LATEST ADDITIONS

PRICE $4,500 (plus installation)

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Enclosure designed for walls with standard 2 x 4 construction
13.5-inch low-profile driver
1,000-watt external amp with Automatic Room Optimization
Minus
Retrofit install can be difficult
Expensive

THE VERDICT
This subwoofer system does the seemingly impossible in an impossibly seeming way by hiding an amazingly shallow, high-excursion 13.5-inch woofer, along with the 70-inch-tall cabinet it requires, inside a wall having standard 2 x 4 construction, with only a driver-hiding grille screen as evidence—and it does this surprising feat without causing excessive wall vibrations. Even better, it does all that while performing like a top-end in-room sub.

If I needed additional proof of how much Rob Sabin, our esteemed editor-in-chief (and part-time male stripper for the visually impaired) dislikes me, this would be it. He asks me the other day if I’d want to review another JL Audio subwoofer, one similar to the company’s ginormous Fathom f212, which I reviewed in 2012. I have fond memories of, bruises from, and a partial hernia caused by that 220-pound behemoth.

As we kick back to celebrate and reflect on the birth of our great nation, we’ve pulled together a quick-reference guide to our Top Picks for the month of June. It was a generous period, netting nine outstanding products, ranging from a bullet-proof outdoor speaker to $50 earbuds that sound shockingly good to a lower cost alternative to LG’s flagship W7 series 4K OLED TVs. There’s plenty to ponder here for your summer short list.

Marvel explores its mystical side is in this mind-bending, psychedelic entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe directed by Scott Derrickson. Benedict Cumberbatch plays brilliant but egotistical neurosurgeon Dr. Stephen Strange, who loses the use of his hands, and subsequently his career, when he crashes his supercar. Strange travels to Kathmandu seeking a supernatural cure for his injuries. There, an immortal sorceress, the Ancient One (Tilda Swinton), accepts him as her pupil, trains him in the mystic arts, and turns him into a powerful sorcerer.

Control4’s Custom Airstream is rolling across the country to promote “Smart Design, Smart Living.” It features wholehouse A/V, smart lighting, intelligent safety and security, and voice control...(See the video tour here.)

LG, Samsung, and Sony are Netflix-recommended TV makers. Among other talents, their products can power up and start Netflixing within seconds, rapidly switch between Netflix and live TV, and display the Netflix interface in HD...