As we approach the midpoint of 2019, we’ve given our Top Pick blessings to a half dozen outstanding home theater speaker systems — from a value-busting 5.1 system from Klipsch that can be had for less than a grand to an audiophile-approved Dolby Atmos rig from KEF that costs 10 times as much. Two of the six systems netted our Top Value Pick designation for delivering excellent performance for the price.
Apple has a long history of creating compelling advertising like the legendary “1984” commercial that contrasted its maverick standing with the conformity of its competitors. In January Apple rented a billboard to deliver a message to attendees of the annual CES trade show: “What happens on your iPhone, stays on your iPhone.”
AT A GLANCE Plus
Clear and dynamic sound
Bargain price
Minus
Plain-Jane appearance
Limited finish options
THE VERDICT
The A170 is a refined, capable speaker that draws the best from recordings, and punches way above its bargain price.
It's funny how old impressions die hard. Remember the loudspeaker wars of the 1960s and 1970s? I certainly do. Back then, people would describe speakers as having either an East Coast or a West Coast sound, with the buttoned-down and refined east represented by brands like Acoustic Research, Bozak, and Dynaco, and the more raucous, wild west dominated by Altec Lansing and JBL.
Last summer Samsung teased its long-anticipated entry into the bustling smart speaker arena with a peek at the retro-futuristic Galaxy Home. Almost 10 months later, the speaker has yet to materialize but today Samsung CEO Hyun-suk Kim told The Korean Herald that it will launch in the “mid-second half of the year,” which suggests a September/October timeframe.
Qobuz, the Paris-based high-resolution (hi-res) music streaming and download service that launched in the U.S. earlier this year, is now available on 10 Yamaha products via a free firmware upgrade.