Home Cinema Choice - February 2023

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With its Cinema 50 amplifier, Marantz has added a stylish new aesthetic to a nine-channel power plant and features and connectivity galore. We put this super-smart Atmos/DTS:X diva through its paces in our in-depth review.

Also on the test bench this issue is Philips 77OLED807, a monster-sized (77in) OLED that hopes to prove that bigger is always better. We also run the rule over JBL’s entry-level Stage speakers; Bang & Olufsen’s high-end Theatre soundbar; Sony’s A84K OLED TV and VPL-XW7000ES 4K HDR projector; a compact subwoofer from MartinLogan with ARC EQ; T+A’s Solitaire T headphones; a 5.1 Perlisten R Series setup; and more. Whatever your budget, we’ve got you covered!

On the software side, we check out new Blu-ray, 4K and streaming releases including Beast, Smile and Glass Onion. We also look ahead to the big movies of 2023, featuring John Wick, Aquaman, J. Robert Oppenheimer and a certain professor of archaeology, and turn the clock back to 2008 to remember J.J. Abrams’ smash-hit Cloverfield.

Elsewhere, we give away an SVS 3000 Micro subwoofer; check out a pair of drool-worthy high-end custom installs; revisit an HCC reader to get the lowdown on their system overhaul; and wonder if James Cameron’s Avatar sequel will reignite interest in 3D TV…

Plus all the usual opinions, news, disc reviews and competitions. Enjoy the show!

Rack 'em up

Monitor Audio's 'Installation' amp range has four new models, all designed to allow 'more channels to be placed into less space than ever before'.

1 min

C'est magnifique!

Released to celebrate five years of the brand's partnership with Opéra national de Paris, Devialet's special edition iteration of its Dione soundbar (HCC #333) will glam up your movie room with its 22-carat 'moon gold' finish and new-look Orb centre driver and end panels.

1 min

Bristol's back in business

Long-running UK audio show returns in February after two-year break

1 min

Magnetar UHD BD plaver

Chinese disc-spinner promises high-performance home cinema

1 min

Acoustic Energy goes on-wall

AE105 designed for surround or two-channel setups where space is at a premium'

1 min

Pioneer Elite AVRs arrive

First receiver models land in the UK following new brand ownership

1 min

'Bring on the big four'

UK TV maker Mitchell Brown enters the QLED arena

1 min

Variable refresh rates

Videogame aficionado John Archer explains why the industry has embraced VRR technology, and why TV manufacturers have struggled to keep the pace

3 mins

MOVIES YOU WON'T WANT TO MISS IN 2023

With Hollywood hoping fora post-pandemic bounce-back at the box office, this year's movie slate features returns for the Mission: Impossible crew, John Wick and Adonis Creed, plus a certain professor of archaeology. Team HCC looks ahead, popcorn in hand

10+ mins

Movies 'n' music

This multipurpose AV space hides a full-fat Dolby Atmos system with four subwoofers, but puts its dedicated stereo speakers on display.

2 mins

Dominus den...

Movies up front, music hardware at the back - this 9.3.6-channel cinema with THX certified speakers aims to cover all bases, reports Mark Craven

2 mins

Home cinema with heart

Marantz rings the changes with this new-look home cinema amplifier. Steve May gets all emotional

6 mins

OLED writ large

This 77in OLED TV from Philips reminds John Archer why bigger is (nearly) always better

5 mins

All the world's a sound stage

JBL brings some bigscreen know-how to a range of AVE affordable home cinema speakers, says Steve Withers

5 mins

Champagne supernova

This laser beamer dazzles Steve Withers with its mega-bright images and peerless processing

5 mins

Small box, big tricks

A mid-range subwoofer from MartinLogan, the Dynamo 800X crams features and flexibility into a compact cabinet. Richard Stevenson is very impressed

4 mins

Perlisten asks 'R you ready?'

This 5.1 set proves the performance of the US brand's debut S range wasn't a one-off, says Mark Craven

6 mins

Bravia, you beauty!

Sony's regular OLED TVs now face competition from the brand's own Quantum Dot-enhanced models. But that doesn't stop John Archer enjoying the 55A84K

4 mins

T+A Solitaire T

The German high-end marque's take on a wireless headphone is slightly different from everybody else's - and Ed Selley thinks it's rather clever

3 mins

Designed to delight and demolish

With the Beosound Theatre, Bang Olufsen has taken the humble soundbar to another level, discovers Steve May and it has the price tag to show for it

5 mins

Samsung UE55BU8500

Is the South Korean giant still the king of the mid-range LCD flatscreen? John Archer finds out

3 mins

M&K Sound D95

The loudspeaker specialist long beloved by die-hard AV-Holics is now taking aim at regular living rooms with its D95 on-wall model. Ed Selley investigates

3 mins

Digital Copy

A recent 4K Blu-ray that eschewed an HDR pass for a movie over 100 years old has Mark Craven wondering how far new restorations of vintage films should go

2 mins

The Hi-Fi Guy

Room correction and EQ is a tremendous thing but Ed Selley worries it's getting harder to run a system without it - and we're therefore in danger of losing the personal touch

2 mins

In The Mix

As Disney replaces its CEO and announces a 1.5bn loss on streaming, Jon Thompson predicts changes to the SVOD landscape. After all, business models need to evolve just ask Sky

2 mins

Certified: AV-Holic!

HCC reader John still heads out to a dedicated room in the garden to get his movie thrills but an Atmos upgrade and overhauled projector system make the trip even better

4 mins

Roarsome or boresome?

Killer cat caper starring Idris Elba suffers from some less-than-purrfect CG and inconsistent AV

2 mins

The bad American dream

High-concept sci-fi thriller looks lush but comes with a sense of déja vu

2 mins

Arcade Action

Bigscreen home entertainment isn't just about movies anymore. Rik Henderson checks out a videogame vying for time on your home cinema system...

1 min

Turn that frown upside down

Unsettling horror flick benefits from a best-in-breed Dolby Atmos soundmix

2 mins

Capital punishment

Season Two of Sky's epic crime saga mixes old characters with new, and gore galore

2 mins

Guns and Rosaries

Jet-black comedy thriller still delights, but this 4K disc isn't quite the sharp-shooter

2 mins

Ghostly goings on in Tokyo

Iconic Japanese fright franchise is resurrected on Arrow's multi-format boxset

2 mins

The return of the mystery man

Daniel Craig is back in his frothy post-Bond franchise, now making its home on Netflix

2 mins

Catalogue classic: Cloverfield → Ultra HD Blu-ray, Paramount

Anton Van Beek powers up his camcorder and sets out to document the truth about the 2008 monster-sized box office smash

4 mins

AV Avenger

Could James Cameron's long-awaited return to Pandora with Avatar: The Way of Water kickstart a 3D TV revival? Steve May considers the evidence

2 mins

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Home Cinema Choice Magazine Description:

Since 1995 Home Cinema Choice has been the must-buy magazine for AV enthusiasts. Published thirteen times a year, each issue provides in-depth, detailed reviews of the hardware products on your shortlist – from hi-def/4K televisions and projectors to AV receivers, speakers, Blu-ray players, soundbars and more. We also travel the world seeking out the latest tech and trends, provide advice and inspiration for your own cinema project and reveal the Blu-rays and DVDs you'll want to add to your collection.