2026-10-08$449.99
Klipsch R-121SW Review: A Bigger Box, the Same Amplifier, and a Spec That Lost Its Tolerance
★★★★ 4/5
The Klipsch R-121SW is the sub-$500 12-inch ported subwoofer this site did not have, and it is a good one — but Klipsch's own spec sheets say the thing you are paying extra for is a bigger box and a new cone, not a better amplifier. Lay the R-121SW's spec sheet beside the outgoing R-120SW's and the amplifier row is identical on both: All Digital, 200 W continuous, 400 W peak, same four controls. What changed is a cabinet 18 percent larger by external volume and a thermoformed crystalline polymer cone in place of the old injection-moulded graphite one, and Klipsch credits those with 2 dB more maximum output and 1 Hz more extension. The problem is the 1 Hz. The 2018 sheet published 29 Hz to 120 Hz plus or minus 3 dB. The 2021 sheet publishes 28 Hz to 120 Hz with no tolerance at all, and renamed the row from a response figure to a range. A number without a tolerance cannot be compared to a number with one, including the company's own previous number, so the headline improvement is not something a buyer can verify. At $449.99 it is still a lot of ported 12-inch subwoofer, and independent burst testing backs up the mid-bass claim. But the outgoing R-120SW is $265.05 as we write this, and 2 dB is a small thing to pay $185 for. Read the measured numbers before you pay the premium.
2026-10-01$849.99
SVS PB-1000 Pro Review: The Best $250 Step in SVS's Subwoofer Ladder
★★★★½ 4.5/5
The SVS PB-1000 Pro is the subwoofer that makes the rest of SVS's lineup easy to understand, because it is the cheapest decibel SVS sells. It costs $250 more than the sealed SB-1000 Pro we already recommend, and for that money you do not get a bigger driver or a bigger amplifier — both models use a 12-inch driver and the identical 325-watt Sledge STA-325D amplifier. You get a ported cabinet, and by SVS's own published numbers that cabinet is worth 7.2 dB more output at 30 Hz. Nothing else in the 1000 and 2000 Pro range comes close to that return: the next step up, to the PB-2000 Pro, costs $350 and buys 4.8 dB. On a decibel-per-dollar basis the sealed-to-ported step is better than twice as good as the step above it, and if you are building a system where movies matter more than furniture, it is the obvious place to spend. What you pay in exchange is space and nothing else, and you should be honest with yourself about it, because it is a lot: the cabinet is 2.2 times the volume of the SB-1000 Pro's and it comes in one finish, a black ash vinyl, with no gloss option. The app is Bluetooth-only and its parametric EQ has three bands where newer SVS models have six. Measure your floor before you spend the money.
2026-09-24$649.00
Polk Reserve R350 Review: A Very Good Speaker Aimed the Wrong Way
★★★½ 3.5/5
The Polk Reserve R350 is a genuinely well-made speaker that is very hard to recommend for the job printed on the box. It is beautifully finished, it is only 5.5 inches tall, it is the only wall-mountable center in Polk's Reserve line, and its four small woofers give it power handling that a compact center cannot match. On-axis it measures well and sounds clean. The problem is geometry. Spreading four woofers across 30 inches of baffle on either side of a tweeter guarantees that those woofers cancel one another for anybody not sitting directly in front of the speaker, and independent anechoic measurement of this exact model found an unusually severe case of it, with energy draining out of a wide band from roughly 200 Hz to 2 kHz as soon as you move off the center seat. That band is where dialogue lives, and dialogue is the entire reason a center channel exists. Polk also markets a second use for the R350: rotate it vertically and run a pair as left and right. In that orientation the same measurements are good, because the cancellation moves into the vertical plane where nobody's head goes. So this is a speaker with a real and legitimate use case that is not the one its name describes. Buy two and stand them up. If you need a center channel, Polk's own R400 is the better speaker and was cheaper than the R350 on Amazon the day we checked.
