The predictably unpredictable month of March delivered its usual rollercoaster of weather (at least here in the Northeast). The month that roars also turned out a varied mix of Sound & Vision Top Picks — from an outstanding home theater projector to a set of wonderful sounding wireless earbuds from an iconic audio brand that you didn’t even know makes earbuds. At last, spring is here. Enjoy it.
Update (March 23, 2022): It turns out the S95B OLED TV model, one of the many models covered in the recent Samsung news release announcing pre-order status for its 2022 TVs, will actually be the first QD OLED TV to hit the U.S. market if Samsung hits its target April delivery dates. Read more about the advantages and promise of QD OLED display technology in Trends of CES 2022. A Samsung spokesperson offered this explanation: “Since the term OLED is already widely accepted and understood, Samsung decided to go with the nomenclature ‘Samsung OLED TV’ to avoid confusion among consumers.” Industry insider Robert (Bob) O’Brien, co-founder of Display Supply Chain Consultants (DSCC), offers his take on this unusual situation in an interview that posts tomorrow (March 24).
Samsung has announced that many of the 2022 TV models it unveiled in January at CES 2022 are now available for purchase or pre-order, depending on the series/model. Here’s a breakdown of specific models with shipping dates where available.
Sound & Vision has previously reported on Sony’s announced 2022 TV lineup, including its highly anticipated A95K QD-OLED model. We finally got a chance to ogle the new sets in-person at the company’s TV press briefings in NYC this week, and can confirm there’s plenty in store for prospective TV buyers to get excited about.
Time for a new set of speakers or subwoofer? An AVR with the latest features? Or maybe it’s time to bring your audio setup into the 21st century with a new music streamer. Wherever your home entertainment path is leading, click on to the next page for capsule reviews of more than two dozen products — all awarded Sound & Vision Top Picks in recent months.
Looking back at Sound & Vision’s Top Picks so far in 2022, speakers figure prominently into the mix, starting with a tower-based home theater ensemble that delivers the goods without draining your wallet. The lineup also includes a stately set of towers from a prominent German brand hoping to make a comeback in the U.S. and high performance subwoofers in two price categories — one from a well-known brand, the other from a name you probably don’t know. The odd man out is a new mid-priced AV receiver from Onkyo that can do just about everything you need it to do…except pop the popcorn.
As the pandemic winds down (again) and spring draws near, new product introductions are starting to pick up. Will they reach pre-2020 pandemic levels? Probably not, though the volume of press releases seems a bit higher than it was a year ago. Ongoing labor shortages and supply-chain disruptions caused by the logjam of shipping containers in major ports continue to hinder a return to normalcy — a situation that some analysts predict is here to stay for the rest of the year and possibly beyond. In the spirit of being thankful for the goods and services we can get, here’s a look at some of the latest A/V gear with a little news thrown into the mix.
I’ve been told the pandemic is over and that things are opening up. That’s hopefully the case, I said to myself as I headed out to the February 9 launch of the Marantz Model 40n network integrated amplifier ($2,499).
Filmmaker Ivan Reitman enjoyed a wildly successful career spanning more than four decades, with his name appearing on some of the most popular and enduring comedies of all time. A savvy producer as well as an inspired director, he possessed a shrewd understanding of the business, including home entertainment, and how his movies fit into it.
Since CES 2022 ended a few weeks ago, new A/V gear has trickled into the market and A/V companies have continued to issue press releases, though at a slower than usual pace. Here’s some of the latest news to cross our desks.
Though last week’s CES 2022 turned out to be somewhat of a disappointment, A/V manufacturers continue to turn out new products in the face of lingering component shortages, shipping delays, and mounting inflation. We round up the latest A/V news and product announcements, including two from the Big Show that wasn’t.
Top Picks for the holiday month of December include an advanced wireless speaker system, 12-terabyte movie server, and spectacular 8K video projector at prices ranging from $2,000 to $25,000. But don’t despair, we’re also highlighting a trio of audio products that can be had for considerably less, including an outstanding Bluetooth speaker system that sells for $250 and a versatile hi-res streamer you can pick up for $600.
With Christmas a little more than two weeks away, A/V companies continue to bring new gear to market despite lingering shipping delays and materials shortages. The latest round of introductions includes the follow-up to a $60 set of wireless earbuds that earned a Sound & Vision Top Pick back in June, a beautiful take on the classic stereo console, a 65-inch 4K TV priced to sell, and a limited-edition version of an iconic speaker that has been in continuous production for 75 years. Can you guess which speaker it is?
Stewart Filmscreen, has announced a promotion offering $1,000 off the purchase of a Kaleidescape server-based movie system to anyone who purchases one of its screen masking systems.
So, how’s the holiday shopping going? Have you nailed it (bravo, if so!), or are you still searching for the perfect gift for that special someone? If, like me, you fall into the latter category, I have a few mostly audio-oriented gift suggestions worth considering.
Okay, it’s time to take a break from shopping those Black Friday deals popping up everywhere and check out Sound & Vision’s Top Picks for November. You won’t be disappointed.