Audio Video News

SVS SB-1000 Pro and PB-1000 Pro Subwoofers: $500, $600

It’s really no surprise that the latest subwoofers from the bass specialists at SVS deliver impressive performance at budget-friendly prices. What many will find surprising is that the new, super-compact SB-1000 sealed sub and its ported big brother, the PB-1000 Pro, come equipped with the company’s best-in-class app, which makes it super easy to set up and fine-tune the performance of either sub, each of which mates a 12-inch woofer with a 325-watt RMS Class D amplifier. Instead of having to get down on your knees and crawl around to the back of the subwoofer, you can simply grab your phone (and a sound meter) and use the app to adjust a surprising range of parameters from your easy chair. In addition to controlling volume and setting crossover points or correcting polarity, the app lets you adjust phase, select room gain compensation (to tame bloated bass in smaller rooms) and puts a highly flexible parametric equalizer with frequency and bandwidth (Q) controls at your fingertips. The app also provides three presets and a port tuning mode with customized "Standard" and "Sealed" frequency response curves for maximizing low-frequency extension or output.

Switching out his regular SVS SB-3000 subwoofer (our 2019 Top Pick of the Year in subwoofers) for the new models in a 1,200 cubic-foot room, S&V’s resident bass guru David Vaughn was impressed by what he heard and felt while watching The Haunting, which features a reference-quality Dolby TrueHD 5.1 soundtrack known for its deep bass and prodigious thumps and rumbles. In the scene where protagonist Nell flees for her life while being attacked by the evil spirit, the SB-1000 held its own but the “PB-1000's ability to go a bit deeper and play louder definitely enhanced the experience with bass that displayed more prominence and heft.” Conversely, while both subs also performed well with music, the SB-1000 Pro had the edge, rendering bass in the tight, punchy manner you expect from a sealed design. If you’re looking to get good bass on a budget, you really can’t go wrong with either of these subwoofers.

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Deep bass from a small box
Best-in-class control app
45-day in-home trial period
Minus
No auto-calibration/room correction
Best suited for smaller rooms

Full Review Here

LG HU810PW 4K Laser DLP Projector: $2,999

LG’s HU810PW breaks ground as the first ceiling-mount projector to offer the sort of smart features we’ve come to expect from today’s TVs. The laser-lit DLP projector uses pixel shifting technology to deliver 4K resolution and provides ready access to Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, Peacock, YouTube, Showtime, Starz, and other streaming apps via a wired or Wi-Fi connection, courtesy of the same webOS 5.0 interface found in LG's flat-panel TVs. The projector also comes with LG’s Magic Remote, which lets you control the projector using voice commands or by pointing at (and clicking on) a cursor on the screen. Smart TV tricks aside, the projector is equipped with an eARC-enabled HDMI 2.1 port for routing audio (including Dolby Atmos) from the projector to an outboard receiver or processor and is spec'd for 97 percent DCI-P3 color space coverage in addition to supporting the HDR10 and Hybrid Log Gamma high-dynamic-range (HDR) formats. It also features a Dynamic Tone Mapping mode that adjusts HDR images on a frame-by-frame basis and offers a series of white-balance adjustments you don’t usually find on a projector.

No question, this is probably the most feature-laden ceiling mount projector in existence but it’s also a strong performer in the all-important picture quality department. Reviewer Al Griffin was particularly impressed with the detail and contrast conveyed in the opening scenes of the sci-fi classic 2001: A Space Odyssey on Ultra HD Blu-ray, the rich color in the Amazon Prime series ZeroZeroZero, and the projector’s HDR prowess in the mostly monochrome 2018 Chinese film Shadow: There was a “wide range of creamy gray tones in scenes that take place in the king of Pei's court, and I didn't note any color tinting that wasn't originally part of the movie's post-production special effects. Blacks in Shadow looked consistently solid, and image highlights also had a satisfying level of punch.” In the final analysis, LG’s HU810PW offers impressive all-around performance and a bevy of unique features at a reasonable price.

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Ample brightness and good contrast
Flexible zoom and lens shift range
Built-in streaming apps
Minus
Requires calibration for best performance
Smart features may be overkill for some

Full Review Here