changing and adapting with the times
and audience tastes. Just when it appears to
have fallen out of favour, it regularly makes a
triumphant return.

Along the way the genre has launched the
careers of numerous Hollywood legends, including
John Wayne, John Ford, Sam Peckinpah and Clint
Eastwood, as well as mythologising and making
household names out of real-world Old West figures
like Buffalo Bill Cody, Jesse James and Wyatt Earp.

So join us on a whistle-stop ride through the
history of the Western, highlighting some of the
classics you'll want to have in your disc collection.

THE SILENT WEST

Long before you could hear the sound of gunshots,
Westerns were already thrilling cinema audiences.
To begin with, these were often short one-reelers
featuring genuine ‘Wild West’ performers showing
off their sharp-shooting skills. But it wasn’t long
before pioneering filmmakers started to become
a little more adventurous.

Film historians argue whether Edwin S. Porter’s
ten-minute The Great Train Robbery (1903) was
the first Western narrative film, or whether that
honour should belong to Kidnapping by Indians, an
1899 Mitchell and Kenyon short shot in Blackburn
of all places. But Porter’s action-packed tale stands
alongside the most noteworthy silent movies ever
made, and its final close-up of a bandit firing his
gun at the audience directly down the camera
(pictured below) is one of the most iconic images
in all of cinema history.

The following decade gave us cinema’s first
Western superstar in former Shakespearian actor
and Old West aficionado William S. Hart (who not
only owned Billy the Kid’s guns, but was friends with
the real Wyatt Earp and Bat Masterson). The likes
of Tom Mix and Harry Carey quickly followed in
his footsteps. The 1910s also saw the arrival of a
filmmaker whose name would go on to become
synonymous with the genre: John Ford.

Cutting his teeth on two-reel shorts, Ford
befriended Carey and the pair made 25 films

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32 WESTERNS

Smallscreen together, including the director’s first feature- (1939) was John Ford’s first Western in 13 years and
length film, 1917's bravura Straight Shooting (newly made a bona fide movie star out of its charismatic
shootouts... released on Blu-ray, see p97). leading man John Wayne.

TV Western shows on disc It’s believed that somewhere in the region of Over the next few decades Ford went on to craft
Gunsmoke (1955-75) 900 silent feature Westerns were made before a collection of films that reads like a list of the
The Jazz Singer brought sound to cinemas in 1927. best Westerns ever made, including My Darling
The first TV Western series to take While the vast majority are now lost, survivors Clementine (1946), his ‘cavalry trilogy’ (1948’s
a more ‘realistic’ approach to the include the first Western epic, James Cruze's Fort Apache, 1949’s She Wore a Yellow Ribbon
genre, this televised saga of Dodge The Covered Wagon (1923), with its cast of over and 1950’s Rio Grande), The Searchers (1956),
City Marshal Matt Dillon (James 1,500 people; Ford’s own two-and-a-half-hour Two Rode Together (1961), The Man Who Shot
Arness) clocked up a remarkable blockbuster The Iron Horse (1924), and The King of Liberty Valance (1962) and ‘The Civil War’ chapter
635 episodes over its 20-year run. Wild Horses (1924), the bigscreen debut of equine of the three-strip Cinerama epic How the West Was
The entire series was released superstar Rex the Wonder Horse. Won (also 1962).
across 34 DVD boxsets in the US.
THE GOLDEN AGE The Western went from strength-to-strength
Maverick (1957-62) in the wake of Stagecoach’s release, becoming
Sound came to the Western with Raoul Walsh and the dominant Hollywood genre during the 1940s
James Garner and Jack Kelly starred Irving Cummings’ In Old Arizona (1929), touted on and 1950s. Even more importantly, it was also
in this rather more comedic show promotional posters as ‘the first all-talking feature
as brothers whose love of gambling filmed outdoors’. A hit with audiences and critics,
and ladies keep getting them into it was nominated for five Academy Awards, with
trouble. When Garner left after Warner Baxter nabbing the Best Actor gong for
three seasons, a cousin played by his portrayal of betrayed bandit The Cisco Kid.
Roger Moore was introduced. Five
DVD boxsets are available in the US. The genre enjoyed further awards success two
years later with the big-budget RKO epic Cimmaron
Rawhide (1959-65) (1931), which was the first film to be nominated
for six Academy Awards and winning three of them,
Remembered for giving Clint including Best Picture (oddly, it would be the last
Eastwood his first major role, this Western to win that accolade until Dances with
cinematic Western series followed Wolves nearly sixty years later).
the exploits of a team of cowboys
on an epic cattle drive. While the Taking the basic elements of the formulaic
first five seasons were released on B-picture that had come to dominate the genre over
DVD in the UK, you’ll need to import the decade, but investing its thrilling story with
the final three from the US. A-list characterisation and dialogue, Stagecoach

Lonesome Dove (1989)

Robert Duvall and Tommy Lee
Jones starred in this award-winning
adaptation of Larry McMurty’s
novel about two retired Texas
Rangers heading out on a cattle
drive to Montana. Mill Creek gave
the miniseries a lacklustre US BD
release in 2015.

Deadwood (2004-06)

A spectacularly foul-mouthed Ian
McShane is just one of the many
distinctly grown-up pleasures to
be found in HBO’s unsanitised look
at life in a frontier town. All three
seasons are available on Blu-ray
in the UK, but the 2019 TV movie
finale has yet to hit disc here.

