Audio Video News

JVC DLA-X790R D-ILA Projector: $6,000

Fans of high-performance video projection who write off DLA-X790R because it’s not a “true” 4K projector are making a huge mistake. JVC’s fifth generation e-shift5 “pixel shifting” technology is so good that this projector more than holds its own against Sony’s native 4K VPL-VW285ES — another December Top Pick. Video maven Tom Norton called the X790R the “best sub-$8,000 projector I’ve yet tested.” Click here to see how the it fared in a face-off with the VW285ES.

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Standard-setting blacks
Impressive HDR
Solid color and resolution
Minus
Complex setup menus
Some black crush

Full Review Here

 

Kanto YU6 Powered Speakers: $480/pr

Looking for a simplified yet versatile audio setup that skips the audio rack and its tangle of cables? Give a pair of YU6 speakers from Canada’s Kanto a listen. You won’t be disappointed. Along with the convenience of built-in power and Bluetooth wireless streaming, the system provides an optical input and an RCA input you can switch to phono: Plug in your turntable — or any source component — and you’re good to go. Reviewer Mark Fleischmann called the YU6 a “fabulous two-channel starter system” that excels with digital sources. “Feed these little guys the good stuff, and your interest in music will grow and grow.”

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Phono, line, optical, Bluetooth inputs
Subwoofer output
Wide choice of colors
Minus
USB not PC-friendly

Full Review Here

Epson Home Cinema 4000 4K-Enhanced 3LCD Projector: $2,200

The Home Cinema 4000 offers an impressive combination of high-dynamic range (HDR) and near 4K resolution at a price that seemed impossible a year ago. “I could have been fooled more than once into thinking I was watching a far more expensive projector, even in a blind test,” wrote reviewer Tom Norton. Much of the credit goes to the company’s excellent pixel-splitting technology. “With its 4K Enhancement feature turned on, and its many detail-affecting controls carefully set, the picture was rewardingly sharp… It may offer enhanced rather than full 4K, but my time with the 4000 was never less than a pleasure.”

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Good resolution in HD and UHD
Impressive HDR
Low price
Minus
Contrast and black level could be better
Manual HDR/SDR switching

Full Review Here

Sonos One Wireless Smart Speaker: $199

Sonos may be late to the smart speaker party but the Alexa-equipped Sonos One — a makeover of the popular Play:1 — was worth the wait, especially if Sonos already figures into your audio landscape. Its voice control chops are formidable and it may well be the best sounding smart speaker available. As reviewer Rob Sabin put it, “By offering up the Sonos One at the same $200 entry price as the Play:1, and allowing Alexa voice control to be added to any pre-existing system, they've given hesitant buyers with a critical ear a real incentive to explore this brave new world of home automation.”

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Typical Sonos build and sound quality
Alexa voice control
Minus
No Bluetooth
No hi-res audio

Full Review Here