2026-09-17$1,349.00
Klipsch The Fives II Review: An AVR Hiding Inside a Pair of Bookshelf Speakers
★★★★ 4/5
The Fives II are the best TV-and-turntable system Klipsch has ever put in two boxes, and the spec sheet is more honest about what changed than the marketing is. Onkyo's electronics turn these from a pair of powered monitors into something closer to a small AV receiver wearing wood veneer: a real HDMI 2.1 input with 8K passthrough, eARC out, Dolby Atmos decoding, Wi-Fi streaming through AirPlay 2, Chromecast, Spotify Connect, Tidal Connect and Qobuz Connect, plus a phono stage. For anyone who wants one cable to the TV, no receiver, and no soundbar, that combination is genuinely hard to match at any price. But the second generation also gives things back. Klipsch no longer publishes an amplifier power rating at all. Rated maximum output drops from 109 dB to 103 dB. Stated high-resolution decoding falls from 192 kHz to 96 kHz. aptX and aptX HD are gone from the Bluetooth stack. And the headline feature of this product generation, Dirac Live room correction, is reserved for the more expensive Sevens II and Nines II — the Fives II get a five-band EQ. Buy them for the connectivity and the sound in a small-to-medium room. Do not buy them expecting the spec sheet to be a straight upgrade, because in four measurable places it is not.
2026-09-13$1,599.00
BenQ TK705i Review: The 4K Projector You Never Have to Re-Lamp
★★★★ 4/5
The BenQ TK705i is a $1,599 4K HDR projector built around a 20,000-hour 4LED light source — about 13 years at four hours a night, with no lamp to replace and no scheduled brightness cliff. Around it sits a bright, colorful picture that holds up with the lights on, Google TV built in, and genuinely low gaming latency. Three things need honest framing: the 5 ms input lag claim is not reproducible (9.3 ms is the real floor, and only in a mode that disables zoom and every geometry correction), the 600,000:1 contrast is a dynamic figure that leaves fully dark scenes grey and flat, and the two HDMI 2.1 ports do not carry 4K/120. Use it in a living room with some ambient light, run audio out over eARC instead of the built-in speakers, and it is an easy recommendation.
2026-09-03$649 each (~$1,298 / pair)
ELAC Debut 3.0 DF63 Review: A Real 3-Way Tower for $649 Each
★★★★ 4/5
The ELAC Debut 3.0 DF63 buys you something almost nothing else does at $649 a cabinet — a genuine three-way crossover with a dedicated midrange driver. Handing the 550 Hz to 2 kHz band to its own 6.5-inch aramid-fiber cone, instead of asking a woofer to cover vocals while it's also making bass, is why this tower's midrange sounds as composed as it does. Third-party measurements back up the engineering: distortion stays clean at 96 dB SPL, dynamic compression is under 1 dB, and the waveguided aluminum tweeter holds a wide, smooth ±70° horizontal window. Two things need honest framing, though. The "31 Hz" on the spec sheet is a −6 dB number; the measured −3 dB point is 71 Hz, so this 43-inch tower still wants a subwoofer for home theater. And ELAC publishes two different impedance ratings for it: the Debut 3.0 spec sheet and owner's manual both say 4 Ω nominal, while the elac.com product page says 6 Ω. Measurement sides with the PDFs — a 3.4-ohm minimum with an EPDR near 1.5 ohms — so this is a 4-ohm-class load that punishes weak amplifiers. Feed it current and sit at tweeter height, and it's one of the best midranges you can buy for the money.
2026-08-27$999 (MSRP; often street-priced $699–$799)
Bose Smart Ultra Soundbar Review: The Best-Sounding Single-Bar Atmos You Can Buy
★★★★ 4/5
The Bose Smart Ultra Soundbar is the best-sounding all-in-one Atmos bar you can buy, if you can live with its price and single-bar limits. Nine speakers — including two effective up-firing dipoles and a dedicated center tweeter — plus class-best A.I. Dialogue Mode and included ADAPTiQ room calibration make it sound right out of the box. The catch: no sub or rears in the box, and a $999 list price.
2026-08-20$799 / pair
Polk Reserve R200 Review: The Bookshelf That Punches Well Above $800
★★★★½ 4.5/5
The Polk Reserve R200 is the bookshelf speaker to beat near $800 a pair. It takes the ingredients that made Polk's flagship-value line a critical favorite — a 6.5-inch Turbine Cone woofer, a 1-inch Pinnacle Ring Radiator tweeter with a tuned waveguide, and a heavily cross-braced, rear-ported cabinet — and tunes them for a near-neutral balance that most rivals in the class can't match. Bass is genuinely full for a standmount, the treble is airy without turning harsh, and the soundstage is wide and well-organized. The catch is electrical: the R200 is not an easy load. Sensitivity is a modest 86 dB and impedance dips to 3.8 ohms, so it wants a receiver or amplifier that's comfortable driving 4-ohm speakers and has real current to give. Feed it properly and it plays like a speaker costing far more.