Above, clockwise from top-left:
My Darling Clementine, Stagecoach,
Shane, and The Searchers

James Stewart enjoyed a 1950s career
boost in a series of Westerns directed by
Anthony Mann, including The Man From
Laramie (right)

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growing up, moving away from the simplistic veiled Doris Day lesbian romp Calamity Jane Singing cowboys (and cowgirls – such as
morality of its early days, its heroes becoming (1952), the decidedly un-woke Seven Brides for Doris Day in Calamity Jane) were all the
more complex. An example is how The Searchers Seven Brothers (1954), and the Rogers and rage in the 1950s
takes the same Native American-killing cowboy Hammerstein classic Oklahoma! (1955).
John Wayne had played for decades, and Henry Fonda played against type as
repositions him as a racist and murderer rather Meanwhile, the infamous Paint Your Wagon villain Frank in Sergio Leone's Once
than a valiant saviour. (1969) proved that while Clint Eastwood and Lee Upon a Time in the West
Marvin may have been giants of the Western genre,
Ford was far from the only director breathing they should have stuck to shooting outlaws and
fresh life into the Western during this time. steered well clear of singing (if that’s what you
Anthony Mann revitalised James Stewart’s career can call what they’re doing).
by persuading him to move away from nice guy roles;
Stewart added a newfound cynicism and cruelty However, even if Eastwood may not have cut
to his repertoire in a series of five bleak and brutal it as a singing cowboy, when it came to cynical,
Westerns: Winchester ’73 (1950), Bend of the River amoral, taciturn anti-heroes he was the best in
(1953), The Naked Spur (1953), The Far Country the business…
(1954) and The Man from Laramie (1955).
SPAGHETTI TIME
Meanwhile, Budd Boetticher put actor Randolph
Scott through his paces in what has become known Although a quintessentially American film genre,
as his Ranown Cycle of seven gritty low-budget Westerns had also been produced in Europe since
Westerns: Seven Men From Now (1956), Decision the earliest days of cinema. But it was Italian
at Sundown (1957), The Tall T (1957), Buchanan filmmaker Segio Leone’s groundbreaking A Fistful
Rides Alone (1958), Westbound (1958), Ride of Dollars (1964) that had the biggest impact, with
Lonesome (1959) and Comanche Station (1960). its distinctive visual style, haunting Ennio Morricone
score and bloody violence ushering in a new
Howard Hawks, a versatile filmmaker who approach to the genre.
worked across multiple genres, brought his own
independent sensibilities and love of tough-talking
female characters to the Wild West in Red River
(1948) and Rio Bravo (1949). The latter was a direct
response to Fred Zimmerman’s 1952 real-time
morality play High Noon, whose story about an
ageing small-town Marshall (Gary Cooper),
abandoned by the townsfolk he devoted his life to
protect and preparing to face down a vengeful killer,
was famously described as ‘the most un-American
thing I’ve ever seen in my whole life’ by Rio Bravo star
John Wayne.

That’s not to say there wasn’t still room for
more traditional Western thrills. George Stevens’
ravishingly beautiful Shane (1953) cast Alan Ladd
as a former gunslinger trying to escape his past,
only to be convinced to pick up his guns again and
return to his violent ways in order to protect
a farming family from a ruthless cattle baron.
The quintessential piece of ‘a man’s gotta do…’
frontier mythologising, Shane is perhaps the
ultimate feelgood Western.

SINGING COWBOYS

Like the Western, the Hollywood musical is another
genre that enjoyed its peak popularity during the
1940s and 1950s. So why not combine the two?
As strange as this may seem, the image of a
gunslinger singing ballads and playing guitar while
sat around his campfire had been established
back in the 1930s, thanks largely to former rodeo
rider and singer Gene Autry and self-proclaimed
‘King of the Cowboys’ Roy Rogers. They would
become two of the genre’s most popular actors,
clocking up close to 200 films between them from
the 1930s to the 1950s.

So it was no surprise that the Musical Western
would eventually become its own sub-genre, no
matter how uneasy the alliance of the two would
seem at times. Popular examples include the
rather dated Annie Get Your Gun (1950), thinly

