CES 2020

With a slate of affordable, entry-level turntables in its stable, Audio-Technica is rolling out the new AT-LPW50PB, a new belt-drive deck sitting at the upper-range of its line meant to provide a more affordable path to high-end audio listening.

A highlight of Thomas J. Norton’s recent review of TCL’s 75-inch 8-Series LCD UHDTV was that set’s “class-leading local dimming.” The deep blacks and punchy HDR performance delivered by the 8-Series model was made possible by its mini-LED backlight, a feature found only in the company’s 8-Series TVs for 2019. In 2020, TCL plans to expand mini-LED backlights to its 6-Series, a more valued-oriented line that also features the same built-in Roku streaming platform found in the 8-Series.

Soundbars are perfect problem solvers for many as they provide a greatly improved listening experience over the anemic audio offered by nearly every modern flat-panel display. Many opt for a soundbar because they require no additional hardware like an AVR, usually require just a single-wire connection to the display, need no extra controls, and are affordable. But what if there was a way to get all of these soundbar benefits while still enjoying far better sound, with actual front channel separation and true surround sound? That’s the promise Enclave Audio is delivering with its new CineHome wireless audio systems.

A star of NAD’s 2019 CES exhibit was its compact Masters Series M10 BluOS streaming amplifier. At this CES, the company has taken that concept to a new level — and to a full chassis size — with its M33 BluOS streaming amplifier.

JBL launched a new suite of soundbars at CES, but by far the most exciting for Sound & Vision readers will be the company’s new Bar 9.1, JBL’s first soundbar with Dolby Atmos built-in. The bar not only delivers full 5.1.4 Atmos and DTS:X immersive audio playback, but does it with true wireless operation of the surround speakers.

Control4 is the preferred automation system by many custom installers (myself included), and while the company offers some Z-Wave integration, it is meager at best, interfacing with only a very small handful (less than 15) of devices. For users that want to tap into the hundreds of widely available and unique Z-Wave components, Flex Automation debuted two new devices to bridge the control gap.