Audio Video News

When it comes to home entertainment, the new decade is off to a great start, having produced a handful of AV gems — all recipients of Sound & Vision prestigious Top Pick honors — over the past eight or so weeks. From a home theater speaker system that will pull you into the middle of the action to a versatile streaming preamp that makes room for your turntable, there’s a little something for everyone.

BenQ Cineprime HT3550 4K DLP Projector: $1,499

If price has been holding you back from making your move into the world of video projection with its movie-theater-like screens, today might be your lucky day. BenQ’s HT355 DLP projector uses rapid pixel shifting to achieve a “4K” image with vivid color and excellent detail that you’d be hard pressed to distinguish from a true Ultra HD image — and it does so at a price that makes it a slam dunk for our Top Value designation. If your 65-inch screen seems small, you owe it to yourself to take the HT355 for a spin.

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Extended color
Good brightness
Great value
Minus
Contrast could be better
Difficult to access HDR adjustment

Full Review Here

 

Vizio PX75-G1 P-Series Quantum X LCD Ultra HDTV: $2,200 ($1,800 on costco.com)

The PX75-G1 fills its huge 75-inch screen with 4K images of exceptional quality and is ready to accommodate movies in four high dynamic range (HDR) formats: Dolby Vision, HDR10, HDR10+, and HLG (Hybrid Log-Gamma). Though not a fan of the Vizio’s remote control, veteran TV reviewer Tom Norton gushed over the set’s impeccable HDR performance while watching Oblivion: “Lightning strikes looked frighteningly real and a nighttime nuclear explosion seen from a distance revealed more detail than I've ever noticed in the dozens of times I've watched this movie on other sets.” Good news: As of this writing, the TV is available for $2,000 on vizio.com and $1,800 on costco.com  

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Handles all HDR formats, including HDR10+
Exceptional performance
Affordable price
Minus
Limited off-center viewing
Poor remote control
Slow and cluttered Smart TV menu

Full Review Here

NAD C 658 Network Audio Player/Preamplifier: $1,649

Performance
Features
Ergonomics
Value

The C 658 is a well-rounded streaming preamp that delivers topnotch sound from hi-res sources without leaving your analog gear behind. It facilitates streaming from Tidal and other high-quality services, including those that support MQA processing, and puts a wealth of connection options at your fingertips — from HDMI to phono. The C 658 is further equipped with the exceptional Dirac Live room correction system and gives you the choice of using a conventional remote or NAD’s app for control. All this and more for a fair price.

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Great sound quality
Onboard Dirac Live room correction
Well-designed control app
Minus
Overly busy remote control

Full Review Here