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34 WESTERNS

Sam Peckinpah's The Wild Bunch: a The film wouldn’t see the light of day in the US respect in Fort Apache (1948). A decade-and-a-half
Western with a 20th century setting until 1967 – alongside the other two films making later, Ford deconstructed the whole myth of the
up Leone’s ‘Dollars Trilogy’: 1965’s For a Few Dollars Wild West in the brilliant The Man Who Shot Liberty
Down under! More and 1966’s The Good, the Bad and the Ugly Valance (1962), starring genre giants John Wayne
(reviewed on 4K Blu-ray this issue, see p92). and James Stewart.
Ned Kelly looms large By then its phenomenal success at the Italian box
in Australian Westerns... o ce led to a sudden glut of cash-ins, retrospectively That same year saw the release of the second
dubbed ‘Spaghetti Westerns’. Before you could blink, film by a director who would become synonymous
With its own history of settlers, Clint Eastwood’s ‘Man with No Name’ from the with the revisionist approach to the Western, Sam
wild frontiers and outlaws, is it any Dollars films was rubbing shoulders at theatres Peckinpah’s eulogy to the traditional Western, Ride
surprise that Australia has its own with similarly gruff, laconic sharp-shooters like the High Country (see p97). He followed this with
take on the Western genre? This Montgomery Wood’s Ringo (A Pistol for Ringo, the troubled Major Dundee (1965), before hitting
Antipodean strain of cinema got its 1965), Franco Nero’s Django (Django, 1966) and pay-dirt with his tale of veteran outlaws trying to
big start with Charles Tait's silent Gianni Garko’s Sartana (If You Meet Sartana Pray survive a changing world in the balletically bloody
flick The Story of the Kelly Gang for Your Death, 1968). All of which also enjoyed The Wild Bunch (1969). Peckinpah’s association
(1906), which ran for a then sequels of their own and — in the case of the latter with the genre continued through the witty The
whopping 70 minutes and is two — uno cial cash-ins and follow-ups. Ballad of Cable Hogue (1970), and the mistreated
considered to be the world’s first Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid (1973).
full-length narrative feature film. Leone delivered his masterpiece, and the
Sadly, only fragments survive today. crowning glory of the Spaghetti Western, in Fresh from his star-making roles in Sergio Leone’s
Films about bushrangers (outlaws) 1968 with the release of Once Upon a Time in ‘Dollars trilogy’, Clint Eastwood returned to
were banned soon after by the West. Starring Charles Bronson (in a role Hollywood in the late 1960s and starred in the
authorities worried about their originally offered to Clint Eastwood) and a cast- revisionist Western Hang ‘Em High (1968) before
a ect on audiences. The Australian against-type Henry Fonda, this near-operatic epic graduating to direct his first film in the genre with the
Western eventually re-emerged in brings an almost dizzying visual splendour to supernaturally themed High Plains Drifter (1973)
the 1970s with the likes of Ned Kelly a layered and complex story that spans some – a concept he would explore again a decade later
(1970, starring Mick Jagger), Inn two-and-three-quarter hours. in Pale Rider (1985). Eastwood eventually provided
of the Damned (1975), Mad Dog a cap-stone to his Western career with his Oscar-
Morgan (1976) and The Man from The Spaghetti Western also spawned its very own winning mediation on age, reputation and courage,
Snowy River (1980). sub-genre, the Zapata Western, which brought an the masterful Unforgiven (1992).
As well as frequent returns to the explicit political edge to the fore with a focus on
story of real-life bushranger Ned the Mexican Revolution. Notable examples include Over the past few decades, following the critical
Kelly (2003’s Ned Kelly, 2019’s True A Bullet for the General (1966), Compañeros and commercial success of Unforgiven and fellow
History of the Kelly Gang), the (1970), and Leone’s own A Fistful of Dynamite Oscar-winner Dances with Wolves (1990), the
Australian Western has continued (aka Duck, You Sucker!, 1971). revisionist Western has become the standard
to prosper in the 21st century, template for the genre. From the explicitly racial
with revisionist takes such as The A DIFFERENT TAKE perspectives of Mario Van Peebles’ Posse (1993)
Proposition (2005), Red Hill (2010) and Quentin Tarantino’s Django Unchained (2012),
and The Nightingale (2018). As noted earlier, as the genre developed, filmmakers to the more feminist perspectives offered by the likes
started to challenge the traditional approach to of The Ballad of Little Jo (1993), Bad Girls (1994),
the Western, and by the 1960s were explicitly Meek’s Cuto (2010) and even Sam Raimi’s
commenting on the moral complexities of frontier cartoonish The Quick and the Dead (1995),
life and the onscreen treatment of Native Americans. the genre has continued to evolve and change.
This wasn’t necessarily a new thing: The Ox-Bow
Incident (1943) went against the typical Western THE NEO WEST
formula of vigilante justice with its critique of mob
mentality, while John Ford had afforded Native The Old West lives on in Hollywood through solid
Americans previously unseen sympathy and remakes of 3:10 to Yuma (2007), True Grit (2010)
and The Magnificent Seven (2016), and original
projects such as The Assassination of Jesse
James by the Coward Robert Ford (2007), The
Hateful Eight (2015) and The Revenant (2016).
At the same time, its influence has spread into
other movies, ones that have taken the themes and
motifs of the Western and brought them into a
contemporary setting.

Examples include Bad Day at Black Rock (1955);
Hud (1963); Sam Peckinpah’s Straw Dogs (1971)
and Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia (1974);
John Carpenter’s Assault on Precinct 13 (1976);
Robert Rodriguez’s ‘Mariachi’ trilogy (1992’s
El Mariachi, 1995’s Desperado and 2003’s
Once Upon a Time in Mexico); Ang Lee’s
Brokeback Mountain (2005); Joel and Ethan
Coen’s Oscar-winning crime thriller No Country
for Old Men (2007); and nearly everything that
Taylor Sheridan has written or directed (2015’s
Sicario, 2016’s Hell or High Water, 2017’s Wind
River, and the ongoing TV series Yellowstone).

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Even the superhero genre got in on the act with the
surprisingly thoughtful Logan (2017).

GETTING WEIRD take on Westworld (2016-present) and the Quentin Tarantino borrowed a Spaghetti
first live-action Star Wars series, Disney+’s brilliant Western character name for the
Not that Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine slashing his way The Mandalorian (2019-present). The latter brings Oscar-winning Django Unchained
through a super-powered version of Shane is the all of the tropes and trappings of the genre – right
strangest Western you’ll ever see. As far back as down to its lone gunman antihero – to a galaxy In recent years, Hollywood has given
1962, Russ Meyer was bringing sex to the genre far, far away. us remakes of The Magnificent Seven
with the nudie-cutie Wild Gals of the Naked West, (bottom left) and True Grit (top left),
while Ray Harryhausen was busy pitting live-action So it’s safe to say that even if Westerns aren’t plush fresh Westerns The Revenant
cowboys against stop-motion dinosaurs in The as popular as they once were, the incredible (top right) and News of The World
Valley of Gwangi (1969). adaptability of the genre, and its legacy spanning (bottom right)
more than a century, means it will always have
In between all of that a pair of Western icons a place on the screen. Even if it isn’t always in
found themselves battling the forces of darkness a form that you’d immediately recognise ■
in Billy the Kid Versus Dracula and Jesse James
Meets Frankenstein’s Daughter (1966). And while
it may not have got o to the most auspicious of
starts, the melding of the horror and Western genres
eventually struck gold with films including Near
Dark (1987), Grim Prairie Tales (1990), Dead Birds
(2004), The Burrowers (2009) and Bone
Tomahawk (2015).

