Audio Video News

Stereo/All-In-One Streaming Speakers

Apple HomePod (Gen 2) Wireless Smart Speaker: $300

It took a few years but Apple has finally updated the all-in-one HomePod smart speaker it introduced in 2018. Like its predecessor, the updated HomePod is quite the streaming marvel, capable of delivering sound that is clear, detailed, and spacious, while doubling as a Siri voice controller for all kinds of smart devices. Put two HomePods in play and you are rewarded with true stereo sound and a genuinely immersive experience whether you’re listening to music, watching a movie, or playing a videogame. The system even decodes object-based Dolby Atmos soundtracks with remarkable results. Better yet, you can put the speakers almost anywhere and they will automatically adapt to the acoustics of the environment.

Following a super easy setup, reviewer Mark Henninger paired two speakers with an Apple TV 4K box and was stunned by how close the sonic experience was to what you’d expect to hear from a full-blown multispeaker AV system. “For the first time I can recall, I got goosebumps listening to a smart speaker…I also marveled at the amount of bass these charming pods managed to muster.” In an impressive feat of technical prowess, Apple has figured out how to provide an all-encompassing listening experience from just two speakers at a price that won’t break the bank.

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Clear and detailed sound
Easy to set up and use
Supports Dolby Atmos, eARC
Pair two with an Apple TV 4K for a complete system
Minus
Needs an iOS device for setup
No optional subwoofer
Limited maximum volume

Full Review Here (posted 1/31/23)

Sonos Era 300 Wireless Spatial Audio Speaker: $449

The Era 300 is the latest in a new generation of small, Atmos-compliant “spatial audio” speakers designed to deliver a hassle-free immersive listening experience. At $449, it costs more than the competition, though it is engineered to a fare-thee-well and delivers excellent sound quality on its own, in tandem with a second Era 300, or as a rear surround speaker in a soundbar-based home theater setup. The speaker supports streaming via Bluetooth and AirPlay 2 with voice control through Alexa or the new Sonos Voice assistant and includes Trueplay tuning to compensate for room acoustics no matter when you place it. Of course, it also fits in the long-admired Sonos multiroom ecosystem.

As impressive as the sound is with one speaker, things get really interesting when you play Dolby Atmos tracks with two speakers in play, each of which houses six drivers, including two woofers and tweeters that fire forward, to the sides, and up from the top. As reviewer Rob Sabin put it, “The image went edge-to-edge, and with Atmos tracks, utterly filled the room up and out toward my seat. Classic jazz tracks remixed for Atmos, such as "Have You Met Miss Jones" by the Oscar Peterson Trio, became more adept at recreating the acoustics of the recording space.” Throw in a Sonos Sub and things get even better with bass that dips down to 30 Hz, though the price goes up considerably. The Sonos Era 300 will surprise and delight you with its simplicity and ability to deliver clean, spacious, full-bodied sound from a speaker you can balance in the palm of your hand.

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Excellent stereo and spatial audio
Works alone or in a stereo pair
Good 'smarts with Alexa, Sonos Voice
Bluetooth-compatible
Impressive industrial design
Minus
No compatibility with Atmos tracks on Tidal
Does not work with Sony 360 Reality on Amazon
Sensitive to placement

Full Review Here (posted 5/10/23)

Fluance Ai81 Active Stereo Speaker System: $499/pair

We’ve had good luck with bookshelf speakers from Canada’s Fluance so we were intrigued when they came out with the Ai81, a medium-height floorstander, which like its smaller siblings has onboard power — 75 watts/channel in this case — and supports wireless streaming via Bluetooth. The speaker mates a 1-inch silk-dome tweeter with two 6.5-inch woofers in a sealed cabinet that stands just under 38 inches tall with a woodgrain vinyl finish offered in black or the two-tone white/woodgrain shown here. What’s most enticing is the price: 500 bucks for a pair of full-range speakers is an achievement worth celebrating, especially if they sound good. And they do.

Grab your phone, select Fluance from its Bluetooth menu and you’re off and running. Otherwise, the speaker is of the just-add-source variety, offering two sets of analog RCA jacks and an optical digital input, plus a subwoofer output for those who crave truly deep bass. Recording engineer-turned-reviewer Leslie Shapiro found the speakers to be on the bright (though never harsh) side but fully capable of putting up a realistic stereo image. “I was instantly impressed. There was no surround processing, just precise stereo placement.” The Ai81s are an option worth exploring for anyone who is on a budget.

