Massachusetts-based Andover Audio has announced a companion subwoofer for its innovative SpinBase turntable system, winner of a Sound & Vision Top Pick in 2020.
Is your sound system as good as it can be or, more to the point, as good as you want it to be? If not, it’s a great time to make tweaks and upgrades you thought about but didn’t quite get to during pandemic lockdown. Here’s the lowdown on the dozen speakers that made our Top Picks list so far this year.
Vizio has announced details, pricing, and availability for the 32 models that comprise its 2022 TV lineup. You read that right — 2022. Pandemic-driven setbacks pushed the release of its 2020 TVs to late in the year so those models were carried over into 2021. About a third of the new models are currently available, with the remainder slated to ship in July or August. All but eight of the models are 4K.
With the Great Pandemic largely behind us, the masks are disappearing as life slowly returns to normal and the electronics industry is, as always, ready to greet us with an ever-expanding roster of new gear, even though it is still dealing with lingering chip shortages and supply-chain disruptions. The past few weeks have brought to light a unique “triphonic’ speaker designed by a former Apple designer, a tiny projector that makes it easy to take movies and gaming out to the patio, and a couple of really cool turntables that commemorate the album that redefined popular music 54 years ago.
Denon and Marantz have introduced factory-upgraded “A” versions of two prized flagship components, both Sound & Vision Top Picks: the Denon AVR-X8500H AV receiver and Marantz AV8805 preamp/processor.
As a pandemic-free summer beckons, we look back at the unique collection of products we had the pleasure of evaluating in May. From a dynamic duo of subwoofers that deliver impressive performance and unparalleled setup flexibility for $600 or less to what may be the world’s first “smart” ceiling-mount video projector, we present our latest Top Picks in the hopes that at least one of them will inspire you.
Apple today announced a sound quality makeover for its subscription-based Apple Music streaming service that expands its Spatial Audio surround-sound platform with support for Dolby Atmos and brings lossless audio to its music catalog.
Bluesound, the sister company of Canada’s NAD and PSB specializing in wireless streaming gear, today announced the next generation of its popular Node hi-res music streamer and PowerNode streaming amplifier.
As we continue to emerge from the Great Pandemic with even the most reluctant of reluctant states finally looking to lift restrictions, Spring 2021 continues to pay dividends with an eclectic and, in some cases, season-specific mix of A/V news and gear, ranging from outdoor TVs and speakers to solar-powered headphones and new wireless speakers that don’t rely on Wi-Fi. Let’s take a closer look…
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.
British hi-fi titan Bowers & Wilkins (a.k.a. B&W) has expanded its small but growing line of headphones with two sets of wireless earbuds, one of which provides a “true 24-bit” audio connection, adaptive noise cancellation, and Bluetooth 5.0 featuring aptX HD and aptX Adaptive audio processing.
Sad that your local movie megaplex—or palace—is still shuttered? Epson feels your pain, and to make things better, the company is offering a 10 percent discount on its Sound & VisionTop Pick-winning EpiqVision Ultra LS500 Laser Projection TV. The deal runs only for a limited time, so you have until June 1 to clear space in your pad for Epson’s ultra short throw projector, which comes bundled with either a 100-inch or 120-inch Epson SilverFlex Ultra ALR Mega Screen.