Audio Video News

When it comes to products tested, the past couple of months have paid dividends in the form of nine Top Picks, ranging from a killer AV receiver that does everything but pop the popcorn to an 85-inch TV that approaches the grandeur of a projection setup at a price that will blow your mind. Subwoofers also figure prominently into the mix along with an audiophile-caliber desktop system and a rolling party-in-a-box sound machine built for special occasions, inside or out.

Onkyo TX-RZ70 AV Receiver: $2,800

Onkyo is one of a few brands that over the years has become synonymous with “receivers” — of both the stereo and AV varieties. Adorned with 11 channels of credible power and just about every feature you could possibly want or need — including THX Reference certification — the TX-RZ70 is a serious flagship AVR that easily lives up to Onkyo’s decades-long reputation for delivering top performing audio gear. It’s got all the bells and whistles you would expect to find in the centerpiece of a modern home theater setup, including proven Dirac Live room correction with optional bass control and three flavors of immersive surround-sound processing: Dolby Atmos, DTS:X, and Auro-3D. And fear not, Roon-aholics: Roon Ready status is on the way via a firmware update.

The RZ70 aced a wide array of music and movie listening tests with 5.1.4 and 9.1.4 speaker layouts while delivering reference-caliber playback — the kind that puts you in the moment whether you’re listing to Mahler at the Concertgebouw or reveling in the Atmos-infused antics of an action-packed film like Extraction. As reviewer Dan Kumin put it, “This cornucopia of gunshots, explosions, and whirling and occasionally crashing helicopters was an Atmos playground. The Onkyo never stumbled while delivering this sonic buffet even at very near reference levels” and did so without disturbing the clarity and definition of dialogue and soft music effects. If you fancy top performance at price that is less than tippity-top, the TX-RZ70 deserves to be on your upgrade list.

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Impressive amplifier power, dynamics, and quality
Simple, straightforward ergonomics
THX Select-certified
Full-bandwidth Dirac Live room processing
Minus
No global user-preset feature
Limited streaming options

Full Review Here (posted 8/23/23)

Samsung QN95C 65" Neo-QLED 4K TV: $3,300

OLED, once the king of picture quality, continues to lose its edge when pitted against TVs like Samsung’s wall-hugging QN95C, which bolsters its LCD panel with mini-LED backlighting, quantum dots, and advanced processing. Samsung calls this amalgamation Neo QLED and it delivers super bright 4K images with rich color and deep blacks that were simply unattainable with LCD not all that long ago. The model we reviewed had a 65-inch screen but Samsung offers the TV in 75- and 85-inch sizes if you crave a bigger presentation and are willing to pay more.

Designed with serious gaming in mind, the set boasts HDMI 2.1 inputs and variable refresh rates up to 144 Hz in addition to supporting HDR10, HDR10+, and HLG high dynamic range (sorry, no Dolby Vision). This TV has just about everything you’ll need for a grand home theater experience, including Movie and Filmmaker picture modes that get you ridiculously close to professionally-calibrated results right out of the box.

“Movies look hyperreal,” observed reviewer Mark Henninger. “Yes, I have an OLED in the same room to compare and the QN95C looks intense, often exhibiting more apparent contrast than the OLED…This is a TV that can make movies and shows look great whether viewed with all the lights out or in a sunny room.” Apart from putting up a great picture, the TV has a cool bonus feature: it can be used in a horizontal orientation to display 4K art that is colorful and intricately detailed. It’s hard to beat all that.

AT A GLANCE
Plus
One of the brightest TVs you can buy
Deep gaming functionality
Relatively wide viewing angles
Mounts flat on a wall
Excellent cable management
Minus
Pricey for a 65" TV
No Dolby Vision

Full Review Here (posted 9/2/23)

Rythmik FV15HP2 15" Ported Subwoofer: $2,189

If you’re a stickler for deep, gut-massaging bass, you need to add Rythmik Audio’s FV15HP2 subwoofer to your audition list. The sub is different than most in that it uses patented Direct Servo technology to create a feedback loop that continuously monitors and adjusts the subwoofer’s output in an effort to reproduce low frequencies as accurately as possible. The system not only works but kills it, enabling the sub’s 15-inch aluminum woofer/900-watt (RMS) amp combo to play loud and clean without breaking a sweat.

Running through a battery of his treasured torture tests, including “Bass I Love You” by Bassotronics, David Vaughn was blown away by what he heard — and felt. “The notes dig as low as 7 Hz, a frequency you can't hear unless you're a pigeon, but you can certainly feel it. In fact, at –10 dB from reference, I think I dislodged a filling from the vibrations. I’ve heard this track countless times the past 10-plus years and this is the first time I’ve felt this type of visceral reaction.” The FV15HP2 is equipped with a full complement of connections and controls, including a parametric EQ, so it can be integrated into any system. Downsides? Rythmik doesn’t include an app, which would greatly simplify control, and the sub is a 130-pound beast that requires a bit of effort to move around. But once it’s in place, prepare to experience bass like never before.

