A/V Product Reviews

Sony has announced pricing and availability information for its entire lineup of 2019 TVs. At the top of the heap is a 98-inch behemoth boasting 8K resolution and a fairly ridiculous $70,000 price tag. But the range also includes 4K OLED TVs at competitive prices, and a number of models that will support Apple’s AirPlay 2 and HomeKit protocols. Read on to get all the details and see how it fares against the competition.

In market for a powerful 200 WPC amp? ATI has you covered with two completely different technologies . The AT4000 class A/B and the AT522NC Class-D amplifiers both fit into the 200-watt sweet spot and both have surprisingly similar specifications. The AT500 series is 25% cheaper and up to 50% lighter than the AT4000’s. So, how do they compare? Let’s find out.

The Amazon Fire TV Recast is a DVR for over-the-air broadcasts, giving cord-cutters easy access to free programming from major networks and local TV channels. Starting at $230, the DVR streams live and recorded content to the company’s ecosystem of Fire TV media players, as well as to any mobile device running the Fire TV iOS or Android app. Since it doesn’t connect directly to a TV, the Fire TV Recast can be placed wherever your TV antenna and Wi-Fi both have strong reception. Read on to learn more.

Denon’s updated S-Series comprises three models, the AVR-S950H ($599), the AVR-S750H ($499), and the AVR-S650H ($399). Denon says that the lineup is “designed for anyone who wants an affordable way to dramatically improve their entertainment center.” All three of the new S-Series models offer voice control, AirPlay 2 support, and useful HDMI 2.1 features, like enhanced Audio Return Channel and Auto Low Latency Mode. All models are available now. Read on to learn more.

Denon’s AVR-X8500H is the most technologically advanced receiver the venerable company has ever built. It is arguably the most advanced AVR available today. It’s among the best AVRs we've ever reviewed—and we tested every 3D audio format it supports: Dolby Atmos, DTS:X, Auro-3D, and IMAX Enhanced to their maximum configurations. It just won our 2018 AVR of the year award. But those statements just tell a small part of the story. Read on and see why the AVR-X8500H may be Denon's best AVR since the legendary AVR-5805 and AVR-5308CI masterpieces.

Vizio is preparing to launch its new lineup of TVs at an upcoming event in New York. The company will announce pricing and availability for the updated P-Seres, M-Series, and V-Series UHDTVC models, which were first introduced at CES. New for 2019 is the flagship P-Series Quantum X collection, which will push beyond the already impressive performance of the PQ65-F1 that recently received a very favorable review here at Audioholics. Read on to learn more.

We had the opportunity to review the Ai40 from Canadian audio manufacturer Fluance. This Bluetooth speaker pair comes with a 5 inch woofer and 1 inch ferrofluid cooled tweeter and 35 watts x2 built in amplification. At $199/pair they’re in the sweet spot for affordability vs. performance, but are they worth it? Read our detailed review and check out our YouTube video to find out.

Even though AXPONA focuses on two-channel setups, there were still a fair number of subwoofers on display at the 2019 show, and it may be a sign that audiophiles are becoming more receptive to the inclusion of subwoofers in their systems. AXPONA is also growing increasingly popular among the home theater crowd where subwoofers are nearly mandatory. In our final segment of our AXPONA 2019, we looked at a selection of the subs that were exhibited at the show including a secret sub from HSU.

The AXPONA show for 2019 was bigger and better than ever, and Audioholics was there to see and hear much of the best that was on display. In this segment of our coverage, we take a look at the more over-the-top speakers on exhibit, the 'dream speakers' that comes to mind when we purchase a lotto ticket. They may not be affordable, they might not be at all practical, but these are some of the most unrestrained, dramatic, and mind-blowing speakers that AXPONA had to offer.

The 2019 AXPONA show had more to offer than just king-size luxury speakers. In this segment of our AXPONA coverage, we look at a selection of the more affordable loudspeakers that were on display. While the massive high-end speakers seem to get most of the attention, there were a multitude of outstanding lower cost speakers that deserve as much attention as any six-figure behemoth. This year's AXPONA proves that you don't have to be rich to get good sound.

There's no better time to buy a 4K/UHD TV and there's arguably no better high performance value on the market today than Vizio's outstanding P-Series Quantum TV. This 2000 nits light canon can produce breathtaking HDR images, cover nearly 100% of the P3 color gamut and produce rich, deep black levels. Factor in Dolby Vision and HLG HDR, an outstanding Chromecast implementation, and compatibility with Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, and Apple's HomeKit (via firmware update) and you have a TV that rightly deserved one of our product of the year awards for 2018.

Recently, NAD released their M17 V2, a much needed upgrade to their original M17 AV pre/pro. The NAD M17 v2 is an 11.1 CH Dolby Atmos AV Processor with a fully modular upgradeable design that supports 4K UHD resolution and features Dirac, one of the advanced room correction systems on the market. Be sure to check out our detailed YouTube video review with Dirac test results and this written overview to get all of the latest product details.

Those who want the big sound of a tower speaker but don't have the big bucks that tower speakers normally cost are in luck, because Dayton Audio and Monoprice have just released two new tower speakers at price points that will considerably stiffen the competition for entry-level floor-standing speakers. The Dayton Audio MK442T and Monoprice MP-T65RT both use their well-received low-cost bookshelf models as platforms to create low-cost tower speakers, but they each take some different design turns that may grant them a step up on sound quality along with more sound quantity. Read our preview of the MK442T and MP-T65RT to see what Dayton Audio and Monoprice have done to raise the bar on low-cost tower speakers.

SVS's newest member of their Prime loudspeaker line is aptly named the Prime Pinnacle, because it is most certainly the apogee of the Prime series and the culmination of the design cues used in the Primes while adding a few new tricks to make the ultimate Prime loudspeaker. The 3-way, 5 driver Prime Pinnacle incorporates features of their Ultra series, but in a more placement friendly design. Will this be the new audiophile go-to speaker among SVS's offerings? Read our preview to see what SVS has brought to the table with their formidable new tower speaker.