A/V Product Reviews

Wilson Audio’s new TuneTot monitor 2-way speaker features high-performance drivers in a compact cabinet to boldly go where no Wilson has gone before. From the bookshelf to the desktop, Wilson’s go-anywhere speaker is said to break the audiophile rules to work in the most hostile acoustical environments. But, does it also break the bank or is it a viable product in an already saturated category?

THX certified subwoofers were once the reserve for high-end home theaters, but Monoprice Inc. has now brought them within reach of us mere mortals with the launch of their Monolith series subwoofers. In this review, we look at two high-powered but affordable subwoofers, the 10" THX Select and 12" THX Ultra. The operative word for the design of these subs is 'overkill' which can be discerned from their ultra heavy-duty enclosures, beefy drivers, and powerful 500-watt amplifiers. Read our review of these beasts to find out if your home theater can handle this much low-frequency muscle.

Thinking of buying a Google Home in the near future? You may want to check out the new Polk Assist with Google smart technology and a Chromecast built in! With hands free control and easy integration with other Chromecast and Polk home theater devices this new assistant may be just what you're looking for.

When Onkyo sent me information on their 9.2 CH TX-NR787 AV receiver I honestly thought it was a mistake. Maybe Onkyo has something to prove or they're just trying to corner the market? Whatever the cause, it’s good for the consumer. Check out why everyone is looking at the Onkyo TX-NR787 receiver which offers 100 watts x 9 channels of processing, streaming options galore, and noteworthy updates to their AccuEQ room correction system for under $700!

Speaker manufacturer Monitor Audio released details of their super slim 2" deep in-wall speakers recently. Dubbed the WSS speakers, Monitor Audio has given the consumer a choice of three models all which share the same footprint and pre-construction bracket. The WSS130, WSS230, and WSS430 will range in price from $350 - $650ea. If you love the sound of their box speakers but don't have the space, read on to see if this option works for you.

In our continuing coverage of the 2018 AXPONA audio show, we look at a handful of the pricier speakers that approach the five-figure territory. We start to see some of the interesting directions speaker designers take when they are not encumbered by budgetary concerns. Gigantic horn systems, open-baffle 24" cone subwoofers, and metal-plated bookshelf speakers are just a few of the designs that go full-tilt into the wild side of audio excess. Read on to learn about these sensational designs and others in our sampling of the high-end speakers of AXPONA 2018.

The AXPONA audio show had another huge turnout in both exhibitors and attendees this year, and we were lucky enough to get front row seats to see some surprising new products. In this part of our coverage, we focus on a handful of loudspeakers below $6,000/pair as being some of the relatively affordable setups there. Read on to see what speakers were on display at AXPONA that could possibly be owned without completely shattering your bank account.

The new CBT24 'Epique' floor-standing line array by Dayton Audio is an unconventional speaker, to say the least. However, the marketplace of loudspeakers has dozens if not hundreds of offbeat designs that promise some extraordinary advantage through some radical new engineering approach. So the question for the CBT24 speakers is how does its design improve upon conventional loudspeakers? We attempt to answer that question in detail in our review of these unique new speakers.

We recently previewed the Onkyo TX-SR383 and since Onkyo bought Pioneer's Home Theater Entertainment section a few years ago, it was only a matter of time until receivers with similar feature sets and performance came out from Pioneer. The Pioneer VSX-LX103 is a $499, 7.2 channel receiver with all the video bells and whistles that we liked about the Onkyo TX-SR383 but with Dolby Atmos, DTS:X processing. Sadly, parent company Onkyo appears to be rubbing off on Pioneer by artificially and erroneously inflating the power ratings by stating 170 watts/ch despite it actually only be 80 watts/ch. Read on for more details.

We're seeing a preponderance of wireless Bluetooth speakers flooding the market right now that are either complete garbage or priced higher than most people want to spend for an office or spare bedroom. Enter Dayton Audio with their MK402 Powered Bluetooth 2-Way Bookshelf Speakers. They are based on the MK402 passive speakers which offer commendable value and performance. These powered versions should be great performers for under $100/pair making them about the only game in town at this price!

Are You strapped for cash and in desperate need of a cheap but good microphone to do podcasting in hopes of becoming the next late night talk show host or YouTube internet sensation? The following article goes through the top five budget friendly microphones for recording vocals that you can purchase easily and still have plenty of money left over to focus on building your recording studio or taking vocal coaching lessons.

The TX-SR383 AV receiver from Onkyo provides a choice of native 7.2-channel soundtrack reproduction, or a 5.2-channel surround-sound layout with powered audio distribution to a pair of stereo speakers in Zone 2 . Rated at 155 W/Ch it seems like an amazing deal for just $400! Read on to find out why the devil is in the details and you may not be getting all those watts you think you are.

For the demanding home theater enthusiast, the Yamaha Aventage CX-A5100 11CH AV preamp processor armed with Dolby Atmos and DTS:X support, and 64-bit processing can seemingly do it all. With an array of speaker configuration options, you will be ready to support a full 11.2 or 7.2.4 system for the latest immersive audio. From high resolution music to serving as the hub of a whole house wireless music system via their new MusicCast system to full HDMI 2.0a support, this pre-pro from Yamaha has all the hallmarks of being a real winner. Check out our review and comprehensive YouTube video of the CX-A5100 to see how this product can serve all of your HD audio and video needs for the foreseeable future.

RBH Sound has given their popular Impression speaker series a makeover, and they look better than ever in both appearance and performance. The Impression series returns as a bookshelf speaker, an LCR, and a tower speaker, and each has a selection of optional upgrades, so the series ranges from a modest bookshelf speaker ($300/pair) in a standard matte black finish to a powerful, gloss black tower speaker with elite driver upgrades ($2000/pair). Read our preview of RBH's new Impression speaker series to see how they've upgraded this popular series with high-performance drivers and parts making them a force to be reckoned with.