2026-08-15$649
Onkyo TX-NR6100 Review: The Best-Connected 7.2 AV Receiver Under $700
★★★★ 4.4/5
The Onkyo TX-NR6100 is a THX Select-certified 7.2-channel AV receiver with full HDMI 2.1 (8K/60, 4K/120) on three inputs, 5.2.2 Dolby Atmos, and the widest streaming ecosystem in its class — Chromecast built-in, AirPlay 2, Works with Sonos, and DTS Play-Fi in one box. At a street price around $649, it's the best-connected 7.2-channel receiver under $700.
2026-08-15$499.00
Sony HT-S2000 Review: The Budget Dolby Atmos Soundbar That Grows With You
★★★★ 4/5
The Sony HT-S2000 is a 3.1ch Dolby Atmos and DTS:X soundbar with built-in dual subwoofers, Bluetooth, and an optional wireless surround upgrade — often under $300. The best expandable budget Atmos bar.
2026-08-06$1,299.00
Epson Home Cinema 2350 Review: A 4K PRO-UHD Projector That Punches Above $1,300
★★★★½ 4.5/5
The Epson Home Cinema 2350 is a 3-chip 3LCD 4K PRO-UHD projector with 2,800 ISO lumens, built-in Android TV, and sub-20ms input lag. Here's who it's for and where it beats a big TV.
2026-07-31$699.99
Q Acoustics 3030c Review: A Refined British Bookshelf for Music and Movies
★★★★½ 4.5/5
The Q Acoustics 3030c brings the new C3 mid/bass cone and an isolated sealed tweeter to a $699 standmount. Neutral, spacious, and one of the best-built bookshelf speakers in its class.
2026-07-23$499.99
Panasonic DP-UB820 Review: The Reference 4K Blu-ray Player for Enthusiasts
★★★★½ 4.5/5
The Panasonic DP-UB820-K plays Dolby Vision and HDR10+ from the same deck, adds 7.1 analog audio out and HDR Optimizer tone mapping. The best 4K Blu-ray player for most home theaters.
2026-07-16$499.00
Sonos Beam (Gen 2) Review: The Compact Dolby Atmos Soundbar Most Rooms Actually Need
★★★★½ 4.5/5
The Sonos Beam Gen 2 packs Dolby Atmos, HDMI eARC, and Sonos multiroom into a 25-inch bar at $499. The best compact soundbar for small and mid-size rooms.
2026-07-14$749
Denon AVR-S770H Review: The Value AV Receiver That Powers a Klipsch Atmos System
★★★★ 4.4/5
The Denon AVR-S770H is the value AV receiver that finishes a mid-priced Dolby Atmos build. It runs a 5.2.2 system natively, decodes every mainstream surround format including Dolby Atmos and DTS:X, and puts 8K/60 and 4K/120 passthrough on three of its six HDMI inputs. Its rated 75W per channel is modest, but paired with efficient speakers it drives a real 5.1.2 living-room system to satisfying levels — loud, though short of film reference. For a first Atmos receiver under $750, it's the sensible pick.
2026-07-14$1,699
Denon AVR-X3800H Review: The Best 9.4-Channel AV Receiver Under $2,000
★★★★½ 4.7/5
The Denon AVR-X3800H is the best 9.4-channel AV receiver under $2,000. It pairs full HDMI 2.1 — 8K/60, 4K/120, VRR, ALLM on six of seven inputs — with Dolby Atmos, DTS:X Pro, Auro-3D, IMAX Enhanced, Audyssey MultEQ XT32, and a paid Dirac Live upgrade path. For a 5.1.4 or 7.1.2 system in a real living room, nothing in this price band is more capable.
