Michael Trei

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AV Receiver Reviews

Onkyo TX-NR787 9.2-Channel Network A/V Receiver Review

Michael Trei | Jan 11, 2019 | 3 comments

Performance
Features
Ergonomics
Value

PRICE $699

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Powerful, full-bodied sound
5.1.4 and 7.1.2-channel surround options
AccuEQ Advance room calibration
Minus
No multichannel preamp outputs
Basic remote control

THE VERDICT
Onkyo's versatile nine-channel receiver delivers an impressive blend of performance and features at a middle-of-the-pack price.

It's easy to get overlooked when you're in the middle. A middle child misses out on both the attention that's lavished on the first born and the doting care parents give to the baby of the family. The same thing can happen with an audio company's product lineup. Onkyo makes more than a dozen A/V receiver models at varying price points, but most of the acclaim inevitably goes to the flagship with its flashy bells and whistles, while models at the entry level get lots of love for providing good value.

Panasonic SC-BT300 HTiB

Michael Trei | Sep 23, 2009 | 0 comments

A Sound+Vision home-theater-in-a-box (HTiB) review! Now, before you start thinking we've gone all Wal-Mart on you, let me quickly make the case for integrated home theater systems like Panasonic's SC-BT300.

Paradigm Millenia Series Home Theater Speaker System

Michael Trei | May 02, 2007 | 0 comments

Just as with celebrity models, the trend in speakers these days seems to be toward the ever more slender yet exquisitely tall and glamorous.

Soundbar Reviews

Paradigm PW Soundbar Review

Michael Trei | Dec 27, 2017 | 0 comments

Performance
Features
Ergonomics
Value

PRICE $1,299

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Wide array of wired and wireless connections, including Play-Fi
Room correction with included microphone
Wireless subwoofer connection
Minus
Confusing and non-intuitive setup
Soft-sounding highs

THE VERDICT
Paradigm’s PW Soundbar ticks a lot of boxes with its long list of desirable features, but its complicated wireless setup and ergonomic difficulties make it frustrating to use.

Consolidation is one of those things that can be either a good deal or a bad deal, depending on the context. For example, with big corporations, consolidation often means less competition, which can be a bummer for the consumer. Just ask the guy who pays through the nose for 2,000 cable channels he’ll never watch, or the guy who has tried to make a mini-sized bag of peanuts last through a six-hour transcontinental flight on one of the four remaining major U.S. airlines. But when it comes to consumer electronics, consolidation can be a wonderful thing.

Soundbar Reviews

Pioneer SP-SB03 Speaker Base

Michael Trei | Dec 10, 2014 | 0 comments

Performance
Features
Ergonomics
Value

PRICE $350

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Clear, transparent sound
Well-thought-out feature set
Minus
Minimal display information
Credit-card membrane remote

THE VERDICT
Pioneer delivers a soundbase that puts good sound ahead of bells and whistles or sheer volume.

Over the last few years, Pioneer’s chief speaker designer Andrew Jones has become kind of a rock star in budget audio circles. Unlike some other companies that simply get a design committee to slap something together for their low-cost gear, Pioneer with Jones at the helm spends months tweaking and refining even the most modest speakers. At the other end of the scale, Jones also designs state-of-the-art speakers for Pioneer’s high-end TAD division, including the $80,000 Reference One, so the man clearly knows his way around a woofer cone.

AV Receiver Reviews

Pioneer VSX-LX504 A/V Receiver Review

Michael Trei | Jul 03, 2019 | 15 comments

Performance
Features
Ergonomics
Value

PRICE $999

AT A GLANCE
Plus
IMAX Enhanced certified
Nine channel amp for flexibility
Extensive wireless options
Minus
Ample power for a medium-size room
Limited crossover control Non-illuminated remote

THE VERDICT
Pioneer's first A/V receiver to carry IMAX Enhanced certification offers fine sound and bang- up-to-date technology at a mid-level price.

More than any other category of home theater gear, A/V receivers are subject to an ever-evolving list of "must have" technologies. The required logos for each of these licensed features now forms a long row extending the full width of most receivers, with IMAX Enhanced counting as the latest logo gunning for real estate on any AVR that wants to be up-to-date.

Other Tech

Platter Matters: Three Turntables

Michael Trei | Jul 04, 2007 | 0 comments

•Photo Gallery

Surround Sound System Reviews Subwoofer Reviews Tower Speaker Reviews

Polk Audio T50 Speaker System Review

Michael Trei | Feb 25, 2016 | 0 comments

T50 Speaker System
Performance
Build Quality
Value

PSW108 Subwoofer
Performance
Features
Ergonomics
Value

PRICE $690 as reviewed

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Big sound, small price
Efficient and easy to drive
Proper surround sound at a soundbar price
Minus
Black vinyl is the only finish

THE VERDICT
Polk’s T50 system is all about value with a capital V— delivering a real 5.1 experience including a powered subwoofer and floorstanding tower speakers at a soundbar price.

“What this country needs is a really good five-cent cigar.”—Thomas R. Marshall

American vice presidents aren’t usually remembered for much, but Woodrow Wilson’s VP Thomas R. Marshall will always be remembered for saying that America needed good cheap cigars. If you figure in a hundred years of inflation, Marshall’s five-cent cigar would still be well under a buck today, so clearly he was a man who wanted real value for the money. With that in mind, I reckon that if Marshall were alive today, he would be a huge fan of the Polk T Series speaker system.

Soundbar Reviews

Polk MagniFi Mini Soundbar System Review

Michael Trei | May 10, 2017 | 1 comments

Performance
Features
Ergonomics
Value

PRICE $300

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Big sound from a tiny speaker
Carefully voiced with neutral tonal balance
Minus
No HDMI video passthrough
Sub’s performance limited by its small size

THE VERDICT
Despite its diminutive size, the MagniFi Mini speaks with a loud and clear voice at a bargain price.

Why is it that every year, TVs seem to get bigger while speakers seem to get smaller? Back when Stereo Review became Sound & Vision, a nice home theater had a 34-inch tube TV and a decent 5.1channel surround sound system with floorstanding tower speakers. Now, many years later, the TV has grown to 65, 70, or even 80 inches, but the speakers have shrunk to the point where they’re small enough to get lost at the bottom of the massive screen.

Accessory Reviews

PS Audio P300 Power Plant

Michael Trei | Nov 29, 2000 | Published: Nov 30, 2000 | 0 comments

Power to the people.

There was a time when playing with audio was a lot of fun. I was a pretty tweaky guy and would regularly try out all of the latest tweaks and accessories. Then, about seven or eight years ago, I kind of burned out. I had gone to visit the home of a fellow audiophile who was so obsessed with adjusting and fiddling with things that listening to music had taken a back seat. Rather than see myself following the same path, I decided to go on kind of an antitweak rant. Sure, careful setup remains important, but enjoying music has become even more so. Consequently, when a manufacturer approaches me with some new device made from Unobtainium that's supposed to make my life better for a mere $299, I tend to get defensive. This, however, was not my reaction when I first saw the PS Audio P300 Power Plant because most of its design approach followed what I had for years thought would be a great way to deal with the crappy AC power most utilities deliver.

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Michael Trei

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