Category: Home Audio Video

Reviewing the Integra DTM 7.4 Network Stereo Receiver

  If you’d told me 20 years ago that I’d be writing a review for a 2-channel AV receiver, I wouldn’t have believed it. The year 2024 would surely be about a million channels, complexity, and a world without big, boxy AV receivers! Or maybe not. Maybe the world’s a little over all the channels […]

The Art of Simplicity and the AVA Cinema Remote

I’ve been frustrated in recent years with the lack of innovation in the handheld remote category. It’s as if consumer electronics manufacturers think we’re all perfectly happy using our smartphones and a bunch of button-riddled plastic candy bars to negotiate the endless audio and video options at our fingertips. If anything, 2024 should be a […]

Leon Mera Sound Sconce Review: A Bold New Approach to Home Ambience

I love it when design and function merge seamlessly. The new Leon Mera Sound Sconce is a great example of blending these elements by combining sound and lighting in an attractive wall fixture effortlessly accenting whatever’s around it. I had no idea something like this existed until my gaze was recently transfixed at a trade show. After […]

Reviewing the new Sonos Arc Ultra and Companion Sub 4

Sonos has taken it on the chin lately. Admittedly, some of it is well deserved. From the unforced error of fixing an app that wasn’t broken to a solidly tone-deaf response, it’s been hard to root for these guys lately. That being said, I’m still a big fan of the Sonos hardware ecosystem and have […]

How to Upgrade Your Coastal Source Outdoor Lighting with RGBTW Color

I fell in love with outdoor lighting during the pandemic when Coastal Source sent me a truckload of gear to install around my yard. It took me a while to trench, dig, cut and cajole all the lights in place, but when I did, the end result was well worth the effort. My property stands out after […]

Product Review: Rocksteady Stadium 2-Speaker and Subwoofer Pack

When was the last time you found yourself bathed in immersive sound by a Bluetooth speaker? How about four of them and a subwoofer? That certainly caught my attention when the folks at Rocksteady asked me if I wanted to review their Stadium 2-Speaker and Subwoofer Pack. I loved the novelty and wanted to see how […]

Product Review: Beale Street Outdoor Audio System

I love music. Everywhere I go, there’s usually a soundtrack playing in the background. This is especially true when I’m spending time at home outdoors. I have speakers everywhere. My backyard, deck, and patio are all routinely bathed in killer outdoor audio sound. The only bummer comes when I hang out in the front yard. […]

Product Review: SVS 3000 In-Wall Subwoofer

The SVS 3000 In-Wall Subwoofer is amazing, and once you’ve heard it, you can’t go backwards. It feels like the never-ending battle between form and function flares up in places where great sound has the most to gain. I humbly submit the plight of the subwoofer. Long reviled by significant others and designers alike, the […]

Product Review: Sonos Move 2 Improves on Its Predecessor

Henry Clifford reviews the Sonos Move 2 Sonos sent me their latest portable speaker, Move 2, to try out. The original Move debuted in 2019. Four years is a long time in the tech world. According to Moore’s Law, the new Move 2’s performance should be at least double that of its predecessor. The Move […]

Have You Considered Invisible Speakers?

If you ask an interior decorator about loudspeakers, they will tell you a speaker should be heard and not seen. What if we told you your home could be filled with music and the speakers could be completely invisible? Not only that – but it would actually still sound great! Well, put your wands away […]