Audio Video News

In reviewing our Top Picks for the month of January, something became evident very quickly: Seven of the nine products we reviewed made our 2016 Top Picks of the Year list: A strapping AV receiver, two bad-ass subwoofers, a to-die-for 4K OLED TV, a set of angelic headphones, and two outstanding 4K players—one specializing in Ultra HD Blu-ray discs, the other in streaming. In case you’re wondering why reviews published in 2017 made our 2016 Top Picks list, it’s because the reviews appeared first in print issues that came out before the end of 2016.

While we’re on the subject of Top Picks, check out Top Picks of the Top Picks…and a Few Runners-Up, Editor-in-Chief Rob Sabin’s take on our product of the year picks over the past three years.  

Yamaha Aventage RX-A3060 AV Receiver: $2,200

Yamaha’s flagship RX-A3060 delivers stellar audio performance with enough channels to run all but the most elaborate Dolby Atmos and DTS:X configurations and provides a solid set of wireless features, including multiroom capability via the company’s MusicCast system. Reviewer Mark Fleischmann was thoroughly impressed with its DTS:X prowess: “A recurring nightclub scene [in Whiskey Tango Foxtrot] showed off the receiver’s extraordinary aptitude for envelopment. It simulated the space believably and aced the phat throb of bass waves bouncing off the walls of that conjured space.”

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Nine amp channels, 11.2 (7.2.4) pre-outs
Automated angle and height calibration
Minus
No Auro-3D

Full Review Here

 

SVS PB16-Ultra and SB16-Ultra Subwoofers: $2,499, $1,999

Looking for foundation-shaking bass? If you have the floor space to accommodate either of these monster subs, you’ll be the envy of the neighborhood on movie night. You’ll also be the proud owner of one of Sound & Vision’s 2016 Top Picks of the Year. “To say I enjoyed my experience with the SB16-Ultra and PB16-Ultra would be an understatement,” wrote reviewer David Vaughn. “I love bass, and these two siblings delivered it in spades. If I had to choose one of the two, I’d probably go with the SB16—actually, two of them—because its smaller form factor is relevant to my shared theater space and I found it still had plenty of punch on the low end.”

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Powerful, deep bass response
Infrared remote and Bluetooth app control
User adjustable EQ presets
Minus
Extremely heavy (175 and 122 pounds, respectively)
Large size can make optimal placement challenging

Full Review Here

 

LG OLED65E6P OLED Ultra HDTV: $4,000

LG’s OLED65E6P TV is state-of-the-art in every way, which helps explain why it made our 2016 Top Picks of the Year list. It supports all the latest technologies, including HDMI 2.0a, is equipped with LG’s excellent webOS 3.0 interface for easy access to the vast reservoir of Internet content, and uses its 8 million pixels to produce a stunning 4K picture, particularly when the source material is high dynamic range—HDR10 or Dolby Vision. “I’ve now seen Independence Day several times, and it has never looked better,” wrote reviewer Tom Norton, “not only because of the LG’s effective HDR but also because of its stunning resolution and convincing color.”

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Outstanding blacks and shadow detail
Nearly flawless off-center viewing
Attractive price (for OLED)
Minus
Still expensive

Full Review Here

 

Focal Elear Headphones: $999

The Focal Elear is a world-class design that holds its own against the very best headphones from Audeze, Beyerdynamic, Grado, HiFiMan, and Sennheiser. It’s also a top contender for “best in class” accolades and recipient of Sound & Vision’s prestigious 2016 Top Picks of the Year designation. The Elear is beautifully crafted, super comfortable, and sounds amazing. Headphone guru Steve Guttenberg described the sound as “hypertransparent”—like you’re listening to a direct feed from a live recording session. What more can you ask?

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Hand-crafted in France
Remarkable resolution
Super-easy to drive
Minus
13-foot-long cable is unwieldy

Full Review Here