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Foundation-shaking bass
Outstanding build quality
Servo-control is the real-deal
Minus
Very Heavy
Large footprint can make room placement challenging

Full Review Here (posted 8/3/23)

Sony XV800 Portable Party Speaker: $650

Okay, summer is over but the fall is still a great time to bring the party outside, especially if you have a fire pit as we head into the cooler Halloween season. Sony is certainly not the only game in party town but it makes quite a statement with the SRS-XV800, a formidable portable speaker that can play loud while delivering “surprisingly balanced and detailed sound with a healthy dose of bass” to quote reviewer Mark Henninger. The speaker can be used to start the party indoors or out on the patio where its Mega Bass mode really comes into its own, putting the system’s two large woofers to good use.

Pressing the speaker into action at late summer pool party, Henninger noted: “The positive qualities of this highly capable speaker were immediately apparent to everyone present. Tweeters on the top side that operate when the speaker is in the vertical orientation allow it to have good tonality wherever you stand, sit, or swim. You're not penalized for being behind the speaker.” To enhance the party atmosphere and take things to the next level, the SV800 doubles as a self-contained entertainment center, setting the stage for karaoke fun while providing a dynamic lightshow. You can even use the speaker as a guitar amplifier. Now that’s versatile.

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Works upright and on its side
Omnidirectional sound
Battery lasts 25 hours with device charging
Light show and karaoke add to the fun
Minus
Poorly designed wheels and handle

Full Review Here (posted 8/16/23)

TCL 85" QM8 Mini LED QLED 4K TV: $2,800

China’s TCL continues to offer some of the best TV values on the market today. Case in point: The 85QM8 with its gargantuan 85-inch screen is currently selling for $2,200 through Best Buy and Amazon — that’s $600 off the original list price of $2,800. It seems that entering the market with super competitive pricing and then discounting it in short order is par for the course. The beauty of a screen this size is that it approaches the grandeur of a projection TV experience without the caveats — namely reduced brightness.

The vast field of mini-LEDs used to backlight the 85QM8’s LCD panel in conjunction with quantum dots make possible a superb picture with spot-on color, rich blacks, and high brightness, especially when accentuated with high dynamic range (HDR) in the form of HDR10, HLG, HDR10+, or even Dolby Vision (something you won’t find on most projectors). TCL extends its utility with a full complement of game-enhancing features, including a 144 Hz refresh rate.

Tom Norton praised the overall picture quality, singling out segments from A Knight’s Tale, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part II, and other movies for their crisp and detailed presentation, even with difficult, low-light scenes. Though he had a few quibbles with ergonomics and thought off-center viewing was too limited, Norton ultimately gave the TCL 85QM8 a thumbs up for delivering excellent performance at a reasonable price.

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Huge screen
Great black levels
Nice price
Minus
Limited off-center viewing
Cluttered remote

Full Review Here (posted 9/5/23)

ELAC DS1200 12" Dual-Opposed Subwoofer: $2,999

Since returning to the U.S. market in 2015, Germany’s Elac (short for Electroacoustic) has introduced a steady stream of impressive speakers but those who have followed the brand may not be aware that it also makes a line of equally impressive subwoofers. The DS1200 exemplifies this with authoritative output, tank-like construction, and unique (some will say weird) 12-inch woofers — on the sides. Weird because the drivers’ patent-pending HEX surrounds are dimpled and much thicker than usual — a feature designed to reduce distortion and improve the audio reproduction.

The sub packs a 1,200-watt BASH amplifier and has an intuitive, app-controlled AutoEQ system that compensates for room acoustics; it also puts every imaginable bass control, including a parametric EQ, at your fingertips. Reviewer Jim Wilson pushed the DS1200 hard as he ran through a battery of tests and was rewarded with clarity, definition, and exceptional dynamics as the sub worked its way through the aural mayhem that defines the soundtracks of Underworld: Awakening and Black Hawk Down, never once faltering. The same sonic virtues applied to the selection of “aggressive music” Wilson used for the demo. All in all, the DS1200 performed extremely well for its size, which would be considered reasonably compact in the world of subwoofers.

