Best Gear of October 2019 Page 3
Polk Audio Legend L800 Tower Speaker, $5,998/pair
Polk’s engineering team did something special when they designed the new Legend L800 flagship speaker: They revived and refined the Stereo Dimensional Array (SDA) technology Matthew Polk developed nearly four decades ago with impressive results. Listening to a wide variety of music, Al Griffin reveled in the “appealingly neutral” full-range sound and expansive sound stage created by the new SDA-Pro implementation of the original SDA technology. With these formidable speakers, Polk has made a statement that audiophiles will appreciate. We think Matthew would approve.
AT A GLANCE
Plus
Enveloping soundstage from SDA-Pro tech
Dynamic, full-range sound
Flush-mounted elevation module option
Minus
Somewhat bulky cabinet design
Requires SDA-Pro interconnect cable
Sonos Move Portable Wireless Speaker, $399
It’s taken a decade and a half, but wireless speaker pioneer Sonos has finally ventured outside of the home with Move, its first battery-powered portable speaker. It does not disappoint. Apart from being waterproof, dustproof, and built to withstand a 6-foot drop, the stylish speaker is equipped with Sonos’ proprietary Trueplay calibration technology and supports voice control via Alexa and Google Assistant and streaming via Airplay 2, Bluetooth, and Wi-Fi, making it ideal for use out on the patio or deck. More to the point, Move is one of the best sounding portable speakers you will find.
AT A GLANCE
Plus
Fabulous sound quality
Replaceable battery
Supports Alexa and Google Assistant
Convenient charging base
Minus
Mono playback
Audio input limited to wireless
No phone capability
To browse all Sound & Vision-recommended AV gear, broken out by category, visit our Top Picks page.
- Log in or register to post comments