Meanwhile, Michael Crichton gave the Western
a sci-fi makeover with his robots-run-amok-in-a-
historical-theme-park thriller Westworld (1971);
Michael J. Fox continued his time travel adventures
with a trip to the Old West in Back to the Future
Part III (1990); Will Smith battled a giant
mechanical spider in Wild Wild West (1999); and
Daniel Craig had to deal with otherworldly invaders
in Cowboys & Aliens (2011).

In recent years, the sci-fi Western has found
even more success on the smallscreen with HBO’s

JUNE 2021 HOME CINEMA CHOICE

36 DREAM THEATRE/LONDONHOMECINEMA .CO.UK

Bring on A
the wall!

A mid-room partition in this lengthy loft-based cinema enables
an optimum throw distance for its 4K projector and creates space
behind for discs and hardware. Daniel Sait reports

KIT CHECKLIST

LYNGDORF: MP-60 16-channel audio processor;
SDA2400 (2 x 400W) power amplifiers
JVC: DLA-Z1 4K HDR laser projector
SCREEN RESEARCH: Supreme 3 fixed-frame 16:9
projector screen (3.3m-wide) with ClearPix 4K
material
M&K SOUND: 3 x IW300 LCR speakers; 2 x S300T
rear surround speakers; 2 x IW300 in-ceiling
surround speakers; 4 x IW300 in-ceiling height
speakers; 2 x X12 subwoofers
SONY: UBP-X1000ES 4K Blu-ray player
CONTROL4: Automation and control system

HOME CINEMA CHOICE JUNE 2021

INSTALL 37

THIS PROJECT FROM The London Home Cinema
Company is a stunning example of an attic movie
room conversion, and one where the use of a
partitioning wall kills two birds with one stone.
First, it provides space to mount the system's
16:9 projector screen at a distance better suited to
the optical skills of the JVC DLA-Z1 laser projector
and the owner's seating layout preferences. Second,
it creates a rear space, accessed via cutaways
either side, to accommodate an extensive Blu-ray
library and system electronics.

A discreet install for the latter was critical, as
while the brief was for a premium AV performance,
it also demanded the appearance of the room be
preserved and not compromised by too much bulky
equipment. This also put constraints on the amount
of acoustic treatments that could be used, and
subsequently put further importance on the choice
of M&K Sound speakers and Lyngdorf processing.

Installer Martin Redwood explains: 'We love
M&K and we don’t want their performance
changed, we just want them to be heard without
the rooms’ acoustics compromising their design.'
Enter Lyngdorf's RoomPerfect calibration software,
which Redwood argues is the only correction
system that preserves the sound of the speakers
used, and gives optimal results in 'normal' rooms
without the need for acoustic treatments.

And this is a 'normal' room, albeit one with some
very high-end AV. There's no de jour star ceiling or
cinema-style row of recliner chairs, lighting e ects
are minimal, and the pitched roof is retained,
necessitating side surround speakers being
mounted on a downward angle. It's clearly still
a loft space – only now it's made for movie night ■

A. The four tops

The sound system is 7.1.4, with the four height
channels delivered via M&K Sound IW300
in-ceiling models

B. Laser focused

The JVC DLA-Z1 laser projector o ers fast boot-up
times, long 'lamp' life and native 4K HDR playback.
The owner uses it to watch movies and sports

B

JUNE 2021 HOME CINEMA CHOICE

38 INSTALL

C

D C. Come on over! E. Little and large
This is a space designed for multiple guests and 'The power handling and output of these compact

a relaxed atmosphere, so there are plenty of speakers is exceptional,' says the installer of M&K's

seating options 300 Series

D. At your fingertips F. Around the back

A wall-mounted touch controller grants access to Nestled between disc shelves is a kit rack to house
the Control4 user interface, while an adjacent panel the cinema's Sony 4K BD player, Control4 hardware
handles the room's high- and low-level lighting and Lyngdorf amplification and processing

F
E

HOME CINEMA CHOICE JUNE 2021



40 DREAM THEATRE/SONA .TECHNOLOGY

Out with the old,
in with the new

Mark Craven reports on an install project that overhauled a previous
setup with fresh hardware and a luxurious aesthetic

A

KIT CHECKLIST

SONY : VPL-VW270ES 4K HDR projector
CINEMA BUILD SYSTEMS: 2.40:1 projection screen
ARTCOUSTIC: 3 x SL 6-3 (L/C/R); 4 x Target SL
(surround and rears); 2 x Architect SL (height);
Impact 2 subwoofer
ANTHEM: MRX 1120 AV receiver
LUMAGEN: Radiance Pro 4240 video processor
SKY: Sky Q Silver
APPLE: Apple TV 4K
VICOUSTIC: Absorption and di usion acoustic
treatments
LUTRON: Lighting control with Orluna lighting
CRESTRON: TSR-310 remote

HOME CINEMA CHOICE JUNE 2021

INSTALL 41

B A. Wide-eyed WHEN YOU MOVE house, you don't typically
C expect to find a cinema room in the basement.
Images come via a Sony Yet that's the story behind this Dolby Atmos/4K
VPL-VW270ES 4K projector project from Cheshire-based integration company
and this 2.40:1 ratio screen. SONA. It was tasked with upgrading an old setup
A Lumagen processor handles for the property's new owner, and what was
automatic aspect ratio switching originally envisaged as a simple update with
new screen, projector and speakers, became
B. Crimson peak something better: 'We saw the opportunity to
create something much more special, that would
Smart lighting e ects include make watching content in this space an event,
colour-changing LED strips at rather than just a bigscreen.'
floor and ceiling-level, and help
Better by design
create a 'wow-factor' space
To achieve that aim, a kit list was assembled
C. Stretching exercise that includes Sony's VPL-VW270ES 4K projector,
a discreet, in-wall/in-ceiling Artcoustic 7.1.2
New stud walls were put in speaker system, Anthem AV receiver, and Lumagen
place to hide both the Artcoustic video processor. Design was equally important,
so a concept was developed using stretched fabric
speakers and Vicoustic room walls, chrome inlays, 'feature' wall lights and
treatments behind stretch fabric colour-changing illumination around the skirting
and co er. A large, soft-fabric L-shaped seating
array provides ample space for the family to kick
back with a movie.

