Technics EAH-AZ60 Noise-Canceling True Wireless Earbuds

My first stereo system was a full-on Technics rig, right down to the turntable and cassette deck, so I've always harbored a fondness for the brand. And while the recent comeback of Technics to the hi-fi scene has had a decidedly high-end spin—its SU-R1000 Digital Integrated Amplifier costs $9,499—they've also branched out into accessible gear like wireless all-in-one speakers and headphones.

BENQ V7050i 4K DLP Laser TV Projector - In Living Color

Is there a projector maker that hasn’t yet come out with an ultra short throw (UST) model aimed at viewers who want a theater-size image in their living room, but without the usual ceiling-mount and dark room baggage that accompanies it? If you asked me that question one year ago, I would have replied “BenQ.” But now, with its V7050i 4K DLP Laser TV, BenQ has joined the UST projector fold, adding its name to the ranks of Sony, Epson, Optoma, Vava, Hisense, LG, Samsung, and others.

Canton Chrono 70 Loudspeaker - It's Chrono Time

Canton may be a speaker brand that’s relatively unknown in North America—no doubt due to the company’s products not being available in these parts for the past decade—but the German outfit has been doing business for almost 50 years. Headquartered about 25 miles north of Frankfurt, Canton is one of Germany’s largest loudspeaker manufacturers, offering a truly breathtaking spread of models across several product ranges.

2021 Top Picks of The Year

Looking back on 2021, I can honestly state that it represented an improvement over 2020, though it didn’t end up being the full-scale return-to-normal everybody was looking for. A/V consumer and trade shows such as CEDIA Expo in Indianapolis were gutted. Supply chain logjams delayed the arrival of new gear, particularly in core categories like speakers and A/V receivers, both of which ended up underrepresented in our 2021 Top Picks of the Year list compared with previous years. But even with all the challenges, the wheels of industry continued to grind, with much fantastic gear coming in for us to test and recommend.

MEDIA ROOM INSIDER: APARTMENT THEATER

This Tel Aviv penthouse apartment fits a no-compromise 7.4.4 Dolby Atmos system into a cozy 10 x 18-foot space

MONOLITH BY MONOPRICE ENCORE T6 SPEAKER SYSTEM - Monolithic Value

THE STORY of how Monoprice parlayed its success as a humble purveyor of computer peripherals into its current status as a direct-toconsumer A/V gear powerhouse will have to wait for another day, mostly because I don’t know it. But I do know this much: the torrent of ultra-high-value speakers and electronics, desktop audio, and even pro audio designs that have bubbled up from the Monoprice spring over the past few years is all but unprecedented in my decades in the audio/video world.

Blue Heaven

Bluesound Node Streaming Dac

Beethoven, Regolith, and You

WIDE ANGLE SIGNALS

Qobuz Redux

Three years ago, French upstarts Qobuz made quite a splash upon entering the U.S. streaming market. What has happened with the high-res service in the interim?

Troubleshoot Your Network Like a Boss

Given the proliferation of internet-connected devices in the home, the most common system problems can often be boiled down to network issues. Whether it is slow Wi-Fi, choppy streaming quality, or a total inability to connect, if something is amiss with your home’s network, there will be a cascade of glitches.

Qobuz Redux

Three years ago, French upstarts Qobuz made quite a splash upon entering the U.S. streaming market. What has happened with the high-res service in the interim?

Beethoven, Regolith, and You

The year is 1969. I am sitting in front of my family's TV watching live black-and-white video from the moon. High-definition TV is still science fiction, but in the blurry picture I can see Neil Armstrong descend the ladder and step onto the lunar surface.

Just Add Music

Q ACOUSTICS Q ACTIVE 200 LOUDSPEAKER

A Classic Reimagined

KLH model five loudspeaker

LCD Reloaded

IN 2020, Sound & Vision tested Samsung’s 65-inch Q90T series TV, an LCD model that lacked some of the features and refinements found in the company’s flagship sets from the previous year.

THX Onyx DAC/ Headphone Amplifier

THX Does High-Res Audio

Synchrony Redux

PSB SPEAKERS was founded by Paul Barton in 1972. While the brand has long been part of the Canada-based Lenbrook Group, which also includes NAD and Bluesound, Barton began as and remains PSB’s chief designer, cook, bottle washer, and one of the most respected speaker authorities in the industry. His work, including the new Synchrony T600 under review here, has long made use of the Canadian National Research Council’s (NRC) audio testing facilities, including its anechoic chamber.

Over the Moon

SIMAUDIO, an audio manufacturer located in Boucherville, Quebec, is well-known for both the build quality of its products and the whopping ten-year warranty it offers. Many of the company’s wares are decidedly high-end—the 230-pound Moon 888 monoblock amplifier ($118,888 per pair), which is rated to output a massive 888 watts at 8 ohms and double that down to 1,776 watts at 4 ohms, for example.

THE MAKING OF ALL THINGS MUST PASS

A day-by-day account of the recording of George Harrison’s epic first solo album as it sees a 50th anniversary remix and deluxe edition release.

See No Evil, Hear No Evil

STEWART HARMONY G2 ACOUSTICALLY TRANSPARENT SCREEN

What is My Stereo's Gender?

Readers will recall, distressingly, that I have tried their patience on just about every topic that marginally relates to audio. LP grooves, CD bumps, flat response, boomy bass, warm recordings, cold binary bits—I have waxed philosophically on all of them. Which bring us to today’s audio topic: gender.

The Big Short

EPV SCREENS DARKSTAR UST 2 EFINITY PROJECTION SCREEN

Qwest for Fire

Qwest TV steps outside the streaming mainstream to offer up a wider swath of multicultural live concert and documentary selections.

Faceoff - 10 Wire-Free Bud Options That Block Noise So You Can Hear Music

Noise-canceling true wireless earbuds

Masterclass Acts

The Rock ’n’ Roll Fantasy Camp changed its tune during the pandemic from offering in-person seminars with stars to streaming Masterclass sessions. In many ways, the shift broadened the scope of what the Camp has to offer.

Sonos Roam Portable Wireless Speaker

Roam on the Range

Evolution of the App

The introduction of the iPhone in 2007—or, more specifically, Apple opening its App Store to third-party developers in 2008—turned out to be one of the most consequential developments ever to hit the home automation market.

Got Livestream If You Want It

A year into the pandemic, the improved quality of livestream concerts is helping to bridge the gap between artists and their socially distanced fans.

Mini-LED Made Affordable

IN LATE 2019, TCL flew me to the company’s U.S. offices in California to spend an afternoon with its new flagship, the 75Q825 8-Series Roku LCD Ultra HDTV, a 75-inch 4K model.

The End of Analog

Q Over the years, I’ve discovered that sound and vision are two distinct camps in the home theater realm, and it’s best to keep them separated due to constantly changing video formats.