Audio Video News

Subwoofers

Bluesound Pulse Sub+ Subwoofer: $749

With its new Pulse Sub+, Bluesound offers a bigger and better take on the Pulse Sub we reviewed in 2017. For starters, it doesn’t look like a subwoofer — a trait sure to please décor-conscious system builders. Its trapezoid-shaped cabinet is slim enough to slide under a sofa or end table or you can stand it on end (as shown below) using a second set of rubber feet that attach magnetically to provide vibration relief. If you want to get really fancy, you can even mount the Pulse Sub+ on the wall using the supplied bracket. The sub is available in black or white and wireless when used with Bluesound products such as the Pulse Soundbar or Powernode 2i streaming amplifier; otherwise, it has a line-level input for integration with any system. Like many new subwoofers, there’s no remote — setup and control are handled via the BluOS Controller app, which makes it easy to adjust volume, phase, delay, crossover frequency, and more.

Regardless of where you put the Sub+, this very unsubwoofer-like bass module will rock your world with a 150-watt smart amp/digital processor and 8-inch driver combo rated to rumble down to 22 Hz (±2 dB). Testing its might with the spectacular Amazon Olympics opening scene from Wonder Woman 1984, reviewer Al Griffin reveled in the sound of driving drums and thundering horse hooves and the pounding bass in Hans Zimmer’s score. Turning to music, he was equally impressed with how the Sub+ “deftly handled the relentless deep bass, 1980s synth patches, and exaggerated kick drum” in "Welcome to the Pleasuredome," the 1984 track by England’s Frankie Goes to Hollywood. “Its 150-watt amplifier and 8-inch driver provided substantial amounts of bass, and its DSP kept the sound precise and controlled.”

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Impressive kick from a slim, elegant cabinet
Refined sound
Extensive control via smartphone app
Minus
No remote control
No auto-calibration/room EQ feature

Full Review Here (posted 2/10/21)

KEF KC62 Subwoofer: $1,499

In a grand departure from the typical black-cube subwoofer, England’s KEF and companies like Bluesound (whose Pulse Sub+ is also featured in this post) have made a conscious effort to bring style to a speaker category that routinely gets shortchanged in the looks department. And, in the case of KEF’s KC62, the beauty is anything but skin deep, extending to the heart of its extruded-aluminum cabinet where you find a "force-cancelling" (back-to-back) double-woofer that joins two outward-facing drivers in a common magnet structure. KEF calls the clever design Uni-Core and its goal is to coax deep bass from a (roughly) 11-inch cube with the help of “smart” digital processing, current sensing feedback that limits output on the fly to prevent audible distortion, and a Class D amplifier that delivers 500 watts to each driver. Guess what? It works.

Listening tests confirmed the KC62’s ability to deliver solid bass that was smooth and clean down to 25 Hz at levels that were loud, though not earthshaking, making it ideally suited for smaller spaces or moderate listening levels. When hitched with a pair of small monitors, the KEF had no difficulty in "keeping up," wrote audio guru/reviewer Dan Kumin. “Deep bass stayed solid, dynamic, and undistorted, and the next octave displayed zero boom, thud, or unseemly whooshing.” When called to support a larger tower-based speaker system, the sub revealed rich orchestral bass with no hint of buzz or woofiness while playing Prokofiev’s “Dance of the Knights” from Romeo & Juliet at moderately loud levels, leaving Kumin impressed that a “breadbox-size subwoofer can produce actual 25 Hz-and-lower content at musically useful levels. The KC62 will match the performance of a well-engineered 12-inch sub in every important parameter except peak dynamics and level.”

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Incredible extension from incredibly small design
Highly flexible controls and features
Wireless option
Elegant finish
Minus
Limited peak output
Pricey

Full Review Here (posted 2/24/21)

Audio Electronics

Yamaha RX-V6A 7.2-channel A/V Receiver: $600

In a feat of techno-magic, Yamaha’s RX-V6A manages to deliver a series of cutting-edge features in receiver that costs only $600, allowing even budget-minded enthusiasts to partake in the spoils of the latest audio technology. Out of the box, the V6A conveys impressive sound quality with movies and music and supports streaming through Yamaha’s MusicCast platform and Apple AirPlay2, 4K at 60 fps (frames per second), 4:4:4 chroma subsampling at 18Gbps, and Dolby Vision high dynamic range (HDR). The receiver is also equipped with Yamaha’s YPAO automated setup program and ready to receive future firmware updates that will bring HDMI 2.1 compatibility to three of its seven HDMI inputs, support for HDR10+, and Dolby Atmos Height Virtualization, which enables ordinary speakers to create the sensation of height.

With seven 100-watt channels of onboard amplification, you can power a traditional 7.1 surround system or a 5.1.2 Dolby Atmos setup with height channels. Of course, to reach this level of technical sophistication in a $600 receiver, there is a tradeoff: Except for the de rigueur analog phono inputs, all connections are digital — so if you want to hook up a retro gaming console you’ll be out of luck unless you have an analog-to-HDMI converter. Bottom line: The V6A is a prime example of a thoughtful, forward looking AVR that delivers much of the latest audio and video technology at a reasonable price. As reviewer Michael Trei put it, “Yamaha’s latest mid-price receiver adds up to an excellent foundation on which to build a great multichannel system.”

AT A GLANCE
Plus
HDMI 2.1-ready (via firmware update)
Versatile speaker switching
Built-in phono preamp
Minus
Small front panel and onscreen displays
Lacks analog video connections

Full Review Here (posted 12/30/20)