Construction work included new timber-framed
walls to recess speakers and house absorption
and di usion acoustic treatments, plus a
dropped ceiling.

The installer says the key benefits of the
system's Lumagen processor are its automated
aspect ratio switching to make best use of the
2.40:1 ratio projector screen – 'this approach
negates inconsistent focusing across the entire
screen, along with pin-cushioning e ects often
found when using a separate lens setup' – and
improved image quality from the room's Sky Q
and Apple TV 4K sources.

Perhaps surprisingly, given the other hardware,
there's no 4K Blu-ray player in the AV chain. This is a
modern cinema room in more ways than one.. ■

JUNE 2021 HOME CINEMA CHOICE

5IF JNQSFTTJPO PG TPVOE XJUI FZFT BOE FBST

.BZ

34

)JHI 1FSGPSNBODF /FUXPSL 4USFBNFS

Distributed by Henley Audio : HenleyAudioUK | : HenleyAudio
DTi:s+tr4i4bu(0te) d12b3y5H5e1n1le1y66Au| dEio: [email protected] | W: www.henleyaudio.co.uk |
T: +44 (0) 1235 511 166 | E: [email protected] | W: www.henleyaudio.co.uk

WWW.HOMECINEMACHOICE.COM 43

Hardware ➜ ANTHEM MRX 740 seven-channel receiver with ARC Genesis room EQ

CAMBRIDGE AUDIO Affordable 5.1 floorstanding speaker system LG 65in C1 OLED TV
HUAWEI Sound speaker with Devialet tech SAMSUNG 3.1.2-channel Dolby Atmos soundbar

HISENSE 100in 'Laser TV' system FOCAL Premium Celestee headphones & MORE!

SVS's box of tricks

Two 8in drivers and an 800W amplifier are tucked
into the 27cm cabinet of SVS's 3000 Micro
subwoofer. We get ready to rumble with this
well-priced cubic bass-maker on p48.

All prices quoted are approximate and may have changed RATINGS KEY…

Outstanding
Above average
Acceptable
Disappointing
Dire

JUNE 2021 HOME CINEMA CHOICE

44 ANTHEM MRX 740/£2,800

1

Anthem has given its MRX AV receivers a long-overdue upgrade.
Steve Withers takes the new seven-channel model for a spin

Hey, good lookin'

Anthem’s range of AV processors and receivers finally channels inside and processing for 11.1; and the MRX 540
get an update, and at some point in the past five years with five built-in amplifiers and 7.1-channel processing.
it looks like the Canadian manufacturer drew inspiration
from the Scandinavians. The new models are elegant, Aside from the di ering amplification and processing
minimalist, and a definite step up from the dated capabilities, they all have the same suite of features,
appearance of the previous generation. But are they including decoding for Dolby Atmos, DTS:X and IMAX
just surface charm, or is more going on underneath? Enhanced. They also support AirPlay 2, Chromecast,
Spotify Connect and Roon, plus Anthem’s excellent ARC
Before we get into the nitty-gritty, let’s run through the Genesis room correction software (more on that later).
new lineup. It’s headlined by the AVM 70 15.1-channel AV
processor, followed by three AV 'receivers' (there's no radio Paint it black
tuner onboard): the MRX 1140 with 11 amp channels and
15.1 processing; the MRX 740 (tested here) with seven The new look is a two-tone winner, with the left side of
the receiver's front facia finished in black glass, while the
right is matte black. There’s a big volume dial with buttons
on either side for power, mute, inputs, and navigating the
menus, but the only other feature on the front is
a full-sized headphone jack.

HOME CINEMA CHOICE JUNE 2021

REVIEWS 45

While easy to read, the front display is somewhat As the mid-range model, the MRX 740 is clearly AV INFO
disappointing. It provides minimal information, is rather designed to give a taste of object-based audio using its
prosaic, and has none of the colourful feedback found on onboard 5.1.2-channel system, while also providing the PRODUCT:
the T 778 receiver from Canadian rival NAD. In fact, below option for expansion up to a 7.2.4 configuration if desired. Seven-channel Dolby
the surface gloss, Anthem's menu system is essentially Atmos AV receiver
the same as the previous generation. For those who fancy taking the latter route, Anthem with ARC Genesis EQ
o ers a trio of power amps with matching styling: the POSITION:
These menus are accessed via the front panel or two-channel MCA 225, the three-channel MCA 325, and Below Anthem's
remote control, appearing on the display and the screen the five-channel MCA 525. Bizarrely Anthem doesn’t make 11-channel MRX 1140
– although neither is ideal. Thankfully, Anthem a four-channel version, which is what you actually need to PEERS:
has introduced a new web-based interface that expand the MRX 740 to 11 channels and take the MRX 1140 Arcam AVR30;
provides complete access to all the setup menus in up to the full 15. JBL Synthesis
a comprehensive and clearly laid-out fashion. In terms SDR-35;
of initial setup, this is definitely the way to go. With this new AVR generation, you can reassign the NAD T 778
onboard channels in a number of di erent ways, allowing
For day-to-day use the zapper works just fine. Buttons unused power to bi-amplify demanding front speakers, 1. The mid-range MRX
are sensibly placed and kept to a minimum, with everything drive surrounds or height speakers, or even cover a second 740 is a seven-channel
you need to e ectively control the main and secondary zone. For example, if you add a more capable two-channel model with 11-channel
zones. There’s also a backlight for use in a darkened room. power amp for front left and right, you can reassign those processing/pre-out
built-in amplifier channels elsewhere. 2. The new web-based
control platform is
Speaking of which, the MRX 740 sports five channels of clean and easy to use
Class A/B rated at 170W into 6 ohms or 140W into 8 ohms 3. ARC Genesis
(both measured with two channels driven), and an measures speaker
additional two channels of Class B rated at 75W (6 ohms) response from
and 60W (8 ohms) when driven together. a minimum of
five positions...
On the back panel are seven HDMI inputs and three 4. ...and then presents
HDMI outputs. One output is dedicated to second zone AV, a 'Curve Viewer'
the main one supports eARC, and all ports are compliant showing pre, target
with a full house of HDR formats (HDR10, HLG and Dolby and corrected graphs
Vision). Anthem is also planning an HDMI 2.1 8K upgrade
early next year, ensuring a degree of future-proofing.

