home theater

Today, Scott is joining Leo to talk about the new LG OLED. LG is the leader now in creating OLED TVs, and this week they announced the 2021 OLED lineup, which includes a dozen different models, including a new low-end version called the A1. The 48" A1 is $1300. Not a bad price for OLED. It is a little less capable with a refresh rate of 60Hz, and it doesn't have a variable refresh rate that gamers love. But for $200 more, you can get that in the next model up.

Scott joins Leo to talk about a new pair of headphones he's been reviewing. The great thing about a good pair of headphones is that they take the room's acoustics completely out of the music experience. This pair is called the Focal Clear MG headphones. They're an open-back design, which allows the back wave sound to escape into the room without sacrificing sound quality. Scott says this provides for a neutral tonal value, and the sound is a bit creamier and brighter.

Scott joins Leo to talk about how movies are now far too realistic looking thanks to ultra high definition and higher frame rates. The result is that the dreamlike quality of cinema is disappearing. Leo doesn't like it. Scott does. Scott says it's because we've been used to 100 years of 24 frames per second, and now filmmakers are shooting at 60 fps and above. Scott says that people will eventually get used to it. The next generation certainly well. And eventually, it will become the norm. 

Scott wants to talk about a question he got recently on setting up a home theater in a new home. He's looking at the B&W SN704S2 speakers, $3,000 a pair. He's also looking at a $3,000 Sony OLED TV. But Scott also says that a center channel speaker that matches the left and right stereo speakers is just as imperative as the stereo speakers. And anyone would want the same brand. You can go cheaper on the subwoofer if you need to.  But Scott also warns that paying a high price for equipment can have diminishing returns. There's a point where more money doesn't equal more performance.

Scott Wilkinson joins Leo to talk about hearing aids that can be bought over the counter. There's one he likes called the Jacoti, and it lets you self-measure your hearing through a phone app called Hearing Center, and then fine-tune the hearing aid for best results. Scott says this is a game-changer that could revolutionize wireless in-ear monitors. The technology will be put into Qualcomm chips for in-ear monitors and wireless headphones.

Scott joins Leo to talk about how the quality of TV series have started to drop of streaming services. Scott says he's noticed that some seasons of TV shows have just disappeared without notice. That's one of the problems with streaming. With physical media, you can watch something any time you want. But with streaming services, shows and movies can disappear at any time. At least with Netflix, they warn you what titles are leaving every month. But some services, they just vanish. Leo adds that convenience outweighs the risk, and Scott adds that it also outweighs quality.