Bob Ankosko

Okay, now we’re really getting down to the wire. Christmas is 10 days away and it’s awfully late to be still thinking about holiday shopping…yet I know I’m not alone. The good news: There’s still time to squeak in a few last-minute gifts and there are some really sweet deals to be had. Adding to last week’s holiday gift list, here’s another 10 potential gifts to give (and get) — all Top Picks, vetted and approved by Sound & Vision reviewers — 11 if you count our just-posted Top Pick: Bowers & Wilkins’ excellent Px8 noise-canceling wireless headphones. This week’s picks range in price from $230 to $800 and are presented here from least to most expensive with current discounts noted. Happy last-minute shopping!

British speaker icon KEF today announced a major expansion of its subwoofer lineup that brings a powerful new 11-Hz-capable dual-driver model into play and introduces a series of sealed subwoofers.

"The problem is that the current standard audio specifications for headphones and loudspeakers are almost useless in terms of indicating how good or bad they sound." —Sean Olive

Harman International, the multibillion company that supplies infotainment technology to automakers around the world and owns such storied audio brands as JBL, Infinity, Revel, Mark Levinson, and Lexicon, to name a few, dates back to 1953 when Sidney Harman and Bernard Kardon founded one of audio’s most iconic brands, Harman Kardon. The pioneering brand, which introduced the world’s first hi-fi (and later stereo) receiver, started with a commitment to pursue high-quality sound. That commitment endures through the work of Sean Olive, a 23-year Harman veteran...

Speakers are the single most important link in the audio chain — one that defines the sonic character of your system, whether it’s a straight up stereo rig or a surround-sound movie setup. Great speakers put you in the front row of an intimate musical performance or draw you into a scene in an emotional (and sometimes harrowing) way. Here we spotlight 16 of Sound & Vision’s Top Picks, running the gamut from inexpensive wireless speakers to a selection of home theater systems featuring a suite of wireless speakers at one end and a stately six-piece setup at the other. The mix also highlights a couple stand-out subwoofers and soundbars as well as a handful of all-in-one wireless speakers, including one you can take outside.