Audio Video News

Polk Signature S60 Speaker System: $1,600 (as reviewed)

Although co-founder Matt Polk has long since departed to retirement, the company bearing his name has stayed remarkably close to its roots and true to its creation story. Case in point is the new Signature Series. The S60 tower-based speaker system delivers precisely what we’ve come to expect from this venerable brand: high performance at a reasonable price—in this case, $1,600 for a six-piece home theater ensemble, praised by reviewer Daniel Kumin for its excellent timbral balance.

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Excellent range and tonal balance
Dramatic looks
Good blend from unusually low-profile center
Minus
Sub doesn’t add much to the towers alone

Full Review Here

 

Audioengine HD3 Powered Speaker: $399/pair

Stylish and only 7 inches tall, the HD3 makes for a perfect desktop speaker thanks to its PC-friendly USB input, hi-res-capable DAC, and robust amplifier. The speaker even supports Bluetooth streaming and has a convenient front-panel headphone jack for added flexibility. How’s it sound? “Midrange is addictively sweet,” observed veteran audio reviewer Mark Fleischmann. “It makes you want to listen to any music with a human voice.”

AT A GLANCE
Plus
For desktop or in-room listening
PC-friendly USB and line inputs
Class A/B analog amp
Minus
Limited (but adjustable) bass

Full Review Here

Epson Home Cinema 3700 LCD Projector: $1,500

An exceptional mix of features and performance make it easy to recommend Epson’s Home Cinema 3700 to anyone considering a mid-priced projector. As video maven Al Griffin put it, “The 3700 delivers a screamingly bright picture out of the box but the wide array of adjustments, including a contrast-enhancing Auto Iris mode, lets you tune the picture for a properly light-controlled home theater.” Add to that a 1.6x zoom, horizontal and vertical lens shift adjustment, and you have a worthy upgrade over cheaper budget-priced projectors.

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Very good picture quality for the price
Flexible installation options
Fully backlit remote
Minus
Inaccurate out-of-box color
Some motor noise from Auto Iris
High fan noise in certain picture modes

Full Review Here

 

Monoprice TripleXXX In-Ear Headphones: $49

Don’t let the low price throw you. The TripleXXX’s may not be the fanciest looking earbuds but they prove that you don’t have to pay big bucks to get really good sound. Reviewer Steve Guttenberg even went so far as to describe them as “plenty good enough for audiophiles looking for a set of budget-priced travel headphones.” Simply put, they don’t sound like a cheap set of headphones. Instead, “the bass-mid-treble balance is reasonably smooth, and the sound is clean as a whistle.”

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Great sound on the cheap!
Triple driver design
Nice and comfy
Minus
Ho-hum looks

Full Review Here

 

LG OLED65E7P OLED Ultra HDTV: $5,000

Think of LG’s 65-inch OLED65E7P 4K OLED TV as a lower cost, yet still excellent performing alternative to the the stunning, near-paper-thin W7 series OLED65W7P we recently reviewed. How excellent? For veteran TV reviewer Tom Norton, picture quality was “as close to [perfect] as I’ve experienced” with superb resolution and high dynamic range (HDR) performance that adds realism without distracting from a movie’s story line.

AT A GLANCE
Plus
It’s all about the black
Wide viewing angle
Supports both HDR10 and Dolby Vision
Minus
Pricey

Full Review Here