Other connections include five analogue inputs, three
optical digital inputs, a pair of coaxial digital inputs, and
a service use-only USB port There are also IR input, 12V
trigger and an RS232 connections. Anthem supports
third-party control solutions like Control4 and Crestron.

Dual antennas aid Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, and Ethernet
is on hand if prefer a wired hookup. Network installation is
relatively straightforward, although you’ll need the Google
Home app to set up the wireless connection.

Aside from that it’s just a case of connecting source
devices, choosing the system layout (the MRX 740 defaults
to 7.1), and wiring up the speaker terminals, which support
di erent configurations depending on how you assign the
channels. There are two subwoofer outputs (although both
run o the same mono signal), and 11.1-channel pre-outs.

ARC attack

One of the big selling points of an Anthem processor or

receiver is the inclusion of ARC (Anthem Room Correction).

The MRX 740 supports the latest iteration – ARC Genesis

– and includes an upgraded calibrated microphone

(based on the popular UMIK-1), along with a USB cable

and mic stand. 4
You can run ARC

Genesis on Mac or

23

JUNE 2021 HOME CINEMA CHOICE

46 REVIEWS

Windows, and it measures the output of each speaker 5
relative to the listening area, before running
calculations and adjusting the excellent room correction system. It’s very similar to Dirac
output. It aims to correct Live, with which it shares a number of functionalities, and
peaks and dips in a speaker’s superior to out-of-the-box Audyssey, which doesn’t have
frequency response from 15Hz the graphical feedback or custom curves.
to 20kHz, while preserving the
beneficial acoustic attributes Space invader
of the room. I found it very
e ective, and it helped Testing kicked o with the first episode of The Bad Batch,
address a couple of nasty the new animated Star Wars series on Disney+. The
nodes below 100Hz in my Anthem MRX 740 immediately revealed its inherent
room, resulting in greater strengths, rendering the show’s 5.1 mix with scale and
soundstage cohesion.

You need to measure and
input the distances to all the
speakers before you start, but
the calibration procedure itself
is fairly simple. ARC automatically detects your device,
and then you just follow the instructions. After a minimum
of five measurements the software produces an average
in-room response for each speaker and the subwoofer,
before applying target curves to each one.

It also adjusts crossovers and subwoofer level, but you
can fine tune the settings yourself afterwards. You can also
create your own custom target curves, before saving
settings and loading them into the receiver. Multiple profiles
for di erent environments are a possibility, and ARC even
produces a full calibration report to impress your mates.

While not as sophisticated as the Trinnov Optimiser or
as e ective as Lyngdorf’s RoomPerfect, ARC Genesis is an

6

HOME CINEMA CHOICE JUNE 2021

REVIEWS 47

depth. The score was spread across the front soundstage, SPECIFICATIONS
laser bolts blasted across the room, and spaceships ducked
and dived around me. A pair of subs were handling bass, DOLBY ATMOS: Yes DTS:X: Yes IMAX ENHANCED: Yes MULTICHANNEL INPUT: No
and thanks to ARC they felt perfectly integrated to give MULTICHANNEL PRE-OUT: Yes. 11.2 phono POWER OUTPUT (CLAIMED): 7 x 140W
explosions a powerful punch. (into 8 ohms) MULTIROOM: Yes. Zone 2 AV INPUTS: 5 x digital audio
(3 x optical and 2 x coaxial); 5 x analogue stereo HDMI: 7 x inputs and 3 x outputs
Jupiter’s Legacy (Netflix) has an immersive Dolby Atmos VIDEO UPSCALING: No DIMENSIONS: 432(w) x 364(d) x 152(h)mm WEIGHT: 15.1kg
soundtrack, and using the Anthem's onboard amplification
in a 5.2.2-channel configuration allowed the show’s FEATURES: Class A/B and Class B amplification; channel reassignment; built-in
Wi-Fi and Bluetooth; Chromecast and AirPlay 2; Spotify Connect; Roon support;
'The Anthem delivered web-based user interface; ARC (Anthem Room Correction) Genesis; calibrated
microphone and stand; IR input; 12V triggers; Ethernet; USB port (service-only);
Midway's sonic cocktail with RS232 serial connector; third party integration and IP control; Dolby Vision/HLG/
pinpoint accuracy... a simply HDR10 passthrough; AKM 32-bit/768kHz DAC