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Convenient (outboard amp not required)
Budget-friendly
Multiple input options
Excellent soundstage
Minus
Needs a subwoofer for movies
Veiled midrange
Bright treble

Full Review Here (posted 2/22/23)

Definitive Technology Dymension DM70 Bipolar Tower Speaker: $4,000/pair

Definitive Technology has returned to its roots with the DM70 tower, the latest iteration of the bipolar design it pioneered 30+ years ago. Like all of the company’s bipolar tower designs, the DM70 follows the path set forth by founder Sandy Gross: mating front- and rear-firing drivers with an integrated subwoofer. In this case, the DM70’s slender 4-foot-tall cabinet mates two driver complements, each comprising a 5.25-inch woofer and 1-inch aluminum-dome tweeter, with a built-in bass module that draws on a 250-watt amp to power a 10-inch woofer augmented by a pair of 10-inch passive radiators. The beauty of this design is you get rich, three-dimensional sound with deep effortless bass from two minimalist speakers wrapped in black fabric.

Reviewer Mark Henninger was mesmerized by what he heard when he powered up a pair of DM70s: “Their most obvious quality is stereo imaging that's transcendental in nature. The soundstage is vast and enveloping, and the imaging is so accurate that it is as if the performers are right there in the room with you. I know that's a cliché, but it's also how it really sounds!” But what about that pair of integrated subwoofers — what do they bring to the party? For starters, they are rock solid down to 30 Hz and having two of them helps smooth out peaks and dips in the bass. At four grand a pair, these speakers don’t come cheap but they do deliver in spades and are an exciting choice for stereo music.

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Excellent soundstage and imaging
Powerful and adjustable bass output
Disappears when the lights are out

Minus
Each speaker requires a power outlet
Cloth grille is not removable
Can't be placed up against a wall

Full Review Here (posted 4/14/23)

JBL 4329P Powered Streaming Studio Monitor: $4,500/pair

JBL has once again brought its heritage in studio monitors to bear in a consumer speaker but this time with a twist. At a glance you wouldn’t know it, but the 4329P is actually a “press and play” speaker made for streaming via Bluetooth or Wi-Fi, the latter through Apple AirPlay and Chromecast. As you’d expect from JBL, it’s an impressive audiophile-caliber affair that mates an 8-inch woofer and a horn-loaded 1-inch tweeter with a 300-watt amplifier in a ported cabinet best suited for placement on an optional stand. Hard-wire connections include Ethernet jack, optical and USB-B digital inputs, balanced XLR stereo inputs, a stereo minijack input, and an RCA Sub Out, which activates an 80-Hz high-pass filter when connected. In a wireless setup, internal processing is limited to 96 kHz/24 bits but can be expanded to 192/32 with the hard-wire Ethernet connection.

Using Chromecast via Roon to zero in on streaming performance, the 4329Ps aced just about everything reviewer Daniel Kumin threw at them — from the subtleties of Suzanne Vega singing à cappella on “Tom’s Diner” to “Jack of Speed,” a clean and ultra-punchy track from Steely Dan’s Two Against Nature played at levels you’d expect to hear in a recording studio. “The 4329Ps’ displayed no loss of clarity, dynamism, or bottom-end heft, despite snare-drum strikes that rifled across my studio like gunshots.” Likewise, the JBLs conveyed the sub-20 Hz bass heard on Belà Fleck’s “Flight of the Cosmic Hippo” without breaking a sweat leading Kumin to conclude: “JBL’s largest and most capable streaming speaker to date is an unreserved success.”

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Outstanding sound quality and dynamics
Deep bass extension
Subwoofer output
Minus
No music-data or volume display
On the large side for stands

Full Review Here (posted 5/3/23)

JBL 4349 2-Way Studio Monitor: $8,250/pair

JBL continues its decades-long tradition of delivering studio-grade sound quality with the 4349 two-way studio monitor, designed and built at the company’s state-of-the-art acoustic engineering facility in Northridge, CA. With its large horn, 12-inch woofer, dual ports, and front-panel trim controls, the speaker echoes the bold styling of JBL’s iconic professional monitors and delivers on the promise of conveying artist intent with sonic purity.

Mark Henninger praised the 4349s for conveying mesmerizing sound, characterized by silky highs, a smooth, natural midrange, powerful bass, and a wide, deep soundstage. “The JBLs delivered a nonstop stream of sublime listening sessions, easily blowing past my highest initial expectations. Sure, I anticipated they'd be good speakers…But I did not expect they'd deliver proper pinpoint imaging and a three-dimensional soundstage, regardless of where I sat on my sofa.”

Citing one of several specific examples, Henninger wrote: “Binary, the 2019 album by Sounds from the Ground sounded absolutely stunning. The dynamics were incredibly clear and precise, with each instrument mixed in perfect balance…Listening to the JBL 4349s is not a ‘wow, those speakers sound amazing’ experience. It's all about the ‘wow, that music sounds amazing’ experience, in which the speakers are transparent conduits for what's found in the recording.” What more can you ask for?

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Realistic soundstage
Wide sweet spot
Plays loud and deep
Minus
Power hungry
Expensive
Requires a stand

Full Review Here (posted 1/30/23)