2026-07-14$999.99
SVS 3000 Micro R|Evolution Review: The Compact Sub That Stopped Compromising
★★★★½ 4.7/5
The SVS 3000 Micro R|Evolution packs dual-opposing 9-inch drivers, a 1,200W RMS MOSFET amp, XLR inputs, and full app DSP into an 11-inch sealed cube. Deep, tight bass from a sub that hides anywhere — for $999.99.
2026-07-14$299.00
WiiM Amp Review: The $299 Streaming Amp That Makes the Sonos Amp Look Overpriced
★★★★½ 4.6/5
The WiiM Amp packs a TI TPA3255 class-D power section (60W/ch at 8Ω), an ESS ES9018K2M DAC, HDMI ARC, subwoofer out, RoomFit room correction, and Roon Ready streaming into one $299 box. It undercuts the Sonos Amp by $400 while matching or beating it on features.
2026-07-13$449.99
Klipsch RP-500SA II Review: The Atmos Module That Finishes the Reference Premiere II System
★★★★½ 4.5/5
The Klipsch RP-500SA II is a switchable Dolby Atmos elevation / surround speaker with a 1" Titanium LTS tweeter and 5.25" Cerametallic woofer. The matching height channel for the RP-600M II, RP-6000F II, and RP-504C II — this is how you turn a 5.1 into a real 5.1.2.
2026-07-13$329.00
WiiM Ultra Review: The $329 Streaming Preamp That Punches Way Above Its Price
★★★★½ 4.6/5
The WiiM Ultra packs an ESS ES9038Q2M DAC, 3.5-inch touchscreen, HDMI ARC, phono, subwoofer out, RoomFit room correction, and Roon Ready streaming into a $329 preamp. The best-value network streamer in 2026.
2026-06-18$199.99
NVIDIA Shield TV Pro Review: The Power-User Streamer the Apple TV 4K Can't Replace
★★★★½ 4.5/5
The NVIDIA Shield TV Pro pairs a Tegra X1+, 3 GB RAM, AI 4K upscaling, Plex Media Server, and full Android TV sideloading into a $199 box. The right streamer for Plex hosts, retro gamers, and anyone outside the Apple ecosystem.
2026-06-15$379.00
ELAC Debut 2.0 B6.2 Review: The Andrew Jones Bookshelf That Still Wins Under $400
★★★★½ 4.5/5
The ELAC Debut 2.0 B6.2 pairs a 1" cloth-dome tweeter and a 6.5" aramid-fiber woofer in a front-ported cabinet designed by Andrew Jones. The right pair under $400 for shelf-friendly home theater and music.
2026-06-04$699.00
Klipsch RP-6000F II Review: The Floorstander That Earns a Real Home Theater
★★★★½ 4.5/5
The Klipsch RP-6000F II pairs two 6.5" Cerametallic woofers and a 1" Titanium LTS tweeter on a 90°×90° Hybrid Tractrix Horn into a tower Klipsch rates at 96 dB, half-space. The front stage of choice for a Denon, Marantz, or Yamaha AVR-based 5.1 in a medium-to-large room.
2026-05-28$799.00
Klipsch RP-504C II Review: The Center Channel That Finishes the Reference Premiere II System
★★★★½ 4.5/5
The Klipsch RP-504C II pairs four 5.25" Cerametallic woofers and a 1" Titanium LTS tweeter on a 90°×90° Hybrid Tractrix Horn. The matching center for the RP-600M II, RP-6000F II, and any Denon, Marantz, or Yamaha AVR-based 5.1.
2026-05-21$749.00
Klipsch RP-600M II Review: The Reference Bookshelf That Anchors Any Home Theater
★★★★½ 4.5/5
The Klipsch RP-600M II pairs a 1" Titanium LTS tweeter on a Hybrid Cross-Section Tractrix Horn with a 6.5" Cerametallic woofer in a bookshelf rated 94.5 dB half-space (86 dB measured anechoic). The right $749/pair to anchor a Denon, Marantz, or Yamaha AVR-based home theater.
2026-05-14$799.00
Sonos Sub 4 Review: The Wireless Sub That Finishes a Sonos Home Theater
★★★★ 4.4/5
The Sonos Sub 4 brings dual force-cancelling woofers, WiFi 6, and Trueplay tuning to a sealed wireless sub that pairs with the Arc Ultra in one tap. The right bass anchor for a Sonos system — and only a Sonos system.
