With the summer in full swing and Labor Day a mere month away, it’s the perfect time to take stock of Sound & Vision’s Top Picks for 2023. Whether you’re in the market for a TV or projector, a streaming device or speaker, or a full-on home theater speaker system, we’ve got you covered with multiple recommendations. Or maybe you’re looking for a good set of wireless earbuds to get you through the Dog Days of Summer. Whatever it is, we can pretty much guarantee that at least one of the 30 award-winning products we’ve cataloged here will strike your fancy.
To help make the best of at-home entertainment, we offer up a handful of very different Sound & Vision-vetted products for your consideration: from a unique set of earphones made of wood to a reference-caliber screen that promises to propel video projection to new heights. As usual, all are recipients of our Top Pick rating.
We didn’t really plan it this way but two of our Top Picks for April have more than just A/V in common — they both sell for less than 200 bucks. Our first low-cost specimen is a no-frills subwoofer from a brand you may not know that delivers surprisingly respectable performance down to 30 Hz. Then there’s an all-around great performing portable speaker from a brand you most definitely do know. Rounding out the mix is a serious desktop speaker setup and a sweet sounding home theater ensemble from an exotic brand whose speakers you thought you couldn’t afford.
As April winds to a close, we review our Top Picks for the month, which include a budget soundbar system from a well-known American speaker brand, top performing integrated amplifiers in two price categories, and the latest THX-certified subwoofer from an accessory-turned-audio-brand that’s growing by leaps and bounds.
As April winds to a close, we review our Top Picks for the month, which include a budget soundbar system from a well-known American speaker brand, a top performing integrated amplifier, and the latest THX-certified subwoofer from an accessory-turned-audio-brand that’s growing by leaps and bounds.
Top Picks for the holiday month of December include an advanced wireless speaker system, 12-terabyte movie server, and spectacular 8K video projector at prices ranging from $2,000 to $25,000. But don’t despair, we’re also highlighting a trio of audio products that can be had for considerably less, including an outstanding Bluetooth speaker system that sells for $250 and a versatile hi-res streamer you can pick up for $600.
Looking back over the first few months of the year, we find a dozen Top Picks worthy of consideration, whether you’re updating a long-cherished sound system or assembling your first hi-fi or surround setup.
Summer 2023 is off to a great start. In recent weeks we’ve had the pleasure of reviewing and recommending a topnotch speaker system from a revered speaker brand known for its exceptional sounding electrostatic speakers, a flagship-level AVR with four subwoofer outputs that forgoes the flagship price, a speaker system you can conceal in your walls, and an ultra-wide QD-OLED monitor that propels gaming to new heights.
As we get ready to close out October and look forward to a (hopefully) scary good time of trick-or-treating with a little malevolent merry-making thrown in for good measure, we pause to consider eight product that have made Sound & Vision Top Pick status in as many weeks. Our mid-fall additions reveal an interesting split between everyday audio such as the impressive entry-level speaker from Magnepan and upscale gear like Kaleidescape’s state-of-the-art movie server and Sony’s latest 4K laser projector. And then there’s the surprise $4,000 preamp/surround processor from Monoprice (of all brands), which delivers a level of performance and flexibility usually reserved for cost-no-object pre/pros. Read on to see which of these remarkable products capture your imagination.
Gear Aplenty could well be the theme of autumn 2021, which has produced a scary good lineup of Top Pick-worthy products as we approach the witching hour. From one of the best TVs you can buy to soundbar options for three budgets to a brilliant reimagining of a ’60s classic, we’ve got you covered.