jaw-dropping experience' TESTED WITH

protagonists to take flight – literally. The super-powered THE BAD BATCH: More must-watch TV
punch-up between The Union and Blackstar at the end from Disney+, this 'toon follows on
of the first episode was brutal, and the blows hit with such closely from Lucasfilm's Clone Wars
force I could almost feel them. series, and – like its predecessor – is
fast, fun and slickly animated. Only
The Atmos mix on the 4K disc of Midway came next, as two episodes had dropped at the time
I always suspected it would. To take full advantage of the of writing, 14 more will follow. AV
reference-grade immersion on o er, I added additional credentials are 4K Dolby Vision,
amplification to run a full 7.2.4-channel system (although with 5.1 audio.
there’s also the option of 5.2.4 or 7.2.2). Watching the titular
battle sequence was a simply jaw-dropping experience. steered in three-dimensional space with far greater elan. 5. Anthem's new
It’s definitely worth adding the necessary amplification design pares back
As the US pilots divebomb the Japanese carrier fleet, (and speakers, natch) if that’s an option. front-panel buttons
they weave through strafing bullets and other aircraft. and enlarges the
The Anthem delivered this sonic cocktail with pinpoint A couple of DTS:X platters found the MRX 740 info display
accuracy, and while it does an excellent job with a 5.2.2 continuing to impress. The Jurassic Park (4K Blu-ray)
setup, adding those extra channels allowed objects to be soundtrack is a sonic masterclass, with the T-rex attack 6. One of the three
making the perfect demo scene for numerous reasons HDMI outputs
– and not just the dino action. First there’s the glass of supports Zone 2,
water vibrating as footsteps approach, which is a great another eARC
test of bass depth and timing. Then there’s water hitting
the jeep’s roof, a hair-raising T-rex roar that puts a receiver’s
dynamic range through the wringer, and the more down-to-
earth sounds of desperate dialogue. The MRX 740 aced
this particular test with a performance that blended
visceral dynamics with a balanced touch.

Zombieland: Double Tap, meanwhile, gets an IMAX
Enhanced DTS:X track, which basically seems to mean
amping up the bass. Every gunshot sounds like a canon,
and the screaming of the zombies retains a low guttural
roar. Via this receiver it sounded exhilarating.

Better than ever

Ultimately the MRX 740 feels like a new model composed
primarily of existing parts, with the same controls, display,
remote and connections, despite the new paint job.
But that’s not a bad thing given the company’s history of
making excellent products – why break a winning formula?
What is new are features like integrated streaming support,
a web-based interface, channel reassignment, and the
latest version of ARC Genesis. The result is a competitively
priced and well-specified premium AVR that sounds superb.
When you factor in the upcoming 8K upgrade, this Anthem
should be putting a smile on your face for years to come ■

VERDICT

Anthem MRX 740

➜ £2,800 ➜ www.anthemav.com

WE SAY: Anthem's seven-channel AVR boasts an attractive new
makeover, superior performance, expansion options, and highly
e ective ARC Genesis room correction. We love it.

JUNE 2021 HOME CINEMA CHOICE

48 SVS 3000 MICRO/£900

1

Mark Craven doesn't have to make too much
space for big bass with this dual 8in woofer

Sub specialist's
micro machine

Since launching in the late 1990s, American company nearly a metre high, and 'Ultra Tower' floorstanding
SVS has developed a reputation for home cinema loudspeakers that make no attempt to hide their monolith-
subwoofers that blend high performance with bargain from-2001 style.
price tags. And the 3000 Micro, it's dinkiest model yet,
continues that trend. Yet, actually, those tower models (such as the PC-2000
HCC #288) are proof that SVS is a brand that puts some
First though, I'll admit that the idea of a compact thought into the rooms its products will end up in. So
subwoofer, specifically designed to take up less floor space maybe I shouldn't be surprised its been bitten by the
than a traditional model and therefore be more suited compact bug. Company present Gary Yacoubian even sees
to installation in a living room or gaming den, doesn't it as a noble endeavour, telling me: 'Perhaps it could open
quite fit my image of the SVS brand. This, after all, is the up the world of great bass to more people.'
company that sells 16in ported subwoofers that almost
require a forklift truck, vertical-standing cylinder models Sledge hammer

The 3000 Micro, as the name indicates, is part of its
3000 Series. This means it shares the same 800W Sledge
DSP amplifier unit as the SB-3000 and PB-3000 models

HOME CINEMA CHOICE JUNE 2021

REVIEWS 49

As with all of SVS's current subwoofers (following AV INFO
the recent arrival of the 1000 Series Pro range), the 3000
Micro can be controlled via smartphone app. This connects PRODUCT:
to the subwoofer via Bluetooth, rather than Wi-Fi, which Dual 8in compact
likely makes for a quicker setup. active subwoofer
POSITION:
Many will have little or no need to do anything with Compact, ranged
this app beyond perhaps adjusting volume if their AVR above SVS's 1000
handset has gone walkies, and adjusting the woofer's and 2000 Series
phase during initial setup. Yet for the more experimental/ models
knowledgeable, there's some interesting stu here, PEERS:
including Movie and Music preset modes; a parametric REL T/7x;
EQ tool with three user slots (and a neat, visual KEF KC62
representation of the response changes your finger taps SVS SB-2000 Pro
will bring); and Room Gain Compensation feature (which
covers 25Hz, 31.5Hz and 40Hz, enabling you to smooth 1. The 3000 Micro
output at a targeted frequency that your room dimensions is the brand's most
have a problem with). The app itself is very responsive, compact design yet
and includes pop-up tutorials to describe what each 2. SVS's app handles
feature does. volume control and EQ

