Bob Ankosko

Though Harman Luxury Audio bowed out of the show in the eleventh hour, the company embraced the spirit of CES by announcing a slate of new products for 2022, including a wireless subwoofer and studio monitor from its flagship JBL brand.

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.

PRICE $250/pair

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Excellent, full-bodied sound
Cosmetically appealing design
Sturdy build
Remote control with tone controls (!)

Minus
No multiroom Wi-Fi streaming

THE VERDICT
Fluance’s Ai41 is one of the best looking and sounding Bluetooth speakers in its price class.

You can tell immediately whether a speaker is good the moment it starts playing, so I knew right away the Ai41 was good but didn’t fully appreciate how good until I had lived with it for a couple of weeks.

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?