2026-05-07$599.00
SVS SB-1000 Pro Review: The Sealed Sub That Anchors a Real Home Theater
★★★★½ 4.7/5
The SB-1000 Pro is the cheapest sub that gives you the DSP features that actually matter — 12-inch driver, 325W Sledge amp, app-based parametric EQ — and it integrates cleanly with any modern AV receiver.
2026-04-15$2,999.00
Epson EpiqVision LS800 Review: The Ultra-Short-Throw Projector That Replaces Your TV
★★★★½ 4.6/5
The LS800 projects a 150-inch 4K HDR image from 4 inches away. Bright enough for daylight viewing, sharp enough for movie nights. The best UST projector under $3,000.
2026-04-12$129.00
Apple TV 4K (3rd Gen) Review: The Best Streaming Device for Most Living Rooms
★★★★½ 4.7/5
The third-gen Apple TV 4K delivers the fastest, smoothest 4K HDR streaming experience available in a set-top box. If you're in the Apple ecosystem, this is the obvious choice.
2026-03-10$799.95
JBL Bar 1000 Review: 7.1.4 Channel Soundbar With Detachable Rear Speakers
★★★★½ 4.5/5
The JBL Bar 1000 delivers true 7.1.4 wireless surround by detaching its rear speakers from the soundbar itself. The most immersive soundbar system under $800.
2026-03-10$1,199.00
Klipsch Cinema 1200 Review: The 5.1.4 Soundbar System That Shakes the Room
★★★★½ 4.6/5
The Cinema 1200 is Klipsch's most powerful soundbar system — 1,200 watts, a 12-inch wireless subwoofer, and four upward-firing Atmos channels. This one shakes walls.
2026-03-10$1,299.00
Marantz Cinema 70s Review: The Audiophile's AV Receiver
★★★★½ 4.7/5
The Cinema 70s is Marantz at its best — warm, musical 7.2-channel Dolby Atmos processing with Dirac Live and HDMI 2.1 in a chassis that looks as good as it sounds.
2026-03-10$349.00
Polk Audio Signa S4 Review: Dolby Atmos Under $350 That Actually Delivers
★★★★ 4.3/5
The Signa S4 is the best budget Dolby Atmos soundbar. Strong dialogue clarity, a wireless subwoofer, and Atmos processing that outperforms its price tag.
2026-03-10$1,298.00
Sony HT-A7000 Review: The Premium Soundbar That Earns Its Price
★★★★½ 4.7/5
The HT-A7000 delivers a 7.1.2 Dolby Atmos experience from a single bar with exceptional height processing. Sony's flagship soundbar is worth every dollar.
2026-03-09$999.00
KEF LSX II LT Review: Studio-Grade Wireless Speakers for Your Desk
★★★★½ 4.5/5
The LSX II LT brings KEF's Uni-Q driver technology to a compact wireless package. These are the best-sounding bookshelf speakers you can connect directly to a TV or turntable without an amplifier.
2026-03-08$1,497.99
Samsung HW-Q990D Review: The 11.1.4 Soundbar That Replaces a Speaker System
★★★★½ 4.7/5
The HW-Q990D is Samsung's flagship soundbar and it earns the title. Eleven speakers, a wireless subwoofer, and rear surrounds deliver a genuine surround-sound experience without running a single wire.
2026-03-08$649.95
Yamaha RX-V6A Review: The Best Budget AV Receiver for Dolby Atmos
★★★★½ 4.5/5
The RX-V6A is the easiest path into 7.2-channel Dolby Atmos. Yamaha's legendary build quality, YPAO auto-calibration, and HDMI 2.1 support make this the best receiver under $700.
2026-03-05$999.00
Sonos Arc Ultra Review: The Best Dolby Atmos Soundbar for Most People
★★★★½ 4.8/5
The Arc Ultra is Sonos at its finest — expansive Atmos soundstage, clean design, and the easiest setup in its class.
2026-02-20$649.00
Denon AVR-X2800H Review: The Sweet Spot AV Receiver
★★★★½ 4.6/5
7.2-channel Dolby Atmos and DTS:X processing, 8K HDMI, and Heos multi-room audio at a price that won't break the bank.