Bob Ankosko

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.

Along with warmer spring weather that couldn’t come soon enough for those of us who live in the Northeast, the early months of 2024 brought a treasure trove of new gear with a decided audio slant — all bona fide Sound & Vision Top Picks ranging in price from $200 to $7,200. Here we present a dozen great AV products, including one of the best and brightest OLED TVs we have ever reviewed, and a host of audio options ranging from a set of a killer studio monitors that can be had for 200 bucks (!) to an integrated amplifier that will get you into the hi-rez streaming game for $700 and an AV receiver guaranteed to make any audiophile drool. Capsules are organized by price, least to most expensive. Let’s take a closer look...

As we get ready to close out October and look forward to a (hopefully) scary good time of trick-or-treating with a little malevolent merry-making thrown in for good measure, we pause to consider eight product that have made Sound & Vision Top Pick status in as many weeks. Our mid-fall additions reveal an interesting split between everyday audio such as the impressive entry-level speaker from Magnepan and upscale gear like Kaleidescape’s state-of-the-art movie server and Sony’s latest 4K laser projector. And then there’s the surprise $4,000 preamp/surround processor from Monoprice (of all brands), which delivers a level of performance and flexibility usually reserved for cost-no-object pre/pros. Read on to see which of these remarkable products capture your imagination.

Spring beckons and so does the long-awaited return to normal life as the pandemic winds down. Though February was short, we learned a few things from our Top Picks for the month: (1) Subwoofers don’t have to look like subwoofers, (2) you can’t judge a speaker by its looks, and (3) you don’t have to spend thousands to get a big-screen TV that delivers terrific picture quality. Will one of our February gems help you rediscover your passion for music and movies or gaming (Pac-Man anyone?) and push your home entertainment experience to the next level? There’s only one way to find out.