Audio Video News

Monitor Audio Silver 300 Speaker System: $5,975 (as tested)

When U.K’s Monitor Audio revamped its popular Silver Series of speakers, the company did something audio enthusiasts love: Made notable improvements without notably increasing the price. Reviewer and longtime audiophile Al Griffin was impressed with the Silver 300 system’s solid build quality and ability to deliver clean, detailed sound with music and movie soundtracks alike: “I found myself won over by its crisp, dynamic sound…and was particularly impressed with the C350 center speaker, which allows for seamless sound across the front channels.” The Silver W-12 subwoofer also commanded his attention, bolstering the already solid bass from the main towers with music and “adding oomph to action movies.”

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Crisp, detailed sound
High-performance center speaker
Subwoofer with room correction
Minus
Subwoofer pricey compared with competition

Full Review Here

 

Parasound NewClassic 200 Integrated Amplifier: $1,195

From a company that earned its stripes as a top player in audio electronics decades ago comes the NewClassic 200 — an impossibly thin integrated amplifier/DAC that delivers a robust 110 watts per channel into 4- and 8-ohm loads while providing high quality digital-to-analog (D/A) conversion and surprising flexibility at a reasonable price. Enamored with its rugged build quality and range of features, which includes a variety of inputs and outputs and a built-in phono preamp, veteran audio reviewer Dan Kumin praised the 200 for balancing utility with simplicity and for squeezing “all the music out of your music.” Heck, Parasound even throws in a full-function remote.

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Generous power from a super-slim chassis
Bypass input for surround system integration
Flexible, analog-domain subwoofer filtering
Full-size, backlighted remote control
Minus
Digital conversion limited to 24/96 via USB
No built-in Bluetooth or other wireless features

Full Review Here

To browse all Sound & Vision-recommended AV gear, broken out by category, visit our Top Picks page.