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Rock solid build quality
Full featured, intuitive app
Compact and decor friendly
Minus
Amp gets warm when pushed
Warranty is only 1 year
On the expensive side

Full Review Here (posted 9/13/23)

Samsung 57" Odyssey Neo G9 Gaming Monitor: $2,500

There’s no hiding the fact that Samsung’s G9 monitor is built with one task in mind: gaming. Serious gaming. If that’s your jam, you really need to take the G9 for a spin — just make sure your PC is up to the job. If it is, you will be richly rewarded with killer graphics, superb color and brightness, a 240-Hz peak refresh rate, and a “you are there” sense of immersion that approaches the best of what virtual reality (VR) has to offer, only without the googles.

You’ll be playing Grand Theft Auto on what amounts to the equivalent of placing two 16:9 4K displays side by side. More to the point, the G9 is a super-charged LCD monitor that brings together quantum dots and mini-LED technology in a way that defines state-of-the-art. Heck, this display boasts a backlight with 2,392 local dimming zones. Add to that a 32:9 aspect ratio and an aggressive 1000R curvature, and you’re well on your way to ultimate gaming.

Reviewer and long-time gamer Mark Henninger described his experience with the G9 this way: “Monitors like this don't just display a game; they pull you into it with a combination of detail, contrast, and motion rendering. When your peripheral vision is filled with the sky of Microsoft Flight Simulator or the winding roads of Forza Horizon 5, the boundary between you and the game starts to blur. The screen curvature, coupled with the expansive real estate, creates a level of immersion that's hard to achieve with a typical 16:9 monitor.” The Samsung Odyssey Neo G9 is not for everyone, and that’s what makes it special.

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Cutting-edge graphics
Extreme immersion
Futuristic design
Accurate colors
Handles HDR well
Minus
Expensive
Needs a powerful PC for gaming
No remote

Full Review Here (posted 9/18/23)

Monolith MTM-100 Powered Desktop Speaker 2.1 System: $850

Monoprice, the California-based company once known mostly for selling good quality AV cables and accessories at bargain-basement prices, continues its foray into home audio. This time with a formidable desktop system that mates a pair of 14-inch-tall speakers with a compact THX-certified subwoofer featuring an 8-inch woofer, dedicated 150-watt amplifier, and full set of controls. Each speaker sports an impressive design comprising a 1.25-inch silk-dome tweeter, two 4-inch woofers (above and below), and two side-mounted 5.25-inch passive radiators. At $850, the MTM-100 system is not cheap but it does deliver audiophile-caliber sound for a reasonable price, hence the Top Value designation.

In his listening tests, reviewer Howard Kneller praised the system for its clean delivery and extraordinary sound staging. "The system brought naturally rich, full sound with plenty of deep, tuneful bass to my desktop. On “Find the Pocket,” from the well-recorded Stereophile CD, Molto Molto: Works for Jazz Orchestra by Sasha Matson, haunting low register notes were respectably complex with good decay and high-frequency notes were clean and not fatiguing. Mostly though, I was gobsmacked at how full and rich the midrange was.” Though Monoprice pegs the MTM-100 for desktop use, there’s little doubt that it would also make one helluva bookshelf speaker system.

AT A GLANCE
Plus
High value
Subwoofer output allows expandability
EQ permits tailored sound
Sub carries THX Certified Compact designation
Minus
Lacks HDMI ARC for wired TV sound
Large cabinets may overwhelm small spaces

Full Review Here (posted 9/27/23)

Sonos Era 100 Wireless Speaker: $249

The Era 100 is a follow-up to the much-heralded Sonos One speaker and little brother to the excellent Era 300 Atmos-compliant “spatial audio” speaker. The Era 100 supports streaming via Bluetooth and Wi-Fi/AirPlay 2 with voice control through Alexa or the new Sonos Voice assistant. Of course, it’s also built to work within the long-admired Sonos multiroom ecosystem, which is known for its excellent app. The speaker also uses Sonos’s proprietary Trueplay tuning to compensate for room acoustics no matter when you place it.

The Era 100 sounds good and can play surprisingly loud without breaking a sweat. It can certainly be used on its own for casual listening but delivers more expansive sound in a stereo setup with two speakers, which recording-engineer-turned-audio-reviewer Leslie Shapiro says is capable of putting up an accurate stereo image. And while the speaker produces decent bass on its own, adding a Sonos Sub Mini goes a long way to creating more robust sound. Still, if you’re looking for a decent sounding speaker that can be used almost anywhere, on its own or as part of a whole-house system, the little Era 100 is worth a listen.

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Surprising upper bass accuracy
Bluetooth or Wi-Fi
Privacy controls
Minus
Minimal stereo Imaging
Compressed sound

Full Review Here (posted 8/10/23)

To browse all Sound & Vision-recommended AV gear, broken out by category, visit our Top Picks page.

Also see 2022 Top Picks of the Year.