As TVs get thinner, soundbars are more popular than ever. But how do you choose which is best for you? Bose and Sonos are both incredibly popular brands at Abt, and each brand makes great soundbars. Our video team has weighed the pros and cons of the Bose Smart Soundbar 600 and the Sonos Beam Gen 2 to help you decide which is best for your setup: Design & Dimensions When it…
Since single-handedly starting the wireless hi-fi industry more than a decade ago, Sonos has continued to grow to its product lineup, introducing increasingly advanced devices. This week, the company debuted their most ambitious product yet, the Sonos Arc soundbar. With a wealth of features that are poised to make it one of the best soundbars available, the Sonos Arc promises to be not just a great home theater soundbar, but also an…
So you’ve just unboxed and set up your new LED TV, fired up Netflix to put on an intense action blockbuster, hit “play,” and…now you’re underwhelmed. It probably looks great, but you might find the sound lacking. Because while the picture on modern 4K TVs is impressive, the audio quality on nearly all flat panel TVs will most likely underwhelm you—it’s just a matter of physics. A thin TV can only contain…
It’s no secret that today’s ultra-thin TVs tend to lack in audio quality—this is an unfortunate side effect of their shrinking profiles. So, in order to get the most out of movie night, some sort of supplementary speaker system is just about mandatory. A surround sound system greatly improves the cinematic experience, bringing the feel of the theater into your own home. Unfortunately, setting up and subsequently using a high-tech audio system…
When the Sonos Playbar first launched, it was the company’s first foray into the popular category of soundbar speakers. The Playbar combined the typical soundbar form factor with Sonos’ renowned wireless audio technology, giving the speaker an advantage over its non-connected competitors; the wireless functionality meant the Playbar worked marvelously as a stand-alone speaker, great for streaming your music library and not just accompanying your movies or TV shows. Earlier this year,…
The Sonos Beam brings smarts to your home theater setup. When Sonos launched their first product in 2005, they didn’t just release an impressive new gadget, they basically created an entirely new audio device subcategory: the hi-fidelity wireless speaker. Sonos proved that you didn’t need wires to enjoy high-quality audio, and you didn’t need to go broke doing it wirelessly. Since then, the wireless audio industry has seen countless competitors, and to…
The Klipsch Heritage Theater Bar is a soundbar that addresses two issues with soundbars that, quite frankly, we’re surprised have not been dealt with since the devices hit the market. The first is size. Say you have a nice, wide TV perched on an entertainment center—or perhaps mounted to your wall—and below the TV is your soundbar. Maybe it’s by the same brand as your TV, maybe a different brand, but either…
Innovative technologies like Sony’s Acoustic Surface system (found on their A1E and A8F OLED TVs) have helped improved the typically lacking sound that comes out of today’s uber-slim displays. But for the most part, even the most casual viewer is going to want an auxiliary audio source, which is where soundbars come in, providing high-quality, multi-channel sound from a single device that’s designed to be inconspicuous and easy to hook up. The…
The Big Game is just a few days away, but there’s still time to make sure you’re set up with all the gear that will make Sunday as super as possible. Our resident tech expert, Josh, paid a visit to our friends at WGN News to talk about some must-have products that will make the most out of your gameday. If you already have all the gear you need for your Big Game…
We saw plenty of great new products at Sony’s CES display, including a pair of standout soundbars. First up is the Sony M500 soundbar, a small soundbar that packs a big punch. More style-conscious than the typical soundbar (when was the last time you saw one that wasn’t black?), the Sony M500 is available in charcoal and cream versions, colors that will better blend into the typical family room decor. A slim…
