LATEST ADDITIONS

Legacy Audio Powerblock² Amplifier
“Incredible performance in a small package…at a fair price” is how Legacy Audio describes the Powerblock², the company’s first amplifier in more than a decade. Assembled in Legacy’s Springfield, Illinois factory, the amp is a dual-mono design boasting an ultra-wide 1.5-Hz to 70-kHz bandwidth and healthy power output of 2 x 325 watts into 8 ohms (or a rip-roaring 2 x 650 into 4 ohms). Ice Ice Baby: The low-profile Powerblock² is built around ICEpower Class D technology featuring self-oscillating closed-loop architecture and a robust power supply capable of supplying peak current of 30 amps per channel. High damping factor (1,000 <1 kHz) and dynamic range (117 dB) are cited as key characteristics along with low distortion (0.005% THD at rated output). Balanced XLR and unbalanced inputs are provided. Price: $1,600

The success of Amazon’s voice-controlled Echo speaker/personal assistant apparently has AV companies scrambling.

PRICE $2,257 as reviewed

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Uncanny ability to make any projection technology look exemplary
Greatly enhances contrast and black level, even with budget projectors
Easy assembly with superb fit and finish
Performance enhancement that would be banned if projection video were a sport
Minus
Slightly pearlescent sheen with some high-brightness, fully saturated, high-motion scenes
That it has appeared only recently

THE VERDICT
If you need evidence that a high-quality ambient-light-rejecting screen can give spectacular results with an entry-level projector, look no further than the SSE Ambient-Visionaire Black 1.2.

“Is this heaven?” John Kinsella unwittingly asks his son, Ray, in the 1989 movie Field of Dreams. “It’s Iowa,” Ray answers. Turning slowly to walk away, John halts, replying, “Iowa? I could have sworn this was heaven.”

Sonos is a terrific company with terrific products. I reviewed their first-generation wireless speaker, back when no one had ever heard of streaming, and it blew my mind. Since then, of course, Sonos has become the Gold Standard for whole-house playback. But suddenly, seemingly out of nowhere, Sonos is changing course and laying off employees. What the heck?