LATEST ADDITIONS

PRICE $500/pair

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.

Stewart Filmscreen has redesigned its web site and created screen-finder tools that streamline the process of selecting the right projection screen.

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.

KEF today announced a software update that brings Apple’s AirPlay 2 streaming platform to the $1,100 LSX wireless speaker system it introduced last fall.