[HCC #308]. Only here it's used to power smaller drivers, Sonically appealing
in a smaller cabinet, at a lower price.
After spending a week with this woofer, one thing was
The new drivers are 8in aluminium cone designs, obvious: it performs very much like SVS's more regular
mounted on inverted surrounds to boost excursion models. Slam, depth, and output all beguile. The pursuit
potential. They're connected in parallel to the sub's singular of a tidy form factor hasn't resulted in obvious compromise.
amplifier, a configuration that SVS says means they receive
the same amount of current 'to ensure precisely controlled Using the Bluetooth app to make an easy volume tweak
and mirrored operation.' – after my AVR insisted during setup on going below my
preferred hooligan level – I was soon feeling battered and
As advertised, the 3000 Micro really is rather small, just bruised by the performance of this cute cube.
27cm deep and only a toucher taller and wider. It sits on a
quartet of small rubber feet and limits design flourishes to The highway chase sequence in Sonic The Hedgehog
just a modest 'SVS' badge. (4K Blu-ray) found the 3000 Micro happily throwing
its weight around. The engine of Dr. Robotnik's armoured
Finish options include piano gloss white, which truck has a throaty growl, but underneath there are much
Yacoubian reveals is more of a sop to the European market deeper notes that signify the vehicle's power and size.
than the company's native US. There's no price premium The soundtrack thumps ominously, and when the harpoon
for it, so certainly give it consideration, but I'd be perfectly crashes through the car window it slams into the SatNav
happy with the sumptuous piano gloss black dressing of with a tight, sharp thud.
our review sample. There's no sign of SVS's traditionally
more a ordable (and less agreeable) black ash finish. Later, during the film's climactic street battle between
old spiky and Robotnik, the sound of the hovercraft's
Now, if you're getting a sense of deja vu, I don't blame thruster, and the low-frequency surge when Sonic
you. Last issue we looked at KEF's KC62, a fellow dual- smashes into it, hit with startling volume and weight,
opposed sealed subwoofer with a miniaturized design. before smoothly decaying.
It's tempting to consider them as direct rivals, but I'd
argue that's really not the case, because while the KEF I dug out Ready Player One (4K Blu-ray) and its race
model is considerably more stylish and even more compact sequence. This did highlight the limits of the SVS's low-end
(by virtue of its overlapping voice-coil technology), it's extension (it's rated down to 23Hz) as the footfalls of first
some £500 more expensive. They are di erent horses for
di erent courses. 2

JUNE 2021 HOME CINEMA CHOICE

50 REVIEWS

SPECIFICATIONS

DRIVERS: 2 x 8in aluminium cone woofers ENCLOSURE: Sealed, with dual-opposed
driver configuration ONBOARD POWER (CLAIMED): 800W (RMS) Sledge amplifier
FREQUENCY RESPONSE (CLAIMED): 23Hz-240Hz (+/-3dB) REMOTE CONTROL: No. SVS
Bluetooth app instead DIMENSIONS: 278(h) x 297(w) x 271(d)mm WEIGHT: 10.2kg

FEATURES: Stereo/LFE line-level input; stereo output; Intelligent Control Interface
(ICI); 50MHz Analog Devices Audio DSP; 12V trigger; auto standby/on control; low
pass filter, phase, polarity, room gain compensation and parametric EQ on SVS
control app; structurally reinforced MDF cabinet

TESTED WITH

SONIC THE HEDGEHOG: The rarest of
things: a Hollywood videogame
adaption that doesn't suck. Sure, it's

3 family-friendly antics won't appeal to

all, but there are Easter Eggs aplenty
(including a Fast & Furious gag) and the
Dolby Atmos soundmix on Paramount's
UHD Blu-ray is routinely entertaining
and chaotic.

the T-rex and then King Kong missed out on the scale I dutifully switched to the sub's Music preset for two- 3. The Intelligent
and depth that I've heard on larger subs – but for a £900 channel listening, and the e ect of its adjusted response, Control Interface uses
woofer intended for small environments, it's hardly lacking. in my room, was a minor but welcome additional level LED status lights to
Meanwhile, its handling of the M.U.T.O-by-the-bridge of bassline body. denote volume and
sequence in Godzilla (2014, Blu-ray) was thrilling low-pass filter changes
– a smorgasbord of low- and mid-bass e ects and Weighing up
whumps that stopped and started, rose and fell, with 4. The 8in woofers
delightful precision. Eventually, just as with KEF's KC62, interested parties will are mounted within
have to weigh up the benefits of the 3000 Micro's size and injection-moulded
During quieter, more thoughtful fare, the 3000 Micro styling, versus its price and performance. SVS itself sells 'extreme excursion'
doesn't just shut up shop. With the Dolby Atmos mix of a range of larger models that go deeper and stay louder, surrounds
Promising Young Woman (Sky Cinema) it needed to show and pack the same connections and slick control options.
a lighter, more nuanced touch, adding an easy-does- it Perhaps this model's biggest rival is SVS's own single
sense of ambience (including the background music 12in-driver SB-2000 Pro, which sells for the exact same
of the nightclub and co ee shop scenes), and helping price and has more potential to range below 20Hz.
the film's oddball soundtrack hit new lows. Its upper-range
bass performance felt spot-on – rich and textured. And Judged entirely on its own, however, this can be
then the sound team throw in a huge, room-rattling LF considered a first-rate woofer, mixing a very high-quality
rumble when Cassie arrives at the bachelor party, and finish with customisation potential and a performance that
I realised my AVR was right all along and had to dip the only a total bass-head wouldn't love ■
volume a bit.
VERDICT
SVS no doubt wants hi-fi enthusiasts to enter the world
of subwoofers, and the unobtrusive 3000 Micro is an SVS 3000 Micro
obvious potential partner for a stereo loudspeaker pair.
With Michael Jackson's Beat It (Tidal), it imbued ➜ £900 ➜ www.svsound.com
the kick drums with a lovely sense of physicality, and WE SAY: A superb addition to SVS's portfolio of home cinema
bounced along tunefully to the track's iconic bassline. subwoofers that outperforms its size and price point. Overall
styling and the Bluetooth control app are positives too.
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