Audio Video News

Q Acoustics 3000i Series Speaker System: $1,499

The 3000i “Cinema Pack” from Great Britain’s Q Acoustics was made to order for our Top Value Pick designation. The tower-based setup sounds as good as it looks, which is to say very good, indeed — so good, that it made our 2018 Top Value Picks of the Year list (it was reviewed in late 2018 for the February/March 2019 print issue). Veteran reviewer Dan Kumin dubbed the system a unique value and praised it for delivering the goods with music and movies. As he put it, “I was rewarded with big, impactful sound (with or without the 3060S sub), a satisfyingly deep presentation, and unfailingly crisp and intelligible dialogue.”

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Rich, full-range sound
Fine imaging
Great-looking and nicely finished
Minus
Center-channel not a perfect timbral match with towers
Subwoofer output and extension does not fully complement towers

Full Review Here

 

KEF R5 Surround Speaker System: $10,200 (as reviewed)

KEF continues its longstanding tradition of sonic excellence with the newly revamped R Series, featuring the 12th generation of its famous Uni-Q coincident driver — a design the company has been refining for more than two decades. Veteran reviewer Tom Norton praised the system — reviewed in a full-on 5.4.2 configuration with four Dolby Atmos-enabled height modules and two subwoofers — for its all-around outstanding performance: sweet with music and potent, but not too aggressive, with movies. Looking for a less expensive setup? The system can be scaled to more affordable levels by using Q Series models for surround and height-channel duties.

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Sweet, clean highs
Superb dialogue clarity
Detailed but not aggressive sound
Minus
Slightly limited treble diffusion
R3s make for pricey surrounds

Full Review Here

 

Klipsch R-41M Speaker System: $996 (as reviewed)

If you think it’s impossible to build a kick-ass home theater while spending less than a grand on speakers, think again. The Klipsch R-41M six-piece speaker system is a shining example of why we created the Top Value Pick designation in the first place. With movies, the 5.1-channel setup is fully capable of creating an atmospheric soundscape without sacrificing clarity in dialogue. And with music, it delivers the sort of lively, dynamic sound you’d expect to hear from systems costing much more. Enthusiastically recommended.

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Dynamic and lively sound
Good stereo and surround sound imaging
Minus
Requires careful setup for best performance
Basic black finish only

Full Review Here

Dali Callisto 6 C Wireless Loudspeakers: $5,747 (as reviewed)

Wireless speakers are all the rage but most of them are small things intended for casual listening in and around the house. You wouldn’t dream of using one to anchor a serious hi-fi system, which is where the Callisto 6 C from Denmark’s DALI (Danish Audiophile Loudspeaker Industries) comes into play. The 6C is a formidable floorstanding speaker that also happens to be powered and wireless. The system includes a preamp/wireless controller or it can be used with the excellent, hi-res/multiroom-capable BluOS NPM-1 module if you want to take things to the next level. Reviewer Al Griffin found the 6 C’s sound to be instantly appealing or, as he put it, a “compelling choice for cord-cutting audiophiles.”

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Rich, dynamic sound
Easy setup and reliable wireless performance
Uses BluOS app for streaming
Minus
Utilitarian looks
Kinda pricey

Full Review Here

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