A/V Product Reviews

For most of us 2020 hasn't been such a great year, not so for Advanced Micro Devices (AMD). From thread-ripping CPUs to the Big Navi GPU hype-train, 2020 has been a pivotal year in one of the greatest turnarounds in tech-industry history. While AMD is unlikely to "kill" competitors Intel and Nvidia, its comeback is giving them good reason to worry, and that's good for us consumers.

On the heels of what we consider to be the best measured receiver in the last decade with their SR8015, Marantz has now released information on their new MODEL 30 Integrated Amplifier and SACD 30n Network Audio Streamer and SACD Player. The new products from Marantz embrace elements of classic Marantz design and combine a modern approach to construction and materials. To see what we thought of them, read on.

As a follow-up to our extremely popular recent article, An Audiophile’s Realization: My Last New Speakers, the least we can do is take a close look at the object of that article, the Legacy Audio Signature SE floorstanding speaker. Will this story have a happy ending? Will the audiophile ride off into the sunset with a smile on his face? Read our review of the 4-way Legacy Signature SE Towers to find out.

Originally slated for release in September of this year, Peter Jackson’s documentary entitled The Beatles: Get Back will now hit theaters in August of 2021. Distributed by Walt Disney Studios, the new film features brilliantly restored footage and never-before-released recordings of the Beatles during the 1969 creation of the album Let It Be. The documentary also challenges the popular notion that conflict among the group’s members had the band on the verge of collapse during this pivotal moment in their history. Read on to learn more.

The JTR Captivator RS1 subwoofer is the type of product that pushed the boundaries of the question of how performance can be had from a reasonably sized cabinet? With a 2,400 watt amplifier and an 18" driver with 4" of peak-to-peak excursion, the RS1 stuffs a lot of performance potential into a relatively small box. In our review, we examine not just the loudness of the RS1 but also the fidelity. Take a look to learn about one of the most powerful subs that we have reviewed in recent years and see how it fared in our bassaholic testing.

Dynaudio has totally overhauled its popular Contour series loudspeakers with new internals. All four speakers in the new Contour i series employ a new tweeter design and updated woofers and crossovers. The flagship Contour 60i floor-standers ($10,750/pair) are almost entirely new from the ground up. And it doesn’t hurt that they sport gorgeous new finishes. Read on to learn more.

What happens when you move into your new smart home complete with Crestron and Sonos and the only way to get a reasonable musical soundtrack in the kitchen or dining room was to use a phone or an iPad? How about an IPORT LUXE WallStation ($375) and an IPORT LUXE Case ($270), all in white and designed to wall-mount an iPad Mini for use with the Sonos app, as well as the much more complicated and professionally programmed Crestron application. Read on.

Can you use pro-audio equipment for home audio applications? We ask that question in our review of the Kali Audio LP-8, a studio monitor. If the purpose of a loudspeaker is to reproduce accurate sound, the resultant sound of a studio monitor shouldn't differ from a home audio speaker. With this in mind, let's see how the LP-8 fares for recreational listening rather than monitoring. Should you consider them for your stereo or home theater system, or should they stay in the studio? Read our in-depth review of the Kali Audio LP-8s to find out.

Developed alongside the less expensive EVO4 range, Wharfedale’s new flagship Elysian range is now the brand’s top offering. The Elysian 2 stand-mount speaker ($7,000/pair) and the Elysian 4 floor-standers ($10,000/pair) combine an Air Motion Transformer tweeter with custom-designed midrange and bass drivers. Wharfedale claims that these beauties “push the boundaries of capability and performance from a speaker at this price-point.” Read on to learn more about these speakers that were 3 years in the making.

More than two years after Definitive Technology launched their Demand series bookshelf speakers, they have expanded the line to include some tower speakers. However, the Demand tower speakers look to be a lot more than simply larger versions of the bookshelf speakers. They show a significant design departure from past Definitive Technology floor-standing speakers, and that has us interested in this new direction. In our review of Definitive Technology's new Demand D15 floor-standing speaker, we will look at why Definitive Technology has changed their direction in loudspeaker design and see what advantages this new direction holds.

Watch out Denon! Audio manufacturer Marantz released information on their newest SR-Series AV receivers for 2020. The SR5015, SR6015, SR7015, and SR8015 receivers are all 8K-ready and will range in price from $1,100 to $3,200. The receivers will vary in number of channels and power output, but all will carry Marantz' HDAM-SA3 preamplification based on decades of extensive tuning. How are they different than their lower priced Denon counterparts? Read on to find out.

Last month Denon released details for the worlds first 8K receivers with their new X-Series lineup. Now Denon has released details on their new AVR-S960 7 channel AV receiver for a mere $650! Has Denon gone mad! Along with all the latest video features, the AVR-S960 also boasts some impressive audio features for its price point. To see what other amazing features this receiver has to offer read on.

Yes, I know we review audio equipment, but sometimes a new piece of tech equipment falls in your lap and you want to share your findings with other hi tech gear heads. Enter the pHin Smart Water Monitor from pool equipment giant Hayward Industries. The pHin checks your water 1,000 times a week and lets you know if your chemicals are balanced through an app on your smartphone. Is it worth the $350 price tag and $99 yearly subscription after the first year? Read our in-depth review to find out.

If you're in the process of building a smart home you've probably heard of Savant. Savant's audio subsidiary Artison is currently shipping their new MCC160 and MCC320 MKII in-wall or in-ceiling subwoofers designed to blend perfectly into your new automated home. To see what we think of Artison's newest in-wall or in-ceiling subwoofers, read on.