A/V Product Reviews

AudioControl has announced a pair of high-end preamp/processors and a trio of new A/V receivers at the 2019 CEDIA Expo. The Maestro Series processors and Concert Series AVRs now support Auro 3D, and feature flexible bass management capabilities and up to 16CH of processing. AudioControl calls these new products “the next generation of ultimate performance.” Read on and be sure to watch our YouTube interview with company owner Chris Kane to learn more about these product.

Theory Audio demonstrated their 9CH Soundbar Discrete speaker surround system powered by a 1U DSP tuned amplifier controller that delivered gut wrenching dynamics and sound redefining our expectations for this category of product. Check out our Youtube interview at CEDIA 2019 with company founder and engineer Paul Hales to learn about how he pulled this off.

Integra has announced three new “reference-grade” products at the CEDIA Expo. The flagship 11.2-channel DRC-R1.3 processor ($2,499) and DRX-R1.3 receiver ($3,299) promise high-end performance and best-in-class features. The 9.2-channel DRX-7.3 receiver ($2,399) now sits at the top of the company’s lineup of 9-channel receivers. All three new products support the 4K HDBaseT connectivity standard to deliver high-res video over ethernet. Read on and watch our YouTube video to learn more.

Monoprice has announced new products that expand their Monolith THX speaker lineup, and do they look to be absolute beasts for the home theater market. The Monolith tower speaker features four 6.5" bass drivers, a 2" silk dome midrange, and a 1" silk dome tweeter that also includes an optional 5.25" upfiring coaxial driver for Dolby Atmos. We absolutely loved the mini-tower Monoliths but they lacked bass by design. These Monolith towers appear to address that concern and promise to be real bruisers.

Pioneer's newest $3k Flagship receiver, the Elite SC-LX904 will be officially unveiled at CEDIA 2019 in Denver, Colorado which will garner quite a bit of news coverage from such a beefy receiver. Check out the specs on this monstrous 11.2 channel receiver and how they rate power under maximum load conditions. This is stuff we love to see. Klingons everywhere rejoice, that TiP warriors find this model to be with honor.

Polk Audio has announced an all-new flagship line of speakers called the Legend Series. There are six models in the series: two bookshelf speakers, two floor-standers, a center-channel speaker, and a height/elevation speaker for home theater use. The range-topping L800 SDA sells for $6k/pair and features a unique “Stereo Dimensional Array” to cancel out stereo interaural crosstalk and deliver immersive sound with precise imaging. Read on and watch our CEDIA 2019 Youtube interview video to learn how Polk has brought back legendary SDA technology.

Legacy Audio is dropping the gauntlet down with their new 600 wpc iV7 7CH and 8CH Class D amplifiers which they claim to be the most powerful home theater amplifiers in consumer audio to date. Armed with the latest ICE high power modules and independent power supplies gives us little reason to doubt this claim. The fact that Legacy uses these amplifiers in their $80k flagship Valor speaker system gives a good indication of amount of performance and power this platform offers. Did we also mention they look great? Read on for more details.

Denon's new PMA-600NE Integrated Amplifier looks audiophile and sports 70 watts per channel for only $399! Or does it? Look closer and you'll see that Denon may be being ambitious with its power ratings. Read on to learn all of the juicy details of the affordable PMA-600NE integrated amplifier and matching CD player to see if our scrutiny is justified or if it's really a good deal for the price especially considering all of the audiophile features packed into this machine.

Monoprice was one of the first to bring highly affordable THX subwoofers to market, and now they continue that trend by introducing highly affordable THX speakers. The Monolith THX-365T and 365C speakers are some of the most inexpensive THX-Ultra certified home audio speakers to ever have been produced. This raises the question: how is Monoprice able to make THX-Ultra caliber speakers affordable? Read our full review to find out.

Anthem has launched a new series of advanced, multi-zone audio distribution systems aimed at audiophiles who want great-sounding music all around their homes. The MDX Series features Anthem’s ARC Genesis room correction as well as the ability to add subwoofers with custom bass management settings for every zone. The series includes the 8-zone, 16-channel MDX-16 ($2,999) and the 4-zone, 8-channel MDX-8 ($1,999). Both units are shipping now; read on to learn more.

Revel had a good loudspeaker platform in the Performa3 line. In fact, the basic design was so good that Revel decided to see what would happen when that design was upgraded to its full performance capabilities by using some of the highest-end components available such as air-core inductors, polyfilm capacitors, anodized aluminum woofers, and even a Beryllium tweeter. Read our detailed review of the Performa M126Be hot rod bookshelf speakers to see how much these premium components added to an already solidly engineered design.

The Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 represent a completely new physical and acoustic design with new drivers and improved noise cancelling capabilities compared to its predecessor. This wireless bluetooth headphone allows the user to choose how much noise to block out or let in, depending on the requirements of the listening environment. Other key features include compatibility with Bose’s unique augmented reality platform and the ability to gain new features via over-the-air updates.

We were so impressed by the Paradigm Defiance X12 review that we asked Paradigm to send us its bigger sibling, the X15, so we could see how much further the Defiance platform can be pushed. Paradigm happily complied, and in for review today, we have the massive Defiance X15. This thing is a beast in size, but is it a beast in performance as well? Does the X15 live up to the expectations set by the X12? Read our in-depth review to find out!

Pro Audio Technology has introduced three new multipurpose loudspeakers designed for “ultimate accuracy, resolution, and unrestricted dynamics.” PRO claims that its new S and SR Series speakers can produce surprisingly full-range, visceral sound, despite their relatively modest cabinet sizes. The speakers all feature unique elliptical horns and wide-bandwidth “Ultra-Purity” high-frequency compression drivers, mated with 12-inch woofers. They promise BIG sound, and full performance metrics for better integration.